2007 National Convention Highlights
Holstein World: What are some of the scheduled events that visitors will be treated to? Special attractions, convention speakers and entertainment, etc.?
Rissa Mitchell: Tennessee has a wealth of natural beauty as well as numerous popular tourist attractions, so we’re trying to give convention attendees plenty of opportunity to see our state and experience firsthand the southern hospitality our area is famous for.
Since the convention is located in east Tennessee, we’ve planned a great pre-convention tour that will visit the middle Tennessee area. The pre-convention tour will depart on Thursday, June 21st. The first day will include a visit to the Jack Daniels Distillery, lunch at Miss Bobo’s Boarding House, and a tour and demonstration at Waterfall Farm, home of reigning World Champion Tennessee Walking Horses. Dinner will be at the popular Lamplighter Restaurant in Columbia. Friday will begin with visits to Rummage Holsteins and Maple Leaf Farms. Following lunch, the tour will check in at the Opryland Hotel to allow plenty of time for enjoying this fantastic facility, as well as the Opry Mills mall. A visit to Nashville wouldn’t be complete without taking in the Grand Ole Opry on Friday night. Saturday will begin with a buffet breakfast at the Opryland Hotel. The group will then visit Major Dairy in Lebanon before returning to Knoxville. This should be a wonderful opportunity for convention attendees to enjoy many of the highlights of the Nashville area, as well as an opportunity to enjoy seeing some of Tennessee’s best herds.
Host Day is scheduled for Sunday, June 24th and will feature some of the best spots East Tennessee has to offer. We are planning two different tours for attendees to select. The first will be a farm tour to the Chattanooga area. We will begin with a stop at Hatcher Dairy, a 650 cows operation with a rotary parlor. Next will be a visit to Beatyview Holsteins, where you’ll enjoy fine cows and finer folks. Following a picnic lunch, a stop is planned at Sweetwater Valley Farms. Sweetwater Valley is a 1,000 cow family farm that features its own farmstead cheese making operation.
The second host day tour option will begin with a visit to Ma-Tom-Ba Holsteins. Numerous east Tennessee Holstein breeders are cooperating to host a stop that will feature several herds’ favorite cows and cow families at one location. Following the farm visit, buses will proceed to Dollywood for the remainder of the day. Dollywood is one of Tennessee’s premier attractions, featuring many first-class amusement park rides and a multitude of musical shows, craft demonstrations, and plenty of great food!
We are also excited about some of the entertainment that has been arranged for the convention. Adults can look forward to enjoying Sam Venable at the final banquet. Sam is a popular newspaper columnist in our area that is in great demand as a speaker and entertainer. His humorous stories are sure to keep everyone laughing for years to come.