It's All About the Cows

Udderly Amazing Iowa Dairy Attracts Global Visitors

By Ann Thelen | Photos by Joseph L. Murphy

The eastern Iowa community of Donahue in Scott County tallied a population of 346 in the last census. A stone’s throw northwest of town sits Cinnamon Ridge Farms – a world-class dairy, which attracts nearly twice as many visitors every month as the town’s entire population.

It’s at Cinnamon Ridge Farms where farmers from nearly 60 countries, U.S. bankers, Road Scholars, parents and children come to learn about modern agriculture. Each year, 6,000 visitors get an up-close farm experience by seeing everything from high-tech robots milking Jersey dairy cows to sustainability in action with the recycling of food waste.

John Maxwell is a fifth-generation Jersey dairy farmer. He lives on the Century Farm where his mother once lived, and operates an amazing dairy with his wife Joan and daughter Amy.

“I grew up on a diversified dairy farm,” John explains. “I learned a lot of trades by working with different animals and crops, such as mechanics and carpentry. After graduating from the University of Iowa in 1984 with a degree in psychology, I soon returned to the farm.”

BUILDING A TOUR- WORTHY OPERATION

With a mere 20 cows to his name – compared to the 250 he has today – John’s first break came in 1988 when he purchased 180 acres of land for $800 per acre. Iowa was amid the farm crisis and land was inexpensive.

“My next break came in 1997 when I received the National Outstanding Young Farmer Award from John Deere,” John says. “We agreed to give farm tours for John Deere, and it’s where our story took off.”

Two decades later, when global agriculture manufacturing giant John Deere has foreign visitors or customers at its corporate offices in nearby Moline, Illinois, they go to Cinnamon Ridge Farms.

It’s not because of geographic proximity that this farm has remained a global attraction, but the way this family masters the ultimate trifecta of technology, sustainability and values.

The farmers – from countries, such as Germany, Brazil, Australia and Lithuania, or members of the Global Farmer Network – come to Cinnamon Ridge Farms to learn about how to improve farming in their corners of the world. They join the Maxwells around the dinner table, feasting on shared knowledge and the fruits of hard labor.

“As farmers, we’re all in this together; working to feed the world. If we can work together, we’ll all succeed, John says.

“Visitors often ask us what the magic bullet is for high milk production. It doesn’t boil down to one thing; it’s all the little things, including making sure the cows are comfortable and the barns are clean. It’s ensuring the water is continuously clean and fresh. We are constantly evaluating our processes, and we either validate it’s the best way or we change it.”

ROBOTS DO THE MILKING

Since late 2012, the Maxwell’s Jersey cows have been milked using robotic technology. John’s daughter Amy is the farm’s dairy manager, and following graduation from Iowa State University, she encouraged the family to make the leap into robotic technology.

With cows wearing Fitbit-type devices, robotic milking allows the Maxwells to monitor more than 100 data points for every cow. The robotic machinery – costing about $250,000 each – detects the cow’s udder and washes it with a cleaning solution before attaching the milking mechanism. While the robots are working 24 hours a day, each cow is milked just as often as needed, sometimes five or six times a day.

John and Joan Maxwell check on their herd of Jersey cows.

Joan is passionate about analyzing data and thrives on having more information.

With smartphones or large-screen monitors, the Maxwells can see each cow’s data, including how many steps she’s taken, how much food or water she’s consumed, her weight or if it’s time for breeding.

“The data points we have now are amazing. But, it’s not just one piece of technology that contributes to success. It’s a combination of all of the things we do – working together in sync,” Joan says.

While the robotic technology is fascinating and gaining popularity, the Jersey breed of dairy cows has its own claim to fame – especially at Cinnamon Ridge Farms.

JERSEY HISTORY AS RICH AS THE MILK

Jersey cows originated on the island of Jersey, a small British island off the coast of France. The Jersey is one of the oldest dairy breeds and were brought to the U.S. in the 1850s. Their milk is higher in fat and protein and is popular in making products such as cheese. Because of their milk’s 5% fat content, 6 pounds of milk will yield 1 pound of cheese. Other dairy cows produce milk that is 3.5% fat, with 10 pounds of milk needed to produce 1 pound of cheese.

Among farms with Jersey cows, Cinnamon Ridge Farms is No. 2 in the nation for milk production and No. 1 for protein content (average based on herd size).

The cows’ feed rations – with oversight from the farm’s nutritionist – consist of corn, alfalfa and soybean meal, which are grown right at Cinnamon Ridge Farms. Plus, some unconventional food, such as cake mix and coffee creamer are part of the rations, earning the Maxwells a reputation as the ultimate recyclers.

The nutritionist working for Cinnamon Ridge Farms also leads a food waste center. Together, John and the nutritionist decided to add cake mix and coffee creamer to the cows’ rations. The products that would otherwise be destined for a landfill are making the Jerseys happier – as demonstrated by improved milk production.

HONEYBEES, POLLINATORS, CHICKS AND WAGON RIDES

Beyond the farmers who tour Cinnamon Ridge Farms, the farm attracts another 2,000 guests annually who are a wellproportioned mix of kids and adults.

As part of their sustainable operation, the farm features honeybees, pollinator habits and baby chicks.

“We want to show visitors how well the animals are cared for, so when they’re buying cheese or yogurt at the grocery store, they feel good about the food,” John explains.

When kids visit, they take a wagon ride to see corn, soybeans and cover crops. They see crops that have been harvested into silage and learn how different cows need different diets based on their ages. The next stop is seeing the cows milked behind a glass window. And of course, the tour ends with ice cream.

“Connecting the dots for people and showing them how much we care is one of our most important jobs,” Joan says. “When we leave the milking barn and go upstairs to the free stall barn, visitors see the cows eating, laying down on sand or hay beds, getting scratched and feeling comfortable.”

“When people ask me what the most important thing is for sustainability, I think it’s vitally important for farmers to share their stories,” John adds. “Inviting people to visit our farm shows visitors how passionately we care about the land and our livestock.”

Cinnamon Ridge Farms is striving to be the No. 1 producing Jersey herd in the nation, and they are well on their way.

John Maxwell works closely with a nutritionist to determine feed rations. The blend consists of corn, alfalfa, soybean meal and the unconventional addition of cake mix and coffee creamer.

Cinnamon Ridge Farms was the recipient of a 2019 U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award presented in May by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy ® . The award recognizes dairy farms, businesses and collaborative partnerships that demonstrate outstanding economic, environmental and social benefits; a longstanding commitment to continuous improvement; and a replicable model to inform and inspire others in advancing dairy sustainability leadership.

SWEET CORN ICE CREAM WITH BLACKBERRY SAUCE

Source: Sara Ross, farmer from Pottawattamie County

Serves 12

ICE CREAM

8 ears fresh sweet corn, shucked

5 cups heavy cream

4 cups whole milk

1½ cups sugar, divided

14 large egg yolks

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

BLACKBERRY SAUCE

1 cup sugar

½ cup water

2 pints fresh blackberries

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Cut kernels off the ears of corn and place in a large pot; break cobs in half and add to the pot. Add cream, milk and 1 cup of sugar. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Turn off heat, remove the corn cobs (do not throw away). Use an immersion mixer or blender to puree the mixture, then return the cobs to the pot.

Let the mixture stand for about 2 hours, keeping warm over the lowest stove setting.

After 2 hours, bring the mixture back to a simmer then remove from heat. Remove and discard the corn cobs.

Whisk egg yolks and remaining ½cup sugar together in a bowl. Stir 1 cup of hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture to temper, then slowly pour the egg mixture into the cream mixture, whisking constantly.

Return the pot to the stove and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and coats a spoon. This should take about 10 minutes.

Finally, pour ice cream mixture though a fine sieve or strainer into a container to remove pieces of corn. Chill the mixture for at least 4 hours or overnight before freezing in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.

To make the blackberry sauce, bring water and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan. Add blackberries and cook for about 10 minutes or until the berries start to break down. Add lemon juice and remove from heat. Use an immersion mixer or a blender to puree the blackberry sauce and then strain the sauce through a fine sieve or cheesecloth to get rid of the seeds. Refrigerate sauce until ready to serve.

To serve, scoop the sweet corn ice cream into serving bowls and top with blackberry sauce.

728 calories, 46g total fat, 390mg cholesterol, 133mg sodium, 74g carbohydrates, 5g fiber, 11g protein

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