RHINEBECK – Dutchess County Comptroller Gregg Pulver, a lifelong dairy farmer and longtime public servant spent time this past week to explain why dairy farmers show their animals at county fairs.
Up on Livestock Hill at the Dutchess County Fair, Pulver explained what the judges are looking for during showings in the arena. “It’s more than just a beauty competition,” Pulver said. Judges look at the size of a cow’s neck and throat to determine how much a cow can eat while also judging the hooks and hips of the beast which are determining factors of how easy birthing is for a cow.
Young dairy farmer Bruce Peccorello has six cows and is also working with his aunt’s cows, giving him a total of nine cows to work with. He explained that he stays at the fairgrounds during fair week and gets up at 3:30 a.m. to work on the dirty side of dairy farming.
Today is the last day of the 178th annual Dutchess County Fair with gates opening at 10:00 a.m. and closing at 8:00 p.m.
