From Farm to Family: 60 Years of Dari Mart and the Gibson Legacy
A Milestone Celebration: Dari Mart Turns 60 This October
This October marks a special milestone: 60 years since the first five Dari Mart stores opened in 1965. What started as a bold idea by Howard and Gladys Gibson has grown into a beloved network of local stores, a vertically integrated dairy and farming operation, and a multi-generational family legacy. As we look back and look forward, it’s worth revisiting our roots and reaffirming what has always been at the heart of Dari Mart — community, quality, and local freshness.
From Farm Roots to Storefronts: A Family’s Vision
Long before Dari Mart existed, there was Lochmead Farms. In 1941, Howard and Gladys Gibson purchased 120 acres just north of Junction City, Oregon — the humble beginnings of what would become Lochmead Farms & Dairy. Their goal was simple yet ambitious: to farm the land, raise cows, and produce dairy with integrity.
By the early 1950s, the Gibsons had begun milking operations and building a dairy business. Over time, they grew their acreage, developed feed crops on-site, and committed to managing the entire process with care — breeding and raising healthy cows, and selling milk to other businesses to bottle and sell under their label, like Echo Springs.
In 1965, Howard and Gladys took the next leap. To cut out middlemen and ensure that their milk and dairy products stayed fresh and high-quality, they opened the processing plant and launched five Dari Mart convenience stores, direct to customers. Gladys played a pivotal role in managing these stores, with assistance from their children, especially their son Jock. In time, their daughter Pat and her husband, Gary Straube, took over store operations, while other siblings handled dairy and farm divisions.
Watch both Gladys and Buzz Gibson reflect on their experiences opening the first stores in interviews from 2004 & 2024.
That vertical, family-owned model became a defining strength: the farm, dairy, processing, distribution, and retail all working together under the same family umbrella.
The Gibson Family Legacy
Over six decades, the Gibson family has steered Dari Mart and Lochmead with purpose and persistence. Today, multiple generations carry forward that founding spirit. While Howard and Gladys laid the groundwork, their children and grandchildren expanded and modernized.
Buzz Gibson, Howard’s son and a long-time dairy manager, offers personal reflections on this shared journey — his stories underscore the sacrifices, the daily toil, and the deep connection to the land. The family’s commitment to keeping operations local, resisting shortcuts (such as artificial growth hormones in milk), and maintaining control over each stage of production has been intentional from the start.
A particularly touching glimpse into that early dedication comes from Buzz Gibson’s diary entry from October 1965 — the very month the first five Dari Mart stores opened. In it, he wrote about the long days and late nights the entire family spent preparing the stores to open their doors. From painting and stocking shelves to setting up coolers and hanging signs, everyone pitched in. “We’re working day and night,” Buzz noted, reflecting both exhaustion and excitement. That brief entry captures the essence of the Gibson family’s work ethic — a commitment not just to launching a business, but to building a family legacy of hard work and service to the community.
That same spirit endures today. The Gibson family continues to oversee operations across Lochmead Farms, the dairy, processing plant, and Dari Mart stores, ensuring that every gallon of milk, scoop of ice cream, and array of products reflects the same quality and care that defined their beginnings in 1965. For them, Dari Mart isn’t just a convenience store chain — it’s a family promise that has been kept for 60 years and counting.
Lochmead & Dari Mart: A Partnership of Purpose
Lochmead farms and dairy remain the beating heart of Dari Mart. The milk harvested by the Gibson herd is processed, bottled, and delivered — within 24 hours — to Dari Mart stores across the Willamette Valley. With about 1,200 Holstein cows on roughly 3,000 acres, Lochmead Farms grows much of its own feed, breeds and raises its own herd, all to maintain strict quality control. In that approach lies a commitment to freshness and traceability unmatched by many mass processors.
The synergy between Lochmead and Dari Mart is more than a supply chain—it’s a shared vision. Dari Mart stores are stocked with Lochmead’s products, but also local goods from other community-minded producers. Their “Fresh to Go” line of sandwiches, wraps, and salads further extends the family’s dedication to offering fresh, locally prepared options in-store.
In true Gibson family fashion, innovation never stops. In 2013, third-generation family member Kathy Gibson saw an opportunity to expand the family’s legacy of quality and freshness in a new direction. Her vision was simple but powerful — to create freshly made and healthy, grab-and-go food options that reflected the same care and local pride that have always defined Dari Mart and Lochmead Farms. That idea became Fresh to Go.
What began as a small kitchen project staffed by recruited family members to help with the launch quickly grew into a thriving operation. Fresh to Go launched with a few core items — freshly made sandwiches, wraps, and salads prepared daily — using quality ingredients sourced locally whenever possible. Kathy’s commitment to freshness and consistency helped the program take off almost immediately, becoming a customer favorite in Dari Mart stores across the Willamette Valley.
Over the years, the Fresh to Go kitchen has expanded both in scale and reach. What started as a family-led initiative serving Dari Mart locations now supplies a wide network of partners throughout Oregon. Today, Fresh to Go products can be found not only in Dari Mart stores, but also at the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, and numerous cafés, delis, and retail outlets across the region.
Even as it has grown, Fresh to Go has stayed true to its roots — offering healthy, locally crafted meals made with care by a team that shares the Gibson family’s dedication to quality. Each sandwich, salad, and wrap that leaves the kitchen represents more than just convenience; it reflects a family tradition of bringing fresh, honest food directly to the community.
Sixty Years Strong: What Community, Quality & Fresh Localness Mean Today
Over six decades, what has kept Dari Mart grounded isn’t just business acumen — it’s the values. Community has always been central. Dari Mart stores are neighborhood anchors, places where friends exchange hellos, people grab essentials, and the local flavor is front and center. Dari Mart supports local organizations, sources from local producers and distributors where possible, and employs hundreds across Lane, Linn, and Benton counties.
Quality is nonnegotiable. From the fields to the fridge, every decision is filtered through the question: “Does this improve the quality of our product?” They have declined shortcuts, maintained no-growth-hormone policies, and invested in processing technology (like spiral freezers) to enhance ice cream creaminess.
And local freshness is their promise. Because Lochmead and Dari Mart operate so closely, milk often reaches shelves within 24 hours of milking. Rather than drawing from distant farms, nearly every ingredient, every animal, and every drop travels a short, trusted path from farm to store.
Stories From the Past: Honoring Our Roots Through Family Voices
As part of our 60th anniversary celebration, we’re sharing more than history — we’re sharing the voices behind it. Alongside this blog, we’ve released a special Instagram reel featuring clips from two rare family interviews: one with Buzz Gibson from 2024 and another with Gladys Gibson from 2004.
In the reel, Buzz reflects honestly on the early years of building Lochmead Farms and launching the first Dari Mart stores. He shares how those times were “tough, really tough,” and how the Gibson siblings did whatever it took to help each other — working side by side through long days and even longer nights. From unloading milk trucks to stocking shelves before store openings, it was a true all-hands effort powered by family and grit. He also recalls how their parents, Howard and Gladys, led by example, working tirelessly for years to build a future they believed in.
Gladys’ clip offers a powerful glimpse into the business turning point that changed everything. Before Lochmead had its own processing plant, she explains, the farm sold milk to other dairies, who would process it and sell it under their own labels. The Gibson family realized that if they wanted to ensure quality and truly stand behind their product, they needed to take control of production. That decision led to a bold move — building the Lochmead Dairy processing plant and bottling milk under their own trusted name: Lochmead Farms.
That moment was more than a business decision — it was a declaration of independence and identity. It meant quality without compromise, complete local control, and a direct connection to customers. It also paved the way for Dari Mart to carry products made by the family, for the community.
This reel is more than a tribute — it’s living history. It reminds us that the values Dari Mart stands for today were forged through hard work, family loyalty, and a commitment to doing things the right way, even when it wasn’t the easy way.
📽️ Watch the anniversary reel here
Looking Ahead — Celebrating 60 Years, Embracing the Future
Reaching 60 years is more than a number—it’s proof that a deeply rooted, values-driven business can thrive across tenures and market changes. This October, as we mark six decades since those first five Dari Mart stores opened their doors, we celebrate not just longevity, but fidelity to vision: family, community, quality, freshness, and local connection.
As Dari Mart steps into its next 60 years, the Gibson family and the broader team remain committed to innovation anchored by tradition—whether expanding the Fresh to Go line, exploring new Lochmead dairy products, or deepening connections with local suppliers and neighbors.
To every customer who has walked into a Dari Mart, to every family that supports our local mission, and to the land that sustains us—thank you. Here’s to 60 more years of serving the Willamette Valley with heart, trust, and freshness.
Learn more about Lochmead Farms and Dairy and its products here!