May 23, 2017

Michigan State University Extension will host this year’s first Breakfast on the Farm June 24 at J&J Dairy in Marne. BOTF is a free, family-friendly event for people of all ages.
The event is designed to give visitors a chance to see how their food is grown and raised. It is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with breakfast served until noon. J&J Dairy is located at 15637 16th Ave. in Marne.
The operation is a family-run farm owned by brothers Dave, Daniel and Tim Van Dyke and their wives, Cori, Cindy and Sharon, respectively. The staff consists of 14 full-time employees, including two Van Dyke sons. The 1,000 acres of corn and alfalfa they grow is the primary feed source for their cows. Visit the Meet the Family page at the BOTF website to learn more about the Van Dyke family.
At this BOTF event, guests will be able to interact with baby calves and see how they are cared for, learn about cow health and comfort, and see how milk is produced.
“I am a firm believer in ‘seeing is believing,’” says co-owner Dan Van Dyke. “We want BOTF visitors to see that we do all that we can to keep our cows happy and healthy, and produce a quality product.”
This event provides an opportunity to learn how Michigan farms bring your family safe and nutritious food. Breakfast on the Farm is free, but tickets are required to eat breakfast. Free tickets are available at the following businesses and online beginning May 24:
Allendale: Farm Bureau Insurance; Macatawa Bank
Allegan: MSU Extension
Grand Haven: Farm Bureau Insurance; Macatawa Bank
Grand Rapids: MSU Extension
Holland: Farm Bureau Insurance; Macatawa Bank
Hudsonville: Farm Bureau Insurance; Macatawa Bank
Jenison: Farm Bureau Insurance; Macatawa Bank
Muskegon: MSU Extension
Spring Lake: Farm Bureau Insurance
West Olive: MSU Extension
Zeeland: Farm Bureau Insurance; Macatawa Bank
Or you can purchase tickets online. The final BOTF event for the summer is Aug. 19 in Gratiot County at De Saegher Dairy in Middleton.
The sponsors for the 2017 BOTF events are the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan, United Dairy Industry of Michigan, the Michigan Wheat Program, Michigan Farm Bureau, Michigan Farm Bureau Insurance, the Michigan Foundation for Agriculture, GreenStone Farm Credit Services, Dairyland Seed, the Michigan Milk Producers Association, the Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee, Dairy Farmers of America and Crystal Flash.
For more information about the Ottawa County BOTF or other events, visit the Breakfast on the Farm website. Questions can be directed to Ashley Kuschel at 586-469-7616 or [email protected], or Mary Dunckel at 989-354-9875 or [email protected].
Source: MSUE
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