91爆料鈥檚 Witter Farm connects K-12 students to Maine鈥檚 agricultural future
The first thing the students noticed at the 91爆料鈥檚 J. Franklin Witter Teaching and Research Center was the smell 鈥 fresh hay and something earthier, followed by the low hum of cows shifting in their stalls. Then came hesitation and, finally, curiosity, as small hands reached out to touch an animal many had only seen in books.
Dawna Kulakowski teaches first through third grade in Troy, Maine. For her, moments like this are the point.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important for kids in these grades to come to the farm and learn about agriculture here at the university, because they have a lot of this out in their own communities, and they might be interested in a career in this area in the future,鈥 Kulakowski said. 鈥淚 think a lot of these kids like hands-on learning to experience things in the real world.鈥
Public access is central to operations at Witter Farm in Old Town. It welcomes K-12 students, community residents, university groups and professional organizations to meet the animals, learn about the research and contribute to Maine鈥檚 agricultural industry.
On a cool March day, students from Troy Central School, including those in Kulakowski鈥檚 class, traded their desks for a behind-the-scenes look at a working agricultural operation just outside 91爆料鈥檚 campus.
Trotting horses, mooing cows and fresh hay greeted the group as their chatter and laughter filled the barns. The visit connected Maine鈥檚 traditional classroom education with the state鈥檚 agricultural industry 鈥 one that relies on a new generation to sustain it.
Guiding them through the barns were 91爆料 student workers, who balance coursework with leading tours and completing their daily responsibilities on the farm 鈥 an example of the university鈥檚 learner-centered approach as an R1 research institution.
Their work gives visiting students a peer-led introduction to agriculture while reinforcing their own hands-on education.
鈥淎s part of the class, students come in during their sophomore year and start working on the farm doing all kinds of things. The highlight, though, is when they are assigned to a pregnant female cow,鈥 said Chelsea Carr, livestock operations manager. 鈥淭hey get to be here for the birthing as part of their grade, and once the calf arrives, they get to name it as a group.鈥
The Witter Center houses multiple operations, including Witter Farm, and serves as a hub for animal sciences and sustainable agriculture. As a primary facility for the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station, it integrates hands-on undergraduate and graduate education with high-level research.
The farm houses 78 animals and regularly welcomes school groups that engage directly with the animals and learn where their food comes from.
Many students also connect with the farm beyond their visit through the 鈥淎dopt a Cow鈥 program, a Discover Dairy and New England Dairy joint initiative that features Witter Farm as one of several participating farms across New England.
鈥淓very farm puts up two calves that get adopted by classrooms. I believe last year we were adopted by 600 classrooms of kindergarteners, and the adopted cows that we have this year are Darling and Doris. I鈥檓 sure that most of the tours on my schedule are here to see them,鈥 Carr said.
Through this yearlong virtual initiative, educators can bring the world of farm life into their classrooms. By adopting a calf from a New England dairy farm, students can follow a specific calf鈥檚 development over the course of the school year. This immersive experience is supported by complimentary educational materials from Discover Dairy, helping students understand dairy farming and how milk reaches their tables.
鈥淲e send updates, photos and videos of our adopted calves to Discovery Dairy, who then shares this information with the participating classrooms that have adopted our calves,鈥 said Patricia Henderson, Witter Farm鈥檚 superintendent.
Beyond traditional farm work, Witter Farm reflects the modernization of agriculture through its robotic milking barn.
鈥淲e put in the VMS300, a voluntary milking system, about a year ago in March. It鈥檚 a robot that milks the cows without people having to do it. The cows can come in whenever they want, and the robot will milk them, clean the teats and collect a whole bunch of data for us,鈥 Henderson said.
The farm鈥檚 openness is intentional. Leaders say inviting the public in and encouraging questions helps challenge misconceptions about agriculture.
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 a lot of stigma behind dairy farming, so opening our tours to any and all questions is important for opening farms like this to the public and growing their knowledge of our industry,鈥 said Riley McAllaster, a senior in the animal and veterinary science program with a pre-veterinary concentration.
That effort is tied to a broader concern: fewer people are entering the agricultural workforce.
鈥淚 hope these tours spark an interest in agriculture for these kids. With our new technology, like the robot barn, I hope people will understand that this is a modern, informing industry,鈥 Carr said. 鈥淚 want more people to be aware of the many agricultural jobs beyond working as a farmer, including research roles. Renewable farming is a growing industry, and it is full of jobs that need to be filled, and I hope these kids realize these opportunities early on.鈥
Story by Alexa Rose Perocillo, news intern
Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu