OCA President, Dan Darling, is entering his eighth year as a cow-calf director to the OCA Board. Dan resides in the heart of apple country, in the Township of Cramahe of Northumberland County where him and his brother Van operate a cow-calf operation with 250 cows and background calves on 1,500 acres. They cash crop corn, soybeans and wheat and also sell freezer beef by the cut and side to local consumers. Dan represents Ontario beef producers provincially on the Cow-Calf and Government Relations Committees but also nationally at the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA). Dan sits as Executive on the Board and Officer of CCA.

Bob, OCA Vice President, joined the Board of Directors in February of 2007 as a Director-at-Large and was later re-elected in 2009 and 2013 as a representative of the cow-calf sector. Bob was born in Hastings County, grew up in Orillia and now resides in Mono Township of Dufferin County. Bob, a first generation farmer, operates a cow-calf forage based operation near Orangeville with his son Andrew. They background their calves in the summer to a target weight of 900lbs and sell in the fall.  Together the family owns 120 acres and rents a surrounding 700 acres. This father-son duo are also partners in a sheep operation. Bob represents Ontario beef producers as a member of the following organizations/committees: Ontario Director of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, member of the OCA Cow-Calf and Government Relations Committees.

Steve owns and operates a feedlot, grazing and crop operation near the shores of Lake Huron in Kincardine. The Eby family markets 1200 head of fed cattle annually and manage 800 head on pasture. They have some crop production with the bulk of the land used in their intensive pasture management program. Steve has been very involved in a number of agricultural organizations including the Bruce County Cattlemen's Association, Grey Bruce Farmers Week, OMAFRA Livestock Medicines Committee, and the Sustainable Grazing Management Program. Currently, Steve represents Ontario beef farmers as Director to the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency, a member of the OCA Feedlot Committee and a member of the newly created Forage Insurance Steering Committee.

Rick and his wife Chris own a cow-calf to finish operation with 87 cows and 650 acres with some cash crops for rotation. On June 26^th, 2010 after numerous months of planning and construction, The Hobbs Family Meats and Bakery made its debut to local Ottawa consumers looking for a place to source locally grown product. The Hobbs market all of their own beef through the store and also source local pork and chicken to offer a variety of local meats. Rick has a variety of experience having served as both President and Advisory Councillor for Ottawa County Cattlemen’s Association, Director of the local Ottawa Valley Feeder Finance Co-operative and working with the local Beef Breeder Co-operative. In 2013, Rick will represent OCA as a Director to Beef Improvement Opportunities (BIO).

Tom was first elected to the OCA Board in 2010 as a Southern Director and re-elected as a Feedlot Director in 2013. Tom, along with his wife Linda and their two sons Doug and Derek run 2200 acres of corn, beans and wheat and finish 700 cattle a year into the Ontario Corn-Fed Beef Program. Tom was born and raised in Corunna, Ontario where he and his father, Keith, built their first feedlot in 1972 that is still in operation today. Tom and his family source age-verified and vaccinated cattle and have converted two other barns into covered feedlots utilizing funding through the Environmental Farm Plan. Tom represents OCA at the Canadian Cattlemen's Association and is currently on the OCA Government Relations Committee.

Elected to the OCA Board in 2011, Joe Hill of Wellington County represents the feedlot sector in Ontario. Joe and his family run a feedlot operation in Centre Wellington near Fergus and Elora. Here, the family of four, operate a 200 head, short-keep feedlot and also run 800 acres of owned and rented land in corn, soybeans, wheat and hay. Joe has been an active member with the Wellington County Cattlemen’s Association for over ten years having served as Vice-President, President and Advisory Councilor to the Association. He has also sat on the local Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency Committee and was a member of the feedlot biosecurity working group in 2009-2010. Hill has always been eager to seek new opportunities having attended numerous workshops covering topics such as government relations, media relations, successful meetings, and training for new directors. Currently, Joe represents OCA at the Canadian Cattlemen's Association, as well he sits on the OCA Feedlot Committee and the Livestock Research Innovation Corporation.

Bill Herron and his family farm in the Grey Bruce area near Tara.  He has owned beef cattle for thirty years however he sold the feedlot he operated in 2003.  The Herron’s current enterprise is background oriented with some home-raised and the balance purchased calves.  Bill has been the Supervisor for the Bruce Grey Cow Finance Coop and the Twin County Feeder Finance Coop since August 2005.  Bill has been a participant in the Grey County Cattlemen’s Association executive since 1990 in various positions; secretary/treasurer since 1998.  Bill represents OCA as a Director to the Beef Cattle Research Council.

Cory has been the co-owner of the family business, VG Meats, for over 10 years. Cory, his wife Heidi and their three daughters operate a 400 head cow-calf operation (Hillview Farm) where all cattle are marketed through their family business retail stores. Cory and Heidi were awarded the 2012 Ontario's Outstanding Young Farmer Award and Cory has sat on numerous boards representing the beef industry including the Ontario Independent Meat Processors, Beef Improvement Opportunities (BIO) and the Haldimand Cattlemen's Association. Cory is a passionate advocate for the industry with a wealth of experience in marketing, business planning and research.

Entering his fifth year as representative of Northern Ontario on the OCA Board, Matt and his wife Elaine farm in Temiskaming with their two children, Leslie and Thomas. Operating a Charolais based cow-calf operation with 110 cows , they also cash crops 700 acres of oats, wheat, barley and canola.  Much of the barley and wheat is grown for seed production and is prepared in their own seed cleaning plant. To round out their operation they also have a small pick your own strawberry patch for the locals. On a national scale, Matt sits on the board at the National Beef Cattle Research Council.

Gerald Rollins owns and operates Quarry Hill Farms with his wife Louise and their two daughters.  It is a 700-acre family farm with 100 beef cow-calf to finish operation, established in 1975. Gerald grows most of his own feed consisting of hay, some haylage and oats.  Cracked corn and supplements are the only outsourced feed products on the farm. Gerald has an extensive background in community service, particularly with respect to agriculture.  Gerald sits on the OCA Cow-Calf Committee and represents OCA as a Director of Farm and Food Care Ontario.

In 1996 Tim and his family started a small beef operation in Lambton County with direct to local freezer sales. As the beef industry faced challenges throughout 2003-2009 their operation evolved into a more traditional cow-calf operation - selling stocker calves into the marketplace. Tim has been very active in the agricultural community as member and director to the Lambton County Cattlemen's Association, past director to the Lambton Federation of Agriculture and past president and current director for the South West Beef Breeder Co-op. Tim has a diploma in Business Administration-Accounting and is also very involved in his church and community. Tim was instrumental in the development of OCA's Leadership Development Program and has also served as a director to the former Beef Information Centre.

Arden and his family run a successful cash crop and feedlot operation in Morrisburg, Ontario. Arden has been involved in the livestock industry for over 30 years, finishing 200-350 head of cattle a year in the family feedlot. He has extensive experience as a spokesperson for the industry with a passion for agricultural safety nets. He has served on the OCA Leadership Development Committee and OCA Feedlot Committee and will represent OCA on the Ontario Agricultural Commodity Council in 2013.