About
About the Host: Cathann A. Kress
Dr. Cathann A. Kress has served as vice president for agricultural administration and dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) at The Ohio State University since May 2017. She is hosting the Dean’s Charity Steer Show to bring together our community to celebrate agriculture and children, both our 4-H youth as well as youth who benefit from Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Central Ohio. All proceeds from the event will support RMHC of Central Ohio. Every dollar raised means families can stay together only steps away from their hospitalized child during one of the most stressful times of their lives.
Dean Kress is responsible for Ohio State’s largest college, which consists of 408 faculty, 1,305 staff, nearly 3,000 students, over 47,000 living alumni, 11,589 animals, and 11,400 acres. CFAES also encompasses OSU Extension offices in each of Ohio’s 88 counties, 11 agricultural research stations, and Ohio State ATI which is located on our CFAES Wooster campus, in Wooster, Ohio. Kress is also a full professor in the Department of Agricultural Communications, Education, and Leadership.
An Iowa native, Kress graduated with her bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and her master’s and doctorate from the University of Iowa.
About 4-H
Ohio is the birthplace of 4-H, which began in Clark County, Ohio, in 1902. A.B. Graham, superintendent of the Springfield Township Schools at the time, organized a meeting with some 30 boys and girls in the basement of the county courthouse. Called the “Boys and Girls Agricultural Club,” Graham’s goal was to teach about harvesting corn, planting a garden, testing soil samples, tying knots in rope, and identifying weeds and insects.
From those humble beginnings the “out of school education” concept spread nationally through the Cooperative Extension Service. The 4-H program has since spread to all 50 U.S. states and internationally to more than 80 countries around the world. The youth development program is offered to youth ages 5–19 and has grown from its original focus on rural communities to reaching youth in the suburbs, cities, and small towns all over America. Members are welcome regardless of cultural, economic and social backgrounds.
Ohio 4-H youth get involved through special educational opportunities at school, in after-school programs, camps, and/or at neighborhood or youth centers. 4-H is about having fun through experiential learning and it gives youth a chance to pursue their own interests—from photography to computers, from building rockets to raising sheep. In 4-H, youth make new friends, develop life skills, learn to be leaders, and assist in shaping their communities.
Learn more about how to join 4-H at https://ohio4h.org/about/join-4-h.
About Our Partners
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio
The Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio is located directly across the street from Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Open 365 days a year, the Ronald McDonald House is a home-away-from-home for families with seriously ill children receiving treatment in the hospital. The House offers comfortable bedrooms with private baths, continuing care suites for recovering transplant patients, fully equipped kitchens and dining areas, play rooms, laundry facilities, a meditation room, exercise room and informal gathering areas. In addition, RMHC of Central Ohio operates a Ronald McDonald Family Room at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, and partners with Nationwide Children’s Hospital to operate a Ronald McDonald Care Mobile. To learn more about the future growth of the Ronald McDonald House, visit rmhc-centralohio.org/amillionreasons/.
Ohio Cattlemen’s Association
The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) is a non-profit membership organization that represents the business interests important to farm families that raise cattle. It serves as the voice of Ohio’s cattle industry, including cattle breeders, cow/calf producers and feeders, and works to enhance the business climate necessary for industry success. OCA is a trusted leader and respected source of industry information for Ohio’s cattle and beef industry and focuses its work in four main areas of advocacy, leadership, education and excellence. The association’s mission is to maintain the profitability and growth of state's industry, while providing consumers with safe and wholesome beef.
Telhio Credit Union
From its 1934 beginnings as a credit union for Columbus Telephone Company employees, Telhio Credit Union has been a strong and stable financial institution in central Ohio. It is a not-for-profit, full-service financial institution cooperative, meaning that its members are owners and receive high-quality financial services to meet all of their needs. Telhio services members from the 11-county area of Franklin, Fairfield, Delaware, Union, Pickaway, Licking, Madison, Hamilton, Warren, Butler, and Preble. Serving Central Ohio for more than 75 years, Telhio members are usually able to obtain higher returns on deposit accounts and lower rates on loans and other services than other financial institutions.
The Ohio State Fair
Make memories that will last a lifetime at the Ohio State Fair! Experience your favorite Fair traditions, like the butter cow, Smokey Bear, livestock animals, and the All-Ohio State Fair Band & Youth Choir. Explore hundreds of acres of space filled with unique fair food, more than 50 exhilarating rides, plenty of shopping, Ohio arts, wholesome family-friendly entertainment, free live music, education, agriculture, and more. www.ohiostatefair.com