On Wednesday, September 18th, Mrs. Mesich and Mrs. Williams’ Kindergarten classes from St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point visited Kleine Dairy Farm in Cedar Lake. The farm has been in the Kleine family for over 100 years. It was established in 1917 by Joseph Kleine, who is the grandfather of the current owner, Dave Kleine. The Kleine family has kept the values of the past intact while incorporating modern technology to insure the wellness of each of their cows. Biofeedback from each cow, which the family knows by name, is monitored carefully via a computer system in real-time. The children were able to experience the daily routine of working on a dairy farm. They saw how the cows are fed and what makes up their feed. They saw a calf being bottle-fed, the milking parlor, and they got to climb up on the four tractors the Kleine family uses. The children even saw a large mechanical brush the cows can activate themselves, for a cow “moosage.” It was a great day and both teachers greatly appreciated the Kleine family for opening up their farm for a tour. Stop by and see their booth at the Lake County Fair next year to learn more about the Kleine Dairy Farm. The teachers, parent chaperones, and students learned how well the cows were taken care of and were impressed with the fact that a small local farm can produce a good volume of fresh, wholesome milk in a sustainable fashion.
St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Pointe offers grade levels Junior Pre-Kindergarten (for three-year-olds) through eight. The school offers a multitude of activities and experiences including various field trips at each grade level. To learn more about St. Mary’s School or schedule a tour, visit stmarycp.org/school.