Ode clan invites Brandon to Breakfast on the Farm

Got milk? 

The Ode family does. 

And from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 15, the Ode family opens the doors to their fourth-generation dairy, Royalwood Dairy, for the 13th annual Breakfast on the Farm event.

June Dairy Month has been celebrated by dairy farm families in the U.S for almost 80 years, and one South Dakota family has created their own tradition by hosting an open house at their farm each year for more than a decade. 

In 2007, the Odes hosted their first Breakfast on the Farm. An estimated 600 people toured the barn and enjoyed the dairy family’s hospitality with free food and activities for all ages.

With the success of the first open house, the Odes decided to make it an annual celebration. It has grown over the years with the addition of new activities for children and educational opportunities for all ages. About 1,000 people typically attend each year, attracting both familiar faces and new attendees. 

Royalwood Dairy is owned and operated by the Bob and Marilyn Ode family. Brothers Doug and Gregg work together to manage the dairy farm and raise corn and alfalfa crops, along with milking and raising calves.  

“It is fun to see the young families who’ve never been to dairy farm, or any type of farm before,” said Doug. “Although we’re in rural America, there are so many people who’ve never been on a farm and don’t have a connection with production agriculture. They have a lot of good questions and coming to the farm can be an eye-opening experience.” 

One example of a new experience for newcomers to the farm is watching a demonstration of how cows’ hooves are trimmed. A professional hoof trimmer visits Royalwood Dairy every six to eight weeks to keep the livestock healthy. Doug said that many people were impressed with how gentle the process is and how calm cows are during the trimming process. 

Doug adds that they work to include educational information about dairy farming throughout the farm with of signage and volunteers to answer questions. 

Just as the open house has grown and changed over the years, opening the doors to neighbors and community members has given them a new perspective on the day-to-day operations of a dairy farm.

“We see people throughout Sioux Falls all year long and they ask about plans for the next year’s open house. It has had a greater impact than we thought it would,” said Doug. “Since we are so close to Brandon and the Sioux Falls area, it is especially important for us to have a positive role in the community and show the commitment we have to our livestock, the environment and to our neighbors.” 

The Odes host a number of tours throughout the year, including senior citizen groups, preschool and daycare youngsters, classes from South Dakota State University and Augustana, field trips and veteran’s groups. They’ve also hosted a number of international trade groups from Germany, South and Central America, China, France, Mexico and others. They were recognized with AgVocate of the Year award by the board of directors for Ag United for South Dakota in 2014.