Firelands Head Start’s newest student has a bright future in milk production. Peony also weighs about three times as much as the average preschooler even though she is the youngest member of the class.

The class has adopted Peony the dairy calf through the free Discover Dairy Program.

“The program is so fun and educational, Discover Dairy will send out emails to the teachers giving them activities and virtual tours to learn more about cows,” said Stacy Hall, the class’s Early Childhood Service Worker who learned about the program in her previous position at Norwalk Head Start.

Peony is a Holstein heifer born on Sept. 8 weighing 100 pounds. She lives at Four Pines Farm, owned by the Deetz Family, in Sugarcreek, Ohio. The dairy farm has been in operation since 1898. Mackenzie Deetz, who grew up on the farm, is Peony’s primary caretaker.

One goal of the program is to teach children where milk comes from since it’s a key component of daily nutrition at school. Students also get regular updates on Peony’s growth and Hall has created a growth chart where they can compare her growth to their own.

“I think our kids are really enjoying knowing that they have a cow that we adopted in the classroom,” Hall said. “They get to hear updates about the cow growing just like them every day and see videos and photos of the cow.”

Hall has also created a book of photos of Peony, her caretakers and her home. Virtual tours and an app for parents are also available through the program. Discover Daily also loves to hear updates on what the children are doing, Hall added.

In all, 81 cows were adopted out to schools for the 2024-25 year, according to Hall. Lesson plans, fact sheets and farm field trip grants are also available through the program. Learn more about Discover Dairy at www.discoverdairy.com.