SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Three Spring 2023 Virtual Farm Tours, coordinated by American Dairy Association North East, drew 25,000 viewers to learn how milk is sustainably and safely produced. Since launching the Virtual Farm Tour concept in 2018, the tours have racked up more than 620,000 viewers from 49 states between the live and recorded broadcasts.
Farmer hosts this spring included Tyler Beck from Beck Farms, Freeville, N.Y., Chris Waddell of Apple Shamrock Farms, Townville, Pa., and Crystal Stambaugh Edwards of Pheasant Echos Farm, Westminster, Md.
“With less than two percent of the population farming now, it’s even more important that people understand where their food comes from,” said Waddell. “Hosting a farm tour like this is a great opportunity to help thousands of kids make that connection at one time.”
“We’re so fortunate to have dairy farmers who are willing to ‘open the barn doors’ to show students how they care for their animals and their land,” said ADA North East CEO John Chrisman. “This program is building trust in dairy by helping young consumers make the connection with those who are producing the milk and dairy products they enjoy at home and at school.”
Two separate tour sessions, along with free lesson plans, took place on the same day at each farm, including:
- For Grades 6-12 – A deep dive tour that focuses on how farms use technology and experts to provide care for their animals and the land.
- For Pre-K- Grade 5 – A general tour with that covers three primary areas on the farm – where calves live, where cows live, and where cows are milked.
The free teacher-developed student lesson plans meet Common Core Standards for elementary, middle and high school classes.
“The tour was very informative and gave my students a great visual about the dairy industry,” said a participating teacher. Several other teachers praised the quality of the video and the audio that made it easy for the students to ask questions and receive answers in real time.
“I really do hope that I answered the kids’ questions and showed them something they have never seen before,” said Stambaugh. “This is what we do every day and its second nature to us, so it was a great experience to share our farm with them.”
Another teacher added, “I loved that we were able to show kids the ins and outs of how cow milking is done. Most think they just go to the store and that is where milk is made, however there is so much more behind the scenes.”
Stay tuned for information on the 2023 Fall Virtual Farm Tours.
All lesson plans are available to download, as well as access to all the recorded tours at AmericanDairy.com under “Virtual Farm Tours.”
Photo caption StambaughVFT: Crystal Stambaugh Edwards of Pheasant Echos Farm, Westminster, Md., hosted one of American Dairy Association North East’s Virtual Farm Tours this spring.
About American Dairy Association North East
American Dairy Association North East (ADA North East) is the dairy farmer-funded organization funded by participating dairy farmer’s checkoff investment to build demand and sales for milk and dairy foods throughout the local region. Representing nearly 9,000 dairy farm families in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and northern Virginia, ADA North East develops and implements local programs to drive milk and dairy sales at retail outlets and in schools. The organization also conducts consumer education about dairy through events, traditional and social media, and in collaboration with health professionals through National Dairy Council®. ADA North East works closely with Dairy Management Inc.™, the national dairy checkoff organization, to support nutrition research, national partnerships and developing export markets for dairy to bring a fully integrated promotion program to the region. For more information, visit www.AmericanDairy.com, or call 315.472.9143.
