Hoard's Dairyman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Title block from Hoard's Dairyman magazine.

Hoard's Dairyman is an American magazine featuring articles about and for the dairy industry.

[edit] History

Hoard's, as it is more simply known by its readers, was started in 1885 as a supplement to the Daily Jefferson County Union. The editor of the newspaper, William Dempster Hoard, saw the effects that the glacial soil had on the local farms. There was only a thin layer of top soil which could not support many crops. Hoard knew from his experience in New York that dairy herds could improve the farmland.

Upon W. D. Hoard's death, the publishing of Hoard's was passed onto his son, Frank Ward Hoard, in 1918 and then again to W. D. Hoard's grandson, William D. Hoard, Jr. in 1939.

Hoard's has been a pioneer in the dairy industry since its inception. For instance, the magazine funded the first "Cow Census" to ever take place in the United States. Throughout the years, Hoard's has covered many "firsts" in the dairy industry. Many of the topics are now practiced nationwide.

These innovations include but are not limited to:

1891, First article on alfalfa published. Alfalfa is now the largest forage producing plant in the United States.
1892, Grass or hay silage first recommended.
1895, Promotion of tuberculosis eradication.
1912, Loose or pen housing for dairy cattle is reported on.

[edit] Cow Judging Contest

The cover of Hoard's Dairyman while cow judging is being held.

A popular tradition is the magazine's Cow Judging Contest, which is normally held once a year. This year will be the 76th in which the judging contest is held. Over the course of five issues, readers are asked to judge four cows from one particular breed of cattle, and grade each cow. The breeds that are judged are the Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Holstein, Guernsey, and Jersey.

Each of the four cows is presented with three different pictures, including a side view, a rear view, and an upper rear view which shows the cow's back. A letter is placed next to each cow, and the reader can rank cows from each class on an entry form which is included with the magazine.

After the conclusion of the contest, readers can send in their entries. The entry that comes closest to what a panel of judging experts had already determined is the winner, and cash prizes are available.