Southwest Dairy Farmers brought a dairy cow last week to George Washington Elementary School to give the students the opportunity to learn about dairy farms.
The Southwest and Southland Dairy Farmers is an alliance of dairy farmers from Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Missouri, Arizona, Oklahoma, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina, according to the company’s website. These producers have pooled their resources to provide consumer education in nutrition, to promote dairy product use, and provide dairy product information.
Aaron Sanders, instructor for Southwest Dairy Farmers, spoke to the students about milk and dairy products and what dairy farmers do.
“How they get that milk from the cow to us here at the school or the store,” Sanders said. “It’s an educational program. They get to watch us milk the cow, but that’s at the end. That’s just a bonus. We’re here to teach them about where the milk comes from and what benefits it has for our bodies.”
George Washington STEM teacher Ashly Hilburn said grades kindergarten through 4th grade participated in the program and that he also visited the school last year.
“We were so excited to have them come out,” Hilburn said. “It was such a neat experience for our students, and I really appreciate them taking the time to bring this educational program to us.
“The kids loved getting to see the cow up close and I think it is so beneficial for them to learn about agriculture and where their food is made and how. It’s always so special when we can bring real-world learning experiences into our school.”
