COVID-19 tried its best, but it didn’t stop the Indiana Beef Cattle Association from moving forward in 2021. IBCA recently held officer elections. It also hosted the Hoosier Beef Congress during the third weekend of February.

IBCA officers

Elections were held during the Hoosier Beef Congress at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. New officers were approved by IBCA members attending the meeting.

The new officers include Chad Lanum, Flora, president; Jill Duncan, Wingate, president-elect; Jeff Sherfield, Spencer, vice president; and Andrew Stewart, Greensburg, treasurer. The executive committee of IBCA includes the officers plus these three people: Jennie Hogden, promotions committee chair; Tim Schwab, membership chair, and Neal Smith, immediate past president.

The IBCA board of directors includes 10 area directors plus representatives from dairy, veal, allied industries and Purdue Extension. This board also makes up the Indiana Beef Council, which manages collection and allocation of the Beef Checkoff. Half of the funds collected in Indiana through the Checkoff stay in Indiana, and half are forwarded to the National Beef Board. You can find a list of current directors and representatives from other groups by visiting indianabeef.org.

Hoosier Beef Congress

It’s billed as the largest single state prospect cattle show in the U.S., and it happened despite the pandemic and the worst weather of the winter. Originally scheduled for the first weekend of December, it was held during the third week of February at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis.

Some 400 youth exhibitors competed in showmanship. Even more showed heifers and/or steers during the event. The event was livestreamed. Videos of both showmanship and the junior shows are archived at waltonwebcasting.com.

In the junior show, the top five heifers overall included Mercedes Ferree, Sullivan, supreme champion with an Angus and reserve supreme with a Sim-Solution; Aubrey Neal, Osgood, third with a Limousin; Landree Warnock, Urbana, fourth with a Chianina; and Houston Ferree, Sullivan, with a commercial heifer.

For steers, William Morris, Bargersville, showed the grand champion with a crossbred; Harper Henney, Angola, showed reserve with a crossbred; Delaney Ott, Albion, was third with a Shorthorn; Harlee Henney, Angola, was  fourth with a Charolais, and Cagney Utterback, Alexandria, was fifth with a Maine steer. Learn more at hoosierbeefcongress.com.