The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.

With the school year coming to a close, Discover Dairy’s “Adopt a Cow” program continued to expand its reach this school year. Thanks to support from partners and donors, a total of 43,000+ classrooms participated and more than 1.7 million students across the globe were impacted by the year-long dairy education program. The program continues to be free for teachers and groups who use it and gives students an inside look at a dairy farm in the United States by “adopting” a cow to follow throughout the year.

The Adopt a Cow program is made possible through the generous support of Dairy Excellence Foundation donors and program partners, including American Dairy Association Northeast, American Dairy Association Indiana, Midwest Dairy, The Dairy Alliance, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Dairy Management West, Dairy West, New England Dairy, Dairy Farmers of Washington, American Dairy Association Mideast, Dairy Council of Florida, United Dairy Industry of Michigan, Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council, and Oregon Dairy Council.

“We had the highest number of students impacted by Adopt a Cow in program history this year, and we hope to continue building on this momentum as we start another school year this fall,” shared Brittany Snyder, Dairy Education Program Manager at the Dairy Excellence Foundation. “From elementary teachers who teach science, math and art to bus drivers and nutrition directors, this program is truly building connections between students and the dairy industry as a whole. After completing the program, over 99% of the teachers we surveyed say their students completely trust the care farmers provide to their cows, they trust the milk they drink is safe, and they trust that dairy farmers are taking great care of our environment and natural resources.”

In the Adopt a Cow pre-assessment that is completed at the start of the school year before the program begins, 60 percent of the teachers surveyed said they were from urban or suburban areas, with about 80 percent saying their students are not knowledgeable about the dairy industry. After completing a post-assessment at the conclusion of this year’s program, the Adopt a Cow program helped drive the following results:

• 38 percent of teachers surveyed say their students are eating more dairy foods with meals or choosing more dairy-friendly snacks because of what they learned through the program.
• 63 percent of teachers surveyed say their students talk more about dairy and are curious to learn more as a result of the AAC program.
• 97 percent of teachers surveyed say they and their students feel knowledgeable about the dairy industry after participating in the program.

Several types of teachers and educators used the program to expand on their subject areas and make connections with their students. The following types of groups have used the program:

• STEM classrooms – “Our STEM activity is often something involving our adopted calf. I have the growth chart where we log the height of our calf, and the kids compare their heights to the cow’s height. This program makes such great connections.” –Anna, STEM teacher and Adopt a Cow participant
• Art classrooms – “I liked the idea of using this [cow] theme as an ongoing mascot of sorts in my art program. It helped us celebrate our rural location and learn more about our community.” –Abby, art teacher and Adopt a Cow participant
• School cafeterias – “We brought farm-to-table learning into our cafeteria by adopting a calf. Now students can connect with local farming and explore the journey of fresh, nutritious food.” –Connie, nutrition director and Adopt a Cow participant
• Preschools – “The kids can definitely relate to the fact that water is so important and food is so important to taking care of cows. The farmer who is taking care of the cows is also important. It’s really setting a solid foundation for all that it takes to care for these animals. It’s really growing that appreciation. I talk to the kids a lot about how we share the air that we breathe and how that’s important for cows, too. They need fresh, clean air and places to roam. I think they’re really getting the bigger picture.” –Jayne, pre-school teacher and Adopt a Cow participant
• School bus – “I thought we’ll adopt a cow and gear it towards the bus. Nowadays, food is so expensive and not all the kids on my bus have access to certain foods. If I can help one kid smile in a day, I'm going to do it. We’ve done cheese sticks and yogurt snacks. While I've got their attention and I can mold their minds, why not start instilling ideas about healthy choices? We need to look out for healthy foods to keep our bones growing strong.” –Eva, bus driver and Adopt a Cow participant
• Senior living facilities – “When they saw the virtual farm tour [with their adopted calf], a resident talked about growing up on a farm. It was really good for her to deeply connect to her memory. Getting that spark in residents was fun.” –Kyoko, activity director at a senior living facility that participated in the program
• Science classrooms – “This program is a nice tie-in to some of the work we do with animals and the ecosystem. The ice cream making activity was great when we worked on mixtures, solutions and chemical changes.” –Lacey, science teacher and Adopt a Cow participant
• Math classrooms – “What a fun way to give students engaging material. I’ve made linear graphs and we’ve worked on data prediction. When we asked our farmers questions, we used their answers to help us make more accurate, data-driven predictions.” –Naomi, middle school teacher and Adopt a Cow participant

Each classroom that enrolls in the Adopt a Cow program is paired with a calf from a dairy farm. Teachers and students receive photos, video updates, and activity sheets throughout the school year that allow them to watch their calf grow. Through immersive, hands-on learning activities and free curriculum provided by Discover Dairy, students gain a deeper understanding of the dairy industry and where their food comes from. Several of the lessons in the curriculum follow Common CORE standards in Math, Reading, and Science.

The Adopt a Cow program also offers live virtual chats and farm tours. These chats allow students to talk directly with a dairy farmer, meet their calves, tour the farm, and ask questions about milk production.

Classrooms from all 50 states participated in the program along with a total of 38 countries. Schools from both rural and urban areas can enroll, bringing dairy farming to life for students of all ages and demographics.

The Adopt a Cow program is now open for enrollment for the 2025-26 school year. The sign-up period opened on May 1 and closes on September 15, 2025. To share the program with a family or classroom you know, visit www.discoverdairy.com/adopt or contact the Dairy Excellence Foundation at 717-346-0849 for more information. Contact Brittany Snyder at bsnyder@centerfordairyexcellence.org or 717-346-0849 for promotional material to help spread the word about the program.

The Adopt a Cow program is made possible through the generous support of Dairy Excellence Foundation donors and program partners, including American Dairy Association Northeast, American Dairy Association Indiana, Midwest Dairy, The Dairy Alliance, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Dairy Management West, Dairy West, New England Dairy, Dairy Farmers of Washington, American Dairy Association Mideast, Dairy Council of Florida, United Dairy Industry of Michigan, Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council, and Oregon Dairy Council.