Ashland cattlemen celebrate at banquet

By Joyce L. Ritchie

ASHLAND, Ohio — The Ashland County Cattlemen’s Association hosted its annual banquet at the Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center April 10.

The club continued its tradition of donating to the Ashland County Market Steer and Baby Beef Club’s rate of gain winners and to the Loudonville Livestock Club. They also donated funds for the newly installed divider fence at the fairgrounds and toward the livestock scales for the Loudonville youth.

Scholarship

Megan Fetzer of Loudonville was the 2008 Carl Stitzlein Scholarship winner. She is an Ashland County youth interested and actively involved in agriculture. This high school senior plans to pursue a degree in the field of agriculture.

The $1,000 scholarship is offered by the cattleman’s association in memory of Carl Stitzlein, a prominent county beef producer, who was a longtime advocate of the scholarship programs.

Ohio Cattlemen’s District 6 State Representative Ken Stitzlein shared information from the state association and announced he will continue representing the six counties of the district for another three years.

Keynote

Susan Crowell, editor of Farm and Dairy and the keynote speaker for the evening, talked about the necessity of agriculture and challenged the cattlemen and guests to share the importance of maintaining the vital link in the economy.

Crowell said an average farmer puts hundreds of thousands of dollars back into his own community, buying from other farmers, agricultural businesses, lenders and other small businesses. The money turns over three times in that same community, lending a huge impact if that dollar is removed with the loss of the farmer’s occupation without someone to replace the business.

President Bob Farquhar opened the meeting. Dan Stone gave the secretary/treasurer’s report.

New officers

The association also elected officers at the meeting. Leading the group in 2008 will be Jim Beattie, president; Willard Welch, vice president; and Stone, secretary/treasurer.

Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Ashland County Cattlemen’s Association should contact the OSU Extension Office in Ashland County at 419-281-8242.