Harsh Realities

10600 U.S. Highway 42 Marysville, Ohio 43040 Phone 614-873-6736 • Fax 614-873-6835 www.ohiocattle.org cattle@ohiocattle.org

Editor Elizabeth Harsh

Managing Editor Hanna Fosbrink

Ohio Cattleman magazine (USPA: 020-968, ISSN: 1543-0588) is published six times per year: Winter issue, mailed in January; Expo preview issue, mailed in February; Spring issue, mailed in April; Summer issue, mailed in July; Early Fall issue, mailed in September; and Late Fall issue, mailed in October; for $15 a year to OCA members only. It is dedicated to reporting facts about Ohio’s cattle including marketing, production and legislative news. All editorial and advertising material is screened to meet rigid standards, but publisher assumes no responsibility for accuracy or validity of claims. All rights reserved. Circulation for the issue is 3,080.

Published at Minster, Ohio 45865 by the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association, 10600 US Highway 42, Marysville, Ohio 43040. Periodical postage paid at Marysville, Ohio and at additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Ohio Cattleman, 10600 US Highway 42, Marysville, Ohio 43040. CHANGING YOUR ADDRESS: Please send old as well as new address to Ohio Cattleman, 10600 US Highway 42, Marysville, Ohio 43040.

Advertising

To schedule advertising write to: Ohio Cattleman, 10600 US Highway 42, Marysville, Ohio 43040, or call 614873-6736. All advertising material for the Spring Issue must be received by April 7, 2021.

Ohio Cattleman Advertising Rates

Full Page $460 2/3 Page $345 1/2 Page $260 1/3 Page $175 1/4 Page $145 1/8 Page $105 Business Card $65 Classified Ad $50 Four Color $270 One Additional Color $90

Ohio Cattlemen’s Association members will receive a 10% discount when advertising their farm products, such as cattle, hay, corn, etc. ...

Call today to place your ad: 614-873-6736

OCA Staff

Elizabeth Harsh Executive Director Ron Windnagel Director of Accounting & Operations Hanna Fosbrink Manager of Communications & Managing Editor Ashley Dentinger Manager of Consumer Programs & Digital Marketing Bailey Eberhart Manager of Member Services Karigan Blue BEST Program Coordinator Tiffany Arnett Administrative Assistant

By Elizabeth Harsh, Ohio Cattleman Editor

CATTLE CARE AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS PERSEVERE

For the last couple of weeks social media has been full of posts reminding readers that cattle farmers are still caring for their animals even in frigid temperatures and snowy conditions. The point being cattle producers can’t call off when there is bad weather, a thought that probably never even crosses the minds of most. Given the cold temps of late though I find myself being thankful for some early calving cows, even if it includes a set of twins and a handful of first calf heifers. While it has taken more effort to get them started nursing on their own, at least they arrived a week ahead of the even colder subzero nights.

Cold weather comes with its share of difficulties, but most cattle producers will still take it over mud when feeding and calving cows. And it is February in Ohio so we can expect to have one or the other. February also brings a ramp up of activity at the Statehouse as Ohio’s newly sworn-in members of the legislature settle into their committee assignments for this session. Work on the state’s 2022-2023 operating budget also gets kicked into higher gear with the recent introduction of Governor DeWine’s recommended budget.

Agriculture is such a small part of the state’s overall budget, but despite Ag’s share of the pie, there are items of very significant importance that OCA advocates for on behalf of cattlemen. These include the College of Food, Agricultural & Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Extension and Research budget lines. Funding is necessary for the College of Veterinary Medicine, the state’s only veterinary medical college, which graduates more than 80% of Ohio veterinarians. H2Ohio funding is critically important to assist with water quality improvement programs, as is support for Ohio’s Soil & Water conservation efforts. Adequate funding for the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s meat inspection program and the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (ADDL) are vitally important to maintain a healthy and growing livestock industry in the state. Funding for the Ohio Expositions Commission and the Ohio Expo Center are also important as the Expo Center reopens for business and the Ohio State Fair following the pandemic. OCA will continue to monitor and engage on these issues and others as the budget process continues.

We know cattle harvesting facilities cannot operate without the necessary meat inspection personnel. But just as important and a top priority for OCA is the serious need for more harvesting facilities across the state. The shortage of packing plants has existed for a while but was made even greater by the pandemic. Recently the board of directors created a work group to address this need and engage with others to identify solutions to the problem. The dramatic increase in wait time to schedule cattle for processing is impeding industry growth as cattle families try to meet surging consumer demand and create business opportunities for the farm’s next generation.

Hopefully, warmer temperatures will greet the upcoming Ohio Beef Expo in mid-March. In addition to the seedstock sales, retail trade show and youth show, the Expo also provides an opportunity for OCA members to discuss issues like the lack of cattle harvesting facilities and many others. Unfortunately, the pandemic has prevented many of these important discussions from taking place in the last year. While we all long to return to more normal events, COVID safety precautions will require that the Ohio Beef Expo look a bit different this year. But with any luck we can all agree that different is far better than not at all.