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The headquarters of the convention will be at the Holiday Inn in Fishkill. However, much of the touring will be in Eastern Dutchess. Stops are planned at Coon Brothers Farm in Amenia, Friendship Farm in Millbrook, and Listening Rock Farm in Wassaic. Coon Brothers has one of the largest herds of Guernsey cows in the United States, Richard Whalen said.
"We are hoping to rekindle interest in the Guernseys. In conventions, we talk about ways we can foster the breed," said Whalen, who is co-chairing this year's event along with his wife.
Friendship Farm raises and shows cows. The Whalens have around 25 Guernsey cows. The Whalen's goal is to try to raise awareness of Guernsey cattle. In showing the cattle, the Whalens have found a way to promote the Guernsey breed.
Guernsey cows were much more popular in the beginning of the 20th century. The "Golden Guernsey" brand trademark was adopted in 1923 at the annual meeting of The American Guernsey Cattle Club to recognize the quality and ensure the purity of the Guernsey brand.
The decline in the number of Guernsey cows is apparent. In the 1950s, a typical year would have seen 100,000 cows newly registered with the American Guernsey Association. In 2003, only 6,000 Guernseys were newly registered in the United States, according to Seth Johnson, executive secretary and treasurer for the American Guernsey Association.
According to Whalen, who confirmed the registration statistics of the association, only approximately 220 Guernsey herds exist in the United States today. Four farms in Dutchess County have Guernsey, the three on the convention tour and Sprout Creek Farm in LaGrange.
"Listening Rock is extremely important to the Guernsey business," said Whalen. "The farm is the only Golden Guernsey Brand cheese processing plant in the United States."
Listening Rock is still working on the finer details of its production of Guernsey cheese. The 470-acre farm is home to 25 Guernsey cows. The farm is a new venture for Allan Shope. "We started with our first four cows in 2002 so that was the very beginning, " said Mark Doyle, farm manager.
Doyle said that some of the innovative ideas for Listening Rock Farm are being put into practice, "We wanted to grow and produce product for retail. That was the underlying thought."
All Guernsey milk will be used to make cheese. The pasteurization plant is right next to the milking station and the cheeses are produced right on the premises. Last fall the first cheeses were produced. Samples have been sent out for tasting.
"Basically this is a breed of cows created over 10 centuries ago on the isle of Guersney in the English Channel," said Doyle. The collection of cow genetics from France and England developed into a single strain, Guernsey.
"The Holstein breed has become the breed of choice since they are very well adapted to modern dairy farming and they are great producers," said Doyle. The cows also tend to be adaptable to larger herds.
"In a crowded housing facility, Guernsey cows are less aggressive and don't do as well," said Doyle. Both Doyle and Whalen believe that Guernsey cow milk is competitive due to its quality, having higher levels of butterfat and protein. The milk is known as having superior quality and flavor. The Golden yellow color of the milk is due to the fact that the milk is high in beta-carotene, said Doyle.
The cows are very docile animals," said Doyle, "and favored for their ability to be handled easily.
The Convention will culminate in a National Guernsey Sale on July 12 when 50 cows will be auctioned at Friendship Farm.
