Executive Edge

Josh St. Peters, Illinois Beef Association Executive Vice President

This is our last issue of Illinois Beef magazine for 2022, and that is a fact that I find hard to believe sitting here today on what appears to be one of the last warm, summer-like days of this fall season.

The long-range forecast is predicting a change in our weather pattern coming — and soon I’m guessing it will feel and look more like winter. I am hopeful that the change of seasons is a wet one as most of us could use some good winter moisture. The last several updates to the national Drought Monitor continue to place much of our state in a rough spot regarding soil moisture, and I have heard from many producers this fall with similar stories of grass burning up sooner than they hoped due to continued dry conditions. My weather sources say we are in for another La Niña weather pattern this winter, which typically means wetter and warmer. I think we will all be able to give thanks for any moisture we receive in the weeks ahead.

Speaking of giving thanks, in a few days my family will gather around the table for Thanksgiving, and we have plenty to be thankful for reflecting on the last year. I hope you find yourself celebrating among family and friends as well. My advice for a best-case scenario if you are hosting the annual holiday feast is to serve some delicious slow-roasted beef tenderloin or smoked brisket this season. It’s been my experience that our guests are always a little jollier and more enjoyable when we have fed them from a good cut of beef. If you’re looking for a recommendation on what to fix, there is a great holiday recipe included later in this issue, taken straight from the wonderful library of beef recipe selections found on www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com.

Here at the IBA offices in Springfield, we have kept busy with some changes and updates in the last couple of months. We’re currently in the process of packing up and moving our offices to a new location on the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Our new address there is 2501 N. 8th Street, Springfield, IL 62702. If you are familiar with the fairgrounds, our new office is in Building 30, with an entrance right across from the Open Sheep Barn. Our office windows look out onto the Conservation World greenspace, and we’re looking forward to being unpacked and settled for visitors in the new year. Watch for a post card coming soon to your mailbox, including our new contact information and planned open house events.

We have also updated our IT and phone systems at the association, to better serve you. The old phone system was antiquated and difficult to navigate when you called in, and it has not always been reliable. We have now moved to a modern platform that costs less money and makes it easier to connect directly with a real person each time you call the office during business hours.

I am pleased to share with you that we’ve named a new Managing Editor for Illinois Beef magazine, too. Olivia Hoots joined our staff earlier this spring as our Member Services Coordinator. She has now moved into the vacant role of managing our publications and advertising, along with continuing her work supporting business operations within the office. We’re fortunate to have her in this new position. Congratulations to Olivia on this new opportunity here at IBA!

We are amid sales season for many of you, be it show steers and club calves, open heifers, bred cows or new crop feeder calves. In this issue of the magazine, you will find a one-page form on page 45 for declaring private treaty sales of cattle here in Illinois. Please remember that we all have the obligation of paying national and state checkoff dollars on our cattle sales, and if we’re selling private treaty, it is on us as the seller to selfreport and remit the funds. You will recall that the checkoff fee for Illinois cattle sales is $1.50 per head, which includes 50 cents that we send to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board for national checkoff; the remaining dollar stays here in Illinois, with our half of the national checkoff fund being retained for in-state programs, as well as the additional 50 cents in Illinois State Beef Checkoff funding. The money here in Illinois does a lot to support marketing and promotion, producer programs, youth programs, consumer education and pro-beef advertising campaigns across our state. We fund research programs at several universities to support cattle production projects and studies, and we’re also increasing our work this winter with local locker plants and regional beef processors to support more local beef demand. All of it is possible because producers contribute the legislated checkoff fees. So, if you have sold private treaty cattle, please take a moment to fill out the form and mail in funds for your portion of the checkoff. We greatly appreciate your compliance, so thank you!

Don’t forget that Illinois Beef Expo is coming up in the next few months, too. We’re back in Springfield this coming year with a great event planned, including several opportunities for consigning cattle and genetics if you are interested in participating. They’re still taking consignments for the Illinois Performance Tested Bull Sale at the 2023 Illinois Beef Expo, if you have any bulls you would like to put on test. Reach out to Travis Meteer at University of Illinois Extension via wmeteer2@illinois.edu for more information and do that soon because the deadline to submit bull consignments is coming up in early December. There are also additional sale opportunities for consigning live cattle and genetics at Illinois Beef Expo, and you can find those details online at www. illinoisbeefexpo.com.

Do have a great Thanksgiving and know that all of us at the IBA office in Springfield are wishing you a wonderful holiday season. We’re looking forward to seeing you in the new year ahead, and we appreciate your membership in this organization. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns that we can assist with. We’re here to help you.