National Dairy Shrine installs Hoard's Dairyman Farm replica

The National Dairy Shrine, Denmark, Wis. and the Hoard Historical Museum announce the installation of a new farm diorama in the National Dairy Shrine Museum in Fort Atkinson, Wis. The new farm diorama captures the essence of a modern dairy farm. As part of the project, the National Dairy Shrine Museum Committee chose the Hoard's Dairyman Farm as the model for the display. The new diorama includes scaled replicas of the Hoard's Dairyman Farm milking parlor, free stalls, calf hutches, tractors and other equipment, and the farm manager's house.

The model, built by husband and wife, John and Pat Klettke, Watertown, Wis., includes over 200 model cows being fed a total-mixed-ration by the farm's equipment. The diorama also features both Jersey and Guernsey dairy cattle, both of which can be found at the real Hoard's Dairyman Farm north of Fort Atkinson.

The diorama will be on year-round display in the second section of the museum's interactive exhibits. The display is a self-guided multimedia tour of the National Dairy Shrine Museum, capturing the sights and sounds of dairy farming in the past, present and future.

The Klettkes are active in design of model farms and were featured on the August 2008 cover of Toy Farmer magazine. John and Pat also have a traveling display that shows farms in the past, present and future, which they bring to area toy farm shows.

The National Dairy Shrine Museum and the Hoard Historical Museum are located at 401 Whitewater Avenue in Fort Atkinson. They are open Tuesdays through Saturdays between 9:30 and 4:30. There is no admission fee; cash donations are gratefully accepted. For more information, call 920-563-7769 or send email to info@hoardmuseum.org.

For more information, find the National Dairy Shrine online at www.dairyshrine.org and Hoard Historical Museum at www.hoardmuseum.org.

07.09.2012