Take a trip to Fair Oak Farms with the Schaumburg Library
It’s not every day you get to witness the birth of a calf, the cheese-making process, or how milk is produced, but those opportunities are coming your way in July.
Fair Oaks Farm in northern Indiana will be the destination for a day trip from the Schaumburg Township District Library. The motor coach will leave the library’s parking lot at 7:45 a.m. and return at approximately 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, July 11. Participants will get to experience some of the best agritourism in the Midwest as they spend the day in Newton County, Ind.
The fee for adults is $71 per person, while children age 14 and under pay $25 per person. Due to the length of the bus trip (just under two hours, depending on traffic), and the tours, the trip is not recommended for children under 8 years old, though no minimum age is required.
To register, call (847) 923-3347 and pay by credit card, or sign up in person at the Information/Magazines Desk on the library’s second floor.
Surrounded by thousands of acres of land and even more cows, Fair Oaks is a family farm that goes out of its way to employ the best environmentally sensitive practices of modern agriculture. The owners pride themselves on supporting traditional values such as caring for the land, treating their cows well, engaging in sustainable farming, and creating pure, nutritious dairy products without wasting natural resources.
The day’s events will include watching the live birth of a cow in a theater-style setting within the birthing barn. How can this experience be guaranteed? At Fair Oaks, approximately 80 calves are born every day. A Fair Oaks Farms expert will be on hand to explain what is happening, and lend the mama cow a hand, if needed.
Visitors to the farm will also get a sneak peek at the cheese-making process in the cheese factory — a high-tech facility with a down-home feel. Inside you’ll find an ice-cream parlor, gift shop and cafe where you’ll have the opportunity to purchase some of the farm’s delicious products.
And speaking of delicious … lunch at the Strongbow Turkey Inn will certainly be a culinary delight. In business since the 1930s, the inn began as a turkey farm. The Thanksgiving-style meal for the tour will include sliced turkey, whipped potatoes, dressing, vegetable, cranberries, salad, rolls, dessert and a beverage.
All in all, this day trip promises to be as fun as it is educational and delectable. Come and spend a day in the country. Please remember to register by calling the number listed above, or stop by the Information Desk to sign up in person.