ABOVE: the Stark County Cattlemen’s Association brought home the top honor for county affiliates this year from the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association annual meeting Jan. 28. (Scroll down to see more photos from this event.)
DUBLIN, Ohio — The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association honored four of its farm family members with its highest awards Jan. 28 during the association annual meeting in Dublin.
Sutherly Bros., Troy, received the Commercial Cattleman of the Year award; Turkey Run Angus Farm, the Bauman family, was named Seedstock Producer of the Year; Scott and Sasha Rittenhouse, Clark County, Young Cattleman of the Year; and Bev and Bill Roe, of Pedro’s Angus and Pedro’s Steakhouse, the Industry Excellence award.
The association also honored Dr. Bobby Moser, dean of the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and vice president of agricultural administration at Ohio State University, with its Industry Service Award.
Moser announced last fall he will be retiring when a search committee finds his successor. Moser, the longest tenured dean at Ohio State, was appointed dean in 1991, and prior to that he was director of the Ohio Cooperative Extension Service (now called Ohio State University Extension).
In his comments, Moser thanked the cattlemen’s association for its strong support of the college and the university, as illustrated in its partnership to fund the OSU Extension beef coordinator position currently held by John Grimes.
He also lauded the association for its educational efforts with the university, like the Beef 509 program and its youth leadership efforts.
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Other award winners
Sutherly Bros., winner of this year’s Commercial Cattleman of the Year award sponsored by Farm and Dairy, is a multi-generation farm near Troy. It was started by brothers Robert, Bill, Richard and John Sutherly, who continue to be active on the farm — as does their 96-year-old mother, Kate Sutherly, who still makes her presence known in the farm’s grain semis and office almost daily.
Sam Sutherly, incoming president of the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association, plays a major role in the farm’s operation, along with his brother, Jim; sister Molly, and cousin, David.
Located in southern Adams County, this year’s Seedstock Producer of the Year, Turkey Run Angus Farm, was started by Frank Bauman in 1956. Today, he farms in partnership with his son, Kent, and Kent’s wife, Joy. They run a herd of about 140 registered Angus brood cows with calves, as well as corn, hay, and 34 acres of burley tobacco. They have been able to develop their breeding herd and now offer a production sale each April.
The 2012 Young Cattleman of the Year, Scott and Sasha Rittenhouse, farm in Clark County. They raise half-Angus, half-Gelbvieh genetics as cooperators for Leachman Cattle of Colorado.
Bev and Bill Roe, owners of Pedro’s Angus and Pedro’s Steakhouse, received the Industry Excellence Award. The Roes bring their unique combination of farm and restaurant knowledge to the ag community. They raise purebred Angus on the farm and serve only Certified Angus Beef steaks in their steakhouses.
The family cattle operation has been recognized as a Historic Angus Herd by the American Angus Association.
Opportunity knocks
Colin Woodall, vice president of government affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, shared an update of national issues during the annual meeting.
The national inventory of cattle and calves — 90.8 million head — is the lowest since 1952, Woodall said, and last year’s drought hammered the cattle-rich region of Texas, which lost more than 150,000 head.
Altogether, the nation’s domestic cattle herd dropped 1.9 million head last year, due to the drought, economics and other factors, he said, including a “general population that just doesn’t understand what we do.”
He also blasted government regulations that impact cattleman, and urged the Ohioans to support the state and national political action committees and their efforts to support legislators and candidates who are likely to understand agriculture or be willing to learn.
The world demand for more protein will hopefully drive beef demand, particularly as world food demands will increase by 70 percent by 2050, Woodall said.
“They want better sources of protein, and the first thing they think of is U.S. beef.”
New queen. Paige Guenther, Hardin County, was crowned 2012 Ohio Beef Queen. First runner-up is Erica Clouse, Guernsey County, and second runner-up, Haley Beck, Huron County.
Retiring queen, Kaitlyn Hinds of Tuscarawas County, gave a brief recap of her reign, which included more than 7,700 miles, and 50 events including 14 county fairs.
Scholarships
Eleven scholarships were presented during the awards banquet.
Steve R. Rauch Benchmark of Excellence scholarship recipients included: Krystin Bachman, Fairfield County; Bailey Harsh, Delaware County; and Lindsey Grimes, Highland County.
Brandom Klehm, Minerva; Dara Howser, Mount Orab; Jessica Harsh, Radnor; and Lacey Uhler, Wooster, each received $1,000 Tagged for Greatness Scholarships, funded with the sales of the Ohio Beef license plate.
Lydia Ulry, Johnstown; Rebecca Auck, Tiro; and Shyla Kreager, Newark, received a $1,000 Country Club Scholarship, funded by the miniature golf course at the 2011 Ohio State Fair. The Ohio CattleWomen’s Association awarded a scholarship to Mollie DePue of Hamden.
County awards
Stark County Cattlemen’s Association won the Outstanding County Affiliate award for their promotional, educational and programming efforts.
Fairfield County won second place and Highland County, third.
