Iowa Cattlemen's Podcast

Cora Fox, ICA director of government relations, speaks to the price disparity between live cattle and boxed beef, and what our Association is doing to address this ongoing issue. Bryan Sievers, owner of Glenora Feedyard, LLC., talks about the Southeast Region BeefMeet, to be hosted at his feedlot on Wednesday, June 9.

Matt Deppe gives listeners an update on NCBA's price discovery working group and goes over ICA programs including the Carcass Challenge and Bull & Heifer Evaluation Program. Tanner Lawton talks to Dr. Dan Thomson about the Governor's Charity Steer Show and Katie Olthoff visits with Mike McDonough and his mom, Amy.

This episode features an interview with Matt Deppe following NCBA's summer business meeting, where he gives an in-depth overview of the cattle marketing policy discussions. He also shares ICA's "next steps". Tanner Lawton and Casey Allison share a new fundraising challenge for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa, and ISU extension beef specialists tell listeners about several upcoming meetings and webinars focused on drought conditions in western Iowa.

Matt Deppe talks about some forward movement on cattle marketing reform and 50/14, including discussions expected at the upcoming NCBA Summer Business Meeting. Justin Sexten from Performance Livestock Analytics shares info on Cattle Krush (FREE for ICA members), Performance Beef, and the animal health update coming this fall. Finally, we hear a segment of our recent webinar focused on selling beef locally. Dr. Terry Houser, Iowa State University Meat Lab, discusses carcass yield and pricing considerations. Watch the entire webinar here.

This week's episode features an update on the 50/14 cattle marketing initative. ICA's Director of Government Relations, Cora Fox, discusses Reps. Axne, Finkenauer and Loebsack's companion bill, and the next steps in cattle market reform. ICA's Tanner Lawton gives an Governor's Charity Steer Show update, and Kaitlyn and Jason give advice on selling beef locally. Links: 50/14 House Bill Governor's Charity Steer Show Harvest Barn Marketplace

Secretary Mike Naig joins us again to talk about efforts to connect hungry Iowans with market-ready cattle through the Beef Up Iowa program. Click here to find out more. This episode also features Part 2 of Dr. Brandon Koch's webinar presentation on pasture management and mineral needs of cattle on pasture. 

Transparency, price discovery and leverage. All three panelists agree on the problem, but they have different views on possible solutions. This episode is a replay of a live webinar from June 17 focused on efforts to level the playing field and rectify the imbalance of price discovery across cattle feeding regions and operation sizes. Find out what the panelists think about government mandates, packer accountability, and how current proposals could affect the industry longer-term.

On this week's episode, Matt Deppe gives cattlemen an update on Packers and Stockyards and Department of Justice investigations into beef packers, Dr. Brandon Koch from Kent Feeds shares pasture management advice (including advice for fescue), and Iowa State Fair CEO Gary Slater talks to us about the "postponement" of this year's fair. Watch Dr. Koch's full presentation here. Register for next week's cattle market webinar with Corbitt Wall, Brad Kooima and Jordan Levi here.

Get to know ICA's new Cow-Calf Council Chairman, Bryan Reed. Bryan shares his experience with cover crops and fence law and weighs in on the threats to the future of the cattle industry, including vertical integration and possible future lack of price discovery in feeder markets. Jeff Stolle from Nebraska Cattlemen gives a run-down of the subscription-only Market Reporting Service, used by 300 feedlots in the midwest. Click here for more info: https://www.iacattlemen.org/ica-programs/market-reporting-service Matt Deppe also gives a brief update on ICA's summer events.

Governor Reynolds celebrates May Beef Month and visits with us about her efforts to assist the cattle industry throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. You'll also hear from ICA staff members Matt Deppe and Kate Fulk.