What is the ICA?

The Iowa Cattlemen's Association is an organization of over 10,500 Iowa beef producing families and associated companies dedicated to the future of Iowa's beef industry.

The grassroots of the ICA is made up of county organizations. There are 97 active county organizations involved in a wide variety of activities throughout the year, including grilling beef products at local events, sponsoring market outlook meetings or working at the county fair.

On the state level, the ICA has three primary missions: legislative and regulatory, individual member services and communications.

Mission:

The mission of the ICA is to provide its members the opportunity to enhance and further develop the beef industry in the state of Iowa and the nation.

The ICA is an organization dedicated to the service of its members. It seeks to unite members of a diversified and multi-faceted industry into a viable, purposeful organization. It seeks to enhance the profitability, management and marketing of the products of the beef industry in this state and nation. The ICA provides the mechanism through which members of the beef industry can formulate and implement, through state and national legislative action, policies that have a direct influence on the production, marketing, promotion and consumption of beef in Iowa and the nation. The organization seeks to educate its member and the general public, including consumers, regarding the benefits of maintaining a strong and viable beef industry in Iowa. The ICA is dedicated to building strong communication linkages, helping its members meet and master the challenges of change and assisting cattle producers to anticipate, plan for, adjust to and meet the changing demands of the market place.

Legislative and Regulatory:

Iowa cattle producers identify their own priorities for legislation each year. Staff direction is dictated from these priorities. Policy is developed and passed each year at the ICA Convention in December. After an issue becomes policy, producers and staff take it before the Iowa Legislature or the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's Annual Convention. These policies result in new laws and regulations, which improve the state and national business climate for the beef industry.

Member Services:

Member services include programs such as the Youth Beef Team and the Youth Scholarship Extravaganza, Iowa Quality Beef, the ICA Bull Evaluation Committee, the Annual Convention and Trade Show and the Iowa Cattlemen's Foundation. These services provide valuable educational and information gathering opportunities to ICA producers.

Communication:

The ICA Communication efforts help to bring ICA members the most up-to-date information on the beef industry. The ICA also issues press releases promoting the positive aspects of the beef industry and monitors and responds to misleading information published by the media by providing factual and timely responses to attacks on the beef industry. ICA ensures the general public is provided with a true picture of the positive impact of the beef industry on the state of Iowa and producers' pocketbooks.