STAKENAS STAMPEDE (Free Soil - 2020 - 5K)
249 Mile Drive
The Stakenas Stampede was a run in a city I didn’t have on my original list. I instantly loved the city name. Free Soil was the kind of city that I knew would stand out on a city list. Even with the longer drive it was a one-of-a-kind opportunity. A new Michigan city, an inaugural run, and in 2020 of all years. I registered immediately.
I was really excited the week before Free Soil. On a grocery run I asked Jason buy a bag of soil. He had no idea what it was for. The bag ended up being purple which was amazing. I taped a “FREE” sign on it. Corky and I took a picture. The “free” soil bag came with us for the city picture sign. I learned from locals they call their town, “Cheap Dirt” as a joke. That was hilarious.
Originally, we were going to stay just outside of Free Soil on Friday night. Highway 31 Cabins that were only five minutes down the road looked amazing. Due to weather, we made the decision to drive up Saturday morning instead. A three-and-a-half-hour drive is never something we have done that early before. Surprisingly the drive seemed quicker than some of our shorter drives and I don’t know why. We saw a Bald Eagle fly over our car on M-31. I was driving and it became a very unsafe situation when I started screaming. I have never seen a Bald Eagle outside of a Zoo. The wingspan was absolutely incredible. I wish we could have watched it longer. We got 10 seconds before it made a sharp turn right into the forest.
As we drove up to Stakenas Farm we saw a Little Tykes wagon with signs about parking and the run. I thought it was really creative. Most 80’s kids had a Little Tykes wagon. We pulled up and parked in a grass field by a huge cow barn. So many cows were looking at us. We were able to walk up and get really close to them. Cows have huge eyeballs. Way bigger than Corky’s huge eyeballs. Most of the cows were eating, some were just resting. A few cows were standing and walking around. It was a truly unique and awesome entrance. We walked down to the start and finish area which was made of two huge choppers with a spotted cow banner strung across. They were so tall and made for a great finish/start line. It was so creative and farmy! Registration had cow bags with chocolate milk, lip balm, handmade coin purses, awesome cow race shirts and lots of information on milk. Their bathroom was in their tool/workshop barn. I got a mini field trip just by going to use the bathroom. They had a play set that the kids spent the entire run playing on with other kids. One of the runners I met in the bathroom line changed into a cow costume before the race started. I saw her walking back from her car and took a picture with her. I loved the costume! I didn’t think of dressing up like a cow. It was an awesome idea!
The run itself was a beautiful course through the farm grounds. It was a lot of uneven grass which required fancier footwork. Sometimes you sank pretty deep. I like courses that have challenges. That’s why I love trail running. We were told we may see Bald Eagles on the course. I got so excited, but I did not see any while running. I did see hawks. About a half mile into the course we passed a small barn with a dozen cows. One of the cows had its head out as I passed by and it mooed very loudly multiple times. It was awesome. It felt like I got cheered by a cow.
At the finish they had four flavors of ice cream, coolers of chocolate milk, cheese sticks and donuts for us. I love chocolate milk at running events. This chocolate milk was exceptionally good. I met an amazing triathlon star. I don’t say “star” lightly. She is a world champion in her age group division. She beat her second-place Australian competitor by seconds in Chicago. I talked to Kathy for a while. She gave me her email so I could reach out for advice if I ever wanted to step into the world of triathlons. I told Kathy that I am not good at swimming and that is the reason I have never tried a triathlon. I am interested in trying a duathlon because I enjoy biking. Kathy told me she hit her peak 5K time at the age of 60. That was inspiring to hear. I thought I started running late, but I keep hearing other runners say they started in their 30’s.
Great cow plaque awards were handed out to overall female and male runners followed by a surprise speech awarding the Stakenas Farm with a framed certificate marking their 100-year centennial anniversary. The farm has had four generations of family since its humble beginnings in 1920. Senator Curtis VanderWall and State Representative Jack O’Malley presented the certificate to owners Bill and Anna. It was a surprise to both of them. It was a wonderful moment to watch with great speeches. I was thrilled to see Jack O’Malley. I love watching his videos. The way he speaks to people really resonates. He’s always kind in his approach to heated topics. I made a point to catch up to Mr. O’Malley and tell him how awesome he was before he left. I am so excited I got to meet him in person. I would have never expected to see Jack O’Malley at a run!!
After the politicians and runners left we stayed around as one of the last to get a farm tour. We got a long tour by the owner himself through the cow barn, around the manure pond, around the pregnancy ward barn, to the newborn barn and into the milking building. It was a once in a lifetime kind of experience and a great learning lesson for the kids. We learned:
Stakenas Farms has about 1,000 animals on their farm. They milk 550 cows, ship out 40,000 pounds of milk a day which comes to about 72 pounds of milk per cow.
They have two babies a day on the farm. Recently they went 10 days without having a baby and then had 18 babies born in one day! Pregnant cows get a two-month vacation out of the barns in the fields so they can relax and grow healthy babies. They are not milked during this time.
Sadly, 30% of dairy farms in Michigan have are now permanently out of business.
The truth behind antibiotics in milk is that no amount can be present or else the milk gets sent back. Individual farms and milk plants take milk samples. If a sample at a milk plant has any trace of an antibiotic the milk is dumped and the farm the milk came from pays for the milk. To market certain milk brands as “no antibiotics” is very misleading.
Every seven years the manure retention pond gets emptied. It was built seven years ago. Manure pits store all the farm manure and are completely emptied twice a year. Sand in cow stalls can be reused as water is used to flush out the barns. We got to see the manure retention pond being emptied for the first time on our tour!
It was amazing to see the inner workings of a dairy farm and the magic behind milk production. Most of the cows were interested in us as we approached them. Only a few got scared and started to move away. The babies were really amazing and huge for newborns born earlier in the morning. Bill was so throughout and so nice. He was a fantastic tour guide. I love four-wheeler rides in general and it’s been awhile since I’ve been on one.
When we got back from our tour Lyndsay’s husband Seth offered to take the kids on a chopper ride. He was taking down the start and finish and that involved moving the choppers back to the field. They had a hay and corn chopper. All three of our kids got to ride on one around the maintenance barn. They were so high up! They loved their rides. When the kids finished riding we were invited to a hotdog lunch on the farm. It was a totally separate event from the run. I was taken back by the hospitality of the Stakenas Family. When I thanked them I was told it’s just what farmers do. I will remember that phrase forever. Farmers are the backbone of America. Their work is hard labor often out in the beating summer sun. I have a great respect for farmers. My run at Stakenas Farms gave our family an immense wealth of knowledge about farming.
Things I take from the Stakenas Stampede are:
1. The perspective of what a mile looks like on flat land. I’ve run at a few farms before, but never on an area as flat as the course at Stakenas. When MapMyFitness said I was at two miles I looked ahead and was able to see the rest of the course and the finish line in the far distance. I’ve never seen what a mile actually looks like. From a ferry to Mackinaw Island you can see what 4.2 miles looks like when you see the full length of the Mackinac Bridge. This was different. Most courses weave, turn and have hills that prevent runners from seeing long distances ahead. Seeing a mile really puts running any distance into perspective. I’ve always defended shorter race lengths and said that 5Ks are challenging huge accomplishments. The same goes for one-mile runs. When you get to see just how far a mile is, like I did at the Stakenas Farm, it makes a mile a lot more amazing.
2. You never know what a small rural town run will get you. I always know I am going to have a great time, take lots of pictures and find something unique at every run. Free Soil took this to the next level. The education and experience that the kids got was something I had not expected. It went way beyond a run thanks to a farming family whose hospitality and kindness knows no bounds.
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