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Fair Oaks Farms

One of the most unique attractions you will find sits right here in Indiana - Fair Oaks Farms. Visitors are encouraged to spend a day exploring, questioning and learning about the dedication and practices that go into food production on the Fair Oaks Farms campus.

Fair Oaks is a working dairy farm - and one of the largest in the nation - but also provides fun ways to learn with their Dairy Adventure, Pig Adventure and Crop Adventure. An on-site restaurant, café and the seasonal Mooville are also located on the Fair Oaks Farms campus.

Farm Adventures  

Dairy Adventure

Here, families will learn about the innovative process of dairy production. The adventure is interactive, educational and fun for the whole family.

Jump on the tour bus to see the cows in the barn and then head down to learn how they are milked as they ride around the carousel.

Before or after your tour you can climb on a magnetic wall, practice milking a cow and watch their 3D/4D movie. You may also witness the miracle of life in the birthing barn, where 80-100 calves are born each day then top it off with fresh, velvety ice cream at the Cowfé.

Pig Adventure

This adventure opens the doors to conversation between producers and consumers, helping visitors understand the practices that pig farms live by to ensure the safest food possible.

The Pig Adventure tour take visitors through the entire life of a pig, one of America’s most important sources of food. Inside the Pig Adventure young and old not only learn about pig farming, but have the opportunity to play in the Adventure Center and enjoy a challenging ropes course inside.

Crop Adventure

The newest adventure to join Fair Oaks is the Crop Adventure. The importance of farming in America is explained within the walls of the Crop Adventure in fun, innovative ways.

Here, guests can burrow deep underground to see bugs and roots, witness the future of farming and discover how your food is produced - from seed to table.

The Crop Adventure is included in the cost of the Pig and Dairy Adventures.

Mooville  

Mooville is the place kids can catch some air on the “Dairy Air” jumping pillow, climb a 25-foot milk bottle and more. Mooville is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, weather permitting. The cost is included in the Dairy Adventure or a pass can be purchased separately.

Dining Down On The Farm  

Experience a farm to table meal at the restaurant and café.  The café offers freshly made ice cream, breakfast items and sandwiches such as their famous grilled cheese. You can also sample award-winning cheeses and purchase farm-related items in the gift shop.

The Farmhouse Restaurant features a full restaurant, bar and outdoor seating area. Delicious meals range from pizza and burgers to pot pie, pot roast and steaks. The Farmhouse also features live entertainment and special events throughout the year.

Seasonal Activities  

Fall Adventures

Pick apples among the 40-acres of dwarf trees (easier access for the kiddos!) featuring eight varieties. This orchard is open and gives you a back-on-the-farm feel while you're enjoying cooler fall weather. While you're visiting, get lost in the 4-acre corn maze with both a challenging as well as easy course. You can also grab a beer or wine at the Orchard Pub Saturdays and Sundays.  Visit online to see what varieties of apples are ready to pick! Open September through October.

Winter Adventures

Throughout the season you can ice skate in their arena and try out their 135-foot-long ice slide! Afterward, enjoy dinner in a private, heated igloo at their  Farmhouse Restaurant .

From mid-November through December, walk through their Forest of Lights to see changing scenes of lights along with bonfires for making s’mores and stations to purchase warm drinks and adult beverages. They also have a Holiday Market where you can pick up local jams, jellies, honey and crafts, poinsettias, stocking stuffers, Christmas decor and more. 

Fair Oaks Farms' Forest of Lights

A place for pups  .

Dog owners will appreciate Fair Oaks Farms' Central Bark Dog Park featuring water troughs, exercise equipment, benches and shade shelters. Plus the Farmhouse Restaurant allows pets on their outdoor patio and the Fairfield by Marriott ® onsite is dog-friendly, too!

Stay The Night  

With so much to do on Fair Oaks Farms, it's hard to get it all done in one day. Extend your stay with a night or two at the Fairfield by Marriott ® on-site. This one-of-a-kind hotel celebrates the American countryside of Fair Oaks Farms with custom art and upgrades.

The hotel includes a colorful Pool Party room complete with a cow's tongue slide, fully-flooded half court basketball, indoor/outdoor hot tub and saltwater pool.

Click here for more information and photos of Fair Oaks Farms plus any current coupons and upcoming events.

Fair Oaks Farms 856 N. 600 E. Fair Oaks, IN 47943 (219) 394-2025 x 310 Toll-Free: (877) 536-1194 fofarms.com

The Farmhouse Restaurant   (219) 394-3663 Banquets & Events: (219) 394-2697  fofarms.com/farmhouse

Fairfield by Marriott ®  (219) 394-2100 marriott.com

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• Agritourism

Indiana’s Dairy Farms

• April 5, 2018

By Susan Hayhurst

Consumers want to know where their food comes from. They are even happier when they can visit the places where the food is grown and meet the producers in person.

Indiana’s dairy producers, including dairy cows, dairy goats, and dairy camels—yes, camels—are a vital part of the state’s agritourism industry. According to the Indiana Office of Tourism Development and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), agritourism “includes agriculturally-based commercial enterprises conducted for the enjoyment, education and active involvement of visitors.” From northern Indiana’s Fair Oaks Farms at Fair Oaks to the southeastern corridor’s Goat Milk Stuff at Scottsburg, family-owned farms are great at telling the story of milk and its value-added products from farm gate to family plate.

Fair Oaks Farms 

Nationally-recognized Fair Oaks Farms is a precedent-setter when it comes to educating the general public about modern farming practices. “We are unique because educating the public is our main goal including providing self-guided tours of both dairy and pig farms which promote animal welfare, innovation in the agriculture industry and providing safe and nutritious products for consumers,” says Leslie Rusk, the farms’ marketing and special events director. “We want to bridge the gap between farmer and consumer. Our story, is your story.”

Their story features their oldest and most well-known attraction, the Dairy Adventure. Built in 2004, families can hop on colorfully painted buses to visit the free stall cattle barns. You can witness the miracle of cows giving birth in the birthing barn where between 80-100 calves are born every day. Exhibits include cow nutrition and the safety and nutrition of milk. And daredevil youth can climb to “Udder Heights” in Mooville’s interactive area.

In addition to the dairy emphasis, the farm added the Pig Adventure in 2013 and most recently, the WinField Crop Adventure in 2016. The site also features a gift shop, and three tempting eateries, the rustic and welcoming Farmhouse Restaurant, the Cowfe ́, and the Dairycatessen.

Fair Oaks is dedicated to sustainability, even building anaerobic digesters which turn animal manure into Compressed Natural Gas to power their fleet and farm, according to Rusk. “Visitors are always wowed by our innovations. We are proud to say we are ‘Powered by Poo.’”

For those families wanting to leisurely visit Fair Oaks, the business is partnering with Fairfield Inn and Suites to open a 99-room hotel, with silo suites available in 2019.

For more information go to www.fofarms.com .

Traders Point Creamery 

Fulfilling a niche dairy market and a taste of farm life just northwest of Indianapolis at Zionsville is Traders Point Creamery, a 150-acre, family-owned dairy farm and artisan creamery. Noted for being the first USDA certified organic dairy farm in Indiana when they opened in 2003, the operation specializes in 100 percent grass-fed, non-homogenized milk and dairy products packaged in glass.

Owners Dr. Fritz Kunz and Jane Elder Kunz prize their heritage breed cows and the picturesque setting the working farm sits on. “The Loft farmstead restaurant is the most organic in the state, deriving ingredients—like dairy, pork, eggs, and produce—from our farm. Visitors love the authenticity of dining in our historic 1860s barn,” says Gail Alden, director of marketing and events.

The Creamery’s delicious products from milk to yogurt to cheese can be purchased at the on-site food store and smooth-as- silk ice cream at the Dairy Bar, both on the barn’s lower level. Winners of many awards, their Whole Milk Yogurt won first place in the 2015 American Cheese Society competition.  Visitors wanting up close experiences will sign up for self-guided or private tours and tastings opportunities. The farm’s renowned milking parlor is open to the public where you can stand alongside the farmers to see how milk is processed.

Chief Executive Officer Mark Vander Kooy looks forward to the operation’s expanded walking trails, more event spaces, and an enhanced nature component thanks to a new partnership with nearby Eagle Creek Park. “We will also be offering low-fat milk. We currently are in 1,600 stores throughout the country.”

For more information go to www.traderspointcreamery.com.

Kelsay Farms 

Seasonal agritourism events occur at Kelsay Farms at Whiteland where school buses filled with children for a field trip, families with young children in strollers, and grandparents treating grandchildren abound. Educational field trips can be scheduled in April and October. The farm is also open to the public for five weeks in the fall for Experience the Farm.

Amy Kelsay, tour director, says they often hear visitor comments from “my grandparents used to have a dairy or used to farm so I want my kids to see a dairy farm. With the generational gap today, children aren’t exposed to livestock production like they used to be.

This is the experience we provide and that I think our customers are looking for. Real life on a real working dairy farm!”

Kelsay stresses dairy farmers today, like in the past, care deeply about their animals and their people. “We are a sixth-generation family dairy farm and the only working dairy farm in Johnson County.

Corn mazes, tours of the barns, drinking a signature Kelsay Farms milkshake, and seeing baby calves up close are some highlights of your visits here.”

For more information go to www.kelsayfarms.com .

Goat Milk Stuff 

From their 10-member family to yours, the Jonas’s of Goat Milk Stuff in Scottsburg are known for welcoming you personally in every aspect of your visit. Their tagline, “Work hard. Get dirty. Use Good Soap.,” best describes their daily activities, says PJ Jonas, mom and co-owner.

“Goat Milk Stuff is a family business where children are taught the value of hard work. This hard work and the way we care for our animals results in goat milk products that are of the highest quality and make a difference in people’s lives.”

The dairy operation is the first and only Grade A goat diary in Indiana. The farm is the only place where people can legally purchase Indiana-grown, pasteurized goat milk, yogurt, and kefir–similar to yogurt–for human consumption. Visitors love the handmade goat milk gelato, candies, milk, cheese, and their lovely scented soaps. Guided tours include the soap room, gardens, barns, milking parlor and kitchens. Highlights are meeting the goats and even scheduling a special time for snuggling and playing with baby goats.

One reviewer on www.goatmilkstuff.com ’s website summed up their family’s visit, “Our family loved, loved, loved visiting the GMS farm. We enjoyed the tour led by members of the Jonas family, and we really loved getting to go in the pen with the baby goats!”

For more information go to www.goatmilkstuff.com .

Bass Farms  

Shelbyville’s Bass Farms is cleaning up on the skin care industry with what some are calling a “breakthrough.”

What started as a hobby for Jana Bass in 2010, selling her goat’s milk lotions at farmer’s markets, is now a success story. One year into her business, Dr. Darrel L. Ross, a radiation oncologist in Indianapolis, endorsed Bass Farms’ Triple B Hydrating Cream, as a healing agent for radiation burns from cancer treatments. It has led to a cult following of cancer patients around the state and region, and others, who seek the moisturizing miracle.

Bass first created the cream as a gift, for a friend about to give birth. Calling it, “Baby Butt Butter”, she believed it perfect for diaper rash. Once word spread that it soothed radiation-affected skin, it was re-named Triple B Hydrating Cream. Today, it is their #1-selling product, sold in nearly 80 locations around Indiana—many that are hospitals.

There is a pound of lanolin in every batch, that locks in moisture,” says Jana Bass. “Lanolin locks in your own moisture and locks out the outside elements.” she explains. “It also contains frankincense and myrrh, known to be healing.”

Brad Bass, Jana’s husband, recently quit his job to devote time to the burgeoning business. Their daughter, Jessica Wampler, helps out. Bass says talking to cancer patients about how her products have helped them is cathartic, after losing both parents, and a brother, to the deadly disease. Their stories, she contends, and giving back, make it all worthwhile. Bass Farms has donated over $8,000 in products to The Giving Gig, one of Indianapolis’ top fund-raising events for Community Health Network’s Oncology Patient Assistance Fund.

All Bass Farm products are made from FDA-approved goat milk, with all-natural ingredients of the highest quality, and Satisfaction Guaranteed. For a complete list of their skin care line and retail locations, visit www.bassfarms.com .

River Jordan Camel Dairy 

A camel dairy in Indiana? Yes, and it will soon be open to the public for tours. When Luke and Amber Blakeslee of Milford bought their first camels in 2015, the idea was to raise camels to ride and help “mow” the grass. However, their camel “love affair” turned into a thriving business as the couple learned more about the health benefits of camel milk.

Amber began making and selling artisan soaps and lotions, each with all-natural ingredients. The soaps are made up of 25 percent pure camel milk; the lotions with 75 percent. Camel milk has a unique blend of key vitmins and minerals, and is naturally rich in lanolin, lactic acid, alpha-hydroxy acids, anti-inflammatory proteins, and Vitamins A,B3, C, and D.

The couple has been preparing and planning to open their operation up to the public, offering tours and educating visitors on not just the milking process, but also the technique of making their products, and more. “We want visitors to see the camels first-hand, and learn the processes behind milking and making products,” says Amber. “We also want to debunk some of the myths, like the fact that camels don’t actually spit, or carry water in their humps!”

Located in Kosckiusko County in northern Indiana, River Jordan Dairy Farm is just 20 minutes north of Warsaw. Tours are planned to start this summer, so give them a call at 574-312-0155 before visiting to confirm when tours will be available. Also, to learn more about their soaps and lotions, go to www.riverjordancameldairy.com .

Indiana Family Farms and Markets 

MERKLEY AND SONS

Since 1954 Merkley and Sons has been serving Jasper, Indiana, and the surrounding area with fresh, quality meats at a reasonable price. Under family ownership, the company currently employs approximately 25, including third- and fourth-generation family members.

Known for natural casing hotdogs, the retail shop features a full selection of fresh beef and pork, frozen chicken and seafood, seasoned patties, cheeses, and their own special recipe (and award winning) deli meats, sausages, brats, and smoked products-including bacon, hams, and BBQ.

STECKLER GRASSFED

Steckler Grassfed is a family-owned, pasture-based, certified organic farm in Southern Indiana. Steckler Grassfed provides local, high-quality raw aged cheese, pastured poultry (eggs, broilers, and turkeys), lamb, beef, and pork.

The Steckler Grassfed farm strives to offer the highest quality grass-fed and pastured products. The farm partners with nature, which provides more available nutrition from your food, while decreasing our environmental footprint.

           FISCHER FARMS 

Fischer Farms produces all-natural angus beef on their farm in Southern Indiana. They also sell pork, chicken and turkey all raised naturally in Indiana.

DUBOIS COUNTY FARMERS MARKETS  

In Jasper, farmers markets will take place starting Memorial Weekend each year and continuing for 20 weekends, every Saturday from 7:30-11:30 a.m. In 2017, the Jasper Farmers’ Market introduced Market Bucks through a grant made available from the Dubois County Community Foundation. Market Bucks are for Dubois County residents who may be food-insecure and may shy away from the market because they don’t participate in programs like SNAP or WIC. This program is funded by grants and the generosity of the community. For more information go to www.visitduboiscounty.com .

HUNTINGBURG FARMERS MARKET 

The Huntingburg Farmers Market will be held Saturdays from June through Fall. For more information go to www.visitduboiscounty.com .

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A Day at Fair Oaks Farms: it’s not just for kids

Spend a day at Fair Oaks Farms, an agritourism destination in Indiana that has been explaining the process of raising pigs, dairy cows, and crops through "adventures” since 2004.

This piece is part of a series of articles submitted to The Local Tourist through a cooperation with a 400-level travel writing class at  Purdue University .

By Cheyenne Dunn

Located between Indianapolis and Chicago, Fair Oaks Farms is an agritourism destination that has been explaining the process of raising pigs, dairy cows, and crops through “adventures” since 2004.

I’ve always been tempted to stop (their billboards on Interstate 65 are pretty convincing), but I knew I had to go after hearing a passionate employee explain the farm’s purpose at a recent Purdue club meeting.

I decided to visit the farm with my mom a few weeks later when we were both free and missing each other. Though my family is very familiar with the agriculture industry, we still thought it would be fun to spend a day here and see what else we could learn. Here’s what a typical day at the attraction looked like for us.

A Day at Fair Oaks Farms

The Dairy Adventure

When you first pull up to Fair Oaks, all you see are a lot of buildings and a big parking lot, but figuring out where you’re supposed to go is easy. Each building is clearly marked as crop adventure, birthing barn, etc. When you go into the first building that says ‘Your Adventure Starts Here’, the staff tell you how to get around and what to expect from your visit.

We chose to only buy a ticket for the dairy adventure, because that is the industry we knew the least about, and the crop adventure was included for free.

After buying our tickets, we walked over to the dairy adventure barn to wait for our tour to start. Before heading to the actual farm, our group watched a cute 10-minute animated, 3-D video that provided facts about what we were about to see at the farm, such as how often the cows are milked and why.

Once the video was over, it was time for the adventure. Our group boarded a bus and headed a mile down the road to one of Fair Oaks’ 11 dairy farms. A bus tour is necessary to go to the dairy and pig farms, which really surprised us. I think it made my mom nervous. She kept asking employees if the bus was going to leave without us. It didn’t.

In order to keep the animals from getting sick, you never actually step into a barn while on the dairy farm. You ride through the barns on the bus while information is played through the speakers. This means you don’t have to worry about wearing mud boots to the farm. You won’t be walking through manure or getting dirty.

There were about 15 people on our tour and most of them were adults without kids (including a couple all the way from California.)

A common misconception about Fair Oaks is that it’s just for kids and that is completely untrue. While kids are sure to have fun here, the information given isn’t too watered down and is really interesting for adults.

On the farm we drove through a couple of free-stall barns, which means the cows are free to move about as they please. While they are still confined to the area behind the driveway, they can choose when they want to stick their heads through the bar to eat and which stall they would like to lie in.

There is also plenty of room for them to walk around. After this, we saw where the calves live and the milking parlor. At first, my mom was sad to see that the calves didn’t stay with their moms, but I explained to her that they carry different diseases than adult cattle and it’s done to keep both of them safe. That made her feel better.

At the milking parlor, the last stop on the tour, you get out of the bus and watch through a window inside the barn. We found out this barn has to operate 24 hours a day in order to get all of the milking done.

The constant audio on the bus, as well as our bus driver, taught us so much about the dairy industry in a very short amount of time. If you aren’t from a farm or don’t know a ton about the dairy industry, you might be surprised by what you see here. But don’t worry—the staff at Fair Oaks make it clear that they have the animal’s best interest in mind and are doing all they can to keep them safe, healthy, and comfortable while still providing us with lots of milk.

Here are some of the fun facts we walked away with:

• Fair Oaks is home to 37,000 cows.
• Each of the cows produces 10 gallons of milk each day.
• The waste the cows produce is used to produce electricity for the farm.

The Farmhouse Restaurant

Like I mentioned earlier, Fair Oaks is not just about education. After the tour bus got back from the farm, we decided it was time for lunch at the Farmhouse Restaurant. A lot of the food served here was grown on the farm, and it’s really tasty. We got there in time for brunch so I ordered the bacon waffle with fried chicken and scrambled eggs.

Not only is the food here great, but the restaurant itself is gorgeous and welcoming. Vaulted ceilings, rustic decorations, and a giant fireplace. This place makes you feel at home. My mom kept sending my dad pictures of the restaurant, probably in a not-so-subtle attempt to have him remodel our house.

You don’t have to buy tickets to the adventures in order to go to the restaurant—it’s open to the public. We had heard the restaurant can get pretty busy though, so we had reservations.

The birthing barn

When we were walking out from lunch, my mom noticed the light outside of the birthing barn was yellow, which means a calf is about to be born. I know it sounds weird to watch a live birth right after lunch, but we live on a farm so this has become normal.

This was probably my favorite part of the day. Even though I see baby animals come into the world at home, it never gets old. We were able to watch this little girl’s first breath and watch how her mom instantly knew how to take care of her baby. If you’ve never seen something like this before–it’s a must. Because the farm has so many cows, it’s pretty common for visitors to catch a live birth.

The Crop Adventure

We had a little time left over after the birthing barn, so we took advantage of the free crop adventure admission. This is onsite and is a walk-through display on how crop production has changed over the years and the challenges that are coming to the industry. We did this tour in about 15 minutes, while the dairy adventure took us around an hour.

This adventure was not busy at all. That was the case for most of our day because we went during the winter. The summer, however, is the farm’s busy season and it can get pretty crowded. If you don’t mind a little cold, I highly recommend an October or November visit.

We ended our day at Fair Oaks with some ice cream in the Cow-fe (a play on the word cafe.) You can even watch as they make the ice cream from the milk produced on the farm. This fresh ice cream is outstanding and I’ve even stopped here before just for that. They also sell souvenirs and award-winning cheese in the same building. We had planned to buy T-shirts, but couldn’t find our sizes and ended up with a new ornament for our Christmas tree.

There is so much to do at Fair Oaks and it’s a great way to spend an afternoon no matter your age or farm knowledge. My mom and I already said we have to come back with my dad. If you decide to go (and you should), don’t worry if you miss the exit. They’ll make sure you get there.

The Details

Fair Oaks Farms is located at 754 N 600 E, Fair Oaks, IN 47943. It’s right off of I-65 north of Lafayette, Indiana and is an easy day trip from Chicago, Indianapolis, or Lafayette.

Admission to the Dairy and Crop Adventure is $10, and free for children 2 and under.

Make a stay of your trip to Fair Oaks Farms and get a room at the on-site Fairfield Inn & Suites .

Thinking of visiting Fair Oaks Farms? Pin this for later!

Fair Oaks Farms

Nov 21, 2022

Destination, Indiana Grown

Sue and Mike McCloskey opened the barn doors of Fair Oaks Farms in 2004. Their purpose was to showcase the practices and innovations of their original four dairy farms. Fair Oaks Farms connects guests to their farm thru a unique immersive tour: you can interact and experience farm life thru their dairy adventure, pig and crop farm tours, apple orchard, spend the night at the Fair Oaks Farm hotel, or enjoy a farm to table experience at their Farmhouse restaurant.

In additional, Fair Oaks Farms hosts 3 – outdoor seasonal activities to enjoy during the winter months: ice skating, tubing down a slide & a walk thru Forest of Lights.

Plan your visit to Fair Oaks Farms 856 N 600 E Fair Oaks, IN 47943

About Indiana Grown The Indiana Grown initiative aims to not only form a clearer designation of which products truly come from Indiana, but to also help Hoosier consumers easily identify and buy these products. We truly believe everyone has a chance to share in the success of the initiative; whether it’s a large or small operation, high-tech or low-tech, traditional or non-traditional.

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Experience the Wonders of Modern Farming at Fair Oaks Farms

In my grandfather’s day, agriculture was often a small, family affair.  At the height of his career, it was a ’64 Ford 4,000 pulling a two-bottom plow over fewer than fifty acres of tillable land.  Cut into what remained—in elongated pens making use of steep, wooded hillsides or in small, triangular plots tucked in between the creek and the “holler”—Granddaddy housed his small army of red-haired durocs.  They were the gentile beasts which grew from a swarm of adorably hyperactive, freshly-ringed piglets into the deceptively majestic sows that would feed a nation.  Before I was born, he had raised cattle, too, and more than once he shared the stories of his simple mornings trekking to the barn so he could plop himself under the teats in a cold winter morning, filling a common gray pail with that concoction we pour into our cereal.

But today, some ninety years after my grandfather hitched himself to his first team of field horses, “agriculture” means something else…which is okay…because it has to.  But even though farming must progress to meet the demands of the post-industrial age, at Fair Oaks Farms , near Roselawn, Indiana travelers can see the modern descendant of that lost time, while touching their fingers on the pulse of the past in the process.

As You Enter

Surrounding the ample parking placed in visible sight of I-65’s Exit 220, the old-world architecture—in the form of a complex of buildings ranging from the farm’s award-winning restaurant to a live birthing center—hearkens visitors back to those days when Bessie’s suds ended up filling a rack of glass containers for their morning ride in an old DIVCO .  Waiting for the tour to begin, we meandered among a winding displays laying out basics about cattle, their diet and their lives.  In short order, we boarded, rolled out of the lot, and then turned north onto County Road 600 East.

Through the Barn

Because cattle have different bacterial and viral defense systems, human exposure (especially along a heavily traveled corridor such as the Interstate between Indy and Chicago) means that we had to keep ourselves sealed off from the herd.  We passed the expansive silage operation, a towering mound of feed carefully prepared and baled waiting under the grey dusk of early winter.  Once inside the barn, the tour guide—letting a happy fellow in a pre-recorded breakdown do the talking—navigated the bus through a narrow strip of “road” between the pens.  The cows, the same inquisitive creatures I remembered along all my country roadsides growing up, leaned into the bus.  They tucked their noses to the edge of the tires’ rubber, but the driver kept the ship steady and nary a nostril was touched.  The precision of it all, and the accompanying visual spectacle of hundreds of bovine bodies casually sorting themselves out, picking their own plots to settle in for the night, reminded me of the common bonds we share with other mammals.

All the Little Creatures

Rounding out of the barn we passed a row small, plastic enclosures—looking something like those once-popular doghouse igloos in everyone’s back yards.  Here, recently born calves hunkered in their straw beds shouldering the cold.  Like all groups, however, some were far from shy.  A half-dozen or so peeked their snouts just past their entrance thresholds, their eyes sliding inside their skulls at an even pace with our bus.  Still more, another three or four, stepped fully outside, checking us out and craning their necks for glimpse.

Going for a Spin

The best part of the tour for me was the engineering which followed.  In the milking room, an enormous wheel—or carousel as they called it—cradled some six-dozen creatures as they rode the slow-moving merry-go-round during the milking process.  From start to finish, it covered a span of roughly eight minutes.  Hooked up to automatic machines, the farm continually moves cattle in and out of the wheel sending the milk from the carefully sanitized udder to the storage chambers nearby.  In the process, the milk is rapidly chilled from its exit temperature of almost 100 degrees to “fridge level” in minutes.  As much as the science of the operation impressed me, once again it was the cows themselves I found most captivating.  Conditioned largely by habit, they entered the wheel with virtually no human guidance, and when the bumper rail along their backsides gave way at the end of their spin, they peacefully backed off, turned to their left, and disappeared into the barn for their evening meal.

It's More Than a Glimpse

Besides the dairy tour, visitors can check out both a pork and grain experience as well.  Paired with post-tour opportunities ranging from a find dinner to the gift shop to Mooville to an often busy calendar full of events, Fair Oaks is fascinating as a spur-of-the-moment stop, but it’s perhaps the greatest fun when planned out as a fully-scheduled day.

After a short visit to see the farm’s newest resident, a calf born only hours before, I returned to my car, turned onto the onramp, and merged into the mechanized thrum of human technology aggressively barreling to Indianapolis.  Sitting inside my car’s cabin, enjoying a climate controlled comfort my late grandfather could have only dreamed of when he began his adult life, I realized that Fair Oaks’ charm is less about the wonders of human innovation and more about the endearing spirit of the biological creatures which necessitate it.

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1. Fair Oaks Farms

2. Huber's Orchard & Winery

3. Dutch Creek Farm Animal Park

4. Traders Point Creamery

5. Fair Oaks Dairy Adventure

6. Amish Acres

7. County Line Orchard

8. Anderson Orchard

9. Garwood Orchards

10. The Apple Works

11. Wea Creek Orchard

12. Exploration Acres

13. Hunters Honey Farm

14. McClure's Orchard

15. Salomon Farm Park

16. Blueberry Ranch

17. Dougherty Orchards

18. Thistleberry Farm

19. Blue Barn Berry Farm

20. Harvest Tyme Family Farm

21. The Farm at Prophetstown

22. Willowfield Lavender Farm

23. Lakeside Lavender and Herbs

24. Goat Milk Stuff

25. Blueberries of Indiana

26. Beasley's Orchard and Gardens

27. Bohman Christmas Tree Farm

28. Johnson's Farm Produce

29. Holly Berry Farm

30. The Sky Farm at Eskenazi Health

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Dairy Farm Tours Across the USA

Does it sound fun to see where your milk, cheese, ice cream, and other dairy products come from? Farms and homesteads across the United States offer dairy farm tours where your classroom, homeschool group, scout troop, tour bus, or family can get a first-hand look at operations on a dairy farm.

You’ll visit the barns and see how the animals live, walk along the pasture, or take a wagon ride. Many adventure tours let you see cows milked by robots allowing them to milk at will. There are opportunities to feed calves, pet baby goats, and even join a summer camp. You’ll see how milk is bottled and how cheese and butter are made.

Find your state and take a fun and educational dairy farm tour!

Alabama – Alaska – Arizona – Arkansas – California – Colorado – Connecticut – Delaware – Florida – Georgia – Hawaii – Idaho – Illinois – Indiana – Iowa – Kansas – Kentucky – Louisiana – Maine – Maryland – Massachusetts – Michigan – Minnesota – Mississippi – Missouri – Montana – Nebraska – Nevada – New Hampshire – New Jersey – New Mexico – New York – North Carolina – North Dakota – Ohio – Oklahoma – Oregon – Pennsylvania – Rhode Island – South Carolina – South Dakota – Tennessee – Texas – Utah – Vermont – Virginia – Washington – West Virginia – Wisconsin – Wyoming

Visit a Working USA Dairy Farm

Alabama dairy farm tours.

Blue Ribbon Dairy | Tallassee, AL

Blue Ribbon Dairy is a 4th generation family dairy farm. Their products include farm fresh small batch vat pasteurized cream-line whole milk, chocolate milk & cookies & cream milk, and seasonal flavors. Visit for a birthday party, pony ride, or special visitor event.

Dayspring Dairy | Gallant, AL

Dayspring Dairy is a family-owned farm offering handmade goat cheeses that can be purchased at their store, local farmer’s markets, and on their website. They invite you to visit during their farm open house and on shearing day.

Humble Heart Farms | Elkmont, AL

Humble Heart Farms is family-owned and operated offering premium hormone, steroid, and herbicide-free goat cheese. They offer farm tours by appointment as well as school and group farm tours.

Arizona Dairy Farm Tours

Danzeinsen Creamery | Laveen, AZ

Danzeinsen Creamery offers butter-making classes and creamery tours where they bottle fresh milk and at the end of the tour you’ll get to sample their many flavors.

Shamrock Farms | Phoenix, AZ

Exciting, entertaining, and educational working dairy farm tour. Learn the history of milk in the dairy museum and see how milk is better than ever with the latest technological advances. Fun play area, hands-on milking, and an ice cream parlor. The Shamrock Farms dairy tour has plenty to see, touch, explore and learn for individuals, families, and school field trips.

Superstition Farm | Mesa, AZ

Superstition Farm offers an open-to-the-public petting zoo, guided hayride, Moo-iversity with a close-up look of machinery used to milk cows, farm fresh milk bar, and ice cream. Reserve a special day for your class field trip, plan your wedding, birthday, or other special events on the farm. You can even plan a visit in your RV because Superstition Farms are Harvest Hosts!

Arkansas Dairy Farm Tours

Dogwood Hills Guest Farm | Harriet, AR

Collect fresh eggs, hand feed the goats and cows, learn about wool and fiber arts, book a farm stay package, or dine at The Loft, a fodder-to-fork dining experience.

California Dairy Farm Tours

Harley Farms | Pescadero, CA

Bring your walking shoes to go deep into the farm to view the milking herd, newborn babies in spring, guardian dogs, and British White cattle. Enjoy a picnic around the pond and visit the dairy farm shop.

Oasis Camel Dairy | Ramona, CA

They start off with a show where you’ll meet the biggest camel and talking parrots. Visit your favorite farm attractions and let the kids take a fair-style camel ride. They also offer camel camp where campers learn to care for and work with camels. Private group tours are available.

Rosa Brothers Milk Company | Tulare, CA

Rosa Brothers Milk Company offers exciting tours for kids and adults alike. Come with your family or enjoy a day with your class. See the milk produced and poured into the bottle at the creamery, tour the working dairy from the Moo-Mobile tour bus, and complete a cow milking contest.

Toluma Farms | Tomales, CA

Enjoy a walking tour of the farm, peek at the creamery, and visit the animals. Special events include Sunday supper at the farm, goat yoga, and sunset chocolate & cheese tasting. Farm stays are also available where you’ll sit on the porch and watch the workings of the farm or assist in herding the animals.

Colorado Dairy Farm Tours

Jumping Good Goat Dairy | Buena Vista, CO

Enjoy lunch at a picnic table, take a walk through the milk parlor, peek at production, visit the animals, and stop by the country store for the entire lineup of goat cheese along with locally produced honey, jams, salami, and gifts.

Morning Fresh Dairy | Bellevue, CO

Tours begin and end at Howling Cow Café where you can sample Morning Fresh milk and receive a free noosa yoghurt. Meet the cows that make your milk, pet a baby calf, and learn about local farming.

Connecticut Dairy Farm Tours

Fairholm Farm | Woodstock, CT

Up close, guided, hay wagon farm tours and 4-day kids farm camps. Learn about modern dairy operation, and sustainability, and leave with a new perspective on what it takes to run a farm in the 21st century.

Fairvue Farms | Woodstock, CT

A tour guide will teach you about modern agriculture, the milking process, where cows are housed and fed, milk storage, and nutrition.

Oakridge Dairy | Ellington, CT

Schedule a tour of the barns with more than 750 solar panels, maximum efficiency pumps, and sustainable manure practices. See how the whole dairy operation works.

Thorncrest Farm & Milkhouse Chocolates | Goshen, CT

Cow milking, butter making, and wood milling demonstrations during the Goshen Open Farm Tour. Wedding venue, stable visits, chocolate shop, and special events.

Florida Dairy Farm Tours

Daikin Dairy Farms | Myakka City, FL

Kids will learn where milk comes from and how milk goes from the cow to the bottle. You’ll visit the cows in the barn, tour the milk parlor, then go into the plant to learn about pasteurization, bottling, and cheese-making. Tours include tasting chocolate, milk, and making your own butter.

Milking R Dairy | Okeechobee, FL

Farm tours for school field trips, families, church groups, seniors, and everyone. Meet the baby Calves, tour the farm, lessons on raising and caring for dairy cows, and the history of the farm. Enjoy some ice cream on the playground.

Georgia Dairy Farm Tours

Hillcrest Dairy Farm | Dearing, GA

Georgia’s first robotic dairy farm! Visit the robotic observation room and take a trolley ride through all parts of the farm. discounted rates for students K-12.

Mountain Fresh Creamery | Clermont, GA

See the baby calves in the nursery, watch the cows being milked, milk a pretend cow, learn about cows and how they are to be treated, travel to the creamery and learn about the bottling process, non-homogenization and low temp pasteurization processes, sample milk and chocolate and try some ice cream.

Hawaii Dairy Farm Tours

Honomu Goat Dairy | Honomu, HI

Honomu Goat Dairy invites you to come any time during business hours. No appointment is needed and there is no fee to visit with the goats. Expect the baby goat play yard to be closed during the rainy season. The farm store is open rain or shine.

Kauai Kunana Dairy | Kauai, HI

Kauai Kunana Dairy is a dairy goat farm that makes milk and artisan cheese, but they also make honey from their beehives and grow organic fruits and vegetables on 8 acres. Interact with the goats and then stroll through organic tropical orchards.

Surfing Goat Dairy | Kula, HI

Daily casual tours for those short on time, grand dairy tours where you learn to care for the goats and see how the cheese is made, and evening chore and milking tours where you’ll lend a hand to the farmers by helping with chores, milking the goats, and tucking them into bed.

Idaho Dairy Farm Tours

Ballard Dairy & Cheese Plant | Gooding, ID

The Ballard Cheese facility offers scheduled, guided tours and fun interactions with the cows.

Illinois Dairy Farm Tours

Berning Acres | East Dubuque, IL

Berning Acres offers farm camp for children aged 7-12, farm tours May-October where they’ll lead you through the working dairy farm, give you the opportunity to milk a cow, feed a calf, and learn about innovative technologies used on the farm. They also have a schedule of Night at the Farm special events.

Golden Oaks Farm | Wauconda, IL

Part wagon ride, part walking tours where you’ll learn about calf and cow care, milk production and equipment, crops, feeding, and diet, and recycling. Groups and schools can schedule weekday tours throughout the year.

Kilgus Farmstead | Fairbury, IL

Each tour is given personally by a member of the Kilgus family. They welcome any size group and each tour is designed specifically to your interests. Learn how they care for the animals, visit the milking parlor, meet the animals, visit the creamery through a viewing window, and enjoy some ice cream.

Lenkaitis Holsteins | St. Charles, IL

State-of-the-art farm tours by request. Learn about the family-owned operation and see how the cows are cared for with curtains that can be raised and lowered depending on the weather, automated cow brushes that help cows scratch, and birds-eye view cameras.

Marcoot Jersey Creamery | Greenville, IL

Individuals, families, and small groups may show up anytime during normal business hours for a self-guided tour. Drop by the creamery for an informational brochure then visit the calf barn, milking parlor, and creamery at your own pace.

Rolling Lawns Farm & Milk House | Greenville, IL

Both the farm and the milk house can be toured by appointment. On the farm tour you will visit the barns, pastures, and registered Holstein cows.  At the Milk House you will take a tour of the creamery and production facility.

Indiana Dairy Farm Tours

Fair Oaks Farms | Fair Oaks, IN

Fair Oaks Farms is an experience you won’t forget with experiential museums, adventures, and tours. You can see the future of dairy farming in the robotic dairy, take a daily tour with your family, group, or class, attend classes, workshops, and enrichment events, and even book a corporate event where you can stay on-site at their hotel.

Goat Milk Stuff Farm | Scottsburg, IN

Individual, family, group, and FFA farm tours with baby goat experiences and a farm store. See where the soap is made, unmolded, and cut, visit the milk barn to see how the goats are milked, and stop by the farm store for goat milk soap, lip balm, natural deodorant, and other goat milk products.

River Jordan Camel Dairy | Milford, IN

Book a tour of the River Jordan Camel Dairy where they make camel milk and all-natural ingredients artisan soaps and lotions.

Traders Point Creamery | Zionsville, IN

Traders Point Creamery is the first USDA certified organic farm in Indiana. Visit their farm store, restaurant, dairy bar, attend one of their special dinner events, or rent one of their venues for your own special event.

Iowa Dairy Farm Tours

Cinnamon Ridge Farms | Donahue, IA

Learn and watch where milk comes from, how milk gets from the cow to the store, and visit the robotic dairy to see robots milking the cows. Cinnamon Ridge also offers kids camps and wine and cheese pairings events.

Hansen Dairy | Hudson, IA

Guided group farm tours, for families, classrooms, and other groups where you’ll learn about dairy farming, and milk processing, and get to interact with the animals. Admission includes a trolley ride around the farm, a foot tour, calf feeding, cow milking, and homemade butter making.

Jones Family Dairy | Milford, IA

Jones Family Dairy is a 4th generation Jersey cow dairy farm that uses the latest technology to keep its cows healthy and comfortable. With over 300 cows, calves are born almost every day at Jones Family Dairy.

New Day Dairy | St. Clarksville, IA

New Day Dairy can accommodate groups of up to 40 people and all guests receive an intro and farewell tour. Take the Be a Farmer Dairy Challenge where you’ll milk a cow by hand, ride in the tractor, feed baby calves, walk amongst the cows, and more!

Stensland Family Farms | Larchwood, IA

Book a tour or class field trip to see first-hand where dairy products come with an up-close look at our dairy operation, creamery, and store with plenty of samples for all.

Kansas Dairy Farm Tours

Borntrager Dairy | Hutchinson, KS

Learn about farm animals including calves, chickens, pigs, and more, and see where your food comes from. You’ll go inside the dairy barn where the cows are milked and have a sample of fresh milk at the farm store.

Forget-Me-Not Farms | Cimarron, KS

See everything from the cows being milked on the carousel, to milk being loaded onto the trailers.  You’ll get a birds-eye view from the viewing areas and finish everything off with some milk and ice-cream sandwiches.

Hildebrand Farms Dairy | Junction City, KS

Tours take you on a walk through the milk barn, free-stall barn, calf barn, and dairy processing plant. Each tour will enjoy samples our of own milk and an ice cream cone at the end. Tours are by appointment and tailored for your group size, type, and age.

Klausmeyer Dairy Farms | Clearwater, KS

Field trip tours that are consistent with educational standards. Students get one-on-one interaction opportunities and various agriculture experiences. Teachers have the flexibility of choosing specific stations and altering the tour experience by selecting and choosing from many of the “self-guided” centers to cater to their specific classroom curriculum.

Kentucky Dairy Farm Tours

Chaney’s Dairy Barn | Bowling Green, KY

Self-guided farm tours for individuals and small groups during normal business hours with no reservation needed. Scheduled, guided farm tours for groups of 15 or more. Group tours include a wagon ride to the barn, a robotic milking demonstration, an observation window into the barn, and a scoop of ice cream.

Harvest Moon Farm | Crestwood, KY

Farm tours for school kids, families, church groups, civic groups, and senior adults. Learn about farm life and the life of a cow, how cows are treated, genetics, breeding, and cloning, how crops are stored, soil & water management, nutrition, milk quality, how milk is measured and sampled, and much, much more.

Louisiana Dairy Farm Tours

Morell Dairy Farm | Mooringport, LA

Bring a sack lunch to enjoy in the picnic between parts of the tour. Make friends with the calves, visit the milking parlor, learn to make butter and fresh cream, and receive a small gift bag. Call to schedule your field trip or birthday party.

Maryland Dairy Farm Tours

P. A. Bowen Farmstead | Brandywine, MD

Walking farm tours every Saturday where you’ll see the dairy operation and learn about the artisan cheese-making process from start to finish. Learn how they naturally raise pigs, cows, laying hens, and meat birds using pasture-based practices.

Kings Dairy Barn MOOseum | Boyds, MD

Learn about the importance of the dairy cow and the history of dairy farming, see dairy exhibits and live farm animals, and go on a walking tour. Special tours for classrooms, scouts, and summer camp groups are available.

Long Delight Farm | Williamsport, MD

7th generation, a 160-acre farm that welcomes visitors. Their products include craft milk, cheese curds, artisan aged cheese, handcrafted rolled butter, and farm-raised, grass-fed beef, pork, and eggs.

Misty Meadow Farm Creamery | Smithfield, MD

Visit the Misty Meadow Farm Creamery for hayrides, pedal tractors, ice cream, animal visits, and lots of family fun. Scheduled educational field trips for classrooms, scouts, and other groups of 10 or more. Organize your child’s birthday party in the pavilion, stop at the farm market, and enjoy a full menu of soups, sandwiches, and cheese curds.

South Mountain Creamery | Middletown, MD

Sign up for a guided private tour or visit the farm and stop at the country store for a self-guided tour booklet. Explore the entire farm, including the milking barn, the loafing barns, the maternity ward, and the calf barn, and learn as you go.

Massachusetts Dairy Farm Tours

Barstow’s Longview Farm | Hadley, MA

Educational farm tours for school field trips, large and small groups, and for individuals and families by appointment. Walking tours, wagon ride tours, robotic tours, and more are available. They also offer seasonal events where farm tours are free to the public.

Fletcher Farm | Southhampton, MA

Farm field trips aimed at children in pre-school through grade 3. Tours are customized for your group’s interests. Most groups stay about 2 hours which gives plenty of time to visit the baby dairy calves and enjoy lunch or a snack near the hay bale play area.

Hornstra Dairy Farm | Norwell, MA

Hornstra Dairy Farm is more than 100 years old with a public store and dairy bar. They offer tours by request where you’ll get to see for yourself where milk begins and ends.

Whittier Farms | Sutton, MA

Educational, engaging, hands-on walking and wagon ride farm tours throughout the year for families, schools, scouts, and other groups. Contact the farm to schedule a tour for your group.

Michigan Dairy Farm Tours

Calder Dairy Farm | Carleton, MI

The farm is open to the public 7 days a week all year long. Watch the cows being milked at 4:00 PM every day, view the educational posters, and enjoy interactive activities. Watch the goats in their playscape, and visit the store where you can purchase ice cream and other dairy products.

Cook’s Farm Dairy | Ortonville, MI

Cook’s Farm Dairy invites the public to walk around free of charge. See the farmers milk the cows, watch the baby calves being fed, and possibly even witness the live birth of a baby calf. Scheduled, guided tours are available for groups of 20 or more.

Country Dairy | New Era, MI

See the cows, heifers, and calves, and visit the manufacturing plant to see how the milk is bottled. Kids will enjoy a variety of ways to learn including film and hands-on activities. Everyone gets a wagon ride pulled by a vintage tractor.

Dairy Discovery at Swisslane Farms | Alto, MI

Tours and outings for classrooms, homeschool groups, families, and more. See where the cows live, watch the milking process, see farming equipment and tractors, enjoy a wagon ride and dairy snacks, relax in the picnic area, and more. This farm also offers summer and fall farm day camps for children.

Shuler Dairy Farms | Baroda, MI

Shuler Dairy Farms offers tours that begin on the hour every hour through 5:00 PM. Enjoy fresh ice cream, see calves and bulls, and learn about the latest innovative farming technology including the robotic milking system and tunnel ventilation.

Weiss Centennial Farm | Frankenmuth, MI

Public dairy farm tours for schools, groups, bus tours, and more. The milking robot is on the job 24/7 and aside from the daily feeding of the calves, depending on the season, you’ll get to watch many farm chores happening. Weiss Centennial Farm also offers seasonal activity tours.

Minnesota Dairy Farm Tours

Merryville Farm | Waverly, MN

The family-owned and operated dairy farm robotically milks more than 300 Holstein cows every day.

Poplar Hill Dairy Goat Farm | Scandia, MN

Farm visits by appointment. Tour the farm, view the milking parlor, milk a goat, get your questions, answered, and more. Attend the baby goat experience to feed, snuggle, and play with the baby goats.

Redhead Creamery | Brooten, MN

Visit the Jer-Lindy dairy calves and heifers, the pregnant mama cows, and the milking parlor. Learn about cheese making and get a view of the process through the giant window, hear the history of Redhead creamery, and learn about farm conservation and sustainability.

Mississippi Dairy Farm Tours

Middleton Farm | Moss Point, MS

Field trips that meet content standards for students with hands-on experiences, past vs. present farming, cow lifecycle, milking demonstration, farm activities, picnic area, and more. Middleton farm also offers barn birthday parties and a fall pumpkin patch.

Missouri Dairy Farm Tours

Baetje Farms | Bloomsdale, MO

Schedule a farm tour with cheese tasting, and a tour of the creamery, goats, and barn. You can also stay on the farm for a vacation or weekend stay in one of the luxury tiny homes or book the Artisan venue for your wedding or other special events.

Green Dirt Farm | Weston, MO

A guided look at the pastures, a glimpse inside the milking parlor, a view into the cheese kitchen, followed by a tasting of three kinds of cheese at the retail shop. Your guide will describe the story of how they turn the milk into delicious cheeses and answer all your questions about practices and products.

Shatto Milk Company | Osborn, MO

Learn how milk gets from the farm to your table with a tour of the processing plant. You’ll see the processing plant, meet the calves, milk a cow, and enjoy some samples.

Nevada Dairy Farm Tours

Anderson Dairy | Las Vegas, NV

The Barnyard Buddies tour from Anderson Dairy offers an educational experience for any age group. Barnyard Buddies includes animatronic animals, farm scenery, and colorful lighting. See firsthand how they process the dairy products that you enjoy at home.

New Hampshire Dairy Farm Tours

Huckins Farm | New Hampton, NH

Visitors are welcome anytime but for an in-depth, behind-the-scenes tour, just make an appointment. You’ll learn the history of this 200-year-old working farm, meet the animals, and see how they produce their many dairy products.

Stonewall Farm | Keene, NH

Get an overview of the grazing system for dairy cattle, and learn how well-managed grazing can capture carbon and improve ecosystem processes. Learn about the mineral and water cycle and more. On and off-site programs for students from preschool through high school are taught by experienced educators.

New Jersey Farm Tours

Cherry Gove Farm | Lawrenceville, NJ

Guided pasture walks, hay ride farm tours, and private group tours for all ages. 500 acres of pastures, streams, ponds, and hedgerows make up Cherry Grove Farm. Discover how all these things are linked together and work together to create an interconnected farm ecosystem.

Creamy Acres Farm | Mullica Hill, NJ

The barnyard walk is open to families during normal business hours. Watch a working dairy farm in action while the farmers work and the animals play. Group tours of 15 or more are available by reservation. Creamy Acres has special seasonal events throughout the year and you can book a birthday party on the farm.

Fulper Family Farmstead | Lambertville, NJ

Week-long farm adventure camps that provide a hands-on experience for children aged 8-13. Children will learn where dairy products come from and how to take care of their own calves. Other farm camp activities include hayrides, showing your own calf, learning to make ice cream, butter, and milkshakes, scavenger hunts, and much more.

Gorgeous Goat Creamery | Stockton, NJ

A small-scale commercial goat dairy that makes fresh cheese and bottles its milk right on the farm. Meet the goats and learn how to make cheese on the farm tour or go along on a 3/4 mile 40-minute goat hike through 17 acres of forest. Gorgeous Goat Creamery is happy to accommodate home-school groups, scouts, and other groups by appointment.

Valley Shepherd Creamery | Long Valley, NJ

Spring lambing tours, summer tours, harvest tours, group tours, and school tours. Glass viewing windows allow visitors to look into the state-of-the-art barn with automatic feeding belts and rotary milking parlor. Tour highlights vary depending on the season.

New York Dairy Farm Tours

Catapano Dairy Farm | Peconic, NY

Catapano Goat Farm invites you to schedule an appointment to visit the farm where you’ll learn how to milk a goat, see how a dairy operates, and watch how they make the cheese. They also offer goat yoga and can book weddings and special events.

Dirty Girl Farm | Andes, NY

Visit a working dairy goat farm in the Catskills of New York where they make fresh bottled goat milk, goat cheese, and other goat milk products. Contact the farm to schedule a tour and meet the goats.

Fesco Farm Discovery Center | Skaneateles, NY

Chris Fesco is an award-winning, farmer, educator, and video producer who brought a 100-year-old barn back to life and turned it into an educational center. Field trips and videos teach the cycle of life, the cycle of water, simple and complex machines, mathematics, and more.

Ideal Dairy Farms | Hudson Falls, NY

Visit the Ideal Dairy Farms commercial dairy farm to learn how dairy products are made. They’ll share how they care for their cows and the environment with technology and tools and take a tour of the processing plant. The tour includes a visit to Argyle Cheese Farmer Dairy Processing plant and retail store.

Old Ford Farm | New Paltz, NY

Take the milking tour to see the cows up close, watch them get milked, try to milk a cow, visit the milk and parlor and learn the process of how milk gets from the farm to your home. Old Ford Farm also offers a poultry tour.

North Carolina Dairy Farm Tours

Brookhaven Mill Farm | Greensboro, NC

Educational farm tours by appointment, petting and feeding area, animal therapy, farm store, private party venue, barnyard birthday parties, bed & breakfast, wedding venue, and much more.

Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery | Germanton, NC

Buffalo Creek welcomes small group educational tours for families, clubs, church groups, scouts, 4-H groups, homeschoolers, and more. We’ll teach where food comes from, talk about life on a dairy farm, and cheesemaking. Visitors are welcome to bring lunch and watch the animals from the picnic area.

Round Mountain Creamery | Black Mountain, NC

Round Mountain Creamery is open to farm tours and cheese tastings by appointment. You’ll get an in-depth look at how the farmstead operates and learn how dairy goat farming works. You’ll get to play with the baby goats and enjoy cheese tasting.

Simply Natural Creamery | Ayden, NC

You’ll get a glimpse into the life of a dairy farmer, meet the cows, and enjoy the environment. Tours include a wagon ride, a tour of the milking barn, petting the calves, simulated cow milking, an ice cream sample, and a picnic and play area.

Ohio Dairy Farm Tours

D & L Meadows | Williamsburg, OH

Goat farm tours are available by appointment and geared toward people with no farming or homesteading experience. Each tour is about an hour and you can choose between the baby goat experience or the milking experience.

MVP Dairy | Celina, OH

MVP Dairy has a non-profit education center open to the public with two levels of interactive games. You’ll also view the cows being milked in a state-of-the-art milking carousel, and can take a by-appointment shuttle through the barn. Groups and schools can be accommodated.

Yeazel’s Dairy | Eaton, OH

Educational farm tours that are kid-friendly with hands-on experiences. See more than 100 Holstein dairy cows up close, pet the calves, and watch the robotic milkers that allow the cows to be milked voluntarily and on their own schedule.

Young’s Jersey Dairy | Yellow Springs, OH

Young’s Jersey Dairy is an entire family fun center with a petting area, miniature golf, hayrides, and special events throughout the season. Group and classroom tours are available by appointment.

Oklahoma Dairy Farm Tours

Braum’s Ice Cream Factory & Dairy Store | Tuttle, OK

Make a reservation to watch the Braum family make ice cream, ice cream cones, cookies, and milk in both the processing plant ice cream factory, and bakery. Conclude your tour with a sweet treat.

Grays Lland Acres | Pryor, OK

Grays Lland Acres makes llama and goat soaps, foot rubs, lotions, and more. Come by to milk a goat or llama during the milking season (April-August). Petting the animals is open year-round.

Pennsylvania Dairy Farm Tours

Fresh Start Farm | Pipersville, PA

Take a guided tour where you’ll explore the barns, 5 acres of pasture, and see the cows and calves. Fresh Start Farms also offers milking classes and a farm immersion experience where you’ll get up with the farmers and participate in morning chores, feed the calves, and prepare the pasture.

Klein Farms | Easton, PA

Stop by the farm for ice cream, raw aged cheese, milk, eggs, yogurt, cream cheese, honey, and much more. The public is invited to visit the animals on weekends from noon-4:00 PM.

Kreider Farms | Manheim, PA

Watch an introductory video at the welcome center before boarding the trolley for a guided tour of the farm. You’ll ride down the middle of the moo-ternity barn where it isn’t uncommon to see a calf being born. You’ll take a short walk to the milking merry-go-round where 1,700 cows are milk 3 times a day, and experience a taste of Kreider Farms’ milk with a free sample of our farm-fresh milk or chocolate milk.

Milky Way Farms | Chester Springs, PA

Milky Way Farms offers weekly day camps for pre-schoolers and students through 6th grade. They also offer a homeschool science class. Weekly themes include plant growth, harvesting, experiments, beekeeping, water cycle, geology, environmental science, and more.

Old Windmill Farm | Ronks, PA

Old Windmill Farm is a working Amish farm in the Lancaster area. They invite groups and bus tours for farm & garden tours, hayrides, a view of authentic Amish life, and more.

Oregon Dairy | Lititz, PA

Oregon Dairy offers fun and educational group tours of their family farm and market. Tour packages include the calf farm tour, bull & heifer farm tour, and herd farm tour. Guided tractor and wagon rides, petting zoo, free handfuls of feed for the animals, and sample tastings of milk and ice cream. Fall family fun includes a corn maze, sunflower picking, and pumpkins.

Perry Dell Farm | York, PA

Perry Dell Farm invites you to take a self-guided tour of the farm and bottling plant. They ask you to come in small groups. There are comfort and sanitation stations onsite. Stop by the store for an ice cream after you’ve visited the farm.

Pleasant Lane Farms | Latrobe, PA

Explore 185 acres of preserved farmland while enjoying a state-of-the-art robotic milking experience, smart barn, cheesemaking, and calf nursery.  Customized tours are available for schools, 4H groups, scouting, and other youth organizations.

Stoner’s Dairy Farm | Mercersburg, PA

Students will understand and appreciate agriculture when they experience it first-hand through curriculum-based field trips at Stoner’s working dairy farm. Students will take a guided stroll through the barn, visit the milking parlor, and maternity area, and learn about the milking process and daily farm operations.

Verdant View Farm | Paradise, PA

Join a tour operated by 4th generation Verdant View farmers. Farmer’s apprentice tours give you a hands-on farm experience where you’ll milk a cow, go inside the chicken coup, play with the goats, and learn about the homestead.

Rhode Island Dairy Farm Tours

Wright’s Dairy Farm | North Smithfield, RI

See the cows milked daily from 3:00-4:30 PM. The milking parlor was specifically designed with both the cows and customers in mind. State-of-the-art technology offers comfort to the cows and the large viewing window allows you to watch the milking process.

South Carolina Dairy Farm Tours

Burden Creek Dairy | John’s Island, SC

Sign up for an afternoon of cuddling and feeding the goats, some goat yoga, or plan your special event at Burden Creek Dairy. Milk a goat, watch cheese being made, or rub the belly of a pig during an interactive farm experience.

Emerald Farm | Greenwood, SC

Take a ride around Emerald Farm on an antique train that will bring you through pastures, tunnels, and a village in the woods. The ride and tour can host families, classrooms, and other groups.

The Goatery at Kiawah River | John’s Island, SC

Farm tours are available by appointment. The Goatery also offers private birthday parties, events, and goat yoga. They will even bring some of the farm to you for your special occasion.

Happy Cow Creamery | Pelzer, SC

An hour-long tour includes a trolley ride through the paddocks and a visit to the milking parlor. Enjoy a sample of milk and single-serve ice cream before you go. Tours are educational with lots of good ol farm fun.

Hickory Hill Milk | Edgefield, SC

A 2-hour behind-the-scenes tour of a working dairy. Tours are educational and include a little match, science, health, and vocabulary. Tours can accommodate school field trips, clubs, church groups, organizations, and families.

Jeremiah Farm & Goat Dairy | Johns Island, SC

Jeremiah Farm offers Garden & Goats Tour, Baby Goat Snuggles, Goat Therapy, Milkmaid Tour, Full-Circle Tour, and Farmer for a Morning. Choose from a variety of experiences and tour lengths.

NannyBees Farm | Ravenel, SC

NannyBees Farm is the home of milk and honey where they specialize in dairy goats and honey bees. They offer farm products, educational workshops, family outings, and field trips.

Possum Kingdom Kreamery | Benton, SC

Possum Kingdom Kreamery welcomes visitors to their farm during farm store hours. Pet and feed the goats, pick up some raw goat milk, farm fresh eggs, local honey, or lavender soap.

Split Creek Farm | Anderson, SC

Visitors are welcome to stop by the farm store 6 days a week and visit the farm on Fridays and Saturdays. See Nubian and Alpine milking goats along with many other goat breeds. Enjoy fresh goat milk, fudge, yogurt, and other products from the store.

Whispering Pines Dairy | Seneca, SC

Sign up for a class on the farm where you will learn how to handle, lead, restrain, and vaccinate goats, how to deliver a baby goat, and all the basics of shepherding.

South Dakota Dairy Farm Tours

Carl B’s Farm | Salem, SD

Have a fun day with the family at Carl B’s Farm where you’ll see newborn kids in the spring and summer and take a ride on the donkey cart. Visit Carl B’s Naturals for handmade products including soaps and candles.

Farm Life Creamery | Ethan, SD

The only small, grade-A licensed bottling plant in South Dakota. Visit the Holstein herd, play a round of 18-hole mini-golf, enjoy the tractor tire playground, take a tour of the creamery, fill up at the food truck finish your day with an ice cream cone.

Stensland Family Farms | Sioux Falls, SD

Get a first-hand look at where your dairy products come from when you visit Stensland Family Farms. Get an up-close look at the dairy operation, creamery, and store where you’ll enjoy a sample dairy product.

Tennessee Dairy Farm Tours

Flowers Creamery | Ethridge, TN

Family-operated Holstein and Jersey cow creamery with tours available by appointment. Small-batch artisan cheeses and locally bottled milk.

Harmony Lane Farm & Creamery | Smithville, TN

Farm tours by reservation. Farm tours include seeing all the barns and learning how the animals are cared for. You’ll get the opportunity to milk a goat and hold a baby goat. Visit the milking parlor and learn about the process of cheese-making.

Hatcher Family Dairy | College Grove, TN

Enjoy a tour of the farm, take a scheduled class, or stop out for one of their special events. Special events include pancake Saturdays, milk & cookies days, children’s country picnics, and more.

Horse Creek Farms Dairy | Chuckey, TN

Family tours, bus tours, school field trips, and homeschool groups can take an educational guided tour of the farm. You’ll see how the cows are milked and learn about their daily routines. A wagon ride at the end takes you on a leisurely trip through the countryside.

Nash Family Farm | Chapel Hill, TN

Farm tours are seasonal and by appointment. They offer dairy farm tours specifically designed for either children or adults. Direct-to-consumer fresh milk and artisan cheese.

Noble Springs Dairy | Franklin, TN

Interact with the farm animals, see the milking parlor, and learn about the cheese-making process. Group and private tours are available. Noble Springs Dairy also offers farm camps and can host special events.

Sweetwater Valley Farm | Philadelphia, TN

Experience the Red Cow Tour where you’ll see and learn about the latest technology in dairy farming. They use 8 robots to milk over 500 Holstein cows. You’ll learn about the entire operation on this guided tour.

Texas Dairy Farm Tours

Circle N Dairy | Gainesville, TX

Visit the farm with your school group, scout troop, or any group that is interested in earning where milk comes from. The tour includes how cows are cared for, visiting the milking parlor, feeding the baby animals, and much more.

Southwest Dairy Museum | Sulphur Springs, TX

Dairy museum and education center that preserves the history of the Southwestern dairy industry. A 10,000 square foot facility where one of the main exhibits shows a dairy farm family before electricity reached rural America.

The Jersey Barnyard | La Grange, TX

The Jersey Barnyard offers tours for the family, schools, and other groups as well as birthday parties. Visit the countryside to learn what farming and agriculture are all about, enjoy some ice cream, and pet the animals.

Veldhuizen Cheese Texas Farmstead | Dublin, TX

Scheduled farm tours and cheese-making tours. You’ll see an aging cave and learn about the history of their products.

Volleman’s Family Farm | Gustine, TX

See how the milk is produced, learn about local agriculture, and peek into a day in the life of a dairy farmer. You’ll visit the cross-vent barn to see where the cows eat and sleep, feed the baby calves, and see the bottling plant.

Utah Dairy Farm Tours

Heber Valley Artisan Cheese | Midway, UT

Observe one of the first Western USA-installed robotic milking systems, get a birdseye view of the barn from the observation deck, and see how the cows relax when they aren’t grazing in the pasture.

Vermont Dairy Farm Tours

Monument Farms | Weybridge, VT

Give Monument Farms a call for a tour anytime. They love to show people the farm and the products they take pride in making.

Virginia Dairy Farm Tours

Alvis Farms | Manakin-Sabot, VA

Learn where milk comes from at a family-owned and operated dairy farm. Alvis Farms also has festivals and other special events for children and adults throughout the year.

Hayes Valley Farms | Marion, VA

Hayes Valley Farms loves visitors. Schedule a private tour where you’ll walk the farm, visit the livestock, and feed the animals.

Mt. Crawford Creamery | Mt. Crawford, VA

Tours last approximately one to one and a half hours and must be scheduled in advance. Tours include a history of the farm and creamery, visiting the milking parlor, calves, and samples.

Richland’s Dairy Farm | Blackstone, VA

Book a private or group tour available April-November. Tour the dairy farm and facilities, enjoy a hayride, and get the opportunity to pet and milk a cow.

Sunny Knoll EcoFarm | Lovettsville, VA

A beautiful farm in Loudoun County at the foot of the Blue Ridge. All scheduled tours are private. Visit with your classroom, homeschool group, or scouts. They offer a variety of stand tours and are willing to design a tour just for your group.

Washington Dairy Farm Tours

Dungeness Valley Creamery | Sequim, WA

Environmentally aware, family-owned and operated, Jersey cow creamery. Stop by for a visit, and grab some fresh, local milk, eggs, cheese, chocolate, and much more.

Left Foot Farm | Eatonville, WA

Left Foot Farm is a 5-acre goat and chicken farm near Mount Rainer that welcomes visitors to see, touch, and smell where their food comes from. Visit for a day or stay the night in one of their cabins.

Mountain Lodge Farm | Eatonville, WA

Visit the website for the gate code and step onto the farm for a self-guided tour. You’ll see and feed the animals along the walking paths. Mountain Lodge Farm also offers classes and workshops.

The Forest Farmstead | Poulsbo, WA

A small, sustainable farm that offers goat milking demonstrations, poultry 101 and egg gathering, baby goat playtime, and other activities, tours, and workshops. Book online.

Wisconsin Dairy Farm Tours

Cozy Nook Farm | Waukesha, WI

Tours last about one hour and introduce visitors to the baby calves and take you through their life cycle to milk-producing dairy cows. Learn about the food they eat, their habitat, and how dairy farming impacts the economy. Feed the heifers, take a hay ride, and more.

Daluge Farm Camp & Tours | Janesville, WI

Tours by appointment where you’ll learn to milk the cows, feed the calves, and even learn how to birth the calves. Daluge Farm also has spring break and summer camps for children.

Dream Valley Farm | Strum, WI

Dairy tours, hiking, campfires, and farm experiences are available by contacting Dream Valley Farm for more information.

Hinchley’s Dairy Farm | Cambridge, WI

Clean, safe, hands-on, family-friendly tours.Milk the cows, feed the animals, and during the spring months, see many baby animals including ducklings, goat kids, calves, baby pigs, and more.

Sassy Cow Creamery | Columbus, WI

Individual, family, and group tours are available throughout the week. See firsthand how cows produce milk that is made into dairy products including their award-winning Wisconsin ice cream.

Wyoming Dairy Farm Tours

The Family Farm | Carpenter, WY

Book an adventure at The Family Farm where you can milk the goats, make butter, learn all about milking cows, separate cream, and how to bottle milk.

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Meet a Hoosier Dairy Farmer

Through the use of innovative and safe technology, Hoosier dairy farmers deliver exceptional animal care, sustainable nutrition, and fresh, delicious dairy foods. Recycling resources, generating electricity, and reducing the amount of land and water used on the farm are just a few ways dairy farmers are caring for their cows, land, and communities. Meet some Hoosier dairy farmers near you and get the inside scoop on their farms.

Northern Region Dairy Farmers

Triple M Dairy

Triple M Dairy Northern Region

Kimberly Minich is a Nurse Practitioner from Northern Indiana. Splitting her time between the family farm and her nursing job is a difficult task, but she enjoys being able to share her knowledge regarding the benefits of milk and other dairy products. Kimberly and her husband Luke live on a fourth generation dairy farm, where they milk both Holstein and Jersey cows. Their farm was first established in 1909 by Luke’s great grandpa and great uncle. Time passed and Luke, who attended college to become a broker, decided to carry on the family legacy. Luke and Kimberly hope that their passion for farming will carry over to their five children, making them the fifth generation. Minich Farms Fun Fact: In a 2018 episode of Sesame Street, where Cookie Monster needs more milk for his smoothie, Minich Farms was featured for a short segment teaching kids about the process their milk goes through to get to the shelves in stores near them. Follow along with the Minich family on their Facebook page, Triple M Dairy.

Superior Dairy

Superior Dairy Northern Region

Kuehnert Dairy

Kuehnert Dairy Northern Region

Alan Kuehnert spends his days working on his 121 year old family farm: Kuehnert Dairy in Fort Wayne. When Alan was younger, the farm milked just 20 cattle and after he graduated high school, that number grew to 60, 90, and now 350 registered Holsteins. Alan is joined on the farm by his family including his wife, his brothers, and his son who does the nutrition work for the dairy. Kuehnert Dairy milks using both a traditional milking parlor and milking robots. Not only does the dairy produce all of their own feed, they recycle old fruit for their cows. Alan takes great pride in producing milk, the perfect food, with his family. Kuehnert Dairy hosts a fall festival each year where visitors can learn and play at the farm! Find out more at www.kuehnertdairy.com

Homestead Dairy

Homestead Dairy Northern Region

Jill Houin was not raised on a farm, but her passion for dairy was ignited when she joined her husband at a series of speeches in Australia. On the trip, Jill realized her husbands’ love for dairy farming, and it sparked her love for it as well. As a former teacher, Jill loves teaching others about dairy farming through farm tours, and also raises the calves on the farm. Homestead Dairy has a very humble beginning, starting out in 1945 with nine cows, some chickens, pigs, and twelve kids. The Houin family currently milks 4,900 Holstein cows; half in a traditional milking parlor and the other half with the help of robots. Jill and her family are invested in sustainability on the farm, using several unique methods including a digester to make energy out of manure, using food waste from the University of Notre Dame to keep food out of landfills, and drying manure to recycle it as bedding for the cows. You can see more of Jill on Homestead Dairy’s Facebook, YouTube, or website .

Herr Dairy Northern Region

Leann Acres

Leann Acres Northern Region

Richard Thomas hails from his farm of Leann Acres in Elkhart county. Though he lived on a dairy farm for all his life, he left his home farm to create Leann Acres with his wife in 1979. He and his wife started their small dairy with just 15 head of Holsteins, but currently milks about 90 head of Holsteins with about a dozen Jerseys, and a few Brown Swiss, Milking Shorthorns, and Guernseys mixed in the herd. He and his wife are the original owners of the farm, but his son Sheldon has become majorly involved in the operation serving as the herd and show manager. As Sheldon became involved with the cows, he took over the cow care side of the farm. Richard now spends most of his time running the crop side of their family farm. Richard enjoys farming with his family and passing this love down to his son. Find out more about Richard and Leann Acres on their Facebook page.

Central Region Dairy Farmers

Boerman Farm

Boerman Farm Central Region

John Boerman and his family moved to Indiana in 2010 and felt warmly welcomed into the dairy community. Both he and his wife Jackie, who serves as a dairy management professor at Purdue University, grew up in dairy families, and their two young sons are already falling in love with the farm. John says he farms because he loves to see things grow, whether it is cattle, crops or people. He enjoys being able to see something start small and nurture it until it develops into something bigger.

Sommer Farm

Sommer Farm Central Region

Lance Sommer knew he was going to grow up and one day become a farmer and milk cows; he never wanted to do anything else.  Agriculture was in his family and in his blood.  Lance’s grandfather moved to the United States from Switzerland and raise a few cows, horses, and pigs.  The farm has grown over the years to 2,500 acres of farmland and 300 cows.  Lance enjoys working with his parents, brother-in-law and their children. They have invested in the technology on their farm; switching from milking in a parlor to milking with five robots, and using automated alley scrappers, feed pusher, and calf feeders. The Sommers recycle sawdust from a duck farm by composting it and using it for cow bedding.

Neu Hope Dairy

Neu Hope Dairy Central Region

Alex Neuenschwander is a fourth-generation dairy farmer with his family at Neu Hope Dairy. From a young age while growing up, Alex always knew he wanted to farm.  By showing at the county fair and participating in 4-H his passion and love for cows grew even more. The milk produced by their herd goes into making yogurt for Dannon.  An interesting fact about the feeding of the Neu-Hope herd is that in 2018, the cows began getting ingredients in their diets that are GMO free.  For every Dannon cup with the non-GMO project butterfly label, about 2% of the yogurt in that individual bottle is made from the milk from Neu-Hope.  The sand bedding used for the cows is recycled in efforts to improve sustainability on the farm. To learn more, visit the Neu-Hope website.  

Dague Farms

Dague Farms Central Region

Janet Dague had never spent much time on a farm until she married her husband Andy and settled into a fulltime milking position with his family. Dague farms was started by Andy’s grandparents in 1960 and now has the fourth generation of the family working on the farm. Since starting at the farm, Janet has grown to love teaching her community about the benefits of dairy. Dairy farming is not always easy, but even in the toughest of times, their family still continues to work each day and keep the family farm running. They have grown their farm from the original 25 cows to over 600 cattle of all ages. They milk their cows in a modern milking parlor twice a day. Every other day, the milk is picked up for processing to get to a store near you in less than 48 hours! Dague Farms Fun Fact: The movie Best Man in Grass Creek, was filmed on the farm and released in the year 2001.

Southern Region Dairy Farmers

Schmitt Farm

Schmitt Farm Southern Region

Anita Schmitt works with three generations of family on their dairy farm every day. She and her husband took over the farm that was started by his parents in 1941. A new barn was built in 1995, but after a barn fire, Anita and her family built back stronger than ever. They care for their all-Holstein herd by using sand bedding to keep them cool and comfortable all year round. Anita loves that her cows get to hang out on a “beach” all day! She enjoys dairy farming and the ability it gives her to be her own boss.

Schwoeppe Dairy

Schwoeppe Dairy Southern Region

Sam Schwoeppe’s family has been farming since 1874, and she now farms with her sons that make up the fifth generation at Schwoeppe Dairy. The first milking parlor was built in 1920 and the original farm of crops, pigs, beef and dairy cows has specialized into exclusively dairy. This has also allowed them to concentrate on their herd genetics, which they are able to use as an additional income on the farm. With their cows grazing on land just outside their home, environmental care is at the forefront of Sam and her family’s management practices. Sam is active in her community, and working closely with many food pantries to make sure clients have access to the nutritious dairy foods they need.

Kimberly Minich

Tim Haynes farms with his brother and their families at Superior Dairy in Garrett. His grandfather started the farm back in the 1940’s, which has since expanded into raising crops and pigs as well as the dairy cows. The family members each specialize in a different part of the farm, from cow care to crop farming to accounting and public relations. They recently built a new “smart barn” for their cows, complete with automatic fans, water, curtains, and even robots! These robots allow the cows to get milked whenever they want, and keep the cows calm and comfortable in the barn. As the fourth generation on the farm, Tim says working with his family is the most rewarding part, and that farming is in their blood. 

Alan Kuehnert

Herr Dairy began with Steve Herr’s grandparents. Today, Steve Herr works alongside his parents, uncle, in-laws and other family members to help Herr Dairy thrive. The herd of about 450 is mostly comprised of Holsteins, however there are a few Jersey cattle mixed in. To feed the calves, Herr Dairy uses the whole milk that the robotic milkers collect from the cows. Each farm has its struggles, but in 1972, the Herr family had to navigate a fire that destroyed their milking parlor. The Herr’s were resilient and rebuilt, even adding robotic milkers in 2018. Steve notes that the fire is an important moment in the farm history, but also that as a family business, they have been able to get each other through the tough times together. Steve not only appreciates having his family to work with, but also having freedom within the farm to make changes he sees fit. Find Steve and his family on Facebook at Herr Dairy Farm, Inc.

Richard Thomas

John Boerman

Lance Sommer

Alex Neuenschwander

Janet Dague

Anita Schmitt

Sam Schwoeppe

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Dairy Producers in Indiana Reminded to Enroll in 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage by April 29 

Indianapolis, April 17, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is encouraging dairy producers to enroll by April 29, 2024, for 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), an important safety net program that helps offset milk and feed price differences. This year’s DMC signup began Feb. 28, 2024, and payments, retroactive to January, began in March 2024. So far, DMC payments triggered in January and February of 2024 at margins of $8.48 and $9.44 respectively.   

“We encourage producers to join the 170 dairy operations in Indiana that have already signed up for this important safety net program in advance of the deadline,” said Julia A. Wickard, USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director in Indiana. “At $0.15 per hundredweight for $9.50 coverage, risk protection through Dairy Margin Coverage is a cost-effective tool to manage risk and provide security for your operations.”  

2024 DMC Coverage and Premium Fees    

FSA revised DMC regulations to extend coverage for calendar year 2024, which is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2024, and to provide an adjustment to the production history for dairy operations with less than 5 million pounds of production. In previous years, smaller dairy operations could establish a supplemental production history and receive Supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage.

For 2024, dairy producers can establish one adjusted base production history through DMC for each participating dairy operation to better reflect the operation’s current production.  

For 2024 DMC enrollment, dairy operations that established supplemental production history through Supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage for coverage years 2021 through 2023, will combine the supplemental production history with established production history for one adjusted base production history.    

For dairy operations enrolled in 2023 DMC under a multi-year lock-in contract, lock-in eligibility will be extended until Dec. 31, 2024. In addition, dairy operations enrolled in multi-year lock-in contracts are eligible for the discounted DMC premium rate during the 2024 coverage year. To confirm 2024 DMC lock-in coverage or opt out in favor of an annual contract for 2024, dairy operations having lock-in contracts must enroll during the 2024 DMC enrollment period.   

DMC offers different levels of coverage, even an option that is free to producers, minus a $100 administrative fee. The administrative fee is waived for dairy producers who are considered limited resource, beginning, socially disadvantaged or a military veteran. To determine the appropriate level of DMC coverage for a specific dairy operation, producers can use the online dairy decision tool .    

Congress passed a 2018 Farm Bill extension requiring these regulatory changes to the program. DMC is also authorized through calendar year 2024. 

DMC Payments    

DMC payments are calculated using updated feed and premium hay costs, making the program more reflective of actual dairy producer expenses.  These updated feed calculations use 100% premium alfalfa hay.    

More Information   

DMC is a voluntary risk management program providing protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed price (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer.  In 2023, DMC payments triggered in 11 months including two months, June and July, where the margin fell below the catastrophic level of $4.00 per hundredweight, a first for DMC or its predecessor Margin Protection Program. 

USDA also offers other risk management tools for dairy producers, including the Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP)  plan that protects against a decline in milk revenue (yield and price) and the Livestock Gross Margin (LGM)  plan, which provides protection against the loss of the market value of milk minus the feed costs. Both DRP and LGM livestock insurance policies are offered through the Risk Management Agency. Producers should contact their local crop insurance agent  for more information.   

For more information on DMC, visit the DMC webpage  or contact your local USDA Service Center .

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.