Cow chronicles: the golden legacy of Guernseys

It started with three cows: in 1840, “Captain Belair” arrived at a New York port via a schooner called the pilot. He’d brought with him three “Alderney” cows, according to a news brief that ran in the city’s Evening Post. These cows, along with a couple heifers and a bull that were also imported to the U.S. from Guernsey Island are the antecedents of today’s American Guernsey cows — a breed known for their English Channel Island heritage, golden milk, and distinctive look and temperament.

The American Guernsey Association notes that the 19th-century imported cows were themselves descended from animals brought to the island in the 900s. As the centuries passed, the small population developed into proto-Guernseys, lending their genetics to the modern breed’s fawn and white hides. Guernseys caught the eye of Hoard’s Dairyman founder W. D. Hoard in the 1880s; he purchased Bonnibel, the first purebred Guernsey available in Jefferson County, Wis., where his dairy farm is still located today. The Guernseys on Hoard’s Dairyman farm benefited from Hoard’s dedication to improvement: better feed, better health, and better management.

Guernsey milk, which is higher in butterfat than that of other breeds, also has a golden hue, thanks to boosted carotene levels. Coveted by cheesemakers, the Guernsey difference translates to rich, creamy cheeses that stand out among their competitors. We at Hoard’s are proud to claim a share of the breed’s history, from Guernsey to that New York City port of call, all the way to our Wisconsin farm (we’re home to the oldest continuously registered Guernsey herd in North America) — and we’re also partial to the cheese produced from the farm’s milk.