Thanks to
Groupon, we were able to take a trip to
Fair Oaks Farms on Saturday. It was such a great place to visit. The kids were able to see how the milk goes from a cow to our table. They also recently added pigs and we enjoyed seeing them too.
There were a lot of things to do in the exploration barn. Madeline and Duncan enjoyed the little playground and the Cow Go Round.
We then went on our Cow Adventure tour. We saw where they keep the cows. The tour guide explained how they were fed and how many times a day they are milked (3 times). Next up was the Milking barn. This place was amazing! The cows get on, get prepped, milked, and then cleaned all in 8.5 minutes! They then back off the spinner and head back to their barn.
Here the kids are touching the pipes. One pipe has the milk at 101 degree directly from the cow. The other pipe has the cooled milk at 36 degrees. It was fun for the kids to feel the difference.
Then it was back to the playground for more fun. Duncan on the slide and Madeline trying to "milk" a cow. They also got to write their names on a cow in chalk.
And we're off to see the pigs! They just opened this exhibit and it was massive. We learned that a female pig that has yet to give birth is called a Gilt and after they give birth they are called Sow's. Most of the pigs were still Gilts but we saw quite a few Sows and piglets too!
After the tour it was time for lunch and some outdoor fun! The kids really enjoyed jumping on this giant balloon type thing. They rode a train, drove tractors, walked through a maze, Madeline did some rock climbing.
At the end of the day we were able to see a calf being born. Both kids were mesmerized. We also got some interesting questions out of that experience. Let's just say its so much easier explaining the birds and bees in reference to animals than to people. But seeing the animals reproduce will also help with that talk in a few years! The highlight of the day was when the farmer came out of the birthing room and announced "It's a boy!".
