Young’s Jersey Dairy: A Family Favorite

Located just 30 minutes from Dayton, Ohio is a treasure of a family fun destination: Young’s Jersey Dairy. Young’s named themselves “A Family Favorite,” and you may be wondering How much fun could a family have at a dairy farm? Well, Young’s is way more than just cows and ice cream! If you are planning on visiting the area, then Young’s is a must to stop for good food and fun!

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About Young’s Jersey Dairy

Young’s history goes way back to the late 1860s when the Young family began running their farm that included dairy cows, so the presence of the family business has deep roots in the area. By the late 1950s, the family decided to set up a market to sell fresh milk from their Jersey cows to the public. Then in the early 1960s, they expanded the public market to include ice cream.

The family business was successful and continued to expand with new products and entertainment available to the public like delicious farm-fresh cheeses and putt-putt golf. I have visited Young’s since I was a kid and have enjoyed seeing the business grow. They are great at serving customers efficiently and consistently with a smile! The setting of the farm is wonderful because there is nothing like getting out in the country for a fun day away from the sweaty theme parks and crowded city entertainment.

The Food!

Yes! The food is amazing! Young’s offers a delicious menu for breakfast as well as lunch and dinner, but I cannot stress this enough…GET THE CHEESE CURDS!!! It makes my mouth water just thinking about them! Fresh from the farm cheese curds–fried to a crispy outside, with chewy, warm cheese inside. I prefer regular cheese curds dipped in ranch dressing, my husband can’t get enough of the buffalo curds, and we also from time to time will order the sweet chili curds too.

Save room for dessert, of course, because you are at a dairy farm that makes ice cream. As you walk into the building you will be taken by the beckoning smell of waffle cones being made. Obey your senses and order your ice cream in a waffle cone! I had Caramel Chocolate Toffee and Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie in a chocolate-dipped waffle bowl that was still slightly warm and wonderful. My husband never strays away from his favorite, the Double Buckeye Sundae. In fact, you see many people ordering this sundae but Ohioans love their chocolate-peanut butter desserts haha. Our daughter loved her kid-sized scoop of cotton candy and it was the perfect little portion for her.

Merchandise

Inside the main building, you will notice freezers and refrigerators full of craftily made cheeses and ice cream for sale. If you can, bring a cooler along with you and take home some cheese as your souvenirs! We recommend buying one of their sample packs of cheese which usually includes some smoked cheddars that are delicious. Of course, you should also try out some of their specialty cheese curds like cajun or dill. If you think it can survive the ride home, purchase a tub of ice cream to take home too!

Also inside you can purchase shirts or other cute little gifts from their gift shop. The business has a loyal following and I always loved as a kid to see the pictures on the wall of customers wearing one of the bright red Young’s t-shirts all over the world! Maybe your family could share a picture of yourselves wearing the shirts from one of your favorite destinations too!

Family Fun at Young’s Jersey Dairy

There is so much to do at Young’s Jersey Dairy, honestly. When it is warm enough to be outside, you could easily eat lunch, go outside for fun, and return inside for dinner and ice cream. Let me walk you through some of the entertainment that Young’s offers:

• Batting cages: State-of-the-art, 9-position batting cages that feature hardball/softball pitches are a blast! This only operates when the temperature is above 40 degrees, but who feels like batting when you have a winter coat on anyways? haha, I’ll stay inside and eat.
• Mini Golf: The demand for putt-putt golf was always so high here with their original 18-hole mini golf course, that they built an additional 18-hole course onto the property. “Udders & Putters” is open year-round, and you surely would benefit this time in playing during winter when not everybody can brave the cold!
• Driving Range: If you love to golf, then you’ll appreciate the driving range at Young’s. It is actually one of the nicest driving ranges I’ve been to with 40 natural grass tees and 20 artificial. Here’s a plus: 10 of them are heated and covered for foul weather days. This is great to do at night time since it is very well lit.
• Animals: Make sure to stop by the barn between 11 am and 6 pm to pet those adorable goats. You can even buy some food out there to feed them. Inside the barn, you’ll find baby cows, pigs, and the very dairy cows that make the magic at Young’s! Around 4:30-5:30 everyday you can watch the cows be milked, which would be great for kids to see where their milk comes from.

• Fun for Kids: Everyone will enjoy most of these activities as well, but specifically the younger kiddos. There is a little “train” ride called Moovers and Shakers that my 3-year-old loves and begs to do over and over! I rode with her once and smiled the whole time too haha. Cowvin’s Kiddie Corral is free for 2 and under with a max height of 48″, and is a little shaded play area for tikes with tricycles, areas to climb and slide down on, and various things. Cowvin’s Fast Slide is for anyone 42″ and above. Once you have to witness it to see how much fun it is…you will find yourself on it, trust me!
• Seasonal Events: Young’s has seasonal extras that are well worth it if you can arrange your visit around them! Whether it is meandering through the corn maze in the summer/fall, picking your own pumpkins, cutting down your own Christmas tree, or any of their other events and festivals! I suggest you take a look at their “Cowlender of Events” to see what is upcoming or available.
• Farmstead Cheese and Ice Cream Making Tours: This would be awesome for homeschool groups! every Saturday, you can attend a tour to learn how they make their cheeses and ice creams. Each ticket purchased includes one item from the cooler such as a cheese block or curds. Ages 5 and up require a ticket but all ages are welcome.

Extra Details

Young’s Jersey Dairy is open daily except on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day when it closes. Definitely ask about the Family Fun Pass also! There are different options available depending on how much time you have, but overall it will save you 20-30%.

Their employees have always been very friendly and efficient, even though most of them are high school kids! So do not be discouraged when you walk inside and see a huge line of people waiting to order food! Notice how fast you move through the line. Check out their website because it is very well done and informative for your visit!

Hope you have a great time! (I know you will!) Let me know how your visit went in the comments below!