Congratulations to Christy Hansen, Canby, Ore., for receiving the Young Jersey Breeder Award.
The Young Jersey Breeder Award is presented to individuals or couples who are at least 28 years old and under the age of 40 on January 1 of the year nominated, who merit recognition for their expertise in dairy farming, breeding Jersey cattle, participation in programs of the American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey Inc., and leadership in Jersey and other dairy and agriculture organizations.
The ability to develop outstanding Registered Jersey™ cattle runs in the family at Cascadia Farm. Christy purchased her first Jersey calf in 1985 at the Washington County (Ore.) Junior Jersey Sale, bidding on the first animal to enter the ring. After attending college and earning a Bachelor of Science degree in business management, Christy went back to Cascadia to join her parents and brother in operating the dairy.
Christy is responsible for the majority of the mating decisions at Cascadia, where she has developed a progressive breeding philosophy that takes into account both high production and type traits for fitness and longevity.
The average appraisal score of the herd is 83% and the December 2010 AJCA lactation average was 15,718 lbs. milk, 643 lbs. fat, and 567 lbs. protein on 143 records. The farm also has five heifers on the Top 500 Heifer list (May 2011), and one cow ranked on the Top 1.5% list for Genomic Jersey Performance Index (GJPI).
For more than a decade now, Christy has served as treasurer for the Oregon Jersey Cattle Club. She played an instrumental role in the planning and operation of the 2010 AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings in Portland, Ore.