The Dairy Excellence Foundation hosted its annual day-long farm tour on October 17. The program allows high school students to gain firsthand knowledge of modern working dairy farms.
The dairy farm visits showcase careers within the dairy industry as well as modern agricultural technologies used to help improve today’s farming practices.
Nine Tyrone freshman and TAHS agriculture teacher Tiffany Hoy toured the Penn England LLC Farm and Ritchey’s Dairy.
During the tours, the students were able to see different parts of the operation and gain a better understanding of how a dairy farm functions.
Freshman Eli Hunter said he enjoyed the experience. “I learned the importance of how the cows are raised because it is important for how the milk is produced,” Hunter said.
Cows and calves like to have the same meal at the same time every day, for the best growth and production.
The students also had the chance to see a veterinarian’s equipment and learn about their daily duties.
There was also a presentation on the early stages of a cow, the embryo in a cow’s uterus, and the final stage of a goat kid before birth.
“These types of farm tours are vital in helping students realize the vast array of careers associated with the dairy industry,” Hoy said.
During the tour, the students met with a veterinarian who spoke about the shortage of large animal and exotic animal veterinarians, as well as non-traditional veterinary careers like working in a lab on parasite control or genetics.
They also learned about the role of an engineer who operates the methane digester and works with mechanics.
Freshman Jayden Albright said that she liked looking at the early stages of a cow and the early stages of a goat kid. “I also liked seeing the embryo under a microscope,” Albright said.
After the dairy farm, the freshman group traveled to Ritchey’s Dairy in Martinsburg to tour their facility and learn how their milk products are made, including a stop for some ice cream.
At Ritchey’s Dairy, the students gained insight into precision agriculture, marketing, and food science.
The rich history and adaptation of this multi-generation ice cream producer shows how agriculturalists adapt to the forever changing markets.
“While I wish I could take more FFA members on these trips, we are limited by factors like transportation, cost, and student time out of class. Even with these challenges, the trip was deemed highly valuable in opening the eyes of students to the diverse career opportunities available in the Dairy Industry,” Hoy said.
Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow is a comprehensive program designed specifically to prepare high school students to pursue careers in the dairy industry.
Using a three-part model, Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow offers classroom curriculum, on-farm experience opportunities as well as scholarships for both educators and students.
For more information about the program, visit https://www.dairyleadersoftomorrow.com/
