Dan Gernatt Farms
| Privately held family business | |
| Industry | agriculture, dairy farming, horse breeding and racing |
| Founded | Collins, New York (1938) |
| Founder | Daniel R. Gernatt, Sr. and Flavia C. (Schmitz) Gernatt |
| Headquarters | Collins, New York, United States of America |
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Area served
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Western New York |
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Key people
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Daniel R. Gernatt, Sr.; Flavia C. (Schmitz) Gernatt; Russell Rebmann |
| Products | Dairy cows; standardbred horses |
| Owner | Daniel R. Gernatt, Sr.; Flavia C. (Schmitz) Gernatt |
Dan Gernatt Farms is a dairy farming, and horse breeding and racing enterprise, located in the Western New York town of Collins. Daniel R. Gernatt, Sr. and Flavia C. (Schmitz) Gernatt co-owned and established Dan Gernatt Farms in 1938. They built up their farming business, being recognized in the 1950s as having the largest milking dairy herd in Erie County.
In the 1960s, the Gernatt's transitioned their dairy farming business to one of breeding and racing Standardbred horses with the purchase of Lieutenant Gray. Many of the Gernatt's harness racing horses had the last name, 'Collins,' reflecting the locale in which they were born. Among some of the Gernatt's top money-winning horses were Gallo Blue Chip, Bye Tsem (formerly Holden S. Collins), Vernon Blue Chip, Roz T. Collins, Adios Bob, Sir Taurus, Lotto S. Collins, and Elitist.
The Gernatt's established themselves in horse breeding and harness racing throughout a period of three decades, and wound down their horse business in the mid-1990s.
Dan Gernatt Dairy Farms was established in 1938 by Daniel R. Gernatt, Sr., and Flavia C. (Schmitz) Gernatt in Collins, New York. Both shared equal ownership in the business. In the 1950s, the dairy farming enterprise was recognized as the largest in Erie County. As Gernatt's farming business expanded, it was later known as Dan Gernatt Farms. The Gernatt's left dairy farming in the 1960s. Hauling grain as a result of the farming enterprise led to trucking sand and gravel from the Gernatt's property, thus leading to the establishment of the Gernatt Family of Companies, now a group of 11 mining companies, headquartered in Collins.
The Gernatt's partnered with each other in breeding and racing Standardbred horses, beginning in 1960. The harness racing horses were known throughout New York State,New Jersey, and Ontario, Canada. During a golfing vacation to Pinehurst, North Carolina in 1962, Daniel R. Gernatt, Sr. bought a half-interest in Lieutenant Gray for $2,750. The horse's good racing performance caused Gernatt to purchase brood mares with foals shortly thereafter, thus beginning the Gernatt's horse breeding and racing ventures. The Gernatt's established themselves in horse breeding and harness racing throughout a period of three decades.
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Wikipedia