Livestock

By Joel Penhorwood and Matt Reese

In the 35 years since its first installment, Ohio Beef Expo has made a place for itself on the national stage. The 2023 event had a packed trade show, full parking lots and broken attendance records with cattlemen of all ages coming to Columbus for the premier event for beef producers in the Midwest, and among the top in the country.

“It’s the 35th anniversary. It’s really hard to believe, but it is so gratifying to see how far it’s come in those 35 years,” said Elizabeth Harsh, executive director of the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association which coordinates the Ohio Beef Expo. “The Beef Expo does not have one big event, but we have multiple really great events and there’s no doubt about it that our trade show has become the envy of any Beef Expo anywhere. We really appreciate all those folks who think that it’s the most productive use of their time and their business of any trade show they go to, but it’s also the breed sales and all those breeding cattle.… Continue reading

The 35th Ohio Beef Expo held March 16-19 at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, Ohio hosted nine successful breed sales. This year’s event was hosted by the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA). 

This year’s cattle sales flourished with 331 live lots sold at an average price of $3,739 with a live gross of $1,237,600. 

For more on the Ohio Beef Expo, click here.… Continue reading

By Matt Reese

There is plenty of discussion about row crops and their ability to sequester carbon in the Corn Belt, but often overlooked in these conversations are the forests and pastures of rural southeastern Ohio. These land uses could be real winners in terms of payments derived from carbon sequestration.

“When it comes to carbon sequestration, you know trees are still it. They’re long lived, they’re permanent and they can sequester a lot of carbon,” said Mike Estadt, Pickaway County educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources with Ohio State University Extension. “And then I would rank grasslands and pastures right in there too for the same reason. Perennial grasses can sequester a lot of carbon if they’re managed properly.”

Estadt pointed out that scientists estimate grasslands contain 10% to 30% of the world’s organic carbon with the potential to store more with improved grazing practices sequestering carbon and reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2) nitrous oxide, (NO3) and methane (CH4).… Continue reading

By John Ferry, Corinne, Utah, national winner of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Environmental Stewardship Award 

My family has been farming and ranching outside of Corinne, Utah since 1900 — that’s 123 years, when you do the math. Today, JY Ferry & Son, Inc. is a farming, feeding, ranching, and wetlands/wildlife operation. My brother Ben, my son Joel and I jointly manage our land resources with a cooperative and sustainable approach. 

Holistic synergy is what we seek on a daily basis. We’ve always believed that the land itself is the greatest resource any farming or ranching operation has. And as a member of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) and co-chair of the Beef Checkoff’s Consumer Trust Committee, I know that consumers are very concerned with beef’s environmental impact. As a beef producer, I also know I must do my part to let those consumers know how much we care about our land, our animals and our environmental responsibility.… Continue reading

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) in partnership with Merck Animal Health and the checkoff funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program, are hosting four regional Stockmanship and Stewardship (S&S) events. These regional events are intended to bring together cattle producers from a large area for a two-day cattle handling and educational program. Events will highlight proper stockmanship techniques as well as local stewardship information.

We are pleased to announce that one of these events is being hosted in Caldwell, Ohio on September 29 and 30, 2023! This unique Stockmanship and Stewardship event is focused on live low-stress cattle handling demonstrations, Beef Quality Assurance training, and industry updates you won’t find anywhere else. Participants will gain an edge on learning about consumer concerns regarding beef sustainability and livestock welfare, how those concerns have impacted the industry, and the role that Beef Quality Assurance plays in the conversation. Producers who attend not only receive hands-on training in best management practices to help improve their operation, but also the chance to get BQA certified!… Continue reading

By Garth Ruff, Beef Cattle Field Specialist, Ohio State University Extension

Let’s talk about a topic that’s been on my mind and the minds of others recently given the economy and other issues: Value.

Meriam Webster defines Value in several different ways 1) the monetary worth of something: market price, 2) a fair return or equivalent in goods, services, or money for something exchanged, 3) relative worth, utility, or importance.

To determine Market Value, I subscribe that it’s up to a buyer and the seller/provider to determine value themselves for a good or service and it’s up to the buyer to know where their cost threshold is. I would also propose in many instances that you get what you pay for, until you don’t. Here are some examples.

A colleague of mine just sent me a screen shot of a fellow cattlemen advertising and selling beef on social media. If you’re on social media, these kinds of posts have been routine over the past couple of years.… Continue reading

By Glen Arnold, CCA, Ohio State University Extension

With the month of March moving along, the topdressing of wheat fields with nitrogen fertilizer will soon start. Given the current fertilizer prices more livestock producers may be considering applying liquid swine manure as a top-dress for wheat

The key to applying the correct amount of manure to fertilize wheat is to know the manure’s nitrogen content. Most manure tests reveal total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen and organic nitrogen amounts. The ammonia nitrogen portion is readily available for plant growth. The organic nitrogen portion takes considerably longer to mineralize and generally will not be available when wheat uptakes the majority of its nitrogen before mid-June.

Most deep-pit swine finishing manure will contain between 30 and 40 pounds of ammonia nitrogen per 1,000 gallons. Finishing buildings with bowl waters and other water conservation systems can result in nitrogen amounts towards the upper end of this range.… Continue reading

By Chris Penrose, Ohio State University Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Morgan County

Spring is just around the corner and it will soon be time to graze our livestock. Think it is too soon? I might be cheating, but I will start grazing my spring calving cattle on stockpiled fescue in a couple weeks and if things go right, I will be done feeding hay to them. In reality, I plan on officially grazing new growth in late March (on some warmer springs, I have started around March 21). After teaching pasture and grazing programs for over 30 years and trying to “practice what I preach,” here is what I try to do.

First, we need to start off with healthy pastures, ones that can take an early grazing without hurting re-growth too much. Next, I try to estimate when the spring “flush” of new rapid growth will start. In most years, it is around April 10 in Southeast Ohio.… Continue reading

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) applauds the reintroduction of the Beagle Brigade Act of 2023. This legislation would provide congressional authority to the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Detector Dog Training Center — a vital program in training agricultural canine teams that work daily to prevent foreign animal and plant diseases from entering the United States. 
  
“Safe and reliable food production is critical to the United States’ continued national and economic security,” said Terry Wolters, NPPC president and owner of Stoney Creek Farms in Pipestone, Minnesota. “As African swine fever continues to plague the Dominican Republic and Haiti, strengthening early detection capabilities at our U.S. borders is more important than ever.” 
  
The “Beagle Brigade” serves as the first line of defense for early detection at the nation’s ports of entry and is critical in keeping foreign animal diseases, like African swine fever, out of the United States.… Continue reading

By Andrew Griffith, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee

How much can I afford to pay to get my pastures right?

My question back is if a person can afford NOT to get their pastures in good shape. Over the past several years, there have been many pastures where broomsedge has become the dominant specie or where blackberries or other woody species have become invasive and reduce forage production. Anything that reduces forage production then reduces carrying capacity and thus revenue production.

This brings back the question if a person can afford not to improve their pastures. There are several methods of improving pasture. Some methods are more capital intensive while other methods may take a little more time. Regardless, producers should consider their pasture conditions and determine if pasture renovation of some sort is appropriate.

Regardless of which route a person chooses to renovate pasture, it will come at a cost.… Continue reading

The U.S. Department of Agriculture decided to allow eligible pork harvest facilities to continue experimenting with ergonomics, automation, and crewing while maintaining line speeds that have been proven able to protect food and worker safety for over two decades.

“Ensuring sufficient harvest capacity is critical to allow America’s pork producers to continue to provide wholesome pork products to consumers,” said the National Pork Producers Council in a statement. “This extension will allow USDA to assess a final report of the data collected during the time-limited trial and determine next steps. NPPC appreciates the extension of the trial period and will continue working with the administration and Congress towards a permanent solution.”

This extension comes after a spring of 2022 announcement from USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) approving the Clemens Food Group pork packing plant in Coldwater, Michigan, to run faster line speeds under a one-year trial program. The trial initially let four plants operate with faster harvesting line speeds, which could increase packing capacity and alleviate supply issues in the face of strong pork demand. … Continue reading

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), Consortium for Common Food Names (CCFN), U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and a coalition of other dairy stakeholders prevailed in their ongoing battle to protect the right of producers to use generic names in the U.S. market.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld the prior decisions of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board in finding “gruyere” to be a generic term for a variety of cheese. The Fourth Circuit’s clear decision should put an end to the attempt by Swiss and French consortiums to expropriate a common food name through a U.S. certification mark registration.

The Fourth Circuit found that the evidence is “so one-sided” that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and Opposers must prevail as a matter of law. … Continue reading

The American Lamb Board and the American Sheep Industry Association provide monthly market reports aimed at delivering timely and useful information for American lamb producers. The recently released January report summarizes USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service annual sheep inventory report and provides insight on lamb imports, market values, and retail lamb prices.

Smaller U.S. Lamb Flock
The American lamb flock is smaller going into 2023, although live lamb prices have strengthened. Wholesale values continue to adjust and are anticipated to move higher but will rely on consumer demand recovering. Production costs remain high. Moderating inflation and improving supply chains are still concerning. Cold storage inventories at the end of 2022 were above year ago levels.

Sheep Inventory Lowest on Record
The American sheep and lamb inventory totaled 5.02 million head as of Jan. 1, which is 45,000 head below last year and the lowest on record. The number of breeding sheep was 3.67 million head, down 1 percent from 2022.… Continue reading

By June of 2023, all medically important antibiotics currently available at most feed or farm supply stores will now require veterinary oversight (written Rx) to be used in animals, even if the animals are not intended for food production. Examples of affected antibiotics include injectable penicillin and oxytetracycline. In addition, some retail suppliers who were able to sell these drugs/products in the past may no longer sell them after June of 2023. This means that small and large animal veterinarians should be prepared for an increase in calls and visits from animal ownerswho previously may have purchased these drugs over the counter at their local farm supply store. To continue using medically important antimicrobials, you may need to establish a veterinary-client-patient relationship (VCPR). Consult your veterinarian for more information.

By Gustavo M. Schuenemann, DVM, MS, Ph.D., Professor, Dairy Cattle Health and Management, Veterinary Extension Specialist, Ohio State University Extension

What is a veterinarian-client-patient-relationship?… Continue reading

By Matt Reese

There was record attendance at the Ohio Pork Congress held in Lima in February. Visitors had the chance to hear from a wide array of speakers, visit a packed trade show and celebrate success with fellow pork producers. 

“Looking ahead to 2023, our industry faces challenges, however, the Ohio pork industry is filled with great leaders from top to bottom,” said Nick Seger, Ohio Pork Council president from Shelby County. “The big wins we’ve had don’t mean the fight to protect our industry is over, but I am confident we can use this momentum rise to the occasion to overcome and adapt.” 

Cheryl Day, executive vice president of the Ohio Pork Council, provided an overview of priorities and successes for the organization including securing funding for meat processing grants and animal protein for foodbanks, supporting H2Ohio, pushing for science over emotion in the western Lake Erie Basin watershed, and addressing misconceptions about pork production.… Continue reading