Research from the National Dairy Council (NDC) found that 56% of children under 12 had never experienced milking first-hand, with the figure even higher in urban areas. In response, the NDC’s School Farm Visits initiative returned for 2026, bringing almost 1,500 pupils from 25 schools onto working dairy farms across the country throughout May.

Among the host farmers this year was Kildare dairy farmer Shane O’Loughlin, a Tirlán supplier based in Monasterevin, who welcomed students to his farm as part of the programme.

The O’Loughlin farm in Oghill, Monasterevin, has been in the family for generations and today supports a modern dairy enterprise, with over 200 cows being milked across a mix of owned and rented land.

“It’s surprising how many children have never seen a cow being milked,” said O’Loughlin. “They drink milk every day, but they don’t always get the chance to see where it actually comes from. When they visit the farm, that connection becomes very real very quickly.”

Learning beyond the classroom

Throughout the visit, students took part in a hands-on learning experience designed to give them a better understanding of modern dairy farming and nutrition.

From walking paddocks and seeing cows grazing on grass to visiting the milking parlour, pupils were introduced to the everyday workings of a dairy farm and the role grass-based farming plays in Irish milk production.

“Seeing cows out grazing and learning the journey from grass to glass always stands out to the children,” said O’Loughlin. “A lot of them don’t realise Ireland is one of the few countries in the world where cows spend so much time outdoors at grass, and sometimes that can be taken for granted. Seeing the cows outdoors and hearing how they are fed and managed gives them a much clearer understanding of where milk comes from.”

Students also took part in nutrition talks focused on the role dairy can play as part of a balanced diet, alongside learning about how milk moves from farm to consumer.

“There were lots of questions around nutrition and food,” O’Loughlin added. “It’s important children understand the value of including milk and dairy as part of a healthy diet, and seeing it all on the farm helps bring that message to life.”

Reconnecting children with food and farming

The School Farm Visits initiative forms part of the wider EU School Milk Scheme, which is managed by the National Dairy Council with the support of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The scheme provides milk to schools alongside educational supports focused on healthy eating and food origins.

NDC school programme manager Elaine Townsend said experiences like these helped build stronger connections between children and the food they consume every day.

“For many students, this is their first opportunity to step onto a working farm and see how milk is produced,” she said. “When children get the opportunity to see, hear and experience the farm environment first-hand, it gives them a much deeper understanding of dairy farming and creates a positive connection with where their food comes from.”

For O’Loughlin, opening the farm gate was about creating that understanding and encouraging curiosity among young people.

“I have young children of my own and sometimes take for granted the life they get to experience growing up on a farm,” he said. “I’m just happy to open the farm gate and give other children the opportunity to experience that as well.”

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