Milk in the Computer Age

Abstract: A field trip to a dairy farm and a milk processing plant are taken by sixth graders. Dairy practices are discussed by the farmer. The children follow the milk production from cow to consumer. Included are: sanitation, modern milk procedures, storage, transportation, laboratory testing, processing, and packaging. The large dairy is linked to a computer system that controls many of the procedures and keeps data on each cow. At the processing plant students see how the computer regulates many of the production activities. (kbc)