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October 2024
๐ Happy Halloween! ๐
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We cannot underscore how rare a photo like this is.
This is five living generations of cows on our farm. From left is Apple Bees, born March 9, 2014; followed by her daughter Apple Salad, born March 19, 2016; granddaughter Apple Shreds, born Jan. 1, 2018; great-granddaughter Apple Donut, born Nov. 19, 2020; and great-great-granddaughter Apple Pastry, born Oct. 4, 2022.
Reaching this goal requires well-timed breeding, skilled commitment to herd health and nutrition, and some good old-fashioned luck.
"There are a lot of obstacles to overcome to do this," says herd manager Blake Hansen. "The oldest cow has to be at least 10 years old because they have that first calf at age 2. And to get to 10 years we have to avoid illness and injuries."
Additionally, each generation must bear a female at her first calving. That's hard to do without embryo transfers or sexed semen for breeding. Neither of those practices were used in our five-generation feat.
"There was a lot of luck on my side when it came to breeding. Between breeding and management of the herd, everything just came together," Blake said.
Stay tuned to our Facebook page for an upcoming video.
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Waterloo
Daily, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
Cedar Falls
Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
๏ปฟSunday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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Spend $35, get a
free gallon of milk!
Must present coupon at purchase. Use code FREEMILK when shopping online for store pickup!
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We've got our eye on a deliciously bone-chilling Treat of the Month. ๐
Our Eye Scream Sundae features a scoop of Cookies & Cream ice cream topped with whipped cream and cherry sauce. For a spook-tacular finish we sprinkle it with candy bats and and a wafer eyeball. ๐ฆ๐๏ธ๐ฑ
This frightfully good treat is available all month long at both stores for just $3.99.
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You're guaranteed to have a nice day with our October Pizza of the Month.
The Iowa Nice is all things Iowa, piled on a pizza. Nice and flavorful with ranch sauce (of course), Edgewood BBQ Pulled Pork, red bell pepper, red onion, corn (it's Iowa, remember?) and Hansen's Dairy Ranch Cheese Curds.
How nice is it? Well, we've got video.
Pick up a large 14-inch Iowa Nice Pizza all month long at our Cedar Falls store for just $21.99. Have a nice day! ๐ And tell your folks we said hi!
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NEW! No-Sugar Added Ice Cream | |
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You asked, and we listened!
We're bringing back Hansenโs Dairy โญ๏ธNo-Sugar Added Vanilla Ice Cream!โญ๏ธ
No guilty pleasures here. Batch-churned in our on-farm creamery, it comes with all of the Hansen's Dairy ice cream flavor minus the added sugar.
Now available at our Cedar Falls and Waterloo stores in half-gallons and in hard dip treats!
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Cats, cows, cookies & milk! | |
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The cat's out of the bag!
The University of Northern Iowa's official mascots TC and TK will be at our Cedar Falls store from 5 to 5:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10.
We'll be serving free milk and cookie shooters during The Cats' visit, while supplies last.
Outside you'll have an opportunity to pet a calf and meet our very own Farmer Blake. And make sure you get a photo with our Panthers on Parade statue outside the store!
Support local business and the UNI Panthers! Go Cats! (And Cows!)
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Order your Thanksgiving ham | |
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Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Plan for your holiday feast by preordering a Hansen's Holiday Bone-In Ham.
From Webster City Custom Meats, our holiday hams are:
- Made from federally inspected lean USDA Grade 1 hams
- Vacuum packed to capture freshness, wholesomeness and flavor
- Skinless/shankless
- Certified white hickory smoked
- Cooked slowly to result in a tender, juicy and delicious ham
- Fully cooked
Pre-order by filling out a form at our Cedar Falls or Waterloo store, or by calling the stores at: Cedar Falls, (319) 266-3044; Waterloo, (319) 234-3309.
๏ปฟDeadline to order is Oct. 26.
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HALF HAM (7-9 lbs, serves 10)
โข Uncut ($4.19/|b)
โข Spiral Cut ($5.49/|b)
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WHOLE HAM (15-18 lbs, serves 20)
โข Uncut ($3.99/|b)
โข Spiral Cut ($5.19/|b)
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This year marked our 20th tour season. That's 20 years of opening the barn doors for a transparent, behind-the-scenes look at how milk gets from our cows to your table.
Thousands of visitors have toured the farm this summer, petting calves, cows and kangaroos. Of course hand-milking a cow is always a tour highlight!
You've still got time to see and do before tour season ends Oct. 31. Book a Hands-On Tour on our website.
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More than 500 visitors joined our cows for breakfast during our annual Down on the Farm Breakfast Sept. 28.
The annual event is part of our commitment to celebrating local food and educating people about where their food comes from.
Guests enjoyed a hearty French toast breakfast and toured the farm, where they got to pet cows and calves and learned how we care for them. Dairy-themed games were also part of the experience.
The breakfast menu included products from 10 local food suppliers โ milk, chocolate milk, heavy cream and butter from Hansen's Dairy, Hudson; bread from Mersim's Grocery, Waterloo; eggs from Groothuis Farm, Nashua; Great River Maple Syrup, Garnavillo; Country View Dairy Yogurt, Hawkeye; O'Brien's Own Granola, Center Point; Edgewood Locker Pork Sausage Links, Edgewood; apples from Apples on the Avenue, Nashua; Fat Cup Coffee, Waterloo; and apple cider from Wilson's Orchard, Iowa City.
See a gallery of photos from the event on our Facebook post. A huge thanks to all who spent the morning with us!
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For Jessica Benter, our October Customer of the Month, it's all about trust.
"There's definitely trust built when your food is local and fresh," she says. "In this day and age you need that."
Jessica is a regular at our Waterloo store, stocking up on milk, cheese curds and ice cream. Hansen's Cookie Monster ice cream is a favorite in her household.
The former preschool teacher toured our dairy farm with her students a number of times and was impressed with the hard work she saw and quality products produced there.
"It was inspiring to learn about the benefits of fresh and local dairy," she explains. "It's a privilege and a blessing to have Hansen's Dairy at our fingertips. We shop local because we want to keep that."
Thanks, Jessica! 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 $40 value). You could be chosen by filling out an entry form at our stores or through your comments on our Facebook, Instagram and X pages.
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Our Cow of the Month is nicknamed "the caboose" because she's always the last one in the barn after spending time outside.
Malawi, age 2, also dilly-dallies in the holding pen before milking time. Though she chooses to be last in line to get milked, once she's in the parlor she's an absolute gem. Malawi is extremely friendly and laid back. Nothing ruffles her feathers.
She's due to have her second calf in March next year. We imagine she'll be late for that, too.๐คฃ
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Fall has arrived! This creamy Broccoli & Bacon Cheddar Soup will have you ready for crisp autumn air, thick socks and flannel shirts! And you can find the majority of the ingredients in our stores! Click here for a printable recipe. Enjoy! | |
Broccoli & Bacon Cheddar Soup | |
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Prep time: 15 minutes
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Cook time: 30 hour
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Servings: 8
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Ingredients
- 1 lb bacon*
- 2 large broccoli heads, cut into pieces
- 1 cup milk*
- 1 quart heavy cream*
- 1/2 cup flour*
- 1/4 cup onion, diced**
- 1/4 cup garlic, minced**
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3 Tbsp butter*
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded*
- Salt and pepper to taste
๏ปฟ* Items that can be purchased at Hansenโs Dairy Stores
** Items available seasonally at Hansen's Dairy Stores
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Directions
- Cook bacon in a large pot. Crumble and set aside.
- Sautรฉ onion and garlic in butter. Add flour and mix to a thick roux.
- Pour in milk, heavy cream and chicken broth. Simmer until sauce is thick.
- Add in the broccoli and half of the bacon pieces.
- Stir in salt and pepper.
- Add cheese and simmer until broccoli is soft and cheese is melted.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the remaining bacon pieces and a sprinkling of shredded cheddar.
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Hansen's Dairy Cedar Falls
123 E. 18th St. โข 319-266-3044
Monday-Saturday: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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Hansen's Dairy Waterloo
3015 Kimball Ave. โข 319-234-3309
Daily, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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Hansen's Dairy Farm, Hudson
8461 Lincoln Rd.
Daily, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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8461 Lincoln Rd
Hudson, IA 50643
(319) 242-1074
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