ALTA CREST FARM Hardcover – April 20, 2023

The story of Alta Crest Farm began soon after Arthur Sagendorf, completed his formal education at Cornell University. He purchased his first Ayrshires in 1910 and for thirty-seven years Alta Crest Farm was widely known for some of the Ayrshire breed’s finest cattle. Sagendorph built Alta Crest on the outstanding cattle imported from Scotland and Canada. It was Arthur Sagendorph’s policy to add superior males and females from the best breeding establishments to complement his already superior herd. He had a unique talent for finding the best and developing them into outstanding animals.Alta Crest Ayrshires excelled in milk production. As early as the 1920s, it was not unusual for a cow to surpass 100 pounds of milk in daily production. Douglas Hall Dandy 2nd made history back in 1921 with the completion of her Honor Roll mi1k record of 18,266 lbs. milk, 4.05%, 739. As of 1948, this record had not been exceeded by any Ayrshire in her class.Alta Crest Craig was another one of the many great cows developed and tested at Alta Crest. Her lifetime production of 149,790 lbs. milk with 6,402 lbs. butterfat combined with outstanding production by her offspring made her one of the Ayrshire breed’s most noted brood cows. In 1947, an Alta Crest-bred cow, Alta Crest Jonquil, born at Alt Crest and developed at Good Hope Farm, Old Chatham, New York became the Ayrshire breed’s national champion producer with a class-]leading record of HTL-19,660 lbs. 4.23% 832 1hs F. @ 9 yrs. At Alta Crest and elsewhere cows bred at this farm demonstrated their ability to milk, to win at the shows and to make a profit for their owners.The cattle were shown at leading fairs as far west as Minnesota during the 1920s and captured many prizes and championships. Arthur Sagendorph had a unique ability to develop advertising that was attracive and effective. As a result, for more than three decades Alta Crest breeding stock were in strong demand nationwide and many leading herds were headed by an Alta Crest-bred herd sire. Alta Crest supplied foundation Ayrshire females to more herds in more states than any other farm in the breed and this record stood for many years.Arthur Sagendorph passed away in 1946 and it became evident to his heirs that it was time to close an important chapter of Ayrshire history. The decision to sell the milking herd was made with great reluctance but was necessary to settle his estate and provided the opportunity for many other breeders to acquire some of the best that Alta Crest had to offer. The Alta Crest herd was sold in a milking herd dispersal on September 22, 1947. Over 100 head including 85 cows and first calf heifers were dispersed to herds nationwide. Plans were to continue the herd with calves, yearlings and unfreshened heifers not sold on the dispersal, but this plan did not materialize.In 1949, St. Joseph’s Abbey, a community of Roman Catholic Trappist monks purchased Alta Crest Farms and converted it to a monastery. The monks moved there from their previous location in Cumberland, Rhode Island, which was heavily damaged by a 1950 fire. The purchase price was reported to be $90,000. Saint Joseph’s Abbey, is a cloistered Roman Catholic community of monks of the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance, popularly known as Trappists.The Trappists still own Alta Crest and support the order through their three industries: the Holy Rood Guild, which makes a variety of liturgical garments (vestments) and linens; Trappist Preserves, jams and jellies sold in retail outlets and at their gift shop in the Porter’s Lodge; and Spencer Trappist Ale, the first and only certified Trappist beer made in the U.S. Read more