Learning about dairy first-hand

GOODHUE, Minn. — The last time Ben Norman was on a dairy farm was decades ago as a child visiting his uncle’s farm. That changed June 20 when Norman attended the Goodhue County Breakfast on the Farm.

“(The milking parlor is) so much more advanced than what I remember as a kid,” Norman said.

Goodhue County Breakfast on the Farm was hosted at Green Acres Organic Dairy LLC, where the O’Reilly family milks 135 cows and farms 600 acres. It was the family’s first time hosting. Full-time family members working on the farm include brothers, Chris and Tony, Tony’s wife, Carrie, Chris’ son and daughter, JJ and Jenna, and dad, Dave.

The event, which ran from 7-11 a.m., included farm tours, a petting zoo, kids’ activities, Ag Cab Lab tractor drive simulator, an equipment display, tub train rides, live music, and of course, breakfast.

One of the stops for Norman and his friend, Chris O’Connor, was the double-16 parallel parlor. It was Norman’s first time seeing a modern milking parlor. O’Connor had visited a farm more recently at a past Goodhue County Breakfast on the Farm.

“The automation is impressive,” O’Connor said. “The quantity of milk that can be produced by such a small number of people boggles the mind.”

O’Connor said he has always been a “wannabe farmer.”

“I’ve always been incredibly impressed by American agriculture,” O’Connor said. “People in the cities have no idea of the hard work and the permanent, steady amount of effort that goes into putting the food on the table and the milk in the refrigerator. It’s truly awesome.”

Norman agreed.

“It’s mind boggling that people are willing to work that hard and put that much of their time and energy into (it),” he said.

Princess Kay of the Milky Way Rachel Visser was at the event. Visser said attendees getting their dairy questions answered was her hope for the event.

“They can come to a breakfast on the farm like this and see firsthand what happens on the farm,” Visser said. “If you look around today, you see everyone peeking into the barn, looking at the parlor, visiting the calves. … They have the opportunity to ask questions … but also see firsthand and get the answers themselves.”

Jenna O’Reilly, one of the farm hosts and a Goodhue County dairy princess, was on hand to connect with the guests at her family’s farm.

“(As a host) I know everything about the farm,” Jenna said. “When people come up and ask me stuff, I know exactly what I’m talking about or at least have a very general idea.”

Jenna’s day began at 3:45 a.m. when her alarm sounded. By 4:15 she was outside getting the cows in the barn for milking. At 6:30, she finished cleaning the parlor and rushed into the house to get ready.

“It feels so good to have so many people here to experience something different, something new,” Jenna said. “It’s not every day you can go visit a dairy farm and eat cheese curds and ice cream for breakfast.”

Besides the aforementioned treats, attendees were also served egg bake, donuts, bananas, yogurt, string cheese and a selection of beverages — with milk being the main option.

Jenna said it was beautiful to see people of all backgrounds converging on the farm.

“Being a dairy princess … is actually really rewarding,” Jenna said. “You get to meet so many people … and you get to make connections with people you never would have made connections with otherwise.”

JJ O’Reilly and his dad, Chris, said they hope the event showed people where their food comes from and what the dairy industry is all about.

The community, local businesses and event planners all supported the O’Reilly family in hosting the event.

“Everyone wants to help out … we aren’t short on staff today,” JJ said.

Among the families attending the event was the Bonnin family of Goodhue County. They said they hoped their children learned more about the dairy industry at the event.

“We’ve gone through and shown them … the process of a working dairy farm,” Corey Bonnin said. “They understand these animals are a big part of the milk culture and the dairy culture. … What (we) like the most is seeing the equipment and the advances in technology and how it makes milk processing more efficient.”

Another community member, Diane Hokanson, is a regular attendee of the event. This year she was attending with her grandson, Scott. She said she hoped he would come away with a sense of community, have fun on the farm and see new things.

“It was extra special to be able to take Scott,” Hokanson said. “We got to talk about all of the things we were going to see and the cows. He loves any type of equipment, so we’ll probably see some of that.”

Hokanson did not grow up on a dairy farm, but her children leased and showed dairy cattle.

“I’ve always appreciated the people that come from the dairy farms,” Hokanson said. “It’s good to support them … and know that the word is really getting out about how good of a job these farmers do taking care of their animals.”

Chris said if a farmer is on the fence about hosting an on-farm event, he encourages them to do so.

“It’s worth it,” he said. “Yes, it is a lot of work to get lined up. …  (Yet) people you have never seen before come up and ask questions. It’s amazing.”