Beef Briefs FORMER OCA QUEEN WINS NCBA NATIONAL ANTHEM CONTEST
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) recently announced that Carrie Behlke is the winner of the 8th annual National Anthem Contest, sponsored by Norbrook. Behlke will sing the National Anthem at the 2021 Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville, Tenn., during the Opening General Session on Aug. 10, as well as at the Cowboy’s Night at the Opry event on Aug. 12. Behlke grew up in Ohio where her family raised Charolais cattle, and she served as an Ohio FFA Officer and was Queen for the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association. After college, she worked for the American Shorthorn Association and later for The Show Circuit magazine. Today, Behlke, her husband and two daughters split their time between the family ranch in southwest Nebraska where they raise cattle and corn, and High River, Alberta, where her husband is a feedlot veterinarian. In addition to being a cattlewoman, she is a professional quilter and does freelance graphic design work. Behlke was raised in a musical family and grew up performing in church. She began studying piano at the age of seven and started playing the guitar and singing in high school. As a college student her part-time job was teaching piano lessons, and she also played the trumpet in a jazz band. “I’m looking forward to celebrating 28 | Ohio Cattleman | Summer Issue 2021
my Midwest roots and sharing my pride as an American by singing the National Anthem in August,” says Behlke. “My great love is classic country music, so I’m particularly excited to be singing in Nashville at the Opry, which is hallowed ground to me.”
BAIN WILSON JOINS CFAES AS LIVESTOCK EVALUATION SPECIALIST, NEW OHIO STATE ATI COACHING POSITION ANNOUNCED
The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) has announced the appointment of Bain Wilson as livestock evaluation specialist. Wilson will join the CFAES Department of Animal Sciences, effective Aug. 2021, as assistant professor, professional practice. He will lead the Ohio State Livestock Judging Team, teach the department’s livestock evaluation course, and begin connecting with Ohio 4-H livestock evaluation teams across the state. “We are excited for Dr. Wilson to join the faculty and to lead the livestock evaluation courses and team. His arrival is part of a larger plan of pursuing excellence for our judging team,” said John Foltz, chair of the Department of Animal Sciences. Wilson currently serves as an
assistant professor in beef production and youth livestock at Virginia Tech. His position there involves teaching, research and extension. He has served as the coordinator of the intercollegiate livestock judging team at Virginia Tech, as well as the coach for both the Virginia and Illinois state 4-H livestock judging teams. In both instances, he led the 4-H livestock judging teams to national championships. His research at Virginia Tech focuses on production practices that have the ability to improve the output and viability of beef production systems. Wilson received a bachelor’s degree in animal science and industry from Kansas State University, a master’s in animal sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a doctorate in ruminant nutrition from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In addition to the announcement of Bain as livestock evaluation specialist on the Columbus campus, a new livestock evaluation coaching position has been announced for Ohio State ATI on the CFAES Wooster campus. The position has yet to be filled.
FARM SERVICE AGENCY NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR COUNTY COMMITTEE MEMBERS The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) began accepting nominations for county committee members on June 15. Elections will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for these members who make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2021 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 2, 2021.
