 
"To make the best better" is the motto of the
national 4-H program. It's also one of the guiding principles used by Larry Jerome in his development of the Jerland registered holstein herd.
The registered holstein Jerland herd - with a RHA of 30,025 milk and home to world record holders - draws attention from Holstein breeders worldwide. The milking herd consists of approximately 100 cows.
Jerland Farms has developed 72 animals classified Excellent; 54 of these Excellents are home bred. Jerland Starlite Revelle is the foundation of our famous "R" family.
Revelle has 31 Excellent and 51 Very Good progeny.
Currently, there are 39 Excellents in our herd. Our cows not only have outstanding type ratings, but are serious milk producers as well!
The standard at Jerland is set at no less than 100 lbs per cow per day average output for the entire herd.
Jerland Farms is home of unique cows. No other herd in the world had accomplished this level of quality and productivity from generation to generation. Many of these cows have embryos available for sale.
After 62 years in the Holstein world, Larry and Shelley officially retired. With the advent of milking parlors, the focus on genetics became less important.
Larry had sold cattle and embryos to farmers on every continent except Antarctica and developed some of the breed’s best-known cow families.
Foundation cows have included Jerland Starlite Revelle, Tri-Day Delectable Adeen and Brigeen Hanover Debra. When Larry bought into the Debra cow family, it was the first in the world with four generations of Excellent cows achieving 40,000-pounds-a-year milk records. Larry took that to the 10th generation, a feat unprecedented in the breed.
My Rainbow
For the past few weeks, as I prepare for the Jerland dispersal sale, I have tried to reflect on how I can share with you how the Holstein industry and my life's journey have intertwined with one another. It goes without saying that this is a highly emotional time for me. From receiving my first calf Lucretia, when I was nine years old…. through 53 years of dreams, work, family, and relationships….time has flown.
It has always been my belief that family is first and foremost in each of my endeavors. At an early age, the importance of this was impressed upon me by my parents. Life is a “genetic adventure”. Like begets like. It is a simple statement and is often applied by parents who screen the friends with whom their children associate! I have tried to live by this principle. People like Irvin Lichtenwalner, Elgie McDonough, my cousins John and Karl Mueller, my dad Wallace Jerome, and my friend Kenny Jackson impacted my life at an early age. I purchased my first great calf from Irvin. She was the origin of the Revelle cow family. Later, I admired the Debras and had an opportunity to buy into this family at the Hanover Hill dispersal. There I acquired Deidra and Daisy. With this purchase, I found another friend and mentor, Dave Younger.
I made a silent promise to the people who shared their life's work with me that by sharing their dairy cattle genetics, I would always strive to continue the dream and passion they had begun. It is my hope that any of you who purchases a Jerland animal will do the same. We are all stewards of the resources God has given us. It is very difficult to close this chapter in my life. I hope that what I have tried to accomplish will enrich any one of you who takes a part of Jerland into your dairy herd.
Jerland is my dream, my rainbow, and my family….all of which would not have been possible without my Life Partner and the mother of our seven fantastic kids, Shelley. I also owe a debt of gratitude to my staff, including: Mike, Chris, Russ, Lorena, Robert, and the rest. It is because of them that the day-to-day operations continue.
Thank you for your support and friendship.
Larry |
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