Farmer Abbie Herr gives virtual dairy farm tour

KENDALLVILLE, Ind. — Farmer Abbie Herr gave a virtual tour of her family’s dairy farm on Sept. 28 — World School Milk Day.

Herr knows the cows by name and introduced the audience to one of her favorite cows, Franny.

“We became a robotic dairy almost five years ago,” she said. “We use freestalls and sand bedding, which is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. We also have sprinklers and fans to help in the summer.

“We have temperature control to watch and monitor usage. Now that it’s getting cold in northeast Indiana, there are curtains on the side of the barn that drop down and keep it warm.”

Dairy Cow Diet

Herr’s brother feeds the cows fresh feed each day. They also work with a nutritionist and a veterinarian, who visit the farm and make recommendations. The family grows most of the feed on their farm.

“The majority of their diet is corn silage,” Herr said. “This whole stalk of corn is chopped up and made into silage. We chop enough to last us the whole year. The next ingredient is haylage — hay that is chopped up. Next is grain mix. This is packed with minerals and nutrients.

“A huge truck mixes it all together. Cotton seed and straw are added. We also have soybean meal and ground corn.”

Their goal is to keep the cows healthy and happy as possible.

“We want to do the best we can on our farm,” Herr said.

Fresh Milk Tips

• Store milk, cheese and yogurt between 35 and 40 degrees.

• Cheese is best served at room temperature. Hard cheeses can sit out for up to 2 hours.

• Make refrigerated foods your last stop at the grocery store and the first thing you put away at home. Only buy the product size you will use in one week.

• Don’t store milk or butter in the door as they will be exposed to warmer air when the door is opened.

• Store milk on the bottom shelf to keep it as cold as possible.

• Store yogurt on the upper shelf of the refrigerator and keep it tightly covered.

• Store butter on the middle shelf wrapped tightly.

• Store cheese in its own drawer because it absorbs other flavors.

• Store cottage cheese and sour cream on lower shelves.

• Avoid overpacking your refrigerator. Cold air must circulate around foods to keep them cold.

Source: American Dairy Association of Indiana