Fond du Lac Co., Wi – The date and location for Fond du Lac County Breakfast on the Farm is June 23, 2024, and the host is Abel Dairy Farm, 4050 County Road UU in Eden.
Due to the weather, only handicap parking will be available at the farm. All guests are to park at an off-site location and shuttle in from either Aurora Medical Center (210 Wisconsin American Dr, Fond du Lac,) or Campbellsport High School (114 W Sheboygan St, Campbellsport).
Steve Abel heads the 6th generation dairy farm with his father Allen and brother Bill. The farm has grown significantly since starting in 1857 in Fond du Lac County.
Breakfast on the Farm is an event of the Fond du Lac Agri-Business Council, a program of Envision Greater Fond du Lac,
“We’ve never hosted Breakfast on the Farm before, but we did host Farm Progress Days back in 2000,” said Steve. “It was great to see so many people here that day.”
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Abel Dairy Farm spans close to 3,000 acres. “We were about 1,800 to 2,000 acres before, so we’ve grown quite a bit over the years,” said Steve.
The farm’s recent expansion doubled its cow count to about 4,300.
Steve’s son, Nathan, is also involved in the farm, working there while attending college with plans to return full-time in the future.
“It’s really an honor to host this event,” said Steve. “We’re a large dairy, but we don’t treat any day different than another day. We’re proud of what we’ve built in the last couple of years here.”
Abel Dairy Farm is not only known for its size but also for its innovative practices. “We’re in the process of wrapping up a large manure digester for the dairy that should be online here within the month. It’s a renewable natural gas facility, which is a bit rare for even large dairies.”
While Abel Dairy Farm prepares to feed several thousand people during Breakfast on the Farm, Steve recalls how many thousands of people toured during Farm Progress Days.
“Back then, there used to be about 80,000 people who would show up,” he said. “It was a huge undertaking, but it was great to meet so many friends and neighbors.”
Despite his busy schedule, Steve also serves as the Fond du Lac County Board Chairman. “We volunteered to host this event because we’re proud of what we are, and we’ll show it off to anybody that wants to come and see,” he said.
Abel Dairy Farm in Fond du Lac Co. plans to serve a large country-style breakfast featuring some ‘June is Dairy Month’ favorites including milk and cheese along with scrambled eggs, ham, pork sausage, pancakes and applesauce.
There will also be a petting zoo, and educational exhibits as well as farm tours.
On a history note: Remember Wisconsin Farm Progress Days? It was 2003 when the state’s largest outdoor agricultural show, changed its name to Wisconsin Farm Technology Days.
According to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at UW-Madison, “The annual three-day event showcases the latest improvements in production agriculture, including practical applications of recent research findings and technological developments. The show also highlights evolving issues that impact how farm businesses operate such as new marketing techniques, farming in concert with the environment, and farm business arrangements. Educational programs are also offered about changes that affect farm and rural community families.”
Can you remember the year Washington County hosted Farm Progress Days? It was hotter than blazes. What farm was it on and what Wisconsin governor visited at the time?
