Meeting Mootilda

Rep. Liz Hanbidge August 22, 2025 | 2:24 PM

PA Representative Liz Hanbidge banner image

Dear Friends,

Earlier this month, along with members of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and the Center for Dairy Excellence, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the sustainability and profitability of dairy farms across the state and beyond, I got to learn about the Adopt-a-Cow program and visit a dairy farm.

We visited Kurtland Farms, a multi-generational dairy farm located between Elverson and Morgantown, Pennsylvania. It was fascinating to see the automated milking procedures they have installed and watch cows lining up for milking.

The Center for Dairy Excellence is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Pennsylvania’s dairy industry through various grants, educational programs, resources, and collaborative opportunities — engaging everyone from producers and processors to consumers, educators, and community leaders. With Pennsylvania’s dairy industry contributing over 47,000 jobs and $11.8 billion annual to the state’s economy, the Center plays a large role in keeping the industry relevant and dairy farmers successful and financially stable.

One of the Center’s most impactful and widely recognized educational initiatives is the Adopt-a-Cow program, managed through its Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow platform. This unique, interactive program connects classrooms across the country with real dairy farms. Each participating class "adopts" a calf from a working dairy farm and follows her growth and development throughout the school year. This year, the House of Representatives also adopted a cow!

Through regular updates, photos, videos, and even live virtual farm tours — students can gain an inside look at dairy farming practices and the role of agriculture in their daily lives. The program aligns with STEM and agriculture curriculum standards and is completely free for teachers and schools, making it an accessible way to bring agriculture to life in classrooms of all types. In the 2024-25 school year, more than 43,000 classrooms and homes signed up for Discover Dairy’s “Adopt-a-Cow” program. The program is currently impacting more than 1.7 million students in all 50 states and 30 countries.

The goal of the program is to help build agricultural literacy and inspire the next generation of informed consumers and potential leaders in agriculture.

Each fall, teachers from across the U.S. (and even internationally) can sign up to “adopt” a dairy calf from a farm partner. Once the program begins, participating classrooms are introduced to their calf — complete with a birth certificate, name, and farm background.

Throughout the school year, students receive regular updates, including:

Growth milestones and photos of their adopted calf
Behind-the-scenes videos from the farm
Farmer Q&A sessions
Virtual tours of the farm facilities
STEM-aligned lesson plans and activities

The program brings real-life agriculture into the classroom in an engaging, age-appropriate way and emphasizes important themes like animal care, nutrition, environmental sustainability, and food production. It’s a free, curriculum-aligned program supported by sponsors and donors who value agricultural literacy.

We were fortunate to meet our adoptee, the real life Mootilda who in her cartoon form, is also the official mascot of Discover Dairy and the Adopt-a-Cow program.

For young learners, Mootilda is a friendly cartoon dairy cow who helps make the learning experience fun and interactive. She appears in videos, educational materials, and social media posts, often offering fun facts, encouraging curiosity, and guiding students through dairy-themed adventures.

Mootilda helps:

Translate complex dairy concepts into kid-friendly language
Spark excitement for learning about cows, agriculture, and food systems
Personalize the program for young students who may never have been to a farm

Teachers report that Mootilda also helps spark meaningful classroom conversations, enriches science and agriculture lessons, and even inspires some students to consider careers in animal science, veterinary work, or agriculture. For many students, this is their first meaningful interaction with agriculture — and the connection is unforgettable. The herd manager at Kurtland Farm told our group that teachers will tell them that some of the children who have come from big cities to meet Mootilda, it’s their first time walking on grass rather than pavement.

I had the fortune of bringing my son with me who very much enjoyed meeting Mootilda after hearing about her all year and was completely enamored with her when, after chewing on his shirt for a bit, she gave him a lick from the bottom of his chin to the top of his head. Mootilda was slightly taken aback when he hugged her. I know conversations around Mootilda, dairy, farming and agriculture economy have enriched his life, and I encourage you to connect with a cow during this coming school year’s adopt-a-cow program and help all of us better understand our connection to farming, animals, and the land.

UPCOMING OFFICE EVENTS

Protect and Play – Family Safety Night with Mission Kids

Join me and my office, along with Mission Kids, at the Ambler YMCA on Wednesday, August 27 for our 2nd annual family safety night. You and your child will both learn how to stay safe both online and offline. To lean more about this educational and empowering event, please click here!

Fall Senior Fair

Join me and my office on September 25, from 10 AM – 1 PM, for my Senior Resource Fair. Come meet many organizations that can serve YOU!

Mitzvah Circle Emergency Needs

Recently, Mitzvah Circle had a fire at their location and as a result, lost a large number of new items meant for families in need. My office will serve as a collection site for Mitzvah Circle in collecting the items listed below. You can bring donations during my office hours of 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM, Monday to Friday.