Executive Edge

Josh St. Peters, Illinois Beef Association Executive Vice President

We are into an especially hectic season for most of you, with the rush of spring farming activities compounded by weather complications this year – along with all the regular duties that come with managing your cattle operation. Thank you for taking the time to sit down and catch up with this issue of Illinois Beef magazine. This month’s installment includes a host of topics I think you’ll find value in, from our policy updates to the information on our May Beef Month checkoff promotions. Perhaps a theme in this issue is “success from teamwork” – and I expect that is phrase that is reflected on your operations. Our industry is one that takes a lot of work, often among families and employees, partnering together to get it all done, especially this time of year.

One place you will see us highlighting teamwork in this issue is in the reporting of IBA’s success of gaining funding for more veterinarians in the state budget; this was truly a joint effort among the commodity groups and Farm Bureau, and will bring additional resources at a time when the Illinois’ livestock industry really needs the planning and preparation around foreign animal disease threats. I’m grateful for the support each of those groups: Illinois Pork, Illinois Corn, Illinois Soybean and Illinois Farm Bureau, provide to our beef industry in Springfield and through their respective programs and activities across the state. We are fortunate to have such strong partnerships and working relationships among the state’s farm organizations.

Our partnerships extend beyond agriculture organizations, as well, as seen in the work with media and marketing partners to promote beef consumption across the state. Your checkoff dollars are hard at work this season, as we celebrate May Beef Month with another campaign targeting urban consumers as we strive for increased demand for our product throughout Illinois. By partnering with a variety of outlets and promotional programs, we are extending the checkoff budget to reach new communities where beef consumption has the strongest potential for growth. Additionally, we’re working to push through the distraction of false claims from fake meat companies while also navigating the reality of high retail meat prices for many consumers at retail establishments. The promotional dollars you provide through the state and national checkoff programs make for a strong partnership to support our marketing efforts, allowing us to reach millions of Illinois consumers this spring and summer.

We’re forging new teams in the industry, too – specifically right here at the IBA offices in Springfield. You will see mention in this issue of the highly talented individuals who have come to work on staff in recent weeks. Through the support of our membership, we have been able to work with your Board of Governors and the IBA executive committee to deliver a plan for growing our resources here at IBA under the goal of increasing service and outreach to our membership and the industry. Our new team members Annie, Devin, Mary and Olivia, all come with great backgrounds in the cattle industry, and strong skills to support the work we do on your behalf. Betty and I have been really excited by the chance to get them started here at IBA, and I hope you get a chance to connect with them soon at a meeting in your community, at an IBA event or when you contact the office. We’re all here to help your operation, so don’t be afraid to reach out.

Some of our team growth comes as one colleague transitions to a new opportunity within the Illinois beef industry. Mareah Rauch spent the last several years as a fixture of IBA’s outreach to members and cattlemen through her role delivering programs and services across the state. Her new role with a prominent feed company in the state brings great opportunities for her to use her master’s degree in ruminant nutrition – and puts her in an office only a short commute from the farm where she and her husband Aaron raise crops and livestock, and we’re happy for her new success. Part of building strong teams means managing transitions like this from time to time, and I believe that in a great team, you must celebrate the strong contributions people bring even in these seasons of change – so I’ll end this column with a huge thank you to Mareah, on behalf of the Illinois beef industry, for the great work she did during her time here. She made a positive impact on our team and the association, and that is a true mark of success.

I wish you and your family much success this season too, in life and across your cattle business. Please be safe in your work and take the time to enjoy the team you surround yourself with. And don’t hesitate to reach out to me and the IBA team here in Springfield if we can be of assistance to your operation.