Middle Township Elementary #2 students virtually track process of Mootilda, a calf at Kurtland Farms, that they adopted in September
MTE#2 students participated in a live chat with famers, virtually met their adopted calf, and had the opportunity to ask questions about her and the farm.
Cape May Court House, NJ – Middle Township Elementary #2 students in Jessica Dorta’s fifth grade homeroom have had very a-moo-sing classes this year, thanks to their participation in Discovery Dairy’s free Adopt a Cow program.
Dorta’s 10- and 11-year-old students adopted Mootilda from Kurtland Farms at the start of the 2024-2025 school year. The students have been tracking her growth and getting updates on her life at the farm each month through the program’s online portal. They recently participated in a live chat with the famers, virtually met Mootilda, and had the opportunity to ask questions about her and the farm.
Dorta was researching a way to bring an interactive and interesting learning experience to her class by incorporating a class pet when she stumbled upon the Adopt A Cow program online.
Throughout the program, students learn about their adopted calf’s birthday, where she lives and how the farmers have been taking care of her since birth. Students also received photos of Mootilda, plus fun and engaging activity sheets to help them understand her life on the farm. The program also provided a PowerPoint with additional information and a lesson plan that Dorta used to educate the students about where their food comes from while also integrating math, science and reading standards. From October to April, students completed five different lessons in topics varying from Animal Health, Milk Quality & Safety, Dairy in Our Environment, Dairy in Our Community, and Dairy & Good Nutrition.
Mootilda’s monthly updates
The students connected what they learned in class to what they learned through the program by measuring the height of students in class and comparing them to Mootilda’s height. Then, the students estimated what they thought the weight and height of Mootilda would be at each of the subsequent monthly calf updates.
“These types of programs extend learning outside of the classroom and give students real world experiences to learn from,” said Middle Township Public Schools Superintendent Dr. David Salvo. “Great teaching comes from the individuals that think outside of the box and beyond the books, just as Mrs. Dorta did here. We’re proud to offer our students with such opportunities.”
Registration is required to participate in the program, and when selected, participants connect with their host farmer through an online message board/portal. Classes receive an introductory email and kit to introduce the calf and receive periodic updates on their calf. Toward the end of the program, participants are given the opportunity to virtually meet their calf and chat with the host farm via YouTube or Zoom.
“I know that I can’t wait to sign up for it again, and I encourage other teachers to do the same,” said Dorta.
Kurtland Farms is a multi-generational dairy farm located between Elverson and Morgantown, Pennsylvania. This is the first year they partnered with Discovery Dairy to teach elementary and middle school students about their family farm. Discovery Dairy, a 501 c3 non-profit, has roughly 85 calves in the Adopt A Cow program, with more than 40,000 registrants each year. Each calf is adopted multiple times to provide everyone with the opportunity to learn.
To learn more about the Adopt A Cow program, go to www.discoverdairy.com/adopt-a-cow/.