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For more than 80 years, three generations of the Lyon family have been milking and breeding Registered Jersey cattle. The family has farmed the fertile Midwest ground since brothers Bob and Earl Lyon formed a partnership in 1921. Jerseys made their debut as 4-H projects in 1924, then developed into a full-time dairy enterprise.

Today, Lyon Jerseys is a partnership of G. Joe Lyon (Earl's son) and his son, Eric, and nephew, Stuart.

Joe and Norma Lyon, center. Stuart and Debbie Lyon, left, and  their children, Tim, Ben and Kari. Eric and Terry Lyon, right, and their children Tom, Todd, Ted, Ty and Erin. Jersey cow and calf were sculpted by Norma and reside on a hillside south of Toledo, at the intersection of Highways 30 and 63.

The herd is 320 milking cows and an equal number of replacement heifers. It has a 2009 AJCA lactation average of 21,226 pounds milk, 1,006 pounds fat and 745 pounds protein on 306 lactations. The mark ranks Lyon Jerseys seventh in the nation for milk and fat among herds with 300 or more cows. Our cheese yield standouts that have produced Honor Roll or Hall of Fame records in recent months are shown below.

Lyon Jerseys is enrolled on the AJCA's REAP program and has been a contributor to Equity since its inception in 1976.

Emphasis has always been placed on developing an efficient Jersey cow that produces profitably. Top-end JPI bulls are used in the breeding program, with a focus on high components and outstanding type. The herd is a founding member of Dairyland Jersey Sires and uses young sires in the herd mating program.

With the latest genetic evaluations in April 2010, Lyon Jerseys is ranked among the top 25% of the herds in the nation for JPI, with an average index of +28. Eleven cows are ranked on the Top 1 1/2% List for JPI.

The farm is home to 53 Excellent and 277 Very Good cows. After the December 2009 herd appraisal, the average score on 374 cows stands at 84.5%.

Over the years, the Lyons have bred a number of production and show winners, sent bulls to A.I., and sold cattle across the country, both privately and through high-visibility consignment sales such as the All American Jersey Sale and the National Heifer Sale.

Lyon Jerseys sells its milk to Swiss Valley Farms, a leader in retail market development and the first cooperative in the Midwest to offer a protein premium. The farm uses no rBST.

The Lyon family is active in service to the community and a variety of agriculture organizations. They have received many awards in recognition of this dedicated service.

Joe Lyon was named Guest of Honor by the Dairy Shrine and Duffy was the World Dairy Expo's Woman of the Year. The couple received the Iowa State Fair's first Outstanding Lifetime Accomplishment Award in 2004. Eric and Stuart were given the AJCA's Young Dairyman Award in 1988.

Duffy Lyon is also well-known as sculptor of the Iowa State Fair butter cow, an effort she has done every year since 1960. This past June, Duffy was selected as Iowa's honorary chairperson for June Dairy Month. Midwest Dairy Association selected Duffy, in part, for her efforts in creating the fair's number one attraction.

Duffy and her full-size Jersey sculpture that greets visitors to her hometown were featured on the cover of the June 2007 issue of the Jersey Journal.  Click here to see the image.