By CELESTE BAUMGARTNER
Ohio Correspondent

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio — The Ohio Cattlemen’s Assoc. (OCA) promotes education through the sale of a specialty license plate.
“It was something that had been a goal of Ohio beef industries for a number of years,” said Elizabeth Harsh, executive director of the OCA.

The license plate is being sold through the OCA Foundation which is an outgrowth of the OCA and is a charitable organization.

The dollars are used for educational programs for youth and for producers within the Ohio beef industry.

Harsh had noticed cattlemen’s associations in other states successfully promoting education by the sale of specialty plates. In 1997, after OCA’s new building was completed and the OCA Foundation was on sound footing they began the process.

“For a specialty plate to be created, there is a state law in Ohio stating that you have to have 1,000 folks sign a petition indicating their interest and willingness to purchase the plate, should it pass through the legislature,” Harsh said. “There are also strict limitations on the size of the artwork used on the plates.”

The group got the necessary signatures, and permission for the plate to get passed the legislature.

“It was approved two years ago,” Harsh said. “The problem with the state specialty plates was that they were not initially available for commercial trucks.

“That took almost all of our beef producers’ farm pickups out of the marketing realm. We knew that would limit our sales ability.”

“The first year we spent most of our time working with the Department of Motor Vehicles to try to get that changed,” she said.

“We were successful and were able to make the plates available for commercial pickup trucks.”

Once the plate is in production, the sponsoring organization has to maintain sales of 1,000 plates annually.

“That’s where we find ourselves now,” Harsh said.

“We are struggling to maintain enough plates to be able to keep it in circulation. We are trying to get the word out to anybody that is interested; it is a great way to promote the beef industry.”

The specialty plate costs an additional $25, typically done at renewal time. Of that money, $15 goes to the OCA Foundation.

“The first year we gave one $1,000 scholarship,” Harsh said.
“This year at our annual meeting, we presented three $1,000 scholarships, and we will continue to do that as the sales grow, providing we’re able to keep it in circulation.”