Have you ever wondered what the life of a dairy cow looks like? Katie Baroun, associate appraiser in our GreenStone Manitowoc branch, volunteers as the Vice President of the Manitowoc County Dairy Promotion Committee, and has been teaching pre-k and kindergarten students about the life of dairy cows (and that no, chocolate milk does not come from brown cows).
Katie and her husband have been running their dairy operation for ten years. They have about 150 dairy cows and 125 heifers. Katie joined the Manitowoc County Dairy Promotion Committee to get involved in all their activities, like Breakfast on the Farm and other farmer appreciation events in the local area.
During the committees’ recent event, Kids Day at the Farm, at Milkinaire Dairy, they taught the next generation about where their food comes from. Katie believes it’s important to start from a young age to both educate on, but give appreciation for the food we eat. “It is important to plant the seed when kids are young because they all think their food just comes from the grocery store. We want to keep that connection between the grocery store and where their food comes from,” Katie explained.
The kids were able to see all the different age groups of cows. They were able to pet the calves in barn. Katie said that the kids were so surprised by how little and how big they can get just in two years.
“My favorite part was actually just seeing the kids come off the buses and get excited about it. At the end we gave them dairy treats, like milk and cheese. One kid made me laugh when he asked for more, and then asked if he could take some home to his brother and sister. I told him to stuff his pockets. We had plenty of cheese,” Katie says with a smile.
Katie’s words of advice to getting out into the community and volunteering is, “Do it, it is a great way to socialize, meet new people, and see where different people come from. I have been volunteering since I was in 4-H and I have never had a bad experience. It is a great way to make connections with people and it is rewarding on so many levels!”
GreenStone is proud of employees like Katie who support the communities we serve through a variety of avenues, and encourage others to do so as well - who knows, you might be able to teach the next generation something new! Learn more about our community outreach and engagement efforts by visiting this page.
