CORTLAND, N.Y. (April 21, 2025) – At the beginning of the 2024-25 school year, more than 43,000 classrooms across the country “adopted” a rather unconventional classroom pet. While teachers are known to make their classrooms home to a variety of birds, fish and hamsters, adopting a 100-pound calf for the school year is an entirely different scenario.

Liverpool Central Schools was one of several local schools to participate in Discover Dairy’s Adopt a Cow program this school year, which culminates with a live virtual chat with Fouts Farm in Cortland, N.Y. April 28. Over 35,000 students from more than 1,000 classrooms statewide were paired with the farm, following along to learn about dairy farming and cow care.

The live chat, which will be hosted in conjunction with program partner American Dairy Association North East, will be streamed on the Dairy Excellence Foundation’s YouTube channel. The 30-minute virtual meet-and-greet gives students a chance to interact with a dairy farmer and get an update on their adopted calf.

“These virtual live chats continue to be one of students’ favorite parts of the Adopt a Cow program and a memory that sticks in their minds for years to come,” said Brittany Snyder, dairy education program manager with the Dairy Excellence Foundation. “All year long, teachers and students learn about their host farm and adopted calf, and after seven months of updates, they finally get to virtually meet their calf and chat directly with the farmers that care for her.”

Each classroom that enrolled in the Adopt a Cow program was paired with a calf from a working dairy farm in the United States. Teachers and students received photos, video updates, and activity sheets throughout the school year that allowed them to watch their calf grow. Through interactive lessons, students gained a deeper understanding of the dairy industry and where their food comes from. The live chats are the final installment of the year-long program.

This year marked Fouts Farm’s debut as a host for the Adopt a Cow program—but the farm is no stranger to working with schools and youth groups. After a successful first year, Fouts Farm is already looking forward to participating again next year.

“We’re honored that American Dairy Association North East and Discover Dairy chose Fouts Farm for this year’s Adopt a Cow program,” said dairy farmer and Cornell graduate Julia Fouts. “As a farmer, I’m passionate about helping young people understand where their food comes from. By welcoming students and teachers to our farm virtually, we can show them how milk makes its journey from our farm to their fridge—and even to their school cafeteria.”

Teachers interested in participating in next year’s program can sign up at DiscoverDairy.com/Register to receive an email alert when enrollment opens on May 1.