Milk Madness Engages 5th Graders with Real Dairy Data and Hands-On Learning
- Addison Stoddard
- 21 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Milk Madness wrapped up at the end of March with a winning finish for Cheylin 5th grade,
capping off a month of hands-on learning, friendly competition, and real-world dairy education in classrooms across northwest Kansas.
Milk Madness—modeled loosely after “March Madness”—brought together 5th grade
classrooms from Colby, Heartland Christian, Sacred Heart, Selden, Scott City, and Bird City. Each classroom was randomly assigned three dairy cows to follow throughout the month.
Students tracked weekly milk production online, completed dairy-focused classroom activities, and collected and traded cow-themed trading cards along the way. “This was great!” said Katie Golemboski, 5th grade teacher at Scott City. “With the dairy being right outside town, a lot of my students’ parents work there. They loved being able to talk about the different aspects of what they do daily. They also loved the cards and following our cows.”
Weekly activities helped students learn what dairy cows eat, careers found within the dairy
industry, why dairy foods and milk are good for us, and how data from the farm can be used in the classroom. Many classes tied the contest into math, reading, and critical thinking skills.
Cheylin’s 5th grade class leaned fully into the experience. Students graphed weekly milk
production, practiced mental math while comparing data, created cow-themed bracelets, and
worked together as a team throughout the contest.
“They and I learned many facts about dairy cows and farms,” said Cheylin 5th grade teacher
Bonnie Ashlock. “We were able to tie graphing skills and some of our mental math skills when
analyzing the graphs. I know more schools would love to participate in the years to come.
Count Cheylin in!”
At the end of the month, the classroom with the highest-producing cow earned a pizza and
yogurt parfait party, sponsored by Southwest/Southland Dairy Farmers. Cheylin claimed the top spot and celebrated their win together.
The top-producing cow of Milk Madness was “Nikola” #91893, who produced 3,692.5 pounds of milk during March. Close behind was “Braden” #93244 with 3,512.2 pounds. Nikola’s one- month production equaled enough milk for the winning class to enjoy three 8-ounce servings of milk every school day for an entire school year—plus two extra weeks.
Milk Madness is designed to connect students to agriculture in a meaningful way by using real
farm data, hands-on activities, and local connections, helping students better understand
where their dairy foods come from.
McCarty Family Farms and the Judy McCarty Dairy Learning Center were thrilled to partner with Southwest/Southland Dairy Farmers on this educational program. This group is a farmer-led organization dedicated to representing and supporting dairy producers across the
Southwestern United States. Through advocacy, education, and collaboration, the organization closely aligns with McCarty Family Farms’ vision and works to strengthen the dairy industry, promote responsible farming practices, and ensure a sustainable future for family-owned dairy operations and the communities they serve.
Looking ahead to next year, Milk Madness is set to return bigger and better! Plans are
underway to expand the program to include even more schools. Building on this year's positive feedback, this educational program will reach more students, creating additional opportunities to engage youth in dairy education with fun, interactive activities that highlight the importance of the dairy industry.
Want to participate? Contact us
Full contest results can be found at