2023 Expo Magazine

Ohio Cattleman

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

Sales Representative: Luke McKee

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 3,086.

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

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To schedule advertising write to: Ohio Cattleman, 10600 US Highway 42, Marysville, Ohio 43040, or call 614-873-6736. All advertising material for the Spring Issue must be received by April 5, 2023.

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HARSH REALITIES

Working to make the next 35 even better

By Elizabeth Harsh, Ohio Cattleman Editor

The 35th Ohio Beef Expo is March 16-19 at the Ohio Expo Center and OCA is looking forward to celebrating this milestone by hosting the best Expo to date! Before you start counting on your fingers, we’ll admit that technically the 35th Expo should have been 2022, but unfortunately the pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 event.

Last year’s Expo brought several changes and others are planned for this year. One of them is the mailing of the Expo show program along with the Expo issue of the Ohio Cattleman magazine. The combination of today’s mailing challenges, postage rates and paper costs require this change. The magazine will feature advertisements related to the Ohio Beef Expo, but Expo event details, etc. will be included in the show program and not duplicated in both.

In December Governor DeWine and the Expo 2050 Task Force released their Master Plan framework for the Ohio Expo Center and OCA shared the information. The master plan serves as the long-term strategic vision for the future of the Ohio Expo Center and Ohio State Fair. OCA has been asked to be involved in the process as the details of the plan are finalized including timelines, construction phases and cost estimates. Final construction plans must work around those annual events, foremost among them being the state fair, but also other major events, like the Ohio Beef Expo, that take place throughout the year.

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

It is an exciting time for the Ohio Expo Center, for Ohio agriculture and ultimately for all Ohioans who will visit and benefit from the facility’s rebirth. Thank you to Governor DeWine, Expo Center General Manager Virgil Strickler and the members of the Ohio Expositions Commission, as well as the members of the General Assembly who are champions of this needed, but costly, undertaking. Ohio is fortunate to have leaders who love the fair and the Expo Center’s many other events that provide similar experiences while also sharing a vision of all that it can be in the future.

Some initial funding was secured in the legislature’s lame-duck session before the holidays. And the Governor’s recently released budget includes an additional $190 million over the two-year operating budget, but that is just the beginning of what it will take to make the Ohio Expo Center vision a reality. As the quote says, “Anything worth doing is worth doing well,” and in this case it also means investing well to build the future of the Ohio Expo Center.

OCA Staff

Elizabeth Harsh Executive Director

Ron Windnagel Director of Accounting & Operations

Luke McKee Manager of Member Services

Kelly Keirn Manager of Consumer Programs & Digital Marketing

Karigan Blue BEST Program Coordinator

Talking about plans for the Expo’s future and its 35th anniversary has me thinking about where the Ohio Beef Expo started in 1988. At the risk of calling some of you old, I will say historians will remember the Davey Beef Barn with it treacherous ramps and loading docks where the Expo first housed cattle. Even more memorable was the first semblance of a trade show that was held in what today is the putt putt area or historical front-end of the Voinovich building. No heat and a steel beam in the middle of each narrow booth created a less than ideal experience and makes one wonder how we ever got from that beginning to today’s trade show that is the envy of most.

It is a fact that the Ohio Beef Expo’s success in its 35 years is owed to the many volunteers, breeders, trade show exhibitors, sponsors and junior show families that have supported the event, some of which that have attended every year. In celebration of the anniversary, the Expo planning committee wants to recognize those individuals and companies that have participated for all 35 years. This recognition will take place on Friday morning in the trade show. Please let the OCA office know of any 35-year participants so no one is missed. We look forward to seeing you at this year’s Expo.

LET’S CUT TO THE CHASE

WE AREN’T JUST AN OFFICE AND A DESK. WE ARE A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION.

WE ARE BOOTS ON THE GROUND FOR YOU. TO DO JUST THAT.

it’s as simple as that.

Help Grow OCA Membership by recruiting now through April 1, 2023! Winner will receive the use of a Kubota Z422 mower for ONE mowing season April - November 1, 2023.

The drawing will be held at the April OCA Board of Directors meeting.

New members also count toward the OCA Top Hand membership recruitment program.Be sure to complete the “recruited by” section of the membership form to be entered in the drawing. Do not need to be present to win.

OCA Officers

President • Tom Karr

740-591-9900, tom@karrcontracting.com

Vice President • Bill Tom 937-694-5378, btom@uproducers.com

Treasurer • Linde Sutherly 937-875-0670, linde@lindeslivestockphotos.com

Past President • Aaron Arnett 614-947-9931, aaronarnett16@gmail.com

Convention Chaos

By Tom Karr, OCA President

OCA Directors

Shane Riley Director At-Large

Washington C.H. • Term expires 2023 740-572-2044, shane.rileywch@gmail.com

Jim Rogers Director At-Large

Logan • Term expires 2023 740-591-7311, jrogers@reedbaur.com

Frank Phelps Director At-Large

Belle Center • Term expires 2025 937-539-1442, frankph@watchtv.net

Jaymes Maciejewski District 1

New Bavaria • Term expires 2023 309-222-0850, jaymes.maciejewski@gmail.com

Andy Lohr District 2

Bucyrus • Term expires 2024 419-569-3613, andylohr61@gmail.com

John Ferguson District 3

Chardon • Term expires 2025 440-478-0782, john@fergusonshowcattle.com

Mark Goecke District 4

Spencerville • Term expires 2023 419-233-3101, goeckefarms@gmail.com

Jason Dagger District 5

Cable• Term expires 2024 937-604-8820, jason.dagger@rwe.com

Kirsten Nickles District 6

Wooster • Term expires 2025 330-345-0477, KNickles@certifiedangusbeef.com

Brad Thornburg District 7

Barnesville • Term expires 2023

740-310-9196, thornburgcattle@yahoo.com

Linde Sutherly District 8

New Carlisle • Term expires 2024 937-875-0670, linde@lindeslivestockphotos.com

Jim Jepsen District 9

Amanda • Term expires 2025

614-560-5919, jepsen.drfarms@gmail.com

Sarah Ison District 10

Moscow • Term expires 2023

513-314-5382, sarah.ison01@gmail.com

Lindsey Hall District 11

Hillsboro • Term expires 2024

937-763-8115, lindseycgrimes@gmail.com

Dale Taylor • District 12

Bidwell • Term expires 2025

740-709-6461,daletaylorfarming@gmail.com

February has arrived! The days, weeks, and months seem to fly once we turn the corner on the Christmas holiday season, and suddenly February seems to start giving us back a little more daylight everyday. There is one minute and three seconds more daylight each day after December 21, the shortest day of the year. But it takes us a couple of months to notice it!

The NCBA Convention kicked off January 31 in New Orleans. There were nearly 8,500 people expected for the event, but a little bit of snow and ice sent a panic through Dallas and all of Texas, delaying, cancelling or stranding 2,500 unhappy travelers. Taylor Sheridan, director, and co-author of the hit television series “Yellowstone,” couldn’t get to the Big Easy for the opening session, but they were able to live stream an interview with Taylor from his ranch house at the Four Sixes 6666. He talked about his real passion to continue to highlight the western ranching lifestyle and keep the real cowboy heritage alive and well.

Two of the Yellowstone cowboys, Ethan Lee and Forrie J. Smith “Lloyd” did make the trip. I guess they might be a little more “cowboy” than Taylor.

Archie Manning, NFL quarterback for the Saints, filled-in as a speaker. Buzz Brainard, radio personality from Nashville, emceed the daily sessions again this year. Buzz never disappoints and enjoys interaction with cattle producers. His interview with Archie was very entertaining, as they talked about his career with the Saints, his sons Peyton and Eli’s NFL careers, and his third son Cooper, who’s football career was cut short with a spinal injury early in his collegiate days. He also mentioned, very humbly, a grandson, Cooper’s son, that has been attracting national attention and his name just happens to be “Arch.”

The business side of the convention was packed with so much valuable information, it was hard to absorb. The annual session with CattleFax is always a highlight. Their long-term weather forecasts have usually been very accurate. The warmer ocean water, La Nina, has run an historic duration, but is showing signs of weakening, probably signalling the start of an El Nino and a slow easing of the terrible drought in the West. Unfortunately, for our area in the Midwest, they are forecasting a cool, wet spring which could delay planting. The increasing moisture will linger into late summer, with increasing temperatures to follow.

I have said many times, if you can schedule the time in early February to attend an NCBA Convention, or better yet, help sponsor a young cattleman to attend, you will not be disappointed and amazed by the wealth of information available.

Of course, March is Ohio Beef Expo month and just around the corner. This year is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever as we celebrate the Expo’s 35th anniversary!

I hope to see you all in Columbus.

You get what you pay for,until you don’t

By Garth Ruff, Beef Cattle Field Specialist, OSU Extension

There are many things I could write about for this Expo issue, buying bulls (more on that later), mud (it’s everywhere), cost of raising replacement heifers (not cheap if done right). Instead let’s talk about a topic that’s been on my mind and the minds of others recently given the economy and other issues: Value.

Meriam Webster defines Value in several different ways 1) the monetary worth of something: MARKET PRICE, 2) a fair return or equivalent in goods, services, or money for something exchanged, 3) relative worth, utility, or importance.

To determine Market Value, I subscribe that it’s up to a buyer and the seller/provider to determine value themselves for a good or service and it’s up to the buyer to know where their cost threshold is. I would also propose in many instances that you get what you pay for, until you don’t. Let me provide some examples.

A colleague of mine just sent me a screen shot of a fellow cattleman advertising and selling beef on social media. If you’re on social media, these kinds of posts have been routine over the past couple of years. What was striking about this post in particular, was the price of the beef and what was being sold for that price. In this in-

stance the producer was selling 1/8th of a beef for $525.

Now take a minute and do that math, $525 x 8 = $4,200! What was in that package was roughly 45 pounds of beef at $11.66 a pound, and keep in mind half of that was ground beef. If this producer can sell beef at that price, good for them. In my position I’m getting ever more curious as to what the direct to consumer, local beef market can withstand.

I’m never going to tell someone what they should sell their beef for as I get asked that question frequently. I can help them figure out a few ways to price product. What price per pound provides value or a fair return to the consumer?

For the consumer, the eating experience of that beef had better be exceptional and even then, does the cost justify the value of the product? When fat cattle are selling for around $1.50 a pound, multiplied by 1,400 pounds that’s only $2,100 a head, half of the previous example. We know consumers value locally produced product but at what rate? The last thing we want to do as producers is price ourselves out of the market.

I would argue that the same conditions apply to buying bulls or bred heifers, in that the buyer often gets

what they pay for, and there is a premium for having a relationship with the seedstock producer. As someone who attends several production sales annually, I have also seen several cattle undervalued by potential buyers, especially when it comes to bulls.

One could make the argument that most of the quality bulls sold by reputable seedstock producers in Ohio are affordable in comparison to buying yearling bulls in the west or even in neighboring states. Many bulls sold in Ohio are 16-24 months old versus yearlings and on average sell for less money.

Reputable and quality are the key words. Where I’ve seen things go wrong as an Extension employee is when a farmer buys a bull just because he was cheap. There are probably reasons as to why he sold for what he did. Is the rate on return of that bull comparable to his contemporaries? Not every producer in Ohio needs an “high dollar” bull due to cow numbers, but I’d recommend that everyone have a bull with quality genetics and EPD’s. Genetic data can help determine value and make informed purchasing decisions. If you need help understanding that data, let me know. Hope to see several of you at the 2023 Ohio Beef Expo.

Grazing season is close, will you be ready?

By Chris Penrose, OSU Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Morgan Co.

Here in Ohio, winter can vary from onSpring is just around the corner and it will soon be time to graze our livestock. Think it is too soon? I might be cheating, but I will start grazing my spring calving cattle on stockpiled fescue in a couple weeks and if things go right, I will be done feeding hay to them. In reality, I plan on officially grazing new growth in late March (on some warmer springs, I have started around March 21). After teaching pasture and grazing programs for over 30 years and trying to “practice what I preach”, here is what I try to do.

First, we need to start off with healthy pastures, ones that can take an early grazing without hurting re-growth too much. Next, I try to estimate when the spring “flush” of new rapid growth will start. In most years, it is around April 10 in Southeast Ohio. Then I try to figure how long it will take to do a fast rotation of my paddocks and hay fields that I can “early graze”. On my farm and through experience, this is about 14 days. So if I start grazing and rotating late March and the spring “flush” of growth starts around April 10, I should be in good shape. Maybe you can figure out how long it would take you to do a fast rotation before you expect the “flush” of new growth in your area.

Let me explain this further. If I can slow down growth a little bit by early grazing, maybe we can spread out the “flush” of spring growth. Since about 70 % of our forage production is in the spring, it would be nice if we could lengthen or more evenly spread out the production of our pastures. So, I may graze early at the expense of some of my paddocks, but they are

fairly healthy. I also do a couple early light grazings of a few of my hay fields (making sure the cattle do not “pug” up the fields in wet weather). I try to stop grazing hay fields before stem elongation and make hay from them a little later as the grazing will set the maturity and yields back a little. This will give my regular paddocks a longer chance to rest and recover, and then they can be grazed more frequently during the fast growth when the hay fields are not grazed. Depending on pasture and hay needs, I can graze or make hay on one or several of the hay fields later in the summer.

As we get later in the summer and if a paddock or two needs attention, we can fertilize or add manure to the paddocks and give them extra rest.

If our pastures are not in the best of shape, I would consider letting the forages grow for a while before grazing which will also reduce weed pressure. The initial growth will be from root reserves and as the grass and legumes grow, the plants will start putting some energy into the roots and into seed production. Later in the spring, when seed heads have been produced, I encourage a clipping of the pastures to allow the plants, especially grass to focus primarily on leaf production and building root reserves.

Fertilizing is an option and I recommend that you have an adequate pH to best utilize the nutrients (for most pastures a 5.5-7.0 pH is ideal). Avoid too much nitrogen as this may make the pastures grow faster, but in the spring, it can also weaken the root reserves since the plant is moving nutrients up to make seed heads.

Mother Nature does not always cooperate. Some years when it is

unusually cool and I started to graze in late March, but grass did not grow as fast, I had to go back to feeding hay for a week, but it finally warms up and everything was fine. A lot of grazers like to see how long they can go until they feed hay in the winter, but you can save feeding hay on the other end…this end.

Every year, I seem to have a paddock that takes an extra beating in the winter. It is usually one that needed extra fertility, and I fed a lot of hay in that field and got trampled up a little too much. This is a perfect candidate to frost seed if there is still time. In this field, I may skip a rotation or two to let it re-cover and establish the frost seeding. If grass gets too far ahead of the new clover, I may graze the field for a very short time to set the grass back a little and give the clover more sunlight to get established. I will lose some clover from trampling, but the remaining clover will be better able to compete with the established grass.

Don’t forget to plan, every year is different. Some years we may have an early warm spring which indicates a probable dry summer. Then some years we have a cold slow spring and a wet summer. What will this year bring? I do not know, but a key to successful grazing is trying to predict what is down the road so we can be prepared for it. I recall in 2012, I tried to get up as much extra hay as I could in case the summer turned dry and it did. I had plenty of hay but not water, so I had two springs re-worked so we would have more water. Whatever the growing season brings, hopefully we can be as ready as possible.

Seedstock Producer of the Year

CEDAR LANE FARM CONTINUES THE WINKLE FAMILY’S TRADITION OF RAISING SHORTHORNS

Story by Amy Beth Graves

At his graduation from the Ohio State University, Jeff Winkle listened closely to advice from one of his mentors.

“Keep your cattle medium sized so when trends get bigger, you can catch them on the way up and when trends get smaller, you can catch them on the way down,” he was told by the now deceased Dr. George Wilson, a distinguished faculty member in charge of beef cattle in the department of animal sciences at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

It’s a piece of advice that Jeff didn’t just tuck away into the back of his mind but has used many times over the years in the Shorthorn cattle operation that he runs with his wife, Susie, in Cedarville. In 1985 the two moved to Susie’s family farm, which dates back to 1886, to start a family and small cattle operation in Greene

County. Jeff’s family had been raising Shorthorns since 1912, and he was confident that was the breed he wanted to raise on their farm. At first Susie wasn’t sure. She’d grown up raising polled Herefords, and the Shorthorn breed wasn’t as popular at the time.

“When Susie and I moved here, Shorthorns were at their low point. When we were in college, everybody made fun of them and said the breed was dying,” Jeff said. “Because they weren’t getting much recognition, I told her we should raise Shorthorns so we could be more competitive. We decided to come here and try to make it on our own.”

It wasn’t long before Susie was also enamored by the breed. When their first child was around age three, the couple bought a Shorhorn bred cow at the very first Ohio Beef Expo and a bull and started a small herd. Thirty-five years later, not only are

the Winkles still showing but they’ve developed a solid reputation for the quality of the Shorthorns that they raise. Their cattle operation, Cedar Lane Farm, is a recent recipient of the Ohio Cattlemen’s Seedstock Producer of the Year award.

“I was shocked that we got this award. We’re just a little guy in the industry. To be recognized with some of the names out there that I really respect is very special. It’s pretty neat to see how the breed has rebounded and gotten birth weights under control to become popular today,” Jeff said.

Over the years, Cedar Lane Farm has worked hard to improve and expand its herd by purchasing embryos and flushes from a few select cows from various herds and become more involved in the national show circuit.

“We invest our money back into cattle. That investment is key to our success,” said Jeff who is manufac-

turing engineer manager at nearby Collins Aerospace.

Today, the Winkles have 15 purebred cows that they focus on with five of them functioning as donor cows, which they flush regularly to collect embryos. They have about 20 recipient cows where they perform embryo transfer, and it’s this herd that produces the majority of the high-quality calves that they sell. They also have their own breeding bulls. Five years ago, one of those bulls won both the state fairs in Ohio and Kentucky three years in a row. “He really put us on the map,” Jeff said of that bull.

For the past four years, Cedar Lane Farm has participated in the “Share the Vision” Shorthorn sale in Millersburg, drawing buyers from all over. They also sell some heifers and embryos in the Ohio Beef Expo and Kentucky Beef Expo as well as via private treaty.

Both Jeff and Susie have been actively involved in the cattle and ag industry for decades. They were 4-H advisors when their three children showed. Jeff is the chair of OCA’s Ohio Beef Expo breed committee and is also currently president of the Ohio Shorthorn Breeders’ Association. They recently “converted” a family member to showing Shorthorns and are waiting for their two grandchildren to be old enough to show.

“Our daughter when she was about 18 and it was her last year in 4-H, I bought her a heifer and brought it home and said ‘Hey, I bought you a heifer’ and she said ‘Why would you do that?’ I told her ‘Well, you know all your life you’ve done what you want to and I want you to know my life.’ It ended up that heifer was reserve division winner in Denver and was the start of the best cows we have now,” Jeff said.

The couple’s most recent success came just before they were recognized at the Ohio Cattlemen’s annual banquet – they raised the national champion junior heifer at the Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City.

“We like the temperament of Shorthorns. We’re selling cattle for little kids to show and that’s important. I got a text from a person last week who bought a heifer from our sale and was so happy their 5-year-old could show it,” Jeff said.

For the Winkles, sustainability is important for them. On their 125 acres, they raise 30 acres each of corn, wheat and soybeans and double-crop and use corn stalks, rye and sudan grass as fodder and bedding since they don’t make their own hay.

“Ground around here is expensive and we make and mix and grind our own feed. We’re more judicial on where we spend money because we have to get profit off every acre,” Jeff said.

Susie, who recently retired from teaching at a local school, spends most of her days tending the cattle, getting up early to feed in the morning and up late at night to help pull a calf. “Without her, we wouldn’t have the farm,” Jeff said of his wife.

When asked what some of their short-term goals are, Susie laughed, saying an indoor wash rack, fewer cows and more time on the farm for Jeff.

“One of the biggest challenges is time. Jeff is working full time and we never have time to get everything done ourselves. Jeff is struggling to get fences built and we hate paying somebody else when we could do it ourselves,” she said. “I love being here; it’s such a down to earth place. We’ve had a great life and the 4-H experience has taught our kids about responsibility and that hard work pays off.”

In 2020, their son, Scott, received the Lawrence Grathwohl Shorthorn Herdsman of the Year Award at the North American Livestock Exposition.

“I’m 64 and happy where we’re at,” Jeff said. “When I was a kid growing up, we had a herd of Shorthorns much like what surrounds me and I’ve tried my whole life to reinvent them, to make better cows.”

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Investing in Beef Promotion, Nutrition, Education & Research

OBC HOLDS BEEF FOR THE HOLIDAYS CONTEST

The Ohio Beef Council (OBC) held a Beef for the Holidays Giveaway from mid-November through mid-December. A total of 9,899 consumers entered for the chance to win Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. branded swag and a beef prize pack valued at $200. To be eligible to win, the participants had to like and share the OBC Facebook page and follow and share on Instagram. This generated 840 new page likes and 958 new followers to the social media platforms, with a total of 840 engagements from consumers. The four lucky Ohio recipients, selected at random, received their beef prize pack just in time for a great holiday meal.

MILLIONS OF CONSUMERS REACHED WITH BEEF ADVERTISING IN 2022

What’s for Dinner. (BIWFD) recipe video content, Summer Grilling and Holiday audio. The Ohio Stories average view rate (AVR) was 21.8% above the national industry average.

2023 OHIO BEEF COUNCIL MARKETING PLAN RELEASED

The Ohio Beef Council (OBC) published its FY23 marketing plan, providing insight into programs and projects for the new year. The national and state marketing arms will work in partnership to grow consumers’ trust in beef production. The mission of the OBC Marketing Plan is to engage with Ohio’s producers and consumers to strengthen the demand for beef. OBC will focus on four demand drivers of Nutrition, Raised & Grown, Eating Experience and Convenience/Versatility. The complete FY23 Marketing Plan can be found on ohiobeef.org. The purpose of the publication is to provide transparency to Ohio’s beef producers who invest in the checkoff.

SUBMIT BEEF PROMOTION GRANTS BY MARCH 1

with beef promotions and educational efforts. Beef Promotion Grants will be considered based on the application’s alignment with the objectives of the current year’s OBC marketing plan and alignment with the National Beef Checkoff campaign. Deadline for the next grant submission is March 1, 2023, and the application is available on the OBC website ohiobeef. org. Questions regarding the grant program can be directed to Kelly Keirn, OBC Manager of Consumer Programs & Digital Marketing.

FOOD, CULINARY AND AG THOUGHT LEADERS CREATE BEEF HOLIDAY CONTENT

Thanks to the Beef Checkoff, the Ohio Beef Council’s (OBC) Ohio media buy of YouTube, Spotify, Google and Strategus ads generated 3.6 million engagements with consumers. In total, ads across all platforms were shown to Ohio residents 5,148,845 times. These ads promoted the OBC’s Ohio Stories video series that connects consumers to Ohio beef farm families, Beef. It’s

The Ohio Beef Council (OBC) encourages local groups to reach consumers in their area through events and programming. The Beef Promotion Grant program helps these groups to share their beef production stories with consumers where faceto-face contact enhances consumer confidence in the beef they are purchasing for their families. Through the grant program, the Beef Checkoff harnesses the creativity of local groups to reach more consumers

Over the duration of the holiday season, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, partnered with 14 different influencers and content creators. These partners included chefs, food bloggers, Ag influencers, and spokesperson Tony Romo to bring consumers exciting holiday beef recipes and information on cattle care and welfare over the holiday months. The content performed incredibly with a total reach of over 2.8 million and a total engagement of over 273K.

The Ohio Beef Council and the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board are responsible for developing programs that increase the demand for beef. For more information, contact the Ohio Beef Council at 614-873-6736, beef@ohiobeef.org or visit www.ohiobeef.org.

Ohio Beef Council Operating Committee: Erin Stickel, Bowling Green, Chairman • Allan Robison, Cable, Vice Chairman • Stan Smith, Canal Winchester, Treasurer • Mandy Atterholt, Loudonville

Mark Goecke, Spencerville • Lou Ellen Harr, Jeromesville • Stephanie Harris, St. Clairsville • Brett Layman, Johnstown • Jake Osborn, Lynchburg • Becky Reed, Springfield Ben Seibert, St. Mary’s • Bill Sexten, Washington C.H. • Susie Turner, Somerset • Kris Vincent, East Canton • Barb Watts, Alexandria • Elizabeth Harsh, Executive Director

MARCH 16-19, 2023 OHIO EXPO CENTER

THE PREMIER EVENT FOR OHIO’S BEEF INDUSTRY

CHECK OUT THE EXPO PROGRAM FOR MORE DETAILS ON:

JUDGES

DETAILED SCHEDULES

TRADE SHOW ATTENDEES

SPONSORS

GENETIC PATHWAY

JUNIOR SHOW DETAILS

SALE INFORMATION EVENTS & PROGRAMS & MORE!

WWW.OHIOBEEFEXPO.ORG

FRIENDS OF THE

Stories by: Ansley Kozarec

AG-PRO JENNA WATSON & BEN BUTCHER

Ag-Pro and the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) have always had a positive relationship. Through this relationship, Ag-Pro has been a dedicated sponsor in all events hosted by Ohio Cattlemen’s Association, especially the Ohio Beef Expo. Their continued support has been a critical element in guaranteeing the success of the Ohio Beef Expo every year. Jenna Watson and Ben Butcher are two pivotal employees of Ag-Pro that are incredible assets to the Ohio Beef Expo.

Ag-Pro is a family-owned John Deere dealership that began in 1958 in Boston, Georgia. Ag-Pro has been in Ohio since 2018 when Ag-Pro’s expansion headed north. The relationship between Ag-Pro and the Ohio Cattle men’s Association began through this growth. Two essential assets to the AgPro corporation are Jenna Watson and Ben Butcher. Watson holds the position of Corporate Marketing Manager and is based out of the London, Ohio Ag-Pro location. Butcher is the Division 9 President, and his focus is on large agriculture equipment throughout Ohio. Ag-Pro exhibits in both the indoor and outdoor trade show areas of the

2002- Dave Dailey, Don Lowry, Henry Bergfeld, and Jim Rentz

2003- Leslie Milleson and Rod Bauer

2004- Virgil Strickler, Jim Sutherly, and Gene Rowe

2005- Tim Sheeley and Dr. Glen Hoffsis

2006- Dean Armstrong and Earl Foreman

2007- Joyce McKee, Jim & Jackie Murray and Curt

Hively

2008- Jim & Marlene Campbell and Dr. Earl & Cynthia Arnholt

Ohio Beef Expo, where they carry various types of equipment, including John Deere Gators, skid steers, and hay equipment. During the Expo, in the Coliseum, Ag-Pro is highlighted as a sponsoring partner of the BEST program and a supporter of the Buckeye Breeder’s Series, where they donate a year’s use of a Gator. Ag-Pro’s donation of Gators and skid steers during the week of Expo, including several set-up days, makes them a highly-valued event sponsor. Watson and Butcher attend the entire week of the Expo with various types of jobs. These jobs include supporting the Ag-Pro trade show areas and watching both

their customers from across the state while they all gather in Columbus for

PAST FRIENDS OF THE EXPO

2009- Keith Moore and Tom Wilcox

2010- Sam Roberts and Laura Sutherly

2011- Alan Halderman and Rex Sullinger

2012- Gale Long, Dave Puthoff, and Steve R. Rauch

2013- Doug Conkle, Johnny Regula and Wood County Beef Producers

2014- Ginger Natolis and Sally Puzacke

2015- Jon Becerril, David McElhaney and Sam Sutherly

2016- Lou Ellen Harr, M.H. Eby and Bill Sexten

2017- Roy White and Dave Russell

2018- Linde Sutherly and Nancy Snook

2019- C.J. Brown and Joe Foster

2020 & 2021 - Frank Phelps & AMW Cattlemen’s Association

2022 - J.L. Draganic & Pam Haley

DP SALES MANAGEMENT DOUG AND DEBBIE PARKE

Doug and Debbie Parke of DP Sales Management have played an important role in the Ohio Beef Expo for many years. They have committed countless hours to planning and organizing to ensure the Simmental sale at the Ohio Beef Expo is a success for both consignors and buyers.

DP Sales Management has been running the Simmental Sale at the Ohio Beef Expo since 2004. DP Sales Management is located in Paris, Kentucky, owned by Doug and Debbie Parke and operated in conjunction with their family. They have been operating a sales management business for the Simmental breed for over 40 years. One thing that sets them apart from other sales management companies is they do state association sales across the country, dealing with 30-50 cosigners for these sales. DP Sales Management prides itself on being loyal to its customers, rather than prioritizing a sale because it may gross more revenue.

Doug and Debbie Parke first began connections with the Ohio Beef Expo when they managed the Eastern Spring Sale just outside of Columbus, which was then moved to the Ohio Beef Expo. Over the last 19 years DP Sales Management has served the members of the Ohio Simmental Association by managing their Expo sale. They handle the sale catalog, buyers’ numbers, money, and the internet. Most of their work runs in conjunction with the state’s Simmental association, and they appreciate the guidance the board gives them during the sale. DP Sales Management enjoys

doing the Ohio Beef Expo because it is coordinated by the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association, which they believe creates a stronger relationship with the cattle breeders and leads to a more significant event that attracts more people.

The success of the Simmental Sale at the Ohio Beef Expo is something the Parke’s are always proud of, but above that, it is a place for people to come together and market good cattle. The Ohio Beef Expo is one of their favorite sales to manage because the staff is so easy to work with. The Parke’s state, “The one thing we always appreciate, and notice is the excellence of the on-site veterinarians. We sell cattle to approximately 15 different states and the veterinarians at the Ohio Beef Expo are some of the best we have worked with.” They appreciate the relationship they have with the Ohio Beef Expo and the level of understanding they have with one another to be able to reach each other’s goals. Having buyers check in and out in the same room is something they feel is very helpful to sale outcomes because it makes it much easier to participate in the other breed sales. DP Sales Management receives a lot of consignments, with their deadline being the first of the year, allowing for an increase in the organization on their end. They have provided a way to sell cattle a week to 10 days after the Ohio Beef Expo. This increases membership on their end which is something they strive for.

Doug and Debbie Parke extend their gratitude to the Ohio Beef Expo staff and volunteers and are grateful for the consignors that are faithful to them and the Ohio Beef Expo. DP Sales Management prides itself in what they do and what they portray in their business. They work to conduct themselves in a way that builds trust and dedication, makes everyone happy and treats their customers fair. “It is not always about the money; it is about treating people right and making people feel good.”

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15

No cattle are permitted on the fairgrounds before 7:30 a.m. Noon - 5 p.m. Large Equipment Move-in

THURSDAY,

Chippewa Valley Angus Farms, LLC

Rittman, Ohio

REGISTERED BLACK ANGUS CATTLE

2023 Offering of Quality AI Sired Registered Angus Bulls

Select from 30 Long Yearlings or Four Two-Year-Olds Available After March 15 And Will Have Passed A Stringent Breeding Soundness Exam, Vaccinated, Wormed, Healthy And Ready To Go To Work.

Selling Registered Angus Cattle For Over 25 Years Quality Breeding Cattle For Sale At All Times Specializing in Calving Ease Bulls Without Giving Up Performance Free of All Known Genetic Recessives

Sires of 2023 Sale Bulls:

VAR Revelation Square B True North Woodhill Blueprint Sydgen Enhance

KCF Bennett Exponential Baldrige Moving On Myers Fair N Square

GAR Freedom

GB Fireball Wilks Regiment

and others

Mark Your Calendar For The 5th Annual 2023 Cattlemen For Cattlemen Female Sale on September 30th, 2023 at 6:30 PM At Muskingum Livestock Sale Facility In Zanesville, Ohio.

Selling Approximately 75 Productive Bred Cows & Heifers.

Contact Us For Catalogs, More Information or Questions, Appointments:

Matt Brown, Manager (330) 383-1516

Matt Horst, Herdsman (330) 464-8243

Laurie Ferguson, Owner

e-mail: rod.laurie@gmail.com

Website: ChippewaValleyAngus.com

PROVENCow Families

CREATE PROFITABLE GENETICS

SELLING A PROVEN DONOR, BULLS, OPEN AND BRED FEMALES

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2023

COLUMBUS, OH • 1:00 PM • BID ONLINE

FSCI BROKER K204

Purebred Simmental • ASA# 4152474

MR HOC Broker x W/C Miss Werning 863F

FSCI BROKER J161

Purebred Simmental • ASA# 4053019

MR HOC Broker x HPF Sazerac 251D

FSCI MS GEMSTONE H051

FSCI SAZERAC K613

Purebred Simmental • ASA# 4150477

SO Remedy 7F x HPF Sazerac 251D

Purebred Simmental • ASA# 3902888

W/C Fort Knox x TNGL A Gemstone A527

Due in August to MR CCF The Duke

John Ferguson, Owner. 440-478-0782

Lindsey Rowland, Manager. 440-478-0503

Scott Lehman, Herdsman. 330-621-1510

Jefferson, Ohio • Ferguson Show Cattle

Rare Vintage Sale • Annual Production Sale

Saturday, October 21, 2023 • Jefferson, OH

FSCI MS GINA G258

3/4 Simmental 1/4 Angus • ASA# 3597922

CDI Innovator x LLSF Neon Rey Proven Donor! Sells open, ready to flush!

VIEW SALE CATTLE VIDEOS & ADDITIONAL INFO AT

fergusonshowcattle.com

CATTLEMEN’S YOUTH RAISE OVER $33,500 FOR RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF CENTRAL OHIO

The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) BEST Program for youth ages 8-21 years co-hosted the Celebrity Showdown at the Clark County Cattle Battle along with an online auction to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio (RMHC). The Clark County Cattle Producers sponsored the event.

The Celebrity Showdown was hosted at the Champions Center in Springfield, Ohio on Jan. 20, 2021. For this event, youth were responsible for raising a minimum of $100 for the opportunity to dress up their cattle and present them to the celebrity judge. This year’s judge was Cade Stover, Ohio State Football Tight End, with a special appearance from Steele Chambers, Ohio State Football Linebacker. Through donations from family, friends, their local community and members of OCA, youth participating in the Celebrity Showdown raised $17,383 for the show.

The team that took the lead with fundraising was HR Cattle Company with $5,005 raised. The other teams/ participants with the highest fundraising numbers were Aiden Ruffing and Austin Hunker with $2,325; Kasen

Cole with $2,008; Austin Sutherly with $1,550; Lara, Lexi and Rylan Rittenhouse with $1,245; and Bentlee and Hailee Clem, Alex Oldham, and Cordeliah and Jolie Ervin with $1,165.

The overall Celebrity Showdown winner chosen for having the best costume by Stover and Chambers was Garrett Reusch with his Dukes of Hazzard costume.

Additionally, an online auction was held with numerous items selling, and thanks to the many generous supporters, $16,000 was raised.

Incentive prizes will be awarded to the community service top fundraisers at the OCA BEST Program Awards Banquet on May 6, 2023. Donations to RMHC will continue to be accepted after the Celebrity Showdown until the BEST Banquet. Anyone can donate conveniently online at www. ohiocattle.org/best/community-service. Donations can be attributed to a BEST participant’s name through the online donation form as well. Online contributions must be made prior to May 6, 2023 to be accredited to a BEST participant’s cumulative fundraising total for the year.

DEADLINE TO NOMINATE BBS CATTLE FOR THE OHIO BEEF EXPO

MARCH 1, 2023

NOMINATION FORMS ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.OHIOCATTLE.ORG UNDER YOUTH ACTIVITIES, BEST PROGRAM, BUCKEYE BREEDERS SERIES.

FOR MORE INFO PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE AT 614-873-6736.

2023 Sponsoring Partners

OBC WELCOMES NEW PRODUCERS TO THE BOARD

Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) Director Dorothy Pelanda announced in Dec., 2022 the following new appointments to the Ohio Beef Council (OBC) Operating Committee. Congratulations to Mark Goecke of Allen County. Reappointed for additional OBC terms were Lou Ellen Harr, Ashland County; Becky Reed, Clark County; Stan Smith, Fairfield County and Barb Watts, Licking County.

At the Jan. board meeting, Erin Stickel, Wood County was re-elected Chairman; Allan Robison, Champaign County was elected Vice-Chairman and Stan Smith, Fairfield County, was re-elected as Treasurer. Becky Reed, Clark County, re-elected as Federation Checkoff Director for OBC.

Sam Roberts of Clark County retired at the end of 2022. OBC thanks him for his leadership and service as a beef council member.

OBC engages with consumers to strengthen the demand for beef and promotes a profitable and growing beef industry. It is part of a coordinated state/national marketing effort funded by beef producers through the beef checkoff program. OBC collects the $2 per head beef checkoff each time cattle are sold. Fifty cents of the federal dollar is invested in national beef demand building programs by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. The remaining fifty cents and the state $1 are invested in Ohio by the OBC. The organization is directed by a 15-member Operating Committee of cattlemen appointed by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, representing the state’s beef, dairy and veal producers.

The Ohio Beef Council is also excited to announce this year’s digital Beef Passport. This free mobile-exclusive digital Beef passport allows visitors and locals to check in at partnering restaurant locations to experience signature beef dishes and redeem loyalty points from May thru September. The more points you collect the better chance you have to win a prize at the end of the program.

OBC would like to have partnering restaurants across all of Ohio and are looking to you for help. Where are your favorite locations for a great beef breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Do you have connections to restaurants that would like to participate? Send them to Kelly Keirn at kkeirn@ ohiobeef.org or give her a call at 614614-873-6736.

Let’s help Ohioans experience the best of beef!

Chairman Erin Stickel (left) recognizes retiring OBC member Sam Roberts.

OBC Executive Committee from left to right: Erin Stickel, Chairman; Allan Robison, Vice Chairman; Stan Smith, Treasurer; Becky Reed, Federation Checkoff Director.

Ohio Beef Council members from left to right: Mark Goecke, Stan Smith, Barb Watts, Becky Reed, Lou Ellen Harr and Tracy Intihar with the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

CATTLEMEN GATHERED IN NEW ORLEANS FOR THE CATTLE INDUSTRY CONVENTION AND TRADESHOW

Nearly 7,000 cattle producers, industry partners and stakeholders recently gathered in New Orleans for the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show. The convention, the largest in the beef industry, offered education, engagement and entertainment.

This year’s event kicked off with Franki Moscato, winner of the 10th Annual NCBA National Anthem Contest, singing the “Star-Spangled Banner.” Buzz Brainard, host of Music Row Happy Hour, returned as convention emcee and introduced surprise guest Archie Manning, patriarch of a professional football legacy and former quarterback of the New Orleans Saints. And “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan joined remotely to welcome cattlemen and women from across the country.

Convention participants gained insights on market trends and weather forecasts during the CattleFax Outlook Seminar, learned about the industry’s commitment to protecting environmental resources, supporting communities and creating an economically viable future during the Sustainability Forum, and heard an update on the beef business climate in the United States and around the globe. Annual meetings of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, American National CattleWomen, CattleFax and National Cattlemen’s Foundation also took place. In addition, the 2022 Environmental Stewardship Award regional winners were recognized at a special reception. Before activities con-

clude on Friday, the Closing General Session celebrated the Beef Checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Program and BQA award winners and featured inspirational keynote speaker Chris Koch.

The award-winning NCBA Trade Show featured more than 350 exhibitors and displays across eight acres under one roof along with a variety of educational opportunities.

New in 2023, Cattle Chats featured 20-minute beef industry educational sessions, with special spotlight sessions focusing on sustainability. Attendees could stop in the Learning Lounge to enjoy informal, face-to-face talks in an intimate setting right on the trade show floor. Industry leaders tackled topics such as ranch succession, effective probiotics, deworming protocols, animal welfare and tax trends.

The popular Stockmanship & Stewardship Demonstration Arena returned with stockmanship experts providing low-stress cattle handling demonstrations, BQA educational sessions, industry updates and facility design sessions. And the Chutes and Scales Showdown offered a side-byside comparison of equipment where producers could watch cattle run through chutes then get hands-on experience.

During the convention, the NCBA executive committee approved the organization’s policy priorities with a focus on advancing animal disease preparedness, protecting voluntary conservation programs, and defending producers from regulatory overreach.

“Our focus is helping to create opportunity for America’s cattle pro-

ducers and fighting to make sure the federal government does not damage our industry,” said NCBA President-Elect Todd Wilkinson. “Cattle producers have been caretakers of the land and livestock for decades and are committed to conserving this country’s natural resources while producing high-quality beef.

NCBA’s policy priorities include: Securing reauthorization of animal health provisions in the 2018 Farm Bill and advocating for expanded funding of the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB) to protect against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Protecting and funding EQIP, CSP and other voluntary conservation programs that incentivize science-based, active management of natural resources.

Protecting the cattle industry from regulatory attacks under Waters of the United States, the Endangered Species Act, emissions reporting and more.

“One of the biggest opportunities to help cattle producers in the coming year is passing the 2023 Farm Bill with continued investment in our national vaccine bank to protect the U.S. cattle herd from the threat of footand-mouth disease. Recently, we have seen other countries deal with the realities of animal disease outbreaks. American cattle producers are not going to be caught flat-footed – we are laser-focused on reducing risk and having the strongest response with a stockpile of vaccines that we have been building up since the 2018 Farm Bill,” Wilkinson said.

CONSUMER DEMAND FOR BEEF REMAINS STRONG AMONG INFLATION WOES, NEW REPORT SHOWS

According to the newly released “Today’s Beef Consumer” report from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, demand for beef continues to remain strong. The compilation of research from 2022, outlined below, shows that despite various challenges faced by the industry, consumers have repeatedly stated that they will continue purchasing beef, both in retail and foodservice settings.

Consumer Insights

Consumer demand for beef remains strong overall.[i] In fact, more than two-thirds of consumers reportedly eat beef on a weekly basis, or more.[ii] Inflation is certainly top of mind and more than three-quarters of consumers, 78%, report noticing an increase in the price of food whether at retail or foodservice.[iii] Beef however has experienced far lower levels of inflation when compared to other proteins in the “food at home” category[iv], which we will explore next.

Retail

During the pandemic consumers were forced to cook at home and many have continued to do so as it has become a popular way to make a dollar stretch and combat inflation. Analysis for the Today’s Beef Consumer report found 76% of meals are now cooked at home and 94% of consumers who are cooking more at home say they will continue to do so.iii In 2022 fresh ground beef accounted for 50% of volume of beef sales,[v] likely due to the lower price point as well as a renewed consumer interest in comfort foods

and nostalgic recipes, like meatloaf. In 2022, meatloaf was also the most popular page on BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com with almost 1.7 million pageviews. This trend is expected to continue as a recent survey found that 20% of consumers say they plan to purchase more ground beef in the coming yeariii.

Foodservice

It is no surprise that beef sales at foodservice declined sharply in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, sales in both dollars and volume rebounded to surpass the pre-pandemic level of 2019.[vi]

Online Shopping

Another pandemic trend that seems to be here to stay is online shopping, both at retail and foodservice. 64% of consumers say they are ordering groceries online, with 44% of consumers including fresh beef in those grocery orders. When it comes to foodservice, online ordering has become overwhelmingly popular. 80% of consumers say they order meals online and 70% use online ordering for burgers.iii

Beef Substitutes

Fresh meat and beef substitutes continue to represent a small percentage of the market.v When it comes to protein sources, consumers consistently rank beef as a top source of protein.ii

As we head into 2023 demand for beef remains strong and consumers continue to purchase and order beef, whether in person or online. To view the entire study, visit BeefResearch.org.

[i] USDA, Economic Research Service, US Bureau of Labor Statistics

[ii] Directions Research, Consumer Beef Tracker Jan-Dec 2022

[iii] State of the Consumer Survey, August 2022

[iv] US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index, Not Seasonally Adjusted, Data Ending December 2022

[v] NielsonIQ, Discover, Full-Year 2022 Fresh Meat Sales by Primal, Data Ending December 31, 2022

[vi] GlobalData, Beef Produce by Channel in U.S.,2019-2023

STARTS WITH THE GUT

Breeding season: Day 1 –- Are your cows bred?

By Bruce Smith, COBA/Select Sires

Can your bull get more than half your cows PREGNANT on the first day of the breeding season? He can’t, but you can by using a synchronization program with artificial insemination (A.I.). The benefits listed below, can help position your herd for success:

• Increased pregnancy rates

• Increased weaning weights

• Use predictable genetics

• Improve uniformity

• Increased cow productivity

Looking at each benefit independently will help you understand the value that a well-managed synchronization program can bring to the overall productivity of your herd.

You increase pregnancy rates by synchronizing your cows. Each animal synchronized will have 3 heats and therefore 3 chances to be bred in the first 45 days of the breeding season. A well-managed herd with compliance to the selected synchronization protocol should achieve at least a 50% pregnancy rate to the first A.I. service. Also, the synchronization program will induce estrus in some anestrous females that may then get bred earlier than left to cycle on their own. As a result of breeding them earlier, they calve earlier and then those females will have a longer post-partum interval and therefore breed back in a timelier manner in the next breeding season. Offering more long-term benefits to a synchronization program.

Earlier born calves are also heavier at weaning, which will add to the bottom line. Research shows that on average a synchronized herd will gain

13 calf days for every calf born in the herd. The yield for those additional days is 13 calf days times 2.7 pounds of average gain per day equals an additional 35lbs per calf. This additional gain times a feeder calf value of $1.80 per lb. would add an additional $63 per calf.

Using predictable genetics is a significant advantage of using artificial insemination to improve your cattle productivity. This is done by using highly proven sires with genomic Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs). Using these EPDs will also aid a producer to better hit their target market. It is important to know what your herd goals are so that you can choose the EPDs that will move the herd forward to the desired target market. As an example, if your goal is to market feeder calves and keep no females back, a terminal index should be selected. If, keeping some replacements, you may start with a maternal index. Most breeds have an index that has more maternal influence versus an index that is designed for a more feed or terminal application. In the Angus breed, if retaining females and selling the rest of calves at weaning, you may choose $M (maternal) versus $W (weaning) if selling all feeder calves. Also, by using a highly proven A.I. sire you can have more confidence in the sire providing the desired outcome. All reported progeny of a bull influences his EPDs, so as he adds more progeny data the accuracy continues to improve. With a higher accuracy, you can have more confidence in a more predictable outcome.

Using artificial insemination with a synchronization program will significantly improve the uniformity of each year’s calf crop. The use of a synchronization program yields more than 50% of the calves being born in the first few days of the calving season. This allows for more uniformity due to more calves being the same age and of similar weight. The balance of the calves will be closer in age and weight due to having three chances of the cows being bred in the first 45 days of the breeding season. Selecting a small number of sires for your breeding program, the calves will also be more uniform in color.

Increased cow productivity is due to calves being born earlier in the breeding season. Heifers retained are more likely to conceive earlier in their first breeding season as well. This will result in a higher lifetime profitability of the cow due to more likely continuing to breed earlier in each successive breeding season. Research funded by Select Sires at Colorado State University showed heifers conceiving to A.I. rather than natural service as yearlings weaned an additional 963 pounds of calf during their lifetime. With a value of $1.80 per lb., this equates to an additional $1,733 due to the use of A.I. and synchronization.

A sound synchronization program with the use of A.I. will increase pregnancy weights, weaning weights, and by using predictable genetics you will improve uniformity and cow productivity. Know where you want to go and use the available tools to get you there. We will meet you on the road to success.

OCA’S ALLIED INDUSTRY COUNCIL MEMBERS

The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association’s Allied Industry Council is a business partnership that supports educational efforts and leadership opportunities for cattlemen to advance Ohio’s beef cattle industry.

ADM Animal Nutrition

Camron Deckling, camron.deckling@adm. com

Kevin Steele 330-465-0962

www.admworld.com

Ag Credit David White 419-435-7758

www.agcredit.net

Ag-Pro

Ben Butcher & Jenna Watson 740-653-6951 | www.agprocompanies.com

Allflex USA, Inc.

Dave McElhaney 724-494-6199

www.allflexusa.com

Alliantgroup

www.alliantgroup.com

Alltech

Ryan Sorensen 440-759-8938 www.alltech.com

Armstrong Ag & Supply

Dean Armstrong 740-988-5681

Baird Private Wealth Management Patrick Saunders 740-446-2000

www.patricksaundersfc.com

Bane-Welker Equipment

Makayla Eggleton 937-206-1653, Karl Locascio 765-307-6752, Keith Sowell 937-269-6159, Chris Pugh 937-269-7409, Gabe Medinger 740-216-9349

www.bane-welker.com

Bayer Crop Science

Christina Howell 419-295-9247, Dan Hutchins 614-546-9603

www.cropscience.bayer.com

BioZyme, Inc.

Lori Lawrence 614-395-9513

Steve Patton 765-309-3367

www.biozymeinc.com

Boehringer-Ingelheim

Greg Spear 440-478-1350

www.boehringer-ingelheim.com

Burkmann Nutrition

Brent Williams 859-236-0400

www.burkmann.com

Cargill Animal Nutrition/Sunglo

Gary Kahle, gary_kahle@cargill.com

www.cargill.com | www.sunglo.com

Central Life Sciences

Kenley Rogers 330-465-9225

www.centrallifesciences.com

COBA/Select Sires

Kevin Hinds, Bruce Smith, Julie Ziegler, Joanna Frankenburg, Chris Sigurdson 614-878-5333

www.cobaselect.com

Corteva AgriScience

Rachel Walker 270-995-9541

www.rangeandpasture.com

Cornerstone Veterinary Services

Amgad Riad 567-510-4340

D&J Sales and Services

Jon Jones 740-391-1246

www.djsalesandservice.com

DHI Cooperative, Inc.

Brian Winters 1-800-DHI-OHIO, Tim Pye 912-682-9798 | www.dhicoop.com

M.H. Eby Inc./Eby Trailers

Kirk Swensen & Steve Rittenhouse 614-879-6901 | www.mheby.com

Elanco Animal Health

Jon Sweeney 515-249-2926, Jim Stefanak 330-298-8113 | www.elanco.com

WM. E. Fagaly & Son Inc.

Ryan Greis, Chris McConnell

513-353-2150 | www.fagalyfeed.com

Farm Credit Mid-America

Scott LaGuire, David Sanders 740-335-3306

Evan Hahn 567-215-7367

Melanie Strait-Bok 419-546-0144

www.e-farmcredit.com

Fennig Equipment

Gary Fennig

419-953-8500 | www.fenningequipment.com

Flatrock Butcher Block

Brent Buckley 740-208-5104

Renee Buckley 740-339-0923

www.flatrockbutcher.com

Four Star Veterinary Service

Taylor Engle 419-305-7494, Bryant Chapman 419-953-4523, Trey Gellert 419-953-4523 www.4starvets.com

Heartland Bank

Greg Woodward 614-214-3186, Matthew Bucklew 614-475-7024

www.heartland.bank

Heartland Feed Services

Joe Siegrist 419-305-2451, Travis Spicer 419-733-9915, Chad Knapke 419-733-6434, Andrew Davis 419-733-6239, Jacob Giere 419-733-1611

www.heartlandfeedsrevices.com

Heritage Cooperative

Dale Stryffler 330-556-8465, Derek Fauber, David Monnin 914-873-6736

www.heritagecooperative.com

Highland Livestock Supply Ltd.

Curt & Allison Hively 330-457-2033 | www.highlandlivestocksupply.com

Hubbard Feeds

www.hubbardfeeds.com

Johnson Concrete Livestock Waterers

Brad McCormick 402-463-1359

www.johnsonconcreteproducts.com

Kalmbach Feeds

Jeff Neal 419-356-0128, Kyle Nickles & Cheryl Miller 419-294-3838

www.kalmbachfeeds.com

Kent Nutrition Group

Patrick Barker 513-315-3833, www.kentfeeds.com

McArthur Lumber & Post

Stan Nichols, 740-596-255

www.totalfarmandfence.com

McGuire Wholesale

Virgil Jennings, Dave Bishop Keith Montgomery, Duane Wilson, Tessa Briggs 800-860-3744 | www.mcguirewholesale.com

Merck Animal Health

Jake Osborn 937-725-5687

Seth Clark 330-465-2728

www.merck-animal-health-usa.com

Muirfield Energy

Ann Marie Oman 614-336-8877, Doug Foreman 419-569-5912, Cathi Lydy 419-265-0758, Jerry Jenkins 937-210-0203, Michael Gonzales 817-739-2623

www.murifieldenergry.com

Murphy Tractor

Eric Bischoff 614-876-1141

Brent Chauvin 937-898-4198

www.murphytractor.com

Nationwide Insurance

Shawnda Vega 614-329-4500

www. farmagentfinder.com

Neogen

Megan Zawacki 402-261-8748

www.neogen.com

Ohio CAT

Linda Meier, Brian Speelman, Courtney Bush 614-851-3629 | www.ohiocat.com

Ohio Cow Hunters

Michael Hendren 740-404-3134, Chris Goodwin 740-823-2502, Carlie Milam 304-890-6788

www.ohiocowhunters.com

Ohio Penal Industry

William Bierbaugh 614-214-8916, Robert Caplinger 614-531-8291

www.opi.ohio.gov

Ohio Soybean Council

Emilie Regula Hancock 330-232-6782 | www.soyohio.org

PBS Animal Health

Hanna Fosbrink & Kevin Warrene

1-800-321-0235 | www.pbsanimalhealth.com

Priefert Ranch Equipment

Steve Campbell 903-434-8973, Corey Hinterer 304-625-1302, Nate Aguredakes 330-868-1181

www.priefert.com

Purina Animal Nutrition

Patrick Gunn 317-967-4345, Cy Prettyman 470-360-5538, Kira Morgan 812-480-2715

www.purinamills.com

Quality Liquid Feeds

Joe Foster

614-560-5228 | www.qlf.com

Reed & Baur Insurance Agency

Jim & Paula Rogers

866-593-6688 | www.reedbaurinsurance.com

Richfield Industries

Tom Campbell 810-516-7779

www.richind.com

Ridgeview Reproductive Services LLC

Patricia Parrish | 740-641-3217

Rod’s Western Palace

Eric Seaman 614-262-2512 | www.rods.com

Sakura Wagyu Farms

Tori Grafton 614-809-1089, Chad Adams 402-533-2030, Lawrence Adams 402-440-0924, Francis Pang 330-323-0960, David Sahr 740-817-3261

www.sakurawagyufarms.com

Saunders Insurance Agency

John Saunders, Scott Saunders, Brett Steinback 740-446-0404

www.saundersins.com

Sedgwick

Tony Sharrock 614-376-5450

www.sedgwickcms.com

Shade River Ag Service

Tom Karr 740-591-9900, Whitney Hayman 740-591-8800, Wesley Karr 740-591-8975, Rob Hoffman 740-985-3445

www.facebook.com/Shade-River-Ag-Chester

ST Genetics

Aaron Arnett 614-947-9931 | www.stgen.com

Straight A’s Nikki McCarty

330-868-1182 | www.ranchcity.com

Sunrise Co-op, Inc.

www.sunriseco-op.com

TransOva Genetics

Emily Warnimont 712-722-3586, Lacey Murray, Amber Clark, Sabrina Clark 240-329-0159

www.transova.com

Umbarger Show Feeds Jackson Umbarger 317-422-5195, Eric King 419-889-7443 | www.umbargerandsons.com

United Producers, Inc.

Sam Roberts, Bill Tom, Hannah Topmiller 1-800-456-3276 | www.uproducers.com

Vitalix Inc.

Travis Taylor 816-592-3000, Carmen Grissom 405-827-4912, Dusty Allison 308-254-6224

www.vitalix.com

Weaver Leather Livestock

Angela Kain & Lisa Shearer 330-674-1782

Karli Mast 330-674-1782

www.weaverleather.com

The Wendt Group

Kevin Wendt 614-626-7653, Dale Evans 260894-0458, Nick Cummings 740-572-0756, Tyler Wilt 740-572-1249, Wesley Black 740-572-1670

www.thewendtgroup.com

Zoetis

Laura Homan 320-293-2184

For information about joining OCA’s Allied Industry Council, call the OCA Office 614.873.6736 or visit www.ohiocattle.org.

www.zoetisus.com

SPRING INTERNS READY TO PROMOTE OHIO BEEF

Four college interns joined OCA and OBC this Spring to take on events like the Ohio Beef Expo, Beef 509, and Cattlemen’s Academy while learning about Ohio’s beef industry. These students will learn skills to assist in their future career goals and network among industry affiliates.

Kolby Brock is serving as the Member Services Intern. He is the son of Kristen and Laurence Brock of Los Angeles County, California. His interest in cattle began at a young age at his grandparents’ cattle farm in New Mexico, and he participated in 4-H showing beef, pigs, and goats. Brock is currently a senior at Ohio Wesleyan University, finishing his Bachelor’s in Politics and Government and a minor in Accounting. As an Ohio Wesleyan Bishop, Brock is active in the business groups on campus as an Economic Management Fellow and President of the Investment Club, managing a portion of the university endowment and advocating on behalf of his peers as an executive member of the student government council. Brock’s primary responsibilities this semester will include assisting with membership recruitment campaigns, OCA policy development, and assisting with Expo sponsorships.

Savannah Kinley is serving as the Beef Improvement and Industry Relations Intern. She is the daughter of Patrick and Sheila Kinley of

Wyandot County, where she grew up on a fifth generation farm raising livestock while engaging in 4-H and FFA. Savannah enjoyed showing cattle, pigs, and sheep at various levels. Kinley is a sophomore at The Ohio State University, where she is majoring in Animal Science with a concentration in Animal Industries and a minor in Agribusiness. As a Buckeye, Kinley enjoys being involved in Saddle and Sirloin Club and the CFAES Learning Community.

Kinley’s primary responsibilities this semester will include Beef 509 planning and execution, Beef Quality Assurance, managing the breeds office at Expo, and organizing the Trade Show and Genetic Pathway.

Ansley Kozarec is serving as the Public Relations Intern. She is the daughter of Todd and Lisa Kozarec of Montgomery County, where she grew up showing livestock and immersing herself in 4-H and FFA experiences. She enjoyed showing pigs competitively at the county, state, and national levels.

Kozarec is currently a sophomore at The Ohio State University, where she is majoring in Animal Sciences and minoring in Agricultural Communications. On campus, Kozarec enjoys being involved in Saddle and Sirloin Livestock Club, Sigma Alpha professional agricultural sorority, and serving as a peer mentor to fellow students.

Kozarec’s primary responsibilities this semester will include assisting in event press releases, Expo social media, event planning, event photography, website updates, and more.

Megan Garrison is serving as the Youth Activities Intern. She is daughter of Walter and Kristie Garrison of Belmont County, where she grew up on her family farm raising cattle. Growing up, Garrison enjoyed being involved with 4-H and FFA programs and competitively showing cattle, pigs, and goats.

Garrison is a sophomore at The Ohio State University CFAES, where she is majoring in Animal Science Health and has the hopes of earning her doctorates degree in human and animal chiropractics. As a buckeye, Garrison is involved in the Hoof & Hide Club and other community service projects. When it comes to the involvement back in her hometown, she is a mentor for the youth coming into the livestock industry.

Garrison’s responsibilities during this spring internship opportunity are to work closely with the BEST Program where she will assist in the administrative duties, BQA certifications and creating social media posts. She will also help foster the next generation of industry leaders and help coordinate the Ohio Beef Expo Junior Show, which includes fundraising and show management.

Kolby Brock, Member Services Intern

Savannah Kinley, Beef Improvement and Industry Relations Intern

Ansley Kozarec, Public Relations Intern

Megan Garrison, Youth Activities Intern

New Date!

DCF Ruby of Tiffany 6799

Reg#: +*18809148

sire: VAR Generation 2100

dam: DCF Ruby of Tiffany 7592

Four 6799 daughters will be

CED +4; BW +3.9; WW +82; YW +142; MILK +18 CW +73; MARB +.78; RE +1.18; $AxH +175; $AxJ +191

$M +68; $W +61; $F +124; $G +67; $B +191; $C +316

Featuring progeny from the foundation Optum Angus Ruby of Tiffany, Ruby of Tiffany 6799, the $44,000 powerful and proven growth and carcass highlight that blends the $250,000 balanced-trait sire, Generation with a dam who combines the the 44 Farms and ABS Global sire, Destination 727-928 with a direct daughter of the former Hunter Farms Genetics donor, Ruby of Tiffany 5113 by the $75,000 216 LTD. Full and maternal sisters to this prolific Optum Angus donor include: Ruby of Tiffany 6802, a second-generation highlight in the Double Creek Farms; Ruby of Tiffany 6831 at Evans Farms; Ruby of Tiffany 6624 at Oak Valley Ranch; and Ruby of Tiffany 5632 in the Double Creek Farms herd. Progeny from this proven and productive donor include; Ruby of Tiffany 2011, the $20,000 selection of Lylester Ranch in the first Optum Angus sale; Ruby of Tiffany 8012 selling to Vintage Angus Ranch in the 2020 Ward Ratliff Sale; and Ruby of Tiffany 8011, the selection of Vista Farms in the 2019 Ward Ratliff Sale.

Reg#: +*20464900

sire: HPCA Veracious • dam: DCF Ruby of Tiffany 6799

Reg#: +*20497804

sire: HPCA Veracious • dam: DCF Ruby of Tiffany 6799

Reg#: +*20295750

sire: GAR Home Town • dam: DCF Ruby of Tiffany 6799

Reg#: +*20265953

sire: GAR Greater Good • dam: DCF Ruby of Tiffany 6799

Selling Limited Number of Herd Bull Prospects Sired By:

Salvation, Greater Good, Identify, Veracious, Conclusion, and Hometown

OCA HOLDS ANNUAL MEETING & CELEBRATES AWARD WINNERS

The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) held their Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet on Jan. 14, 2023 at the Nationwide Hotel & Conference Center. Cattlemen and women from across the state gathered to engage in important association business, hear updates from many industry partners and recognize the recipients of several prestigious industry awards.

The day was made possible by the following sponsoring partners: Ag Credit, Alltech, COBA/Select Sires, Corteva AgriScience, Heartland Feed Services, Kent Nutrition, Ohio Angus Association, Ohio Association of Meat Processors, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Sancic Family Farms.

Colin Woodall, CEO for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) joined members to present an industry update on policy issues and highlights from the NCBA Federation’s role as a contractor to the beef checkoff. In addition to several issues the industry is managing, Woodall noted that beef demand is at a 30-year high.

OCA President Tom Karr of Meigs County led the OCA Annual Meeting. The first order of business was awarding the association’s Top Hand members. The OCA Top Hands

are awarded for recruiting five or more members throughout the year. This year’s awards were sponsored by Purina Animal Nutrition and Quality Liquid Feeds.

The following were the Top Hands for 2022:

Frank Phelps, Logan County was the top recruiter with 14 memberships. Additional Top Hand winners were Mark Goecke, Allan County; Glen Feichtner, Crawford County; Andy Lohr, Crawford County; Tom Karr, Meigs County; Jim Jepsen, Fairfield County; Dona Tullis, Madison County and Becky Vincent, Stark County.

Following these awards, members received updates from industry partners including the Ohio Beef Council (OBC) and the Beef Checkoff by Erin Stickel, OBC Chairman and Kelly Keirn OBC staff; Ohio Department of Agriculture Division of Animal Health by Dr. Dennis Summers, State Veterinarian; OSU Extension Beef Team from Garth Ruff, Beef Cattle Field Specialist and Ohio Legislative Outlook for 2023 by Tony Seegers Esq., President of 1803 Consulting. Members of the meeting then engaged in meaningful discussions and voted on association policy resolutions.

The Ohio Cattlemen’s Foundation (OCF) also held their annual meeting to award 23 scholarships to beef industry youth who have aspirations of pursuing careers in the beef industry. These scholarships were made possible from the Cattlemen’s Gala, sales from the Ohio beef license plates, funds raised from the putt-putt booth at the Ohio State Fair and generous donors such as Saltwell Western Store, the Noah Cox memorial fund and the Ohio Cattlewomen’s Association.

The following are the 2022 scholarship recipients:

Cattlemen’s Gala Scholarships

Hannah Cochran, Franklin County

Joshua Dickson, Licking County

Makayla Feldner, Noble County

Megan Garrison, Belmont County

Alicia Graham, Licking County

Luke Jennings, Clermont County

Ellie Kidwell, Knox County

Erica Patterson, Hancock County

Macie Riley, Fayette County

Kristina Scheurman, Cochocton County

Michael Soltis, Geauga County

Abigail Tooill, Fairfield County

Tagged for Greatness Scholarships

Stephanie Altstaetter, Logan County

Sadie Holman, Licking County

Erin Pope, Gallia County

Jacie Wolfinger

Cattlemen’s Country Club

Scholarships

Owen Brinker, Wood County

Caitlin Koschnick, Crawford County

Maria Mcintosh, Champaign County

Charity Moore, Montgomery County

Noah Cox Memorial Scholarships

Megan Becker, Washington County

Saltwell Expo Scholarship

Delaney Moore, Fairfield County

Caroline Winter, Pickaway County

Cattlewomen’s Association

Scholarships

Megan Becker, Washington County

Joshua Dickson, Licking County

Shala Graham, Licking County

Ellie Kidwell, Knox County

Shelby Morehead, Portage County

In addition, the Ohio Cattlemen’s Foundation recently announced a new program the Beef Industry Fellowship (BIF) grant that will be awarded to two individuals who show promising leadership potential and an interest in becoming more involved in Ohio’s beef industry.

The BIF grant is a $1,500 in-kind grant offered after recipients experience six specified industry events and volunteer opportunities throughout the year. Upon their involvement, they will receive the $1,500 grant which will be used toward registration and travel expenses associated with their trip to the 2024 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Convention in Orlando, FL. Jack Cochran of Franklin County and Alyssa Lambert of Licking County were introduced as the first recipients of the BIF grants.

During the Awards Banquet attendees celebrated the achievements of their fellow cattlemen.

The six awards handed out throughout the night were as follows:

Outstanding County – Muskingum

County Cattlemen’s Association

Sponsored by Ohio Corn and Wheat

Young Cattleman of the Year –

Ian Brinker, Frazeysburg, Ohio

Sponsored by Kalmbach Feeds and United Producers, Inc.

Commercial Cattleman of the Year –Fannin Ag and W J Fannin, Washington Court House, Ohio

Sponsored by Burkmann Nutrition and United Producers, Inc.

Seedstock Producer of the Year –Cedar Lane Farms owned by Jeff and Sue Winkle, Cedarville, Ohio

Sponsored by Ohio Shorthorn Breeders’ Association

Industry Service Award – United Producers, Inc., Columbus, Ohio

Sponsored by The Hartford Financial Services Group

Industry Excellence Award – R. C. Packing Co. and Jamie and Amy Graham, Bidwell, Ohio

Sponsored by Gallia County Cattlemen’s Association.

Top Hand members were awarded for their recruitment efforts.

Young cattlemen were awarded scholarships from the Ohio Cattlemen’s Foundation.

Congratulations award winners!

Ian Brinker, Young Cattleman of the Year

R&C Packing, Industry Excellence Award

Muskingum County Cattlemen’s Assoc., Outstanding County Award

Cedar Lane Farms, Seedstock Producer of the Year

United Producers, Inc., Industry Service Award

Fannin Ag, Commercial Cattleman of the Year

Thank you PAC auction donors & buyers!

The night ended with a social event and a live auction to raise money for OCA’s Political Action Committee (PAC) which raised over $9,700 to be used to support political candidates who support the beef cattle industry and to ensure representation at the State House and on Capitol Hill.

Donors

Frank Phelps

Glen Feichtner

HFS Angus

Karr Farms Red Angus

Ohio CattleWomen

Sancic Farms & Olde Wood Ltd.

Tim & Elizabeth Harsh

Buyers

Alden Wedemeyer

Cathann Kress

Clark County Cattle Producers

Fred Voge

Glen Feichtner

Jackie Wilkins

Jason Dagger

R & C Packing

Shane Riley

Tiffany Arnett

Tom Karr

Tonya Lohr

UNIVERSITY OF RIO GRANDE OFFERS NEW MEAT SCIENCE DEGREE

Story by Amy Beth Graves

The news spread like wildfire in the southern Ohio agricultural communities. A new associates degree in meat science was marking the return of agriculture to Rio Grande University.

As one of the university’s two deans and a cattle producer herself, Dr. Stephanie Wells-Mullins immediately understood the impact the new program would have on both the university and livestock industry. Wells-Mullins stated that she has been fielding phone calls and emails from excited parents and students inquiring about the new program, which is focusing on beef cattle, small ruminant production and end products.

“The outpouring of support from the community has been absolutely phenomenal. Students say that they now have more options and don’t have to leave home to get their degree. It’s going to be a really solid offering for students in the region,” said Wells-Mullins, Dean of the College of Professional and Technical Studies.

The program, which started in fall 2022, is in collaboration with the Ohio State University. The fall meat science class was remote and the current spring ruminant class, “Intro to Beef and Small Ruminant Production,” is a hybrid of classroom and hands-on learning at Ohio State’s Agricultural Research Station and Extension Of-

fice in Jackson, which focuses on beef cattle and sheep production research and Extension programs.

“The partnership between The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) and the University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College, will allow us to further our land grant mission and best serve the citizens of Ohio,” said Dr. Cathann A. Kress, Vice President for Agricultural Administration and CFAES Dean. “We are collaborating with Rio on plans to create pathways for degree programs leading to a fouryear degree in animal sciences – where students might start at Rio Grande, then transfer to our Columbus campus to finish their degree.”

The university has a long relationship with Bob Evans Farm. More than 60 years ago, Rio Grande sold part of its land to restaurateur Bob Evans, marking the start of the Bob Evans legacy and still houses the original restaurant and homestead. In 2017 Bob Evans Corp. donated land to the university, and the plan is to shift classes to a permanent structure located on that land. The university is in the planning and designing stage of building a barn that will also house classrooms, cold storage space, as well as designated areas for hands-on train-

ing with the animals, Wells-Mullins said. About 150 acres are available for rotational grazing of livestock.

Two of Evans’ children, Steve Evans and Debbie Donskov, shared how proud their father would be to see agriculture part of today’s curriculum at Rio.

“Agriculture was Dad’s love. Beef cattle, the land, agriculture – those were his passions and finding ways to keep people on the family farm. This program will definitely provide this opportunity. Dad would be very happy that ag education is going to take place on this farm,” Donskov said after a news conference last May announcing the new two-year degree.

In this first year, Ohio State faculty are teaching the agricultural and animal science courses, while Rio Grande is focusing on general education and business courses. Students also have access to Rio’s academic advisors and success coaches. This type of support is critical for some students to succeed, Wells-Mullins said.

Wells-Mullins stated that “I was a good student in high school and knew that I wanted to attend college, however I was intimidated by the larger colleges and universities, which is a common theme in the area. I chose to attend Rio, where I earned my undergraduate degree, and it was a good

choice for me. I was able to stay on the family farm while earning my degree, which I believe is something that still resonates with this generation. There are a lot of possibilities and opportunities for this program”.

The new degree will tap into a wide range of career opportunities, including meat packing manager, farm manager, feedlot manager, livestock grader, meat inspector, animal welfare and beef farm worker, Wells-Mullins said.

“I do not think that a lot of potential students realize that there is more to an agriculture degree than learning to raise animals. There are numerous components that comprise the agriculture industry,” she said.

Students will have significant hands-on experience with livestock and meat science as well as learning business management skills.

“The labs are meant to be real-world, hands-on experiences –working the animals and understanding some of the reproductive practices used by farmers in Ohio. This partnership allows us to interact with students from southern Ohio who we might not have reached through our other

Ohio State channels,” said Dr. Stephen Boyles, professor in the CFAES Department of Animal Sciences.

Wells-Mullins has been helping generate buzz about the new degree by visiting the Farm Science Review and high schools to talk to FFA and vocational agriculture students, as well as renting a mechanical bull for an event at Rio Grande to draw attention. Plans are to offer a barbecue science class this summer.

“We want to get the community involved and continue to expand the new program’s exposure. The BBQ Science class is going to be a fun event with smokers and grills set up on campus. Participants will learn about the different cuts of meat, how to make their own rubs, and how to cook them,” she said.

As an eighth-generation cattle producer in Vinton County, Wells-Mullins has seen firsthand how a shortage of skilled agricultural labor has impacted southern Ohio.

“I had two steers that I was finishing out just before the Covid pandemic hit in 2020. Normally, I would have been able to call three months ahead of time to schedule a

slaughter date, but when I called for a date in 2020, I was told that it was going to be a minimum of 18 months to get a processing date– which lead to the issue of an over-finished steer,” she said. “The pandemic had a major impact on the food supply infrastructure that we have not fully recovered from. Just last month I dropped a hog off for processing and that particular butcher shop still had three kill floor job openings that needed filled. The new Meat Science Program at Rio will help meet these local market demands and help maintain the balance between supply and demand for meat products by supplying the workforce with educated and skilled employees”, said Wells-Mullins.

Steve Evans said he’s excited to see the impact the new program will have on the local community.

“This place has come full circle and once again the land will be used for something to promote the welfare of our community,” he said.

To learn more about the new degree, visit www.rio.edu/meat-science or email Wells-Mullins at swmullins@ rio.edu.

NUMBER ONE SINCE 1921

FOR 100 YEARS,

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with top 2%

high marbling and ribeye, and sired by one of the breed’s most proven sires for the balanced traits of economic importance. This spring yearling bull’s traits are “just right” for the industry with double digital CED, high growth, marbling and ribeye to match it.

a super shot of heterosis with this outstanding Geff County

FEATURING OUR MEMBERS’ SUCCESS AT THE STATE & NATIONAL LEVEL Event coverage based upon information received and space available

2023 NATIONAL WESTERN STOCK SHOW RESULTS

The 2023 National Western Stock Show was held January 7-22, 2023 in Denver, CO.

Kolten Greenhorn of Waynesville took home Grand Champion Junior Shorthorn Female with MFS Knighted Pinky The Roo 2142 ET. This heifer is the daughter of SULL Red Knight 2030 ET and KOLT RGLC Pinky The Roo 940 ET.

In the Angus Show, the Champion Intermediate Heifer was SCC Heart N Sole 153 exhibited by Delaney Jones of Harrod.

Olivia Jones, also of Harrod, exhibited the Champion Summer Heifer Calf SCC SLL Phylis 262.

Efficient, Easy Fleshing Cattle

Yearling bulls & heifers sired by:

SAV President 6847

Sitz Reload 411C

Coleman Bravo 6313

ZWT Summit 6507

SAV Raindance 6848

Coleman Charlo 0256 & 3212

NTLF Renown F02

NTLF President G04

NTLF Paxton 6366

Selling Sat. April 18, 2020, plus cow/calf pairs

Ron Novak Hartford, OH 330.772.3186

2023 OHIO STATE FAIR BEEF DEPARTMENT UPDATES

There are several changes that have been made for the 2023 Ohio State Fair. Foremost among them, the beef cattle will once again be stalled and show in the Voinovich building. Both breeding and market animal grand drives, and the accompanying awards, will also take place in the Voinovich building. The breeding heifer grand drive will be held on Saturday, July 29 and the market animal grand drive will be Saturday, August 5.

The beef department staff has also added a day between the first breeding cattle session and the second session to reduce the difficulty when breeds are moving out at the same time other breeds are trying to move in.

The Dean’s Charity Steer Show that benefits the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio will also return to the Voinovich building. This event, sponsored in part by the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association, will be held on Tuesday, August 1.

2023 Schedule

Session 1 Breeding – July 23 – July

26 (Breeds: Angus, Crossbred, Maine Anjou, Maintainer, Chianina, AOB, Gelbvieh, Limousin, Chi-Angus, Maine-Angus, Charolais)

Session 2 Breeding – July 27 – July 30

(Breeds: Simmental, Percentage Simmental, Hereford, Shorthorn, Shorthorn Plus)

Mini Session – July 30 – August 1

(Breeds: Mini Hereford and Santa Gertrudis)

Commercial Cattle – July 28 – July 29

Session 3 Market –

August 2 – August 5

Prospect Cattle – August 4 – August 6

All cattle will be required to have a negative BVD test in 2023. All Showmanship, both breeding and market, will be shown by age as of January 1, 2023 (8-9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)

If a youth exhibitor is showing in

a project they must be enrolled in that project in their county (i.e., beef breeding exhibitor must be entered in a beef breeding project).

An animal may only be shown for one project by the same exhibitor (a market heifer cannot also be shown as a breeding heifer or shown by another exhibitor in a 4H/FFA show).

ALL cattle must have EID (840) tags upon arrival no exceptions.

Exhibitors must present a hard copy (to include: an original or a printed electronic copy with visual confirmation of electronic copy) of the registration paper at the time of check-in for each animal. Presentation of the registration paper on an electronic device alone will NOT be accepted.

Standardization of Crossbred steer divisions

• DIV I (declared weight of 10001200 pounds)

• DIV II (declared weight of 12011325 pounds)

• DIV III (declared weight of 13261375 pounds)

• DIV IV (declared weight of 13761425 pounds)

• DIV V (declared weight of 1426 pounds and higher)

2023 OHIO STATE FAIR

COMMERCIAL CATTLE SHOW CHANGES

The Commercial Cattle Show will be held Saturday, July 29, 2023. BVD tests will not be required for cattle entered in the Ohio State Fair Commercial Cattle Show.

Additional division will be added:

• Beef x Dairy

• Dairy

• Shorter duration

Cattle can arrive on Thursday, July 27. All cattle must be in place by Friday evening, July 28. Cattle will weigh Saturday morning and show Saturday afternoon. Options for UPI collection

points to transport cattle to the Ohio State Fair. Possible collection points include Eaton and Bucyrus. Additional sponsorships for 2023 and increased premiums will be available.

More details will be coming soon. Contact Sam Roberts, United Producers, Inc., 937-477-0060 for more details.

CATTLEFAX FORECASTS PRODUCER PROFITABILITY IN 2023 WITH POTENTIAL DROUGHT RELIEF FOR THE WEST

The popular CattleFax Outlook Seminar, held as part of the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in New Orleans, shared expert market and weather analysis.

Prices and profitability will again favor cattle producers in 2023. The cattle industry is entering 2023 with the smallest cattle supply since 2015 as drought caused the industry to dig deeper into the supply of feeder cattle and calves. While the exact path to drought relief is unknown, improvements are also expected to translate to moderating feed costs, especially in the second half of 2023. Combined with increased cattle prices, cattle producers, especially the cow-calf operator, will continue to see an improvement in margins for the next several years, according to CattleFax.

Meteorologist Matt Makens said the latest forecast for La Niña has only a 14% probability of existence this spring and down further by the summer, which means a pattern change comes our way this year. A neutral phase will take control of the pattern as La Niña weakens and may last several months before giving El Niño a chance to grow this summer and into the fall.

Makens said putting this latest La Niña episode in the review mirror suggests improving drought conditions, more favorable growing seasons and healthier soils.

MEMBER SERVICES

Linde Sutherly, Ch. | Jason Dagger, V. Ch.

Membership

Jason Dagger, Ch.| Jim Rogers, V. Ch

Ohio Cattleman Magazine

Lindsey Hall, Ch. | Dale Taylor, V. Ch.

Steak Barn/Taste of Ohio Café/FSR

Linde Sutherly, Co-Ch. | Lindsey Hall, Co-Ch.

Young Cattlemen’s Conference

Tyler Humphrey, Ch.| Emily Warnimont, V. Ch.

Annual Meeting/Awards Banquet

Sarah Ison, Ch. | Linde Sutherly, V. Ch

Youth Programs BEST & Buckeye Breeders Series

Shane Riley, Ch.| Kim Herman, V. Ch.

PUBLIC POLICY

Mark Goecke, Ch. | Kirsten Nickles, V. Ch.

Agriculture & Food Policy

Sarah Ison, Ch. | Bill Tom, V. Ch.

Cattle Health & Well-Being

Brad Thornburg, Ch. | Jaymes Maciejewski, V. Ch.

Live Cattle Marketing

Mark Goecke, Ch. | Jim Jepsen, V. Ch.

International Trade

Brad Thornburg, Ch.| Dale Taylor, V. Ch.

Property Rights & Environmental Mgt.

Andy Lohr, Ch. | Mark Goecke, V. Ch.

Jaymes Maciejewski, V. Ch. | Kirsten Nickles, V. Ch

PAC – Political Action Committee

Frank Phelps, Ch.| John Ferguson, V. Ch.

Tax & Credit

John Ferguson, Ch. | Jim Rogers, V. Ch.

BEEF IMPROVEMENT

Tom Karr, Ch. | Frank Phelps, V. Ch

Replacement Female Sale

Pam Haley, Ch. | Lindsey Hall, V. Ch.

Ohio Beef Expo

Shane Riley, Ch. | Bill Tom, V. Ch.

RESOLUTION COMMITTEE

Sarah Ison, Ch. | Andy Lohr, V. Ch

Contact information is available on page 6 of this issue.

Carrollton, Ohio

Our cows are managed like a commercial herd. The cows are of moderate frame, good udders and good feet and legs. The herd has tested negative for Johne’s and Leukosis, and is free of genetic defects AM, NH, CA and OS. Genomic Enhanced EPD’s | Parent Verified | Free bull care until May 1st | $3.00/hd/day after May 1st

All bulls have passed a breeding soundness exam. The bulls’ information will be on our website two weeks before the sale: www.burgettangus.com

Black Angus Sires

Red Angus Sires

“I’m not trying to imply that doing away with La Niña fixes everything. An El Niño can cause drought across the northern states. There is no win-win for everyone in any weather pattern,” Makens added. “But moisture conditions should improve for the West in the second half of this year.”

Kevin Good, vice president of industry relations and analysis at CattleFax, reported that U.S. beef cow cattle inventories have already fallen 1.5 million head from cycle highs. The 2023 beef cow herd is expected to be down about another million head to nearly 29.2 million.

“Drought affected nearly half of the beef cow herd over the last year, exacerbating the liquidation in 2022. Drought improvement and higher cattle prices should drastically slow beef cow culling through 2023,” Good said.

Feeder cattle and calf supplies outside of feedyards will be 400,000 to 450,000 head smaller than 2022 at 25.1 million. After being full for most of the past three years, cattle on feed inventories are expected to begin 2023 at 300,000 to 400,000 head below last year, at 14.3 million head, and remain smaller. Commercial fed slaughter in 2023 is forecast to decline by 750,000 to 800,000 to 25.6 million head.

“With drought forced placement and culling, beef production was record large in 2022 at 28.3 billion pounds. Expect production to drop over the next several years – declining 4% to 5% in 2023 to 27 billion pounds,” Good said. “The decline in production in 2023 will lead to a 2.2-pound decline in net beef supply to 57 pounds per person.”

Good forecast the average 2023 fed steer price at $158/cwt., up $13/cwt. from 2022, with a range of $150 to $172/cwt. throughout the year. All cattle classes are expected to trade higher, and prices are expected to continue to trend upward. The 800-lb. steer price is expected to average $195/cwt. with a range of $175 to $215/cwt., and the 550-lb. steer price is expected to average $225/cwt., with a range of $200 to

$245/cwt. Finally, Good forecast utility cows at an average of $100/cwt. with a range of $75 to $115/cwt., and bred cows at an average of $2,100/cwt. with a range of $1,900 to $2,300 for load lots of quality, running-age cows.

When looking at domestic beef demand, the U.S. economy will be a driving factor going in 2023. CattleFax said inflation, rising interest rates and general economic uncertainty will continue to impact consumer purchasing decisions as many look to limit spending. Inflation reached a 40-year high in 2022, triggering the U.S. Federal Reserve to raise interest rates seven times last year with intentions for further rate increases until inflation falls. Through the Federal Reserve hopes to accomplish a “soft landing” and avoid recession, the U.S. economy is expected to slow in 2023 with most economists calling for a mild recession in the second half of the year.

Good noted that though beef demand has softened, it remains historically strong, and consumers have shown willingness to continue to buy beef in a new and higher range. He expects the 2023 USDA All-Fresh Retail Beef prices to average $7.35/pound, up 4 cents from 2022.

He also said wholesale demand will appear to be softer, as prices will not go up at the same rate of inflation despite tighter supplies. The cutout value should move higher to average $270/ cwt. for 2023.

Global protein demand has continued to rise around the world and tighter global protein supplies should broadly support prices in 2023. After more than 20% of growth across the last two years, U.S. beef exports are expected to moderate, declining 3% in 2023 to 3.5 billion pounds. Japan and South Korea remain the top U.S. beef export destinations with stable exports in 2022. Meanwhile, Chinese demand has continued to grow with tonnage up 20% last year, likely with continued room to grow.

Mike Murphy, CattleFax vice pres-

ident of research and risk management services, said National Dec. 1 on-farm hay stock were down 9% from a yearago at 71.9 million tons with hay prices averaging $216/ton in 2022.

“Last year was the smallest U.S. hay production year since 1959,” Murphy said. “Hay prices will likely continue to be high in the first part of 2023, but we expect weather patterns to improve pasture conditions as early as this spring which should help stabilize and soften hay prices throughout 2023.”

CattleFax said corn stocks-to-use are just under 9% and will continue to support the market above $6/bu., and provide resistance near $7.50/bu. into the summer with a yearly average price of $6.50/bu. expected.

Blach concluded the session with an overall positive outlook, expecting improvements in the weather pattern and a tighter supply to distribute more money though all sectors of the cattle industry.

CATTLE FOR SALE AT ALL TIMES!

SSF KKH 513 TIME TRAVELER 902

CE +1.8, BW +3.1, WW +56, YW +82, MM +27, MG +55, REA +.67, MARB +.02, CHB +$107

SIRE: LLC FBF TIME TRAVELER 480

DAM’s SIRE: NJW 98S R117 RIBEYE 88X ET

Flatter Hereford Farms, Inc. | Gerald & Sharon Flatter 3831 State Route 235, Fairborn, OH 45324

General Manager – Wyatt Flatter- 937-524-1196 Office – 937-878-4271

SSF KKH 25E PILGRIM 107

CE +6.7, BW +3.7, WW +62, YW +99, MM +40, MG +71, REA, +.55, MARB +.16, CHB +$135

HOMOZYGOUS POLLED

Owned with: BJ Herman & Sons, Todd, Kim & Kasey Herman also added two Herd Sires from Hot Iron Enterprises –Tom & Nikki Morrison.

SIRE: CHURCHHILL PILGRIM 623D ET

DAM’s SIRE: C MILES MCKEE 2103 ET

Flatter Land & Cattle LLC 439 E. Yellow Springs – Fairfield Rd., Yellow Springs, OH 45387 Wyatt Flatter – 937-524-1196

2021 Ohio State Fair Grand Champion Hereford Bull

2022 NAILE National Reserve Champion Hereford Bull & 2022 Ohio State Fair Grand Champion Hereford Bull

PARTING SHOTS

Brian Baldridge, second from the left, recently appointed as Director for the Ohio Department of Agriculture visits with Dee and Jim Jepsen of Fairfield County and Mark Goecke of Allan County at the Cattle, Corn and Wheat legislative reception held at the Ohio Statehouse.

OCA hosted multiple Cattlemen’s Academy Calving Clinics in partnership with the Ohio State University Beef Team this Winter. Locations for these clinics included Springfield, Upper Sandusky and Cadiz.

OCA director Jim Rogers, left, of Hocking County and Representative Jay Edwards, Chair of the Finance Committee for the Ohio House of Represetnatives visited during the recent reception.

Providing food to those in need from historically underrepresented regional producers.