McCarty Family Farms, MVP Dairy and Cargill Invest in Next-Generation Dairy Nutrition Exhibits
McCarty Family Farms has expanded its agricultural education efforts with the launch of a new interactive dairy nutrition exhibit at the Judy McCarty Dairy Learning Center in Rexford, Kansas. Supported by the Cargill Cares Council, the exhibit is designed to give visitors a closer look at the important role nutrition plays in dairy farming, including its connection to cow health, milk quality and overall farm performance.
A companion exhibit has also opened at the MVP Dairy Learning Center in Celina, Ohio. The two exhibits create hands-on educational opportunities for students, families, educators and community members who want to learn more about modern dairy production and the practices used to care for dairy cows.
The new installations build on the broader educational mission of the two learning centers, which have welcomed more than 100,000 visitors through in-person and virtual experiences since opening. Visitors have participated from all 50 U.S. states and more than 75 countries, reflecting growing interest in understanding where food comes from and how modern farms operate.
The interactive exhibits focus specifically on dairy nutrition and demonstrate how carefully managed diets contribute to the health and well-being of milk-producing cows. Nutrition is an essential part of dairy management, influencing animal health, productivity and the quality of milk produced on the farm.
For McCarty Family Farms, making this information accessible to the public is an important part of connecting consumers with agriculture.
“For our family, helping people better understand where their food comes from and how we care for our animals is an important part of the future of dairy,” said Ken McCarty, co-owner of McCarty Family Farms and MVP Dairy. “Our relationship with Cargill goes well beyond providing nutrition for our cows. They have been a trusted partner who understands our farm, our goals and the importance nutrition plays in the health and care of our herd.”
Connecting Visitors With Modern Dairy Farming
McCarty Family Farms operates five dairy farms in Kansas, including a flagship operation with approximately 10,000 cows. The family also jointly operates McCarty-VanTilburg Partnership, commonly known as MVP Dairy, in Ohio. That operation has more than 4,000 cows.
Across these farms, Cargill provides nutrition support for milk-producing cows. The collaboration between the companies combines dairy farming experience with expertise in animal nutrition and agricultural innovation.
The new exhibits are intended to help visitors understand that producing milk involves much more than the milking process itself. Nutrition, animal care, farm management, technology and environmental stewardship all play interconnected roles in dairy production.
Through interactive displays, visitors can explore how dairy farmers develop and manage nutrition programs and why balanced diets are important for maintaining healthy herds. The exhibits also provide a way to explain the relationship between animal nutrition and the day-to-day operations of a modern dairy farm.
Phil Graham, managing director of Cargill Animal Nutrition & Health North America, said the partnership reflects the importance of combining animal health with agricultural expertise.
“Strong dairy farms start with healthy animals,” Graham said. “We are proud to work alongside the McCarty and VanTilburg families to bring together their dairy expertise with Cargill’s nutrition capabilities and innovation. Supporting these learning centers is one way we can help connect communities with agriculture and inspire the people who will shape what comes next.”
Hands-On Agricultural Education
The Judy McCarty Dairy Learning Center and MVP Dairy Learning Center were established to provide the public with opportunities to experience modern dairy farming and learn about the people, technologies and practices that support milk production.
The centers serve as educational destinations for a wide range of audiences. Students can use the facilities to gain a better understanding of agriculture and animal care, while families and other visitors can explore the processes involved in producing food.
The addition of the nutrition exhibits expands the educational content available at both locations. Instead of simply explaining dairy nutrition through traditional displays, the interactive format gives visitors an opportunity to engage with the subject and better understand how nutrition fits into the larger dairy production system.
The exhibits also reinforce the importance of communication between farmers, agricultural professionals and the public. As consumers increasingly seek information about food production, learning centers such as these can provide direct opportunities to see farming operations and ask questions about agricultural practices.
McCarty Family Farms and MVP Dairy have emphasized sustainability, innovation and operational excellence as important components of their dairy operations. Their learning centers provide visitors with a firsthand look at how these principles are incorporated into modern farming.
Exploring Animal Care and Sustainability
The educational experience extends beyond nutrition. Visitors to the Kansas and Ohio learning centers can tour the dairy farms, observe cows being milked and learn about the practices used to care for animals.
Farm tours also provide insight into environmental stewardship and the ways dairy operations manage resources while producing milk. By seeing the farms in operation, visitors can gain a broader understanding of the connections between animal care, farm management and sustainability.
The new exhibits therefore serve as one part of a larger educational experience. Nutrition is presented not as an isolated component of dairy production but as one of several factors that contribute to healthy animals and successful farm operations.
“Having Cargill’s support in bringing the new exhibit to the learning centers allows us to share this knowledge with our visitors and help them better understand the important role nutrition plays on a dairy farm,” McCarty said.
Building the Next Generation of Agricultural Understanding
The partnership between McCarty Family Farms, MVP Dairy and Cargill also highlights the role that agricultural education can play in encouraging future generations to learn about farming and food production.
By welcoming students and families into working dairy environments, the learning centers offer an opportunity to connect classroom concepts with real-world agricultural practices. Topics such as animal nutrition, animal welfare, milk production, technology and environmental stewardship can be explored in the context of an operating dairy farm.
The centers’ reach of more than 100,000 visitors demonstrates the interest in these educational opportunities. Their ability to engage both in-person and virtual audiences also allows dairy education to extend beyond the communities where the farms are located.
The new interactive nutrition exhibits in Kansas and Ohio add another resource for visitors seeking to understand how dairy farmers care for their herds and produce milk. Through the collaboration with Cargill, McCarty Family Farms and MVP Dairy are continuing to use their learning centers as platforms for agricultural education and community engagement.
As the dairy industry continues to adopt new technologies and approaches to animal nutrition, sustainability and farm management, educational initiatives can help consumers understand how these developments affect modern milk production. The new exhibits provide a practical way to demonstrate those connections while giving visitors a closer look at the people and practices behind the dairy products they consume.
Together, the Judy McCarty Dairy Learning Center and MVP Dairy Learning Center continue to connect communities with agriculture, offering visitors an opportunity to see dairy farming firsthand and learn how nutrition, animal care, innovation and responsible farm management contribute to the production of milk.
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