The Zahn family hosted the sixth annual Dairy at Dusk on Zanadu Dairy in Spruce, bringing together dairy farmers and neighbors for a night of socializing and learning July 22.
Lorraine Zahn, who runs the farm with her husband, Jeff, and son, Sam, said her family looked forward to hosting the event.
“It’s really a privilege to be able to invite friends, neighbors and people in the business we are in to come and see what we do,” she said. “Just the chance to hang out together I think is the best part about it.”
The event included food, cattle judging, farm tours, door prizes and a presentation by guest speaker Chris Jacobs, manager of Equity Livestock in Bonduel.
Lorraine Zahn said her family was busy preparing for the event, but the work was worth it.
“It’s a fun night for all of us,” she said.
Dairy at Dusk is sponsored by the Oconto County Dairy Promotions Committee and is funded through the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Every year the committee asks a different dairy farm to host the event. The farm owners then get to invite their family, friends and neighbors.
Last year’s Dairy at Dusk took place at the Brown-Star Dairy in Gillett, which is run by Dan and Carol Brown and their daughter and son-in-law, Kim and Matt Bjelland.
“The goal is to promote the fact that there is a good network in the dairy community in the county,” committee member Jan Stranz said. “It gives the dairy producers a chance to get together on a less formal basis.”
The Zahns are no strangers to the dairy community in Oconto County. They have run Zanadu Dairy for 34 years, and the original farm was started by Jeff Zahn’s great-grandfather, Frank Hoffman, in 1908.
Lorraine Zahn said even though the number of dairy farmers has dwindled over the years, there are still plenty who work hard to keep business alive in the county.
“We support the area we grow up in,” she said. “It’s about giving back from the things we benefit from.”
Mark Alden, president of Oconto County Dairy Promotions, said the committee can always rely on the support of local dairy farmers when it comes to handling community projects and events.
“We consider all of the dairy farmers in the county to really be members,” Alden said. “So while we have an executive group of people that does meet, I can call any one of (the dairy farmers), and they will be right there.”
This year’s Dairy at Dusk also received support from Oconto County’s Fairest of the Fair Kallie Rank and Oconto County Dairy Ambassador Hallie Kopczynski.
Rank, of Gillett, was advertising the upcoming fair and promoting agriculture in the county. She said Dairy at Dusk is a nice time for dairy farmers to relax.
“It’s great for them to all get together and take a break from all of their field work and craziness of their farming lives,” she said.
Kopczynski, of Oconto Falls, acts as an advocate for local dairy producers, handing out free samples throughout the county and attending planning meetings for events such as Dairy at Dusk. She said it is important for people to know where their food comes from.
“It’s been fun working with all of the farmers,” Kopczynski said.
After all the hard work that goes into planning Dairy at Dusk, Alden said the committee always receives a big, well-appreciated thank you from local farmers.
“It’s just a farm-friendly thing where people can see their neighbors and just have a conversation,” Alden said.
Lorraine Zahn said her family is proud to be a member of the dairy community and happy to invite everyone to the farm.
“It’s a privilege to continue with this lifestyle,” she said. “I think it’s important for the county to realize the investment that dairy farmers make in this county.”
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