During the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association 2019 annual meeting and awards banquet, Ohio producers representing various aspects of beef production were honored for their contributions to the beef industry. The banquet was held Jan. 12 at the Nationwide Conference Center in Lewis Center. The awards presentation included videos of each recipient’s operation, and those videos are available online on the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association YouTube channel.

Top commercial producer
The Robison family of Mingo received the Commercial Producer of the Year Award. Robison Farms, in Champaign County, is a 500-acre livestock operation that has been in the family for more than 100 years. Since 2006, management of the farm has been split between brothers Allan and Thad, along with their families: Allan’s wife, Kelly, and their children, Noah and Josie; and Thad’s wife, Amanda, and their sons, Zane and Wyatt. Allan and Thad’s mother, Connie, is also part-owner of the farm.

The Robisons own nearly 100 brood cows that are primarily used for embryo implantation in cooperation with other individuals, predominately Maplecrest Farms and the Grimes family. They also maintain a small portion of their herd to create their own replacement females using sexed-heifer semen. Each year, the Robison family tries to improve their land through cover crop incorporation, and water and fence-row improvement projects, like developing a spring and fencing out the spring and ditches to control brush and erosion. The family’s goal is to one day be able to pass down the operation to their children, as their parents and grandparents did before them.

Outstanding affiliate
This year, in an effort to recognize county affiliates and their exemplary work in promoting the beef industry across the state of Ohio, the OCA Outstanding County Affiliate Award was created and presented to the Clark County Cattle Producers. The members of Clark County Cattle Producers are diverse, including small and large operations that raise both commercial and show cattle. Members of the organization are extremely involved, and they pride themselves on giving back to the youth in their county. Each year they host the Clark County Cattle Battle, which is part of the OCA Best program. The proceeds from this show are distributed to members and other junior showmen in the county. Each year, the organization awards scholarships to youth in their first or second year of a beef project for the fair, which enables them to buy a calf from Clark County and keep the proceeds from the animal at sale time. The organization also offers funds for members to attend OCA programs like Beef 509/510, the Young Cattlemen’s Conference, the annual meeting or Cattlemen’s Gala.

Five years ago, Clark County Cattle Producers started the Make-A-Wish Celebrity Showdown at the Clark County Cattle Battle. This cattle show specifically encourages youth to be good ambassadors for the cattle industry through gathering charitable contributions for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Linde Sutherly, president of Clark County Cattle Producers, notes that without the active membership of the organization, it would not be able to host the successful events that it does.

Environmental stewardship
The Environmental Stewardship Award recognizes individuals who excel in preserving and protecting the environment associated with their farm. This year it was awarded to Stickel Farms of Bowling Green, in Wood County. Brothers Andy and Brian Stickel are the fourth generation to operate Stickel Farms, a diversified grain and livestock operation. Also active in the operation are Andy’s wife, Erin; and the two brothers’ parents, Dale and Mary Elyse. Stickel Farms grows corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa and processing tomatoes; operates a hay and straw business; and raises close to 400 head of feedlot cattle per year. The Stickels also have a 40 head cow-calf operation on the farm. The family chooses to forward-market its cattle through an all-natural program that’s overseen by Erin.

While the operation is always looking to grow, the family is primarily aiming to become more self-sustainable. Due to the Stickels’ location in northwest Ohio, they are not strangers to water quality issues. In order to minimize runoff and nutrient-loading in their watershed, they have incorporated practices like no-till, the use of cover crops and limited commercial phosphorus use. They hope to leave their land and resources in better condition than they found them, so the next generation will have the opportunity to be involved with production agriculture and continue the family’s legacy.

Industry excellence
The Industry Excellence Award recognizes individuals who continue to promote and excel in the beef industry. This year it was presented to Bob Agle of South Vienna, in Clark County.

Bob owns and operates Agle Family Cattle alongside his wife, Peggy; daughters Emily and Allison; and nephew Adam and Adam’s wife, Megan. Bob has been involved with the beef industry his entire life, and while the Agle family has fed cattle for more than 30 years, Bob now specifically concentrates on breeding show cattle. He raises close to 50 head a year, all various breeds. He’s very specialized in his operation, and he uses embryo transfer and in vitro fertilization heavily to improve the quality of the cattle he generates. Known as a great role model within his community and a leader for the Clark County beef community, Bob is very involved with the Clark County Fair and even started the Cattle Battle show, part of the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association’s Best program. He is a former member of the operating committee for the Ohio Beef Council, is active within OCA and hosts tours for OCA on his farm. Bob feels fortunate to be able to do what he loves, and he is proud of the success his family has seen from the operation over the years.

Top Seedstock Producer
The Seedstock Producer of the Year Award, which was created to recognize top beef seedstock producers in Ohio, was awarded to Paint Valley Farms of Millersburg, in Holmes County.

Paint Valley Farms is owned and operated by Lee Miller and his wife, Dawn; their children, Megan,

Whitney, Grant and Derek; and herdsman Gretchen Straits. The family manages close to 160 brood cows, 120 of which are registered shorthorn females.

The Millers sell cattle through online and private treaty sales and have sold cattle through the Ohio Beef Expo for nearly 10 years. In 2019, Paint Valley Farms will host its first live bull sale at the farm on March 23. The Millers place a focus on raising cattle that will produce a high-quality end product for consumers, and also incorporate rotational grazing to improve sustainability efforts on their farm. Their goal as a seedstock operation is to produce beef cattle that are appealing to the eye, perform well and offer functional traits.

Source: Ohio Cattlemen’s Association, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.