We’re headed for a farm adventure today at Fair Oaks Farm, a large dairy operation about 90 miles south of Chicago between Merrillville and Lafayette.
The kids and I were there in October with my mother-in-law. It was the last
big family trip the nearly 20 of us took together before she died. [Always up for something new, it was where she wanted to go for her birthday.]
It’s kind of like a Disneyland of dairy farms. There’s a birthing barn, where you can see calves born o
n the half hour. There are some 80 calves a day born at the place. My daughter, just barely 3 at the time, really enjoyed that part. She loves baby animals, so it was impressive for her to see a live birth. Since I had been watching babies born at about her age, I didn’t have a second thought about the birthing barn. But if you’re going to take small children…be prepared for LOTS of questions.
The fun room is full of farm-related games and interactive features. And, to top it off, there’s a Mooovie, about the Fair Oaks operation.
My favorite part last time was the bus tour through the cow barns and the milking carousel. There’s a virtual tour in case you can’t make the trip in person.
Virtual Farmgirl 