CAFES Dean Michael Orth presents the Lawrence F. Jerome family with a framed copy of the charcoal sketch of Jerome’s portrait that hangs in the Agriculture Hall of Fame in the Agricultural Science building on campus. The late Jerome was recently named the 2024 Wisconsin Distinguished Agriculturalist. L-R: Moriah Fischer, Indira VanHandel, Shelley Jerome, Mike Orth, Daria Stransky, Alicia Wirth.

Second Jerome family member honored with Wisconsin Distinguished Agriculturalist Award
 

River Falls, Wis. -- Lawrence F. Jerome has been named the 2024 Wisconsin Distinguished Agriculturalist by the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Jerome was the owner of Jerland Farms until his passing earlier this year.

The award was presented April 18 to Jerome’s family at the 58th Annual Scholarship and Awards Program in front of an audience of more than 200 students, donors, faculty and staff.

CAFES Dean Michael Orth announced the award and invited Emeritus Professor of Animal Science Gary Onan, who nominated Jerome for the award, to say a few words. Onan described Jerome as a true Renaissance man, an accomplished musician, a highly regarded motivational speaker, a person of strong faith who embraced a diversity of cultures, and a very talented and successful animal breeder.

“Larry was so good at animal selection and planning appropriate matings that it was almost as if he was born with an advanced degree in animal breeding,” said Onan.

Jerome was most noted for his work with Holstein cattle, Arabian horses and German Shepherd dogs, but over his career he also maintained herds of Shorthorn and Main Anjou beef cattle, Brown Swiss dairy cattle and Belgian horses. Jerland dairy genetics, Jerland Arabians and Jerland dogs are found around the world. Jerome had numerous class champions and at least one Supreme Champion at World Dairy Expo, and two premier Arabian stallions whose offspring have garnered at least 46 national championships. For his work with Arabians, Jerome was honored with the World Cup Top Five Breeder Award and as a Breeder of Distinction, and in 2023 with the Arabian Horse Breeders Alliance Lifetime Achievement Award.

Onan first became acquainted with Jerome at the Barron County Fair. In his remarks, he also highlighted Jerome’s long-standing commitment to youth livestock programs through his work with 4-H, FFA and the Barron County Fair. Jerome was always interested in technological advances for livestock production, including the use of ultrasound scanning for animal body composition evaluation. He personally funded and oversaw a project to install a state-of-the-art scanning and evaluation system that provides immediate visual feedback for exhibitors, the most sophisticated system at any fair in the state and possibly the nation.

The Wisconsin Distinguished Agriculturalist Award was established in 1970 to recognize individuals who have provided leadership, service and other contributions to the broader agricultural community.

Jerome’s family was presented with a framed copy of the charcoal sketch of his portrait that hangs in the Agriculture Hall of Fame in the Agricultural Science building on campus. Visit www.uwrf.edu/CAFES/Awards.cfm to see previous honorees, which include Wallace H. Jerome, Larry’s father. They are the second father and son to receive the Wisconsin Distinguished Agriculturalist Award.