Dairy event changes up breakfast

A popular event showcasing the dairy industry is switching things up and offering something entirely new this year.

The Breakfast on the Farm offers a full menu of pancakes, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, cheese and refreshment. It will be cooked by the Blooming Prairie Dairy Queen. As an added bonus, guests will also be treated to soft-serve sundaes, also something that hasn’t been served in the past.

Despite the extra food being offered, the cost will remain $5 per person. “We’re not here to make money,” said Jon Schmidt, owner of Schmity Holsteins, the host of this year’s breakfast, and chairman of the Steele County American Dairy Association. “We want people to experience the farm because so many are two or three generations removed from the farm,” he added.

The event takes place Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Schmity Holsteins located southwest of Owatonna. Of the 12 remaining dairy herds in the county, Schmity has the largest with about 230 milking cows. Free bus transportation will be available from the Steele County Fairgrounds in Owatonna.

Schmity last hosted the breakfast event in 2022.

The idea of switching from the long-time staple of waffles, Schmidt said, came at the suggestion of his insurance agent, Jay Klemmensen, who also owns with his wife, Jamie, the Dairy Queen in Blooming Prairie.

With an estimated 1,200 people expected to show up again for the event, Schmidt said they were looking for ways to reduce the wait time for guests wanting to enjoy the dairy breakfast. In the past, some people have been forced to wait 45 minutes while others simply turned away because they didn’t want to wait. He expects things will go much faster this year with pancakes.

While the breakfast itself will be different, many of the old staples will remain. They include petting zoo for the kids, vintage tractor show, kiddy train rides, youth activities. The eight dairy princesses as well as Princess Kay of the Milky Way will be on hand to assist with the various events.

Schmidt operates a dairy operation that has been in existence for five generations dating back to 1884. He mostly has registered Holsteins and a few Jersey cows. His cows produce roughly 6.7 million pounds of milk per year.

The purpose of Saturday’s event is to educate the public about the dairy industry. “We are an agricultural community, but a lot of people don’t know where their food comes from,” said Schmidt. “We want people to get out and come out to be exposed to the farm.”

Added Schmidt, “We want the next generation to love dairy, eat dairy and drink dairy.”