Showing posts with label dairy tours. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dairy tours. Show all posts

Monday, September 15, 2014

MSU tour

On Friday, we hosted another MSU tour!  For a few years, Dr. Miriam Weber Nielsen has brought her animal science classes for a tour.


This tour is always fun, because the students have a ton of detailed questions.  Many of them are from farms, and many of them were wearing shirts from farms where they currently work.  


In this group, not only did they have great questions, but about ten of them stayed after to talk with Kris to get even more specific answers.   


Once I looked up while I was talking and saw one of the students had a cat on his head.  The cats were all getting lots of attention.  Who knew cats would be even more popular than calves?  ...Other than YouTube.




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Thursday, August 28, 2014

China comes to the farm: Hosting Northwest A&F University of China students

This is my favorite picture of the day.  Let's call it a calfie.



Today, we hosted students from the College of Economics and Management, from the Northwest A&F University of China.

As part of this summer study abroad program, the 23 students and 4 instructors made site visits to farming, forestry, and livestock operations. 

They pulled up in their huge Michigan State University bus and piled out.  I introduced myself and the boys, and they were immediately showered with gifts.  Mascot from Nagano, art, keychains, necklace pouch, bracelets … the students were so kind to them. 

Checking out the calves and the kids
The students were so attentive and interested.  Their liason, Dr. Runsheng Yin, translated for them if needed.  They all met the calves, learned about their care, and asked lots of questions.  They also enjoyed the kittens … you can see one being cradled in the picture!

I think you can see the enthusiasm!
We took the short drive over to the dairy barn and gave a tour there of the grounds, the lagoon, and the free stall barn.  After explaining the milking process, we talked about the business and financial aspects of a dairy farm.  We covered co-ops, start-up capital, loans, etc.

Talking by the dairy barn
Thanks to George Silva, MSU extension agent, too!
They presented Kris with a beautiful red tie, and we gave them each a bag filled with dairy-related items, including a Go-Gurt, which is perfect in any and every country.  Who doesn’t want dairy sweet goodness in a tube?! 

The boys posed for more pictures, including some where the girls gave them their sunglasses to wear, and they were off. 

I love giving tours – it was so much fun!  If nothing else, today 27 people from the other side of the world have a better understanding of dairy farms.  And many pictures of my boys to remember it by.
  


Sniffing out the feed

My gift-laden children.

The tie, the bags, and the nice people!

Thanks so much for coming!



Want to know more about the farm?  Like the page on Facebook, on Twitter@carlashelley, or sign up to get the blog by email - the form is on the right side of the page.