Dari Mart is a chain of

convenience store A convenience store, convenience shop, bakkal, bodega, corner store, corner shop, superette or mini-mart is a small retail store that stocks a range of everyday items such as convenience food, groceries, beverages, tobacco products, lotter ...

s located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

. Dari Mart has 44 stores (as of 2019) located exclusively within the

Willamette Valley The Willamette Valley ( ) is a valley in Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Willamette River flows the entire length of the valley and is surrounded by mountains on three sides: the Cascade Range to the east, the ...

, from Albany to Cottage Grove. It is most notable as a supplier of

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...

ice cream Ice cream is a frozen dessert typically made from milk or cream that has been flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as Chocolate, cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit, such as strawberries or peaches. Food ...

, and other dairy products from Lochmead Farms, one of the largest independent

dairy farm Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for the long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for the eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a h ...

s in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...

. Most store locations are in the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area in

Lane County, Oregon Lane County is one of the Oregon counties, 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 382,971, making it the fourth-most populous county in Oregon. The county seat is Eugene, ...

, while several stores are located in rural communities in Lane,

Linn Linn may refer to: People * Linn (surname) * Linn (given name) * Carl Linnaeus, abbreviated as Linn. * Linn da Quebrada, stage name of Brazilian singer, actress, screenwriter and television personality Lina Pereira dos Santos (born 1990) Place ...

and Benton Counties. Lochmead Farms sells of milk and of ice cream a year through the chain of stores, and the joint store-farm operation employs more than 450 people. The company has started selling dairy products internationally as well. In 2014 the company began expanding beyond the convenience store model and opened Dari Market (Store #50) in Pleasant Hill, the first location to offer full-service grocery shopping. Also added in 2014 was the Fresh to Go array of healthy foods prepared and packaged in the Dari Mart Kitchen. These healthy food options include sandwiches, wraps, and salads distributed to all Dari Mart locations and to various outside buyers such as the local universities.

History

The first Dari Mart store opened in 1965 as a way to market the farm's dairy products. Gladys and Howard Gibson established Lochmead Farms in 1941, and has been owned for three generations by the Gibson family of

Junction City, Oregon Junction City is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, it has a population of 6,747. The Junction City area is notable for its Nordic and Scandinavian Americans, Scandinavian heritage, with the city's ...

. Today, about 20 Gibson family members spread across three generations work with the Dari Mart and Lochmead Farm companies. Portraits of family members' children playing on hay bales, with young farm animals, etc. are featured prominently in most store locations.

References

External links

*
Official Dari Mart Stores Facebook

Official Dari Mart Stores Instagram

Hoover's Business information listing for Dari Mart
Benton County, Oregon Companies based in Oregon Convenience stores of the United States Retail companies established in 1965 Junction City, Oregon Linn County, Oregon Lane County, Oregon Privately held companies based in Oregon 1965 establishments in Oregon {{Oregon-company-stub