I did two things in a weekend, which is actually a miracle considering I’ve been in a super depressive mood recently (love hormones & that my brain can’t make its own chemicals woooooo). Travis decided it was necessary that I get out of the house, and he was SO RIGHT. Get yourself a partner like him! William has been wanting to go to a farm for a while now, and we were originally going to go to Maan Farms, which we L O V E, but we’ve also been there several times, and wanted to try something new!

I suggested Birchwood Dairy, because who doesn’t love ice cream, but since we already passed it (yeah, we were just driving around Abbotsford at this point), we decided to check out EcoDairy, which is right on Sumas Way, just off of the Highway 1 exit. It is conveniently also very close to Homesense, where I wanted to go afterwards to check out rugs – we left disappointed. Anyway: ice cream!

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We got to EcoDairy, and we noticed that the setup is very unique compared to other petting farms – the animals are in a barn that’s accessible to everyone, so you don’t need to pay admission to see most of the animals. Yes, you read that right: checkin’ out these cute lil critters is FREE.

There is also a barn behind the main area where the tour area, Nature’s Pickin’s, and “petting zoo” are, which houses a bunch of other animals, including chickens and a little pony! PRESH. There’s a big, beautiful garden with loads of seating and a walkway all around it. It’s really a breathtaking place to visit, even when there are sporadic showers and you’re definitely not wearing the right shoes (I wore Birkenstocks to a farm??? Don’t ask me why.)

Another cool thing about EcoDairy is that it’s actually a partnership with Science World. There’s a tour ($10 for adults, $6 for kids aged 3-12) of where the dairy cows eat and hang out and poop (“it smells gross in here!” – William), as well as where the cows get milked, which is all done robotically. We got to watch Robby the Robot kick out a bunch of cows who didn’t actually need to be milked, and were just there for the treats. I was seriously concerned about possible engorgement if they were insisting on being milked (may have been projecting a wee bit), but apparently cows only need to be milked 3 times a day! Jelly of those mammals’ mammaries. We learned that Jersey cows’ milk is used to fatten up regular milk; only one Jersey was in the barn (pictured below), as the rest were on mooternity leave, and she was a cutie!

I’d just like to share that the cow on the right in the first picture tried to eat me, and she shares my sister’s name, so that’s probably not a coincidence.

Because of their partnership with Science World, EcoDairy has an interactive exhibit set up just like one you’d find at Science World! William climbed in a box that is the same volume as a cow’s stomach (and there was plenty of room left over); we got to try out the same beds the cows use, which are made from recycled tires (currently trying to figure out where to order one); “milk” a cow, and more! Also: Travis was grossed out by “milking” a fake cow but was totally willing to touch realistic-looking animal turds in a game called “Guess Who Dung It?” in which – you guessed it – you have to match the poop with the animal who excretes it! Piles of fun for Travis and William.

The aforementioned animal turds, which I did not touch

I thought that the cow-milking was a particularly cool activity; a little throwback to when dairy cows were milked by hand! The teats are made of rubber, and they squirt water into a bucket with a big sponge – it was pretty fun! William did it a few times; he’ll make an excellent little farmhand if we ever get cows!

milkin’ it

There was also an example of the current pump (?) that is used to milk cows. You can put your finger in it and press a button to feel the same suction that the cows feel while being milked. It’s a soft rubber, and I SWEAR it’s way more gentle than an electric breast pump??? Like, what gives?! Hook me up with a human version of one of those, pls, EcoDairy.

If you’re waiting for a tour with kiddos, there’s an upstairs area (bring a carrier if you’ve got little beans, I didn’t see an elevator) with toys for them to play with; we were there on a weekend, so there was a birthday party going on and we couldn’t go up, but there’s also a mini photobooth with hats and other props for kids (and kids at heart)!

And, of course, would it be a trip to a dairy farm without ice cream?! If my immune system was in charge, then yes, but it’s not, so no; I just let histamines deal with the aftermath (#sorrynotsorry @ my immune system). William chose chocolate, which he obviously enjoyed, because he ended up wearing it (related: how do I get chocolate out of Velcro?) Travis and I both had mocha fudge on a waffle cone, which was truly scrumptious! I may have accidentally taken a bite of my napkin because there was ice cream on it and it was in the way; oops.

William channeling Augustus Gloop – this is a kids’ cone!

I’m excited that we happened upon EcoDairy – it’s a great place to learn about modern dairy farming, and there’s amooooosement for all ages!