Farm Mornings

Dogwood Hills Guest Farm

When planning our family vacations, we always look for new places to visit and places the kids can learn something new. Whether it is a new skill, experience, or the history of places we visit, it’s a joy to watch their face light up when and say, “Well, I’ve never done that before.”, “That was awesome. Can we do that again?” or “How cool was that place!” While visiting Dogwood Hills Guest Farm, the kids had all three reactions to every activity we took part in. Not only did they learn new skills, they learned about animals, how to feed, take care of certain animals, and learned about farm life. Grace and Ruthie were some of the best teachers, answered every question, and made the farm experience so special my kids asked if we could buy cows and chickens when we returned home.

The farm activities are a bonus while staying at the guest house for an additional cost. Not only do you get to spend time learning about the farm, animals, participate in daily “chores” for two hours, but you also get a delicious homemade breakfast cooked and served that morning. My sons loved the morning “chores” so much he woke the house up at 6:00 am each day even though the “chores” didn’t start until 8:00 am. Needless to say, we had coffee at the guest house, and Ruthie was so gracious to always have fresh coffee waiting for breakfast. Here are the fantastic actives offered during the farm experience on Dogwood Hills Guest Farm:

Milking Cows

Milking the cows in the morning was my daughter’s favorite chore. She woke up every morning asking to see the cows and baby cows. She enjoyed learning as much as a two-year-old can about cows, petting them, and wanting to hug them. My husband and I learned most cows are milked for about 300 days out of the year, produce about two gallons of milk every couple of days, and are fed special feed to help with milk production. We also learned hand cramping is a side effect of milking and realized we needed to work on our form.

After milking the cows, the milk is stored in a cooler until there is a large enough batch to pasteurize. The pasteurization is done on the farm, and the milk is bottled after the process is complete. We were amazed by the science behind the process, from how long it takes, keeping a constant temperature aroudn 148’F , and keeping the liquid moving for the pasteurization process to be adequately completed.

Collecting Chicken Eggs

My son was not a fan of milking the cows; however, he loved collecting chicken. I think he thought it was similar to an Easter egg hunt. I’m not sure but what I do know is he learn a fair amount about chickens. We learned different types of chickens lay different color eggs; some chickens are kept for egg collecting while others are kept as show chickens. We also learned, Ruthie will write dates on certain eggs that were laid to keep. The rooster fertilizes these eggs, and the hens incubate them so baby chicks will hatch later. We also learned my son can be very gentle when placing fragile things down, and our daughter is still learning what the word gentle means.

Feeding Cows and Goats

I have to say feeding the goats and cows was two of my favorite chores around the farm. I particularly grew fond of Dewdrop and her new baby Delta. Dewdrop was a 17-year-old cow who was so sweet and took the food very gently from your hand. My kids enjoyed feeding Delta, who was learning to eat grass and other food types aside from nursing. I did find it funny, however, my daughter was slightly timid around Dewdrop but had no problem milking Speckles. The goats are towards the back of the property and have a field of their own. They are full of personality and love when it’s eating time. The acreage that houses the goats is a great place to take an early afternoon trail walk. The goats will follow along under the tree-lined path, and it is a great way to walk off your morning breakfast.

We loved learning about the different animals, the different types of feed and food Dogwood Hills Farm uses and learning new skills. What was more exciting and rewarding was watching how interested the kids were in each activity. They asked questions, were engaged, and learned more than I expected. It has encouraged us as a family to venture out and find similar places close to home for our learning to continue.