ABOUT YOUR AGMAG
The AgMag is a great supplement to your social studies, science, or language arts curriculum. You will receive two issues per school year, in October (Fall) and March (Spring).
AgMag 1 Spring Issue Theme: From the Farm to YOU!
- From the Farm to YOU!
- MOO to YOU!
- Caring for Cows and the Earth
- Animal Babies and Parents
- Farmers Make GREAT Pizzas!
Site Words to Pre-Teach:
| Agriculture | Crops | Engineer |
| Equipment | Farm | Farmer |
| Harvest | Shelf Life |
Integration Ideas
Math
- Practice measuring liquid volumes using cups, pints, quarts, and gallons.
- Create a “milk timeline” chart showing how long it takes for milk to travel from cow to cup.
Science
- Discuss what animals need to live: food, water, air, space, and shelter.
- Observe how farmers use science to care for animals and protect natural resources.
Social Studies
- Identify community jobs connected to agriculture: dairy farmers, veterinarians, milk truck drivers, and plant workers.
- Track how people work together to bring food from the farm to stores and homes.
English Language Arts
- Use the AgMag to identify and define new words such as pasteurization, dairy, and harvest.
- Encourage students to describe what happens to milk as it moves through each step of production.
- Write a short story or draw a comic strip titled “A Day with Dairy.”
Glossary
Some words in your AgMag may be unfamiliar to your students. Many are defined in the articles. There is also a Glossary on the AgMag website. Words you might wish to pre-teach are:
Agriculture: Growing plants and raising animals that people use for food, clothing, and many other things every day. It is also harvesting those farm products and getting them to us so we can use them.
Crops: Plants that are grown and harvested to feed people and animals or to make other things people need.
Engineer: A person who uses creativity and problem-solving to design and build things that help people.
Equipment: Tools and machines used to help farmers plant, care for, and harvest crops.
Farm: An area of land where plants and animals are grown or raised for food, clothing, and more.
Farmer: A person who lives and works on a farm. Farmers are also called producers. Farming is a career; farmers
make money by selling their farm products.
Harvest: When crops are ripe or mature, they are removed from fields or gardens and prepared for use.
Shelf Life: The amount of time a product stays fresh and safe to use before it expires.
Quote from an Unknown Source:
“Agriculture is not simply farming. It is the supermarket, the equipment factory, the trucking system, the overseas shipping industry, the scientist’s laboratory, the houses we live in, and much more. It has an effect on the air we breathe, the ground we walk on, the water we drink, and the food we eat.”
Minnesota Academic Standards Connection
| Subject | Standard Code | Benchmark |
| Social Studies | 1.4.21.1 | Create a timeline to identify a sequence of events in a student’s life or community. |
| Science | 1E.4.2.1.1 | Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the localenvironment. |
| Science | 1L.1.1.1.1 | Ask questions based on observations about the similarities and differences between young plants and animals and their parents. |
| English Language Arts | 1.2.7.7 | Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe key ideas. |
AgMag 1 Cover—From the Farm to YOU! (Science, Social Studies)
(See Agriculture in the Glossary. The goal of the spring AgMag 1 is to continue sharing the story of agriculture with first-grade students and inspiring them to see the impact that agriculture has on their everyday lives.)
Discussion Prompters
1. What is agriculture? (Invite students to offer their own definitions. Some may say “farming” or “milking cows.” Agriculture starts on the farm, but includes all the people and places which harvest the farm crops, change them into forms we can use and get them to stores where we can buy them. It is all the businesses and workers who get food, clothing, furniture, landscaping trees, lumber, and more from the farms to our homes, schools, and communities.)
2. Who were the first farmers? (Many years ago, Native Americans lived on the land where we live today. They hunted deer, buffalo, and small animals in the forest. They raised crops (corn, squash, and beans) and harvested nature’s crops (berries, nuts, maple syrup, wild rice). All their food, homes, clothing, weapons, and toys came from the land and water. Many of the foods we eat at Thanksgiving and year-round are thanks to Native Americans.)
3. How has the job of the farmer become easier today than it was long ago? (Modern machinery has replaced horse or oxen power and old-fashioned tools. Scientists have developed plants that can grow in many different weather and soil conditions. Animal nutritionists and veterinarians help keep farm animals healthy.)
- The activity on the cover asks the students about plants grown in Minnesota. Some of your students may have never thought about what is grown here and what isn’t. Before they do that activity, talk to them about how Minnesota weather is too cold for some kinds of foods to grow, or Minnesota doesn’t have the right kind of soil. Get them to think about things that need warmer climates (citrus fruits, etc.) than we have here.
- Write the name of your favorite farm animal.
- (Farm animals are raised to provide products that make human lives better. Farm animals give meat, milk, eggs, fiber [wool], hide [leather], feathers, and more. Some give help with work or transportation [horses, oxen, mules]. Animal fats are used in making lotions, soaps, film, plastics, medicines, and more.)
- (Zoo animals live in public places for people to see and study. Wild animals are an important part of the natural world environment wherever they live. Sometimes people go on trips and safaris to see wild animals in their own settings.)
- (Pets are companion animals, kept for the pleasure and company they provide.)
4. Do you know someone whose job is connected to agriculture? How?
5. Some students may need help connecting items at the bottom of the page back to their plant and animal sources. Discuss as a class, then invite them to mark “P” by the items that come from plants and “A” by the items that come from animals.
6. Ask students to look around the classroom. What things in the room might come from agriculture, and what source of agriculture did they come from? Examples might include pencils made from wood (trees), soles of tennis shoes (rubber), or items of clothing (wool or cotton).
Plant, Animal, or Both? Answers:
- Animals (A): Macaroni and cheese, pizza, mittens, boot
- Plants (P): Toilet paper, blueberries, macaroni and cheese, apple, pizza
- Both (B):Macaroni and cheese, pizza
Page 2-3—Moo to You (Science, Social Studies)
Guide students through the story of milk, from the farm to their tables. The AgMag magazine has a reference to a video tour of a dairy farm, which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaS0DdWX1mI
Have your students watch this first, then continue with the lesson.
Homegrown in Minnesota:
https://agclassroom.org/matrix/lessons/767/
Students explore Minnesota’s fruit and vegetable crops, learn how food gets from the farm to their table, and discuss why eating fruits and vegetables every day is important.
On the Farm
1. How do farmers take good care of their cows?
- (Cows are kept comfortable and safe from the weather in barns. They have clean
bedding [straw, shredded newspapers, mats, waterbeds, sand, etc.] to lie on. They get good nutritious feed and fresh water. If they are sick, the farmer may call an animal doctor [veterinarian] to care for them. In nice weather, they go outdoors to exercise and graze.)
2. What do cows eat?
(In warmer months, they graze in pastures and eat grass. In colder months, they eat hay [dried grasses], silage [chopped corn], and haylage [chopped hay]. The farmer gives them a special feed mixture called a ration all year round, which is made of ground grains with minerals and nutrients added. A cow may drink enough water to fill a bathtub every day!)
3. What is the farmer doing with the milking machine?
- (She is milking cows. The cow’s milk is stored in a body part under the cow called an udder. The udder has four teats. The farmer carefully washes the cow’s udder and teats before milking. The milking machine attaches to the teats. A steady pulsating pressure gently squeezes the milk out of each teat, similar to when a child sucks his/her thumb. It does not hurt the cow at all. The milk goes through the tubes you see in the picture to a pipe that takes it into a cooling tank.)
4. Do all cattle give milk?
- (No, only a cow that has had a calf gives milk.)
5. How often are cows milked? How much milk do they give?
- (Most are milked twice or three times a day. The amount of milk a cow gives depends on her breed and how long it has been since she had a calf. The Holstein breed gives the most milk. Cows give the most milk after a new calf is born. A good cow will give eight or more gallons of milk a day.)
6. The cows on this page are dairy cows. Other cattle, called beef cattle, are raised for meat.
7. People around the world drink milk from more than just cows. What are some of these animals?
- (Goats, bison, camels, reindeer, sheep, water buffalo, moose, donkeys, horses, and yaks)
On the Road
Tank trucks come to the farm and pump the milk out of the farmer’s cooling tank. The driver tests the milk to make sure it is healthy and clean. Then it goes into the refrigerated tank on the truck. The tank truck visits many farms to pick up milk, and then hauls its load to a processing plant.
1. Why must milk be kept cool all the way from the farm to you?
- (Milk spoils and sours quickly if it is not kept cool. Tiny bacteria grow fast in warmer temperatures, causing the milk to spoil. Farmers, truckers, and plant workers do their part, but we need to keep milk cool in our refrigerators at home, too.)
2. Does all milk go to a processing plant?
- (Yes, but not all plants put milk into bottles and cartons. Some plants use milk to make ice cream, cheese, butter, yogurt, or other dairy products.)
At the Plant
When milk gets to the processing plant, it is tested again to make sure it is safe from harmful things before it is unloaded. It is strained through a filter to make sure it is clean. It is heated to kill any germs (pasteurized) and mixed so the cream in the milk stays blended instead of rising to the top (homogenized). Finally, it is piped through large machines that fill cartons and bottles. The milk is then loaded into refrigerated trucks and hauled to stores.
1. Why is it so important to keep checking and testing the milk?
- (Everyone from small babies to great-grandparents will drink and use the milk. It must be clean and healthy so no one gets sick.)
2. Everyone who handles milk must keep all the milk tanks, tubes, pipes, and machines absolutely clean. Why is this so important?
- (Milk spoils and becomes unsafe for people to use if it picks up germs from unclean equipment. Milk equipment is cleaned with hot, soapy water many times a day.)
At the Store
1. Why are there so many different kinds of milk at the store?
- (Stores sell many kinds of milk so every family can pick the flavor, the size, and the type that is just right for them.)
2. Why are there dates on milk cartons and boxes?
- (The dates tell us how long the milk will be fresh and good to use. If the date has gone by, we should not buy the milk. See SHELF LIFE under GLOSSARY.)
You Drink the Milk
1. What kinds of milk do you like to drink?
- (Different kinds include skim, 1%, 2%, whole milk, flavored, buttermilk, dry/powdered, evaporated, canned, and more.)
2. What foods can you name that are made from milk?
- (Cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, ice cream, butter, sour cream, frozen yogurt, etc.)
3. Why are milk and dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt healthy for you?
- (They are a good source of nutrition, with calcium for strong bones, teeth, and muscles. They also have protein for healthy hair, skin, blood, and more. Milk has added vitamin D. Children should have at least three servings from the dairy group every day.)
Draw It!
Have students draw pictures of foods made from milk.
Practice
Have students count the number of times the word “milk” is used on pages 2-3. (The answer is 16—or 17, if you include “milking,” and 18 if you include the one they write.)
Moo to You: Draw a circle around the stage of dairy processing that they are most interested in. Ask them why that’s interesting.
Suggested activity:
Milk is a good basis for an extra math activity around liquid measures. If you can, bring in liquid measuring tools in cup, pint, quart, and gallon measures. Ask the students to guess how many cups fit in a pint, how many pints in a quart, etc. Then have them fill the cup and pour it into the pint and so on. You can also ask students how many cups of milk they drink each day and help them figure out if that’s a pint or quart or more.
Page 4—CARING FOR COWS AND THE EARTH
Discussion Prompters
1.What does it mean to take care of both cows and the earth?
Students may share that cows need food, water, clean beds, and a safe place to live. Farmers also care for the earth by keeping soil, water, and air clean. Help students understand that caring for animals and caring for the environment are connected because healthy cows need a healthy place to live.
2.Who helps farmers keep the land, air, and water clean?
Guide students to notice that many agriculture experts work together to protect natural resources. Soil scientists, water specialists, engineers, veterinarians, and nutritionists all support farmers in making good choices for the environment. These experts may work for local cooperatives, soil and water agencies, or engineering companies that serve Minnesota farms.
3.How can you help protect the environment?
Encourage simple actions students can do at school and at home, such as turning off lights, recycling, reusing containers, picking up trash, and saving water. Connect these actions to what farmers do so students can see that everyone plays a role in keeping the environment clean and healthy.
Teacher Background
Meet Brent Seppelt, a dairy farmer from Rice, Minnesota, who works with experts to care for cows and the environment. Brent collaborated with scientists and engineers to build a safe barn for his heifers.
Meet the Team
- Amy Robak – The Soil Scientist: Helps grow healthy food for cows and protect the soil and water. Her official title is an agronomist and she works with a local cooperative.
- Josh Bork – The Water Watcher: Makes sure water and soil stay clean for animals and people. Josh works with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) for Benton County.
- Nathan Pesta – The Barn Builder: Nathan is a project engineer for DGA Engineering of Bismark, North Dakota that designs barns for the needs of the farmer and the cows.
Additional Team Members on a Dairy Farm
These team members were not highlighted in the AgMag, however, play an important role on all dairy farms throughout Minnesota:
- The Dairy Nutritionist: Creates balanced feed mixes that keep cows healthy while reducing waste. This includes using ingredients like food byproducts to support nutrition and sustainability.
- The Milk Truck Driver: Safely moves milk from the farm to the processing plant while following strict cleanliness and sustainability practices to protect the quality of the milk.
- The Dairy Plant Worker: Works at the processing plant to turn milk into dairy products while reducing water use, recycling packaging materials, and minimizing waste at every step of production.
- The Veterinarian: Supports dairy farmers by keeping cows healthy and helping protect the environment through preventative care and good animal health practices.
Activity Ideas
- Compare photos of dairy barns “Then and Now.” What is different and what is the same?
- Touch and feel different types of bedding, straw, sand, or sawdust, and discuss which would keep cows driest.
- Plant flowers in clean, empty milk cartons to reuse materials and discuss recycling.
Science Standard Connection: (Minnesota Academic Standard in Science 1E.4.2.1.1)
Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and other living things in the local environment.
How the barn in this AgMag illustrates this standard:
The barn featured in this AgMag was carefully designed to protect both cows and the environment. Brent worked with experts who created solutions that reduce the farm’s impact on land, water, and air. The soil scientist helps prevent erosion and keeps nutrients in the soil where plants can use them. The water specialist works with Brent to protect nearby lakes and rivers by managing water safely on the farm. The engineer designed a barn that provides clean air for the heifers and manages manure in a way that keeps the environment healthy. These actions show how farmers and their team members make thoughtful choices that protect natural resources, support healthy animals, and care for the local environment.
Page 5—Animal Babies and Parents
This page will help students understand the differences and similarities between animal babies and parents—something they have in common with human babies and parents. Explain that some animals can stand up shortly after they’re born and can learn to walk quickly, unlike humans. They also become adults much more quickly than humans do.
It’s a MOO-stery!:
https://minnesota.agclassroom.org/matrix/lessons/15/
Introduce the dairy industry and make observations about historic and modern dairy tools. Students can compare how butter paddles, cheese presses, and milk testers were used in the past.
Activity: Alike and Not Alike
You can have the students work on the Venn diagrams individually, or you can have it be a large class activity. Another alternative is to make lists for each (adult and baby), then circle the ones that are the same.
Have the students look at the photo of the cow and calves and discuss the ways they look alike and the ways they are different. Then have them draw a Venn diagram on a sheet of paper and list those differences and similarities.
Did You Know
The cow and calves on page 5 are examples of the Holstein breed. Have students study their black-and- white patterns to see just how different spot patterns can be.
Animal Life Cycles
https://minnesota.agclassroom.org/matrix/lessons/81/
Students study major livestock species, learn about animal needs, and explore the life cycle of a farm animal.
Page 6—Farmers Make Great Pizza!
Fun Fact: As a nation, we eat l00 acres (100 football fields) of pizza per day. That’s 350 slices every second! Most Americans prefer pepperoni on their pizza.
Pizza Picks: This activity represents an easy logic exercise. Depending on your children’s experience with similar activities, you may want to vary the directions to match your group. For example:
- Joe does not like pizza with meat or cheese. Put a smiling face under the pizza he likes.
- Ann likes pizza with toppings that begin with the same letter as “pizza.” Put a smiling face under the pizza Ann likes.
- Juan likes pizza with no meat or vegetables. Put a smiling face under Juan’s choice.
Note: As an added activity, some teachers have students put an X under the pizzas each child does not choose. Answers: Juan likes cheese. Joe likes veggie. Ann likes pepperoni.
Additional MAITC Resources:
- Agriculture is Everywhere Poster
https://mnagmag.org/product/agriculture-is-everywhere-poster - Where Do Your Pizza and Cheeseburger Come From? Poster
https://mnagmag.org/product/cheeseburger-and-pizza-poster/
Started in 1985, the Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom program (MAITC) is a unique public and private partnership between the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the MAITC Foundation. The program’s goal is to advance agricultural literacy for all learners, especially K–12 students and educators. MAITC’s mission is to promote understanding and awareness of the importance of agriculture.
