Rilley and Giselle Stewart, Macomb
Rilley and Giselle Stewart, of Stewart’s Milk Jug Guernseys, Macomb, have made their mark in the Missouri dairy industry in a relatively short period of time. Both were brought up on a Guernsey dairy farm, Rilley near Springfield and Giselle near Buffalo. Both started in the Guernsey business at a young age. Rilley owned his first dairy animal – a heifer – when he was six years old and Giselle bought a cow at a dispersal sale when she was nine.
Currently, Rilley and Giselle and two sons Aaron and Austin live on a 352-acre Wright County farm and have a milking herd of 70 purebred Guernsey cows.
As producers of purebred Guernsey stock, the Stewarts have had a National Futurity winner. A Stewart cow – Honey – has been as high as 44th on the National Cow Performance Index list and she was honored as a Gold Star Dam. Honey has also been state class leader and high cow in the state for milk, fat, and protein. The Stewarts have also had five other state class leaders, three AllAmerican nominees and have been premier breeder at the Missouri State Fair five times.
The Stewarts are active in their support of Guernsey cattle. They have shown their Guernseys at local, state and national events. Rilley has served as president of his district Missouri Guernsey Association and the Missouri Guernsey Breeders Association and has served on committees of both the Missouri and National Guernsey Associations.
Giselle serves as secretary of the seventh district Missouri Guernsey Association, was president of a local county dairy show, and is on the planning committee of the Dairy Women’s League in her three-county area.
The Stewarts also work as a team. They were co-chairs for the Show Me Guernsey Futurity since its start in 1989, and received the once-in-a-lifetime award of National Young Guernsey Farmers in 1990.
The Stewarts use a computer extensively in their dairy operation – for their and other farm records, for balancing rations, and for business correspondence.
In their home community, the Stewarts have both served as members of the Wright County Extension Council. Rilley has also been a member of his DHIA board and president of their local DHI. They have taken part in the intensive grazing trials through the Wright County Soil and Water District and continue to use intensive grazing in their dairy operation.
The Stewart family holds membership in the Family Worship Center. The Stewarts met while students at Southwest Missouri State University where both graduated in 1986. Rilley has a degree in animal science and Giselle a degree in agronomy. Since graduating Rilley has been a member of the SMSU dairy advisory committee for eight years.
The Missouri Guernsey Breeders Association nominated the Stewarts for the Hall of Honors Distinguished Dairy Cattle Breeders Award. The Stewarts are true believers of the Guernsey breed.
Giselle says, “for us, the Guernsey is the ultimate dairy animal-easy calving, nice attitude, productive, and financially sound are some of the admirable Guernsey qualities. Now that we have Aaron and Austin, we are absolutely sure the the Guernsey is the breed for us. We don’t have to worry about our children around our Guernseys.
“I honestly feel sorry for people who have never had the pleasure of owning a Guernsey cow,” she says.