A record 425 visitors came from eight states plus couples from Italy and Germany

RONKS, Pa. — On the evening of Dec. 12, the steady rhythm of evening milking once again became an open invitation to the public at Christmas with the Cows at the Melvin Stoltzfoos farm just outside of Ronks in Lancaster County, Pa.

In its third year, the event drew 425 visitors, up about 12% from last year. Guests signed in from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Florida, North Carolina, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, along with one family visiting from Italy and another from Germany, reflecting the broad appeal of the opportunity to step inside a working dairy barn during chore time during the Christmas season.

“It’s great fun for us as a host family,” Stoltzfoos said. “To see the people come in and have a good time here on the farm is very rewarding for us.”

Among the visitors were Allison Hickey and Nico Murray of Oxford, Pennsylvania, who said this was their first visit to a dairy barn. They decided to attend after Hickey’s mother saw a roadside sign and encouraged them to stop.

“I had no idea how this was done,” Hickey said. “I thought it was still the old-fashioned way.”

Seeing the milking process, how cows are connected to equipment and how milk moves from the barn, was eye-opening. “I think seeing the whole process was the highlight,” she said. “All the equipment is really cool. The milk is amazing.”

Murray said interacting with the cows left a strong impression. “You don’t realize how big they are just driving by,” he said. “Up close, it’s amazing.”

Both were surprised to learn that milk production is associated with cows having recently given birth. “You kind of take for granted that you just have milk in the morning,” Hickey said.

The idea for Christmas with the Cows was born three years ago after Stoltzfoos read a Farmshine article about another Pennsylvania farm that opened its barn to the public during the Christmas season with a live nativity.

“I told my wife that evening, why don’t we do that in our barn?” he recalled. “But just give people access to the farm.”

A few months later, he shared the idea with his nutritionist, Kyle Sensenig, who encouraged it. Support from Sensenig’s Feed Mill and others in the dairy community helped turn the idea into an annual tradition.

“All you need to do is have them present,” Stoltzfoos said. “People will get their questions answered in a positive way.”

Upon entering the barn, visitors receive a handout with fun facts about agriculture and the nutrition of whole milk, along with a welcome note explaining the Stoltzfoos family’s 50-cow dairy operation. It includes the names of the draft horses, information about the Holsteins and Jerseys in the herd, and facts about cows and what they eat.

Members of the Sensenig’s Feed Mill family and staff, along with 97 Milk volunteers, were present to answer questions and talk with visitors. Each guest also received a thank-you card sharing the Christmas story and the Reason for the season through Scripture.

The event is simple and unhurried, intentionally low-key. Visitors move through the barn during evening chores, watching cows being milked and fed, observing calves at feeding time, and pausing wherever their curiosity led them.

“They’re just having a good time,” Stoltzfoos said. “They’re actually observing what normally happens. A lot of people take the time to really thank us for doing this. That’s very rewarding for us.”

Throughout the evening, everyone was invited to enjoy whole milk, chocolate milk and homemade cookies, offered simply as part of the experience.

New for 2025 was a benefit meal offering a traditional Amish-style dinner for purchase to support 97 Milk, the grassroots whole-milk education nonprofit staffed entirely by volunteers.

The meal turnout was “a little soft,” Stoltzfoos said, noting that some visitors had already eaten and were unaware a meal would be offered. He said more emphasis will be placed on advertising the meal next year, including carry-out options.

With the help of sponsors, the meal and donations raised approximately $1500 for 97 Milk.

Sponsors included Sensenig’s Feed Mill, 360 Ag Solutions, E&F Ag Systems, Middletown Radiator, Dairy Pricing Association, Level Edge Construction, Solanco Building Supply, No-Bull Solutions, and Bottom Line Ag Supply.

Stoltzfoos said roadside signs remain one of the most effective ways to reach the public during the busy days leading up to Christmas. “People are already out shopping or visiting,” he said. “They see a sign, and they stop.”

After three years, Christmas with the Cows has become a quiet tradition grounded in openness, faith and trust. “It’s not about us,” Stoltzfoos said. “It’s about the cows. It’s about people having the opportunity to see the cows and observe the evening milking chores…” mixed in with some Christmas cheer.