FORT RILEY (KSNT) – Students at an elementary school in Geary County have a new companion for the academic year that will help teach them about responsibility and the farming industry.
USD 475 announced on Oct. 21 that third graders at Seitz Elementary School have adopted a small calf named Cary for the 2025-2026 school year. The cow was born on Sept. 16 this year at Rottinghaus Holstein Farm in Seneca and weighs around 84 pounds.
Students with teacher Anika Hesse’s class won’t be responsible for Cary’s day-to-day needs, that honor goes to a local farmer, but they will receive monthly updates on how the calf is doing. This will also serve as a learning opportunity for Hesse’s students who will find out how farmers care for their animals.
“My class is super excited,” Hesse said. “Most of our military students will never have the opportunity to see or experience anything in the farming world even though they have lived in Kansas. I was one of those military kids that never stepped foot on a farm or have any knowledge about farming, so I think it really will help paint a picture of what life is like in Kansas for many people.”
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(Photo Courtesy/USD 475 Communications)
(Photo Courtesy/USD 475 Communications)
(Photo Courtesy/USD 475 Communications)
(Photo Courtesy/USD 475 Communications)
Hesse plans to use the calf in science, writing and some social-emotional skills in the classroom in the coming days. Students will also learn about responsibility, agriculture and dairy farming.
Cary’s participation in the class’s activities comes as part of the Discover Dairy program, which provided the students with a stuffed cow. Students will take the stuffed animal home on weekends so they can keep journals of its activities around the nearby areas.
“We do not know if they are able to have a field trip just yet, so I told my class that they will have to earn it and am hoping that this is a great motivator for them to earn the opportunity to visit their adopted cow,” Hesse said.
People are invited to join in the program by voting for Cary as America’s favorite calf from Nov. 3-5 on the Discover Dairy website. You can start voting by clicking here.
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