Illinois Farm Families Blog

If you have never been on a farm before, here’s your chance to experience the real deal.

Linda and Dale Drendel are again opening their Hampshire farmstead to the general public for a dairy breakfast and farm tour from 6 to 11 a.m. Saturday, June 15.

The Drendels offer this unique experience to visit a farm and provide others with a better understanding of the origins of their food, such as dairy products.

“This Saturday morning, family activity is meant to be enjoyed by all ages,” Dale Drendel said. “We welcome visitors and hope they see this as an opportunity to learn more about how we care for our animals and produce fresh and wholesome milk.”

A highlight of a visit to the farm, known as Lindale Holstein Farm, is watching some of the 150 dairy cows being milked in the milking parlor. The modern parlor accommodates 11 Holstein cows at a time and offers viewers an up-close look at the farm’s automation and the transfer of milk from the cow to the bulk tank.

Milking demonstrations will occur from 6 to 9 a.m. during the tour.

The farm visit offers a tour of the barns to see the young dairy calves, heifers and cows. And visitors get chance to milk a cow by hand just as farmers used to do many years ago.

Visitors will see all aspects of dairy production, from the feed used in their special diets to the care taken by farmers to assure their animals are comfortable and healthy.

Besides the cows, visitors to the farm will see farm equipment used on the dairy and grain farm, and get to sit on the seat of a modern tractor.

To top off the morning, a hearty farm-style breakfast will be served complete with pancakes, sausage, applesauce, cheese, milk, coffee and ice cream, from 6 to 11 a.m.

A donation of $8 for adults and $5 for children (5-10 years) will be collected at the farm. The price includes breakfast and the farm visit. There is no charge for children 4 and under.

The Dairy Breakfast and Farm Tour is being sponsored by local dairymen from DeKalb and Kane counties who are members of the Kishwaukee Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA).

The Drendels are avid promoters of the dairy industry, whether it’s welcoming visitors to their farm, showing cattle at fairs, serving in leadership roles or educating others about agriculture. Dale serves on the boards of the Illinois Milk Producers Association, Foremost Farms, Kishwaukee DHIA, and Dairy Lab Services. Linda, a former teacher, also has an active role on the farm and serves on the Midwest Dairy Association.

The Drendels are also participants in Illinois Farm Families and host Chicago moms for farm visits.

Their son, Jeff, works alongside them on their dairy farm. Their daughters are Carrie Corson, public relations project manager for COUNTRY Financial in Bloomington; and Julie Ashton of Marseilles, farm broadcaster for The Big Ag Radio Network and Nelson Multimedia Group.

As livestock caretakers for the past 40 years, Dale and Linda Drendel hold themselves accountable to the hundreds of dairy animals on their farm.

“We take personal responsibility for feeding and caring for our animals,” said Linda, “and providing top-quality milk for consumers.”

They grow corn, soybeans, alfalfa, oats and wheat, much of which is used for dairy feed.

To learn more about the Drendels, visit their farm website at www.lindaleholsteins.com.

The Drendel Farm address is 15N057 Walker Road. Handicap parking is available at the farm.

For additional information, call Bill Lenschow, Dairy Breakfast chairman, at 815-895-9690.

 Reprinted from the Beacon News.

 We walked thru the cattle and were surprised at how they (weighing on average 900-1,000 lbs) were afraid of us moms. We learned that those that come to the farm together, always stay together. The Martz family has spent a lot of time and money investing in the items to make their farm work efficiently while making sure that their cattle are well taken care of. They demonstrated an ultrasound machine which could show how much marbling a cow had and how much they needed to eat in the future to reach their potential weight. One of the most interesting things to me on this farm was the lack of flies, I saw maybe 2 flies the whole time we were there. Mrs. Martz told us that they have wasps delivered weekly which eat the fly larvae, thus controlling the flies without the use of pesticides.  They had a lot of pride in their farm and assured us that they are eating what they produce and would not harm their family.  We rode in the combine that was equipped with GPS, TV, WiFi and a multitude of gadgets that helped the plant and harvest the farm. I learned so much from this family and know that they are truly doing what they love.

 After a quick lunch stop at a 100 year old restaurant we headed on to our 2nd farm for the day. We arrived at Lindale Holsteins just as it was time for the cows to be milked and boy were they ready. We made a quick stop to look at the calves. They were absolutely adorable and you could tell that these were Linda’s babies, she had little stories about each of them. They were quite curious and wanted constant contact with us, I think most of us kept getting licked by them as we walked by.  We made our way to watch the cows be milked. (150 cows, milked twice a day). We asked tons of questions, about the quality of milk, where it goes once it leaves the farm and about hormones.  Our questions were answered openly and honestly even their veterinarian stopped by to chime in on the concern with hormones.  They went on to say that they drink their own milk and that we all have to make our own choice as to whether we feel we need to drink milk that was not treated with hormones.  

 I needed clarification from Linda Drendel on the hormones and below is a little more info she provided:

 *1. Cows naturally produce BST, a growth hormone that stimulates milk production. Therefore, any glass of milk has BST. A scientist nor a consumer can tell the difference between a glass of milk with BST and one without rBST. There are NO definitive studies that show harmful effects from rBST milk.

*2. NOT every cow in our herd (or any herd) is given rBST. She must be in good physical condition and be in good health. She first receives rBST 90 -100 days into her lactation; the dose is mere mls compared to her weight of 1500 pounds plus it is given once every two weeks and it continues to the end of her lactation.

*3. About it being a choice to make: We agree; however, it is NOT a choice between a healthy, safe glass of milk without rBST and one with rBST incorrectly assuming it is not as safe, healthy. It is a choice between paying a higher price (usually if not always) for organic. Also it can be said that virtually all milk (organic or not) is labeled as rBST free.

 The milk is picked by a truck which then goes on to pick up milk from a few more farms. This milk is then taken to the coop and sold. When we asked which milk is “better” from namebrand  Vit D to store brand Vit D, we were told that the milk is probably exactly the same, just marketed differently.  We ended our visit Lindale Farms with chocolate milk, cookies and ice cream, a delicious treat after a long day.  

 Visiting the farms was an amazing experience. I feel like I am armed with more knowledge about farming and the process from farm to table and can now answer questions for family and friends.  The farmers are passionate about what they do and it shows in how they operate their farms.  

 Each day, I remember something that I learned on the farm and happily share it with my kids. They love the fact that farming doesn’t feel so foreign anymore.

 Angel Ishmael
Chicago, Illinois

Our granddaughter Olivia (age 5) and her mom, our daughter Carrie, will come see us this weekend. When Olivia comes, she helps me with the calf chores -- she loves the cows!  We visit the cows in the show barn; she knows them by name! She knows what to do in the calf barn and will pick up the milk buckets, push the grain cart, feed the bottle, etc.
 
Olivia "owns" three animals; she has shown each one in the show ring for three years now. Each phone call she asks me: How is Liv? Is she still giving 50 pounds (per milking)? How is Angelina? (She is expecting her calf next March and is now on another farm, but I see her once in awhile) How is Taz? Has she moved up to the next pen? (She is now in the heifer barn; the calves move through the pens as they grow.) Olivia is our farm girl!!!

Linda Drendel
Lindale Farms
Hampshire, Illinois

Linda and her husband, Dale, will be hosting some new visitors next month when the Illinois Farm Families Field Moms venture out on their first farm tour. Field Moms from the Chicago area will have the chance to meet Liv, Angelina, and Taz, as well as have conversations with Linda and her husband, Dale, about farming in Illinois today. Come back to watchusgrow.org to see the Field Moms' experiences and read about it on this blog!

Just after 5:30 the first family arrives. This is their second visit and they didn’t want to miss the milking this time. And it begins!! 

Guests stop in front of the parlor to watch Dale and Randy milk some of the 150 cows in our 11-stanchion parlor. They move through the milk house and watch the milk make its way from the parlor to the bulk tank. Others stop first for pancakes, sausage, fruit cocktail, string cheese, milk or coffee. Some go first to the calf barn with its newest member: a heifer born 6:00 pm Friday night. Some little ones offer suggestions for her name. . .  Halo, Heaven.

6:30. . . I bring out the calf cart, fill it with water and milk replacer and head to the calf barn. I have a lot of help feeding the 15 calves their milk and later their grain. My sister feeds our 6 babies still on the bottle. We explain the need to get the baby on her own as soon as possible for its vaccinations, first milk (colostrums) and her safety and comfort.

7:15. . .Orion Samuelson arrives with his WGN film crew. He makes a trip to the calf barn, enjoys breakfast, and then films a piece with Dale and I for his nationally broadcast TV show.

8:00. . .  “Forever Gold” is brought out for the milk-a-cow booth. Young and old get some suggestions on technique and then see how they can do! Also, “Desirae” is brought out for the cow photo booth. A bale of straw sits in front of the cow, families, little ones, or adults sit on the straw and pose for the picture (taken by their family). Our daughter is with “Desirae” and hears at least 5 families say this photo will be on their 2011 Christmas card!

Up to 11:00. . .the morning goes on. Guests go for their ice cream and cookie. They go out into the hay field to check out the machinery. Little ones climb into tractor cabs and the horns sound! The neighboring old car club has come with their cars for the visitors to check out. And before the visitors go home it’s another trip to the calf barn or some quiet time in a lawn chair or sitting on the lawn. There were just about 1000 who came out for the day!

11:15. .  . the clean-up begins. Every year Dale and I have hosted the breakfast, we notice the same thing – how neat and considerate the guests have been!

Special thanks to Bill and Kathy for organizing the food and to Otto and Nancy for organizing the workers and equipment!!