Tillamook is home to some of the most delicious food around—and we don’t just mean cheese! Fruit from our Pacific Northwest is known for its full flavor, size and natural sweetness unparalleled in the country. That’s why we put it in our yogurt. It’s one way we #GoNatural.

So what exactly makes the local berries that go into our Light and Lowfat Yogurt so special? The Pacific Northwest is blessed with climate that produces extraordinary fruit. Our warm summer days and cool, crisp nights coupled with abundant rainfall makes for fertile soils to grow a variety of delicious fruit, including strawberries, marionberries and raspberries. Here’s how some of summer’s best make it into our yogurt:

Strawberries – June and July
Our strawberries are grown right in Oregon and their tastiness is amplified by our cool spring and warm summer months. The berries stay on the vine and ripen slowly, allowing the natural sugars to increase before they’re harvested and added to our Light Oregon Strawberry Yogurt.

Bing Cherries – June and July
Our Bing Cherries are found up and down the banks of the Columbia River, blanketing the orchards of the Willamette Valley. Their dark red color and sweet flavor are precisely what make our Light Dark Cherry Yogurt so irresistible.

Raspberries – June to August
Nearby Willamette Valley is the place our raspberries call home. The unique climate here allows the taste and sweetness of the berries to mature slowly and fully. We use Meeker Raspberries in our Light Raspberry Yogurt, which are known for their radiant red color and powerful taste.

Marionberries – July to August
Our marionberries are ubiquitous and can be spotted throughout Oregon. In fact, the marionberry is the only blackberry native to the West Coast. Their bold, sweet and earthy flavor has earned them a place in our Light Marionberry Yogurt as well as the nickname “The Cabernet of Blackberries.”

Visit us in the Tillamook Yogurt Yum Factory and mix up some yogurt for yourself!

What’s your favorite yogurt fruit flavor? Let us know using #GoNatural

By Tillamook

We’re looking to the experts this Father’s Day! We’ve asked some of our favorite bloggers to share their memories, traditions and stories from life as a dad! Please meet, Jack Steiner, a father who writes about life, parenting, business, politics and fiction.

Number of kids:
Two, one and one daughter. 

How many years have you been in the dad business?
Almost 13 years

How does your family celebrate Father’s Day? Any traditions?
We try to have one big family gathering with all of the dads, including grandfathers and uncles. For the first 11 years or so it used to include great grandfathers but unfortunately they aren’t around anymore. I like having it at my house. It is usually a barbecue, but sometimes we have brunch instead.

What is the cheesiest thing you do to make your kids laugh?
Bad jokes. It is my right as a father to tell really awful puns.

What is the one piece of advice you’d give to new dads?
You can’t control people, you can only manage them. Have fun and be ready to laugh at yourself.

Which Tillamook cheese below best describes what kind of dad you are?

• Medium Cheddar (Tried and true, cheddar’s gold standard)
• Sharp Cheddar (Sharp, full-bodied flavor with a zing)
• Pepper Jack (Mild and spicy, or spicy and mild)
• Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar (Extra-big cheddar flavor, strong and complex)

I think Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar describes me quite well.

Keep up with Jack Steiner:
Facebook
Twitter

By Tillamook

We’re looking to the experts this Father’s Day! We’ve asked some of our favorite bloggers to share their memories, traditions and stories from life as a dad! Please meet, Jim Lin, Dad blogger at Busy Dad Blog, doodler at Lunchbox Daily and digital strategizer at Ketchum PR.

Number of kids:
Two

How many years have you been in the dad business?
Eleven

How does your family celebrate Father’s Day? Any traditions?
While we have never had a tradition per se, I’d like to say that there’s a constant. And that constant is cheese steaks. Four or five, to be exact. And that’s just my share. If there’s one day where dad should be able to graduate to the next level of pants, it’s Father’s Day.

What is the cheesiest thing you do to make your kids laugh?
Fake flatulence. Yes, I go right to the lowest common denominator. You can’t argue with math.

What is the one piece of advice you’d give to new dads?
Raising kids is like cooking from a cookbook. It always comes out messier and runnier than the instructions suggest, but the results ain’t half bad.

Which Tillamook cheese below best describes what kind of dad you are?

• Medium Cheddar (Tried and true, cheddar’s gold standard)
• Sharp Cheddar (Sharp, full-bodied flavor with a zing)
• Pepper Jack (Mild and spicy, or spicy and mild)
• Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar (Extra-big cheddar flavor, strong and complex)

I’m Medium Cheddar. Good to go with anything and everything. No matter what you got, I’m on top of it, except for pictures with the kids. (Two out of three smiling, unblinking, or unblurry people is the best I can do.)

Keep up with Jim Lin:
Facebook
Twitter

By Tillamook

We’re looking to the experts this Father’s Day! We’ve asked some of our favorite bloggers to share their memories, traditions and stories from life as a dad! Please meet, Jay Sokol, part-time stay at home dad living in Southern California and blogging for The Dude of the House.

Number of kids:
Two

How many years have you been in the dad business?
Three and a half years.

How does your family celebrate Father’s Day? Any traditions?
We have gone to the beach in Malibu the last few years. I’m a big beach fan and now my Junior Dudes are, too. Also, last year my wife made me a giant cookie cake for Father’s Day. It was so amazing that I hope the tradition carries over to this year.

What is the cheesiest thing you do to make your kids laugh?
Sing along to some of the silly songs my 3 ½ year old makes up. It always makes him crack up and now his baby brother laughs with us, too.

What is the one piece of advice you’d give to new dads?
Sleep as much as you can. I’d buy sleep on eBay if I could. Yawn…

Which Tillamook cheese below best describes what kind of dad you are?

• Medium Cheddar (Tried and true, cheddar’s gold standard)
• Sharp Cheddar (Sharp, full-bodied flavor with a zing)
• Pepper Jack (Mild and spicy, or spicy and mild)
• Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar (Extra-big cheddar flavor, strong and complex)

So many good options, but I’d have to go with Sharp Cheddar. Parenting requires you to always stay sharp to keep up with the little ones. And a full-bodied flavor gives you energy to keep going and going, until either you or the kids pass out. (Hopefully they do first.)

Keep up with Jay Sokol:
Facebook
Twitter

By Tillamook

We’re looking to the experts this Father’s Day! We’ve asked some of our favorite bloggers to share their memories, traditions and stories from life as a dad! Please meet, James Rohl, blogger for Stay At Home Dad PDX, an unfolding story of a Portland stay at home dad.

Number of kids:
Two kids, both boys, aged seven and five.

How many years have you been in the dad business?
Officially for 7 years but some say I was in the business from a young age looking after my cousins.

How does your family celebrate Father’s Day? Any traditions?
We don’t really have any traditions to speak of but so far no traditional dad gifts like ties or coffee mugs, though I would rock either of them. I will get some breakfast made by the boys and since we have taught them to make coffee the day will get off to a good start.

What is the cheesiest thing you do to make your kids laugh?
The cheesiest thing is probably dance like nobody is watching. I start dancing crazy and then peak back and pretend to be embarrassed when they see me. The boys think it’s pretty funny and I love hearing them laugh.

What is the one piece of advice you’d give to new dads?
For new dads I tell them to get down on the ground. Get down there with your kids and have fun. Sometimes it’s laying there next to a baby and getting eye to eye to see their world. As they get bigger you are down there to wrestle, talk, explore the sky, and comfort. Make sure to spend time down on their level, you will both get so much out of it.

Which Tillamook cheese below best describes what kind of dad you are?

• Medium Cheddar (Tried and true, cheddar’s gold standard)
• Sharp Cheddar (Sharp, full-bodied flavor with a zing)
• Pepper Jack (Mild and spicy, or spicy and mild)
• Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar (Extra-big cheddar flavor, strong and complex)

Sharp Cheddar -  I think hits it on the head. Sharp tongue, full-bodied belly, and quick with a zing to make them laugh.

Keep up with James Rohl:
Facebook
Twitter

By Tillamook

We’re looking to the experts this Father’s Day! We’ve asked some of our favorite bloggers to share their memories, traditions and stories from life as a dad! Please meet, Joel Newton, blogger for Mile High Dad, Executive Director of Edgewater Collective and the Associate Pastor at Mountain Christian Church in Lakewood, Colorado. 

Number of kids:
Two

How many years have you been in the dad business?
Eight

How does your family celebrate Father’s Day? Any traditions?
Our family is pretty low key on holidays including Father’s Day. My daughters usually design a homemade card for me and then I get to choose where we eat lunch after church.

What is the cheesiest thing you do to make your kids laugh?
When I read to the girls before bed they demand that I use “voices.” They really love when I use a high, squeaky voice to read Barbie books to them. It just cracks them up to hear daddy talk like a girl.

What is the one piece of advice you’d give to new dads?
Communicate well with your spouse. In the midst of the stress, tiredness and joy of a new baby, communication is essential to maintaining your marriage and developing a healthy, balanced family life.

Which Tillamook cheese below best describes what kind of dad you are?

• Medium Cheddar (Tried and true, cheddar’s gold standard)
• Sharp Cheddar (Sharp, full-bodied flavor with a zing)
• Pepper Jack (Mild and spicy, or spicy and mild)
• Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar (Extra-big cheddar flavor, strong and complex)

Sharp Cheddar - a zing to keep my kids on their toes.

Keep up with Joel Newton:
Facebook
Twitter

By Tillamook

We’re looking to the experts this Father’s Day! We’ve asked some of our favorite bloggers to share their memories, traditions and stories from life as a dad! Please meet, Gerry Speirs, a stay-at-home dad with a serious passion for food.

Number of kids:
I have two kids, one boy age three (Quinn) and a daughter age eight (Miranda).

How many years have you been in the dad business?
I’ve been in the dad biz since I was 34.

How does your family celebrate Father’s Day? Any traditions?
We celebrate Father’s Day by me being able to sleep in and have breakfast made for me. BBQ will usually follow for dinner.

What is the cheesiest thing you do to make your kids laugh?
Cheesiest thing to make my kids laugh might be pretending to play the drums with a couple of wooden spoons and every pot or pan hanging on my rack and banging the heck out of them! I usually do it at breakfast as soon as they wake up.

What is the one piece of advice you’d give to new dads?
My advice to new dads would be to slow down and try to appreciate every single day you have with the kids. It’s cliché but life does go past pretty quickly.

Which Tillamook cheese below best describes what kind of dad you are?

• Medium Cheddar (Tried and true, cheddar’s gold standard)
• Sharp Cheddar (Sharp, full-bodied flavor with a zing)
• Pepper Jack (Mild and spicy, or spicy and mild)
• Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar (Extra-big cheddar flavor, strong and complex)

I’m a TOTAL spice freak so the Pepper Jack is right up my alley!

Keep up with Gerry Speirs:
Facebook
Twitter

By Tillamook

We’re looking to the experts this Father’s Day! We’ve asked some of our favorite bloggers to share their memories, traditions and stories from life as a dad! Please meet, Fred Goodall a Texan blogger, speaker and mentor who is passionate about parenting and helping men to be great dads, husbands and role models.

Number of kids:
I have three kids – One girl (12) and two boys (5, 9)

How many years have you been in the dad business?
12

How does your family celebrate Father’s Day? Any traditions?
Each year we buy matching T-shirts for the family. My kids make a Father’s Day poster and we take a photo together. I have photos from each year since my first child was an infant.

What is the cheesiest thing you do to make your kids laugh?
I like to do the “I Like to Move It” dance from the movie, “Madagascar.” It makes my kids laugh every time. However, my tween daughter is embarrassed when I do it in public.

What is the one piece of advice you’d give to new dads?
Trust your gut. You know more than you think you do. You will make mistakes, but it’s okay. Learn from them and move on. There are no perfect parents. Strive to be the best dad you can be for your kids.

Which Tillamook cheese below best describes what kind of dad you are?

• Medium Cheddar (Tried and true, cheddar’s gold standard)
• Sharp Cheddar (Sharp, full-bodied flavor with a zing)
• Pepper Jack (Mild and spicy, or spicy and mild)
• Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar (Extra-big cheddar flavor, strong and complex)

Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar best describes me.

Keep up with Fred Goodall:
Facebook
Twitter

By Tillamook

We’re looking to the experts this Father’s Day! We’ve asked some of our favorite bloggers to share their memories, traditions and stories from life as a dad! Please meet, Charlie Capen, full time dad and blogger for How To Be A Dad, a “how-not-to” entertainment website for parents.

Number of kids:
One (Finnegan)

How many years have you been in the dad business?
Almost four years

How does your family celebrate Father’s Day? Any traditions?
Actually, I got a tattoo of my son’s name a couple years ago and I’m probably getting another. Is that a weird tradition? Each year, it’s my opportunity to celebrate being a father, remembering my late father who passed away in 2005 from lung cancer, and loafing around like a Tillamook cheese loaf. If I live long enough, I might be covered with ink by the end of my days, mileage varying depending on number of kids and size of the skin art.

What is the cheesiest thing you do to make your kids laugh?
I’m naturally weird looking so many of my funny faces are byproducts of genetic predisposition, but tickling, in a character of my choosing, is a personal preference. Sometimes, I’m a monster. Other times, I’m a tickling muppet or a pirate. As a dad, I resemble a muppet more than I do a man and I love being the butt of jokes, the entertainer-in-charge and showing my son new things.

What is the one piece of advice you’d give to new dads?
Don’t try to be someone you’re not. You don’t have to fit a mold that you think your child needs. The most selfish parts of you should fall away, while you bring into focus the things that make you a better father, but jump out of the plane and put the parachute on as you fall. Diving in will pay you in emotional dividends like you can’t even imagine.

Which Tillamook cheese below best describes what kind of dad you are?

• Medium Cheddar (Tried and true, cheddar’s gold standard)
• Sharp Cheddar (Sharp, full-bodied flavor with a zing)
• Pepper Jack (Mild and spicy, or spicy and mild)
• Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar (Extra-big cheddar flavor, strong and complex)

My favorite is the extra sharp. Sharp Cheddar and I go way back. But I’m probably best described as Sharp Cheddar.

Keep up with Charlie Capen:
Facebook
Twitter

By Tillamook

What are smile sticks you ask? Well, that’s a tough question because they’re a lot of things! They’re your best friend when you’re snacking on a Tilla-moo by yourself and you need a smile. They’re your secret super-power when you want to bring laughter to your loved ones. They can even be your latest fashion accessory! Most of all they’re a reminder of the unforgettable experience you had with the Loaf Love Tour! If you don’t believe us, check out some of our cheesiest smile stick photos from this year! But wait, before you check them out, we “mustache” you a question! What’s your favorite smile stick?!

April’s Favorites:

Elida’s Favorites:

Post by Elida and April of the East Team

By Tillamook