Toombs Central Learns About Dairy
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Toombs Central Elementary School students recently had the opportunity to learn more about the dairy industry, as the Georgia Mobile Dairy Classroom visited the campus with a live dairy cow.
The school’s interest in agriculture has grown throughout the years. Toombs Central Elementary School Principal Wendie Sikes asked Toombs County Young Farmer Advisor Kasey Jackson to form an agriculture club for 5th grade students at the school.
“Having Ag Club once a month allowed me to get to know some of the younger students in the school system, and to learn a little bit more about the school,” Jackson explained. “When I learned that they were planning to host an Ag Day in March, I suggested requesting the Mobile Dairy Classroom to come to that.”
The Georgia Mobile Dairy Classroom is a 30ft. trailer with a live cow that teaches students and communities about agriculture and the dairy industry through feeding and milking demonstrations. These demonstrations are performed by Instructor Nicole Duvall, who grew up on a dairy farm in Madison, Georgia, and has been the Georgia Mobile Dairy Classroom Instructor and Coordinator since 2008.
During visits to schools and communities, Duvall completes 25-45 minute demonstrations to groups; the content of these presentations is adjusted uniquely for each group, based on the spectators’ age and interest. When discussing milk production, some of the content that Duvall teaches on includes life cycles, animal feeding, nutrition, ruminant digestive systems, lactation cycles, the milking process, dairy cow breeds, dairy product processing, and manufacturing processes. When talking to audiences about dairy product nutrition and composition, Duvall gives an overview of food products originating from milk, vitamins and minerals from dairy products, and the overall importance of dairy products as part of a healthy diet.
Overall, the mission of the Mobile Classroom is to give youth a better understanding of where milk comes from, how it is processed, the healthy benefits of dairy products, and dairy farmers’ management of natural resources.
Because of unforeseen circumstances, Toombs Central Elementary School was unable to host the Ag Day, but the Mobile Classroom was able to come as scheduled. Throughout the day, several groups of students visited the trailer, as they discovered where milk comes from and importance of the dairy industry.
Jackson said that the event was incredibly informative for students, and helps to accomplish her overall goal for agricultural education. “Agricultural education is so incredibly important because everyone needs to understand where their food, clothing, and shelter come from, and that there are so many hard-working people behind the scenes making sure that our food supply is the safest and most efficient in the world,” she emphasized.
LIVE DAIRY COW – During the presentations, Duvall uses a live dairy cow to show feeding and milking demonstrations.
