Editor’s note: Information for this article was gathered from the Olaf Kjome Retrospective exhibit at the Giants of the Earth Heritage Center in Spring Grove, Minnesota, as well as sources who knew Olaf Kjome. This included writing assistance from dairy historian and author, Ronald Eustice, whose books: “Boulder Bridge Farm & The Dayton Family” and “Boxcar Boys: Riding the Rails with Bovine Beauties;” feature aspects of Olaf Kjome’s life.
SPRING GROVE, Minn. — In 1926, a young country schoolteacher from Spring Grove started as a herdsman at Boulder Bridge farm in Excelsior. The farm was owned by the George “Nelson” Dayton family who established Dayton’s department store in Minneapolis, which eventually became Target Brands Inc.
That young teacher was the late Olaf Kjome, a future recipient of the prestigious Klussendorf Trophy and a future five-time Gold Star Guernsey breeder.
Beyond his successful career, those who knew Olaf describe him as kind, honest, humble and genuine.
Olaf’s son, David, who worked for the University of Minnesota Extension in Olmsted County for 30 years, said his dad was an excellent teacher.
“He was a master leadsman but without dominance,” David said. “He did it in a way, in a manner that people loved him and respected him.”
Norm Nabholz, an Iowa farmer and an author of several historical dairy books, remembers how Olaf interacted with him and his family.
“We were just Iowa farm guys, and he treated us with the same respect that he would treat a multi-millionaire,” Nabholz said.
Olaf started from humble roots as the grandchild of Norwegian immigrants. His dad, John, owned a livery stable and did veterinary work. In 1919, when Olaf was 15, his father passed away from the Spanish flu epidemic.
Olaf’s first big break into dairy came when he was hired at Boulder Bridge.
Sources are unsure how the young man — who had no experience with high profile animals — received the job with a premier herd of 200 Guernseys.
The farm had a barn for Belgian horses, two dairy barns, a heated calf barn and a bull barn. Employees wore all-white uniforms laundered professionally.
From 1926-1941, Olaf traveled by railroad boxcar to 44 states across the U.S. from coast to coast and north to south showing dairy cattle for Boulder Bridge. Boulder Bridge was highly successful at shows and was the most influential Guernsey breed of its time according to Ronald Eustice, dairy historian.
The crew and 17 animals traveled in specially equipped boxcars with electric lights and bunks for staff over the stalls which allowed the bovines to live inside the cars and only move out for arrival at shows. During travel, milking, feeding and sleeping all happened inside the boxcar.
David remembers his dad’s show prowess.
“He was just a master showman for all his talents of putting together a good animal,” he said.
On the road, Olaf was soaking up knowledge from premier cattlemen across the country. David said his dad was successful because of his curiosity and willingness to educate himself.
Nabholz agreed.
“He would be one of the first to tell you that he had some great breaks,” Nabholz said. “But he also capitalized on those breaks very well, … and it was never on the back of somebody else.”
One of Olaf’s mentors was premier farmer and showman, Arthur Klussendorf, who was a dairy cattle breeder and showman from Pewaukee, Wisconsin. When Klussendorf passed away at age 44 in 1936, an award was created in his honor. Olaf was selected as the first recipient in 1937, and he received a trophy created by Tiffany & Co.
Nabholz said the committee picked a great first recipient.
“They set that standard pretty high,” he said.
The Klussendorf award is presented annually to an individual who exemplifies qualities of leadership, integrity and dairy knowledge.
In 1945, Olaf left Boulder Bridge and moved his family to Spring Grove to a 70-acre property, which he had purchased 10 years earlier. It had a dilapidated barn and no outbuildings or machinery. The family started Valleyland Farm with three cows from Boulder Bridge and 300 laying hens.
Within seven years, in 1952, Olaf and his sons won the Gold Star Guernsey Breeders award from the American Guernsey Cattle Club for their herd of 37, which averaged 10,763 pounds of milk and 510 pounds of butterfat on a 305-day lactation. Olaf would win this award five total times.
David said his dad was conscientious of herd health and milk quality. The cows were milked twice a day in tie stalls and let out daily.
“He was insistent that things be done right,” David said.
The herd was bred using A.I. Olaf was the chairman of the Guernsey sire committee for the cooperative Tri-State Breeders, which is now Accelerated Genetics.
Olaf was called back to Boulder Bridge for five months in 1950 to prepare for their dispersal.
At the dispersal, 158 animals sold for a combined $142,815. The top dollar animal was herd sire Boulder Bridge Lucero, who sold for $8,000, which is well over $100,000 in today’s dollars when adjusted for inflation.
Olaf showed at the Minnesota State Fair, the Southeast Guernsey Breeders Association parish show, and the national Guernsey show at the National Dairy Cattle Congress in Waterloo, Iowa, as well as others. In 1968, he was named the premier breeder and exhibitor at the Guernsey show at the National Dairy Cattle Congress.
Olaf also judged shows and helped farmers and youth learn to better show dairy cattle.
Nabholz remembers exhibiting in shows judged by Olaf.
“He had a terrific eye for a cow, but that was second to the fact that he was so fair,” Nabholz said. “Everybody had a chance, whether you were a millionaire or a farmer. He just had a genuine way of judging cattle and making sure that you knew that you were getting a fair shot.”
In 1969, Olaf dispersed his herd. Six hundred people attended, with cattle sold to buyers in eight states and Canada. The 69 females brought $66,480 for an average of $963.47 per animal. It was the highest averaging Guernsey dispersal in the U.S. that year.
Olaf was inducted into the Minnesota Livestock Breeders’ Association Hall of Fame in 1979. He was inducted into National Dairy Shrine’s National Dairy Hall of Fame at World Dairy Expo in 1989. Later that year, Minnesota Gov. Rudy Perpich declared Oct. 27 as Olaf Kjome Day.
Duane Wirt, a dairy farmer from Lewiston, met Olaf while growing up and showing animals. He said Olaf encouraged other dairy enthusiasts and was willing to share knowledge.
“People trusted Olaf,” Wirt said.
David agreed.
“When he spoke, people listened,” David said. “He was so influential.”
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