ND Department of Agriculture Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NOVEMBER 25, 2009

NEW NORTH DAKOTA AGMAG FOCUSES ON DAIRY PRODUCTION

BISMARCK – Did you know that no two Holsteins cows have the same pattern of spots? Or that a dairy cow drinks a bathtub full of water every day?

Those are just two of the fun facts found in the new issue of North Dakota AgMag, now being sent to third, fourth and fifth graders across the state.

“Dairy farming has always been an important part of North Dakota’s agricultural economy, but there are a surprising number of people who do not know very much about it,” said Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. “We focused on dairy production in this new issue to help children better understand how these dairy products are produced and processed before they come to the table.”

Teachers who have signed up for the program receive copies for all their students, as well as an accompanying teacher’s guide that provides more ideas for learning activities. The next issue will focus on the history of North Dakota agriculture and will be released in January.

The new, 8-page issue is filled with information, such as “Moo Math,” games and quizzes about the dairy production, processing and consumption. The regular “Career Corner” article features Jason Eckert, a Casselton native, who now is the vice president of quality for Leprino Foods, the world's largest manufacturer of mozzarella and pizza cheese and a leading US manufacturer and exporter of sweet whey products. Sweet whey, a byproduct of the manufacture of hard cheese such as cheddar, is used in the making of ice cream, frozen desserts and sherbets and as a flavoring in bakery items, confectionery, soup, margarine and processed foods.

The magazine was edited by Becky Koch, director of agriculture communications at NDSU, and illustrated by David Haasser, NDSU agriculture communication graphic designer. Agassiz Seed and Supply, AmeriFlax, The Bismarck Tribune, Farm & Ranch Guide, Farm Credit Services, the Midwest Dairy Council, the Northern Canola Growers Association, the Northern Pulse Growers Association and the North Dakota Soybean Council sponsored the magazine.

The Agriculture in the Classroom Council offers other programs and activities to help young people better understand the role of agriculture. These include:

• Project Food, Land and People: Teaches problem solving and critical thinking, while helping students understand the interrelationships among agriculture, the environment and people of the world.
• The North Dakota Agriculture in the Classroom Website at www.ndaginclassroom.org  provides teacher resources, student activities, links to information and more.

Teachers who want to participate in the Agriculture in the Classroom program should contact Ken Junkert at kjunkert@nd.gov or (701) 328-4756.

The North Dakota Agriculture in the Classroom program helps teachers integrate agricultural information into the science, math, social studies, language arts and other classes they teach. The program offers a variety of curricula and class lesson development materials, training seminars, a magazine and other tools for teachers to use to make agriculture part of the school day.

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MEDIA: For more information, please contact Ted Quanrud at (701) 328-2233 or tquanrud@nd.gov.