News from the American Jersey Cattle Association

Reynoldsburg, Ohio (May 1, 2008)—Six cheeses having but one thing in common—that they are made from milk produced by Jersey cows—have been selected for a guided tasting June 25 in Asheville, N.C.

The tasting, part of the program for the 2008 annual meetings of the American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey Inc., will be conducted by Jeffrey Roberts, principal consultant for the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese and author of the acclaimed Atlas of American Artisan Cheese.

Included are two cheeses among the “elite 200” featured in Cheese: A Connoisseur’s Guide to the World’s Best by Max McCalman, maître fromager for Artisanal Premium Cheese of New York City.

The first is Orb Weaver Cave Aged Farmhouse Cheese, made by two pioneers of farmstead cheese production, Marjorie Susman and Marian Pollack of New Haven, Vt. Lauded by McCalman for its “slightly tangy buttery flavor and springy texture,” Orb Weaver placed first in its category at the 2000 American Cheese Society competition. That same year, Susman and Pollack constructed a cave in which to age Orb Weaver. The results, according to critic Marian Burros of the New York Times, were a “revelation.” Cave-aged Orb Weaver was described as “deeper yellow, much firmer and dense with a robust, complex array of earthy flavors.”

The other is Thistle Hill Farm Tarentaise, made by John and Janine Putnam and family of North Pomfret, Vt. The aged alpine-style raw milk cheese is made from certified organic milk produced by grass-fed Jerseys. Notably it is made using traditional methods in a copper cheese vat that is essential to developing the proper flavor. The vat is the only one of its kind in Vermont, one of only a few in the United States, and was custom built for Thistle Hill Farm in Switzerland. McCalman admires the “dense, complex” Tarentaise for its “subtle nutty flavor that establishes a large, lingering presence on the palate.”

Four rising stars will complement these well-established Jersey cheeses on the plate.

The first is Vache Santé from Bittersweet Plantation Dairy in Gonzales, La., selected for one of eight American Artisanal Treasure Awards in 2007. In English, its name translates as “Holy Cow,” a fitting description for the triple cream (75% fat), bloomy rind cheese. Vache Santé is aged from 10 to 12 weeks in order to build flavor characteristics while remaining firm, making it a culinary wonder for chefs like company owner John Folse.

Blue Ridge Dairy of Leesburg, Va., will be represented by its fresh mozzarella. Paul Stephan, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, cultures pasteurized Jersey milk produced by Jack and Stacey Kahler, Keymar, Md., then stretches the curd by hand to produce 8-ounce balls that are either sold fresh or applewood smoked. Blue Ridge’s farmhouse mozzarella placed third in its category at the 2002 American Cheese Society competition.

Representing the host state of North Carolina will be Hickory Grove, a raw-milk, aged cheese made in the monastery style by Portia McKnight and Florence Hawley at Chapel Hill Creamery, Chapel Hill, N.C. It’s stating the obvious to call it “unique,” given that its aging process includes the use of pine needles to develop the rind. Hickory Grove has a semi-firm, lacy texture that David Auerbach of the Durham Independent Weekly says makes for a cheese that is “delicious on its own, with apples and as a melter.”

Rounding out the plate will be Blue Thistle, made from certified organic raw milk produced by grass-fed Jerseys by Eric Rector at Monroe Cheese Studio in Monroe, Maine. After the 2007 American Cheese Society show, in which Blue Thistle placed third in its class, critic David Rosengarten opined in his blog that this was “a sophisticated blue, a world contender.” Blue Thistle, he wrote, was “a very creamy effort, with excellent flavor of the milk and the mold together … the assertive brine rounded out perfectly by the copious cream.”

Seating for the tasting, which begins at 4:00 p.m. on June 25, is limited to 100 persons. Tickets are $15 each and must be purchased in advance. Roberts’ seminar on artisanal cheeses produced with Jersey milk will precede the guided tasting. It begins at 3:00 p.m. and is open to the public.

Both events will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, located at 1 Resort Drive in Asheville.

The North Carolina Jersey Breeders Association is the host for the 2008 national Jersey meetings. Early-bird registration and hotel rates are available until May 23. Click here for the schedule of events and registration forms.

The American Jersey Cattle Association is the oldest dairy breed organization in the United States, organized in 1868 to improve and promote the Jersey breed. National All-Jersey Inc. was formed in December of 1957 to promote the increased production and sale of Jersey milk and milk products. For more information, visit USJersey.com or call 614/861-3636.

Reynoldsburg, OH (April 30, 2008)—Sonia Fabian, chief operating officer of the Southeast Area Council of Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., will be the featured speaker at the 50^th Annual Meeting of National All-Jersey Inc.

The meeting convenes at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, June 27, 2008 at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Asheville, N.C.

Fabian’s presentation will focus on the dairy situation in the southeast U.S. and the reasons component pricing may help attract milk to a fluid-deficient marketing area.

Fabian began her career in the dairy industry with Southern Milk Sales in 1979, and has been with DFA, the nation’s largest producer-owned dairy marketing cooperative and food company, and its predecessor cooperatives for 27 years.

Prior to being named to her current position in the spring of 2007, she served as Vice President of Marketing and Accounting for the southeast council located in Knoxville, Tenn.

DFA’s southeast area serves a milkshed extending into 16 states, representing approximately 3,000 member farms that market 5.4 billion pounds of milk annually. It has five manufacturing facilities located in Louisiana, Missouri and Texas.

National All-Jersey Inc. was formed in December of 1957 to promote the increased production and sale of Jersey milk and milk products. The organization represents the interests of Jersey producers in six areas: market development, milk price regulation, information and education, policy issues, research, and industry relations. In 2008, NAJ staff continue to address milk pricing issues of regional and national scope, as well as locate and develop equitable markets for high-solids milk and promoting use of the All-Jersey® brand.

Reynoldsburg, Ohio (April 15, 2008)—Jeffrey P. Roberts, principal consultant for the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese, will present the opening program of the 2008 Annual Meetings of the American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey Inc. in Asheville, N.C.

In his seminar on Wednesday, June 25, Roberts will relate Jersey-specific insights about regional and national trends in artisan cheesemaking, the types of cheeses being produced, and marketing directions.

He will also conduct a guided tasting of artisan cheeses similar to his program at the 2007 Fancy Food Show in New York City, but this time using only Jersey milk cheeses.

“Artisan cheese represents something distinctive about an area,” Roberts says in his widely acclaimed book, The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese. “The key is milk: its flavors, color, butterfat, protein and other elements depend upon myriad factors. Each dimension adds another layer of complexity to the quality of milk.”

Sixty percent of the 180 cheesemakers using cow’s milk profiled in the Atlas use Jersey milk for all or part of their production. Roberts identified 37 cheesemakers making cheeses exclusively with Jersey milk, and another 71 producers using Jersey milk in combination with milks from other cattle breeds, goats, and/or sheep.

The seminar starts at 3:00 p.m. at Asheville’s Crowne Plaza Resort. It is free and open to the public. There is a charge of $15 for the guided tasting, with a limit of 100 tickets available.

Roberts helped establish the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese at the University of Vermont, Burlington. The VIAC is the nation`s first and only comprehensive center devoted to artisan cheese. Its activities include cheesemaker certification programs and a technology transfer program; a research agenda which, in part, examines the microbiological safety of raw milk cheeses in order to preserve raw milk cheesemaking in the U.S.; and a public service program which promotes artisan cheeses through consumer education, cheese tastings, and media contact.

Roberts’ educational work spans a wide range of interests, from agriculture and food policy, to conservation and environment, to public health and community development. In addition to lecturing on the history and culture of food for the New England Culinary Institute, he was asked by Shelburne Farms in 2000 to create its now-annual “Pasture to Palate” residential program on cheesemaking. Roberts has twice coordinated the U.S. exhibition at the biennial Cheese festival in Bra, Italy. He is also a national director of Slow Food USA and was recently named to the Board of Directors of Artisanal Premium Cheese, a marketer-distributor of specialty, artisanal and farmstead cheese products based in New York City.

Roberts was a co-author of Stewardship Begins with People: An Atlas of Places, People, and Handmade Products, published in 2007 by the National Park Service’s Conservation Study Institute, located at the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock, Vt.

The North Carolina Jersey Breeders Association is the host for the 2008 national Jersey meetings, which conclude June 28 at the 51^st National Heifer Sale for the benefit of national Jersey youth development programs. A complete schedule of events and meeting registration form are available at www.ncjerseybreeders.com, and also on the USJersey web site at www.usjersey.com. Early-bird registration and hotel rates are available until May 23.

The American Jersey Cattle Association is the oldest dairy breed organization in the United States, organized in 1868 to improve and promote the Jersey breed. National All-Jersey Inc. was formed in December of 1957 to promote the increased production and sale of Jersey milk and milk products. Its wholly owned subsidiary, Jersey Marketing Service, was created in 1970 to provide marketing assistance to buyers and sellers of Jersey genetics.

Reynoldsburg, Ohio (April 14, 2008)—July 1 is the deadline to submit applications for 2008-09 academic scholarships administered by the American Jersey Cattle Association, Reynoldsburg, Ohio.

The AJCA Scholarship Program provides financial support for Jersey youth enrolled in colleges or universities or, in some cases, youth seeking hands-on experience in the development and management of Registered Jersey™ cattle.

Applicants must be a junior or life member of the American Jersey Cattle Association upon submitting their application. A minimum grade point average of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) is required to apply for these scholarships. A copy of the applicant’s high school or college transcript must be included with the application form.

A Russell–Malnati Scholarship for Advanced Studies of $5,000 will be awarded. Undergraduate students who have completed at least one-half of coursework credit hours required for a degree in dairy science, animal science (dairy emphasis), large animal veterinary practice, dairy production or manufacturing, or dairy product marketing, and graduate students in those program areas are eligible to apply.

Bruce Richards, a doctoral student in animal nutrition at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, was the 2007 recipient of this award.

The William A. Russell Memorial Scholarship of $1,000 will be presented to a student who will begin a program of study at an accredited college or university in the fall of 2008.

The 2007 winner was Claire Stanley, East Fairfield, Vt., a student in the FARMS program at Vermont Technical College.

The Cedarcrest Scholarship of $1,000 will be awarded to an undergraduate or graduate student seeking a degree in large animal veterinary practice, dairy production, dairy manufacturing, or dairy product marketing.

Aaron Horst, Chambersburg, Penna., a junior at Virginia Tech majoring in dairy science, was the 2007 recipient of the Cedarcrest Scholarship.

The V. L. Peterson Scholarship and Paul Jackson Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to students who have completed at least one year of college or university work.

The 2007 Peterson award of $1,000 went to Renée E. Norman of Liberty, Penna., currently a senior in animal sciences at Penn State. Emily Waggoner, Pendleton, S.C., received the $500 Jackson scholarship last year. She is a junior majoring in animal and veterinary science at Clemson University.

Also to be awarded is the Bob Toole Jersey Youth Award, which can be used for either college expenses or a well-defined practical experience related to breeding, developing and showing Registered Jerseys™.

The 2007 winner of the $1,000 award was Jessica Stiles, Boonsboro, Md., who graduated from Virginia Tech this past December.

Residents of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia who are at least high school graduates, but not older than 36 years of age as of January 1, are eligible to apply for the Reuben R. Cowles Jersey Youth Award. Applicants must state whether the award money will be used for to support their education or to fund a trip to the All American Jersey Show and Sale, the AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings or other Jersey educational activities.

The 2007 award of $950 went to John F. Hoffner, a sophomore at North Carolina State University from Mooresville, N.C.

The American Jersey Cattle Association has made strategic investments in Jersey youth since 1958 when it created the National Heifer Sale to provide annual funding for educational programs and awards. Scholarships are paid from permanent endowments administered by the American Jersey Cattle Association. Contributions to these funds are recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as 501(c)(3) tax deductible charitable gifts.

For more information, contact the American Jersey Cattle Association by writing 6486 E. Main Street, Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068-2362, or visiting its web site at USJersey.com.

Reynoldsburg, Ohio (April 8, 2008)—After the April 2008 USDA genetic summaries, Jersey continues to be the leader for Productive Life (PL) among the six dairy breeds evaluated in the United States (including Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein and Milking Shorthorn).

The trait of Productive Life is defined as "time in the milking herd before removal by voluntary culling, involuntary culling, or death." Its evaluation combines information from direct longevity, measured by DHI data on calving dates, disposal dates, reasons for disposal and lactation lengths, with correlated traits.

Cows having opportunity to reach eight (8) years of age are considered a completed observation, yet they can continue to add credits for productive life after this point.

Data published by the USDA Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory (AIPL) show that for cows born over a five-year period—1997 through 2001—Jerseys have the longest average productive life of 33.7 months, or 1,029 days. A total of 196,173 Jerseys were included in the evaluation.

By comparison, the weighted average Productive Life for 3,264,434 cows of the other five breeds born in the same period is 27.7 months, or 844 days. By breeds, average PL for Ayrshire is 952 days (12,009 cows); Brown Swiss, 932 days (28,934 cows); Guernsey, 805 days (17,025 cows); Holstein, 843 days (3,203,670 cows); and Milking Shorthorn, 929 days (2,796 cows).

A new method for calculating Productive Life was implemented in August of 2006 to improve the accuracy of evaluating dairy cattle longevity. When first defined in 1994, Productive Life took into consideration a cow's total number of days in milk only up to 84 months (7 years) of age, with a limit of 305 days in milk per lactation. Subsequent research by S. Tsuruta and I. Misztal, both at the University of Georgia, and T. J. Lawlor of the Holstein Association documented that most Holstein cows have lactations beyond 305 days (average 365 days for "survivors" and 386 days for culled cows). Lactation lengths for "survivors" in the next three calvings all exceeded 330 days. By including lactation days above 305, genetic correlations increased for milk production and decreased for days open. These researchers argued that "PL305 does not properly account for the longer lactation lengths that are routinely occurring with today’s cows," therefore "PL with longer lactations may be preferable in routine evaluation."

Research geneticists at AIPL incorporated these findings when developing the revised method for calculating PL. However, all days are not equal in value to herd owners. As stated by Paul M. VanRaden and colleagues in the August, 2006 Journal of Dairy Science, "Cows that begin a next lactation generally are more profitable than those that continue the previous lactation because a new peak yield is achieved."

The new calculation method reflects this economic logic. Cows with multiple lactations get more total credit than cows with just one long lactation. As a cow's lactation is extended, the value credited to her production is diminished. On the AIPL website, it is stated that, "Some emphasis is shifted away from fertility toward somatic cell score because longer lactations require more mastitis resistance, and the correlations of PL with yield traits are slightly higher."

Productive Life is a key component of the USDA Net Merit functions. For Jerseys, it receives 18% of total emphasis for NM$ and FM$, and 14% for CM$. In Jersey Performance Index06, Productive Life is weighted at 12%.

References: S. Tsuruta, I. Misztal, and T. J. Lawlor, Changing Definition of Productive Life in US Holsteins: Effect on Genetic Correlations. Journal of Dairy Science (2005) 88: 1156-1165.

P. M. VanRaden, C. M. B. Dematawewa, R. E. Pearson, and M. E. Tooker, Productive Life Including All Lactations and Longer Lactations with Diminishing Credits. Journal of Dairy Science (2006) 89: 3213-3220.

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Reynoldsburg, OH, March 19, 2008—Monday, June 2, 2008 is the deadline for Jersey youth to enter the third national Jersey public speaking competition, TalkJersey, to be held during the Annual Meetings of the American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey Inc. in Asheville, N.C.

The contest is open to all AJCA Junior or Lifetime Members, ages 7 through 20 as of January 1, 2008.

The judging will be held on Thursday, June 26 at Piedmont Jersey Farm, Lincolnton, N.C., starting at 6:30 p.m. The contest will be preceded by a fun workshop for all Jersey youth attending the annual meetings on Wednesday, June 25.

Cash awards sponsored by ABS Global Inc. and prizes offered by the American Jersey Cattle Association will be presented in all divisions at the opening of the National Heifer Sale, June 28.

Juniors will be divided into groups by their age on January 1, 2008: I – 7 to 10 years; II – 11 to 13 years; III – 14 to 16; and IV – 17 and older. Presentations must be the individual work of the contestants. The topic can be any aspect of the Registered Jersey™ business, including current affairs and dairy industry trends.

Division I (7-10 years) juniors present demonstrations between 4 and 6 minutes in length. Posters may be used in addition to demonstration materials. Juniors in Divisions II, III and IV present speeches between 5 and 7 minutes in length. Visual aids are not allowed. Speaker notes are permitted. No more than four (4) 4” x 6” notecards may be used. Judges will ask questions following each presentation.

Contestants will be scored on the basis of 50 points: topic selection and content, 20%; organization of speech, 20%; vocal presentation, 20%; presentation and effectiveness, 20%; and response to questions, 20%. One (1) point will be subtracted from the total point score for each 15 seconds over or under the required time.

The order of speakers will be determined by drawing lots after all entries are received. Contestants will receive notification about the contest schedule and receive copies of the judging scorecard by Friday, June 7.

The American Jersey Cattle Association has made strategic investments in Jersey youth since 1958 when it created the National Heifer Sale to provide annual funding for educational programs and awards. The first of nine youth scholarship funds managed by the AJCA was established in 1965. Two other permanent endowments, the Maurice E. Core Jersey Youth Fund (1993) and Carl Bourne Memorial Fund (1982), provide financial support for junior activities at The All American Show & Sale, the Jersey breed’s showcase event for 55 years.

Tulare, California, February 12, 2008—The American Jersey Cattle Association, in tandem with animal ID leader Allflex, today announced a campaign to record the 100,000th Registered Jersey™ identified by double-matching approved ear tags during 2008.

The milestone, which coincides with the association’s 140th anniversary, will be marked by awarding the animal’s owner a year’s supply of Double Matched Pair sets of JerseyTags™ with HDX High Performance EID tags, up to a maximum of 500 sets, plus a stick reader from Allflex USA Inc.

According to Executive Secretary and CEO Neal Smith, orders for the AJCA’s line of JerseyTags™ manufactured by Allflex have grown at double-digit rates annually, with just under 100,000 sets sold in 2007.

“The primary reason AJCA members have adopted eartag identification,” Smith said, “is that the foundation for maximizing profitability with Jerseys is accurate, verifiable animal identification.”

Not only is positive ID a requirement for day-to-day herd management, the Jersey executive explained, it’s also vital for Jersey breeders who want to increase to their income by marketing Registered Jerseys™.

“High-visibility eartag ID and increasingly electronic ID is a requirement of the people who purchase through our cattle marketing company, Jersey Marketing Service,” said Smith. “Buyers are paying for pedigree and performance information and they expect it to be linked up through the animal’s identification number.

“The Allflex tag technologies, combined with the services available from the USJersey organizations, make it all possible.”

The American Jersey Cattle Association has recorded over 68,000 animals identified by approved eartags since its members overwhelmingly approved new rules for registration five years ago. The Allflex Tamperproof™ tag line is the only product approved by the AJCA for that purpose.

“Milk producers like the flexibility of tailoring our tags to meet their needs and reduce mistakes,” said Jon Becerril, national sales manager for Allflex USA, Inc. “That is why the Double Matched Pair set including an EID tag is particularly popular. It delivers a combined visual and electronic solution for identification that is visible from nearly every angle.

“Advanced animal ID doesn’t cost,” Becerril noted, “it pays. We are proud to be a partner with the USJersey organizations in bringing the number one livestock identification system in the world to its customers.”

About American Jersey Cattle Association

Organized in 1868, the American Jersey Cattle Association is the oldest dairy breed registry organization in the United States. The AJCA compiles and maintains animal identification and performance data on over 120,000 Jersey cattle and provides services that support genetic improvement and greater profitability through increasing the value of and demand for Registered Jersey™ cattle and genetics, and Jersey milk and milk products. More information about the USJersey organizations, including National All-Jersey Inc. and Jersey Marketing Service, is available at www.usjersey.com.

About Allflex

Backed by a global network of experts and more than 50 years of experience in animal identification, Allflex is the world leader in design, technology, manufacturing and delivery of animal identification for traceability systems across all production animal species and companion animals. The company brings cutting-edge, practical applications of visual, electronic and radio frequency animal identification technology to livestock industries across the world, contributing to a safer global food supply. Allflex has manufacturing and technology subsidiaries in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and China with products are distributed in 80 countries. Visit www.allflexusa.com for more information.