A Rock County farm couple has been honored by the American Jersey Cattle Association with its Distinguished Service Award. Bill and Marion Barless of Janesville received the award during the group's national convention in Oregon this summer. The Distinguished Service Award is presented to individuals who have rendered outstanding and unselfish service for many years and thereby have made a notable contribution to the advancement of the Jersey Breed in the United States.
The Barlasses have spent the past 35 years supporting and promoting the Jersey breed. In addition to breeding and owning a 525-herd, they have many involved with the Jersey industry both locally and nationally. Bill served as a director of the National All-Jersey board of directions for 14 years, the World Dairy Expo for 25 years. He is also a past vice-president and director of the Wisconsin Jersey Breeders Association, and has been on the Rock County Fair Board for 15 years. Marion served on the NAJ board of directors for 10 years, the Professional Dairy Producers board of directors, is a past president of the Wisconsin Jersey Breeders Association, as well as serving on the Producer Security and BST committees for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture.
Bill and Marion were named the AJCA Outstanding Young Jersey Breeder in 1984 and was awarded the A.C. Thomas Herdsman Award at the World Dairy Expo in 1994. Bill has won the WI Jersey Breeders Association Distinguished Service Award and the Senior Breeder Award. Marion was named the WI Farm Woman of the year in 1997 and the World Dairy Expo Dairy Woman of the Year in 2008.
Meanwhile, the couple has also donated animals to support various causes including the Jersey Youth Academy, the AJCC Research Foundation, and the AJCA National Convention fund. In the late 1990s, they were members of a group of Wisconsin breeders who donated animals to help reintroduce Jerseys to China.
Categories: Wisconsin, Livestock, Dairy Cattle