Bear Valley Elementary Students Get Up Close and Personal With A Dairy Cow and Calf

Students at Bear Valley Elementary learned firsthand about the role of agriculture in the food supply and how milk and dairy foods get from the farm to the table on Nov. 17, when a real cow and calf visited the school. The assembly is part of the Mobile Dairy Classroom offered by Dairy Council of California. The educational learning lab teaches K-6 students about cow anatomy, cow care on the farm, the milking process and agriculture technology. Language arts, math and science are integrated into the lesson, which aligns with Common Core State Standards. Students also learn about healthy food and activity choices. “For many students, this is the first opportunity they have to see a cow up close,” said Steve Miller, the Mobile Dairy Classroom instructor who taught the assembly at Bear Valley Elementary School. “And while the students are having fun, the lessons they are learning are important. Through the assembly, kids enhance their food literacy skills, ultimately obtaining a better understanding of food systems and healthy food choices.” Mobile Dairy Classroom – the original Farm to School program in California – began in the 1930s as a joint venture between Venice, California, dairyman Clarence Michel of Edgemar Farms and Dairy Council of California. Michel would travel weekly to schools in his area in a truck built to accommodate a real cow and teach children how milk and dairy foods were produced. Today, the Mobile Dairy Classroom reaches more than 453,000, with six full-time instructors who travel to elementary schools, agriculture days and fairs throughout California. The assemblies are offered at no cost to schools and are part of dairy farm families’ and dairy companies’ efforts to give back to the community. California dairies support the program by providing cows and calves for assemblies. For nearly a century, Dairy Council of California has partnered with educators, health professionals and communities to elevate the health of children and parents through the pursuit of healthy, balanced eating habits and lifelong values for milk and dairy foods. Funded by California's dairy farm families and local dairy companies, Dairy Council of California's science-based nutrition education resources, Mobile Dairy Classroom assemblies, training programs and online tools reach millions in California and throughout the United States. Learn more at HealthyEating.org.