Nestled at the edge of Midway and at the base of our Swiss Alps doppelgänger mountains, for two enchanting spring days, Kohler’s Farm will be hosting all the babies! Everyone is invited to binge baby animal cuteness.
Friday and Saturday April 28th and 29th from 10-6 the farm will be filled to the brim with baby goats, cows, horses, sheep, rabbits, llamas, alpacas, zebu calves, and a variety of other animals, including baby fish. Springtime on Kohler farms is a fun activity the whole family can enjoy.
A few years ago, when their son, Russ, came back home to the farm, the Kohler family took a close look at the direction dairy farming is going in our modern world and decided to reinvent their approach to farm life. Farming can be a tricky way of life, especially when you are trying to make ends meet. Grant Kohler knew they’d have to be creative so, he invited everyone back home to enjoy the farm life. The Kohler family has been reaching out to bring all walks of people home to the farm ever since. Their goal is to help people experience the life of a farmer one little moment at a time. The best news is — you’re invited too!
Tickets for all farm events can be purchased at the Heber Valley Artisan Cheese gift shop or online at: HeberValleyArtisanCheese.com
The Heber Valley Farm Baby Celebration is a fun family event maxed out with activities for all. Your kiddos can have their faces painted and get all their wiggles out while bouncing in a bounce house and playing in a sand pile. Families can enjoy the crunchy goodness of Heber Valley Artisan Cheese’s famous grilled cheese sandwiches followed by a delicious ice-cream cone from the creamery. Of course you’ll want to set aside an hour or two to meander through the fields, where all the babies frolic, then mosey on down to the cow barns. Farmers and ranchers from around the Heber Valley will be there to help you pet, hold, and even feed the animals. If that doesn’t encapsulate childhood and country charm at its best, I just don’t know what would.
Additional activities and animal encounters are available for those who purchase a VIP ticket. Experience goat yoga with a licensed yoga instructor and baby goats, or feed a calf its bottle. As a girl who grew up on a cattle ranch, it’s my opinion that: kids (baby goats) and calves are the happiest and sweetest baby animals in the entire world! There is just something so endearing about their soft cheeks and wet leathery noises. And anyone who’s ever looked into the big brown eyes of a calf knows how they steal your heart!
Families can also go on a hay ride and barn tour every Monday through Saturday at 11:00, if you’re not available to make it to the baby animal event. The tour lasts about 1 1/2-2 hours. There will be a tour guide to offer information and guidance all along the way. The wagon will stop by the calves for about a half hour. There are usually 30-40 head of babies. If you get lucky, you may get to see a brand-new one. The thing about dairies is that there are always a plethora of new calves. Seriously always! That’s what keeps the milk flowing year round.
When you arrive at the cow barn you will have the opportunity to walk through and see them being milked by the robotic milkers and getting their massages. Yes, I did in fact say massages. This state of the art machinery is fascinating to both young and old. Learn how it gathers data about a cow’s production, nutritional needs, health information and more. The machines then send push-notifications to the farmers. Purdy fancy! Right?! If more people knew how technologically advanced farms are; they might be blown away. These dairymen are masters of the trade.
Another great thing about Kohler’s Dairy is that it is home to Heber Valley Artisan Cheese! There aren’t many farms where one can experience the entire chain from the field to the fork. This is a unique opportunity, not to be missed. The end of the tour brings you to a sneak peek of the newest expansion currently under construction — the cheese tasting room — where you can look out over the entire dairy from an elevated view.
Cheese making classes are monthly. There are two options: Mozzarella and Burrata. There is limited availability, and classes sell out quickly, so make sure to get your ticket(s) online early.
You can always swing by the gift shop for soup and a sandwich or an ice cream. Don’t forget to pick up some cheese curd and their creatively seasoned, delicious cheeses. You’ll find products from many local vendors like jams, cookies, fudges, charcuterie boards, salsa, crackers, beef, and of course milk and cheese. Good eats, sweet treats, and all the baby animals! You’ll leave with a smile every time.
Other exciting events happening throughout the year are Tractor Days and Howl ‘O Ween Town.
Fun Kohler Family Facts:
- Grant Kohler, current owner of the dairy and Heber Valley Artisan Cheese lives on the original farm purchased by his grandfather in 1929.
- Grant’s grandfather worked in the original Midway creamery when he was a teen.
- Gotlib Kohler, Grant’s great-grandfather was a cheese maker in Switzerland before immigrating to Midway as one of the first settlers in the area.
- 102 acres of the farm have a conservation easement. This is one way the family chose to give back to the valley; ensuring open spaces for years to come.
- Today, Russ Kohler is home to stay and dedicated to carry on the family way of milking cows and making cheese.
- Kohler’s Dairy is all about family: three of their children work full-time in the family business and the other two help as often as they can.
Farmers put in more hours, sweat, blood, and tears than they will ever be compensated for monetarily in this lifetime, but it’s a blessed way of life. Thank a farmer you ate today.
