Tennessee-Martin alumnus elected American Hereford Association president
COLUMBIA, Tenn. – May 20, 2011 – Tennessee-Martin alumnus John Woolfolk is the new president for 2011 of the American Hereford Association (AHA) announced during the recent Annual Membership Meeting in Kansas City, Mo. The AHA is the second largest breed registry association in the world. John is the third Tennessean to serve in this position since the AHA was founded in 1881.“I certainly consider it an honor to have been asked to serve in a leadership role as we approach another year in which we anticipate a continued growth in memberships, registrations, transfers and all other areas of business for the Association,” John says.
This past year John served as AHA vice president, was chairman of the finance/audit committee, and served on the Certified Hereford Beef (CHB) LLC board. CHB is the second largest branded beef program in the country.
“It is an exciting time for our breed with a renewed interest in the ‘new hereford’ that is driving demand higher than breeders have seen in recent years,” John says. “The AHA Board and staff are working hard to position the Hereford breed where it can effectively utilize proven and developing technologies such as EPD’s that are genomically enhanced in order to continually improve the status of the breed.”
Woolfolk Farms was established in 1865 and added registered Herefords to the commercial cattle and row crop operation in 1950. The day to day management is handled by Scott, oldest son of John and Pat. The present herd consists of more than 150 Hereford brood cows and donor cows, some producing registered seed stock and some producing baldies for commercial replacements. Woolfolk Farms was recognized at the 2008 AHA annual meeting for raising registered Herefords for more than 50 years.
The entire Woolfolk family has been active for many years in Hereford activities including state and regional associations and junior programs (both state and national). Scott, Amy and Matt have all participated in National Junior Hereford Expos from Georgia to North Dakota. Both Amy and Matt have served as National Junior Directors and Amy served as National Queen in 1997.
John is a graduate of UT Martin with a degree in Agricultural Science and holds a Masters degree from Kansas State University in Animal Science. He is currently associate director of Commodities for Tennessee Farm Bureau and works with the Tennessee Beef Alliance program, a division of Tennessee Livestock Producers. TLP received AHA’s National Innovator Award in 2010 for their creative marketing of Herefords.
Woolfolk was initiated by Alpha Upsilon in 1968.
Information courtesy of Tennessee Farm Bureau News
