About Country Dairy
Country Dairy is a working dairy farm near New Era that the Van Gunst family has run for four generations. Andrew Van Gunst bought about 80 acres here in 1907 and milked 8 to 12 cows. Today the farm milks about 1,200 Holsteins, bottles its own milk on site (a plant Wendell Van Gunst opened in 1983) and has run a farm store since 2004.
The tours are the reason to plan ahead. Wagons pulled by Belgian draft horses carry visitors past the free-stall barn, the calves and young stock, and the robotic milking system. Summer tours run Memorial Day through Labor Day, Monday through Saturday, with several set times a day and most lasting about an hour. There are also birthing-center and calf tours on set days, calf experiences in May, sleigh rides December through February when weather allows, and off-season tours by appointment.
The Market & Cafe sells the farm's milk, cheese and meats, ice cream, burgers, sandwiches, fresh baked goods and gifts, and the chocolate milk has a following. Ice cream is also sold through a drive-through. It is a good lunch stop on a lakeshore day.
Cherry Point Farm & Market near Shelby is about 15 minutes west, so a summer day can combine a wagon tour and a cone here with the lavender labyrinth there.
What to do
- Ride a draft-horse wagon tour of the dairy, Memorial Day through Labor Day
- See the robotic milking system and the calves
- Have lunch and an ice cream cone in the Market & Cafe
- Take home the farm's bottled milk, cheese and chocolate milk
- Book a winter sleigh ride, December through February
Season, hours and prices
- Season
- Market and cafe year-round; summer wagon tours Memorial Day through Labor Day; sleigh rides December–February
- Hours
- As posted fall 2026: farm store, drive-through and ice cream Monday–Saturday 9–8; kitchen Monday–Saturday 10–7
- Admission
- No charge listed for the market and cafe; farm tours are ticketed
Good to know
- Reservations
- Recommended
Tips for your visit
- Book tours ahead through their website or tour line; some tours take walk-ups if space allows
- Evening and farm history tours need 24 hours' notice; birthday parties need a week
- Sleigh rides run only when weather allows
Pair it with a lavender farm
Cherry Point Farm & Market · about 15 minutes away
Cherry Point Farm & Market is about 15 minutes west, so pair a dairy wagon tour here with the lavender labyrinth there.
Getting there
Questions
When do farm tours run?
Summer tours run Memorial Day through Labor Day, Monday through Saturday; off-season tours are by appointment.
How long is a tour?
Most tours last about an hour.
Do they bottle their own milk?
Yes, the farm has bottled its own milk on site since 1983.
🗺️ Part of the guide Things to Do Near the Lavender Farm of Silver Lake Sand Dunes & Oceana County, Michigan
Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free
