Stonyfield Tour

The final stop on the Stonyfield Barnstorming Tour was a tour of the plant where Stonyfield makes all of that delicious yogurt!! We went to the Visitor's Center for breakfast, and it is like yogurt heaven!

My girls would have loved this play area, and then they would be fighting over all that yummy yogurt!

Deciding which flavor to have was not easy! I ended up having both the Oikos with caramel and a new berry flavor -- both of which are divine!!

After breakfast, we geared up for our tour. We needed to wear hard hats, hair nets, lab coats, ear plugs, goggles, and even cover our shoes -- not so much to protect us, but rather to protect the yogurt! 

We are sooooo totally ROCKIN' this sexy lunch lady look!!

When we went on the tour, I was impressed with how efficiently the plant is run. Stonyfield strives to re-use as much energy and recycle as many materials as possible to have the least amount of impact on the planet. Here's a great video from Stonyfield that shows the process:

How we make our yogurt from Stonyfield on Vimeo.

The Yo Baby yogurt whizzed by so fast, my camera had trouble keeping up!

It was so neat to see how the cups are filled, labels are put on, boxes are filled, and then all that milk magically turns into yogurt!! Amazing!!

Here's where the yogurt is kept until it is ready to ship out to the grocery stores. It's an incredible amount of yogurt, but it doesn't stay here for long thanks to such high demand.

A BIG thank you to everyone at Stonyfield for organizing this trip as well as donating $5,000 to the charity of my choice (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network). I learned so much, and now I'll think of the farmers the next time I go grocery shopping. And a BIG thank you to all of YOU for voting for me!! This was an ahhhh-mazing trip and I could not have done it without you! THANK YOU!!!!

On to New Hampshire!

The last farm we visited on the Stonyfield Barnstorming Tour was Middle Branch Farm located in New Boston, NH and owned by Roger and Lori Noonan. Just when I thought it wasn't possible to meet another friendly farming family, the Noonan's proved me wrong again! Middle Branch Farm is a vegetable CSA that provides food for about 600 families as well as employs of Stonyfield. We were warmly welcomed by Roger, Lori, and their intern Florence. Roger showed us around, and we got to sample some veggies straight from the farm!! So exciting!!!

Have you ever had kohlrabi? I hadn't until now, and I'm inspired to try growing some in our garden next year. I hear it is great with a buffalo wing sauce!

We also saw rainbow swiss chard, and many other great looking veggies! I asked Roger what he does to control all the weeds. His answer - "Hoe, hoe, hoe!" Let me tell you, that is a LOT of work!!!

This is just ONE of the fields, and we saw several plus there are several greenhouses, chickens, and even ducks!

I love how beautiful this beet looks! Yummm!!

We also got to sample some Tuscan Kale -- it was so tasty! Again, another vegetable I'd like to try growing in our garden. According to Kristina (one of the other bloggers), this variety of kale would make fantastic kale chips!

Lori had just returned from work while we were touring the fields. She works off of the farm so their family can have health care. As we were munching on veggies out in the field, Roger commented, "We don't have much money, but we eat well. What else is there in life?"

Florence whipped up some delicious sandwiches for us, all made with ingredients from the farm: fresh homemade bread, hard-boiled egg, lettuce, tomato, and bacon. Roger and Lori graciously welcomed us into their home to eat, and the smell of fresh bread in the kitchen was sooooo inviting!

Next up, a tour of the Stonyfield plant where they make all that delicious yogurt!!

Meet the Beidlers

We arrived at Beidler Family Farm just in time for lunch where we were greeted warmly by Brent, Regina, and their daughter Erin! 

Check out this view -- it was incredible!!

We had a great lunch and fantastic conversation! Regina and Brett started the farm when Erin was just a few months old. It's so difficult to care for a newborn -- I can't imagine running a farm on top of that!! 

Brett took us around the fields. The bright yellow flowers are mustard, and it is bee-paradise! They also grow turnips for the cows to graze on. Turnips can grow a little later into the grazing season, so they are hoping to extend the grazing season a little longer this way.

The wheat fields are so beautiful! Brett told us it takes a space about the size of a kitchen table to produce the wheat needed for a loaf of bread. Incredible!

Brett and Regina's cows are almost exclusively grass fed. They have very shiny coats!!

Katrina came over to say hello to me... Hee hee!

The day before we arrived, the Biedlers spent almost the entire day filling out paperwork for organic certification -- a process that must be done every year! For their particular farm, it costs about $1,000 to be certified USDA organic. Each cow must be accounted for with extremely detailed records.

What an amazing family, and I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to tour their farm! I especially love Regina's "I'm your farmer" shirt in the photo below!

Next, we're off to New Hampshire!!!

Meet the Parents

Our next stop on the Stonyfield Barnstorming Tour was Parent Family Farm, which is located in Highgate, Vermont. It is a non-organic, two-generation family dairy farm which supports three families. Rachel Parent, and her adorable five-year old daughter Grace took us on a tour of their farm, and we were lucky enough to catch a milking in-action! 

The milking room (also known as the parlor) has room for 14 cows at a time. There are almost 600 cows on the farm who are milked three times a day. Once the group of 14 cows is done milking, a gate opens up for them to go back to the barn, and the new group of cows comes in.

At this particular farm, the cows are kept free-roaming in a well-ventilated, clean barn. (Although little Grace told us about an incident involving a broken gate, and the cows got out, but were easily returned to the barn soon after.) The Parents use clean sand, and recycled tires for bedding, which the cows seem to like. The cows are fed corn silage, which is sometimes mixed with grain and haylage. 

There are many non-organic dairy farms which allow the cows to graze on pasture. The Parents' farm does not have the pasture to allow 600 cows to graze. Much like parenting, there are many different farming philosophies and styles.

Rachel's little girl Grace showed us where the calves and cows who are about to give birth are kept. Grace said she loves to help out with chores on the farm like feeding the cows and making hay! I'm going to have to ask Rachel what her secret is, because sometimes I have trouble getting Emily to make her own bed in the morning! 

Next up, a FANTASTIC dinner with some of the farmers, and later I get to milk a cow!!!! Plus, breakfast with Miss Vermont!!! 

Healthy Soil -- I Heart You!

The next stop on the Stonyfield Barnstorming Tour was a visit to Guy and Beth Choinere's organic dairy farm! Guy and Beth have two amazing kids (Hi, Matt and Hannah!), who also help out a great deal on their family farm. We received a very warm welcome!!

Guy explained to us that he views his cows as athletes, and himself as their trainer. A large component of their "training" is made up in the cows diet, and they are grass-fed as much as possible during grazing season.

The minerals found in the soil are taken up by the grass, which the cows then eat, and it helps strengthen their immune systems. In organic farming, the focus is on finding ways to prevent disease, so the health of the soil is vital to the success of the farm. Guy is known for being passionate about soil, and now I can understand why!

One of the major challenges organic farmers face is the treatment of disease without antibiotics. In the rare event that a cow does become sick, Guy is able to recognize the signs of disease in the very early stages because he knows each cow's temperament -- Amazing! He told us that his medicine cabinet for the cows looks exactly like the medicine cabinet he uses to treat his family. Using a blend of cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and echinacea, he has had great success in strengthening the cow's own immune system to fight infection without the use of antibiotics. 

We were treated to a very tasty lunch -- chicken salad sandwiches made with freshly baked organic wheat bread, and potato salad with dill. Seriously, the food on this tour was incredible!!

There is a definite cuteness factor to life on a farm! This kitten made me smile -- adorable!! No matter how cute the animals, they all have to earn their keep. I have no doubt this little guy will make a great mouse hunter.

Along with dairy cows, Guy and Beth's farm has some chickens, pigs, and even a bull named Stanley! I think Emily would have loved to meet this chicken! 

Guy showed us a diagram to help explain how healthy soil is needed for healthy crops. Healthy crops are necessary for healthy animals. At the top of the pyramid is human health because we rely so much on the health of everything else. 

I wish all of you could have come with me to meet Guy, Beth, and their two kids -- what a fantastic, sweet, wonderful family!!

Up next, a visit to a conventional family farm, and then.... I get to milk a cow!! Woo hoo!!!!

Cows with Personality!

This morning, I woke up to this.....

...and had to remind myself that I was at the fabulous Tabor House Inn enjoying the Stonyfield Barnstorming Tour! Seriously, how lucky am I???

Then it was time for breakfast. An omelet made with local, organic eggs, goat cheese, and basil? AND.... BACON!!!! Umm... yes, please!!!  

Breakfast always tastes so much better when someone else makes it for you, and this was no exception! Thank you, Jennifer!

Then, we had a "Cows 101" session with Nancy from Stonyfield, which helped to answer many of your questions. You can read more on my Twitter page, which I've been updating throughout the tour!

And then it was time to meet some cows!!! The first farm we visited today was Howmars Farm, which is owned by Jon and Karen Gates. What a super-friendly family!

Jon gave us a great tour of the farm, and explained the importance of rotational grazing, which gives the pasture time to recover and replenish the soil with nutrients. These are some VERY happy cows!

I even saw a cow named Emily!! Doesn't the one next to her look like she's smiling?

Jon let the cows out to new pasture, and they ran and leaped like a bunch of little kids!

We visited two more farms, but I'm saving that for another post -- you won't want to miss it! What a fantastic day!! And tomorrow morning - get this - I get to milk a cow!! I KNOW!!

Five Little Bats Finger Puppet Playset

We have been enjoying lots of Autumn and Halloween themed books and poems in our household lately. Between battling colds, and rainy weather, it is the perfect time for snuggling under blankets and reading good books. When we read this poem this afternoon, we just knew we needed a finger puppet playset to go along with it!

Five Black Bats

Five black bats
Ready to soar;
One stayed behind,
Now there are four.
Four black bats
Hanging from a tree;
One fell down,
Now there are three.
Three black bats
Wondering what to do;
One flew away,
Now there are two.
Two black bats
Sitting in the sun;
One fell asleep,
Leaving only one.
One lonesome bat
With no place to go,
Went hiding in a cave,
Now there are zero.

Isn't that the cutest?

Emily could not wait to start playing with these! They are made from black craft foam. We cut 10 pieces 1/2 inch x 2 1/2 inches. I used 5 of them to cut out bat shapes, and the other five became the finger bands. Emily loves attaching googly eyes! Who doesn't??

Just a few quick stitches to hold them together, and they were done!

She has already asked for a tote bag to keep them in.... I happen to have some pumpkin patterned fabric that I think will be perfect. Another excuse to get crafty?? Bring it on!

Indoor Herb Garden Update... Sprouts!

When we woke up this morning, we were greeted by these.....

.... sprouts of basil from our indoor herb garden!! To celebrate, we read the book Seeds! Seeds! Seeds! by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace. What a fabulous find this book turned out to be, and I highly recommend it if you have any junior gardeners in your household!

Then, we decorated picture frames by gluing beans to them. (This activity came straight from the book above.) There are so many fun gardening activities mentioned in this adorable story. Emily loves gluing things, so this was really fun for her!

We're looking forward to more sprout celebrations soon!

Junior Stamp Collecting

This little gem of an activity was inspired by a recent package that arrived for Mark all the way from Hong Kong. Emily was enthralled with the stamps, so I thought I would introduce her to my old stamp collection from when I was a kid. My dad has a much larger collection, so it must run in the family. Stamps have since have become her tiny treasures, and she takes excellent care of them.

To start your own stamp collection, first cut the envelope around the stamps. Soak in very warm water for a few minutes to allow the adhesive to come loose. Gently peel the stamp off of the envelope with tweezers, and transfer to a paper towel with the printed side facing down.

Allow the stamps to dry completely, and then add to your stamp book. You can use hinges like these, or collectors binder sheets like the ones we used. There is even a Beginner's Stamp Collecting Fun Kit!

This is a great introduction to world geography, and a super-frugal hobby for just about anyone. You can bet we'll be keeping a close eye on our mailbox for any unusual stamps!