A Moo Roo Field Trip

While most kids have gone back to school, we've been enjoying the last little bit of summer freedom. We usually start school the first Monday after Labor Day, but since it's late this year we'll be starting September 8th. I can see the effects of the summer laziness taking their toll on these guys, and I'm looking forward to much more structured days when school starts.

Yesterday we went on our first field trip of the school year. A friend of mine who also homeschools mentioned touring a local dairy farm together, and I was all on board for that. My grandparents had a dairy farm until I was about 10 years old, and then a couple of my uncles had dairy farms after that. My own Dad is a hobby farmer, and we had milk cows on and off while I was growing up. I realized recently with a shock that I take the country life I grew up with for granted, and my boys are growing up without knowing what a cow's tongue feels like or what silage is or why you don't step in mysterious piles of stuff on the ground. I'm raising a batch of townies.

The tour center

We met at Hansen Dairy Farm's tour center for their hands-on tour. Since Eli is still laid off from work, he was able to keep Ian home with him and free up one of my arms. We boarded the "trolley" which took us from the tour center to the farm. The tour guide was able to get a few explanations in between my oldest two sharing their words of wisdom...how they love eating all kinds of corn, but have apparently never eaten the cornbread muffins we have with our chili (temporary amnesia??), how the trolley sounded like it was going to fall apart, that the tractor was a diesel engine, and how Dad got "kicked off his last job so he isn't working anymore". I tried pretending they weren't mine, but I don't think I fooled anyone.

Our first stop was to feed the bottle calves. I realized at this point that we paid the farm handsomely for us to do their work for them. Hehe... The boys loved it, of course, as they've only bottle-fed lambs and babies up until now. And I got to take a trip down memory lane. Baby calves are simply adorable. We looked at some of the bigger Holstein cows (with names like Applebees, Easton, and Aura) and then filed into the milking parlor to watch the milking process. The boys got to milk a cow by hand there, and one of the owners even held Liam up to try. We looped around the on-site creamery where they make their own butter, cheese, curds and ice cream, and then headed over to feed the kangaroos.

Liam feeding "Ether"

Aidan was the least thrilled with this situation

Gavin feeding "Silage"

The milking parlor

Liam being shown by Blake how to milk

These kangaroos (the "Roo" part of their business logo) were actually full-sized kangaroos, but not yet fully grown. We fed them little pieces of bread and got to pet them. It was amazing to know that a baby kangaroo when born is only the size of a bumblebee!

The male kangaroo, Larry, was trained to "hop away" from tourists so he doesn't get violent. Boxing match, anyone?

After we left the kangaroo pen we headed back up to the calf pens where the trolley was waiting. Wobbling around on brand new legs by the tractor was a calf that was just born that afternoon.

The brand new baby calf, born at 3:30 that afternoon.

Ages 6, 7 , & 8...sitting normally is just not an option!

We climbed back onto the trolley (with my boys calling "ALL ABOARD!") and rode back to the tour center. Everyone washed their hands and were given little jars of milk/cream. The instructions were to shake them until butter separated from the buttermilk. It took a several minutes, but it was well worth it. They set out plates of crackers and curds and the kids all but inhaled the butter. They then offered us little tubs of ice cream in different flavors (I chose raspberry, the two big boys got mint chip, and Liam peanut butter). We enjoyed the ice cream while they played a video on how certain things work around the farm. Like birthing calves. Not super appetizing, but most people were done eating by then!

Mmm...butter

Liam enjoying his ice cream. Hansen's ice cream has less air pockets in it, making it denser than other ice cream...and takes longer to eat!

This was one of the Hansen's first wallabies that was bought wild from New Zealand...escaped, got hit on the road, and taxidermied.

The tour was over at this point, but we had to buy a bag of pepper flake cheese curds (oh so good!) before we left. They had a variety of other dairy products for sale there in the tour center that we may have to try at a later date. While still pasteurized, their milk is non-homogenized (a process that breaks down the molecules of milk, destroying it's natural state). For this reason people with dairy intolerance are often able to drink their milk while unable to enjoy other store-bought milk. This may be something to try for Ian, who at this point is only able to keep down the goat milk we get from my parents. And of course the kids had to get soaking wet and sandy on the pond beach before heading home.

With our first field trip of the year already under our belt, I should probably finish lesson planning!