World Ayrshire Conference in USA

I'm writing this on our final day in the hotel to mark the experiences we have seen and done.  Over the last two weeks, Mark and I have been apart of the World Ayrshire Conference which began in the New England State of Massachusetts!  We also took this opportunity prior to the tour, for a four night stop over in The Big Apple, (New York).  Amazing and fantastic time in this major iconic City!

We instantly made heaps of new friends with a fantastic bunch of "Ayrshire Breeders" from all over the world.  I knew dairy cows were in countries like New Zealand, Australia and USA but not that Ayrshires were also farmed in Kenya, South Africa, Columbia and Canada!

Attending the World Conference for the first time, exceeded our expectations beyond belief.  We watched the Ayrshire showing,  part of a 16 day State Fair Exposition (which was celebrating its Centenary this year).  Known as The Big E,  this large State Fair was a combined event for the five New England States of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Maine and Connecticut.

The coach took us from farm to farm, viewing excellent examples of Ayrshires at their home, meeting their owners, enjoying a typical American meal with all their family members.  We even had a day with the Armish community, a ride in a waggon pulled by the Mules used to do the land work,  shared a meal they usually serve for a wedding feast!  How honoured were we!

The US tour went through New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin States visiting seven farms along the way.  A stop off at a Thoroughbred stud where 'Cigar' was born, and a tour of a Fair Oaks dairy where a huge amount of cows were milked on a 72 point rotary milking parlour three times a day!

We concluded at Kalahari Resort for the World Ayrshire Conference meetings and dinner, which is   where we left the Conference Tour, to return home.  For the following week, the delegates were making for Madison and attend the World Dairy Expo! A Mecca for all things dairy in USA and Canada and it seems the rest of the World!!