Livestock

About a year ago, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association released a video on the 2015 WOTUS rule that featured an interview with then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. Radical environmental groups cried foul, and House Representatives Elijah Cummings, Peter DeFazio, Betty McCollum, and Frank Pallone asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate whether Pruitt’s appearance violated federal anti-lobbying and propaganda laws. The GAO concluded definitively that the video “did not violate the publicity or propaganda, grassroots lobbying, or Interior anti-lobbying provisions.”

“Radical environmental activists and their allies in Congress first requested this sham investigation to distract from the real issue: Their misguided support for the gravely flawed 2015 WOTUS rule,” said Colin Woodall, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for the NCBA. “It is a shame to think about the wasted taxpayer dollars that were devoted to this report in a vain attempt by Representatives Cummings, DeFazio, McCollum, and Pallone to grab a few headlines.… Continue reading

By Josh Maples, Assistant Professor & Extension Economist, Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University

Large supplies, record exports, and trade concerns are just a few of the topics that have dominated the headlines in 2018. We are now fully transitioning into a primary calf selling time of the year for cow-calf producers and into an active buying time for stocker producers. I’m going to try to sum up a few of the more prominent factors affecting cattle markets and discuss how they could impact cattle prices this fall and beyond.

Larger beef production continues to put downward pressure on prices. Beef production rose by 6.4% in 2016 and 3.8% in 2017. Current forecasts suggest about a 4% increase in 2018, and 1.5% in 2019. Put it all together and that would be about a 16% increase in beef production in just four years. This would be the fastest four-year growth since 1973-1977.… Continue reading

The 2018 Ohio State Fair Commercial Cattle Show participants exhibited 25 pens of three for a total of 75 head of commercial steers and heifers on July 29, 2018 during the fair. Judging the event were Joseph Higgins, Wisconsin and Jacob Mikel, Iowa. The show was managed by United Producers, Inc., and the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association, Ohio State Fair and United Producers, Inc. served as sponsors.

In the junior division live evaluation, Austin Wiseman of Malta, Ohio, exhibited the Champion Lot of 3 Steers and Champion Lot of 3 Heifers which earned the titles of Grand Champion Overall Lot of 3 and Reserve Champion Overall Lot of 3, respectively. Wiseman’s lot of 3 steers had an average weight of 1,319 pounds and his lot of 3 heifers had an average weight of 1,208 pounds. Allison and Ryan Bowsher, Laurelville, Ohio, exhibited the Reserve Champion Lot of 3 Heifers averaging 1,219 pounds.… Continue reading

By Peggy Hall, director of agricultural law, Ohio State University Agricultural and Resource Law Program

The third and largest jury award in a series of nuisance lawsuits in North Carolina yielded a $473.5 million award for plaintiffs claiming harm from hog farms owned by Smithfield. The verdict will reduce to $94 million due to a state law that caps punitive damages.

Agricultural interests are claiming that the lawsuits circumvent state right to farm laws and are seeking state legislative responses. Opponents are also hoping to reverse a gag order issued by the court to impose communication restrictions on potential witnesses, parties and lawyers in the cases. The federal judge in the case, Hon. Earl Britt from the Eastern District of North Carolina, is stepping down due to health issues. Hon. David Faber of the Southern District of West Virginia will replace Judge Britt and will soon hear a fourth trial that targets a 7,100 head hog farm in Sampson County, North Carolina.… Continue reading

By Peggy Hall, director of agricultural law, Ohio State University Agricultural and Resource Law Program

The U.S. EPA has posted a final rule this month clarifying that air emissions from animal waste at farms are exempt from federal regulations that require the reporting of air releases from hazardous wastes. The rule implements an order by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and revisions in the Fair Agricultural Reporting Method Act enacted by Congress earlier this year. We reported on the court case and legislation earlier this year.… Continue reading

By Justin Kieffer, DVM, Clinical Veterinarian, Assistant Professor, Office of the Attending Veterinarian and Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University

Now that calving is completed and the grass is growing (hopefully), it is time to start preparing for the weaning and eventual sale or feedlot finishing of your

calf crop and development of your replacement females. Once the cow calf pairs have been kicked out to pasture in the spring, there is a tendency to put off or ignore the steps needed not only to set the feedlot calf up for success, but also to lay the groundwork for proper health for your new heifers.

Management techniques such as castration and dehorning should take place as soon as possible. Waiting too long to remove the testicles, either by banding or cutting, increases the risk of bleeding and infection, and knocks the calf off feed for an extended period of time.… Continue reading

The National Pork Producers Council and the North Carolina Pork Council filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of lifting a judge’s gag order on communications related to nuisance lawsuits filed against more than two dozen North Carolina hog farms.

Judge Earl Britt, of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, in late June imposed the gag order on the parties, lawyers and potential witnesses in lawsuits brought against Murphy-Brown, the hog production subsidiary of Smithfield Foods. The judge said a “significant increase in trial publicity” and the “volume and scope of prejudicial publicity” about the first two cases — one decided in early May and the other two days after the gag order was implemented — could taint future cases.

NPPC and NCPC filed an amicus curiae brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Va., asking that it grant Murphy-Brown’s petition to vacate the District Court’s prior restraint on speech, noting that “All but the most carefully crafted, narrow gag orders are unconstitutional.”… Continue reading

A Beef Industry Update meeting hosted by the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) will take place in Butler County. Beef producers from Butler and surrounding counties are encouraged to attend. The meeting will be held Thursday, August 16 at 7:00 p.m. at Collinsville Community Center, 5113 Huston Road Collinsville, OH 45004.

At the meeting, OCA staff will discuss OCA events and policy updates. A complimentary dinner will be sponsored by OCA Allied Industry Council (AIC) members Kent Nutrition Group and Multimin USA and door prizes will be provided. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from Kent Nutrition Group and Multimin USA representatives on keeping their cow herd profitable.

The 2018 Beef Industry Update producer education partners are the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and National Corn Growers Association.

Contact the OCA office at 614-873-6736 or email cattle@ohiocattle.org to RSVP. For more information about the beef industry update meetings, visit www.ohiocattle.org.… Continue reading

The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA), a non-profit membership organization that represents the business interests and way of life important to Ohio’s cattle families, recently launched a revamped website. The newly redesigned site is mobile friendly and offers easy access to information about upcoming events and programs while offering more online registration capabilities. The site can be found at the same address, www.ohiocattle.org.

While visiting the site, members will benefit from the increased use of visual aids that assist in navigation and can stay informed from a highlighted “Latest News” section on the home page. The latest issue of the Ohio Cattleman magazine is also available for viewing within the same browser under the “Magazine” tab.

Join or renew an OCA membership online by clicking “Become a Member” and then selecting the type of membership that best applies: Producer, Associate, Ohio Young Cattleman or Allied Industry Council.

In addition, users have the ability to share web pages to their own social media channels to further disseminate information regarding Ohio’s cattle industry.… Continue reading

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall  joined a special national agriculture roundtable highlighting a recent wave of nuisance lawsuits targeting North Carolina hog farms. The event, which was held in Raleigh, North Carolina, brought together legislators and agriculture leaders to discuss the growing threat to farmers and exposed how out-of-state trial lawyers are using nuisance lawsuits to circumvent state right-to-farm laws.

The discussion centered on the economic impact of nuisance lawsuits on America’s farmers and rural communities.

“This is pitting neighbor against neighbor and community against community,” Duvall said. “The regulations need to be on the trial lawyers. We need to let our farmers and ranchers do what they do best, and that is feeding the world. They will not be a nuisance. They deserve a fair shot. They deserve to grow and succeed,” he said.

North Carolina Farm Bureau President Larry Wooten also addressed the panel. “What concerns me are the scars that could be left in rural North Carolina and in our rural communities due to these types of lawsuits,” he said.… Continue reading

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the government of Morocco has agreed to allow commercial imports of U.S. poultry meat and products into Morocco for the first time.

“The Trump Administration continues to prioritize the opening of new markets for U.S. agricultural products. This new access to the Moroccan market is an important step in ensuring that American farmers and ranchers can continue to expand their exports,” said Ambassador Lighthizer. “I welcome Morocco’s agreement to allow imports of U.S. poultry meat and products and the economic opportunities that will be afforded to U.S. producers.”

The United States is the world’s second largest poultry exporter, with global sales of poultry meat and products of $4.3 billion last year. In May 2018, U.S. exports of agricultural products exceeded $12 billion (latest data available).

“Opening new markets for American poultry and other agricultural products is a top priority.… Continue reading

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Another verdict against a North Carolina hog farm came the same day outraged farmers — and a representative of the National Pork Producers Council — gathered for a discussion of the suits’ threat to the state’s pork industry.

North Carolina congressional lawmakers Sen. Thom Tillis and Rep. David Rouzer joined U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas, USDA Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service Under Secretary Bill Northey, North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler and agriculture officials from several other states for the National Agriculture Leaders Roundtable in Raleigh today to hear from hog farmers about nuisance lawsuits brought against 26 pork operations over noise and odors. Three of the cases have been decided over the past three months.

NPPC Past President Dr. Howard Hill, a pork producer from Iowa who previously worked for a pork operation in North Carolina, testified at the meeting, noting that the judge in all three cases believes people who have moved to North Carolina’s rural communities can sue farmers for millions of dollars “for doing nothing more than simply farming.… Continue reading

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The Buckeye Barrow Boosters also supported each exhibitor in the sale. They include: Jim Yeazel and Family, Ohio Hamp/York Crossbred Sale, Ohio State Fair Youth Gilt Sale, Ohio Pork Schopp, Ward Family Genetics, Mark Bodey and Family, Korb Farms, Kremer Yorkshires, Kimley Show Pigs, Ohio’s Country Journal/Ohio Ag Net, Moyer’s Genetic Edge, Rick Fogle, North Central Pig Sale, Isla Grande Farms, Bates Show Pigs, Mark Butterfield Family, Waits Family, Scott Evans Family, Scott Mihalik Family, Michael Carson Family, Thompson Show Feed, Bryan Vaughan Family, Andy Warner Family, Abt Family, Sponcil Family, Sharrett Family Farms, Tim Barney family, Scholl Family, Todd Price Family, Rusty Coe Family, Josh Overmeyer Family, Wendt Livestock, Nate Warner Livestock, Keplinger Farms, Bob Foster Family, Fender Club Pigs, Fearon Family, Dore Family, Stewart Family, Genter Show Stock, Jason Adams Family, and Ron Riley Family.… Continue reading

Judge Brandon Callis, Oklahoma

Class 1 Angus

Champ: Carly Sanders, Highland

Res. Champ: Erica Snook, Noble

Class 2 Chianina

1. Caroline Blay, Portage
2. Taylor Poff, Geauga

Class 3 Chianina

1. Delaney Jones, Allen
2. Kimberly Winner, Darke

Champ: Delaney Jones, Allen

Res. Champ: Kimberly Winner, Darke

Class 4 Hereford

1. Alexis Shaw, Tuscarawas
2. Caroline Vonderhaar, Preble

Class 5 Hereford

1. Franklin Kinney, Logan
2. Adeline Kendle, Tuscarawas

Champ. Hereford: Franklin Kinney, Logan

Res. Champ Hereford: Alexis Shaw, Tuscarawas

Class 6 Maine-Anjou

1. Elizabeth Heintz, Hardin
2. Austin Sorgen, Van Wert

Class 7 Maine-Anjou

1. Colby Watson, Champaign
2. Harrison Blay, Portage

Champ. Main-Anjou: Elizabeth Heintz, Hardin

Res. Champ Maine-Anjou: Colby Watson, Champaign

Class 8 Shorthorn

Champ. Shorthorn: Kate Hornyak, Geauga

Res. Champ Shorthorn: Taylor Muhlenkamp, Mercer

Class 9 Shorthorn Plus

Champ: Kassidy Thompson, Miami

Res. Champ: Mallory Peter, Defiance

Class 10 Simmental

Champ Simmental: Carter McCauley, Guernsey

Res.… Continue reading

Setting a new record at the Ohio State Fair, the Grand Champion Rabbit Meat Pen, exhibited by Josh Morgan, from Ross Country, sold for $6,900 to Show-Rite and Hubbard Feeds, Inc. and their network of dealers. The Reserve Champion Rabbit Meat Pen, exhibited by Colin Tackett, of Miami County, also set a new record and sold for $4,600, bought by Turner Oil and Gas Properties and Antero Resources and the Ohio Market Rabbit Producers Association. The top 30 exhibitors from the show were awarded premiums. Third place received $1,000, fourth place received $600, fifth place received $400, places six through 15 received $250 and places 16 to 30 received $125.… Continue reading

Market Turkeys

Class 1

1. Johnathan Woodward, Coshocton Co.
2. Carter Henderson, Logan Co.

Class 2

1. Maribeth Pozderac, Knox Co.
2. Elizabeth Aleshire, Fayette Co.
3. Hanna Shafer, Miami Co.

Class 3

1. Myah Jones, Clinton Co.
2. Allison Kinney, Logan Co.
3. Mitchell Jensen, Fairfield Co.

Class 4

1. Jozie Jones, Clinton Co.
2. Mason Jackson, Logan Co.

Market Chickens

1. Allison Davis, Carroll Co.
2. Meghan O’Reilly, Geauga Co.
3. Emma Preston, Fairfield Co.
4. Anita Ruggles, Huron Co.
5. Sophia Preston, Fairfield Co.

Class 1

1. Meghan O’Reilly, Geauga Co.
2. Emma Preston, Fairfield Co.

Class 2

1. Seth Abel, Licking Co.
2. Kori Marvin, Union Co.

Class 3

1. Rachel O’Reilly, Geauga Co.
2. Lauren Preston, Fairfield Co.

Class 4

6. Allison Davis, Carroll Co.
7. Sophia Preston, Fairfield

Class 5

1. Jenna Goddard, Fayette Co.
2. Anita Ruggles, Huron Co.

More than 600 cattle industry leaders will be attending the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting in Denver this week to help create direction for critical industry programs. The meeting is taking place Aug. 1-4.
The event includes meetings of cattlemen and women representing the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, American National CattleWomen and National Cattlemen’s Foundation. Among the purposes of the yearly conference is to create a framework for checkoff and policy efforts on behalf of U.S. cattle producers for the upcoming fiscal year, which for NCBA and the Cattlemen’s Beef Board begins Oct. 1.
Keynoter at the Thursday, Aug. 2, Opening General Session will be Tom Hayes, president and CEO of Tyson Foods, Inc., the country’s largest food company. Leading Tyson since 2016, Hayes has been focused on creating shared value and addressing societal needs and challenges in a way that benefits company stakeholders. He will engage with General Session attendees in a lively, informal discussion of topics of prime importance to the entire beef community.… Continue reading