OCA Industry Service Award
Denny Ruff mentors cattle producers inside and outside the auction ring Story & Photos by Amy Beth Graves It’s Wednesday, auction day. All eyes are on the sale pen as livestock flows in and out and the auctioneer does his smooth and fast talking. Bids are made and sales confirmed. It’s a whirlwind of activity and in the center of it is Denny Ruff, general manager of the Muskingum Livestock Auction. Feet propped up on the bars of the sale pen, a landline phone in one ear and a cell phone in the other, Denny takes it all in. Satisfied that he has secured a nice lot of feeder cattle for a buyer, Denny plops his feet down on the ground and stretches his knee a bit before heading to the back to check on things. While his stride is purposeful, it’s not as fast as it used to be. But then again he’s been doing this his entire adult life, and he’s put in a countless number of miles and hours inside the auction located just outside Zanesville’s downtown. “It’s all I know. I have a high school degree but didn’t go to a four year college. I learned all of this by watching and learning. This is who I am and now that I’ve gotten to a certain age, it’s too late to change,” he said. 18 | Ohio Cattleman | Winter Issue 2021
Not that there’s any reason for Denny to change careers at age 64. For almost 80 years, Muskingum Livestock Auction has been an integral part of the livestock industry, and Denny has seen the trends come and go over the years and is as invested in the business as the first day he joined more than 30 years ago. His contributions to the cattle industry haven’t gone unnoticed, and he is the recipient of the Ohio Cattlemen’s 2021 Industry Excellence award. “I’m humbled they would consider me for this,” he said. “I’m an auction man. I’ve always said the true price discovery (of your livestock) is at the auction and I believe that. When you’re bringing in a nice set of livestock and buyers are competitively bidding on them, you’re getting the most value that day.” Agreeing is Dennis Michel, a Fairfield County cattleman and chairman of the Muskingum Livestock Auction for about two decades. The auction has seven board members who represent stakeholders. “I don’t think you could meet a
nicer guy. Denny’s presence has been steady over the years because he does such a good job,” said Dennis who has a feeder-to-finish operation. Over the years, he’s relied on Denny to both purchase and sell cattle for him through the Muskingum Livestock Auction. Every week about a dozen of his fat cattle head to the auction pen in Zanesville. “Denny does everything in his power to try to help someone get a good price on their cattle. He builds trust and people to go him for advice,” Dennis said. “He keeps up on the times and trends and has been a good mentor to so many over the years. He does such an excellent job that I don’t what we’ll do when – or if – he retires.”
From hogs to cattle
Denny grew up in a family that raised cattle and hogs in Fairfield County and was always particularly fond of hogs. When he started at Muskingum Livestock in 1987 after working part-time at the Lancaster Producers Auction, hogs were big
