Monday, October 8, 2012

Fall Family Fun

By Sarah Mahan of This Farm Family's Life

If you are looking for a fun fall activity for your family, Kelsay Farms is one example of the many farms that open their doors to the public throughout the year. The Kelsays are a sixth generation dairy farm that milks around 500 cows and they open their farm to the public on the weekends throughout October.  They also farm approximately 2,200 acres. 

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Kelsay Farms was land-granted by President Van Buren in 1837 making this year their 175th anniversary!  Amy Kelsay states, "We are blessed to have four generations on the farm today-from Great Grandma all the way down to our children.  It's amazing when you think about it that we are still farming the same ground that has been in our family for all of those years!"

When asked why they decided to open their farm to the public Amy explained, "I have always loved working with children and in Ag/Youth Education so in 2007 I decided to combine the two and open our farm up for school field trips and to the public.  We live in a highly populated county and it's been a pleasure to give thousands of children the opportunity to see first-hand where their milk and other dairy foods come from."

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The Kelsays have taken things around the farm that they loved to do as kids such as: play in the corn, climb on straw bales, roast a hotdog on a campfire-and they have recreated them for our customers to enjoy.  According to Amy, "Most kids today don't get the opportunity to walk through a corn field or take a hayride, so we really enjoy not only providing that experience, but also watching them as they may experience it for the first time."

So if you and your family would like to experience dairy farm tours, baby calves, a 7 acre corn maze with a scavenger hunt, hayrides, Moo Choo train rides, Bale Mountain, Corn Crib, Baby Barnyard play area and many other games and fall activities then visit Kelsay Farms at 6848 N. 250 E. Whiteland, IN 46184.  You can also visit their website:www.kelsayfarms.com or www.twomaidsamilking.com or follow them on Facebook at Kelsay Farm Tours or Twitter at @Kelsay Farms.

If you are interesting in finding more great Indiana Farms to visit this fall, check out the Indiana State Department of Agriculture's Agritourism Guide and My Indiana Home's Pumpkin Patch Locator and Corn Maze Locator.

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