As the AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings approach, the rolling hills of western Kentucky spotlight excellence in Jersey genetics. Meet KC Farms—where a fourth-generation REAP herd thrives under the care of father and daughter duo Dante and Elise Carpenter. The 75-cow grazing herd has an AJCA lactation average of 16,010 lbs. milk, 720 lbs. fat and 614 lbs. protein on an m.e. basis. The high-type herd has an average appraisal score of 87.9 points with 26 Excellent and 44 Very Good cows.
This issue features the award winners and director candidates that will be honored in Lexington June 25-28.
To improve and promote the Jersey breed of cattle, and to increase the value of and demand for Jersey milk and for Jersey cattle.
Company and Department Heads
Executive Secretary: Neal Smith, 614/322-4455
Treasurer: Vickie White, 614/322-4452
Director of Field Services: Kristin A. Paul, 209/402-5679
Director of Communications: Kimberly A. Billman, 614/322-4451
Information Technology: Philip Cleary, 614/322-4474
Jersey Marketing Service: Neal Smith, 209/988-0601
Herd Services: Lori King, 614/322-4457
Research & Genetic Program Consultant: John Metzger, jmetzger@usjersey.com
National All-Jersey Inc.: Grady Auer, 209/613-2286
AJCA-NAJ
Area Representatives
Director of Field Services: Kristin A. Paul, 209/4025679; 614/322-4495 (fax); kpaul@usjersey.com. Illinois and Wisconsin.
District 1 Manager: Scott Holcomb, 614/563-3227; sholcomb@usjersey.com. Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.
District 3 Manager: Seth Israelsen, 614/216-9727; sisraelsen@usjersey.com. Arizona, California, Hawaii,
Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, and Washington.
Greg Lavan, 614/216-8838; glavan@usjersey.com. Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
Benny Rector, 614/313-5818; brector@usjersey.com. Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and west Texas.
Jason Robinson, 614/216-5862; jrobinson@usjersey. com. Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and east Texas. Willow Voegtlen, 614/266-2419; wvoegtlen@usjersey. com. Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Type Traits Appraisal Team
Senior Appraiser: Ron Mosser, 614/264-0142, rmosser@ usjersey.com
Kelly Epperly, 614/530-6918; kepperly@usjersey.com
Mark Fisher, 209/765-7187; mfisher@usjersey.com Lee Harris, 614/284-1478; lharris@usjersey.com
Dyon Helmuth, 614/264-0140; dhelmuth@usjersey.com
Seth Israelsen, above
Greg Lavan, above
Andy Paulson, 614/296-4166; apaulson@usjersey.com. Willow Voegtlen, above
American Jersey Cattle Association Board of Directors
Officers
President: Alan Chittenden, 84 Running Creek Rd., Schodack Landing, NY 12156-9603. Phone 518/3202893; alan.dutchhollow@gmail.com.
Joe Vanderfeltz, 898 SR 706, Lawton, PA 18828; Phone 570/934-2406; jvanfel2@gmail.com. Third District. 2027.
National All-Jersey Inc. Board of Directors
Officers
President: John Kokoski, 57 Comins Rd., Hadley, MA 01035. Phone 413/531-2116; john@maplelinefarm.com. Vice President: Jason Cast, 4011 A Street Rd., Beaver Crossing, NE 68313-9417. Phone 402/641-2255; jjcjerseys@gmail.com.
Directors
Sam Bok, 11310 Krouse Rd., Defiance, OH 43512. Phone 419/782-0012; jawscows@defnet.com. District 7. 2025
Jason Cast, see officers. District 1. 2027. Alan Chittenden, ex officio, see AJCA officers. Garry Hansen, ex officio, see AJCA. Rogelio “Roger” Herrera, 7114 Youngstown Rd., Hilmar, CA 95324. Phone 209/485-0003; rogeliohs@yahoo.com. District 2. 2025.
Cornell Kasbergen, ex officio, see AJCA. John Kokoski, see officers. District 3. 2025. John Marcoot, 526 Dudleyville Rd. Greenville, IL. 62246. Phone 618/322-7239; johnemarcoot@gmail. com. District 4. 2026. Corey Lutz, 4399 Ritchie Rd., Lincolnton, NC 28092. Phone 704/735-1222; piedmontjerseys@charter.net. District 8. 2026.
Tom Seals, 37840 Upper Nestucca River Rd., Beaver, OR 97108. Phone 541/520-0298; jennie.seals@gmail. com. District 6. 2027.
Bradley Taylor, 106 County Road 5300, Booneville, MS 38829-9131. Phone 662/720-3598; taylorjerseyfarm@ gmail.com. District 5. 2028.
Official Publication of the American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey Inc.
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Email jerseyjournal@usjersey.com
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Editor: Kimberly A. Billman
Managing Editor: Tracie Hoying
Feature Writer: Michele Ackerman
Communications Specialist: Lindsay L’Amoreaux
Digital Media: Jolena Gioiello
Contributing Writer: Kaila Tauchen
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All subscribers to the online Jersey Journal (effective February 1, 2022) will receive a downloadable PDF version of the magazine to the email on file. They will also receive a link to the publication published online.
To make changes to your subscription, call the American Jersey Cattle Association at 614/861-3636. Or email jerseyjournal@usjersey. com. Please email or call with an updated email address if your address changes. Subscribers will receive periodical emails throughout the month. Have your customer number ready for a staff member.
If you do not receive an email with the pdf or link to the published magazine, call 614/8613636 or email jerseyjournal@usjersey.com. We will verify your information and correct what is needed.
How You Will Receive Your Jersey Journal?
First week of each month, you will receive an email that includes:
• link to flip version of the Jersey Journal
• downloadable PDF of the magazine
• links to advertising
• links to updated stories on the website
• access to the archive editions of Jersey Journal back to 2009
Make sure we have your email on file and then sit back and let us deliver the news to you!
This index is provided as an additional service. The Jersey Journal assumes no liability for errors or omissions. The Jersey Journal does not guarantee quality, delivery time, or availability of items ordered from commercial advertisers.
The American Jersey Cattle Association promotes the use of authentic and unaltered photographic images of Jersey animals, and disapproves of the use of any photographic images that alter the body of the Jersey animal. The American Jersey Cattle Association therefore requests that all photographic images of Jersey animals submitted for publication in the Jersey Journal contain no alterations to the body of the animal.
Despite its best efforts to ensure that only unaltered photographs of Jersey animals are used in this publication, the American Jersey Cattle Association cannot guarantee that every photographic image of a Jersey animal is authentic and unaltered.
paxtonll.llp@gmail.com
mshedden12@gmail.com
stoneyhollowjerseys@gmail.com
nobledalefarm@gmail.com
jnbschuc@yahoo.com
jrp280@gmail.com
jvanfel2@gmail.com
Every effort is made to keep the calendar listings as accurate as possible. However, dates are sometimes changed or events cancelled without notice. When your association schedules an event, notify the Journal staff at least 60 days in advance by sending email to JerseyJournal@usjersey.com or phoning 614/861-3636.
Type Appraisal Schedule
POLICY: Areas will be appraised in the order listed. If you wish to appraise and do not receive an application 30 days prior to the appraisal, please request one from Appraisal Office Coordinator Lori King by telephone, 614/322-4457, or email lking@usjersey. com. Apply online at http://www.usjersey.com/forms/ appraisalapp.com. Applications can also be printed from the USJersey website at http://www.usjersey. com/forms/ttaapplication.pdf.
JUNE —Vermont and New Hampshire; Maine, Massachusetts and Connecticut; and New York.
JULY—Ohio; and Pennsylvania.
AUG.—Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, and Southern Georgia; Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Delaware; North Carolina and South Carolina; and Kentucky and Tennessee.
SEPT. —Washington; Oregon; Arkansas and Missouri; and Indiana and Illinois.
OCT.—California and Nevada.
NOV.—Wisconsin.
DEC.—New Mexico and Texas; Minnesota; Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.
Deadlines
JUNE 1—Genomic samples must be to lab prior to this date for the July evaluation release.
JULY 1—Applications for National Jersey Youth Scholarships due.
JULY 1—Genomic samples must be to lab prior to this date for the August evaluation release.
AUG. 1—Ownership and transfer date for junior eligibility for fall shows (All American, World Dairy Expo, Western National Jersey Show, and Harrisburg)
SEPT. 20— National Jersey Jug Futurity final payments due on 2024 entries.
OCT. 15— National Jersey Queen Application deadline.
Sales
JUNE 12-14—FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND TAG
SALE , Hosted by Interstate Heifer Care, Clear Spring, Md.; South Mountain Jerseys & Interstate Heifer Care, sale mgr. packardterri@gmail.com.
JUNE 26 NATIONAL HEIFER SALE, the Embassy Suites UK/Coldstream; 6:30 p.m. (EDT); Jersey Marketing Service, sale mgr.; jms@usjersey. com; Chris Hill, Thurmont, Md., auctioneer.
JUNE 28 JERSEY YOUTH ACADEMY BEN-
Registration Fees Effective October 1, 2024
InfoJersey.com Applications All Other Applications Member Non-Member Member Non-Member Females:
EFIT AUCTION, Salvisa, Ky..; 2:30 p.m. (EDT); American Jersey Cattle Association, sale mgr.; jms@usjersey.com; broadcast live on CowBuyer. com.
JUNE 28—DREAMING OF TRIPLE CROWNS AT KEIGHTLEY & CORE, at the farm, Salvisa, Ky.; 6:30 p.m. (EDT).
SEPT. 30 TOP OF THE WORLD JERSEY SALE, Madison, Wis.; Jersey Marketing Service, sale mgr.; jms@usjersey.com.
NOV. 8 POT O’GOLD SALE , Louisville, Ky.; 1:00 p.m. (EST); Jersey Marketing Service, sale mgr.; jms@usjersey.com; broadcast live on CowBuyer.com.
NOV. 8 ALL AMERICAN JERSEY SALE , Louisville, Ky.; 3:30 p.m. (EST); Jersey Marketing Service, sale mgr.; jms@usjersey.com; broadcast live on CowBuyer.com; Chris Hill, Thurmont, Md., auctioneer.
Meetings and Expositions
JUNE 22-25—AMERICAN DAIRY SCIENCE ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING, Kentucky International Convention Center, Louisville, Ky. JUNE 25-28—AJCA-NAJ ANNUAL MEETINGS, Lexington, Ky.
JULY 13-18 JERSEY YOUTH ACADEMY CLASS IX, Columbus, Ohio.
NOV. 8— ALL AMERICAN JERSEY YOUTH AWARD CEREMONY, West Hall Room B, Louisville, Ky.; 9:00 a.m. (EST); presentation of national Jersey Youth Awards and National Jersey Queen Contest.
NOV. 11-13—DAIRY CATTLE REPRODUCTION COUNCIL ANNUAL MEETING, Middleton, Wis. NOV. 15—OKLAHOMA JERSEY ANNUAL MEETING, Steer Inn, Cushing, Okla.; 10:00 a.m. (CST). JUNE 17-20, 2026—AJCA-NAJ ANNUAL MEETINGS, Springfield, Mo.
Shows
JUNE 14—MARYLAND FIELD DAY, Frederick, Md.
JULY 28-31—EASTERN NEW YORK SUMMER JERSEY SHOW, Washington County Fairgrounds, Greenwich, N.Y.; Pierre Boulet, Que., judge.
Dead Animals May Be Registered For A Fee of $10.00
Duplicate or Corrected Certificates Will Be Issued For A Fee of $10.00
Rush Service Fee (per piece) $20 — Email or Fax delivery (per piece) $10
Transfer Fees Effective July 1, 2014
Standard processing fee is $14.00 when transfer is received within 60 days of the date of sale of the animal to the new owner, and $17.00 when received after 60 days.
$2.00 discounts from the standard fee will be applied to individual animal transfers processed via infoJersey.com and to group transfers submitted in batch electronic files: Excel spreadsheet, report downloaded from herd management software, or a field-delimited text file. Additional discounts may apply for herds enrolled in REAP, and for intraherd and intra-farm transfers. Refer to “Fees for Programs and Services” (www.usjersey.com/fees.pdf) and call Herd Services for more information.
The Association’s Bylaws require the seller to pay the transfer fee. Save by becoming a lifetime member of the American Jersey Cattle Association.
JULY 31 OHIO STATE FAIR JUNIOR JERSEY SHOW, Ohio Expo Center, Columbus, Ohio; 9:00 a.m. (EDT); Madison Fisher, Frostburg, Md., judge.
AUG. 1-2 OHIO STATE FAIR OPEN JERSEY SHOW, Ohio Expo Center, Columbus, Ohio; 9:00 a.m. (EDT); heifers on the Aug. 1, cows on the Aug. 2, Jeff Core, Salvisa, Ky., judge.
AUG 1-2—WISCONSIN STATE FAIR JUNIOR JERSEY SHOW, Wisconsin State Fair Park, West Allis, Wis.
AUG 9-10—WISCONSIN STATE FAIR JERSEY SHOW, Wisconsin State Fair Park, West Allis, Wis.
AUG 12—INDIANA STATE FAIR OPEN JERSEY SHOW, Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, Ind.. AUG. 31 NEW YORK STATE FAIR, Syracuse, N.Y.
SEPT. 13—TENNESSEE STATE JUNIOR JERSEY SHOW, Nashville, Tenn.
SEPT. 15—MID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL JUNIOR JERSEY SHOW, Harrisburg, Pa.; 7:00 a.m. (EDT); Ron Mosser, Geneva, Ind., judge.
SEPT. 16—MID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL JERSEY SHOW, Harrisburg, Pa.; 11:30 a.m. (EDT); JeanPhilippe Charest, Saint Alexandre, Que. judge. (continued to page 23)
Jonathan Merriam, Hickman, Calif., has been officially nominated for District 2 of National All-Jersey Inc.
*****************
Colton Breidenbach and Lindsay L’Amoreaux were married on May 17, 2025, at Brookside Farm in Louisville, Ohio. He is the son of Mike and Missy Breidenbach of Upper Sandusky, Ohio. She is the daughter of Nevin and Brenda L’Amoreaux of Louisville, Ohio.
Lindsay is a communications specialist with Jersey Journal and a vet student at Ohio State University as well. He works for Amazon. The couple will reside in Columbus, Ohio.
Jon and Samantha (Schuessler) Conklin, Antigo, Wis., gave birth to their first child, Caroline Grace Conklin, on April 22, 2025. She weighed 6 lbs. 15.8 oz. and was 20 ½ inches long.
Samatha placed fifth in the 2018 National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest and attended Jersey Youth Academy in 2017. Today, she is a crop scout supervisor for AgSource. Jon is a crop specialist for Insight FS.
Joey and Kaila (Wussow) Tauchen, Cecil, Wis., welcomed their third child—a boy this time—on May 13, 2025. William Alan Tauchen weighed 9 lbs. and was 20 ½ inches long. He joins a family that includes big sister Amelia, 4, and younger sister Vienna Mae, who celebrated her second birthday two days before his birth. Maternal grandparents are Ron and Nicole Wussow, Milk-nMore Farms, also of Cecil.
Kaila is the people development lead at PEAK Genetics; Joey works on his family farm, Tauchen Harmony Valley Inc., in Bonduel, Wis. Kaila won the 2017 National Jersey Youth
A Hearty Welcome To These New AJCA Members
Dawn Bertrand, Lucas, Iowa
Jordan Brown, Amarillo, Texas
Taylor Buell, Eastford, Conn.
Gregg Burris, Rushville, Ind.
Courtney de St. Jean, Walkerton, Ind.
Cletus Frey, Smithburg, Md.
Nate Gilmore, Girard, Pa.
Ryan Haines, Taneytown, Md.
Anna Hinchley-Skadahl, Cambridge, Wis.
Matt Hogan, Tillamook, Ore.
Sadie Howard, Cody, Wyo.
Anthony James, Hugoton, Kan.
Evan H. Jauquet, Pulaski, Wis.
Nora Jauregui-Gonzalez, Gallatin Gateway, Mont.
Kristin Killgore, Tillamook, Ore.
Jason King, Fremont, Ohio
Lucas Marsh, Westerly, R.I.
Lindsey McAllister, Union, Ill.
Mary Catherine McGehee, Elkhart Lake, Wis.
Christopher H. Owens, Frederic, Wis.
Jacqueline Quint, New Market, Tenn.
Heather Russell, Adair, Iowa
Morgan Santos, Preston, Conn.
Herbert J. Sewell, Union, Ill.
Javan Stump, Troy, Pa.
Cecil Thompson, Cherryville, Mo.
Karis Tressel, Washington, Pa.
Scott Upton, Kershaw, S.C.
Kara Visiodei, Montgomery, Texas
Lauren B. Wooldrige, Cox Creek, Ky.
Achievement Contest. She is a former assistant director of communications for the American Jersey Cattle Association and continues to write for the Jersey Journal
The feed and forage program at Sand Creek Dairy LLC, Hastings, Mich., was highlighted in a recent edition of American Agriculturist magazine. The article describes how the Haywood family focuses on producing highquality forages and silage to maximize the production efficiency of the herd of 1,200 Holstein and Jersey cows.
The Haywoods grow brown mid-rib corn, alfalfa and some mixed grass hay along with rye, oats and radishes as cover crops for the corn. Five years ago, they began planting low-lignin alfalfa to increase ration digestibility and nutritional value and get more forage in the diet. The Haywoods typically get five cuttings of alfalfa and four of mixed grass hay each year. No two
fields are harvested the same. Rather, each is optimized to optimize the entire pit. The family is aggressive with seed varieties and sampling of forages, moisture and soils.
Jacqueline Mudd,
Chebanse, Ill., and Summer Hammann, Barron, Wis., have been announced as members of the Young Breeder School USA. The two and four other teammates will head to Battice, Belgium, in September to learn more about feeding and fitting cattle for the shows, judging, showmanship and marketing. Founded in 1999, today’s event occurs over five days and includes two days of competitions against other teams from around the world in classes for heifer conformation and showmanship.
Nebraska Halts Purchase of Sugary Drinks with Food Stamps
For decades, lawmakers have sought to restrict the purchase of sugary beverages, like soda and energy drinks, through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Nebraska has become the first state to succeed in doing so, following the Trump administration’s approval waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees the $100 billion program.
The change, announced by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, is set to take effect in January 2026. will take effect in January 2026.
Several other states—including Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Utah and West Virginia— are considering waiver requests, either to ban certain food items or expand access to healthier, hot meals for SNAP recipients. While the program is funded by the USDA, it is administered at the state level.
Currently, participants may purchase all food items except alcohol, tobacco and hot foods. The program is funded by USDA, but administered at the state level.
The Breidenbachs
albrightjerseys@gmail.com
cgrazeland@sssnet.com
coldrunjerseys@frontier.com
phjfarm@dslextreme.com
jaws@defnet.com
grass4jerseys@yahoo.com
laspahr@bright.net
toddunkefer@yahoo.com
Leadership Matters. Make Your Vote Count
“Successful leaders see the opportunities in every difficulty rather than the difficulty in every opportunity.”
— Reed Markham
Leadership is not simply about decision-making—it’s about vision, trust, and the power of representation. For members of the USJersey organizations, leadership begins with you. As stewards of the Jersey breed and stakeholders in its future, your most vital tool for influence is your vote.
The annual elections of the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) and National All-Jersey Inc. (NAJ) are not just formalities. They are a call to action. These elections determine who will serve as the voice of the membership, guiding the organizations with policies that affect every aspect of our work—from breed development to milk marketing, from research to growth initiatives.
This year’s pivotal event, the 157th Annual Meeting of the AJCA, will take place on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at the Embassy Suites/UK Coldstream in Lexington, Kentucky. Members will elect a President and one Director from each of the following districts:
• First District: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.
• Second District: Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
• Third District: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
On Thursday June 27, 2025, NAJ will convene at the same venue. Members will elect two directors—one from District 2 and one from District 3.
The foundation of these elections is the
principle of one member, one vote. It ensures that each voice has equal weight and that leadership reflects the collective will of our diverse and dedicated membership. But to uphold this principle, your participation is essential.
Through their work, elected board members:
• Establish and uphold policies that align with AJCA and NAJ missions.
• Oversee service delivery and maintain financial stewardship.
• Champion programs that boost Jersey milk production, promote genetics, and expand market reach.
As they fulfill these responsibilities, board members must continually revisit four essential questions:
1. Do our policies, programs and services encourage and support the development of a more efficient Jersey cow?
2. Are we moving quickly enough to remain relevant to commercial milk producers?
3. Are our marketing efforts increasing the value of and demand for Jersey products: milk, cattle and genetics?
4. Are we bold and forward-thinking enough to reshape the color of the dairy industry?
These questions are more than a strategic checklist— they are a compass for our breed’s future.
Voting in person at the Annual Meeting is encouraged, but all members should also vote by proxy, a process made easier by mail and email ballots distributed in May. Whether attending or not, voting by proxy improves efficiency and ensures your voice is counted.
Your vote is more than a duty—it’s a declaration of commitment to progress, to the Jersey legacy, and to the values we share. The future of our breed depends not just on cows and data, but on people like you— active, informed, and engaged.
When your ballot arrives, cast your vote. Let your voice be heard.
AJCA MASTER BREEDER
Stuart and Elaine Noble
Stuart and Elaine Noble, Gillett, Pa., have been named recipients of the Master Breeder award from the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA).
The Master Breeder award is bestowed annually to a living AJCA member, family, partnership, or corporation that, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, has bred outstanding animals for many years and thereby made a notable contribution to the advancement of the Jersey breed in the United States.
Stuart and Elaine Noble and their grown children, Wesley and Maria Noble-Ellsworth own and operate Nobledale Farm. Though the couple’s youngest son, Cory, pursued a career off the farm, he lends a hand with the crops as his schedule allows.
The reference to “many years” feels like an understatement at Nobledale Farms, where outstanding animals have been bred for more than 135 years by eight generations of the Noble family.
To put this longevity into perspective: when the Nobles began breeding Registered Jerseys in 1888, Benjamin Harrison was president, the Kodak camera had just debuted, the ballpoint pen was freshly patented, and the Statue of Liberty had been welcoming the tired, poor and huddled masses for two years.
and, most recently, genomic testing and sexed and beef semen. Nobledale Farm has been enrolled on REAP since it was launched in 1995 and been a contract advertiser with the Jersey Journal since 1998.
In the ‘50s and ‘60s, the breeding program took on greater significance when fifth-generation LaVere Noble
herds. Fondly known as “Mister Jersey,” he was the local contact for Jersey cattle and Jersey knowledge. He played a key role in establishing many Jersey herds and often sold some of his best to youth for 4-H and FFA projects. Nobledale Farm once placed second for the breeder banner at the Tioga County Fair without exhibiting a single animal. With Tom’s untimely death in 1988, his sons, Stuart and Stephen, took on greater roles at the farm. In 1993, they established a partnership with their mother, Shirley. Stuart focused on the breeding program and herd management, Stephen headed up the crops and feed program and Shirley handled the farm books.
In the Jersey world, the American Jersey Cattle Club, then based in New York City, was just 20 years beyond its founding and 17 from publication of Volume 1 of the Herd Register. In 1888, the club published its first volume of Butterfat Tests of Registered Jersey Cows.
That same year, George Noble and his son, Alonzo, purchased the family’s first Registered Jersey and brought her home to the farm that had been established by the elder’s father, Alonzo C. Noble, in 1933. Over the years, the family has adopted many progressive herd management practices. Early on, this included registration, production testing and appraisal. This was followed by young sires and embryo transfer,
was at the helm. As a sire analyst for Northeast Breeders Association, he traveled around the country to procure bulls and acquire foundation animals for the farm. Among the most influential was Trippys Sparkling Vinda, the great-grandam of Milkboy Empire Vertus, Stuart’s first 4-H project, and in the lineage of the most impactful cow bred by the family, Nobledale Juno Vermont.
To build on these genetics, LaVere and his son, Tom, prioritized components and longevity when choosing service sires. In those days, the tank held semen from bulls like Observer Chocolate Soldier, Milestones Generator, Quicksilvers Magic of Ogston, and A-Nine Top Brass. During the ‘70s and ‘80s, they also began using young sires to speed genetic progress and get early daughters of promising, unproven bulls.
Tom Noble also had a passion for seeing Jerseys—including those bearing the Nobledale prefix—thrive in other
Though the herd had been closed for years, the Nobles began introducing high-end genetics with purchases from elite dispersals and sales like the National Heifer Sale and the All American Jersey Sale. In the breeding program, Stuart began pairing superior production with the long-standing emphasis on components and longevity. Bulls in the lineup now included the likes of Duncan Chief, Mason Boomer Sooner Berretta, J.S. Quicksilver Royal and Yankee FW Chief, along with type bulls from Canada. By alternating American-bred production sires with Canadian-bred conformation sires, he developed cows that were well-rounded, structurally sound and productive.
Stuart also became involved with AJCA’s regional young sire proving group, Liberty Jersey Sires Inc., serving several years as a director. During the ‘90s and early 2000s, about 25% of the herd was bred to young sires. More recently, the Nobles have launched an in-vitro/embryo transfer program and use both sexed dairy and beef semen. The top half of the herd and brood cow families are bred using sexed semen for two services and conventional semen thereafter. The bottom half is used as recipients or bred to beef bulls to produce black calves.
Though the breeding tools have
(continued
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Charles Luchsinger
Charles Luchsinger, Syracuse, N.Y., has been chosen as the 2025 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award of the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA).
The Distinguished Service Award is presented by the Board of Directors to as many living AJCA members and/ or members’ families, who, in their opinion have rendered outstanding and unselfish service for many years and thereby made a notable contribution to the advancement of the Jersey breed in the United States.
Charles “Chuck” Luchsinger’s life has centered around the Registered Jersey cow. He and his wife, Sue, and their son, Charlie, milk 60 Registered Jerseys on Silver Spring Farms, a venture they are very proud to continue passing down from generation to generation. Chuck and Sue’s daughter, Ali, also is involved part time and their other daughter, Jennifer, lives in Indiana with her husband, Josh Gordon, where they have their own herd of Jerseys.
The latest—and perhaps greatest— joy of Chuck and Sue’s lives has been watching their grandchildren also develop a love and passion for Jersey cattle and agriculture.
Silver Spring Farm has been on an official production and testing program since the 1920s. The farm has contributed to Project Equity since 1990 and joined REAP in 2003.
In addition to the dairy farm, they operate Silver Spring Farm Market, which is open from May to December each year. Their biggest commodities are flowers, hanging baskets and plants, but they also offer other seasonal products such as produce, mums and Christmas trees.
Chuck takes great pride in breeding great cattle and marketing them for others to continue developing. He enjoys seeing animals with the farm’s SSF prefix in their pedigree perform well for their new owners and create the next generation of great Registered Jerseys.
“Chuck’s passion is contagious—he exudes passion for his family, for the
game of golf, and obviously for the Jersey cow. The cow passion is not just for his Jersey herd success, but for many others to succeed by building a herd with profitable Jerseys,” wrote Jeff Ziegler, vice president of dairy cattle breeding at Select Sires Inc., Plain City, Ohio, in a letter of support.
Over the years, Chuck Luchsinger has touched almost every area possible of service for the Jersey cow. He served two terms as a director for the AJCA from 1995-2002 and later filled the void left by the passing of Robin DennistonKeller from 2013-2024. Chuck also served for nine years as a director of National All-Jersey Inc. (NAJ) from 1993-2002. During his terms, he chaired both the Breed Improvement and Development committees.
A true rarity, Chuck is the third generation to serve the New York Jersey Cattle Club as a director, a role that he has held for over 40 years.
“Chuck is one of those people who can always be counted on to step up,” wrote New York Jersey breeder and Master Breeder Paul Chittenden of Dutch Hollow Jerseys, Schodack Landing.
“His willingness to take the lead, serve as a committee member or sometimes just express an opinion that steers others has earned him respect from all who have worked with him.”
A major advocate and supporter of the All American Jersey events, Chuck has served on the planning committee for 43 years. He has seen the evolution of the events, especially having served as the general chairman of the 2006 All American, officiated all three shows and was a judge for the 2013 National Jersey Queen Contest. Chuck also was the 2004 recipient of the Max Gordon Recognition Award.
The Luchsinger family has also exhibited and bred animals that have captured multiple top placings and laurels over the years. They have captured multiple Premier Breeder and Exhibitor banners, something that the family takes great pride in.
A highlight for the family was in 1978 was showing the first, second and fourth place individuals in the National Jersey Jug Futurity. Silver Spring Farms also exhibited the 1996 National Junior Champion and bred the National Reserve Junior Champion.
Clint Collins III, Sylacauga, Alab., wrote in his letter of support, “Chuck illustrates extensive contributions to the Jersey breed at a national scale, but his accomplishments at Silver Spring Farms should not be overlooked; he has spent a lifetime promoting the Jersey cow for functional type and profitable production.”
In 1983, Chuck was presented with the AJCA Young Jersey Breeder Award. Fast forward 31 years, Silver Spring Farms was awarded the AJCA honor of Master Breeder at the AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings. He and Sue served as the general chairs of the 2009 AJCANAJ Annual Meetings in Syracuse, N.Y., and he was the chairman of the 1978 National Heifer Sale.
In New York, Chuck has been an instrumental member of the New York Purebred Dairy Cattle Association, having served as the (continued to page 25)
AWARD FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE
Dan Grigson
Dan Grigson, Stanford, Ky., has been named winner of the Award for Meritorious Service presented by the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) and National All-Jersey Inc. (NAJ).
This award is given annually to a living individual(s) who, in the joint opinion of the Boards of Directors of the national Jersey organizations, has made a notable contribution to the advancement of the Jersey breed and the livelihood of Jersey owners in the United States through research, education, development, marketing, or other significant activities of the allied dairy industry.
In every great tradition, there are individuals whose steadfast dedication and behind-thescenes leadership create the foundation for success. This year, the AJCA and NAJ proudly present the Award for Meritorious Service to Dan Grigson, whose four decades of service have profoundly shaped the success of The All American Jersey Show and the broader dairy exhibition community.
“Dan has worked tirelessly to make the All American Jersey Show the premier event for Jersey exhibitors, driven by his passion for agriculture and the dairy industry,” wrote Jeff and Alta Mae Core of Salvisa, Ky., in their letter of support. “Thanks to his efforts, the Jersey show continues to be an event we all eagerly anticipate each year. Dan treats every exhibitor like family, and his leadership and dedication truly deserve recognition.”
Resources—turning down administrative positions to remain where he believed he could make the most impact: working directly with farmers.
NAILE, which happens year-round. He does so much extra for the dairy shows when he really doesn’t have to. He’s open to listening to any ideas that will make the shows more successful and accommodating for the exhibitors—then he fights for those ideas as they work their way through NAILE’s staff and executive committee. Mr. Grigson is the strong voice for dairy as planning meetings progress.”
A native of Kentucky, Dan Grigson’s roots in agriculture run deep. Raised on a family farm where dairy cattle, beef, and tobacco were part of daily life, Dan developed an early appreciation for the hard work and values that define rural America. He carried those values with him to the University of Kentucky (UK), where he earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agriculture and crop science. He then launched a 42-year career as a UK County Extension Agent for Agriculture & Natural
American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) and the Kentucky State Fair that distinguishes him as a truly meritorious servant to the Jersey community. For 40 years, he has served with excellence as superintendent and assistant superintendent of the dairy show, becoming a central force in ensuring the prominence and quality of the All American Jersey Show, the national championship for the breed.
“As a lifelong University of Kentucky extension agent, he has served our state through agriculture with passion and integrity,” wrote Warren Beeler, general superintendent of NAILE. “Mr. Grigson also serves as superintendent of dairy shows at the Kentucky State Fair—again proving his love of the families that exhibit dairy here in Kentucky and around the world. The most impressive thing about Dan is his endless effort. He attends every meeting related to dairy at
Dan has advocated tirelessly to ensure the Jersey breed takes its rightful place in the spotlight—pushing for schedule improvements, supporting show expansions, and welcoming new initiatives that keep the event vibrant and competitive. His thoughtful leadership, responsiveness to exhibitor feedback, and unshakable fairness have earned him widespread respect. Those who’ve worked alongside him describe Dan as “fair and objective,” “passionate and friendly,” and “dedicated and diligent”—a reflection of the values he brings to every role he undertakes.
“Dan’s tireless efforts to provide the best possible experience for all exhibitors at NAILE have made a lasting impact on the event,” wrote Roger Sparrow, assistant dairy superintendent at NAILE. “Whether it’s dealing with last-minute changes, coordinating logistical challenges, or resolving any number of exhibitor concerns, no issue is ever too small or insignificant for Dan to address. He approaches each challenge with a level of professionalism and care that has earned him the respect and admiration of Jersey exhibitors from coast to coast, as well as the staff and breed associations that collaborate with him. His reputation as a fair, approachable, and dedicated leader precedes him, and it’s clear that his influence has shaped NAILE into the world-class event it is today.”
Mike Stiles of Waverly Farm in Clear Brook, Va., reflected on his years of experience with Dan: “My personal association with Dan goes back many years because of our exhibiting at the
While Dan’s professional life includes numerous accolades, it is his extraordinary commitment to the North (continued to page 24)
AJCA Master Breeder
(continued from page 18)
changed over the past century, the Nobles’ goals have not. Income over feed costs remains a priority, along with longevity in genetics. It is protocol to give two-year-olds a chance to develop regardless of performance in the first lactation. The Nobles believe a lot of feed and energy is directed towards growth and maturity in milking heifers, not just putting milk in the bucket.
When Stephen became ill in 2020 and passed in 2022, Maria stepped up and began working full-time on the farm. Three years later, Wesley returned after a four-year hiatus working for other dairy producers, ST Genetics and the animal health company AHV. Elaine works fulltime as a 4-H educator in neighboring Chemung County, New York, but also milks cows, cares for newborns and handles office duties. Maria’s husband, Ryan, a heavy equipment operator by trade, helps with herd care, equipment maintenance and crop work.
In fall and winter, cows are fed a total mixed ration (TMR) of haylage, corn silage and grain concentrate along with some dry hay and baleage. During the spring and summer, they are rotationally grazed and brought inside during the hottest part of the day, where the ration is supplemented with the TMR. Plans are underway to construct a freestall barn and retrofit the existing barn into a flat barn parlor. This expansion will improve cow comfort and allow the Nobles to raise more replacement heifers, as 15-20% are currently sold each year as dairy replacements due to space constraints.
The 84-cow herd has a March 2025 actual rolling herd average of 17,616 lbs. milk, 860 lbs. fat and 658 lbs. protein. With the January 2025 appraisal, the herd includes 38 Excellent and 45 Very Good cows and has an average final score of 87.8%.
The “V” cow family perfectly illustrates how the Nobles combined association programs, strategic matings and breed-leading sires to steadily improve their herd—and reap the rewards. In 1975, Stuart’s “Vertus” received a modest final score of 62% from the classifier. It was a humble start, but with each generation, both scores and production improved: Very Good-80%, then Very Good-82%, and then Excellent-91% with Nobledale Magic Velvet, who completed a dozen lactations and lived to the age of 17.
Three generations later came “Vermont,” born in June 1992, two months after Stuart and Elaine wed, and named for their honeymoon destination. In 1995, she placed second at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Jersey Show, a strong enough showing to justify a trip to the All American Jersey Show, a first for the Nobles. She drew interest and pricing inquiries in Louisville, but the Nobles had big plans for her, so she stayed in Pennsylvania.
“Vermont” was one of those young cows that needed time to develop. She produced 12,000 lbs. of milk in her first lactation and 17,000 in her second. By her third lactation, she was giving more than 100 lbs. a day and completed the first of three consecutive lactations over 20,000 lbs. milk.
She launched the flush program at Nobledale Farm and became the farm’s first Excellent-94% cow in 1998, earning 50 points in stature and strength and 49 in rump width.
Sired by Valleystream J I S Juno—a bull not known for production— she initially posed challenges for merchandising. She proved her ability to transmit desirable genetics, however, and ultimately produced 59 offspring. Of these, 15 bulls were sampled in A.I. and 15 females were sold at elite consignment sales.
Her most notable daughter, Nobledale Pitino Victoria, was the high seller at the 2002 All American Jersey Sale, purchased by Goff Dairy, Hobbs, N.M., as a three-year-old. She was flushed at both Nobledale Farm and Goff Dairy and has 54 registered progeny. Like her mother, she was appraised Excellent-94% and made a record over 21,000 lbs. milk. Another daughter, Nobledale Victorias SydneyET, Excellent-90%, sold to David and Diana Freeman, Greenville, Ill., who successfully marketed her genetics and sent sons to A.I.
Of the 165 females that reside at Nobledale Farm today, more than half are direct maternal descendants of “Vermont.”
“Vermont” is on the paternal side of some as well, including the branch of the “B” family that traces to Nobledale Homestead Brenda, Excellent-92%, a matriarch who was still in the milking string at 18 years of age. In her ninth lactation, she was bred to Nobledale Barkly Vodka-ET, a herd bull out of “Vermont,” and gave birth to Nobledale Vodka Bernadette, Very Good-88%. Her daughter, Nobledale Action Bella, is the Nobles’ highest appraised cow at
Excellent-95%. A family favorite, she was shown by both Wesley and Maria and was flushed several times. She has eight registered progeny to date, several pregnancies due this spring and embryos in the tank. She celebrated her 14th birthday in October and is living out the remainder of her life as a dry cow. Also hailing from this family is Nobledale Fizz Bubbly, Excellent-91%, a granddaughter of “Bernadette,” who was shown in the 2019 National Jersey Jug Futurity, another first for the family.
Over the past 135 years, Nobledale Farm has celebrated many firsts and set new standards. But the journey is far from over. As Stuart and Elaine begin to step back from their roles, they are transitioning the farm to Wesley and Maria. The herd is in good hands as both are as passionate about the cows as their predecessors. Wesley has participated in youth programs and breeds cattle using the Noble Oaks prefix. Maria attended Jersey Youth Academy in 2011, was National Jersey Queen in 2016 and earned the AJCA Young Jersey Breeder award in 2024. There are promising signs for the ninth generation, as Ryan and Maria’s 8-month-old daughter, Isabella, is already showing an affinity for brown cows.
Master Breeders
1944 William MacPherson, Thomasville, Ga.*
1945 W. R. Kenan, Jr., Lockport, N.Y.*
1946 George W. Sisson, Jr., Potsdam, N.Y.*
1947 E. S. Brigham, St. Albans, Vt.*
1948 Guy Miller, Modesto, Calif.*
1949 Dr. Howard D. Odum, Chapel Hill, N.C.*
1950 Judge J. G. Adams, Asheville, N.C.*
1951 N. M. Tibbles, Independence, Ore.*
1952 Frank W. Barber, Fayetteville, Tenn.*
1953 Herman F. Heep, Buda, Texas*
1954 Dale Dean, Ridgeway, Mich.*
1955 Maurice Pollak, Lincroft, N.J.*
1956 J. L. Hutcheson, Jr., Rossville, Ga.*
1957 John R. Sibley, Spencer, Mass.*
1958 J. Chester Elliff, Tulia, Texas*
1959 A. W. Sweet, Sixes, Ore.*
1960 Col. H. G. Wilde, Lenox, Mass.*
1961 C. Edward Knolle, Sandia, Texas*
1962 Russel Hoar, Newark, Ohio*
1963 William Ross Proctor, Pittstown, N.J.*
1964 Clifton F. Russell, Rossville, Ga.*
1965 Chester Folck, Springfield, Ohio*
1966 C. Scott Mayfield, Athens, Tenn.*
1967 E. E. Greenough, Merced, Calif.*
1968 Henry Uihlein, Lake Placid, N.Y.*
1969 Charles S. Kelly, Hudson, Wis.*
1970 H. Fowler Hupman, Springfield, Ohio*
1971 Milton Humberd, Cleveland, Tenn.*
1972 Willis Rupert, New Waterford, Ohio*
1973 Earl Hutchinson, Tunbridge, Vt.*
1974 Antone J. Regli, Ferndale, Calif.*
1975 Mrs. Diana Ryan, Newport, R.I.*
1976 James and Georgia Pappas, Modesto, Calif.*
1977 Mrs. H. G. Wilde, Lenox, Mass.*
1978 Henry W. Black, West Baldwin, Maine*
1979 John Bishop VI, Columbus, N.J. *
1980 Mrs. A. G. Rankin and Sons, Faunsdale, Ala.*
1981 W. L. Payton, Stephenville, Texas*
1982 Curtis Hobson, Athens, Tenn.*
1983 Stanley N. Chittenden, New Lebanon, N.Y.*
1984 Walter H.* and Joan Brown, Hughson, Calif.
1985 Newell Mills, Fallon, Nev.*
1986 John R. Owen, Lewisburg, Tenn.*
1987 Robert S. Pike* and Family, Cornish, Maine
1988 Ray Chamberlain, Wyoming, N.Y.*
1989 Ralph* and Betty Reichert, Riley, Kans.
1990 Stanley K. Bansen, Dayton, Ore.*
1991 Henry P. Knolle, Sandia, Texas*
1992 Phil V. Fanelli, Hilmar, Calif.*
1993 Dr. J. J. Malnati, Newberry, S.C.*
1994 Walter* and Sally Goodrich, West Danville, Vt.
1995 Edward, Harold, and Donald Wright, White River Junction, Vt.*
1996 Elmer D. Larson, Roy, Wash.*
1997 Albert Bradford, Turner, Maine*
1998 Robert Stiles Family, Clear Brook, Va.
1999 Robert and Barbara Howard, Tillamook, Ore.*
2000 Charles L. Lutz, Newton, N.C.*
2001 Duane Kuhlman, Snohomish, Wash.*
2002 Duane Wickstrom, Hilmar, Calif.*
2003 James Chaney, Bowling Green, Ky.*
2004 Charles J. Steer, Cottage Grove, Tenn.
2005 William G. Mason Family, Buhl, Idaho*
2006 Aaron F. Richards, Farmington, Utah*
2007 Robert Bignami, Orland, Calif. and Harlan Askeland, Orland, Calif.*
2008 James S. Huffard III, Crockett, Va.
2009 Ahlem Farms Partnership and Ed Fisher*, Hilmar, Calif.
2010 Donald* and Elsa Sherman, Hilmar, Calif.
2011 Dan Bansen, Dayton, Ore.
2012 Dutch Hollow Farms, Schodack Landing, N.Y.
2013 Bearl and Joanne Seals, Cloverdale, Ore.
2014 Silver Spring Farm, Syracuse, N.Y.
2015 Lyon Jerseys LLC, Toledo, Iowa
2016 Eric Leonard Silva, Beaver, Ore.
2017 David Allen, Reedsburg, Wis.
2018 Ron and Christy Ratliff, Garnett, Kan.
2019 Wilfred, Walter, and Roger Owens, Frederic, Wis.
2020 Don and Desi Josi, Tillamook, Ore.
2021 Richard Clauss, Hilmar, Calif.
2022 Jeff and Alta Mae Core, Salvisa, Ky.
2023 Phillips and Sue Ferry, Johnstown, N.Y.
2024 William and Gwen Pearl, Barnet, Vt.
2025 Nobledale Farm, Gillett, Pa.
* deceased
Calendar
(continued from page 10)
SEPT. 29—INTERNATIONAL JERSEY HEIFER SHOW, Alliant Energy Center, Madison, Wis.; 7:00 a.m. (CDT); Kelly Barbee, Concord, N.C., judge; Jon Kingdon, Warwick Township, Ont., associate judge. SEPT. 30— INTERNATIONAL JERSEY COW SHOW, Alliant Energy Center, Madison, Wis.; 7:00 a.m.; Kelly Barbee, Concord, N.C., judge; Jon Kingdon, Warwick Township, Ont., associate judge
NOV. 7—ALL AMERICA N JUNIOR J ERSEY SHOW, Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, Louisville, Ky.; 7:30 a.m. (EST); Christy Ratliff, Garnett, Kan., judge; Chad Ryan, Fond du Lac, Wis., associate judge.
NOV. 9—ALL AMERICAN JERSEY HEIFER SHOW, Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, Louisville, Ky.; 7:30 a.m. (EST); Ryan Krohlow, Poynette, Wis., judge; Madison Fisher, Frostburg, Md., associate judge.
NOV. 9—NATIONAL JERSEY JUG FUTURITY, Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, Louisville, Ky.; 2:00 p.m. (EST); Trent Kilgus, Fairbury, Ill., judge; Shawn Nehls, Hustisford, Wis., associate judge.
NOV. 10—ALL AMERICAN JERSEY COW SHOW, Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, Louisville, Ky.; 7:30 a.m. (EST); Ryan Krohlow, Poynette, Wis., judge; Madison Fisher, Frostburg, Md., associate judge.
maxwell@tourmyfarm.com
rockbottomdairy@yahoo.com
highlandfarmsdairy@gmail.com
waverlyfarm@comcast.net
(continued from page 20)
show. He has always been the person that, in his position, listens to the thoughts of others and tries to accommodate when possible. His title as superintendent is a job that comes with many hats—and he wears them well. From the time the first entries start to come in until the last animals leave the fairgrounds, he can be counted on to be of service to the exhibitors.”
Joe and Sarah Rocha of Tillamook, Ore., shared, “Every year he goes out of his way to make our 2,500-mile trip as easy as possible. He goes the extra mile to coordinate with ground staff to have tie-outs set up and ready, so that we can arrive and recover before moving into the barn. Dan always takes the time to go through the barn, engaging with the exhibitors and taking suggestions to make the All American Jersey Show the success it is today. Dan has spent a lifetime promoting the Jersey breed and is well deserving of this award.”
Beyond the show ring, Dan’s devotion to agriculture, his community, and his family—his wife Linda, their children David and Jennifer, and their five grandchildren—has defined a life of purpose and quiet leadership. The Jersey breed has found in him not just a supporter, but a true champion.
In grateful recognition of his lasting contributions to the advancement of the Jersey breed and the livelihood of its breeders and exhibitors, we are honored to present Dan Grigson with the 2025 Award for Meritorious Service.
AJCA-NAJ Award for Meritorious Service
1999 Morris B. Ewing, Tucson, Ariz.*
2000 Allen D. Meyer, West Fargo, N.D.*
2001 Calvin Covington, Ocala, Fla.
2002 John Jeter, Hilmar, Calif.
2003 Charlene Nardone, Orient, Ohio* Merlin D. Woodruff, Urbana, Ohio*
2004 Michael L. Brown, Kenosha, Wis.
2005 Rodger S. Hoyt, Delaware, Ohio*
2006 Dr. Clarence S. Olson, Madison, Wis.*
2007 Dr. John C. Wilk, Raleigh, N.C.
2008 Henry H. Dowlen, Lewisburg, Tenn.
2009 Dr. Ronald E. Pearson, Blacksburg, Va.
2010 Dr. Joseph A. Lineweaver, Radford, Va.
2011 David Brandau, Wilton, Wis.
David Parkinson, Sahuarita, Ariz.
2012 Dr. H. Duane Norman, Fulton, Md. Dr. Curtis P. Van Tassell, Beltsville, Md.
2013 Dr. Robert Cropp and Dr. Edward Jesse, Madison, Wis.
2014 Richard “Dick” Smith, Waunakee, Wis.
2015 Paula M. England, Columbus, Ohio
2016 Richard “Dick” Clauss, Hilmar, Calif.
2017 Dr. Kent A. Weigel, Madison, Wis.
2018 Dr. Ole M. Meland, Ocala, Fla.
2019 Ronald L. Horst, Ph.D., Ames, Iowa*
2020 Dr. Cherie Bayer, Columbus, Ohio
2021 Lowell Stevens, Urbana, Ohio
2022 Jeff Ziegler, Ostrander, Ohio
2023 Cari Wolfe, Reynoldsburg, Ohio* Larry Wolfe, Reynoldsburg, Ohio
2024 Brenda Snow, Brookfield, Vt.
2025 Dan Grigson, Stanford, Ky.
* deceased Meritorious
Distinguished Service Award
(continued from page 19)
Jersey representative for 45 years and president for three terms. His service to this organization earned Chuck the organization’s Distinguished Service Award in 2004. Chuck also spent time as manager of Equity Co-op where he advocated for milk protein premiums while promoting multiple component pricing from 1994-2000.
Luchsinger has an outstanding eye for cattle. This has led him to the center of the show ring as judge for the All American Jersey Show (1995 and 2005), All American Junior Jersey Show (1991), National Jersey Jug Futurity (2013), Western National Jersey Show (2003), and other local, state and national Jersey shows domestically and abroad in Brazil, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic.
“Chuck never once treated me as a kid without a Jersey background; he always answered my question with respect, offered advice when I most needed it, and respected my opinion on breeding cows without hesitation,” said Jeff Ziegler. “People like Chuck, that learn from others and are driven to help others succeed, cannot earn enough awards like the AJCA Distinguished Service award represents.”
The Jersey cow and her breeders will forever be positively impacted because of the service and commitment Chuck has dedicated throughout the years.
Distinguished Service Awards
1954 W. W. Trout, Springfield, Ohio*
1955 Harold J. Turner, Bethel, Vt.*
1956 Judge Peter J. Shields, Sacramento, Calif.*
1957 R. C. Calloway, Baton Rouge, La.*
1958 Lynn Copeland, Nashville, Tenn.*
1959 Chester Folck, Springfield, Ohio*
1960 Ernest Greenough, Merced, Calif.*
1961 Paul Jackson, Wilmington, Ohio*
1962 Harriet J. Groos, Vancouver, Wash.*
1963 R. K. Stout, Lansing, Mich.*
1964 Herbert G. Myers, Boise, Idaho*
1965 Charles S. Kelly, Hudson, Wis.*
1966 Joseph F. Sawyer, Galt, Calif.*
1967 Henry P. Knolle, Sandia, Texas*
1968 H. I. Sawyer, Hughson, Calif.*
1969 M. L. Baird, Springfield, Ohio*
1970 E. Lea Marsh, Jr., Old Lyme, Conn.*
1971 Stanley N. Chittenden, New Lebanon, N.Y.*
1972 Arthur Dieterich, Sherman, Texas*
1973 Amzi Rankin, Jr., Faunsdale, Ala.*
1974 Capt. T. J. and Elizabeth Bay, Lynden, Wash.*
1975 Mrs. Thomas H. Carruthers, III, Glendale, Ohio*
1975 Paul Sparrow, Athens, Tenn.*
1976 Wyatt A. Williams, Orange, Va.*
1977 Dr. J. H. Arnold, Newnan, Ga.*
1977 Reuben R. Cowles, Statesville, N.C.*
1978 Jean E. Lemmermen, Tiffin, Ohio*
1979 John Weir Jr., Geuda Springs, Kan.*
1980 Clyde K. Chappell, Knoxville, Tenn.*
1980 Newell Mills, Fallon, Nev.*
1981 Harold Wright, White River Junction, Vt.*
1982 C. L. Collins, Jr., Sylacauga, Ala.*
1983 Ray Chamberlain, Wyoming, N.Y.*
1984 Dr. C. A. Ernstrom, Logan, Utah*
1985 J. F. Cavanaugh, Columbus, Ohio*
1986 W. Charles McGinnis, Mountville, S.C.*
1987 G. Joe Lyon, Toledo, Iowa*
1988 Dr. John Wilk, Raleigh, N.C.
1989 Robert Lord, Woodstock, Vt.*
1990 Dr. H. Duane Norman, Fulton, Md.
1991 Edwin L. Crotty, Trenton, N.J.*
1992 Richard A. Riggs, Evansville, Ind.*
1993 Maurice E. Core, Columbus, Ohio*
1994 John Giacomini, Eureka, Calif.*
1995 W. R. Lutz, Newton, N.C.*
1996 Max Gordon, Winchester, Ind.*
1997 Harold Owens, Frederic, Wis.*
1998 Richard Clauss, Hilmar, Calif.
1999 Elmer D. Larson, Burlington, Wash.*
2000 Dr. J. J. Malnati, Newberry, S.C.*
2001 Harold W. Roller, Weyers Cave, Va.*
2002 Ray R. Schooley, Marshfield, Mo.*
2003 D.L. Strandberg, D.V.M., Alma Center, Wis.*
2004 Neal F. Schirm, Canal Winchester, Ohio*
2005 J. Lawrence Benson, New Lebanon, N.Y.
2006 Ted Luther, Mount Ulla, N.C.*
2007 Alvin Moss, Litchfield Park, Ariz.*
2008 David W. Spahr, Findlay, Ohio
2009 Dr. Robert C.* and Helene C. Dreisbach, Mercer, Pa.
2010 Paul Chittenden, Schodack Landing, N.Y.
2011 Donald Sherman, Hilmar, Calif.*
2012 John Palmer, Cornish, Maine*
2013 James Ahlem, Hilmar, Calif.
2014 Glen and Marilyn Easter, Laurens, S.C.
2015 George* and Shirley Barlass, Janesville, Wis.
2016 Charles D. “Chuck” Ahlem, Hilmar, Calif.
2017 Craig Rhein, Pine Grove, Pa.
2018 David Endres, Lodi, Wis.
Chris Sorenson, Pine River, Wis.
2019 David Norman, Liberty, Pa.
2020 Clint Collins, III, Gulf Shores, Ala.
2021 Calvin Graber, Parker, S.D.
2022 Bill and Marion Barlass, Janesville, Wis.
2023 James S. Huffard III, Crockett, Va.
Walter Owens, Frederic, Wis.
2024 John Kokoski, Hadley, Mass.
2025 Charles Luchsinger, Syracuse, N.Y.
* deceased
Six Young Jersey Breeders to Be Honored in Lexington YOUNG JERSEY BREEDER AWARDS
The Board of Directors of the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) has named seven recipients of the Young Jersey Breeder Award for 2025. They are Brady Core, Salvisa, Ky.; Ryan Haines, Taneytown, Md.; William and Meagan Grammer, Fremont, Ohio; Kristin Killgore and Matthew Hogan, Tillamook, Ore.; Andy and Valerie Mason, Chestertown, Md.; and Jessica Stiles Hess, Boonsboro, Md.
The first Young Jersey Breeder Awards were presented in 1976. Since then, 320 producers have received this award, including this year’s recipients.
The Young Jersey Breeder Award is presented to individuals or couples younger than the age of 40 on January 1 of the year nominated who merit recognition for their expertise in dairy farming, breeding Jersey cattle, participation in AJCA and National All-Jersey Inc. (NAJ) programs, and leadership in Jersey and other dairy and agriculture organizations. The honorees will be recognized at the Young Jersey Breeders Banquet to be held in conjunction with the AJCANAJ Annual Meetings in Lexington, Ky., on June 25, 2025.
Brady Core
Brady Core has his eyes set on creating a sustainable future for the generations that follow him at Keightley & Core Jerseys. Brady continues to embrace the family farm’s mission of producing high-component milk while breeding top-tier Registered Jerseys with the prefix KCJF.
Core’s herd of 40 Jerseys is managed with the 190 cows at Keightley & Core in Salvisa. His cows average around 16,000 lbs. milk, 805 lbs. fat, and 616 lbs. protein. These leading ladies also have an average appraisal score of Excellent-90% as of January 2025.
“Among Brady’s key accomplishments is his focus on genetic improvement and herd management,” wrote nominator Pearl Hamlin also of Salvisa, Ky. “Under his guidance, the farm has adopted cutting edge technologies to optimize herd performance and innovation to improve animal comfort and labor efficiency.”
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William and Meagan Grammer
William “Billy” and Meagan Grammer each grew up on Registered Jersey farms in Ohio. Years later, they are making their own impact on the industry by milking 45 cows in Fremont, Ohio, with their young daughter, Nora, at Grammer-Time Jerseys.
The couple met at The Ohio State University–Agricultural Technical Institute and after bonding over their passion for the Jersey cow, decided to make things official by purchasing their first heifer together at the 2012 AJCA-NAJ Annual Meeting in New Hampshire. This heifer, along with other key purchases and foundation animals from their families’ original herds, have become cornerstones of their current breeding program.
“Our primary focus in our herd is functional type and pedigrees,” the Grammers wrote in their application. All cows must maintain a 60-pound average milk test to remain in the herd. Their current rolling herd average on 48 cows is 18,648 lbs. milk, 856 lbs. fat and 690 lbs. protein. Not only do their cows put in the work, they appraise well too with an average final score of Very Good-87.5%.
Billy and Meagan enjoy competing in the show ring, most recently at the state and national level. They have shown three Reserve All Americans, one of them bred and owned. This is in addition to numerous champion laurels and other class winners at Ohio shows.
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Ryan Haines
Ryan Haines was born and raised on Locust-Ayr Farm in Taneytown, Md., where he and his family still farm today.
At 14-years-old, Haines purchased his first Jersey calf to add to the primarily Holstein herd, after being inspired by— and maybe a bit jealous of—his older brother. From here, Jersey numbers have grown within the herd.
After graduating from Virginia Tech in 2009, Haines returned to the farm, where he focuses on modernizing the operation and elevating the marketability of their genetics. Haines and his brother have invested in proven cow families to improve their genetics, which is especially important as they sell 10-15 calves each
(continued to page 29)
Brady and Shelby Core
Ryan Haines
Billy and Meagan Grammer with Nora
Jessica Stiles Hess
Jessica Stiles Hess was gifted her first Jersey calf from her parents before she could even walk. Years later, she is continuing the legacy that Janet and the late Tracy Stiles created with their Registered Jersey herd, Shenandoah Jerseys in Boonsboro, Md.
As a youth, Hess’ parents helped her purchase animals to expand her herd, including animals from the Pot O’Gold Sale. Hess exhibited the 1998 Junior National Reserve Grand Champion, Hedgebrook B Lad Marie, Excellent-94%. Her legacy continues in Hess’ herd. She even gifted a direct descendent to her son, Cole, to begin his herd.
When Hess was a freshman in high school, her father passed away from cancer. Hess and her mother, Janet, forged forward and kept the farm thriving despite the loss. They continued improving and expanding the facilities and built a new parlor when Hess started studying at Virginia Tech.
She graduated with a degree in dairy science and capitalized on all the opportunities available to her, including the dairy club. After these experiences, it solidified the fact that the only place she wanted to be was on her family’s farm.
Today, the Shenandoah herd is milked with the DeLaval VMS robotic milking system. They were able to retrofit their freestall barn and parlor to make the system work in their current facilities. At the same time, they also
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Kristin Killgore and Matt Hogan
When the sister-brother duo of Kristin (Hogan) Killgore and Matt Hogan were growing up, they lived and breathed dairy farming. In fact, many days they could be found playing “farmer and bull” in the dining room. Those memories and lessons learned on Misty Meadow Dairy in Tillamook, Ore., ignited the siblings’ passion for dairy farming and led them to their active roles on the farm today.
“From an early age, I knew I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps as a dairyman,” wrote Matt in his application.
Today, he is responsible for the herd’s breeding and genetics program along with calf care on the 3,500-cow Registered Jersey farm. Kristin leads the show animal efforts and marketing, while their sister, Becky, oversees the farm’s financial and administrative responsibilities.
The duo’s parents, Dave and Rita Hogan, instilled in them the importance of being involved in agriculture organizations at a young age. Both participated in 4-H and FFA and exhibited animals at the Tillamook County Fair. Those moments were especially impactful for Killgore, igniting her passion for showing and working with Jerseys. Today, both Matt and Kristin hold leadership roles and volunteer for various agricultural and local organizations.
Kristin attended Oregon State University where she met her husband, Ryan. She was active in a multitude
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Andy and Valerie Mason
Andy and Valerie Mason’s love story began while attending Cornell University, where they both majored in animal science. One of their first conversations included a discussion about her family not having Jerseys. At that point, Andy was already extremely passionate about the Jersey breed.
Andy grew up on a Holstein farm that eventually started to have representatives of all breeds because he and his siblings had various 4-H projects. As a youth, he traveled to Europe as a member of the winning national dairy judging team in this country. Valerie’s family still milks Holsteins in Mexico, N.Y., which is where she developed her passion for dairy cattle.
Today, the Masons milk 800 Registered Jerseys, along with another 50 cows of various breeds on Fawnwood Farm. All carry the MFW prefix.
During college, Andy was not certain what his future looked like. However, after interning at Yosemite Jersey Dairy in Hilmar, Calif., he knew exactly where he wanted to go—back to his family’s farm to develop it into a large, progressive Jersey dairy.
In 2011, Valerie moved to Maryland and slowly eased into working full time on the farm with Andy and his parents. The family built a new parlor and freestall barn in 2012, which allowed them to expand the herd size from 80 to the current size of 850 milking cows. The Masons also farm 1,600 acres and started a trucking entity to haul their
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Valerie and Andy Mason with Margrit, Gladys and Abel (photo courtesy Andrea Haines)
Luke, Jessica, JR and Cole Hess
Kristin Killgore and Matt Hogan
ahlemfarms@aol.com
claussjerz@yahoo.com
natalie.sanders@hotmail.com
Core
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The Keightley & Core herd is enrolled in REAP and frequently advertises in the Jersey Journal. To further emphasize his dedication to the future of the Jersey breed, Core served on the AJCA Type Committee from 2019 until 2024.
In his application, he wrote, “We focus on maternal cow families and proven sires, ensuring each breeding decision is backed by data and observation; I prefer to use bulls with proven records.”
KCJF is well known in show rings around the world. Core and his family have claimed the Premier Breeder award seven times and Premier Exhibitor accolades twice at the All American Jersey Show. They have bred one National Grand Champion and three National Jersey Jug Futurity Winners and exhibited three cows that have earned each of those titles as well. Through expanding the farm’s in vitro fertilization program, Core has been
able to more quickly advance the herd’s genetics. He has placed two bulls in A.I. with another two promised in the near future and marketed numerous females privately and through consignment sales.
“These achievements not only reflect the quality of our breeding program, but also our commitment to creating genetics that benefit the Jersey breed as a whole,” said Core.
In a letter of support, Select Sires’ Jersey development manager, Herby Lutz of Chester, S.C., penned, “Brady never wavered on his desire to be a dairy farmer milking Jersey cows… The cows have truly excelled under his guidance while maintaining an off-farm job in the dairy industry.”
Core would like to develop a comprehensive succession plan, expand the farm’s freezer beef program and improve forage capabilities. He is also considering renewable energy solutions, automated milking systems
and agritourism opportunities.
In conclusion, Core wrote, “Breeding exceptional animals, managing innovative programs and maintaining our farm’s reputation for excellence are not just goals—they are my way of honoring the legacy my family has built. I am committed to continuing this tradition while also forging new paths that strengthen our industry.”
Core and his wife, Shelby, have two young children: Asa and Adelene.
Grammer
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“Billy and Meagan’s passion for breeding profitable Jersey cattle and for showcasing them on a national level is evident in their numerous accolades and accomplishments,” wrote James Herron of Cold Run Jerseys, Salem, Ohio. “I am proud to recommend them for the AJCA’s Young Jersey Breeder Award.”
Billy and Meagan are alumni of Jersey Youth Academy. They also served as the junior committee chairs for the AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings hosted by Ohio Jersey breeders. The Grammers have their herd enrolled in the REAP program.
As a youth, Meagan was the Jersey Marketing Service intern through the Fred Stout Experience. Billy purchased multiple animals from the Pot O’Gold Sale during his junior career, many of which have descendants in their current herd.
In addition to farming full time, Meagan and Billy each hold off-farm jobs. Meagan is the district program administrator for Sandusky Soil and Water Conservation District and Billy is a package driver for UPS.
“The Jersey cow brought us together and every day revolves around the Jersey cow,” wrote the Grammers in their application. “Together we have built a life and milk cattle that we are proud of—our passion runs deep for this breed and industry. We will continue to develop cow families, improve production and hopefully land in the winner’s circle someday.”
Most importantly, Billy and Meagan cannot wait to share their passion with Nora and watch her love for the Jersey breed develop.
Haines (continued from page 26) year as show prospects.
“Ryan’s passion for showing cattle is evidenced through the time he prepares show heifers for both sales and the show ring,” explained Tom Arrowsmith of Hillacres Jerseys in Peach Bottom, Pa. “Year after year, he sells heifers that go on to impress at the shows throughout the summer and into the fall.”
Today’s herd consists of 30 Registered Jerseys and 10 Holsteins. In addition to the milk cows, the Haines family manages 500 acres of farmland, which has grown quality crops to support an actual rolling herd average of 15,069 lbs. milk, 774 lbs. fat, and 565 lbs. protein on 31 cows. The herd is enrolled in REAP.
Haines is deeply involved in Maryland’s dairy community. He serves as treasurer of the Maryland Jersey Cattle Club, vice president of the Maryland Purebred Dairy Cattle Association, and is active in 4-H programs.
In a letter of support, Elizabeth Bosley, Westminster, Md., credits Haines with having helped develop numerous youth who are strong willed, with excellent work ethics and the constant drive to be better people than they were the day prior.
Haines is passionate about supporting the future of the dairy industry, which is obvious with his involvement in various organizations. He helps organize the annual Maryland All-Breed Field Day Show and is a member of the planning committee for the Show Like A Pro dairy workshop—a two-day workshop which teaches 75-year about preparing dairy heifers for the show ring. Haines also leases animals to young people interested in showing dairy cattle.
An active dairy judge himself, Haines has placed various fairs and other shows across Maryland and Pennsylvania. He uses these skills and abilities to coach the Carroll County dairy judging team, the largest dairy judging program in Maryland.
A highlight in 2025 for Haines will be escorting his Carroll County dairy judging team to compete in the International Dairy Judging Contest at the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh, Scotland, this summer.
Killgore and Hogan (continued from page 27) of organizations but is most proud of being named the high individual in the 2007 Intercollegiate Dairy Judging Contest at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky. Kristin also served as the 2008 National Jersey Queen.
Matt graduated from Linn Benton Community College and then returned to the farm full time. In his geneticfocused role, Matt aims to breed Registered Jerseys that excel both in milk production and conformation.
Those efforts have paid dividends. As of January 1, the Misty Meadow herd had a rolling herd average of 18,115 lbs. milk, 1,036 lbs. fat and 686 lbs. protein. Their herd is enrolled in REAP.
The Misty Meadow prefix “MM” is also gaining recognition in the show circuit. Animals they have exhibited or bred have claimed a multitude of blue and purple ribbons in recent years. In 2024, they brought home the Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor banners from the All American Jersey Show and the International Jersey Show.
“Our goal at Misty Meadow Dairy is to continue growing as a sustainable, family-centered farm while promoting the Jersey breed and giving back to the agricultural community,” wrote Kilgore in her application.
“As young dairy farmers, we are committed to upholding the values our parents instilled in us—integrity, hard work and care for both our animal sand the people we serve.”
This sibling duo and the rest of the Hogan family are just beginning to make their mark on the Registered Jersey breed. One thing though is for certain, Kristin and Matt are committed to growing Misty Meadow Dairy, preserving the family legacy, and inspiring future generations to pursue excellence in dairy farming.
Mason (continued from page 27)
own milk. Recently they also expanded into harvesting their own crops.
“I attribute a lot of the growth of our herd to the efficiency of Jerseys,” wrote Andy in their application. “They easily outperform our other breeds in reproduction as well as productive life.” Their Jerseys currently boast a rolling herd average of 19,742 lbs. milk, 980 lbs. fat and 703 lbs. protein on 826 cows. Over the years, Andy and Valerie have focused on using a high percentage of genomic sires and have sold multiple high genomic heifers and bulls privately and in various consignment sales.
The Fawnwood herd is enrolled in REAP and advertises in the Jersey Journal.
In a letter of support, Katie Epstein, senior vice president of ag lending at Horizon Farm Credit, wrote, “It is due to breeders like Andy and Valerie that the Jersey breed finds continued success and popularity. Not only are they passionate about Jersey cattle, but they have shown commitment through their herd growth, improvements in both production and type and have a willingness to step up and lead at both local and national levels.”
Andy serves as a corporate director for Land O’Lakes and sits on the board of the National Milk Producers Federation. Valerie is on the board for the Kent Agricultural Center.
In the future, the Masons hope to pass their love for agriculture and the Jersey cow on to their three children: Margrit, Abel and Gladys.
Hess
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installed an automatic calf feeder to further increase efficiencies. To make
the farm more sustainable, they took advantage of grants and installed solar panels on the freestall barn.
The REAP herd has an actual rolling herd average of 24,045 lbs. milk, 1,102 lbs. fat and 931 lbs. protein on 99 cows as of September 2024.
Renée Norman-Kenny complimented Hess for being a “forward thinker who has embraced cutting-edge technology to improve her farm’s efficiency and adaptability” in a letter of support.
When talking about her breeding strategies, Hess wrote, “I have always tried to follow the model set by my parents: a good quality milk cow.” She concentrates on developing cows with ideal teat placement and size, along with desirable udder depth and good feet and legs. It is also important they focus on maintaining components.
Hess and her husband, JR, became majority owners of the farm in 2022. With that, they knew that they needed to start planning early to set up their two young sons, Cole and Luke, for success if they wish to farm in the future. They have purchased two additional farms to help expand their land base to increase the odds of that happening.
It will be exciting to watch what technologies and advancements Hess and her family make in the coming years. While there is much uncertainty in the dairy industry today, Hess is certain of one thing. To conclude her application, she wrote, “I don’t know what’s ahead for Shenandoah Jerseys, but I know that as long as I’m here, there will be Jersey cows.”
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jsamuelson56@yahoo.com
jkokoski@maplelinefarm.com
Candidates for AJCA and NAJ Elections
AJCA President Nominee
Alan Chittenden
Alan Chittenden, Schodack Landing, N.Y., has been nominated for President of the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA). He is currently serving his third term as President. Prior to this, he served two terms as Director of the Second District.
Chittenden operates Dutch Hollow Farm LLC with his family. Dutch Hollow now includes three generations of partners managing 1,000 cows, 700 replacements and 2,000 acres of cropland.
Dutch Hollow Farm has been enrolled on REAP since 1997 and contributed to Project Equity since 1977. Dutch Hollow Farm regularly consigns animals to the All American Jersey Sale, the National Heifer Sale, and the Pot O’Gold Sale and supports several regional Jersey sales with consignments. The Chittendens use JerseyTags to permanently identify the herd, have been a contract advertiser in the Jersey Journal since 1980 and host a website on JerseySites.com. Dutch Hollow Farm sponsors the Best Bred and Owned awards at the All American Junior Jersey Show each year.
The dairy is a member of Agri-Mark, which owns the “Cabot” and “McCadam” brand names. Milk from Dutch Hollow Farm is also used by fellow Jersey breeders High Lawn Farm, Lenox, Mass. and Mapleline Farm, Hadley, Mass., to supplement their Queen of Quality bottling programs. Milk is also sold to Four Fat Fowl, Stephentown, N.Y. Dutch Hollow Farm joined with 11 other dairy farms in the Hudson Valley to market milk under the “Hudson Valley Fresh” label as well.
Alan graduated from Cornell University in 1990 with a degree in dairy science. He won the National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest in 1988 and earned the AJCA Young Jersey Breeder award in 2000 with his wife, Donna. In 2012, Dutch Hollow Farm LLC received the AJCA Master Breeder Award.
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AJCA Director Nominee
John Lemmermen
John Lemmermen, Hilliard, Ohio, has been nominated to serve as Director for the First District of the AJCA. He operates Oakhaven Jerseys with his family. The 60-cow herd is enrolled on REAP and has a March 2025 rolling herd average of 19,359 lbs. milk, 1,220 lbs. fat (6.3%) and 716 lbs. protein (3.7%).
With the May 2024 appraisal, the herd includes eight Excellent and 40 Very Good cows and has an average final score of 85.2%. Though they have focused on production, the Lemmermens also enjoy showing at the county, state and national levels as well. They also regularly consign animals to the Ohio spring and fall sales and other sales managed by Jersey Marketing Service (JMS), including the National (continued to page 34)
AJCA Director Nominee
Elaine Noble
Elaine Noble, Gillett, Pa., has been nominated to serve as Director for the First District of the AJCA.
Noble co-owns and operates Nobledale Farm with her husband, Stuart, and their adult children, Maria Noble-Ellsworth and Wesley Noble. The Noble family established the farm on its current location in 1832 and has been raising Registered Jerseys since 1888. Today, the herd is enrolled on REAP and is a contract advertiser with Jersey Journal. The March 2025 rolling herd average (actual) is 17,616 lbs. milk, 860 lbs. fat and 658 lbs. protein on 84 cows. With the January 2025 appraisal, the herd includes 38 Excellent and 45 Very Good cows and has an average
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AJCA Director Nominee
Ethan Haywood
Ethan Haywood, Hastings, Mich., has been nominated to serve as Director for the Second District of the AJCA.
He is a sixth-generation dairy producer and partner at Sand Creek Dairy LLC with his grandfather, Larry, father, Luke, and brother, Austin. Ethan manages the genetics program at Sand Creek Dairy, focusing on progressive advancement of their Registered Jersey genetics through genomic testing, in vitro fertilization/embryo transfer and mindful sire selection and matings. The 400-cow Jersey herd at Sand Creek Dairy is enrolled on REAP, and cattle are bred using the prefix Sandcreeks. Under Ethan’s guidance, the dairy ranks #16 in the nation for genetic
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AJCA Director Nominee
Jason James
Jason James, Mineral Point, Wis., has been nominated to serve as Director from the Second District of the AJCA. James owns and operates Pine-Valley Farm with his wife, Leah, and their children, Brenlyn, Annika, Everlea and Harrison.
The family milks 165 Registered Jerseys, Milking Shorthorns and Holsteins. The Jersey herd is enrolled on REAP and has a 2024 lactation average (m.e.) of 18,713 lbs. milk, 1,000 lbs. fat and 723 lbs. With the February 2025 appraisal on 103 head, the average final score of the herd is 85.8%, and PineValley is home to 27 Excellent and 71 Very Good cows.
Jason has been active in the agriculture and dairy industry since his youth. (continued to page 39)
AJCA Director Nominee
Robert A. Klinkner
Robert A. “Rob” Klinkner, Viroqua, Wis., has been nominated to serve as Director for the Second District of the AJCA.
NineNAJ Director Nominee
Jonathan Merriam
Rob and his wife, Gail, own and operate Pine Prairie Jerseys and Klinkner Holsteins. The Jersey herd is enrolled on REAP. The Pine Prairie Jerseys herd includes 10 Excellent and 15 Very Good cows and has an average final score of 86.6%.
Milk is marketed through the Westby Cooperative Creamery, where it is used to produce world champion cheeses.
Rob and Gail received the AJCA Young Jersey Breeder award in 2018 and have continued to support the national Jersey organizations. They were co-chairs of the annual meetings hosted by Wisconsin in La Crosse in 2023, and opened the gate to the farm as one of the tour stops for the event.
Klinkner’s passion for the Jersey breed sprouted at an early age when he began working for neighbors Steve and Annette Trescher of Cashton. The Treschers allowed him to work with their cattle and exhibit them at local and state shows. When he was 13, Rob purchased his first Registered Jersey, Feniwis Peep T Perky, who fostered a love of the breed and a determination to become a first-generation dairy farmer.
Rob graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s farm and industry short course with a dairy herd management and crops specialty in 2001. He belonged to the Badger Dairy club, was a dorm representative for college functions and helped to organize trips to fellow students’ farms to learn more about the dairy industry.
After graduation, he worked at Norse Star Jerseys in Westby, Wis., He began dairying on his own in 2002 on a rented farm and started buying Jersey cows. He saw the value of REAP from the onset, so signed up for the program and began to identify cows, mate females to Registered Jersey bulls and permanently identify calves using JerseyTags. Over half of the Jersey herd today traces
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individuals have been nominated to serve in leadership positions of the national Jersey organizations, seven for the American Jersey Cattle Association and two for the National All-Jersey Inc. Board of Directors. Results of the elections will be announced during the meetings of the organizations the last weekend of June.
All active members shown on the membership books of the Association on the date 50 days prior to the Annual Meeting (May 9, 2025) are eligible to vote for AJCA President and Directors. Persons eligible to vote for NAJ Directors (by district) are producer members, those who pay fees as established by the Board of Directors, and honorary members shown on the membership records of the corporation 60 days prior to the Annual Meeting (April 28, 2025).
The notice of the annual meeting and the official ballot and proxy will be mailed to all members eligible to vote not less than 30 days before the meetings.
AJCA Director Nominee
Joe Rocha
Joe Rocha, Tillamook, Ore., has been nominated to serve as Director for the Third District of the AJCA.
He and his wife, Sarah, along with his mother, Jody Rocha, and nephew, Ryan Rider, own and operate R & R Dairy in Tillamook with their family. The family milks 2,400 Jerseys and 600 Holsteins and farms 700 acres. While they initially bred cattle using the Laguna prefix, they have used Pacific Edge since 2016. The Jersey herd is enrolled on REAP and includes 233 Excellent and 1,126 Very Good cows. The 2024 lactation average (m.e.) is 18,189 lbs. milk, 936 lbs. fat and 663 lbs. protein. Milk has been shipped to Tillamook County Creamery Association since 1993.
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Jonathan Merriam, Hickman, Calif., has been nominated to serve as Director for District 2 of National All-Jersey (NAJ) Inc. Merriam was elected to his first of four terms as President of the AJCA in 2017.
Merriam grew up on the family dairy farm in Hickman and now works as the genetics specialist at Ahlem Farms Partnership in Hilmar, Calif. The 7,000-cow dairy owned by Carolyn Ahlem, Sabino Ahlem-Herrera and Roger Herrera milks cows on two dairies using several AJCA programs, including REAP and JerseyMate and JerseyTags for permanent identification. Merriam is also the Jersey program manager for Semex, a position he assumed in August 2021.
Ahlem Farms Partnership is a charter investor in Project Equity and a contract advertiser with the Jersey Journal The dairy is also a founder of Hilmar
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NAJ Director Nominee
Joel Albright
Joel Albright, Willard, Ohio, has been nominated to serve as Director for District 3 of National All-Jersey (NAJ) Inc.
He is completing his second term as Director of the Fourth District of the AJCA. Albright currently chairs the organization’s Breed Improvement Committee and serves as its vice president. He is a member of the Information Technology/Identification, Type Advisory and JPI Advisory Committees as well. Albright owns and operates Albright Jerseys LLC with his wife, Mary Beth, their children, Lauren and Luke, and his parents, Fred and Becky. The 600-cow Registered Jersey herd is enrolled on REAP
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Chittenden
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Chittenden is currently a director for the New England Jersey Breeders Association and has also served the organization as president. Chittenden has been a 4-H leader and county dairy judging coach for more than two decades.
Alan and Donna have three children, Emily (Kirk), Maxwell and Lydia, who have been active in Jersey youth programs. Their son-in-law, Quade Kirk, and grandsons, Jackson and Henrich, are proud breeders of Registered Jerseys as well.
Lemmermen
(continued from page 32)
Heifer Sale, the All American Sale, and their favorite, the Pot O’Gold Sale.
John grew up in Tiffin, Ohio, on Mar-Jean Jerseys, established by his grandparents, Jean and Agnes. His parents, Jerry and Barb, took over the farm in the early 1970s, and then they sold the herd in 1990. Several years later, John and his parents and his sister, Julie Ziegler, established Oakhaven Jerseys with the help of friends, who took care of the cows.
In 1990, John graduated from the Ohio State University’s Agricultural Technical Institute. He continued his studies at OSU, earning his undergraduate degree in dairy science in 1994. He was a member of the dairy judging team for both schools, leading his peers to several wins and top-five finishes. While in college, he was also a member of the JMS crew that prepared cattle for sales across the country and helped to professionally photograph cattle.
John was also a student herdsman at Waterman Dairy on the OSU campus. He became the dairy’s herd manager shortly after graduation, a position he holds today. Over the years, he has helped the dairy transition from a milking string of just five Jerseys to an all-Jersey herd of 100 cows. The 2024 AJCA lactation average of the OSU herd is 20,637 lbs. milk 1,238 lbs. fat and 763 lbs. protein. The herd includes nine Excellent and 52 Very Good cows and has an average final score of 84.9%. The herd ranks #17 in the nation for genetic merit with an average JPI of +79 (April 2025). The university is currently building a new milking facility for Lely robots.
In his position as dairy center
manager, John works with many people to achieve the university’s mission of teaching, outreach and research. All three areas have blossomed over the past 30 years. Today, the dairy hosts well over 10,000 visitors from across the country each year through allied industry tours; college, FFA and 4-H activities and events; and intercity outreach. The dairy has hosted Jersey Youth Academy several times and the World Jersey Cattle Conference as well.
John has been the Buckeye Dairy Club’s advisor for the past 30 years and a state 4-H dairy judging coach as well. He received the Young Jersey Breeder award in 2002. He has twice helped with the annual meetings of the national Jersey organizations when they were hosted by Ohio Jersey breeders and worked closely with JMS in managing the Buckeye Classic Sale, the Ohio Spring Classic Sale and the Ohio Fall Production Sale.
He has served as president of the Ohio Jersey Breeder’s Association for the past five years and just completed a term as president of the Ohio Purebred Dairy Cattle Association. He represents the latter on the board of the Ohio Dairy Producers Association. He is
info@ladylanefarm.com
jbansen@gmail.com
Lemmermen
(continued from page 34)
also a member of the North American International Livestock Exposition Show Committee, which he has chaired several times.
John resides in Hilliard with his wife, Vicky, their sons, Justin and J. T., and a granddaughter, Ellie.
Noble
(continued from page 32) final score of 87.8%. Milk is marketed to Dairy Farmers of America.
While Elaine spent her childhood in northern New Jersey, she moved to Gillett in 1980 as a 14-year-old to live on a dairy farm owned by her aunt and uncle, Ronald and Hilda Moore. Her family milked a herd of Registered Holsteins and Brown Swiss and then added Jerseys to the mix in 1986. She met Stuart in the middle of a show ring while exhibiting Jerseys at the county fair. Elaine became an official part of
jennie.seals@gmail.com
desijosi@wilsonview.com
Nobledale Farm in 1992 when she and Stuart married.
The farm, now operated as a general partnership between Stuart and Elaine, is being transitioned to Maria and Wesley. Day-to-day duties are handled full-time by Stuart, Maria and Wesley. Filling the void where needed are Elaine and Maria’s husband, Ryan.
While the dairy industry has certainly changed in the 33 years Elaine and Stuart have been married, the breeding philosophy at Nobledale Farm has not. Cows continue to be bred for functional type, high components and longevity. The top half of the herd is bred up to two times with sexed semen. Females that do not settle are bred with either conventional semen or beef semen. To capitalize on today’s lucrative markets for “black” calves, the bottom half of the herd is bred to Angus bulls or implanted with embryos from the herd’s donor dams.
For many years, the Nobles managed a closed herd. However, in the late
1990s, they began introducing high-end genetics to the herd with purchases from dispersals and sales like the National Heifer Sale and the All American Jersey Sale.
The most renowned cow family to hail from the farm is Nobledale Juno Vermont, Excellent-94%. Born just two months after their marriage, she was named after the destination of their honeymoon. Nearly 2/3 of the current herd can be traced to “Vermont.” She has 72 registered progeny to date, including Nobledale Pitino Victoria, Excellent-94%, high seller of the 2002 All American Jersey Sale.
A more recent standout is Nobledale Action Bella, Excellent-95%. While officially retired, the 15-year-old underwent her last in vitro fertilization session just last year, and embryos are currently being implanted. The Nobles believe her best daughters are yet to be developed.
A favorite pastime for the Noble family is showing at the county fair. The
event draws not just immediate family, but extended family and adopted family too. The Noble family’s “showcations” include district, state, regional and national shows as well.
Elaine’s post-secondary schooling is in early childhood education. For the past 23 years, she has been the 4-H program educator for neighboring Chemung County in New York. She recently became the educator for the Ag in the Classroom program that brings industry awareness to urban elementary students. The National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals presented Elaine with its distinguished service award in 2021 and the meritorious service award in 2023. In addition, Elaine serves on the boards of the American Dairy Association North East and the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program and has been a director for the Pennsylvania Jersey Cattle Association for more than 20 years. She was a member of the committee that planned the annual meetings of the national Jersey organizations held in Pittsburgh in 2005 and Gettysburg in 2017. She and Maria help to create the state Jersey association’s newsletter.
Elaine also sits on the local county dairy promotion board, helps to facilitate the dairy princess program in Bradford County and serves on the advisory council for her local FFA chapter. She is a member and elder for Coryland Church in Columbia Crossroads.
As fewer farmers earn a living milking cows, Noble thinks it is important to embrace change but not lose sight of what makes the Jersey cow an integral part of the future dairy industry. Though change can be painful, inaction and complacency can result in decline, or even extinction. Programs and policies need to be accessible and adaptable to all breeders regardless of size, geographic location, age, or experience. It is crucial to entice new breeders without alienating those who have helped us get to where we are today.
In addition to Maria and Wesley, Elaine and Stuart are parents to Cory Noble and grandparents to Maria and Ryan’s eight-month-old daughter, Isabella.
owenswlsd@yahoo.com
abby.tauchen@gmail.com
Haywood
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merit with a herd average Jersey Performance Index (JPI) of +79 (April 2025) on 300 cows. The dairy owns 15 females ranked among the top 1% for Genomic JPI. Twenty-six bulls have been sent to A.I. since the Haywoods began focusing on genetic development. As well, live bulls have been exported to Brazil, Canada, Mexico and Nepal.
For each of the past five years, Sand Creek Dairy has ranked among the top 10 herds in the nation for at least one measure of production. Currently, the dairy ranks sixth for milk and protein and 10th for fat with a 2024 actual herd average of 22,794 lbs. milk, 1,156 lbs. fat and 853 lbs. protein.
Though there have been many standouts at Sand Creek Dairy, Ethan is especially proud of Sandcreeks Critic Chipster-P-ET, Excellent-93%. With a balance of functional type, production (27,930 lbs. milk, 1,466 lbs. fat and 1,049 lbs. protein at 6-2) and genomic
hounddogkarl@yahoo.com
value, she has been a building block of the heifer program at the farm in southwestern Michigan. The Haywood family is focused on breeding more like her: long-lasting, functionaltype cows that push the production ceiling while also proving their worth by transmitting exceptional genetics to their progeny and subsequent generations.
Ethan is also a genetic specialist with the dairy sire department at Select Sires Inc., assisting with the Jersey and Holstein programs, working to streamline data flow and assisting breeders with genetic decisions while furthering the two breeds. He works with breeders both domestically and internationally to analyze data and leverage new technologies to improve efficiency and gain in breed-leading genetic programs.
Prior to returning home to Sand Creek Dairy, Ethan earned an animal science degree from Michigan State University (MSU). He was a member of
the team that won the National Dairy Challenge in 2018 and competed on the university’s dairy judging team as well. He was president of FarmHouse Fraternity, state vice president for the Michigan FFA Association and an officer with the MSU Dairy Club.
Ethan has broadly supported Jersey activities and youth programs as a member of the JPI Advisory Committee and the All American Sale Committee and through regular consignments to the All American Jersey Sale, Pot O’Gold Sale and National Heifer Sale. He serves on the board of the Michigan Jersey Cattle Club and the Michigan Holstein Association. He is a member of the MSU Department of Animal Science Stakeholder Advisory Council and an active alumnus for his local FFA chapter and 4-H program. He recently completed service with the United Dairy Industry of Michigan and is a former dairy advisory committee member of Michigan Farm Bureau. Ethan believes that the future of the
Jersey breed will be a modern cow with functional type, excellent production, improved fertility, high milk quality and improved health traits. He would like to assist breeders in moving the Jersey breed forward and providing ample opportunities and options to fellow Jersey breeders, no matter their herd goals.
He resides in Hastings near the centennial farm with his wife, Elena.
James
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His passion for his profession sprouted when he joined both 4-H and FFA and served the latter as an officer at the state level. He furthered his studies at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, where he earned an undergraduate degree in animal science with an emphasis on dairy. During college, he participated in numerous leadership opportunities. A member of the university’s dairy judging team, his performance was highlighted by topfive finishes at contests held at World Dairy Expo and the Fort Worth Stock Show. Upon graduation, he returned to the family dairy to become the
third generation to work the farm in southwestern Wisconsin.
Though neither Jason nor Leah has roots in the Jersey community, the brown cow found her way to the farm shortly after they married in 2011, and the two have never looked back. Jerseys have long overtaken the “majority” of the herd, and their efficiencies continue to advance their numbers in the milking string.
The first purchase was a group of bred heifers sourced through Jersey Marketing Service. Amazingly, all five heifers freshened with heifer calves, and sped up the Jersey presence in the herd. The most influential cow from that group was Circlehawk Regina Tana Tbone, Excellent-94%, with multiple records over 1,000 lbs. fat. Her daughter, Circlehawk Kyros Rizzo of PVF, was also Excellent-94% and has many milking daughters in the herd. Most notable is PVF Chrome Reva-ET, who completes three generations of cows appraised Excellent-94%. The “R” family continues to have a large impact on the herd and exemplifies what the couple is striving for: a balanced cow with both type and production.
Another impactful purchase for the
herd, Clareshoe Allstar Zoom Zoom, was made at the 2014 National Heifer Sale. The impact of the Excellent-91% donor dam extends far beyond PineValley Farm. Her grandson, JX PVF World Cup Zinc {5}-ET, a former #1 GJPI bull, was widely used as a sire of sons. Six other bulls from this cow family were sold to A.I. as well.
The development of these kinds of genetics helped Jason and Leah earn an AJCA Young Jersey Breeder award in 2018.
Jason served multiple terms on the board of the Wisconsin Jersey Breeders Association and nine years (maximum term) on the county committee for the Iowa Farm Service Agency. He chairs the committee that selects cattle for the FFA dairy judging contest at World Dairy Expo and is a former member of Expo’s exhibitors committee. As well, he is a graduate of the Managers Academy for Dairy Professionals and the Foremost Farms young producer program. Jason stays busy in the community as an active member of the Wisconsin Parish 3 Jersey Breeders and a coach for his daughter’s basketball team.
(continued
James (continued from page 39)
Among his passions is helping youth get started in the agricultural industry. Each summer, Pine-Valley opens the barn doors to juniors, who lease show animals during the summer. Last year, more than a dozen juniors leased animals that made their way to county shows across southern Wisconsin. Jason and Leah and their family enjoy showing too and are regulars at local, state and national shows. In addition to show-winning Jerseys, they have also bred and exhibited nationally recognized Milking Shorthorns, including the Reserve Grand Champion of the breed show held at World Dairy Expo in 2022.
Jason has also spent time on the other side of the fence as an accomplished judge who has officiated multiple shows at the local and regional level.
He is most excited to see his children eagerly working with cattle and raising them as the fourth generation on the farm.
Klinkner
(continued from page 33)
to cows Rob and Gail enrolled in the Genetic Recovery program as Original Animals in their early years of dairying.
In 2006, the Klinkners purchased their current farm, making significant upgrades early on to improve cow comfort and management. Over the years, herd size has fluctuated to maintain margins specific to their operation. Today, they milk 35 Jerseys and 20 Holsteins and raise replacement heifers on the farm.
Each of Rob and Gail’s five children— Reagan, 19, Garrison, 17, Rubi, 13, Ginger, 11, and Rylan, 9—is actively involved with the operation of the farm. The Klinkners enjoy showing cattle locally and at the Wisconsin Jersey Spring Spectacular, the Wisconsin State Fair, World Dairy Expo and The All American Jersey Show.
Pine Prairie Jerseys has consigned to The All American Jersey Sale, the Top of the World Sale, the Wisconsin Jersey Breeders Sale and the National Heifer Sale. The Klinkners have also merchandised cattle privately, with destinations both domestic and international.
Rob has recently completed his third term on the board of the Wisconsin Jersey Breeders Association (WJBA), serving as president the past two years. He has also served for many years as
president of Parish 4 Jersey Breeders. For the past 24 years, he has served on various cooperative boards, including the Vernon Crawford Dairy Herd Improvement Association, and been a delegate for East Central Select Sires and Accelerated Genetics.
He has also been active with the Franklin Lutheran Church, where he serves on the pastoral call committee.
Given his start in the dairy industry, Rob always strives to encourage youth. He has been a 4-H dairy leader for Vernon County and donated Registered Jersey calves to the WJBA as prizes for the youth achievement contest three times. He has supplied animals for fitting and showing clinics and for non-farm youth to exhibit at shows, and housed animals for juniors who don’t have facilities to raise cattle. He has opened the farm to dairy judging teams for practice sessions and other community youth groups to learn more about dairying.
The Klinkners also operate an onfarm market, the Klinkner Kountry Store, where they sell farm-fresh beef, pork and lamb along with dairy products from Westby Cooperative Creamery. During the summer, they enjoy hosting “Summer Nights on the Farm,” where they encourage the community to come to the farm during chores to experience all the activities of daily dairy farm life.
In closing, Rob is excited for the opportunity to represent his fellow Jersey breeders as a member of the AJCA board and welcomes questions and thoughts to continue to improve the breed.
Rocha
(continued from page 33)
Joe grew up in central California on a dairy farm established by his family in 1966. He attended California Polytechnic State University, where he met Sarah, judged on the dairy team and earned an agriculture and dairy science degree in 1992. He returned to the family farm and wed Sarah. A year later, he and Sarah, his parents, and their 180 head of dairy cattle moved to the present farm on the Oregon Coast to capitalize on component pricing offered by Tillamook Creamery and a more comfortable environment for the cows.
Though they started with just 100 acres, the Rochas have expanded their enterprise over the past three decades
by purchasing additional land and equipment to grow and harvest their own feed and house more animals. Pacific Edge Jerseys operates an extensive in-vitro fertilization/embryo transfer program, with multiple donor dams aspirated biweekly, to grow the elite portion of the herd. The dairy regularly consigns to elite Jersey sales and has marketed bulls they have collected privately to Jersey breeders across the country.
Cows are managed in a freestall facility and milked in a double-22 parlor.
The Rochas enjoy showing Registered Jerseys at their county fair, the Western National Jersey Show, the All American Jersey Show and World Dairy Expo. Twice they have exhibited the GJPI Senior Champion at the show in Louisville, Ky., along with the Reserve Winner of the 2021 National Jersey Jug Futurity, Pacific Edge Colton JazminET. They have also partnered with other Jersey breeders on prize-winning Jerseys, including the reigning Winner of the National Jersey Jug Futurity, LC Reckless Armadillo, and the National Junior Grand Champion, Pacific Edge VIP Tessah-ET.
While they have shown champions at every level, their most treasured prizes are banners for Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor. They have been Premier Breeder at the All American Jersey Show three times and the International Jersey Show once. They have also been named Premier Exhibitor at the All American Jersey Show.
In 2001, Joe and Sarah received the AJCA Young Jersey Breeder award. Joe was the associate judge at the All American Junior Jersey Show in 2019 and has served on the All American Open Show Committee for many years. Currently, he chairs the committee and is also a member of the World Dairy Expo Dairy Cattle Exhibitor Committee.
Joe is a past president and 20-year director of the Tillamook County Creamery Association and sat on the board of the Oregon Dairy Farmer’s Association for six years.
He has a deep love for the Jersey breed and can bring a wide perspective to the board.
Merriam
(continued from page 33)
Cheese Company. Both Ahlem herds have production averages of more than 20,000 lbs. milk on an actual basis. Ahlem Farms Partnership ranks among the top five of its peers nationally for all measures of production on an actual and m.e. basis with an actual herd average of 21,156 lbs. milk, 1,030 lbs. fat and 783 lbs. protein on nearly 3,000 cows. The dairy ranks sixth in the nation for genetic merit with a herd average Jersey Performance Index of +88 following the April 2025 genetic evaluations.
Merriam grew up on 400-cow dairy farm in central California, where he and his family milked 250 Registered Jerseys and 150 grade Holsteins. His grandfather, William Merriam, established the dairy herd with Jerseys in 1929 and added Holsteins in the 1960s, when the creamery required their addition due to public concern about high fat milk.
As a youth, he was active in 4-H and FFA, where he earned the American FFA Degree. A highlight of his show career was exhibiting Supreme Champion at the California State Fair with a cow bred by James Pappas of Stardust Jerseys. He also exhibited cattle at The All American Junior Jersey Show and helped with the
All American Jersey Sale. He placed third in the National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest.
Jonathan has an associate’s degree in dairy science from Modesto Junior College. He graduated from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo with a major in dairy science and a minor in agriculture business. He also received a master’s degree in dairy genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Merriam was selected for the California Agriculture Leadership program, a two-year leadership program with extensive training in leadership areas of health, communication and politics. The program included a weeklong trip to Washington D.C. to meet with politicians to discuss agriculture issues and a three-week excursion to India and Nepal to share agricultural knowledge and experience with thirdworld countries.
Jonathan was general chair for the 2019 All American and served on the board of Jerseyland Sires. Jonathan has served on the Hickman School Board for more than 20 years—three times as president—a position that has given him experience and an understanding of all aspects of public education, government regulations, negotiations,
and staff evaluations. He helps coach the FFA dairy judging team, is a 4-H dairy project leader and volunteers to serve community through church and other civic opportunities.
Jonathan’s wife, Becca, is a paraeducator in middle school and together they have four children. Kathryn, an elementary school teacher in Dayton, Nev., is married and has two sons. Reva is married and completing her studies to become a nurse. Grace is married as well and starting nursing school. Nathan is a radiographer with a national research lab. Kathryn, Reva, Grace and Nathan have all received their state FFA degrees. Nathan attended the 2019 Jersey Youth Academy.
Albright
(continued from page 33) and uses JerseyTags for permanent identification and JerseyMate for the top half of herd matings. The Albrights are also contract advertisers with Jersey Journal and members of the White Eagle Cooperative.
Albright Jerseys has a 2024 actual herd average of 21,520 lbs. milk, 1,071 lbs. fat and 781 lbs. protein, marks that rank first for milk, fifth for fat and fourth (continued to page 42)
Albright (continued from page 41)
for protein nationally among herds with 300-749 cows. The herd ranks #9 in the nation for genetic merit with a herd average JPI of +84 (April 2025).
The Albrights have been milking Jerseys since 1947. Joel grew up on the family farm and graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in agriculture education in 2000 and a master’s degree in human and community resource development in 2003. He taught agricultural education at Crestview High School from 2001 to 2018 and then returned to the dairy to farm full time.
The herd was expanded from 340 cows in 2012 to its present size by capitalizing on the Jersey breed’s internal growth advantages. During this time, the Albrights also nearly doubled production per cow by focusing on the basics of cow comfort, feed quality, reproduction and protocol consistency.
To manage the expansion, the Albrights undertook several facility upgrades, including construction of a new maternity and special needs area, a flush system and a pair of six-row freestall barns. They retrofitted their barns to accommodate robotic milkers and constructed a new milk house. Cows are milked by nine Lely A4 robotic milkers and fed a partial mixed ration prepared with two twin-screw vertical mixers. The milking cow ration includes
corn silage, wheatlage, bag haylage and high-moisture corn. Feed is pushed with a Lely Juno feed pusher.
The Albrights regularly consign animals to local, state and national Jersey sales, including the Ohio Fall Production Sale, the Buckeye Classic Sale and the Pot O’Gold Sale. Twice, their consignments to the National Heifer Sale have garnered the top price. In 2020, Sexing Technologies purchased AJ Chief 4611 for $42,000, and, in 2023, Matthew Steiner of Pine Tree Dairy purchased AJ Chief 5545 (now AJ Chief Galadriel, owned by the Semex Alliance) for $27,000. Half of the proceeds from the Albright consignment to the 2017 Ohio Spring Classic Sale were donated to help fund the AJCANAJ Annual Meetings hosted by Ohio in 2018.
Joel received the AJCA Young Jersey Breeder award in 2016. He was the associate chair of the All American in 2022 and general chair the following year. He currently serves on the All American Sale Committee, which he chaired in 2021. He sat on the Ohio FFA Board of Trustees and chaired the organization’s proficiency award program from 2015 to 2017. During his 17-year tenure as Crestview FFA advisor, chapter members earned 94 state degrees and 43 American degrees. Joel has also served FFA as an assistant coordinator for career development events. Joel was elected to serve a three-
year term on the AgCredit board in 2024.
Albright Jerseys was a tour stop for the International Conference of the World Jersey Cattle Bureau held in conjunction with the AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings in 2017 and hosted Jersey Youth Academy several times. The dairy was also a virtual farm tour for World Dairy Expo in 2018.
Get Transfers In Order For Junior Show Season
It is time to begin thinking about show projects for 2025. The simplest thing to do for your kids and open their eligibility is to File a transfer of ownership so that the junior is listed as a Recorded Owner on the registration certificate.
Ownership rules vary from state to state. Some allow leasing. Others allow animals to be registered in the farm name, but require paperwork be completed and filed certifying that an animal is the junior’s 4-H or FFA project.
What about the All American Junior Jersey Show, the biggest junior Jersey show of the year? Or World Dairy Expo, the Pennyslvnia All-American and Western National? The ownership policy is as follows:
Animals are eligible when recorded by the American Jersey Cattle Association in the Herd Register or with Generation Count 4 or greater, or by Jersey Canada with registry status of 93.75% and greater. The exhibitor must be listed as Recorded Owner on the registration certificate, either (1) as the sole owner or (2) by his/her name in joint ownership. If the joint ownership includes more than one person meeting the eligibility requirements of Rule 1 (above), one of them must be declared as the exhibitor during check-in. Animals must be registered and/or transferred to meet one of the above ownership requirements on or before August 1, 2025. The recording date is the postmark date and will be considered the date of registration and/ or transfer.
Submit the transfer of ownership as soon as you figure out which animals are going to be shown this year. That step will save you the effort of researching the exhibitor ownership requirements for all the shows you are considering.
A final note: Exhibitors at the All American Junior Jersey Show are also required to be members (junior or lifetime) of the American Jersey Cattle Association. Applications for membership are available online at http://bit. do/JuniorMembership.
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The 2025 Annual Meetings of the American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey Inc. will be held in Lexington, Kentucky, June 25-28
Schedule
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25
6:00 p.m. Cheese Social-People’s Choice Jersey Cheese Contest
6:00 p.m. Youth Game Night with The Dairy Alliance
7:00 p.m. Young Jersey Breeder Banquet (Child care available for 5 years and under)
THURSDAY, JUNE 26
6:30-8:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:30 a.m. Tour of Keeneland Racetrack
11:30 a.m. Lunch
12:00 p.m. Group A to Spendthrift Stud Farm (Youth friendly) Group B to Castle & Key Distillery (Must be 21+ to attend)
3:00 p.m. Breeder & Industry Roundtables
5:00 p.m. Pre-sale social
5:30 p.m. Kentucky Favorites Dinner & Old-fashioned ice cream social with Chaney’s Dairy
6:30 p.m. National Heifer Sale @ the Embassy Suites UK/Coldstream
9:00 p.m. Bluegrass entertainment by Cane Run Bluegrass Band (cash bar available)
Hotel rate includes: parking, breakfasts and nightly happy hour. Registration fee includes: three (3) lunches, four (4) receptions, two (2) banquets and two (2) dinners as listed in the event schedule; tickets to Keeneland Racetrack, Sprendthrift Stud Farm, Castle & Key Distillery, and Shaker Village Tour; and transportation to all events on schedule.
Youth registration fee includes: t-shirt; three (3) lunches and four (4) dinners; tickets to Keeneland Racetrack, Spendthrift Stud Farm and Shaker Village Tour; Youth Events Wednesday and Friday; transportation to all events on schedule.
FRIDAY, JUNE 27
6:30-8:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:00 a.m. Recognition of sponsors
8:30 a.m. National All-Jersey Inc. Annual Meeting
11:00 a.m. Give Your Best 60 Seconds Public Speaking Contest & lunch (youth)
12:00 p.m. TransOva Youth Day: Youth depart for Keightley & Core Jerseys for a judging clinic, showmanship clinic and pedigree workshop
12:30 p.m. Group A to Castle & Key Distillery (Must be 21+ to attend)
Group B to Spendthrift Stud Farm
3:00 p.m. Value-Added Producer Roundtable
5:00 p.m. Youth night in Lexington at Malibu Jack's
6:00 p.m. Cheese Social
7:00 p.m. Breeders’ Banquet (Child care available for 5 years and under)
SATURDAY, JUNE 28
6:30-8:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:00 a.m. American Jersey Cattle Association Annual Meeting
11:30 p.m. Shaker Village tour and lunch
2:00 p.m. Depart for Keightley & Core Jerseys
3:00 p.m. Jersey Youth Academy Benefit Auction
4:30 p.m. Farm tour & evening social
5:30 p.m. Dinner
6:30 p.m. Dreaming of Triple Crowns Sale @ Keightley & Core Jerseys
9:00 p.m. Live entertainment
Celebrate Kentucky Heritage-Jerseys, Bluegrass, Thoroughbreds and Bourbon!
Registration
Online registration is preferred at usjerseyannualmeeting.com (Registration opens on April 15)
Or mail form with payment to:
Attn: Annual Meeting Registration, American Jersey Cattle Association, 6486 E. Main St., Reynoldsburg, OH 43068-2362
Questions regarding registration?
Email annualmeeting@usjersey.com
Phone 614/861-3636
Transportation:
DRIVE. Right off of (I-75/I-64).
FLY The nearest airport is Blue Grass Airport (LEX) (8 miles). Other nearby airports include Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) (74 miles)
Hotel:
Embassy Suites UK Coldstream 1801 Newtown Pike, Lexington, KY 40511
Make hotel reservations directly by calling (859) 455-5000 or online:
Request to be in the “Jersey” block Room rate: $149/ night includes parking, breakfast and nightly happy hour.
REGISTRANT (First, Middle Initial,
NAME OF ADDITIONAL REGISTRANT (First, Middle Initial, Last)
REGISTRATION FEES
Official registration badge is required for entrance at all included events.
Early Bird Registration, received with payment by June 6
No charge Enter number of registrations
Late Registration, received with payment after June 6
$200 No charge Enter number of registrations
PAYMENT q Debit Card q Discover q Visa q MasterCard q American Express q Check payable to AJCA. Mail with registration form to address at top left.
Jersey Youth Academy Benefit Auction ___ ___ Dinner at Keightley & Core Jerseys
July 1 is Deadline to Apply for National Scholarships and Educational Awards
Tuesday, July 1 is the deadline to apply for scholarship and educational awards administered by the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA), Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
This year $41,600 will be awarded to Jersey youth. The funds provide financial support for young Jersey owners pursuing a college or university degree or, in some cases, gaining hands-on experience in the development and management of Registered Jersey™ cattle. Eligible applicants are Junior or Lifetime members of the association with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale).
The Walter and Joyce Owens Family Scholarship ($5,000) will be awarded for the fourth year. Students that are incoming or current undergraduates in any post education institution studying dairy related majors are eligible. Applicants must be working towards a 2-year or 4-year degree and demonstrating satisfactory academic performance. Recipients are eligible to receive scholarship up to two (2) times but must reapply to be considered.
The Russell–Malnati Scholarship for Advanced Studies ($5,000) will be awarded to a graduate student in dairy science, animal science (dairy emphasis), large animal veterinary practice, dairy production/manufacturing, or dairy product marketing.
Students who will begin a program of study at an accredited college or university in the fall of 2025 may apply for the William A. Russell Memorial Scholarship ($3,000). Students who have completed at least one year of study toward their degree are eligible for the V. L. Peterson Scholarship ($2,250). Also, the Jack C. Nisbet Memorial Scholarship ($2,250) will be awarded to an eligible nominee for the National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest.
The Lineweaver Scholarship ($3,500) will be awarded to an undergraduate who has completed at least one year of study in a four-year program focused on dairy science, animal science (dairy emphasis) or dairy products.
The Morris B. Ewing ABS Genetic Performance Scholarship ($2,750) will be awarded to a junior or senior undergraduate student seeking a career in genetics, dairy production, large
animal veterinary medicine or milk marketing.
The Robert Bignami Memorial Scholarship ($2,500). This scholarship was established from a generous donation of Bob and Pam Bignami, Orland, Calif., from the sale of BW Graduate-ET in 2020.
Students who are high school graduates and have attended Jersey Youth Academy are eligible to apply if heading to, or already enrolled in an accredited four-year college/university majoring in an agricultural-based degree.
The award is based upon financial need, academic performance, and leadership skills. Financial need will be determined by comparing the Cost of Attendance (COA) at the students university offset by the amount of money the student will contribute in the form of (1) scholarships and grants, (2) income from work, (3) loans, and (4) contributions from parents and/ or others. It may be automatically renewed up to three times or until completion of the undergraduate degree, as long as eligibility requirements are met.
A Cedarcrest Farms Scholarship ($1,500) will be awarded to an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in a program to earn a degree in large animal veterinary practice, dairy production, dairy manufacturing, or dairy product marketing, and who demonstrates through completed coursework and goal statement, significant progress toward this intended degree and a clear intention for a career in agriculture.
The Paul Jackson Memorial Scholarship ($1,000) is for continuing college students in any degree program area. The AJCA Directors’ Scholarship
($1,500) will be awarded based on academic performance, activities and accomplishments with Jersey cattle and commitment to continued involvement in the Jersey dairy business. The Bob Toole Jersey Youth Award ($1,500) can be used for educational expenses or a well-defined practical experience related to breeding, developing and showing Registered Jerseys.
The recipient of the Anne E. Perchard Challenge Award ($350) will be selected from among applicants for the national achievement contest and/or scholarship program to recognize abilities and leadership potential and, in turn, challenging the recipient to achieve his/her potential through continuing Jersey activities.
Also, the Reuben R. Cowles Jersey Youth Award will be presented to an eligible resident of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia to be used for educational expenses or to travel to the All American Jersey Show and Sale, the AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings or other Jersey educational activities. Applicants must be at least high school graduates, but not older than 36 years of age as of January 1, 2025.
For application forms and instructions, visit the “Scholarships and Internships” page on the USJersey website or use the link, tinyurl.com/ JerseyScholarships. Recipients will be recognized on Saturday, November 8 at the Youth Awards Ceremony held in Louisville, Ky.
For more information, contact the AJCA by email at info@usjersey. com; or visit its web site at USJersey. com.
Eligibility Rules for 2025 All American Junior Show
The All American Junior Jersey Show is scheduled for Friday, November 7, 2025, in Louisville, Ky.
The eligibility and ownership rules were approved by the AJCA Board of Directors upon recommendation of the All American Planning Committees. Junior Jersey owners need to read these carefully and take appropriate action now to ensure that they are eligible to exhibit in the 2025 show.
Rule 1, Exhibitors. Exhibitors must be no younger than nine (9) and no older than 20 years of age as of January 1, 2025. U.S. residents must be members (junior or lifetime) of the American Jersey Cattle Association.
Rule 2, Entries. Animals are eligible when recorded by the American Jersey Cattle Association in the Herd Register or with Generation Count 4 or greater, or by Jersey Canada with registry status of 93.75% and greater.
The exhibitor must be listed as Recorded Owner on the registration certificate, either (1) as the sole owner or (2) by his/her name in joint ownership. If the joint ownership includes more than one person meeting the eligibility requirements of Rule 1 (above), one of
them must be declared as the exhibitor during check-in.
Animals must be registered and/or transferred to meet one of the above ownership requirements on or before August 1, 2025. The date of registration and/or transfer is the Date Recorded printed on the registration certificate.
Rule 3, Participation. Entries must be shown by the exhibitor, except by prior written approval from NAILE. Alternate leadspersons must (1) be associated with the Herd Unit and also eligible to show by age (Rule 1, above), or (2) if not, be the same age or younger than the exhibitor of the animal being shown. Requests for alternate leadsperson must be submitted for approval by the NAILE dairy show superintendent on forms provided by the AJCA not later than 12:00 noon the day before the show.
No more than two (2) animals may be shown by one exhibitor in any one class. The exhibitor must lead the first entry and the second entry must be led by an NAILE approved alternate leadsperson.
Adults are not allowed to show in any case.
Rule 4, Breeder Status. In order to qualify for Premier Breeder points
and Best Bred and Owned awards, the exhibitor declared at check-in must have his/her name recorded as a Breeder on the animal’s registration certificate. These awards will be made only to the individual exhibitor in the case of partnership animals.
For more information, contact the Communications Department at 614/322-4451 or email info@usjersey. com. Visit the official All American website at https://theallamerican. usjerseyjournal.com.
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Mary Alice Koon
Mary Alice Koon, Brashear, Texas, 96, passed away on April 24, 2025.
She was born on September 13, 1928, one of four children born to the late Phil McDonald Sr. and Mildred (Starrett) McDonald. She graduated from Sulphur Springs High School in 1944 and married the love of her life, Brody Lee Koon, at the First Baptist Church in Sulphur Springs, Texas, on June 7, 1950.
Partners in life, they worked together to provide the best for their family and operate a Registered Jersey farm. Mary worked behind the scenes as chief cook and bottle washer, gofer and taxi driver, nurse and counselor and secretary, taking countless messages from potential cattle buyers.
Mary cooked many meals for appraisers, cattle buyers, workers and family. She was known for her Hopkins County Stew, chicken and dressing, lemon meringue pie and award-winning peach ice cream. Brody made many early milk runs to the
store because Mary couldn’t say no to after-church cookies and milk for the growing boys.
She enjoyed planting a garden, caring for flowers and plants and sharing home-grown vegetables, figs, pears and muscadine preserves. She also loved holidays. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren looked forward to her popcorn balls when trickor-treating or Easter egg hunting. An annual Christmas tradition was Granny Mary’s sharing of the story of Jesus’ birth.
Mary was an 81-year member of First Baptist Church. She served as a Sunday school director and third-grade teacher for 26 years and taught vacation Bible school each summer. She professed her most fulfilling moments in teaching were leading someone to the saving knowledge of Jesus.
For many years, she and Brody served on the baptism, Lord’s supper and hospitality committees. The couple worked together to ensure their children knew Jesus, and she prayed they would remain faithful to and trust in God and meet her in heaven.
Mary was also a member of the
Silvertones Choir, the Diamond Set 55 Plus ministry and Women Mission Union.
Aside from church, she was involved with Reilly Springs Cemetery Association, serving in various capacities as an officer and member. Known as “Granny” to all, she had a special love for children and youth. She touched the lives of people she met by taking time to listen, showing them she truly cared. She shared her faith in God and His love not only in words, but by the way she lived every day.
She is survived by four children, Randy (Sheila) Koon, Jana (Weldon) DeWitt, Karman (Brad) Holland and Kris (Miki) Koon, all of Brashear; 11 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Brody, in 2015; brothers, Joe McDonald, Luther McDonald and Phil McDonald Jr.; a daughter-in-law, Terri Jordan Koon; and a grandson.
Donations may be made to First Baptist Church, Youth and Children’s Ministry, 116 Oak Ave., Sulphur Springs, TX 75482.
