Cargill and McCarty Family Farms have introduced new interactive dairy nutrition exhibits at learning centers in Kansas and Ohio, giving visitors a closer look at how nutrition influences cow health, performance and milk production.
The new exhibits have opened at the Judy McCarty Dairy Learning Center in Rexford, Kansas, with a companion exhibit at the MVP Dairy Learning Center in Celina, Ohio. The initiative is supported by Cargill and builds on the companies’ existing relationship in dairy nutrition.
The two learning centers have already attracted more than 100,000 visitors through in-person and virtual experiences. Visitors have come from all 50 U.S. states and more than 75 countries, providing the dairy operations with a broad platform for agricultural education and community engagement.
Bringing Dairy Nutrition to Life
Animal nutrition can be difficult for people outside agriculture to understand because a cow’s ration consists of multiple ingredients and the effects of those ingredients occur inside the animal.
The new exhibits are designed to make those connections easier to understand. Visitors can learn how feed decisions are connected with cow health, performance and milk production while also observing the dairy operation firsthand.
The initiative allows visitors to connect the information presented in the exhibits with the cows and dairy practices they see during their visits.
McCarty Family Farms and Cargill Partnership
The McCarty family operates five dairy farms in Kansas, including a dairy with approximately 10,000 cows. The family also jointly operates MVP Dairy with the VanTilburg family in Ohio, where more than 4,000 cows are milked.
Cargill provides nutrition services for milk-producing cows across the farms. The new exhibits extend that relationship into agricultural education by helping explain the role of nutrition in dairy management.
Ken McCarty, co-owner of McCarty Family Farms and MVP Dairy, said helping people understand where their food comes from and how animals are cared for is an important part of the future of dairy.
The partnership also highlights the connection between nutrition management and animal care. Healthy animals are central to dairy production, and feed formulation is one of the important management decisions made on a dairy farm.
Education Through Real-World Dairy Experiences
Both learning centers offer tours that allow visitors to see cows being milked and learn about animal care, environmental stewardship and modern dairy practices.
The nutrition exhibits add another educational component by explaining what happens after a cow consumes her ration and how nutrition can influence her health, performance and the milk she produces.
The centers also provide an opportunity to introduce young people to the science and technology behind modern dairy farming.
Phil Graham, managing director of Cargill Animal Nutrition & Health North America, said the company works with the McCarty and VanTilburg families by combining their dairy expertise with Cargill’s nutrition capabilities and innovation.
More Than 100,000 Visitors
| Learning initiative | Details |
|---|---|
| Judy McCarty Dairy Learning Center | Rexford, Kansas |
| MVP Dairy Learning Center | Celina, Ohio |
| New exhibit focus | Dairy nutrition |
| Visitor reach | 100,000+ |
| U.S. states represented | All 50 |
| International reach | 75+ countries |
| Kansas dairy operations | Five farms |
| Major Kansas dairy | Approximately 10,000 cows |
| MVP Dairy | More than 4,000 cows milked |
The visitor numbers demonstrate the reach of the learning centers as platforms for agricultural education. Their combination of tours, exhibits and virtual experiences allows consumers and students to learn more about dairy production directly from operating farms.
For McCarty Family Farms and the VanTilburg family, education has become an important part of communicating how their dairy operations work. Visitors can see cows, observe dairy practices and learn about the decisions made to maintain animal health and milk production.
The new nutrition exhibits add another layer to that experience by explaining the relationship between feed, animal health, dairy performance and milk production.
As the dairy sector continues to adopt advances in nutrition, technology and animal care, initiatives such as these provide consumers with an opportunity to better understand the science behind milk production and the management practices used on modern dairy farms.