SHILOH, Ohio — Ashland County third-graders had a farm-filled day, learning about agriculture at J-Lynn Jerseys Dairy Farm in Shiloh, Ohio.
The two-day event, held Oct. 1-2, brought out around 600 third-graders who learned about cow nutrition, animal and human safety, the milking parlor, soybeans, Ohio wildlife, bugs and more.
“You would be shocked how many kids have never seen a farm,” said Lori Williamson, a third-grade teacher at Reagan Elementary School. “So it’s nice that the Farm Bureau extends this free field trip to all third-graders in Ashland County so we can continue that curriculum of education.”
Kathy Davis and Christy Hulles of Ashland County Farm Bureau, co-chaired the event, and with the help of FFA members from Ashland County schools, third-graders got to learn about life on a dairy farm.
“The kids tour the farm and spend about 15 minutes at different learning stations on the farm,” explained Davis. “Each of the stations is tailored to a third-grade program to work with their science curriculum.”
J-Lynn Jerseys is owned and operated by Kyle and Jenny Bernhard. They milk 250 head of Jersey cattle and farm around 600 acres of ground for corn silage and hay for the cows.
“We really enjoy having the third-graders here because I think it is very important for kids to know where their food comes from,” said Jenny.
“I think this is a great way for the community to learn about what we do and what agriculture is all about.”
Third-grade teacher Sarah Wurster, Hillsdale Elementary, agrees, “It’s a great opportunity for our third-grade classes to come because farming is a huge part of our community.”
The third-grade farm tour was sponsored by the Ashland County Farm Bureau, with transportation, busing and snacks funded by the county Farm Bureau.
Students received a “goodie” bag with agricultural activity books and information and teachers also received additional educational information to share with their classes.
Soybean necklaces
Reagan Elementary School third-graders show off their handmade soybean necklaces. Students received a wet cotton ball and soybean seed to put inside a small plastic bag. By wearing the seed around their necks, they can keep the seed warm with their body heat and see it grow.
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Soybean necklaces
Reagan Elementary School third-graders show off their handmade soybean necklaces. Students received a wet cotton ball and soybean seed to put inside a small plastic bag. By wearing the seed around their necks, they can keep the seed warm with their body heat and see it grow.
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The milking parlor
At J-Lynn Jerseys, cows are milked three times a day with each cow producing an average of eight gallons of milk per day. Third-graders saw how milk flows from the parlor to the bulk tank which holds 18,000 gallons of milk.
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What does a cow eat?
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Cow vision
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J-Lynn Jersey Farm
J-Lynn Jerseys is owned and operated by Kyle and Jenny Bernhard. They milk 250 head of Jersey cattle and farm around 600 acres of ground for corn silage and hay for the cows.
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