By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist

Texas students virtually toured a modern dairy farm during a recent Farm From School visit.

During the November session, students met Ellie Cnossen, a third-generation farmer who raises dairy cattle with her husband and two children in Hereford.

The interactive tour gave sixth through twelfth grade students a glimpse into the daily operations of a family dairy farm.

“Students across the Lone Star State tuned into the November Farm From School visit to learn all about dairy cattle at Cnossen Dairy,” said Carson Read, TFB educational outreach coordinator. “Students across the state asked many questions and were intrigued to learn more about dairy cows.”

Cnossen shared the technology that helps them manage their herd.

Each heifer calf is equipped with an electronic identification button and numbered tags, allowing farmers to track data from lineage to health treatments, breeding and milk production throughout the cow’s life.

“Each one of our heifer calves, which means a female calf, is outfitted with this electronic identification button, as well as two tags that have her number on it,” she said. “All of their information is input into our computer system. That will also help us when she starts milking in our herd. We’ll be able to tell how much milk she gives daily.”

Cattle management tags provide rumination readings, movement tracking, GPS location and temperature monitoring, alerting the farmers if a cow needs attention.

Cnossen Dairy milks 5,500 Holsteins and 5,500 Jerseys. They keep the herds separate to optimize production.

Holsteins produce an average of 10 gallons of milk per day, while Jerseys average eight gallons.

“We have a nutritionist that comes to our farm twice a week, and he looks at every single feed ingredient. He runs tests and makes sure that they are the right percentages in the feed for each group of cattle,” Cnossen said.

The dairy employs about 100 people. They handle all aspects of the farm, from milking cows to feeding calves and operating machinery, including equipment for the dairy’s methane plant that converts manure into energy for homes.

Students also toured the rotary milking platform, which holds 106 cows at a time and uses sensors to monitor each cow’s production.

“At the start of the rotary, cows enter and are sprayed with a sanitizing solution, which stays on for 30–40 seconds before being wiped off with towels,” Cnossen told the students. “Wiping also stimulates milk letdown, so they’re ready for the machines to be attached.”

She highlighted the differences between breeds, noting that Jerseys are known for milk with rich fat and protein, while Holsteins produce higher volumes.

The farm also raises crossbred F1 cattle to combine the best traits of both breeds.

The maternity barn, a highlight of the tour, houses newborn calves. Heifer calves are tagged and sent to a calf ranch for about 110 days before returning to the farm to grow until their first calving at about two years old.

Calves receive vital colostrum within the first four hours of life to ensure immunity and healthy growth. Special warming domes and jackets help calves thrive in colder months.

Cnossen shared her favorite part of the operation is working alongside her children, who returned to the farm after college and now serve as her business partners.

“Every day, I wake up and get to work alongside my kids on the farm. That is my very favorite part,” she said.

More information
The popular program, which expanded this year to include junior high and high school classrooms, connects students across Texas with a farmer or rancher through virtual sessions each semester.

Farm From School has two separate programs—kindergarten through fifth grade and sixth through twelfth grade.

Public, private and homeschool teachers can sign up for the spring 2026 program. Registration is open through Jan. 12 on the AITC Platform at aitc.texasfarmbureau.org.

Click here for more information about the Farm From School program.

Visit texasfarmbureau.org/aitc for more information and the latest announcements on TFB’s Ag in the Classroom activities.