A New Kind of Class Pet Is Coming to New York Schools
Forget the Classroom Hamster: NY Students Are Adopting Dairy Calves
Forget the classroom hamster or the fish nobody remembers to feed. Students across New York have a much bigger class pet to get to know this school year, and these three little ladies happen to be dairy calves.
Bilow Farms in Malone has been selected as New York's host farm for Discover Dairy's Adopt a Cow program. Classrooms and other organizations across the state can follow one of three Holstein calves as they grow throughout the school year.
Meet Delilah, Luna, and Clover, all born in August.
Students will get monthly photos, videos, and updates about their adopted calf, giving them a behind-the-scenes look at life on a dairy farm without having to clean out a barn.
Meet the Family Behind the Farm
This is the first year Bilow Farms has participated as a host farm, and the family is excited to introduce students to the animals they care for every day.
Jessica Bilow says the goal is to help students build a connection with their calf while learning what goes into caring for dairy cows and producing the milk that ends up on their tables.
Learning Where Milk Really Comes From
The Adopt a Cow program is about more than giving a calf a cute name and checking in on her once in a while. Students also receive educational resources and activities covering animal care, nutrition, agriculture, and food production.
At the end of the school year, students can even participate in a live virtual chat with their host farmer to ask questions and learn more about their calf.
Whether students are in the North Country, New York City, Western New York, or somewhere in between, they'll have a chance to follow Delilah, Luna, or Clover and learn a little more about the farm that started it all.
Teachers Can Sign Up for Free
Teachers and other organizations interested in participating can enroll in Discover Dairy's Adopt a Cow program through January 31. Participation is free, so classrooms can get in on the fun without adding another expense to the school budget.
Find more information and sign up at DiscoverDairy.com/Adopt-a-Cow.
And who knows? By the end of the school year, students might know more about raising dairy cows than the adults who pour milk into their coffee every morning.
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Gallery Credit: Credit - Polly McAdams