TROUTVILLE—Some Virginia dairy calves claim doting fans in classrooms across the commonwealth—inspiring love letters, heartwarming connections and lifelong enrichment.
Over 48,000 classrooms in the U.S. participated in Discover Dairy’s Adopt a Cow program for the 2025-26 school year. A partnership with The Dairy Alliance, the free program offers students a virtual, firsthand look at a real dairy farm and the opportunity to learn about the source of nutritious beverages.
The program even launches host farmers—the calves’ caretakers—into a celebrity-like status.
For Botetourt County farmer Courtney Henderson of Cave Hill Dairy Farm, hearing a kid exclaim, “Farmer Courtney!” at the grocery store isn’t a rare occurrence.
“I constantly get letters from students in the mail, which my granddad calls my ‘fan mail,’” Henderson laughed. “They’re drawing pictures, asking about the calves, and they even sent me birthday cards this year!”
Henderson has participated in the program for the past four years. Before she began serving as an Adopt a Cow host farmer, she was already connecting with students via Facebook videos—posting everything from story time with her cows to making Play-Doh out of vinegar and milk.
Now through the Adopt a Cow program, Henderson engages with thousands of students of all ages and from “all walks of life.” Throughout the school year, teachers and students learn about Henderson’s farm and their adopted calves through her monthly pictures, videos and updates on their growth.
“Being one of the few dairy farms left in Virginia, I wasn’t really expecting a lot of interest in the program,” she recalled. “But it was amazing to see how many schools were actively participating and how much feedback I was getting.”
This school year, students followed the lives of their adopted calves, Rosie and Petunia. Henderson enjoyed responding to a stream of student inquiries about the calves’ daily diets, quirky habits, personalities and interests.
“Teachers absolutely love this program,” Henderson said. “It gives them something else to do with the kids, and it really gets them engaged every month. They get to watch them grow and understand how these calves are raised, how we take care of them and what we do to make sure they’re healthy.”
After seven months of updates, students met Rosie and Petunia and chatted directly with Henderson through a virtual live chat on April 14—asking questions like “How many stomachs does a cow have?” and “What does the calf do for fun?”
Henderson said she’s “loved showcasing what I do here at the farm, sharing my passion for the industry and telling my story in a different way that kids, teachers and parents enjoy. And being able to connect with not only my home community, but communities all over the state—that’s been my absolute favorite part.”
Registration for Discovery Dairy’s Adopt a Cow program for the 2026-27 school year will open in early May. The program is free, and schools and educators from any area are welcome to enroll.
Learn more about the Adopt a Cow program.
Media: Contact Henderson.
