NORTH LAWRENCE â From the milking parlor, Stauffer Farms is coming to an at-home screen near you.
The 3,800-cow dairy farm on County Route 54 is one of three farms hosting virtual tours this week through the American Dairy Association North East. The Dairy Association advocates for dairy farmers in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
This weekâs tours last up to an hour and are geared toward K-12 students, specifically fourth- through seventh-graders at Stauffer, but are viewable to anyone interested in learning directly from dairy farmers. The live-streamed video tour begins at noon Thursday.
On-site and virtual dairy farm tours for classrooms took off in 2018, but virtual tours âhave grown in popularityâ for in-school and at-home learners alike, according to the Dairy Association. With school districts across the six states at varying phases of reopening from the COVID-19 pandemic, online offerings can reach more people âwithout disturbing the daily doings at the farm,â Adam D. Bates said.