Our Officer Team

Brenda Kocher,  Region 1
ANCW Director

Bio submitted by Brenda Kocher

Brenda Kocher of Galion, Ohio is the ANCW Regional 1 Director. Brenda grew up on her family’s dairy farm and was active in 4-H and FFA, raising and showing dairy cattle. Following high school, she graduated from nursing school and has worked as a geriatrics and private duty nurse for the past 40 years.

Continuing her farming roots, Brenda volunteered as a 4-H advisor for 28 years, serving as head advisor of her club for many years. She has served on the county 4-H Advisory Board and Ohio State University Extension County Advisory Board. As an active Farm Bureau member Brenda has served in various positions including County President, Treasurer, and Safety Coordinator, has been a delegate for State Policy Committee and served on State Policy and cattle committees. She also planned leadership-training programs while serving on the Farm Bureau State Young Farmer Committee. She has been an active church member her entire life.

Brenda and husband Mike own MKB Farms LTD, a farming operation which raises 2500 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and hay and feeds 1300 head of fat cattle.  Their son, Nick, works full-time on the farm. They have two married children and five grandchildren who live nearby and help on the farm. Brenda is an active Cattlewoman member at the county and state level, having planned and worked events teaching consumers about beef. She has worked at the Cattlemen’s lunch trailer at the Crawford County Fair, Ohio Farm Science Review lunch tent and Ohio State Fair Cattlewomen booth. She is a Master of Beef Advocate for six years and is Beef QA certified. She is currently starting her first year as Ohio Cattlewomen  President. In June 2022 she was the Chairperson for the Cattlewomen and Region 1 summer meeting held at Certified Angus Beef in Wooster, Ohio. She is presently working to bring a WIRED event to Wooster Ohio April 6th,2024.  She is an active ANCW member served on the ANCW membership committee for two years, Public Relations and Nominating committee's this past year and starting ANCW Long Range planning special committee.   Spending time with family and friends, camping, traveling, making wine, and playing cards are enjoyable to Brenda in free time.   

Brenda Kocher

President 

Message from our President
Mrs. Brenda Kocher

Welcome to the Ohio CattleWomen website!
 
Welcome, Everyone! We’re SO glad you’re here.
 
We hope you are up for joining our Ohio CattleWomen “cow crew” and sharing in our passion for educating the public and membership about the beef industry!
 
Our theme for 2024-25 is “Agro Roots Run Beef”.
 
My hope and prayer this year is to reach folks in all areas of the state to share this theme and message - you don’t have to own land or cattle for your “roots to run beef”. You don’t have to know all there is to know about the industry to be passionate about beef. You don’t need to own a pair of boots or have Cattle to be a great advocate for this industry. You don’t need to compare yourself to others in the industry whose roots have grown from families that have been doing this for generations.
 
Everyone gets their start somewhere. It takes us all inside the same fence to make up the herd. The Lord made you for a time such as this, and the Ohio CattleWomen welcome you to join us as we promote this way of life, this passion for beef and cattle, and as we draw from history and tradition to lead us forward. 

I’d like to personally thank our 2024-25 OCW Executive Board members - my “cow crew” - for their faith in God, commitment to our organization’s mission, and passion for sharing the good news about beef across our beautiful state. We have miles of ground to cover and we look forward to every one of them. 
 
May God Bless each of you and your paths in the industry. I am so looking forward to meeting you along the ride.

 Brenda Kocher 2024-25 OCW President #AgroRootsRunBeef