MCBAIN, Mich. — Michigan cattlemen attended the latest Summer Round-Up at Cow Camp in late June and enjoyed the second year of a new outdoor venue for the event.

Traditionally, the Summer Round-Up event took place at hotel venues, said Sara Horton of the Michigan Cattlemen’s Association(MCA), which organizes the event. Due to Covid, event organizers decided to hold the event outside beginning last year. This turned out to be a positive development, because people found it to be a relaxing environment. “The outdoor venue allows for a barbecue, dessert competition, corn hole tournament and a lot of producer demos,” Horton said. “Everyone just loved the idea of it being outside last year, so we just stuck with it. We had a great event. A lot of people showed up, maybe 130 people. The weather was great. We’re looking at using this location again next year if possible and that will be announced soon.”

Horton added that she is planning on conducting a survey to get additional feedback from people on what they would like to have for future events before making any announcements. The two day event, which took place June 24 and 25, featured a Beef Quality Assurance Transportation training class as well as a banquet and awards presentation. Distinguished individuals and businesses were recognized for their contributions and dedication to the cattle industry during the event, held in McBain in the northwestern Lower Peninsula. MCA’s Member of the Year award went to Plank Farms of Crystal; Agribusiness of the Year went to Bill Sheridan of Sheridan Realty & Auction Co. of Mason; Jack Thornton of Meadow Creek Ranch near Reed City was awarded Commercial Cattleman of the Year; and Young Cattleman of the Year was awarded to Cory Peterson of Peterson Farms in Big Rapids.

“What an honor, what an honor,” said Bill Sheridan of his receiving the Agribusiness of the Year Award. “The people that were there, the cattle people, were much more comfortable in that venue.” He added that the owners of the Cow Camp had a pavilion where people could hold the event in case it rained, although it turned out that wasn’t needed. Sheridan said the largest part of his business is real estate, however, he also specializes in cattle sales in “many places throughout Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and South Dakota.” He’s been doing this since 1975. He’s also participated in the National Western Stock Show in Denver for the past 16 years, which he described as the biggest cattle show in the country.

Commercial Cattleman of the Year recipient Jack Thornton said he was “pretty shocked, actually honored to receive an award like that.” When he went to the event he said he didn’t know a lot about the organization and hadn’t even been a member. “This was the first Summer Round-Up I attended; I actually joined the MCA at the event, once I saw what MCA was doing to protect the rights of farmers,” he said. Thornton raises row crops and livestock on about 500 acres, has a lime and fertilizer business as well, and farms an additional 600 acres on rented property.

June 25 was dedicated to a farm tour of Dutchman Tree Farm, which Horton described as the third largest tree farm in the country and which has locations in six counties in Michigan. “They are still a family run business,” Horton said. “It was amazing to see how their operation runs. They send out over two million Christmas trees every year between fall and late November.” Dutchman Tree Farm is based about 30 miles north of McBain in Manton and is owned and operated by Joel and Gale Hoekwater and Chris and Sarah Maciborski.

Speakers at the event included Jerad Jaborek of Michigan State University(MSU) extension, who discussed beef on dairy breeding research, Dr. Tim Eagan of Northern Bovine Veterinary Clinic discussing a holistic view of vaccination strategy in beef herds and Beef Quality Assurance Transportation Certification with Kevin Gould and Frank Wardynski from MSU extension.