Families made butter and drank bottled milk when Family Day at the Dairy Farm returned Saturday.
UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences showed families what cows eat, the milking process and production of milk in Hague, Florida, which is about 11 miles north of Gainesville. IFAS put on the event in 2012 and 2013 but hasn’t held it in recent years. In 2014, it was rained out, said Albert De Vries, an associate professor in UF’s Department of Animal Sciences.
About 1,000 people walked through the barn, which houses about 500 milking cows, he said. They then took a self-guided tour and stopped at 17 stations to learn about milk’s creation.
Staff members gave families educational booklets and dairy products, such as yogurt, cheese and milk.
“It is a good opportunity for people to come out here and see how a commercial dairy farm works,” De Vries said.
He said people also pet calves, which are baby cows, and asked questions about the industry and milk-making process. Children climbed onto equipment and honked the horn of a tractor.
“We like to show people what we do,” De Vries said. “There is no secret to agriculture. We think it’s important that people see how their milk is produced.”
Katie Waldrep, of Ocala, Florida, dressed her 3-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son in overalls and boots for the farm. They walked on the hour-and-a-half-long tour and talked to UF staff members and volunteers.
“It’s a great experience,” Waldrep said. “Every station was geared towards the children, and the speakers definitely try to explain it on their level so they can understand.”
Animal science master student Carolina Collazos, 22, shows 6-year-old Wesley how an automatic cow milker works at the UF/IFAS Family Day at the Dairy. Collazos and other staff taught the public about milk production and the industry.
