The American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) was organized in 1868 and is the oldest dairy breed association in the U.S. The AJCA has 1,605 active members (May, 2025) and provides services to more than 8,000 Jersey owners each year. The membership elects a 12-person Board of Directors plus a President. In addition to the AJCA, there is National All-Jersey Inc. (NAJ) and its subsidiary, All-Jersey Sales Corporation (AJSC). NAJ, which at the end of 2025 had 950 members, has its own Board of Directors. Policy, programs, and services for all three organizations are carried out by a 30-person professional staff under the direction of the Executive Secretary & Chief Executive Officer.

The purposes of the American Jersey Cattle Association are to improve and promote the breed of Jersey cattle in the United States and to maintain such records and activities as the Association deems necessary or conducive to the best interests of the breeders of Jersey cattle.

National All-Jersey Inc.’s purposes are to promote the increased production and sale of Jersey milk and milk products, and to promote Jersey cattle and the interests of breeders of Jersey cattle.

Programs and services designed to serve these purposes include:

• Registration. A total of 80,270 animals were recorded in the association’s animal database during 2025. The three-year average (2023-25) for registrations is 96,776. Since its organization in 1868 and through December 31, 2025, the AJCA has compiled pedigree records for 7,583,245 animals. Jerseys (registered and unregistered) comprise an estimated 14.2% of all dairy cows in the United States. The population of Jersey cows at December 20, 2025, was estimated at 1.8 million head.
• Production, type appraisal, and genetic information. There were 138,442 Jersey cows enrolled in AJCA performance evaluation programs at December 31, 2025, with linear type information collected from 92,719 animals during the year. In 2025, 30,604 female animals were genotyped, with 1,038,152 genotyped males and females contributing to CDCB official evaluations through December 2025.
• Education and promotion through publication of a monthly online magazine, Jersey Journal (available at www.USJerseyJournal.com ), a website at USJersey.com, Facebook pages (USJersey, Jersey Journal, Queen of Quality®, Jersey Marketing Service), plus news releases.
• Funding Jersey-specific research. The Jersey organizations have an endowed Research Foundation that funds competitively selected and directed research projects (see www.usjersey.com/Programs/Researchprogram.html).  Since 1988, more than $2.0 million has been invested in research using Foundation’s resources.
• Assisting Jersey owners in finding markets that pay for the added value of Jersey milk. Market-average Jersey milk (5.0% fat, 3.8% true protein) was valued at 35% more than formula-standard milk (3.5% fat, 2.9% protein) across Federal Order markets for the first three quarters of 2025. Jersey milk in orders with multiple component pricing (MCP) was valued up to 26% more than average milk.
• Marketing of live cattle and embryos. In 2025, Jersey Marketing Service, a subsidiary of NAJ, marketed nearly 2,000 live animals, plus embryos and semen for $4,225,046 through private treaty and at public auction.
• Production.  Jerseys produce the highest quality milk in the world. Weighing 1,050 lbs. on average, they are also the most efficient converters of feed to milk. The 2025 AJCA lactation average (m.e. adjusted) for Jerseys enrolled in AJCA testing programs was:
  20,711 lbs. Milk    1,059 lbs. Fat    788 lbs. Protein  Cheese Yield: 2,694 lbs.     

Jerseys also have the highest yield of manufactured products, explaining high demand for Jersey milk:
Estimated Yield of Manufactured Dairy Products per 100 lbs. Jersey milk
    Cheddar Cheese    Cottage Cheese    Swiss Cheese    Mozzarella Cheese    Butter
    13.0 lbs.                  17.16 lbs.              13.88 lbs.            17.1 lbs.                    6.30 lbs.