SKANEATELES, N.Y. (October 25, 2024) – As part of an ongoing effort to help families understand where their food comes from, thousands of students from across the country will have the opportunity to visit a dairy farm in Central New York without ever leaving their classroom.
American Dairy Association North East is teaming up with Elmer Richards & Sons Farm in Skaneateles, N.Y., for a free virtual farm tour on Thursday, October 31. A tour geared toward students in kindergarten through fifth grade will take place at 10 a.m., while students in grades 6-12 can tune in at 11:15 a.m. for a deep dive. These tours provide students with an interactive farm experience hosted by a farmer who will answer questions about life on the farm, animal care and sustainability on the farm.
Along with the virtual tour, American Dairy Association North East is providing free lesson plans for participating schools. That means the tours are not only engaging and fun for students, but they also meet curriculum standards.
“I’m excited to partner with American Dairy Association North East to host a Virtual Farm Tour this fall,” says dairy farmer and tour host Marcus Richards of Elmer Richards & Sons Farm. “As a farmer, it’s important to me to help educate young people and show them where their food comes from. Welcoming students and teachers to our farm virtually will help them understand how milk gets from our farm to their fridge and school.”
American Dairy Association North East has been working with local dairy farmers to bring their farms to the classroom since 2018.The program has attracted more than 700,000 views. Previously recorded tours are available to view here.
To register for this tour or other upcoming tours, visit www.AmericanDairy.com/Tour.