The American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) has named Stuart and Elaine Noble, Gillett, Pa., as the 2025 recipients of its Master Breeder Award.
The Master Breeder Award is presented annually to an AJCA member, family, partnership, or corporation that has bred outstanding animals for many years, making a significant and lasting contribution to the advancement of the Jersey breed in the United States.
The Noble family’s history with Registered Jerseys stretches back an extraordinary 135 years—eight generations of continuous breeding at Nobledale Farm. Since acquiring their first Registered Jersey in 1888, the family has combined tradition and innovation to produce cattle known for both type and production.
Over the years, the Nobles have adopted forward-thinking herd management practices—from production testing and classification to embryo transfer, genomic testing, and the strategic use of sexed and beef semen. Nobledale Farm has been enrolled in REAP since 1995 and a contract advertiser with the Jersey Journal since 1998.
Stuart has long emphasized a balance of production, components, and longevity in breeding decisions. The herd’s success is perhaps best illustrated through the celebrated “V” cow family, beginning with a modestly scored 4-H project cow in the 1970s and culminating in generations of high-scoring, long-lived, and productive Jerseys—including the iconic Nobledale Juno Vermont (Excellent-94%), who launched the farm’s flush program and produced 59 registered offspring.
Descendants of “Vermont” have gone on to earn top appraisals, excel in the show ring, and impact the breed through A.I. sires and elite female sales. Today, more than half of the farm’s 165 females trace directly to her.
Stuart and Elaine operate Nobledale Farm with their grown children, Wesley and Maria Noble-Ellsworth. While Elaine works full-time as a 4-H educator, she is also active in daily farm operations, from milking to calf care. Maria and her husband, Ryan, contribute to herd management, equipment maintenance, and crop work. The couple’s young daughter, Isabella, already shows a fondness for Jerseys, hinting at a promising ninth generation.
Wesley, after gaining industry experience off the farm, has returned full-time and breeds under the Noble Oaks prefix. Maria’s own involvement in Jersey youth programs includes attending Jersey Youth Academy, serving as National Jersey Queen in 2016, and receiving the AJCA Young Jersey Breeder Award in 2024.
The Nobles’ current 84-cow herd boasts a March 2025 rolling herd average of 17,616 lbs. milk, 860 lbs. fat, and 658 lbs. protein, with an average final score of 87.8% and 38 Excellent and 45 Very Good cows.
Their breeding program continues to prioritize profitable production, structural soundness, and the ability to transmit desirable genetics to future generations. Stuart’s involvement in the Liberty Jersey Sires young sire proving group and the family’s ongoing genetic investment have cemented Nobledale’s reputation for consistently improving cattle.
Beyond their own herd, the Noble family has shared genetics, mentored youth, and supported the growth of the Jersey breed regionally and nationally. From LaVere Noble’s sire analyst work to Tom Noble’s role as “Mister Jersey” in the community, to Stuart and Elaine’s continued advocacy, Nobledale’s influence extends far beyond their fencelines.
“The Nobles have demonstrated, across generations, that dedication to good cows, good management, and good people will build a herd that leaves a lasting impact,” said the AJCA Board of Directors in announcing the award.
