Janet Heida Little recieves the Ameraucana Lifetime Achievement award

[John W Blehm]

Russ announced in our Ameraucana Newsletter that award, for 2026, is going to Janet Heida Little from Lafayette, NJ. She was born in the Netherlands during the second would war and her family had a dairy farm that the Nazi's took control of. When she was about 13, her family applied to come to the US. and it took a couple years for all the paperwork, health and background checks before immigrating. A dairy farmer in Michigan sponsored them.
Janet originally joined the club in 2004 and opted to not be registered on our Ameraucana Forum. About 25 years ago she bought a box of assorted bantam Ameraucanas from me. Janet liked the wheatens the most and has made quite a reputation as a top breeder and exhibitor of them. She even shipped two pairs of wheaten bantams to Mike Gilbert about a dozen years ago when he got back into that variety.

[Mike Gilbert]

And I have shipped Wheatens to Janet a couple of times as well.   Never met Janet in person, just spoke to her on the phone a few times, but she seems like a very nice person and a credit to the club.

[Elijah Ensor]

Never met Janet, but congratulations on receiving the Lifetime achievement award.    I have one very old hen from her bloodline, but I doubt I have any offspring from her as she typically lays soft shelled eggs at this time.