Well, a week ago today, we were in considerably COLDER temperatures, taking in our last day in the lovely state of Wisconsin. The perk of taking a trip to a land where friends reside is having a built in travel guide with an inside scoop of what's best!
Ryan really wanted to see a cheese factory {we are both lovers of cheese} so Olivia and the kids took us to
Henning's Cheese Factory in Kiel, Wisconsin.
That particular day, they were having a staff meeting, so we weren't able to take a behind-the-scenes tour, but they do have a whole area set aside for visitors to watch the factory happenings through windows. Ryan and I had no idea cheese-making was such a physically demanding job. The employees have to lift heavy blocks of cheese and work all day walking around on a concrete floor wearing big rubber boots. We appreciate their hard work for our delicious cheese!
We also got to watch some videos on the ins-and-outs of cheese making:
These guys were cutting and flipping HUGE slabs of cheese, and then a few minutes, they'd cut the big block again and flip it again. Heavy work on a bent-over back!
This guys was monitoring the cheese curds. Mmmmmmm. Warm, fresh Wisconsin cheese curds. Oh yes, please. {And we did help ourselves to samples when they were ready!}
Tour guide junior, pointing out the workers.
This guy had round containers that resembled large springform cheesecake pans, full of cheese, that he was putting through 2000 pounds of pressure...and then he'd add more pans and more pressure. Fascinating.
We sampled cheese, because you must when you're in a real cheese factory. We did a little shopping...so we're still enjoying a literal taste of Wisconsin!
Did some souvenir shopping too. {We...uh....got a Christmas ornament instead of these cheese hats.}
Also that day, we had a chance to go see one of the farms where Tom works as a full-time veterinarian. I did not realize that farms had staff vets, but I guess it makes a lot of sense if you have something in the neighborhood of 8000 cows! That's a lotta cows!
He actually works on two different farms, but they're both strictly dairy farms. He gave us a tour of the milking area and the grounds, and it was a lot of fun to see everything up close. {Possibly closer to a cow's rear end than I have ever been and probably as close as I really ever need to get.}
They milk 24/7/365 at this dairy, and here's a view of HALF the milking carousel.
And to prove we were there:
Tom explained to us all about the herds and how the cows are cared for and how they keep track of which ones are producing and which ones aren't...so much detail that I never would have imagined.
Then he walked us through the actual milking area and showed us where the milk goes and how they process it and chill it and feed it inot the milk trucks. Oh my goodness - the men who have the jobs of preparing the cows for the milking itself got our incredible respect. Another long, monotonous job that takes all day every day.
Tom took us into one of the barns where they feed the cows, and we even got to see a birth {from a bit of a distance}. Cracked me up that the mother ate all the way through the birth. Sounds like something I would have done. I'm having a baby? Well pass me some chocolate! {Clarification: I am not having a baby and the cow was not eating chocolate.}
Even got to see some newborns!
For the rest of our tour, Tom drove us through the farm, pointing out different buildings and explaining how they turn manure into energy {!?!?!!?} and how they mix all the food for the cows. Apparently cows, much like humans, would pick and choose their favorite foods and skip eating the rest. So they mix it all together so they can't pick out their favorites and they get all they need. WHO KNEW?!?!?!?
It was a fun and very educational day in the world of dairy. We appreciated them showing us around and taking time to let us peek behind the dairy scenes!!!
5 comments:
What a fun trip!
My Dad is a farmer and also works for a large farming corporation here in IN. And they turn the manure into energy as well! I believe the electric company actually PAYS them, as they generate so much! It's really neat!
Tamar - It sure was!
Charity - I think it's a very cool concept - if still a smelly one. Ha! I mean if there's something profitable that can be done with what would otherwise just decompose, then LET'S DO THAT! I believe Tom said, and I could have my facts off} that the energy they generate runs the farm and then was it maybe 20 other homes as well? I can't remember the exact amount. But it was beyond the farm, I do remember that.
Ha, I don't think it smells up the whole town :) My Dad works at Bio Town, here's the link to their place http://biotownag.com/ it's really cool!
Although on the smelly part, I am a born and raised farm girl, so Cow Manure doesn't bother me. This sounds crazy but it's not a good smell, like not a smell i would want in a perfume! but it is a familiar and somewhat comforting smell. Now Chicken Manure and Pig Manure on the other hand, have me wanting to gag!
Two cool field trips in one day -- exciting! I loved dating a dairy farmer and getting to help him with milking. It was fun (to do once or twice. Ha!) And when I lived on a dairy farm I got to see a live birth so that was pretty cool too. I can't imagine eating all the way through birth -- crazy.
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