BROWN COUNTY – For the last half-century, the dairy industry and June have gone hand-in-hand – and with it, Breakfast on the Farm.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for everyone in Wisconsin to have fun learning about farms, cows and dairy while enjoying great food and celebrating our state’s biggest industry,” Stephanie Geiger Petersen, Brown County Dairy Promotions Ambassador coordinator, said.
The annual family-friendly farm breakfasts – held during June Dairy Month – offer opportunities for attendees to learn about local dairy farms and the families that keep them running and enjoy home-cooked food made with fresh Wisconsin-made dairy products.
“June Dairy Month is a way for Wisconsinites to celebrate America’s Dairyland,” Geiger Petersen said. “Wisconsin is home to 25% of the nation’s total dairy farms, and 95% of Wisconsin’s dairy farms are family owned.”
Host farm
Each year, the event is hosted by a different family farm in Brown County, which allows them to tell their individual story.
This year’s host is Brickstead Dairy LLC, located at 1734 Wayside Rd. in Greenleaf – manned by Dan and Melanie Brick and their three sons, Sawyer and twins Elijah and Ian.
Assuming ownership of the 120-acre dairy farm in 1996, when his father Eugene retired, Dan Brick oversees 1,000 cows.
Brick said the parlor runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week with the entire herd visiting the parlor three times a day.
He said the milk produced is sold to Dairy Farmers of America, a co-op of dairies that is based out of Missouri, which handles 20-30% of the milk produced in the country, selling most of it to cheese plants.
As a fifth generation farmer, Brick said he not only cares about his animals, but is also passionate about the land he farms and is dedicated to sharing his environmental journey with the community and fellow farmers – with conservation and cow comfort at the heart of Brickstead Dairy’s mission.
He said the barn and granary built by his great-grandfather in the early 1900s are still in use today.
The Bricks are no strangers to welcoming folks to their farm.
Brick said during a typical spring, the farm will host more than 500 elementary-age students and 200 adults for field trips.
Brickstead also hosts a Sunset on the Farm event in August, where more than 500 guests are welcomed to the farm for an evening of education, tours, fun family activities and ice cream.
New this year, the Bricks launched Brickstead Dairy’s Store – a farm to table store where they see their own beef at barn2door.com.
Event specifics
This year’s Brown County Breakfast on the Farm event is set for 8 a.m. to noon Sunday, June 5.
Breakfast includes eggs, sausage, pancakes, maple syrup, mozzarella sticks, cheese curds, cheese samples, yogurt, bagels and cream cheese and milk.
“This isn’t just farm-to-table: we’ve brought the table to the farm,” Geiger Petersen said. “A breakfast table piled high with eggs, pancakes, milk and more, all served by the fantastic farmers themselves.”
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children aged 5-10 and free for children four and under.
Other activities happening during the event include a 7 a.m. church service, farm tours, a petting zoo, educational displays, an antique tractor display and children’s activities.
With the COVID-19 pandemic hampering the last two years of breakfast on the farm events, Geiger Petersen said organizers are excited to be back in-person and offering mostly “normal” activities again.
“COVID has not impacted this year’s planning nearly as much as in the past due to less restrictions and regulations,” she said. “Keeping that in mind, we are still allowing plenty of hand hygiene stations, activities are spaced out to decrease crowding and we are following all of the food regulations and guidelines for preparation and serving of our delicious breakfast.”
More information on this year’s event can be found at browncountydairypromotions.com.