Albion’s Jenny McKenna named National Guernsey Queen

Photos courtesy of Jenny McKenna – Jenny McKenna is pictured with her parents, George and Iva McKenna, after Jenny was named National Guernsey Queen on June 20 at the American Guernsey Association’s 139th Annual Meeting in Walnut Creek, Ohio.

An Albion woman has been named National Guernsey Queen and will serve as an ambassador for the Guernsey dairy breed this year, attending major livestock shows and writing a monthly article for the Guernsey Breeders’ Journal, among her outreach efforts.

Jenny McKenna, 20, is currently a student at Cornell University, majoring in animal science with a concentration in dairy science. She is the fundraising officer for the Dairy Science Club.

McKenna served as dairy princess for Niagara-Orleans counties in 2013 and last year was the New York State Guernsey Princess.

She was crowned queen on June 20, vying with candidates from seven different states. McKenna was chosen the winner at the National Guernsey Convention and 139th Annual Meeting in Walnut Creek, Ohio.

“This has been a dream of mine since I was showing at the county fairs,” McKenna, 20, said today by phone from California. She is working this summer for a dairy farm and cheese processing plant in Modesto.

McKenna and her family have been Guernsey fans for many years. They show the red and white animals at local and national shows.

The breed produces milk with a rich flavor that is high in butterfat and protein. The animals can handle heat better than Holsteins, McKenna said. When it’s hot in the summer, the Guernseys see little drop off in milk production.

Their milk also is easier for people who are lactose intolerant, she said.

Jenny McKenna, far right, served as the NY Guernsey Princess last year and handed out ribbons at the State Fair.

McKenna is the youngest of four daughters of George and Iva McKenna. Jenny and her three sisters make all the decisions on their family’s Wee Kin Farm, a small hobby farm with a variety of species.

Jenny also helps at her family’s animal hospital, Country Lane Veterinary Services in Barre.

In the future, McKenna hopes to own and operate an agricultural tourism farm to educate the public about agriculture and dairying. She plans on always owning Guernsey cattle and to continue to be a Guernsey advocate.

Her sister Betsey was the National Guernsey Princess.

Jenny said the Guernsey industry is a close-knit group.

“We are like a family,” she said. “We all work together and like to share ideas.”

Photo by Tom Rivers – Jenny McKenna of Barre is pictured during the Albion Strawberry Festival parade in June 2014 when she was the New York State Guernsey Princess. She was the Niagara-Orleans Dairy Princess in 2013.