Cheese War

Oregon’s dairy industry includes Coos County and Tillamook County. A new book, Cheese War, focuses on Tillamook’s history and tells the true tale of a time in the 1960s when Tillamook’s dairy farmers fought among themselves.  

 Many southwestern Oregon residents know about the Tillamook cooperative’s purchase of the Bandon Cheese Factory and its brand, resulting in area businesses being told they could not use the place name. Cheese War explains the reaction of Bandon’s officials and businesses to Tillamook’s edict as well as why the former brand’s name is still used on Tillamook products today.   

 Linda Kirk, who lives near Dora, and her co-author sister, Marilyn Milne, a Eugene resident, grew up on a Tillamook dairy farm. Their book, recently released by OSU Press, is available at Coos County libraries and bookstores. The book describes the issues that divided the community and how Tillamook’s farmers regrouped after the cheese war and grew their cooperative to a $1 billion business.  

 At the free reading sponsored by the Coos Bay Library, Kirk and Milne will read from Cheese War and sign books. The library will also stock the book for patrons. The reading starts at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 20, at the library, which is located at 525 Anderson Ave. in Coos Bay. The public is welcome. For more information, call 541-269-1101.  

 More information on Cheese War, plus purchasing information, is at osupress.oregonstate.edu/book/cheese-war.