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| View from the top of the Kreider Farms observation silo |
Our first stop was at Kreider Farms in Manheim, PA What an incredible operation that is! Gone are the days of my childhood when the cows were milked by hand by my father, mother, and siblings. I tried my hand at it once. No one was around and the helpless cow was firmly secured in her wooden stanchion. I pulled a small milking stool over and got into position. It couldn't be all that difficult, right? I mean, I had seen others do it countless times, rhythmic pulls on the gigantic teats producing full streams of warm loamy milk while the cows stood silently chewing their cud.
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| Small Graveyard in the cornfield |
Well let me tell you, that's not the way it works. I tugged. I pulled. The cow stood still but I'm pretty sure she was thinking I shouldn't consider a career as a milkmaid. And she refused to let down more than a few drops. I gave up in disgust and crept out of the barn thinking no one would ever know what a failure I was. Wrong again. Since I had made a total muddle of the whole affair, Bessie refused to let down her milk for anyone else either and within minutes everyone knew I had messed up the day's production for that particular bovine. Needless to say, all my elders, both parents and siblings, were less than pleased. They never allowed me near a cow again. In hindsight, maybe the long range benefits outweighed my temporary humiliation.
At Kreider Farms there was no hand-milking that I could see. A huge carousel holding around fifty cows, rotated slowly. Automated fences eased them on and off as their turns came and went. An attendant walked around outside the fencing cleaning each udder and popping on the suction apparatus. The equipment was elevated,bringing the cows' pertinent anatomy to face level for the man in charge. Several of them kicked off the milkers and our tour guide told us they were heifers and not familiar nor submissive to the routine. He told us that the first few milkings after calving could produce up to seventeen gallons per day from the highest performing cows.
We rode through the "Mooternity" barn but did not witness any of the average of six deliveries per day. We drove past the "Cow Palace" where the ladies hang out when they aren't being milked. We drove past the "Super Duper Pooper Scooper" a huge loader that helps with the never-ending waste removal and we learned about the impressive circle of life, well maybe I should say circle of a cow's digestive system. Seems they do little in a day except eat and expel. Oh, and produce that milk we all love to drink. Here's an interesting bit of trivia that someone on the bus told me: humans are the only mammals that continue to drink milk after they are weaned.
Kreider Farms also have over seven million chickens and gather over one million eggs per day. Because of the concerns with Avian Flu and the like, no visitors are permitted in that section of the operation. We were able to look down on all the farms from the one-hundred foot silo that has been converted into an observation tower. We were each handed a small bottle of chocolate milk to enjoy and off we went to the next adventure, the faint odor of manure surrounding us. Thankfully, it was from the cows and not the chickens.
Kitchen Kettle Village is a quaint little tourist "town" filled with shops, eateries and a street musician. We went our separate ways for lunch, strolling up and down the little streets sampling whatever peaked our interest. Paul and I ate outside, the weather once again perfect. If we smelled of cow manure no one seemed to notice.
We stopped to see a replica of the biblical tabernacle and learned many interesting details about the Israelites' forty-year journey to the promised land. How blessed we are to have a Savior who gave His Life so that we no longer need to perform all the rituals and sacrifices required all those years ago. Now we have the indescribable privilege of meeting with our Father whenever we want, without delay and without intermediaries.
We got back to our hotel with just enough time to freshen up for the evening. Supper at Ruth and Sam Lapp's was delicious. The Lapp's are a local Amish family whose business is home-cooking and hosting groups of hungry eaters in their home. We started with fresh salad greens and home-made dressing, followed by chicken and roast beef, boiled potatoes swimming in butter, and carrots, finishing with ice-cream, chocolate cake, and raspberry sauce for dessert.
Our next stop was the Sight and Sound Theater to see the live production of Jonah. Never disappointing, the special effects, singing, comedy, and inspirational message were all we anticipated. We even saw someone from home, one of the tour guides who welcomed us for the evening.
