Threemile Canyon Farms in Oregon: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Threemile Canyon Farms is a roughly 93,000-acre integrated farm and dairy west of Boardman in the Columbia Basin of north-central Oregon. East Oregonian reporting describes it as Oregon's largest dairy, and in 2020 it was one of three U.S. dairies recognized for Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability at the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards.
| Location | West of Boardman, Morrow County, Oregon |
|---|---|
| Founded | Lease taken over in 1998; first crop harvested in 1999; dairy established in 2001 |
| Sectors | Dairy; potatoes; onions; carrots; blueberries; organic crops; feed grains |
| Scale | About 93,000 acres, with about 39,500 acres of crops and 23,000 acres of conservation area (East Oregonian) |
| Why it is elite | Oregon's largest dairy; 2020 U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award recognition |
| Ownership | R.D. Offutt Co. (Organic Grower magazine) |
| Official website | Threemile Canyon Farms website (domain seen in archived Joint Statement result) |
History of Threemile Canyon Farms
Threemile Canyon Farms grew out of a large irrigated land project on the Columbia Plateau near Boardman. Organic Grower magazine reports that the farm was founded in 1998, that R.D. Offutt Co. took over the lease in late 1998, and that the first crop was harvested in 1999. Reporting in East Oregonian dates the dairy to 2001, when the operation moved from row crops into milk production.
General manager Marty Myers led the build-out of the farm from its early years until his death in December 2020, as reported by the Hermiston Herald and Organic Grower. Potato Grower magazine describes his approach as a closed-loop system in which the farm supplies many of its own inputs, from fertilizer to energy. The land includes a large block set aside for conservation, which is unusual for an irrigated operation of this size.
What Threemile Canyon Farms Grows and Raises
Organic Grower magazine lists carrots, sweet corn, organic blueberries, sweet and Spanish yellow onions, and round white and russet potatoes for processing among the farm's crops, plus corn, alfalfa, grains and cover crops that feed the herd and rebuild soil. East Oregonian reports about 33,000 milking cows and nearly 70,000 head in total. Potato Grower describes both conventional and organic dairies and pasture-fed beef cattle on the property.
Manure is central to the system. Potato Grower reports that dairy manure fertilizes organic crops and feeds a methane digester that generates energy. Organic Grower reports roughly 9,000 certified organic acres, up from 270 acres in 2002, and a workforce of more than 300 full-time and 150 seasonal employees. Those figures are from a January/February 2021 article and may have changed.
How Threemile Canyon Farms Makes Money
Milk from a Jersey-based herd
Organic Grower describes a herd of about 70,000 Jersey and Jersey cross cows, about half in active milking. Milk is the anchor revenue stream, and Oregon's own top-20 commodity list places milk fourth in the state by value.
Processing vegetables and potatoes
The farm grows potatoes, onions and carrots at scale, and its owner R.D. Offutt Co. also runs potato processing for fries and chips, according to Organic Grower. A link between farm production and processing gives the crops a defined outlet.
Organic and specialty crops
Certified organic blueberries, carrots and onions are described as key crops. Organic acres give the operation access to premium markets while the cows and cover crops supply fertility and weed control.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Threemile Canyon Farms
Closed loops reduce exposure to input prices. Using manure for fertilizer and energy lets a very large farm lower purchased inputs and turn a waste stream into a managed resource. Smaller operators can copy the principle with composting, cover crops and on-farm feed production.
Scale works best when each enterprise supports the others. Cows feed crops, crops feed cows, and an owner with processing capacity provides market certainty. Setting land aside for conservation also shows how large water users can document stewardship, which is increasingly part of buyer and regulator conversations.
Few farms can say their dairy, onions and blueberries share a postal address with a conservation area bigger than many counties' farmland, and Boardman's wind is the only thing here that runs faster than the center pivots. For readers who want farm satire with a soft spot for big irrigated operations, farm.FM offers farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes, including a few about cows who outnumber the town.
farm.FM calls itself the nation's first satirical farm site, and between the headlines it spins Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers; a good place to start reading is this farm.FM columnist's archive.
How to Contact Threemile Canyon Farms
Website: http://www.threemilecanyonfarms.com
No address, phone or email was verified from the farm's own pages in our research, November 2026. Confirm current contact details through the official website or the Morrow County and Boardman business directories before visiting; this is a working farm and not a visitor attraction.
Threemile Canyon Farms Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Threemile Canyon Farms - The operation's own web domain
- East Oregonian coverage - Sustainability recognition and herd and acreage figures
- Organic Grower profile - Organic acreage, crops and workforce
- Potato Grower profile - Closed-loop model and leadership
- Oregon Department of Agriculture statistics - State commodity data
Threemile Canyon Farms FAQ
Where is Threemile Canyon Farms?
It is west of Boardman in Morrow County, Oregon, on the Columbia Plateau.
How big is Threemile Canyon Farms?
East Oregonian reports about 93,000 acres, including about 39,500 acres of crops and 23,000 acres of conservation area.
What does Threemile Canyon Farms grow?
Potatoes, onions, carrots, blueberries, sweet corn, alfalfa and grain, plus milk and cattle, according to Organic Grower and Potato Grower.
Who owns Threemile Canyon Farms?
Organic Grower identifies R.D. Offutt Co. as the owner.
Threemile Canyon Farms shows how an integrated dairy and vegetable operation can work at the very top of Oregon's scale. Read the Oregon farms guide for the wider picture of climate, water, markets and programs that shape operations like this one.