Teachers Invited to Join “Adopt a Cow” Spring Live Chats With 33 Dairy Farms

Those Interested in Learning More About Dairy Farming and Adopt a Cow Program Can Join

The more than 43,000 classrooms participating in Discover Dairy’s Adopt a Cow program for the 2024-25 school year will be invited to participate in virtual live chats this spring to culminate their year-long experience. The Dairy Excellence Foundation and program partners, including 14 regional Dairy Checkoff-funded associations across the United States, will host the live chats with 33 dairy farm families who have participated in the program this past year. Teachers or families who are interested in experiencing the Adopt a Cow program in action can join one or more of the live chats throughout April and May.

Each live chat will be streamed on the Dairy Excellence Foundation’s YouTube channel. They will be recorded and can be re-watched at your convenience if you cannot participate during the scheduled day and time.

“These virtual live chats continue to be one of students’ favorite parts of the Adopt a Cow program and a memory that sticks in their minds for years to come,” said Brittany Snyder, dairy education program manager with the Dairy Excellence Foundation. “All year long, teachers and students learn about their host farm and adopted calf through pictures and videos. After seven months of updates, they finally get to virtually meet their calf and chat directly with the farmers that care for her. Students always ask insightful questions and really enjoy getting to virtually meet dairy farm families from across the United States.”

Each live chat will be a half hour long, and the chat feature will be enabled so the farmer can answer students’ questions in real time. For Spanish-speaking students, there will be a live chat on Wednesday, May 5 at 10:30 AM EST that will be held in Spanish with Loehmer Dairy in Indiana. Teachers are encouraged to share this live chat opportunity with any Spanish teachers and students who might benefit from this event.

The farms who are hosting a live chat through the Adopt a Cow program are listed below with the time and date of their virtual event. Visit www.discoverdairy.com/live-chats to view the full schedule with connection details. All times are listed with the appropriate time zone.

• Lueken Dairy, Indiana: Monday, April 7, 2025 at 10:30 AM EST
• Dan Maur Farm, Washington: Monday, April 7, 2025 at 10:30 AM PST
• Mauthe Farms, Mississippi: Tuesday, April 8, 2025 at 1:30 PM CST
• Big Sandy Creek Dairy, Georgia: Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 2:00 PM EST
• Cottonwood Farms, Nevada: Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 1:00 PM PST
• Larson Dairy, Inc., Florida: Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 10:00 AM EST
• Clark Family Dairy, Utah: Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 9:30 AM MST
• Long Green Farms, Maryland: Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 2:00 PM EST
• Groetsch Dairy Inc., Minnesota: Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 2:30 PM CST
• Schoch Dairy & Creamery, Oregon: Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 1:30 PM PST
• Cave Hill Dairy Farm, Virginia: Friday, April 11, 2025 at 9:30 AM EST
• Landsdowne Dairy, South Carolina: Friday, April 11, 2025 at 10:30 AM EST
• Kurtland Farms, Pennsylvania: Friday, April 11, 2025 at 1:30 PM EST
• Fouts Farm LLC, New York: Monday, April 28, 2025 at 9:30 AM EST
• Berning Acres, Illinois: Monday, April 28, 2025 at 9:30 AM CST
• Orthridge Jerseys, Wisconsin: Monday, April 28, 2025 at 1:30 PM CST
• Four Pines Farm LTD, Ohio: Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at 10:00 AM EST
• Vision Aire Farms, Wisconsin: Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at 10:00 AM CST
• UMaine Witter Farm, Maine: Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at 1:30 PM EST
• Stotz Dairy, Arizona: Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at 1:30 PM Yukon Time
• Dusty Road Jersey Farm, North Carolina: Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at 9:30 AM EST
• Triple H Dairy, Kentucky: Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at 9:30 AM CST
• Barham Jersey Farm, Tennessee: Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at 1:30 PM EST
• Schleis Farm LLC, Wisconsin: Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at 1:30 PM CST
• College of the Ozarks, Missouri: Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 10:00 AM CST
• Circle J Dairy, Alabama: Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 11:00 AM CST
• Oakridge Dairy, Connecticut: Friday, May 2, 2025 at 10:30 AM EST
• Crandall Dairy Farms LLC, Michigan: Friday, May 2, 2025 at 2:00 PM EST
• JJC Jerseys, Nebraska: Friday, May 2, 2025 at 2:00 PM CST
• Loehmer Dairy, Indiana: Monday, May 5, 2025 at 9:30 AM EST (English Live Chat)
• Loehmer Dairy, Indiana: Monday, May 5, 2025 at 10:30 AM EST (Spanish Live Chat)
• Rottinghaus Holstein Farm, Kansas: Monday, May 5, 2025 at 1:30 PM CST
• Takes Family Farm, Iowa: Tuesdsay, May 6, 2025 at 10:30 AM CST
• Daona Farm, Vermont: Tuesday, May 6, 2025 at 1:00 PM EST

Each classroom that enrolls in the Adopt a Cow program is paired with a calf from a working dairy farm in the United States. Teachers and students receive photos, video updates, and activity sheets throughout the school year that allow them to watch their calf grow. Through interactive, hands-on learning activities, students gain a deeper understanding of the dairy industry and where their food comes from. The live chats are the final installment of the year-long program.

“The best part of the Adopt a Cow program was learning just how fast a calf grows. The students had so many questions about growth and when their baby calf would be added to the milking herd. It was great to see their curiosity grow, and in turn, be answered through the live chat opportunity on YouTube. Thank you for doing this every year,” said a teacher who participated in the live chat last year.

More than 1.7 million students from across the globe have been impacted by the 2024-25 Adopt a Cow and Discover Dairy programs. Classrooms from all 50 states are enrolled, and the program continues to make an international impact. Classrooms from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Mexico, South Africa, and more are participating in the program.

“When we visited our farm [during the virtual live chat] and saw our own cow on the screen, the moderator read our class name aloud that we put in the chat. My class lost their minds and cheered with excitement! It was a highlight of the program for us,” added another teacher who participated in the live chat last year.

The Adopt a Cow program is made possible through the generous support of Dairy Excellence Foundation donors and program partners, including 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.

To join one or more of the live chats being held in April and May, visit www.discoverdairy.com/live-chats to view the full schedule and find connection details. You can also visit the Dairy Excellence Foundation’s channel on YouTube. To find the channel, search “Dairy Excellence Foundation” at www.youtube.com.

To donate to the Adopt a Cow program, contact Jayne Sebright at jsebright@centerfordairyexcellence.org or call 717-346-0849. You can also visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/donate. Any support received will support classrooms participating in the 2025-26 Adopt a Cow program.

To learn more about the program and its impact on the Pennsylvania and United States dairy industry, contact Brittany Snyder at bsnyder@centerfordairyexcellence.org or call 717-346- 0849. You can also visit www.discoverdairy.com/adopt.