David King, Fremont, Ohio, was awarded with the 2023 Young Jersey Breeder Award by The American Jersey Cattle Association on June 21 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 January 1 of the year nominated, who 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.
David King is a fourth-generation farmer at Jer-Bel Farms in Fremont Ohio. After graduating from Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute in 2011, he brought his knowledge back to his family farm.
Along with a new education, the farm also saw new technology in 2014. Two Lely A4 robots are responsible for milking King’s 380-cow Registered Jersey herd. These robots replaced the farm’s 42-stall tie stall barn to keep up with King’s needs.
Jel-Bel Farms is a name that is known across the industry. At the end of 2022, the herd was producing 17,962 lbs. of milk, 842 lbs. of fat, 656 lbs. of protein on average from 167 cows. On top of these impressive production numbers, the family’s herd has also won awards. There have been 10 cows who have been 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.
When King is not busy with his farm chores, he fills his time with industry related extracurricular activities. He grew up as a member of 4-H and FFA and continues his involvement by showing animals at the county, district, and state level. He once exhibited the Reserve Grand Champion Cow at the Ohio State Spring Dairy Expo. King has also spent his time as an active dairy cattle evaluator. At the farm, King hosts various dairy judging teams to help them prepare for their competitions. Education is also important to the family, so they host tourist groups to educate the public on the industry and the daily life of dairy farmers.
