This past weekend, Earl and Diane Horning, their son Jeff and his wife Lynda and their families, hosted the first-ever Breakfast on the Farm in Washtenaw County. More than 2,100 turned in tickets to eat the complimentary breakfast served up courtesy of Dominos Pizza, a local Ann Arbor business. Also on the menu was sausage links, whole apples, Welch’s grape juice and milk. All total, Dominos Pizza baked 525 8-slice pizzas! The homemade pizzas were made with a whole grain crust and topped with eggs, a pork topping and cheese.
Another 200 people took part in only the self-guided tour of the family dairy farm (all together, 2,300 people took part in the Washtenaw Breakfast on the Farm).
Educational stations set up along the tour included the milking parlor, where attendees could watch as the cows were milked, and calf hutches, where people could pet weeks-old calves. Veterinarians were also present to answer questions, volunteers were stationed along the feed alley in the freestall barn to answer questions about the various feeds that cows eat or the animal housing, and farm equipment was on display to touch, feel and climb aboard. Tractor-driven wagon rides circled the farm and made stops along the way. Another popular stop – and resulted in long lines – was the free ice cream cone stand.
Families of all sizes and people of all ages were taking part in the tour and seeming to enjoy the event. Did you have a favorite part? Did you learn something new that really surprised you? If so, let us know!
Not able to attend the Clinton County Breakfast on the Farm last week in Pewamo? Wonder what you missed?
Here’s a recap of the event: 2010 Clinton County Breakfast on the Farm
Two days and counting.
Two days, that is, until the Horning family from Manchester opens its doors to people eager to learn more about dairy farming.
In addition to a free, self-guided farm tour, attendees will enjoy a complimentary breakfast. The menu includes pork sausage, fresh fruit, grape juice, milk and breakfast pizza provided courtesy of local business Domino’s.
Domino’s has created the breakfast pizza especially for the Breakfast event. Each 240-calorie slice is packed with calcium – thanks to the cheese processed from Michigan milk! – and has no trans fats.
Pack up the family – don’t forget the camera! – and head to Manchester this Saturday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. (food is served from 9 a.m. to noon) for Breakfast on the Farm.
No tickets are required to take the farm tour, but tickets will be collected for those wanting to eat breakfast. The list of free ticket locations can be found here.
Volunteers served nearly 2,500 people at this year’s Clinton County Breakfast on the Farm hosted last weekend (June 19) by Albert and Els Steenblik at their dairy farm north of Pewamo. Many more people stopped by to take part in the self-guided tour of the operation. All events and activities were free.
Pictures will be posted soon so be sure to check back.
If you weren’t able to enjoy last weekend’s Breakfast, two additional sites will be hosting events this summer. This weekend the 2010 MSU Dairy Farmer of the Year, Earl and Diane Horning and their son Jeff, his wife Lynda, and family, are inviting people to attend a Breakfast on the Farm event at their farm near Manchester. Then, on July 24, Joe and Beth Bryant and family from Shepherd will be hosting a Breakfast at their livestock and cash crop farm. These events are also free, but tickets are required to eat breakfast. Click on the “Breakfasts” link on the home page for a list of free ticket locations.
We’d like to hear from you: what did you enjoy most about this year’s Clinton County Breakfast on the Farm? What did you learn? Were you surprised to learn some of the things you did (learn) and, if so, what were they?
That’s right – rain or shine, wind or fog, the second annual Clinton County Breakfast on the Farm is set to start promptly at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning, Saturday, June 19.
Close to 200 volunteers are coming together tomorrow to bring you a fun-packed, educational and free family outing.
Here are some general tips for those attending the Breakfast:
1. If it rains – bring an umbrella or wear a raincoat.
2. Wear comfortable clothing.
3. Wear comfortable shoes.
4. Wear sunscreen.
5. Portable toilet stations will be available.
6. Consider taking the tour as soon as you arrive at the farm. Food lines should be shorter later in the morning.
7. Bring a camera.
8. Don’t forget to bring your free breakfast ticket(s) with you. Replacements will not be available on-site. (Note: All 5,500 free breakfast tickets have been distributed, so if you have extra tickets that you will not be using, please consider bringing them with you so others without tickets can have an opportunity to enjoy breakfast.)
Commemorative t-shirts will also be available for sale. We heard from a number of attendees at last year’s Breakfast that they would like to purchase one of the volunteer shirts. We’ve gone one better and created a design especially for attendees! These t-shirts will be available for purchase at each Breakfast event in 2010.
We look forward to seeing you at this year’s Breakfast on the Farm!
That’s right: locations are out of free tickets for this Saturday’s second annual Clinton County Breakfast on the Farm.
People who are unable to secure tickets for the meal are still encouraged to attend the self-guided tour. No tickets are necessary for the tour. Tour hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
What if you have tickets for the breakfast but are unable to attend? Call the Clinton Co. MSU Extension office at 989-224-5240 and let them know: another family on the waiting list will be able to use your tickets.
Albert Steenblik, host of this year’s Clinton Co. Breakfast, welcomes people to his farm
Albert Steenblik, owner of Steenblik Dairy Farm in Pewamo, is thrilled to be the host of this year’s Clinton County Breakfast on the Farm!
Steenblik is pleased to open up his family-owned, 2,500-cow dairy farm to the public so they can learn more about animals, food production and agriculture practices. He would like to thank all of the supporters and volunteers who are willing to lend a hand to create a successful Breakfast on the Farm.
“This is an opportunity to show everyone that farmers really are stewards of the land and that we truly do care about our animals,” he revealed.
Breakfast on the Farm is all about informing the public about where their food comes from and all the work it takes to get that food from the field to the supermarket. Farmers are working hard 365 days a year to feed a growing population while simultaneously properly caring for their animals and crops.
Breakfast on the Farm is a wonderful opportunity to learn about agriculture and all the factors that go into farming.
Do you have your tickets for this weekend’s second annual Breakfast on the Farm?
Rain or shine, it promises to be a fun, educational and memorable day for the entire family!
Thanks Albert and Els and family for hosting this year’s Breakfast!
Last year, Carol Dunsmore from St. Johns attended the first-ever Clinton County Breakfast on the Farm at Dutch Meadow Dairy with her 3-year-old grandson.
His favorite part: getting to touch everything and having a chance to sit in the milk truck.
“Just awesome!” when exclaimed when asked about her first impression of the Breakfast on the Farm event. “My grandson was really excited when we arrived because he loves tractors….He didn’t want to leave when it was all over. It was the best thing ever!”
This year, Dunsmore is spreading the word throughout her community and bringing a large group with her to the June 19th Breakfast at Steenblik Dairy in Pewamo. This year’s expectations include seeing the farm equipment, participating in all of the hand-on activities, and taking the hay ride.
Dunsmore also mentioned that her grandson has been talking about the event all year and can’t wait for this year’s adventure.
Come see what Dunsmore and her grandson already discovered – there is a lot to learn and a lot of fun to be had at “Breakfast on the Farm!”
A year ago this week a large committee of volunteers – and one dairy farm family – were busy putting the finishing touches on preparations for the first-ever Clinton County Breakfast on the Farm. Tony and Patty Jandernoa, St. Johns, were opening their family-run dairy operation to hundreds of people for breakfast and a self-guided farm tour. Here, in her own words, Patty shares her memories from last year’s inaugural event.
“It has been almost a year since my husband, Tony, and I hosted the first annual Breakfast on the Farm at our Clinton County dairy farm. As I remember the event, the wonderful feelings of pride and fulfillment come rushing back. We had absolutely no idea what we were in for when we agreed to host the event. We knew it would be a lot of work and involve much planning, but we also knew the importance of the message that we needed to get out to the non-farming public. We needed to tell OUR story and allow people to see what we do every single day of the year in order to produce safe food for their families’ consumption. What we didn’t know is how rewarding it would be to see the number of visitors (1,500) and have them listen to our story—and how thankful they would be to have the opportunity to visit and learn firsthand.
As we approach this year’s Breakfast on the Farm, which will be held on June 19 at Steenblik Dairy in Pewamo, the message remains the same. We care for (and about) our animals, we are good stewards of our land, and we produce safe food to eat. This isn’t always the message the general public might hear because we, in agriculture, don’t sell our message like we should. We need to do a much better job of promoting ourselves and what we do. That is what Breakfast on the Farm is all about.
We are quickly approaching this year’s event and I encourage anyone that has the opportunity to do so to attend the event. Come and enjoy a free breakfast and tour a modern dairy facility. Climb into farm machinery or feed a calf. You will have the chance to have your questions answered by a real local farmer. We look forward to seeing you there. Having the opportunity to tell our story and answer your questions makes the day a success.”
If you don’t already have your tickets for the June 19 Breakfast – or one of the other two Breakfast on the Farm events scheduled (June 26 and July 24), what are you waiting for? This is a perfect opportunity to meet local farmers who grow a variety of different food crops and raise a variety of farm animals. These people are the experts – they do this job 365 days a year (and caring for animals and the land is really a 24-hour a day job, too, similar to being a parent, really) – and they’re also people just like you and me. Come put a face on farming – attend the 2010 Breakfast on the Farm at a location near you!
