Author: info@discoverdairy.com

National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference

The 2025 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference, “Lakes, Land, and Legends”, takes place in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 23-26, 2025. Make sure you sign up for NAITC! We’ll have some special surprises and goodies from Discover Dairy. More details to come!

NAITC Conference Teacher Scholarship: Apply today for a scholarship to attend the NAITC Conference with registration and lodging paid for! Due December 15

Grants Available to Educators: Apply for a grant to help enhance an agriculture project or program within your classroom! Due November 15.

Dairy Fun Fact

Did you know that dairy farmers can reuse water for many purposes, including cleaning barns, irrigating crops, and cooling milk?

Share this fact with your students so they can learn more about recycling on a dairy farm! 

Interactive Dairy Farm Virtual Field Trip

The Dairy Alliance has developed a dairy farm virtual field trip tour. From the professional nutritionists who develop balanced diets for cows, the farm workers who ensure cows are safe and comfortable, to the technicians who ensure milk is safe, nutritious and pasteurized, dairy farms are often complex operations. One of the most common questions about dairy is, “What actually happens on a dairy farm?” The dairy farm virtual field trip is suitable for learning in individual or classroom settings.

Writing Activity With Your Adopted Calf

Check out what Dee from South Carolina has done with her students after they received their adopted calf! Her first-grade students practiced their writing to introduce the calf to the rest of their school. 

We’d love to see your creativity and share it with others too! Send your photos and stories to us at info@discoverdairy.com.

Pumpkins and Cows: A Perfect Pairing

Now that you received your calf announcement, we hope you can utilize these resources and activities to enhance your classroom experience! 

  • Pumpkin Palooza: Pumpkins aren’t just great in recipes, they are also an important part of dairy farming! When the pumpkin season winds down and leftover pumpkins start to pile up, farmers put them to good use by mixing them into cow feed. Cows are often called the “ultimate recyclers” for good reason. Thanks to their unique digestive system, cows can break down pumpkins and get valuable nutrients from them, including proteins, fiber and vitamins A and E. By incorporating leftover produce, like pumpkins, into their feed, farmers reduce feed waste and contribute to environmentally sustainable farming practices. It’s a full-circle process that benefits everyone. Pumpkins stay out of landfills, cows get a healthy energy boost, and we all enjoy the delicious, creamy results in our dairy products. Learn more about pumpkins and the dairy industry here!
  • Fall Dairy Activity Guide: As the days grow cooler and the leaves change color, we have a variety of fall-themed activities that will keep your students busy and introduce them to dairy in creative ways. Age group? These activities are ideal for elementary and middle school students.
  • Halloween Trick or Treat Recipes: From a spooky Halloween snack spread to a witches’ brew smoothie, try some of these dairy recipes! Age group? These recipes are ideal for teachers of all grade levels.

Virtual Farm Tours For Every Age Group This October

This October, American Dairy Association North East (ADANE) has two virtual farm tours planned for students of all ages! These are a great opportunity to introduce your students to dairy farming and what they’ll be experiencing through the year-long Adopt a Cow Program. Recordings of the tours are made available after the live events from ADANE.

Register at the links below for one tour, or many! You will be emailed your custom link to join. Each tour is unique and LIVE. If you can’t join ADANE live, you will always be given a link to the recording on YouTube.

Grab your device of choice the day of the tour and join live. You can use a Zoom link, Facebook Live link, or YouTube link.

If you have questions about the farm tours, contact ADANE directly by emailing Kelsey O’Shea koshea@milk4u.org
Elmer Richards & Sons Virtual Tour

In this virtual tour brought to you by American Dairy Association North East, Farmer Marcus from Elmer Richards & Sons will explore three primary areas of the farm: where the calves live, where the cows live, and where the cows are milked. There will be check-in questions after each stop to engage students.  Access additional resources including lesson plans, vocabulary sheets, and all of the past tours!

Date: Thursday, October 31
Time: 10:00 a.m. ET
Length: 60 Minutes Location: New York
Questions: Click here to learn more.

Age group? This farm tour is ideal for
Pre K – 5th grade.

Deep Dive Virtual Tour

This is a “Deep Dive” tour of Elmer Richards & Sons, featuring specialists along with the farmer such as veterinarians, nutritionists, or environmental scientists. Students will get a closer look at how farms use technology and experts to provide the highest care for their animals and land. Check-in questions after each stop will engage students. Additional resources including lesson plans, vocabulary sheets, and past tours available here!


Date: Thursday, October 31Time: 11:15 a.m. ET
Length: 60 Minutes
Location: New York
Questions: Click here to learn more.

Age group? This farm tour is ideal for grades 6-12.

Dairy Fun Fact

Did you know that newborn calves weigh between 60-100 pounds at birth? The average calf weighs 90 pounds.

Share this fact with your students so they can see how their calf grows and gains weight throughout the program year!

Yogurt Snack Recipe

This 3-Ingredient DIY Yogurt Tubes would be an easy recipe to make in the classroom and freeze for a snack at a later time! 

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups plain yogurt
  • 2 cups fruit (blueberries, raspberries, mango, kiwi)
  • 1-2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (optional)

Preparation:

  1. Place everything into a high-speed blender or food processor for 2-3 minutes and blend until smooth. If you are using frozen fruit, be sure to defrost it beforehand
  2. Using a small funnel, pour the flavored yogurt into squeeze tubes (or popsicle molds).
  3. Leave room at the top when filling to allow for expansion if storing in the freezer. Seal well.

Display Your Adopted Calf in Your Classroom or School

Several teachers in our program have gotten creative in how they will display their calf and farmer information for the classes and school to see. Check out these great examples from Shelley, Lindsey, Ellen and Tiffani! We’d love to see your creativity and share it with others, too! Send your photos and stories to us at info@discoverdairy.com.