Ohio Stories: Paint Valley Farms

As their family grew, Lee Miller and his wife Dawn wanted a way for their children Megan, Whitney, Grant, and Derek to get involved in agriculture, and beef cattle was a way to do that. Growing up around livestock, Lee was impacted by the responsibility of raising cattle and wanted his children to learn the same lessons. The family runs Paint Valley Farms in Millersburg, Ohio where they focus on raising high-quality, maternal Shorthorns.
With about 200 mature cows, Lee strives to improve the genetics of his herd by growing core maternal qualities. Lee can point out cows that have been in the herd for the last 14 to 15 years and tell you the calving history of each one. “We visually make sure we've seen every calf nurse. We think that's really important because that determines the quality of the end product and the health of that calf.”
The Millers use rotational grazing to help improve the soil and establish deeper root systems in the pastures. They also grow summer and winter forage crops to ensure the cattle have nutritionally what they need all year round.
“One of the primary goals that I have is to leave a legacy behind that is worth following. Something that any one of my children would like to step into and do.”
Learn more about Ohio's beef farm families at www.ohiobeef.org