Elmore, Vt.—Fourth grade students from Morristown Elementary School recently visited the Bliss Farm in Elmore for a farm tour and educational seminars. The goal was to introduce young children to the farm firsthand who have not been able to get an up close look at what caring for dairy cattle entails.

They were met by Shelby Biasini, a former Vermont 4-H’er, and Debora Wickart, who have worked on the dairy farm for 30 years. Biasini, who organized the farm tour, invited other dairy industry professionals to share their knowledge and Lamoille County 4-H Educator Holly Ferris to talk about the 4-H dairy project and other opportunities that 4-H offers. Wickart also has been involved with 4-H for several decades as the leader of the Green Mountain Moovers 4-H Dairy Club in Morrisville.

The students were shown what a dairy cow typically eats and learned about the early life of young calves and heifers and how to identify the major dairy breeds. They also observed how the milking machine is set up, toured the milk house and had a close-up encounter with the milking cows on pasture. The farm has 40 registered Brown Swiss and Holstein cows.

The students explored key concepts in chemistry, emulsions, colloids and the important role that milk fat and proteins play in the texture and composition of milk. They learned about the process of pasteurization and the butter making.

They churned the cream from the cows and watched how the milk transformed from liquid to a solid. These experiments introduced the youths to fundamental scientific principles but also gave them an appreciation for the everyday processes that make milk a staple in diets.

At the end of the farm tour, the children had chocolate milk, whole white milk and cheese from Mansfield Dairy in Stowe, donated by the Lamoille County Milk Promotion.

Biasini, who is also a certified milk inspector and field representative, welcomed the class to her farm to share her passion for the dairy cows she knows and has grown up with. She also wanted to show how much fun and hard work it is to care for these animals 365 days a year.

At the end of the day, it was all about the students taking something away from their experience on the farm. They unanimously agreed that the best part about their visit was learning about the feed the cattle eat and how the milk truck collects milk from the bulk tank.

Biasini’s invitation to the class to visit her farm also ties in with her participation in the Young Dairy Leaders Institute, which offers students communication and leadership training to prepare them to advocate for agriculture and deliver presentations to non-farm consumers, thus strengthening the connection between U.S. agriculture and the non-farming public.