Linde Sutherly
Linde Sutherly grew up in Leavittsburg, Ohio, on a small beef cattle farm. She loved showing cattle, playing volleyball and being involved in clubs and organizations as she was growing up. In 2001 she received a BS in Agriculture with a major in Animal Science and a minor in Ag Business from The Ohio State University. After graduation she worked for Producers Credit, Inc. in Columbus, Ohio as a credit analyst for 3 years. She soon found her passion for photography and pursued her livestock photography business full-time. A tiny show in Moundsville, WV was one her first shows she photographed and she will never forget the first large show she covered, the Eastern National Livestock Show. She says she will never forget those folks who gave her the opportunity to pursue her dreams, as none of her success would be had it not been for those peoplegiving her a chance. “I thank Jesus that He opened doors to guide me in His will for my life.” Her parents were very helpful early in her career – after her mom retired, she traveled around to many shows, assisting Linde with printing and showing pics to customers in the small trailer they pulled around. “That seems like so many years ago!” Technology has changed so much in the past 20 years, and really changed the way they do business, using an app and website instead of driving the trailer around for an office for exhibitors to view photos is just one example. Ring shot photographers are another wonderful addition to the business over the years, providing great photos for exhibitors and jobs for photographers. Linde feels so very blessed that her small business has grown to serve so many and allows her to have fabulous photographers to work with around the country. She has mentored many aspiring photographers over the years and enjoys that opportunity.
Linde, her husband Dave, and their 9 year old son, Austin, reside in New Carlisle, Ohio. The have a small herd of cows that they enjoy, raising club calves to sell in the fall. They have achieved some success in the show ring over the years, and enjoy raising Austin in the livestock industry. Great friends, the value of hard work and responsibility, teamwork and spending time together as a family are a few of the things that come to mind quickly when they think of why they like being a part of this great industry. She and Dave also enjoy watching Austin play baseball and guitar, as well as they like seeing him snag a cow in the chute, helping to make breeding choices and then seeing the joy in his eyes when his favorite cow calves and having the opportunity to see all of that work throughout the year come full circle.
Linde’s passion lies in her photo business. She truly enjoys having the opportunity to work with such great people at shows, with the same love for the industry. “Capturing those moments that people have worked for years to achieve is not something I take lightly. It’s not just about getting a fabulous backdrop photo for every exhibitor. Our team is committed to providing outstanding service with a great attitude and having that show through every photo. I am so blessed to have a wonderful team of ladies with the same passion.”
She enjoys volunteering her time and efforts for the youth in the livestock industry. When the Ohio State Fair was cancelled, her heart ached for the many kids that work so hard throughout the year, and wanted to provide a show for them to finish their projects. She has been involved in planning the Ohio Youth Livestock Expo, and is so excited that it is coming together because of an awesome team of people and generous sponsors, with the same goal in mind, “to get these kids in the ring!”
Linde serves in several areas of the beef industry as well. She is on the executive board of the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association and is the president of the Clark County Cattle Producers. She is a co-chairman of the Cattle Battle, an Ohio BEST Show, which is known for it’s community service efforts while providing a fun, costume class to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House. Teaching kids to help others is so very important, and any opportunity we can give them to do that, we need to do that. Since the charity show began 8 years ago, it has raised over $100,000 for charities.