May 6, 2021 (continued...)
We left the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa thinking that this state had provided me with my one perfect experience. How wrong I was! On this same day we made our way to Hudson, IA and Hansen's Farm Fresh Dairy. When Karl booked us via Harvest Host to stay at the farm I figured that we might have to put up with the smell of cows but at least we could purchase some fresh cheese and (hopefully) ice cream! We had signed up for a tour of the farm to gain some insights into the farming world since we were right there. And OMG - this was truly a life changing experience. The family-owned farm has been in the family since 1864. The 5th generation (4 brothers and their wives and children) are doing an amazing job carrying and improving on the family legacy. They have about 150 purebred Holstein milking cows, which produce 1500 gallons of milk per day (aka 10 gallons each)! The cows consume about 90 pounds of feed a day and drink about...(gulp!)...40 gallons of water!!!They get milked each day at 3:30AM & 3:30PM and the tour allowed us to take a moment to hand milk one - although they are milked by the machines which was actually pretty impressive to see in action. Hansen farm operates a closed herd of registered Black & White and Red & White Holsteins and tend to have about 150 replacement heifers on the farm. They have about 200 births a year and it's very cool that they name all of their calves using the same first initial as their mom, (AND they never repeat names)! We got to see a calf that had been born just that morning and we each got to bottle feed some VERY exuberant and demanding calves! We also saw how their calves graduate from (what they lovingly term) "the nursery, to preschool, to elementary school..." where they come off the bottle and learn how to share a feeding station etc... I learned that cows are ruminants i.e., they have four stomachs. I never quite grasped how that worked - so instead of me lecturing here PLEASE do yourself a favor and do a little You Tube'ing to see see what that entails...it is SOOO fascinating! Ummm hey....stop nodding and YOU TUBE IT!! That way you'll be able to better appreciate the fact that when the cow needs medication for some reason, they take this big pill (and I mean BIG pill) and shoot it down their throat with this cool contraption into their first stomach...check out the pic of said pills - they are truly BIG ASS!!
And then there were the KANGAROOS!!! Yep, you read that right. One of the brother's had been to Australia and fell in love with kangaroos, so they decided they would keep some on the farm - and it became their farm's mascot for their label. Don't go thinking it's cruel - the kangaroos are quite happy and they came from a breeder in Texas (so weren't flown around the world...). They're incredibly soft and were truly fascinating to watch in action.
We had some wonderful walks around the property. Penny ran and pranced around like a puppy. And we watched the cows running around and playing. The beauty was inspiring and gaining an understanding to their world and, hence, the world of the hundreds (perhaps thousands?) of farms and farmlands we have passed so far on this drive was a true gift. Not to mention the sunset...wow...8:43PM and...pure BEAUTY!!!!
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