Jersey Leadership Named at Annual Meetings
Officers and directors of the USJersey organizations were elected during the Annual Meetings of the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) and National All-Jersey Inc. (NAJ) held on June 21 and 22, 2024 in Springfield, Mass.
Alan Chittenden, Schodack Landing, N.Y., was elected to his third one-year term as President of AJCA on June 24. He is a fourth-generation breeder and owner of Registered Jerseys at Dutch Hollow Farms LLC. He owns and operates the farm with his parents and two brothers. They milk 900 Registered Jerseys and have the herd enrolled in REAP, are contract advertisers in the Jersey Journal and have contributed to Equity for nearly 50 years. In 2012, the family was honored with the AJCA Master Breeder award. In addition, he has served as General Chair of The All American Jersey Shows & Sales in 2018, and chair of The All American Sale Committee in 2016. He served two terms as AJCA Director from the Second District from 2014-2020.
Jason Johnson, Northwood, N.H., was re-elected to his second three-year term as AJCA Director from the First District. A fourth-generation dairy farmer, he earned a dairy management degree from the University of New Hampshire. Jason is a farmer relationship manager with Stonyfield Organic. He is responsible for direct supply milk procurement, animal welfare, milk quality and sustainability programs for the northeast milk supply. He and his wife, Heather, and children, Regan, Ryleigh, and Asher raise and breed their Johnsonacres Jerseys at their home in Northwood. He currently serves as vice president of the New England Jersey Breeders Association. Jason is a member of the Development and Information Technology and Identification committees. He is also a member of the National Dairy Shrine board of directors.
Joe Vanderfeltz, Lawton, Pa., was re-elected to his second term as Director from the Third District. Vanderfeltz and his wife, Melinda, and sons, Kyle and Corey, milk 220 Jersey and 180 Holstein cows at VanFel-JM Dairy. VanFel Jerseys is enrolled on REAP and a contract advertiser with the Jersey Journal. The herd has a 2023 actual herd average of 17,761 lbs. milk, 845 lbs. fat and 680 lbs. protein on 153 lactations. The family farms about 700 acres of corn and alfalfa as well, growing most of the forages for the herd. The couple was awarded the AJCA Young Breeder Award in 2003. Joe serves on the Breed Improvement and Finance committees. He is chair of the AJCA-NAJ Annual Meeting planning committee.
Kevin Lutz, Lincolnton, N.C., was elected as AJCA Director from the Fifth District, succeeding retiring director Bradley Taylor, Booneville, Miss. He owns and operates Treasure Chest Jerseys with his family. The 110-cow Registered Jersey herd is enrolled on REAP, the comprehensive service package of registration, Equity milk marketing support, type appraisal and performance programs offered by the AJCA and NAJ. Lutz is a member of the AJCA Type Advisory Committee and a past member of The All American Open Show and Sale committees. Lutz has served twice as judge of The All American Jersey Show and the National Jersey Jug Futurity. In addition, he has officiated at national shows in Australia, Argentina, Ecuador and Peru.
He is a director for the North Carolina Jersey Cattle Association and previously served on boards of Southern States Cooperative and the Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District.
Ralph Frerichs, LaGrange, Texas, was re-elected to a second three-year term as AJCA Director from the Ninth District. Ralph previously served on the AJCA Board of Directors from 2009-2015. During that time, he served as vice president from 2013-2015 and chaired the Development Committee earning him an ex-officio seat on the National All-Jersey Inc. board. He currently serves on the Finance and Development committees for the AJCA board of directors.
He and his wife, Faith, brother, Robert and son, Neal, operate Frerichs Dairy Inc. The herd is home to 190 Registered Jersey cows, the Jersey Barnyard tourist attraction and Texas Jersey Cheese Company, producing all-natural Jersey cheese by hand.
Chairs of standing committees for 2024-25 are Cornell, Kasbergen, Tulare, Calif., Finance; Joel Albright, Willard, Ohio, Breed Improvement; Garry Hansen, Mulino, Ore., Development; Donna Phillips, Newton, Wis., Information Technology and Identification.
National All-Jersey Inc.
John Kokoski, Hadley, Mass., was re-elected as president by the Board of Directors for National All-Jersey Inc., on June 21, 2024. Kokoski has been a member of the NAJ Board since 2007. He and his family own and operate Mapleline Farm LLC. The enterprise includes a 135-cow Registered Jersey herd enrolled on REAP and a dairy plant that processes and distributes a full line of Jersey milk products to grocery retailers, restaurants and university food service. Kokoski is a past director of the Massachusetts Cooperative Milk Producers Federation and has served more than 25 years on the New England Dairy Promotion Board.
Jason Cast, Beaver Crossing, Neb., was elected as Vice President of National All-Jersey Inc., succeeding retiring director James Huffard, Crockett, Va. Cast owns and operates JJC Jerseys with his wife and six children. The herd has been enrolled on REAP since 2013.
Bradley Taylor, Booneville, Miss., was elected for a four-year term as Director from District Five to the NAJ board. He owns and operates Taylor Jersey Farm Inc. with his wife, Carla; sons, Lee, Carl and Holden; and parents, Royal and Marthell. The 120-cow Registered Jersey herd is enrolled on REAP. Bradley just completed his second consecutive three-year term on the AJCA Board of Directors where he served as Finance Chair and a member of the Joint Operations committee.
Ex officio directors on the NAJ Board for 2024-2025 are AJCA President Alan Chittenden and AJCA Board committee chairs Cornell Kasbergen, Finance, and Garry Hansen, Development.
