MARYSVILLE, Ohio – This fall, the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) introduced a new Roundup Meeting Series, open to all beef producers across the state with no OCA membership required. While the series itself is newly branded, the idea of gathering producers for educational events is a longstanding tradition for the organization.

“They’ve always done some type of producer meetings,” explained Zane Gross, OCA’s manager of member services and industry education. “I think in the past they were called Cattleman’s Academies, and I wanted to rebrand them a little bit and change the name.” 

Alongside the new name, the structure of the meetings was overhauled. In the past, OCA’s roundups were full-day or day-and-a-half events at one location. The new series features evening sessions on six Tuesdays from August through November, each running from 6-8 p.m. Every event is free to attend.

Each session begins with dinner, followed by two featured speakers addressing topics selected for each location. “We tried to organize these so each meeting covers different topics,” Gross said. “I wanted the speakers to make sense based on the theme.”

Gross played a pivotal role in launching the series, coordinating locations, topics and speakers, with support from OCA Executive Director Elizabeth Harsh, OCA Manager of Communications Hannah Weymouth, and other team members. “Because I joined OCA in February, this is kind of my first go around at organizing events, so I definitely leaned on them for help,” Gross said.

The series is primarily geared toward Ohio’s commercial cattlemen and cow-calf producers, especially those in the eastern half of the state. “We focused more on the eastern half of the state for the commercial and cow calf producers,” Gross explained, adding, “But our goal was to spread it around a little bit to try and help everybody across the state.”

Meeting dates were carefully selected to align with the rhythms of Ohio’s agricultural calendar. “In January, February, March, a lot of producers in Ohio are calving, and we also have our annual meeting – then you have the Beef Expo coming,” Gross said. “Spring is hard because a lot of guys are in the fields planting or breeding cows, and during the summer, farmers are making hay and taking vacations.”

Gross anticipated attendance at 50 to 75 people per session; however, turnout averaged about 30. “A solid number for weeknight events,” Gross said.

The series kicked off in August at Straight A’s Ranch in Malvern. Jarrod Hittle, of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, discussed grazing management and alternative forages. Rachel Walker from Corteva Agriscience followed with a presentation on herbicide solutions and management strategies.

The next session was at the Ohio Valley Career & Technical Center in West Union. Here, Alex Tolbert, of the American Angus Association. explored the latest in commercial genetic testing programs, while Seth Clark from Merck Animal Health covered protocols for preconditioning vaccinations.

In September, the series moved to Kalmbach Feeds in Upper Sandusky. Feedlot nutrition and management were addressed, while Lyda Garcia, OSU meat science Extension specialist, provided guidance on marketing beef directly to consumers.

The series moved to the Muskingum Livestock Auction in Zanesville, where Dave Felumlee, of Claylick Run Farm, shared his expertise on bull and genetic selection, followed by Garth Ruff from OSU Extension, who discussed effective strategies for marketing beef directly to consumers.

October’s session was at the OSU Jackson Agricultural Research Station in Jackson. Scott Payne of the research station addressed the key question of whether to buy or develop heifers, and Alvaro Garcia Guerra from the OSU Animal Sciences Department focused on heifer reproduction management.

The final meeting is scheduled for Nov. 13, in Baltic. It will showcase Gerber and Sons Feed Mill. “We’re going to have it at their new mill,” Gross said. “They’re finishing up building a facility that will nearly double their capacity in terms of production.”

Each session featured not only educational talks but also networking opportunities with industry representatives and OCA leadership, who provided updates on advocacy and upcoming initiatives. Gross reported enthusiastic feedback from attendees, who appreciated the targeted information and opportunity for direct engagement with speakers. “The feedback and conversations afterward were really positive,” he said.

Beyond education, the series also serves as a recruitment opportunity. By opening the meetings to non-members, OCA can demonstrate the value of membership firsthand. “I’ll take the time to explain the benefits and all the different things that we do throughout the year, and the reason we do what we do day in and day out to help represent Ohio’s cattle producers,” Gross said. “I hope to be able to convey that message and maybe gain some membership and participation through these events.”

The OCA plans to continue and possibly expand the series in the future, with a post-series survey set to gather input and suggestions for improvement. “We want to get better at everything we do, so we’ll ask for input to help us build on this year’s success,” Gross said.