By

Kathy Beezley,   Rogers Middle School

Play:

Topics:

Access to Healthy Foods, Community Involvement, Teamwork,  Other

This year Rogers Middle School students wanted to team up with local farmers to learn more about dairy farming. We selected the Farm to School Play as part of our FUTP 60 vision for 2015-16. Seventh grade teachers agreed to take all of their students to visit the nearest dairy farm. We asked our local Midwest Dairy Representative for contact information of a dairy farm which could accommodate our kids. Windcrest Dairy, a local (40 miles away) farm was generous enough to invite hundreds of Rogers Middle School students to visit. Kurt showed teachers and students how the cows are milked, how the milk is transported to the "yogurt room," and discussed how the yogurt was made and transported. Students were allowed to ask questions and were given a sample of yogurt which is supplied at some local grocery stores. We were able to see other farm animals as well, asked questions of the staff, and learned how farmers feed their animals. FUTP 60 students wrote thank you notes and holiday notes to Kurt and Windcrest for helping us stay healthy. Thank you, Windcrest, for helping us stay healthy.

How did students and adults work together as a team?

FUTP 60 student committee asked administrators for permission to plan the trip to the Dairy Farm. Midwest Dairy contacts offered to find a local farm; I worked with 7th grade teachers to get permission for all students to go to the farm. Go TEAM!

How do you plan to make this Play last during the school year and beyond?

After seeing the farm and the work the farmers do, both Science and Social Studies teachers asked if they could plan a trip next year to the dairy to make sure kids are able to see how farms are run, how hard farmers work, and what they do for all of us.