Hundreds flock to farm breakfast

Fewer than 5 percent of the U.S. population make their livelihood in agriculture.

When an urban family gets into their car to go out to the country and meet a family that makes a living farming, it can be unforgettable. Youngsters marvel at the animals and large-sized equipment and adults deepen their understanding of the food economy.

Duane and Doreen Laveau hosted Breakfast on the Farm Saturday, June 29, at their 65-cow Laveau Grandview Dairy in Wrenshall and treated more than 750 people to a glimpse of where milk, cream, butter, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream come from.

The annual event started in 2017. It features a breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and coffee; displays and demonstrations of the raising, care, feeding, and milking of cows; implements used in the field; solar panel energy generation; soil health and conservation; beekeeping; individuals, associations, businesses, and agencies that support agriculture; and, of course, a

hayride.

Veterinarian Tony Dank answered questions. Attendees included elected officials in the Minnesota Legislature, current candidates for public office, Commissioner of Agriculture Thom Petersen, and 2022 Carlton County Dairy Princess Mia Laveau.

People found parking in a mowed field a quarter- mile away and came up to the barnyard on foot or rode in a tractor-pulled carriage. The weather started out cool and windy. When a brief shower came through, the large event tent from the Third Base Bar in Carlton provided shelter. The sun came out an hour before the finish at noon.

Planning for this year started in January and brought together many sponsors, individual supporters, and volunteers in Carlton County, including the Dairy Association, three farms owned by Laveau families, Farmers Union, Lulich Equipment Company, and Wrenshall Development Corporation. B&B Market catered the meal.

Last year, the Laveaus installed solar panels, which reduce fossil fuel use and turn a small profit for the farm. There were plenty of people getting a lesson on how it all works.

Breakfast on the Farm is not a moneymaker, but it is a powerful way for people to show the world that the community is a thriving and fun place to live.