Breakfast on the Farm planned for October near Alpena
This just in:
The Tolan family from Ossineke is organizing a Breakfast on the Farm set to take place at their dairy operation on Saturday, October 16. The breakfast will be served from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the tour hours will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. More details will follow over the next few days and weeks.
So, if you are planning a fall weekend getaway this is a free, fun family activity, and it also serves to see what takes place on a farm during the autumn months. Every season is busy on a farm, but the focus of activity often shifts from one season to the next when it comes to field work. The cows still get milked twice every day and the calves get fed every day, but as chilly nights blow into the picture come September and October, harvests are completed, last minute building maintenance (to keep out the snow and blustery wind when winter hits) gets finished up, and similar jobs take precedence.
Check back often for updates and to find out where you can pick up your free breakfast tickets.
Upwards of 1,500 neighbors, friends and area residents devoured pancakes with real maple syrup, pork sausage and even ice cream at the Isabella County Breakfast on the Farm held July 24 at the Bryant family’s cash crop and livestock operation near Shepherd.
In addition to enjoying Michigan-grown and Michigan-processed food at the complimentary breakfast, attendees also learned about caring for animals, operating farm equipment and growing crops from experts — the farmers themselves — at various educational stations. More than 120 volunteers from area farms and industry groups partnered to run the event.
Joe and Beth Bryant and their children, Ben, Emily and Margaret, hosted the Isabella County Breakfast on the Farm. The Bryant’s operate a 1,800-acre cash crop and livestock farm. Primary crops include soybeans and corn. They also raise beef cattle. The Bryant family has been farming in various areas of Michigan for more than five generations.
The most popular attractions were feeding the baby calves, learning the multiple uses of corn, taking hayrides into the pasture and enjoying the pancake breakfast served with maple syrup processed by the Bryant family.
Mark your calendars: Isabella County will host its 2011 Breakfast on the Farm event July 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Pasch Dairy, a family-owned dairy farm located near Beal City.
Find out what you missed or relive the memories from the Isabella Co. Breakfast on the Farm
About 1,500 people enjoyed Breakfast on the Farm July 24 at the Joe and Beth Bryant family’s farm near Shepherd.
To see what you missed – or to relive the fun! – check out this slide show.
If you’re looking for an activity this week, then don’t miss the Great Dairy Adventure. Now in its 13th year, the Great Dairy Adventure brings “the farm from the country to the city,” and serves as a platform to learn about all things dairy.
This year’s Great Dairy Adventure takes place this Wednesday, July 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Michigan State University Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education. Parking is free and there is no cost to attend the event, which is an fun time for kids of all ages. Moms and dads, grandpas and grandmas, summer camps and school programs, day cares and day camps will find this event fun for everyone!
Attendees will learn more about the multi-step journey milk takes to reach our refrigerators and the nutritious benefits dairy products provide. It’s also an opportunity to talk to and learn from local farmers and ask questions about how food gets from the farm to your table.
From making and eating a cheese “bug” to touching and smelling the feeds that cows eat, there are a variety of activities and educational stations. Children of all ages can take their turn milking a cow by hand, petting calves, experimenting with dairy recipes and creating craft projects, all while learning about various segments of the dairy industry. MSU athletes will also be on site to pose for milk mustache photos with participants.
In addition to free dairy treats and take-home projects, participants will have a chance to visit one-on-one with MSU large animal veterinary students during hands-on activities with cows. Parents and people who work with children will receive nutrition education materials that include simple, tasty recipe ideas to try at home. Everyone is encouraged to bring a camera to capture memories in the making.
The family-oriented and volunteer-operated event keeps growing in attendance each year and is a popular field trip for many summer children’s programs and a fun family outing.
The United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM) will distribute commemorative backpacks to each participant to carry the handouts, giveaways and prizes that will be distributed at the Great Dairy Adventure.
There is no admission fee to participate in the Great Dairy Adventure, and parking is free. Picnic areas will be set up on the northwest side of the pavilion, and MSU Concessions will be selling food and beverages on site. All activities will take place inside the pavilion, which is accessible to wheelchair-users.
Oh, and not to forget the important stuff – there will be free ice cream, yogurt, chocolate milk and other goodies! And don’t forget to bring the camera – this is a memory-building day that you’ll want to capture!
Don’t miss 31st annual Ag Expo at MSU – next week!
Are you planning to attend Ag Expo on the campus of Michigan State University next week?
Whether you’ve been attending Michigan’s largest farm show for years or never been, there are many interesting educational sessions and activities to keep you busy – not to mention the exhibitors who bring their wares to East Lansing for a week.
The 31st annual Ag Expo features educational exhibits and demonstrations from several Michigan State University colleges and departments as well as commercial farm equipment from throughout the Midwest and Canadian provinces. This event takes place on the south end of the MSU campus and runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., July 20 and 21, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., July 22. Admissions to the grounds and parking at Farm Lane and Mt. Hope Road are free. This annual event draws nearly 16,000 visitors. The event is sponsored by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR), the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES) and MSU Extension.
CANR tent: The Science of Agriculture and Natural Resources
For the seventh year, MSU CANR will showcase its programs at Ag Expo. The theme of this year’s CANR tent is “The Science of Agriculture and Natural Resources” and features exhibits, educational sessions and activities from the college, MSU Extension and the MAES. There will be a presentation stage, educational exhibits and free ice cream. Sessions that will be held include:
• The state-level competition of the Arthur Berkey Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Science Fair – The concept is the same as a typical science fair with a slight twist in that all the topics such as zoology, botany, environment, engineering and biochemistry/microbiology relate to research areas in agriculture and natural resources. Read more here.
• Financial management – Planning for the future involves family finances and ways to keep wealth in the family. Learn about succession planning and financial strategies from the experts. More details here.
• Gardening – Master Gardeners will present 15-minute tips on topics including keeping moles out of your yard, composting, invasive plants, Japanese beetles and growing food. Special sessions on how to handle tomato late blight have just been added. More details here.
Demonstrations: New programs join old favorites
• NEW THIS YEAR: Grain engulfment simulator demonstration – It takes a meager 15 seconds for a person to be covered waist deep in grain and only 30 seconds for their entire body to be submerged. The grain engulfment simulator presents a real-life simulation where a person will be rescued from an avalanche of flowing grain. Educational safety sessions will be held afterward to address other farm safety issues. The simulator is from the headquarters for the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS), and is being sponsored by the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan and the Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee. More details here.
• Animal welfare – The topics covered include cattle lameness (causes, consequences and prevention), preventing and controlling BVD and Johne’s, and pasture-based dairy production in Michigan. More details here.
• Stock dog training – The demonstration will present how to work as a team with your dog, how to carry on a conversation with your dog using whistles and commands, and how dogs interpret and understand your livestock. More details here.
• Equine – The MSU Equine Team and My Horse University will conduct horse demonstrations to showcase the importance of selecting the appropriate hay quality and quantity for your horse and deciding whether you should supplement the hay ration with grain. More details here.
• Anaerobic Digester Research and Education Facility – Daily tours of this new facility will be offered at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Anaerobic digesters take waste from livestock and store it in a tank that is deprived of oxygen. Tour this new research facility and learn more about its work in making anaerobic digestion a possibility for small and mid-sized farms. More details here.
Ag Expo is a tradition so, if you’ve never been, plan to attend this year. If you don’t hail from a farm or aren’t familiar with farming practices, this is a good place to come to have your questions answered!
That’s right – you still have a few days to visit one of the free ticket locations to acquire your breakfast tickets for the July 24 Breakfast on the Farm at the Joe and Beth Bryant family farm near Shepherd.
Spend a fun day with the family at the Bryant farm – enjoy a delicious, homemade breakfast made from Michigan products, pet a calf, learn about farming, get your questions answered by real farmers – you won’t want to miss it!
Down on the farm – via YouTube
Did you attend the 2010 Clinton County or Washtenaw County Breakfast on the Farm this year?
If so, we’d like to hear from you. Specifically, we’d like to know your answer to one (two or all!) of these questions:
1. What did you like the most about Breakfast on the Farm?
2. What did you learn at this year’s Breakfast on the Farm?
3. Why should people attend Breakfast on the Farm? (There is one more Breakfast on the Farm event scheduled for this summer, and it takes place Saturday, July 24 at the Bryant Farm near Shepherd!)
Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 24, if you’re interested in enjoying a free pancake breakfast and experiencing family fun along with a chance to learn about local farm families who produce the food you eat.
Breakfast on the Farm is a family-oriented program that welcomes neighbors and area residents to enjoy a complimentary pancake breakfast along with a self-guided tour of a family-owned farm that includes visits to various educational stations and opportunities to ask questions of local farmers. The July 24 breakfast and farm tour takes place rain or shine from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (breakfast served from 9 a.m. to noon) at the Joe and Beth Bryant family farm near Shepherd.
The self-guided tour of the Bryants’ beef and cash crop farm will feature a variety of educational stations and interactive activities including a baby farm animal petting area and a maple syrup-making demonstration where people can see firsthand how maple tree sap is cooked into real maple syrup. Attendees of all ages will be eager to stand alongside and climb aboard modern-day farm equipment as well as to pet and feed baby farm animals, take a tractor and wagon ride, and touch and smell the feeds that animals eat.
There is no cost to attend the event or take the tour, but tickets are required for the free breakfast. Free tickets can be obtained from the following locations: Family, Farm and Home, Alma; Siler’s Market, Breckenridge; Johnston Elevator, Clare; Napa Auto Parts, Ithaca; Midland County MSU Extension Office, Tractor Supply Co. and West Midland Family Center, Midland; Animal Health Associates, Chamber of Commerce, First Bank, the Isabella County MSU Extension Office, Papa’s Pumpkin Patch, the Soil Conservation District and Tractor Supply Co., Mt. Pleasant; First Bank, Remus; Baders, Rosebush and St. Louis; First Bank and Shepherd IGA, Shepherd; Wincell Cellular Corporation and Winn Telephone Co., Winn; and all locations of Brown Milling, Inc.
The Isabella County Breakfast on the Farm is organized by the Isabella County MSU Extension Office and the Isabella County Michigan Farm Bureau.
To get more information about Breakfast on the Farm or to reserve tickets, contact Jayme Martin at 989-772-0911, ext. 302 or marti879@msu.edu.
Photo tour of Washtenaw County Breakfast on the Farm
Take a photo tour of last weekend’s Breakfast on the Farm consumer education event held at the Horning farm near Manchester.
