Architectural style Italianate Area 70 ha Added to NRHP 29 August 1978 | NRHP Reference # 78000105 Year built 1899 Nearest city Fort Atkinson | |
 | ||
Hoard s dairyman farm
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. 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.
Contents
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.