A "Moo-ving" Experience

I had a fun, educational experience today....

I got to join a wonderful group of homeschool students & their teachers on a field trip to Maple View Farms.  It is a beautiful working farm & dairy in Orange County.  The staff there were so nice & really well informed about everything on the farm.
In a classroom they taught the children about autumn, the changing colors of the leaves, how pumpkins grow, & all about apples.

First we "met" ducks, chickens (& held a freshly laid egg), goats, sheep (that were brown!), a donkey, some bunnies, & from a distance, a llama (he moved to the farm recently & "spits" on guests who get too close...)

After another classroom setting to learn all about dairy cows, we stopped for a picnic lunch.

Then we hopped on the hay wagon to observe the workings of the dairy farm.

These are the true "ladies-in-waiting":  all are awaiting the birth of their calves.

Mr. Paul was our personal guide/tractor-driving hay-wagon-pulling/teacher.  He showed us the "nursery" where this 2 week old calf was excited to see the bottle in his hand.  Each calf has its own "house" (much like an overgrown doghouse) from the time it is born, & graduates to the barn with the other calves as soon as it starts feeding out of a bucket, both milk and feed.

They grow their own feed at this farm & process it (a 3 month+ process) where it becomes silage (a new word for the kids... & me, too).  Their fall vegetable garden looked very healthy, but I imagine their fertilizer is the best quality!
The solar panels here collect enough to heat 265 homes!

Since cows are mature at 2 years of age, once they have "calved" they are ready to give milk.  To make sure they get plenty of good nutrients the cows are fed very carefully with the silage.

They have to be milked three times a day...

 and they sure can't miss a milking!  When the time comes, they are ready!

The results are not only milk (which they pasteurize on site at their own dairy), but butter, ice cream (so many flavors!), buttermilk, and at this time of year... eggnog~

These were some happy mamas/teachers at lunch.  They should be proud of their very well-behaved, knowledgeable, fun-loving children!  All four of the staff at Maple View Farm commented on what great kids they were...
I was thankful to be included in such an informative, fun day!