The milk cycle
The joy of field trips.
Ahem.
Aden's preschool class went on a very educational field trip to a creamery and dairy farm where the boys and girls got tolearn about the origins, safe handling, processing, and economics of milk products and eat some ice cream.
No, truly it was interesting, especially since these products are local and over-the-top delicious. Good to know where they come from.
Anyway, we began with a tour of the processing facility where we all got to embrace our inner fashionistas with some classy hair nets. Classy, I tell you.
Hair nets take a lot of flack, but they truly are one of life's great blessings. Nothing would ruin a nice bowl of Moose Tracks like a piece of hair.
Let's not go further with that discussion.
Our guide explained how milk gets pasteurized and then maybe separated to produce whole, 2%, and skim milks. He showed us the ginormous steam-cleaning machine for the glass bottles, which I admit to coveting. Then we got to see the automated assembly line where the bottles are filled, caps placed on and sealed, and the expiration date spray painted onto the caps. It was like walking around in an episode of Mr. Rogers. Very cool.
Next stop was the room where the cream from the milk was used to make butter and ice cream. So simple, really. Just mix it up a lot, and add a few things here and there. Kids loved seeing the walk-in deep freezer, complete with "snow".
After seeing the ice cream being made, there had to be a taste test. For Aden, and probably for most of the other kids, aaaaand probably for most of the adults, this was The Reason for coming on this trip. It did not disappoint. Just ask these two.
We also got to taste some different varieties of their milks. Orange dreamsicle milk? Yes, please. And of course the chocolate. Whole chocolate milk, be still my heart.
Then a long and winding trek to the dairy farm. Despite the forecast for the day, it was approximately negative fifty degrees outside. And the wind was blowing. And now Aden is sick. I blame the field trip.
Wait, what?
The farm, right. Because of the chill we didn't spend a ton of time on the farm. Got to see some of the cows whose milk we had just watched get packaged up. Also met a baby calf who showed off for the kids by drinking from a bottle. Then spent a long time in the, uh, milking chamber? I don't know what it was called, but it's where the cows get lined up for mechanized milking. And every Mama in the room at one point just stood there and shook her head, remembering all too well how it feels to be used for your milk.
Yes, I'm in one of those moods where I can't control the sarcasm. No, really? But I don't want to miss the significance here. This is Aden's last preschool field trip. Like, ever.
And because of that, it is also mine. I don't know how to handle the relentless march of time, but with every "last" it feels like a piece of me is getting ripped out.
Ahem.
Aden's preschool class went on a very educational field trip to a creamery and dairy farm where the boys and girls got to
No, truly it was interesting, especially since these products are local and over-the-top delicious. Good to know where they come from.
Anyway, we began with a tour of the processing facility where we all got to embrace our inner fashionistas with some classy hair nets. Classy, I tell you.
Hair nets take a lot of flack, but they truly are one of life's great blessings. Nothing would ruin a nice bowl of Moose Tracks like a piece of hair.
Let's not go further with that discussion.
Our guide explained how milk gets pasteurized and then maybe separated to produce whole, 2%, and skim milks. He showed us the ginormous steam-cleaning machine for the glass bottles, which I admit to coveting. Then we got to see the automated assembly line where the bottles are filled, caps placed on and sealed, and the expiration date spray painted onto the caps. It was like walking around in an episode of Mr. Rogers. Very cool.
Next stop was the room where the cream from the milk was used to make butter and ice cream. So simple, really. Just mix it up a lot, and add a few things here and there. Kids loved seeing the walk-in deep freezer, complete with "snow".
After seeing the ice cream being made, there had to be a taste test. For Aden, and probably for most of the other kids, aaaaand probably for most of the adults, this was The Reason for coming on this trip. It did not disappoint. Just ask these two.
We also got to taste some different varieties of their milks. Orange dreamsicle milk? Yes, please. And of course the chocolate. Whole chocolate milk, be still my heart.
Then a long and winding trek to the dairy farm. Despite the forecast for the day, it was approximately negative fifty degrees outside. And the wind was blowing. And now Aden is sick. I blame the field trip.
Wait, what?
The farm, right. Because of the chill we didn't spend a ton of time on the farm. Got to see some of the cows whose milk we had just watched get packaged up. Also met a baby calf who showed off for the kids by drinking from a bottle. Then spent a long time in the, uh, milking chamber? I don't know what it was called, but it's where the cows get lined up for mechanized milking. And every Mama in the room at one point just stood there and shook her head, remembering all too well how it feels to be used for your milk.
Yes, I'm in one of those moods where I can't control the sarcasm. No, really? But I don't want to miss the significance here. This is Aden's last preschool field trip. Like, ever.
And because of that, it is also mine. I don't know how to handle the relentless march of time, but with every "last" it feels like a piece of me is getting ripped out.
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