A taste of education
Dairy industry display entertains and informsBy DAN FELDNER, Staff Writer dfeldner@minotdailynews.com
Article Photos
Taking a stroll through the dairy barn at the North Dakota State Fair just got a little more enlightening, as the Midwest Dairy Association unveiled its new educational display - From Farm to Food to You.
Char Heer, program manager for the association, said the exhibit entails various pieces of information about where milk comes from, how dairy cows are fed and how they're taken care of.
"People who walk through here are not only seeing the farmers taking care of their animals, but they're learning more about the dairy industry and the importance of dairy foods in their diet," Heer said.
There is also a four-minute video tour of the Ole and Jessica Johnson dairy farm near Center that shows how milk goes from the cows to the grocery store. It was filmed over the course of two days this past summer and spent five months in production before finally being completed in January this year.
"It's been a very good educational piece for teachers in classrooms," Heer said. "It's a nice way for the kids to learn about what's all involved in getting that milk to their table."
Heer said the film is brief because it was primarily made to be shown at Living Ag Classroom events held throughout the state, which only give them about four minutes to tell their story. Another reason the video was made was because dairy farmers have increasingly found it difficult to take time off to attend the events, making the video a perfect stand-in.
The video, "From Farm to You: The Story of Milk," and other educational topics on the dairy industry can be seen online at (www.midwestdairy.com). More information can also be found at (www.dairyfarmingtoday.org), including a virtual farm tour.
An early preview of the display was shown Tuesday evening, but Wednesday was the first full day the exhibit, which runs through the end of the fair on Saturday, was ready for the public.
Along with the main display that contains brochures and the video, there are also small displays and posters scattered throughout the barn telling a fact or two about the dairy industry. One features a display showing how many gallons of milk the average cow produces in a week - 50. Others show different types of feed cows eat, while posters scattered around the barn highlight four of the six North American dairy cow breeds found there - Milking Shorthorn, Jersey, Brown Swiss and Holstein. The other two breeds not found in the barn are Ayrshire and Guernsey.
Heer spread the displays out to encourage people to explore the entire barn and see all the different stalls of area dairy farmers, each decorated in distinctive fashion.
"People can come through the dairy barn and not only see the different variety of dairy cows, talk to a dairy farmer on how they do take care of their animals here and on the farm, they can watch a milking demonstration," Heer said. "Just a little information of how do you milk a cow."
Heer said just because the cows are at the fair doesn't mean they get a vacation. They are milked at the fair around the same times they are milked at the farm, which is mornings from 7 to 9 a.m. and evenings from 5 to 7 p.m. The milk is then shipped to a cheese plant at the end of the State Fair so it will not go to waste.
"I think it's a great way for the dairy farmers to tell their story too while they're here because who knows better as to how they're taking care of their animals and how they make sure that their animals are well cared for, they're well fed, the milking process is just like they would have it at home where they're sanitizing the cow and the equipment," Heer said. "So basically it's just kind of taking a few samples of their operation and bringing it to the fair, and taking great pride in what they do."
She noted that pride can also be seen in the children who are showing their dairy cows in the various events during the fair.
"That's their fun. This isn't a job for them, this isn't a chore. This is fun," she said. "Sure they work really hard when they're here but they take great pride in what they're doing."
Heer said the display is an important educational tool because many people, both children and adults, have never set foot on a farm before and probably only have the faintest idea of where the milk and other dairy products they buy in the grocery store come from.
"We have so many children, elementary students and even young adults who are so far removed from the farm that they may not know all that's entailed in getting that food to their table," she said. "And it's a great opportunity for them to see the hard work and the dedication and the time it takes to make sure that milk is wholesome and fresh and nutritious for them to buy at the store or get at the restaurant or wherever they may be."
The display only takes a few minutes to visit and Heer thinks it is time well spent to give those who are curious a little taste of where exactly milk comes from. She said they have gotten many compliments on the video and display, and already hopes to bring it back to the State Fair even bigger and better next year.
"I just invite people to learn more about where their food comes from and to rest assured that milk is one of the most wholesome foods out there," she said. "A lot of care is taken to provide that for them."
