Ohio Cattleman Winter Issue 2017

Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 1

Complete Dispersal 9 AM • Saturday • February 4, 2017 At United Producers, Gallipolis, Ohio

Angus Herd Sires • Yearling Bulls Bull Calves • Cow/Calf Pairs Bred & Open Heifers ET Heifer & Bull Calves with Recips ET Pregnant Recips • Open Recips Frozen Embryos • Semen

Look for your free reference sale book mailed with the January issue of the Angus Journal or contact: TOM BURKE, KURT SCHAFF, JEREMY HAAG, AMERICAN ANGUS HALL OF FAME, at the WORLD ANGUS HEADQUARTERS, Box 660, Smithville, MO 64089-0660. Phone: (816) 532-0811. Fax: (816) 532-0851.

E-Mail angushall@earthlink.net.

Paul H. Hill 11503 State Rd. 554, Bidwell, OH 45614 (740) 367-7021 • Fax (740) 367-7937 Jon Davis (740) 645-7947 • Jay Stout (740) 367-7021 www.championhillangus.com E-mail: champion@championhillangus.com

America’s Number One Source of Champions - Where Winning is Only the Beginning

Features

32

7 7

OCA Commercial Producer of the Year

20

For four decades, Vollborn family has built up its Charolais, Angus herd.

by Amy Beth Graves

16

OCA Annual Meeting & Awards Banquet

29 Best of the Buckeye

Announces 2017 Sponsoring Partners

Information & Registration

Editorial

BEST Program Kicks off 18th Year

32

Conversations that Matter

by Cambell Parrish.

38

Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show

40

Ohio Beef Expo Information Ohio Beef

The What, How & Where of connecting with consumers.

1988 2017 30th Anniversary

News & Notes

Reference

4

Harsh Realities

8

Your Dues Dollars at Work

6

OCA News & Views

9

OBC News

8 OCA County Affiliate Presidents

10

Ohio CattleWomen Update

10

Beef Briefs

24

Allied Industry Council

14 On the Edge of Common Sense

20

OCA News

37

Calendar of Events

25

Breed News

42

Parting Shots

18

Forage Corner

42

Advertisers’ Index

22

Up the Alley

43 Your Checkoff Dollars at Work

On the Cover

Photo taken by Sara Beanblossom of Darke County & designed by Lauren Corry of Greene County.

Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 3

Harsh Realities

Ohio Cattleman

By Elizabeth Harsh, Ohio Cattleman Editor

10600 U.S. Highway 42 Marysville, Ohio 43040 Phone 614-873-6736 • Fax 614-873-6835 www.ohiocattle.org beef@ohiobeef.org Editor Elizabeth Harsh Sales Representative Stephanie Sindel

Ohio Cattleman magazine (USPA: 020-968, ISSN: 15430588) 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 Winter 2017 issue is 3,219.

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

Advertising

To schedule advertising write to: Ohio Cattleman, 10600 US Highway 42, Marysville, Ohio 43040, or call 614-873-6736. All advertising material for the Expo Issue must be received by February 3, 2017.

Ohio Cattleman Advertising Rates

Full Page $460 2/3 Page 1/2 Page $260 1/3 Page 1/4 Page $145 1/8 Page Business Card $65 Classified Ad

Four Color $270

One Additional Color $90

$345 $175 $105 $50

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

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

4 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017

Nothing Stays the Same Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association. We wish you and your family an enjoyable holiday season that presses pause on the everyday rush and celebrates the true meaning of Christmas.

We also hope that your holiday is spent with the people that mean the most to you. The end of the year encourages us to review and to plan, but nothing at OCA feels like it is coming to an end. The association is in the middle of planning many events and programs that will take place this winter. In 2017 we’ll build on a record membership year and plan a celebration for the 30th anniversary of the Ohio Beef Expo.

OCA will also build relationships with the new members of the Ohio House and Senate. Unfortunately, these new members didn’t net any additional farmers, as there is still only one full-time farmer in each chamber. That means we have work to do to get to know each new member and help them get to know us and know more about our cattle operations. OCA also needs you to engage with your State Representative and Senator. They represent you. Make sure they know who you are and what you think.

As we approach the state budgeting process, Ohio’s income and sales taxes are lagging behind projections with total tax collections running over $250 million behind budget projections. This means that developing the new state budget will become even more difficult going forward. Agriculture is already an extremely small part of the total. Consequently, we will have to be closely engaged during the process to ensure that the various Ag budgets are adequately funded.

At the federal level President-Elect Trump and his new administration will bring change. OCA will work with NCBA to engage with the new leadership in the White House, new agency heads and new political appointees to help foster change that is positive for our industry. It is critical that we take advantage of this opportunity to ensure that our elected and appointed leaders understand the priorities of our members and the beef industry.

Low cattle prices and increasing supplies of beef will continue to be challenges for us in 2017. These same challenges also present opportunities for growth. And if there is one thing we know for sure, nothing ever stays the same. It’s OCA’s job to help you be informed and prepared for coming change and to represent your interests on issues impacting the beef industry. It’s a job we take seriously and approach passionately. Best wishes for the New Year and we hope to see you at one of the many upcoming OCA events. v

In a world full of nails, bring the hammer.

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Get up to 10,696 (4850 kg) pounds of hitch lift capacity, a maximum of 30 gpm (113 lpm) of pressure and flow compensated hydraulic power that cycles heavy loads fast, and a heavy-duty, full-frame chassis designed to lift, load, and carry the toughest stuff out there.

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JohnDeere.com

Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 5

OCA Officers

President • Joe Foster Vice President • Sasha Rittenhouse Secretary • Elizabeth Harsh Treasurer • Bill Tom Past President • Frank Phelps

OCA News & Views

By Joe Foster, OCA President

No “Fly-Over” Zone OCA Directors

Aaron Arnett Director At-Large Marysville • Term expires 2017 Tom Karr Director At-Large Pomeroy • Term expires 2018 J.L. Draganic Director At-Large South Solon • Term expires 2019 Scott Alexander District 1 Bowling Green • Term expires 2017 Kelvin Egner District 2 Shelby • Term expires 2018 Pete Conkle District 3 Hanoverton • Term expires 2019 Troy Jones District 4 Harrod • Term expires 2017 Frank Phelps District 5 Belle Center • Term expires 2018 Pam Haley District 6 West Salem • Term expires 2019 Brad Thornburg District 7 Barnesville • Term expires 2017 Sasha Rittenhouse District 8 New Carlisle • Term expires 2018 Jim Jepsen District 9 Amanda • Term expires 2019 Bill Tom District 10 Spring Valley • Term expires 2017 Craig Shelton District 11 Lynchburg • Term expires 2018 Joe Foster District 12 Gallia • Term expires 2019

Elections are held each year in November.

If interested in serving on the OCA Board, please call the OCA office.

OCA Staff

Elizabeth Harsh Executive Director Cambell Parrish Director of Public Relations & Consumer Marketing Stephanie Sindel Director of Member Services & Youth Programs Ron Windnagel Director of Accounting & Operations Amber Shoemaker Administrative Assistant & Youth Program Coordinator 6 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017

Here we are, in the height of the holiday season. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I certainly hope you all will have time to gather with family and friends to celebrate and carry on your holiday traditions. Let us also be thankful that we live in a country where we can engage in a dynamic beef industry.

As we move forward into a new year I would like to invite you to participate more in the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) activities. Your participation cultivates a strong organization. We have a very diverse membership and we are interested in what each segment and every county has to say. We have no “fly-over” counties. We all have heard much about “fly-over” areas during the recent election. There are different meanings to different people but in a nutshell the use I hear the most leads me to believe that these areas are less important than other areas. We have no “fly-over” areas and we strongly encourage each of you to participate in our organization.

I would encourage you to take the time to attend a Beef Industry Update meeting to learn about a new product or opportunity offered by one of our Allied Industry Council members to keep your herd healthy and profitable. You could also work with your county cattlemen’s association to host an industry update meeting in your area for members and cattlemen in the surrounding counties.

Opportunities are also available through the county recruitment contest for membership recruiting efforts from now through March 1. Each county group can earn up to seven chances to be entered into the drawing for their choice of a set of great prizes sponsored by the Ohio Corn Marketing Program. The winner will be drawn on Friday evening in the trade show at the Ohio Beef Expo.

The county leader meeting, held in conjunction with the OCA Annual Meeting on Saturday, January 21, is an excellent opportunity to visit with other leaders and share ideas about what makes county affiliates effective. Registration information is included in this issue. The first-ever county affiliate kickback drawing will be held this year during the county leader meeting. Chances to win have been earned throughout the year for attendees at OCA events and programs.

In the spirit of the New Year and setting resolutions, I challenge you to attend an OCA event in 2017. Perhaps donate to the Ohio Cattlemen’s Foundation or Political Action Committee (PAC). Every little bit helps and it takes each and every one of us to keep our industry going.

We hope to see you at the annual meeting and awards banquet coming up soon!

v

OCA Commercial Producer of the Year For four decades, Vollborn family has built up its Charolais, Angus herd Story and photos by Amy Beth Graves The Vollborn family has a favorite saying: “It’s easier to build a herd than to buy one.” And for about 45 years, the Bidwell family has been doing exactly that. Over the years, it’s taken a lot of time and labor to build up their Charolais and Angus herd but the Gallia County family says it’s worth it.

“We’ve been building the herd since 1972, and we don’t like to borrow money. We like to collect interest, not pay it,” Ed joked.

He and his brothers, Fred and Ray, run Vollborn Farms, a commercial cattle operation of all natural feeder calves and replacement heifers. Fred and his son, Luke, operate Vollborn Cattle Company, which raises purebred Charolais, Charolais composites and Angus cattle.

At nearly 600 head between the two entities located in Bidwell within a four-mile radius, the family has one of the biggest cattle herds in the county.

“They share both equipment and each other. It’s all family, all the time,” laughed Fred’s wife, Linda.

The Vollborn family is recipient of the 2017 Ohio Cattlemen’s Association’s Commercial Producer of the Year award.

The four cattlemen said they were both honored and humbled by the award.

“For me, I was super pumped up. I was beside myself,” Luke said. “It makes me appreciate where I came from and what all they have put me through even though

there were some things I didn’t agree with.”

“We kept (Luke) around because he’s big and strong. We’re getting old so we really need a big and strong guy,” Ed

said, drawing laughter from all the family members.

All joking aside, the four work hard to ensure both operations run smoothly.

Ray has been the full-time on-site operator of the home farm since their father died in 1972 (he had registered shorthorns). For years, both Fred and Ed had off-farm jobs that required long hours away from the farm. Fred managed Bob

Evans Hidden Valley Ranch for 35 years as well as Jewell Evans Family Foods and estimates he spent 90-100 hours a week working there. Ed also worked long hours for Ohio State University Extension for 25 years and now works at the Southern Ohio Agricultural & Community Development Foundation. It’s hardly any wonder that Luke says the chances of him being able to quit his job at Ohio Valley Electric Company to farm full-time are pretty slim.

“They both worked at full-time jobs and farmed full time,” he said. “Every day I talk about how I’d love to quit and just farm but it’s hard to afford to do that with the cost of upkeep, health insurance and cost of diesel fuel and feed.”

The Vollborns have been able to keep costs down over the years by doing all the work themselves. It was only recently that they hired a couple of part-time managers to help run things. They’ve also been trying to keep the cows out in the pastures as long as possible to cut down on the cost of feed and reduce the amount of labor intensive hay baling.

“Every day that we can graze cows and not be feeding them hay, it saves us about $300 a day. That’s pretty significant,” Luke said.

At the home farm, Vollborn Farms, the commercial operation has a contract with Maine-based Pineland Farms Natural Meats, which sells to Whole Foods and other grocery stores. The Vollborns Continued on page 12.

Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 7

OCA County Affiliate Presidents

Adams.............................. Reggie Carrington Allen...........................................Brad Heffner Ashland..................................... Matt Stewart Athens/Meigs/Washington.... Jamey Rauch Auglaize.......................... Charles Sutherland Brown............................................Alan Scott Butler.............................................Dean Lake Carroll.........................................Sherie Clark Champaign................................. David Clapp Clark....................................... Linde Sutherly Clermont............................... Brandon Snider Columbiana/Mahoning/Trumbull................. ................................................ Brian Spencer Crawford.........................................Andy Lohr Darke.......................................... Brad Wilcox Fairfield....................................... Marcy Love Fayette.......................................J.L. Draganic Fulton................................... Rick Coopshaw Gallia.......................................... Scott Payne Greene........................................ Josh Jacobs Hancock................................Charles Beagle Hardin.................................Adam Billenstein Henry.......................................Tim Brinkman Highland.................................. Craig Shelton Hocking.................................. Jo Ann Murtha Huron......................................Barrett French Jackson..................................... Jim Edwards Jefferson................................... Tyler Ramsey Knox......................................Chuck Dudgeon Lawrence.................................... Gene Myers Licking......................................... Steve Davis Logan.........................................Troy Selhorst Madison................................ Quinton Keeran Marion..................................... Dustin Bayles Mercer........................................Neil Siefring Miami....................................... Bob Karnehm Montgomery......................Duane Plessinger Morrow.................................Junior Brandum Muskingum................................... Adam Heil Noble..................................... Pernell Salings Ohio Valley.............................Benjamin Cline Perry......................................Jason Poorman Preble...................................... Rodney Mann Putnam............................. Dennis Schroeder Richland................................... Dave Fackler Seneca....................................Bret Cleveland Shelby......................................... Jason Gibbs Stark............................................ John Slagle Vinton.............................Teresa Snider-West Williams............................... Austin Douglass Wood...............................Elizabeth Bostdorff Wyandot........................................Mike Thiel

8 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017

Your Dues Dollars at Work A review of actions by the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association Legislative & Regulatory • • • • • • •

Met with several members of the Ohio General Assembly to explain proposed changes to Chapter 924 regarding oversight of Ohio’s state checkoff programs.

Attended fundraisers for Congresswoman Marcia Fudge and Congressman Jim Renacci.

Presented PAC checks to Congressman Mike Turner and Congressman Brad Wenstrup.

Represented the beef industry at the Ohio Department of Agriculture Confined Animal Feeding Facility (CAFF) Advisory Committee meeting.

Participated in a meeting with the Ohio EPA to discuss OSU edge of field research findings in regard to potential phosphorus run-off.

Met with members of Ohio’s various Ag lobbying groups to discuss issues.

Attended a meeting in the Speaker’s office to discuss obstacles with passing proposed CAUV changes.

Youth • • • • •

Presented a personalized Yeti cooler to the Morgan FFA Chapter, McConnelsville, Ohio for winning the Ohio State Fair beef food stand volunteer drawing.

Hosted the first Cattlemen’s Camp October 15-16 cosponsored by OCA and Weaver Livestock with nearly 100 people attending.

Interviewed and selected interns for OBC and OCA for the spring semester. Internships begin in January and run through March.

Held the first four sanctioned shows of the 2016-17 BEST program and held youth Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) training in conjunction with the first show.

Distributed Best of the Buckeye (BOTB) information for the 2017 program year.

Programs & Events • • • • • •

Held first-ever OCA Best of the Buckeye online Steer & Heifer Sale on October 20.

Held first round of planning meetings for the 30th Ohio Beef Expo, March 17-19 and mailed trade show contracts.

Held Beef Industry Update Meetings in Ashland, Columbiana, and Shelby Counties.

Attended various open houses hosted by OCA members throughout Ohio.

Held a successful OCA Replacement Female sale with 104 females selling.

Attended county affiliate banquets for Darke County Association and AthensMeigs-Washington County Association.

Association • • •

Attended annual meetings for the Ohio Soybean Council and Ohio Soybean Association, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation and spoke at the Ohio NFO annual meeting.

Mailed membership renewal statements for 2017 and finalized list of member benefits.

OCA Executive Committee met to develop 2017 budget recommendations.

Continued on page the next page.

Your Dues Dollars at Work cont’d..

•

• •

•

•

•

•

Submitted nominations to the Ohio Department of Agriculture for appointment to the Ohio Beef Council.

Appointed OCA representatives to NCBA policy committees.

Held the re-organizational board of directors’ meetings for OCA and the Ohio Cattlemen’s Foundation.

Participated in the 2017 Ohio State Fair planning meeting for the beef department and helped distribute EID/DNA kits for 2017 market animal exhibitors.

Attended the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s advisory committee meeting on Livestock Exhibitions.

Hosted the OSU Extension Beef Team advisory committee meeting at the OCA office.

Hosted various breed meetings at the OCA headquarters for Angus, Hereford, Shorthorn, and Simmental v associations.

Ohio Beef Council News Beef 509 Program Returns in February The dates have been set for the 2017 BEEF 509 program. The BEEF 509 program is held to raise the awareness level about the beef that is produced and the reasons why it sometimes misses its mark with consumers’ palates and producers’ pocketbooks. The program will take place on two consecutive Saturdays, Feb. 25 and March 4, 2017. The part of the program held on Feb. 25 will include a live animal evaluation session and grid pricing discussion. Carcass grading and fabrication are among the activities that will take place March 4. The program will take place at The Ohio State University Animal Sciences building in Columbus. All the same information and activities from past 509 programs will be included. It will be critical to attend both sessions as participants will be assigned to teams that will work together throughout the program.

A maximum of 32 spaces will be available on a first come, first served basis. If interest in BEEF 509 exceeds the 32 spaces provided, names will be held and applicants notified of upcoming sessions. The registration fee for each BEEF 509 participant is $150. The program is the result of a partnership with the Ohio Beef Council, The Ohio State University Extension and The Ohio State University Department of Animal Sciences. These entities will be funding all remaining costs associated with the BEEF 509 program.

For additional information on BEEF 509, call the Ohio Beef Council office at 614-873-6736, email beef@ohiobeef.org, or visit www.ohiocattle.org. Deadline for registration for the program is Jan. 23, v 2017.

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Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 9

Beef Briefs OSU Livestock Judging Team Wraps Up Season The Ohio State University Livestock Judging Team recently welcomed Coach Hank Levan, Woodstock, Ohio.

This year’s team consisted of Darby Walton, Sycamore, Ohio; Grant Price, Tiffin, Ohio; Nick Fowler, Salesville, Ohio; Sarah Johnson, Williamsport, Ohio; and Steven Sullender, Eaton, Ohio.

Hank guided the team to a second overall finish at the Keystone International Livestock Exposition Collegiate Judging Contest held Oct. 8 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The group ended as 3rd High Team in the Beef Division finishing with Darby Walton as 9th High Individual, Grant Price as 5th High Individual and Nick Fowler as High Individual in Angus females.

In the Sheep Division, Nick Fowler placed as 10th High Individual, Sarah Johnson finished as 6th High Individual and Grant Price earned the 4th High Individual spot.

In the Swine Division, Steven Sullender ended as 10th High Individual.

At the 2016 American Royal contest held Oct. 28 in Kansas City, Missouri, the team finished 18th out of 25 teams, and the team wrapped up the season as 17th among 29 university teams at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky on Nov. 14.

Ohio CattleWomen Update

Darlene Wagner, Ohio CattleWomen President

Thank You For A Great Year This is my last article as the president of the Ohio CattleWomen. I will move to Past President at the annual meeting in January.

Reviewing our activities of this past year, I would like to again thank everyone who helped set up, work and tear down the CattleWomen’s store at the Ohio Beef Expo and the Ohio State Fair. We had a lot of new items this year that I hope everyone liked. I would also like to thank the ladies, their families, and friends that helped in the Cattlemen’s stand in the Taste of Ohio Cafe during the Ohio State Fair. You did a great job! And finally, I would like to thank everyone who helped with the Farm Science Review steak tent. It takes a lot of people to run it and make it successful! Thanks again to the Murray family for your time and the use of your equipment.

This year the 2016 Beef Ambassadors were guest writers for this column in the Ohio Cattleman magazine. Thank you Nick Erf, Samantha Norman, and McKenzie Chamberlain for the outstanding articles. The reason the ambassadors did this was so the membership would have a better understanding of what they have done to promote beef. They all did a wonderful job this year! Thank you again!

The annual meeting for OCA and the Ohio CattleWomen will be Saturday, January 21, 2017 at the Nationwide Hotel & Conference Center. The CattleWomen will start with the 2017 Beef Ambassador contest at 9 a.m. The Ohio CattleWomen’s annual meeting will start at 2:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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330/343.0388

• Show Clothing • • Boots • •Work Wear • OSU Livestock Judging Team pictured from left are Steven Sullender, Eaton, Ohio; Sarah Johnson, Williamsport, Ohio; Nick Fowler, Salesville, Ohio; Grant Price, Tiffin, Ohio; and Darby Walton Sycamore, Ohio.

10 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017

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Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 11

Continued from page 7.

The Vollborn family has a favorite saying: “It’s easier to build a herd than to buy one.” And for about 45 years, the Bidwell family has been doing exactly that. Over the years, it’s taken a lot of time and labor to build up their Charolais and Angus herd but the Gallia County family says it’s worth it.

“We’ve been building the herd since 1972, and we don’t like to borrow money.

We like to collect interest, not pay it,” Ed joked.

He and his brothers, Fred and Ray, run Vollborn Farms, a commercial cattle operation of all natural feeder calves and replacement heifers.

Fred and his son, Luke, operate Vollborn Cattle Company, which raises purebred Charolais, Charolais composites and Angus cattle. At nearly 600 head between the two entities located in Bidwell within a four-mile radius, the family has one of the biggest cattle herds in the county.

“They share both equipment and each other. It’s all family, all the time,” laughed Fred’s wife, Linda.

The Vollborn family is recipient of the 2017 Ohio Cattlemen’s Association’s Commercial Producer of the Year award.

The four cattlemen said they were both honored and humbled by the award.

“For me, I was super pumped up. I was beside myself,” Luke said. “It makes me appreciate where I came from and what all they have put me through even though

12 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017

there were some things I didn’t agree with.”

“We kept (Luke) around because he’s big and strong. We’re getting old so we really need a big and strong guy,” Ed said, drawing laughter from all the family members.

All joking aside, the four work hard to ensure both operations run smoothly.

Ray has been the full-time on-site operator of the home farm since their father died in 1972 (he had registered shorthorns). For years, both Fred and Ed had off-farm jobs that required long hours away from the farm. Fred managed Bob Evans Hidden Valley Ranch for 35 years as well as Jewell Evans Family Foods and estimates he spent 90-100 hours a week working there. Ed also worked long hours for Ohio State University Extension for 25 years and now works at the Southern Ohio Agricultural & Community Development Foundation. It’s hardly any wonder that Luke says the chances of him being able to quit his job at Ohio Valley Electric Company to farm full-time are pretty slim.

“They both worked at full-time jobs and farmed full time,” he said. “Every day I talk about how I’d love to quit and just farm but it’s hard to afford to do that with the cost of upkeep, health insurance and cost of diesel fuel and feed.”

The Vollborns have been able to keep costs down over the years by doing all the work themselves. It was only recently that they hired a couple of part-time managers to help run things. They’ve also been trying to keep the cows out in the pastures as long as possible to cut down on the cost of feed and reduce the amount of labor intensive hay baling.

“Every day that we can graze cows and not be feeding them hay, it saves us about $300 a day. That’s pretty significant,” Luke said.

At the home farm, Vollborn Farms, the commercial operation has a contract with Maine-based Pineland Farms Natural Meats, which sells to Whole Foods and other grocery stores. The Vollborns background feeder calves for Pineland and follow an all natural beef program that requires they don’t give the calves antibiotics, added hormones, steroids or feed with animal byproducts in it. They also have to follow a strict animal care protocol, be audited and sign an affidavit that they are following all of the program’s requirements.

“We started this about four years ago.

We’re always looked at value added and you have to transition with the times and it looked like all natural was the premium we were looking for,” Ed said. “If you want to do better than break even, then you’ve got to do some incentive to get the extra value out of it to stay in business over time.”

Ed proudly noted that last year almost all of their all natural calves were sold and finished in Ohio.

For almost two decades, the Vollborn brothers have traveled down to Bartow, Fla., to participate in the Southern Source Charolais Bull sale. This year they took 17 Charolais, Angus and composite bulls and had the top four selling bulls.

Luke and Fred’s purebred operation, Vollborn Cattle Company, raises both purebred and composite Charolais as well as Angus and markets show cattle. They also raise embryo calves for other purebred breeders, providing the recipient cow and doing all the work until the calf is delivered to the breeders at five months of age or around 500 pounds. The purebred cattle have been sold through consignment sales in several states, including Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.

Luke’s interest in raising more show cattle took off after a Charolais heifer they sold in Kentucky won some major shows at the Kentucky State Fair and Tennessee State Fair.

“They did really well with her and that built the fire even more for me,” he said.

Over the years, Luke has received a lot of advice from his father and uncles.

One from his father was that “no matter where you go, good cattle will come

to the top and people will find them.”

That was evident when Luke took calves in September to the Ohio Feeder Calf Roundup.

“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to because the cattle market was going down and the futures were way off on the cattle market. We went and had as good a year this year as we did when the cattle prices were extremely high,” he said. “We’ve got customers calling us at the farm, which is what we were aiming for. I actually bought calves to sell this year because we sold everything we had because there were returning customers who had told their friends and they were wanting to buy calves off of us because they were doing so well. I couldn’t believe it.”

Another piece of advice comes from Ed who has long talked about the importance of containing costs and being cautious about expanding an operation or purchasing equipment when markets are strong.

“With my Extension experience, I’ve witnessed a lot of really bad things that have happened because of bankruptcy and financial problems. You can’t always have all your wants,” he said.

Taking care of the land also has been important to the Vollborns, who have installed feed pads and pasture roadways and are thinking about putting in natural food plots for the wildlife.

For Luke, he’s known since he was little that working on the farm was his dream job. Linda likes to tell the story about how he would flag his father down from the field, falsely saying he was needed at the house.

“He’d go back to the truck and Luke would be in the truck all strapped in and saying ‘OK, Dad, let’s go,’” Linda laughed.

Now it’s Luke’s young sons and nephew who follow him around like “puppy dogs” and are eager to help out. The family is pleased that the next generation is already showing a strong interest in the family farm.

“I’ve been farming with my dad and uncles since I was a little boy and it’s taught me good lessons,” Luke said. “Our main goal is that the farm will still be here for our kids.” v

Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 13

ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. Alex Tolbert, Regional Manager

On the Edge of Common Sense

By Baxter Black, DVM

Kentucky Ohio Tennessee 273 Chinn Lane Harrodsburg, KY 40330 706.338.8733 atolbert@angus.org

A reliable business partner is difficult to come by. Contact Alex Tolbert to locate Angus genetics, select marketing options tailored to your needs, and to access Association programs and services. Put the business breed to work for you.

To subscribe to the Angus Journal, call 816.383.5200.

Watch The Angus Report on RFD-TV Monday mornings at 7:30 CST.

My 10 Most Unforgettable Lifetime Experiences 1. Lying flat on my back in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency in Phoenix at 2 a.m. I passed the carafe of Chablis to my reclining colleague who looked at me and said, “Pardner, I don’t think you’re executive material!”

2. Mud wrestling with Hurricane Charlotte in San Juan Capistrano. It was there I lost $110 on a frog named Montezuma in the big frog-off.

3. The tobacco-spitting contest in Pasco where I placed third. As Tom Hall would say, “I used to couldn’t spit over my chin; now I can spit all over it!”

4. One o’clock in the morning; Saturday night, when I locked the key in Red’s Cadillac outside the Schroeder Dance Hall. I had to call a locksmith from Victoria. It was a long ride home.

3201 Frederick Ave. | St. Joseph, MO 64506 816.383.5100 | www.ANGUS.org © 2016-2017 American Angus Association

Are you

Tagged for Greatness?

bert.indd 1

8/30/16

Ohio Cattlemen’s Foundation License Plate Program

Show your pride as an Ohio cattle producer and support Ohio’s youth by purchasing the Beef license plate. Plates are available through the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

By purchasing an Ohio Beef license plate, you will be supporting the Ohio Cattlemen’s Foundation Scholarship Program and making a positive difference in the future of the industry by supporting those youth who have been “Tagged for Greatness.”

The Beef plate will cost $25 annually, in addition to regular registration fees.

With each Ohio Beef license plate sold, $15 goes directly to the Ohio Cattlemen’s Foundation. The plates are also available for commercial farm trucks.

Call 1-866-OPLATES or visit www.

OPLATES.com for more information.

14 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017

5. Dancing with Mike at the Hotel Nevada in Ely. I still have a scar on my arm from waltzin’ into a rock wall when he changed leads.

6. The trip from Sioux Falls to Platte with Diane, Konni and JoAnne. They tanked up on cervesa before the trip and had to make a pit stop in somebody’s cornfield along the way. I stood guard and they scattered into the cornrows like quail.

9:24 AM 7. Snorkeling in San Carlos Bay with one-armed guide named Onofre. We speared three lobster, two carp, one scorpion fish, a Tecate can and one swim fin.

8. Falling asleep on the red-eye Big Sky Express from Miles City to Billings. Everybody disembarked including the pilots and they pushed the plane off the runway. Fortunately one of the mechanics left his lunch in the cockpit and found me.

9. Trying to ski between the legs of an unsuspecting bunny at Angel Fire and getting my nose hooked in her ski clothing. I looked like a B-52 refueling in mid-air.

10. Spending the night in Bennett, Idaho, getting my haircut in Wellington, Kan., getting caught in blizzards in Antonito, N.M., and Fairmont, Minn., singin’ with Teense in Saratoga, team roping on Dude, canoeing the Sac in Missouri, Amtracking the 6 a.m.

Pioneer Flyer out of Hastings; easting ravioli in a Chinese restaurant in Regina, cabrito in Stockdale and barbeque in Pendleton; seein’ Mt. Rushmore, the Mississippi, Mt. St. Helen’s and Ft. Morgan in the spring.

Lookin’ back, I’d say it’s been a pretty good life so far.

v

Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 15

& January 21, 2017

Columbus, Ohio

Join us in celebrating Ohio’s beef industry.

Schedule of Events - Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017 Nationwide Hotel & Conference Center 8:00 a.m.

Registration desk opens

OCA PAC silent auction opens

9:00 a.m.

OCA county affiliate leader meeting

Ohio Beef Ambassador contest begins

Ambassador Program

Presentation willl include a beef checkoff update and information on some of the new technologies being used in current promotions, how they resonate with consumer audiences and why it matters.

11:30 a.m. Ohio Cattlemen’s Foundation Luncheon & Annual Meeting

Following the Ohio Cattlemen’s Foundation Luncheon and Annual Meeting the OCF scholarships will be presented.

1:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

4:00 p.m.

4:30 p.m.

5:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m.

9:00 p.m.

“Around the Water Tank” Session 1

Mark McCully, Certified Angus Beef LLC’s Vice President of Production, will present Deciphering Quality Market Signals: What the market is saying (and not saying) about the types of products it wants.

OCA Annual Meeting

Take an active role in your organization by attending the Annual Meeting. Members will set policy for 2017 and receive program updates. During the meeting Allison Cooke, NCBA’s Executive Director of Government Affairs, will present a Washington D.C. update and provide an overview of what the 2016 election results mean to the beef industry.

Ohio CattleWomen’s Annual Meeting “Around the Water Tank” Session 2

Mindy Thornburg, Zoetis Territory Business Manager, will present information on understanding the new Veterinary Feed Directive.

“Around the Water Tank” Session 3

Learn how Checkoff dollars are invested: As consumers’ preferences and behaviors evolve, the Ohio Beef Council (OBC) continues to adapt by employing cutting-edge strategies to reach consumers.

Featured Speaker

Kendal Frazier CEO - National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Kendal Frazier is the CEO for NCBA with headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Kendal previously served as COO for NCBA. Prior to working at NCBA, Kendal was the Vice President of Communications for the former National Cattlemen’s Association.

Kendal was raised on a diversified livestock operation in southern Kansas and has extensive professional experience in agriculture and in the beef industry. His background includes work as a radio and television farm broadcaster in Topeka, Kansas. He is a graduate of Kansas State University and holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics. Kendal and his wife, Cindy, live in Centennial, Colorado.

Featured Speaker

Allison Cooke - Executive Director of Government Affairs - NCBA Allison Cooke is the Executive Director of Government Affairs for NCBA in Washington, D.C. She is a native North Carolinian who moved to DC to work on policy and politics. She has years of experience in agriculture, defense, foreign affairs, trade, transportation, natural resources, and energy policy.

Before coming to NCBA, Allison worked for four different Members of Congress. Most recently she served as Legislative Director for Rep. David Rouzer from North Carolina, who is currently chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Livestock/Foreign AG Subcommittee.

Featured Speaker

Mark McCully - Vice President of Production - Certified Angus Beef LLC

OCA Awards Banquet

Mark McCully is Vice President of Production for Certified Angus Beef LLC, and leads the company’s efforts to grow supply of Certified Angus Beef ® brand products.

He oversees strategies for working with cattle producers, allied industry partners, and the packing and processing industry to grow brand supply.

Through these efforts, the program annually certifies nearly 4 million head of cattle in the US and Canada, and supplies consumers worldwide with over 1 billion pounds of Certified Angus Beef ® brand products.

Cattlemen’s Social

He is an Illinois native with undergraduate education at Western Illinois University and post graduate study at Michigan State University. Mark and his wife Gerry have two children and reside in Wooster, Ohio.

Hospitality Hour Banquet highlights: OCA PAC Live Auction, County Affiliate Recognition, Young Cattleman of the Year, Industry Service Award, Industry Excellence Award, Seedstock Producer of the Year, Commercial Producer of the Year, Environmental Stewardship Award and Presentation of the 2017 Ohio Beef Ambassador Team.

16 x Ohio CattlemanStick x Winter Issuefollowing 2017 around the banquet to enjoy music, refreshments

and an evening with fellow cattlemen.

Event & Hotel Info

Featured Presentation

Nationwide Hotel & Conference Center

Mindy Thornburg, Territory Business Manager, Zoetis January 1, 2017, the deadline for implementing the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) regulation, requiring a VFD for all medically important antibiotics (those important in human and animal health) administered in feed and a veterinary prescription for all medically important antibiotics used in water. This session, presented by experts from Zoetis, will help you understand the regulation and ensure your farm is in compliance.

Featured Presentation Ohio Beef Council Staff

100 Green Meadows Drive South Lewis Center, Ohio 43035 (North of Columbus off of US Route 23)

Hotel rooms are available at a special rate of $128 (includes breakfast for 2 people per room). Call: 614.880.4300 or visit OCA’s website for a quick link to make a reservation. Hotel reservation deadline is Dec. 30

BEEF

As consumers’ preferences and behaviors evolve, the Ohio Beef Council (OBC) continues to adapt by employing cutting-edge strategies to reach consumers in the most effective manners possible, and most importantly encourage them to keep beef at the center of the plate. During this presentation, learn more from members of the OBC team about some of the new technologies being used in current promotions, how they resonate with consumer audiences and why it matters to you as a beef producer.

COUNCIL

& January 21, 2017

Columbus, Ohio

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Registration for OCA Annual Meeting & Awards Banquet Deadline for meal reservations is Jan. 6, 2017. Return to 10600 US Highway 42, Marysville, OH 43040 Name Name tags should read (we must have names for each attendee) 1.

2.

3. 4. 5. 6.

Company/Farm Name Address City State Zip Cell Phone County Email (Email will be used for Annual Meeting & Awards Banquet correspondence)

Member*

Full Day Registration $100 each x = $

Includes OCF Luncheon, afternoon breakout sessions, Hospitality Hour, OCA Banquet and Cattlemen’s Social

Luncheon & Registration

$45 each x

Includes OCF Luncheon and afternoon breakout sessions

Banquet & Registration

$60 each x

Includes afternoon breakout sessions, Hospitality Hour, OCA Banquet and Cattlemen’s Social

= $

= $

Non-Member $120 each x

= $ To better help us plan, please mark the following events you plan to attend:

$55 each x

$70 each x

= $

= $

# Attending

Event

________ ________ ________ ________

County Leader Meeting “Around the Water Tank” Session 1 “Around the Water Tank” Session 2 “Around the Water Tank” Session 3

Child’s Banquet Meal (Burger & Fries, 12 and under) Member/Non-Member: $15 each x = $ I would like to support this event and be recognized as a $100 sponsor. $100 each = $

TOTAL DUE $ Make checks payable to the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association Please charge to my credit card Visa MasterCard Discover Signature Card Number __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __ Expiration Date __ __ / __ __ Security Code __ __ __

*Memberships are family memberships that include all immediate family members at the same address.

Forage Corner

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

Managing Stockpiled Forages If you have stockpiled forages like orchardgrass and fescue, sometimes the question of when and how should we feed it to our cattle comes up? There are many variables, but let’s start with a few basic principles. The earlier you initiated stockpiling, the more yield you will have, but the lower the quality Application will be. Conversely, the later Date in the year you start to stockAug. 20, 1990 pile, the lower the yield will Sept. 24, 1990 be and the higher the quality (Table 1). When you add ~50# of nitrogen per acre, crude protein should rise (Table 2) and yields can increase up to a ton per acre.

Table 1. Effect of final clipping date on dry matter yield and crude protein (CP) concentration in stockpiled tall fescue forage in Southeast Ohio (source: Maximizing Fall and Winter Grazing for Beef and Stocker Cattle, OSU Extension bulletin 472).

Final Clipping Date

Yield (lbs/ acre) Nov 3

July 1, 1990 Aug. 16, 1990

3761 3194

---% CP --Nov. 3

Dec 20

Feb 11

13.9 15.2

10.1 11.0

9.6 10.9

18 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017

supplement with some lower quality hay to stretch out the fescue.

Stockpiled fescue is best utilized by strip grazing. The best way I have seen is when the farmer gives a long stretch of fescue several feet deep which acts like a long feed bunk to maximize utilization. Several will also place hay in the field at strate-------- % CP --------------- % ADF ------gic locations when the ground Nov 3 Dec 20 Feb 11 Nov 3 Dec 20 Feb 11 is firm and move electric fence 14.4 10.9 10.2 33.1 36.5 40.3 17.3 11.3 11.8 30.0 34.6 38.9 as needed, allowing the cows to have both hay and stockpiled fescue. these principles.

This also reduces mud damage to fields.

Another principle is that as the winter There are also other times I feed progresses orchardgrass quality and stockpiled fescue.

In November my son quantity will decrease before fescue. and I took a short trip and we did not Typically, I recommend feeding orchardhave anyone to feed the cows so we put grass before the end of the year followed our cattle on a piece of stockpiled fescue by fescue. Some producers can then while we were away. The other way I make it through most of the balance of love to feed stockpiled fescue is to my winter on stockpiled fescue, if weather spring calving herd just at calving time conditions permit. in the beginning of March. I turn the If you have stockpiled fescue, you have cows into a stockpiled, thick sod, “clean options. First, know where you’re at. field” to calve in, where there are no My co-worker, Ed Brown, ANR Educamud problems and I do not need to feed tor in Athens County had an article in any more hay. I even notice they pick the Farm and Dairy (11/16/2016) and up a little on condition. However, I do suggested that we need to test our fescue supplement a couple pounds of corn a (keeping in mind that fescue quality will day to them. decrease over time) and our hay so we Probably the best thing I love about can balance our quality of our forages feeding stockpiled forages is the time to the needs of our cattle. I could not saved.

Reducing the amount of time we agree more. For example, if our fescue feed stored forages not only saves time, quality is at 12% protein and we have but wear and tear on equipment and the mid gestation cows in good condition, v need for as much stored feed. we could limit access to the fescue and Table 2. Effect of nitrogen application date on crude protein (CP) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) concentrations in stockpiled tall fescue forage in Southeast Ohio (OSU Extension bulletin472).

Replicated trials we’ve done over the past three years have further confirmed

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OCA News BEST Program Kicks off 18th Year The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association’s BEST program kicked off the 2016-2017 season with the Heart of It All Show on Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 26-27 in Lima, Ohio. BEST is a youth development program based on a series of sanctioned cattle shows held throughout

Ohio. The program is proud to announce sponsoring partners for this show season: Bob Evans Farms, Burroughs Frazier Farms, Evans Cattle Company, Farm Credit Mid-America, M.H. Eby, Inc., Ohio Farm Bureau and Weaver Livestock.

All BEST participants completing the program will be put into a drawing for a trailer, sponsored by M.H. Eby, Inc. In its mission to support Ohio beef industry youth, the BEST program will continue the Novice division, encouraging new program participants by providing them with a less competitive environment for their first or second year of program involvement. Weaver Livestock provided for the fourth year, nearly 50 sponsorships to Novice participants who applied for the program by writing a short essay.

This year, BEST participants are participating in two community service projects.

Participants are raising money for Make-AWish®, in an effort to grant two wishes for children in the region with a life-threatening medical condition. The goal is to raise $16,000 from local contributions collected

by BEST participants and those raising $100 or more can show in the Celebrity Showdown at the Clark County Cattle Battle in Springfield, Ohio, Jan. 27. The program is also continuing to collect pop tabs for Ronald McDonald House Charities, an organization that helps to lessen the burden of families of children fighting an illness. More than two tons of pop tabs have been collected by BEST participants.

More information along with show results can be found online at www. ohiocattle.org. v

Thank you 2016-2017 BEST Sponsoring Partners!

20 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017

NCBA News

Beef Briefs

Proposed Tax Regulation Threaten Multigenerational Cattle Operations

Ohio Meat Industry Summit

The Internal Revenue Service recently hosted a public hearing today on a Department of Treasury proposed rule that would eliminate or greatly reduce available valuation discounts for familyrelated entities. Kevin Kester, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association vice president, said the regulation would effectively discourage families from continuing to operate or grow their businesses and passing them on to future generations.

Many cattle operations are familyowned small businesses, facing the same concerns as other small-businesses - making payroll, complying with numerous federal and state regulations, and paying bills, loans, and taxes. However, cattle producers face a number of unique challenges specific to agriculture.

“Ranching is a debt-intensive business, making the U.S. livestock industry especially vulnerable to the estate tax,” said Kester. “Beef producers largely operate an asset-rich, cash-poor business model: a cattleman’s biggest asset is his land. In the event of the death of a principal family member, illiquid assets are often sold in order to meet the costs associated with the estate tax. As a result, many families are unable to keep their estates intact.”

For more than two decades, livestock producers have utilized legitimate valuation discounts as a means of maintaining family ownership. These discounts, which accurately reflect the actual market value of minority ownerships in closely-held businesses, reduce the tax burden at death allowing agricultural operations to maintain family ownership from one generation of producers to the next.

The proposed regulations under Section 2704 will have a profoundly negative impact on the business climate for farmers and ranchers, ultimately dis-incentivizing a new generation of cattle producers from carrying on the family business.

For that reason, NCBA calls for the IRS to formally withdraw the proposed rule. v

Friday, February 10, 2017 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Ohio Department of Agriculture Auditorium 8995 E. Main Street, Reynoldsburg, Ohio How does Central Ohio meet the needs of consumers who want local meat, and producers looking for good marketing channels? How do we enhance processing capacity and develop the value chain? The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC’s) established a “Meat Team” to seek answers to those and other questions.

The Ohio Pork Council, Ohio Beef Council, OSU Extension, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, and MORPC, along with farmers, meat processors, retailers and others, decided to reach out to grocers and institutions to understand

their marketing needs. The Meat Team determined that an Ohio Meat Industry Marketing Summit could point to some answers and allow producers, processors, and retailers to make connections.

The daylong Summit will feature Dr. Henry Zerby as a keynote speaker on the state of the industry in Ohio. It also will include a buyer’s panel, a seller’s panel, lunch (courtesy of the Ohio Beef Council and Ohio Pork Council), ample networking time, and short breakout sessions on meat processing, innovative business models, cold storage, local pricing mechanisms, and other topics. There will be booth space for Ohio meat marketing businesses at a trade show held throughout the event. Those interested in limited trade show space can contact Brian Williams, MORPC Agriculture Specialist, at bwilliams@morpc.org, or 614-233-4187.v

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www.centurylivestockfeeders.com Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 21

Up the Alley

By John Grimes, OSU Extension Beef Coordinator Program support provided by OCA

What Are Your Plans for 2017?

I find it hard to believe that we will soon turn over the calendar and enter into 2017. 2016 will certainly go down as a year to remember for things that many thought could never happen that actually became reality. If someone told you at the beginning of 2016 that the Cavaliers would finally bring Cleveland a championship, the Chicago Cubs would win the World Series, and Donald Trump would be elected our next President, you probably would have questioned their sanity!

Unfortunately, many beef cattle producers will remember 2016 for less than positive reasons. The industry experienced one of the most significant economic downturns in the history of our business. There are many theories as to whom or what caused this severe price drop to occur including our government, the packing industry, the demise of Country of Origin Labeling, imports, Jim Harbaugh (not really!), etc. I do not believe the primary culprit for the steep price decline lies in this list.

I believe the beef cattle price decline that started in the second half of 2015 and continued into 2016 is a direct result of simple supply and demand economics. Producers aggressively responded to the fact that prices began to rise in 2013 and reached historically high levels in 2014 and the first half of 2015.

These prices encouraged producers to retain record numbers of heifers as replacements which was facilitated by the reduction of the amount of acreage across the country that was 22 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017

experiencing drought conditions.

Simply put, higher prices combined with more grass and water will build cow herd numbers. Additional pressure on beef cattle prices can be attributed to the fact that our primary competitors in the animal protein market, pork and poultry, have quickly ramped up their production over the past couple of years.

I believe that we must accept that the prices that we saw in 2015 and 2016 for all classes of beef cattle are not returning anytime soon. I also believe that producers who can achieve a positive balance between production levels and costs of production can continue to be profitable in the beef cattle industry. Every operation needs to set aggressive goals for improvement to remain competitive and profitable in today’s challenging economy. The following are a few realistic goals that the typical cow-calf producer in the state of Ohio can set for 2017.

1. Limit the breeding/calving season to no more than 90 days.

There is a great deal of university research that shows the profitability found in the older calves born in a given calving season. There are volumes of documentation on the herd management advantages associated with a relatively short calving season. Remember, calving year-round is not a season!

2. Don’t use a bull unless he has had a Breeding Soundness Examination prior to breeding season.

As logical as this practice may seem, not nearly enough bulls have a Breeding Soundness Examination performed before turnout. A

grain farmer utilizes a monitor to determine if his planter is delivering seed to the soil at a targeted rate.

A custom operator calibrates his sprayer periodically to make sure he is applying pesticides at a rate to control pests and protect the crop.

As expensive as annual cow costs are at this time, every cow needs to deliver a live calf in order to give the producer a chance to make a profit.

A herd bull with poor fertility is an easy way to create red ink on a profit/loss statement.

3. Cull aggressively to weed out cows with low fertility and other management problems.

Poor fertility is not limited to the male side of the equation. Cows that have failed to conceive when exposed to highly fertile bulls or bred several times by an experienced Artificial Insemination (A.I.) technician are prime candidates for culling. Additional reasons for culling a female from the herd are long calving intervals (over a year or more), disposition problems, poor udder structure, structural correctness issues (focus on feet and legs), age, etc.

4. Identify all animals within the herd.

Regardless of the size of your production unit, identify all bulls, cows, yearlings, and calves within your herd. It is much easier to make critical management decisions when you are able to identify individual animals. You can’t evaluate or measure it if it isn’t identified.

5. Don’t be afraid to utilize structured crossbreeding programs.

Heterosis is defined as the increase in an animal’s performance on any

given trait above the average of the parent’s performance. It is a unique benefit that Mother Nature provides to a cattle producer. This phenomenon can be very dramatic in lowly heritable traits such as fertility.

Heterosis is practically maximized when a two-way cross cow (Breed A X Breed B) is mated to a bull from a third breed (Breed C). An optimal crossbred cow would be heavily influenced by breeds strong in maternal traits while growth and carcass traits can be derived from the sire side. Utilize breeds that compliment each other genetically and provide you the best opportunity to meet your production goals in terms of the marketability of the animal and mature size of the cow.

6. Minimize the use of harvested feedstuffs.

Feed costs are the largest expense contained in an annual cow budget.

While a certain amount of harvested feeds are necessary for the cow herd in a calendar year, efforts must be made to minimize the use of harvested feed. Any time a four-legged, ruminant-driven harvester is used instead of a piece of machinery, costs are reduced. Take time to learn more about the principles involved with extending the grazing season.

7. If you must make hay, then don’t waste it.

Haymaking is a very expensive practice if you document all of the costs. However, once the hay is made, the work is not done. Many research trials have documented large amounts of hay wasted through poor storage techniques. Investments ranging from extra rock on the ground to temporary covers to a permanent structure can save significant dollars by preventing hay spoilage. Poor feeding techniques can further compound this problem.

Feeding devices that limit hay being fed outside on the ground should be utilized. While this practice may not be convenient for a cattleman with an off-the-farm job, more frequent feedings of smaller amounts will help minimize wastage.

8. Improve your facilities to improve herd management.

Objectively evaluate your facilities to determine if they are limiting your ability to manage the herd. Do you have a basic chute and working system that will allow you to safely handle animals and provide adequate herd health practices? Could an extra fenced lot or two allow you to remove the herd bull from the cows or wean calves and precondition them prior to marketing?

9. Critically examine all management decisions and inputs.

Today’s economy dictates that we use a very sharp pencil in the budgeting process. The way that we have always done it may not work today. Should I buy my hay instead of making it myself? Is a lower priced bull the right choice for my herd? Is my herd benefiting from my mineral program? Just how expensive an energy source is a “lick tub?” Does my current calving season provide the best opportunity to maximize calf crop percentage and

facilitate optimum marketing opportunities? You get the idea.

10. Get involved in the beef industry and understand the issues.

This resolution may not directly impact the cow herd but it does influence the overall health of your entire operation. Now more than ever, it is important to become a member of your local, state, and national cattle organizations. We cannot expect people outside of our industry to promote our product and fight for the issues that are near and dear to us. It is our duty to the beef industry to understand the issues that threaten our livelihood and speak out individually and through the strength in numbers that a cattlemen’s organization can provide.

Hopefully, this list of potential goals gave you some ideas for improving the overall performance and profitability of your herd. There is no time like the present to get started on the goals for your herd in 2017. v

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www.sweetlix.com 1-87-SWEETLIX Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 23

Patronize these Companies that Support your Association For information about joining OCA’s Allied Industry Council, call the OCA Office 614.873.6736 or visit www.ohiocattle.org

ABS Global Inc. Brian Good, Aaron Short, Buck Owen, Roger Sundberg 330-466-2588 www.absglobal.com ADM Animal Nutrition David Brainard 614-545-8055 Dan Meyer 330-466-3281, Roger Schrader 330-263-6432 www. admworld.com Ag Credit David White 419-435-7758 www.agcredit.net AgLand Co-op 740-373-2875 www.agland.coop Ag Nation Products Bob and Marie Clapper 1-800-247-3276 www.agnation.com AgriLabs Kyle Vincent 540-937-6189 www.agrilabs.com Allflex USA, Inc. Dave McElhaney 724-494-6199 www.allflexusa.com Animal Profiling International Ray Rogers 503-247-8066 www.animalprofiling.com Armstrong Ag & Supply Dean Armstrong 740-988-5681

Engelhaupt Embroidery Leslie Gardisser and Linda Engelhaupt 937-592-7075 engelhauptembroidery.com

Ohio Soybean Council Jennifer Coleman 614-476-3100 www.soyohio.com

Evolution Ag LLC Doug Loudenslager 740-363-1341 www.evolutionag.com

PBS Animal Health Becky Vincent 1-800-321-0235 www.pbsanimalhealth.com

Farm Credit Mid-America Bob Foster, Tara Durbin 740-892-3338 www.e-farmcredit.com

POET Biorefining-Marion Duane McCombs 740-383-9774 www.poet.com

Fennig Equipment Gary Fennig 419-953-8500 www.fenningequipment.com

Priefert Ranch Equipment Candice Davidson, Kayla Gray, Byron Miller & Steve Campbell 903-434-8973 www.priefert.com

Franklin Equipment Troy Gabriel 614-228-2014 www.franklinequipmentllc.com Heartland Bank Brian Fracker 740-349-7888 & Joel M. Oney 614-475-7024 www.heartlandbank.com Heritage Cooperative Allan Robison, Dave Monnin, Cy Prettyman, Stef Lewis 937-652-2135 www.heritagecoopervative.com Highland Livestock Supply Curt Hively 330-457-2033 www.highlandlivestocksupply.com Hilliard Lyons Patrick Saunders 740-446-2000 www.patricksaundersfc.com

Purina Animal Nutrition LLC David Newsom 317-677-5799 & Justin Bachman 740-974-3368 www.purinamills.com Quality Liquid Feeds Joe Foster 614.560.5228 jfoster@qlf.com Reed & Baur Insurance Agency LLC Paula Rogers & Jim Rogers 1-866-593-6688 www.reedbaur.com Rock River Laboratory Justin O’Flaherty 330-466-0233 www.rockriverlab.com Sioux Steel Company Matt Allen 260-450-5022 www.siouxsteel.com

Beck’s Hybrids Bruce Kettler & Ryan Moore 1-800-937-2325 www.beckshybrids.com

Hubbard Feeds Tom Linn 567-204-3065, Jeremy Baldwin 765-730-5459, Darl Bishir 419-236-0656, Perry Owen 937-726-9736 www.hubbardfeeds.com

StandAlone Feed, LLC. Jonathan Hjelmervik 806-778-5527 www.standalonefeed.com

Big Ass Solutions Allison Helton 859-629-7599 www.bigasssolutions.com

JD Equipment Inc. Matthew Damschroder 740-653-6951 www.jdequipment.com

ST Genetics Aaron Arnett 614-947-9931 www.stgen.com

BioZyme, Inc. Lindsey Grimes 816-596-8779 www.biozymeinc.com

K Buildings Doug Hemm 937-216-5620 www.kbuildings.com

Straight A’s Nikki McCarty 330-868-1182 www.ranchcity.com

Boehringer Ingelheim Jake Osborn 937-725-5687 Greg Spear 440-478-1350 www.boehringer-ingelheim.com

Kalmbach Feeds Jeff Neal, Kyle Nickles & Cheryl Miller 419-294-0330 www.kalmbachfeeds.com

Sunrise Co-op Inc. Phil Alstaetter 937-575-6780 www.sunrisecoop.com

Kent Feeds Patrick Barker 513-315-3833, Joseph Wright 937213-1168, Phil Reppart 330-201-0991 www.kentfeeds.com

Umbarger Show Feeds Jackson Umbarger & Eric King 317-422-5195 www.umbargerandsons.com

McArthur Lumber & Post Rick Jakmas 740-596-2551 www.mcarthurlumberandpost.com

Union Stock Yards Janet and Bill Butler 937-393-1958 www.unionstockyards.com

COBA/Select Sires Duane Logan, Kevin Hinds, Bruce Smith, Julie Ziegler 614-878-5333 www.cobaselect.com

M.H. Eby Inc./Eby Trailers Kirk Swensen and Steve Rittenhouse 614-879-6901 www.mheby.com

CompManagement, Inc. Adam Rice 614-760-2450 www.sedgwickcms.com

Mercer Landmark Randy Seeger 419-230-9832, Joe Siegrist 419-305-2451, Travis Spicer 419-733-9915 www.mercerlandmark.com

United Producers, Inc. Sam Roberts & Bill Tom 937-477-0060, Abra Dunn 1-800-456-3276 www.uproducers.com

Cargill Animal Nutrition Tom Rohanna 412-217-8939, Neil Bumgarner 304-615-8239 Bradley Carter 330-234-2552 www.cargill.com

DHI Cooperative Inc. Brian Winters 1-800-DHI-OHIO Tim Pye 912-682-9798 www.dhicoop.com Dow AgroSciences Breanna Lawyer 765-620-7180 David Jay 317-946-4086 www.dowagro.com Elanco Animal Health Jon Sweeney 515-249-2926 Katie Oney 614-725-6332 www.elanco.com

24 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017

Merck Animal Health Seth Clark 330-465-2728 www.merck-animal-health-usa.com Merial Brent Tolle 502-905-7831, Ryan Shroer 812-243-5128 www.merial.com Multimin USA, Inc. Pete Hausser 937-372-2302 www.multiminusa.com Ohio CAT Linda Meier, Chad Wiseman, Alan Rhodes, Brian Speelman & Bill Kuhar 614-851-3629 ohiocat.com

Weaver Leather Livestock Angela Shoemaker - ext. 251, Lisa Shearer - ext. 206, 330-674-1782, Rachelle Vance 330-473-2848, Taylor Banbury 330-521-7625 www.weaverleather.com Zoetis Animal Health Leesa Beanblossom 937-447-3044 Ted Holthaus 937-489-1548 Mindy Thornburg 740-255-0277 www.zoetis.com

Breed News Angus Achievements Angus to Host First-Ever Evening Auction and Social at NWSS

On Jan. 11, 2017, a new evening event will grace the Stadium Arena to not only celebrate the heritage of ranching, but also the unprecedented, century-plus expansion of Angus into the West.

Sponsored by Merial, the event will feature a bull sale, a fundraising auction and live entertainment. It’s also open to any cattle producer interested in attending with additional support from Neogen GeneSeek Operations.

The event kicks off at 5 p.m. with the National Western Angus Bull Sale, featuring more than 50 lots of top genetics from leading registered operations from across the country. Producers interested in evaluating the bulls prior to the sale may attend the Angus Sale Bull Show beginning at 8 a.m., earlier that day. Cash prizes and awards this year will exceed $10,000, and the grand and reserve grand champion bulls will be awarded a $1,000 genetic package donated by Zoetis.

The sale also includes the Angus Foundation Heifer Package, featuring Basin Lucy 6265, a female donated by the Stevenson family and Basin Angus Ranch of Joliet, Mont.

In addition to vacation packages and other auction fundraising items, several confirmed pregnancies from leading Angus seedstock operations will headline the Foundation’s fundraising offering.

The evening wraps up with live entertainment provided by Texas country band Jake Hooker and the Outsiders. A dance floor as well as refreshments will be provided.

AOB Accomplishments Ohio Junior Takes Home Title

Painter’s Kellie 09C, Champion Bred & Owned AOB Heifer, 2016 NAILE. Exhibited by Brandee Painter, Hebron, Ohio.

The Junior AOB Show was held Nov. 12 at the North American International Livestock Exposition.

Brandee Painter, of Hebron, Ohio, earned the title of Best Animal Bred and Owned with her calf, Painter’s Kellie 09C.

Show Cattle also exhibited the Early Junior Bull Calf, BMW McGregor 405D ET, and was also named the Grand Champion Chianina Bull.

Charolais Conquests Junior and Open Exhibitors Competitive at NAILE

Kathy Lehman, Shelby, Ohio, exhibited the Reserve Champion Charolais Female, with her heifer, SULL Impressive Fire, in the junior show at NAILE 2016 and was also selected as the Reserve Junior Champion Female in the open show.

In the Open Charolais show, BOY BSMT Montella 616 ET, was selected as the Reserve Junior Calf Champion Female, owned by Boyert Show Cattle of Seville, Ohio.

BMW McGregor 405D ET, Grand Champion Chianina Bull, 2016 NAILE. Exhibited by Winegardner Show Cattle, Lima, Ohio.

Mr Sinction, owned by David Weiser, Zanesville, Ohio, was selected as the Early Junior Bull Calf Champion in the Open Chianina show.

DeChristofaro Show Cattle exhibited NDSC Driving Force to Champion Junior Yearling Chianina Bull.

GOF She’s Got Style, owned by Green Oak Farms, New Paris, Ohio, earned the title of Early Junior Heifer Calf and Reserve Grand Champion Female Chiangus Female.

SULL Impressive Fire, Reserve Champion Charolais Female, 2016 NAILE. Exhibited by Kathy Lehman, Shelby Ohio.

Chianina Conquests Ohio Exhibitors have Success at 2016 NAILE

On Nov. 12, junior Chianina exhibitors participated in the 2016 NAILE Junior Chianina Show.

UDE Stylish Lady 9D ET was awarded Early Junior Calf Champion and was exhibited by Abbie Collins, New Paris, Ohio. UDE Stylish Lady 9D ET was also Reserve Early Junior Calf Champion in the open show.

Kathy Lehman, Shelby, Ohio had the Champion Junior Yearling and the Reserve Grand Champion Chianina Female, GARW Miss I80 234C. Winegardner Show Cattle had much success in the Open Chianina show. They were named Premier Breeder and also exhibited the Early Junior Calf Champion, HEIN Sunflower 316D. Winegardner

GOF She’s Got Style, Reserve Champion Chiangus Female, 2016 NAILE. Shown by Green Oak Farms, New Paris, Ohio

Gelbvieh Gatherings

Gelbvieh Results from 2016 North American

During the Open Gelbvieh show at NAILE 2016 on Nov. 15, Emily Griffiths, Kendallville, Indiana, earned Spring Heifer Calf Champion with 3G Day Money 673D. Reserve Champion in that same division went to Sheeley Hunter of Hillsboro, Ohio with OHMV Double Time D411.

3G Blood Brother 454B ET, also owned by Emily Griffiths, was the Junior Bull Calf Champion and named the Grand Champion Gelbvieh Bull.

Continued on page 26..

Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 25

Breed News Continued from page 25.

In the Open show, Durst Farms, Tipp City, Ohio, took home the title of Reserve Champion Cow/Calf Pair, HPH 5025 Charity 43R 1210.

TNT Cattle Company, Mansfield, Ohio, showed the Moderator Intermediate Yearling Heifer Champion, TNT Glitter’s Shimmer. She was also named Grand Champion Moderator Female.

3G Blood Brother 454B ET, owned by Emily Griffiths, Kendallville, Indiana, was the Junior Bull Calf Champion and named the Grand Champion Gelbvieh Bull.

During the Open Balancer show, Emily Griffiths and 3G Cowgirl Dixie 6102D were Reserve Champion Intermediate Heifer Calf.

KJSG MV Miss Delilah 401, owned by Maple Valley Gelbvieh, Hillsboro, Ohio was awarded Junior Heifer Calf Champion.

Emily Griffiths had much success in the Balancer Bull show. 3G Centurion E527C took home Junior Balancer Bull Champion. 3G Diamond Mine 680D was selected as Spring Bull Calf Champion and Reserve Grand Champion Balancer Bull. 3G Double Agent 602D was chosen as Junior Bull Calf Champion and Grand Champion Balancer Bull.

Reserve Champion Hereford Cow/Calf Pair, HPH 5025 Charity 43R 1210. Shown by Durst Farms, Tipp City, Ohio

Limousin Leaders

Ohio Exhibitors Claim Titles at NAILE

The Junior Limousin Show was held Nov. 12 at NAILE 2016. Hannah Williamson, of Warsaw, Ohio, earned the title of Best Animal Bred and Owned with her calf, HNRW Meredith.

TNT Glitter’s Shimmer was named the Grand Champion Moderator Female at the 2016 NAILE and was exhibited

by TNT Cattle Company, Tammy Grauer and Trish Fulmer.

TNT Cattle Company, Mansfield, Ohio, also showed the Reserve Champion Moderator Bull.

Willow’s Little Momma won Reserve Grand Champion Heifer at the 2015 NAILE and was exhibited by TNT Cattle Company, Tammy Grauer and Trish Fulmer.

HNRW Meredith, Champion Bred & Owned Jr. Limousin Female, 2016 NAILE. Shown by Hannah Williamson, Warsaw, Ohio.

G Double Agent 602D was chosen as Junior Bull Calf Champion and Grand Champion Balancer Bull, owned

by Emily Griffiths.

Hereford Happenings Louisville Successful Show for Hereford Exhibitors

Reserve Junior Heifer Champion was awarded to HH Maggie 676, exhibited

by Emily Beanblossom, Bradford, Ohio.

Emily also showed the Senior Heifer Calf Champion, HH Debbies Layla 525A ET in the Junior Hereford show on Nov. 13 in the Coliseum.

Cole Hines, Patriot, Ohio, and NS 028X Lady 417 showed their way to the Senior Yearling Female Champion position in the junior show.

26 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017

Sarah Johnson, Williamsport, Ohio, exhibited the Champion Summer Yearling Female, SRAJ Shontelle 9042C, and the Early Junior Calf Champion, SRAJ Adriana 9075D in the Open Limousin show that took place on Nov. 16 in the Coliseum.

HCK Clypso Fairon, owned by Hidden Creek Farms, also from Mansfield, Ohio, received the title of Purebred Junior Heifer Calf Champion. She was also deemed Reserve Grand Champion Purebred Female.

Lowline Legacies

Several Accomplishments during Lowline Show at North American

CABB DeeDee and CABB Daisey, both exhibited by CABB Farms, Lexington, Ohio, were named Moderator Junior Heifer Calf Champion and Moderator Junior Heifer Calf Reserve Champion, respectively.

HCK Clypso Fairon, owned by Hidden Creek Farms, Mansfield, Ohio, was named Reserve Grand Champion Purebred Female.

Fullblood Junior Heifer Champion went to FCC Edith, owned by Mathias Maxwell Bender, Lexington, Ohio. FCC

Breed News Edith was also selected as Grand Champion Fullblood Female.

TNT Glitter’s Sparky, owned by TNT Cattle Company, claimed the title of Moderator Spring Bull Calf Champion.

Hidden Creek Farms and Mathias Maxwell Bender exhibited the Fullblood Spring Bull Calf Reserve Champion.

CABB Vector, owned by CABB Farms was awarded Fullblood Junior Bull Champion.

Grand Champion Fullblood Cow/Calf Pair went to FCC Echo’s Wink and HCK Joey, owned by Hidden Creek Farms and Mathias Maxwell Bender.

FCC Echo’s Wink and HCK Joey, owned by Hidden Creek Farms and Mathias Maxwell Bender.

CABB Farms, Lexington, Ohio was awarded Breeder Group and Herd Group.

Get of Sire went to HCK Willie, owned

by Hidden Creek Farms, and TNT Cattle Company and GOTT Glo Baby’s Glitter claimed Produce of Dam.

Maine-Anjou Moments Several Ohioans Compete in Junior and Open Shows in Louisville

The Junior Maine-Anjou Show took place Nov. 12 at NAILE. Abbie Collins was awarded Senior Heifer Calf Champion with her calf, LLC BPF Miss Wessington and in the open show.

Summer Yearling Champion went to Hannah Topmiller, Pleasant Plain, Ohio with TJSC Lucky Lady 146C. Beau Johnson, of Gallipolis, Ohio, earned the title of Best Animal Bred and Owned with his calf, BEAJ Louise.

Caitlin Schaub, Wapakoneta, Ohio, claimed the titles of Reserve Junior Yearling Champion and Reserve Grand Champion Maine-Anjou Female with TJSC Miss Harmony 58C in the junior show and Junior Yearling Champion Heifer and Grand Champion Maine-Anjou Female in the open show.

TJSC Miss Harmony 58C, owned by Caitlin Schaub, Wapakoneta, Ohio, was named Reserve Champion Maine-Anjou Female in the junior show Grand Champion Maine-Anjou Female in the open show.

During the open Maine-Anjou show, Jones Show Cattle, Harrod, Ohio, took home the title of Junior Maine-Anjou Heifer Calf Reserve Champion with TJSC Lucky Lady 85D. Senior Calf Champion Heifer went to Abbie Collins, New Paris, Ohio with LLC BPF Miss Wessington.

On Nov. 13, several Ohio juniors competed in the MaineTainer show in Broadbent Arena. Cole Hiser, Milledgeville, Ohio and his heifer, BOY Sweet Jara 515, were chosen as the Summer Yearling Champion.

In the Open MaineTainer show, MRH Nyquist, owned by Megan Hunt earned the title of Grand Champion MaineTainer Bull.

Green Oak Farms, New Paris, Ohio, and GOF Miss Mia were selected as Junior Mainetainer Heifer Calf Reserve Champion.

Storm Show Cattle, Fresno, Ohio, exhibited Whiskey Rose 11T, and she was chosen as Senior Mainetainer Heifer Calf Reserve Champion.

Mini Hereford Magic Ohio Breeder Claims Title in Louisville

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Continued on page 30..

Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 27

OCA News 2016 Replacement Female Sale Results The OCA held their fourth Replacement Female Sale on November 25 at the Muskingum Livestock Auction Company in Zanesville, Ohio. Buyers had the opportunity to evaluate 102 lots of bred heifers, bred cows, and cowcalf pairs.

The sale included 85 lots of bred heifers that averaged $1,651, 14 lots of bred cows that averaged $1,600, and three cow-calf pairs that averaged $1,742. The 102

total lots grossed $168,000 for an overall average of $1,647. Prices ranged from $1,100 to $3,100. The females sold to buyers from Ohio and Pennsylvania. Col. Ron Kreis served as the auctioneer.

Haley Farms of West Salem, OH consigned the top selling bred heifer at $3,100. The Lot 36 female was a registered purebred Simmental and sold to Nick Fisher of Jackson, OH. Haley Farms consigned a registered purebred Simmental heifer as Lot 37 that also sold to Nick Fisher for $2,950.

The sale truly was an excellent opportunity for both buyers and sellers.

Buyers were able to improve their herds by adding high quality females with known genetic and health backgrounds.

Sellers were able to

capitalize on steady prices for breeding cattle.

If you have any questions about the sale, contact John F. Grimes, OSU Extension Beef Coordinator at (740) 2892071, Extension #242, or by e-mail at grimes.1@osu.edu.v

Political Action Committee Preserving the future of the cattle industry.

AgriBuckle Farm Girl Factory Lori Wilkerson Rob Godown Alex Greenstein* Farm House Bling LRF Show Designs Sam & Laura Sutherly All Aluminum Show Supply Fayette County Cattle Feeders Michael Kain Sandy Mazey Allan Robison Frank Phelps Michelle Ramseyer Scott & Sasha Rittenhouse* Ann Bartlett Fred & Linda Vollborn Misty Douglas Scott Acker* Bill Tom* Fred Voge* Nick & Darlene Wagner Sonny Russ* Brad & Mindy Thornburg Ginny Jones Norma Helmke Stark County Cattlemen C.J. Brown Studios J & J Steakbarn Ohio CAT Stock Show U Chris Gibbs Janet Butler* Ohio CattleWomen T&R Laser Creations Cowboys and Angels Jim Rogers Ohio Valley Show Supply Tom Karr Crawford County Cattlemen Joe Foster Pam Sparks Tri Pine Farm Cy Prettyman John Grimes* PBS Animal Health Tru Form Technology Dee Jepsen* Jordan Bonham* Philip Dorn Vidovich Family Dorothy Rittenhouse Laura’s Custom Embroidery R & C Packing Vonda Snyder Dustin Bender Leslie Kungl R Jazzy Jewelry Weaver Leather Livestock Evolution Ag Linde’s Livestock Photos Rachel Cleland Wendy Cline *Denotes members of the PAC 250 Club who have donated $250 or more in 2016

Thank You to our 2016 Supporters! for doing your part to preserve the cattle industry.

28 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017

OCA News Best of the Buckeye Program Increasing Registered Breed Cattle Numbers The Best of the Buckeye Program, hosted by the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) in conjunction with the Ohio Beef Expo and the Ohio State Fair, is gearing up for its fifth season.

The program provides Ohio seedstock breeders an additional marketing opportunity, creates a source for moderately priced show steers and heifers by providing a program with awards and prestige, and attracts new participants interested in showing at the Ohio Beef Expo and/or the Ohio State Fair. Breeders are encouraged to request a Best of the Buckeye logo for use in printed and digital promotion of Best of the Buckeye eligible cattle. Email beef@ohiobeef.org to request the logo.

The Best of the Buckeye program will recognize top-placing Ohio bred, born and registered calves, along with the breeder and exhibitor, in each breed division at the two shows. Thanks to generous sponsors, up to $30,000 will be presented through premiums at each show, scholarships and awards. This year’s sponsors are Garwood Cattle Company, LLC, heifer division; Jones Show Cattle and R.D. Jones Excavating, Inc., steer division; and Ohio CAT and Ohio Ag Equipment, scholarship. Individual breeders may send in additional sponsorship to the breed(s) of their choice to be awarded to the top placing Best of the Buckeye exhibitors in addition to the base premiums offered. To donate, contact the OCA office.

The Best of the Buckeye program will award up to $10,000 in participant and academic scholarships. The $500 participant scholarship opportunity is to offset the cost of purchasing, raising and exhibiting a Best of the Buckeye nominated calf. Scholarships will be awarded to less-experienced participants, ages 8-21, with consideration given to the applicant’s financial need. Scholarship applications can be found at http://www. ohiocattle.org/Youth/Best-of-Buckeye/ scholarships and will be due on January 15, 2017. Scholarship recipients will be notified in February 2017, but must exhibit at either the Ohio Beef Expo or Ohio State Fair to receive the scholarship.

Academic scholarships will be offered to youth pursuing a post-high school degree. Scholarships will be based BRED, Born & Raised Steer and Heifer Youth Event on academics and extracurricular activities. Eligible Best of the Buckeye participants are high school juniors through 21 years of age as of January 1, 2017. Academic scholarships will be awarded to participants pursuing an Ag related degree and may be awarded to applicants who are entering a non-Ag related field of study (based on the number of applications). All scholarship applicants will also be required to submit an essay along with their scholarship application. The scholarship essay topic will be pre1, 2017 for a rate of $40. Breeders12/7/2016 will 2:56:11 PM determined and BOTB.indd 1 have the opportunity to nominate cattle posted on the OCA website. The scholarthrough check-in at the Ohio Beef Expo ship deadline will be June 15, 2017 and and at the Ohio State Fair at an increased scholarships will be presented at the late nomination fee of $75 per head.

Ohio State Fair.

Best of the Buckeye exhibitor rules, last To participate in Best of the Buckeye, year’s show results and additional nomibreeders must complete a nomination nation details are available at http://www. form (each form can be used to nomiohiocattle.org/Youth/best-of-the-buckeye or nate up to five animals from the same by contacting the OCA office.

For more breeder) and sign an affidavit verifying information, contact the Ohio CattleBest of the Buckeye eligibility. If the men’s Association at 614-873-6736, email animal is Bred & Owned by the exhibitor, beef@ohiobeef.org. v only the breeder nomination form must be filled out and sent it. The breeder or exhibitor may submit the nomination forms and fee for the Best of the Buckeye nominations. Cattle that are nominated prior to the Ohio Beef Expo by March 1, 2017 and prior to the Ohio State Fair by June 20, 2017 will incur a $25 per head nomination fee per show. Cattle may Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 29 be nominated for both shows by March

Ohio’s Premier

Thank you

2017 sponsoring partners Heifer Division scholarship

steer Division

Download Your Best of the Buckeye Scholarship Form www.ohiocattle.org

Breed News Continued from page 27.

Kyle and Jennifer Fleener and Annette Delaplaine of Heartfelt Farms, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and sold by TNT Cattle Company was given the title of 2016 Grand Champion Miniature Hereford Female.

Red Poll Rewards

Junior Red Poll Exhibitor Earns Title

The Open Red Poll show took place on Nov. 17 in Broadbent Arena. Luke Jones of West Milton, Ohio exhibited the Summer Yearling Champion, with his heifer AKs Renesmee, and was also named Reserve Grand Champion Red Poll Female.

Luke Jones of West Milton, Ohio exhibited the Summer Yearling Champion, with his heifer AKs Renesmee

Saler Standouts

Ohio Junior Succeeds at NAILE

Mason Love, from Baltimore, Ohio, exhibited the Reserve Grand Champion Optimizer Female, Miss Billie Jean, in the Open Saler and Optimizer show on Nov. 16.

Senior Heifer Calf Reserve Champion, respectively, during the Junior Shorthorn show at the NAILE. SULL Dream Lady 5445C ET, shown

by Kinley Kreis, Adamsville, Ohio, completed the show as Intermediate Champion Female.

Senior Champion Female went to Brandee Painter, Hebron, Ohio, with her heifer BOY Cumberland Love 501.

During the Open Shorthorn show, Ohio had much success in the bull show.

Jared Bates, Blue Rock, Ohio, showed BR Hot Damn 416 ET to Early Spring Bull Calf Champion.

Clayton Boyert, Seville, Ohio, earned the title of Junior Bull Calf Champion with BOY Free Trade 604 ET. CLF Foolin’ Around 1401 ET, owned

by Cedar Lane Farm, Cedarville, Ohio, finished as Reserve Champion in the twoyear-old division.

The Junior ShorthornPlus show was held Nov. 12. Taylor Morbitzer, Grove City, Ohio claimed the Reserve Early Spring Heifer Calf Champion title with SULL Crystals Style 6998 ET. Clayton Boyert exhibited the Senior Heifer Calf Champion, BOY SKILES Corpus Christi, in the junior and open shows.

In the open ShorthornPlus show, Lindsey Weaver, Jackson Center, Ohio, and Chanel 25D were selected as Reserve Champion Late Spring Heifer Calf.

Jerry Duvelius and Family exhibited the Late Spring Bull Calf Champion, GJD Smokin Bandit ET.

Simmental Solutions Ohio Exhibitors Succeed in Open and Junior Shows at NAILE

Grand Champion Optimizer Female, Miss Billie Jean, exhibited by Mason Love, Baltimore, Ohio.

Shorthorn Success Ohio Exhibitors Claim Multiple Titles in Louisville

Brittany Muhlenkamp, Celina, Ohio, exhibited full sibs, DKSN MUHL Mirage 1027T and DKSN MUHL Mirage 1027 1, to Senior Heifer Calf Champion and

30 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017

TJSC Diamonds Destiny 134C, bred

by Jones Show Cattle, Harrod, Ohio and exhibited by AJ Grimm, Deep River, Iowa, earned the titles of Junior Yearling Champion and Reserve Grand Champion Female in the Junior Simmental show held Nov. 12 in Broadbent Arena.

In the open show, Greenhorn Cattle Company, Waynesville, Ohio, claimed Late Junior Calf Reserve Champion with GREE WF Keepsake, D194.

Ali Muir, Waynesfield, Ohio, and TJSC Diamond 133C were awarded Reserve Champion Summer Yearling.

During the Junior SimAngus show, CLAC Heather 681D, exhibited by Emma Woodard, Cambridge, Ohio, was selected as Late Junior Calf Champion.

Tyson Woodard, also from Cambridge, showed his heifer Miss WL Maxie B to the finish of Senior Yearling Champion and Grand Champion SimAngus Heifer.

Grand Champion SimAngus Heifer, 2016 NAILE, exhibited by Tyson Woodard, Cambridge, Ohio.

At the Open SimAngus show, Minford, Ohio’s Matthew Koverman exhibited CAMPBELLCO Valentina and finished as Early Junior Calf Reserve Champion.

STCC Classy Cinderella, shown by Lillian Van Zant, Hillsboro, Ohio, was selected as Senior Calf Reserve Champion.

Ferguson Show Cattle, Chardon, Ohio, claimed the title Senior Bull Calf with FSCI Mr Loaded Up C585. v

County Cattle Call County Affiliate Beef Promotion Grant Applications Due

January 1 Download your form at www.ohiobeef.org

There’s Profit in Retained Ownership at Black Gold Feedlot Vermont, IL Steve Foglesong • 309-221-5597 Nate Foglesong • 309-337-1234 Jacob Nyhuis • 352-536-5496 Drew Foglesong • 309-221-1439 Brett Foglesong • 309-333-9510 Jonathan Dennison • 256-520-4727 www.blackgoldranchandfeedlot.com

Advantages for putting your cattle on feed at Black Gold

Retained Ownership Advantages

Abundant supply of cheap feed Located in West Central Illinois, Black Gold’s feedlot is in the center of the corn belt and has a huge supply of corn, distillers grain and food grade by-products literally at our door step.

Less freight to feedlot From Columbus, Ohio to Garden City, Kansas is right at 1050 miles. Columbus to Vermont, Illinois is 430 miles. That extra 620 miles means more freight, more shrink, more stress. Trucks going to feedlots west of the Mississippi River drive right through Illinois.

Reducing stress puts your cattle on the fast track to a successful finish.

Cattle all have a roof over their head Feeding inside on concrete eliminates the weather from the feeding equation.

No Mud = Efficient Cattle Yield Cattle fed in our barn consistently yield 64% and even up to 68%.

Get paid for your work You’ve vaccinated, weaned, sorted, and fed them, now reap all the benefits of your hard work Get paid for your genetics You bought good bulls and have built a great calf, why not get paid for it? All those dollars spent on extra growth and marbling are wasted unless you sell finished cattle on a grid that pays you for it.

Low calf prices and cheap feed spell “Profit” for retaining your calves all the way through In the September issue of Beef Magazine Dr. Harlan Hughes outlined the strategy for cattlemen to gain an extra $102 dollars by retaining their calves at a custom feedlot all the way to finish.

No money lost to middlemen You pay NO commission or fees when you own them all the way through. That money stays in Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 31 your pocket where it belongs.

Conversations that Matter The What, How & Where of Connecting with Consumers Story and photos by Cambell Parrish, Ohio Beef Council Director of Public Relations and Consumer Marketing Communicating with strangers can be a daunting task. The further away our consumer base gets from production agriculture the more like strangers we seem to become. Bringing them back to the table with the people that bring food to it is a challenge that the Ohio Beef Council embraces every day through the use of your beef checkoff dollars. Reflecting on this challenge reminded me of what a mentor of mine once told me.

Communicating and public speaking have very little to do with what you actually say. It’s a ratio; 70 percent how you look, 20 percent how you say it and 10 percent of what you actually say. While communicating with consumers has a little bit more balanced of a ratio or equation, it is safe to say that there are many components to having a successful message that will impact consumers.

“What” we communicate, “how” we communicate and “where” we communicate are the three major components to this equation. The one thing that remains the least unchanged of this equation is “what” we communicate, beef is delicious, safe, nutritious and enjoyable. The marketing campaigns have changed the words a bit over the past years; Fueling Families in Motion, What’s Your Dinner Made Of and of course… Beef its What’s for Dinner. Regardless of the theme, catch phrase or jingle the “what” remains the same.

The other two parts of the equation “how” and “where” have encountered an unprecedented amount of change. The internet, cell phones, smart TV’s, virtual reality and social media change each and every day.

Our world is now more connected 32 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017

than ever before and anyone can join or add to the conversation. On one hand this is an incredible opportunity to connect with consumers, on the other hand there is now more static and content in the marketplace.

This leads us to the “how” of the equation. What can we do to break through this clutter?

Many of us can agree that there are a million different ways to find information if we have a question. Every website and social media post is teeming with the latest information, inviting you to click for more. Facts, figures and statistics are important, that is why the beef checkoff program invests in research and bases all of our actions around it, but what cuts through all of that? Our story of why we farm. This emotional connection to the land, family and animals is the key.

Consumers cannot connect with the importance of rotational grazing on a scientific level, but they can connect with that

message if we tell them a story. Telling consumers the story of tending to your land and animals that were passed down to you, what you have passed down to your kids and what you hope they will one day pass on to their kids is the story that resonates. Consumers have similar aspirations and this connection allows us the opportunity to answer their questions and help them become more comfortable with cattle on the farm and beef on the table.

The last part of the equation is an ever changing landscape, “where”. One thing that we know for sure is that social media is here to stay. Which networks will be most relevant in the future? Now that is the million dollar question.

What is critical is that we are where the conversation is taking place and is most relevant for beef. An example from this past year’s beef checkoff marketing program is the Ohio State 4-Miler.

This event attracts 15,000 runners to race across Ohio State’s campus and finish on the 50 yard line of Ohio Stadium.

Aside from the event itself, OBC took the conversation to where folks were having it, social media, in particular Snapchat.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, Snapchat is a smart phone app that allows users to take pictures and send them with captions to their friends. These pictures are only visible for a short period of time, less than ten seconds. This casual messaging app averages over 60 million daily users in the United States alone and is incredibly popular with millennials, the beef checkoff’s target audience.

Knowing that runners are using their phones to share their experience with their social network, OBC took an additional step with the event and added a Snapchat filter. Filters are additional graphics that a Snapchat user can place on their photo based on their GPS location. Filters like the one used at the 4-Miler give a larger reach to the event, extending it beyond the confines of the physical location for little additional cost.

Snapchat filers were also used at the State Fair, in multiple locations across the grounds; the beef barn, steak barn and Taste of Ohio Café. Each area had different filters to encourage use depending on the location. Areas where beef could be purchased featured messages that encourage eating burgers, in the beef barn the ever popular “I heart beef” logo was used.

This level of targeting is surprisingly easy to achieve thanks to advances in technology. Giving the beef community a chance for consumers to extend their experience through Snapchat to friends across the globe.

While this form of conversation may not be as permanent as a blog post or YouTube video, it does keep beef in the conversation and top of mind with consumers.

Even though the conversation currently resides on these platforms, one thing is certain the way consumers want to communicate will change and evolve. It is the beef council’s job to make sure we are constantly evaluating our current methods and monitoring trends for the newest way to keep beef in the conversation. v

Beef Briefs Byers Win Show Honoree at NAILE

The 2016 North American International Livestock Exposition Jack C. Ragsdale National Shorthorn Show honorees were Gene and Marilyn Byers of Byland Farms in Loudonville, Ohio.

and a breeding program focused upon quality.

Over the years, Byland Farms has received numerous honors including the 1973 American Shorthorn Association Builder of the Breed Award, the 1986 OCA Beef Industry Excellence Award, and the 2004 OCA Seedstock Producer of the Year Award. The Byers Family was also named Ohio’s Great American Family, a declaration signed by then First Lady Nancy Reagan.

OCA & OBC Hire New Director of Communications The Byers family is pictured above after being presented the Jack C. Ragsdale National Shorthorn Show honoree.

Gene, a veterinarian, and his wife, Marilyn, bought their first cow/calf pair in 1956, founding Byland Polled Shorthorn Farm. They selected the Shorthorn breed for the breed’s good nature, milking ability and maternal instincts.

Their children Jeff, Jennifer, Jill, and Jon grew up showing a string of cattle at the local, county, and state levels and being members of the Ohio and American Junior Shorthorn Associations. Jennifer and Jill were Ohio Shorthorn Lassie queens in their youth.

Gene was a leader in the American Shorthorn Association (AMA) and served as ASA board of director’s president and USA delegate to the World Shorthorn Conference in Australia. He also served as a director of the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) and chairman of the Ohio Beef Marketing Program. He was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives where he served four terms from 1986-1994.

Marilyn was also actively involved in the beef industry serving as president of the Ohio Shorthorn Lassies and the Ohio CattleWomen’s Association and chairing the Ohio Beef Cook-Off. In 1997, Gene passed away following a two-month battle with acute leukemia. In 1998 Gene was inducted posthumously into the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame.

Jeff and Jon have continued what Gene and Marilyn started by still raising cattle that are commercially relevant to the market with excellence in performance

Emily Thompson recently joined the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) and the Ohio Beef Council as the Director of Communications and Managing Editor of the Ohio Cattleman magazine. Emily will be working on production of OCA’s magazine, press releases, websites, and social media accounts, plus similar OBC responsibilities.

Emily is from Cullman, Alabama, where she was raised on a cattle and poultry farm. She graduated in December, 2016 from Auburn University, where she earned a bachelor of sciences in Agricultural Communications. Through her Ag Communications major, Emily sharpened her skills in graphic design, photography, website management and social media.

At an early age, Emily found her passion for advocating for agriculture through her personal photography business, that later grew into a full creative services business. While at Auburn, Emily continued to pursue her passion for agricultural advocacy by joining the professional agricultural sorority Sigma Alpha, and becoming an active member of Ag Communicators of Tomorrow, Block and Bridle, and AgHill Communications. v Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 33

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OCA Seedstock Improvement Sale

Consignment Deadline:

January 31, 2017!

Visit www.ohiocattle.org for more information

34 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017

Letter to the Editor

Beef Briefs In Memoriam William I. Warner

William I. Warner, 95, of Vickery, Ohio died November 12, 2016 at his home. He was born in Clyde, Ohio and graduated from Townsend High School in 1939. He served his country in the US Navy during WWII. William was a well-respected farmer and a previous recipient of the Sandusky County Farmer of the Year award. William was a member of First United Methodist Church, Clyde; Ohio Flying Farmers, where he had served as President; International Flying Farmers; 4-H advisor; Jr. Fair leader; and Farm Bureau.

He served as President of the Ohio Cattleman’s Association in 1971-72; President of the Sandusky County Chamber of Commerce; on the Boards of Key Bank and Fremont Savings Bank; Board of Ohio Sugar Beet Growers Association; and was a former President of the Sandusky County Board of Health.

He is survived by his wife Evelyn Warner, five grown children, several grandchildren and great-grandchildren and other family members, including his sister, Betty (Bob) Wright of Clyde, Ohio. Contributions may be made in William’s memory to the Jack & William Warner, Jr. Family Scholarship Fund (in care of Margaretta Schools), 4-H Foundation, or Townsend Ruritan.

a member of the Harrod Christian Church and the Women’s Fellowship of the church. She was also a member of the Heartland Christian Church in Sebring, Florida. Erma was a life member of the Farm Bureau Council.

She was a member of the Friends Club, and a 4-H Sewing Advisor, and a member and past president of the Ohio CattleWomen.

She is survived by three sons, including Brad (Melanie) Winegardner of Lima, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Ritas Hospice and/or Harrod Christian Church, 273 South Main Street, Harrod, Ohio 45850. v

OCA, Thank you for organizing the first cattlemen’s camp. I learned a lot from the speakers and the hands-on activities.

I would also like to thank you for the BEST Novice scholarship that I won.

I look forward to showing the BEST shows this winter.

Sincerely, Grant Helsinger

Visit: www.ohiocattle.org

Erma Lee Winegardner

Erma Lee Winegardner, 78, of Harrod, Ohio passed away on November 22, 2016. She was born in Allen County, Ohio and in 1957 married Wallace A. Winegardner of Harrod, Ohio, who survives. Erma was a homemaker. For several years she owned and operated The Apple Basket Country Market and also worked for several years for Clyde Evans and Dave Evans. She worked at Macys Department Store in Lima. She was Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 35

Understanding the Veterinary Feed Directive Effective January 1, 2017

If you raise cattle and ever feed medically important antibiotics such as tetracycline, sulfamethazine, penicillin, neomycin or tylosin, the way you manage your animals’ health will change by January 1, 2017 when the Food and Drug Adminstration’s (FDA) Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) program goes into effect.

VFDs have been used in the feed industry for many years, but the new regulations provide oversight on how a farmer uses antibiotics delivered to livestock by feed or water. It does not impact the practice of injectable antibiotic use. The goal of this regulation is to ensure that those “medically-important” antibiotics used in human medicine, are not used to improve feed efficiency or for growth promotion

36 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017

purposes in livestock production.

These classes of antibiotics can only be used when necessary with veterinarian oversight, and only for the purposes of treating animals that are sick, or the prevention and control of a specific disease.

This will mean that to use these antibiotics in feed, you will need a written VFD from your veterinarian, who must be licensed in the state of Ohio. Before a veterinarian may write you a VFD, you must have a valid Veterinary-ClientPatient-Relationship (VCPR) with that person. It simply verifies that you and your veterinarian have agreed to work together on animal health issues, and that the veterinarian knows about your farm, the livestock you raise, your mutual expectations regarding the care of

these animals, and is available for follow-up.

After establishing a VCPR, the second part of the VFD is to ensure a veterinarian’s instructions accompanies any antibiotics that will be administered through the feed or water. The antibiotic must be used according to label directions; used to treat, prevent, or control a disease; and it cannot be used as “extra-label.” A VFD is a written, not oral, directive by a licensed veterinarian in the course of the veterinarian’s practice that orders the use of a VFD drug in or on an animal feed. Your veterinarian will keep the original and provide a copy to the farmer and the distributor of the VFD drug. The veterinarian may choose to provide the VFD in electronic or hard copy form.

The VFD does not impact the feeding of zinc, copper sulfate, or ionophores to livestock. Since these products are not antibiotics, their use is not covered by the VFD. Records of the use must be kept on the farm and with the veterinarian for a period of two years.

In the meantime, here’s an overview of the requirements surrounding the VFD program: http://u.osu.edu/beef/2016/04/13/theveterinary-feed-directive-vfd-andthe-beef-producer/ This link includes a list of all the drugs that are being transitioned from over-the-counter (OTC) to VFD status: http://www.fda.gov/ downloads/AnimalVeterinary/ DevelopmentApprovalProcess/ UCM482258.pdf Here’s a list of all the water soluble drugs transitioning from OTC to prescription status: http:// www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ DevelopmentApprovalProcess/ v ucm482106.htm

Calendar of Events

Visit www.ohiocattle.org for a complete list of events

December 14 30

Shelby County Beef Industry Meeting, Ohio OCA Annual Meeting and Banquet Hotel Reservation Deadline

January 1 County Affiliate Beef Promotion Grant Application Deadline 4 NCBA Convention Housing and Registration Deadline 6 OCA Annual Meeting and Banquet Registration Deadline 7-8 Scarlet & Gray Midwest Showdown, Columbus, Ohio 15 Best of the Buckeye $500 Scholarship Application Deadline 15 Ohio Beef Expo Sponsorship Deadline 21 OCA County Leader, Annual Meeting and Banquet, Lewis Center, Ohio 23 Beef 509 Registration Deadline 27 OCA BEST Make-A-Wish Celebrity Showdown, Springfield, Ohio 28-29 Clark County Cattle Battle, Springfield, Ohio 31 Seedstock Improvement Bull Sale Consignment Deadline

February 1-3 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show, Nashville, Tennessee 3 Ohio Cattleman Expo Issue Advertising Deadline 4 Champion Hill Complete Dispersal, Gallipolis, Ohio 10 Ohio Meat Industry Marketing Summing, Ohio Dept. of Agriculture,

Reynoldsburg, Ohio 11-12 Madison County Winter Classic, London, Ohio 18-19 War at Warren County, Lebanon, Ohio 25 Beef 509 - Session 1, Columbus, Ohio

March 1 Best of the Buckeye Nomination Deadline 4 Beef 509 - Session 2, Columbus, Ohio 4-5 Holmes County Preview Show, Millersburg, Ohio 6 Ohio Beef Expo Jr. Show Online Fundraiser, Breeders’ World Online Sales 17-19 Ohio Beef Expo, Columbus, Ohio 27-29 NCBA Spring Legislative Conference, Washington D.C.

March 1

BEST BQA, Jr. Representative, Scholarship and Photography Contest Submission Deadline

1-800-837-2621

www.cobaselect.com

Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 37

T

NO

NNEC

N

R LEA N I

CO

VA T E

WORLD CLASS EDUCATION

2017 COLLEGE

CATTLEMEN’S

CATTLEMEN'S COLLEGE SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE TUESDAY, JANUARY 31

4:00pm6:30pm

Concurrent Sessions: Turning Loss Into Gain: Managing Genetic Risk to Improve Fertility New Genetic Tools for Building More Productive Cow Herds and More Valuable Feeder and Fed Cattle

6:30pm8:00pm

BBQ & Biscuits Welcome Reception

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 7:00am8:00am

The Big Picture for Beef: Meeting the expectations of a changing consumer

CATTLEMEN’S COLLEGE CLASSES Here’s the Beef

Managed Grazing for Soil Health & Animal Performance

Production Efficiency and Profit

Healthy Business Strategies

Breeding Cattle with Staying Power

8:15am9:15am

25 Years of National Beef Quality Audit Impact

The Basis for Soil Health Management in Pasture and Rangeland Systems

Immune Priming and the Value of Calf Management

The Family Ranch- Part Reality TV Show and Part Paradise!

Reducing Lameness & Improving Cattle Structure Through Genetics and Management

9:30am10:30am

Beef’s Taste Experience

Managed Grazing to Optimize Sustainability of Rangeland and Pasture-based Systems

Improving Cattle Health through Genetic Selection

Alternative Income Sources for the Farm or Ranch

Developing Heifers for the Long Haul

10:45am11:45am

Industry Hot Topic

Managing Forage to Meet Beef Cattle Nutrient Needs

The Future of Cattle Feeding in America

Capturing Value of Genetics & Management

Cow Efficiency & Stayability

Class Type

12:00pm1:30pm Registration for Cattlemen’s College is only available to Convention attendees who purchase a Full Registration or One Day: Wednesday registration — it cannot be added to Trade Show Only registrations.

38 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017

Price: $250 Student: $130

Grab and Go Lunch

VISIT WWW.BEEFUSA.ORG TO REGISTER TODAY!

CONNECT. LEARN. INNOVATE. OPENING GENERAL SESSION

THE BIG PICTURE FOR BEEF: MEETING THE EXPECTATIONS OF A CHANGING CONSUMER WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 -- 7:00 AM- 8:00 AM

Cameron Bruett, Head of Corporate Affairs - JBS USA Consumer and customer expectations for transparency and often times demand for change in actual on-ranch management practices has become the norm in the beef supply chain over the past decade. In a highly competitive protein market place, the beef value chain is under constant pressure to meet the rapidly changing expectations of our customers and balance input costs related to our businesses. In this presentation Cameron Bruett, Head of Corporate Affairs for JBS USA will address evolving customer and consumer expectations (domestic and international) and how cattlemen and women and the U.S. beef industry can prepare for them. He will discuss competition from other proteins and share his insights on both challenges and opportunities facing the U.S. beef industry in an increasingly global protein market place.

YOU’RE INVITED!

You’re invited to join us in Nashville for a reception open to all Ohio attendees at the convention! It will be held on:

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2 • 5:30 P.M. TO 7:00 P.M. GAYLORD OPRYLAND HOTEL • CHEEKWOOD G LIVE MUSIC, MUNCHIES & DRINKS Reception attendees will receive complimentary beverages and hors d’oeuvres with a cash bar to follow. There will be live guitar music entertainment from one of Nashville’s up and coming musicians!

Sponsored by:

Hope to see you in Nashville!

DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM THE

INDUSTRY’S BEST!

#BEEFMEET BEEFUSA.ORG

For a complete list of session details and speakers please visit www.BeefUSA.org.

Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 39

Ohio Beef

1988 2017 30th Anniversary

March 17-19 | Ohio Expo Center | Columbus, Ohio

- Tentative Wednesday, March 15

7:00 a.m. Cattle are permitted on the fairgrounds

7:30 a.m. Junior Show open for stalling in barn and viaducts, ALL stalling for both locations will be done out of the Jr. Show Office in the Gilligan Complex

Thursday, March 16

8:00 a.m. - noon Trade Show set up for large equipment noon All breeding cattle must be in place O’Neill Building noon - 6:00 p.m. General Trade Show set up 7:30 p.m. The Social, Crowne Plaza North

Friday, March 17

Official Website

www.ohiobeefexpo.com

Official Hotel

Crowne Plaza Hotel at I-71 & 161 614.885.1885 $87 Room Rate

Ohio Cattlemen’s Association

7:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. Trade Show set up for smaller vendors 8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. Judging Contest Registration, Denny Hales Arena

8:00 a.m. Voinovich Building opens for public 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Trade Show Open, Voinovich Building

9:00 a.m. Judging Contest, Denny Hales Arena

10:00 a.m. Educational Seminar, Voinovich Building

10:00 a.m. Breed Shows begin in Cooper Arena & O’Neill Building

noon Stock Show U Fitting Demo - Voinovich Building 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Genetic Pathway Open, O’Neill Building 11:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Junior Show Check in, Gilligan Complex

1:30 p.m. Online Feeder Cattle Sale, Voinovich Building

2:30 p.m. Judging Contest Awards, Cooper Arena 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Genetic Pathway Open, O’Neill Building

3:30 p.m. Youth Beef Quality Assurance, Cooper Arena Juniors will be divided into three groups by age and all sessions will run concurrently.

5:30 p.m. Junior Show Welcome Party & Weaver Livestock Fitting Demonstration

10600 U.S. Highway 42 Saturday, March 18 Marysville, OH 43040 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Trade Show Open, Voinovich Building 8:30 a.m. Junior Show Check in & arrival deadline 614-873-6736 6:30 a.m. -10:00 a.m. Breed Sales begin in Voinovich Building 10:00 a.m.

1:00 p.m. Genetic Pathway Open, O’Neill Building beef@ohiobeef.org 12:00 Noon Junior Showmanship, Cooper Arena 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Genetic Pathway Open, O’Neill Building

Sunday, March 19

Download the Ohio Beef Expo App! 40 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Junior Show, Cooper Arena

8:00 a.m. Voinovich Building opens for public 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Trade Show Open, Voinovich Building 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Genetic Pathway Open, O’Neill Building

Join us at the Ohio Beef Expo!

The Ohio Beef Expo (OBE) will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2017. Several exciting plans are being made to commemorate this milestone at the March 17-19 event. One highlight will be a specially commissioned 30th anniversary painting by C J Brown. The original artwork will be sold and prints of the original will be available for purchase before and during the Expo.

Three-Day Trade Show

What’s New for 2017?

The 30th anniversary will also provide a fitting opportunity to change the Expo’s trade show hours. According to Expo exhibitors, Ohio is fortunate to have one of the largest and most successful trade shows anywhere within agriculture. Beginning in 2017, the Expo planning committee is rethinking the trade show to make it even more beneficial for Expo attendees. This means all 2017 trade show exhibitors will be in place for all three days. Sunday will no longer be an optional day for exhibitors.

This change will enhance Sunday’s attendance numbers as cattle families can be assured that the entire trade show will be in place on Sunday through closing at 2:00 p.m.

2017 Schedule Changes

New for 2017, the Expo’s Judging Contest will move to Friday morning March 17. Moving the Judging Contest to Friday will allow the OBE to start the junior show showmanship contest at noon on Saturday, March 18 rather than 3:00 p.m., as in previous years. This will allow showmanship to conclude earlier on Saturday night so exhibitors can be better prepared for Sunday’s market animal and heifer show.

Beef Quality Assurance training will also be moved to Friday afternoon March 17. It will continue to be offered in three different age groups.

Junior Show

Several junior show schedule changes have also been made for 2017. The junior show barn and the viaduct will both open for stalling assignments beginning on Wednesday morning, March 15. There will be a set number of viaduct bays sold on Breeders World Online Sales during on the Junior Show Online fundraiser on March 7, 2017.

Complete details will be available at www.ohiobeefexpo.com.

Check-in for the show will be on Friday from. 11a.m. – 6 p.m. and on Saturday from. 6:30-8:30 a.m. All cattle must be entered online, stalled and checked in by 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 18.

Please arrive with cattle at least an hour prior to ensure completion of stalling, entries and check-in by 8:30 a.m. Upon arrival at the show all cattle must checkin first, before stalling. Showmanship sign-up is completed through the online show entry and must be completed by the close of check-in on Saturday.

Educational Seminar

Friday’s schedule will continue to offer an educational seminar. United Producers, Inc. will sponsor a seminar at 10:00 a.m. in one of the trade show building’s sale rings. It will focus on current opportunities for expansion in the beef industry, by exploring the prospects for feeding Ohio feeder cattle in Ohio rather than shipping them west. Ohio’s abundance of feed, water and its favorable regulatory climate makes the state attractive to those who are looking to add value to their corn and soybeans by starting a new feeding or backgrounding operation or to those who are considering expansion of their existing operation.

Feeder Cattle Sale

The Ohio Beef Expo will host a feeder cattle internet board sale again in 2017.

Sponsored by United Producers, Inc. (UPI), the sale will be held Friday, March 17 at 1:30 p.m. in the Voinovich Building (trade show sale ring) on the Ohio Expo Center grounds.

A board sale offers consignments of uniform packages of feeder cattle. The cattle are sold while on the farm with a specific pick up period defined in the sale catalog. Typical pick up times range from one week to four months after the sale. Lots are typically sold in 48,000 to 50,000 pound load lots. However, smaller groups are encouraged as well. These

sales may include all types and breeds of feeder cattle. Uniform lots sold in groups that would average between 400 and 900 pounds are common. Uniform groups of Holstein feeder cattle may range as low as 300 pounds.

Consignments will be accepted at any time prior to 12:00 noon Friday, March 10, 2017, and are open to Ohio and outof-state producers. Earlier consignments are encouraged since videos and pictures of all consignments will be posted on UPI’s web page. Sale consignors must be OCA members for 2017. Sale commission will be $1.50 per cwt. The commission will be divided between the UPI sourcing market and OCA. Sale catalogs will be posted on UPI and OCA’s websites at least one week in advance of the sale.

More information is available at uproducers.com or ohiobeefexpo.com. To consign cattle or request information, contact your local United Producers, Inc. representative or Sam Roberts at 937v 477-0060.

Interested in Being An Expo Sponsor?

View sponsorship opportunities at www.ohiobeefexpo.com Contact the OCA office 614-873-6736 beef@ohiobeef.org Ohio Beef

1988 2017 30th Anniversary

Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 41

OCA Parting Shots

Advertisers’ Index American Angus Association ........................... 14 Armstrong Ag & Supply...................................... 37 Black Gold Feedlot............................................. 31 Buckeye Hereford Association.......................... 34

Over 100 youth and their families attended the first-ever OCA Cattlemen’s Camp in mid-October.

The event was held at the Madison County Fairgrounds in London, Ohio. The event was hosted in partnrership with Weaver Leather Livestock and AIC member, Heritage Cooperative was on hand for participants to learn more about supplies for their cattle project for the upcoming year.

Champion Hill........................................................2 Century Livestock.............................................. 21 COBA/Select Sires.................................... 11 & 37 Crystalyx............................................................. 27 Dickinson Cattle Co........................................... 34 Highland Livestock Supply................................ 31 John Deere.............................................................5 Kalmbach............................................................ 44 Karr Farms.......................................................... 20 Mix 30................................................................. 15 Multimin.............................................................. 35 NCBA Convention..........................................38-39

Cattlemen met in late October at OCA member, Fred Voge’s. The evening was targeted to educate cattle feeders with a reception following. Pictured from left are Stacey and Randy Hollowell, Covington, Ohio; OCA President, Joe Foster, Gallipolis, Ohio; and Congressman Warren Davidson, 8th District.

Novak Town Line Farm....................................... 34 O’Connor Farms Limousin................................. 34 Ohio Beef Council............................................... 43 Jeff Pope............................................................. 34 Reed & Baur Insurance Agency........................ 34 Safety Zone Calf Catchers....................................9 Saltwell Western Store...................................... 10 Sweetlix.............................................................. 23 Thompson ET...................................................... 31 Valentine Farms................................................. 34 Wayvew Cattle Company................................... 19

First-year BEST participant, Lance Brinksneader, Darke County shows his calf at the Heart of it All over Thanksgiving weekend.

Delaney Bell, Muskingum County, proudly wears her Vote For Beef shirt.

The Columbiana, Mahoning, Trumbull County Cattlemen hosted a Beef Industry Update meeting on December 1 in Leetonia, Ohio. The meeting was sponsored by Allied Industry Council members Animal Profiling International and Multimin USA. Pete Hausser, the representative for both companies, presented to the cattlemen during the meeting.

42 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017

Your $2

Beef Checkoff

Building beef demand in Ohio through consumer engaging events.

BEEF

COUNCIL

Yearlong blogger series

Nutrition information for dieticians and pediatricians Farm tours for consumer influencers Ohio State 4-miler race partner Youth education, Beefonomics program Online videos that connect consumers with how their beef is raised Television beef cooking demos Ohio State Football Taste & Traditions tailgate promotion and video Grassroots promotional events through Checkoff funded grants Beef Month events & promotions Cincinnati & Columbus Burger Week promotions Team Beef active lifestyle beef advocates Cincinnati Bengals season-long tailgate promotion ProStart culinary education Ohio State Fair beef promotions

www.ohiobeef.org

Help tell the beef story by using #ohiobeef in your social media posts.

It is every cattleman’s responsibility to remit their $2 per head Beef Checkoff.

Learn more Winter Issue 2017 x Ohio Cattleman x 43 about how to submit your checkoff at www.ohiobeef.org.

44 x Ohio Cattleman x Winter Issue 2017