The Illinois Performance Tested Bull Sale kicks off the Illinois Beef Expo each year at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. (Carrie Muehling/WJBC)
By Carrie Muehling
SPRINGFIELD – Excitement for the future is evident at this year’s Illinois Beef Expo in Springfield.
Illinois Livestock Development Group Business Developer Nic Anderson said much of the enthusiasm stems from economics.
“Right now the market is driving the beef industry on the state and as we look back with the work that we do in siting new farms in Illinois, there is growth in the beef industry,” said Anderson. “We’ve seen it since the reduction of the cow herd through the drought. Illinois has been a beneficiary of that because we’ve got corn and soybeans in our back yard and it’s very important to them to feed that to livestock and the beef industry in Illinois and beef farmers around the state have taken advantage of that, and it’s really market driven.”
Anderson said the current scenario is also offering opportunities for young people to come back to the farm in many cases.
“The multi-generational is an easier path. It takes a lot of capital and equity to do that. It takes a family and other people to have resources there you can lean on, but we’re also seeing new people enter the industry. And when I say new, their grandfather or generations ago had it and they have a recollection of that. They’ve got the education and the know-how, and really, the opportunity and the will. I always tell people if you’re young enough you can make a few mistakes before you get older, so that opportunity is right ahead of them,” said Anderson.
The Illinois Performance Tested Bull Sale kicked off the Illinois Beef Expo on Thursday with record prices.
“Last year was a record. We keep breaking those records,” said Travis Meteer with the University of Illinois Extension. “It was cold outside, but hot inside here at the Illinois Performance Tested Bull Sale.”
The top selling bull sold for $10,000. The average sale price on a total of 51 bulls was $4,584 – the highest average ever for the sale.
The Illinois Beef Expo continues through Sunday with a total of five sales and a number of exhibitions and competitions, including several geared specifically towards young people. It also includes a trade show with more than 80 exhibitors.
Carrie Muehling can be reached at [email protected].
