By Shelbi LeMeilleur
Just down the road in La Grange is The Jersey Barnyard, a family farm that allows visitors to experience first-hand what life on a dairy farm is like.
The farm is run by the Frerichs family. They offer Grade A raw Jersey milk from 100 percent grass-fed Jersey cows, organic chicken, pastured chicken eggs, pastured pork, and farm tours. The farm tours started in 1998, according to Faith Frerichs, co-owner and family member.
“It’s a two-part tour,” Frerichs explains. “A tour guide takes families to a variety of animals: chickens, pigs, goat, donkey… Some of the tours you have the option to feed the animals. You also have the option to bottle feed Jersey calves.” The farm’s calves are raised at The Jersey Barnyard so families can be with them, pet on them, and love them.
“The second part of the tour, we go on the hay ride that takes us up to the original part of our farm,” Frerichs continues. “It’s a 12-minute ride, one mile. There you get the chance to hand-milk the cow, learn the history of the farm, and see where we milk our cows.”
The tours are popular with families from all around Texas and school groups as well. Frerichs says the tours are important because it gives them the chance to educate people on farming and farming operations.
“A very small percentage of the population actually farms,” Frerichs says. “Not many farms offer getting to hand-milk a cow. The other [thing we teach] is how we operate our farm with the rotational grazing. It’s a great place to just come sit and watch animals. It’s an opportunity that people don’t always have.”
While guided tours are offered seven days a week, with the exception of certain holidays listed online, visitors are welcome to do a self-guided tour as well. The self-guided tour comes with a fact sheet about the farm and does not include the hayride or milking the cow.
The Jersey Barnyard also sells a variety of items in their farm store including shirts, milk, cheese, eggs, and other souvenirs.
Aside from farm tours, The Jersey Barnyard hosts other events throughout the year, including a pumpkin patch and Easter egg hunt. They have also recently introduced goat yoga.
Frerichs says opening their farm for tours has been rewarding in many different ways. “What amazes me now is how different the perception of farming is from where we started to where we are now,” she says. “There is a much better [appreciation] of farming now than there was 20 years ago.”
For more information on The Jersey Barnyard, tours, and merchandise, visit www.texasjersey.com.
“The kids love it,” Frerichs says. “Does our hearts a lot of good to see these families just soak it in.”
