Friday, August 22
1:00 p.m. - Ohio Cattlemen’s Foundation’s Golf Scramble
The River Oak Golf Course will host the Ohio Cattlemen’s Foundation’s Golf Scramble. Participants can enter the scramble for $30 and all proceeds will benefit the educational activities of Ohio Cattlemen’s Foundation. For more information about the scramble, call Sam Roberts at 937-477-0060 or click here.

4:00 p.m. - Registration & Ticket Pickup starts at Crawford County Fairgrounds - 610 Whetstone St., Bucyrus, OH 44820

5:00 p.m. - OCA and OCW Membership Meetings and speaker from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Washington D.C. office
An open OCA membership meeting will take place to update members on current OCA programs and activities. An Ohio CattleWomen’s meeting will also take place. A representative from NCBA’s Washington D.C. office will also give an issues update.

5:30 p.m. Gregg Doud, Chief Economist, NCBA
As the Chief Economist for NCBA, Gregg Doud manages top-level economic and international trade policy issues for the beef industry in Washington, D.C. Located in NCBA's Government Affairs office, Doud works closely with legislative and regulatory staff, media representatives, industry groups and cattle producers to explain and influence the outcome of beef industry economics, trade and marketing issues. Doud is a member of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agriculture Trade Advisory Committee, providing input during trade agreement and WTO negotiations. Doud was raised on a dry-land wheat, grain sorghum, swine and cow-calf operation in North-Central Kansas.

6:30 p.m. - Dinner featuring Roast Beef Sandwiches
Sponsored by United Producers Inc.

7:30 p.m. – Trent Loos, Agricultural Activist, Loos Tales
Trent Loos, a nationally known agricultural activist and sixth generation farmer. His radio program “Loos Tales” is heard by 3 million listeners on nearly 100 radio stations daily. Loos travels the country to unearth stories about the people involved in the many different facets of production agriculture and to spread the good word about food producers in the United States. Loos was raised on a diversified farm near Quincy, Ill., and got his start in swine production with a runt pig at the age of five. From that small start, he expanded his operation, alongside his father, to a purebred seedstock company that supplied boars and gilts to producers across the country.  Along the way, he earned an American Farmer Degree in FFA and won numerous awards at state and national swine shows. In 1990, Trent expanded his operation to include purebred Limousin, Simmental and Angus cattle. 

9:00 p.m. – Social Evening, Baker’s Pizza Sports Shack

Saturday, August 23
7:30 a.m. – Breakfast & Registration at Crawford County Fairgrounds - 610 Whetstone St., Bucyrus, Ohio 44820
Sponsored by Burkhart Farm Center Inc.

8:30 a.m. – Depart for tour of Crawford County Operations or Optional Women’s Tour - Bus transportation will be provided
North Tour: Glen Feichtner; Green Valley, Robert Wagner; Paradise Corner, Andy Lohr
South Tour: Hord Livestock, Duane Hord; MKB Farms, Mike Kocher; Paradise Knoll, Don Lohr

12:00 noon - Lunch at Crawford County Fairgrounds featuring a Steak Fry with all the trimmings
NCBA PAC Fundraiser will happen at the conclusion of the meal.

1:00 p.m. - Steve Foglesong, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Vice President
Steve Foglesong is the owner of Black Gold Ranch located in Illinois. With his wife and children, he operates a cow-calf, stocker, feedlot and replacement heifer development program. He attended the University of Illinois where he received a bachelor’s degree in Animal Sciences. Foglesong is currently serving as NCBA’s Vice President and has served in numerous leadership roles for NCBA.

2:00 p.m. - Depart for tour of Crawford County Operations or Optional Women’s Tour - Bus transportation will be provided
North Tour: Glen Feichtner; Green Valley, Robert Wagner; Paradise Corner, Andy Lohr
South Tour: Hord Livestock, Duane Hord; MKB Farms, Mike Kocher; Paradise Knoll, Don Lohr  

5:30 p.m. – Return to Crawford County Fairgrounds - Hamburgers for the Road

Crawford County Tour Stops

Glen Feichtner
 
The farm, operated by Glen and Deb Feichtner, feeds out 250 to 300 head of cattle per year. Cattle are also fed in custom lots to spread out marketings throughout the year. Steers are purchased in Eastern/Southern Ohio and West Virginia off grass as dry calves or yearlings at 550 to 800 pounds. Cattle are fed to finish weight of 1,250 to 1,350 pounds and marketed yield and grade direct to packers through United Producers at Bucyrus. Cropping consists of 930 tillable acres of corn, soybeans, barley and wheat. Corn planting is 15 percent no-til with soybeans, wheat and barley 100 percent no-til. The operation will chop 700 to 900 tons of corn silage and has storage capacity of 9,000 bushels of high moisture shelled corn and 82,000 bushels of grain. GPS technology is used to apply manure where needed, helping to reduce fertilizer costs, and to avoid over application of phosphorus. In 2000 the farm was honored as OCA’s Environmental Stewardship Awards winner. A commercial trucking business was started in 1984 hauling livestock and grain in Ohio and the five surrounding states.

Wagner Farms

Wagner Farms, a family operation ran by Robert, his wife, Mary, and sons Lary, Tom and Dick and families. The farm started with 17 acres in 1941 and has since grown. The operation calves 60 to 70 cows annually. An intensive approach to herd health and newborn calf care has contributed to the success of the operation. In 2006, the calving rate exceeded 100 percent. At weaning, calves are fed to a market weight of 1,100 to 1,400 pounds and marketed through the Ohio Signature Beef program. The operation utilizes land management techniques such as systematic tiling and construction of a heavy use pad to make the most of the limited pasture available.

Hord Livestock

Hord Livestock Co. Inc., near Bucyrus, is managed and operated by Duane and Patrick Hord, along with approximately 85 employees. The operation originally began with a focus on hog and crop production and just recently expanded to include a beef production enterprise. Currently, the operation consists of 11,000 sows and 5,200 acres of crops. Approximately 275 head of cattle are being fed out in several facilities in the local area. Construction of a 495 by 42 ft hoop barn feedlot will be completed in 2008. Cattle are fed a ration that includes dried distillers grains and liquid supplement. All cattle are currently marketed commercially; however, the operation has future goals to direct market beef to grocery or restaurant chains and may consider offering contract grower arrangements.

Paradise Knoll and Paradise Corner Farms
 
Paradise Knoll Farm, near Galion, and Paradise Corner Farm, near Bucyrus, are operated by Don Lohr and sons Andy and Bryan along with their families. Paradise Corner houses the cow-calf segment of the operations. Approximately 100 head of cows are intensively grazed on nearly 125 acres of pasture in three locations from late spring to fall. During the remainder of the year, cattle graze corn stalks or are fed silage directly from ag bags. Modifications have been made to the farm’s century-old barn to facilitate manure handling and calving. Approximately 10 to 12 heifers are annually retained for replacements and some calves are held for 4-H projects. The remaining heifers and steers are transported to Paradise Knoll where they are finished to a weight of 1,100 to 1,300 pounds and then marketed commercially at United Producers or locally sold as freezer beef. An EQIP grant was used to construct a cover-all over the feedlot. Both farms benefit from techniques and facilities that ease day-to-day management operations.

MKB Farms

MKB Farms are owned and operated by Mike and Brenda Kocher and their two children, Heather and Nick. Their farm is located near Galion where their shop, grain handling and storage facilities are located. This operation began in 1985 and consists of 2,100 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and hay. They finish 225 head of cattle annually in two different rented barns. The cattle are brought into the facility in groups that can be marketed at different times of the year. Cattle will weigh between 350 to 450 pounds when placed. Cattle are treated and implanted soon after arrival to the farms and started on whole shelled corn with liquid supplement and hay or straw.

Optional Women’s Tour - Discover Bucyrus "The Little Town of Tours"
An optional woman’s tour will also happen on Saturday.