Thaddeus Carroll, tcarroll@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader Photo by Thaddeus Carroll The Beran family, which includes, from left, Jeremy, Al, Vicky and Jason, will host the Shawano County Brunch on the Farm on Sunday at their farm in Birnamwood.
Leader Photo by Thaddeus Carroll Beran’s Dairy is home to 120 dairy cows, and the Beran family is eager to show them off to the public Sunday at the Shawano County Brunch on the Farm.
Beran’s Dairy on Sunday will welcome thousands of people to the Birnamwood farm that has been in the family since 1961.
The dairy, owned and operated by Al and Vicky Beran and their two sons, Jeremy and Jason, will host the 32nd annual Shawano County Brunch on the Farm from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The family was working hard Friday, cleaning and tidying up the place in preparation for the event, which is expected to draw more than 2,500 people.
“It’s a lot of work, but (the brunch) will be a lot of fun,” Vicky Beran said.
In addition to the brunch featuring diced ham in scrambled eggs, the event includes wagon-ride tours of the farm, pedal tractor pulls, barrel train rides, a bouncy house, live music, Addie — the life-size mechanical milking cow, and more.
The festivities are designed to entice people to visit a farm and learn more about local agriculture.
“Many people don’t have the opportunity to visit farms, so we want to show people what they are actually like,” said Deb Mielke, chairwoman of the Shawano County Farm Bureau, which sponsors the breakfast.
Mielke said farms get a bad rep for smelling bad and being loud. Brunch on the Farm helps dispel myths and shows people the good side of farming.
“We want to get them back to the farms so they know where their food comes from,” Vicky Beran said.
To help guests better understand how farms operate and the farm family lifestyle, there also will be an “Ask a Farmer” booth manned by Jeff Strassburg, Shawano’s representative on the state Milk Marketing Board, and his family. Visitors can ask the Strassburg questions about anything that has to do with farming, from daily life on the dairy to farming ordinances.
“I have helped out the last five or six years and it is a really good way to educate the consumer on what a farm is today,” Strassburg said.
For Al Beran, the attractions of farming are many.
“I enjoy the animals, raising crops, and being able to set my own schedule,” he said.
The dairy, at N9498 Field St., Birnamwood, includes 120 milking cows, an additional 100 head of young stock, and about 550 owned and rented acres for crops.
The challenges for the Berans include rising land costs, Al said, and fluctuating prices that make it tough to plan ahead.
Sunday’s schedule begins with a Dairy Dash 5K at 7:30 a.m. and a worship service at 8 a.m.
In addition to eggs, the breakfast menu includes pork sausage, hash browns, cheese, cinnamon bread/butter, cottage cheese, milk, juice and ice cream with strawberries or maple syrup. Tickets are $7, $4 for children ages 5 to 12, and free for children 4 and younger.
Planning for the brunch began over a year ago. Organizers are still looking for a farm to host next year’s event.
“Contrary to popular belief, we don’t have a waiting list,” Mielke said.