Dairy Council Of California - Mobile Dairy Classroom

Who Has Never Seen a Cow?

mbligh.nospam@nospam.dairycouncilofca.org (Dairy Council of California) — Mon, 16 May 2011 10:26:00 -0800

It occurred to me today while talking to a school administrator that there are an overwhelming number of students who tell me they have never seen a cow. I find that amazing, especially since you are able to see thousands of dairy cows while driving down Highway 99. Do that many children never take a drive along the highway? It is clear to me when I open the door of the Mobile Dairy Classroom trailer and the children see a 1,200 lb animal, that seeing a dairy cow up close is a unique and exciting experience for them.

At the conclusion of an assembly, the students are able to get a closer look at the cow, as well as a calf. I always ask them as they walk by to describe some of the senses they pick up from the animals. Mainly, how does it feel and what does it smells like. The varieties of answers students say are priceless; anything from she feels like a porcupine, to they smell like milk!

I was born and raised in the central San Joaquin valley, where agriculture is everywhere. Driving past the acres of grape vineyards, almond orchards and fields with sheep grazing was something I did every day. I am now beginning to realize that my experience was unique and quite special. I am so thankful to have the opportunity to provide an experience for school children to learn about agriculture and to have an up close experience with a dairy cow and calf.

Kimberlee Youman
Mobile Dairy Classroom Instructor

Milk, Yogurt, Chinese Food...Oh My!

mbligh.nospam@nospam.dairycouncilofca.org (Dairy Council of California) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 08:08:00 -0800

When it comes to knowing food groups and which food belongs to which group, sometimes it can be a struggle for elementary children (well maybe for adults too). Some foods the kids are very sure of, such as milk is from the milk group! Other foods like eggs, ham, and bacon can be harder to classify, especially if you are in elementary school.

During the introduction of my Mobile Dairy Classroom assembly, I like to review the milk group foods, so students can better relate a dairy cow to their everyday life. They can usually identify the obvious foods like milk and yogurt -- and are very excited to tell me these foods. However, there are the occasional answers such as hamburgers, bacon, carrots, cookies and eggs are from the milk group. What really caught my attention one day was the response, Chinese food.

Chinese food from the milk group, hmm... I'm not sure how students make these connections. When I hear comments that show kids really do not understand the origin of the foods they eat, I feel my job is more important than ever. I want to make sure kids know what foods are milk and dairy foods, where they come from (a cow!) and the importance of dairy foods in their diet.

I am one of the newest instructors; so have fewer stories than some of our veteran instructors. We will be sharing more (and possibly better stories) in future blog posts.

Kimberlee Youman
Mobile Dairy Classroom Instructor

Year End Reflections from Mobile Dairy Classroom Instructors...

mbligh.nospam@nospam.dairycouncilofca.org (Dairy Council of California) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 09:17:00 -0800

We are fortunate in California to have six Mobile Dairy Classroom instructors. They are able to bring the mobile classroom to most of the state and they have a wide range of experiences. Here are some of their reflections about their rather unique job:

From our newest instructors:

I enjoy getting a good reaction and praises from teachers with reassurances that I have done my job right!! The type of questions the students are able to come up with are simply the added bonus to my day.” - Kimberlee Youman

“The best thing I like about my job is being able to share my passion for animals and agriculture with elementary school kids. My favorite part is when I quiz them at the end and they remembered all of the vocabulary words, it lets me know that they were listening and understanding.”- Laura LaFayette

Comments from our veteran instructors:

Mishael Tarbell started with Dairy Council in 2009. Since then she has discovered that the best parts of her job are being outdoors, being around animals and being able to give children an experience many have not experienced before.

Jeff Byers has been an instructor since 1994. "One thing I enjoy is working with the special day class kids. If I get the chance I like to spend extra time with them. They seem to enjoy the animals, especially the calf...There are always lots of happy faces.”

Efrain, the Mobile Dairy Classroom Manager, has been teaching kids about cows since 1998. His favorite part about his job is getting to introduce cows to inner-city kids.

And for Steve Miller, a Mobile Dairy Classroom instructor since 2003, the best part about his job are “kids expressions,” and the fact that “ kids say the darndest things.”

Happy holidays and best wishes from all of our Mobile Dairy Classroom Instructors!

Dairy Council of California

Moo-ving Gratitude (Thank you for Thank You)

mbligh.nospam@nospam.dairycouncilofca.org (Maureen Bligh) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 11:46:00 -0800

Our Mobile Dairy Classroom instructors put forth a big effort to teach elementary students about how milk gets from the cow to the container. Most have to get up very early in order to have time to drive to the dairy, pick up the cow and calf in time to get to school. Each instructor has their own style. Some are humorous in their approach, others use a narrative or historical approach but they all are effective in delivering their message in a way that is understandable to elementary students.

And nothing is more rewarding than knowing their work was well received. We greatly appreciate all of the many wonderful thank you cards that are received. If you come into one of the Dairy Council offices, you will find student thank you cards on our walls!

“The students in our area are surrounded by dairies, but most have never been able to learn or see anything about them; until now. Your program is wonderful! Thank you again.” -- Kindergarten teacher, Bret Harte Elem

“Students learned all about cows (bovines) about milk and about other biology and science related issues! Teachers will use this experience to introduce a comprehensive unit on student health and nutrition to begin in May!” -- From Calabasas Elem school blog

“Students at Bay View today watched a moo-ving assembly today. Through the help of the Dairy Council of California, two Holstein dairy cows, Ellie and Della visited the school campus and transformed the playground into an urban farm”. -- From Bay View Elem blog

Mobile Dairy Classroom thanks you for showing your appreciation.

Dairy Council of California

Mobile Dairy Classroom: Eighty Years and Counting

mbligh.nospam@nospam.dairycouncilofca.org (Dairy Council of California) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 13:19:00 -0800

In the 1930s a dairyman named Clarence Michel, of Edgemar Farms, teamed with Dairy Council of California to create the free Mobile Dairy Classroom. The idea: Michel would travel weekly to Los Angeles-area schools in a truck built to accommodate a live cow. The goal: to teach children how milk and dairy foods were produced and to get students up close and personal with local agricultural ambassadors.

Due to the vast response from schools, the program expanded into a statewide teaching curriculum.

Eighty years later and counting, six Mobile Dairy Classroom units visit schools throughout California, reaching more than 300,000 elementary school students each year.

Students learn:

The basic anatomy of a cow, the food it eats to stay healthy and the milking process
Agriculture’s role in supplying the food children enjoy
Milk and dairy foods’ unique contributions to a healthy diet

This outdoor assembly is free throughout certain areas of California. To see if your school is eligible, please fill out this form.

Dairy Council of California

Mooove It -- LA Kids Learn How to Milk a Cow

mbligh.nospam@nospam.dairycouncilofca.org (Dairy Council of California) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 11:20:00 -0800

Back by popular demand, Dairy Council of California brings the cow milking demonstrations to the LA County Fair. Efrain Valenzuela, Mobile Dairy Classroom manager, presents free milking demonstrations to students and teachers throughout the day. Because the fair is closed to the general public Wednesdays through Fridays between 9am to 12 pm and only admits school children in the morning, Efrain usually sees up to four-hundred students per presentation and over 34,000 students during the course of the fair. The fair opened on Sept 8th and ends Oct 1st.

In addition to learning where milk comes from, Efrain adds information, vocabulary and other agricultural facts to the lesson. It is a fun and exciting way for students to learn how milk is produced and processed and how calcium can help build strong bones.

When students and teachers come into the milking parlor they see various breeds of dairy cows, milk and milk products, and a 20 to 30 minute educational presentation, so they are getting a complete picture of what comes from cows. “We’re giving a whole dairy lesson. We show the complete milking process. The [LA County] fair used to have a working dairy processing center, so it’s a great way to show the complete processing cycle,” says Efrain.

“The best part about Dairy Council being involved with the fair is that we get to be a part of an already established event and can reach a large group of students. The fair believes in education, and we want to support their effort,” says Valenzuela.

After the presentation, California teachers are offered free nutrition education materials from Dairy Council of California staff. While at the booth, students are entertained with healthy activities such as, the Dairy Clue game, the Meat, Beans and Nuts and Grains Spinning Wheel game, and the Fruits and Vegetable Memory game. Parents are also invited to learn how they can support nutrition education at their child's school.

Kelly Hawekotte, Customer Service Coordinator, noted an interesting question. A parent asked how she can tell whether she was buying California milk. She wanted to know this because if buying California milk helps support the Dairy Council of California’s nutrition education efforts, then that is what she wants to do.

The Mobile Dairy Classroom is age appropriate outdoor assembly that visits California elementary schools throughout the school year and acts as a continuation of the milking demonstration presented at the fair. “Being here at the fair is a great launching pad for us for the beginning of the school year because of the large number of students we get to see,” says Efrain.

The Mobile Dairy Classroom, provided by the Dairy Council of California, is a free assembly given to eligible elementary schools throughout California every school year. Because there are only six mobile units in California, the assembly only comes around every 3 to 6 years in certain districts. If your school is interested in learning more about this assembly please visit www.dairycouncilofca.org/educators/mobiledairy.

Dairy Council of California