As a result, Ryan and Jennifer Clark had the honor of attending the 2024 National Outstanding Young Farmer Awards Congress, held at the Silver Reef Casino and Resort in Ferndale, Wash.

The National Outstanding Young Farmer Awards Congress provides a platform for young farmers to network, learn from other experienced farmers, and celebrate their achievements. It is a testament to the resilience, ingenuity, and passion of the next generation of agricultural leaders.

The Clarks were nominated by Amber Yutzy, Penn State Extension assistant director of the Animal Systems Program.

“I nominated Ryan and Jennifer because they are outstanding young farmers. When they started farming, Ryan and Jennifer may have had an agricultural background, but they started their dairy operation from scratch,” Yutzy said. “They utilize many new technologies and environmental stewardship practices to ensure their farm is viable and productive for the next generation. Not only do they strive for sustainability on their farm, but they are also very active in the agricultural community. They help to foster the growth of our future generation in agriculture.”

Ryan and Jennifer Clark check out some of their Jersey calves at their farm in Sinking Valley. Mirror photo by Walt Frank

The Clarks said they were honored to be nominated and attending the Congress was a great learning experience.

“We got to do a day tour of farms in Washington. It was neat to see agriculture on the west coast. It was neat to see the farms and learn about the challenges they face,” Jennifer Clark said. “We interacted with other growers and learned about their operations. We learned about other young farmers and the challenges they face with their operations.”

“This experience has benefited me from networking with other farmers across the country both within and outside the dairy industry. I’ve created connections with others where we can share new ideas and learn from each other’s businesses,” Ryan Clark said.

The Clarks operate Windy Lane Jerseys in Sinking Valley. They rent the dairy facilities and ground as well as owning some ground.

Ryan, originally from Tyrone and Jennifer originally from Martinsburg, have an agricultural background.

Ryan was active on his grandparents’ and a neighboring dairy, along with his parents crop farm, while Jennifer grew up on her family’s dairy farm, where they milk Holsteins and Jerseys.

Both are Penn State graduates. Ryan’s degree is in animal science and Jennifer’s is in agricultural and extension education.

The Clarks started milking cows in 2007 with 60 Jerseys. Ryan, 38, is a full-time farmer while Jennifer, 39, works full time off the farm working for Loveland Products as a sales manager.

“We currently milk 280 Jerseys. Ryan has a great appreciation for the Jersey cattle breed as they are the most efficient dairy cow for the amount of feed they eat and the quantity of milk produced,” Jennifer Clark said. “Over the past couple of years, we began breeding some of our Jerseys to beef and marketing as an additional source of income.”

They ship their milk to a cooperative, Dairy Farmers of America.

Their farm has been recognized for protein production.

“We focus on quality feed and cow comfort to provide the best quality milk and components. In 2024, we were ranked eighth nationally for protein among all Jersey herds in the United States,” Jennifer Clark said.

The Clark farm is 510 acres and the couple also grows their own corn silage, small grain forages, hay, wheat and barley. These crops are used as feed and bedding sources, Ryan Clark said.

The Clarks have received other recognitions over the years: The 2015 Pennsylvania Jersey Cattle Association Young Breeder Award, the 2014 American Jersey Cattle Association Young Breeder Award, the 2013 National Dairy Shrine Graduate Dairy Production Award and in 2015, Ryan was named to the Altoona Mirror 20 under 40.

The Clarks are active in the community outside of the farm.

They serve as leaders in Shaver’s Creek 4-H Club. Jennifer serves on the Huntingdon County Dairy Scholarship Committee, Huntingdon County Dairy Promotion and Tyrone Elementary School PTO. She also volunteers with the Huntingdon County Junior Holstein Club where she assists with the speaking contests at the state convention. They are always willing to lend a hand to educate youth about the dairy industry.

The Clarks are excited about the future.

“The future of our farm will be to continue producing high quality milk and focusing on cow comfort. We hope that our children will have a passion for agriculture and be involved in the industry in some way,” Jennifer Clark said.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at

814-946-7467.