McKown Master Breeder Awarded to Spring Valley and Heath Jerseys
The Klussendorf Association has named Spring Valley Jerseys and Heath Jerseys as winners of the 2023 Robert “Whitey” McKown Master Breeder Award. Spring Valley Jerseys, owned by brothers Wayne and Allen Stiles, and Heath Jerseys, owned by their late nephew, Michael Heath, are managed on the family farm in Westminster, Md.
Wayne and Allen are the third generation to operate Spring Valley Farm. Their grandfather, N.C. Stiles, established the farm and milked Holstein cows. But in 1924, when he thought he might lose his milk market, he bought his first Jersey to boost butterfat in the tank. It was an impactful decision because today the farm is home to 120 head of Jerseys. The 63-cow herd has an average final score of 89.2% and includes 38 Excellent and 25 Very Good cows.
The Stiles and Heath families are known for breeding and developing high caliber show animals. Over the years, the show string has earned its fair share of hardware on the tanbark trail. In 1993, they showed their first National Grand Champion, Pensmith TJ Mindy, Excellent-94%. In 2020, Michael was a breeder of both the National Grand Champion and the Reserve National Grand Champion, Triple-T-Heath Getaway to Cancun and SV Velocity Rosie, respectively. Three daughters of Hollylane Jewels Jasmine were named National Junior Champion or Reserve National Junior Champion from 2004 to 2007. These heifers were all bred by Heath and his partners.
The Spring Valley and Heath presence in the show ring has not just come through females, but high-type bulls bred by the family as well. SV Jade Hired Gun-ET, out of the foundation cow, Pleasant Valley Prime Heather, Excellent-96%, is leaving his mark along with Chilli Action Colton-ET, bred by Heath and Kevin Ehrhardt. “Colton,” out of another foundation purchase, Family Hill Connection Chilli-ET, Excellent-91%, was just named Premier Sire of the 2023 All American Jersey Show and is dam of Hirds Colton Dream, Excellent-97%, two-time National Grand Champion and 2018 Supreme Champion of the North American International Livestock Exposition. Another bull bred by Heath and partners, Mr Kathies Kid Rock, was Premier Sire of the 2022 All American Jersey Show.
Michael also brought buyers and sellers together and had a knack for finding a “diamond in the rough” and developing her into a gem. He partnered with his uncles in a series of sales for Spring Valley in the 2000s and then partnered with Nathan and Jenny Thomas of North Lewisburg, Ohio, to manage several high visibility sales in recent years. Among the most anticipated were Rendezvous at River Valley in 2016 and then Amplify in 2022, the breed’s third highest averaging sale at $18,474.23 and highest grosser with more than $1.7 million. Heath co-consigned the breed’s highest selling female, Payneside Mac N Cheese, who sold for $267,000 to Arethusa Farm, Litchfield, Conn., in the Best of Heath and Triple T in 2015.
As with many dairy families, showing was a passion and lifestyle. The Stiles and Heath families have been a mainstay at the Maryland State Fair, World Dairy Expo, and the Pennsylvania All-American Dairy Show, where they have shown 50 times. They have also been strong supporters of the granddaddy of all Jersey shows – The All American Jersey Show. In addition to the previously mentioned champions, they have exhibited more than a dozen All American or Reserve All Americans to date. The Stiles and Heath families have also taken home Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor banners countless times over their 70-plus years on the tanbark trail.
The Stiles and Heath families have also put their eye for fancy cattle to good use as judges in the ring. Every member of the family got solid training for the job as members of the Maryland 4-H dairy judging team. The first was Wayne and Allen’s father, John. Then came Wayne and Allen and two other brothers, and then Michael.
Wayne has judged Jerseys at the Eastern States Exposition and Holsteins at the Pennsylvania and Maryland Spring Shows. Michael has officiated the All American Jersey Show, World Dairy Expo, the Pennsylvania All-American Dairy Show, and numerous state fairs. Internationally he has judged the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Canada, the International Dairy Week in Australia, the Royal Ulster Show in Ireland, the Mexican National Holstein Show and shows in Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. A popular judge, he was known for his enthusiasm and colorful vocabulary and giving reasons. The style set him apart before it was popular to stray from tradition.
John’s mentorship also sparked tremendous support for 4-H and youth programs. In 1962, he invited the Maryland 4-H dairy cattle judging team to practice on the Spring Valley cattle. The offer stuck and Spring Valley has hosted youth from around the state for practice sessions every year since. John also made sure other young people off the farm had the opportunity to enjoy the show experience. Often, he filled a trailer with project animals from the Spring Valley show string to exhibit at the fair free of charge. For the past 40 years, Allen has helped with the Carroll County 4-H and FFA Dairy Show and served as the county dairy judging coach as well.
The family also serves the community in other leadership capacities. Wayne and Allen and his wife, Kay, have each served as president of the Maryland Jersey Cattle Club. Allen is president of the Maryland State Grange and a previous chair of the grange’s national agriculture committee. Kay is an officer for the national grange as well.
Though they have found success in many facets of the dairy industry, the Stiles and Heath families have not forgotten the importance of helping others. This and their dedication to the Jersey breed make Spring Valley Jerseys and Heath Jerseys fitting recipients of the 2023 McKown Master Breeder Award.
