Bulleen Heights School was the overall winner with Snowy. Photo: Marcel Peeters
Photo by
Marcel Peeters
A life-sized fibreglass cow named Snowy has helped students at Bulleen Heights School in Melbourne take out top honours in a national competition that’s inspiring thousands of Aussie kids to learn where their food comes from.
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The school was crowned overall winner in Dairy Australia’s Picasso Cows program — a unique initiative blending creativity and classroom learning to bring agriculture to life.
Their winning cow design combined vibrant artwork, multimedia storytelling and a deep dive into how dairy farmers care for animals, the land and the food they produce.
“It’s such a fun way to connect kids with real-world learning,” Bulleen Heights teacher Emma Gray said.
“Painting the cow wasn’t just about creativity, it sparked so many great conversations about sustainability, nutrition and how milk gets from the farm to our fridges.”
Two other schools, both in NSW, were also recognised. Medlow Public School’s painted cow Bessy won best learning journal, while Kelly’s Plains Public School was awarded best cow design for Mootese.
Mootese, created by Kelly's Plains Public School, won best cow design.
Now in its 17th year, Picasso Cows has reached more than 150,000 students across Australia since it began in 2007. The program gives primary school students a hands-on, engaging way to explore the ‘farm to plate’ journey, the role of dairy in a healthy diet and how farmers care for animals and the environment.
“Picasso Cows is all about helping the next generation understand where their food comes from,” Dairy Australia’s schools engagement advisor Jennie Annand said.
“It’s exciting to see students bring their learning to life through such creative and thoughtful work.”
As part of the program, participating schools receive free learning resources and decorate a near life-sized fibreglass cow to reflect what they have learnt. The students also keep a journal documenting their progress, from exploring jobs on a dairy farm to learning how dairy supports strong bones and teeth.
In the first round of the 2025 program, 48 schools took part across both rural and metro regions, reaching more than 6000 students. Winners receive cash prizes, including $2000 for the overall winner and $1000 each for the learning journal and cow design categories.
Picasso Cows is proudly supported by the Gardiner Foundation, whose chief executive officer Allan Cameron is part of the judging panel.
“Bulleen Heights stood out for how they structured their learning — from what they knew, to what they wanted to know, and how they explored those questions,” Allan said.
“Their videos showed real depth and joy in the learning process.”
Medlow Public School’s cow Bessy won the award for best learning journal.
