CCFB Donates $5,000 to Support Mobile Dairy Classroom

St. Louis District Dairy Council, in partnership with Southwest Dairy Museum, Inc., is again using their traveling milking parlor to give students and consumers a unique dairy farm experience, right in the parking lot.  The Clinton CFB donated another $5,000 through the St. Louis District Dairy Council to support this new educational effort about dairy for 2024.  This brings the Clinton CFB’s support of this unique learning experience to a total of $10,000 in two years.

That experience includes a presentation on dairy farms, cows, and how farmers care for the environment. It also features the opportunity for students to learn about the modern milking process with the help of a special guest star — a real dairy cow. Up to 200 participants will take part in the 45-minute presentation, which also covers how dairy foods fit into a healthy diet.   

“Field trips are an ideal way to show kids what happens on a dairy farm, but travel, budget and space restrictions can limit the adventure to only a handful of classrooms,” said SLDDC registered dietitian Kelsey Bentlage. “By bringing the dairy farm directly to the students, the school has no transportation costs and can allow more students to participate.”  

With just 2% of Americans connected to the agriculture industry, many students have only seen farming by watching it on a screen. “Virtual farm tours became popular when schools turned to online learning,” Bentlage said. “They remain an efficient way to show what life on a dairy farm is like, but there is no substitute for seeing a live cow being milked right in front of you!”

During the school year, SLDDC will offer the Mobile Dairy Classroom to schools in eastern Missouri and central and southern Illinois and the experience will be available and touring different events and occasions all summer long as well.

For more information on the St. Louis District Dairy Council visit www.stldairycouncil.org.  To learn more about the Southwest Dairy Farmers and schedule a Mobile Dairy Classroom visit, check out their website at www.southwestdairyfarmers.com.