LACROSSE, Wis. — Two local dairy farmers were recognized by the American Jersey Cattle Association last month. David King, of Fremont, Ohio, and Dustin and Carrie Gingerich, of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, were awarded the 2023 Young Jersey Breeder Award on June 21 at the association’s annual meeting, in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.
The Young Jersey Breeder Award is presented to individuals or couples who are at least 28 years old and under the age of 40 on Jan. 1 of the year they were nominated. Recipients “merit recognition for their expertise in dairy farming, breeding Jersey cattle, participation in programs of the American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey Inc. and leadership in Jersey and other dairy and agriculture organizations,” according to an American Jersey Cattle Association press release.
Jed and Laura Barens, of Mount Upton, New York and Michelle Moore, of Frederic, Wisconsin were also recognized with the Young Jersey Breeder Award.
The American Jersey Cattle Association was organized in 1868 to improve and promote the Jersey breed. Since 1957, National All-Jersey Inc. has served Jersey owners by promoting the increased production and sale of Jersey milk and milk products.
David King
David King is a fourth-generation farmer at Jer-Bel Farms in Sandusky County. After graduating from Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute in 2011, he brought his knowledge back to his family farm, where they were milking in a 42-stall tie-stall barn.
Two Lely A4 robots are responsible for milking King’s 380-cow Registered Jersey herd. The robots were added in 2014.
The Jer-Bel herd produced 17,962 pounds of milk, 842 pounds of fat and 656 pounds of protein on average from 167 cows at the end of 2022.
On top of these impressive production numbers, the family’s herd has also won awards. There have been 10 cows recognized as Hall of Fame Production cows. These cows have then gone on to have powerful families. One example is Jer-Bel Bancroft Adeline, Excellent-92% who produced 7JE1769 Jer-Bel Maldini Archie. In 2020, “Archie” was the #1 Genomic Young Sire. To market these animals, the family utilizes IVF. There are currently 10 Jer-Bel bred females part of the Top 1.5% with the highest sitting at the 17th rank.
King grew up as a member of 4-H and FFA and continues his involvement by showing animals at the county, district and state levels. King has also spent his time as an active dairy cattle evaluator. He hosts various dairy judging teams at the farm to help them prepare for their competitions. The family also hosts tourist groups to educate the public on the industry and the daily life of dairy farmers.
Gingerich family
The Gingerich family runs Rocky Ridge Jerseys, a 140-cow farm in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.
Dustin Gingerich graduated high school in 2000 and decided to join his grandfather’s farm by milking 26 Jerseys. Dustin and Carrie married three years later, and the couple now has four daughters, Hannah, Abigail, Lydia and Leah. Carrie Gingerich works off-farm as a teacher but helps with the farm chores when she can.
When Dustin Gingerich first joined the farm, the number of cows jumped to 100. The family began renting a larger facility in 2012 as the herd grew. The family now owns their own farm with 140 cows housed in free stalls and milked in a swing-10 parlor.
Overall, 90% of the herd scored Very Good or Excellent. These scores are thanks to Gingerich’s sire selection and the use of the Jersey Mating Program. Rocky Ridge Jerseys has brought up five Hall of Fame cows. On top of these high-scored cows, the farm’s products have also been recognized. One of their more notable awards was a Dairy of Distinction Award in May 2022.
