Steve Hunt, CEO of U.S. Premium Beef and Dr. Dan Thomson of Kansas State University will be the speakers at the opening general session of the 2010 Iowa Cattlemen's Association annual convention January 4 to 6 in Ames. The opening general session is at 10 a.m. on Tuesday January 5. The meetings on Monday January 4 are mainly business meetings for ICA leaders and committee members. The general program begins on Tuesday.

During the Tuesday January 5 luncheon, Daren Williams, National Cattlemen's Beef Association's director of communications, will recognize the Iowa graduates of the Master of Beef Advocacy program. The Brand Wall ceremony, 2009 county membership awards and BQA state award will be presented.

At 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the ICA policy committee work begins and all ICA members are encouraged to attend, participate and vote at all policy committee meetings. During the cattle production committee meeting, John Lawrence, ISU livestock economist and director of the Iowa Beef Center at ISU, will discuss the future of Iowa State University beef research and Extension. Randy Sacco, research Immunologist for ruminant diseases at the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, will discuss bovine respiratory diseases. Kellie Carolan, seedstock manager for, ICA, will talk on  age and source erification.

Manure regulations, food safety issues to be discussed

At the business issues committee meeting, Eldon McAfee, an attorney with Beving, Swanson & Forest in Des Moines will address "What is a Discharge of Manure?--The Lowell Vos Case". At the beef product committee meeting, Mike Cline, a cattle producer from Elgin in northeast Iowa, will lead the discussion on food safety issues and how they affect cattlemen.

"ICA's position on issues is determined by policy written and voted on by the members at the annual meeting held during the ICA Annual Convention," says Tom Shipley, ICA director of issues management. "These are the directions ICA follows whether in the capital building in Iowa or in Washington D.C."

Restructuring of national cattlemen's association covered

All committee meetings will be updated on the governance/membership restructuring of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, and resolution and directive review and new policy action will be discussed.

Tuesday evening's events consist of the ICA president's reception and dinner, followed by the ICA awards presentation and concluding with the Iowa Cattlemen's Foundation Auction. Wednesday, January 6, the annual meetings of the Iowa Beef Industry Council (IBIC) and the ICA will start at 9:30 a.m. The ICA annual convention officially adjourns at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

The ICA Annual Convention is January 4-6 at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center in Ames. For more information please call the ICA office at: 515-296-2266, or visit the ICA Web site, www.iacattlemen.org.