For Katie Miller, the cattle business is about more than cattle.

“My grandparents got me started in agriculture, and they really helped shape me as a person,” she says of grandparents Dan and Betty Strange, Cambridge. They taught her to work hard and be humble, and encouraged her to be involved on the farm, including all the daily chores.

“They’re going on vacation in July, so I get to take care of everything while they’re gone!” Katie says.

Katie, the daughter of Paul and Lisa Miller, was recently named the 2018 Outstanding Junior by the Illinois Beef Association. She recently completed her junior year at Western Illinois University, with a major in agriculture science and an emphasis in animal science, and transferred to WIU from Blackhawk East College.

 
ON FARM: Katie Miller is studying agricultural sciences at Western Illinois University. She hopes to continue her involvement in the cattle industry even beyond her undergraduate education, including helping manage her family’s farm operations.

After graduation, she’s considering getting a graduate degree in ruminant nutrition or meat science, while partnering on the farm with her grandparents.

She got her start in the Illinois Junior Beef Association following a stint as the Henry County Beef Ambassador. Today, she’s vice president of the IJBA board, where she helps plan the EDGE conference and helps at the state fair jackpot show.  

“I was never expecting to win this award,” Katie says. “There have been so many deserving winners in the past, and I was so surprised.”

Her family runs a 50-head Simmental-cross cow-calf herd near Cambridge, and they are partners in a herd at another location. Katie has also served as both queen and secretary of the Illinois Junior Simmental Association.

Her advice to other young cattle producers? “Get involved as much as you can. You learn a lot of life lessons and make friends from across the state.”

Among the life lessons for Katie include public speaking skills, like those gained in the IJBA’s speech contest at the Illinois State Fair. She credits the EDGE conference with widening her knowledge base about different segments of the Illinois beef industry.