Ten Wisconsin dairy calves, including Dorito, shared their story with tens of thousands of school kids across the state thanks to Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin (DFW) and Discover Dairy’s Adopt a Cow program. From August – October 2020, Wisconsin classrooms registered to “adopt” a calf from one of three Wisconsin dairy farms as a classroom mascot or pet. The classrooms followed the calf through a series of updates and photos provided by their farm families.
The first year of the program in Wisconsin was a huge success. “Our initial goal was to reach 75 classrooms or about 1,500 students,” says Karen Doster, DFW director of youth and school programs. “But so many schools and educators were interested in learning the real story of where dairy comes from, the program expanded to reach 1,640 classrooms and more than 28,000 students in grades kindergarten through eight.
“Ultimately, students in 286 schools in Wisconsin adopted a calf to learn more about dairy farming,” she adds. “The extensive use of virtual learning opened the door to the program wider than we ever expected.”
The program helped build a relationship between the students and the farmers. Students and their teachers got a first-hand look into dairy farming, how farmers care for their cows and their land, and how milk is produced on a farm before it reaches their table and schools. “It’s been fantastic to see educators and students develop a relationship with a farm,” says Doster. “And it’s great for farmers because this is a wonderful opportunity to share the remarkable story of their farm.”
The farmers at Synergy Family Dairy in
Other states also joined the Adopt a Cow program, which ended up reaching more than 73,000 classrooms from all 50 states, and more than 1 million students.
