Joe and Mildred Kirchdoerfer, Cape Girardeau, MO
The Kirchdoerfer Jersey Farm located at Route K and I-55 Cape Girardeau, MO is a family operation. Joe is a third generation dairy farmer. He bought his first registered Jersey as 4-H heifer project in 1949 and has continued building the herd since. The herd, all registered, has 86 cows of milking age and totals about 160 head all ages.
Joe was born July 15, 1935 and reared on the present farm. In 1960 Joe and Mildred Kluesner, of Oran, Mo., were married. At the time of their marriage Joe and Mildred formed a partnership with his father. At that time they started using A.I. in the herd and in 1963 they started DHIA testing. In 1974 Joe’s father died and Joe and Mildred became sole operators. The herd then averaged 9,909 lbs. milk and 493 lbs. of fat on 56 cows. They now have a rolling herd average on 86 cows of 14,383 lbs. of milk and 644 pounds of fat. They have had the highest producing herd in Missouri for 1985, 1986, and 1987. With the exception of three cows, Joe and Mildred have bred and raised their entire milking herd, using A.I. for 98 percent of all services.
In 1988 the herd was enrolled on type production program of the American Jersey Cattle Club. The result was two cows scored Excellent and 43 Very Good. One of the top producers in the herd is M. Early Rosabella Reverse, E-90 score with 20,630 lbs. milk and 803 lbs. fat in 305 days. She received Hall of Fame Honors in the National Club’s program. Another high producer was Generator’s Foxie Fantastic with 20,400 lbs. milk and 732 lbs. of fat in 305 days. Her highest day for weighed milk was 96 lbs.
The Kirchdoerfers exhibit their cattle at fairs in Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee and have won many Premier Breeder Awards as well as Grand Champion at the Mid-South Fair, Memphis, Tennessee in 1987 where 218 head of Jerseys were exhibited.
Joe and Mildred have four children. Sons Carl age 26 and Eddie age 23, both graduates of Southeast Missouri State University, are full time workers in the dairy and farm operations. Glenda, age 19 is a college student and Julie, 14 is a high school freshman. Too much cannot be said for the teamwork and dedication of the Kirchdoerfer family in building and operating the herd and farm. Rev. Raymond Kunkel, Secretary-Treasurer of the Missouri Jersey Cattle Club, says, “Joe and Mildred are each other’s Right Arm in the breeding and building of their fine herd of Registered Jerseys.” The Kirchdoerfer farm at Cape Girardeau and another farm at Gordonville consists of 300 acres where all roughage, primarily alfalfa, for the herd is raised.
The Kirchdoerfer family is heavily involved in church and community activities including 4-H work. Joe has served as president of the Missouri Jersey Cattle Club and as Director. He is Vice President of Mid-America Dairymen, District 18; active in the Cape County Farm Bureau and Dairy Chairman 1967-68. He is a 4-H Club Leader and 4-H Superintendent at the Semo District Fair. The family is active in the St. Mary’s Cathedral Parish.
The Kirchdoerfers received Missouri DHIA Efficient Dairy Production Award in 1985. At that time Joe said “It takes a lot of faith, hard work, and many sacrifices to be a dairy farmer, but by doing it together as a family and as a team, it makes dairying a real joy.” It could haven’t been better said.