June Dairy Month feels like the holiday season in our industry – you spend months planning events and in-person gatherings, and are coming up with creative ideas for gifts and giveaways to celebrate the people and industry you love so much.
But do you ever feel like you’re running out of those creative ideas? Not sure what to gift anymore? Are you doing the same things over and over again every year?
Well, the truth is, I felt the same this year. Especially because my career has shifted to a global role focused on more than just dairy animals. I wasn’t sure how I’d be able to contribute as I have previously. However, I’ve remained active in the industry through organizations like Young Dairy Leaders Institute (YDLI) and Dairy Girl Network (DGN). And thank goodness I have – because these two groups have influenced a fun initiative I’m inviting you to do with me this year.
I was recently on a YDLI mentorship call with a friend and current class member Caitlyn Gibbel, territory manager at Pioneer Seeds, fifth-generation farmer and co-owner of Fantasyland Farms LLC in Pennsylvania. She suggested that we build a comprehensive list of children’s books focused on dairy farming and general agriculture, and I knew the perfect place to start. DGN has a strong virtual community, and I asked their private networking group of 5,000-plus dairy women to share their recommendations. This group did not disappoint with their participation, and now we have a starter list of over 30 books (List below).
Now that we have this great list of books built together by our dairy community, I challenge all of us to donate at least one of them to a public library during June Dairy Month.
While this is an extensive list, I know there is a lot more out there. I’d encourage you to ask your own networks, in person and online, to share their favorite books. You can continue bringing these new book ideas to your local libraries and donate them, as you’re able. If you’re really feeling festive, offer to do a book reading and bring in chocolate milk and/or other dairy snacks for the kids who attend. Read on!
Title
The Cow in Patrick O’Shanahan’s Kitchen
Author: Diana Prichard
The fabulous, fantastic field trip to the dairy farm
Author: Karla Deaver
Tales of the Dairy Godmother: Chuck’s Ice Cream Wish
Author: Viola Butler
Mini Milkmaids on the Mooove
Author: Rianna and Sheridan Chaney
Right This Very Minute: A Table-to-Farm Book About Food and Farming
Author: Lisl H. Detlefsen
C is for Care: An A to Z book on caring for cattle
Author: Amanda Radke, in partnership with Zoetis
Raising Cows on the Koebels’ Farm
Author: Alice K Flanagan
Clarice The Red Cow
Author: Maureen Lemos
Huck’s Way Home
Author: Kristina Rodanas
Barnyard Dance!
Author: Sandra Boynton
Duke the Dairy Dog: Adventures on the Farm
Author: Kara Susan DeGroot
Down Dairy Farm Road
Author: C.L.G. Martin
A Very Moo-ey Christmas
Author: Mark Bradley
The Confused Cow
Author: Jessica Peters
Everything On The Farm Poops
Author: Kelly Lee
Farming
Author: Gail Gibbons
Night Night Farm
Author: Rodger Priddy
On The Farm
Author: Little Hippo Books
The Little Regenerative Farmer
Author: Lauren Lovejoy
Kow and Bunga’s Big Day at School - World Animal Story
Author: Olivia Blue
Out and About at the Dairy Farm
Author: Andy Murphy
Curious About Ice Cream (Smithsonian)
Author: Bonnie Bader
Milk to Ice Cream (Rookie Read-About Science: How Things Are Made)
Author: Lisa M. Herrington
Modern Farms
Author: Jackie Nix
Growing Up On A Farm: Agriculture, Farming And Ranching Books For Children: How To Teach Agriculture
Author: Corey Caulkins
Winter on the Farm (Little House Picture Book)
Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
Barn At Night
Author: Michelle Houts
It’s Milking Time
Author: Phyllis Alsdurf
How Did That Get in My Lunchbox?: The Story of Food
Author: Chris Butterworth
Going to Papa and Nana’s Farm
Author: Louise Malecha
From the Farm to the Table Dairy
Author: Kathy Coatney
The Great Irish Farm Book
Author: Darragh McCullough
