Indiana: Fair Oaks Farm

While not expecting an adventure while traveling through Northern Indiana, I recently had the opportunity to visit Fair Oaks Farms, located just off of I-65 in oddly enough Fair Oaks Indiana.
Fair Oaks Farms has been referred to as the “Disneyland of Dairy farms” and it’s with good reason. I was immediately drawn to the property by the 99 room Fairfield by Marriott in the shape of a large red barn. The Holstein colored water tower helps catch the eye of I-65 traffic as well.
Once on property you discover you’re in the middle of a working dairy and pork farm, but with a few more creature comforts that make it a great visit for the whole family. After booking my tour of the dairy and pork farms I popped into the Cowfe for a quick snack (and some souvenirs for my bovine loving friends & family) where I had the option of various sandwiches or local ice creams. I selected a three-cheese grilled cheese and ice-cold Fa!r Life milk and couldn’t have been happier with the decision. (Sorry, no video here, caught up in the souvenir hunt and the amazing sandwich) For those who are looking for a more complete meal, the Farmhouse restaurant offers a full menu for lunch and dinner options.
After a quick snack, I boarded one of the farms Holstein themed busses for a windshield tour of the dairy. Fair Oaks does a great job of bio-isolating their animals from the tourist in an attempt to keep everyone safe and healthy. During the tour we had the opportunity to see cows being milked by some of the leading technology in the robotic dairy field. Then it was back to the main campus to tour the pork side of the farm.
Except nature provided an opportunity that changed the plans. As we were getting off the bus we learned of a cow that had just given birth, and there was a calf that was less than an hour old in the birthing barn. What they didn’t mention was the second cow that was actively calving in the birthing barn as well.
** CAUTION: THIS VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS FOOTAGE OF A COW BIRTHING A CALF **
The dairy herds at Fair Oaks are home to several thousand cows, so calving is an almost daily occurrence. (There were three born the morning I was there) Being able to see this process first hand is pretty awesome.
Fair Oaks website states: “At Fair Oaks Farms, our mission is to welcome you to experience joy and enrichment through reconnecting with the land, nurturing your body with the food and people you love, and immersing in the innovative efforts to feed our world.” I believe they are succeeding in this mission. If you’re ever in the Gary Indiana area I highly recommend a trip down I-65 to check them out.
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[@Jayesh_kumawat_vlogs]

Can we meet personally with workers for information or not

[@blackhattravels]

Yes & no. They have staff around the touristy parts to highlight what you're seeing and answer questions, but your isolated from anyone working with the animals to help mitigate any germs or other bacteria spread.