Brinker earns Ohio Young Cattleman of the Year award
“I had just walked out of the barn when I got the call that I had been selected. It was a complete surprise and so humbling.” That’s how Ian Brinker describes learning he was chosen as the Ohio Young Cattleman of the Year.
“The award goes to someone younger than 40. I’m 24,” Brinker said. “Someone must have recognized my passion for what we do. It’s made me want to work even harder.” Brinker doesn’t know who nominated him for the award. After nominations are made, the board votes on each person. He learned right before Thanksgiving that he had been chosen.
Brinker is the sixth generation to work on his family’s farm near Frazeysburg. “We’re trying to accomplish sustainability,” he said. “It’s okay to take risks and we need to take every opportunity so we can continue to pass down the farm. We can take what God blessed us with – rolling hills, good water – work for us. That’s why I think our farm has been sustained for six generations.”
“I think we do a good job of managing our pastures,” he said. Brinker added that they work with Soil and Water and other agencies to find the best ways to keep their land sustainable. They study ways to make their land as fertile as possible. They run 250 head of cattle on 1,000 acres and lease another farm where they have 120 calves.
“I want people to realize that we want to help others make their cow herds as profitable as possible and we are happy to make suggestions to help them,” Brinker said.
A team visited their farm to interview Brinker and to make a video around their farm. He was able to show them what they do each day while a drone took photos of the farm. That video can be seen on thecattlesite.com.
Category: People & Places
