Issuu

Located on Rt 127 1/2 mile South of I-70 (exit 45) “Your family owned & operated livestock market”

Upcoming Specials

Wednesday

starting at 10 a.m. and will include all classes of livestock (unvaccinated & vaccinated.) Fed Cattle sell at 10 a.m. followed by: Sheep & Goats Baby Calves Bred Cows, Cow/Calf Pairs Breeding Bulls Feeder Cattle Slaughter Cows & Bulls Cattle will be received: Tuesday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesdays starting at 6:30 a.m. thru the sale

Special Feeder Sale

Saturday, December 4 - 10 AM 45 day minimum weaning date for GLA Vac program Oct 20 21 day minimum vaccination date for GLA Vac program Nov 13

Be sure to bring vaccination affidavit & copy of receipts when delivering

Special Breeding Stock Sale

Saturday, December 11 - 10 AM Visit our website for listings of updated consignments & videos

Special Feeder Sale

Saturday, January 22 - 10 AM 45 day minimum weaning date for GLA Vac program Dec 8 21 day minimum vaccination date for GLA Vac program Jan 1

Be sure to bring vaccination affidavit & copy of receipts when delivering

Special Feeder Sale

Saturday, March 5 - 10 AM 45 day minimum weaning date for GLA Vac program Jan 19 21 day minimum vaccination date for GLA Vac program Feb 12

Be sure to bring vaccination affidavit & copy of receipts when delivering

Annual Registered Bull & Cow Special Sale Greenville Office: 618-664-1432 Centralia Office: 618-532-3095 Steve Carruthers: 618-322-0385 J.R. Hugo: 618-604-3097 Travis Diekemper: 618-401-8000 Gene Price: 217-331-3930 Caleb Price: 217-827-5818 Wayne Sutton: 618-978-4610

Saturday, March 13 - 10 AM

Featuring: Callan Angus Farm, Johnson Angus, Kramer Angus, Mickey Angus, RDGK Red Angus, Diamond A Simmental, Tru-La-Da Hereford, Sierra Bravo Herefords & Westwind Herefords Special Feeder Sales will be cattle that qualify for GLA VAC 1, GLA VAC 2 and GLA VAC 3 Natural only Contact Steve Carruthers to see how you can

“get with the program”

by enrolling in the GLA VAC programs! To receive market updates and early consignments sign up for our text alerts

Text GREENVILLE to 77222 Thank you in advance for your business! - J.R. Hugo, Travis & Shaina Mayce, Brody & Klohe

“Your Family Owned & Operated Livestock Market”

Receiving times for special sales: Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Saturday: 6:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Trucking available For more information, visit our website:

www.greenvillelivestockauction.com

www.illinoisbeef.com

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

CONTENTS

November/December 2021

17 Make Plans to Attend Cattle Industry Education Experience in Houston

The 2022 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show is set for Feb. 1-3 in Houston.

BQA Advances to Meet Producer and Consumer Needs

Duzan Selected NCBA Cattle Market Transparency Group

By constantly evolving, the BQA program helps beef producers capture more value from their cattle and instill consumer confidence in the beef industry.

Illinois Beef Producers Have Say in Market Transparency Debate.

Creep Feed and EDP—What’s the True Connection?

Sustainable Practices Add Value

Iowa State researchers want to help producers answer one of their biggest preweaning questions.

Meet the 2021 IBA Environmental Steward of the Year, Wildberry Farms of Hancover.

A Building Block of Illinois Beef

COLUMNS

Show Results

6 8 10 12 48

Meet the 2021 IBA Seedstock Producer of the Year, Lorenzen Farms of Chrisman, Ill.

Results from the 2021 Illinois Junior Livestock Classic, The Throwdown, Illinois District Show Series Finale and World Beef Expo.

IBA Affiliates Participate in Summer Grilling Promotions Affiliates donated and promoted beef through May and September.

Association Focus Executive Edge Extension Update Gate Cuts On the Edge of Common Sense

DEPARTMENTS 4 Board of Governors 14 Affiliate News 16 In the Know 50 Checking in on the Checkoff 51 Illinois Angus News 57 Illinois Hereford Bulletin 61 Illinois Simmental News 66 Marketplace 68 Purebred Breeders 68 Advertisers Index On the Cover:

Taken at Larson Farms, Maple Park, Ill.

Illinois Beef Magazine Illinois Beef Association 2060 West Iles Avenute, Suite B Springfield, IL 62704 www.illinoisbeef.com Phone: 217-787-4280 Fax: 217-793-3605

Illinois Beef, the official publication on the Illinois Beef Association, is published bi-monthly by the Illinois Beef Association, 2060 W. Iles Ave. Ste. B, Springfield, IL 62704 . Subscription is free to Illinois Beef Association members. Illinois Beef is uniquely dedicated to the advancement of the beef industry by representing all of its segments. Illinois Beef Association retains all editorial rights to the content of the magazine. Member of Livestock Publications Council.

Paul Walker, Danvers

Dave Duzan, Lexington

President IBA Board of Governors Email: pwalker@ilstu.edu

Vice President IBA Board of Governors Email: duzanagy@mtco.com

Policy Division Checkoff Division Chair: Shannon Welsh, Blandinsville Vice Chair: Jarad Carroll, Mt. Carroll Sec./Treas.: Betsy Pech, Lincoln Directors District 1 Jarad Carroll, Mt. Carroll, Jccattle07@gmail.com 1st term expires: 2019 | 2nd term expires: 2022 District 2 Jake Perino, Deer Grove, twinrailsoverp@gmail.com 1st term expires: 2022 | 2nd term expires: 2025 District 3 Jim Sundberg, Mendota, jimsfarms@gmail.com 1st term expires: 2020 | 2nd term expires: 2023 District 4 Shannon Welsh, Blandinsville, angus3@winco.net 1st term expires: 2023 | 2nd term expires: 2026 District 5 Betsy Pech, Lincoln, bpech55@gmail.com 1st term expires: 2021 | 2nd term expires: 2024 District 6 Matt Witte, Heyworth, matthewcwitte@gmail.com 1st term expires: 2022 | 2nd term expires: 2025 District 7 Kevin Rose, Salem, krr1998@hotmail.com 1st term expires: 2024 | 2nd term expires: 2027 At Large Directors Cody Lowderman, Macomb, codylowderman@yahoo.com 1st term expires: 2024 | 2nd term expires: 2027 Jake Fidler, Fariview, salebarn@mymctc.net 1st term expires: 2022 | 2nd term expires: 2025 Wes Hornback, Monticello, wchornback@landolakes.com 1st term expires: 2024 | 2nd term expires: 2027 Andy Jones, Chapin, ajones@mix30.com 1st term expires: 2020 | 2nd term expires: 2023 Bruce Betzold, Nokomis, betzoldfarms@yahoo.com 1st term expires: 2022 | 2nd term expires: 2025 Larisa Willrett, Malta, lwillrett1313@gmail.com 1st term expires: 2022 | 2nd term expires: 2025 Rick Dean, Le Roy, deanfarm4@gmail.com 1st term expires: 2024 | 2nd term expires: 2027

IBA Staff

Executive Vice President Josh St. Peters, josh@illinoisbeef.com Director of Communications Betty Haynes, betty@illinoisbeef.com Director of Programs and Services Mareah Rauch, mareah@illinoisbeef.com Financial Officer/Business Manager Nancy Betz, accounting@illinoisbeef.com Communications Support Sydney Trainor, sydney@illinoisbeef.com

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

Chair: Justin Rahn, Mt. Carroll Vice Chair: Ken Dau, Sheridan Sec./Treas.: Scott Wetzell, Tampico Directors District 1 Justin Rahn, Mt. Carroll, justinrahn@hotmail.com 1st term expires: 2019 | 2nd term expires: 2022 Lou Lamoreux, Lanark, unclelou49@gmail.com 1st term expires: 2023 | 2nd term expires: 2026 District 2 Scott Wetzell, Tampico, sd_wetz@hotmail.com 1st term expires: 2020 | 2nd term expires: 2023 Bill Gebeck, Buda , wgebeck@aol.com 1st term expires: 2023 | 2nd term expires: 2026 District 3 Ken Dau, Sheridan, dau.kenny@gmail.com 1st term expires: 2019 | 2nd term expires: 2022 Jamie Martz, Maple Park, jamiemartz85@gmail.com 1st term expires: 2024 | 2nd term expires: 2027 District 4 Terry Boydstun, Abingdon, tboydstun@hotmail.com 1st term expires: 2019 | 2nd term expires: 2022 Thad Tharp, Monmouth, tthaddeus88@gmail.com 1st term expires: 2023 | 2nd term expires: 2026 District 5 T.J. Curtin, Blue Mound, tjcurtin78@gmail.com 1st term expires: 2019 | 2nd term expires: 2022 Darrin Smith, Alexander, dasmith@wildblue.net 1st term expires: 2023| 2nd term expires: 2026 District 6 Chase Brown, Warrensburg, cdbrown2@gmail.com 1st term expires: 2022 | 2nd term expires: 2025 Wendall Alwardt, Altamont, walwardt1@yahoo.com 1st term expires: 2023 | 2nd term expires: 2026 District 7 Ed Billingsly, Goreville, stoneridge@gmail.com 1st term expires: 2020 | 2nd term expires: 2023 Jim Meller, Anna, meller.hillcroft.james@gmail.com 1st term expires: 2019 | 2nd term expires: 2022

Ex Officio Members

Buzz Iliff, Past President Travis Meteer, U of I Extension & BQA Teresa Steckler, U of I Extension Justin Rickard, ISU

www.illinoisbeef.com

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

Association Focus Paul Walker, Illinois Beef Association President During late August and early September I had the opportunity to attend three IBA affiliate gatherings. The Tri-County Cattleman’s Association met in Roseville for an afternoon tour and an evening of entertainment and social interaction. If you were not there, you missed a great time of good food, live entertainment, a successful auction, and lots of conversation. State Representatives Daniel Swanson and Norine Hammond were present. It is good that Illinois Beef has friends in Springfield like these two Representatives. Woodford County Beef Association met in Goodfield at The Barn III for a great dinner and social. Josh shared some important legislative updates with the group that resulted in an informative question and answer session. Thanks are extended to Abby Reel for letting the group have access to The Barn. If you have never attended dinner and a play at The Barn, make your reservations now. A trip to Goodfield is well worth the evening. Prairie Beef Association had their late summer meeting in Clinton. Sam Arnold grilled some great burgers, and the pie was unbelievable. Grace Arnold, 2021 IBA Outstanding Junior of the Year was recognized along with the achievements of other juniors. A shout-out to Prairie Beef Association as a higher percentage of their members are also members of IBA compared to other affiliates. This fact begs me to ask, have you asked a fellow beef producer to join IBA? Remember, only dues and Political Action Committee contributions can be used to lobby for legislation favorable to cattle production. Checkoff dollars can only be used for beef promotion, education and research. The IBA Board of Governors greatly appreciates the support provided by our affiliates and the positive beef promotion activities these groups are accomplishing. When your affiliate has a meeting, Josh and I welcome the opportunity to attend, just give us 30 days notice on the date and time. It is important to recognize that each of the three affiliates I have mentioned (along with other state affiliates) have strong junior programs. IBA realizes that any association without a growing youth program is a dying organization – that is one reason why IBA puts so much emphasis on the Illinois Junior Beef Association (IJBA) and its members. The IJBA program continues to grow in number of members and activities offered. Consider donating to the Illinois Beef Foundation Junior Scholarship Program – it may be tax deductible for you. IBA has identified our young producer group as an under-utilized part of our association, and the Executive Committee realizes that we seem to lose contact with our junior members once they turn 21. Consequently, as this age group turns 30ish many of this cohort have lost contact with the IBA and do not re-connect with IBA as a young producer. During 2022, IBA is making a commitment to revitalize/reinvent the young producer group. If you know a young family or young person who should be a part of this group, tell us so we can reach out to them. 6

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

To keep you informed, the Cattlemen’s Beef Board recently approved spending $38.9 million on programs supporting beef promotion, research, consumer information, industry information, foreign marketing and producer communications during fiscal year 2022. Nine national organizations will receive the following funding: • American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture: $926,000 • Cattlemen’s Beef Board: $1,850,000 • Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education: $500,000 • Meat Council of America/Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative: $494,760 • National Cattlemen’s Beef Association: $26,010,440 • National Institute for Animal Agriculture: $79,160 • North American Meat Institute: $430,440 • United States Cattlemen’s Association: $210,000 • United States Meat Export Federation: $8,400,000 If you raised one or more daughters, you have probably had a conversation about whether something is a fad or a fashion style. Well, trends in the food industry come and go. A few trends have evolved to become mainstay offerings. Here are a few options that started out as a trend, or niche market, and now are regular options carried by almost every brand for processed deli and lunch meats: • No antibiotics ever • Low fat • Keto certified • Organic • Non-GMO • Fat free • Paleo friendly • Free range • Humanly raised • Local • Low sodium • Gluten free • Grass fed • Sugar free • Good source of protein • Dairy free • Natural • No nitrates The purpose of this narrative is not to debate the validity of these label claims. The point is label attributes that stand out today often started out as a niche market sold by small, health-oriented brands. Many of these brands were acquired by bigger processors, while a few still exist as independent businesses. Labels we may consider as trite and meaningless today may have staying power and the beef industry must remain in-tune with current trends. This is just one more reason why our Checkoff dollars for consumer research and education are so important to maintaining a future beef industry of which we can all be a part. The IBA social media campaigns continually use State and National Checkoff dollars to interact with consumers, dieticians and opinion influencers to promote beef ’s place in a balanced diet.

www.illinoisbeef.com

I Saturday

Beautiful Bred Heifers

FEB 5

Arthur, IL

Herd Building Bred Cows

25 Powerful Bulls

Executive Edge Josh St. Peters, Illinois Beef Association Executive Vice President The holidays are upon us and before we know it, we will be ringing in a new year. It is hard to believe how quickly the year has gone by. I hope this season brings you some time to connect with family and friends and enjoy some quality beef products around a table with those you appreciate the most. With the end of the year, Illinois Beef Association has membership renewals going out to your household. Please be watching for the e-mail; there are several ways you can renew your membership and you will see that highlighted in this issue of the magazine. If you have questions or need assistance with your renewal, please don’t hesitate to call the IBA office and speak with someone on staff. Our phone number is (217) 787-4280. Your paid membership in the association makes it possible for us to continue advocating and communicating on behalf of the industry, from here in Springfield and across the entire state. Remember that your checkoff assessment that you pay on live cattle sales covers advertising and promotion of beef product to consumers, but the association dues you pay (along with fair share dollars you contribute) are what allow us to lobby state and federal officials on behalf of the cattle industry. Much of what we do to promote and preserve freedom to operate for Illinois’ cattle operations is covered by your dues. It is a critical time in our state for cattle producers to have representation in Springfield. As a member of IBA, you have a voice with the legislators and policymakers making decisions that can affect our market and our farming communities. We have statewide offices up for election this coming year, with several contests that will be important for farm issues. In addition, the new legislative districts likely change who is running to be your State Senator or State Representative and certainly impact our rural representation across critical committees at the State Capitol. The upcoming election cycle is also impacting Illinois’ Congressional districts, reducing our state’s delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives due to the new census data. We work closely with these elected officials, directly and through our legislative teams in Springfield and Washington, D.C., to protect the best interests of your operation. One of the additional services we provide for the industry in Illinois is support for the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program. We have several BQA-related meetings slated for the coming weeks, and there is a significant portion of the magazine dedicated to highlighting the importance. This training requires producers to take an online course or participate in an in-person workshop to receive certification, which lasts for three years. The certification does more than just help producers capture value for their market

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

animals: BQA also reflects a positive public image and instills consumer confidence in our industry. When producers implement the practices of a BQA program, they assure their marketed animals are the best they can be. If you are currently BQA certified, please double-check your expiration date and consider renewing this winter, and if you are not yet part of the BQA program, considering taking the online course or attend one of the upcoming workshops. Also, on the calendar and arriving before we know it is the 2022 Illinois Beef Expo, which has been announced for February 24-27, at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield. The sales, trade show and junior shows and activities provide a tremendous showcase of our Illinois beef industry, and there is a lot planned for next year’s event. You can find more information online at www.illinoisbeefexpo. com and on social media by locating the “Illinois Beef Expo” page. Please make plans now to attend Expo and reach out with any questions. Speaking of plans for the New Year, don’t forget to register for the NCBA Trade Show and Cattle Industry Convention that’s coming up February 1-3, in Houston, Texas. You can go online to https://convention.ncba.org/ for a full schedule of the meetings and events, and to book your hotel accommodations. If you’ve never attended “CattleCon” before, it’s the premiere event for our industry and packs a lot of punch into the three days of meetings. Congratulations go out to Betty Haynes, IBA’s Director of Communications and Editor of Illinois Beef magazine, along with her husband Dan, as they recently announced the birth of daughter Clare. The family is doing well, and Betty is enjoying some much-deserved time at home on leave. Along those lines, I want to extend a special thank you to our 2021 summer intern, Sydney Trainor, for staying on to support the publishing of this issue of the magazine in Betty’s absence. The November/December issue is one of the largest we publish and her work with our writers, advertisers and publisher has been stellar. If you have questions, concerns or need help with an issue on your operation or in your community, please don’t hesitate to reach out. My contact at the office is josh@illinoisbeef.com or (217) 787-4280 and if I am on the road, you can call or text me via (217) 282-0250.

www.illinoisbeef.com

info@mlstubs.com

www.illinoisbeef.com

TERRITORY MANAGERS Jeff Anslinger 816-244-7340 Gary West 731-335-3023

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

Extension Update Travis Meteer, University of Illinois Extension Beef Specialist

Winter Ration Considerations For Beef Cows Feed costs represent over half the total cost in a cowcalf production system. The majority of feed costs are from feeding cows during the winter season when most grasses are dormant. As a result of this, producers can greatly impact profitability by managing winter feed costs. This article will discuss and illustrate options for developing a least-cost ration on your farm.

Tips for feeding cornstalk bales:

Diet Considerations

Depending on your farm set-up, available equipment, and your willingness to purchase diesel fuel, your least-cost ration may look very different than your neighbors. Availability and proximity to co-product feeds, existing infrastructure, and environmental factors may also shift your ideal diet make-up. The traditional method of winter feeding is hay. Hay is variable in quality. If hay is not sufficient in protein, energy, and other nutrients, then cows may be malnourished. This may occur even though cows have all they can eat. Poor quality forage and crop residues have a high proportion of fiber to protein, thus slowing digestion. Consequently, cows eat only 1.5% of their body weight (BW) per day of lowquality forage. Inversely, if the forage is of high quality, cows consume around 3% of their BW daily. High quality hay may over-deliver nutrition, while, poor quality hay likely needs to be supplemented to meet cow requirements. With supplementation, cows digest more low-quality forage, up to 2% of their BW. Grain supplementation should be no more than 0.5 % of the cow’s BW. If the forage is of such poor quality that more supplementation is required, you should consider using co-products and other fiber-based feeds to avoid negative associative effects that occur when using grains. The most economical way to feed cows is to keep them grazing. Stockpiled grasses, brassicas with small grains, and cornstalks can be used to provide fall and winter grazing very economically. Input costs continue to rise. Reducing reliance on fuel, fertilizer, and labor-intensive systems may be the lowest cost formula on your ranch. Animal characteristics and production levels are also a factor in developing a successful winter ration. If your cows are thin or heavy milking, you will need higher energy diets. If your cows are larger than the example, they will need proportionally more feed. Evaluating your genetics to make sure they are in alignment with your market and your environment is always worthwhile.

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

• Sample and send off for nutrient analysis • Not an equal substitute for hay. Must be supplemented. • Process bales to reduce particle size. This will reduce feed refusal and waste. • If you cannot process bales, budget for the added waste. Use leftovers/sort for bedding. • Mix with wet co-products. Adds to palatability and decreases ration sort. A target diet moisture of 50% reduces sorting of the ration. • Changes to the mineral program may be necessary

Tips for feeding haylage/baleage:

• Sample and send off for nutrient analysis • Correct moisture levels are needed for accurate diet formulation. Changes in moisture within the bag or from bale-to-bale can increase inconsistency in the ration. • Proper fermentation is crucial, too much moisture, or too little, can cause concern at feedout and lead to listeria or clostridium bacteria and animal health concerns • Holes in the plastic or air penetration can lead to mold, spoilage, and bad bacteria growth

Tips for feeding wet co-products:

• Sample each load and send off for nutrient analysis • Correct moisture levels are needed for accurate diet formulation. • Control storage losses. Store on concrete pad with good drainage. • Feed through in a timely manner. Wet products are hard to store for long time periods • Avoid feeding with other moldy, off spec, or variable feeds that create inconsistent diets • Co-product or custom mineral supplementation program likely needed

www.illinoisbeef.com

Cost, $/ton

Corn Corn Silage CGF (dry) CGF (wet) MWDGS Grass Hay, good Poor Hay Cornstalks Soybean Hulls Ryelage lbs, AF lbs, DM %DM Ration lbs. TDN lbs. CP TDN, % CP,% Shrink, % Cost, $/ton AF Cost, $/ton DM Cost, $/hd/d

188 55 165 40 80 110 85 65 160 40

Inclusion, As-fed lbs.

15 12 3

36 31.1 86.5 18.1 3.1 58.20% 9.90% 20

59 27.1 45.8 18.3 3.0 67.83% 11.17% 20

42 30.8 73.2 18.1 3.1 58.95% 10.02% 20

59 29.5 49.9 18.0 3.0 61.16% 10.32% 20

41 25

37 23.7 64.0 18.3 3.7 77.64% 16.08% 20

58 28.8 49.7 18.3 3.0 63.47% 10.51% 20

$117.75 $59.69 $85.57 $51.46 $88.22 $85.34 $136.13 $130.20 $116.88 $103.09 $137.78 $171.88 $2.12 $1.76 $1.80 $1.52 $1.63 $2.48

Sample Rations

I have included some rations for illustration purposes. The normal disclaimers apply: Test your feeds and consult your nutritionist before formulating a least-cost balanced ration; these rations may not be representative of your feed ingredients; not all rations meet dry matter intake targets, thus limit-feeding strategies and management would need to be applied; transportation costs are not in feed costs; mineral supplementation costs are not included. These rations are intended to be delivered with a TMR (Total Mixed Ration). Free-choice forages would result in higher forage intake and feeding waste that is not shown in these illustrations. These rations are balanced to meet the CP and energy needs of a moderate milking 1300lb. lactating cow in good body conditions score.

Summary

Your least-cost winter feeding strategy may not be the same as your neighbor. Factors including herd size,

www.illinoisbeef.com

available equipment, infrastructure, labor, and others can dictate least-cost strategies. Testing forages and feed ingredients is necessary to formulate a balanced ration. Limit-feeding cattle will require good fences and more nutrient dense feedstuffs. Feeding higher levels of by-product feeds may increase variability in the ration and result in a greater need to amend the vitamin and mineral supplement to match animal requirements. Feed waste and shrink will vary depending on feedstuff, feed storage, and feed handling. Weather and environment should be considered when formulating balanced rations. Cow/calf producers that can identify and implement least-cost rations during the winter will be the most profitable. Remember, cattle are most profitable harvesting their own feed. Looking into extending the grazing season is a must. When cattle must be delivered harvested feeds, evaluating the most economical ration will quickly return dollars to the farm.

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

Gate Cuts Paul Walker, DI Walker Consulting

value) has not declined and as the cutout value increased, the price of the rib led the increase in price. For example, during the week of September 6 the weighted average price of boneless heavy ribeye reached $14.72: lb which is the highest price in history on the USDA cutout sheet. In the future, as cutout value declines, higher rib prices may decrease the rate of decline in cutout value. Historically, as cutout value has decreased the price of the primals making up the cutout value also, has decreased. This change in price structure may be due to “suspended fresh” trade. Suspended fresh is a process whereby the temperature of fresh beef is decreased to near freezing (not frozen) and held until retail sale. In effect near frozen is treated like fresh beef. Most of the beef trade views that suspended fresh is creating higher lows and causing the price differential between the high and low cutout value to flatten. There Is not any reporting of suspended fresh volume and price by the USDA or by any private reporting service. This makes pricing information harder to discover and track. Suspended fresh may be a game-changer just coming into its own-something to watch. We can continue to go along as we have been, assuming supply and demand as tempered by what the packers want to pay determines the price of finished cattle; or we can directly tie the base price of live cattle to consumer demand allowing supply and demand to determine premiums and discounts. Since plant shutdowns and production slowdowns resulting from Covid 19 (beginning in March 2020) available packing capacity as measured by daily harvest has become a focus of the beef industry. According to John Nalivka (Sterling Marketing; Vale, Oregon) capacity (cattle harvested per day) is not the critical issue, rather capacity utilization is the focal point. A target of packers is to consistently operate a packing plant at 90% or higher. During 2021 the average plant capacity use has beet 87.3%. This is similar to the average capacity use of 88.3% in 2019 and higher than the 84.3% utilization rate of 2020. In fact, during April and May 2020 utilization capacity of fed beef plants averaged only 67.2%. Predicted reduction in cattle numbers through at least 2024 coupled with a tight labor supply and other supply chain issues (transportation, commodity shortages, etc.) for packing plants may further aggravate the issue of capacity utilization. As many feedlots are experiencing, packers are not aggressively buying fats, or they are buying finished cattle for 30-day out delivery. As a result of COVID experiences packers have learned that with aging, paid for plants, they do not have to operate at maximum capacity to maximize profit. Packers can raise cutout price (or maintain cutout value / minimize cutout value decline) to maintain an

Creating Our Future Regarding finished cattle market price discovery, I have continued to track the cutout value: live cash price ratio since the August 20 date I reported in the last issue of Illinois Beef. From April 16 through August 20 cattle feeders left an average of $337.96 per steer “on the table” of unrealized income by not having a mandated 2.05:1 cutout value: live cash price ratio in force. During the 28 marketing days since August 20, cattle feeders have experienced an average unrealized income per steer in the amount of $ 432.87. Cutout value ($: cwt) peaked on August 23 at $348.03 with a reported high live cash price of $129.75: cwt for a ratio of 2.68:1. Since August 23 the cutout value has been slowly declining. The ratio peaked on August 27 at 2.70:1 with cutout value at $345.34 and live cash at $127.97. Today, as I write this article (September 30) the cutout value was $294.98, the high live cash price was $124.00: cwt and the ratio was 2.38:1. It seems, as predicted by several market advisors, the cutout value is steadily declining and live cash price is slowly following a down trend. It will be interesting to see how low cutout value and live cash will go. In past articles I have referred to this spring and summer’s ratio as a third Black Swan event. I now believe this is not a Black Swan event, but it is the new normality i.e., a Covid World, a shortage of both skilled and unskilled labor, inflation and a change in our country’s value system. Consequently, I do not believe the historical cutout value to live cash price ratio of 1.40 – 1.60 or even the 1.91 ratio of the 2017-2019 era will return. The hourglass shaped system we have of many feedlots, at the top, of a few major packers in the middle and many retail options at the bottom has resulted in two loosely related supply – demand curves, one between the feedlots and the packers and one between the packers and the retailers. It may be time for a government mandated maximum cutout value to live cash price ratio for establishing the daily price of low choice, yield grade 3.9 cattle. Packers will not voluntarily give the feeder the cattle’s true value; mandating that packers purchase a fixed percent of their daily harvest needs as live cash will not increase the price of cash cattle; increasing shackle space (increasing the ability of packers to harvest more cattle per day) and increasing the number of smaller packers will not increase the price of cash cattle; and, breaking up the big four packers will not increase the price of cash cattle. There is too much efficiency of scale for larger packers, consequently increasing the number of smaller packers may increase competition but it will not increase the price of cash cattle because smaller packers cannot afford to pay higher prices for live cattle and compete with the efficiency of larger packers. It is interesting to note that as cutout value has decreased, the rib (one of the seven primals that determines cutout 12 Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

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appropriate supply/demand ratio, and an acceptable profit margin without harvesting more cattle or operating plants at maximum capacity. Operating plants at reduced utilization rates maintains a sufficient backlog of finished cattle that keeps finished cattle prices proportional to cutout value at a ratio that allows the packer to maximize profitability at the feeders expense. According to John Nalivka, the question is, “if capacity is increased (by building new plants) against a declining cattle supply and reduced capacity utilization, how will new plants carrying large debt coupled with working capital cost compete?” It seems to me that now is the time to conduct a national study evaluating a government mandated maximum cutout value: live cattle cash price ratio as an option for feeders to capture an appropriate share of the consumer dollar spent for beef. value) has not declined and as the cutout value increased, the price of the rib led the increase in price. For example, during the week of September 6 the weighted average price of boneless heavy ribeye reached $14.72: lb which is the highest price in history on the USDA cutout sheet. In the future, as cutout value declines, higher rib prices may decrease the rate of decline in cutout value. Historically, as cutout value has decreased the price of the primals making up the cutout value also, has decreased. This change in price structure may be due to “suspended fresh” trade. Suspended fresh is a process whereby the temperature of fresh beef is decreased to near freezing (not frozen) and held until retail sale. In effect near frozen is treated like fresh beef. Most of the beef trade views that suspended fresh is creating higher lows and causing the price differential between the high and low cutout value to flatten. There Is not any reporting of suspended fresh volume and price by the USDA or by any private reporting service. This makes pricing information harder to discover and track. Suspended fresh may be a game-changer just coming into its own-something to watch. We can continue to go along as we have been, assuming supply and demand as tempered by what the packers want to pay determines the price of finished cattle; or we can directly tie the base price of live cattle to consumer demand allowing

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supply and demand to determine premiums and discounts. Since plant shut downs and production slow-downs resulting from Covid 19 (beginning in March 2020) available packing capacity as measured by daily harvest has become a focus of the beef industry. According to John Nalivka (Sterling Marketing; Vale, Oregon) capacity (cattle harvested per day) is not the critical issue, rather capacity utilization is the focal point. A target of packers is to consistently operate a packing plant at 90% or higher. During 2021 the average plant capacity use has beet 87.3%. This is similar to the average capacity use of 88.3% in 2019 and higher than the 84.3% utilization rate of 2020. In fact, during April and May 2020 utilization capacity of fed beef plants averaged only 67.2%. Predicted reduction in cattle numbers through at least 2024 coupled with a tight labor supply and other supply chain issues (transportation, commodity shortages, etc.) for packing plants may further aggravate the issue of capacity utilization. As many feedlots are experiencing, packers are not aggressively buying fats or they are buying finished cattle for 30-day out delivery. As a result of COVID experiences packers have learned that with aging, paid for plants, they do not have to operate at maximum capacity to maximize profit. Packers can raise cutout price (or maintain cutout value / minimize cutout value decline) to maintain an appropriate supply/demand ratio, and an acceptable profit margin without harvesting more cattle or operating plants at maximum capacity. Operating plants at reduced utilization rates maintains a sufficient backlog of finished cattle that keeps finished cattle prices proportional to cutout value at a ratio that allows the packer to maximize profitability at the feeders expense. According to John Nalivka, the question is, “ if capacity is increased (by building new plants) against a declining cattle supply and reduced capacity utilization, how will new plants carrying large debt coupled with working capital cost compete?” It seems to me that now is the time to conduct a national study evaluating a government mandated maximum cutout value: live cattle cash price ratio as an option for feeders to capture an appropriate share of the consumer dollar spent for beef.

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

Affiliate News Tri-County Cattlemen

On August 28, the Tri-County Cattlemen hosted their first beef industry tour and social. With the events that have taken place in the last year and a half the Tri-County Cattlemen had to get creative on how to raise money to continue to fund their annual scholarship program. The goal of the event was to provide an educational element for producers as well as a social event with a meal and fundraiser. The group toured Earlybird Nutrition in Roseville and learned about the many elements of the feed mill from Manager Shawn Hendel. They then traveled to Cramer Farms in southern McDonough County to learn about their cattle facility. Maurer-Stutz Engineer, Gayle Baker provided valuable information about what to expect when producers are preparing to invest in a facility. Ryan McClure, owner of McClure Custom Pumping spoke about manure management and the services offered to producers. Producer Lonnie Cramer was able to answer questions for guests and provide a lot of valuable information from a producer’s perspective. The group then traveled back to the Warren County Fairgrounds in Roseville for a social hour and meal. Auctioneer Kyle Ferguson guided the way for the Tri-County Cattlemen to raise more than $2,000 for their scholarship program. The Board of Directors wishes to thank everyone that attended and supported the scholarship program.

The annual Tri-County Cattlemen’s Association Banquet is scheduled for Saturday, February 12 at Western Illinois University.

Prarie Beef Association

The Prarie Beef Association held their Cowboy Picnic in Clinton. During their meeting they recognized junior members for their achievements during the DeWitt, Macon, and Piatt County 4-H fair and those who received Prarie Beef scholariships.

4-H Fair Winners

• Conor Cooper, Grand Champion Steer and Champion Heifer. • Grace Arnold, Reserve Champion Steer • Mabry Schick, Reserve Champion Heifer

Prarie Beef Scholarship Winners • Brandon Atten • Hanna Lyon • Grace Arnold

Affiliate News Do you have Affiliate News? Submit information to Mareah Rauch at mareah@illinoisbeef.com or 217-787-4280. Please notify Mareah as changes to affiliate officer teams are made for our records.

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

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IT'S TIME TO RENEW YOUR IBA MEMBERSHIP!

If we have an email address for you on file, we will email you a link that will allow you to renew your membership online via credit card in late November. You can also start the renewal process online and then mail a check to IBA if you don’t want to pay with card. Check your email in late Nov/Dec for emails from IBA on renewal!

Did you know that we offer multiple ways to renew membership?

Reach out to Mareah Rauch at mareah@illinoisbeef.com to see what email we have on file for you. If we don’t have an email for you, we will mail a paper renewal invoice to you in late November. Simply update your contact information if needed and return payment in the envelope included.

Not sure if we have the correct email for you?

Why should I have a producer membership if we already have a junior member in our family?

Junior members only receive 2 of the 6 issues of the Beef Magazine each year. Producer members will receive all 6 issues. Junior members are also updated on junior only events Some updates that are producer only focused are only sent out to producer members- not juniors

This includes a producer membership and multiple junior members at a reduced rate.

Did you know IBA offers family level memberships?

Membership Family Option Example IBA Member – 50 Head or Less …………$60 IBA Member (Family) – 50 Head or Less with 1 to 2 Juniors….…. $85 IBA Member (Family) – 50 Head or Less with 3 Juniors ……..… $95 Individual Junior member …………….$25 This family membership option also applies to the members with 51-100 Head and 101 head or more. A full list of membership options is listed on the next page on the membership form

Have a question about IBA Membership? Reach out to Mareah Rauch at 217-787-4280 or mareah@illinoisbeef.com

In the Know Illinois Beef Association Offers Internship Opportunities The future of the cattle business is built on young leaders focused on keeping the industry strong. To be successful, it takes practice. To provide that needed experience, the Illinois Beef Association (IBA) is offering one summer internship and two Illinois Beef Expo internships in 2022. “The IBA summer internship is an outstanding opportunity to become involved in the beef industry for IJBA members,” said Sydney Trainor, 2021 IBA summer intern. “This internship provides networking opportunities as well as experiences that push students to be creative and independent.” The IBA internship provides a college student an outstanding opportunity to assist with IBA’s communication, education and youth programs. Applicants must consider themselves a self-starter, detail-oriented and an outgoing individual who work well with others. To be eligible, applicants must be a full-time college student and currently an Illinois Junior Beef Association member from a family that is actively involved in beef production. The internship spans from approximately mid-May through the Illinois State Fair. “Through this internship I advanced as a communicator and advocator for the beef industry,” Trainor said. “I enjoyed the opportunity to work with industry leaders and junior members through the various summer conferences and events hosted by IBA.” The Illinois Beef Expo is offering two internships to assist with the 2022 Illinois Beef Expo. The 2022 Illinois Beef Expo is scheduled from Feb. 24 to Feb. 27 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Intern responsibilities will range from communications to event staff based on applicant experience. To be eligible, applicants must be a full-time college student and currently an Illinois Junior Beef Association member from a family that is actively involved in beef production. Interns cannot exhibit in or compete at the 2022 Illinois Beef Expo. The internship spans from Feb. 24 to Feb. 27. “The Illinois Beef Expo has a team of staff and volunteers who work hard behind the scenes to make sure everything runs smoothly,” said Mareah Rauch, IBA director of programs and services. “Through the Illinois Beef Expo internship, students have the chance to really see what it takes to execute the show.” IBA intern and Illinois Beef Expo intern applications are due Dec. 1, 2021. The applications with internship details are available online at illinoisbeef.com.

Illinois Beef Foundation Seeking Scholarship Applicants The Illinois Beef Foundation is offering four $1,000 scholarships for the 2022-2023 academic year. The Foundation recognizes the incredible talent of young, beef industry enthusiasts and helps them achieve their educational goals. “I encourage every qualified junior to apply, said Dr. Paul Walker, Illinois Beef Foundation chair. “Often these scholarships are easy to attain because too many qualified juniors fail to apply.” The Foundation offers four $1,000 general scholarships: two to high school seniors and two to current college students. “Scholarship programs reward students who are passionate about the Illinois cattle industry,” said Buzz Iliff Illinois Beef Foundation board member. “We want to recognize the incredible talent and potential among our young members and encourage them in their educational and professional endeavors.” To be eligible, applicants must be a full-time college student or high school senior and from a family that is an IBA member actively involved in beef production. “We know how important it is to encourage the next generation of beef leaders,” said Iliff. “We’re proud of our commitment to youth and the ability to give back to livestock industry students across Illinois.” Scholarship applications are due Dec. 1, 2021. Applications are available online at illinoisbeef.com. 16

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

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Make Plans to Attend Cattle Industry Education Experience in Houston The 29th annual Cattlemen’s College, sponsored by Zoetis, will be held Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2022, and will kick off the 2022 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in Houston. This premier education experience draws more than 1,000 people every year, and includes two days of learning, idea sharing and networking. In addition to Monday’s “producer’s choice” sessions which provide a preview of Tuesday’s educational experience, hot topics such as global cattle industry trends and sustainability research will be featured. The Zoetis Demonstration Arena includes a live animal demonstration focusing on analyzing the physical and genetic traits of cattle. Monday concludes with an evening reception offering an opportunity for everyone to gather with friends and reconnect. There will be 15 sessions and five educational tracks to choose from on Tuesday including business, herd health, nutrition, new tools, and sustainability. The business-focused track will include several risk management sessions, and the new tools sessions will focus on the latest technology trends for genetics and grazing management. This year’s event includes cuttingedge topics and top industry leaders including a keynote speaker to wrap up Tuesday’s agenda. Registration begins Nov. 1, 2021. Look for the Education Package, which offers the best value. For more information, visit https://convention.ncba.org/.

Beef Checkoff Partners with Hallmark Channel For Holiday Promotions For the second consecutive year, Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner., will be featured as part of a prominent holiday advertising campaign on cable TV and in digital promotion with the Hallmark Channel. The campaign includes a special sponsorship of Hallmark’s latest holiday movie called Christmas at Castle Heart, which premieres Thanksgiving weekend. The target audience for this promotion fits well with industry efforts to increase retail beef purchases across the U.S. Last year, Hallmark’s holiday countdown programming pulled in an average of more than 2.5 million viewers for each of the first-run films they aired during the holiday season. The network’s viewership has been reported as even stronger with the target demographic of women between the ages of 25 to 54. Throughout the duration of the holiday promotions, Hallmark’s ranking typically places them as one of cable television’s most-watched programming options from Halloween to New Year’s. This is the twelfth year of Hallmark’s “Countdown to Christmas” holiday programming event, which has slated more than 40 holiday movies to air through the end of the year.

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November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

PRODUCER MEMBERSHIP FORM Please return by January 31, 2022

CONTACT INFORMATION

PLEASE UPDATE IF INFO TO LEFT IS INCORRECT Name: ___________________________________________ Farm Name: ______________________________________ Address: _________________________________________ City: _________________________ ST: ____ Zip: ________ County: _________________________________________ Phone: __________________________________________ Email: ___________________________________________

TYPE OF OPERATION: (select all that apply)

Recruited By: _____________________________________

Commercial Cow-Calf

Purebred Cow-Calf (list breeds): _______________________________

Club Calf

Backgrounder

Feeder

Packer

Dairy

Auction Market

Processor

MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS PRODUCER MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS: (check 1 box only - Junior age is 8 years to under 22 years of age as of January 1, 2022) IBA MEMBER - 50 HEAD OR LESS

$60

IBA MEMBER (FAMILY) - 50 HEAD OR LESS WITH 1 TO 2 JUNIORS

$85

IBA MEMBER (FAMILY) - 50 HEAD OR LESS WITH 3 JUNIORS

$95

IBA MEMBER - 51 TO 100 HEAD

$95

IBA MEMBER (FAMILY) - 51 TO 100 HEAD WITH 1 TO 2 JUNIORS

$120

IBA MEMBER (FAMILY) - 51 TO 100 HEAD WITH 3 JUNIORS (JUNIORS ARE AGE 21 & UNDER)

$130

IBA MEMBER - 101 HEAD OR MORE

$140

IBA MEMBER (FAMILY) - 101 HEAD OR MORE WITH 1 TO 2 JUNIORS (JUNIORS ARE AGE 21 & UNDER)

$165

IBA MEMBER (FAMILY) - 101 HEAD OR MORE WITH 3 JUNIORS (JUNIORS ARE AGE 21 & UNDER)

$175

INDIVIDUAL JUNIOR MEMBER

$25

LIST JUNIOR NAMES & BIRTH DATES ______________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

FAIR SHARE: (please enter # of cattle): Active members are encouraged to pay fair share dues based on the nubmer of cow-calf pairs, stockers/feeders owned annually or annual one-time capacity of feedlot cattle. Fair share dues go directly to IBA’s efforts to protect your rights as a cattle producer. This is in addition to your general membership investment.

_______ NUMBER OF COW-CALF PAIRS x $0.50

$ ________

_______ NUMBER OF STOCKERS/FEEDERS x $0.25

$ ________

TOTAL AMOUNT PAID (PRODUCER + FAIR SHARE) $ ________ Please complete payment information on back.

2060 W. ILES AVE. SUITE B, SPRINGFIELD, IL 62704 | 217-787-4280

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

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Here for your herd We have your back. “When I was notified that the EPA was planning a visit to my farm, IBA was the first call I made. The organization helped me prepare by answering my questions and assisted me in understanding my rights.” Mike Martz, DeKalb, Illinois

Every day you carefully consider your options and make critical decisions that position your farm to succeed. At the same time, others are making decisions that can challenge your freedom to operate. That’s where Illinois Beef Association can help. IBA supports Illinois beef producers through: - Pro-farm legislation and advocacy, including tackling head-on the false marketing and nutritional claims of fake meat - EQIP program, farm expansions and building permit support - Industry information, communications and events with like-minded producers - Equipment and service discounts Our beef checkoff dollars go a long way to promote Illinois Beef and raise public awareness, but they can’t advocate on the issues we face.

Join or renew your IBA membership today. We’re stronger together, and that means we need you. IBA represents Illinois beef producers’ interests so you can continue to do what you do best – farm. Visit illinoisbeef.com/membership to learn more.

BQA

n 1991, the Beef Checkoff funded the first National Beef Quality Audit to help identify beef safety issues and establish benchmarks for success. Thirty years later, the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program has grown beyond expectations, providing beef producers the information and tools they need to incorporate safe and effective management practices. Today, approximately 85 percent of U.S. beef comes from BQA-certified producers. To continue helping beef producers capture more value from their cattle and instill consumer confidence in the beef industry, the BQA program constantly evolves and updates its programs. Here are the exciting BQA updates from this year. Beef Industry Long Range Plan Includes BQA to Grow Consumer Trust in Beef A core strategy in the 2021 - 2025 Beef Industry Long Range Plan (LRP) is growing consumer trust in beef production. According to the LRP, research shows an increased desire among all consumers to know more about where their food comes from and how it is produced. Education and documented verification programs, like the BQA program, will contribute to this strategy by increasing cattle producer participation and adoption of BQA principles while also educating the general public about its impact on animal well-being. As producers become BQA certified, they demonstrate an industry-wide commitment to best management practices, increasing the program’s credibility in consumers’ eyes. “The more robust we can make BQA, the more validity it will have in the eyes of our consumers and alleviate concerns about animal care, And what it all comes down to at the end of the day is consumer trust will increase demand for beef,” says Kim Brackett, Chair of the LRP task force, chair of the BQA Advisory Group and Idaho cow-calf producer. To view the full Beef Industry Long Range Plan, visit: BeefLongRangePlan.com

ADVANCES TO MEET

PRODUCER AND

CONSUMER NEEDS & Quality Assurance (CCQA) program. CCQA is the first collaborative educational tool that provides guidelines for calf raisers. The CCQA program is a joint initiative led by BQA and the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program, managed by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) with support from the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association, and the Beef Checkofffunded Veal Quality Assurance (VQA) program. A reference manual sets the foundation for the CCQA program. In addition to the manual, the CCQA program will roll out producer-focused training modules that will certify producers in the principles of excellent calf care highlighted throughout the manual later in 2021. BQA’s New Biosecurity Education Module BQA released the first in a series of Advanced Education Modules. The initial module focuses on biosecurity and the basics of disease transmission and prevention. These resources were developed so anyone who is involved in raising cattle has the opportunity to understand how biosecurity principles are integrated into their farm or ranch and plan for continuous improvement in the future. Interactive and real-world best practice examples are provided for a variety of topics, such as new bull or replacement purchases and manure management to reduce feed contamination, among others. For more information about BQA, CCQA and the advanced education modules, visit: BQA.org

BQA’s New Calf Care and Quality Assurance Program The U.S. calf-raising sector now has a program to help ensure optimal calf health and welfare via the Calf Care www.illinoisbeef.com

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

Become BQA Certified Online Getting certified online is free and can be done at any time that works for you! Step 1

Google BQA and click on the link that says https://www.bqa.org/ (it should be the website, like how it is shown in this picture).

Step 2

Click on the “Learn More” button under certification. Once you are pulled up to the certification page, click the “Online Course” button.

Step 3

Once you click the online course button, you will be taken to a screen that has the different options that you can get BQA certified in (Cow-calf, Stocker/Backgrounder, Feedyard, Dairy, and Transportation). Simply click the option for area that you want to be certified in. The options are written in red.

Step 4

After you chose your area, you will be taken to a screen that will state the steps for completing your BQA course. First you will need to log in. If you don’t have an account with BQA, you will need to create an account. To create a new account, click the red LOG IN tab in the top right corner of your screen. On the log in page you will need to click CREATE NEW ACCOUNT.

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

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Step 5

After you have created an account and logged in, you will need to select the course catalog button in the upper left hand corner. It will then take you to the page with all of the courses listed, the courses that are offered the courses in English are at the top and if you scroll down, you will find the courses in Spanish.

Step 6

Click on the certification that you want to be certified in and you will be taken to a screen that has a red ENROLL ME button. Click that button and you will be enrolled in the certification.

Step 7

After you click ENROLL ME, it will take you to the page with all of the lessons that you have to go through. Simply click GO by the first lesson, watch the lesson, and then answer a few questions at the end of the lesson. You repeat this process for all of the lessons. Once you get through all of them, you will be able to take the quiz.

Step 8

To take the quiz, you need to hit the go button by the quiz area, it can be found after all of the lessons. The quiz is 25 questions long. You have to score at least an 80% to pass and be certified. If you do not get the 80%, you can review the questions to see what you missed and take the quiz again. Once you get an 80% or above, you will be certified and can print off your certificate. You can do this by clicking the My Courses tab and then scrolling down to the My Certificates section. www.illinoisbeef.com

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

Soy nutrition is a vital component for all Illinois livestock. That’s why Illinois Soybean Association is proud to partner with other organizations in support of livestock expansion efforts across the state, supporting beef cattle producers as they work to improve farms, grow animal agriculture, and meet global demand with homegrown solutions.

you

duzan selected ncba cattle market transparency group Illinois Beef Producers Have Say in Market Transparency Debate

by Barb Anderson It’s no secret that cattle producers have faced more than their fair share of economic challenges the last several years. With that has come heightened debate about cattle pricing. The Illinois Beef Association (IBA) and other state associations, together with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), are evaluating whether a more transparent marketing environment would help producers gain a competitive edge in cattle pricing negotiations. “Based on IBA’s member survey earlier this year, there is consensus for increased transparency and enforced federal accountability. Producers expressed that they need better information flow on how cattle are being bought and sold by packers,” says Josh St. Peters, IBA executive vice president. “But producers still want freedom to operate to manage their profit opportunities.” 26

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

That includes having a say in how the national debate is resolved. Following NCBA’s summer annual meeting, IBA expressed immediate interest in having a seat on the new working group. “When the opportunity came up for IBA to be directly involved, we wanted to be part of it,” says St. Peters. “It is important for Illinois beef producers to participate because we have a diverse marketplace and membership. We need to have an effective and efficient pricing system, so we wanted to be part of the conversation and influence any recommendations.” NCBA set up the Market Information, Transparency and Reporting Working Group this summer, which is comprised of 23 cattle producers from across the United States. NCBA director of government affairs and market regulatory policy, Tanner Beymer, says the group is made up of men and women representing a multitude of sectors, from cow-calf operators to feeders.

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“Each brings a wide array of perspective and experience to the group,” he says. That includes IBA Vice President Dave Duzan, a cattle producer from Lexington, Illinois, and owner of Duzan Insurance Agency, which insures livestock exports being sent around the world. “We are weighing all of the options regarding market transparency, including mandatory minimum negotiated cash purchases,” says Duzan. The working group is divided equally into two subgroups: one focusing on market transparency and the other on Livestock Mandatory Reporting (LMR) and economics. Duzan is part of the LMR exploration effort. Recommendations will be developed on several fronts: • LMR Confidentiality. Explore opportunities to eliminate the impacts of LMR confidentiality guidelines to ensure live cattle market transparency. • Market Transparency. Define key elements of a cattle www.illinoisbeef.com

contract library and associated LMR reporting to achieve more price transparency and price discovery in the live cattle market, including financing arrangements. • Captive Supply. Determine the type and content of captive supply and other alternative marketing agreements (AMAs) that must be reported to USDA. • Packers and Stockyards. Review functions and intentions of the Packers and Stockyards Act relative to transparency. • Economic Research. Evaluate need for more research into further establishing regional levels of negotiated trade that provide robust price discovery and research that calculates costs to the fed cattle market due to lack of price discovery and loss of market leverage. • Reporting Thresholds. Review current criteria that requires packing plants to participate in LMR and November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

determine if changes to those thresholds are needed. “Within our subgroup, I am looking into what a beef contract library might look like,” says Duzan. “The marketing situation is so different around the county. Where price negotiations are virtually non-existent in the Southern Plains, Illinois has a robust cash trade with two-thirds live and grid cash sales, whether through local sale barns or negotiated sales to a buyer.” Duzan stresses that while the group respects the confidentiality of packer-producer contracts, the industry would like to know more information about them. Digging through existing LMR reports for packer financing information, for example, is not practical for smaller producers. “I personally do not have the time to read through these reports compared to big beef corporations who have people on staff dedicated to discovering these details,” he says. “We also are reviewing the LMR swine contract library, which has more than 200 contracts and is very detailed, to determine whether the same would work for cattle or if we even need a library.” St. Peters notes that several unknowns exist in the data USDA collects from cattle sales. Much goes unpublished. He is pleased the working group is exploring how access to a contract library and more information about AMAs and packer financing might benefit Illinois beef producers. “Whether or not to involve the federal government in setting cash trade mandates is not an easy area of agreement, so it is good to see the working group explore all possibilities,” says St. Peters. “This process will allow us to find the best way to work with packers and to shape new policy regarding price discovery and increasing market transparency.” Duzan adds that the subgroup is diving into learning more about packer-owned and packer-committed cattle. For example, by knowing cattle weights and when cattle are placed in feedlots, smaller producers could determine when those cattle will come to market. They can then time cash sales to avoid those periods by speeding up or holding cattle back on grass as a mechanism to better manage price risk. And while such knowledge would help, Duzan cautions some packers will have workarounds when it comes to other sticking points, like financing feedlots. “There will likely always be maneuvers packers can use to influence the market,” he says. “So, we must be a little flexible in our marketing approach when those dynamics affect pricing.” Duzan says the first set of deliverables from the working group will be research on the topics outlined above and recommendations to either revise or create new policy. The committee will report to the NCBA Live Cattle Marketing Committee during the 2022 convention in February. “NCBA members have adopted policy that supports a wide array of market transparency policies over the years, including support for a cattle contract library, easing confidentiality restrictions under Livestock Mandatory Reporting, and others,” says Beymer. “This group is focused on how to best advocate for those goals and, if necessary, recommend additional policies to consider.” 28 Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

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Creep Feed And EPd

What’s the True connection?

Iowa State researchers want to help producers answer one of their biggest preweaning questions. by Joli A. Hohenstein Should you creep feed to supplement growth, or let the mother’s milking ability dictate the calf ’s weight? How much does creep feeding actually impact milk expected progeny difference (EPD)? These preweaning questions weigh heavy for producers each season. “As a producer, I would want to know which cow produced a big calf because of her ability, or due to creep feed,” says Patrick Wall, Extension beef field specialist for ISU, “and for cows with similar EPDs, how they got to that point.” To answer that, Wall and a team of Iowa State University (ISU) researchers recently studied 81 cowcalf pairs to learn the relationship between creep feeding and cow-calf performance – and the results weren’t what they expected. “Most of us think that when we’re creep feeding, every calf is going in and getting something, and that’s far from what happened,” Wall explains. “What we found is that individual intake on creep feed is really variable.” 30

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

The Study The ISU team set out to quantify individual feed consumption among calves being creep fed relative to their dam’s milk EPD. Their goal was to track the individual performance differences of calves with no limit on creep feed, limited feeding or without creep feed, and then determine if creep feed consumption influences milk EPD. During the 75-day trial, researchers rotationally grazed 81 spring-calving registered Angus cow-calf pairs aged 3 to 5. Throughout the trial, they periodically moved a hightech Super SmartFeed™ feeder throughout the paddocks. This newly designed feeder monitors calf creep feeding behavior and individual intake of creep feed during mid- to late lactation. The Super SmartFeed controls animal intake and uses electronic identification (EID) tags to measure total intake per day, number of feeder visits per day and duration of each stay. “It is one of the first and only options

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for measuring intake while in the calf ’s normal environment,” says Erika Lundy, an ISU Extension beef field specialist who partnered with Wall on the study. To compare the impact of creep feeding to standard grazing, researchers separated each cow and calf into treatment groups based on whether dam milk EPD was high or low (ranging from +15 to +33), then randomly assigned each calf a creep feeding strategy. One group was allowed to feed at will up to 15 lbs. per calf per day; one was limited to 2 lbs. per calf per day, and one received no creep feed. Body weight measurements and ultrasounds were conducted at the beginning and end of the study, with cows and calves also weighed at the study’s midpoint. What They Found The wide-ranging feeding behavior among the calves surprised the researchers. “Not only was there a variation in how much each calf ate, but also how often they went to the creep feeder,” says Wall. Of the calves that had access to creep feed, 73% from the high milk group visited the feeder and consumed feed, but only 48% of the low milk group visited the feeder. Unsurprisingly, the high milk calves that had unlimited access and entered the feeder had the highest average daily

gain (ADG). However, their mothers were also the poorest milking cows (something shown in other studies that was also not a surprise to researchers). On average, the low milk group consumed more feed, but that amount varied widely for both low milk and high milk groups. High milk feeding ranged from 2.23 to 7.48 lbs. per day, while low milk feeding ranged from 0.64 to 7.28 lbs. per day. Calves from the high milk group had an average 54-lb. advantage over those that either refused to enter the feeder or weren’t allowed. The same held true in the low milk group, where the average was 40 lbs. more. The researchers believe that environmental conditions and a calf ’s willingness to enter a creep feeder may actually explain much of the difference in performance. What that means So, did creep feeding impact calf behavior on the feedlot? As an example, if we allow calves to consume as much as they want, is that going to program them to do that for the rest of their life? “We saw a poor correlation between creep feed and feedlot feeding,” Wall says. “One calf ate 450 lbs. creep feed; one calf had no creep feed. They were the same on the

Creep Feed Intake, lbs.

Average Daily Creep Feed Intake Based on Treatment Group 12 10 8 6

4 2 0

• • • • •

HIGH X Ad-Lib

HIGH X Limit

HIGH X NONE

LOW X Ad-Lib

LOW X Limit

LOW X None

High = high milk EPD cows Low = low milk EPD cows Ad-Lib = access to ad-libitum creep feed (up to 15 lbs) Limit = access to limited creep feed (up to 2 lbs) None = No access to creep feed (0 lbs)

This depicts the average intake for each treatment group throughout the trial. This shows the daily variation in intake of calves. Some of the dips in intake can be explained by pairs being moved to a new paddock (8/15; 9/8; and 9/30) and calves didn’t access the feeder for whatever reason (adequate supply of fresh grass, change in environment altered their intake, etc.). On 9/16, the pairs were pulled off pasture and brought into a holding pens for our weigh date and weigh-suckle-weigh period. www.illinoisbeef.com

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

feedlot.” In other words, the calf that didn’t creep feed was not a poor feeder, nor was the calf that did creep feed an excessive feeder. “In the receding phase, we saw a moderate correlation,” says Lundy. “For example, with dry matter, if they ate more in creep, then they were likely to eat more in the receding phase.” But overall, researchers did not observe a feed efficiency advantage or disadvantage when creep-fed calves went to the feedlot. They suggest that uncoupling the portion of milk EPD actually due to additional creep feed consumption versus cow productivity could help commercial producers make better selection decisions by finding genetics that more closely mirror their environmental conditions. This information could be particularly valuable for seedstock producers, they say, because this approach allows you to not only get info on a calf but also his mother. “You could select for cows that don’t camp out in the creep feeder, who do more with the tonnage that’s under their feet,” says Wall. It could also be a tool for marketing to repeat customers. “It would be beneficial if you’re retaining ownership or if you’re selling to someone who comes to you for your genetics or stock,” Lundy says. If you do decide to creep feed, the key is planning and setting parameters ahead of time, they say. “Have a time frame in mind, usually 60 to 90 days,” Lundy explains. “Have a plan for how and when to add creep feed, so costs don’t creep up, and we don’t lose that benefit.”

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

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Need Need Help Help Sorting Sorting Through Through Health Health Insurance? Insurance? 20+ years of advocating and working with clients on group, individual, dental, vision, life, long-term care, short term medical, disability, and Medicare. "Being self-employed for many years our health insurance was at an all-time high. We struggled with the neverending increasing cost & with which route to take. During a drop off of Herefords... Dara just happened to mention that she could check into some options for us. Dara came to our rescue! She researched all the factors and we determined that offering group insurance through our Carthage Livestock Inc. Cattle sale barn was the best route to go. We saved money on our premiums, and we were able to offer our employees affordable quality health, dental, vision, and life insurance. Dara goes over and above what is normally expected to help you with your questions or concerns. We are so glad we switched and let Dara take care of our insurance needs!" Brent & Kristene Lowderman – Carthage Livestock Inc. in Carthage, Ill.

"The health insurance costs and coverages have become very difficult to navigate for anyone self-employed. Working with Dara has taken the guess work out of the process, and has been a huge savings while having better coverage than I had been accustomed to. Thank you for the help and explanations of the coverage... and thank you very much for the substantial savings on premiums."

Bob Lemenager – Lemenager Farms, Ill.

"Dealing with health insurance coverage, prescriptions and costs is mind boggling, but with Dara's assistance and expertise she was able to find the perfect coverage and premium for our family as health care costs go up. I would recommend letting her work her magic in assisting anyone with insurance coverage needs. Dara truly looks out for her customers!"

Chris Utegg – AU Showstock

Dara Entwistle | Independent Health Agent | Senior Risk Benefit Specialist Office: 217-445-2246 | Cell: 217-737-7581 | Dara@ilhealthagents.com www.illinoisbeef.com

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

Sustainable practices add value Meet the 2021 IBA Environmental Steward of the Year, Wildberry Farms of Hanover. by Joli A. Hohenstein From the town of Hanover, Wildberry Farms prides itself on raising high-quality seedstock with the performance and value that appeals to commercial and purebred cattlemen alike. Supporting the approximately 350 Simmental, SimAngus and Angus cowherd are rolling green acres that farm owner and founder Jim Berry is dedicated to responsibly preserving. For the “natural resource stewardship practices (that) protect the environment and contribute to productivity and profitability,” Wildberry Farms is honored with the 2021 IBA Environmental Steward of the Year Award. “We’re just trying to be good citizens and take care of our land and develop it,” says Berry. “It improves the value of the assets of the farm that we have so we can increase carrying capacity and efficiency as well as save time and keep the land productive over a long term.” Preserving Pasturelands Berry first established the farm in 1978, making him the founder and first-generation. Since then, he has not only

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

amassed over 35 years of seedstock business wisdom but also harnesses some tried and true techniques for pasture management and improvement. This is directly in line with Berry’s own understanding and philosophy of sustainability as a cattleman. “Sustainability isn’t a new idea…(it’s) thinking of the future of maintaining the value of the assets of the land…by using them in a proper and correct manner,” he explained in a video made by IBA. Berry describes their region in the northwestern corner of the state as being rough and hilly. However, he notes that this area is also blessed with good soil types. The primary issue is that they are minimal, thus needing a little bit of extra conservation and protection to reach their fullest potential. “We’ve converted a lot of crop ground to pasture ground,” he says. “Grass and hay are some of our main crops; we do have some corn and some soybeans.” The biggest recent project they’ve done involves preserving soil through grazing, according to Ben Lehman,

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Cattle Manager, Ben Lehman; Owner, Jim Berry; Wilberry Farms employees Dean Elder and Jim Boop

Wildberry Farms’ cattle manager. He has worked for Berry since 2011 and says that by taking their low-production cropland acres and converting them to high-quality pasture, they’ve greatly reduced the ground’s vulnerability to erosion or flooding in at-risk areas. This real-life application puts to work the research and practices that continually show how grazing is a very powerful tool for promoting healthy sod grasses that enhance soils even in difficult areas. However, to be successful, this must be coupled with good grazing management which Berry and Lehman are strict about following through. “We utilize rotational grazing that allows for more highquality grass longer into the year,” Lehman adds. “Giving us more grazing days in a year which cuts down on feed and equipment costs.” To support that grazing, Berry and Lehman also take care to fertilize the forages with both nitrogen and potassium.

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They are proud to say that these efforts have notably improved the quality of their pastures overall and increased grazing capacity. Water Quality Water is another key resource for every farmer or rancher. Wildberry Farms has taken great care to protect its water sources by fencing off ponds and streams that overlap their pastures to keep cattle and manure from contaminating or damaging them. While this does make watering a bit less convenient, Lehman says they have a siphon system that flows to their water source that allows their animals to still utilize water from the pastures’ ponds. “Manure management is also always on my mind,” he adds. “Anytime we can let the cattle spread their own manure the better it is for us.” Part of their manure management strategy includes being mindful of runoff and mitigating it as much as possible. For

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

them, this has included updating the lots and other facilities to accommodate for safe manure confinement. Genetics for Performance and Preservation Berry’s preservation efforts go beyond just the physical land. They extend right into the genotypes of the high-quality cattle he produces, making efficiency a focus of the breeding program. Wildberry bulls are developed on both pasture and crop stubble as long as the grazing season will allow. Then once winter sets in, they move into a spacious lot and are fed a total mixed ration. “We do not ‘push’ the bulls through a ‘gain period’ because we want them to be lean and show their genetic potential when it comes to fleshing ability and the ability to convert roughage feed to carcass quality,” explains Lehman. He adds that the cowherd doesn’t get any other special treatment being “built to work and thrive on pasture and grass hay.” If they are unable to maintain their body condition and breeding interval on an all-grass diet, Lehman says they don’t stay around long. Not only do their cattle survive by their grazing, but they also thrive. Their cattle type, built with the help of an extensive A.I. program based on customer needs and an aggressive culling program, is described as early maturing and quick to finish with superior gains. They cite 75+% of their animals grading Choice with Yield Grades of 2 and 3. Having a moderate frame and lengthy body, their animals are built for both performance and practicality. Not only do these genetics work for their land, but they also work for the herd’s many customers in both private sales and at their annual production sale. By high performance through the feeding period and then on the rail, even the farm’s breeding program ties into Berry’s overall sustainability vision and goals. “Jim has always been on the forefront of the preservation of the land,” says Lehman. “(He has) the understanding that the better we care for the land and resources we have available, the more return we can get off of that land for years to come.” While dedication to doing the right thing always comes first, Berry is appreciative of the special recognition. “When you’re selected by your peers for an award, that’s always meaningful no matter what industry you’re in or what activities you do,” he reflects. “That recognition…is very rewarding.”

“

the better we care for the land and resources we have available, the more return we can get off of that land for years to come

- Ben Lehman, Wildberry Farms

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

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November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

A Building Block

Of Illinois Beef

Meet the 2021 IBA Seedstock Producer of the Year, Lorenzen Farms of Chrisman, Ill. by Jaclyn Krymowski

ho says a herd can’t have it all? The registered Polled Herefords and Angus at Lorenzen Farms certainly do, having consistently bred and sold animals going on to be decorated show winners and powerful commercial assets. And the 200-head of cattle aren’t even the farm’s only claim to fame. The outfit also includes a grain operation spanning several thousand acres as well as a Yorkshire hog breeding program. The Lorenzen family has certainly made a name for themselves throughout Illinois and going far beyond state lines with an illustrious national level showring career beginning over 30 years ago. For their progressive breeding approach and commendable tenacity, their farm has earned

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

the title of 2021 IBA Seedstock Producer of the Year. “Being recognized as Seedstock Producer by IBA is special because it represents all breeds of cattle plus the commercial producers,” says Steve Lorenzen, the farm’s second-generation owner. “We have a lot of hardworking people involved in Lorenzen Farms, and it was great to see their efforts recognized. I can’t thank IBA enough.”

Crafting a Reputable Herd

The Lorenzen legacy first began as Lorenzen Brothers in the late 1940s, co-founded by Steve’s father, John T. Lorenzen, and uncle, Dave Lorenzen, with their small herd of registered Herefords. As the operation grew over the years – now encompassing multiple generations and families – it

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became the partnership that is now Lorenzen Farms. In all, six families are involved with the entire operation, including Steve and his wife, Vicki, and their children. Steve recalls his family dropping their Hereford membership as the association split between Horned and Polled. This resulted in them temporarily moving to be a commercial-only herd. But not long thereafter, in 1966, he received his very first Polled Hereford heifer purchased from Richard Ellis of Chrisman. A second heifer was purchased the following year from a man named Robert Kincaid at the Indiana Club Calf Sale. She would go on to take Champion Polled Heifer and Reserve Grand Champion Over All laurels at the local 4-H show in 1967, Steve’s induction to the show world. “Phil Ellis (son of Richard Ellis) asked if I’d like to help them at the state fairs that summer,” Steve recalls, “and I was hooked.” As the herd grew, the Lorenzens added Angus cattle in 1974 and the rest is, as they say, history. While they’ve moved far beyond their county fair days, Steve looks back on them fondly and appreciates their role in the herd’s early development. In 1977, the farm had their very first state champion with a Reserve Junior Champion Bull at the Indiana State Fair. They continued to turn heads in their home state with a Land of Lincoln Grand Champion Female. “Illinois is noted for some of the best Hereford cattle in the world,” Steve observes. “If you have success at our state shows, you’ll be competitive on a national level.” And that they certainly have been with multiple national champion bulls and females to their farm’s name. Competing on their level requires the success of a team that Steve oversees. Adam Harms has been the farm’s herdsman since 2012 and is closely involved with their genetic decisions. Their breeding incorporates a blend of A.I. breeding, live cover as well as embryo transfer work. A big part of the success he’s been a part of, Adam says, is largely due to Steve’s cattle experience and expertise. “Steve has been in the business a long time,” says Adam. “He’s seen a lot of different trends, but he’s also just stayed true. We make cows first and if they show, that’s just a bonus.” “We strive to breed cattle,” says Steve, “that are sound, good uddered, easy fleshing, and have the confirmation that I and Adam can stand to look at – in that order.” Apparently, their strategy is working as attested to by their customers and showring wins. In fact, a good portion of their marketing is done via word of mouth and notable accomplishments along the tanbark trail. “We promote our farm through the success of our livestock,” Steve says, “If our seedstock (animals) perform for others as they expect, we’ll be successful.” Quality cows are what he says they always breed for first and foremost, according to their knowledge of the industry and experience of what works best. “One big thing is udder quality, good feet and legs and really structurally sound cows,” continues Adam, “that can go and work for almost anybody.” He adds that they also patronize organizations in the beef www.illinoisbeef.com

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

world through paid advertisements. Their farm has appeared on the pages of Hereford World, Angus Journal, here in Illinois Beef as well as various other publications.

Showring Laurels

Lorenzen cattle have trekked across the state and nation over the years, and they have the winner’s hardware to prove it. Most notable to Steve are the several national champions which were shown and bred by his family. For example, his brother was a two-time Bred and Owned Champion at the Junior National; his daughter was a twotime Owned Championship winner and his son showed the 1998 Reserve National Junior Champion Heifer. Additionally, their farm was a part-owner in two National Champion bulls – and that’s not even counting numerous National Champion hogs. From 1985 to 2020, the farm has calculated 635 leads at both state and national shows. They report having cattle who have won 218 classes, standing second 158 times and third 100 times. They estimate that equates to their cattle placing in the top three of classes 67% of the time. Not to mention, they’ve amassed 180 division title wins with 85 grand or reserve titles. Getting out of the state to the big name shows including the National Western Stock Show and the Oklahoma City Cattlemen’s Congress is an important part of what they do, Adam notes, as most of their bull buyers will be from out of state and congregating in those settings. Having worked alongside the Lorenzens for years, Adam can personally attest to the tried-and-true nature of their breeding strategies with a technique that can only come from years of experience. Now a sought-after name for premier Polled Hereford and Angus genetics, the Lorenzens market their cattle with a variety of different outlets ranging from direct order buyers to local stockyards.

Building Blocks of Illinois Beef

Despite all his success, Steve is still sure to credit his initial involvement in the Illinois beef industry as being due to other up-and-coming breeders. As such, he and Vicki have been sure to give back to that community and dedicated over thirty years of their lives to being 4-H volunteers. “We’ve had numerous young men and women due to internships on the farm and help with the show cattle,” he says. “I really enjoy watching them succeed with their own operations.” And their dedication to the wider agriculture and beef communities has not gone unnoticed. For all the time he has worked with the Lorenzens, Adam says that his wife, Rachel, and their sons Chism and Colt feel just like part of the rest of the family. “You’re not going to find anybody that does not like or respect Steve Lorenzen,” says Adam. “He’s good to his word… you know you can stand behind whatever he’s going to say. And that’s what I think makes him stand out.”

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

www.illinoisbeef.com

Cooperator Female Sale

December 14, 2021• 11:30 a.m. Sale will be held at Lowderman Auction Sale Pavilion

Selling 100 Head Fall Pairs • Summer Pairs • Spring Bred Cows & Heifers from: Thomas Angus Ranch, Goldstein Angus, Broad River Farms, Signature Farms, C Punch Ranch, Tharp Farms

Keep informed of updates and information by following our social media profiles: flyingt_angus

42734 Old Trail Rd. • Baker City, OR 97814 Rob & Lori Thomas - Office: (541) 524-9322 Rob’s Cell: (541) 403-0562 • Lori’s Cell: (541) 403-0561 Cole Owens, Marketing Specialist & Cooperative Manager: (918) 418-7349 www.thomasangusranch.com • info@thomasangusranch.com

ThomasAngusRanch

Thomas Angus Ranch

thomas-angus-ranch

@thomasangusranch

Sale Managed by:

517.546.6374 www.cotton-associates.com

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November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

FEB. 24-27, 2022 Illinois State Fairgrounds Springfield, Illinois

Join us back in Springfield! Sales, Trade Show, and Junior Show

Stay Tuned for more details: Illinois Beef Expo 42

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

www.illinoisbeefexpo.com

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Show Results Illinois Junior Livestock Classic

Bloomington, Ill. | Aug. 28-29 | Judge: Brent Murphy, Houstonia, Mo. Photos provided by Cindy Cagwin-Johnston Livestock Photography

Grand Champion Steer Champion Crossbred

Res. Grand Champion Steer Champion Simmental

3rd Overall Steer Champion Chi

4th Overall Steer Champion Composite

Nalaney Guyer

Madeline Nightingale

Sam Nightingale

Kade Gensini

5th Overall Steer Reserve Crossbred

Land of Lincoln Champion Steer Champion Shorthorn

Nolan Lukach

Kylie Saathoff

Grand Champion Heifer Champion Mainetainer

Res. Grand Champion Heifer Champion Maine-Anjou

McKlay Gensini

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Ashtin Guyer

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

3rd Overall Heifer Champion Percentage Simmental

4th Overall Heifer Champion Angus

Nalaney Guyer

Paige Lemenager

5th Overall Heifer Champion Simmental Paisley Schick

Illinois District Show Series All State Finale

Bloomington, Ill. | Aug. 28 | Judges: Lee Rincker, Chad Holtkamp, Tucker Schlipf Photos provided by Cindy Cagwin-Johnston Livestock Photography

Grand Champion Heifer Simmental

Res. Grand Champion Heifer Mainetainer

Mabrey Schick

McKlay Gensini

4th Overall Heifer Charlolais

3rd Overall Heifer Simmental

Alex Barnard

Colt Reoder 44

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

www.illinoisbeef.com

5th Overall Heifer Angus

Grand Champion Steer Crossbred

Jolie Johnson

Addison Fidler

Res. Grand Champioin Steer Simmental

3rd Overall Steer Mainetainer

Madeline Nightingale

Kylie Gillespie

4th Overall Steer Hereford

5th Overall Steer Shorthorn Plus

Nolan Lukach

Kolby Kearns

Judges: Lee Rincker, Chad Holtkamp, Tucker Schlipf www.illinoisbeef.com

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

The Throwdown

Knox County, Ill. | Aug. 7 | Judge: Brandon Machado, Winton Calif. Photos provided by Cindy Cagwin-Johnston Livestock Photography

Grand Champoion Heifer

Res. Grand Champion Heifer

Emma Eathington

Maci Brooks

Bronze Champion Heifer

Grand Champion Market Steer

Trace Titus

Kylee Gillespie

Res. Grand Champ. Market Steer

Bronze Champ. Market Steer

Addison Fidler

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

Madeline Nightingale

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2021 World Beef Expo Open Show Milwaukee, Wis. | Sept. 23-26

4th Overall Bull

5th Overall Bull

Wock Show Cattle

Ryan Garnhart

Champion Cow-Calf Pair

4th Overall Heifer

Bramlets Simmenatls- Luke Gilbert

Sydney Wisnefski

2021 World Beef Expo Junior Show Milwaukee, Wis. | Sept. 23-26 | |

4th Overall Market Animal

5th Overall Junior Heifer

Kolby Kearns

Lauryn Mool

2021 Oklahoma State Fair Angus Show

Oklahoma City, Okla. | Sept. 24 | Judge: Ashley Judge, Loveland, Colo. Photos provided by Final Drive Photography

Grand Champion Bull

Cardinal Cattle Co., Braden Hendricks, Lucas Wisnefski

www.illinoisbeef.com

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

Edge of Common Sense Baxter Black, cowboy and former large animal veteranarian

Cowboy Astrological Signs Astrology is one of those wonderful pseudo-sciences like naturopathy or cattle futures that anybody with an imagination can rapidly become an expert in. I have taken it upon myself to devise my own astrological symbols. If there is some question which sign you were born under, just ask a friend. I present them to you now. OKRA—People born under the sign of Okra are slippery, smooth talkin’ and slick. Without self-restraint they can slide right over on their face. Okras make good molasses salesmen. HOLSTEIN CROSSES—These folks start out slow, never look like much but, like the sure and steady tortoise, often finish first in the race, to everyone’s surprise! Feed bosses and second sons fall under this sign. COYOTE—Never one to hide from responsibility, they run from it! You hear them, you find their tracks, but they’re seldom seen. They east the crusty end piece offa’ loaf of bread, the fat offa’ ham and fried shrimp tails. You can find Coyotes migrating every fall from Wyoming ranches to Arizona feedlots. FLASHING BEER SIGN—People found under this sign are steady, bright and occasionally incoherent. They gather wisdom and glow. Then they dispense it in a blinking neon blizzard. Often you will find nutritionist, veterinarians and

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

economists in this category. ARCADE SPACE INVADERS—A.S. Invaders are born self-assured. This confidence comes from always knowing what color of socks they have on and their current bank balance. They have very little patience with Coyotes and Dice. A.S. Invaders make excellent bankers and wives. DICE—As you might guess these people have a tendency to leap without looking, buy beachfront property in Saskatchewan and flip for the tab. However, as long as they’re winning we see them as glamorous. Most Dice feed cattle. MT. RUSHMORE—Individuals born under this sign spend much time accumulating knowledge. They can be very helpful but tend to be idealistic in solving problems. “Rushes” make good county agents, graduate students and columnists. CATTLE GUARDS—Usually strong, stubborn and levelheaded, they get run over regularly by Space Invaders, Dice, Okra, Holstein Crosses, Coyotes, Rushes and Flashing Beer signs. A large number of Cattle Guards wind up ranching.

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Federation of State Beef Councils Sponsors the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner 300 for Second Year.

Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand to be back on boradcast television for NASCAR’s season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway. The Federation of State Beef Councils, on behalf of the Beef Checkoff, has once again partnered with the Daytona International Speedway to sponsor the 41st season-opening race for the NASCAR Xfinity Series - the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.® 300. The event is set for Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, one day ahead of the legendary DAYTONA 500. “Just like the great racing legacies, farmers and ranchers have a legacy, also passing it down from generation to generation, and that’s why we’re so excited to once again sponsor this premiere sporting event and showcase America’s hard working beef farmers and ranchers,” said Clay Burtrum, Federation Division Chair for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff. “Continuing this partnership for a second year allows us to build on everything we developed in year one and expand our footprint even further – from tailgating to the big screen – beef is the star.” www.illinoisbeef.com

While funding for the sponsorship comes from the Federation of State Beef Councils, the national Beef Checkoff will support the effort with staffing and promotional work through their contractor, NCBA. From commercial production to social media promotion and traditional media outreach, Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. will be back on the racetrack and in the national spotlight. The 2022 Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.® 300 continues a the relationship between the Beef Checkoff and Daytona International Speedway. In 2020, the track produced “Race Day Recipes” on their digital channels, showcasing Speedway President Chip Wile and his beef grilling expertise. Following a great response and seeing NASCAR’s clear love of beef, the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.® 300 was born in 2021. November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

CH HE EC CK KIIN NG G IIN N W WIIT TH H C

TH HE E C CH HE EC CK KO OF FF F T

IBA Affiliates Participate in Summer Grilling Promotions

o celebrate summer grilling season, Illinois Beef Association (IBA) affiliates across the state participated in local beef promotions. The affiliate local beef promotion grant, funded by the Illinois Beef Checkoff, made the promotions possible from May through September. Nearly 20 IBA affiliates promoted and reinforced demand for beef in their areas through the following promotions: • 881 pounds of ground beef was donated to area food pantries • 358 radio spots were played on local radio stations • 13 cattle shows were sponsored for area youth • Five donations were made to benefit youth education and Illinois Ag in the Classroom • Eight beef promotion advertisements via billboards, social media, newspapaer, and grocery store bundles. A new and exciting opportunity affiliates used to promote beef during the summer grilling season were beef bundle giveaways. Affiliates coordinated with their local grocery stores and for all beef purchases during a specified time

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

frame, they were entered into a beef bundle giveaway. Affiliates also utilized beef cooking resources to educate the consumers more on ways to cook the beef they were purchasing. Also building off of the opportunity last year, multiple affiliate groups made an effort to give back to their local communities by donating ground beef to their local food pantries. “The Local Beef Promotion Grant is a great way for Illinois Beef Checkoff to promote beef across the state in local communities. The affiliate leaders have had several new ideas as well as utilizing ideas from previous years that have worked well. Whether it is donating beef to the local food pantry, sharing the news about beef on the radio or other advertising platforms, or promoting beef to the youth in schools- our affiliate leaders are top notch at promoting beef. As we go into the next year, it is my goal to have more affiliates participate in this grant and continue to drive the demand for beef,” said Mareah Rauch director of programs and services.

www.illinoisbeef.com

IN THIS ISSUE: September/October 2021

ILLINOIS ANGUS ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Joel York Vice President: David Jenkins Secretary: Aaron Schafer Business Manager: Doug Turner Past President: Tyler Rhode Bureau County: John DeRycke Central Illinois: Luke Lemenager Illinois Valley: Open Lamoine Valley: Tracy Rawlings Logan County : Carla Jurgenson Northern Illinois: Jarad Carroll South Central: Richard Hurst Wabash Valley: Shaye Harre Sale Manager: Lee Stremsterfer

Angus/Talon Youth Educational Learning Program Internship and Host Ranch Applications are Now Open

Show Results

ADVERTISERS INDEX

UPCOMING EVENTS

Bill Farm Angus 56 Callan Farms 56 Evers Livestock Farm 56 Kiesewetter Angus 56 Kramer Angus 56 Lemenager Cattle 56 Lorenzen Farms 56 Panther Creek Ranch 56 Rhodes Angus 56 Siebring Angus 55 Sunnyhill Angus Farm 56 Walnut Grove Angus 56 WP Angus 56 York Farms 56

Visit the Events page at www.illinoisangus.com for a list of upcoming events and Angus sales this fall and winter.

Directors At Large: Grant Bedel Jim Marsh TJ Curtin Bradley Walter Kyle Beutke Jeff Dameron Brent Henkel Clay Sellmeyer Dan Naughton Greg McClure Lee Stremsterfer David Mool

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

CONTACT

To place advertisements or your latest Angus news contact:

Sydney Trainor Communications Support Illinois Beef Association 2060 West Iles Ave., Suite B Springfield, IL 62704 217-787-4280 sydney@illinoisbeef.com www.illinoisbeef.com

www.illinoisbeef.com

Angus/Talon Youth Educational Learning Program Internship and Host Ranch Applications are Now Open Hands-on experience is arguably the most valuable way to learn, just ask the four young people who all interned this summer with the Talon Internship Program. The Talon Internship is a learning opportunity for college students from coast to coast to gain new experiences while spending the summer working and learning on an Angus host ranch. Interns will learn about the industry while being molded into advocates for the entire beef and agricultural industry. Angus breeders can host an intern over the summer or fall and welcome them to work alongside them on their operation. “The Angus Foundation is proud to assist in carrying on Camron Cooper’s legacy by giving young aspiring cattlemen and women the chance to work and gain experience on a working operation,” said Thomas Marten, Angus Foundation executive director. “The Talon internship is a unique opportunity for students to work on seasoned operations and learn from some of the best in the business.” The internship honors the legacy of the late Camron “Cam” Cooper of the Talon Ranch, Twin Bridges, Montana. Cooper developed the Angus/Talon Youth Educational Learning Program Endowment Fund in 2009 to be a holistic educational experience for students. College sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students under the age of 25, majoring in an agriculture-related field of study, are eligible to apply for the internship. “I would definitely recommend and have been recommending this internship to any college student interested in a career in the agriculture industry and particularly in the beef industry,” said Denny Atchley, a 2021 Talon intern placed at TD Angus from Las Cruces, New Mexico. “The magnitude of everything I learned over the last few months cannot be understated, nor can the value of the connections I had the privilege of making and the relationships which I am sure will last far past this summer.” Throughout Atchley’s internship at TD Angus at Rishel Ranch in North Platte, Nebraska, he said he learned about the Angus breed, genetics and marketing and could not have been paired with a better operation to serve as an example. “The Wasserburgers could not have been a better family to spend my summer working with,” he said. “They as well as the rest of the employees of TD Angus took me under their wing and made me feel right as home as they did everything they could to ensure I learned as much as possible during my time there.” Interns also had the opportunity to visit the American Angus Association headquarters in Saint Joseph, Missouri, as well as visit to Certified Angus Beef® LLC in Wooster, Ohio. They also had the chance to participate in other Angus and beef cattle educational events and activities off the farm, such as conferences, field days and so on.

Angus. America’s Breed. Casey Jentz, Regional Manager

The Talon intern is compensated by the Angus Foundation through the Angus/Talon Youth Educational Learning Program Endowment Fund.

Illinois Indiana Michigan Wisconsin

A reliable business partner is difficult to come by. Contact Casey Jentz to locate Angus genetics, select marketing options tailored to your ® needs, and to access American Angus Association programs and services. Put the business breed to work for you.

Applications for Angus breeders interested in hosting the Talon intern are due Sept. 30 and can be accessed here. Youth interested in applying for the internship program can find the application here until applications are due Dec. 1.

Contact Regional Manager Casey Jentz: Cell: 608-234-1998 cjentz@angus.org

www.illinoisbeef.com

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

Show Results The Throwdown

Knox County, Ill. | Aug. 7 | Judge: Brandon Machado, Winton Calif. Photos provided by Cindy Cagwin-Johnston Livestock Photography

Grand Champoion Heifer Emma Eathington

Illinois Junior Livestock Classic

Bloomington, Ill. | Aug. 28-29 | Judge: Brent Murphy, Houstonia, Mo. Photos provided by Cindy Cagwin-Johnston Livestock Photography

4th Overall Heifer Paige Lemenager

Illinois District Show Series All State Finale

Bloomington, Ill. | Aug. 28 | Judges: Lee Rincker, Chad Holtkamp, Tucker Schlipf Photos provided by Cindy Cagwin-Johnston Livestock Photography

5th Overall Heifer Angus Jolie Johnson

2021 Oklahoma State Fair Angus Show

Oklahoma City, Okla. | Sept. 24 | Judge: Ashley Judge, Loveland, Colo. Photos provided by Final Drive Photography

Grand Champion Bull

Cardinal Cattle Co., Braden Hendricks, Lucas Wisnefski

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

www.illinoisbeef.com

Siebring Angus Kol, DeAndra, Kendylyn and KJ Siebring Gilman, IL (815) 383-1661

1943 N 400 E Rd, Gilman, IL 60938 www.siebringangus.com siebringangus@yahoo.com

Ron & Karla Siebring Danforth, IL (815) 228-3149

Sale Manager: American Angus Hall of Fame (816) 532-0811, angushall@angushall.com

Registered Angus Since 1951

Bill Farm Angus 340 Valley View Circle Dahinda, IL 61428 (309) 337-5196

Marvin Kramer

1037 N. 2850 St. Farina, IL 62838 mkramerangus@gmail.com Cell: 618-267-3884 Annual Sale: 4th Saturday in March

The new home for SAV Emblynette 4603! Owned with Pasture View Angus

Carl & Janet Evers 22198 Little Indian Rd. Virginia, IL 62691

217-415-3033 evers52@yahoo.com

Lorenzen Farms

LARRY RHODES 217-473-5868 cell 217-854-5200 office

Chrisman, IL

rhodesangus@royell.org

9350 Rte 108, Carlinville, IL 62626

www.RhodesAngus.com

Adam Harms, Herdsman 217-369-3609 adamdharms@hotmail.com Steve Lorenzen: 217-822-2803

120 cow performace herd

Production sale 2nd Sat. in March

WP Angus

Genetics for production and beauty Like WP Angus on Facebook

Wayne & Pam DeWerff

Pam’s cell 217-823-9453 pamdewerff@yahoo.com

ADVERTISE HERE Contact Betty Haynes Director of Communications betty@illinoisbeef.com 217-787-4280

Owaneco, Illinois Sale in Spring of 2021

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

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The

ILLINOIS HEREFORD BULLETIN

November/December 2021

CONTENTS November/December 2021

59 IHA Member Meeting 59 Show Results 60 Benedict Joins the American Hereford Associaton Team

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ADVERTISERS INDEX

PRESIDENT Dave Roome 309-945-8400

Baker Farms Ellis Farms Lorenzen Farms Lowderman Cattle Company Milligan Herefords Perks Ranch Torrance Herefords

VICE-PRESIDENT Gene Stumpf 618-407-8374

PHOTOS On the cover: Taken by Sydney Trainor at Lorenzen Farms.

60 60 60 60 60 60 60

TREASURER Buddy Edenburn (217) 649-0108 MEMBERSHIP SERVICES Dr. Tamar Crum 217-820-0964 illinoishereford@gmail.com

CONTACT To place advertisements or your latest Hereford news contact: Sydney Trainor Communications Support Illinois Beef Association 2060 West Iles Ave., Suite B Springfield, IL 62704 217-787-4280 sydney@illinoisbeef.com www.illinoisbeef.com

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Randy Kline, 309-824-9937 Matt Johnson, 309-883-9466 Phil Tjardes, 815-383-0003 Brent Lowderman, 309-221-9621 Luke Goldstein, 217-663-3390 Cody Crum, 217-248-7282 Jodi McMillan, 815-751-2293 Chad Benedict, 217-246-5099 Kent Burns, 618-521-3199 58

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

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Illinois District Show Series All State Finale

Bloomington, Ill. | Aug. 28 | Judges: Lee Rincker, Chad Holtkamp, Tucker Schlipf Photos provided by Cindy Cagwin-Johnston Livestock Photography

4th Overall Steer Hereford Nolan Lukach

2021 World Beef Expo Open Show Milwaukee, Wis. | Sept. 23-26 4th Overall Bull Wock Show Cattle

www.illinoisbeef.com

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

BENEDICT JOINS THE AMERICAN HEREFORD ASSOCIATION TEAM Noah Benedict, Dewey, Ill., joined the American Hereford Association (AHA) Oct. 1 as the association’s Upper Midwest field representative. Benedict will represent the AHA to members in the region and assist with association activities and services. He will travel to conduct herd visits, attend sales, sell advertising for Hereford Publications Inc. (HPI) and establish relationships with industry representatives to promote the breed. “I am passionate about the success of the Hereford breed and look forward to connecting with breeders in my region and across the country,” Benedict says. “With my prior involvement in the Hereford breed, I am excited to continue building relationships and assisting breeders.” Benedict is the fifth generation on his family’s Hereford operation. During his time as a member of the National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) he was elected to the board of directors and is currently finishing his term as chairman. Benedict will graduate from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in the spring of 2022 with a degree in agriculture consumer economics with a focus in agribusiness markets and management. “We are excited to welcome Noah to the AHA field staff team,” says Joe Rickabaugh, AHA director of seedstock marketing. “He is a talented young man with a passion for the Herford breed and its breeders. Coming from a Hereford background and a rich history with the NJHA makes him a great hire for the territory five position.” Prior to joining the AHA, Benedict gained experience during two prior marketing internships with Homestead Capitol Inc. and Early Bird Feeds. During his latest internship with Early Bird Feeds, Benedict served as the beef sales intern. Benedict will attend many AHA functions and sales through the fall and winter months as he finishes his last college semester. He will transition to full time starting January 1, 2022.

Lorenzen Farms Chrisman, IL Adam Harms, Herdsman 217-369-3609 adamdharms@hotmail.com Steve Lorenzen: 217-822-2803

Kings, IL 61068

James home 815-562-4946 James cell 815-761-1523 Malcolm 815-761-8462

Jack and Sherry Lowderman Monte, Carrie and Rhett Brent, Kris, Blake and Morgan Cody, Abby, Nash and Tuck P.O. Box 488 Macomb, IL 61455 Oﬃce: 309-833-5543

www.lowderman.com

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

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President’s Note A

s I sit down to write this month’s article it is just the beginning of October. Up here in northwest Illinois the temps have been very nice, but we are very dry too. Maybe ¾ of an inch of rain since Labor Day with not much yard mowing other than to top off the weeds. However, the crops are drying down rapidly, and harvest is in full swing. The Simmental breed had a great showing at the World Beef Expo in Milwaukee, Wis. in late Sept. Illinois’s own Luke Gilbert had the Supreme Cow-calf pair in the open show. Also, the Supreme Bull and the Supreme Heifer were Simmentals. The Harker family took both of those awards home with them to Indiana. This is a great event for all breeds of cattle. Open shows for the breeds end on Friday night with the crowning of the Supreme champions. All the champions come into the arena under a spotlight, it is something to see. Saturday is showmanship with the junior shows on Sunday. It is held in conjunction with a Harvest Fair so there is something for everyone at the Wisconsin State Fair Park. Sale season is in full swing as well. Every day you can find all kinds of calves, of all breeds for sale on the internet. There really is something for everyone out there. It is amazing how much these types of sales have changed the way we buy cattle. There are still many regular sale day events still going on also. Lots of these sales are advertised on social media as well as in several livestock publications. Remember everyone needs a Simmental this year as we are hosting the National Classic in Madison, Wis. July, 2022. Check out the Illinois Juniors Facebook page for any information. There will be lots of opportunities for fundraising events leading up to this event. Any questions can be answered by our three coordinators: Jennifer Tarr, Sherri Adcock, or Dr. Paul Walker. The junior advisors or any of the junior kid can help you out also. Everyone have a safe and smooth harvest season and good luck finding next year’s prospects. Good luck to all exhibitors during the fall shows.

- Scott Scott Frederick, ISA President

Simmental Breeders

www.illinoisbeef.com

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

Illinois District Show Series All State Finale

Bloomington, Ill. | Aug. 28 | Judges: Lee Rincker, Chad Holtkamp, Tucker Schlipf Photos provided by Cindy Cagwin-Johnston Livestock Photography

Grand Champion Heifer Simmental

3rd Overall Heifer Simmental

Mabrey Schick

Colt Reoder

Res. Grand Champioin Steer Simmental Madeline Nightingale

Illinois Junior Livestock Classic

Bloomington, Ill. | Aug. 28-29 | Judge: Brent Murphy, Houstonia, Mo. Photos provided by Cindy Cagwin-Johnston Livestock Photography

Res. Grand Champion Steer Champion Simmental Madeline Nightingale

3rd Overall Heifer Champion Percentage Simmental Nalaney Guyer

5th Overall Heifer Champion Simmental Paisley Schick

2021 World Beef Expo Open Show Milwaukee, Wis. | Sept. 23-26

Champion Cow-Calf Pair

Bramlets Simmenatls- Luke Gilbert

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

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LARRY MARTIN RECEIVES ASA’S LIFETIME PROMOTER AWARD Born and raised in DeWitt County, Illinois, Larry Martin is a long-time sales manager and Simmental producer from Clinton. Growing up in an auctioneer family, Martin’s youth was spent in and out of the sale and show barns. He graduated from Illinois State University where he was a member of the Livestock Judging Team. He worked as a local vocational agriculture teacher for a short time before establishing his cattle sale business in the late 1970s. Martin’s experiences growing up around his father’s business, Martin Auction, influenced his decision to start a cattle sale management business. The first sale that Larry Martin Cattle Sales managed was at the “Most of the Best” Show, an all-breed steer show, in Clinton. Over the years, Martin has managed and helped establish successful cattle sales in over eleven states. He has visited almost every county in Iowa and managed the sale at the Iowa Beef Expo for 18 years. Annually, he manages the national All Breeds Top 40 Club Calf Sale in Clinton. With over 40 years of experience in cattle sales, Martin has been involved in the sale of leading Simmental genetics in the cattle industry. From his own herd to other cattle operations’ popular cow families like Obsession or Burn It Up, Martin has either been a part of exhibiting, breeding, or assisting the sale of genetics that are the foundation of modern Simmental cattle today. In addition to sales management, Martin is a founder and organizer of the annual Memorial Day Beef Show honoring Jim Flach. Established in 1988, this show has grown to the second-largest show in Illinois, with the goal of being a fun, educational experience for the whole family. Martin has served for two terms on the Illinois Beef Association Board, and one term on the IBA Executive Board. He has also served on the DeWitt County Board, as well as many other organizations in his community over the years, and was a former president of the Illinois Auctioneers Association. Martin credits his family for helping to make Larry Martin Cattle Sales, Martin Auction, and Martin Livestock successful. His wife, Cindy, is office manager, secretary, check writer for all consignors, and occasionally the clerk at the auction block. All three of their daughters, Lorri (Marc), Lucy (Rob), Leslie (Aaron), grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are involved in carrying on the legacy that started with Martin’s father back in 1947.

www.illinoisbeef.com

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

www.illinoissimmental.com

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

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AICA Announces Clint Rusk as New Executive Vice President Kansas City, MO The American-International Charolais Association Board of Directors has selected Clint Rusk, current Department Head of the Animal and Food Sciences Department at Oklahoma State University, as its new Executive Vice President. Clint will be replacing J. Neil Orth, who is retiring at the end of 2021 after two decades of leading the organization. Clint grew up on his family’s Hereford and Angus ranch near Sun City, Kansas. After graduating as valedictorian of his high school class, Clint attended Colby Community College, where he was a Presidential Scholar and a member of the National Champion Livestock Judging Team. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Kansas State University with his B.S. degree in 1980. After graduation, Clint returned to his family’s ranch for five years. In 1985, Clint and his family moved to Fort Collins, Colorado, to manage the purebred cattle unit at Colorado State University. In 1987, he also accepted the duty of coaching CSU’s livestock judging team. Clint coached 10 livestock judging teams at Colorado State University. His teams were Reserve National Champions in 1987, 1991, 1993 and 1995. Clint was named “Coach of the Year” by the Intercollegiate Coaches’ Association, in 1991 and 1992. For the past 24 years, Dr. Rusk has helped coordinate livestock judging contests for collegiate, 4-H and FFA contestants at contests across the country. Clint completed his M.S. degree in 1992 and his Ph.D. in male reproductive physiology in 1997 at Colorado State University. After completing his doctorate, Dr. Rusk joined Purdue University as its Youth Livestock Specialist. Clint enjoyed conducting educational programming for 4-H members and their parents for 13 years. In 2009, Dr. Rusk was selected to lead the Animal and Range Sciences Department at South Dakota State University. Over a three-year period, Dr. Rusk gained valuable administrative experience working with industry leaders, university professors, successful alumni, and an outstanding group of dedicated students. As executive Vice President, Clint will work closely with AICA staff and Board of Directors to serve the Association’s members. He will be in attendance at the November board meetings in Louisville, Kentucky. Clint’s employment will commence November 1st at the AICA Headquarters. He and his wife, Madeleine will make their home in Kansas City. The Rusks have two children: Shane and his wife Julie and a daughter Ashley. Dr. Rusk said, “I am thrilled to join the American-International Charolais Association as Executive Vice President. I look forward to meeting Charolais breeders at the American Royal in Kansas City and the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville in the coming weeks. While in Louisville, I’m also looking forward to attending the induction of J. Neil Orth into the prestigious Saddle and Sirloin Club on Sunday evening, November 14th.”

www.illinoisbeef.com

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

CURTIN T.J. Curtin: (217) 825-3005

Tasha Bunting 309-557-2993

tbunting@ilfb.org

SHUCKLAGE FOR SALE D E A N

B A C O N

B E E F

LEROY, IL

402-463-1359

HIGH VALUE SILAGE COW FEED OR GROWER DIETS

2401 S. Bunn, Bloomington, IL 61704

Dave Wilcox

dave.wilcox@kentww.com 309-275-7184 www.kentfeeds.com

deanfarm4@gmail.com

Derek: 309-275-0712 Rick: 309-838-9300

Brad McCormick

bmccormick@johnsonconcreteproducts.com

Weekly Auctions: Salem - Thursday at 9:30 a.m. Shelbyville - Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. Collection Point: Goreville - 2nd and 4th Wednesday collection www.uproducers.com

MULTIMIN USA, INC www.MultiMinUSA.com

Joe Brown

Technical Sales Representative

Cell: 417-848-5755 jbrown@multiminusa.com

Dan Crum

Independent Sales Representative AI Service & Semen Sales

Stronghurst, Illinois 309.371.5729 dlcrum@gmail.com

815-384-3750 66

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

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D & S Brown

Top Of The State Hay & Straw 8962 N Davis Road Davis, IL 61019

Sandra L. Brown Donald E. Brown, Jr. (815) 865-5471 (815) 238-8372 don.brownjr708@gmail.com sandee.brown@hotmail.com

Barney Gehl: 563-506-8075 Eli Slouha: 319-423-1293 Jarred Searls: 608-393-3735

Lincoln, IL Atlanta, IL (217) 732-5700 (217) 648-5800 timbercrest@timbercrestvet.com www.timbercrestvet.com

Devin Albrect: (888) 464-5282

Fairview Sale Jan,, lt1c. 1120 Carter Street • Fairview, IL 61432

www.fairviewsalebarn.com

Tuesday: 10 a.m. Fat Cattle & Slaughter Cows/Bulls

Jake Fidler: 309-224-2226 Bob Garber: 309-696-9798 Ray Johnson: 309-337-6029 Laura Fidler: 309-778-2225 Bob Fidler: 309-224-2327

Kent Buckert buckert@adams.net (217) 242-7495 www.ursacoop.com

Thursday: 12 p.m. Goats, Sheep, Feeder salebarn@mymctc.net Cattle, Cows/Bulls

217-285-6379

Jonathon Ruzich: jruzich.longhorn@gmail.com Stan Edge: edgekimstan@gmail.com

www.illinoisbeef.com

November/December 2021 - Illinois Beef

Purebred Breeders Shorthorns

Dr. L.E. Mathers III mathers@leveldale.com

Ron & Diane Nord: 309-275-0409 2104 Charolais Lane

Leveldale Farms Mason City, IL 62664 217-737-0692 cattle@leveldale.com

Bloomington, IL 61705

Rob & Lucy Nord: 217-519-0375 Jerry & Ellen Cassady: 309-212-0488

Rob Bruce, Herdsman 217-737-0692 cattle@leveldale.com We are also on Facebook!

Eric & Samantha Nord: 309-275-7767

Illinois Beef, printed bi-monthly, is the official publication of the IBA. It serves as the voice of Illinois’ 12,000 beef producers.

Advertiser’s Index ABS Ag Fencing Solutions AICA American Angus Association Baker Farms Bergman Farm Supply Bill Farm Angus Biopryn BioZyme Inc. Bloomington Meats Boehringer Ingelheim Buchheit Bullard Cattle Co. Callan Farms D & S Brown Hay & Straw Dean Bacon and Beef Ellis Farms Beef Genetics, LLC Evers Livestock Farms Fairview Sale Barn Frank & West Environmental Engineers Greenville Livestock Auction Grain Diversification International Hadden Farms, Inc. Hiel Trailer Sales Huber, Robert Hueber Feed, LLC Illinois Charolais Association Illinois Corn Marketing Board Illinois Farm Bureau Illinois Simmental Assn. Illinois Soybean Association Johnson Concrete Waterers Kalmbach Feeds Kent Nutrition Group Kiesewetter Angus

66 37 1 53 60 13 56 66 67 66 66 67 68 66 67 66 60 66 67 66 IFC, 67 66 31 67 67 67 1 29 66 64 25 32,66 66 66 56

Kramer Angus Lorenzen Farms Lowderman Cattle Company Lemenager Cattle Leveldale Farms Longhorn Confinement Systems Mark Seed Mauer-Stutz Merck Animal Health Mid-Continental Livestock Supplements Milligan Herefords Mix 30 MultiMin Moly Manufacturing Nikles of Petersburg No Bull Nord Farms Northland Farms Panther Creek Ranch Perks Ranch PrimeTIME, Inc. Producer’s Hedge Purina Animal Nutrition Rhodes Angus Rincker Law Rincker Simmentals Riverode Rudow Family Cattle Select Sires MidAmerica Siebring Angus ST Genetics Stephens Trailer Sales Sunnyhill Angus Farm Thomas Angus Ranch Timbercrest Vet Service Torrance Herefords United Producers, Inc. Ursa Farmers Cooperative WP Angus Walnut Grove Angus Zoetis

Illinois Beef - November/December 2021

ILLINOIS BEEF ADVERTISING RATES Black & White Full Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $540

56 60 60 56 68 67 67 67 67 9 60 66 66 37 66 17 68 7 66 60 BC 66 66 56 67 61 32 IBC 67 55 66 37 56 41 67 60 66 67 56 56 67

2/3 Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $420 1/2 Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $310 1/3 Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $235 1/4 Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $180 Inside Front Cover . . . . . . $1,040 Inside Back Cover . . . . . . $1,040 Back Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,140 Business Card Ads . . . . . . . . $180 Color 4-color: $400 + B&W page price Discounts 10% for six time insertion ILLINOIS BEEF ADVERTISING DEADLINES Jan./Feb. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec. 15 March/Apr. . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb. 15 May/June......... . . . . . . . . . Apr. 15 July/Aug. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .June 15 Sept./Oct. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug. 15 Nov./Dec. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . Oct. 15 Betty Haynes Director of Communications 2060 West Iles Ave., Suite B Springfield, IL 62704 217-787-4280 betty@illinoisbeef.com www.illinoisbeef.com

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R U D O W F A M I LY C AT T L E

REGRET FREE female sale NOVEMBER 28, 2021

1:00 PM CST • LIVE SALE AT THE FARM NEAR PANA, IL

1,400# mature cows 6.0 avg. frame size

• S A L E F E AT U R E •

PROVEN DONOR 414 • PB ANGUS

SELLS OPEN & SELLING TWO DAUGHTERS

grass-powanecreed perform

structural integrity

414 DAUGHTERS

REQUEST A SALE CATALOG TODAY ON OUR WEBSITE! RUDOWFAMILYCATTLE.COM 12 • PB Angus • Open Heifer

15 • 1/2 Red Angus • Open Heifer

648 • Non-registered Angus • Bred to Rudow's Grit 928

961 • PB Angus • Bred to OCC You Bet 800Y

ROCKIN' K PRODUCTIONS Kent Jaecke. 405-408-2440, Sale Management

Bid Online!

967 • Black Baldy • Bred to CCMM Full Tilt 803F

RUDOW FAMILY CATTLE • BILL & NANCY RUDOW Cell. 217-273-2744 • 875 N. 100 East Road Pana, IL 62557

RUDOWFAMILYCATTLE.COM