Dr. Nevil Speer
If you missed the 88.9FM Saturday Morning Farm Page, you missed a really good interview with Dr. Nevil Speer and OSU Extension Beef Specialist, Garth Ruff about the Beef Cattle markets and more. Please take a minute to listen in and thank you the Fairfield County Cattlemen for sponsoring local radio programming efforts.
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Engaged participants at the 2023 Local Food “Beef Night” at the Fairfield County Fair learned more about purchasing beef from local producers and more!!
Consumers gathered on August 8 at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds to learn about beef during the Fairfield County Local Foods Week. The event was hosted by the OSU Extension and Fairfield County Cattlemen’s Association with support from the Ohio Beef Council’s (OBC) Beef Promotion Grant. OSU Beef Field Specialist Garth Ruff demonstrated how the best beef-eating experience starts with cut selection and proper cooking techniques.
Consumers learned how to select, grill and enjoy the perfect steak. Techniques were also shared on how to properly smoke the perfect brisket, the importance of using a meat thermometer and food safety practices. Questions were also answered regarding meat prices, production practices and how local cattlemen work to provide a positive, healthful eating experience for consumers.
The Beef Promotion Grant utilizes Beef Checkoff dollars to promote beef and educate urban Ohio consumers on how beef gets from pasture to plate. For more information about the grant visit ohiobeef.org.
Be sure to stop by the Fairfield County Cattlemen’s Booth for a cheeseburger!! Profits from weekly sales of the FCCA trailer are used for the benefit of beef youth exhibitors. 
Don’t bring a thing but your appetite and a lawn chair!
The Fairfield County Cattlemen’s Association is hosting a cook-out and you’re invited! Hold Saturday, August 12th, on your calendar for an evening of great beef, fellowship, and relaxation. The best part is, the only thing you need to bring is your family and a lawn chair . . . ALL the food will be provided!
All Fairfield County Cattlemen’s members and their families are invited. Plus, an invitation is extended to all of Fairfield County beef cattle exhibitors and families. At the same time we hope exhibitors will also invite their buyers and others who have supported their effort in completing their beef cattle projects. Anyone who attends may acquire or renew their Beef Quality Assurance certification.
The cook-out will be hosted at Stillwater Farm, 1975 Old Logan Road SE, Lancaster. Hold the date . . . specific times and details will be announced soon.
Are your ‘direct to the consumer’ products listed?
If you sell freezer beef, you know the demand for locally grown and harvested meats has exploded in recent years. Did you know the Fairfield County office of Ohio State University Extension is proud to provide local consumers a listing so they can easily find local food growers, producers and markets? This comes in the form of the Fairfield County Local Foods Guide?
The Local Foods Guide is a compilation and listing of all foods and beverages grown, harvested, processed and sold locally directly to consumers. Listings include: Meats and related products, eggs, dairy, produce, herbs, flowers, trees, honey, maple syrup, breweries, wineries and Continue reading
Good Hay Weather!
Hay season is officially underway! The trade off between quality and quantity can be a delicate compromise.
Dry conditions are expected for the next couple weeks in our area. Haymakers, take advantage of this extended window of opportunity for harvest! After first cutting, consider applying some fertilizer to give grass a good boost for second cutting. Nitrogen in the form of urea will require at least a half inch of rainfall within four days to become active in the soil and reduce the risk of nitrogen volatilization. So, wait for rain to be in the forecast before you apply urea. Also, watch for problematic weeds that tend to show up around this time and cause issues for second cutting.
Making hay in May and early June is worthy of celebration because the most influential factor on forage quality is plant maturity. As grasses and legumes emerge from the soil Continue reading
Participation continues to grow!
Participation in the Fairfield County Junior Fair Market Beef Show has grown again this year! Tying for the largest number of youth to tag in a market steer or market heifer project since 2006, sixty eight (68) youth brought their market beef show prospects to weigh-in at Fairfield Cattle Company on Saturday, March 11th. This represents nearly a 60% increase over the 43 youth that weighed-in market beef animals just five years ago.
In summary, sixty eight 4-H and FFA members weighed in a total of 101 beef feeder calves as their projects in preparation for the 2023 Fairfield County Fair’s finished market beef junior show. Of those 101 head tagged in on Saturday, 5 were market heifers and 56 were bred, born and raised (BBR) here in Fairfield County. The average weight of all calves was 725 pounds. These calves will be finished and returned to the Fair for exhibition on Continue reading
Plan to get BQA certified on September 15th!
Following the lead set by the pork industry years ago, many segments of the beef industry require BQA certification in order for cattlemen to have market access for their cattle. This was never more apparent than when nearly four years ago Tyson Foods, who harvest and process 25% of the US beef market share, and also Wendy’s, the second largest fast food hamburger chain in the country, announced the cattle they purchase must originate from producers and feedyards who are Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certified. Since then, other fed cattle buyers have followed suit and are making the same requests.
Because BQA is a three year certification, most of those who were BQA Certified in the fall of 2018 are due to be REcertified at this time. To accommodate not only those now needing REcertification but also those wanting initial BQA certification, the Fairfield County Cattlemen will be hosting a Beef Quality Assurance certification on Continue reading
Cost has not been a deterrent . . . consumers want high quality beef!
Beef cattle educational programs planned for early in 2020 have been designed to help Ohio cattlemen take full advantage of what’s expected to be continued strength in the beef cattle sector throughout the coming year.
Despite total U.S. beef production being up in 2019 over last year, demand for beef remains strong. While the progress with recent trade agreements certainly bodes well for prices, much of the strength in demand domestically is for high-quality beef as indicated by a weekly Choice-Select spread that has averaged $22.84/cwt. since June, compared to $12.09/cwt. for the same period last year.
Over this decade, cattlemen have made significant progress in the Continue reading
The Fairfield County Cattlemen’s Association are an active group, and we hope this site helps to keep you informed with all they are doing. You may subscribe in the lower right hand side of the page to receive an email informing you each time a new post is made, or you’re welcome to stop back and visit as often as you wish for updates.