Bonnie Acres Farm
|
|
|
|
A Strong Foundation
Al's grandmother, a native of Scotland, named the farm Bonnie Acres as the word "Bonnie" comes from the Scottish word, beautiful. The farm began in the Berkshire business in 1931, when C.E. (Cliff) Conover chose the breed and Tom maintained the herd. Tom Conover has operated Bonnie Acres Berkshires in Holstein, Iowa for many years.
Believing in the Breed & Family Traditions
A good family friend, Wayne Collingridge of St. Claude, Manitoba, Canada interviewed Tom who had some great things to share about raising Berkshires:
Tom has received numerous honors and accolades including being honored by the Iowa State Fair and recently being inducted into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame.
Service to the Breed
Three Conover generations, Tom, Al and his brother Craig, as well as Adam, have served on the American Berkshire Association Board of Directors. Tom was elected at the 77th Annual Meeting beginning his service in 1953 and serving the longest run as President in the history of the breed. Craig Conover continued the tradition serving nine years on the Board of Directors for the American Berkshire Association, including four years as President. In 2012, Adam Conover began his six years of service to the breed including two terms as Vice-President. Al served on the American Berkshire Association Board from 2018 to 2021 and also served on the American Berkshire Foundation board.
Continuing the Legacy
When Tom was ready to retire in 2020, Al and Jeanne Conover accepted the responsibility of carrying on the rich tradition of Bonnie Acres Farm.
Bonnie Acres Farm is now located in Baxter, Iowa and operated by Al and Jeanne Conover.
For questions about Bonnie Acres, contact Al at 515-491-8078 (cell) or 641-227-3537 (office). Mailing address: PO Box 9, Baxter, IA 50028.
Al's grandmother, a native of Scotland, named the farm Bonnie Acres as the word "Bonnie" comes from the Scottish word, beautiful. The farm began in the Berkshire business in 1931, when C.E. (Cliff) Conover chose the breed and Tom maintained the herd. Tom Conover has operated Bonnie Acres Berkshires in Holstein, Iowa for many years.
Believing in the Breed & Family Traditions
A good family friend, Wayne Collingridge of St. Claude, Manitoba, Canada interviewed Tom who had some great things to share about raising Berkshires:
- "I suppose it's just sort of a family tradition," he said, again with a hint of pride. 'The family moved in that direction and we didn't venture too far from it."
- In reference to the Japanese market for Berkshire, Tom said: "The flavor of the meat and marbling seem to be what they see as the difference from other breeds."
- Tom Conover adds the breed stays popular because of its inherent quality stating, "If you keep it good - People might wander off and try this and that - but they'll come back to what they've found satisfactory in the past," he said.
Tom has received numerous honors and accolades including being honored by the Iowa State Fair and recently being inducted into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame.
Service to the Breed
Three Conover generations, Tom, Al and his brother Craig, as well as Adam, have served on the American Berkshire Association Board of Directors. Tom was elected at the 77th Annual Meeting beginning his service in 1953 and serving the longest run as President in the history of the breed. Craig Conover continued the tradition serving nine years on the Board of Directors for the American Berkshire Association, including four years as President. In 2012, Adam Conover began his six years of service to the breed including two terms as Vice-President. Al served on the American Berkshire Association Board from 2018 to 2021 and also served on the American Berkshire Foundation board.
Continuing the Legacy
When Tom was ready to retire in 2020, Al and Jeanne Conover accepted the responsibility of carrying on the rich tradition of Bonnie Acres Farm.
Bonnie Acres Farm is now located in Baxter, Iowa and operated by Al and Jeanne Conover.
For questions about Bonnie Acres, contact Al at 515-491-8078 (cell) or 641-227-3537 (office). Mailing address: PO Box 9, Baxter, IA 50028.
