The long-standing tradition of celebrating the dairy industry in Portage County will continue in a new way this year – at the Portage County Dairy-Palooza.
The event will be held Saturday, June 10 at Feltz Family Farms Dairy Store at 5796 Porter Dr., Stevens Point, Wis., from 11a.m.-2p.m. Attendees can still enjoy the squeak of fresh cheese curds, a sweet ice cream sundae and ice-cold milk, along with the Wisconsin tradition of deep-fried cheese curds – all free of charge!
Activities
There will be fun activities for the whole family, including milking a cow, hands-on dairy learning exhibits, games, a petting zoo, the Spudmobile, barrel-train rides, face painting and balloon animals. Food trucks will also be on-site, with food featuring Wisconsin agriculture products for purchase.
Meat raffle
Attendees can also support the on-going educational and promotional activities of the Dairy Committee with the Dairy-Good Meat Raffle, with two grand prize winners taking home half a cow and two runner-up prizes of half a pig. Seven consolation meat baskets winners will also be drawn. Only 500 tickets will be sold and tickets are just $20. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time at Feltz’s Dairy Store or during the event.
Farm tours
Attendees can hop on a wagon ride for a guided farm tour, where you will see the entire Feltz Family Farm operation. Feltz Family Farms, a fifth-generation dairy farm, has been owned and operated by Ken and Jackie Feltz, along with their children, Taryn, Jake and Jared, and their families. The family focuses on cow comfort to ensure high-quality milk and top production in their herd. The facilities include 10 robotic milkers that service over 500 cows and the Feltz’s grow alfalfa and corn silage for their herd of almost 700.
In 2017, the family opened Feltz’s Dairy Store to the public, where they offer many dairy products, agriculture items and local specialty goods. The store features a viewing area into the robot barn where visitors can watch the cows being milked. Enjoy a delicious ice cream cone or fresh-made cheese curds while strolling through the store. The Feltz Family Farm and Dairy Store is located east of Walmart at 5796 Porter Dr., Stevens Point.
Economic impact
“The annual dairy day allows us to celebrate and acknowledge the impact and contributions dairy farmers and the dairy industry have on all of us right here in Portage County,” said Melissa Heise of the Portage County Dairy Committee. “Agriculture provides over 6,600 jobs in Portage County and provides over $1.6 billion dollars into our economy.
Source: wisfarmer.com
Photo Credit: Feltz's Family Farm & Dairy Store
Categories: Wisconsin, Rural Lifestyle