ALGOMA (NBC 26) — Moo-ve over Oktoberfest, in Algoma, one family farm is launching its very first Moo-tober Fest. The event highlights the importance of dairy farming and agriculture, with a fun mix of fitness challenges for the whole family.
At Heim’s Hillcrest Farm, Kylie Heim is carrying on a family tradition as the third-generation owner.
"My great-grandparents started it in 1963," Kylie Heim said.
The farm has 850 cows, producing about 62,000 pounds of milk a day enough to fill a full milk truck.
"As people go on a tour, they’ll see we are currently expanding," Heim said.
The farm is also expanding, with a new barn going up that will house another 60 cows.
Kylie says she and her cousins came up with Moo-tober Fest as a way to welcome the community in and give them a closer look at farm life.
"We just think more community events should happen on a dairy farm. Agriculture is huge in Kewaunee County," Heim said.
The goal is to get the community involved and give them a real look at how dairy farming works.
"Not everyone has grown up on a farm or knows what that’s like, so we just want to introduce it to young people," Heim said.
There’s a two-mile fitness course with tire flips and pail carries plus plenty of activities the whole family can enjoy.
"We're gonna have kids' activities. The kids can make butter, they can make ice cream, and they're gonna learn about calf feeding," Heim Hillcrest employee, Pam Blazei said.
Blazei says Moo-tober Fest lets families experience farm life up close.
"To offer them the opportunity to see where their food comes from not everyone has the chance to do that." She said,"it doesn’t just come from the grocery store. There’s a hardworking family behind everything you eat."
Heim says events like this are key to showing the community how much dairy farming and the farmers behind it impact our daily lives.
The Farm Fitness Test kicks off at 8 a.m. Saturday, with Moo-tober Fest starting at 1 p.m.
