We learned about the care and upkeep of a dairy farm. We also learned about what makes a good dairy farm: healthy diet, low stress, and great genetics!
We took a fun hayride around the farm and learned all about their stock of Holstein and Jersey cows. We also learned about the ways this 7th generation family farm has stayed self sufficient and growing!
It was a wonderful small group of families so we were able to get all our questions answered. Of course Luke our future farmer would have loved to just stay and live there!
We each had a chance to practice milking a pretend fiberglass cow.
We took turns bottle feeding a calf.
Then we toured the milking parlor to see where the cows are actually milked. Each cow is milked twice a day for 15 minutes for 10 months out of the year. The rest of the time they get to rest, sleep and eat in a barn with large cooling fans and fresh wood chips every night. Not a bad job really!
This dairy farm is unique in that it also has it's own creamery. It is really two businesses in one. The finale of our field trip was getting to try out the delicious ice cream! Yum!
We were able to bring home some fresh dairy milk as well. The milk goes from the cow to our table in less than two days time. It makes all other milk pale in comparison. I wish our HOA would allow us to have a pet cow in our backyard! :)
This was a great field trip since we have been learning about colonial days and farming. Of course the machines are much more advanced, but the by products and fruits of labor are the same!
2 comments:
What a fun field trip! I love Jacob's sweet little hand raised in the air for a question!
Looks like another great field trip. I can only imagine that Luke was in Heaven on earth! Love the Hayride...sure beats papa's truck with a few bales thrown on a trailer!! Sweet faces all in a state of wonder at Gods creation! Nothing better! Wish Grammy could have gone along. Miss you all!
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