Breakfast on the Farm Set for Another Year of Fun June 23 & July 28

Breakfast on the Farm Set for Another Year of Fun June 23 & July 28

Free pancakes, cute cows and fun activities on the farm – it’s all happening at Vermont's Breakfast on the Farm at the Gervais Family Farm in Enosburg Falls on Saturday, June 23^rd, and at Kayhart Brothers Dairy Farm in West Addison on Saturday, July 28th.

Breakfast on the Farm is a free, public celebration designed to teach people about modern dairy farming and introduce the farm families who work hard to produce nutritious and wholesome dairy foods for Vermont and beyond.

What to do at Breakfast on the Farm?

Visitors will enjoy a free pancake breakfast and then set-off on a self-guided farm tour to see first-hand how dairy farmers care for their animals, the environment, and contribute to our local communities.  More than 100 volunteers from the agricultural community will be at the farms to guide visitors through interactive stations where they can learn about cow power systems which convert manure into energy, see a water and soil demonstration, interact with pedometers for cows and more.  A kid-friendly scavenger hunt includes milking a pretend cow, riding a smoothie blending bicycle, exploring a Lego farm, and more.

About the Host Farms

In June attendees will experience beautiful, rolling green hills at the Gervais Family Farm in Enosburg Falls.  The farm has been in the family since the 1960’s, when Robert and Gisele Gervais purchased the original farm and started out with 35 Jersey cows.  As the family grew, so did the farm!  Now, the Gervais Farm includes three locations, and three generations working the farm.  In 2009, the Gervais’ built a methane digester and separator.  The equipment allows the farm to turn manure into a renewable resource, producing fertilizer for fields, clean, dry bedding for cows, and energy for the farm and local community.  All told, the Gervais’ milk more than 1,800 cows and care for over 3,500 acres of land, much of which is maintained with cover crops, and no-till, both ways of keeping phosphorous in the soil and out of waterways. 

In July, visitors will head to Kayhart Brothers Dairy Farm in West Addison.  Nestled along the shores of Lake Champlain, Kayhart Brothers Dairy spans 1,800 acres of lush farm land.  The Kayhart family purchased the 80-cow farm in 1979 when Lee Kayhart and his wife Pat wanted to own their own business.  As the years passed, the couple became parents to two sons and a daughter.  In 2010 their sons Tim and Steve took over ownership of the farm and have helped the operation grow.  The two have overseen construction of a state-of-the-art barn that focuses on cow comfort, including energy efficient, climate-controlled fans and retractable walls to keep cows cool in the summer, warm in the winter and most importantly, happy. The family is looking forward to introducing visitors to their1,000 cows in July.

The Gervais Family Farm is a member of the St. Albans Cooperative Creamery, and Kayhart Brothers Dairy are members of Cabot Creamery Cooperative –  visitors will experience why both farm’s award-winning milk, cheeses and other local dairy products are made with love.  Both farms are proud to help feed our growing world.

About Vermont Breakfast on the Farm

Vermont Breakfast on the Farm is made possible by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets and the agricultural business community including Bourdeau Brothers, Cabot Creamery Cooperative, Feed Commodities International, New England Dairy Promotion Board, Poulin Grain, Vermont Farm Bureau, Vermont Feed Dealers & Manufacturers Association, and WOKO.

Breakfast on the Farm is a free event, but tickets must be reserved through www.VermontBreakfastonTheFarm.com.