Knollbrook Farm: A Day with the “Girls”

By Lindsay Martin, Ball State Dietetic Intern Prior to this week, I had never been to a dairy farm.  I am 25 years old and it was finally time to make my first visit!  My wonderful colleague and I took a road trip to visit “the girls”, also known as dairy cows, in Goshen, Indiana.  [...]

March is Women’s History Month- Let’s SHOUT OUT to the Ladies

By DeDe Hausman The 2011 theme for WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH is: OUR HISTORY IS OUR STRENGTH.   Women unite families, communities, and nations and have for centuries.  That’s why this celebration was designated in 1980 by joint resolutions of the House and Senate and by proclamations by FIVE American Presidents.  It’s an opportunity to celebrate women’s [...]

March is Agriculture Appreciation Month in Indiana

Events and contests will shine the spotlight on Hoosier farmers and the food they grow For Immediate Release INDIANAPOLIS (February 22, 2011) Governor Mitch Daniels has declared March Agriculture Appreciation Month in Indiana. The Hoosier celebration is an extension of National Ag Week, March 13-19. The official proclamation reads, in part: WHEREAS, the foundation of Indiana [...]

Pets & Farm animals: Love them all the same?

Guest Post By Farmer Leontien van de Laar Sometimes people come to our large dairy and when we take them to see our cows, every now and then one of our cats will pop up and will literally beg for attention. Usually the question that follows after he (he’s huge and black) shows off is: [...]

Getting to Know Deb O.

  What do you do at Indiana Dairy? I am the General Manager.  I focus on our organization’s vision, mission, goals, strategies, staff and budgets.  I work with our dairy farmer board of directors.  I participate in our senior leadership team comprised of staff from our national and state and regional dairy promotion organizations.  Occasionally [...]

On the Farm

By Deb Osza One of the activities I enjoy most about my job is getting to visit dairy farms. I love animals and cows are one of my favorites. This week, our team visited Four-Leaf Clover Dairy in Geneva Indiana. The dairy is owned by Leontien Oostdijck – Vandelaar and her family. The Vandelaar family [...]

Milk Myths

You deserve to hear the real story about dairy production from those who know it best…America’s dairy farmers. With less than 2 percent of the U.S. population involved in farming today, many people don’t have the opportunity to visit a dairy farm.

Add the fact that most people are three to four generations removed from the farm, and you find a pretty big information gap. The below information from hard-working dairy men and women will help bring dairy farm practices to life.

Looking Back… Indiana State Fair 2010

I realize the Indiana State Fair has been over for almost a month, but I still want to share my experiences from it since I’ve attended it every year since I was in the 4th grade. To make it even better, this year I got to experience it as the 2010 Indiana Dairy Princess. First, I had the privilege of handing out ribbons and welcoming everyone to the dairy shows. I was also able to attend one of the milking events where we taught the public about the milking process and allowed them to ask questions about it and dairy cows in general.

Day on a Local Dairy Farm

Last week we had the opportunity to visit Kelsay and Sons Dairy Farm in Whiteland, Indiana. This local dairy farm is just outside Indianapolis off of I-65 South. They work hard to not only run an efficient operation but make the public feel welcome on their farm, as well. They love teaching consumers about agriculture, food production, and what farmers do to care for their animals. It was a neat experience to learn about how a dairy farm actually operates and is managed. Throughout the year they open up their facilities to group tours. Then, in the fall, they have a corn maze, pumpkin patch, hay rides, and other fun activities for all age groups. More information, an event schedule, and pictures of this LOCAL dairy farm are found at www.KelsayFarms.com.

Greetings from Northern Indiana Dairy Country!!

Sure seems odd to be blogging about water use when things are so very dry here right now!! I water only 5 pots of flowers by the house here – even though things look so rough! Neighbors’ crop field irrigation systems have been going on a frequent basis this summer. This spring sure seemed like it could never get wetter – all of our crops were delayed by the wet and cool spring that we experienced! Now they are drying too fast! Every day we practice water conservation on our farm! Our cows drink about a bathtub of water every day. The cow’s water comes from the same well that provides my family with our drinking water! So water is a big piece of their budget! What they drink goes in and around the cycle of milk production – what is good for the cows is good for us, you, me and our children, in the way of a wholesome, nutritious, safe, dairy product!!