Southland's morning milking roll call

Each Jersey cow can produce at average 4100 litres of fresh milk a year – enough for more than 20,000 packs of Fonterra Milk for Schools milk.

Georgia was one of several children from 12 Invercargill schools invited to learn about the source of their daily dose of nutrition, and how it can help them concentrate in the classroom and, in this case, outside of it.

The kids learned that it takes approximately one litre to produce 5.5 Fonterra Milk for Schools servings, with each one containing protein, vitamin B2, retinol, riboflavin, vitamin B12, phosphorus and at least one quarter of the daily calcium requirements for children.

Mrs Black says the farm tour was a great opportunity to teach the children about the importance of milk and where it all begins.

“We’ve got a busy day ahead in Invercargill with a number of activities planned to celebrate the beginning of the nationwide rollout of Fonterra Milk for Schools.

“And like any other Fonterra day, it began on farm. Before the milk packs are handed out in classrooms, there are a few steps to be completed, and the very first one is getting the cows into the milking shed.

“The kids watched us do that, before seeing a tanker drive up and collect the milk,” she says.

Tim Lovelock, Principal of Myross Bush School, says the morning was a fantastic experience for the children, who will now go back to their schools and tell their classmates about what they learnt.

“It’s great to show the children where the milk comes from.

“Dairy farming is so important to New Zealand and being able to bring the industry to life for our children is an excellent learning opportunity. I’m looking forward to seeing them share it with the rest of the school,” says Mr Lovelock.

Fonterra Milk for Schools is now underway in Southland and Otago, with 135 schools already signed up, representing 19,000 eligible children. The programme will work its way north, finishing in Auckland. Mrs Black says Fonterra is proud of the programme and excited to see it benefit Kiwi kids every day.

“Fonterra Milk for Schools is an investment in the health of our future generations. It’s about getting more Kiwis drinking more milk because when it comes to good nutrition, you can’t look past dairy.”