Who said there’s no such thing as a free lunch? Not Ohio’s farmers. In fact, they will be offering the chance for consumers statewide to win free groceries for breakfast, lunch, and dinner – for an entire year.

Beginning July 20, Ohio residents will be able to register for three grand prizes of “Free Groceries for a Year!”* courtesy of Ohio’s farmers at www.FarmersFeedUS.org. Upon visiting the site, consumers will be able to register by meeting an Ohio farmer and learning how they produce safe, nutritious and affordable food. Consumers can register with each of seven farmers daily through the end of the program on Oct. 18.

“As Ohio farmers, we’re thrilled to offer free groceries for a year to the consumers of our great state,” said Jim Heimerl, a hog farmer from Johnstown, who is a featured farmer on FarmersFeedUS.org. “This is an opportunity for us to share what we produce with Ohio consumers and to let them know we share their values – taking care of our families, taking care of our animals and land, and giving back to our communities.”

The site features beef, dairy, pork, lamb, soybean, egg, and turkey farmers from across the state, each sharing information about their farm and their family In addition to guiding visitors through their registration for free groceries for a year, each farmer also offers a brief online tour of their farm. “I’m proud to produce food in the Buckeye state,” Heimerl said, “and I want to show people how today’s farms operate.”

Over the course of the 90-day campaign, consumers throughout the state will also have the opportunity to interact with these and other Ohio farmers at the Ohio State Fair, and even on their blogs and Facebook pages.

Participating Ohio agriculture groups include Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, Ohio Livestock Coalition, Ohio Beef Council, Ohio Pork Producers Council, Ohio Sheep Improvement Association, Ohio Soybean Council, Ohio Egg Marketing Program, Ohio Turkey Council, and American Dairy Association – Mideast.

*Based on FMI, a $5,000 value.

The Center for Food Integrity is a not-for-profit corporation established to build consumer trust and confidence in the contemporary U.S. food system. Our members, who represent every segment of the food system, are committed to providing accurate information and addressing important issues among all food system stakeholders. The Center does not lobby or advocate for individual food companies or brands. For more information, visit www.foodintegrity.org.

The 2009 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium is once again going to hit the road!  After four years on the road and back into Columbus for the 2008 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium, the 2009 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium will once again hit the road for this annual shepherd’s event!  This year’s Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium will be held on December 12, 2009 at the Ohio Department of Agriculture Bromfield Building, 8995 East Main Street, Reynoldsburg, OH  43068. The primary educational portion of the symposium will be conducted on Saturday December 12, 2008.  The primary focus of the 2009 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium will be health management programs that will help our sheep producers stay profitable in the future.  The 2009 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium will be in conjunction with the Small Ruminant Health Symposium and will cover information on the small ruminant species, sheep and goats.

The main speakers of the day will include Dr. Richard Erhardt, Small Ruminant Specialist, Michigan State University.  Dr. Eharhardt will be discussing several health preventative programs as they relate the health maintenance of the small ruminant animal.  We will be offering other topic areas and speakers as well that should be of interest to our sheep and goat producers as well.  Speakers such as Dr. Dale Duerr, DVM from Tuscarawas County, will discuss the “Development of a Flock and Herd Health Plan”, Dr. Bill Shulaw and Dr. Hayes, of ODA will taking a look at ewe and lamb mortality, and we are going to offer tours of the ODA facility and programs such as an update on the USDA Scrapie program..

“These are topics that make a symposium unique, it may be the only time you have a chance to see the programs and the tours of the facilities that we have planned,” states Roger A. High, Executive Director of The Ohio Sheep Improvement Association.

The Ohio Sheep Improvement Association Annual Meeting will also be held.It will be the first item on the agenda prior to the program beginning.  During the OSIA Annual meeting, the election of a new OSIA officer team will be held.

OSIA members will be receiving registration packets in early November.  Please pass the information along to other sheep producers in your area, as we would love to have another attendance breaking symposium.  We will also have the tradeshow, so if you need to purchase anything, it should be available.  And of course, the silent auction will be held to raise money for the Ralph Grimshaw Memorial Scholarship Fund.   If you would like more information about the Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium, please contact Roger A. High at (614) 246-8299 or by email at rhigh@ofbf.org.

Issue 2; What is it all about?

At a recent pasture walk in the southwestern part of the state, the conversation quickly turned from rotational grazing and getting the most out of pastures to livestock care and what, exactly will happen if Issue 2 passes in November. One of the producers brought up a very good point and I am sure that many others in the livestock feel the same way. His question was, in not so many words, “Do we really need a constitutional amendment and more government oversight to tell us how to raise our animals?”

My official answer to this question is that I cannot provide an official answer because I cannot persuade a person to vote one way or the other in an official capacity. What I can do, however, is try to help explain what the issue is all about and hopefully provide some insight into why this issue is on the ballot in the first place.
By now, I am certain that most people reading this newsletter are familiar with the issue and how it got started, so I won’t bore you with the details. What Issue 2 will do is set up a board, more specifically the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board. This board will create the standards that livestock in Ohio will be raised by. The board will consist of the Director of the ODA, a food safety expert, three family farmers, two members of organizations representing farmers, a licensed Ohio Veterinarian, the State Veterinarian, a Dean of an Agricultural College in Ohio, two Ohio consumers, and a County Humane Society Representative. Basically, the board will consist of Ohioans actively involved in producing livestock.

Now that you know what Issue 2, if passed, will do, I would encourage you to go and find out more about the Issue yourself. To do so, please visit http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/IssueProcBallotBd/BallotBoard.aspx#Issues. At the web site mentioned above you will be able to see the Issue as it will be worded on the ballot, arguments for and against it, and a financial analysis.

In recent months the leadership of Ohio Agriculture has been facing the reality that the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has painted a bulls-eye on our Buckeye State. The group has publicly stated it would like to make Ohio its next victory, seeking to initiate and pass provisions similar to those that passed with a two-thirds majority in California as Proposition 2.

At a meeting they requested with Ohio Ag groups in February, HSUS representatives said their goal was to address livestock confinement through either legislation or a 2010 statewide ballot initiative like Prop 2. These confinement housing issues would change housing such as sow gestation stalls, veal crates and cages for layer hens.

Can they be successful? Since HSUS started its campaign to change agriculture’s confinement practices, five states have imposed bans on housing systems. Their singular message in these ballot initiatives has been that farm animals need to have enough room to turn around and extend their limbs. This seemingly common-sense message provides a concept that the voting public, the vast majority of which have no agriculture knowledge, can easily support. This makes agriculture’s need for broader consumer education a daunting challenge, but never more important.

One thing the livestock industry can start doing now is to share with our stake holder’s important information about HSUS – but in a way that is fact-based and not radical in nature. We must be a voice of reason in this effort, while communicating critical information about their agenda.

So who is HSUS? Although they benefit from name identity confusion, HSUS is not the same organization as your local humane society, the one that is primarily responsible for the protecting and sheltering of dogs, cats and other domestic animals.

HSUS also benefits financially from the misunderstanding that exists over the two very different organizations. It has an operating budget of more than $120 million in 2007 and more than 10 million members. Well-intentioned people send donations to HSUS that in reality do not support the local volunteers and staff who are working to protect animals in their community.

In the last few years, HSUS has softened its campaign of activist vegetarianism and animals-are-our-equals and are capitalizing on a more mainstream approach. However, time and time again, HSUS has publicly indicated it supports an agenda that would lead to the end of all animal agriculture and stop the consumption of meat and animal products.

You may ask what gestation stalls and layer cages have to do with the sheep industry? It has everything to do with us – because HSUS’ success will be greater if they are successful in dividing the agriculture industry – and we must stand together with our animal agriculture colleagues. While HSUS may be focused on livestock confinement housing issues today, next time around their focus may be on castration, tail-docking or even lambing outside.

We have to change the dialogue and focus on food safety, food affordability and protecting consumer choice. We have to identify our emotional argument and develop the same passion and commitment to our message as HSUS demonstrates.

Sheep farmers produce safe, nutritious food that feeds the world. We care for our sheep because it is the right thing to do and because we know it just makes sense. We are active in our communities, and we protect the land, air and water around us. That’s a story worth telling.

As the leadership of Ohio agriculture plans its response to the HSUS agenda, we can be working as advocates in our communities. Everyone you come into contact with is a potential ally in this fight. Regardless of what’s next in the political arena, our story is a good one and it’s time for us to tell it, Please join your voice with ours and with our livestock partners. Divided, we are at risk, but together, we can be strong.

We invite you to join us for the Sheep Grazing tour on July 10, 2009 in Noble County. For the past two years, Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council have sponsored a pre-Sheep Day tour with Small Farm Institute, OSU Extension, OSU Sheep and Forage Teams, NRCS and Ohio Sheep Improvement Association. The cost for the day tour will be $30.00 for OFGC members and $35.00 for non members. It includes the bus, lunch and other refreshments. Reservations are needed by July 2, 2009. Send your check and reservations to Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council, P.O. Box 488, Coshocton, OH 43812. You can download a registration form off www.smallfarminstitute.org website. If you have questions, please call 740.545.6349 or email leah@smallfarminstitute.org.

The tour starts at Caldwell Elementary school by boarding the bus at 9:00 a.m. The elementary school’s address is 44350 Fairground Rd., Caldwell, Ohio. Parking will be available at the school. The tour is all day. The hosts for our tour are Chuck and Lisa Rodenfels, Shawn and Kim Ray, and Wayne Shriver Family. The following is a description of each farm:

Somerhill Farm- This farm is owned and operated by Chuck and Lisa Rodenfels. The Rodenfels have been shepherds for more than 20 years. One of the interesting sights on this tour will be a rare breed of sheep, the Bluefaced Leicester. The Rodenfels were one of the first people in the US to raise this breed of sheep. While still quite rare here, the BFL is the maternal sire of the “mule”, the backbone of the British commercial sheep industry. Over the years, the Rodenfels have used semen from several imported sires, and have had laparoscopic artificial insemination performed at their farm. Besides the BFLs, there is also a flock of Katahdins, a breed of hairsheep. These sheep are pasture lambed in May. Both breeds of sheep are rotationally grazed on a year round basis using electric netting. The Rodenfels direct market their wool products by a website, internet sales, as well at local fiber events. They have also sold lamb meat at a farm market

The Ray Family Farm – Shawn and Kim, along with their children Etta, William, and Hannah; and his parents Gene and Carole, raise sheep and goats on two farms in Noble County totaling 179 acres. The sheep flock consists of ~100 Dorset cross commercial ewes and their lambs. The goat herd includes ~30 Boer/Spanish cross commercial does and their kids. The goats are barn lambed in March and then rotationally grazed until weaning and direct sale in late fall, timed for ethnic holiday. The sheep are pasture lambed April 20th through ~May 20th; jugged, then rotationally grazed and never seeing feed after the jug. Lambs are usually weaned mid to late July and continue to be rotationally grazed. Ideally like to begin grazing turnips in late September and begin marketing lambs directly off of turnips from late October through mid December. (Drought last two falls have changed that approach). The Ray’s have participated in some USDA programs and have done several practices including subdivision fencing, spring development, controlled stream crossings, stream exclusion fencing, woodland exclusion fencing, extensive waterline, automatic waterers and/or frost-free hydrants, heavy use feeding pads and farm lane construction.

Shriver Farms – The farm is diversified livestock and forage operation. The farm combines commercial cattle enterprises and commercial sheep on a large scale. The farming operations are spread over several areas with the commercial ewe operation near the home farm in Buffalo and the majority of cattle located near Summerfield. The primary forage utilized for grazing is fescue. Reclaimed strip-mine ground represents the all of the pasture utilized at the Summerfield operation. Various sections of the farms have utilized EQIP funds to develop water systems, fencing and stream crossings.

Livestock producers, medical researchers, pet owners and others who practice Animal Husbandry are continually questioned about the care they provide their animals. Certain groups may be targeting Ohio in regards to the elimination of gestation stalls for sows, veal crates and cages for layers through legislation or a ballot initiative. Livestock producers, teachers, students and their parents need to be informed about current livestock animal care policies.

The following links go to a Q & A fact sheet and a flyer the OLC (Ohio Livestock Coalition) hopes to have posted at all Fairs this year. These pieces were both provided by Sandy Kuhn at OLC and are housed on the OSU Beef Team website. They are well done and you might find them useful as questions are asked about why we do what we do in the livestock industry. As questions and concerns arise, OLC will be developing additional “fact based” materials for reference: http://beef.osu.edu/AnCare/AnimalQA.pdf and http://beef.osu.edu/AnCare/ManageStand.pdf

As I begin to embark on this subject, I can’t help but think I should have changed the title to, “Where are the resources available to improve your sheep operation?” Maybe I should begin by explaining what type of resource I am talking about. Natural resources are well, natural if you will. Financial resources come in many shapes. I suppose most people would consider a financial resource as a bank or a lending institution, I know my children would place me in this category, as well I as did my father when I was a youngster. Some would consider a financial resource as an investor or a broker which puzzles me a little, why do we call the person we invest and entrust with our money a “broker”? Shouldn’t they be called a multiplier? Anyway, I feel the most important resource to improve your sheep operation comes from other sheep producers. Whether it is at an official meeting, evening educational program or at Ohio Sheep Day, one cannot under estimate the value of talking with other like minded producers.

One thing that comes to mind when I mention the value of these programs is the efforts of Ohio Sheep Improvement Association (OSIA). This organization is the united voice of all Ohio Shepherds whether it be club lamb, purebred, commercial, breeding stock, or lamb feeder. Without the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association, there would be no legislative voice for Ohio sheep producers, no Buckeye Shepherd Symposium, and without this organizations’ financial support, it would be difficult for OSU Extension to have Ohio Sheep Day and the District programs that take place around the state during the winter.

There are many levels of resources available to Ohio shepherds that are in place because of Ohio Sheep Improvements Association (OSIA). There is $1,000.00 of scholarship funds available yearly through the Ralph Grimshaw scholarship program. There is support for our Ohio youth by working with the Ohio FFA Foundation to sponsor the Ohio FFA Sheep Proficiency award. Educational programs such as Ohio Sheep Day, Buckeye Shepherd Symposium, District programs, Make It with Wool contest, The Ohio Sheep Producer newsletter, ASI newsletters, the list goes on with much, much more. And you, as an Ohio Shepherd can tap into these resources by joining Ohio Sheep Improvement Association to help make sure they are here for our future. For a small fee of $30.00 for individual, or $35.00 for a farm membership you get all these benefits listed plus reduced fees to participate in educational programs. Members also receive membership to The American Sheep Industry as well when joining OSIA.

Last, but certainly not least is the positive impacts OSIA has through legislative work at the state and national level to help protect our industry from special interest groups seeking to take sound, scientific backed management practices away from shepherds. Legislative work is funded and backed by membership numbers within OSIA. Two things have an impact when talking with legislators, financial impact on the area represented by them as well as how many people (potential voters) are being represented by the association. It dose not matter if you have 5 or 500 head (remember the average size flock in Ohio is about 26 head!). OSIA is there to represent you but we need your membership to do that. This is where you come into the picture by joining to help OSIA represent all sheep producers in Ohio.

Visit our web site at www.ohiosheep.org or call The OSIA at 1-614-246-8293 to join. If you join by April 20th you/your farm will be represented in our member directory for free that is distributed to all members in OSIA. Please help the Ohio Sheep Industry and do your duty as a shepherd to help protect your flock by joining today.

The Ohio Sheep Improvement Association
280 N. High St.
Columbus Ohio 43218
1-614-246-8293

There are two grazing schools coming up in April for graziers in different areas of Ohio. The first series of classes will be held April 6, 15, and 20 in Montgomery County and the second series will be held in Athens County on April 14, 16, 21, and 25.
For more information on the Montgomery County school, log onto http://montgomery.osu.edu and for the Athens County school, go to http://athens.osu.edu.