SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Tyler Beck of Beck Farms, Freeville, N.Y., and Chris Waddell of Apple Shamrock Dairy Farms, Townville, Pa., hosted two of American Dairy Association North East’s spring Virtual Farm Tours, the award-winning virtual program that has garnered more than 550,000 viewers since 2018.
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.
Offered in real time, the tours allow students and teachers to ask questions as the farmer host walks through the barns.
“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.”
Waddell’s tour drew nearly 6,700 registrations, and Beck’s tour had 8,000, registrations – with the option to view the tour live or watch the recording later.
“It’s a seamless way to tell our own story and share the facts about what we do, why we do, and how we do it,” said Beck who has hosted in-person and virtual tours. “It’s always nice to have the face-to-face interaction with visitors, but when you’re doing tours on a larger scale like this, it’s logistically easier to host them virtually.”
A third spring tour is set for May 25, to be hosted by Crystal Stambaugh Edwards of Pheasant Echos Farm, Westminster, Md. Registration information will be available closer to the date.
Watch Beck’s and Waddell’s tours here, or visit AmericanDairy.com, and click on “Virtual Farm Tours” under the “For Schools” tab.
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Photo captions:
Waddell VFT – Chris Waddell of Apple Shamrock Dairy Farms, Townville, Pa., hosted a Virtual Farm Tour coordinated by American Dairy Association North East, that drew nearly 6,700 registrants.
Beck VFT – Tyler Beck of Beck Farms, Freeville, N.Y., hosted a Virtual Farm Tour coordinated by American Dairy Association North East, that drew 8,000 registrants.
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.
