WAYNESBORO, Pa. — When Jason and Megan Martin look out across the evolving landscape of Hidden-JEM Holsteins, they see a herd and family that have come a long way together. The dairy lives up to its name in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania’s second largest dairy county (Franklin), just eight minutes from the town of Waynesboro, yet a world apart.

Fifteen years ago, they were milking mostly grade cows averaging around 55 pounds of milk per cow per day. Today, their 185-cow herd is mostly registered Holsteins, producing 85 pounds with 4.0 to 4.2% butterfat and 3.2 to 3.3% protein. Somatic cell counts run 150,000 to 200,000.

“It took time before we could really see the change,” Jason reflects. “Now you walk in the barn and see cows that last, look good and milk well. That’s what keeps us going.”

Jason milks mornings by himself. That is his time to focus on the herd.

“It’s still my favorite part of the day,” he says. “You see things you’d miss otherwise. You can also tell if something’s off before it becomes a problem.” An employee helps in the afternoons, giving Jason “breathing room” to trim hooves, tend special needs, and bed stalls. Fresh sand is added weekly.

Three years ago, they upgraded the old double-6 parlor with new takeoffs, pulsators, and better lighting. “It’s nothing fancy, but it works,” he says, cutting milking time from six hours to four and keeping the routine consistent, which shows up in cow health.

Jason and his wife Megan and their children Jude, 20, and Stella, 16, operate the dairy, while his father, Jack, has the crop side of the business partnership.

The focus, says Jason, “has always been keeping cows healthy and in the herd. We want cows that are correct on their feet and legs, with good udder health and teat placement so they’re easier to milk and last longer.”

“We’ve gotten to a point where the older cows still look good. That’s how we know it’s working,” adds Megan.

Their latest classification backs it up: a dozen two-year-olds scored VG-86 or higher, the most they’ve ever had. Their first Excellent cow traces to a bred heifer purchased from the Windsor Manor dispersal — “proof we could build something,” Jason says.

At the same time, one of the herd’s most consistent cow families began with Jude’s first 4-H project, a heifer named Jo from Megan’s family’s Meyers Brothers herd. Jo’s daughter Judy carried the line forward, and that family still thrives at Hidden-JEM today, including a descendant classified Excellent this year.

One of Megan’s favorites isn’t even registered, a ninth-lactation cow that just keeps going. “We asked the classifier to score her just for fun,” she laughs. “They can’t make it official, but they said she’d be Excellent. She’s nothing fancy, but she’s solid and she’s lasted. That’s the kind we like.”

“When we started, none of the cows were registered,” Jason recalls. “We had ID numbers and records, but nothing official with Holstein yet. It took a few key animals to get started.”

Today, registrations are routine, with most of the herd registered, “it’s more fun to track, to show, and to build cow families,” Jude and Stella agree.

The Hidden-JEM prefix within JEM Farms now marks calves tracing several generations deep and the family is seeing the potential.

Breeding decisions are a family affair. “I’ll text Megan a list and she’ll say, ‘That’s exactly what I had written down,’” Jason laughs, adding that Jude is involved too.

They breed for type and milk, using bulls from Premier Select Sires and STgenetics with guidance from trusted advisers Derek Lease and Josh Sanders. They know what they’re after and narrow it down to a handful that fit. Last month, the Martins received a Holstein Association USA Progressive Genetics certificate.

Reproduction has improved dramatically. “We were around 18 or 19% pregnancy rate. Now we’re 24 to 25. That’s a big change,” says Jason, crediting Jude, who has headed up repro since returning from nine months as a breeder for Premier Select.

Consistent synchronization for cows and heifers keeps milk flow, housing, feed, and cash flow on track.

Calving age dropped from 27/29 months to 24/25 in their new heifer facility for breeding age through prefresh. It was built in 2023 with a cost-share grant, guidance from the Center for Dairy Excellence, and advice from Jeff Ainslie. “It’s cleaner, handling is more consistent, and the heifers grow better,” Jason reports. “They get bred on time, stay healthier, and come in ready to milk.”

Jude manages breeding and synchronization with help from their veterinarian, who is also his uncle. “It’s rewarding when you breed a cow, see her calf, and watch that calf grow into a strong young cow,” he says.

He and Stella both enjoy the show side and building cow families in the herd. The first week of October, Jude worked nights caring for the Oakfield Corners show string at World Dairy Expo, including the Holstein grand champion Kandy Cane.

“Thirty-plus cows to keep clean and fed,” he says. “It was a lot of work, but I learned a lot from how they manage those top animals.” He joined the Burdette crew at Louisville next, leaving the day after this Farmshine interview.

“We want him to see the world outside our lane,” Jason relates. “Those experiences build confidence and ideas he can bring back.”

Stella handles calves and show heifers. “Feeding calves started as a chore, but now it’s her thing,” Megan says. “She has a good eye and a lot of heart for the show animals.”

County fairs are Stella’s favorite. “That’s where I met some of my best friends. There aren’t many kids my age farming here, so shows are where I see others who love this like I do. I’ve thought about being a vet tech or something with dairy cows. Whatever it is, I want it to keep me around animals,” she says.

She and Jude both like sharing what they love with their non-farming peers. They’ve been known to use assigned school essays and presentations to shed light on dairy cattle and farming.

The Martins show mostly homebred Holsteins and a few Jerseys that Stella won’t give up. “She knows which ones are her favorites,” Jason grins. “I don’t always agree, but she’s usually right.”

“It’s not always about winning,” Megan points out. “It’s about seeing improvement and enjoying the journey. You handle cows differently when you’re getting them ready to show and notice things that help manage the herd better.”

“When show season comes, it brings the excitement back,” Stella says. “You come home wanting to do more.”

Jude agrees: “When I get back from working with show herds, it makes me want to do better here too.”

The Martins also share a love for music and sense of humor. Jason and Jude are drummers; Stella plays saxophone and sings. “She’s a really good singer,” Jude interjects. Jason has played in a band in the past and Jude strikes up with one when he can, even Megan was a drummer once.

This is a family who works hard, plays hard, and clearly enjoys kidding each other. There was plenty of laughter during this interview — laughter can bring a melody to the tough times too.

With a dream of robotic milking someday, they keep moving forward one improvement at a time.

“Some days I wonder if I’m doing enough. But then I look at our cows, our kids, and where we’ve come from. That’s what keeps me going,” says Jason, crediting his wife with a steady eye for cows and seeing things he can miss, while she credits him for being the rock that makes everything roll.

Looking around the youngstock in the lower open-face barn and older heifers in the newer bedded pack facility, eyes are bright, animals alert, and clean coats shine with the care behind them. As we set up a few family photos, the laughter was contagious when “1-2-3 smile” led one heifer that had been eating hay in the adjacent pen to suddenly perk her head right up to be part of the action, and (seemingly) smile.

For Jude “seeing healthy animals” is its own reward, the satisfaction in seeing a herd roll forward through times when there’s no one’s in the sick pen, and the cows just look good.

Megan sees the reward and the challenge in working with family every day, balancing the constant togetherness with shared enthusiasm. “Since we got married to now, just seeing how the animals have developed, that’s super exciting,” she says.

For Jason, the biggest reward is watching his wife and kids thrive and take ownership of progress. “It’s awesome seeing them come to the barn and still want to be here,” he says.

Still, the challenge lies in building the foundation for the future, keeping the big picture in focus amid the daily grind. That long-view shapes the operation. Jason and Megan encourage Jude and Stella to make decisions, try new things, and learn by doing.

“They need that experience,” says Jason. “They’re going to have ideas we don’t. I’m also learning from them.”

“Every generation has to build on what the last one started,” Megan adds. “That’s how we keep moving forward.”

Even with family business challenges in the background, Jason stays focused on the future. Their new heifer barn, built with the help of an environmental grant, is designed and sited for flexibility, so the family can adapt to a future story not yet written.

“We’re trying to set things up so the next generation has options,” he says. “They might want to milk differently or diversify. Whatever they decide, we want a strong foundation for them.”

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