Today, we can find nearly any piece of information through a device in our pocket or on our wrist. Technology has opened the door to information and content from across the globe. Unfortunately, it can be hard to cut through the fog of that information overload. How do you trust what you’re reading and seeing? You go straight to the source. Events like Vermont Breakfast on the Farm make that possible.
A Lack of Connection
Whether you live amongst the hustle and bustle of urban New England, maybe the packed and busy streets of Boston, or you call the bucolic hills and rolling fields of the rural Northeast home, you’re most likely two to three generations removed from your local farms.
It’s a commonality across the country today, there are fewer farmers, therefore fewer farms. In fact, roughly only two percent of the population is directly involved in agriculture. It can be eye-opening to read statistics like that, especially because we all rely on those farms and farmers to feed ourselves and our families each day.
Going Straight to the Source
You want to trust the foods you put in your body and the foods you’re serving your family. You care about where it came from, how it’s made, and its impact on the planet. When it comes to milk and other dairy products, your local farmers want you to feel good about the foods they’re working hard to create.
These points are the driving forces behind Vermont Breakfast on the Farm. The event, which has brought more than 11,000 members of the public to Vermont dairy farms since 2015, aims to answer your questions about dairy farming and dairy foods. At the on-farm events, guests enjoy a free breakfast featuring local foods and then take a self-guided farm tour.
More than 100 volunteers serve food, set up educational stations, and answer visitor questions alongside the host farm family. Many volunteers represent the local agricultural community, typically including neighboring dairy farm families, animal nutritionists, veterinarians, service dealers working the field, and many more. The goal is to help people get to know the farms and industry members that make up the backbone of the landscape and economy.
The Inside Scoop at Gosliga Farm
On July 16, 2022, you’re invited to visit Gosliga Farm in Addison, Vermont to enjoy a free breakfast. Then you’ll set off on a self-guided tour to meet the cute calves, the herd of milking cows, tour the barns, and milking facility, sit in the big equipment, and meet one of Vermont’s hard-working families. It’s the perfect chance to ask the questions you have about modern dairy farming.
Gosliga Farm is a multi-generational farm located in west-central Vermont along Lake Champlain. The Gosliga family milks about 800 cows and cares for hundreds of acres of fertile land in the Dead Creek watershed using climate-friendly cropping practices. They are member-owners of the Dairy Farmers of America dairy cooperative.
Established in 1966, Gosliga Farm started with Gerardus ‘Gerry’ Gosliga. He immigrated from the Netherlands and worked on dairy farms in Minnesota, California, and New York. He and his wife eventually settled in Vermont where they purchased their first herd of cows and raised their family alongside many other Dutch farming families that chose Addison County as their home at the time. Their children, Bert, Jake, and Grace eventually became partners in the business. Gerrit and his cousin Jeff Gosliga are the third generation to join the partnership. Today, the fourth generation is growing up on the 1,500 acre farm, where the family employs 10 people and care for those 800 cows.
If you have questions about dairy farming and dairy foods – this is the place to get them answered. Seating times are going quick, so reserve your free tickets now.
