Squeals of laughter and excited voices floated through the open windows of the school bus as it motored up the driveway. Two fourth-grade classes from Mill Pond Elementary School in Hodgdon had arrived to tour our dairy farm on a balmy, sunny day in October. The fourth-graders scrambled off the bus with smiles on their faces, where I greeted them with a hearty “Welcome to the Oliver Dairy Farm!”
After brief instructions of “I’m the leader,” and to be “calm and quiet” around the animals, I led them to the main barn where two line back cows, Velma and Moron, stood in their stanchion stalls. The students listened intently as I described our milking routine and showed them how we milk the cows with a milking unit. Students were allowed to pet Velma and Moron and feed them grain. They stood patiently as several pairs of small hands stroked their big black faces and thick necks. The cows’ long, slobbery tongues scooped out the grain cupped between the students’ palms. The children knew the cows would not chomp on their fingers because I had informed them cows only have a bottom set of teeth.
Proceeding to the milk room, I showed them our milk tank which holds up to 9,000 pounds of milk. Holding an empty gallon milk jug, I told them 9,000 pounds of milk is equivalent to 1,125 gallons of milk. One student later wrote in his narrative writing piece, “I learned the temperature of the milk in the tank has to be just right. If it’s too cold the milk will freeze. If it’s too warm the milk will spoil.” I was pleased he understood how important it was for us to consistently monitor the thermometer on our milk tank.
We walked to our greenhouse, where we shelter our youngest calves. The greenhouse was filled with giggles as the fourth-graders offered their fingertips to the calves, who instinctively suck on anything resembling a teat. I slipped a rope halter on a calf named Buttercup and invited the students to enter her pen. Buttercup relaxed as gentle hands rubbed her face, neck, and back, and soothing voices spoke to her. Then we peeked at the older calves housed in a side shed attached to our main barn. The children had learned both male and female “cows” grow horns, so we searched for calves who had not been dehorned yet. The students were amused by the calves’ nametags, which included Black Beauty, Lady Gaga and Tootsie.
When the farm tour was completed, we prepared for a one-mile hike which led to a scenic view of Hodgdon. I reminded the fourth-graders to “engage their senses” and tune in to the sights, sounds, smells around them so they could include those details later in their narrative writing assignment. With temperatures hovering in the 70s, the sun beat down on us as we descended our long driveway. Huffs and puffs and tramping feet on the dirt driveway filled the air. As we entered the woods trail, the canopy of trees shaded us from the sun. The sweet smell of fallen apples floated through the air as we trekked under trees laden with red, green and yellow fruit.
Ten minutes later we popped out of the woods into an open field on the north side of Westford Hill. Many students exclaimed, “Wow!” when they beheld the spectacular view. At the height of fall foliage season, the landscape was decorated with splashes of reds, yellows, oranges, and greens. From the hillside, we could see Mt. Katahdin to the west, Mars Hill to the north, and miles of Aroostook County’s gently rolling hills and forests.
With red, sweaty faces from the heat and exertion, the fourth-graders collapsed on the grassy field. As they rested and admired the scenery, I served them ice-cold milk and my mother’s infamous homemade chocolate chip cookies. After their snack, I took a class picture of the students and teachers with the colorful landscape in the background. Knowing we needed to return to the bus on time, we hastily retraced our steps back to the farm. As weary legs tramped up our long driveway, my horse, Jazz, and miniature horse, Fenway, ambled over to the fence to see the students. Jazz allowed the students to pet her white face while Fenway watched from a safe distance. The students thanked me as they boarded the bus, and waved goodbye as the bus rolled down the driveway back to the school.
Two weeks after the tour, I visited the fourth-graders for an author celebration. Using the writing process, the students had been assigned to write a narrative about their farm visit. Their hard work was acknowledged as each student read their final draft out loud to an audience. This culminating activity showcased their writing growth as well as what they had learned about dairy farming.
Approximately 140 elementary students in kindergarten through fourth grade visited our farm this fall. Not once did I hear anyone complain or whine. The positive energy and enthusiasm the students brought to our farm could have generated a small power plant. After their field trip, each class graciously took the time to write a thank-you note.
The kindergarten class wrote, “Dear Ms. Oliver: Thank you for letting us come to your farm. It was fun feeding the cows. We loved going into the greenhouse to see the calves. The nature hike was great! The view from Westford Hill was beautiful, and the cookies, milk and water were delicious! Having a chance to pet the horses was exciting. Our trip was AWESOME!!”
One of my most memorable moments was walking hand-in-hand with a blonde-haired, blue-eyed kindergarten boy. As we enetered the woods surrounded by the vibrant fall colors, a smile spread across his face as he exclaimed, “It’s beautiful! It’s sooooo beautiful!”
Editor’s Note: Lee-Rae Jordan-Oliver and her husband Matt are former educators who own a dairy farm in Hodgdon. Her column, discussing life on a farm, will appear on an ongoing basis in The Houlton Pioneer Times.
