The new president of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association—Ross Havens of Wiota—believes Iowa’s cattle industry is moving in the right direction.
“I think in Iowa here we have probably the best opportunity of anybody to grow our industry back,” says Havens, “with our advantage in ethanol, (plus) we’ve got a lot of small producers that their families are coming back—second and third generation families are coming back and they’re expanding their operations. We’ve got quite a few value-based programs.
“I think we have a real opportunity here in Iowa—and as the numbers are showing, our fed cattle numbers are coming up.”
Havens assumed the presidency of ICA during the group’s annual meeting Saturday in Ottumwa. Havens, who is the marketing coordinator for beef genetics provider Nichols Farms of Bridgewater, says one of his big concerns right now is the proposed GIPSA rule on livestock marketing. He says it could destroy the value-based marketing system they have worked hard to develop.
“We’ve worked to raise bulls that cattle meet the Certified Angus Beef specs, which is the premium program of the Angus Association,” Havens says, “and if GIPSA goes through, that will be eliminated, which will eliminate the value of our genetics—so I’m really concerned about it.”
Havens says one of his goals as ICA president is to encourage more young people to come into the cattle business and become involved with ICA.
For some attending the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, it was the first time to see the brand new utility tractors from 
The John Deere 8000 Series Tractors are being described as the smartest tractor 
Case IH launched a new skid steer loader at the National Farm Machinery Show and Curtis Goettel, Marketing Manager for Case Compact Equipment says it’s new from the ground up. Features include a cab that is the largest in the industry and servicing this new machine has become a whole lot easier.
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