Local dairy farmers came together today to teach children about the importance of drinking milk.

Dozens of people visited the Children's Museum in downtown Harrisonburg, where the Dairy Association held the event.

Miss Virginia and other dairy maids milked a cow to teach children about dairy farming.

McDonald's gave out milk at the museum to help sponsor the event.

One dairy farmer says children need to learn about the process of getting milk, and that it doesn't just come from the grocery store.

"I think it's important for everyone to know how their milk is produced, how we work hard every day to produce a safe, nutritious product, so many generations are now removed from the farm so this gives them an opportunity to learn about the dairy industry here in Virginia," said Patty Leonard, a Virginia dairy farmer.

Virginia has a large dairy industry with about 700 dairy farms across the state.

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