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CapitalPress.com
June 3, 2016
Farm produces milk from start to finish
For the Capital Press
Third-generation dairy
farmer Garry Hansen has
found a clear niche selling
milk in glass bottles.
In 2000 Hansen purchased
a dairy farm near Mulino,
Ore., a stone’s throw from
the farm where he grew up.
He has raised and managed
cows since childhood and is
dedicated to his herd of reg-
istered Jersey cows and the
Jersey breed.
Like his family before
him, Hansen sold his milk to
the Darigold co-op but grew
weary of government-regu-
lated prices and other limita-
tions. When financial trou-
bles hit the dairy in 2003 he
decided to go it alone and set
out to build Garry’s Meadow
Fresh brand.
He purchased processing
Courtesy of Garry’s Meadow Fresh Dairy
Garry’s Meadow Fresh milk makes a splash on store shelves. The
independent dairy found its niche in glass-bottled milk and gentler
processing methods.
store shelves. Hansen said
his training and experience
as an auctioneer proved
helpful in his marketing.
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IRRIGATION SYSTEMS!
DAIRY SALES
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Stalls
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Gates
Waterbeds
Pasture Mats
Alley/Parlor
Rubber
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Pumps
Separators
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Irripod/Irriland
Toro Ag
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about 300 gallons of milk
a day in glass half-gallon,
quart and pint-size bottles.
Beyond the glass, the
milk appeals to customers
because it’s fresh, locally
grown and processed differ-
ently from the norm.
The milk is vat pasteur-
ized — heated to 145 de-
grees and held there for 30
minutes. Most milk is ultra
TO THE DAIRY FARMERS OF
OREGON & WASHINGTON
Fresno Valve
Dura Gheen
Berkely Pumps
Stocking Nelson
Gun Parts &
PVC
WE APPRECIATE YOUR PAST BUSINESS AND
LOOK FORWARD TO BEING OF SERVICE
IN THE FUTURE.
Contact us anytime for a confidential discussion to buy or sell.
Dave Morgan
Visit us at:
Northwest Dairy Service
9525 Rickreall Rd • Rickreall, OR 97325
www.nwdairyservice.com • 503-831-9770
Courtesy of Garry’s Meadow Fresh Dairy
Garry Hansen is shown with Kiss, one of his registered Jersey
cows.
THANK YOU
Carter Clark
IRRIGATION
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Another pivotal point
came in 2010 when Garry’s
Meadow Fresh got the nod
from New Seasons Market,
an upscale Portland-based
chain. Hansen finally with-
drew from the co-op.
“New Seasons is good
about giving local peo-
ple a try and they’re really
growing,” said Hansen. At
this time, 60 percent of the
dairy’s milk goes to New
Seasons.
In 2009 Hansen was
milking about 50 cows;
he now milks 85, bottling
D16-4/#7
David Wood, CCIM
John Lee, ALC
PRINCIPAL BROKER
PRINCIPAL BROKER
503-983-1585
dwood@ccim.net
www.oregon-ag.com
503-245-9090
johnlee@remax.net
www.oregonfarmbroker.com
RE/MAX Advantage Plus - Farm/Land/Dairy Division
D16-4/#7
equipment from a retired
milk
producer-processor
and spent five years putting
the infrastructure in place
that would allow him to
produce milk from start to
finish.
The going was slow; for
two years Hansen and his
team raced around to five
Portland farmers’ markets
every weekend.
Hansen bottles his milk
in both glass bottles and
plastic jugs. One Satur-
day in 2009 he brought an
equal number of plastic and
glass containers to Beaver-
ton’s Farmers’ Market. The
glass-bottled milk sold out
within the first two hours.
“That kind of unclouded
our vision and put us on the
right path,” Hansen said.
Over the next year they
worked in earnest to build
the brand and get it on local
By BRENNA WIEGAND
pasteurized — brought to
280 degrees for two sec-
onds.
“It doesn’t have as long a
shelf life — ours is 18 days
to three weeks,” Hansen
said, “but it preserves far
more active enzymes and
the flavor is better.”
Another difference is that
Hansen doesn’t homogenize
to break down the milkfat
and blend it into the milk.
“Except for the fat-free,
the cream will be on top,
just the way it came from
the cow,” he said, adding
that many older folks claim
its taste hearkens back to
the milk of their youth.
Running a dairy and
processing plant, finding a
niche, building a brand and
staying on top of supply and
demand is hard work.
“The price points may
look high — whole milk
averages $4.50 a half gallon
with a $2 bottle deposit —
but you’ve got to put heart
and soul into all aspects
of the business,” Hansen
said.