High school students may be interested in Pennsylvania agriculture, but how can they find a specific career that matches their individual passions and interests? The annual Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow farm tour gives high school students a firsthand look at Pennsylvania dairy farms and exposure to a wide range of career opportunities by learning directly from industry professionals. During the farm tour that was held in October of 2022, more than 60 high school students toured Marshak Dairy and Walmoore Holsteins in Chester County, Pennsylvania. They also had the chance to tour the New Bolton Center and veterinary hospital.
“It’s so important for our young learners and leaders to understand where their food and fiber comes from by getting out on a farm and talking to veterinarians, researchers and scientists. This is a phenomenal tour for teachers to bring their students to. It could be great for a food science class or even a social studies course,” shared Diane Miller, an agricultural science teacher and FFA advisor at Oxford High School in Chester County. “How many of our kids don’t know what they want to do when they grow up? Throughout the event, we talked all day about the variety of careers available. It can really spark interest in a student.”
Dairy industry professionals from all sectors of the industry gave students a look inside their day-to-day responsibilities, including herd managers, nutritionists, veterinarians, milk haulers, hoof trimmers, and more. Students also saw firsthand how committed these dairy farms are to cow comfort and sustainability.
“There’s so much focus on sustainability and how agriculture upcycles and recycles so many of our resources. It’s really grassroots with sustainability and stewardship, and it’s happening right here on the farm. This Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow farm tour is giving our learners a firsthand opportunity to interact with that and see it in action,” added Miller.
Thank you to the University of Pennsylvania and Walmoore Holsteins teams for hosting us! To watch a recording of each segment of the farm tour, click here.
The next DLT Farm Tour is being planned for the fall of 2023. In the meantime, our “Careers in Dairy” video library has several video segments from previous farm tours available for students to watch and explore different careers in the dairy industry.
The Dairy Excellence Foundation hosts annual day-long farm tours to give high school students the opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge of modern working dairy farms. These dairy farm visits showcase careers within the dairy industry as well as modern agricultural technologies used to help improve today’s farming practices.
Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow is a program managed by the Dairy Excellence Foundation and designed specifically to prepare high school students to work in the dairy industry. A three-part model program, Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow offers classroom instruction, on-farm experiences, and scholarship opportunities. Sign up for the Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow program today.