Co-op kids can submit a question when they visit the play area in our stores, and we will forward their question to a local farmer to be answered. It's all part of connecting kids to their food and where it comes from.

(asked by Evelyn, age 7)

Hi Evelyn, Eggplants grow on a plant that does well when it is warm out. So here, they grow in the summertime. In some tropical areas eggplants can grow year-round. Eggplants are in the same family as peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes. The nightshade family.

–Billy Tate, Moondance Farm

(asked by Olivia, age 7)

Hi Olivia, My older beef bulls get about 5 feet tall. My Yak bulls have a large hump on their necks, so they can get over 6 feet tall at the hump. That is really tall!

–Sandra Matheson, Matheson Farms

(asked by Benjamin, age 4 ½)

Hi Benjamin, I go out every day to make sure the animals have everything they need such as good grass, hay, vitamins, minerals, and water. I also make sure they are safe and where they are supposed to be. If they go in the barn, I make sure it is clean and comfortable and they can get out of the weather if they want to. I also make sure they are healthy. If they need help, I help them. I also make sure the new babies are safe and healthy as well. I treat them with respect and kindness.

–Sandra Matheson, Matheson Farms

Hi Benjamin, We make sure they have a warm and dry place to sleep at night and to take naps on cold winter days. Make sure they have lots of wholesome food and water. We raise pigs, so we make sure they have an outdoor place they can root in the ground with their snouts.

–Katie Pencke, Alluvial Farm

(asked by Kailynn, age 4)

Hi Kailynn, Pigs eat grass, grass roots, and bugs in the ground. They eat a grain ration of corn, barley, wheat, and peas, all milled together. They eat cheese, milk, and scraps from our kitchen. And most anything else you put in front of them.

–Katie Pencke, Alluvial Farms

(asked by Kailynn, age 4)

Hi Kailynn, What kind of animal a farmer has depends on what kind of animals they like, where they live, how much land they have, and what they know about.

–Sandra Matheson, Matheson Farms

(asked by Anthony, age 6)

Hi Anthony, I am 40 years old.

–Katie Pencke, Alluvial Farms

(asked by Angelina, age 11)

Hi Angelina, Yes, the cows love being milked. They feel relieved afterward. The cows have a very enjoyable environment. They are outside when the weather is nice. We clean their bedding every day for when they want to be inside or it’s time to sleep. We have a nutritionist that helps us keep the proper diet for the cows, sometimes it’s apples, carrots, or potatoes, along with fresh grass
and hay!

–David Lukens, Grace Harbor Farms

(submitted with no name or age)

The cows come into a milking parlor. We clean their udders and dry them. We hook up a “milking inflations” which slowly milks them and as milk slows down the inflation automatically pulls off once the cow is finished.

–David Lukens, Grace Harbor Farms

(asked by Diego, age 12)

Hi Diego, I love being a farmer. I especially love the animals and taking care of them. I enjoy watching them grow up. I also care about the land and I want to make sure the water is clean, the grass is growing, and the soil is full of life. I also want to produce healthy food for people. It is really hard work, but it makes me very happy.

–Sandra Matheson, Matheson Farms

Hi Diego, I am a farmer to be outside, to be able to eat delicious healthy food and feed that to my family, and to create community around something I can make with
my hands.

–Katie Pencke, Alluvial Farm

(asked by Yarrow, age 13)

Hi Yarrow, I’d be a blueberry muffin, because I love blueberries and they provide antioxidants that help people stay healthy. What kind of muffin would you be?

–Laura Steiger, Co-op outreach team

(asked by Abel, age 8)

Hi Abel, It usually takes about 3 minutes to get a gallon milked from a cow in our milking parlor. We can milk 16 cows at a time!

–David Lukens, Grace Harbor Farms

(asked by Kenzie, age 10)

Hi Kenzie, Try to keep it out of the watershed. Compost it, spread it on the land, and use it as fertilizer. We also watch it to monitor the health of the animals.

–Katie Pencke, Alluvial Farm