Author: info@discoverdairy.com
Mess With Your Milk: Make Magic Milk “Plastic”
Don’t just drink your milk — mess with it! You probably already have everything you need in your kitchen to make your milk transform into “plastic” charms! In this video activity, you can make your own Magic Milk “Plastic.” How does it work? Milk contains protein. When milk’s protein meets vinegar’s acid, the protein molecules join together in long chains, causing curds to form. Those curds can then be molded into any shape. When they dry, you have homemade “plastic!”
Age group? This video/activity is ideal for students of all ages.
Frequently Asked Questions About Calf Care
As you share Update 1 about your adopted calf with your students, here are some answers to frequently asked questions about your calf and her life on the farm. These topics can help you make connections to how old your calf is now and what her life is like during the winter months.
How Do Calves Stay Warm in the Winter?
There’s nothing cuter than a calf in a jacket. When the temperature drops below 40 degrees, calves typically get to wear calf jackets. So, why do dairy farmers put jackets on their calves this time of year? Because calves are unable to properly regulate their own body temperature until they are about 1 month old. So the calf jackets help keep them warm and cozy during the winter months.
Why Do Farmers Move Calves to Group Housing?
Calves are creatures of habit, and any change in routine can be a stressful time for them. Moving from individual hutches to group housing potentially combines many stressors at once – new surroundings, feeding and watering changes, vaccinations, and socialization with other calves. Dairy farmers work hard to follow best practices to optimize immune function and minimize disease risks to better prepare calves for the transition to group housing.
National Hot Chocolate Day on Jan. 31: Homemade Hot Cocoa with Frozen Whipped Cream Cut-Outs
| Did you know National Hot Chocolate Day is January 31? This week, we have a cozy homemade hot cocoa recipe with a fun twist: frozen whipped cream cut-outs in your favorite shapes! Add a snowman cut-out or a heart for Valentine’s Day in February. |
| Supreme Hot Cocoa Recipe – 3/4 cup white sugar – 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder – 1 pinch salt – 1/3 cup boiling water – 3 1/2 cups milk – 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract Click here for directions on how to prepare. Frozen Whipped Cream Cut-Outs Recipe – 11/2 cups (12floz/350ml) cold heavy whipping cream – 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract (optional) 1. Line a 8×8 inch tray (or any small tray) with parchment paper 2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, sugar and vanilla extract (if using) until the cream reaches a soft peak. 3. Use a spatula to spread the whipped cream onto your tray, taking care to even out the top.4. Freeze until solid (Recommended to do this the night before and freeze overnight). 5. Using festive cookie cutters, press firmly into the cream and lift straight up. Lay back on the tray and store in the freezer until ready to use. 6. When ready to serve, top each of your hot chocolates with a frozen whipped cream cut-out. |
Dairy Fun Fact
By three months old, a calf should more than double its birth weight! Dairy calves grow very quickly in the first few months of life.
Share this fact with your students as you look through Update 1 that you received in December!
Stuffed Cow Adventures
Hugh Goodwin Elementary School has been sending their stuffed cow, Alleyoop, that they received in their Cow Kit all around with their students and sharing their adventures and photos! Here are some fun highlights they shared with us. If you donated to receive the Cow Kit, what kind of adventures have you been having this year? Email us at info@discoverdairy.com to share!
- “Peyton took Alleyoop to enjoy some yummy ice cream this weekend at the El Dorado Creamery.”
- “Emery took her to the movies.”
- “Alleyoop got to watch the NCAA Football National championship with Nelson.”
Interactive Dairy Puzzles for Holiday Break
This dairy-themed activity sheet is an interactive worksheet you can send home with students over Christmas break! The sheet includes three fun mind teasers:
- Navigate the route from the farm to the breakfast table. Without crossing any black lines, draw a line from the milk truck to the grocery store to your cereal bowl.
- Unscramble the letters to form the dairy words at the left of the page.
- What’s happening at the dairy processing plant? Connect the dots to find out!
Age group? These activities are ideal for elementary and middle school students.
Visit the Calving Corner Exhibit at PA Farm Show in January and Meet Brittany From Discover Dairy
If you live near the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area, consider taking a trip to the Calving Corner exhibit at the PA Farm Show! The exhibit, which is a live dairy cow birthing center, will be held at the PA Farm Show from January 6-13, 2024. Meet newborn calves that were born that week, talk directly to dairy farmers, and participate in “Moo U” hands-on STEM learning activities that are kid-friendly and perfect for the whole family. If you can’t make the trip in person, the Calving Corner also live streams the birthing process all week long on their YouTube channel. Brittany from Discover Dairy will be leading a milk activity on Saturday, January 13 all day long.
Find the Calving Corner in the Northeast Hall at the PA Farm Show. Click here for more information about the PA Farm Show and directions.
Age group? The Calving Corner is ideal for students of all ages.
A Dairy Education From Start to Finish
Share the entire story of dairy with your students– from the time it leaves the cow, to its life at one of our processors, all the way to the minute it lands in your cereal bowl! Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin has several resources to educate students about dairy, nutrition and farming. Their age-appropriate Book Lessons will help students discover how their food travels from farm to their table. Their “We Are America’s Dairyland” videos can be used to supplement these books or be shown separately before a field trip to a local farm. The “Virtual Dairy Farm Tour” is the perfect way take a field trip to a dairy farm from the comfort of your own classroom.
Age group? These activities are ideal for elementary students. They have additional resources for older students on the page.
How Do Cows (and Calves) Stay Warm in the Winter?
The weather outside may be frightful but dairy cows are delightfully warm inside the barn! Did you know a cow’s ideal temperature is between 25°F – 50°F? Most barns are equipped with curtains that may be manually raised or lowered to protect against snow and wind. Soft sand or straw beds keep cows warm and dry. And sometimes calves wear calf jackets to conserve heat — much like we wear coats! Learn more about how dairy farmers keep their cows healthy and comfortable, especially during the coldest months:
- Curtains. Most barns are equipped with curtains that may be manually raised or lowered to protect cows from cold weather and whipping winds.
- Bedding. Soft bedding, like sand or straw, is provided around-the-clock to help keep cows comfortable and warm.
- Calf Hutches. Calves are often kept in hutches or individual pens, which have clean and dry bedding (like straw) for them to nestle in and doors that may be temporarily shut to protect them from cold weather and wind.
- Calf Jackets. Many farms also use calf jackets to help calves conserve heat and stay warm, much like we put on coats to keep warm.
Read this article, which includes a video to play for your students, to learn more about how dairy farmers keep their animals warm and comfortable during wintertime.
Holiday Dairy Appetizer Recipes
| This week, we have two creative holiday appetizers you can try using everyday dairy products like cheese and butter. This cozy Garlic Butter Candle recipe can turn your holiday appetizer of bread and butter into an interactive experience! This festive Char-cute-TREE video (link will open in Instagram) could be a hands-on recipe to try with kids over the holidays, too. |
| Garlic Butter Candle Ingredients – 2 sticks of salted butter – 1 head of garlic – 1 tablespoon olive oil – Pinch of salt – 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs such as thyme, oregano, basil or rosemary (optional) – 1 paper cup, 12 – 16 ounces – 1 edible candle wick (food safe, organic hemp/bees wax) – 1 fresh baguette or your favorite bread or roll Directions 1. PREHEAT oven to 400°F. 2. SOFTEN butter to room temperature and place in a mixing bowl. 3. ROAST the garlic head in the oven: Slice ½ inch off the top of garlic bulb, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap in tinfoil and bake on a baking sheet at 400°F for 45 – 60 minutes. 4. COOL roasted garlic head to room temperature. Squeeze the cloves out of their skins into the bowl of softened butter. 5. ADD salt and/or other desired herbs to the butter and garlic and mix until well combined. 6. CUT a small hole in the bottom of the cup. String a length of edible wick through cup hole. 7. FILL the cup with the softened butter mixture, making sure the wick remains centered. Refrigerate the cup until butter is firm. 8. FLIP the butter candle out of the cup or cut the paper cup off the candle and place onto a serving plate. You may need to cut the paper cup to release it. Trim the wick if needed. 10. LIGHT the candle, allow the butter to start melting. Dip the sliced bread or other desired foods (such as radishes or cooked potato spears) into the garlic butter and enjoy! |