Antique Milking Machines and Other Dairy Collectibles a Hit with Kids

Reader Contribution by Milfred Smith
Published on December 7, 2015
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This photo shows my dairy display at the Orange Spectacular, Hutchinson, Minnesota, in July 2015. I displayed 15 different milking machines representing 11 brands, with five sizes and styles of Surge buckets. I had nine different milk strainers, various milk bottles and restaurant containers, as well as wooden cheese boxes, a 1-gallon home butter churn, two different milk pasteurizers, a hand-crank ice cream freezer and old metal 1-gallon ice cream buckets.

My display also included butterfat testing equipment, DHIA record books, two tabletop milk separators (both Montgomery Ward), five milk cans, each stamped by different creameries, and miscellaneous dairy items.

I had a very good response to this display, especially from children. Several parents said that when they started looking at tractors, the children lost interest, but when they got to my display and they could ask questions, they really got interested. Several families spent up to an hour looking and asking questions.

Milferd Smith, Darwin, Minnesota

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