Theoretical stage:

The children will learn about:

• Domesticated animals and how they differ from wild ones
• The animals that provide us with milk, wool, and hides, and how to care for them
• Different types of traditional cheeses (feta, kasseri, ladotyri, mizithra, etc.)
• Animal reproduction
• Ruminant digestion and how milk is produced
• The nutritional value of dairy products
• Traditional cheesemaking tools
• Greek PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) cheeses

Hands-On Activities:

The children will visit a nearby sheepfold to watch a shepherd milk a sheep (with prior arrangement). They’ll chat with the farmer about the joys and challenges of the job.

They’ll also:

• Make feta cheese using rennet
• Set yogurt to thicken

They will the mill’s auxiliary space as a temporary workshop

• Take a walk through the grazing fields, following a local trail
• Learn how local vegetation connects to the issues caused by overgrazing

Extension Activities:

A visit to the cheese dairy of the Agricultural Cooperative or a private creamery in Mesotopos, including a guided tour of the facilities.