Virtual Farm Tour
Take your students on a virtual field trip to a Michigan dairy farm! Students will see how dairy farmers care for their calves and cows, their community and the environment while producing nutritious and delicious milk.
Fall 2022 Virtual Farm Tour Series
Stop #1 – Siegler Dairy Farm
Join Milk Means More for a 45– minute tour of Siegler Dairy Farm in Michigan. Farmer Kip discusses how he takes care of the cows, calves, land and community. Students will see the full crop cycle, from planting to harvest, along with the tractors and equipment used on the farm. Geared to students in grades 3rd – 5th.
Stop #2 – Clearview Dairy Farm
Join Milk Means More for a 30– minute tour of Clearview Dairy Farm in western Michigan. Farmer Brian shows where the calves and cows live and where the cows are milked. Students will hear how Brian and Michigan dairy farmers are recycling water and using sustainability practices to care for the land around their farm. Geared to students in grades K – 2nd.
Stop #3 – K & K Dairy Farm
Join Milk Means More for a 45– minute tour of K & K Dairy Farm in central Michigan. Farmer Kristi shows where the calves and cows live along with technology they use to care for their animals! Farmer Kristi is also a dairy nutritionist and explains what the cows eat to consume the nutrients it takes to produce nutritious and delicious milk. Geared to students in grades 3rd – 5th.
Resources:
Farm to School Resources built on Google Slides. Includes links to curriculum, handouts, videos and more.
Questions & Answers: Refer to this document to help answer some questions frequently asked during a tour.
Scavenger Hunt: Click here to download a Scavenger Hunt to keep students looking for fun facts on the dairy farm.
Michigan Academic Standards:
Virtual Tour of a Michigan Dairy Processor
Do you know where milk goes after it leaves the farm? Follow Milk Means More to Guernsey Farms Dairy. The tour starts with the milk truck arriving at the processing plant after collecting milk from the farm that morning. Students will then see all the steps to prepare the milk for bottling or to become other dairy foods. Guernsey Farms Dairy even makes their own ice cream!
From Michigan Dairy Farmers to You – video series for students in grades 6-12
Series of virtual dairy farm tours for students in 6th-12th grades that brings the farm to the students. Each episode focuses on a different topic and runs 7 – 10 minutes. Throughout the video series, students will learn about caring for calves, keeping cows comfortable and well-nourished, collecting milk from cows and using technology on the farm. Students will also meet professionals that work directly with dairy farm families. With nearly 1,200 dairy farms in Michigan, this program provides an overview of how dairy farmers in our state care for their cows, the environment and provide nutritious milk.
Episodes:
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- Calf Care and Meet a Dairy Veterinarian
- What Cows Eat and Meet a Dairy Nutritionist
- Milkhouse and Meet a Milk Truck Driver
- How Dairy Farmers Care for Their Cows
- Milking Cows
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Previous Live Tours:
Kindergarten – 2nd Grades
This 30-minute tour of Walnutdale Farms in western Michigan showcases the care of calves, the milking process and the journey of milk from farm to table. This tour targets students in K-2nd grades.
3rd – 5th Grades
This 45-minute tour of Ritter Farms in central Michigan takes students through the life cycle of a dairy cow and how dairy farmers work hard to care for the land. Students will see the milking process, how milk is collected from the cow, the steps taken to keep it cold and safe, and where it waits for the milk truck driver to pick it up.