6 • March 2021
FEATURE STORY
Coast River Business Journal
Industry Spotlight:
Free range dairy farm joins Tillamook co-op
Pacifi c Pastures farmer wants to teach students about agriculture
PHOTOS BY CAROLYN HOARD
ABOVE: During the spring and summer, the cows will freely roam and graze outside on the
650 acres of pastureland. TOP RIGHT: A newborn calf sleeps in the barn in February. BOTTOM
RIGHT: David Gasquoine, operations manager, also owns a dairy farm in New Zealand.
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A
bout 250 Jersey calves were born at
Pacifi c Pastures this winter, joining their
fellow free range cows in the largest dairy
in Clatsop County.
It’s been about a year since David and Cathy
Gasquoine of New Zealand took on operations of
the farm on Seppa Road in Astoria.
“Looking around, you could easily be in New
Zealand,” David Gasquoine said, adding that both
places have economies based in agriculture, fi shing,
forestry and tourism.
“The pastures here are a lot like what we have at
home,” Cathy Gasquoine added.
In September 2020, Pacifi c Pastures became a
member of Tillamook County Creamery Associa-
tion, the cooperative of dairy farmers who produce
milk that becomes Tillamook ice cream, cheese
and yogurt. At the same time, the farm name was
changed from Cowan Dairy to Pacifi c Pastures.
“Getting Tillamook membership is very suc-
cessful for a business and we had to comply with
the conditions of membership,” David Gasquoine
said. These conditions required them to upgrade
their milk parlor and the general aesthetics of the
farm.