Ohio Cattlemen’s Association holds successful Annual Meeting & Awards Banquet
The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) held its Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet on Feb. 1 at the Hilton Polaris Hotel in Columbus. Cattlemen and women from across the state gathered to engage in important association business, hear updates from many industry partners and recognize the recipients of several prestigious industry awards.
The event was made possible by the following sponsoring partners: Ag Credit, Heartland Feed Services, Foster Farms, Austin & Lindsey Cole & family and Nexus Marketing.
The day started with the launch of the new Ohio Beef Youth Council (OBYC). The council is a youth education initiative created to serve the families and youth of Ohio’s beef industry and invest in the next generation of industry leaders. This initiative, funded by the Beef Checkoff and OCA, will provide youth with the tools to become more effective industry leaders and inspire them to continue their engagement in Ohio’s beef industry as adults. The eight youth leaders for the council unveiled the OBYC structure and its first programs.and recognized council sponsors Bonnie Coley Malir and Rick Malir, founders of City Barbeque.
The Ohio Beef Council sponsored lunch to introduce their 2024 video annual report that highlighted Beef Checkoff investments to build beef demand. The luncheon included five stations that featured various aspects of the checkoff and its programs.
Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), joined members to present an industry update on policy issues and highlights from the NCBA Federation’s role as a contractor to the beef checkoff. Several elected officials attended the meeting as well including U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno, Ohio Representatives Rodney Creech and Bob Peterson, and Ohio Senators Kyle Koehler and Tim Schaffer.
OCA President Mark Goecke of Allen County led the OCA Annual Meeting. The first order of business was awarding the association’s Top Hand members. The OCA Top Hands are awarded for recruiting five or more OCA members throughout the year. This year’s awards were sponsored by Purina Animal Nutrition and Quality Liquid Feeds. The following were the Top Hands for 2024 Joe Grubbs, Carroll County was the top recruiter. Additional Top Hand winners were Austin Cole, Preble County; Glen Feichtner, Crawford County; John Ferguson, Geauga County; Mark Goecke, Allen County; Lindsey Hall, Highland County; Jessica Helsinger, Preble County; Andy Lohr, Crawford County; Frank Phelps, Logan County; Dave Puthoff, Auglaize County; Bill Sexten, Fayette County; Erin Stickel, Wood County; Linde Sutherly, Clark County and Fred Voge, Preble County.
Following the Top Hand awards, members heard updates from several industry partners. OCA members then voted on the association policy for 2025. The Ohio Cattlemen’s Foundation (OCF) also held its annual meeting to award over 25 scholarships to beef industry youth who have aspirations of pursuing careers in the agriculture and beef industry. These scholarships were made possible through the Cattlemen’s Gala, sales proceeds from the Ohio beef license plates, funds raised from the putt-putt course at the Ohio State Fair, and generous donors such as Saltwell Western Store, the Noah Cox Memorial Fund and the Ohio Cattlewomen’s Association. The following are the 2024 scholarship recipients:
Cattlemen’s Gala Scholarships:
Megan Becker, Washington County
Harrison Blay, Portage County
Marissa Graham, Licking County
Isabel Hiles, Pickaway County
Kaylee Jennings, Clermont County
Maria McIntosh, Champaign County
Delaney Moore, Fairfield County
Cheyenne Myers, Stark County
Rachel O’Reilly, Geauga County
Celeste Rummell, Tuscarawas County
Katelynn Wallace, Miami County
Emma Yochum, Highland County.
Tagged for Greatness Scholarships:
Josh Dickson, Licking County
Carter Lampe, Wood County
McKenzie Pitcock, Muskingum County
Samantha VanVorhis, Wood County.
Cattlemen’s Country Club Scholarships:
Delaney Chester, Warren County
Charity Moore, Montgomery County
Erica Patterson, Hancock County
Anna Scheurman, Coshocton County
Noah Cox Memorial Scholarship:
Megan Garrison, Belmont County.
Cattlewomen’s Association Scholarship:
Delaney Moore, Fairfield County.
Bill Tom Memorial Scholarship:
Sydney Kleman, Putnam County.
Bill Tom Success Grant:
Ryan Bowsher, Allen County.
During the Awards Banquet, attendees celebrated the achievements of their fellow cattlemen. The seven awards presented were as follows:
Outstanding County – Wood County Beef Producers sponsored by Ohio Corn and Wheat
Young Cattleman of the Year – Garrett Stanfield - Manchester, Ohio sponsored by TransOva Genetics
Environmental Stewardship Award - Twin Oak Farms, LLC, Workman Family - Perrysville, Ohio sponsored by Ohio Shorthorn Breeders Association
Commercial Cattleman of the Year – Red Hill Farm, Freeport, Ohio sponsored by Select Sires Member Cooperative
Seedstock Producer of the Year – Ferguson Cattle Company, Chardon, Ohio sponsored by Ohio Simmental Association
Industry Service Award – Ohio Representative Bob Peterson, Sabina, Ohio sponsored by Fayette County Cattle Feeders & Fayette County Farm Bureau
Industry Excellence Award – Dr. Aaron Arnett, Galion, Ohio sponsored by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
The night ended with a social event and a live auction to raise money for OCA’s Political Action Committee (PAC) to be used to support elected officials who support the beef cattle industry and to ensure representation at the Ohio Statehouse and on Capitol Hill.
To learn more about OCA’s award winners or the Annual Meeting, visit www.ohiocattle.org.
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