The Board of Directors of the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) has named Ryan Haines of Taneytown, MD, as a 2025 Young Jersey Breeder Award recipient. This honor recognizes Jersey breeders under age 40 who have excelled in breeding and managing Registered Jerseys, achieved notable production and type results and demonstrated leadership in the Jersey breed and dairy industry.

Haines was born and raised on Locust-Ayr Farm in Taneytown, where he continues to farm alongside his family. At 14, he purchased his first Jersey calf – adding the breed to the family’s primarily Holstein herd – after being inspired (and perhaps a little challenged) by his older brother. That single purchase marked the beginning of a steady growth in Jerseys on the farm.

After earning his degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University in 2009, Haines returned home with a focus on modernizing the operation and enhancing the marketability of their genetics. With his brother, he has invested in proven cow families to improve performance and type – an important strategy as they market 10 – 15 calves each 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,” noted Tom Arrowsmith of Hillacres Jerseys, 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, the herd includes 30 Registered Jerseys and 10 Holsteins, supported by 500 acres of quality crops. On 31 cows, the herd posts a rolling herd average of 15,069 lbs. milk, 774 lbs. fat and 565 lbs. protein, and participates in the AJCA’s REAP program.

Haines plays an active role in MD’s dairy community, serving as treasurer of the MD Jersey Cattle Club, vice president of the MD Purebred Dairy Cattle Association and a dedicated 4-H volunteer. His commitment to youth development is evident through his work organizing the MD All-Breed Field Day Show and serving on the planning committee for Show Like a Pro, a two-day workshop that teaches youth how to prepare dairy heifers for the show ring. He also leases cattle to young exhibitors and serves as a dairy judge across MD and PA.

In addition, Haines coaches the Carroll County dairy judging team – the largest in MD – sharing his expertise with the next generation of dairy leaders. In 2025, a highlight of his year was escorting his team to compete in the International Dairy Judging Contest at the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Hess named Young Jersey Breeder

The Board of Directors of the AJCA has honored Jessica Stiles Hess of Boonsboro, MD, with the 2025 Young Jersey Breeder Award.

Hess’s connection to Jersey cattle began before she could walk, when her parents, Janet and the late Tracy Stiles, gifted her first calf from their family herd, Shenandoah Jerseys. Through her youth, she expanded her herd with the support of her parents, purchasing animals – including from the Pot O’ Gold Sale – and showing competitively. In 1998, she exhibited Hedgebrook B Lad Marie, Excellent-94%, to the title of Junior National Reserve Grand Champion, a cow whose descendants still grace the Shenandoah herd today. One such descendant was even gifted to her son, Cole, to start his own herd.

Hess faced a major challenge during her freshman year of high school when her father passed away from cancer. She and her mother carried on his legacy, growing the herd and improving facilities, including building a new parlor while Hess pursued her dairy science degree at Virginia Tech. Her college experiences only strengthened her resolve to return home and continue the family business.

Today, Shenandoah Jerseys milks with a DeLaval VMS robotic milking system, retrofitted into their existing free-stall barn and parlor. The family also installed an automatic calf feeder to improve efficiency and invested in sustainability by adding solar panels to the barn. The REAP herd currently averages 24,045 lbs. milk, 1,102 lbs. fat and 931 lbs. protein on 99 cows.

Jessica Stiles Hess and family

In her breeding program, Hess follows the model set by her parents: “a good quality milk cow.” She prioritizes ideal teat placement and size, udder depth, strong feet and legs and maintaining high components. Her success in these goals is reflected in the performance and longevity of her herd.

Hess and her husband, JR, became majority owners of Shenandoah Jerseys in 2022. With their two young sons, Cole and Luke, in mind, they have expanded their land base by purchasing two additional farms, positioning the next generation for success should they choose to farm.

While the future of the dairy industry can be uncertain, Hess remains steadfast in her commitment to the Jersey cow. As she wrote in her award application: “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.”

Masons honored as Young Jersey Breeders

The AJCA has recognized Andy and Valerie Mason of Kennedyville, MD, with the 2025 Young Jersey Breeder Award.

Andy and Valerie’s partnership began while they were students at Cornell University, where both majored in animal science. One of their earliest conversations centered on dairy cattle, with Andy declaring his passion for Jerseys, and Valerie noting her family’s Holstein herd in Mexico, NY. That shared enthusiasm for dairying soon turned into a shared vision for the future.

Andy grew up on a Holstein farm that eventually became home to multiple breeds through various 4-H projects. His passion for dairy cattle took him around the globe, including traveling to Europe as a member of the winning national dairy judging team. Valerie’s love for the industry was rooted in her family’s farm, where she developed strong skills in herd care and management.

After college, Andy’s career direction crystallized during an internship at Yosemite Jersey Dairy in Hilmar, CA. Inspired by what he saw, he returned to MD with the goal of transforming his family’s farm into a large, progressive Jersey operation. In 2011, Valerie joined him in MD, and by 2012, the family had constructed a new parlor and free-stall barn, allowing the herd to expand from 80 cows to today’s 850 milking cows, including 800 Registered Jerseys under the MFW prefix.

The Masons also farm 1,600 acres, operate their own milk hauling business and recently expanded into harvesting their own crops. Their commitment to efficiency and performance is evident in the Jerseys’ current rolling herd average of 19,742 lbs. milk, 980 lbs. fat and 703 lbs. protein on 826 cows. Focused on genetic improvement, they use a high percentage of genomic sires and have marketed multiple high-genomic heifers and bulls both privately and through consignment sales.

Andy and Valerie Mason accept their Young Jersey Breeder recognition plaque from AJCA President Alan Chittenden. Photos courtesy of NJCA

“The efficiency of Jerseys has been a driving force in our herd’s growth,” Andy wrote in their award application. “They outperform our other breeds in reproduction as well as productive life.”

Their success has been recognized beyond the farm. The Fawnwood herd is enrolled in REAP and regularly advertises in the Jersey Journal. Andy serves as a corporate director for Land O’Lakes and sits on the board of the National Milk Producers Federation, while Valerie serves on the Kent Agricultural Center board.

Looking ahead, Andy and Valerie’s greatest goal is to pass their passion for agriculture and the Jersey cow on to their children Margrit, Abel and Gladys, ensuring the family legacy continues for generations to come.

The Young Jersey Breeder Awards were presented at the AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings. Since its inception in 1976, the award has recognized 320 outstanding young Jersey breeders nationwide.