Bear Creek Dairy opens barn doors

BROOKLYN, Iowa — As cabin fever took hold in 2020, Bear Creek Dairy found a way to get people out of the house and reacquainted with agriculture.

That was the first year of what turned into the annual Bear Creek Dairy drive-thru. The event welcomes visitors from all over Iowa to tour the Boelen family dairy farm and raise money for the community.

“We got the idea after one of the clubs in town organized basically a waving parade,” said Katherine Boelen, the event’s primary organizer and wife of one of the farm owners, Joris. “I thought we could do that right through the barn.”

The drive-through event showcases Bear Creek Dairy’s facilities, including four freestall barns and a double-24 parallel parlor. It allows visitors to see feed storage, manure storage and calf housing. Visitors can make a free will donation and receive a carton of milk, ice cream and a gift bag to enjoy during their tour.

Joris operates Bear Creek Dairy with his brothers, Teun and Hessel and their parents, Jan and Dorine Boelen,
who had been milking 150 cows in the Netherlands and then immigrated to the U.S. The family now milks 1,800 cows and farms 1,800 acres in Poweshiek County.

This year’s drive-through started Thursday, May 21, and went through the weekend. Between 1,500 and 2,000 people visited the farm.

“It’s important for us to be that representative for dairy,” Boelen said. “We’re the only dairy in our county, and from the outside looking in, you see this big operation. Getting to have people out to see what dairy farming looks like, what it smells like, helps connect our community with agriculture.”

Bear Creek Dairy donates proceeds from its dairy drive-through event locally. Beneficiaries have included the Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom Community School District, the Mid-Iowa Community Action emergency food pantry, the Brooklyn Volunteer Fire Department, and the family of Ava Kane.

This year, the proceeds went to a fourth-grade teacher with the Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom Community School District who was diagnosed with cancer in 2025. At the end of the drive-through weekend, Boelen met with the teacher to deliver the proceeds.

“She had the typical reaction you would expect from something like this,” Boelen said. “It was the same thing last year with Ava’s mom, April. Everybody has to kick back tears because we’re so happy with how our community steps up to support each other.”

Helping the teacher through a difficult time had a personal touch for Boelen, whose children are enrolled in the school district.

“She’s a wonderful teacher,” Boelen said. “My son had her last year, and my daughter will have her next year when she returns to the classroom.”

The drive-through event depends on sponsors. At this year’s event, Prairie Farms Dairy Inc., U.S. Dairy, Beck’s Hybrids and more donated products and items to give to visitors as they toured the farm.

The list of sponsors has grown over the years as the event continues to evolve. The first year, it was homemade cookies that were distributed.

Now, when cars pull in the driveway, they have an option for milk and ice cream to enjoy as they drive through the farm. Along with the dairy treats, visitors are given a map with descriptions of the barns and buildings, detailing their function and how they work within the dairy. The drive-through has helped connect Bear Creek Dairy to its community.

“We want to show people what we’re doing, and also show them who we are,” Boelen said. “My in-laws aren’t from the area and moved here in 2009. We wanted to open up the farm so people could understand more of the farm and us as the people who run it.”

Through social media and word of mouth, the Boelens continue to acquaint people with agriculture every year.

“It was important for us to be out here and show people about different types of agriculture,” Boelen said. “Whether it’s the dairy, the bison farm nearby, or corn growers, we are here, and this is what we do. We want to continue to help society get to know us and help support our community at the same time.”