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‘Adopt A Cow’ program brings agriculture to the classroom
 
By Doug Graves
Ohio Correspondent

NORMAL, Ill. – While many classrooms might have a snake or guinnea pig in residence, dairy farmers have a way to provide a cow that requires very little work.
The program is called “Adopt A Cow” and was designed by Discover Dairy. Discovery Dairy is an educational series managed by the Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation of Pennsylvania in partnership with American Dairy Association Northeast, American Dairy Association Mideast, American Dairy Association Indiana, Midwest Dairy Association (which includes Illinois and Iowa), The Dairy Alliance, United Dairy Industry of Michigan and others.
This free program connects local dairy farmers with school classrooms, allowing teachers and students to “adopt” calves and learn about animal care and milk production. Registration is now under way and the concept is entering its fifth year.
“At the heart of the Adopt A Cow program is the ability for students to watch a calf grow in front of their eyes throughout the school year,” said Brittany Snyder, dairy education program manager for the Dairy Excellence Foundation in Harrisburg, Pa. “We are excited to welcome more teachers to the program this year as well as classrooms that have participated in previous years. This is a memorable experience that allows students to build connections to their health, where their food comes from, the dairy farms in their community, and so much more.”
Discovery Dairy is a resource provided at no cost to educators and others who are interested in teaching students about the dairy industry. According to Snyder, the interactive program can be incorporated into elementary, middle school and high school classrooms. Enrollment for the 2022-23 school year is now under way and registration closes Sept. 15. This program, which has impacted more than 800,000 students worldwide, is a year-long, interactive learning opportunity that gives students an inside look at a dairy farm in the United States.
Last year alone, more than 30,000 elementary and middle school classrooms, home school families, scout troops, library groups and other organizations participated in the program. Classrooms from all 50 states participated in the program along with a total of 38 countries.
Each classroom that enrolls in the Adopt A Cow program is paired with a calf from a dairy farm. Teachers and students receive photos, video updates and activity sheets throughout the school year that allows them to watch their calf grow. Through immersive, hands-on learning activities and free curriculum provided by Discovery Dairy, students gain a deeper understanding of the dairy industry and where their food comes from. The Adopt a Cow program offers live virtual chats and farm tours. These chats allow students to talk directly with a dairy farmer, meet their calves, tour the farm and ask questions about milk production.
Last spring, Brecksville-Broadview Heights Middle School near Cleveland, Ohio, participated in the Adopt A Cow program and received a special grant through this program to take a field trip to a local dairy farm. The American Dairy Association Mideast assisted in coordinating a trip for 300 seventh graders from the school to visit RMD Dairy in Rittman, Ohio. Students learned firsthand from dairy farmers about the free-stall barn where their cows live, their carefully balanced diets and how they are milked using a robotic milking system.
Schools from both rural and urban areas can enroll, Snyder said, bringing dairy farming to life for students of all ages and demographics.
Teachers who enroll in the Adopt A Cow program will receive an introductory update in the fall with details about their calf. Classrooms will receive bi-monthly updates, including suggestions on components of the Discovery Dairy curriculum that teachers can incorporate into their virtual or in-person lesson plans.
Five lesson plans, with video motivators, reading guides and assessment-based worksheets, will be available for upper elementary level classrooms. Four two-part lessons, with video motivators, reading guides and lab resources, will be available for middle school. Education standards and anchors are listed with each individual lesson plan.
By October, the host farm and calf announcement will be emailed and posted to the classroom’s Adopt A Cow portal.
In November, an introductory email and kit with details about the host farm and calf will be sent. Updates will be sent in December, February and April. In May, classrooms will be given an opportunity to live chat with your calf and host farm via YouTube.
To enroll in the program, visit www.discoverydairy.com/adopt. For more information and to learn how you can help share the program with teachers and parents, contact Snyder at bsnyder@centerfordairyexcellence.org or call 717-346-0849.
8/17/2022