 Okay, you guys want to stay on the side? Does anybody get left? Come on, we're coming to see if I can catch you. Oh, we're just very thankful. Just to see all the people come today and just enjoy. It was a beautiful day. Just enjoy seeing the cows and the equipment and just the atmosphere. I think it was great. So we're just really appreciative that we could host this event this year. Breakfast on the farm is just an outstanding opportunity to see an active working dairy farm in Vermont. It's not every day that you invite 2,400 people over for breakfast, but they've done it. We thank the family here, and we thank all the countless volunteers that are helping to put on this. One of the most exciting things about breakfast on the farm is that you can actually eat a meal that was produced on the farm that you're at, which is really exciting. This farm is a member of the Dairy Farmers of America Cooperative, and their milk is made into all sorts of local dairy products, including Ben and Jerry's ice cream, which people enjoyed today, as well as the white and chocolate milk that they enjoyed today. And then we also had some really fun local businesses that were featured as well, like Champlain Orchards had their cider donuts, and we had Cabot Creamery Cooperative, which is also a cooperative of dairy farmers with their cheese and their yogurt. So people were really making that connection between the farmer that made their food and the food they were eating, which doesn't happen all that often these days. This is a wonderful example of a working dairy farm. It is a farm that produces milk for us to drink. It's managed extremely well. You can see the animals and the care that's taken with the animals, the comfort that the animals have. Also, if you look around the 2000 acres here in Addison County that they manage, beautiful crop land, keeping this land in an open production, which is so valuable to the state of Vermont, to our economy, and also to the region. So when you come to a farm like this, there's probably, it's about 40 farms in Vermont that are similar to this in size and scope. You know, they produce a tremendous amount of milk that's for consumers outside the region. So this milk is possibly ending up on the dinner table in New York City or in the schools of New York City, or it could be in Boston. So it's a very valuable asset for the state of Vermont and contributing to the food system. You know, you walk around, you talk with the family here. It's family operation, you know, several generations. But everyone's involved in doing something. You know, some may be involved in taking care of the land with the crops. The other people may be taking care of the calves. Some others may be taking care of the milking operation. So it is truly a family operation. There's probably close to a dozen family members that I've talked to today here at Breakfast on the Farm and they're all involved in this in one way or another. You know, agriculture can be rugged at times, from time to time, but this family is doing their best to, you know, think about the next generation. They have to be always thinking about the future and you see that here, what they're trying to do here. And knowing the people that visit here, many of them probably are seeing an operation for the first time like this. You know, there's sometimes these events bring back nostalgic events and thoughts from folks, but this gives everyone a real education, the reality of what happens on a dairy farm in Vermont and the region of the United States these days. They're all shapes, they're all sizes, they're all scales, they're all different practices, but they're all extremely valuable to the state of Vermont. And we're so thankful that these farmers want to take on this challenge and keep this land in open production and they're also feeding us. One thing to keep in mind about agriculture is these operations are helping to feed us in our region and the country and we never should lose sight of the fact that this is about feeding our country. And at the end of the day, everyone's gonna have a real life experience of what it's like to be on a farm in Vermont. They're gonna see the cows, they're gonna see how they're milked, they're gonna see how the calves are taken care of, they're gonna see how the land is taken care of. So Breakfast on a Farm is an opportunity to educate the public of what actually happens on a farm and it's a rare opportunity to have 2,400 people come by and see an operation like this, but it's really important that I think everyone see firsthand what happens and Breakfast on a Farm gives that opportunity and we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that it's a free breakfast and there are many things in life that are not free anymore and this is a free event for just scores of people and we're grateful for everyone coming out and enjoying this day here in Addison County. You know countless people drive by this farm each day and they're probably curious, they may have never been on this farm and they wanna know what's happening there, they wanna see what's happening, they wanna see the cows, they wanna see the calves, they wanna meet the family, talk with the family. So Breakfast on a Farm is an opportunity to engage the public more in dairy farming and what's happening so the neighbors are getting together, seeing each other. 2,400 people coming to an event is a significant event in Vermont and it's a great opportunity for people just to have a conversation with someone about farming, have a conversation about what this means to the state of Vermont and so it's a wonderful opportunity just to have some quiet time, milling about, learning about the land, the animals and also have a wonderful breakfast. Thanks for coming this morning. Let's talk about it. So we are station number four. So have you come right here, right? So we have a conventional field right here, right? Then we have a field right here that has like no fields. Then we have a pasture, hayland field and we have a porch field. And the front bucket, you're looking at the water that's running off and the back bucket, you're seeing what's going on, what's coming infiltrating through the water, right? Which one do you wanna drink? You wanna drink the chocolate milk? Oh no, I mean, 2% milk is very good. You have any other questions? The milk is good, right? We got a bunch. So actually on that background right there is that one of the very clear, pours of soil, basically you're looking at a lot of soil disturbance, also we try to help producers and gardeners transition from this person to that one over there, which is the pours and so on. On your question there it has. So what do you see, there's a difference from here to there? What do you see that's different? Yep, what do you see on the top? You got a spot on, so what you're looking for is you're looking for that grass, we're looking for this right here, this is that muck that you're talking about. That's some sad soil. Interestingly, right there in that same picture, the water's brilliant, it's very good. So this is what we try to tell people, to help shift and get away from right here. Just to promote dairy farming, to see how we take care of our land and our animals, how important that is. And yeah, just for agriculture as a whole and our state and how helpful it is for our economy here in Vermont. I guess we have a family-oriented atmosphere here. We have five families on the farm and we all work well together. And yeah, just the joy that it brings us to work together and to achieve a goal and that we set out each year and to do a good job. And just to work together with our kids too, especially our young kids, and to see them maybe wanna work on the farm too when they get older. So it's yeah, very important for us to just do a good job here to have a good, like with our employees and even with our family, just have a good relationship with each other and someone needs help in the area will help them and hopefully in return, they'll wanna help us in the future as well. We try to make sure that we put up quality forage so that we can make good milk and also with our facilities, we have fans and sprinklers and I'll put a lot of bedding in the stalls. Everything's about cow comfort. It's all about the cow. The cow is healthy and happy. It will produce a lot of milk and in return, we can hope to be profitable. Well, that's a loaded question. Farming could be a gardener, right? There's many different ways to be a farmer. I think that's the beauty of farming. You can be a bigger farmer, you can be a small one, you can be a middle-sized person. As long as you can make a living, you can do it any way you want. I guess that's the beauty of farming. What can I get you? What honey? Can I get a fire? Can I get a fire? Yeah. Chocolate or white milk? It went really well. We're feeling really high right now on the excitement of all the people that visited us today, seeing the wonder in their faces and seeing them delight in all the delicious breakfast foods that they had. It was really rewarding to offer such a positive experience to people, especially coming out of the pandemic. And yeah, it was a great day. We had almost 2,000 people. It's really amazing to know that 63% of the milk made in New England comes from Vermont. And so a lot of people that visit us come from outside of Vermont too and they are able to see where the dairy products that they buy are made, how they're made, ask questions about it, find out how the calves are raised and how they raise the crop, how they grow the crops. So it's a really cool way to experience food in a way that you wouldn't normally experience it so that when you're at the grocery store and you're reaching for the gallon of milk or the yogurt or the ice cream, you can remember a conversation you had with the farmer who made that food. How often does that happen at the grocery store? Pretty much never. And whenever I reach for dairy products now, I see in my mind these farms that I've been to and it creates this connection and this feeling and this desire to really support and support those farms by buying their products. I think it would be really cool for breakfast on the farm to start to feature different types of farms because agriculture in Vermont is really evolving these days. From wine to craft beers to vegetables to even CBD products. So it would be really cool for breakfast on the farm to start to think about how to show people other parts of farming. And that includes dairy and it also can include a diversified farm that may do dairy and other types of agriculture. So I think that's a way for breakfast on the farm to really expand the reach for people. And we always shoot to have about 2,000 people at our events and that seems to be a good number for us. And so in the future, we hope that we can continue to offer at least one event per year of this size in places throughout the state that are convenient for people to access. So in the future, we really hope that this experience will always be affordable or free so that there would be no barriers for people to be able to have this enriching experience where they can connect with a farmer and really make that lasting impression between their food and how it's made. So we are so fortunate to have donations from dozens and dozens of different organizations, agriculture businesses, food brands throughout Vermont. So you'll see everything from Cabba Creamery Cooperative, Vermont Maple Granola Company, dairy farmers of America, local blueberries, sausage, donuts, Champlain Orchards. So we really pride ourselves on the community seeing the value of the event and in that they are willing to donate or offer products for free because they understand that it's a really great opportunity to connect with people. So the event definitely wouldn't be possible without the support of our sponsors and all of the businesses and brands that donate to the event. The event is also made possible by over 100 volunteers and they host 13 different educational stations throughout the farm and I think of it as like a mini outdoor science museum because agriculture really is science. You're learning about plant science, the animals' health and how their diet impacts their milk production. You're learning about pregnancy. You're seeing birth, calves being born. I think it's unbelievably fabulous. I can't thank everybody enough for putting it on. Why do you think it's important? Why'd you come? Because I've been in Vermont a long, long time and the farmers are old, pinching apart being in Vermont and I just want to support them as much as I can. We love the Vermont and the farm breakfast. We try and come every year and I'm a daughter of a Vermont dairy family but my husband's not and so we're trying to teach the kids and bring them up Vermont and this is a great way to do it. I mean, these events, I think are quintessential Vermont in summer. It's something unique to Vermont and so it's important that we teach the kids and we continue agriculture when it's in this climate something that's really hard to do, continue that passion and foster it for the kids and the families. Congratulations. Thank you, Andy. Thank you, Andy. That's for me. That's for me. That's for the people down there. Thank you. You guys say congratulations. Hi, everybody. Thank you. Where'd he get that from? I'm trying to think of it. I don't know exactly. You're ice cream already? No. Simplicity. Do you like it? I know you got a good tea. Simplicity. It doesn't fit. I was an issue. That was an issue. That happens a lot. We just wanted to see their farms. We've always had really nice farms and I grew up in the area and it's just it's a beautiful farm as well. We're captives and a wonderful family. We just wanted to see our kids here so we can see them. It's my family. Come on, get over here. I mean, this is the third year we've done it so we love it. So it was our favorite thing to do actually probably over the summer. You know, the kids really enjoy it but honestly I think the adults enjoy it more. I love asking. I think every year I learned something new about a farm. Yeah, I mean like farms are super important to Vermont and it's an economy so like why not learn more about it? You know, there's so much technology now involved in farming and you know, every year you're like, I'll be right back. You know, like I said, like I was just, I probably spent more time this year talking to the equipment guys learning more about the equipment they use and like how, you know, I even asked like, what's the most critical piece of equipment? I don't know, every year it's like, you know, I meet, you know, with all the volunteers too, you know, each person has their own little specialty and you know, you learn something from, you know, something new from someone else because they have a different perspective. I learned that if a calf is not in position they actually reach their hands in and move the calf when it comes out. So yeah, that was something. I guess there was one that was actually born here. Yeah, actually it was the one that came out today. They were saying it was Breach and the vet, I was talking to the vet, she said I actually had to reach in there and turn the cow, I was like, wow, you know, that's pretty interesting. I myself am impressed with the technology yet, it's still, it's family operation. Yeah. And obviously they, just care for the animals, you know. Yeah, there's so much technology involved in it but it still feels like a farm. Like it doesn't feel like it's this factory, right? You know, with everything, like even when, you know, asking about the tags on their ears and they go up and they auto feeds and makes the milk for the cows. Like, oh, that's cool, but still feels like a farm. Still feels like, you know, what you expect and what you want in a farm, I guess as a visitor, right? Yeah, of course. Thank you. So after, you know, after you go to this, you're gonna come to the equipment station and you're gonna see it's under this equipment and it's huge, it's really big. So you can go and have some questions and learn about it there. What is that? That's a tracker, so if a nutrient management plant confirms with track, it's kind of like how much they spread or how much they grow where and when they plant a different seeding rate. So that's kind of, so that's a high-boy interseeders and that's a way that you can broadcast seed cover crops. In the fall then, when they go and harvest the corn off, it's still probably kind of small because it's hot and they like it. And it's open and it cools down. Otherwise this would be bare. We also have different pieces of equipment when we try and do it at different times. So rather than interseeding, you might just go at the end of the season and just drill something in. Or like right now, we'd have to use something like this. It's really tall and you'd have to drive into the corn. You'd have to underneath the corn to have a better chance of hitting the ground. Yeah, so how much milk? Well, this farm is milking around 750 cows, hammering a little over 90 pounds. So to do the math on that, it's close to 8,000 gallons a day. And basically filling that drill wall that's been right outside that roof. So this steam is probably not just corn. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It probably has some grain in it, like it would add protein. It probably has some hay that's been ground up. And you have to purchase the grain. Yeah, they buy them all separately, so they put them in different, let us do them in sheds. Then they mix it up in a wagon. And you're fed up. I don't know where they're going. I don't know where they're going. Late at night. Probably Canada. So no one uses hay bedding anymore, right? Hey, not typically. You could shred it. A lot of times they'll use mattresses. Oh, this was a lot of fun, because I'm kind of obsessed with cows. Love dairy, love milk. And so it was really fun to just be with the cows today and learn proper farming practices. So I really enjoyed it. And that's why you came? Yes. Just to be around cows, you know, I just like it. It's Vermont. And it's just interesting to see this largest scale and how they keep the cows happy and healthy even though there's so many of them. Yeah, that's interesting. Yeah, thanks. Great to be part of it, isn't it? It is. You get to meet different people. Is that why you volunteer? Yes. Well, it gets you to do something different. Have you been on the farm before? I have been on the farm before. What's it like serving breakfast to 2,000 people? I think I get used to it. I mean, you're kind of in a rush to get everything going. No, it looks like you're doing pretty well. Under control. How was it? It was awesome. It was great. Very informative. I know the family. Like I said, I know the family. I've been with the cows and the calves. She had fun. Did you have fun with the cows today? Did you have fun with the cows today? Don't put your fingers in it. I bet. Why is it good? Why is it important to have these events? Oh, this is extremely important for it. Just educational purpose. I talked to a lot of people here today that from the city didn't have the experience that I did growing up on the farm and just to see the expression on their faces and listen to their questions and the stuff that I took for granted over the years. It's very informative. It shows people where that bottle of milk comes from and from the store. It's a great thing. We're pretty lucky in Addison County where there's a pretty closer connection to the farm community. I talked to some people here from New Jersey. I talked to people here from other states that don't get this experience. I think it's a great thing. What was your favorite thing? The cat. I hear there was a baby cat born. Was it kind of cool? It was a great day. Very exciting. We were very happy to host it this year. We saw a lot of smiling faces and a lot of happy people.