Heim’s Hillcrest Dairy will host Farm Fit Challenge and Mootober Fest

Heim’s Hillcrest Dairy will begin the Farm Fit Challenge in the morning. Participants may register online before the event or sign up at the farm from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. on the day.

The course will use different parts of the farm and include tasks based on routine agricultural work. Kiley Heim said participants will encounter activities involving calves, feed, manure, tires and other obstacles. The event is intended for people with different levels of fitness: Heim cited participants ranging from an eight-year-old attending with family to a 79-year-old.

Completion time will vary according to whether people run or walk between obstacles. Heim said walking the course could take about an hour and a half. Participants will receive a yogurt bar after finishing. Competitors who register before Saturday will get a goodie bag, while supplies for registrations made that day may be limited. Vendors and sponsors will provide door prizes.

Mootober Fest will follow the challenge and run from noon until 5 p.m. Pam Blazei of Heim’s Hillcrest Dairy said the event is designed to help visitors understand where their food comes from. The programme will include farm tours and performances by the Greatest Hits Polka Band and the Modern Day Drifters.

Children’s activities will include pumpkins, demonstrations of ice-cream and butter making, and a mechanical bull. The activities will be free, while vendors will sell goods and beverages at the farm.

The dairy said visitors will be able to observe its operations, including cow care and the use of drones in agriculture. Tractor-tram tours will take guests around the property, where farmers will answer questions. Blazei said the farm wanted to be transparent and give visitors an opportunity to see its work firsthand.