One of the key focus points of the ag industry is education and teaching young kids how the foods and milk products they eat and drink get from the farm to their dinner tables.
Lance Sommer is a third-generation farmer with Sommer Farms, Inc. which is a dairy farm in Adams County in northeastern Indiana. Sommer says he and his family teach young people about the dairy industry by inviting kindergarten classes from nearby schools for tours of their farm.
The dairy cattle at Sommer Farms, Inc. in Adams County, Indiana.
“These cows are huge compared to them—and that’s always their first reaction is how big they are,” says Sommer. “Some questions over the years that you almost have to laugh at is, ‘Where does strawberry milk come from?’ They might see a red and white cow and think that is where strawberry milk comes from. Over the years we’ve had some really funny questions and hopefully we can educate these kids a little bit better.”
Sommer says the reason he enjoys giving the tours is because he remembers the tour that his mom and dad gave to his class when he was in kindergarten.
“I can still remember that day to this day of how proud I was,” says Sommer. “The kids always knew that I was the farm expert at their school, so if they did have any questions they could come to me.”
Sommer adds that it’s more than teaching young kids about dairy cattle and milk production—it’s also about teaching the importance of the nutritional value of milk and dairy products.
“Milk has 13 essential nutrients that we need to drink everyday,” says Sommer. “Anytime that we can educate our youth and teach them a little bit about milk, yogurt, ice cream, and cheese, we try to take that opportunity and do so.”
To find out about the educational opportunities that are available for Indiana students through Indiana dairy farms, visit WinnersDrinkMilk.com.
Click BELOW to hear “The Dairy Download Presented by American Dairy Association of Indiana” highlighting Lance Sommer and his efforts to educate young kids about the dairy industry by giving tours of his family farm in Adams County.
