Last month in this space we showed you a bevy of beautiful bovines enjoying time outside at sunset. Less than a week after we snapped that photo, we captured this one at sunrise. Only the ladies weren't relaxing. And they weren't where they were supposed to be. Instead, they were heavily engaged in shenanigans after a fence failed in the wee hours and 50 cows got out.

In a widely read blog post we told the story of that crazy morning, including photos and some video of the roundup. It just goes to show that life on a dairy farm can take some unexpected turns and that we've learned how to roll with the punches, even in the throes of udder chaos (we're fond of puns, remember?).

Our October Treat of the Month is the Happy Camper, a cool tribute to the gooey goodness of the campfire s'more.

This one-scoop vanilla sundae comes in a mini waffle bowl and is topped with chocolate syrup, mini marshmallows and waffle pieces.

This tasty, cozy treat is available all month at both stores for just $3.09.

Our October Papa D's Pizza of the Month will satisfy your cravings for barbecued chicken AND pizza!

Our BBQ Chicken pizza features a fresh crust slathered with BBQ sauce and layered with grilled chicken, onions and cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.

Pick up a large 14-inch BBQ Chicken Pizza all month long at our Cedar Falls store for just $19.99.

Apple is the flavor of autumn! If you can't make it to an orchard this year, come see us to satisfy your cravings for a crisp, crunchy apple or the warm spice of apple cider.

We're selling Wilson's Orchard & Farm Apple Cider by the gallon or half-gallon, and Sparkling Apple Cider in single-serve cans. Made in Iowa City, these ciders are the perfect complement to any fall gathering.

Need some sweet crunch? Pick up Iowa-grown Timeless Prairie Orchard or Beck Orchard apples -- single or by the bag.

For a sweet treat, try some Clear Creek Orchard Apple Cinnamon Jam!

Teachers, do you want to take your students on an ag-related field trip?

Applications for the Silos & Smokestacks 2022-23 Field Trip Program are available to help fund transportation costs to Silos partner sites and farms in the 37-county heritage area, including Hansen's Dairy farm.

Visit the Silos & Smokestacks website for more information. Deadline to fund spring 2023 field trips is Dec. 15!

It's hard to believe we'll be closing the books on our 2022 tour season at the end of the month. Seriously. Where does the time go?

When the season opened April 1, Roobarb, our youngest kangaroo, had just been introduced to the kangaroo pen. She has grown like a weed and now loves to greet visitors and receive treats.

Calves bottle-fed by visitors in early April are now young heifers who have moved from the calf huts to the barn. Time flies!

You've still got time to pet our calves and kangaroos (and milk a cow!) before tour season ends on Oct. 31. Book a Hands-On Tour on our website.

More than 500 people from all over Iowa experienced the wonder of a working dairy farm during our Down on the Farm Breakfast on Sept. 17.

The driving force behind the event was to celebrate local food and the importance of dairy. The menu included goods from 11 local food suppliers — eggs from Groothuis Farm, Nashua; Edgewood Locker sausage; Hansen’s Dairy cheese curds, butter, milk and heavy cream; Litteaur Produce peppers, Waterloo; Kramer’s Salsa, Camanche; Apples on the Avenue, Nashua; Rustic Hearth Bakery bread, Cedar Rapids; Clear Creek Orchard jam, Collins; Wildflower Acres Honey, Waterloo; Fat Cup Coffee, Waterloo; and Wilson’s Orchard apple cider, Iowa City.

See a gallery of photos from the event on our Facebook post.

Our October Cow of the Month is Sahara, whose milk production makes her royalty in the milking parlor.

Sahara will be 8 years old on Nov. 9 and is approaching a milking milestone -- 200,000 pounds of milk in her lifetime. Herd manager Blake believes she'll eventually hit 300,000 pounds of milk.

Additionally, Queen Sahara's butterfat components are high -- over 1,000 pounds per lactation. She's on track to reach a lifetime total of more than 7,000 pounds of fat after her current lactation.

Blake says Sahara is "a wonderful old cow" who's also a little stubborn.

The queen likes to kick her feet while she's being milked, challenging milking parlor staff with her games of hopscotch. Her antics are overshadowed by her milking performance, though, and she seems to know it.

"She's not humble. She struts around like the queen she is," Blake says.

Sahara has had seven calves -- five princesses and two princes.