fair oaks dairy adventure

We really enjoyed the birthing barn and were lucky enough to see 3 calfs born!!!The bus trip to the barn is ok, and trying to see the milking operation is a little tough when you're short!!!

We were on our way through the area stopped to see this corporate dairy operation-well organized for a visitor. Interesting immediately off the Interstate - worth a visit- really interesting for children too!

Interesting learning experience for young and old alike...Love that it is powered by the gas that is separated from the manure of cows. They show how everything can have a balance. Fresh milk, baked goods, restaurant, tours, cows giving birth, wow, so much to learn and see...

Fair Oaks Farms is awesome. What a great trip to see a real, working dairy farm up close and personal!!! Thank you Fair Oaks Farms!!! Your farm rocks!

Learned a lot of interesting facts about dairy cows and how a dairy farm works; watched the birth of a calf and toured the barns and cow carousel. Very nice experience but slightly overpriced.

We've been to Fair Oaks Farms many times. The dairy tour, the cheese, and especially the ice cream are highlights of our annual visits to family in Indiana. We have mixed feelings about the new pig operation, however. They purchase baby females from another outfit and raise them to breeding age, when they spend several years having 2.6 litters per year. Their babies are sold at weaning to another outfit for rearing to slaughter weight. After learning how intelligent these animals are (equivalent to a three-year old child!), it was difficult to accept their depauperate lives of complete isolation from as much as a breath of fresh air, a glimpse of blue sky, anything but wood planks under foot. These animals receive top notch physical care, i.e. ample nutritious food, comfortable temperatures, veterinary care, clean living conditions. But the sows are confined in such a way that they can lie down or stand up but not otherwise move for the entire 6-8 weeks that they nurse each litter. We observed pressure sores on the shoulders of many of them. Half of their lives are spent this way. Are they content, knowing nothing different? Maybe. I don't know. Nor do we know the conditions under which the babies are raised by another facility prior to slaughter.

The birthing place is very educational. The trip around the milking place is also interesting. Kids will definitely love and realize that the milk does not really come from the cartons.

It's geared towards kids, but I wouldn't take under elementary age kids. It's not like you get real close to animals, and even though it's awesome info on how a milk farm works, it's a little over their head. I'm not a "animal" person...I love meat! But I was a little dismayed at seeing the animals it this light. I know, it's reality. But a couple things stick out...the birthing barn was like a circus side show. Up on a stage, behind a glass wall. Just strange. And then they take away the calf from the mother the same day. We thought the milking barn was fascinating, with the technology and process. And on another good note, you can tell they really care about the cows, as clean as their barns were, their care, feeding, etc. Or is it they simply care about the next gallon of milk, and their investment? The tour was 1st class...spotless buses...awesome, informative driver that you could tell loved his job. And the ice cream was amazing!Good thing to do once. Glad we did it. I'd still recommend.

Tour was great. The bus takes you around and shows you every step of the farm. The birthing barn was different but shows you how a cow is born. Ice cream was great at the end! (not included in tour)

Great attraction for kids AND adults!!! And at the end, there is ice cream to sample! Lots of hands-on activities for kids, especially on a nice day when you can take advantage of the outdoor fun too.

A real adventure for someone unfamiliar with farming ways. They have a large dairy herd, make cheese, ice cream, etc. and have an excellent learning area for families and children.

This farm has 3000 cows and is the largest dairy farm in the US. We toured the South Diary Farm. You enter the visitor center and then load a bus to see the diary farm. The first stop is the process that turns cow manure into methane gas and topsoil. Both products are used on the farm.Next stop is the dry barn that houses the vows that are not being milked. On the way out you see all the small calves that were recently birthed.Next stop was the wet barn that housed the cows that are milked 3 times per day. Next stop is the milking center were cows are milked on a turntable . It takes about 3 minutes to milk a cow.We also went to the Pig Adventure. We saw pigs being born.Ver educational and enjoyable for all ages!

The dairy farm was nice and clean and you really get to see the inner working of the farm. My children and I enjoyed Mooville. There is a good time to be had in Mooville for the little ones mostly. I personally was not in love with the food. The grill cheese bread was hard and just not what I imagined it to be. I did stand in the longest line ever to obtain their famous ice cream that my kids ate but, did not seem any different from any other ice cream they have had. The groupon definitely made the trip a good deal. I would not purchase the pig tour again though. My groupon covered everything except the pig tour and I let myself be talked into purchasing the pig tour for $22. My children had enough with the cow tour and was tired by the time it was time to take the tour. It made my mom and I said for the pigs when you see how small of a space they have with their new babies for 21 days. I think the saddest part of all is that after the animals are used up for all their resources and can't produce anymore they are slaughtered and sold. The birth of the baby cow was wonderful and the best part for me.

My parents went a few years ago and hearing the experiences and excitement from them made me want to go. We enjoyed so much we will return and bring people with us.

An educational experience how the Dairy business operates. Great for kids. See everything from a birth of a calf to eating or drinking the final dairy product.