Through funding from the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (District), the Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District (GRRCD) launched its TEAM Conservation Program in Fall 2010, bringing over 220 kindergartners and third- and fourth-graders to the Bianchi family's Mountain View Jerseys dairy. Working with Stephanie Lennox of Envirichment, GRRCD staff led students from Apple Blossom and Sun Ridge Charter schools through a tour of the dairy's milking parlor, calf barn, and cheese factory.

The hands-on field visits allowed the kids to learn about care of the animals, explore nutrient cycling, and even pet newborn calves, while incorporating math and vocabulary sessions that mesh with their grades' curricula.