“The way he handled the responsibility of managing a dairy farm and supporting his family at such a young age is a testament to Jeremy’s character,” said Bob Krammes, the dairy nutritionist who nominated Martin for the award presented by the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association, PDMP, and Center for Dairy Excellence on Feb. 4 during the Pennsylvania Dairy Summit in Grantville.

Krammes has worked with the Martin family since 1985 and continues as their herd nutritionist today. (A feature about the Mountain View Holsteins appeared in the Jan. 23, 2026 edition of Farmshine.)

Over the past 15 years, the Martins have steadily expanded and modernized, adding a double-eight parlor and holding area they built themselves. New freestall housing, calf and heifer barns, bunker silos, manure storage, and a shop followed, as well as technology investments, including a robotic feed pusher, heat detection, misting systems, cow mattresses, and automatic manure scrapers.

Diversity has also been added with a small custom harvesting business and a Bell & Evans broiler operation on an adjoining farm they purchased.

“But it really all starts with the cows,” said Krammes, describing the Mountain View herd as well-bred cows that are strong, healthy, and productive, with an emphasis on components. The 140-cow (2x) rolling herd average for butterfat and protein, combined, now exceeds 2150 pounds with 1230 pounds of fat and 912 pounds of protein.

“By his own admission, Jeremy thinks he uses too much bedding,” Krammes reflected. “That’s something that’s easy to cut when milk prices are low, but not for this farm. His barn is designed for cow comfort, and for Jeremy, this is non-negotiable.”

Consistent top-notch care shows across the youngstock also as recent heifer measurements are in the top 5% of industry benchmarks.

This family keeps the cattle and the farm in ‘show’ condition every day. In fact, he said, “They recently hosted the Berks County Holstein Club picnic, and I joked with him that he didn’t need to do anything because everything was already in order.”

That openness is part of Martin’s approach to leadership and service. He has served as president of Lancaster DHIA, attends industry meetings regularly, believing there is always more to learn, and maintains an open-door policy for fellow farmers and visitors.

The ability to adapt was tested recently when Mountain View lost its milk market in the closure of Harrisburg Dairies.

“Jeremy didn’t complain. He got another market and moved on,” said Krammes. “I’ve worked with him for decades, and he never blames others when faced with adversity. He is grounded in faith and family and doesn’t get discouraged.”

Martin clearly enjoys dairy farming, and he said he sees it as a “great way to raise a family” while also wanting to be a positive and professional face for the dairy industry “to show others what we do and why we do it.” This is central to his ‘why,’ adopting a philosophy that “if a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”

When asked what sets his compass, his ‘true North’? Martin summed it up: “I want to use the resources and opportunities God has given me to best serve in any way I can.”

He thinks about others and not himself, said Krammes, pointing to this as one of the reasons Martin is so deserving of this recognition.