Youth Awards Ceremony Insert: All American and Reserve All American Poster

Jennifer, Will, Taylor and Andrew Vander Meulen are the team at Avonlea Genetics. Andrew and Jennifer were recently recognized with a Certificate of Achievement by the World Jersey Cattle Bureau.

Avonlea Genetics Presented with Global Award

Andrew and Jennifer Vander Meulen are active leaders in the North American Jersey industry. Their Jersey herd in Brighton, Ont., is a fourth-generation herd that was established in 1934 by Jennifer’s grandfather and great uncle, who purchased six cows and one bull to begin the herd. Avonlea Genetics is still going strong, now managed by Andrew and Jennifer, their children Taylor and Will, and Jennifer’s parents, Jim and Liz Livock. Their breeding focus is a balance of type and production with an emphasis on cow families. In December 2021, Andrew and Jennifer were awarded the Certificate of Achievement from the World Jersey Cattle Bureau (WJCB) for their influence on the Jersey breed. This award seeks to recognize those who have had a positive impact on the Jersey breed in their own country through consistent and long-term efforts.

Andrew and Jennifer have been influential members of the Canadian Jersey community. Jennifer has been dedicated to promoting the Jersey cow both in Canada and worldwide and has been an active part of 300 All-Canadian-nominated cows that Avonlea Genetics has either bred or shown. She has a long history with the little brown cow and advocates for Jersey excellence through her involvement in multiple committees on the provincial and national levels. Jennifer has been a member of the National Show Committee and is highly involved in establishing and creating opportunities for exhibitors to showcase the Jersey cow across Ontario. In 2011, Jennifer was a WJCB Junior Educational Travel Award (JETA) recipient and was recognized for her business and leadership merit. Jennifer uses her keen marketing skills to promote Avonlea Genetics and is an integral part of their success.

Andrew has also been a strong Jersey promoter for decades. He worked for six and a half years for Jersey Canada as the Assistant Executive Secretary and the Associate Editor of the Canadian Jersey Breeder publication. Andrew then went on to join the Jersey Canada Board of Directors and became the president in 2006. He has established strong relationships with Jersey breeders around the globe, and has served on multiple committees, including the committee that developed Canada’s National Livestock Identification program. In 2019, Andrew was awarded the Curtis Clark Award for his exceptional success as a breeder and exhibitor. He is also known for his impressive judging resume, including the Royal Winter Fair, the All American Jersey Show, World Dairy Expo, and Jersey shows in Australia, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico.

A vital component of Avonlea’s program is the marketing of Jersey genetics. They have exported embryos to over 30 countries, and there are currently 124 Avonlea-prefixed animals that have been appraised in the United States, with an

DEN-KEL JERSEYS

Kip, Katie, Max and Henry Keller 6476 N. Bergen Road, Byron, NY 14422 585/548-2299 • Email denkeljerseys@aol.com Visit us on the web: http://denkeljerseys.usjersey.com

Scotch View Farms

George and Nadine Wilson • David Wilson Henry Aldrich, Herdsman

283 Blenheim Hill Road, Stamford, NY 12167 Phone 607/652-7181 Email wilsongn43@gmail.com

2020 AJCA ME Lact. Avg. on 67 cows: 24,446M 1,211F 907P Merle, Margaret, Mike, Tim and Debbie Lawton Nathan and Ryan Lawton and Chelsie Fuller 431 Bridge St., Newark Valley, NY 13811 607/642-8169 Farm • mmlawton@stny.rr.com Tim: 607/341-1172 • timlawton581@gmail.com

JERSEY FARM

March 1 Deadline for Production Contests

Entries are due no later than March 1 for the Living Lifetime Production Contest and the National Jersey Youth Production Contest.

To be eligible for the Living Lifetime Production Contest, cows must be alive as of December 31, 2021, with either minimum production credits on DHIR test of 225,000 lbs. milk, 10,000 lbs. fat, and 8,000 lbs. protein.

To enter the contest, submit a DHI cow page with lifetime production credits for each animal nominated to Erick Metzger, Herd Services Manager at the AJCA office, 6486 E. Main St., Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068-2362. Entries may also be faxed to his attention at 614/861-8040.

Entries are also due March 1 for the National Jersey Youth Production Contest. Contestants between the ages of 9 and 19 on January 1, 2021, are eligible if they are the recorded owner of the cow on or before her freshening date. Registered Jerseys completting DHIR or DHIA records of 305-days or less between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021, may be entered.

Call the Communications Department for entry forms at 614/322-4451. The form is also available from the USJersey website.

Vander Meulen’s Honored

(continued from page 67) average score of 86.5%. These cows include two 95-point cows: Avonlea Connected to Kanada-ET and Avonlea Gator Kimber-ET. “Kanada” was Intermediate Champion at the 2009 Spring Carousel, third place junior 3-year-old at the 2010 All American Jersey Show, and All American Premier Performance Cow in 2014. Each year, the farm sponsors the Avonlea Genetics Trophy for the best barn exhibit at the All American shows.

Avonlea also sells many animals each year through both public auction and private sales. Their “Avonlea Summer Splash and Showcase” sales in Canada and the United States have attracted many new people to the Jersey breed. Avonlea have been leaders in the area of online sales and marketing, and they have managed some of the highest averaging sales in North America. A stand-out achievement of theirs was the 2020 Gone Global sale, which included animals from 11 countries and generated interest and excitement across the world.

Jennifer and Andrew have influenced many people to become involved in the betterment of the Jersey breed and their passion and commitment have benefitted the breed in Canada and worldwide. Their passion and knowledge have been passed on to their children and many other youths to impact the next generation of Jersey enthusiasts.