Georgia School Nutrition Employees Take Trip to UGA Teaching Dairy

Thirteen Georgia school nutrition employees from seven different Georgia school districts joined The Dairy Alliance and the University of Georgia for a tour of the UGA Teaching Dairy. This farm tour was held in conjunction with the Georgia School Nutrition Association’s annual conference held this year in Athens, GA, and was offered as a pre-conference session. The Dairy Alliance staffers Audri Crews, Will McWhirter, and Cindy Cooper, along with UGA PhD student, Renee Hutton, led the group through all aspects of the teaching dairy farm. Highlights included being in the pit during milking, exploring the commodity barn and learning about usage of byproducts in the ladies’ TMR, and, of course, hanging with the calves. The group also got to speak with grad students and learn about the current research being conducted at the farm right before their eyes. Ten of the thirteen participants had never previously visited a dairy farm and this opportunity shed new and positive light about dairy farming on important food decision makers in the school nutrition world. The group was impressed and one participant - Ashley Whitener of Richmond County Schools - stated at the end she’s already looking forward to her next dairy tour. Quite a few felt the same way!