Hood Farms Family Dairy, located near Paw Paw, will host a "Breakfast on the Farm" event on Aug. 8. The public is invited to enjoy a free farm tour and breakfast. Organizers, including Michigan State University Extension and Van Buren County Farm Bureau, say the event is a great opportunity to meet local food producers and to learn about modern-day food production.
Hood Farms Family Dairy is owned and operated by Tim Hood, his wife Debbie, and their four children. They pride themselves in being a family-owned and family-operated farm.
The farm is located at 41488 C.R. 358 in Paw Paw. This event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with breakfast being served until noon.
Hood and his family look forward to opening their farm to consumers through BOTF.
"I see people drive slowly by the farm trying to get a look inside, I know they are curious," Tim Hood said. "Consumers don't understand modern-day farming practices, and it is important that they know our story."
The Hood family houses 500 cows and produces 1,100 acres of crops to feed the cows. When the Hoods expanded their herd, they began implementing irrigation practices to increase crop yields. Today, nearly 75 percent of their crops are under irrigation.
Following the meal, visitors will be invited to explore the farm on a self-guided walking tour. Visitors will see cows being milked, clean housing for all animals, farm equipment and irrigated crops. Volunteers from the community will be stationed around the farm to answer visitors' questions about modern-day farming practices.
"We want consumers to know the truth about where their food comes from. We want to be able to tell our story," Tim Hood said.
Also helping to promote the breakfast event is Van Buren County Farm Bureau's Tod Kubiszak. He said Tim Hood is a "top shelf" producer and a past winner of the Farm Bureau's Farm Stewardship Award.
The event is free, but tickets are required to eat breakfast. Tickets are available at MSU Extension offices in Paw Paw, Cassopolis, Kalamazoo and Benton Harbor, as well as the Van Buren County Farm Bureau office along Red Arrow Highway in Paw Paw.