From the May Guernsey Breeders' Journal
New York Guernsey Breeders have scheduled an array of tours
and activities that virtually everyone will find something to pique their
interest! Two tours to choose from are offered prior to the official convention
start on Tuesday.
Guernsey Pre-Convention Tours
Tour A - Ripleys –Ripley Farms is a
seven-generation family farm established in 1892 by Roland Ripley’s
great-great-grandfather. The first Guernsey arrived on the farm in 1945. Ripley
Farms has been home to many great Guernseys since that day.
Ripley
Farms currently employs, and supports, three generations of Ripleys with the
day-to-day operations being overseen by Tom and Dan Ripley. Tom’s sons, Seth
and Kyle, work on the farm full-time and Dan’s son Daniel works part-time while
in high school with plans to return to the farm after college. Roland is still
very active on the farm from April through November. All of the wives are vital
to the operation as well working both on the farm and in the processing plant.
Family is very important to the Ripleys and you can frequently find Roland and
Patty, all five children and up to four generations at Guernsey shows
throughout the year.
The
farm currently milks 500 cows, 190 of which are Guernseys, three times a day in
a double-12 parallel parlor. The current Guernsey herd average is 19,800M 881F
642P. They work 1330 acres; 700 in corn and 630 in an alfalfa/grass mix. All
young stock is raised on the farm. Calves are fed pasteurized waste milk and
are housed in coverall barns. Heifers are then grouped according to age and
moved through the series of heifer barns. All Holstein heifers are implanted
with embryos before being bred by a Guernsey bull.
In the
spring of 2016 the Ripley family purchased a milk processing plant. Milk is
processed once a week under the name Hillcrest Dairy. They produce white and
chocolate milk, five varieties of raw milk, cheese and butter. They are
developing a label to market 100% A2 Guernsey milk and cheese. All the
Guernseys in the herd have been DNA tested to confirm their A2 status and a
second bulk tank was installed specifically for A2 Guernsey milk.
Tour B – Adirondack Regional Tour
Tour B begins Tuesday morning at Toolite Farm, owned and
operated by Richard and Jason Tooley of Granville, New York. The farm is spread
out over 500 scenic acres near the Vermont border, only about 150 of which are
tillable. The Tooleys rent and lease additional land and raise all their own
crops.
130 Holsteins and 20 Guernseys are milked in a double-5
parlor and housed in free stalls, with a few special cows in box stalls. The
cows are fed a TMR in one group. Milk is shipped to DFA and the farm was under
100,000 SCC for 2016. The Holsteins average approximately 25,000M and the
Guernseys 20,000M in 365 days. In March 2017, the entire herd averaged an
impressive 4.3%F and 3.2%P.
Jason is the fourth generation on the current farm, and
manages the cows entirely, while father Richard handles the crop work. They
also employ one full time employee and three part-time employees. The cows of
Digligle farm are also housed part of the year at Toolite Farm, and will be at
the farm for the convention stop. Jason also owns several animals in
partnership with Richard and Eloise Giddings.
There are many cows that convention goers can look forward
to seeing at Toolite Farm, including Toolite Valeries M Valeska VG-87, a Mentor
daughter who was the winning Junior Two-Year-Old at the Eastern States Expo in
2016. Valeska’s daughter, Toolite Mints Vivian, was the winning Fall Calf and
Reserve Junior Champion of the New York Spring Show this year, and sells in the
National Convention Sale! Another exciting cow of a different breed is Miss
Roxys Recovery-Red EX-91, a Roxy descendant owned with Lucy Stockwell who has
been part of the Tooleys’ flush program.
Following the Toolite Farm tour, a two-hour steamboat cruise
will be taken along with lunch at the Lake George Steamboat Company on Lake
George. Enjoy the cruise operated by one of the longest running steamboat
companies in the U. S. On April 15, 1817 a company was incorporated by the New
York State Legislature to operate commercial shipping on Lake George. The first
Lake George steamboat, christened the James Caldwell, was launched in 1817.
Following the Civil War, through a series of transportation
consolidations, the Steamboat Company became part of the Delaware and Hudson
Railroad System, serving as a link in that company’s New York City to Canada
operations. The D&H railroad owned and operated the Lake George passenger
boats for 68 years. For more information
visit the website: http://lakegeorgesteamboat.com/
The day will conclude with a visit to Fort William Henry. In
1755 Fort William Henry was constructed to command the southern end of Lake
George. It was a British outpost to
protect the colonies farther to the south and to serve as a launching site
against the French held northern end of the lake protected by Fort
Carillon. Its short history and violent
end has been retold, although inaccurately, in James Fenimore Cooper’s “Last of
the Mohicans.” For more information visit the websites: http://www.fwhmuseum.com/.
Thursday is tour day during the convention and New York
Guernsey breeders have provided an opportunity to see some of the areas finest
dairy cattle in the Hudson Valley.
Coon Brothers Farm, LLC., is a family owned and operated
farm is located in the beautiful Smithfield Valley. Coon Brothers , home of
Smithfield Guernseys, is a family-run business with three generations currently
working on the farm. Garrison and Dirck Coon founded Coon Brothers Farm,
located in Amenia, New York, in the fall of 1953. Today the farm is owned by
three generations of Coons. Partners include Dirck, with sons David and Peter,
and the youngest partners include Amos and Isaac, both sons of Peter. David is
married to Kim and they have two children, Caitlyn and Andrew, both attending
college. Caitlyn attends Sage College of Albany, New York while Andrew is an
Animal Science major at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Peter and his wife Alice have five grown
children, Lisa, Teri, Isaac, Laura and Amos, and five grandchildren. Both Isaac
and Amos are married and have two young children.
Coon Brothers is always working towards environmental
stewardship, and has received honors in regards to it. The farm began as
Smithfield Guernseys, but Coon Brothers is the farm and business as a whole. They
currently manage over 2,200 acres, most of which is cropped for alfalfa hay to
feed the cattle along with rye, corn and soybeans for grain. Ninety percent of
the feed the cows eat are grown on the farm. Extra corn is harvested then sold
to several local feed mills and a large chicken farm. Soybeans are marketed as
a commodity leaving the New Jersey port for overseas destinations. Half of the land is actively protected from
development. They milk more than 350 of their 700-head herd of Holsteins and
Guernseys and ship almost 22,000 pounds of milk daily. The milk is bought
locally through Hudson Valley Fresh and also through Cabot Cooperative in
Vermont.
They often show their Guernseys at the Dutchess County Fair
in New York State and at the Eastern States Exposition.
Following the trip to Coon Brothers, the tour heads south to
world-renowned Arethusa Farm. The current Arethusa Farm was established in 1999
when George Malkemus and Anthony Yurgaitis purchased the Litchfield,
Connecticut, property with the intent of starting a dairy farm and bottling
milk for sale to the local community. It was first established by the Webster
family in 1868. The family had long since sold the property and over the years
it had fallen into disrepair and was slated for development. With Malkemus and
Yurgaitis’ purchase, however, new barns were built and old ones remodeled, and
a new plan started to take shape. Along with the production side of the dairy, George
and Tony became interested in the world of show cows. Arethusa’s overwhelming
show success from the historic Supreme and Reserve Supreme Champions at the
World Dairy Expo has led to major growth on the farm, including state of the
art calf, heifer and milking facilities. Their genetics of their Holstein,
Jersey and Brown Swiss cattle are exhibited at several national shows each
year. The herd core principal is “Every
cow in this barn is a lady, please treat her as such.” That care and philosophy
is carried through to the product she provides as well.
“It was this exceptional milk that ultimately led us to
build a small dairy plant in the historic Bantam firehouse; it seemed only
fitting that we use a building steeped in history to create ‘milk like it used
to taste.’ Following the dairy’s success, we opened the award-winning
restaurant Arethusa al tavolo in 2014 and, more recently, the bakery ‘a mano.’
Finally, just when we thought we were done, the opportunity arose to add a
second dairy store in downtown New Haven. As our family of businesses continues
to grow, each new endeavor is driven by our desire to share the quality of
Arethusa Farm with our friends and neighbors.” Excerpts are from the www.arethusafarm.com
website.
Friday Tours
The Guernsey youth or families who want to enjoy a day of
thrills, chills and laughs have the option of visiting Six Flags Great Escape and
Splash Water Kingdom. The Great Escape is home to over 135 rides, shows and
attractions. From thrilling coasters to rides for the little ones, a waterpark,
dining, shopping and more, it will be a day to experience and bond with other
junior Guernsey enthusiasts!
Saratoga A Tour: Exploring Saratoga Horses - Enjoy Friday
afternoon touring Saratoga’s National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, the
Saratoga Racetrack and McMahon’s Thoroughbreds. In 1863, gambler, casino owner, ex-boxing
champion and future congressman John Morrissey organized Saratoga's first Thoroughbred
meet a month after the Battle of Gettysburg. Although Saratoga Race Course is
considered the third oldest race track/course in the U.S., by many accounts, it
is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the country. McMahon’s
Thoroughbreds is one of Saratoga’s most famous thoroughbred farms. Founded in
1971, the early 2000s put McMahon’s on the map with the racing world as the
birthplace of race champion, Funny Cide.
Saratoga B Tour: Exploring Saratoga’s History - Visit the
Saratoga Battlefield and Saratoga History Museum at Canfield Casino and explore
the “Turning Point of the Revolution.” In 1777 during the American War for
Independence, American troops battled and beat a British invasion force,
marking the first time in world history that a British Army ever surrendered.
This crucial victory secured essential foreign recognition and support,
fomented world-wide wars, affirmed United States independence and changed the face
of the world. Take a tour by bus and have a walk through the battlefield. The
museum tells the story of Saratoga Springs history from the beginnings through
modern day.
Friday morning Niche Marketing Panel
For those looking for niche marketing opportunities to drive
income and enhance their current operations, a niche marketing panel will be
held Friday morning. Dairy businesses whose niche marketing operations have
become extremely successful will discuss their operations and provide their
thoughts and philosophies to those attending the morning discussion. Panelists
include Amanda Freud from CowPots which are a patented, environmentally
friendly product that is made from nutrient-rich manure and exported to gardens.
Also on the panel will be Jan King, a partner with his brother in King Brothers
Dairy. They glass bottle milk to the local market from their nationally-known
Holstein herd, Kings Ransom. The third panelist will be Kevin Ziemba, a Genetic
and Reproductive Advisor for Select Sires but also a successful Holstein
breeder and marketer of his family’s herd, Ziem-Barb Way. He will discuss how
they market cattle with genomics and the future genomics can play in the
Guernsey breed.
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