With Ohio farmers' focus in 2009 on passage of state Issue 2, to create the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, OCA leaders began their annual meeting with a symposium on what was learned from the Issue 2 campaign, and what preparations were underway for a presumed HSUS-funded ballot initiative in the future.  Jim Chakeres, Executive Director of the

I spoke with Jim Chakeres about the Issue 2 campaign, and about House Bill 414, otherwise known as the implementation language for Issue 2.  You can read more about HB 414 here.  The current discussion over the Board's implementation centers primarily on the issue of funding the Board's operations and

enforcement activities.  The proposal in HB 414 is to increase the rate assessed on each ton of commercially produced feed by the Ohio Department of Agriculture as a commercial feed "inspection fee."

Held the week of the Cattle Industry Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas, the OCA meeting typically features a keynote address from a National Cattlemen's Beef Association officer.  This year's meeting featured NCBA Vice President Bill Donald, a rancher from Montana.  Donald discussed the differences between ranching in Montana and farming in Ohio, but focused most importantly on the need for the members' shared efforts through NCBA.  Donald about the report of the NCBA Governance Task Force, to be presented at this week's Convention.  The Task Force report would streamline NCBA's Board of Directors considerably, creating what Donald called a more effective, more nimble organization.  Listen to Part 1 of the Interview , and listen to Part 2 of the Interview here.