Adopt a Cow Program is Still Open for 2025-2026 School Year

Attention teachers and other education professionals! Did you know the Adopt a Cow program impacted over one million students around the world last school year? Sign-ups are open now, giving your class another chance to join the fun in the coming school year.

This school year, forget the guinea pig or tank full of fish as a class pet. How about adopting a 1,500-pound dairy cow for your classroom mascot instead? The kids will love her and you won’t have to worry about finding a pen big enough to hold her. The photos and stories we’ll send you about her life on the farm will bring her right to your students’ desks, minus the commitment of a class pet!

Adopt a Cow

Each year, we promote the Adopt a Cow program, which is available to various educational programs like schools, after-school programs, and even adult community groups due to the opportunity for participants to receive an exclusive look at dairy farming. It is a popular program that more and more students are participating in to care for and learn about dairy cows.

What is the Adopt a Cow Program?

The Discover Dairy Adopt a Cow program is an exciting, year-long (and FREE) experience for your classroom (or nursing home or even your friend group) to connect with the local agriculture industry. Throughout the program’s run, you’ll get an inside look at local dairy farming practices and be paired with a calf from a working dairy farm in your state.

You’ll find out what her name is, when her birthday is, where she lives, and how the farmer takes care of her. You’ll also receive progress updates, photos of the dairy cow, live chats from the farm, activity sheets for your students, suggested lessons that follow Common CORE standards, and even opportunities to write letters to your calf! Other opportunities like naming the calf or additional may be available at the farmer’s discretion. All updates are easily accessible via the online portal and mobile app, so your cow is always one click away.

It is an opportunity for participants to see the daily work done on a dairy farm. For those interested in agriculture, animal care, sustainability practices, food production, and more, Adopt a Cow provides unique insights into local industry.

Register for this school year between May 1 and September 15, 2025, and join the moo-vement that has impacted 1+ million students across the globe! Click here to learn more about the free program. You will receive confirmation and further information about Adopt a Cow after registration closes and once your classroom’s calf is born, around October 2025.

Discover Dairy is an educational series managed by the Dairy Excellence Foundation in partnership with The Dairy Alliance. Local dairy farmers in the Southeast participate in the program, providing students plenty of opportunities to connect with their cow as she grows. Information about participating farms within The Dairy Alliance region, typically one farm per state, will be available once the 2025-2026 program begins.

Until then, explore virtual farm tours and meet local dairy farmers available through The Dairy Alliance resources.