Lawton’s Jersey Farm Named AJCA Master Breeder
Lawton’s Jersey Farm, Newark Valley, N.Y., has been named Master Breeder by 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.
While “outstanding” may mean different things to different people, few dairy producers would turn down a barn full of cattle like those at Lawton’s Jersey Farm in south-central New York near the Pennsylvania border.
The Lawtons breed cows with that magic combination of production, type and longevity, noted Brenda Snow, who worked with the family as their national Jersey representative before retiring in 2022. They are profitable, the kind of cattle we’d like to see in herds across the country.
That focus has guided the farm for nearly nine decades across four generations, and it is reflected in the way the family talks about breeding.
“If you have the opportunity to visit their farm and listen to three generations talk about cow families and what their breeding program is about, you will get very little difference in their answers,” wrote Gary Moore of Greenwich, N.Y.
A single priority unites them: cows must pay the bills.
That shows up in the stats. Lawton’s Jersey Farm has ranked nationally for production among similar-sized herds for 20 consecutive years, including 2018 and 2023, when it led its peers for all measures of actual production. The herd also regularly places among the top 10 overall. Currently, it ranks 10th for milk with an actual average of 22,224 lbs. milk, 1,112 lbs. fat and 792 lbs. protein on 79 cows.
Over the years, the Lawtons have bred 107 cows that produced Hall of Fame records and 122 with Honor Roll records. Two members of the milking string have won the National Jersey Youth Production Contest, and one topped the Pot O’Gold Production Contest.
Keeping cows in the herd well past their break-even point has long been a Lawton focus. While the national average for productive life is about 36 months and 2.8 lactations, their current herd averages 62 months and 4.6 lactations. Over 23 years and 400 calvings, more than 170 cows reached five-plus lactations, with three that hit 11 lactations.
Since 2018, there have been 19 Lawton-bred cows—all appraised Excellent-90% or higher—that have placed in the AJCA Leading Living Lifetime Production Contest. In the 2024 contest alone, six cows accounted for 13 of the top 10 placings for milk, fat or protein. Two have earned the Ogston Farm Trophy for lifetime milk production: Lawtons Duncan Seranade in 2002 and Lawtons Rescue Finess in 2019.
At Lawton’s Jersey Farm, longevity is closely aligned with functional type, with strong emphasis on udders and feet and legs that support long-term performance. Since 1970, the family has bred 193 Excellent and 478 Very Good cows. With the most recent appraisal (February 2026), the herd includes 49 Excellent and 48 Very Good cows and has an average final score of 88.8%.
The farm today is a far cry from its humble beginnings in 1938, when Clair and Sylvia Lawton bought the farm, a few Jersey cows, and some chickens to sell cream and eggs locally. As their customer base grew, so did cow and hen numbers, and soon, the Lawtons were making a decent living from the venture.
The first Registered Jersey came to the farm in September 1957, when the couple’s son, Merle, purchased Lettys Signal Aim as a 4-H and FFA project. She sparked a passion to breed purebred cattle and led to another significant event: Merle meeting his future wife, Margaret Haner, through the fair circuit.
The two married in 1965 and expanded the business to support two families. At one point, they were milking 40 cows in two different barns across town. They eventually added on to the barn at the home farm to bring everything under one roof. Other improvements along the way include barns for calves, heifers and dry cows, and, most recently, a new milk house.
Though officially retired, Merle and Margaret regularly spend time on the farm. Their son, Tim, returned to the farm upon earning a degree in dairy science from Cornell University. He received the AJCA Young Jersey Breeder award in 2002 and now manages all aspects of the farm while his wife, Debbie, cares for calves and hosts farm tours. The two of them are the main milkers. Tim’s son, Ryan, is also now working full-time on the farm.
Tim’s brother, Mike, works off the farm but lends a hand with machinery repair and the crops. Other members of the fourth generation—Nathan Lawton, Chelsie Fuller and Jonathan Lawton— also help on the farm as schedules permit.
Over the years, the Lawtons developed deep cow families with key foundation purchases, mindful sire selection and corrective matings. Early service sires included “Quicksilver” and “Surville,” followed by “Top Brass,” “Duncan,” “Sooner” and “Beretta.”
In the early 2000s, they used “Action,” “Barber,” “Blackstone,” “Hallmark,” “Iatola” and “Tbone.” On their heels were “Valentino,” “Plus” and “Barnabas,” followed by “Chrome,” “Casino” and “Matt.” Heifer sires include “Chief,” “Engineer” and “Saber-P.”
Another early purchase for Merle was Favorite Linda Design in 1958, the matriarch of the “S” cow family. Production, components and longevity are hallmarks of her descendants, which number 196 to date and span 14 generations. Included in this family is “Seranade” and JX Lawtons Academy Stella {4}, one of the cows that placed in the 2024 lifetime production contest.
A more recent purchase is the root of the “E” cow family: Windy Acres Louie Poppy. With a sale ear tag of “ED 91,” she came to be fondly known as “Ed.” Her daughter, Lawtons Galvanize Ernie, E-93%, is another member of the lifetime production club. One of her sons, Lawtons Volcano Epic, was used as a herd sire. Five of his daughters in the Lawton herd are VG-86% or higher and have records over 20,000 lbs. milk. Another standout from the “E” cow family is JX Lawtons Westport Elaine {4}, E-91%, the high producer last year with more than 30,000 lbs. milk.
A purchase Tim made from the 1977 Pot O’Gold Sale—Freddy Liz Quiz—was another sound investment. She is the matriarch of the “F” cow family, which includes “Finess.” Members of this family have also done well in the show ring. Lawtons Metalica Felicia, E-95%, was Reserve Grand Champion and Total Performance Winner of the New York State Fair in 2022. The same year, Lawtons Gentry Flash, E-93%, was Honorable Mention Intermediate Champion of the International Junior Jersey Show. Both have several records over 20,000 lbs. of milk.
The next generation has also contributed to the herd with purchases from the Pot O’Gold Sale. Chelsie’s choice from the 2018 sale, Rog-Al Casino Pippa, E-92%, topped the ensuing contest in 2021 and won the 2022 National Jersey Youth Production Contest as well.
Ryan won the national youth production contest in 2017 with Lawtons Plus Vanna {6}, a granddaughter of Normandell Geronimo Violet, a heifer he purchased from the Pennsylvania Pot O’Gold program. “Violet” placed in the production contest five times.
The Lawtons have also placed numerous bulls in A.I. The most recent are Lawtons Casino Stinger, from the “S” family, and Lawtons Askn Force, a “Felicia” son, both at Triple-Hil Sires, and Lawtons Get Elevated Hombre at Nobull Sires.
Genetics from Lawton’s Jersey Farm have also found homes in dairy herds across the country and in Canada and Ecuador through private treaty and consignment sales.
“They never waver when asked to consign, be it a local 4-H sale, a New York sale, the National Heifer Sale, or the All American Sale,” wrote Sandra Scott, president of the New York Jersey Cattle Club. “They have also generously donated calves and awards for multiple causes and graciously helped several breeders get started by offering animals with payments made over time, simply as a gesture of good faith and to further the Jersey breed in herds across the region.”
A noted Holstein operation that chose Lawton genetics for its new Jersey facility was EZ Acres LLC of Homer, N.Y. Founded on strong registered genetics, brothers Mike and Pete McMahon recognized the value of the Lawton cattle and purchased from the family in 2020.
“The Lawton prefix has not let us down, with Jerseys that are matching our Holsteins in solids produced,” the brothers wrote. “These cows have been everything we had hoped for in performance, type and efficiency.”
Gary Moore also purchased Lawton-bred cattle numerous times when he was milking cows with his family. “Those cows ended up at the top in our herd and even had higher income than some top black and white or red and white cows. They scored well, milked well, and were easy to work with.”
The Moores eventually sold their herd to Tom and Darlene Pyle in Shoreham, Vt., where the cattle continued to perform well.
“It is a joy to visit those cows often and see that they are still at the top in another location,” Moore continued. “If there is a score for cows adapting well to changes, Lawton’s cows would be at the top of that list, too.”
Though leadership has changed over the years, the Lawton family has quietly and consistently pursued a goal that aligns with what many producers want: productive cows that are functional, attractive and a joy to work with.
“If you ever have the opportunity to walk into Lawton’s dairy barn, walk those rows of cows and see the results of years and years of breeding, you will agree that this family is not only great stewards of the Jersey breed, but very deserving of the title Master Breeder,” summed Moore.
