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.  Knollbrook Farm, owned by the hard-working Adam family, kindly welcomed and showed us all the effort and care going into producing milk.

As I made my way to the cow’s parlor to visit some of the cows, I noticed other cows were enjoying grazing on grass in the pasture.  I went to the farm at the perfect time; the local veterinarian was performing health check-ups  that same morning.  The veterinarian comes every 6 weeks to ensure the health of every cow and calf.  I must say, the cows are extremely friendly and cute—they loved to “kiss” our salty hands.  I now understand why people have antique cow collectibles as home décor; the girls have a way stealing your heart. 

Brunch on the Farm: Connecting Consumers to Agriculture

By Kimmi Devaney

Spending time on a dairy is my idea of a great day. But for most of the American population, this is a very rare occurrence. In fact, the average American is three to four generations removed from the farm. Less than two percent of all Americans work in agriculture, and dairy is an even smaller proportion. That’s why we at the American Dairy Association host Brunch on the Farm during June Dairy Month each year to help connect consumers to agriculture.

Summer Time Boredom Busters

 Now that school is out it is important to keep kids moving, especially with increasing childhood obesity rates. The CDC reported 17% of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese.  Physical Activity produces overall physical, psychological and social benefits. Inactive children are likely to become inactive adults and physical activity helps with controlling weight, reducing blood pressure, raising HDL (the good cholesterol), reducing the risk of diabetes and some kinds of cancer, and improved psychological well-being, including gaining more self-confidence and higher self-esteem. Here are some ways to get in the daily recommended 60 minutes of physical activity:

• Gardening- Have kids plant their own garden and harvest their own fruit and vegetables to make a delicious summer meal.
• Bike Riding
• Fly a kite
• Picnic- plan lunch at the park!
• Jump rope
• Sidewalk chalk-have kids play hop scotch or draw pictures
• Goffle- (golf and wiffle ball) Take turns hitting a wiffle ball with a bat into a coffee can
• Four square
• Kick ball
• Hula hoop
• Corn hole
• Dance
• Blow Bubbles
• Scavenger hunt

These are just a few fun ideas to start with. If you are a parent you can promote physical activity for your child by making activities fun. You should be a role model for an active lifestyle and provide your child with opportunities for increased physical activities. You as a parent can even use your own imagination to come up with your own games for your family! So get outside, have some fun, and start moving!

Welcome to Summer!

By Michelle Plummer

Finally!  Summer is here and the herbs and vegetables are in the gardens and fields.  I have had radishes two times this year thanks to my neighbor and his plantings.  There is something nostalgic about people exchanging food stuffs over the neighbor’s fence….or radishes in my case.

It’s National Ice Cream Soda Day!

By Mary Nicholson

OK.  I think most of us know that June is Dairy Month, but who knew there was a day devoted solely to the Ice Cream Soda?  Not me!  So how does one go about celebrating such a day?  I’m thinking that varies widely depending on individual likes and dislikes.  But let me give you some background on the Ice Cream Soda.

In some parts of the country, the terms ice cream soda and float are used interchangeably.  According to Wikipedia, either one is a beverage that consists of one or more scoops of ice cream in either a soft drink or in a mixture of flavored syrup and carbonated water.  As you might imagine, the possible combinations are practically endless!

International Picnic Day – Fun in the Sun

International Picnic Day is June 18th

Guest Bloggers:  Amber Swinehart & Cheryl Jones, Ball State University Dietetic Interns

It’s that time of year again when the sun is shining and everyone likes to get out for some fun and fresh air!  Get ready to have some food and fun on international picnic day, June 18^th.  It’s time for friends and family to get together to enjoy the outdoors.   Though it’s not an official holiday recognized by Congress, tons of families, organizations, and social clubs gather to celebrate this special day. 

The word picnic comes from the French word “piquer” (to pick or peck) and was joined together with the obsolete word “nique” (meaning to trifle).  These words were put together to form “picnic” where family and friends “pick” at small or “trifling” amounts of a wide variety of different foods brought by everyone to form a meal.

Change it up with a fun new place this year!  Try a riverbank, wooded area, garden, meadow, or even a picnic on a boat.  No matter 2, 4, or 10 people, a picnic can be an enjoyable experience for everyone and every occasion.  Get your friends and family involved in some fun and games like Frisbee golf, a scavenger hunt, horseshoes, charades, or corn hole.  To keep the kids entertained try making a picnic coloring book, playing with bubbles, having a water balloon toss, or setting up a play tent. 

After all the fun and games don’t forget to bring a picnic basket full of delicious foods and drinks for everyone to enjoy.  Some quick and easy ideas could include stuffed pita pockets, wraps, fresh summer fruit like strawberries and melon, cheese and crackers, and potato and macaroni salads.  Cool down with a refreshing beverage like strawberry lemonade, a glass of ice-cold milk, or a glass of champagne for adults.  For a fun and refreshing dessert try a yogurt S’more parfait  or some angel food cake with berries.  No matter what you pack in your picnic basket just relax and enjoy the company of your friends and family.

Things Dad and Grandpa Taught Me

By DeDe Hausmann

If you know any farmers, then you know how hard-working they are.  Since I am blessed to work for Indiana dairy farmers (and I can tell you in 16 years of working for them I haven’t met one I didn’t like and admire), I had the privilege of contacting some of them to get input for this blog.