A group of young people from the Social Development Commission of Milwaukee’s Youth Programs recently got a firsthand look at life in the country.
The youth took a field trip to a large dairy farm and to a petting zoo in mid-Wisconsin.
The field trip was organized by the Social Development Commission to provide a look at how people live and work on Wisconsin dairy farms.
It also included exposure to many animals that urban youth do not normally see.
The trip began with a visit to Quantum Dairy Farms in Weyauwega.
Quantum Dairy is a large operation with almost 5,000 cows.
Richard Wagner took the young people on a tour of his farm’s operation, showing them how cows are cared for and milked.
The farm visit was arranged between Wagner and his friend, Jim Guldan, who is the director of operations for the Social Development Commission of Milwaukee.
“Jim and I became aquainted back in the 1960s when his family (then from Chicago) spent summers at their farm west of Cobbtown, where I grew up,” Wagner said. “It is very special to get inner city youth out here into the country and exposed to dairy farming, our local zoo at Weyauwega and the beauty of the open country. So, we at Quantum Dairy were happy to host their educational visit.”
While surprised at the pungent atmosphere of the dairy barns, the youth did express great interest in how milk and cheese are produced by asking many questions.
The field trip also included a stop at the nearby Animal Haven Petting Zoo.
There, youth were able to get a close look at many animals they had only seen before in pictures or on television.
Being able to touch and closely observe the animals at the zoo made a strong impression on the youth.
The Commission’s Youth Programs are part of its Youth and Family Development Program.
To learn more about the program, visit the SDC website at www.cr-sdc.org, click on the “Programs” page and then on the link for “Youth and Family Development.”