Celebrate Dairy

Think of dairy products that you or people you know like to eat and drink: milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream…YUM!  

Bees!

Author: Toni Dauwalter

Learn or Do Something NEW!

I LOVE learning!  And I LOVE nature, so becoming a ‘hobby’ beekeeper was a super fun learning experience I started a few years ago.  In that time I have learned SO much about the amazing BEE and I know that I still have LOTS more to learn.  Teachers have the power to influence their students to be curious and learn something new.  I hope as my own kids grow up, their curiosity continues to encourage them to ‘learn or do something new’ their whole life.

Let’s Build a Calf – a Look at Genetics

Author: Sarah Kuschel

Have you ever wondered why you have black hair but your sibling has blond hair? My eyes are blue but my mom’s are brown – why is that? These same things happen with livestock. It is national beef month, so now is a perfect time to take a look at genetic traits in beef cattle with our Build-a-calf Workshop.

Journey 2050

How will we sustainably feed over 9 billion people by  2050?

Journey 2050 takes middle and high school students on a virtual simulation that explores world food sustainability and answers the question above. The online program guides students through necessary instruction and allows students to make decisions on a virtual farm to witness their impact on society, the environment and the economy at a local and global scale.

Greenhouse Challenge Update

Author: Toni Dauwalter

Did you do our Green House Challenge?

Hi everyone!  Can you believe it is already May?  I can’t believe it’s been almost 2 months since I made our first blogpost!  Since that time, I hope everyone took my advice and made some great memories that they can look back at and smile.  I also hope you planted something, but if not – do it now!

Celebrate Beef!

Imagine it’s snack time and you are HUNGRY! How about a nice plate of….grass? Grass does not sound delicious to us but it’s a favorite snack of cattle. Our human digestive system isn’t able to break down the cellulose found in grass, alfalfa and other plants, but cattle have a ruminant digestive system. This system uses a four-compartment stomach to break down cellulose and use it for energy that allows cattle to produce meat and milk. May is recognized as National Beef Month – a time for us to celebrate the meat that beef cattle give us!

What Happens During Spring Planting?

Author: Wanda Patsche

Did you know spring planting starts long before spring? That’s right. Farmers need to spend a lot of time planning and preparing for the spring planting season. Much of the planning is done the previous fall and throughout the winter. Farmers make plans on what crop to plant, what type of seed to plant and where to plant it.

Egg-cited to Learn About Eggs!

Author: Toni Dauwalter

Have you ever cracked open an egg and explored it?  Eggs are not only YUMMY breakfast items (with distance learning – we have had extra time in the morning to make LOTS of eggs!), but they are also pretty cool.  I have created a fun learning experience related to eggs that you can share with your students/kids.  Check out this Eggology Hyperdoc and share it with your students.  It will guide students through a fun learning experience and hands-on experiment.

It’s Calving Time!

Author: Sarah Kuschel

This has been a different spring for all of us but one thing that has remained the same for my family and me is calving season. Calving time is one of my favorite times on the ranch. Seeing the new life in the baby calves is such an uplifting part of the day.

Follow Your Food Video Series

We know many teachers had field trips to farms or other agriculture related field trips planned for the spring that probably won’t be happening this year. While a video can’t completely replicate a field experiences, we do a have great video series that we call “Follow Your Food”. This video series would be great to use as a part of a distance learning lesson. There are 4 short videos to watch that look at carrot production in Northfield, the St. Paul Farmers Market, Wozupi Tribal Gardens in Shakopee and honey production in Minneapolis.