ONONDAGA CO., N.Y. — Many children and families in Onondaga County have never been on a farm and do not understand where their food comes from. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County, with the generous support of the Onondaga County Agriculture Council and volunteers from the agricultural community, is offering a farm-based learning experience to 280 students from four Onondaga County school districts. Students will tour Barbland Dairy to learn about milk production and all the foods they eat that are made with milk.
Onondaga County’s 5th Grade Dairy Farm field trip will take place on June 11 at Barbland Dairy Farm, 1338 Vincent Corners Rd, Fabius, NY 13063. This dairy farm milks 2,300 cows and has 4,800 acres in crops. Three families own and manage Barbland. Multiple family farms allow farms to grow. “Growth of a farm is what works to make a farm sustainable for the next generation,” says Bret Bossard, part owner at Barbland.
Students will arrive at the farm at 10:00 a.m. on June 11th. The educational experience includes a 40-minute hay wagon ride touring the dairy barns, along with visits to educational stations in tents in a nearby field. To prevent the potential spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), students will stay on hay wagons the entire time they are near the dairy barns.
Interactive educational presentations on the topics of field crops, farm equipment, baby calves – dairy cows, and other topics that demystify agriculture and food systems will take place in the six education tents. Experienced dairy farm volunteers will present information to the students throughout the field trip.
Highlights of the lunch menu will be donations of Chobani yogurt and chocolate milk from Trinity Valley.
Reporters and photographers are welcome to attend. Scott Hudson will be able to facilitate interviews with students whose parents have given permission for them to be photographed.
–Cornell Cooperative Extension Onondaga County
