Highly skilled, hard-working, and loyal to each other and to the ranches that employ them, the Mexican and Mexican American vaqueros who work on the famous King and Kenedy Ranches of South Texas' Wild Horse Desert are some of America's best cowboys. Many of them come from families who have lived and worked on the ranches for over a hundred years. They preserve the memories of ranch life handed down by their grandparents and great-grandparents, even as they use modern technologies to keep the ranches running smoothly in the twenty-first century.

This book tells the stories of the vaqueros of the Wild Horse Desert for fourth- through eighth-grade students. It begins with a brief history of the vaqueros and the King and Kenedy Ranches. Then, using in the words of today's vaqueros and their families, it describes many aspects of past and present life on the ranches. Young readers will learn what it's like to grow up on the ranches and how vaqueros learn their work. They'll also discover how much goes into being a vaquero, from using all the different ropes and equipment, to working a round-up, to showing prize-winning cattle and horses. Teachers and parents will appreciate all the supplemental material in the appendix, including a glossary, lists of related books and websites, hands-on learning activities, and even range and camp house recipes.

Take a trip to a real-life dairy farm and learn about cows, calves, and where the tasty dairy products we love to eat and drink come from.

Mary Lewandowski helps her family at their dairy farm in Wisconsin. Her great-great-great-grandparents founded the farm more than a hundred years ago. Today, the farm has some fifty cows that must be fed, milked, and kept happy and healthy. Corn and alfalfa need to be planted and harvested for their feed. It’s all a lot of work for Mary, but she loves her cows, and they provide us with milk to drink, cheese and ice cream to eat, and many other delicious dairy treats.

Welcome to My Farm is a fun and illuminating look at farm life in the heart of America’s Dairyland. Aimed at young readers age four and up, the book shares fascinating facts about dairy cows and the crops that farmers grow. Presenting a day in the life of a small dairy farm, Welcome to My Farm reveals the many ways that Mary takes care of her cows and how farms help feed our communities. Readers will also meet cuddly kittens and Mary’s two collies, Buffy and Buddy!

Young readers will find the answers to many common dairy-farm questions, such as:

• How do you milk a cow?
• What types of food are made from cow’s milk?
• How much does a cow eat and drink in a day?
• How much does a calf weigh when it’s born?
• What types of crops do dairy farmers grow?
• What do farmers use tractors for?
• What happens in a silo?

Illustrated with dozens of color photos, Welcome to My Farm helps young readers understand and appreciate how dairy farms work and the central role that agriculture plays in the food we eat.