RONKS, Pa. – It was a crisp, sunny day for a cow sale in eastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania – a national Guernsey sale at that. The American Guernsey Association’s (AGA) third Autumn Opportunity Sale, held Oct. 31 at Fisher’s Quality Dairy Sales near Ronks, offered mainly A2A2 females from strong breeding programs, drawing in-person and online bidding that underscored the rising local and nationwide demand for registered Guernseys.

More than 40 people attended ringside and another 50 bid through Cowbuyer as 49 lots sold to nine states, from New York to Florida and Pennsylvania to Wisconsin.

The 46 females, primarily young milk cows and bred heifers, averaged $3390.22, while three young bulls averaged $1100.

High seller at $5200 was Springhill Uno JD United-ETV, consigned by Katie Kutscher and Andrea Bednarski of Avella, Pennsylvania, and purchased by Lindsey Broderick, an A2A2 milk producer near South Bend, Indiana. This daughter of James Dean out of the famed Springhill Kojak Uno (EX-96), two-time World Dairy Expo grand champion blends the Joke and Unity cow families. Fresh in July for her first lactation and bred Oct. 7 to Springhill Undertaker P, she was the fourth-place winter calf at the All-American in 2023 out of a dam with over 136,000M 4.9%F 3.6%P.

The second-highest seller at $5000 was Dairyman Vengeance 5029 Judas, a mid-lactation 4-year-old due in February, consigned by Hoards Dairyman Farm of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, and purchased by Jonathan Faus of Manheim, Pennsylvania. Many consignments were offered from the famous Dairyman Guernsey herd. Descending from their renowned Japan cow family, Judas ranked No. 80 CPI Cow in the August 2025 run.

Another eye-catcher among first-calf heifers was Misty Meadows JD Magazine-ETV (Lot 3), consigned by Beth Anne Clark and Chris Reichard of New Paris, Pa., and housed at Snider Homestead, selling for $4700. She blends the Joke and Malt families, two of the breed’s most reliable lines for production and type.

Two consignments followed at $4250 each. The first, Warwick Manor Jamaican Me Happy-ETV (Lot 12), a 4-year-old from the Stoltzfus family of East Earl, Pa. Due in December, she is descended from a 4-time All-American nominee with lifetime production of 141,900M, 6.0%F, and 3.3%P. The second, a springing heifer (Lot 16) from Hoards Dairyman Farm is a maternal sister to the No. 1 PTI young sire, out of a dam with over 165,000M, 5.6%F, and 3.7%P.

AGA President Vickie Baker said the sale reflected “the growing interest in Guernseys and the requests the Association gets from a variety of sources,” including grazing dairies, show herds, A2A2 milk producers, small on-farm processors and dairies wanting to boost milk component yield. She noted that Lancaster County provided a fitting backdrop with increased Guernsey interest coming from southeastern Pennsylvania. However, the slate of buyers reflected broad geographic appeal nationwide.

The event featured consignments from leading herds for both production and type, with nearly 95% of the catalog confirmed A2A2.

The sale was managed by Guernsey Marketing Service, Robin Alden, Vickie Baker, and Kevin Stoltzfus, with Cara Itle on pedigrees, David Stoltzfus auctioneer, clerking by Fisher’s Quality Dairy Sales, and Aaron Ray Tompkins managing online bids through Cowbuyer.

In addition to the overall average of $3390.22 for 46 female lots, this reporter’s class breakdown showed the following averages: well-bred mainly young cows in milking form, due again Nov. through March, averaged $3900; springing heifers due Nov.-Jan. $3561; second-trimester bred heifers $3115; first-trimester and open heifers $2670; a winter bull $1500; and spring bulls $900.

The separate Golden Future Embryo Sale, which closed Oct. 30, averaged $367.31 on 91 embryos and $27.51 on 164 units of semen, with buyers from 14 states.