Guernsey
Breed - Guernsey
The Isle of Guernsey, a tiny island in the English Channel off the coast of France, is the birthplace of the Guernsey cow. About 960 A.D., besieged by buccaneers and sea rovers, the Island came to the attention of Robert Duke of Normandy. He sent a group of militant monks to educate the natives to cultivate the soil and defend the land. The monks brought with them the best bloodlines of French cattle - Norman Brindles, also known as Alderneys, from the province of Isigny and the famous Froment du Leon breed from Brittany - and developed the Guernsey.
Four Generations Held Together by Guernsey’s
For over 50 years, in the rolling hills and valleys of northeast Missouri, there have been registered Guernsey cows on Timber Ridge Farms. Through the years, the Messer and Gates families have overcome countless obstacles and financial hardships to maintain their milking herd. Ethel Messer, matriarch of the Timber Ridge dynasty, grew up over the hill from where Timber Ridge Farms is located today in Jacksonville, Mo. In 1944, Sam Messer’s family moved into the area, and the couple married in 1950.
