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
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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.
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