Students in Mrs. Pagliaro’s fifth grade class at Village Elementary School are diving deeper into their study of Maine agriculture by participating in the Discover Dairy’s “Adopt a Cow” program. This year-long experience allows students to connect classroom learning to the real work of farming and food production, helping them better understand what agriculture means in their own state.
For the 2025–26 school year, Mrs. Pagliaro’s class has “adopted” a Holstein cow named Doris, who lives on a working dairy farm in Old Town, Maine, at the University of Maine Farm. Through regular updates from Farmer Patricia, students are gaining insight into the daily responsibilities of dairy farmers, the care and nutrition cows require, and the role dairy farming plays in Maine’s agricultural landscape. Rather than simply reading about farming, students are watching it unfold in real time.
Each month, the class receives engaging materials, including photos and updates of Doris, activity sheets, and an informational PowerPoint filled with pictures and facts about dairy farming. These resources are designed to reinforce curriculum standards in science, math, reading and social studies while making learning interactive and fun.
A key part of the program encourages meaningful communication: students will write letters to Doris and Farmer Patricia to share what they’ve learned, ask questions, and deepen their connection to the farm. This practice not only builds writing skills but strengthens students’ sense of community and empathy for the animals they’re studying.
Learning about agriculture and animal care as elementary students is especially valuable. The Discover Dairy curriculum offers real-world context for classroom lessons, helping students explore life cycles, nutrition, ecosystems and the science behind food production. By connecting what they learn in textbooks to a living animal and a real farm, students gain insight into responsible animal care, the importance of agriculture in daily life and the work involved in producing the food they eat.
The Discover Dairy program offers these experiences at no cost to educators, providing free lesson plans, videos, hands-on activities and assessments aligned with Common Core and STEM standards. It has reached more than a million students nationwide, showing classrooms from urban to rural communities just how important dairy farming, as well as agriculture in general, is to the world around them.
Mrs. Pagliaro’s class is thrilled to follow Doris’s journey this year, making classroom learning come alive while gaining a deeper appreciation for agriculture, animal care and the role farms play in communities like their own.