Cheese Factory and Dairy Farm

Today we woke up early and ate breakfast. The school bus was scheduled to arrive at 8:30am, so it was a bit of a rush to get 11 kids showered, fed, and dressed before then, especially considering we only have one shower and one frying pan. But with a little encouragement, they all got ready on time. The bus rolled up at 8:30am and we were out the door and on our way to Kiel.

We visited Hennings Cheese to see how cheese is made. This is the same cheese factory that was featured on the Discovery channel recently, and so we got to see the real thing for ourselves. First we watched an introductory video and then we got ready to go out on the factory floor. The cheese-making process is very sensitive to bacteria, so we had to put on hair nets and use hand sanitizer before we could enter the factory.

The whole building is keep refrigerated, so it was a bit chilly for the kids without their jackets, but they had a great time looking at the big vats filled with cheese curds and whey. The string cheese extruder was also very interesting, as big ropes of string cheese were squeezed out of the machine. We also got to see them waxing big wheels of cheddar cheese and we checked out the storeroom where they had huge wheels of cheese that weighed over 650 kilos!

After the tour, they gave us some fresh string cheese and cheese curds to taste. The kids liked the curds, but they were a little bit too salty. We learned that it takes about 24 hours for the salt to "migrate" throughout the cheese, and so when it's fresh, cheese is very salty. But it was still delicious and the kids liked it very much. They spent a bit of time shopping in the gift store and then we loaded up onto the bus to go to lunch.

We stopped at a Chinese buffet in New Holstein for lunch. The kids enjoyed a little taste of "normal" food. They've been missing rice and stir-fried cooking, so this was a welcome break from American food. Jet-lag and system-shock has started to have an effect on the kids. They are getting sniffles and minor headaches and some of the kids are suffering from minor stomach problems (too much cheese!). We've also had a few emotional outbursts too. All of this was expected and so far the kids have been dealing with it very well. It's not easy to travel thousands of miles, flip from day to night, stay far from family and friends, and adjust to new foods and experiences. So I've been trying to balance the new with the familiar. They've got to get used to the food here, but I also try to make sure they get some tastes of home too. It helps them to adjust both physically and emotionally.

After lunch we drove past the school in New Holstein. Gird, Sky, May and Jan were very interested in the school and pleased with what they saw. I asked Gird and Sky if they approved of New Holstein's school and they told me they prefered it to their school in Thailand because it looked very beautiful. So I hope they are feeling a bit more reassured.

We went to the Fieder farm outside of New Holstein to see how milk is produced. When we got off the bus we were met by the Fieder children, who had taken the day off from school to meet our group. The two Fieder girls are in 4th and 5th grade so they will be classmates with May and Jan. Hopefully they will become good friends! The Fieder kids led us to the barn where we met their Mom, Dad and Grandpa. The Fieders were very warm and friendly people, and it was very kind of them to show us around their farm.

At first the kids thought the cow barn was too smelly and dirty. The cows were doing what they do best (eating and pooping), and the kids found that to be both fascinating and disgusting. They also worried about getting their shoes and jackets dirty, but I told them that's just part of being on a farm. The Tim and Angie Fieder have about 200 cows on their farm so it's a very big operation.

After we toured the cow barn, we went out to see the calves (baby cows). The kids have been feeling a bit run down and emotionally strained lately so it was good to see them brighten up at the sight of the calves. There was also a bit of snow in the shade of the barn and so the kids enjoyed stomping around in it. Gam stuck her hand in the cage of one of the calves and it promptly began to suckle on her hand as if it was an udder! Hahah! She ended up with a hand full of cow saliva! Since the calves were obviously thristy, the Fieders brought out a big water bottle and let the kids feed them.

Then Tim Fieder brought out one of their tractors. An absolutely HUGE green-and-yellow John Deere tractor. They let the kids take pictures from the cab and wheel wells. They used the tractor for moving cow feed into big mounds for storage. After that we walked over to the milking parlor and the Tim's Dad showed the kids how the milking machines worked. The kids put their thumbs into the milker so they could feel the pulsating suction of the machine.Once we finished in the milking parlor, the Fieders treated us to ice cream sandwiches and Angie Fieder gave me a big stack of educational materials for the kids. She often teaches American city kids about farming and so she had plenty of materials on hand. Again the Fieders were very kind and gracious hosts and the kids were very appreciative of their hospitality. It was certainly one of the high points of their trip and something they will always remember.

After we returned to the parsonage, my brother, Bob, stopped by for a visit. He brought his two sons, Bryce and Cole, with him and they quickly challenged the boys to a game of basketball. The kids became fast friends and a physical game of basketball developed. Pretty soon Bryce was telling my brother that he didn't want to leave. He wanted to keep playing basketball with his new Thai friends. Cole didn't want to leave either, although I suspect that had more to do with the fact that he had homework waiting for him! We tried to get Jan to agree to do Cole's homework (they're in the same grade), but no amount of bribery would get her to agree to do his homework! hahah!

After dinner some of the kids went over to my parents' house to do laundry. My mom drafted them into making button-bookmarks and they really enjoyed the activity. My mom has also been cooking way, way too much food for these kids, but I think she's really enjoying having all these kids running around.