Triplet Calves Doing Well in Feedlot
Published: Friday, December 26, 2025
From bacon to bird flu, from Pumpkin Fantasyland to a first-time cattle judge. 2025 was a busy news year. In the space below, Exchange editors and correspondents provide udpates to eight stories they covered in 2025.
Triplet calves
Triplet beef calves (Jan. 31 issue) are "doing great" after being born in January at the Goetz farm near Valparaiso. Now about 500 pounds, the owner, Luke Goetz, is feeding them out.
Initially, Luke's daughter, Amaleah, said they would show the calves at the Porter County Fair. "We didn't end up showing them, but all three of them are the sweetest calves still," she said. The calves' mother is due to give birth on Jan. 6, and Amaleah will be watching to see what happens. —JG
Bacon Bar
The 2025 General Assembly was a mixed bag for the Indiana Corn Growers Assn. and the Indiana Soybean Alliance. At the annual Bacon Bar (Feb. 21 issue) at the Indiana Statehouse, ICGA and ISA members met with lawmakers to drum up support for two bills. One was successful, and the other will be back in front of lawmakers in 2026.
The first, SB461, was signed by Gov. Braun on April 30. SB461 created strict oversight of licensees to protect farmers who deliver grain for storage or deferred pricing. The bill also strengthens the Indiana Grain Indemnity Corp. board structure to ensure a fair claims process in the event of a revocation of a license. This law protects farmers as they work with first purchasers who buy corn and soybeans.
The second, SB254, would have provided tax credits for the sale of higher ethanol blends, the sale of blended biodiesel or renewable diesel, and blending of biodiesel or renewable diesel. The bill limited the total amount of tax credits that may be awarded in a state fiscal year to $10,000. SB254 was one of many bills dependent on a strong revenue forecast. The forecast was not strong enough to encourage legislators to act. ICGA and M&P will work on this bill again, perhaps in 2026. —JG
Little Britches
The Yoder siblings from LaGrange (March 21 issue) competed at the National Little Britches Finals in Guthrie, Okla. over the July 4 week. Owen, the youngest sibling, earned six buckles and made it into the final round in two events. He placed sixth in the world for his flag racing and ribbon roping event. Lane, the oldest, and his partner placed seventh in the first round, winning buckles and making it back to the final round. Kinley, the middle child, had clean runs in barrels and poles.
The three youths started the new season in August and already have most of the qualifications they need to go back to Oklahoma next summer.
Their mother, Erica, said her children will continue to compete throughout the winter. Lane will be entering his final spring season with Little Britches before he heads to college rodeo next fall. —JG
Tornado Recovery
An EF1 tornado plowed through Marshall County on April 2, damaging local residencies, farm equipment and scattering debris across fields (April 11 issue). The twister was one of eight Michiana tornadoes and churned through 17.91 miles of ground. It was on the ground for 18 minutes and was 175 yards wide. One local farmer, Jon Rettinger, of Bourbon, lost an irrigation system and part of a grain bin to the storm.
The irrigation system was a total loss and had to be completely replaced, Rettinger said, and the roof and top ring of the grain bin were also replaced. He said planting was delayed due to damages but had little affect on yields. However, in one field, he had to leave space for NIPSCO to work, leaving an open strip for animals to roam in his fields.
"I think I had more deer and raccoon damage this year than ever before due to the open corridor," he said. "Amazingly, I had pretty good yields despite the weather."—CS
Fair Treasurer Arrested
The Noble County Community Fair spent 2025 addressing the fallout after former treasurer Robin Lee Laymon admitted stealing more than $367,000 in seven months (May 23 issue). The discovery froze accounts and forced the board to manage unpaid bills and legal exposure.
The response included new financial controls, a contractor lawsuit, a public offer to buy the fairgrounds and a community GoFundMe to stabilize operations. Routine planning shifted to administrative review and efforts to restore trust.
According to the court docket, the case is scheduled to begin in March, with a two-day jury trial set for March 5 and 6 before Judge Christopher T. Jansen in Noble Superior Court 1. Despite the disruption, the fair kept its schedule and continued preparations for the upcoming season.—Dean Jackson
Pumpkin Fantasyland
The popular Pumpkin Fantasyland finished its final season of fall festivities on Oct. 31, with Patty Becker retiring and her son, Jason, focusing on the other aspects of the family business (Oct. 17 issue).
In a recent interview, Jason said this final year set records in attendance, with both the busiest day and the busiest weekend in Pumpkin Fantasyland's history. In honor of the Becker's Pumpkin Fantasyland, employees finished out the season with a surprise celebration for the family. Several community members attended, expressing their thanks and admiration of the Beckers.
The Beckers are rebuilding the restaurant that burned down earlier this year into a multipurpose building and plan to auction it in April. Following the auction for the restaurant and land, the Beckers will sell equipment and personal properties.—CS
Andon Zehring Judges
Leesburg's Andon Zehring was selected to serve as judge for the Hoosier Beef Congress Ringside for Riley adult showmanship contest (Nov. 28 issue). Zehring overcame glioblastoma, a brain tumor, in the Riley program after being diagnosed at just 7 months old.
The show raised over $18,000 for Riley's Children's Hospital, with Indiana Beef Cattle Assn. President Brian Shuter winning first prize.
In a recent interview, Zehring reflected on his experience.
"It was a really fun experience. It was fun to see all the different costumes that people came up with. My favorite memory would be seeing how many people supported the event and seeing older people show," he said. "It was a fun experience that I'm thankful I was chosen to do. The event is for a good cause, and I am happy to have been a part of it."—CS
Bird Flu
LaGrange, Elkhart and Noble counties saw a major outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in poultry flocks. As of Dec. 19, LaGrange County had 65 confirmed cases, with Elkhart County having 18 cases and Noble County having three cases.
Jeff Burbrink, Elkhart County Extension educator, shared that lax biosecurity standards are likely to blame for most of the HPAI infections. "There are reports of farms known to have HPAI virus that have hosted gatherings," Burbrink said in November. The virus can be transferred farm to farm for weeks, even after barns are depopulated, he said. The virus can also be transferred via manure on clothing, shoes, bicycles, buggies, tires and farm equipment.
In other states, the virus has crossed over into dairy cattle, but Indiana's dairy herd hasn't seen any HPAI infections at all in 2025. However, dairy producers in both Indiana and Michigan are required to test their cattle prior to interstate movement.—JG
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