June is winding down and so is my June Dairy Month blog series. Just a few more fabulous farms are left to cover and today’s farm is a genuine tourist attraction in the fall. Make sure to catch the recipe at the end.
John and Cynthia Adam moved to Knollbrook Farm in 1986, right after they were married. The farm is called Knollbrook because it is on a small knoll by Solomon Creek. They had four cows, and no large equipment. But they had a dream. Both worked off the farm to build up the equity they needed to purchase cows and equipment. Cynthia finished school to become a Registered Dietitian and John sold computer livestock feeders and had a custom silage bagging business.
The Adams began dairy farming full-time in 1998. Today, they operate 370 acres, and milk 90 Holsteins and Jersey cows. The Adams were the 2012 Elkhart County Farm Family of the Year. Knollbrook Farm is a working dairy farm, but the family also runs a tourism show—with a pumpkin patch and corn maze every fall. Visit www.knollbrookfarm.com for more information.
John and Cynthia have four children–Nathaniel, Nicholas, Lucas, and Faith. Cynthia says you have to have “Faith” to finally have a little girl after already having three boys! The entire family is actively involved with all aspects of dairy farming and the corn maze-and you’ll see them feeding cattle, scraping the cow lot, picking pumpkins, mowing the maze, and demonstrating the tricycle track or pumpkin slingshot. Farm visitors can also check out the afternoon “cow parade” when the cows come up from the pasture for milking. Starting last fall, the Adam family is now using two robots to milk the cows. It took the cows a little time to get used to “milking themselves” but now the ladies are adjusted and the family has a little more freedom in their schedule! Farm visitors can see the robots in action this fall.
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