Annual OCA Awards


OCA Award Nominations

NOMINATIONS DUE SEPTEMBER 1 AND ARE PRESENTED AT THE OCA ANNUAL MEETING & AWARDS BANQUET THE FOLLOWING JANUARY 

The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) is seeking nominations for cattlemen across the Buckeye state excelling in their operations. There are seven distinguished awards available in the following categories: Environmental Stewardship, Commercial Producer, Young Cattleman, Seedstock Producer, Industry Service, Industry Excellence and Outstanding County. Nominations are due by September 1. Fellow industry leaders, county cattlemen’s associations, soil and water conservation districts and other local agricultural organizations are encouraged to nominate local cattlemen deserving of any of the above mentioned awards. 


AWARD NOMINATION FORM

Award Categories

INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARD

The Excellence Award is presented to beef producers who have worked over a period of years for the betterment of Ohio’s beef industry. Recipients are those that have contributed as a volunteer/leader to the success of the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association and/or through their individual cattle operations have been trailblazers for the beef industry creating new paths for other beef producers to follow.


INDUSTRY SERVICE AWARD

The Service Award is presented to those who have through their careers contributed to the betterment of Ohio’s beef industry. Recipients may or may not also be beef producers. The award is presented for efforts made outside, but complementary to beef production. Recipients of the award are selected based on actions they have taken through their career in academia, Extension, government, agri-business, etc. that have benefited the beef industry.


YOUNG CATTLEMAN OF THE YEAR 

The Young Cattleman of the Year Award is presented to individuals or couples, typically under 40 years of age, who have demonstrated the initial stages of a successful beef operation and exhibited leadership potential. The recipient is also the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association’s automatic nominee (if available) to participate in the NCBA Young Cattlemen’s Conference.


OCA SEEDSTOCK PRODUCER OF THE YEAR AWARD

The Seedstock Producer of the Year Award is presented to Ohio farms who have demonstrated breeding success through their registered cattle operations. These farms utilize performance information and the latest technologies available to increase the predictability of the cattle they raise as breeding stock for others, in addition to maintaining a continued focus on meeting and exceeding the expectations of beef consumers.


COMMERCIAL CATTLEMAN OF THE YEAR

The Commercial Cattleman of the Year Award is presented to Ohio farms who have demonstrated success through their commercial cattle operations. These farms utilize performance information and the latest technologies available to increase the predictability of the cattle they raise, in addition to maintaining a continued focus on meeting and exceeding the expectations of beef consumers. The award is traditionally presented to cow-calf operations, but may also include feeders who feed the cattle they produce.

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARD

The Environmental Stewardship Award is presented to Ohio farms who have demonstrated a strong commitment to being good stewards of their land, water and air resources, as well as their livestock and operate their farms in a sustainable manner. Recipients implement beef practices to control water run-off, reduce damage in high-traffic feeding/watering areas, exercise good pasture management, preserve woodlands, and provide for wildlife. They often partner with government entities, such as Soil & Water Conservation Districts and the USDA NRCS to implement conservation measures.


OUTSTANDING COUNTY AWARD

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 partnership are all areas of focus for award recognition. 



2023 Award Winners

View Past Winners



Environmental Stewardship Award




Commercial Cattleman of the Year

Fannin Ag of washington courthouse , Ohio

Sponsored by Burkman Nutrition & Unidted producers inc. 

Fannin Ag is a family operation run by WJ Fannin with his wife, Lanita Fannin, and their three sons, Chase, Cameron, and Colton, as well as his father, Jay Fannin. Fannin Ag is a multigenerational beef operation as well as having a row crop operation to feed the cattle and then sell the remaining crops. They feed 800 to 1,000 head of cattle every year to market weight as well as farming 1,800 acres of crops. These crops include corn, soybeans, wheat, and alfalfa. Fannin Ag uses online marketing to sell their beef through their beef store, Ohio Artisan Beef. They also market traditionally at livestock yards as well as selling straight to the packer.


Industry Excellence Award

R&C Packing of Bidwell, Ohio

Sponsored by Gallia County Cattlemen's Association

R.C. Packing has been owned and operated by Jamie Graham and his wife, Amy, since 2004. R.C. Packing is a small custom processor of beef, pork, and lamb. They process for individuals to take home and consume, as well as for customers who sell their product to grocery stores and restaurants. Kaci Bryant is the Quality Assurance Manager for R.C. Packing, where she handles day-to-day work, such as scheduling and making sure processing is being carried out as humanly as possible. R.C. Packing is a harvest, as well as processing facility and is licensed for Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS), which allows them to have the federal legion on their packaging enabling them to ship their product anywhere in the United States.


Industry Service Award

United Producers, Inc. of Columbus, OHio

Sponsored by The hartford

Mike Bumgarner serves as CEO for United Producers, Inc. The company’s role in the livestock industry is to provide a service menu of solutions for livestock producers, whether it is marketing, credit, or risk management. As a cooperative with a farmer-led board of directors, United Producers, Inc. advocates for their members through all of their various issues and helps them to find solutions. Their main goal is to provide opportunities for producers, as well as remove obstacles that could potentially prohibit them from being able to be successful.


Outstanding County Award

Muskingum County Cattlemen's Association

Sponsored by Ohio Corn & Wheat

The Muskingum County Cattlemen’s Association is led by president Clay Scott. The county association focuses on youth development activities, as well as events that help promote their association and allow them to give back to their community. The events they host are led by board members and focus on the beef industry. Previous events hosted by the association include the Muskingum County Fall Classic show which would bring in around 150-200 head every year. At their county fair, they have a steak stand where they sell ribeyes and raise money to give back to the youth. They also cook at graduation parties and golf outings as another fundraiser for their association. This past year they partnered with OSU Extension on their Beef Tour Day and cooked lunch for participants during their BQA training.


Seedstock Producer of the Year

CedAR LANE FARMS of cedarville, Ohio

Sponsored by OHIO SHORTHORN BREEDERS' ASSOCIATION

Cedar Lane Farms is owned and operated by Jeff Winkle and his wife, Sue. They have 15 purebred cows that they focus on, and of these, five function as donor cows that they flush regularly to collect embryos. They then have a herd of 20 cows that they call their recipient cows, where they perform embryo transfer, and this herd is where they have a majority of their calves that they sell. Cedar Lane Farms concentrates on selling Shorthorns for showing that they can then go on and be bred cows. They farm 30 acres of corn, 30 acres of soybeans, and 30 acres of wheat to feed their cattle and then use their manure as fertilizer for their fields.


Young Cattleman of the Year

IAN BRINKER of frazysburg, Ohio

Sponsored by uNITED pRODUCERS, iNC. 

Ian Brinker is a sixth-generation farmer at ASB Farm, where they run 250 head of cattle on 1,000 acres. They also lease another farm where they keep an additional 120 calves. ASB Farms is a predominantly cow-calf operation, with a majority of the cattle being Angus and Simmental Angus crosses. They also utilize embryo transfer and AI cows for a show cattle operation. Brinker attended Wilmington College, where he studied Agribusiness and took what he learned in college, such as animal well-being and nutrition, and implemented these things into their farm to help it continue to grow.