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Since the inaugural Michigan “Breakfast on the Farm” event was held June 20, 2009, at Dutch Meadows Dairy, a family-owned dairy farm owned by the Tony and Patti Jandernoa family near the mid-Michigan town of St. Johns, interest in replicating this event has led to the formation of three events for 2010.
At the Clinton County event in 2009, an estimated 1,250 people enjoyed a free Michigan-made pancake and sausage breakfast and dairy farm tour. All totaled, more than 1,500 people attended the rain-or-shine self-guided farm tour featuring ten educational stations each hosted by area farmers. Event attendees had a chance to learn how cows are milked, pet a calf and eat ice cream. Questions about farming and food production were encouraged.
This year promises to be even more fun for attendees thanks to the inclusion of new activities and exhibits, including a commodity tent and goat-milking exhibit at the Clinton Co. breakfast, and a special partnership with Domino’s Pizza at the Manchester event (hint: attendees will get to sample breakfast pizzas that have, until now, only been tested in two local school districts).
The dates, along with directions and details, for each of this year’s three breakfasts can be found under their own special heading on the home page. But just to be sure, mark your calendar for one – or all! – of the 2010 Breakfast on the Farm events: June 19 at the Steenblik Dairy Farm near Pewamo; June 26 at the Horning Dairy Farm near Manchester; and July 24 at the Joe and Beth Bryant Farm near Shepherd.
This blog will post the latest information about Michigan Breakfast on the Farm events. It will be updated regularly by Sara Long, Michigan State University agriculture and natural resources communications manager, planning committee member and volunteer.
Best of wishes for your farm breakfast. I live in WI, and we are having a similar event June 13. http://www.travelwisconsin.com/event_detail/Dane_County_Breakfast_on_the_Farm.aspx
Long live June, the Dairy Month!
Denise Thornton
digginginthedriftless.wordpress.com
I’m a little frustrated by the lack of details. I’m not familiar with how it all works. What can we expect? For the Bryant event: Time? Schedule of activities? What kind of time does it involve?
When visitors first arrive at the Breakfast, they will walk into the main greeting area where they will receive a map of the farm on which each educational station as well as the eating area, restroom facilities, etc. will be identified. From there, guests can choose to eat the breakfast or start on the self-guided tour. There is no set schedule – aside from food is served from 9 a.m. to noon and the tour operates from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visitors will see a variety of farm animals and have a chance to learn and ask questions at a variety of educational stations set up around the farm. For example, one station may have baby calves and here you can learn how they are cared for as well as characteristics of the calves (i.e. they only have teeth on the bottom row of their mouths, they are fed two times each day, etc.). Another station may feature a veterinarian who can answer health-related questions and/or tell guests about the standard practices that a farmer employs on the farm. A special kid’s quiz is designed to “break the ice” by offering fill-in-the-blank or multiple choice questions that can be answered by visiting the various stations. A prize awaits those who complete the quiz – which happens to be fun for both kids and adults. I hope this gives you a bit more guidance on what to expect when you visit Breakfast on the Farm. If you have other questions, I encourage you to call the MSU Extension office in Isabella County.
Oh, and for those curious as to why we collect “free” tickets – we count the number of free tickets distributed to help us know how much food to prepare.
Thank you for your latest post and the information! This helps a lot. We are hosting a wedding that day and thought this might be something for the ‘out-of-towners’ to enjoy in the morning.
That is such a cool idea! What a wonderful idea for the guests! Not only do they get the chance to take part in and remember one of the most important days in your life, but they also have a chance to make wonderful memories, too!