A young woman from south-central Iowa is the 2020 recipient of three registered heifers awarded by the Iowa Beef Breeds Council and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Foundation.

Addison Wall, daughter of Patrick and Amanda Wall, was chosen from a group of well-qualified applicants. The program promotes seedstock herd development and encourages youth to get established in the beef cattle industry. 

This is the 10th year for the Iowa Foundation Heifer Program, which helps young Iowans begin foundation beef herds. Addison is a seventh grader at Pleasantville Middle School, where she is active in dance and band, and participates in Quiz Bowl. She lives with her parents and 6-year-old brother, Brody, on a farm near Pleasantville.  

Currently serving as president of the Marion County “Just Us” 4-H Club, Addison shows both market beef and breeding beef projects. A member of the Iowa Junior Hereford Association, she has participated at county, state and national events. She won the Individual Sales competition at the Junior National Hereford Expo at the age of 11.

Her recommendations for the award describe her as “a student with leadership qualities who is willing to volunteer and accept responsibilities at her school, community and church. She is a competitive, hardworking, enthusiastic young lady, willing to help others.” 

Nurturing interest in cattle 

Addison has already begun a freezer beef program called “Hereford Heritage Beef.” She has a passion for the cattle business and has chosen Herefords as her breed of choice. She’s excited to begin her duties as the new owner of three Hereford heifers. The heifers were purchased from Goehring Herefords (Bill and Becky Goehring of Libertyville) by the Iowa Beef Breeds Council and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Foundation. At the end of five years, when she graduates from high school, Addison will help to further fund the project by contributing $6,000. 

Addison and her family will be present Feb. 10 at the Iowa Beef Expo annual kick-off event where she will be honored by the Iowa Beef Breeds Council as a future seedstock producer. The evening will include presentation of winners of the Friend of Iowa Beef Expo, Purebred Seed Stock Producer of the Year and Commercial Seed Stock Producer of the Year. The 2020 Iowa Beef Expo runs Feb. 8-16 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines.  

Attend Iowa Beef Expo 2020 

The Iowa Beef Expo offers the opportunity for producers to attend and make purchases from a wide array of seedstock sales. Display pens of cattle, as well as equipment and new products, will be available for purchase.

The weekends before and after the week of cattle sales are devoted to the junior producers. The weekend of Feb. 8-9 will feature a livestock judging contest for college and high school teams. The following weekend (Feb. 15-16) hosts the Iowa Junior Beef Breeds Association premier junior cattle show of the year. Admission is free to these educational, once-a-year events. 

“The potential of the cattle industry today is strong,” says Gale VanAernam, president of the Iowa Beef Breeds Council. “Beef has always been the preferred protein source. Global exports continue to grow. There is something for everyone from commercial to purebred breeder to see at this year’s Iowa Beef Expo. It’s an event not to be missed.” 

Source: Iowa Beef Expo, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this