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Join in the Celebration of Beef at the 34th annual Fairfield County Cattlemen’s Banquet

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Plan to join us the the 34th FCCA Banquet!

Make your reservation today and plan to celebrate beef at the 34th annual Fairfield County Cattleman’s Association banquet and annual meeting. The event will be held on Saturday, March 11 in the Fairfield County Ag Center (831 College Avenue, Lancaster) with registration beginning at 6 p.m. Supper will feature locally prepared beef brisket!

Tickets are $10 with local Junior Fair exhibitors and youth under age 9 admitted free!

The evening’s festivities will include Director elections, the award of the cattleman’s college scholarship (trivia: did you know since 1999 when the college scholarship program was begun, the FCCA has awarded a total of $33,800 in scholarships to local youth?), and a brief industry update. And as in the recent past, the annual scholarship benefit auction will also highlight the evening!

Make your reservations by February 25th (including Junior beef exhibitors – we need your reservations too) by clicking on this link or by leaving a message with Stan Smith, anytime 24/7, at OSU Extension in Fairfield County at 740-277-4633. For more information about the banquet please contact FCCA President Jeremy Whitehead at (614) 578-4937.

62 Youth Weigh-in Market Beef Calves!

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Participation in the market beef show remains strong!

Interest and participation in the Jr. Market Beef Show in Fairfield County remains strong! Ranking as the second largest number of youth to tag in a market steer or market heifer project over the past 15 years and despite a couple inches of freezing rain and snow over night, 62 youth brought their market beef show prospects to weigh-in at Fairfield Cattle Company on Saturday, March 12th. This represents a nearly 45% increase over the 43 youth that weighed-in animals just four years ago.

In summary, sixty two (62) 4-H and FFA members weighed in a total of 88 beef feeder calves as their projects in preparation for the 2022 Fairfield County Fair’s finished market beef junior show. Of the 88 head tagged in on Saturday, 5 were market heifers and 46 were bred, born and raised (BBR) here in Fairfield County. The average weight of all calves was 867 pounds. These calves will be Continue reading 62 Youth Weigh-in Market Beef Calves! →

Cattlemen’s Activities; Banquet, Scholarship and Jr Beef Weigh-in!

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Get March 12th on your calendar. It’s an all beef day!

After a year’s hiatus due to concerns for the pandemic, the Fairfield County Cattlemen are pleased to announced they will host the 33rd annual Banquet on Saturday, March 12 in the Fairfield County Ag Center. Registration will begin at 6 p.m. followed by supper featuring beef brisket!

Tickets are $10 for adults, and $5 for children under the age of 12. Youth 5 and under are free. Plus, all 2020 and 2021 Fairfield County Junior beef exhibitors will be admitted free!

Make your reservations (including Junior beef exhibitors – we need your reservations too) by clicking on this link or by leaving a message with Stan Smith, anytime 24/7, at OSU Extension in Fairfield County at 740-277-4633.

One of the traditional features of the banquet will be the awarding of the 2022 Scholarships. Local high school seniors and current college students can find Continue reading Cattlemen’s Activities; Banquet, Scholarship and Jr Beef Weigh-in! →

Beef Quality Assurance Certification and REcertification set for September 15

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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 Beef Quality Assurance Certification and REcertification set for September 15 →

Market Beef Show Numbers Continue to Grow in 2021!

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This first time beef exhibitor was one of 68 youth to weigh-in calves for the 2021 Fairfield County market beef show.

Interest and participation in the Jr. Market Beef Show in Fairfield County continues to grow! Equaling the largest number of youth to tag in a market steer or market heifer in 15 years, 68 youth brought their market beef show prospects to weigh-in at Fairfield Cattle Company on Saturday, March 13th. This represents a nearly 60% increase over the 43 youth that weighed-in animals just three years ago.

In summary, sixty eight (68) 4-H and FFA members weighed in a total of 98 beef feeder calves as their projects in preparation for the 2021 Fairfield County Fair’s finished market beef junior show. Of the 98 head tagged in on Saturday, 5 were market heifers and 49 were bred, born and raised (BBR) here in Fairfield County. The average weight of all calves was 744 pounds. These calves will be Continue reading Market Beef Show Numbers Continue to Grow in 2021! →

Your Checkoff Dollars Promote Beef!

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Ohio’s checkoff dollars are spent under the direction of 15 Ohio cattlemen collectively known as the Ohio Beef Council

As you know, anytime we market a beef animal $2.00 per head is deducted from our check and submitted to what’s called the “Checkoff.” It’s collected on all cattle – beef or dairy, feeders, fed cattle, breeding stock and culls – that are marketed, and even our youth pay the Checkoff on the animals they market at the Fair!

Often times the question is asked, “What’s the checkoff, and what’s it used for?” Let’s take a minute to explore that question, and then look at a small example of what those checkoff dollars are spent on, including a project that Fairfield County’s cattlemen recently participated in.

By law, all producers selling cattle or calves, for any reason and regardless of age or sex, must pay $1-per-head to support beef/veal promotion, research and information through the Beef Promotion and Research Act created by the 1985 Farm Bill. As of March 2014, in the state of Ohio all producers selling cattle or calves must pay an additional $1-per-head through the Ohio Beef Marketing Program Referendum. Thus, in Ohio, $2.00 is deducted from the sale price of every beef animal when it is sold. This happens regardless of where the animal is sold . . . youth pay it for each of the project animals they sell, auction barns collect it from Continue reading Your Checkoff Dollars Promote Beef! →

Fairfield County Cattlemen’s Association earns Outstanding County Award

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In recognition of 30+ years of support for the beef cattle industry!

Congratulations to the Fairfield County Cattlemen’s Association on recently receiving the Outstanding County Award! In their press release, the OCA said it like this . . .

(MARYSVILLE, Ohio) – The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) awarded the Fairfield County Cattlemen’s Association the 2021 Outstanding County Award. This award was sponsored by Ohio Corn & Wheat.

The Outstanding County award is OCA’s opportunity to recognize the outstanding achievement, industry education and consumer promotion efforts of counties from across the state. Activities, participation in OCA events, communication efforts, support of industry youth and a cohesive Continue reading Fairfield County Cattlemen’s Association earns Outstanding County Award →

The Fair, Upcoming Events, Deadlines & Congratulations!

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Congratulations FCCA on being named the 2020 Outstanding Ohio County Cattlemen’s Organization

FCCA members and area cattlemen and women . . . hopefully you’ve successfully concluded a safe and productive harvest, the cows are preg checked (or getting bred if you’re a fall calver), and you have enough high quality feed for winter!

We wanted to get an update out to you with regard to the Fair, and other activities, events and programs on the horizon.

Fairfield County Jr. Beef Show & Fair Livestock Sale: It’s a pleasure to report that beef numbers were up again this year. Fifty four youth exhibited a total of 67 market steers and heifers, feeder calf numbers were up slightly, and breeding beef numbers were stable. This is the most since 2007, and many are anticipating even higher numbers next year. And, the Jr Fair Livestock Sale was a success. Due in part to the support of the FCCA, no market beef animal sold for less than $1000 premium in the sale. FCCA purchased two calves, plus, added $25 on to each market beef exhibitor’s sale price at a total cost of $3450 to FCCA.

“Beef Families Care” Grant sends beef to local food pantries: At their pre-Fair FCCA Board meeting in September, the Directors voted to participate in the Beef Families Care cost-share program that is providing ground beef to local food pantries. FCCA provided $300 that was combined with donations of $300 from the local Blue Ribbon Showmen 4-H Club, $300 from OSU’s Ohio Collegiate Cattle Club, and $393 that was donated in the Continue reading The Fair, Upcoming Events, Deadlines & Congratulations! →

Cattlemen are eligible for CFAP financial relief

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Depending on size, type and marketing status, cattlemen are eligible for $33 to $214 payments/head from the CFAP administered through Farm Service Agency.

Last month USDA began accepting applications for the Coronavirus Food Aid Program (CFAP), a relief program for farmers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Eligible livestock for the CFAP includes cattle, lambs, yearlings and hogs. Non-specialty commodities that are eligible include malting barley, canola, corn, upland cotton, millet, oats, soybeans, sorghum, sunflowers, durum wheat, and hard red spring wheat, as well as wool. Specialty crops included in the program are, but not limited to, almonds, beans, broccoli, sweet corn, lemons, iceberg lettuce, spinach, squash, strawberries and tomatoes.

Enrollment at Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices will continue through August 28, 2020. Participants do not need to have participated in FSA administered programs in the past to enroll. Depending on the age or class of the animal, and total program participation, cattlemen can be eligible to receive between $33 and $214 per head of cattle owned and/or sold between January 15 and May 14, 2020.

In the absence of the ability to meet with FSA staff face-to-face at this time due to the virus, there are presently two ways to apply for CFAP. First, cattlemen and eligible producers can Continue reading Cattlemen are eligible for CFAP financial relief →

Jr. Market Beef Numbers Grow Again!

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Most market beef exhibitors since 2007!

On March 14, 2020, fifty nine (59) 4-H and FFA members weighed in a total of 84 beef feeder calves in preparation for the 2020 Fairfield County Fair’s finished market beef junior show. Of the 84 head tagged in on Saturday, 5 were heifers and 33 were bred, born and raised here in Fairfield County.

The average weight of the 84 calves weighed in was 763 pounds. Fifty nine exhibitors placing calves on feed in March for this project is the largest number in Fairfield County since Continue reading Jr. Market Beef Numbers Grow Again! →