Students experience farm life

A mobile dairy visited students at Red Bay and Tharptown this week.

Elementary school students in Tharptown and Red Bay got a close view of what farm life is like Monday.
A mobile dairy presented by Southeastern Dairy and the Alabama Farmer’s Federation illustrated the importance that dairy farms play in everyday American life.
“Farming is something you can no longer take the students to,” said Carol Glass, chairperson of the Women’s Division of the Franklin County Farmer’s Federation.
“Today, you have to take the farm to the kids.”
Each year, the FC Farmer’s Federation is required to host a farm day to help educate children about the importance of farming.
“We have had the mobile dairy to come visit us several times in the past, but it has been awhile,” Glass said.
“We wanted the students to see first-hand how dairies work and learn about all the products that milk is used for.”
Franklin County Extension Coordinator Katernia Cole said the mobile dairy provides an opportunity that classrooms don’t afford.
“When you ask a child where their food comes from, most of them will say “from the store” or “from mommy and daddy,” Cole said.
“They don’t realize how much goes into producing our food, especially milk, and what all it is used for. We want them to know the concepts and get some hands-on experience so that maybe they will become interested in it and decide that they want to grow up and go into farming.”
Glass said that there are only 47,500 farms remaining in the United States.
“Farming is a lot of work, time and expense and not many people want to do it anymore,” Cole said.
“Maybe this will pique their interest and who knows, there might be some future farmers in this group who sees this.”