Farmer Focus

Taryn Martin

Hometown: Tillamook County, Oregon

Taryn Martin is the 2019 YC Secretary and member of Tillamook County Creamery Association. She works on her family’s farm, which started all the way back in 1906. Currently, they milk around 950 cows – all registered jerseys – using a carousel that milks 32 cows at a five-minute rotation. The farm is located on the Oregon coast in Tillamook County. The Pacific Ocean is only 15 minutes away from the farm.

What do you like the most – and the least – about working as a dairy farmer?

Taryn: I would have to say that working with my family and cows is what I value most on the farm. Working with my dad and helping improve our genetics is something I have loved since I was kid. As far as what I like the “least,” I find it important to focus on the positive, or I – like many others – would struggle day to day on the farm. My mother and father always taught me to find the best in every situation.

How do you think your farm’s business plan will change 10 years from now?

There is no doubt that robots are quickly becoming the norm. As for the next 10 years, I couldn’t say. As long as we are still farming with family, that is all that matters.

During those days when things aren’t going well, what do you do to keep a positive attitude?

I find that music really helps shape my mood on the farm. You’ll find speakers in all my work areas. Some days, when I am completely swamped, just giving a good friend a call and taking 30 minutes to quiet my mind helps re-center my thoughts and my drive. I also keep one string of Christmas lights in my calf barn year-round. Something about waking up to a barn with soft lighting, the calves sleeping and the farm just waking up in the morning. For me, it has never lost its magic.

What would you be doing if you were not a dairy farmer?

I would still be in agriculture somehow. The great thing about agriculture is that we will always need help. If I wasn’t on my family farm, I guarantee I would still be on farms for the rest of my life.

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