Hoard's Dairyman Farm

Hoard's Dairyman Farm
The old barn and Guernsey cows at the Hoard's Dairyman Farm
Nearest city Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin
Area 173.7 acres (70.3 ha)
Built 1899
Architectural style Italianate
NRHP Reference # 78000105[1]
Added to NRHP August 29, 1978

The Hoard's Dairyman Farm was purchased in 1899 by W. D. Hoard, a former governor of Wisconsin and publisher of Hoard's Dairyman magazine.[2] Hoard's primary motivation in operating the farm was to prove that alfalfa could be grown in northern climates. He demonstrated practical methods of growing, harvesting, and preserving the crop. He further showed that it could be used as a high-quality feed for dairy cattle. Today, alfalfa is a staple in dairy cattle rations nationwide.

The farm maintains the oldest continuously registered herd of Guernsey cattle in the country. For over a century, the herd was housed in the same barn that was purchased by Hoard in 1899. It was enlarged several times to a final capacity of eighty cows. In the summer of 2007, the herd was moved to a new, state of the art free-stall facility and expanded to 270 milking cows.

The farm is located in the Town of Koshkonong, Wisconsin, USA, just north of Fort Atkinson.

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