Lake Co. FB Welcomes Officials at Kleine Dairy Farm
Published: Friday, July 31, 2026
Indiana Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-District 1) visited Kleine Dairy Farm in Cedar Creek last Friday during the inaugural Evening on the Farm hosted by Lake County Farm Bureau, speaking with farmers and Farm Bureau representatives ahead of the second draft of the farm bill.
"I want to make sure I stay connected to the county agriculture," he said. "I have to have this education and connection to get a good grasp of the challenges farmers face and how to remove those challenges."
Mrvan said this is especially important ahead of voting on the farm bill, which passed the House in April and is now in the Senate for approval and revisions.
"My priorities are to increase funding for SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program), funding for second and third generation farmers and conservation," he said.
The Evening on the Farm invited Lake County officials and school representatives to gather to learn more about agriculture in the area during a family-friendly tour.
"Our job as the Lake County Farm Bureau is to advocate and educate for all things agriculture," said LCBF President Dan Sutton. "Every decision in some way affects agriculture."
He pointed to a recently built school near Lowell, which resulted in increased traffic around farm fields.
"The school board put a school out in the country," he said. "I saw the first-hand effects."
Due to school traffic, farmers in the area were limited from moving farm equipment such as tractors, sprayers and, in the fall, harvesters, in the morning and afternoon when school starts and lets out.
Sutton also said they are advocating to get more agricultural exposure into schools in Lake County.
Dave Kleine hosted the tour on his farm. He is a third-generation dairy farmer. He noted that Kleine Dairy Farm was founded in Cedar Lake in 1917.
Sylvia Velez, who works at the Kahler Middle School in Dyer, expressed surprise as she toured the farm facility.
"I didn't know it (the dairy farm) existed," she said. "People come to Cedar Lake for different things, you know?"
After touring the farm, she said it should be introduced to students to ensure the next generation knows about the local agriculture industry.
Also attending the tour was Dan Burke of Crown Point. As a Lake County judge, he said it was "cool to see" agriculture so close to Crown Point.
"People don't always associate Lake County with farms," he said. "It's not factory farming. It's great to hear all the effort put into caring for the cows. It all just seems thoughtful."
Burke and his wife, Katherine, brought their three children, Jonathan, 12, Lilian, 10 and Benjamin, 8, to explore the life of a farmer. Together, they learned how much milk dairy cows make in a day, what dairy cattle eat, how cows are milked with modern technology and more.
The cows move through a parallel parlor where they are milked with a milking machine, which uses a gentle vacuum pressure to draw milk from the cows. Workers clean and sanitize the cows' teats and udder before and after the milking process to ensure good health.
The event also featured a crop tour, which introduced attendees to the process of raising corn, wheat, soybeans and hay to create feed and straw for dairy cattle.
Sutton taught participants about the different types of corn, wheat and hay, and told them how a dairy farmer uses them to support his cattle. Visitors got a chance to smell and taste the various ingredients that go into the cattle feed. Sutton explained that corn is an energy source, while soybeans provide protein.
"This is awesome. Very nice. I learned a lot," said Kevin Toth, Hanover Twp. trustee. "I've lived here most of my life in this area and never knew this stuff is here."
Also attending the tour were Indiana State Sen. Julie Olthoff, Indiana State Sen. and Indiana Farm Bureau Vice President Kendell Culp and Rachel Rhoades of the office of Todd Rokita, among others.
The evening concluded with a catered dinner and time for connection and discussion.
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