As part of an ongoing effort to help families understand where their food comes from, thousands of students from across the country will have the opportunity to visit a dairy farm in Pennsylvania without ever leaving their classroom.
American Dairy Association North East is teaming up with Mercer Vu Farms in Mercersburg, Pa., for two free virtual farm tours on Thursday, February 13. A tour geared toward students in kindergarten through fifth grade will take place at 10 a.m., while students in grades 6-12 can tune in at 11:15 a.m. for a deep dive. These tours provide students with an interactive farm experience hosted by a dairy farmer who will answer questions about life on the farm, animal care and sustainability practices.
Along with the virtual tour, American Dairy Association North East provides free lesson plans for participating schools. That ensures the experience is not only engaging and fun for students, but also aligns with curriculum standards.
“I’m excited to partner with American Dairy Association North East to host a Virtual Farm Tour,” says dairy farmer and tour host Rod Hissong of Mercer Vu Farms. “As a farmer, it’s important to me to help educate young people and show them where their food comes from. Welcoming students and teachers to our farm virtually will help them understand how milk gets from our farm to their fridge and school.”
Mercer Vu Farms, which earned an honorable mention from the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy for Outstanding Achievement in Resource Stewardship in 2017, was also featured in American Dairy Association North East’s digital series “This American Dairy Farmer.”
Mercer Vu Farms is the first stop for American Dairy Association North East on the 2025 schedule and the ninth farm from the Commonwealth to be featured as part of the Virtual Farm Tour program. American Dairy Association North East has worked with nearly 30 local dairy farmers to bring their farms to classrooms since 2018.The program has attracted more than 820,000 views. Previously recorded tours are available to view here.
To register for this tour or other upcoming tours, visit www.AmericanDairy.com/Tour.
