Bill Mast, Coquille

“My great grandfather, William P. Mast, left his native Watauga County, North Carolina in 1872 with a party of 66.  In 1873 he, his wife Charlotte, and their five sons settled on the North Fork of the Coquille River. “

A Civil War veteran, he named the area Lee Valley in honor of the General.  The family soon developed the 160 acres into a prosperous farm.  In 1917, my grandfather Webb and his brother Hardee divided the farm and each added acreage.  Both farms still remain in the family.

In the 1940s my father Hollis took over management and added additional acreage.  I returned to the farm in 1978 after completing college.  Today our farm consists of multiple enterprises including dairy, sheep, beef, and timber.  I manage the livestock portion and my brother Dan handles the timber.

Today I manage the livestock portion of our farm.  I am a member of the Oregon Dairy Products Commission and the Coos County Extension Advisory Council.  I belong to the Agri-Business Council of Oregon, Oregon Dairy Farmers Association, Oregon Sheep Growers Association and Coos County Livestock Association.

The dairy portion of our farm is now certified organic. [We currently have] a herd of Certified Organic Jerseys. [Another change is] in the late 1970s we began using hi-tensile electric fence for predator control.

In my youth I spent eight years in 4-H.  My sister JoAnn was the Coos County 4-H agent for 15 years.

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These are authentic stories from real farmers.  Any editorial content does not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the Agri-Business Council of Oregon or our members.