Doubts at first turned into a ‘phenomenal week’

PILESGROVE, N.J. — For someone who confessed to being reluctant to open up her family’s dairy farm to hundreds of kids, Melanie Richman emerged from the experience at the very opposite end of the spectrum. She’s a believer now with complete enthusiasm, confidence and trust.

“Although it was an exhausting week, it was well worth the effort,” she wrote in an email to Farmshine. “Not only did the kids get to have their picture taken with their beloved calf, they (plus all the teachers and parents accompanying them) got to see first-hand where their milk comes from and all the care and attention we give our cows on our farm.”

Myerwood Farms is located about 31 miles due south of Philadelphia, Pa. and 27 miles east of Wilmington, Del. in Salem County, N.J. The 7th-generation property is comprised of 1000 acres of beautiful, flat and fertile farmland, of which 400 acres are double-cropped. The dairy herd totals around 500 Registered Holstein cows plus an untold number of replacement animals.

Asked to share some thoughts about the Adopt-a-Cow program, through which the four days of tours were arranged and scheduled, Melanie wrote: 

“They came to appreciate all the hard work and dedication that goes into the milk they drink. It has been a fabulous experience participating in the Adopt-a-Cow program through the Dairy Excellence Foundation. Some of the funding for this program comes from check-off money.

“It has been  a great experience for me to see how some of our check-off money is being used to connect kids, teachers and parents with first-hand knowledge of where their milk comes from in such a fun and unique way.

“We talked to a total of 396 people over those days. In that, around 25 or so was the Lebanon County Holstein Association’s tour. So about 370 students, teachers and parents. The teachers and parents learned just as much, if not more.

Explaining her reasons for the initial hesitation, Melanie wrote: “When I first agreed to participate in the Adopt-a-Cow program, I didn’t understand the reach and effect it had. On my end, I simply had to each month submit (through an app on my phone) a few photos of each calf plus take a height and weight measurement.

“After a few months, we started getting cards, thank you notes, and coloring pages from the kids who had adopted Cora and Harper (our two calves). When I asked the program coordinator how many classes had adopted our two calves, the answer I received was over 900!

“In all, over 10,000 kids have been learning about our two calves! Wow! So in February  of this year we considered inviting some of the classes to see their beloved calves in person and tour the farm. We offered limited time slots to the most active classes in the program.

“Within hours of the sign-up sheet going out to teachers, most of the slots were filled with teachers requesting that I open up other times.

“Cora and Harper are celebrities to the teachers and students and they couldn’t wait to come meet them in person.

“After filling all the requests that I could, we ended up with visitors across four days/evenings. The week was phenomenal.

“Teachers and students alike were so excited when they arrived. Some teachers had T-shirts printed with their classes’ calf’s face on them. Other kids brought coloring pages to show their calf. One teacher, who could not get a field trip arranged on such a short notice, brought a banner that all of her 120 students signed.