Sharing our passion for agriculture is very important at all of us at Ocooch Dairy. We enjoy telling our story and opening up our farm to visitors. We are committed to helping connect consumers and farmers, allowing them to gain a better understanding of where their food comes from.

Destination dairy

What started as a simple idea Jacqui had while mowing lawn one afternoon has become an anticipated event for local youth, teachers, and agricultural advocates. Held every three years, Destination Dairy is an all day, interactive agricultural experience for Hillsboro Elementary students and faculty. Pre-K thru 3rd grade stay at the school, rotating through various ag-inspired stations, such as a science lab complete with hands-on experiments and a dairy nutrition station where kids have the opportunity to make their own "TMR." The 4th thru 6th graders travel to Ocooch and spend the morning rotating through six different areas, including manure management and the freestall barns. After a beef and dairy filled lunch, students take part in sessions on calf care, nutrition, and compete in the "Tough Udder." Destination Dairy has proven to be both educational and fun and we look forward to our next one in May of 2017.

Food, Fun, & Family on the farm

During one summer evening each year we host our annual farm party, inviting friends, neighbors, the young and old, new and seasoned visitors to learn about dairy farming and celebrate how lucky we are to be doing what we love. Highlights from recent years include a build-your-own pizza bar where visitors can create a delicious dinner, complete with cheese from Ocooch Dairy’s cows, and a corn box that keeps kids engaged for hours! Tours are given throughout the evening, allowing guests to see the various ways Team Ocooch cares for their cattle, such as the use of sand bedded freestall barns, fans, and sprinklers to keep cows cool. Party-goers are also shown how new technologies, like the automated teat scrubber, radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags on cows, a flash cooling system for the milk, and recycled heat enable the dairy to conserve resources and save energy. Other popular stops on the tour include the silage bunkers and a discussion of how feed gets from the field to the cows, the special needs parlor where sick cows receive extra attention, and the maternity pen, where mothers are made and new calves are welcomed into the world in a clean, dry, and comfortable environment. We always hope visitors walk away with a better understanding and appreciation for modern farming and enjoyed an evening on the farm with their, and our, family!

Join us for our next adventure

Ocooch Dairy will be hosting the 2016 Vernon County Dairy Breakfast, set for Saturday, June 18th.

We hope to see you then!!