Lake Norden’s Drumgoon Dairy to host open house

LAKE NORDEN – Drumgoon Dairy, near Lake Norden, will be holding an open house on Saturday, July 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event is free and is being hosted by South Dakota Farm Families along with the Elliott family. Guests will have the opportunity to view the parlor and learn about the milking process, visit the maternity area where calves are born and watch hoof trimming demonstrations. Visitors will also be able to learn about what a day looks like for a dairy farmer. Free grilled cheese sandwiches, malts and milk will be served.

The Elliott family moved to South Dakota in February of 2006 from Ireland and construction of Drumgoon Dairy began in May of the same year. The herd started with 1,400 cows in 2006. The number has grown over the years as new facilities were built.

The newest addition, Norden Dairy, was completed in 2015, allowing for 4,500 cows to be held between the two facilities. The Elliott family believes that healthy, happy cows will produce wholesome milk. Because of this, they strive to provide their cows with high levels of comfort from what they are fed, to where they are bedded.

Drumgoon Dairy is located 17 miles south of Watertown on U.S. Highway 81. The address is 19048 U.S. Highway 81, Lake Norden, S.D.

The event is sponsored in part by South Dakota Farm Families and Ag United, Midwest Dairy Association and the South Dakota Soybean Promotion Research Council and the United Soybean Board.