Breakfast on the Farm event scheduled for Aug. 16

Want to learn about where your food comes from? Go visit De Grins Oer Dairy Aug. 16 for free family fun at Breakfast on the Farm

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Breakfast on the Farm will be heading to Mecosta County  Aug. 16. The fun, free and family-friendly event is designed to give consumers a taste of modern farm production. The event will be hosted by De Grins Oer Dairy, 2386 Adams Rd. Blanchard, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with breakfast being served from 9 a.m. to noon 

The MAEAP-verified farm was established in 1999 and is owned and operated by Tjerk and Romana Okkema and their children, Dirk-Thomas, Cora and Evelyn. They currently house approximately 700 head of cattle and farm 900 acres of alfalfa and corn.

 “The family farm also features a small flock of Suffolk sheep,” Ashley Kuschel, Michigan State University Extension Breakfast on the Farm program coordinator, said. “The Okkemas are excited to be able to share information about more than one aspect of Michigan agriculture.”

The farm has been awarded the 10-year Quality and the Outstanding Environmental Stewards awards from Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA). The family is also a proud member of the Mecosta County Farm Bureau, MMPA and the National Corn Growers Association.

At Breakfast on the Farm, visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours to see the how the farm’s cows are milked and housed, as well as the daily practices that go into running a dairy farm. They will also be able to see the equipment it takes to run a farm with 900 acres of crops. A pancake breakfast featuring Michigan products will be provided in the morning, and children will have the chance to participate in fun, educational activities.

The farm tour and breakfast are free, but tickets are limited and required to eat breakfast. Free tickets for the Mecosta County event can be picked up at the following locations after July 16:

Alma: Family Farm & Home.

Barryton: Barryton Library, Isabella Bank.

Belding: Belding Library.

Blanchard: Crystal Fountain, King’s Trading Post.

Big Rapids: Big Rapids Community Library, Big Rapids Farm & Garden, Chemical Bank, MSU Extension office, Tractor Supply Company.

Canadian Lakes: Hixson’s Family Market, Isabella Bank.

Clare: Johnston Elevator.

Edmore: Chemical Bank, Home Township Library, McDonald’s, Randall’s.

Evart: Foster’s Grocery.

Greenville: Tractor Supply Company, Town & Country Animal Clinic.

Howard City: Reynold’s Township Library.

Ionia: Ionia Community Library, MSU Extension office.

Lakeview: Chemical Bank, Lakeview Animal Clinic, Lakeview Elevator.

Mecosta: King’s Trading Post, Lakeside Motor Sports, Morton Township Library. 

Mount Pleasant: Central Motor Sports, Discovery Museum, Tractor Supply Company.

Reed City: Family Farm & Home.

Remus: Isabella Bank, Remus Farm & Garden, Wheatland Township Library.

Sidney: Sidney State Bank.

Stanton: Anderson & Girls Orchard, Chemical Bank, MSU Extension office.

Stanwood: Stanwood Feed-N-Needs.

Six Lakes: ACE Hardware, Isabella Bank.

Weidman: Pol Veterinary Services.

Breakfast on the Farm is a statewide Michigan State University Extension program. More than 150 local volunteers help organize the event. In addition to the Mecosta County Breakfast on the Farm Aug. 16, two other breakfast events will take place this year:

  • July 19, hosted by Crandall Dairy Farms, LLC, Battle Creek (Calhoun County).
  • Sept. 6, hosted by Uphaus Farms, Manchester (Washtenaw County).

The statewide sponsors for the 2014 Breakfast on the Farm events are the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan and the Michigan Corn Growers Association, Crystal Flash, Dairyland Seed Co., Farm Bureau Insurance, GreenStone Farm Credit Services, the Kroger Company, Michigan Farm Bureau, Michigan Milk Producers Association, Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee, Michigan Wheat Program, Northrop Trucking Inc., Pioneer Brand Products and the United Dairy Industry of Michigan. In addition, the events have received generous support from many local sponsors.

For more information about the Mecosta County Breakfast on the Farm or other BOTF events, visit www.breakfastonthefarm.com, or contact Ashley Kuschel at kuschela@anr.msu.edu, or Nancy Thelen at thelenn@anr.msu.edu.

To find out more about De Grins Oer Dairy, visit https://www.facebook.com/GotMichiganMilk?ref=br_tf.

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