Mention farming and South Carolina and your mind immediately conjures an image of a fine old southern plantation and a long, live oak-lined approach to the main house.The Charles Senn family dairy near Newberry, South Carolina will update that picture in a New York minute.If there was a long drive to the main house, it would be lined with blue ribbons and first place trophies, not live oaks.
Senn-Sational Jerseys is a world famous dairy that hosts foreign visitors every year from places like England, Europe, Australian and New Zealand where Senn-Sational genetics have helped improve the local herds. The Senn family earned their reputation by exhibiting cattle at a shows around the country and are regular exhibitors at the All American Jersey Show and the North Carolina and South Carolina State Fairs.
Speaking for the three generations that help run the business, Jenny Senn said, “We've shown the Grand and Supreme Champion and won the coveted Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor banners many times. We've had 11 top-10 placing cows in the National Jersey Jug Futurity over the past 14 years and three Reserve Jersey Jug Futurity Winners.”
It’s a remarkable standard set by a dairy operation that began less than 40 years ago in 1972 when Jenny’s dad and grandfather decided to start the business.They began with a small herd consisting of another breed, and converted to Jerseys a few years later.
“We never looked back,” said Jenny.
Ms. Senn represents the Southeast region on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board.She’s just wrapping up her second and final term, a service that sounded like she was going to miss.She told me that she spent the early part of her first term just listening and learning the ropes, then “The CBB puts you to work.They keep you busy with the Board’s business.”
I asked her about her membership in CBB.“If you’re in the dairy business, you’re in the cattle business,” she said.“We milk our cows as long as it makes sense economically, then we’re in the cattle business.”
“The Board has been a very rewarding experience,” she said.“I’ve had the chance to have some serious discussions with great people about the problems facing the industry and the solutions that might work.
I’ve enjoyed having a little say-so in how things work.”
Her duties during her two terms included working on restructuring the beef check off and sitting on the administrative sub-committee where she had a little say-so in recommending improvements to the check off.She also worked with the public relations subcommittee.
Jenny was excited about Senn-Sational being a part of a new ad campaign by Borden Dairy, a 100% dairy-owned cooperative.
“Dairy Farmers of America owns Borden,” she said, “and the profits go to back to dairy farmers so we were glad to be part of the campaign.”
It was the folks at DFA, in fact, that suggested Borden call the Senn family.With Borden using a Singles Sensation™ tag line to promote their cheese slices, asking Senn-Sational Jerseys to be a part of the campaign only seems natural.