McCarty Family Farms and Cargill have partnered to launch an interactive dairy nutrition exhibit at the Judy McCarty Dairy Learning Center in Rexford, Kansas, highlighting the science behind cow nutrition, animal health and milk production.
The new exhibit aims to help students, families and community members understand how feed and nutrition influence dairy cow health, farm performance and milk quality. It adds to the learning center’s educational displays, which introduce visitors to the science, technology and management practices behind modern dairy farming.
Opened in 2024, the Judy McCarty Dairy Learning Center was established by McCarty Family Farms to offer visitors a closer look at dairy production and the people and practices involved in supplying milk.
Interactive Exhibit Explores the Role of Cow Nutrition
The new exhibit focuses on the relationship between dairy cow nutrition and the wider production process. Cargill provides nutrition for milk-producing cows across McCarty Family Farms’ dairies, making the partnership a natural extension of the learning center’s educational mission.
Proper nutrition is an essential part of dairy herd management. Feed quality, balanced diets and appropriate nutrient intake support animal health, milk production and overall farm performance. By presenting these connections in an interactive format, the exhibit gives visitors an opportunity to better understand the science behind the milk they consume.
The display also helps explain how feeding decisions fit into broader dairy management practices. Nutrition works alongside animal care, housing, veterinary support and farm management to maintain productive and healthy herds.
Learning Center Showcases Modern Dairy Farming
The nutrition exhibit builds on several existing displays at the Judy McCarty Dairy Learning Center. Visitors can explore topics including cow care, water conservation, regenerative farming and the journey of milk from soil to cup.
Two viewing areas allow guests to observe the farm’s milking operation, including a 120-stall milking carousel while it is running. Groups that arrange visits in advance can also take shuttle tours of the farm for a closer look at its facilities and operations.
Across the road from the learning center, visitors can view the farm’s milk-processing plant through a dedicated viewing window. The facility includes an evaporative milk-condensing plant designed to recover water naturally present in milk for reuse on the farm.
These features provide a broader perspective on how dairy farms combine animal nutrition, milk handling, processing technology and resource management.
McCarty Family Farms Expands Its Educational Mission
The McCarty family’s dairy farming history stretches back more than a century to northeastern Pennsylvania. In 2000, the family moved to northwestern Kansas to continue expanding its dairy business.
Today, McCarty Family Farms operates five dairies in Kansas. Its flagship operation north of Rexford houses approximately 10,000 cows and uses freestall barns alongside two 120-stall milking carousels.
The learning center is named in memory of Judy McCarty, the late mother of farm owners Mike, Clay, Dave and Ken McCarty. It was created to welcome visitors and increase understanding of modern dairy production.
The addition of the nutrition exhibit strengthens the center’s role as an agricultural education resource in northwest Kansas. It offers people without a direct connection to farming a chance to learn about the practices behind milk production, while also giving visitors familiar with agriculture a deeper look at dairy nutrition.
Visitor Information
The Judy McCarty Dairy Learning Center is open by appointment, and admission is free. Visitors can arrange a visit by calling 785-269-3022 or visiting the center’s official website.
The new exhibit reflects a wider effort to make dairy science more accessible to the public. By connecting cow nutrition with animal welfare, milk quality and farm management, McCarty Family Farms and Cargill are helping visitors better understand the science behind everyday dairy products.