Southwest Dairy Farmers Mobile Dairy Classroom
By: Erika Meier, Shattuck FFA Reporter
It’s no secret that the family-owned independent dairy farms are decreasing in the U.S. In fact, according to the USDA census, over 1 billion dollars in sales within the dairy industry has shifted from small farms to large scale commercial farms in the past 10 years. In the face of this rapid decline, independent dairy farmers are as dedicated as ever to promote their industry and bring education to future consumers. The Southwest and Southland Dairy Farmers is an alliance of dairy farmers from Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina. Since 1982, these producers have pooled their resources to promote education in nutrition, dairy product use, and to provide general dairy product information.
The Mobile Dairy Classroom is just one of the programs offered by this great organization, at no cost to the participating school or group. The “classroom,” is in fact a state of the art stock trailer that converts into a mobile milking parlor, allowing an instructor to lead an oral presentation and demonstration using a live dairy cow. One of the main priorities of this classroom is to teach kids about the dairy industry. The instructor not only demonstrates how the milking process works, but also teaches dairy cow anatomy, farm practices, and the importance of dairy products for good health. The children who watch a session of this will get the direct dairy experience, first hand. The program is free for schools, fairs, festivals, libraries, camps and can be set up pretty much anywhere. According to their website, the mobile dairy classrooms, with just 12 instructors, reached over 640,000 people in 2017 alone. This program is for people of all ages, but is targeted to kids second through eighth grade. The goal is to reach students at a young age so they will grow to be responsible and educated consumers.
On December 12, 2019 Shattuck FFA hosted the Southwest Dairy Farmers Mobile Dairy Classroom for our elementary students, grades Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade. Even though we live in a rural community, once populated with small dairy farms, many of our students had never seen a dairy cow close up, let alone seen one being milked! Their faces lit up as they entered our county fair barn and saw what was in store for them. We were fortunate to have as our instructor Ms.Suzie Reece, who serves all of Oklahoma and Southwest Missouri. Suzie was born for this job, and when asked, she’ll tell you that it’s her dream career. I was able to interview Ms. Reece, and I asked what she did before joining the Mobile Dairy Classroom team. Her connection with the dairy industry started when she was young. She grew up on a dairy farm, and as soon as she was old enough, began showing and judging cattle. After college, she entered a career in elementary education where she taught second through fourth grade for twenty years. This didn’t come as a surprise to me, as she is so great with engaging and entertaining the young kids during her presentation. During her time as an elementary teacher, Ms. Reece regularly scheduled the Mobile Dairy Classroom to come and present to her students. Every time her predecessor would visit with his mobile dairy unit, she would jokingly tell him, “You have my dream job….I want your job!” One day those “jokes” paid off, and she got a call asking her if she wanted a position as a mobile dairy educator. When asked if she loved the job, Suzie gave a definite yes. She explained that it gives her the opportunity to teach about an industry that she loves, while traveling and meeting different people along the way. Suzie said, “I love cattle and kids,” so it’s a great fit for her.
Several ag-ed teachers have commented that all schools need to see this program. Schedule a visit on their website, at www.southwestdairyfarmers.com, or you can catch them at the state fairs in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The students at Shattuck Elementary were left with a lasting memory, and an education about where their food comes from thanks to this amazing program.
Pictured: Suzie Reece teaching Shattuck Elementary students.
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