Livestock

Brown Swiss Junior Show—Judge Hannah Simpson, Salem, Ohio

Junior Champion: Lauren Lamoreaux, Stark County

Reserve Junior Champion: Carissa Pittman, Wayne County

Honorable Mention Junior Champion: Daleyn Gehrig, Monroe County

Intermediate Champion: Elaina Lahmers, Union County

Reserve Intermediate Champion: Sylvia Headings, Madison County

Honorable Mention Intermediate Champion: Ava Lahmers, Union County

Senior Champion: Jeffrey Schrock, Madison County

Grand Champion: Elaina Lahmers, Union County

Reserve Grand Champion: Sylvia Headings, Madison County

Honorable Mention Grand Champion: Jeffrey Schrock, Madison County

Jersey Junior Show—Judge Tom Arrowsmith, Pennsylvania

Junior Champion: Kendall Thomas, Champaign County

Reserve Junior Champion: Lillian Finke, Madison County

Honorable Mention Junior Champion: Kelly Hawvermale, Wayne County

Intermediate Champion: Drake Tompkins, Morgan County

Reserve Intermediate Champion: Joey Ziegler, Union County

Honorable Mention Intermediate Champion: Savannah Thomas, Logan County

Senior Champion: Lillian Finke, Madison County

Reserve Senior Champion: Drake Tompkins, Morgan County

Honorable Mention Senior Champion: Ruby Herron, Columbiana County

Grand Champion: Lillian Finke, Madison County

Reserve Grand Champion: Drake Tompkins, Morgan County

Honorable Mention Grand Champion: Drake Tompkins, Morgan County

At the 2023 Dean’s Charity Steer Show, supporters raised an incredible $165,680 for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio (RMHC) with more online donations being accepted until Aug. 6. Donate now at https://give.osu.edu/deanscharitysteershow.

“This exciting event brings together our community to celebrate agriculture and children, both for our 4-H youth as well as children benefiting from the Ronald McDonald House,” said Cathann A. Kress, Ohio State vice president for agricultural administration and dean of CFAES. “Every dollar we raise means families can stay together only steps away from their hospitalized child during one of the most stressful times of their lives.”

During the Dean’s Charity Steer Show, 10 teams, consisting of a team captain, team champion(s), and experienced Ohio 4-H youth, will not only show a steer, but will also compete to see who can raise the most money for RMHC of Central Ohio through donations and an “auction” following the show.… Continue reading

Grand Champion and Reserve Champion cheesemakers were selected at the 2023 Ohio State Fair Cheese contest held at Miceli Dairy in Cleveland, Ohio.  

The American Dairy Association Mideast, who coordinated the event, is pleased to announce that Pearl Valley Cheese of Fresno, Ohio, took top honors, receiving the overall Grand Champion award for their Swiss cheese. Urban Stead Cheese of Cincinnati, Ohio, received the overall Reserve Champion award for their Aged Cheddar cheese.

Participation was at an all-time high with 63 entries from cheesemakers across the state. Winners of the contest by classification are as follows:

Swiss Class:

First Place          Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno, Ohio

Second Place     Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno, Ohio

Third Place         Guggisberg Cheese, Millersburg, Ohio

Other Swiss Class:

First Place          Guggisberg Cheese, Millersburg, Ohio – Ziller

Second Place     Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno, Ohio — Lacey Baby

Third Place         Turkeyfoot Creek Creamery, Wauseon, Ohio – Gouda

Young Cheddar Class:

First Place          Bunker Hill Cheese, Millersburg, Ohio

Second Place     Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati, Ohio

Third Place         Middlefield Original Cheese, Middlefield, Ohio

Aged Cheddar Class:

First Place          Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati, Ohio

Second Place     Middlefield Original Cheese, Middlefield, Ohio

Surface Mold Bloomy Class:       

First Place          Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland, Ohio — Camembert Peppercorn

Second Place     Rowdy Cow Creamery, Burton, Ohio — Camembert Claridon Hill

Third Place         Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland, Ohio — Camembert Triple Cream

Bacteria Ripened Class:

First Place          Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland, Ohio — Apple Jack Washed

Second Place     Rowdy Cow Creamery, Burton, Ohio – Tomme

Fresh, Spreadable & Curd Class:

First Place          Rowdy Cow Creamery, Burton, Ohio — Fromage Blanc 

Second Place     Rowdy Cow Creamery, Burton, Ohio — Salt, Pepper & Garlic Curd

Third Place         Turkeyfoot Creek Creamery, Wauseon, Ohio — Greek Quark

Open Class — Cow’s Milk:

First Place          Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno, Ohio — Colby

Second Place     Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno, Ohio — Marble

Third Place         Tri State Cheese, Hicksville, Ohio — Muenster

Open Class — Spicy:

First Place          Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno, Ohio — Jalapeno, Ghost & Habanero Pepper Blend

Second Place     Tri State Cheese, Hicksville, Ohio — Horseradish 

Third Place         Tri State Cheese, Hicksville, Ohio — Habanero Muenster

Open Class — Other Milk:

First Place          Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland, Ohio — Sussex Ash Rine

Judges for the contest included Bill Rufenacht of the Dairy Connection, Aileen Kacvinsky of Schuman Cheese, Brian Schlatter of Fromagex, restaurateur John Quagliata and Jenny Crabtree of ADA Mideast.… Continue reading

Holstein Junior Show—Judge Eddie Bue, Wisconsin

Junior Champion: Blayk Thomas, Champaign County

Reserve Junior Champion: Cole Bentley, Seneca County

Honorable Mention Junior Champion: Jacoby Gilbert, Wayne County

Intermediate Champion: Kennley Siegrist, Wayne County

Reserve Intermediate Champion: Carissa Pittman, Wayne County

Honorable Mention Intermediate Champion: Savannah Thomas, Champaign County

Senior Champion: Colton Thomas, Champaign County

Reserve Senior Champion: Aubrey Topp, Shelby County

Honorable Mention Senior Champion: Wyatt Schauch, Holmes County

Grand Champion: Colton Thomas, Champaign County

Reserve Grand Champion: Kennley Siegrist, Wayne County

Honorable Mention Grand Champion: Carissa Pittman, Wayne County

By Brianna Gwirtz, OCJ field reporter

When people think of summer, most of them imagine vacations, sunny days, and warm weather. However, for many 4-H families, summer means it’s time to prepare for showing livestock at the Ohio State Fair.

The 2023 Ohio State Fair will kick off on July 26 and run through August 6. Over the past three years, the schedule for the annual event has undergone several changes revolving around the junior livestock program. In 2020, the fair was canceled due to the pandemic. In 2021, it was only open to livestock exhibitors, and in 2022, there were schedule changes that resulted in some species showing on dates outside of the scheduled fair.

In 2021 and 2022, the Ohio State Fair featured two Grand Drive events in the Taft Coliseum for breeding and market exhibitors. Similar to other national shows, the Grand Drive was a grand production, including a tunnel that exhibitors walked through, lights, smoke, announcers, and a live video stream for viewers at home.… Continue reading

Long-time Ohio Expo Center and State Fair General Manager Virgil Strickler is retiring after 30 years with the Ohio State Fair. In his tenure, major changes to the fair and junior livestock programs have taken place. In this podcast, Ohio’s Country Journal’s Matt Reese and Ohio Ag Net’s Joel Penhorwood joins him to discuss the success of the Ohio State Fair under his charge, challenges along the way, and his perspective on leadership.

Other interviews in this episode of the podcast include…

Between the Rows highlight with Lawrence Onweller

Matt talks with Fulton County farmer Lawrence Onweller about the major rain variability in his part of the state and how the crop is shaping up in 2023.

Jed Bower re-elected to National Corn Board

Ohio Ag Net’s Dusty Sonnenberg hears from Fayette County corn grower Jed Bower about his re-election to the National Corn Board.

Farmhand Mike

Mike Less of Darke County, better known as Farmhand Mike on social media, joins Joel from the recent Fennig Equipment ride and drive event to introduce their new offering of Deutz-Fahr tractors.… Continue reading

By Clifton Martin, Ohio State University Extension Educator ANR, Muskingum County

We passed through a May and June that looked more like a July and August if we consider rainfall. Usually, July and August are more likely to put managers under pressure with hot temperatures and limited precipitation that force choices that might often be classified as “which wrong choice is the most right?” as we work to make the best of less-than-ideal conditions.

Timely rainfall is easing the current drought pressure that had been developing locally, but we still have a way to go for summer heat. As we navigate these choices, here are some points to remember.

A goal of managing grazing systems is to keep forage plants healthy and growing so that they meet the nutritional needs of grazing livestock. Two easy principles to follow on that journey are first, the “take half/leave half” concept and, second, provide a rest period so plants can recover.… Continue reading

Please join the Wayne-Ashland Dairy Service Unit and OSU Extension – Wayne County for the 2023 Dairy Twilight Tour at New Prospect Farm, 12391 Benner Road, Rittman, OH 44270. There will be a Dairy Summit held on July 18, from 3-5 P.M., with the tour taking place from 6-9 p.m. There will be free dinner served from local favorites including Amy’s, Joe’s, Exclusively Yours and Lerch’s. Ice cream, milk and cheese will also be available. There will be over 65 different companies to visit, activities for kids, and an opportunity to see the farm and visit with the Gary Dotterer family.

New Prospect Farms LLC is a partnership between Gary Dotterer and sons, Kent, and Kevin. After farming with Gary’s brothers in the past, this dairy farm was established in 2008. The crops continue to be raised with the extended family through the Dotterer Brothers operation. New Prospect Farms continually strives to become more efficient by making improvements to the farm.… Continue reading

The election of pork producer delegate candidates for the 2024 National Pork Producers (Pork Act) Delegate Body will take place at 3:00 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, in conjunction with a Board of Directors meeting of the Ohio Pork Council at The Silo, 138 W. Main St., Plain City, Ohio. All Ohio pork producers are invited to attend.

Any producer, age 18 or older, who is a resident of the state and has paid all assessments due may be considered as a delegate candidate and/or participate in the election. All eligible producers are encouraged to bring with them a sales receipt proving that hogs were sold in their name and the checkoff deducted. For more information, contact the Ohio Pork Council Office, 9798 Karmar Ct. Suite A, New Albany, OH 43054, 614-882-5887.… Continue reading

By Matt Reese

W.J. Fannin III loves to share the story of beef production.

“I enjoy the direct marketing. It gives us a chance to tell the story from the producer level. Big corporations have never been able to figure out a way to mass produce beef. They have never been able to take a momma cow and have calves in barns and have the success rate be high. Why would you want something grown in a petri dish to eat when you could have something natural and grown in pasture on a farm? Selling direct lets me tell that story. We’re trying to tell the story of what we do whenever we can,” Fannin said. “We are marketing in every way possible. We sell cattle in any way to suit a person’s needs. We sell freezer beef, we sell to restaurants, we sell them live on the hoof, we sell direct to packers.… Continue reading

Quick action by FAS, USDA’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, and the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has resolved an issue that temporarily stopped U.S. poultry product exports to Colombia, the tenth largest market for these products.

Colombia’s Ministry of Agriculture instructed all Colombian ports to deny import permits to any poultry products beginning June 1 on concerns of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). Roughly $1.1 million in U.S. exports were impacted by the ban between June 3 and June 8.

FAS, APHIS, and USTR joined forces to leverage our free trade agreement to pressure Colombian officials to lift the ban. In parallel, USDA staff in Colombia directed U.S. companies, Colombian importers, local trade associations, and State Department Economic officials to communicate the impact of the ban on bilateral relations with Colombia’s Ministries of Agriculture and Trade.

These cooperative efforts brought a reversal on the ban to fruition on June 8.… Continue reading

By Chris Zoller, Extension Educator, ANR, Tuscarawas County and Garth Ruff, Extension Field Specialist Beef Cattle

The some much-needed June rains brought some relief, Ohio has been showing up on the U.S. Drought Monitor already in 2023. With the potential for more dry conditions yet this summer and fall, there are management practices you can take to minimize damage to pastures, while maintaining cattle health and growth. Please consider the suggestions provided below if we continue to see dry conditions in 2023.

• Do not overgraze. Plants require leaf area to capture sunlight to complete the photosynthesis process.  Overgrazing will diminish available leaf area and impact root reserves needed to maintain plant growth.
• Depending upon forage species, plants should be approximately 8 inches to 10 inches tall before being grazed and follow the “take half, leave half” rule.
• Consider using temporary posts and fencing to reduce paddock size to improve utilization with more frequent pasture rotations.

On behalf of all the state’s pork producers, the Ohio Pork Council (OPC) is again partnering with a community-based nonprofit to further demonstrate how much its members are dedicated to bringing high-quality, nutrient-dense protein to those in need. A $2,000 donation from OPC to the SAME Café in Toledo has been used to purchase many pounds of ground pork and bacon, allowing thousands of people in Northwest Ohio to get access to the protein at no cost.

“Donations like this from the Ohio Pork Council are a lifeline to us,” said Rori Quinonez, Executive Director of SAME Café.  “We don’t get a lot of high-quality animal protein for our kitchen to use for our meals, so this is an amazing gift for us to use to feed those in need in the Toledo area.”

While giving back to the state’s rural and urban communities is a regular part of the OPC’s Pork Power initiative, it is even more critical during uncertain economic times that are affecting so many Ohioans.… Continue reading

By Joel Penhorwood, Ohio Ag Net

A trip to the rolling hills of north Champaign County will put visitors among some of most beautiful pastures, highest quality cows, and hardest working people in the world.

In a time when small dairies are becoming harder to find, Nathan and Jenny Thomas of Triple-T Holsteins near North Lewisburg have found a niche in the dairy industry. What the husband and wife’s 35-cow herd lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality with a world-renowned focus on show genetics and prize cattle, all while selling into a specialized milk market.

“We started milking cows in 2006. That was the same year Jenny and I got married. We farm here with my dad, John, and my brother, Andy,” said Nathan Thomas.

“We only milk 35 registered dairy cattle, but our main focus has been our genetics and our cow families,” said Jenny Thomas. “We’re very much into presenting our cattle in the show rings across the country.”… Continue reading

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is making investments that will create new and better markets for agricultural producers and food businesses in 19 states across rural America.

“The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA are standing up for America’s farmers and ranchers by expanding processing capacity, creating fairer markets, more revenue streams and market opportunities which help bring down food costs for families at the grocery store,” Secretary Vilsack said. “We are partnering with entrepreneurs in rural areas to build brighter futures, connect business owners to new markets and create good jobs for generations to come. These investments reflect the goals of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to rebuild our economy from the bottom up and middle out and make our communities more resilient.”

USDA is making investments worth $320 million to strengthen food supply chains and create more opportunities for producers and entrepreneurs in 19 states: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Iowa, Idaho, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.… Continue reading

On June 15, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), alongside Republican Senators Chuck Grassley (IA), John Cornyn (TX), Tom Cotton (AR), Deb Fischer (NE), Kevin Cramer (ND), Joni Ernst (IA), Eric Schmitt (MO), Ted Budd (NC) and Bill Hagerty (TN) introduced the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act to address concerns regarding interstate markets.

The legislation would preserve the exclusive right of states and local governments to regulate agricultural practices within their jurisdiction, free from interference from other states, ultimately preventing large states from regulating farmers and ranchers outside of their borders.

This would apply to situations such as California Proposition 12, which prohibits the sale of pork from hogs whose mothers were raised on farms — anywhere in the world — that does not comply with the state’s arbitrary standards. It applies to any uncooked pork sold in the state, whether produced there or outside its borders.

The requirements of Prop 12 will increase consumer food prices and drive small farmers out of business.… Continue reading