THE Geard family, of Broadmarsh, has been bridging the city-country divide for 60 years and this year was again showing off its Green Glory Holsteins stud cows at the Royal Hobart Show.
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Paul Geard started the tradition as a youngster — his son Ben, 34, did the same and now Ben's children are following in his footsteps, not only in Hobart but also at Devonport and Burnie.
Ben said that he loved showcasing their cows for urban show patrons.
He, wife Natalie and their children, Isobel, 6, and Leila, 5, this year showed 14 cows at Hobart.
"We see ourselves as ambassadors for the industry - an industry we love and one that has been good to us over the years," Mr Geard said.
"We're taking a bit of the country to the city.
"I've noticed how the questions have changed — people used to just ask about how much milk the cow produces and what she eats, but now they're more educated.
"They want to know things like who do you supply, how much do you get for your milk and how you manage your herd.
"I'm happy to let them know what we do — at the end of the day if we haven't got a market for our product then we're in trouble.
"These are the people buying the milk.
"Once upon a time everyone's uncle or father had a dairy farm and kids got exposed to it in the school holidays, but that's just not the case anymore."
Ben Geard's parents, Paul and Elizabeth, bought the farm 38 years ago, converting it from sheep grazing to dairying and subsequently consolidating with irrigation.
Over the years, they added more properties and the total land has been boosted to more than 3000 hectares.
The family also runs merinos, an angus breeding herd and crossbreed lambs, but the main focus is the milking herd of 300 holsteins and supplying milk to Lion.
