Illinois Meeting 2019

The Illinois Jersey Cattle Club (IJCC) held its annual meeting at the Pizza Ranch in Morton on March 2, 2019. Members tended to organization business and enjoyed fellowship with their peers.

Karen Bohnert, a director for the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA), and John Marcoot, a director for National All-Jersey Inc. (NAJ), brought the group up-to-date on activities of the national Jersey organizations.

AJCA-NAJ Area Representative Ron Mosser also chimed in on year-end highlights, which included 132,166 registrations, 161,251 cows on REAP and sales of 550,633 JerseyTags, All rank as second-high in breed history. More than 105,000 animals were appraised through the linear traits appraisal program and more than 49,000 females were genotyped in 2018. As well, 10 Jersey specific research projects were approved for funding by the AJCA or NAJ boards or the AJCC Research Foundation during 2018.

Ted DeMent, Kenney, a member of the AJCA Type Advisory Committee, gave Jersey breeders insight about functions and activities of the committee.

IJCC President Tara Bohnert Yoder, Gilson, spoke about the Midwest Dairy Association. She reported that Kendra Anderson has been named farmer relations manager for the organization. Bohnert noted the organization has a competitive grants program for dairy producers to promote dairy through on-farm tours, exhibits and local partnerships with schools, libraries and retailers. Grants are available up to $3,000. As well, Midwest Dairy offers three $1,000 scholarships for juniors every year.

Bohnert provided details about the upcoming 2018 AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and encouraged them to make long term plans to attend the meetings hosted by Oregon in 2020 and Iowa in 2021.

Illinois Jersey breeders Jim and Wanda Bohnert of Bohnerts Jerseys, East Moline, and Paul and Carmen Kilgus of Kilgus Dairy, Fairbury, spoke about their experiences as farm stops for the post-conference tour of the International Conference of the World Jersey Cattle Bureau held last summer.

The reigning Illinois Jersey Queen, Addie Raber, Gridley, will continue to serve queen duties again this year. Addie represented the Jersey breed at events last summer and received a Superior Young Dairy Producer Award at the Illinois State Fair as well. The three-phase competition tests knowledge of the dairy industry and rewards the top three overall with $1,000 scholarships.