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This system additionally hosts a Q&A with the farmers and a digital farm go to
The Dairy Alliance and Uncover Dairy joined collectively to supply the free Undertake a Cow program. It provides college students a firsthand look inside an actual dairy farm and a chance to be taught in regards to the supply of a nutritious beverage—all with out cleansing pens or taking good care of a 100-pound calf. (Picture by Jan Huber on Unsplash)
SANDSTON, Va. — Make room guinea pigs and hamsters, there’s a brand new classroom pet—one that provides instructional experiences with a facet of actual farm life.
The Dairy Alliance and Uncover Dairy joined collectively to supply the free Adopt a Cow program. It provides college students a firsthand look inside an actual dairy farm and a chance to be taught in regards to the supply of a nutritious beverage—all with out cleansing pens or taking good care of a 100-pound calf.
“I’m all the time searching for one thing totally different to maintain my youngsters engaged,” mentioned Suzan Quesenberry, a fifth grade instructor at Henrico County’s Cashell Donahoe Elementary Faculty. “I discover the extra I can join actual life with them, the extra they need to be taught.”
Quesenberry has participated in Undertake a Cow for the previous 4 years. Final 12 months, this system paired her with a calf from a Virginia dairy farm, and all year long, she and her college students obtained photographs, movies, classes, actions and updates on the category cow.
“(College students) get excited when there’s a brand new replace,” Quesenberry mentioned. “They like to see how a lot our calf has grown. The farm will ship footage, let you know in regards to the farm, how a lot the calf weighs, when it was born and introduce the farm household. Final 12 months we had a household with youngsters that had been the identical age as my fifth graders, so it actually made a reference to them.”
This system additionally hosts a Q&A with the farmers and a digital farm go to—one thing that was useful for distant studying throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quesenberry mentioned her college students are curious to be taught “how milk will get from the cow to us right here at college.” That results in conversations in regards to the significance of agriculture and classes about college students’ different favourite meals, like rooster nuggets and eggs.
“They don’t all the time affiliate these animals with the sources of their meals in the event that they’ve by no means been round them or actually seen it earlier than,” she defined.
“It is a nice cross-curriculum undertaking,” mentioned Tammy Maxey, government director for Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom, which has promoted this system. “Academics can use the content material for language arts, studying and science instruction as effectively. It’s an excellent avenue to present youngsters an understanding and appreciation of how dairy farming positively impacts their lives.”
Based on Uncover Dairy, the Undertake a Cow program has impacted greater than 800,000 college students worldwide. This system is free, and colleges and educators from any space can enroll; that ensures the teachings attain city and rural colleges throughout demographics.
To be taught extra in regards to the Undertake a Cow program, go to discoverdairy.com/adopt-a-cow.
–Virginia Farm Bureau
