Yoga session shows how barns promote calf care

Checkoff funds a partnership connecting consumers with where their food comes

Rain poured down on the first Saturday of June. In the dairy calf barn at Hildebrand Dairy Farm in Junction City, over 60 people rolled out their yoga mats and stayed dry during the hour-long Yoga on the Farm session. The yoga participants were not the only ones dry despite the rain. In the barn next door, the dairy cows ate their morning meal, were milked and enjoyed naps on dry bedding.

Yoga on the Farm has been hosted by CommonGround Kansas, a partnership between Kansas Soybean and Kansas Corn, for the past seven years on farms across the state. The event normally takes place in a scenic pasture overlooking cows or the sunset. This was the first time the event moved inside a barn because of the Kansas weather.

“While conditions were not ideal, it was a great opportunity to showcase all that farmers and ranchers do to care for their livestock,” CommonGround coordinator Jodi Oleen says. “We were soaked walking outside, yet the cattle stayed dry under the cover of barns and the calves had warm bedding.”

Yoga on the Farm connects foodies and farmers over a fun activity before taking the participants on a farm tour. After the yoga session in June, the group learned about the milking parlor and cattle barns, and discussed how the livestock is cared for through the process. They covered antibiotic use, hormones, feed ingredients and more.

“We love to host those who are curious and want to know more on our farm,” Melissa Hildebrand-Reed, a fourth-generation dairy farmer, says. “This is a fun opportunity to connect with consumers and build a relationship where they feel comfortable asking questions.”

“We can all focus on our health,” Hildebrand-Reed adds, “and then explore the farm and share about the health of cows.”

Moving inside was an unintended change to the event, but it gave way to showcase one of the many methods farmers use to keep their livestock happy and healthy. That care creates quality food products for consumers to enjoy.

CommonGround Kansas unites Kansas farm women who share stories about food and farming to build trust in farmers. The program is funded by the Kansas Corn Commission and the Kansas Soybean Commission and relies on volunteers who raise crops and livestock to share their stories.