Things to do, places to eat, shows to see, places to stay in Madison County, NY      

In 1928 the New York Holstein-Fresian Association erected a monument on Oxbow Road in the Town of Smithfield in Madison County NY to commemorate the Kriemhild Herd established in 1869 by Gerrit Smith Miller of Peterboro.  June 6, 2010 the Stewards of the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, the Madison County Holstein Association, and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County celebrated this Holstein heritage with archives, pedigree, and collections sharing, a picnic, and a program by Milton C. Sernett PhD. Dr. Sernett, professor emeritus Syracuse University, researched the importation of the first registered Holstein-Fresians by the Miller family of Peterboro, prepared a PowerPoint presentation and wrote a book Cradle of the Breed: Gerrit Smith Miller & The Kriemhild Herd for the occasion.

In follow-up to the success of the 2010 event, Dr. Sernett, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Dutch Girl Cheese, the Gerrit Smith Estate, and the Madison County Holstein Association are planning another Holstein Heritage day on Sunday, June 5, 2011 from 2 – 5 p.m. at the Smithfield Community Center, 5255 Pleasant Valley Road, Peterboro NY 13134. This year Sernett will give an illustrated talk at 3 p.m. based upon his new book Say Cheese: The Story of the Era When New York State Cheese was King."  The book outlines the era when New York had thousands of cheese factories. In 1936 the National Cheese Institute erected a monument north of Rome NY in honor of Jesse Williams’ establishment of the first cheese factory in NYS.  Sernett also describes the 1400 pound cheddar that Oswego dairyman Col. Thomas S. Meacham created for President Andrew Jackson. It took 48 horses to transport the cheese to the canal system to get to Washington D.C.

The Smithfield Community Center opens to the public at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 5 with exhibits, demonstrations, samplings, and sales related to the dairy industry with particular attention to cheese. Renate Nollen, owner and operator of Dutch Girl Cheese in Leonardsville, is making ten pounds of cheese for tasting at the event. Nollen is also preparing a pictorial presentation with Cornell Cooperative Extension to demonstrate cheese making. Other exhibitors include the Canastota Canal Town Queensboro display, CNY Bounty, Heamor Farms, Kriemhild Butter, Krugerrand Farms, Madison County Dairy Court, McCadam Cheese / Cabot Creamery Cooperative, and the Morrisville State College cheese project.

Kriemhild Dairy Farms Meadow Butter from grass-fed cows will be available. The butter is made in Hamilton for the Kriemhild Dairy LLC in. Kriemhild was the name of Gerrit Smith Miller’s registered Holstein-Fresian herd in Peterboro.

The Krugerrand Farms, a small artisanal, farmstead creamery and cheese manufacturing plant in Richfield Springs, will be providing samples and products from goat milk and mixed (goat and cow milk) cheeses. The Krugerrand Farms originated as a 4-H project by the Andela-Miedema family. McCadam Cheese will be providing samples from the Cabot Creamery Cooperative.

The Madison Court Dairy Court will also have a display on the healthy benefits of dairy products and samples. Madison County Dairy Princess Emily Livermore’s court has two alternate royalties, five ambassadors, and four dairy misses.  The Court is proud of their promotion of dairy farmers and products.

Admission is two dollars. Students and Stewards are free.  For more information contact www.sca-peterboro.org and www.AbolitionHoF.org. mail@AbolitionHoF.org or 315-684-3262.