FRANKTON, Ind. — At least 500 people toured the Tejo Willemsen dairy farm last week as part of the June Dairy Month event in Frankton, Ind.

Post cards were sent to neighbors within a 10-mile radius of the farm, and promotions were run in newspaper, radio and social media.

The public was invited to a brunch, a behind-the-scenes tour, and drawings for prizes. They were asked to bring a donation for the local food pantry.

“We hoped to educate families with young children on how a dairy farm is done. We’ve had a steady stream of people since 9 a.m.,” said Deb Osza, general manager of the American Dairy Association of Indiana.

Willemsen Dairy, begun in 1955, has 1,500 cows – or maybe 1,501. Right on schedule, a calf was born in the birthing barn during the course of the morning.

“The responses have been overwhelmingly positive. A lot of people commented that they had never before seen a calf born,” reported Kimmi Devaney, producer relations program coordinator for ADA Indiana.

One method of tracking visitor response was a survey distributed pre-tour and post-tour.

“We wanted to measure the level of understanding of modern farming and what visitors learned. We hope they learn the level of effort that the farmer takes to provide cow comfort,” Osza said.

On the tour Willemsen pointed out the multiple fans and water spraying the Holstein cows on the hot day.

“It is important to keep the cows cool. They are producing a lot of heat (as they lactate). The more comfortable they are, the more milk they produce. I think of them like Olympic athletes. If they’re doing a good job, we need to take care of them,” Willemsen told his attentive tour group.

“This is a 24/7 business. We milk 24 hours a day. It’s very important we milk the cows every day at the same time,” he added.

The cows are milked three times a day and produce about 30 gallons of milk a day, Willemsen said.

“I always say I don’t have any secrets. You can ask anything. We try to produce the highest quality milk. You can hopefully see that,” Willemsen said at the beginning of his tours.

He went on to tell his guests that milk and dairy is one of the most stringently tested and regulated industries in the United States.

The dairy industry will be highlighted again in August.

It is the Year of Dairy Cows at the Indiana State Fair, Aug. 3-19. A new flavor of milkshake will be introduced for the occasion – the lemon chiller – and a new sandwich, the MooChew, a jalepeno and American cheese combination, said Jenni Purcell, director of communications, ADA Indiana.

Go to www.in.gov/statefair for more information on the Indiana State Fair and www.WinnersDrinkMilk.com for more resources on dairy products and farming.