We stayed in the Hoosier State for about 3 weeks and this wraps up most of the visit. We enjoyed many family visits and explored many new areas of the state.
While in the Lafayette, Indiana area, I went fishing with Brad to a DNR lake that used to be a mining strip pit. This was a beautiful early morning on a smooth as glass lake. The light fog gradually was burned off as the sun finally crested over the trees. Only one fish interrupted the serenity! Thanks to Brad for showing me this treasure.
The Fair Oaks farm complex is really incredible. It is a mega farm that has now branched out into the tourism business. A Disney World of farming. Actually, during the Dairy Adventure Tour it seemed more like an erie Jurassic Park Adventure. And not necessarily in a good way.
They have 3 tours that you can sign up for . Dairy, Pig, and Crop adventures. We chose the dairy tour. This place is huge at 30 square miles and they have 36,000 milk cows producing 280,000 gallons of milk a day. Very efficient and automated. The dairy tour begins with a video then we board a sealed bio-secure bus that takes us right through the middle of the cows boarding and feeding barns. They keep everything sealed from the tourists to avoid transmitting any diseases to the cattle. The recorded voice tells us about the high tech food that has been developed right here on the farm. As well as the high tech waste conversion into fuel.
The cows stay in their “dorms” until time to milk three times per day. The feeling was the cattle do this on their own. The milking operation runs continuously, 24 hours a day. They wait in a long line to get back into the high tech milking room. They climb aboard a 72 cow rotary turntable. A person will then attached the equipment. About 15 minutes later the cow is unattached, and they back out of the stall all on their own.
The cows will give birth to 80-100 calves per day. The males are sent to market and the females are put into the milking rotation as soon as it is possible.
Their restaurant serves up a farm to table menu of beef, pork, and chicken. The food is quite good. We ate there twice in our travels to view and then pick up Pat’s sister’s RV.
Next up on the agenda was a visit to good friend, fellow Hoosier and former co-worker Ed Fain and his wife Sue. Ed retired just a few months before I did and has been enjoying the good life with many travels all around and also time spent at their lake house on Raccoon Lake. They have a great view of the lake and a neat pontoon boat that is docked right up to the shoreline of their home. Ed is a Rose-Hulman graduate (it was Rose Poly when I lived in Terre Haute).
We did an afternoon tour around the lake and thoroughly enjoyed our time with them. Raccoon Lake is a flood control reservoir and the COE will drain it over the winter to be able to have plenty of room for the spring snow melt and spring rains.
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Cheers!
So much fun. Thanks for sharing.
Sue and I certainly enjoyed our time with both of you at Raccoon Lake, we’ll need to do it again sometime, or maybe kayak/canoe down Sugar Creek next time you’re in our area!
Most definitely Ed! Let’s see where our paths may cross again!
Great blog; it prodes me to ressurect ours, which I started shortly before I retired last year. I did a good job of updating it until we got to Montana. After we hit the Canadian border, headed to Alaska, the WiFi was pretty much nonexistant, so i got WAY behind and, well … enjoying retirement won out and our friends keep up with us on Facebook now. Maybe I’ll revisit it …
Hi Gayle, yes I found that out as well that it is easy to fall behind in the blog updates as we have so much to do in each new location. I have spoken to several RV’ers who have gone to only Facebook updates as well. I guess they both have a value as the FB is easy, quick, and reaches many people. The blog can be more in depth and easier to go back and review. Good luck and be safe in your travels!