A JERSEY COW NAMED BEE joined Southland Dairy Farmers instructor Israel Mullins to educate children about milk, including its nutrients, and what happens before milk gets into grocery stores during a Summer Reading program at the Woodford County Library. (Photo by Bob Vlach)
KAYLA IANNUZZI and her sons, 7-year-old Coleson, 4-year-old Logan and 18-month-old Hayden, joined other families at the Woodford County Library’s “Meet Bee the Jersey Cow” program on July 7. (Photo by Bob Vlach)
A 2-year-old dairy cow named Bee stopped by the Woodford County Library on July 7 for a program to educate children about milk and other dairy products, and what happens to get products in grocery stores. Bee was joined by instructor Israel Mullins with Southland Dairy Farmers.
“Every serving of dairy contains 13 nutrients and vitamins,” including protein “that’s going to help you get … healthier muscles,” Mullins told about 100 kids and parents gathered around him in the library’s parking lot.
After attending the program with her three sons, Coleson, Logan and Hayden, Versailles resident Kayla Iannuzzi told the Sun, “The boys love learning, and they just love the activities that they provide” here at the library.
Her sons and the other children learned that dairy cows are skinnier than beef cows, which put on more muscle and fat, because “it takes a lot of energy to make milk,” Mullins said.
A Holstein – the largest dairy cow – weighs up to 2,000 pounds and produces about 75 pounds of milk per day. A Jersey cow like Bee only produces about 6 to 8 gallons a day, but “they make the highest quality milk of all seven breeds,” said Mullins. He also talked about the importance of cleaning the area where cows are milked and told the kids that cows can only produce milk after having a baby calf.
Before getting Bee ready for milking, Mullins said, “It only takes about seven minutes to milk a cow,” and, depending on the farm, a cow is milked two or three times a day.
The Southland Dairy Farmers offers free programs using its Mobile Dairy Classroom for elementary through high school students, according to its website. In 2025, its Mobile Dairy Classrooms made presentations to over 550,000 people at fairs, festivals, livestock shows and school settings.
Mullins, who lives on a farm in Lincoln County, is one of six instructors with Southland Dairy Farmers who do programs outside of Texas. He serves Kentucky. Others serve Virginia, North Carolina, Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri, according to the website.