Visitors attending the Stockyards Stampede in Oklahoma City’s historic Stockyards City had an opportunity to learn more about dairy production and where their milk comes from, thanks to an educational exhibit from Southwest Dairy Farmers.
Oklahoma Farm Report intern Haden Snelson spoke with Suzie Reece, Oklahoma mobile dairy classroom instructor for Southwest Dairy Farmers, about the organization’s traveling dairy classroom, the current state of Oklahoma’s dairy industry and the importance of connecting consumers with agriculture.
Reece travels to schools, fairs and community events with a mobile dairy classroom designed to demonstrate the milking process and educate the public about dairy farming.
“I travel with the cow truck and trailer to schools. It has a built-in milking parlor, a TV that mounts on the side, and then a speaker system,” Reece said.
The self-contained exhibit operates using a generator, allowing Reece to bring the educational experience directly to audiences across the state. Through the program, visitors learn about milk production, the nutritional benefits of dairy products and the work dairy farmers perform.
While the exhibit focuses on education, Reece also discussed the challenges facing Oklahoma’s dairy industry.
According to Reece, the state has experienced a significant decline in the number of dairy operations, with approximately 75 dairy farms remaining.
“The thing is, those dairy farmers are still producing a lot of milk,” Reece said.
Despite the declining number of operations, she explained that Oklahoma dairy farmers continue supplying milk to processors that prepare dairy products for grocery stores, schools and consumers across the state.
Reece emphasized that agricultural education is increasingly important as more consumers become disconnected from farming and food production.
“I feel like so many people are far removed from the farm,” Reece said.
She hopes educational exhibits like the mobile dairy classroom provide visitors with a better understanding of the dairy industry, from seeing a cow in person to learning how milk reaches store shelves.
“I see people every day that have no concept of where milk comes from,” Reece said.
By bringing live animals and educational demonstrations to public events, Southwest Dairy Farmers aims to help bridge the gap between agricultural producers and consumers while highlighting the importance of dairy farming in Oklahoma.
For Reece, events like the Stockyards Stampede provide an opportunity to introduce people of all ages to an industry that continues to play an important role in supplying food for Oklahoma families.
