Dairy education program manager

The kids compared birthweights of a calf with those of human babies, learned about what cows and calves need for health, what comfort features are used in barns and the amount of feed and water a cow needed. They drew blueprints for a model barn and used shoeboxes to build their barns. They included grooming brushes and fans made from whatever items they found to use.

They even made cow figures and Farmer Katie figures. Barrett found the kids played frequently with their barns and wrote stories about it. Parents were amazed at the knowledge their kids were gaining and learned new things themselves from the young students. Barrett was thrilled with the enthusiasm, engagement and willingness to learn exhibited by the children. Among other things, the kids taste-tested dairy products and learned to make butter and ice cream and were able to taste these, too after teachers checked with parents concerning dairy allergies.

Barrett augmented this program with some videos to see what happens to milk — from careful testing at each stage, trucking, pasteurization and processing into various dairy products. They also watched a video of cows being milked in a parlor.

Barrett wrote a letter to Farmer Katie. Here are some excerpts that show the impact the program has had on her students:. We all live in the city, so learning about cows is so exciting. We are still playing with the barns and cows that we made … We have tasted different milk and dairy products. We had them taste it, and they liked it and they said that it was the best milk ever because it was from Amber … now their parents say they are drinking white milk again. Thank you, Amber.

We will never forget all that we have learned. You have left an important imprint on us. She says it is important for farmers to tell their story, not those who are opposed to animal agriculture. Sattazahn is committed to getting the right information to future consumers; she knows healthy habits start young, so getting that information to school age kids helps them understand how nutritious dairy products are and the value they get when they purchase them.

It is also important for the kids — and their parents and teachers — to know the animals and land are well cared for. During these chats, she walks around the farm showing various features like cow comfort devices and talking about raising the calves, including their diet, transition to weaning, bedding information and ways of caring for them.

She shows the kids how they work to produce a high-quality, nutritious and affordable product while also keeping sustainability in mind. Some of the features include information about recycling sand and water. She finds it interesting that the kids are most fascinated by the number of animals cared for on her farm and the volume of milk produced each day per cow.

The Adopt-A-Cow program is unique to the U. Jayne has been with the Center since September Jayne and her husband Robby have a dairy and crop farm in East Berlin. My grandparents and uncles all farmed, and I was able to learn from them how important agriculture and farming is to everyone.

My fondest memories were spending time with my grandmother feeding the cows and calves and working on the farm. She was a strong woman who taught me the importance of a good work ethic and to take care of others.

Emily joined the Center in April and oversees the marketing and communications strategies. Favorite dairy product: Whipped cream, cream in my coffee, ice cream and cheese, of course. Agriculture was always a big part of our family, and he was my first introduction to farming.

Zach began his role with the Center in December Favorite dairy product: A big glass of ice cold whole milk, but chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream is a close second.

During my teenage years, I developed a love for dairy farming that still exists today. After I finished college, my wife and I decided to move back to the family dairy, and I took over the management of the farm shortly after returning home in the early s.

We sold the cows in the fall of Even though it was another tough decision, I was excited to move to Pennsylvania in December of to begin work as the risk education manager for the Center. It gave my students something to look forward to. Even when we were back in person, there were some kids who were still doing online learning. The Adopt a Cow program was a good way to connect all of us, whether we were at home or in the classroom.

Kids love animals, so it was a great way for them to engage and learn new facts. It was great to include my distance learners as well, and the calf photo and video updates that we received were very easy to share digitally. We thoroughly enjoyed this program, and we even had a page about it in our yearbook this year. It made virtual learning more exciting. The kids were enthusiastic, and they wanted to go research things about the calf and the farm right away.

They were very inquisitive when it came to the calf, but normally it's hard to get them to talk. Thanks for giving us something positive to look forward to during this time. It was really good for her to deeply connect to her memory.

She gave us a great lecture about the farm and how she used to take care of the animals every day. The Adopt a Cow program will open for enrollment on Aug.

To learn more about the program and its impact on the Pennsylvania dairy industry, email Brittany Snyder or call Learn more about how to support the program at the Discover Dairy website. Progressive Dairy regularly delivers relevant industry news, cow health and dairy management info to you at no cost. Progressive Dairy magazine is printed 20 times each year for forward-thinking U. The award-winning magazine's editors and contributors provide compelling features, helpful articles, insightful news analysis, and entertaining commentary about the people, practices and topics related to a dairy lifestyle.

Differences in government policies and climate make Progressive Dairy — Canada useful to subscribers up north.