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Impromptu Meeting with Amish Generates Interest in Organization Waterford, Ohio (September 5, 2008) – R-CALF USA President/Region VI Director Max Thornsberry, a Missouri veterinarian, said he had an impromptu opportunity to speak about the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) to a crowd of more than 200 Amish and 35-40 R-CALF USA members at the Owl Creek Produce Auction south of Waterford on Tuesday night, solely under lantern light. Thornsberry already was in the area to speak to livestock operators. The Amish were in the process of conducting a fund-raiser for children in the state who have health-related challenges, according to R-CALF USA Region VIII Director Dave Hutchins, of West Mansfield, Ohio, and owner of Mill Creek Angus Farm. “The way this worked out was simply a stroke of luck, and I think the hand of God was involved in making it happen the way it did,” Hutchins said. “You couldn’t have planned it any better. Dr. Thornsberry didn’t get to speak until 9:30 p.m., and when he was done, I set out a stack of membership applications, and they were gone in seconds. After the meeting wrapped up, Dr. Thornsberry spent a lot of one-on-one time answering questions and actually got another meeting set up for the very next day with some of the Amish leadership.” “We’ve been working for awhile to built a little rapport with the Amish, and (R-CALF USA Ohio member) Larry Queen had told one of his Amish friends I was going to be in the area, and next thing you know, some of their leadership let us come in, and we had a very good meeting,” Thornsberry said. “I have determined that the R-CALF members I have been privileged to meet are strongly loyal and openly proud of R-CALF and its member-established policies.” Queen, an independent feeder from Mount Gilead who also does custom lime hauling and spreading, said during meetings with the Amish two years ago, they would just listen to R-CALF USA’s concerns about NAIS, and at last year’s meeting, again, they would just listen. “Now, they want to hear everything about it,” Queen said. “After the meeting, several of them asked ‘What can we do?’ They were very receptive. At least three of them decided to go listen to Dr. Thornsberry the next day when he spoke in Polk, Ohio, and a few of them suggested that Dr. Thornsberry contact the head Amish leader in Pennsylvania. At the next meeting, we’ll have a little more time to talk about our other issues, too. We couldn’t have planned it any better if we’d tried to work out the details ahead of time.” # # # R-CALF USA (Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America) is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the continued profitability and viability of the U.S. cattle industry. R-CALF USA represents thousands of U.S. cattle producers on trade and marketing issues. Members are located across 47 states and are primarily cow/calf operators, cattle backgrounders, and/or feedlot owners. R-CALF USA has dozens of affiliate organizations and various main-street businesses are associate members. For more information, visit www.r-calfusa.com or, call 406-252-2516. |
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This page was last updated on Wednesday, December 24, 2008. |
