HOW NOW, BROWN COW? Learning About The Land
July 02, 2018
Explore More’s Farm To City Event Introduces Ag To Kids
By NOLAN STOUT
Daily News-Record 7/2/18
HARRISONBURG — Kade Martin, his brother, Colt, and sister, Kylie, tried out some homemade cheese Saturday.
Or rather, museum-made.
They were a little hesitant to chow down on the cheese crafted by Explore More Discovery Museum’s program manager Melanie Veith.
Veith made the cheese by boiling milk and adding vinegar to separate the curds.
The Martin children quickly decided they liked the concoction, but it wasn’t their favorite part of the museum’s third Farm To City event.
“Seeing the cows,” Colt said, quickly echoed by Kylie who loved “petting the cows.”
The Martins were among the hundreds to filter in and out of the museum on Saturday for Farm To City and Explore More with Dairy. The event grew out of the annual Explore More with Dairy showcase, which has been held for seven years and brings dairy farmers and producers to the museum to show off their products.
“The area as a whole is an agricultural community, but kids don’t really see up close what happens on those farms unless they’re already farmers,” Veith said.
Outside the museum, Newman Avenue was closed so children could explore farm equipment, including a harvesting combine, and meet a cow, calf and goats or examine a beehive from the Shenandoah Valley Beekeepers Association.
The event also served to educate children on where their food comes from.
“We’ve found more and more that there’s a disconnect for kids on where their food comes from,” Veith said. “You ask a kid where does the milk come from and they say the grocery store.” Some of the families had more than one motivation for coming to the event. Mike Martin said his wife and youngest daughter were home sick so he took the other kids out of the house. He also knew it would be a hit. “They love tractors,” he said. “They love animals and we only live five minutes away so it’s really the perfect combination of things.”
Bobby Zaepfel, who lives west of Dayton, came to celebrate the seventh birthday of his twin sons, C.J. and Zac. It also helped the kids get out of the house for birthday party preparations.
“This is kind of cool,” he said. “It’s a great place to bring your children.”
The area as a whole is an agricultural community, but kids don’t really see up close what happens on those farms unless they’re already farmers.
-Melanie Veith, program manager for Explore More Discovery Museum
LEFT TO RIGHT: Diane Worringham and 3- year- old Aaron of Harrisonburg, Elizabeth Murrie- Robinson, 2, of Harrisonburg, and Derrick Mitchell of Waynesboro pet a calf Saturday during the Explore More Discovery Museum’s Farm to City event on Newman Avenue.
Nick Neckowitz, 5, of Harrisonburg, moves hay with a pitchfork at Saturday’s Farm to City event. The event, held for three years, grew out of the annual Explore More with Dairy Showcase, which has been held for seven years.
Nick Neckowitz, 5, of Harrisonburg, moves hay with a pitchfork at Saturday’s Farm to City event. The event, held for three years, grew out of the annual Explore More with Dairy Showcase, which has been held for seven years.
By NOLAN STOUT
Daily News-Record 7/2/18
HARRISONBURG — Kade Martin, his brother, Colt, and sister, Kylie, tried out some homemade cheese Saturday.
Or rather, museum-made.
They were a little hesitant to chow down on the cheese crafted by Explore More Discovery Museum’s program manager Melanie Veith.
Veith made the cheese by boiling milk and adding vinegar to separate the curds.
The Martin children quickly decided they liked the concoction, but it wasn’t their favorite part of the museum’s third Farm To City event.
“Seeing the cows,” Colt said, quickly echoed by Kylie who loved “petting the cows.”
The Martins were among the hundreds to filter in and out of the museum on Saturday for Farm To City and Explore More with Dairy. The event grew out of the annual Explore More with Dairy showcase, which has been held for seven years and brings dairy farmers and producers to the museum to show off their products.
“The area as a whole is an agricultural community, but kids don’t really see up close what happens on those farms unless they’re already farmers,” Veith said.
Outside the museum, Newman Avenue was closed so children could explore farm equipment, including a harvesting combine, and meet a cow, calf and goats or examine a beehive from the Shenandoah Valley Beekeepers Association.
The event also served to educate children on where their food comes from.
“We’ve found more and more that there’s a disconnect for kids on where their food comes from,” Veith said. “You ask a kid where does the milk come from and they say the grocery store.” Some of the families had more than one motivation for coming to the event. Mike Martin said his wife and youngest daughter were home sick so he took the other kids out of the house. He also knew it would be a hit. “They love tractors,” he said. “They love animals and we only live five minutes away so it’s really the perfect combination of things.”
Bobby Zaepfel, who lives west of Dayton, came to celebrate the seventh birthday of his twin sons, C.J. and Zac. It also helped the kids get out of the house for birthday party preparations.
“This is kind of cool,” he said. “It’s a great place to bring your children.”
The area as a whole is an agricultural community, but kids don’t really see up close what happens on those farms unless they’re already farmers.
-Melanie Veith, program manager for Explore More Discovery Museum
LEFT TO RIGHT: Diane Worringham and 3- year- old Aaron of Harrisonburg, Elizabeth Murrie- Robinson, 2, of Harrisonburg, and Derrick Mitchell of Waynesboro pet a calf Saturday during the Explore More Discovery Museum’s Farm to City event on Newman Avenue.
Nick Neckowitz, 5, of Harrisonburg, moves hay with a pitchfork at Saturday’s Farm to City event. The event, held for three years, grew out of the annual Explore More with Dairy Showcase, which has been held for seven years.
Nick Neckowitz, 5, of Harrisonburg, moves hay with a pitchfork at Saturday’s Farm to City event. The event, held for three years, grew out of the annual Explore More with Dairy Showcase, which has been held for seven years.
