Knox County Dairies

The East Tennessee Dairy Association was organized and held its first annual convention in 1895. (Source: The French Broad-Holston country: Mary Utopia Rothrock, East Tennessee Historical Society. Knox County History Committee, The Society, 1972. p. 207

East Tennessee Dairy Association Secretary Paul F Kefauver Madisonville (Report of the Dairy and Food Commissioner to the Governor, 1900, p.82)

Promotion:

The mere fact that Tennessee furnishes every opportunity for highclass dairying should be an inducement for the farmer to improve this business by raising more and better cows, thus increasing the annual output of dairy products. Tennessee imports from Northern creameries about 2 500,000 pounds of butter every year, worth approximately $750,000.00. Not withstanding the fact that the Tennessee farmer can produce butter and milk for about half what it costs the Northern farmer, he allows his Northern neighbor to take about three quarters of a million dollars out of this State every year. The question is a simple one. Too many Tennessee farmers are trying to grow cotton, corn, and small grains without suflicient live stock to consume these crops and their by products. They have not a sufficient number of dairy cows to supply the home demand, and until they realize the importance of the dairy herd in building up the land etc, the conditions mentioned above will continue to exist. Every farmer in the State should have a few good cows and make some butter for the market. The heifer calves from these cows should be raised and put on the market as dairy cows, for the demand is good and the market is looking for dairy cows all the time. The dairy farmer in Tennessee can feed his cow much more cheaply than can the farmer of a Northern State. As soon as he learns to grow all the feed for his cow, he can amply feed her at a cost of $30 per year. But a question of as much importance as anything else to the dairyman is that of the building up of his herd by means of herd records. Some herds make a great deal more profit than others and people often wonder what the reason is, they think the prosperous herd is favored in some way by natural conditions. But this is not necessarily true, the difference is due, as a rule, almost entirely to the individuality of the cows and the way they are fed, which is brought out by means of the herd record. If the record of a cow's milk and butter production and of the amount and cost of the feed eaten is kept for one year, the owner can readily see where his profit or loss is coming from. It is a fact that no business can be run successfully without bookkeeping. (Source: Comparison and Improvement of Dairy Herds in Tennessee, Volumes 75-88, Samuel Edwin Barnes, University of Tennessee, Agricultural Experiment Station, 1909, p.3)

Recruitment

It is just a year since this organization was begun and it was perfected last spring, by acquiring a charter from the State . The Association has accomplished during its first year probably all that could be expected of it, when it is remembered that not more than 7 or 8 per cent of the dairymen of the State were included in its membership. We have secured nineteen new members since.

We need members not only for the support of the Association but to give it strength to carry into effect its policies and I earnestly entreat you to make every effort in your power to induce all dairymen of good character to join the Association. We need every dairyman in the State and we ought to have them.

The East Tennessee Farmers Convention is an inspiring organization especially when in session Established about thirty five years ago, it meets annually in Knoxville in the summer school pavilion on the University campus and the sight of two thousand farmers and their wives and families, every one full of the importance of the meeting, is enough to make us Middle Tennessee farmers wake up and do likewise.

The Tennessee State Fair Association has our profound thanks for enabling the Association to appear in its prize list in an important capacity as sponsor for the prizes offered for the best dairy records. Four premiums were offered: $50 for first prize, $25 for second, $15 for third, and $10 for fourth. This dairy record was to cover the work of the herd for a period of six months, including the product of the herd in milk and butter, the cost of feeds consumed, labor employed, the profits per cow or for each individual cow, etc. and for purposes of comparison, invaluable to the dairymen making the exhibits and to those who can see them. (Source: Biennial Report, Tennessee. Dept. of Agriculture, 1909, 157-159)

 

Link to Knox County Dairies List