The O’Reilly family welcomes everyone to Green Acres Organic Dairy for “Breakfast on the Farm” on June 20th from 7:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. at 17839 360th Str. Goodhue, MN 55027. Come and enjoy a complimentary breakfast with deep fried cheese curds, ice cream and other wholesome dairy products.
The Goodhue County dairy farmers, the Goodhue County American Dairy Association, local businesses and Bluff Country KCUE Radio will be showcasing dairy farming and the dairy products they produce at their annual Breakfast on the Farm event. Guests at Green Acres Organic Dairy will see first-hand the facilities and how the family farm works to produce milk and dairy products. Visitors will have an opportunity to name a calf, receive dairy goody bags, play O’Reilly farm family bingo, petting zoo sponsored by local FFA members, make homemade butter, games and fun farm activities for kids and adults, tractor and farm equipment display and more. New this year will be live music performed by Sing Out Loud! Women’s choirs from Rochester and area music students studying under Mark Weorpel.
The 71st Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Rachel Visser along with our Goodhue County dairy royalty will be available to take pictures with Minnesota’s dairy industry good-will ambassadors.
Every day three generations of the O’Reilly family work together on Green Acres Organic Dairy Farm. Since 1894, their goal has been to produce the highest quality of milk possible so that you can provide wholesome food for families. You are invited to bring your entire family to learn about how milk and dairy products are produced and meet the farmers who feed your families.
Family on this farm is just as important as the product that they produce. Brothers, Chris and Tony O’Reilly, own and operate their family’s organic dairy farm. They work alongside their dad, Dave who grew up farming, and it was the profession he returned to after serving in Vietnam. Together, Dave and his wife Mary Jo built their farm and raised their family of seven children. Mary Jo, at one time helped milk cows and feed calves. Today, Dave still helps in the barns and fields, and Mary Jo brings food to the field during the busy harvest season. The family has been shipping milk to Organic Valley since 1994. Pioneers in the organic dairy industry, they were one of the first Minnesota farmers to sell their milk on the organic market. Now partially retired from farming, Dave and Mary Jo also stay busy spending time with their 33 grandchildren.
Both Chris’s family and Tony’s family are involved in the 200 cow and 600-acre operation with Chris’s son, J.J. (20), joining the organic farming operation full-time after graduation from high school in 2023. Chris’s daughter, Jenna (18), graduated this spring and helps with the morning milking and in the afternoon when her school schedule allows. Jenna recently was crowned one of three Goodhue County Dairy Princesses and will be working all summer to promote the dairy industry. Chris’s youngest daughter, Josie (9), helps by playing with the kitties and her cousins. Tony and his wife Carrie work together with their seven children: Eleanor (16), Patrick (15), Francis (13), Phillip (11), Michael (9), Glen (6), and Louise (1). Tony and Carrie have raised their children to be an integral part of the farming business, and the older children are taking on leadership roles as they have time. Eleanor recently became a dairy ambassador and will be helping her cousin Jenna promote the dairy industry this summer. The older boys all help in the barn and in the field. On a family farm everyone is needed and belongs!
The Goodhue County Breakfast on the Farm committee is led by local dairy producers and sponsored by local businesses and Bluff Country KCUE Radio of Red Wing. KCUE radio will be doing their morning broadcast live on the farm. Breakfast on the Farm is a unique day that bridges educational outreach, farming, and cultivates a sense of belonging between the dairy industry and consumers.
FREE BUS SHUTTLES:
Red Wing High School: Pick-up at 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.
Return-10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
Goodhue High School: Starting at 6:45 a.m. and running continuously until 11 a.m.
