Judge to appoint trustee to run NE Oregon mega-dairy

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – A bankruptcy judge says the U.S. Justice Department can take over the management of the second-largest dairy in Oregon.

The Statesman Journal reports that Judge Fredrick Clement issued his decision last week concerning Lost Valley Farm, a massive dairy farm near Boardman permitted to house up to 30,000 cows.

The dairy opened in 2017 to supply the Tillamook County Creamery Association, which makes Tillamook Cheese at a nearby factory. But the farm has been beset by management troubles related to owner Greg te Velde.

The bankruptcy judge said that since filing for bankruptcy protection, te Velde has continued to use methamphetamine and gambled between $2,000 and $7,000 per month. Te Velde declined to comment.

The court will appoint a trustee to manage Lost Valley Farm, as well as te Velde’s two California dairies, GJ te Velde Dairy in Tipton and Pacific Rim Dairy in Corcoran.