11 minute read
Beef Briefs
from Spring 2022
by ohiocattle
IN MEMORY OF... JUDY RENTZ Judy Rentz, 77, of Coldwater, Ohio died Feb. 18, 2022. She was born in 1944, on her family farm near Montezuma, Ohio. She was married in 1968. She is survived by her husband James (Jim) Rentz of Coldwater; three children: Sheri, Doug and Nick and an extended family of grandchildren and step grandchildren, five siblings and many additional family members and friends. The Rentz family raised Angus cattle in Mercer County and were active in the Ohio Angus Association and the American Angus Association. Early in her career, Rentz was a staff member at the Center for Neurological Development in Burkettsville serving people in need of neurological therapy. She went on to work at Mercer County Probate Court until retirement and was a dedicated volunteer at Mercer Health Hospital. Memorials in her name may be made to the MED Foundation of Mercer Health or Everheart Hospice.
RICHARD SOUR
Richard (Dick) Sour, 91, of Urbana, Ohio passed away on March 6, 2022. He was born in 1930 in Seneca County, Ohio. In 1948 he was selected as the Ohio FFA Star Farmer and graduated from high school in 1949 with a scholarship to Ohio State University (OSU). During his time at OSU he served as the university’s beef cattle herdsman and also as president of the Saddle and Sirloin Club. As a member of OSU’s 1951 general livestock judging team, he won high individual at both the American Royal and the Chicago International Collegiate Judging Contest. Sour graduated from OSU in 1953 with a B.S. degree in animal husbandry and served on active duty in the U.S. Army in Greenland as a first lieutenant. Afterward, he became beef cattle herdsman and instructor of horse production at the Pennsylvania State University. Sour began judging beef cattle in the early 1950s and during the next fifty-one years judged many major livestock shows. After serval years establishing Angus Glen Farm in Ontario, Canada, he, and his family returned to Champaign County in 1965 and established Carriage Hill Farms. Sour was a member of the committee that originally organized and formulated the Ohio Beef Marketing Program. He was a member of the first Ohio Bull Test Committee and of the Executive Committee for the Buckeye Beef Show. He initiated and planned the first Ohio Angus Preview Show, and later organized the carcass show at the Champaign County Fair. He was inducted in the OSU Animal Science Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1973. He actively participated in the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association, the Ohio Angus Association during terms as President, Secretary and Director. He was a Director in the Miami Valley Angus Association and in the Champaign County Cattlemen’s Association where he was President and lastly, Treasurer. He has been President of the Champaign County 4-H Advisory committee, Secretary of the OSU Animal Science Department Advisory Committee, and the Industry Representative on the OSU Review Advisory committee for Research Development. Sour is survived by his wife, Barbara, his daughter, Leslie, and a son S. Reed. Donations in his memory may be made the Champaign County Cattlemen’s Association, 7012 Stevenson Rd, Cable, OH 43009.
Dr. Steve Boyles, Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences and OSU Extension, recently received the Distinguished Extension Faculty Award for his innovations and contributions to the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program. BQA ensures that beef and dairy cattle are maintained in a manner which will result in a safe and wholesome beef product for the consumer. Dr. Boyles has provided leadership to Ohio’s BQA program since its inception in 1994. Ohio’s program resources have been used by other states and was the certification tool for the 5-State Beef Alliance. Dr. Boyles has presented BQA related topics to over 15,000 people. Most of his efforts have been with in-person programming. However, he was an early adopter of web-based BQA certification having an Ohio site in 2002. He uses hands-on teaching tools for conducting programs on animal handling and corral design. His corral kits have been used in multiple states and at national cattle producer conferences and veterinarian conventions. Dr. Boyles serves on several national BQA working groups in curriculum development, including the Bovine Emergency Response Plan (BERP) team which trains first responders how to handle livestock accidents on highways. Dr. Boyles was also recently recognized as the BQA Educator of the Year at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Annual Convention.
BALDERSON JOINS CALL FOR ACTION TO ADDRESS SKYROCKETING FERTILIZER PRICES Congressman Troy Balderson (R-OH12), member of the House Agriculture Committee, recently joined more than 90 Republican House colleagues in a letter on behalf of American farmers calling on the Biden Administration to tackle rising fertilizer costs. “The Biden Administration is turning a blind eye to the turmoil that skyrocketing fertilizer and fuel costs are causing for America’s farm families,” said Congressman Balderson. “This poses a real threat for families outside the farm too. Already stretched thin by the highest inflation we’ve seen in over 40 years, the ripple effect will surely be felt in the form of rising prices at the grocery store.” The letter, sent to President Biden, makes several common sense recommendations the Administration should take immediately to alleviate fertilizer costs for American farmers, including: • Increasing the domestic production of natural gas, which accounts for 75-90% of fertilizer production costs • Approving pending permits for the export of liquefied natural gas • Reducing regulatory restrictions, like cross-border vaccine mandates for truck drivers • Using existing USDA authorities to provide emergency financial relief for farmers • Incorporating essential products like phosphate and potash, key fertilizer components, as part of the Department of the Interior’s crucial mission Representative Balderson’s passion for agriculture stems from his childhood, much of which was spent working on his family’s grain and beef farm in Muskingum County, Ohio. OHIO BEEF FIELD DAY AND TOUR TO BE HELD JULY 16 The Ohio State University (OSU) Extension recently announced the return of a statewide Ohio Beef Cattle Field Day. It has been several years since an Ohio Beef Field Day has been held, and the program will make its reappearance in Muskingum County on Sat. July 16, 2022. The event will feature several aspects of beef production and will begin at Muskingum Livestock, 944 Malinda Street, Zanesville, Ohio. Field Day attendees will gather there before departing on a multiple stop tour in the Adamsville area. Attendees will drive their own vehicles as the tour caravans from one stop to the next. Carpooling is recommended due to limited parking at the farms. Tour stops include Michel Livestock, Shirer Brothers Meats, Hatfield Farms and the program will conclude at Roger’s Auction Barn in Adamsville. Pre-registration for the program is required and can be completed online at go.osu.edu/2022beefday by July 7. The program fee is $10 per person. An information folder, refreshments, lunch and Beef Quality Assurance certification will be provided to all attendees. Contact Garth Ruff, OSU Extension Beef Cattle Field Specialist at ruff.72@osu.edu or 740-305-3201 with any questions regarding the tour.
CAB COLVIN SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN Certified Angus Beef (CAB) will award more than $50,000 in scholarships this year to students who are honing their interests through a variety of education options in the pursuit of a career in agriculture. The Colvin Scholarship Fund supports the next generation of agricultural leaders who are dedicated to preserving farm and ranch traditions, researching and developing improved beef quality practices, and devoting their careers, studies and activities to making the beef industry even better. Over the last 23 years, 101 students have received $348,500 in Colvin Scholarships. In 2021, the brand awarded $59,000 to 15 graduate and undergraduate scholars. With increasing support from brand partners, this amount continues to grow. This year, the Colvin Scholarship Fund includes a new category: the Colvin Production Agriculture Scholarship. This is for students enrolled in a variety of educational programs such as trade school, junior college, university or formal certification program with the intention of being involved in Angus production at a ranch, farm or feedyard. Applications for all scholarships are open until April 30, 2022, for students pursuing a degree in meat science, animal science, economics, marketing, business, communications or other beef-related fields or trades. To apply, visit the brand’s careers webpage and click on one of the three 2022 Colvin Scholarship links under “Scholarships and Seminar Opportunities.” The production agriculture, undergraduate and graduate scholarship applications each have unique requirements including, but not limited to, essay questions, resumes and letters of recommendation. The scholarship committee selects applicants based on activities, scholastic achievement, communication skills and reference materials. Recipients will be notified in July. First-place winners in each division will receive $7,500 and an all-expensepaid trip to the 2022 CAB Annual Conference in Phoenix, Ariz., Sept. 28 to 30, where they can connect with the brand’s partners in production, packing, retail and foodservice.
The Ohio State University (OSU) hosted the 2022 All East Livestock Contest on the OSU Wooster campus from March 31- April 3 This threeday collegiate livestock judging contest was sponsored by the Ohio State Department of Animal Sciences and the Agricultural Technology Institute (ATI). Sixty-four contestants from eight four-year agricultural universities from across the eastern United States attended this contest. Attending universities included: Michigan State University, Mississippi State University, Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, The Ohio State University, University of Illinois, University of Missouri, University of Tennessee. The contest consists of three separate contests held on consecutive days: market animal evaluation, breeding animal selection and a traditional livestock judging contest. Awards were given to individuals and teams that excel in the individual contest categories. Results for the individual contests were also weighted across all three days on an equal basis to recognize high individuals and teams in the overall contest. The market evaluation contest required contestants to estimate the carcass characteristics, grades, and price of beef cattle, sheep and swine. The livestock used in this contest were provided by The Ohio State University farms and were transported to the Meat Lab on the OSU Columbus Campus to be harvested after the contest. Carcass data was collected by Dr. Lyda Garcia, OSU Meat Extension Specialist and Judging Coach, and was used to rank contests based on their estimates of carcass value. The market animal evaluation contest was won by Pennsylvania State University with The Ohio State University coming in second. The breeding animal selection required contestants to place six classes of beef cattle, swine, sheep and meat goats based on evaluation of phenotype and performance data. Contestants were also required to sort three keep/cull classes that include eight animals with the four best animals in the class needing to be designated as “keeper animals” that best fit within a provided scenario based on physical confirmation and performance data. Contestants also had to answer ten questions on each class in the contest, resulting in ninety questions overall. The breeding animal selection contest was won by the University of Missouri with The Ohio State University placing second. The livestock judging contest followed the typical collegiate contest format of twelve placing classes of beef cattle, swine, swine, sheep and meat goats with eight sets of oral reasons. Livestock for the breeding animal selection contest and the livestock judging contest were sourced from Ohio State farms and private farms. All animal judging took place at the OSU ATI Equine Facility in Apple Creek. Reasons for the livestock judging contest and the awards breakfast were at the Arden Shisler Conference Center on the Wooster Campus. The livestock judging contest was won by Michigan State University. The Ohio State University placed fifth. The Ohio State University team was the High Team Overall because of their strong, consistent showing across all 3 days of competition. Michigan State finished second overall, the University of Tennessee third, Mississippi State University was fourth, and the University of Missouri finished fifth. The Ohio State University team also placed an impressive four individuals in the top ten for the overall contest. Megan Drake was the high individual in the overall contest, Jacob Miller was third overall, Owen Wallace was eighth overall, Kaston Eichenauer was ninth overall, and Olivia Rinesmith was 12th overall. Additional team members were Caden Gurney and Jon Black.
REGISTER TODAY FOR NCBA STOCKMANSHIP & STEWARDSHIP EVENT Registration is now open for the Virginia Stockmanship & Stewardship event, May 20-21 at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. Stockmanship & Stewardship is a unique two-day educational experience for cattle producers featuring low-stress cattle handling demonstrations, Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) educational sessions, facility design sessions and industry updates that you won’t find anywhere else. Sessions will include topics such as increasing cattle profitability with no input costs, handling cattle using their natural instincts, improving production efficiency and the bottom line, herd health, weaning and backgrounding, fall and spring calf management, and properly loading and unloading trailers. Producers will also have the opportunity to become BQA certified. The program is sponsored by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Merck Animal Health, the Beef Checkoff-funded National Beef Quality Assurance program, Virginia Tech and Virginia Cooperative Extension.
