Grants Available for Schools to Fund Field Trips to Local Dairy Farms

Any Classroom Enrolled in the Discover Dairy Program Can Apply for a Grant Up to $500

Teachers who have classrooms that are enrolled in the Discover Dairy or Adopt a Cow program are eligible to apply for one of 80 grants available to fund a field trip to a local dairy farm. Grants will be up to $500 based on the type of field trip planned. Funds from the grant can assist in covering the cost of busing, the farm tour itself, lunch, or a dairy treat. There are up to 40 grants designated specifically for Pennsylvania classrooms. Farm tour field trip grant applications must be submitted online by January 15, 2025.

“There’s no better way to bring dairy farming to life for students than by giving them the opportunity to set foot on a farm and talk directly with dairy farmers. For teachers who want to show students how dairy farmers care for their cows, conserve their natural resources and how milk impacts their local economy, they find these farm tour field trip grants extremely valuable,” said Brittany Snyder, Dairy Education Program Manager at the Dairy Excellence Foundation. “Thanks to support from our partners, these field trips serve as an engaging activity for classrooms and help expose students to all that goes into running a successful dairy operation. We encourage you to share the opportunity with teachers you know in your community.”

Selection is based on the number of students eligible to attend the tour and previous and future plans of dairy education in the classroom. Discover Dairy staff do not provide farm suggestions for the dairy farm trip. Teachers who apply for the grants must plan the trip and contact a farm in their community to make arrangements for the tour. These grants are available to schools only. Home school groups will not be considered.

“This grant provided a wonderful opportunity for my pre-k students and their families. They had a lot of great questions and learned about what it takes to run a dairy farm. We all left with a greater appreciation for the hard work and dedication that goes into putting dairy products onto grocery store shelves,” shared a pre-kindergarten teacher who received a grant.

Farm tour field trip grant applications will be accepted until January 15, 2025. The application is to receive up to $500 in funds for a farm field trip that is planned by the applicant. Applications without a specified dairy farm to tour will not be considered for the grant.

“In our first-grade classrooms, an interest in agricultural science emerged. A need for a clearer understanding of this local industry was found by our teachers during an interactive read-aloud. Our local area is rich with experts in ag science, so we partnered with others to deepen this learning experience,” shared a first-grade teacher who received a grant. “A local dairy farm hosted our little learners for a real world, career related field trip experience. Thank you to Discover Dairy for covering the cost of the field trip experience to the farm!”

Consider sharing these grant opportunities with teachers in your community. Visit www.discoverdairy.com/take-trip-dairy-farm to apply or share with a teacher you know. Contact Brittany Snyder at bsnyder@centerfordairyexcellence.org or call 717-346-0849 for more information.

Discover Dairy is an educational series managed by the Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation of Pennsylvania in partnership with American Dairy Association Northeast, American Dairy Association Indiana, Midwest Dairy, The Dairy Alliance, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Dairy Management West, Dairy West, New England Dairy, Dairy Farmers of Washington, American Dairy Association Mideast, Dairy Council of Florida, United Dairy Industry of Michigan, Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council, and Oregon Dairy Council.