I'm always on the lookout for cool adventures and educational experiences for my kids. So when I found a dairy farm that offered tours... and a free sample of ice cream? Easy peasy.
Located in Ayden, NC the Simply Natural Creamery offers farm tours and fresh ice cream in their store.
At the front of their property is a playground that the kids enjoyed while we waited for our tour guide. We rode behind a large tractor in a covered wagon. For some reason I didn't take any pictures of this part. The tractor takes you out and around the soybean fields as the tour guide tells you the history of the farm, statistics on crop yield, and the process of creating the cow's natural diet.
Then we would around to the baby section. The cows at Simply Natural are allowed to graze and roam freely once they are of age. Until then they are housed in the nursery. James loved scratching their faces and enjoyed their rambunctious kisses. Elizabeth was being a bit grumpy and didn't share the same experience.
The tour continues to a large barn where the cows are fed and have "toys" to enjoy. We sat and watched this cow enjoy her back massage for a bit.
We also were able to tour the inside of the milking facility. Our tour guide explained the various mechanisms that quickly milk the cows. From there we moved to watch the milk being put into bottles and loaded into crates in their processing facility.
The kids loved the cows and were especially thrilled with chocolate ice cream at the end! The staff were fantastic and we enjoyed the tour. If you are ever in the area, we highly recommend Simply Natural Creamery... or at the very least stop in for some delicious, natural ice cream.