A fun, free educational time at the Great Dairy Adventure

The Great Dairy Adventure is a free, family-friendly event where visitors can learn about the Michigan dairy industry and enjoy dairy-related activities and food.

Great Dairy Adventure - girl milking cow
The Great Dairy Adventure participants will have the opportunity to pet and milk cows. | Photo by Michigan State University Extension

Did you know that milk from any of Michigan’s 1,800 dairy farms can travel from the farm to your table within 48 hours? Explore how milk travels from the cow to the kitchen table and sample delicious, nutritious dairy products along the way.

Join us at the 2019 Great Dairy Adventure, July 17 from 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. at the MSU Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education in East Lansing. This perfect field trip destination provides both free fun and education. The entire event is free—parking, admission and activities, plus the event is held indoors, rain or shine.

For the past 20 years, the Great Dairy Adventure has been a popular summer activity for local families and neighboring summer camps and daycares.

At the event, attendees will have the opportunity to try milking a cow, create a variety of craft projects, experiment with dairy recipes, pet cows and calves and learn how milk gets from the cow to the grocery store. In addition to the fun, the event features hands-on opportunities for youth to learn about the nutritional benefits of dairy, giveaways, MSU student athletes and samples of dairy foods such as cheese, ice cream and yogurt. After tasting the delicious dairy treats, join other attendees in a Fun Run to illustrate how dairy is part of a healthy lifestyle that includes a good diet and exercise. Fun Runs will take place at the top of the hour from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Visitors to the Great Dairy Adventure can also check out the cattle and other exhibits on hand for the Michigan Dairy Expo, which takes place July 16 - 20. As the largest annual dairy event in the state, the Michigan Dairy Expo provides dairy farmers and students from 4-H clubs and FFA chapters across the state an opportunity to exhibit hundreds of cows of various breeds. In addition, youth will take part in a number of educational skills contests throughout the week.

The Great Dairy Adventure is a collaborative program of Michigan State University Extension, the United Dairy Industry of Michigan, the MSU Department of Animal Science, the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, local farmers and other dairy partners. For more information, please contact Carla McLachlan at 517-432-5402.

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