Harrisburg, Pa. – The more than 48,000 classrooms participating in Discover Dairy’s Adopt a Cow program for the 2025-26 school year will be invited to participate in virtual live chats this spring to culminate their year-long experience. The Dairy Excellence Foundation and program partners, including 14 regional Dairy Checkoff-funded associations across the United States, will host the live chats with 37 dairy farm families who have participated in the program this past year. Teachers or families who are interested in experiencing the Adopt a Cow program in action can join one or more of the live chats throughout April.

Each live chat will be streamed on the Dairy Excellence Foundation’s YouTube channel. They will be recorded and can be re-watched at your convenience if you cannot participate during the scheduled day and time.

“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 through pictures and videos. After seven months of updates, they finally get to virtually meet their calf and chat directly with the farmers that care for her. Students always ask insightful questions and really enjoy getting to virtually meet dairy farm families from across the United States.”

Each live chat will be a half hour long, and the chat feature will be enabled so the farmer can answer students’ questions in real time. For Spanish-speaking students, there will be a live chat on Monday, April 27 at 10:30 AM EST that will be held in Spanish with Loehmer Dairy in Indiana. Teachers are encouraged to share this live chat opportunity with any Spanish teachers and students who might benefit from this event.

The farms who are hosting a live chat through the Adopt a Cow program are listed below with the time and date of their virtual event. Visit www.discoverdairy.com/live-chats to view the full schedule with connection details. All times are listed with the appropriate time zone.

• Fouts Farm, New York: April 13, 2026 at 9:30 AM EST
• Lueken Dairy, Indiana: April 13, 2026 at 10:30 AM EST
• MacGlaflin Farm, New Hampshire: April 13, 2026 at 1:00 PM EST
• Rottinghaus Holstein Farm, Kansas: April 13, 2026 at 1:30 PM CST
• OSU Dairy Center, Oregon: April 13, 2026 at 1:30 PM PST
• Cave Hill Dairy, Virginia: April 14, 2026 at 10:30 AM EST
• Laggis Farm, Vermont: April 14, 2026 at 1:00 PM EST
• Barham Jersey Farm, Tennessee: April 15, 2026 at 10:30 AM EST
• Long Green Farms, Maryland: April 15, 2026 at 1:30 PM EST
• Mauthe Farms, Mississippi: April 15, 2026 at 1:30 PM CST
• Schleis Farms, Wisconsin: April 16, 2026 at 9:30 AM CST
• Groetsch Dairy, Minnesota: April 16, 2026 at 10:30 AM CST
• Triple H Dairy, Kentucky: April 16, 2026 at 1:30 PM CST
• Stotz Dairy, Arizona: April 16, 2026 at 1:30 PM PST
• Nellie Farms, Wisconsin: April 20, 2026 at 9:30 AM CST
• Coulee Flats Dairy, Washington: April 20, 2026 at 1:30 PM PST
• Myerwood Farms, New Jersey: April 21, 2026 at 10:30 AM EST
• College of the Ozarks, Missouri: April 21, 2026 at 10:30 AM CST
• Crandall Dairy Farm, Michigan: April 22, 2026 at 2:00 PM EST
• Cottonwood Dairy, Nevada: April 22, 2026 at 1:00 PM PST
• Larson Dairy, Inc., Florida: April 23, 2026 at 10:30 AM EST
• Landsdowne Dairy, South Carolina: April 23, 2026 at 1:00 PM EST
• Kurtland Farms, Pennsylvania: April 23, 2026 at 2:00 PM EST
• Mountain Dairy, Connecticut: April 24, 2026 at 9:30 AM EST
• Double Platinum Farm, Ohio: April 24, 2026 at 10:30 AM EST
• Circle J Dairy, Alabama: April 24, 2026 at 1:00 PM CST
• Takes Dairy Farm, Iowa: April 24, 2026 at 2:00 PM CST
• Loehmer Dairy, Indiana: April 27, 2026 at 9:30 AM EST (English Live Chat)
• Loehmer Dairy, Indiana: April 27, 2026 at 10:30 AM EST (Spanish Live Chat)
• Lone Oak Farms, Pennsylvania: April 27, 2026 at 1:00 PM EST
• JJC Jerseys, Nebraska: April 27, 2026 at 1:30 PM CST
• Dusty Road Jersey Farm, North Carolina: April 28, 2026 at 10:30 AM EST
• Clark Family Dairy, Utah: April 28, 2026 at 9:30 AM MST
• UMaine Witter Farm, Maine: April 28, 2026 at 1:30 PM EST
• Orthridge Jerseys, Wisconsin: April 28, 2026 at 1:30 PM CST
• Berning Acres, Illinois: April 29, 2026 at 10:00 AM CST
• McFarlandale Dairy, Wisconsin: April 29, 2026 at 1:00 PM CST
• Big Sandy Creek Dairy, Georgia: April 30, 2026 at 1:30 PM CST

Each classroom that enrolls in the Adopt a Cow program is paired with a calf from a working dairy farm in the United States. Teachers and students receive photos, video updates, and activity sheets throughout the school year that allow them to watch their calf grow. Through interactive, hands-on learning activities, students gain 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.

“The best part of the Adopt a Cow program was learning just how fast a calf grows. The students had so many questions about growth and when their baby calf would be added to the milking herd. It was great to see their curiosity grow, and in turn, be answered through the live chat opportunity on YouTube. Thank you for doing this every year,” said a teacher who participated in the live chat last year.

More than 2.1 million students from across the globe have been impacted by the 2025-26 Adopt a Cow and Discover Dairy programs. Classrooms from all 50 states are enrolled, and the program continues to make an international impact. Classrooms from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Mexico, South Africa, and more are participating in the program.

“When we visited our farm [during the virtual live chat] and saw our own cow on the screen, the moderator read our class name aloud that we put in the chat. My class lost their minds and cheered with excitement! It was a highlight of the program for us,” added another teacher who participated in the live chat last year.

The Adopt a Cow program is made possible through the generous support of Dairy Excellence Foundation donors and program partners, including American Dairy Association Northeast, American Dairy Association Indiana, Midwest Dairy, The Dairy Alliance, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Dairy Management West, Dairy West, New England Dairy, Dairy Farmers of Washington, American Dairy Association Mideast, Dairy Council of Florida, United Dairy Industry of Michigan, Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council, and Oregon Dairy Council.

To join one or more of the live chats being held in April, visit www.discoverdairy.com/live-chats to view the full schedule and find connection details. You can also visit the Dairy Excellence Foundation’s channel on YouTube. To find the channel, search “Dairy Excellence Foundation” at www.youtube.com. To donate to the Adopt a Cow program, contact Jayne Sebright at jsebright@centerfordairyexcellence.org or call 717-346-0849. You can also visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/donate. Any support received will support classrooms participating in the 2026-27 Adopt a Cow program.

To learn more about the program and its impact on the Pennsylvania and United States dairy industry, contact Brittany Snyder at bsnyder@centerfordairyexcellence.org or call 717-346- 0849. You can also visit www.discoverdairy.com/adopt.