Athens FFA hosts Food for America
By Athens FFA
The Athens FFA held Food for America on April 16, 2024 at Miltrim Farms. The 3rd and 4th graders from Athens Elementary, Trinity Lutheran, St. Anthony’s and Maple Grove were invited to join us on a fun-filled educational journey about all things in the dairy industry. The students learned about things from calf care, nutritional needs, tractor and ATV safety, a day in the life of a farmer, and where old cows and bull calves go. These students learned through hands-on workshops that were led by our own FFA students.
For calf care, students got to hear how farmers will raise calves. They learned things like when a calf is first born they need to receive colostrum from mom, and care that they get when first born. When they then went to learn about nutrition, they got to make their own ration out of trail mix supplies. They learned
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about the correct proportions of things like proteins and vitamins needed in their diet. It was a great way to teach them about nutrition while completing a hands-on activity.
Some of our male members created a poster and informative talk to present to the kids about ATV safety. They discussed with them what they thought safe use was and then explained other steps that they could take to assure a fun safe ride. The kids learned a great deal to bring home to their parents about safety.
A day in the life of a farmer was a fun game we played after lunch. It was a race style game where there were 2 teams. They had to split up to complete the task of: getting out of bed, getting dressed, making breakfast, feeding the calves, milking the cows, cleaning pens, and catching any escaped cows.
Lastly we taught students about all the things that retired cows and bull calves grow up and get turned into. We talked about many different household items that are actually made from cow by-products. The students thought this was very interesting and enjoyed learning about it.
This year we plan in May to hold another Food for America with the children. They learned a lot of useful knowledge about not only dairy production but agriculture in general. Our members are excited to keep teaching them about something they are so passionate about.
