Summary of the March 2024 AJCA, NAJ Board Meetings

The winter meetings of the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) and National All-Jersey Inc. (NAJ) Boards of Directors were held virtually March 11-12, 2024, via Zoom. Actions taken are summarized.

AJCA-NAJ-AJSC Finances
Finances and 2024 Budget. Budgets for 2024 were approved. Total AJCA revenues were budgeted at $3,530,007 against expenditures of $3,592,840. The AJCA budget was based on 126,000 registrations, 20,000 transfers, 170,250 cows enrolled on all performance programs (167,000 on REAP), 295,000 JerseyTags units, 7,500 genomic and ID qualification tests, and 240 pages of paid advertising in Jersey Journal.

Unaudited financial reports through December 31, 2023, were reviewed, showing:

• AJCA revenues of $3,293,891 and expenditures of $3,222,512 for net income from operations of $71,379, before unrealized gain on investments of $200,611;
• NAJ revenues of $664,141 and expenditures of $631,347, for net income from operations of $32,794 before unrealized gain on investments of $51,314; and
• All-Jersey Sales Corporation (Jersey Marketing Service) revenues of $138,388 and expenditures of $151,824 for a net loss from operations of $13,436.

The 2023 investment summary and unaudited Research, Scholarship and Special Funds summary were approved. Market value of all investments at December 31 was $7,094,051.

Financial statements through January 31, 2024, were approved, reporting net income for all companies of $239,824.

Male Registration Rules
The AJCA board of directors took another step for the registration of males in the Jersey breed. Any bull born after March 31, 2025, assigned an NAAB code must be a minimum Generation Count {6} and a Breed Base Representation (BBR) of 100. Both his dam and sire must also have a BBR of 100. These changes go hand-in-hand with the requirement of any bull assigned a NAAB code must be genotyped along with the sire and dam.
In addition, the board voted to discontinue the requirement of Generation Count males assigned an NAAB code be genomic tested for non-Jersey genetic factors.

Progeny registered to homozygous polled sires and homozygous polled dams will be assigned homozygous polled status.

Changes to Genetic Reports
Effective with the April 2024 issue of the Green Book a Top 500 list of JPI females with no JX animals in their pedigree will be published online.

All Health Traits Index (HTI) values will be removed from the following reports: Green Book, BullsEye, Genomic Testing Center, Performance Pedigrees and Performance Progeny reports. The six individual traits will remain on all reports. Mastitis is now a standalone part of JPI and HTI is no longer used int he JPI formula.

Final scores will be added to the Animal Family Tree found on infoJersey.com.

Regional Show Status
Regional show funding levels were reviewed by the board of directors. Effective with the 2025 regional shows, funding levels will be based on a sliding scale for numbers exhibited in the previous year’s junior show. Funding will be allocated as listed below:

• $500 for shows with 55-75 head;
• $750 for shows with 76-100 head; and
• $1,000 for shows over 100 head

The board approved the following criteria for regional show status:

1.  Show funding based on the number of animals shown in the junior show;
2. All animals be recorded by the American Jersey Cattle Association in the Herd Register or with Generation Count 4 or greater, or by Jersey Canada with registry status of 93.75% and greater;
3.   The host show/exposition adopt and enforce the Show Ring Code of Ethics (2015) of the Purebred Dairy Cattle Association (PDCA);
4.   Abide by eligibility rules of the American Jersey Cattle Association for junior ownership; and
5. Ultrasound required for the show.

State Page Rebate Program
With changes to the publishing of Jersey Journal through the past two years, the board recommends discontinuing the state page rebate program for financial reasons. The individual advertising rebate will stay in place. Any advertiser placing 18 pages or more in the calendar year will receive a 10% rebate back on their advertising dollars.

Redistricting Update
Amendment proposed for the vote of the membership at the 2024 AJCA Annual Meeting was reviewed and recommended. Full story available here.

Appointments
Grant Ahlem, Hilmar, Calif., was appointed to a five-year term on the Type Advisory Committee beginning in 2024. He is a partner and manager of Gold Medal Dairy.

Brady Core, Salvisa, Ky., was named Chair of the committee.

Calvin Graber, Hurley, S.D., was appointed to the Investment Advisory Committee.

 

The All American Show & Sale
Recommendations of The All American Show & Sale planning committees were reviewed and approved. Unaudited financial statements for 2023 showed a net loss of $14,192 after unrealized gain on investments. The 2024 budget was approved, based on revenues of $133,000 and expenses of $132,350.

Full summary of the story is available here.

 

Recognitions
The following awards will be made at the 2024 AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings:

• Master Breeder: William and Gwen Pearl, Barnet, Vt.;
• Distinguished Service Award: John Kokoski, Hadley, Mass.;
• AJCA-NAJ Award for Meritorious Service: Brenda Snow, Brookfield, Vt.;
• Young Jersey Breeder Awards: Grady Auer, New London, Wis.; Branden and Rebekah Brown, Cortland, N.Y.; Kristin Duden, Princeton, Minn.; Nicole Fletcher, Southampton, Mass.; Maria Jo Noble, Gillett, Pa.; and Lyman and Chelsea Rudgers, Attica, N.Y.

 

National All-Jersey Inc.
Directors of National All-Jersey Inc. received in-depth follow-up from the Federal Order hearing that NAJ participated in. Click here for a summary of the hearing.

Charlie Garrison reported on several topics affecting dairy producers in Congress including the new Farm Bill; Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) enhancements; the funding debate in Senate between crop safety net and nutrition assistance; DMC to raise annual milk volume limit in Tier 1 and offer coverage at higher than a $9.50 margin; the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act; and the Farm Labor Working Group Report.

Unaudited financial statements for the year 2023 and also January 2024 were reviewed and approved. There were 969 Equity participants at the end of January.

Jersey Marketing Service activity for 2024 was reviewed. The spring sale calendar was reviewed through the 67th National Heifer Sale in Springfield, Mass.

Annual Meetings
The 156th Annual Meeting of the American Jersey Cattle Association will be held Saturday, June 22, at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place, Springfield, Mass. The 66th Annual Meeting of National All-Jersey Inc. will be held Friday morning, June 21.

A President and four Directors from the First, Third, Fifth, and Ninth districts will be elected for AJCA. An NAJ Director from District #5 will be elected at the annual meeting.