On June 19 the STEM Mentor Program – an innovative partnership between The Rochester Area Colleges Center for Excellence in Math and Science (The Center) and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Rochester (BBBS) - visited Springdale Farm in Ogden, New York.
Springdale Farm provided a wealth of STEM education and activities for the Bigs and Littles in the program, which matches fourth, fifth, and sixth graders from the Rochester area with adult mentors who have a background or passion in STEM fields.
Owned by Monroe County and operated by Heritage Christian Services, the 200 acre farm is a working agricultural education facility open to the public. It boosts a petting zoo, greenhouse, duck pond, nature trails, picnic area and playground.
The farm is also home to Riedman Robotic Milking Center - a working dairy that utilizes a robotic milking machine to milk sixty cows. Springdale Farm was the first public demonstration farm in the Northeast to install this cutting-edge technology.
STEM Mentor participants took a tour of the Riedman Robotic Milking Center and got to see this amazing technology first hand.
The tour elicited many questions–by the Bigs and Littles alike. “I have a question,” said Little Brother Raajon as he watched a cow being milked and a nearby tank filling with the cow’s white milk, “Where are the cows that produce the chocolate milk?” The Springdale Farm tour guide proceeded to answer the question with great detail for the entire group.
The tour elicited many questions–by the Bigs and Littles alike. “I have a question,” said Little Brother Raajon as he watched a cow being milked and a nearby tank filling with the cow’s white milk, “Where are the cows that produce the chocolate milk?” The Springdale Farm tour guide proceeded to answer the question with great detail for the entire group.
Read the full blog at The Stem Blog.
