The Indiana Beef Cattle Association helps keep cattle producers aware of key issues in the industry all year long. From December through January, key events and meetings, including Hoosier Beef Congress, will bring together cattle producers from all over the state.

“We have another full slate of activities planned for this fall and early winter,” says Joe Moore, executive vice president of IBCA. “We’ll kick it off with Hoosier Beef Congress, continue it with regional meetings and include the annual meeting for IBCA, as well.”

Key events
Here are activities you will want to get on your calendar:

• Hoosier Beef Congress. The dates of the largest single-state junior cattle show in the U.S. are quickly approaching. The website hoosierbeefcongress.com is updated with the 2018 information, and all details for the junior show, showmanship, contest rules, breed rules, tradeshow, all-star and breed sale, and schedule of events can be found there.

Deadline for the all-star and breed sale entries is Oct. 15. Junior show registration deadline is Nov. 1. To avoid a late entry fee, entries for the junior show must be postmarked by Nov 1.

An online auction will happen Nov. 13 for the first 30 spots in the stalling line. Auction information will be available online at Caldwell-Willoughby Cattle Sales, or call IBCA at 317-293-2333.

• Beef cattle regional meetings. IBCA, in cooperation with Purdue University Extension, has set dates and locations for 10 area beef meetings.

These meetings are open to all beef producers and will dot the Indiana landscape from mid-December to mid-January. Meetings will feature information on beef issues, policies and programs, plus food. IBCA will provide updates on state and national beef topics.

“We are excited about this year’s area meetings and hearing from our members about their current status and their outlook for future opportunities within the beef industry,” Moore says.

Meeting times and locations include:

Dec. 10 West Lafayette
Dec. 11 Butlerville
Dec. 12 Spencer
Dec. 13 Hagerstown
Dec. 15 Mitchell
Jan. 3 Columbia City
Jan. 8 Poseyville
Jan. 9 Plymouth
Jan. 10 Logansport
Jan. 15 Franklin

Complete details with time and exact location are available on the IBCA website.

• IBCA annual meeting. The Indiana Beef Cattle Association will showcase the state’s beef industry at its annual convention and tradeshow Jan. 26 at the Indianapolis Sheraton North. Beef producers will discuss and share common concerns, plus take care of IBCA business, Moore says.

Currently, IBCA is accepting nominations for the annual awards recognition program. The awards are: Outstanding Young Cattleman of the Year, Outstanding Cattleman of the Year and Friend of the Industry. Award applications are now available online at indianabeef.org.

All cattle producers and their families are invited to attend this event. Activities include educational sessions with industry speakers. The convention will wrap up with a Las Vegas-style casino night and a chance to win prizes. Registration opens Oct. 15 through the IBCA website. Or you can call IBCA at 800-515-2333.

Some information for this article was provided by IBCA.