Thanks to an educational program, a group of Ames elementary schoolers discovered that milk mustaches aren’t just for ad campaigns.

Four classes of fourth-grade students came from Crawford and Fellows Elementary Schools in Ames to the ISU Dairy Farm last Friday to learn more about dairy nutrition. The event was orchestrated by members of the Dairy Science Club.

Jennifer Kunde, sophomore in dairy science, said she first came up with the idea for the program during the summer when she traveled with Iowa Dairy Princess Megan Wonderlich to promote dairy production to Iowa schools.

“We wanted to get the kids away from the classroom and bring them to the farm,” Kunde said. “We showed them how cows are milked and how to care for calves properly.”

The 15 members of the Dairy Science Club who were in charge of teaching the kids set up four different learning stations: nutrition, calf care, cow care and a group milk mustache picture.

The students also had the opportunity to hear Wonderlich, sophomore in animal science, sing her version of the Jo Dee Messina song “I’m Alright” at the nutrition station.

“My family and I wrote it for the Iowa Dairy Princess competition last year,” Wonderlich said.

The lyrics include references to dairy products such as, “I’ve got a big glass of milk here tonight, and I know I’m doing all right.”

The nutrition demonstration showed kids the importance of getting enough dairy products in their diet.

“We just finished studying nutrition in school, and I hope this will reinforce what was being talked about in the classroom,” said Sharon Wade, fourth-grade teacher from Fellows Elementary. “Visual learning is much better than books.”

At the calf and cow demonstrations, the Dairy Science Club let the kids look at and feel the different types of grain the cows eat. Members also demonstrated how to take proper care of a calf.

After the demonstrations, the kids had their pictures taken with milk mustaches.

Rachel Olshausen, fourth-grade student at Fellows Elementary, said her favorite part of the day was seeing the calf.

“I like baby animals, and I think they are cute,” she said. “I want to learn more about what they are doing while they are growing up and how to feed them.”

Cindi Seiler, fourth-grade teacher from Crawford Elementary, said the experience was very educational for her students. “A lot of kids never get to see live cows and find out about the milking process,” she said.

Members of the Dairy Science Club hope to make the program an annual event for all fourth-grade students in Ames.