BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—A family-owned cattle farm that’s committed to the beef industry is being recognized with a state honor as Commercial Cattleman of the Year.
Paradise Corner Farm, which is run by Andy and Tonya Lohr and their family, received the award from the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association during a special event Jan. 24 at The Ohio State University ATI in Wooster.
“We’re very humbled and honored. We’ve always looked up to the beef producers who have gotten this award in the past,” said Tonya. “But we would not be where we are today without the support over the years from the community.”
Paradise Corner, located at the corner of St. Rt. 19 and Parcher Road, is a beef cattle operation with140 cows and a grain farm. The Lohrs also own and operate a retail meat market, Center Street Meat Co. in town, which opened five years ago.
The award, according to the Cattlemen’s Association, annually honors Ohio beef operations that have not only had successful commercial cattle production but have also improved cattle predictability while meeting the expectations of beef consumers.
The beef business, however, is nothing new to the Lohrs. Andy developed a passion for cattle early on in 4-H and FFA, and he learned the ropes of raising them from his father, Don Lohr, and their friend and longtime neighbor, Tom Shawk.
Andy and Tonya married in 1993 and established Paradise Corner in 1998, the same year they bought and moved into her grandparents’ homestead. They started with a herd of 20 cows and the farm to this day is still their residence and business.
They call it a “start to finish operation” – keeping the calves with their moms for several months until they’re weaned, then raising them until they’re ready to harvest. “We’re very full circle. We are birth to plate. We have no middleman,” Tonya said.
The Lohrs have two feedlots, one built last year. They do intensive grazing and put up fencing so cattle can graze on corn stalks in the winter months. About two or three cattle are harvested every week and delivered to the store for butchering.
Andy said taking care of the Lord’s livestock and land means long days for a farmer who has two barns and 16 acres of pasture to tend, but he doesn’t consider it a job. “When you love what you’re doing it makes the day go pretty darn quick.”
The busy meat market is run by the Lohrs’ daughter, Jessica Cleland. Their son, Jake, helps at the farm and at the store, as does his wife, Kristi, while Travis Koschnick oversees daily operations at the farm and Jessica’s husband, Mark, pitches in too.
Tonya said continued support from family, friends, neighbors, and the community has been key to the farm’s growth and success. “It takes a lot of people to get the job done. We’ve had people along the way help us accomplish our goals.”
And down the road? Andy said they hope to acquire more land so they can expand the herd and keep up with demand. “Tom has been a great mentor and has always been there to guide me as our herd has grown and the industry has shifted.”
“We’re just hoping to keep building this legacy that everybody’s helped us out with and just grow it and keep growing it so hopefully my kids and the grandkids can take it over some day and keep going forward.”