A Big Thanks From Santa

Holy cow! We were hoping for a great turn-out, but wow!

Our Santa On The Farm event last Saturday brought quite a crowd. 

Read on to see a video of our Christmas display too!

Kate loved Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Nearly 400 people visited Bremer Farms. Each car that drove through our holiday display brought food shelf donations or money to donate to the Great American Milk Drive. We received more food than Santa's toy sack can hold. Good thing he has a big sleigh!

Megan and Jack came to visit.

There were lots of photos taken with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Mrs. Claus gave everyone a cow coloring book, crayons, and "I heart Milk" stickers, and Santa made sure all the good little boys and girls, and the moms and dads too, went home with candy canes.

Porter and Maverick's aunties brought them to see Santa on the Farm.

Thank you to everyone who came to see how we celebrate Christmas on Bremer Farms and for all the generous donations! After only our second year of hosting "Santa on the Farm" it has quickly become one of our favorite holiday traditions!

Please enjoy our SANTA ON THE FARM VIDEO

Thanks to Santa and Mrs. Claus for visiting Bremer Farms! I only wish Sara and Michael could have been here to see them (wink-wink).

IT'S TIME FOR A GIFT GIVEAWAY!

"LIKE" My Barnyard View on Facebook and you will be entered to win a dairy goodness holiday package. This random drawing includes milk and cookies tree ornaments, 2 "Dairy Christmas" kitchen towels and The Dairy Good Cookbook! Good luck!

Santa On The Farm 2017

We at Bremer farms are bustling about as fast as Santa's Elves right now. While the Elves are building toys at the North Pole, we are creating a Christmas extravaganza on the farm, and we hope you will come for a visit. Santa and the lovely Mrs. Claus are taking time away from their busy schedule to be here to greet you!

Here's a sneak peek-

A few of our gingerbread houses.

There may not be gingerbread samples, but there will be goodie bags for the kids, and candy canes for all! We will also be collecting food donations for Hastings Family Service and cash donations for the Great American Milk Drive. On average, people served by food banks receive the equivalent of less than 1 gallon of milk per person per year.

Snoopy is helping too!

There will be thousands of lights, characters you will recognize, and be sure to tune your car radio to 88.9FM to watch the light show synced to music. This year's show features "The Christmas Without A Santa Claus."

We hope you can come!

Santa On Bremer Farms

Kate, our littlest visitor to see Santa at Bremer Farms.

The weather was not very cooperative so we had to reschedule, but Santa on the Farm was a huge success!

This year, for the first time, we played host to Santa and Mrs. Claus at our farm. We invited folks to visit with this popular couple, 

view our Christmas decorations, 

and bring along a donation for our local food shelf, or a cash donation for The Great American Milk Drive. We got LOTS of donations including nearly $300 for the milk drive. 

So what is The Great American Milk Drive?

Milk is one of the most-requested, yet least-donated items.

On average, clients receive the equivalent of less than 1 gallon per person per year. That’s because while Americans are generous with canned and dry goods, many don’t think to donate milk because it’s perishable. Your small donation will deliver a gallon of milk to a family in need in your local community.

 Even though Santa and Mrs. Claus have returned home to the North Pole, you can easily donate online. Click here- The Great American Milk Drive.

We were thrilled by the response to our first "Santa on the Farm" and Santa and his lovely bride, Mrs. Claus have agreed to visit again next December, so it's official, "Santa on the Farm" will be an annual event at Bremer Farms!

Here's a peek of what you missed-

Santa On The Farm

Bremer Farms is trying something new this Christmas. 

Daughter Sara loves decorating our farm for holidays. Colorful, blinking lights on our house, synced to music,  inflatables bouncing in the breeze, cut-outs of familiar characters...you name it, we have it!

Sara decorates our farm for most holidays, but none surpass the extravaganza she creates for Christmas. We have 50-plus inflatables inhabiting our farm. Santa, snowman, forest creatures, even dinosaurs, but she hasn't found a cow (yet) to add to her collection. I know she's still looking though!

Each summer Sara spends hours, and hours creating new cut-outs. This year she created Rudolph and all his friends from her all-time favorite Christmas story. And if you look closely you will see another new addition this year- gingerbread houses. Yes, five new gingerbread houses adorn the yard near our barn. They look good enough to nibble!

Of course our Christmas display would not be complete without the nativity, complete with the star shining above. "We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." Matthew 2:2

So this year we are trying something new. We are inviting everyone to come visit our farm and enjoy our Christmas decorations. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be here and we are collecting food shelf donations, and cash donations for The Great American Milk Drive.

Please stop by if you are in our neighborhood.

Merry Christmas!

Batter Up For America

I don't claim to be the biggest sports fan in America, but I do enjoy following our Minnesota teams. I'm also one of those people who gets a bit "star-struck" when I get the opportunity to meet one of these athletes. 

 
When I recently got asked to represent dairy farmers at an autograph signing with Minnesota Twins own baseball rookie, Eddie Rosario, I thought wow! A Minnesota sports celebrity and promoting dairy? That's a win-win situation!

The focus of this event was to share the importance of the
 Great American Milk Drive
which, with your help, makes milk available to children and families in need,
 especially in the summer months. 

According to Feeding America, more than half a million people in Minnesota are food insecure. Nearly 1-in-6 children throughout Minnesota struggle with hunger and may be at risk of missing out on milk's nutrition during the summer months.

Bob Chatmas, of Second Harvest, shared that milk is the single most requested nutritious item by food bank clients, but it's rarely donated. On average, food banks are only able to provide one gallon of milk per person per year. This means food bank clients can't even come close to the recommended three servings of dairy each day!

Most of us don't have to think twice about picking up a gallon of milk when we run out, and yes, even though I'm a dairy farmer surrounded by milk, I buy my milk at the store, just like you. But some families in our communities are missing this nutrient rich beverage. It's a problem that impacts all sorts of families - in urban, suburban and rural communities. Hunger is everywhere.

The Great American Milk Drive is a Feeding America program that's made possible by the nation's milk companies and dairy farmers, like me. It is designed to make it easy for all of us to donate much-needed milk to local food banks. I've donated several times by clicking on the link above. 
Won't you?

The Great American Milk Drive

Imagine cereal without milk... 

What's a chocolate chip cookie without a glass of milk?

Spicey food? Where's the milk?

"Where's the milk?" If you are the 1 in 6 Americans who struggle with hunger and rely on food shelves for your groceries, you may be asking this question. Milk is the number one requested food item by food banks. The average food bank client needs 68 gallons of milk per year, and 95% of food banks don't receive enough milk to meet clients needs. Therefore, on average only one gallon is donated per client, per year!

What can we do?

The Great American Milk Drive is the first-ever, multi-year, nationwide program that will provide milk to food bank clients. Through the Feeding America network of more than 200 food banks that serve thousands of local community agencies and pantries, consumers have the opportunity to make milk donations online or via text. It's a quick and easy way to help our neighbors who aren't receiving the powerhouse of essential nutrients that milk provides. 

I've made my donation. Won't you join me?

Click here to donate. 

Thanks!