This may well be the most incredible Harvest Hosts experience we’ve yet had. We are guests tonight at Hansen’s Dairy. Jay stopped by our T@B and welcomed us the the family farm that his great great grandparents homesteaded in 1864. The family began raising Holsteins since around 1950 then in 2004 when Jay & Jeanette’s four sons assumed the responsibility for the business, they began processing their own product providing folks in east Iowa with high quality single source dairy products. We took the opportunity to go on the 3:30 PM Hands-On Tour giving Sara, Theresa, and Jordan an opportunity to explain the process of breeding and raising their brunette and redhead Holsteins. Each of the animals is given a unique name. They are fed silage to get a consistent flavor. We got to see the milking process and to peek into the processing facility. In addition to dairy, Hansen’s also raises Waygu beef for a local market. The two of us took advantage of every hands-on opportunity offered: milking a cow, feeding a calf, and even petting a kangaroo. Yes, they have four kangaroos, Larry, Rocket, Scooter, and Rookie, and a kangaroo in their logo! To top it off we got to sample some of the products: their pasteurized but not homogenized whole milk, chocolate milk, and ice cream as well as make and eat some butter! It was incredible to be with this 5th, 6th, and 7th Generation of Iowa farmers who have moved on with the times but still take great pride in producing quality food and love living on the land.
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