Kevin asked if I would be interested in going to a free breakfast on a farm that the Michigan State University Extension sponsors once a year to show members of the public where their food comes from. His friends Mike and Rusty have a goat farm and creamery named Hickory Knoll Farms Creamery based out of Onondaga, MI. Mike works for the MSU Extension at Michigan State University. They also host Foreign exchange students and this year they are hosting Andre Götze from Berlin, Germany and Erik Lycke from Gothenburg, Sweden.
The event is moved around every year to a different host farm and this year it was the Pleasant View Dairy in Jonesville, MI. Several of these events are hosted throughout the state to make it accessible to as many people as possible.
We arrived and there was already a line with several hundred people in it. This event drew in shy of three thousand people. Once you made it through this first line you registered and were given a small cup with a small amount of heavy whipping cream. We were to keep shaking it while in line and in about five minutes you have butter. This was an excellent way of keeping people busy while walking along to the actual stations where the food was being handed out.
Many families with children of all ages were in attendance.
This little boy had the most beautiful curls that just shined in the sun that I had to get a picture.
And here's proof of the results, real butter!
It takes hundreds of volunteers to make this happen and I want to thank them all for giving up their day to show us city folks where our food comes from. Everyone that we saw with a red shirt was a volunteer.
Kevin and I got our breakfast of pancakes, sausage, yogurt and coffee, milk, chocolate milk and enjoyed it at one of the hundreds of tables which had been set up under tents.
You know they say milk does a body good and we did see almost everyone choosing it as their drink of choice!
After finishing our breakfast we had the opportunity to tour the actual dairy. For bio security we were asked to put covers over our shoes, as did everyone else that took the tour. Stations were setup along the way to meet the family that actually ran the farm, veterinarians that tend to the health of the cows and everything else that it takes to produce the milk which eventually end up at your local grocery store.
Of course I had to dress the part so that the ladies didn't get spooked!
The barns were spacious and clean as expected. The housing was explained also in order for the public to understand why they were housed in different barns.
All cows have different personalities and some like to cause trouble every now and then.
We saw the babies as well and the explanation of why they are taken from the mothers for their well being and reducing the chance of bacterial infections.
Each one of these hutches had a baby calf in them. The little kids were really enjoying all of this.
After the first two months they were then housed in groups with other calfs of similar ages.
Myself with, starting from the left, André, Erik, Kevin and Mike.
There's the obligatory barn cats around, it is a farm after all!
Every calf gets an identification ear tag as soon as it's born. This makes it possible to trace back anything you would want to know about it in the future.
What happens to all of the manure and pee that all of these cows produce you ask? It's used back into the growing of the crops needed to feed all the cattle on the farm.
A loving Daddy with his baby. This was a cute moment I had to capture!
The farm equipment was also on display to show people what it takes to process all of the crops grown on the farm.
I had to try some of the equipment out!
Lots of corn in the fields!
They had a large straw bale maze we had fun in. Kevin took a few pictures of me for future calendars! Hahahaha
I was lost!
We stayed till the very end when everything was being taken down.
Then a tractor took everyone back to the parking area in a hay wagon.
This is a great program to teach city people a small part of where their food comes from. Many have no idea the amount of work it takes from folks like this to put food on their table. It's not grown at the supermarket where it comes in a fancy container or wrapper. It all starts somewhere on a farm where it's actual people working hard to keep everyone fed. Next time you cast a vote against farmers remember that no matter what your choice is, wether you are a vegan, vegetarian or meat eater and any combination thereof, it took a farmer to put food on your table. Let's give them thanks for all of the hours, sacrifices and dedication they gave have put in for all of us.
A HUGE THANK YOU from me!
