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CapitalPress.com
April 6, 2018
People & Places
Cheesemaking a lifestyle and passion
Tamara Hicks,
David Jablons
create niche with
farm, creamery
Western
Innovator
For the Capital Press
Toluma Farms
Courtesy Toluma Farms
Tamara Hicks and David Jablons began their dairy 15 years ago as part of the Slow Food Movement.
Today they raise several sheep and goat breeds for their high-quality milk and cheese.
Small equals good
“The U.S. was all about
small-scale farming until the
World War II and that system
worked extremely well. We
believe it is important to return
to small-scale farming,” she
said.
Today, the family raises
several animal breeds recog-
nized for their high-quality
milk, including Alpine, La
Mancha, Nubian, Oberhasli,
Saanen and Toggenburg dairy
goats and East Friesian sheep.
The creamery’s cheeses bear
Coast Miwok Native Amer-
ican names in honor of the
land’s first inhabitants. For ex-
ample, Atika, meaning “two,”
is an award-winning aged
cheese made from goat’s and
sheep’s milk.
The creamery’s farmstead
cheeses are produced exclu-
sively with milk from Animal
Welfare Approved herds raised
on certified organic pastures.
“The food buyers and chefs
from San Francisco and the
Bay Area seek out high quali-
ty, sustainable and local foods,
so we have never had to do any
marketing,” Hicks said.
They also are bringing their
cheese operation to the city.
“We are in the process of
expanding our creamery,” she
said. “This will be the first
cheesemaking facility there.
We will be making cultured
butter, cream cheese and quark
along with making bagels —
how can we not, with making
cream cheese and David being
from Manhattan and (talking)
about there not being enough
good New York-style bagels in
San Francisco?”
Farmers’ market
They sell their cheeses
at the Ferry Plaza Farmers’
Market as well as the farm-
ers’ markets in San Rafael
and Oakland. Their cheese is
also available in many cheese
shops and restaurants.
“We’ve been proud to host
Toluma Farms at the Ferry
Plaza Farmers’ Market, with
their delicious, award-win-
ning cheeses and their com-
mitment to sustainability
and education,” said Marcy
Coburn, executive director
of the Center for Urban Ed-
ucation about Sustainable
Agriculture, known by the
acronym CUESA, the non-
profit that runs the market.
“They’ve also been a cor-
nerstone partner in CUESA’s
Goat Festival, bringing their
adorable baby goats to our
farmers’ market to educate
urban dwellers about humane
animal welfare and cheese-
making.”
“David and I took cheese-
making classes in Vermont
and I received a cheesemak-
ing certificate from the Col-
lege of Marin,” Hicks said.
“David has a knack for it
since he is a scientist. How-
ever, we went from knowing
nothing about cheesemaking
to knowing next-to-nothing
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Capital Press
Oregon Women for Agriculture
From left are Dona Coon, Kristi Miller, Betty Jo Smith, Helle Ruddenklau, Katie Glaser, Bob Spinney,
Carrol Spinney, Ronda Dannen, Lori Boshart, Martha Glaser and Debbie Crocker. The organization
presented Spinney with its 2018 Service Award on March 18 and is planning its annual dinner auction
for April 21 at the Linn County Fair and Expo Center in Albany, Ore.
and local growers.
He has also been an ac-
tive volunteer for OWA for
decades, according to the
organization’s press release.
His most recent contribution
to agricultural education has
been the placement and up-
keep of crop identification
signs around the Willamette
Valley and Interstate 5 corri-
dor. OWA described Spinney
Wooden Shoe Tulip Fest. 9
a.m.-6 p.m. Wooden Shoe Tulip
Farm, 33814 S. Meridian Road,
Woodburn, Ore. The colorful annu-
al festival includes a wide variety
of activities. Cost: $5 per person
for 13 and older. Maximum per car
charge of $20. Website: https://
www.woodenshoe.com/
Through April 7
Idaho FFA State leadership
Conference. College of Southern
Idaho, Twin Falls, Idaho. Website:
https://www.idahoffa.org/confer-
ences-conventions/
Saturday, April 7
28th Dayton FFA Alumni Auc-
tion and Dinner. 5:30-9 p.m. Old
Dayton High School Gym, 801
Ferry St., Dayton, Ore. The auction
is the largest fundraiser the Day-
ton FFA Alumni does each year.
If you or your business would like
to donate an item, time, money or
services to this year’s auction, or if
you are interested in joining Day-
ton FFA Alumni, please contact
Mitch Coleman at (503) 864-2080.
The silent auction starts at 5:30
p.m. The first table closes at 6:30
and dinner featuring local foods
will be served at 7. Cost: $10 at the
door or from the Dayton Ag Shop
at 503-864-2080.
Basic Irrigation System Design
and Operation. 9:30 a.m.-4:30
p.m. Dunbar Farms, Medford, Ore.
This class will look at a variety
of irrigation systems suitable for
different crops. The class will be
particularly useful for those plan-
ning to build or alter their irrigation
systems. The day of instruction in-
cludes a trip around Dunbar Farms
to look at a wide variety of pump
stations and irrigation methods in
operation. These systems will in-
clude overhead sprinklers for hay,
drip irrigation in wine grapes, high
uniformity rotator sprinklers for row
crops, large volume canons for
infrequent irrigation purposes and
flood irrigation in hay. Directions to
the farm will be sent to registrants
upon receipt of a submitted regis-
tration). Registration options other
than on line, contact Paula, 541-
776-7371. Register online: http://
bit.ly/JacksonSmallFarms Cost:
$35 per person. Website: http://bit.
ly/JacksonSmallFarms
Tuesday, April 10
Southern Idaho Livestock Hall
of Fame induction. 6:30-9 p.m. Turf
Club, 734 Falls Ave., Twin Falls,
Idaho. This year’s inductees are:
cattle rancher Jim Baker of Filer;
sheep and cattle ranchers Ed and
Emily Baker (posthumously) of Fil-
er; cattle ranchers Scott and Sarah
Bedke of Oakley; dairy producers
Harry and Flora Bokma of Buhl;
long-time Bureau of Land Manage-
ment supervisor Dean Brown of
Jerome; and cattle ranchers Wade
and Gwenna Prescott of Carey.
Cost: $25
Saturday, April 14
Small Acreage Expo. 8:30 a.m.-
3:45 p.m. Heritage Farm, 1919 N.E.
78th St., Vancouver, Wash. A full day
of workshops will be offered, and
representatives from a variety of
agricultural organizations and agen-
cies will be on hand. Cost: $15 in
advance, $25 at the expo. Website:
expo2018.brownpapertickets.com
Understanding and Maintaining
Farm Equipment. 1-5 p.m. Dunbar
Farms, Medford, Ore. This class
offers an introduction to farm equip-
ment maintenance and repair in-
cluding: how small gas engines and
larger gas and diesel engines run,
basic maintenance and tuning; trou-
ble-shooting problems and how to
tell whether you can fix a problem.
Register online at http://bit.ly/Jack-
sonSmallFarms or send an email to
paula.burkhalter@oregonstate.edu
or call 541-776-7371. Cost: $20
each person Website: http://bit.ly/
JacksonSmallFarms
Thursday, April 19
In the Field: Salem Agricul-
ture Seminar. 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Willamette Heritage Center, 1313
Mill St. SE, Salem, Ore. A no-cost
seminar for a discussion specifi-
cally designed to provide agribusi-
ness owners and their managers
with the tools they need to get
organized. Topics include the new
tax cuts, finances and financial
statements, regulatory updates on
water and wetlands, organizing an
agri-business and estate planning
for farms and ranches. Sponsored
by Schwabe, Williamson and Wy-
att. RSVP at http://bit.ly/2FwaRPV.
Cost: Free
Shepherds’
Extravaganza.
2-10 p.m. Washington State
Fair, 110 Ninth Ave. SW, Puy-
allup, Wash. Sheep and Fleece
Show, vendors of supplies, used
fiber-related equipment, demon-
strations, workshops. Cost:
No cost after admission to the
Spring Fair. Website: www.shep-
herds-extravaganza.com
Friday, April 20
Changing Hands: A Workshop
on Farm Succession Planning
and Access to Land. 7:30 a.m.-
5 p.m. Harmony West Campus,
Clackamas Community College,
7726 SE Harmony Road, Mil-
waukie, Ore. Rogue Farm Corps’
workshop will bring together as-
piring and retiring farmers for a
full day of training on land access
and succession planning. We
will also have some facilitated
networking on regional issues
throughout the day so we can
begin to build a community that
will last beyond the workshops.
If you are an aspiring farmer,
come learn about creative ways
to start your farm business with
topics on finding, leasing, financ-
ing and buying agricultural land.
If you are a retiring farmer, come
learn from experts about what it
takes to pass on your business
to the next generation — keeping
it in the family or finding others
to carry it on. Cost: $20 Website:
www.roguefarmcorps.org/plan-
ning
Thursday-Sunday
April 19-22
Puyallup Spring Fair. Wash-
ington State Fairgrounds, 110
Jessica Boone ........ Production Manager
Samantha McLaren .... Circulation Manager
Home: West Marin County,
Calif.
Entire contents copyright © 2018
EO Media Group
dba Capital Press
Quote: “We are trying to be
smart about how we expand,
not by adding more animals
but by moving aspects of the
operation into San Francis-
co. This way we can educate
the urban population about
buying local, knowing where
your food comes from.”
so we hired cheesemakers
who really know what they
are doing.”
Hicks manages the land
and farm education aspects
while David focuses on
cheese production and animal
health.
The average day begins
with milking at 7:30 a.m.
The cheesemakers make
deliveries several times a
week. They offer cheese-tast-
ing classes, tours, cheesemak-
ing or farmstays.
“These ‘agtivities’ have
been a great extra revenue
stream,” she said.
Hicks admits there are
challenges.
“It is really challenging
for a dairy of our size to be-
come profitable,” she said.
“So much of the food industry
has been built to succeed only
within large-scale operations.
We want to stay small.”
as a tireless advocate for agri-
culture, and OWA.
The award was presented
to Spinney on March 18 at the
Cascade Grill in Albany.
Meanwhile, OWA is gear-
ing up for its 31st annual
auction and dinner Saturday,
April 21, at the Linn County
Fair and Expo Center in Alba-
ny. The event begins at 4:30
p.m. with a silent auction, fol-
lowed by dinner at 6:15 and a
live auction at 7:45.
Tickets are $50 per person
before April 7, and $60 per
person after April 7. Dinner
will include appetizers, a no
host bar, grilled oysters, lamb,
baron of beef and roasted pig.
For more information, vis-
it www.owaonline.org or call
503-243-3276.
Calendar
Through April 30
Elizabeth Yutzie Sell .... Advertising Director
Owners: Tamara Hicks and
David Jablons
Occupation: Sheep and
goat farm, cheese dairy
Dinner auction
fundraiser scheduled
for April 21
To submit an event go to the
Community Events calendar on
the home page of our website at
www.capitalpress.com and click
on “Submit an Event.” Calendar
items can also be mailed to Cap-
ital Press, 1400 Broadway St.
NE, Salem, OR 97301 or emailed
to newsroom@capitalpress.com.
Write “Calendar” in the subject
line.
Capital Press Managers
Joe Beach ..................Editor & Publisher
Carl Sampson ................Managing Editor
Longtime volunteer Bob Spinney receives 2018 OWA Service Award
Oregon Women for Ag-
riculture, an all-volunteer
organization dedicated to
promoting the importance of
agriculture statewide, has pre-
sented its 2018 Service Award
to Bob Spinney of Albany,
Ore.
Spinney has worked most
of his career as an agronomist
and crop protection specialist.
He has also assisted with crop
research for Oregon State
University, OSU Extension
Established 1928
Board of directors
Mike Forrester
Steve Forrester
Kathryn Brown
Susan Rana
Mike Omeg
Corporate Officer
Heidi Wright
Chief Operating Officer
By JULIA HOLLISTER
WEST MARIN, Calif. —
Husband and wife team Ta-
mara Hicks and David Jablons
grew up on opposite sides of
the U.S. — he in Manhattan
and she in rural San Diego
County.
Health and healthful eating
lured them into farming.
Longtime lovers of the
West Marin landscape north
of the Bay Area, Hicks and
Jablons were so inspired by
the region’s agricultural histo-
ry that in 2003 they purchased
their own farm with help from
the Marin Agricultural Land
Trust and a USDA rural devel-
opment grant.
The couple purchased a
non-functioning old cow dairy
and have extensively restored
the soil and water systems as
well as the buildings. The 160
acres of rolling pasture a few
miles from Tomales Bay was
dubbed Toluma Farms.
They milked goats for 8
years, then added sheep. They
started making cheese 5 years
ago as Tomales Farmstead
Creamery.
“David still works at Uni-
versity of California-San
Francisco (as an oncologist
and lung cancer researcher).
I am a clinical psychologist
and have recently given up my
private practice but still pro-
vide coaching focusing on life/
work balance and creating the
life you want,” Hicks said.
Hicks said the couple want-
ed to be part of the solution
to several problems, such as
unhealthful eating and the
disappearance of the local ag
economies.
Capital Press
Ninth Ave. SW, Puyallup, Wash.
Website: http://www.thefair.com/
spring-fair
Saturday, April 21
Oregon Women for Ag Auc-
tion and Dinner. 5:30 p.m. Linn
County Fair and Expo Center,
3700 Knox Butte Road, Alba-
ny, Ore. This exciting event is a
fundraiser for Oregon Women for
Agriculture, which advocates for
all things involving agriculture in
the state. Web: owaonline.org
Tree School East. 9 a.m.-4
p.m. Baker High School, 2500
E St., Baker City, Ore. This year
the school will offer 29 classes on
everything from multi-aged forest
management, forest insects and
disease, controlling weeds, how
to survive in the wild, ownership
succession planning, to geology
of Northeast Oregon, wildflow-
er identification and small scale
harvesting for the “do it yourself”
folks. The goal is to provide a
wide variety of topics valuable
for family forestland owners,
professional foresters and for-
est contractors. Sponsored by
OSU Extension, the Oregon
Forest Resources Institute and
the Oregon Small Woodlands As-
sociation. Cost: $50, $20 for 18
and younger with an adult family
member. Website: http://exten-
sion.oregonstate.edu/baker/
Sunday-Wednesday
April 22-25
California FFA State Conven-
tion. Anaheim Convention Center,
Anaheim, Calif. Website: http://
www.calaged.org/stateconvention
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Index
Dairy ...................................... 9
Markets ............................... 13
Opinion .................................. 6
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