NORTHERN INDIANA — Would you like to know where milk comes from and how it is produced? This summer, you can see for yourself by journeying along the Northern Indiana Dairy Trail for an up close look at modern milk production. The event, to be held on two consecutive Saturdays in June, plus one more date in October, will feature farm tours, educational displays, children’s activities and dairy product tastings.

Three of these farms are in Kosciusko County, including Oneeda Farm LLC, 71957 CR 35, Syracuse; Gingerich Dairy LLC, 12836 N. 400W, Milford, and Beer Dairy Inc., 9194 N. Orn Road, Milford. A map and details about the farms are available here.

The farm tours will be led by hard-working dairy farmers, who will answer your questions on such topics as antibiotics, GMOs, food safety, animal care, nutrient management and environmental stewardship.

As an added attraction, visitors can take part in special activities celebrating the 200th anniversary of Indiana’s statehood.

This special project is being organized by a committee of volunteers who love dairy products and sincerely want to see the dairy industry grow and prosper in northern Indiana. The six-county region of Elkhart, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Marshall, Noble and St. Joseph has more dairy farms than any other region of the state, and these volunteers want to recognize the important contributions of dairy farming to the local economy and to build and maintain trust with consumers.

“The Northern Indiana Dairy Trail will take place on 11 dairy farms in northern Indiana over the span of two consecutive Saturdays, June 18 and 25,” said Jerry Goshert, editor of The Farmer’s Exchange and committee chairman. “As a salute to Indiana’s bicentennial, we are also planning a special celebration when the statewide torch relay passes by a historic Elkhart County dairy farm in early October.”

At each stop along the dairy trail, visitors can expect to witness some high-tech tools that farmers are using to increase efficiency and productivity while also improving the quality of life for their cows and helping the environment.

“Two farms on the Northern Indiana Dairy Trail use robots to milk cows, while another farm is recycling nutrients (animal waste) to produce electricity for the farm,” Goshert said. “All of the farms on the dairy trail, both large and small, are producing milk in a responsible manner while also contributing to the local economy through their feed and equipment purchases, veterinary and herd health services and, of course, their property taxes.”

As an official legacy project endorsed by the Indiana Bicentennial Commission, the Northern Indiana Dairy Trail is open to the public.

The Northern Indiana Dairy Trail is supported by dozens of local sponsors, including Farm Credit Mid America, the Elkhart County 4-H Dairy Advisory Board, Elkhart County Farm Bureau Inc., Interra Credit Union and Hoover Feed Service. The project is also supported by grants from the Professional Dairy Producers Foundation, Indiana Corn Marketing Council and the Indiana Soybean Alliance.

To find out more about the Northern Indiana Dairy Trail and the 12 host farms, visit www.dairytrail.com.