IOWA CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION Teamwork helps grow the ICA herd

2023 is off to the races and your member services team is busy traveling the state. Cattle Forums started in early January and haven’t slowed down since. We hope you were able to make one of the two options in your region and if not we still have several to go in February and March.

This is a busy time of year for all of your staff at the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association (ICA) as well as your local volunteer leaders. The Iowa Cattle Industry Leadership Summit kicked off the beginning of meeting season as well as celebrating our county boards with their local county banquets. This time of year gives us all a chance to reminisce on last year as well as look forward to what is to come in 2023.

You often hear staff refer to membership as the ICA herd. No pun intended, but we do feel that as we continue to meet with our producers across the state we develop the “herd” or team necessary to work together. As you see our Cattle Producer Forums are held across the state, please take advantage and attend when you can.

These educational events also offer up an opportunity for you to hear an ICA update as well provide feedback to what is happening in your area. You will often hear us ask producers, “what keeps you up at night?” This question allows us to keep at the forefront of topics that are affecting our producers across the state. This is where the teamwork of our herd really comes together.

A quote that I often hear when talking about teamwork comes from Hellen Keller, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” This quote is very true in connection with the team that we have built through our staff, boards and producers at ICA. The more we come together at these state and local meetings to work through topics, the more direction we have to help our beef industry continue to thrive and be passed through several generations.

As you decide “should I attend that banquet or should I go to that Cattle Producer Forum?” -- the answer should always be yes! Yes to celebrating the accomplish- ments of each of our local boards and yes to continuing to learn, while working together with the ICA herd to better our industry. Our staff has a passion to be part of your team, while providing an outlet for issues that we need to stay in front of. Don’t hesitate to reach out to one of us and invite us out to your farm or call us for some discussion. We are here to serve you and couldn’t be more excited to work on behalf of the ICA herd!

Below: Produers gathered in Leon, IA and Anthon, IA during the Decatur and Woodbury Counties Cattle Producer Forums. Attendees were able to listen to guest speakers and hear updates from IBIC and ICA. The ICA is hosting additional forums during February and March. RSVP to 515-2962266 for the forum nearest you!

ICA & NCBA TEAM UP FOR DISCUSSION AND Q&A SESSION

More than 200 producers from eight Iowa counties and three different states met in Rock Valley to discuss industry topics and hear updates from the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. NCBA representatives, Ethan Lane, Vice President of Governmental Affairs and Tanner Beymer, Senior Director, Government Affairs held a Q&A session during the meeting for producers to engage and discuss what’s on their minds.

March 2023