Fort Beautification Council brings cow replicas to town 

By Kim McDarison

Four life-sized cow replicas, each representing one of seven dairy cow breeds featured by the Fort Atkinson Beautification Council in its “parade of cows” project, made their debut in downtown Fort Atkinson Saturday, as part of a celebration of the project as it nears completion, Fort Atkinson Beautification Council President Jude Hartwick said Monday.

The cows, including replicas painted to resemble a Jersey, Brown Swiss, Holstein and Guernsey, were presented to the community while housed in the back of a trailer to keep them safe from the rain, Hartwick said.

The replicas, which were painted by local artist Larry Schultz, have yet to receive a coat of clear paint to help them weather the elements, Hartwick noted, adding that he believed the final step in the painting process would be completed on all seven replicas in time for each to be permanently placed within the city’s downtown area sometime in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

As part of the unveiling celebration held Saturday, Wisconsin’s Alice in Dairyland Ashley Hagenow arrived in Fort Atkinson and visited the Fort Farmers Market. She next arrived at the W.D. Hoard and Sons Company facility, 28 W. Milwaukee Ave., where she was able to view the replicas and speak with members of the public who arrived at the unveiling celebration.

The W.D. Hoard and Sons facility is one of the locations where a cow will be permanently placed after a clear coat is applied, Hartwick explained.

During the ceremony, participants were treated to free cookies and milk. Cookies, in the shape of cows, were provided by Fort Atkinson-based Papa Brunk’s bakery, Hartwick said.

Additionally, he said, some 70 people were invited inside the W.D. Hoard building where two speakers, including W.D. Hoard associate editor on the “Hoard Dairyman” magazine team Katelyn Allen and Fort Atkinson Beautification Council Vice President and Parade of Cows Project Chairman Alan Cook, addressed the group.

Offering comments, Cook spoke about the project, and the idea for its creation, which, he explained, originated with his daughter who thought the west side of the city could benefit from some ornamentation.

Speaking with Fort Atkinson Online last month, Cook said about three years ago, his daughter, Kylene Anderson, suggested the idea of a cow replica placed in such a manner that those entering the city from the west side could see it. She suggested, Cook said, that the cow replica might be painted to resemble a cow in honor of the Hetts family farm which operated in the area.

Cook said he brought the idea to the Beautification Council, which embraced the idea and expanded it to include all seven dairy cow breeds with their placement spread throughout the downtown area.

During her comments Allen spoke about the importance of agriculture, dairy farming, and the long association Fort Atkinson has had with dairy as a regional, staple industry.

The full parade

Updating information shared earlier with Fort Atkinson Online, Hartwick said the full parade of seven replicas, including their sponsors and placement, is as follows:

• Jersey: Described by Schultz as a “dark Jersey,” the replica, which was nearly completed on Wednesday, will soon be placed near the Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce building, 244 N. Main St. The location is near the replica’s sponsor: Pete’s Tire and Auto Shop, 2 Madison Ave.

• Brown Swiss: the replica which was undergoing transformation on Wednesday is that of a Brown Swiss cow which will soon be placed near Frostie Freeze, 208 Madison Ave. The replica is sponsored by Whitewater-based Sunshine Genetics.

• Black and White Holstein: A replica of a Holstein cow will be placed near Subway in Fort Atkinson, 1550 Madison Ave. The fiberglass replica is sponsored by Crescent Beauty Farm, which is owned by the Hetts Family.

• Guernsey: Brian Knox and W.D. Hoard and Sons Company are the sponsors of a Guernsey cow replica which will be placed near the company’s downtown printing office, 28 Milwaukee Ave.

• Red and White Holstein: Deb Lundy, who, along with her family, operates a dairy farm in Jefferson, is the sponsor of a Red and White Holstein replica which will be placed near Jones Market, Fort Atkinson, 601 Jones Ave.

• Ayrshire: The Fort Community Credit Union or FCCU will be sponsoring a replica which will be painted to resemble an Ayrshire cow. The replica will be placed near the credit union’s office at 800 Madison Ave.

• Milking Shorthorn: The Tourism Office of the Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring a replica of a Milking Shorthorn cow, which will be placed near NASCO. 

The models 

Each cow also is modeled after an actual cow. In September, Cook presented Fort Atkinson Online with representations of five of the seven models, including:

• The Brown Swiss replica, which is painted in the likeness of “Top Acres Present ET.” A photograph of the animal was provided by Sunshine Genetics.

• The Jersey cow replica, which is painted in the likeness of “Kunia Moon.” The cow’s picture was provided by Brandenburg Dairy Farm, Cook noted. 

• The Guernsey cow replica, which is painted in the likeness of “Rolling Prairie Bella Blue.” The cow’s picture was provided by the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm.

• The Black and White Holstein, which is painted in the likeness of “Gene Acres Felicia May Fury.” The animal’s likeness was provided by Crescent Beauty Farm.

• The Red and White Holstein, which is painted in the likeness of “Silver-Rock TT Barbara.” The likeness was provided by Lundy Farms. 

On Monday, Hartwick said all of the cow replicas have since found models. The two remaining breeds — the Milking Shorthorn and the Ayrshire — will be modeled after bovines presented by the Hebbe and Gerner families.

Cook said the Ayrshire replica will be painted in the likeness of “Hillside View Darling,” who once lived on the former Heb-Ayr farm located to the east of the city of Fort Atkinson.

The Milking Shorthorn will be painted in the likeness of “Weg Acres Majors Faith,” who once lived on a farm owned by the Gerner family called “Weg Acres.” The farm is located northeast of the city of Fort Atkinson.

Pictures from Saturday’s unveiling ceremony follow.

Earlier stories about the cow parade are here: https://fortatkinsononline.com/coming-to-life-cow-replicas-are-receiving-paint-second-downtown-mural-to-follow/ and here: https://fortatkinsononline.com/beautification-council-planning-cow-parade/.