At Wheeler Farm they milk cows the old-fashioned way.
Every day at 4:15 and 5 p.m., the farmhands give a demonstration and informative talk about milking cows and anyone is invited to give it a try. The cost for the experience is a 50-cent token.
"It's our way of showing how milking was originally done on the farm, before life became mechanized," says Rick Snow, head historic farmer. "We're one of the few places left where this happens."
So many kids nowadays just think food comes from the store, Snow says. They don't appreciate the role of agriculture. He remembers a little boy who was there when they were gathering eggs. "He picked up an egg, and I asked him if he'd like to keep it. 'No,' he said, 'my mother buys the real ones at the store.'"
It's good for kids to know where food comes from, says Emily Hellstrom, who is one of the farmers who do the milking demonstrations. "And it's fun for them to actually try to milk. Our cows are really patient. And they are a lot smarter than most people think. They know the order they come in and keep track of it."
The cow is brought into the milking parlor and secured into a stall. "The only thing you don't want to do is walk or stand right behind it," says Hellstrom.
There are three cows currently being milked, and each has its own body type and personality, she says. "Lola, a Jersey, likes to swish her tail, so we tie it down so we don't get hit in the face."
Because Lola is smaller, you have to sit closer to the ground for her than you do for Jessie, a Holstein.
There is a definite technique to milking, says Cherstin Bagley, another of the farm workers. Before beginning, they wipe down the cow's udder with a warm cloth. "That helps to get the milk flowing," she says. "Then you grasp the teat with your whole hand. Pinch off the top with your thumb and finger and squeeze all the way down." Alternate with the other teats.
She can get a good rhythm going and can fill a bucket in no time. First time milkers are a little more tentative; some are not sure if it's something they want to do.
"At first it felt weird and squishy," said Brittney Miller, after her milking stint. "But it's really cool."
Added Nessa Pantfoerder, "It's harder than you think. But I thought it was fun." She and her family stopped at Wheeler Farm on their way from San Diego to Yellowstone. They found out about the program online. Her mother, Gabi, says she is "kind of known for finding odd things to do. I thought this would be something the kids would enjoy."
Lexy Welch ways her mother grew up milking cows, "so it was something she thought we should do. I'd never seen it before." She was surprised how fun it was.
Sharing a childhood experience was also the motivation for Mary Jean Taylor, who lives in Georgia, to visit Wheeler Farm. "I was raised on a farm and have milked cows. We always drank fresh cow milk." When her grandson, who is in the Air Force, was stationed in Ogden, she came for a visit and brought her great-grandkids to Wheeler Farm. "They are not as aware of cows as we were," she said.
It was a repeated visit for Libbey Chuy, who brought her two children. "Once a week we do a field trip. This is one of their favorite places to come."
Wheeler Farm, which is now a county park and a historic museum, dates back to 1886, when Sariah Hankinson Pixton married Henry Joseph Wheeler, and settled on 75 acres given to them by her mother.
"They built a Victorian home in 1898 and established a working farm," says Darlene Turner. "We consider the years from 1890 to 1940 as the time we interpret."
It was a pivotal time in the history of agricultural. Not only did farming methods and technologies change, but for the Wheelers, it was a time they moved from family farm to commercial enterprise, says Turner.
"We have some original caps from the milk bottles that came from their Rosebud Dairy."
There are nine historic structures on the property, including the original home. The cow barn was built in 1910.
"It gives you a chance to step back in time, to see what the rural lifestyle was like at the turn-of-the-century," says Turner. "It's a place to come and enjoy the outdoors, to play in the park and to learn."
In the early days, the Wheeler dairy had Guernseys and Belgians. "Now, we have Holsteins and Jerseys," says Scharman. "But we're looking into getting some Belgians. It would be fun to have the original breeds back."
What she has enjoyed most about the cow-milking program is "how much all the cows have personalities." They have one young bull on the farm, Triton, and he loves to play, she says. "He's always head-butting the other cows and the farmers." But one day they had to move him out of his regular spot in the barn because of some sheep that had to be there. "He gave me dirty looks every time I walked by.
"But the next day, we moved him back and everything was fine."
There is now a new little calf on the farm; Lola had a baby at the end of June. "So that's a fun thing for kids to come see, too," says Snow. "The Jerseys are the littlest babies, averaging only 40 pounds at birth. This calf looks like a little deer, with big eyes and ears."
There are other fun things to do at Wheeler Farm. Tractor-drawn wagon rides cost $2, as do tours of the original Victorian house. There's now a little country store with items from local vendors. But everything else is free. People can come and walk around, have a picnic in the park, watch the birds, and feed the ducks and geese, says Scharman. Dogs are welcome as long as they are on a leash.
"This year, we just ask people and dogs to be particularly careful around the creek. Little Cottonwood Creek runs through here, and it's still running high," she says.
But it's a great, inexpensive place to come. "How many places can you take kids to do things that don't break the bank? Plus it gives them a chance to see what life was like in the olden days. And how many kids can say they've milked a cow?"
Email: carma@desnews.com