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Sprout-Sized Students Discover Barn-Sized Lessons on Dairy Farm Visit

A child hugs an inflatable cow mascot in the foreground, while a group of people and a large green tractor are visible in the background.
Sprout-Sized Students Discover Barn-Sized Lessons on Dairy Farm Visit

Holland Patent kindergartners discovered barn-sized lessons during a field trip to Finndale Farms. The visit offered students hands-on lessons in dairy farming and a close look at daily life on a farm.

Farm operator Troy Finn and his family welcomed students and teachers on June 5, beginning the field trip with a brief history of Finndale Farms. Founded in 1964 by Finn’s father, Harry Finn, the farm has grown over the decades and now cares for more than 1,000 dairy cows. 

A smiling couple stands in front of a red barn with arched windows, while another person sits in the background.

During the farm tour, Finn reunited with his former kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Davis, who retired from Holland Patent in 1996. After nearly 50 years, Finn marked this special reunion by presenting her with a Finndale T-shirt.

During the field trip, kindergartners rotated through different stations where they visited and petted calves, learned how milk is produced, practiced milking a model cow, and participated in fun activities and games that helped connect classroom learning to real-world experiences. 

“Sharing our farm with these students means a lot to us, and for more than 20 years we’ve been proud to host them,” Finn said. 

The Holland Patent Central School District shared its appreciation for this community connection and the farm’s continued commitment to supporting student learning.

 

Three children stand in front of a large inflatable cow in a barn, with calves in pens visible in the background.
An inflatable cow costume stands on a paved driveway in front of a house with trees and a grassy yard.
An inflatable cow costume walks on a dirt path in front of a red barn with children and a school bus in the background.
A group of children and adults stand on a dirt path in front of a large inflatable cow, with red barn-like buildings and flags in the background.
A child hugs an inflatable cow mascot in the foreground, while a group of people and a large green tractor are visible in the background.
In the foreground, two women interact near an inflatable cow and a white building, while in the background, two yellow school buses are parked under a clear blue sky with trees.
A person in a cow costume greets a group of children standing on a dirt path, with farm equipment and greenery in the background.
A group of people in casual attire stand on a grassy hill in front of a red barn, while a crowd of children watches from the right side of the frame, with flags flying high against a bright blue sky.
Five people stand on a grassy hill in front of two red barns under a bright blue sky.
Five people stand on a grassy hill in the foreground, facing a red barn with white trim and a large white star in the background.
A man in a red shirt stands on a grassy hill addressing a group of children in the foreground, with trees and a blue tractor visible in the background.
A group of people stand on a grassy field in front of red barns, with one man gesturing as if speaking.
A woman in a blue shirt and jeans stands with a man in a red shirt and jeans, who is holding up a t-shirt, in front of a red barn with large windows and a stone foundation, while two people sit on steps in the background.
A man in a red shirt presents a red shirt to an elderly woman with a walker in front of a red building with many windows.
A smiling couple stands in front of a red barn with arched windows, while another person sits in the background.
A person in a bright green shirt with a Finndale Farms logo stands in the foreground, while a red building and parked cars are visible in the background.
A young girl with a blonde ponytail wears a cream-colored shirt that says %22little wildflower%22 as she practices milking a large, realistic model of a cow. Liquid drips from the model's udder into a metal bucket below. Two other young girls stand nearby watching her, while a person in a bright neon shirt kneels behind them on a sunny day outdoors.
A young girl in a pink hat and purple shirt milks a cow in the foreground, while a woman in a neon green shirt watches, with a red barn and stone wall in the background.
A woman demonstrates milking a model cow to a group of young girls in front of a red barn with trees in the background.
A woman demonstrates milking a cow to a group of children in front of a red barn, with trees and a clear sky in the background.
A black and white calf stands in a pen filled with hay, with a wire fence and wooden wall in the background.
Five young women and a dog pose with a large inflatable cow in front of a barn, with a red building and trees visible in the background.
Children in the foreground gather around a woman near a large white structure, while a red barn with solar panels stands in the background.
A young boy in a blue shirt and shorts stands in a grassy field, holding two eggs, with a crowd of people and red barn-like buildings in the background.
A young boy in a purple shirt and black shorts walks across a grassy field while a person in a cow costume and other children stand in the background.
A young boy in a blue outfit walks across a grassy field holding a stick, with a red bucket and a barn in the background.
A young girl in a black and pink athletic outfit walks across a grassy field holding a small white object, with a building and some equipment visible in the background.
A young boy in a gray t-shirt and black shorts stands in a grassy field, about to throw a ball into a red bucket, with a white tarp and wooden structure in the background.
A young girl in a pink shirt and black shorts stands in a grassy field holding a ball, with a red bucket beside her and a white fence in the background.