The 2018 Iowa Cattle Industry Leadership Summit will be Dec. 6-7 at the Prairie Meadows Events Center in Altoona. All cattle producers are invited to come for education, inspiration and a chance to meet other members of the cattle industry. Early registration ends Nov. 12.

This year’s meeting will feature a large trade show, where seedstock, cow-calf and feedlot producers will see new products, pick up educational materials and find solutions to everyday problems on the farm. The trade show will be from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Dec. 6, and 8:30 a.m. to noon Dec. 7.

“Our tradeshow this year showcases animal health products, resources and equipment for cow-calf and feedlot operations,” says Merle Witt, ICA’s western Iowa membership coordinator. “We have several new vendors taking part, and there will be equipment on display.”

In addition to the trade show, the Iowa Cattlemen’s Foundation will hold its annual banquet. The foundation provides scholarships and other opportunities for youth in the cattle industry. A fundraiser auction will raise money for the Youth Beef Team, the Beef Scholarship Extravaganza and other foundation activities. Supporters can bid in person at the banquet or online.

Educational presentations include a keynote address by Bruce Vincent, a Montana logger whose family operation was regulated out of business. Vincent will share how environmentalists forced his family’s business to shut its doors after three generations. He will offer advice to keep cattle producers from suffering the same fate.

ICA, IBIC annual meetings
A panel discussion on individual animal ID and traceability will feature ag professionals from Michigan and Kansas, as well as an Iowa cattle feeder who uses electronic IDs on his cattle. The audience will then be asked to come to a consensus on ICA’s policy regarding the topic.

The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association will also hold its policy committee meetings, which are open to all ICA members. The meetings are the final opportunity for cattlemen to discuss priorities for the association and set policy for 2019.
On the morning of Dec. 7, an appreciation breakfast will be held for county leaders before the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and Iowa Beef Industry Council annual meetings. Anyone interested in attending this year’s conference can find more information at iacattlemen.org and can register online.

Source: Iowa Cattlemen’s Association