Ok, so technically Homeland Creamery isn’t in Raleigh. However, it’s only an hour or so drive and totally worth the morning extravaganza, so I decided to write about it anyway.
Homeland Creamery is a family-owned and operated creamery with around 400 Holstein cows in Julian, NC. They sell milk, ice cream and butter – all produced without artificial hormones or antibiotics. The farm offer tours almost every weekday (from March to November) that include a hayride, a tour of the calf barn, the opportunity to feed a baby calf and hand milk their simulated cow. Plus, everyone gets homemade ice cream at the end!
The tour is aimed at children preschool aged and up. I think kids aged six and up would probably benefit from it the most, but my four and two year old had a blast. It lasts roughly an hour and a half, which is perfect. Anything much longer than that and you lose the younger children’s attention.
I loved learning about the life cycle of a cow. On the farm, the cows are grouped together based on their age. The “teens” are all together, as well as the pregnant cows. Did you know the term “heifer” actually refers to a female cow who has yet to birth a calf? I had no idea. They aren’t actually called a cow until they’ve had a baby.
A’s favorite part was feeding the baby cow, which was SO adorable. As for me, I just loved looking at all the calfs. They are all so cute!
It’s not a cheap outing (cost is $6 per person; kids under 2 are free!), but it’s on par with many of our local museums. Plus, don’t forget, you get ICE CREAM! I think it’s worth the drive and the cost as your children get a great science lesson. Where else can you get an up close and personal look at where your milk comes from. Both my kids talked about the trip most of the drive home.
Quick tip: pack an insulated cooler so you can take home some fresh milk or ice cream! Their chocolate milk is TO. DIE. FOR.
To schedule a tour, email tours@homelandcreamery.com or call (336) 685-0470.
Do you own or know of a business that should be featured on My City Monday? Give me a shout at erinclane AT gmail DOT com. Also, don’t forget to showcase your favorite city places on Instagram with the hashtag #mycitymonday.
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