The endowment of the AJCC Research Foundation increased by $14,390 from proceeds of a benefit auction held June 28.

The auction was hosted by William and Gwen Pearl at Pearlmont Farm in Barnet, Vermont. An audience of 400-plus participated in the fun, action-packed event that also included a silent auction.

The day’s top bid of $5,500 was for the #7 Eustis Jersey cow sculpture, donated by Frances S. McGinnis of Kinards, South Carolina, in memory of her husband, past AJCC president and Distinguished Service Award recipient W. Charles McGinnis.

C. A. Russell of Hilmar, California, was the successful bidder for the model created and hand-painted by Francis Eustis, who will be honored as a Pioneer of National Dairy Shrine in October. In immaculate condition, it was one of 200 commissioned in 1983 by the American Jersey Cattle Club and sold at the All American Sale that year.

An elaborately framed hand-colored etching based on “Alderney” by Edwin Douglas garnered a bid of $2,150 from Elsa Sherman of Hilmar, California. The original 1878 painting is held by the Tate Gallery in London, with the restrike etchings being very popular in the U.S.

Estimated at 120 years old and in extraordinary condition, it was donated by Sheldon Sawyer of Walpole, New Hampshire. Proceeds were split equally between the Research Foundation and the New England Jersey Breeders Association, host of the 2012 AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings.

Bidding was fierce for two breed promotion artworks from the early 1900s.

An exact size reproduction of the “Jersey Creamline” milkmaid – a watercolor painting used for advertising by the American Jersey Cattle Club – sold for $1,900 to David Endres of Lodi, Wisconsin.

One of the 100 posters printed in 1905 to publicize the Jersey “Victors in the Dairy Cow Demonstration” at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri, was offered by Bryce Elliott and Heather Brigham of Barton, Vermont.

The final bid of $1,000 was made by auctioneer Lynn Lee for the poster in its original oak frame. The 29-by-30-inch piece was distributed by the Club to ag experiment stations and other educational institutions.

William Labaki, proprietor of Fazenda Limoeiro outside of São Paulo Brazil, placed a phone bid of $900 for the AJCC Silver Medal presented in 1928 to Pride’s St. Mawes Neoline.

The medal was accompanied by an extensive collection of pictures, newspaper clippings, and letters about the cow’s owner, David Storey. It was donated by Dennis Halladay, Western editor for Hoard’s Dairyman from Meridian, Idaho.

Richard Avila of Dalhart, Texas, was an ever-present bidder in both the live and silent auctions, taking home three items for a total of $1,010.

These were the 1921 leather-bound and marked catalog from the 1921 Meridale Farm Sale, donated by K. R. and J.A. Nunn of Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia; a framed Schreiber lithograph of Arawana Belle 3rd AJCC 6161, from Bryce Elliott and Heather Brigham; and two High Lawn Farm yearbooks, from 1952 and 1962.

The honor of purchasing the most lots went to Walter and Kathryn Christ of Metamora, Ilinois. Their purchases totaled $815.

Their selections included a framed Jersey milk ad donated by Paul Chittenden of Schodack Landing, New York, for $525, plus catalogs and books donated variously by Dr. David Weickert of West Bend, Wisconsin; Jim Staley of Shepherdstown, West Virginia; Thomas Benson of New Lebanon Center, New York; and the Nunns.

A keepsake box handcrafted by Jerry England of Columbus, Ohio – donated by Jerry and his wife Paula – brought a $500 bid from Martin Donovan of Portland, Maine. Donovan also purchased a cheese sampler-gift box donated by Cabot Cooperative for $125.

Two more framed artworks were donated by Bryce Elliott and Heather Brigham, each bringing bids of $200. The print of Winsome Pinny by Eugene Hoy for Purina went to Benny Rector of Hilmar, California, while Heather Lord of Lee, Massachusetts, took the 1955 ideal Jersey cow painting by Edwin Megargee.

Other items sold were:

• A framed Jersey breed promotion ad donated by Paul Chittenden and purchased for $400 by Steve and Lynda Bachelor of Angola, Indiana
• Catalogs donated by Jerry, Wanda and Katarina Emerich of Mooers, New York, generated $165 from Alex Steer of Dalhart, Texas, and Lynn Lee.
• Other catalogs donated by Jim Staley in memory of his father, Tom, brought a total of $205 from Yvonne Parmley of Brighton, Colorado; Brad Barham of Columbus, Ohio; and Phil Gordon of Syracuse, Indiana
• Linda Peterson of Burbank, Ohio, bid $45 to purchase the 1922-23 Jersey Island Herd Book that was in the Elm Hill Farm library, donated by Scott and Moira Poitras of Brimfield, Massachusetts

Established in 1967, the AJCC Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) permanent trust operated exclusively to promote and sponsor scientific research in the dairy industry. Gifts assigned to the use of the Foundation are deductible for federal estate and gift purposes, and may be made at any time.

Current funding priorities are:

• Nutrition of high-producing Jerseys, particularly practical feeding methods to maximize production of valuable milk components
• Factors affecting management of Jersey calves
• Factors affecting yield and/or quality of products manufactured from Jersey milk
• Factors affecting economic impact of Jerseys: efficiencies, net income, longevity, and lifetime profit
• Optimizing the genetic basis for improving animal health and/or enhancing product quality
• Enhancing environmental impact associated with Jerseys
• New technologies for safe and sustainable food production from Jersey cattle
• Feasibility of adding value and increasing consumer acceptance of Jersey-derived products through enhanced product quality and branding

Next year’s benefit auction will be held in conjunction with the annual meetings of the American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey Inc. in Amarillo, Texas.

To discuss donations for the 2013 Benefit Auction, contact auction coordinator Cherie Bayer at (614) 322-4456.  PD

—From American Jersey Cattle Association news release