July 2018
Hansen's Dairy store in Waterloo will close one hour early,
at 9 p.m., on Wednesday, July 4. The Cedar Falls store has regular hours (closing at 9 p.m.) Happy Independence Day!
Photo of the Month

After three years, the Hansens finally got an updated family photo taken earlier this month. (Hey, it's hard to get 27 people together at the same time!) Did you know that the farm has been in our family for over 150 years? The children in the seventh generation of the family are growing up and working at the farm and in our retail stores now. 
National Strawberry Sundae Day
It's National Strawberry Sundae Day on Saturday, July 7! Stop in to Hansen's Dairy Waterloo that day for a sweet Strawberry Sundae for $0.50 off!

Cash Cow

We had a big winner last month in our CA$H COW contest! Congrats to Shari Krull of Waterloo for finding a $100 jug in June. 

We will label 7 jugs with the big cash prize of $100 in July. Best chances to find them are right away at the beginning of the month! But make sure to keep looking throughout the month as we mark ten $5 jugs every week!
 
Look inside the jug toward the label to see a "5" or "100". 


 
The Real Deal:
Buy three 6-oz containers of Country View yogurt, get one free!

Check out this month's recipe for a delicious dip using Country View Dairy yogurt.  
           

  
 
Farm open for tours
Are you looking for something fun to do? Hansen's Dairy farm tours are a memorable activity for all ages.

During a hands-on tour, visitors get to ride the trolley, milk a cow, bottle-feed a calf, pet our kangaroos, make butter and try all of our products (including ice cream)!

Hands-on tours start at 3:30 p.m. and end at 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Tour Center address is 8461 Lincoln Rd., Hudson, Iowa. Reservations are required by calling 319-988-9834

For more information, visit the Tour page on our web site or our blog post, 5 tips for touring Hansen's Dairy farm.
     
 
Having trouble opening our milk jugs?
Hansen's caps no longer have the tab that breaks off the jug, as shown above.
Our cap manufacturer recently discontinued making the type of caps that we used on our jugs. Only two other producers were using them, and there was also concern that the tab that breaks off the seal was a choking hazard for children. The seal on the new cap breaks like a soda bottle and doesn't come off the container. 

Our jug manufacturer is working with us to to accommodate the new caps, which is a bit of trial and error. The easiest way to break the seal is to squeeze the base of the cap while opening. Thanks for your patience while the packaging is perfected!

New product on the dairy market
The a2 Milk Company is introducing a new product to dairy shelves. The company processes milk from cows certified with only A2A2 milk protein and not A1 beta casein protein. A2 milk is marketed to  those who may experience stomach upset after consuming traditional dairy and are self-diagnosed as lactose intolerant, though many may mistakenly be intolerant to the A1 beta casein protein.

Blake Waltrip, CEO of the a2 Milk Company,  believes milk from cows certified with the A2A2 gene could be the answer to recapturing these consumers, and it could even play a part in increasing the historically declining fluid milk demand in the U.S.  According to Waltrip, Australia is one of the only markets in the world where dairy consumption is increasing.  The Australian-based brand is slowly debuting on U.S. grocery store shelves.

It's an interesting concept. Hansen's Dairy has not done any testing of our cows to see if any carry the A2A2 gene. But over the years, our brand has had a lot of feedback from people who say they are lactose intolerant and can drink our milk. We attribute that to the milk being non-homogenized, which means we don't break down the fat particles. That's why the cream rises to the top. Hansen's milk is left in a more natural state, which may be why the body can more easily digest it.  There are many different theories and studies out there, so we have to keep track of what's happening in the dairy industry! 

Read more about the a2 Milk Company in this article from Progressive Dairyman.

Customer of the Month
Jerry and Diane Headington  
The July Customer of the Month is Diane Headington of Cedar Falls.

"My husband Jerry and I have been getting your wonderful milk and no-sugar-added ice cream for so long, we can't remember how we discovered you," Diane said. "We were very happy when you opened the Cedar Falls location (in 2007)." 

The couple has been retired for more than 10 years.  "We travel a lot and have a difficult time finding any milk that comes even a little close to yours. It also stays fresher than any other milk on the market," Diane said. " We also enjoy your Hansen Hams that you get three times a year!"

Thanks, Diane! Customers of the Month receive a $5 gift certificate to use at our stores and two free hands-on tour passes to the farm (a $24 value). You could be chosen by filling out an entry form at our stores or through your comments on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Cows of the Month

What do our July Cows of the Month have in common? 

Elsa, Anna, Sven and Olaf  are all named after the characters in "Frozen"! They are all about 4 years old, as of course they were named shortly after the movie debuted in 2013. They are all pregnant with their third calf. Olaf is queen of this show, as she is the most prolific milker. Elsa is a close second. 

Lifetime production numbers
Olaf -- 57,302 pounds of milk; 2,152 pounds of fat
Elsa -- 56,382 milk; 1,915 fat
Sven -- 46,775 milk; 1,894 fat
Anna -- 34,400 milk; 1,184 fat

The pounds of fat in their milk is important to note, as that is the cream that's "frozen" into ice cream!

These four ladies are all fantastic to work with. When they come into the parlor to get milked, we tell them to "let it go"!

Recipe
Cooking with Hansen's
Here's a refreshing fruit dip featuring Country View Yogurt that is sure to keep you cool on these hot July days. The recipe comes to us from our new recipe contributor, local blogger Julie Grunklee (Goodfoodconnections.com).  You can also layer the dip and fruit to make parfaits or place a dollop on top of a bowl of fruit for simple dessert. Starred ingredients can be purchased at our stores. 

Creamy Fruit Dip
Prep time: 5 minutes  

Ingredients
  • 2  6-oz cups of Country View Dairy yogurt (berry or vanilla flavor)*
  • 1/2 cup Hansen's Dairy heavy cream*
  • 2 Laughlin's honey sticks*
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves (optional)
  • 1/4 cup Big Sky Granola - crushed* 
Directions
  • Mix Hansen's Dairy heavy cream and Laughlin's honey sticks with hand-held mixer on high for about 90 seconds or until whipped cream is formed.
  • Fold in Country View yogurt, cinnamon and cloves until well mixed.
  • Top with Big Sky Granola.
  • Chill until ready to serve.
  • Serve with fruit pieces and enjoy!

Hansen's Dairy - Cedar Falls 
Hours:
Monday - Saturday: 
    8 a.m. to 9 p.m. 
Sunday:
   10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Hansen's Dairy - Waterloo 
Hours:  
Monday - Saturday:  
    8 a.m. to 10 p.m. 
Sunday: 
   10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Closing at 9 p.m. July 4
Hansen's Dairy - Hudson (farm)
Hours:
Monday - Sunday:  
7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Copyright Hansen's Dairy © 2017. All Rights Reserved.