With advancing technologies, how many (other than producers) have seen a working modern farm? The red barn, white fence and silo are not commonplace anymore. Thousands of guests, both rural and urban, visit the historic National Dairy Shrine museum annually. They will now see modern agriculture in a new display.
The Hoard's Dairyman Farm was chosen as the "model" dairy to replicate. It is now on display at the National Dairy Shrine Museum and Hoard Historical Museum. It features the milking parlor and free stall barns, along with mini Guernsey and Jersey cows, calf hutches and tractors.
The creators of the replica live not far from the museum, in Watertown. John and Pat Klettke have been designing model farms for many years. They were featured on the cover of Toy Farmer magazine and regularly bring their model farms to area toy farm shows.
The history collections of these two organizations are housed under one roof in Fort Atkinson, Wis. They are open between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday. There is no admission charge, but cash donations are gratefully accepted.
For more information, find the National Dairy Shrine online at www.dairyshrine.org and Hoard Historical Museum at www.hoardmuseum.org. Call 920-563-7769 or send email to info@hoardmuseum.org.
The next time you are in the area, stop to see the replica, or contact Hoard's Dairyman (at least three business days in advance) to tour the actual dairy, located two miles from the museum. Call 920-563-5551, extension 137, and speak with Karen Kutz or email kkutz@hoards.com to schedule a tour.
