ICA has nearly 8,000 members working together to grow Iowa’s beef business through advocacy, leadership and education.
Iowa's Cattlemen and Women
Our members represent every sector of the industry and farms large and small. Get to know some of them, and learn how ICA works on their behalf.
John & Kara Wessel, Colesburg
Pine View Angus
The Wessels first got involved with the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association through the Carcass Challenge. Their involvement in the program helped to build their business, which persuaded them to become active members of ICA.
"It’s easy to deal with the everyday, and get stuck in your routine of taking care of the livestock that you’ve been entrusted with and taking care of the crop you’ve been entrusted with, but there’s a whole other side of agriculture that needs to be tended to.
That involves education, legislation, regulation, and we need someone, or a group, to do those services for the good of the industry across that state.
That’s why it’s important to get involved and that’s why we decided to join the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association." - John Wessel
MIKE & KELLY SCHWARCK, RICEVILLE
Schwarck Farms
And that’s why I really pound the table about the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, and their involvement and their help to make sure there is a family farm to come home to." - Mike Schwarck
DAVID & MOLLY BRUENE, KELLY
Bruene Farms
David and Molly Bruene are young cattle producers in the early years of their marriage and cattle business. As recent graduates of ICA's Young Cattlemen's Leadership Program, the Bruene's have learned exactly what ICA does to support the next generation of cattle producers in Iowa.
"The thing that’s the most exciting to me, getting to see young people going out into the industry is that there is a lot of future in it right now.
The people that are coming out are super excited to be in the industry, and, they really want to fight for what they want to do, and I think the ICA does a great job of supporting and kind of mentoring those people up into not only leadership roles but just to be a good producer and better themselves in the ways that you need to be, to be a responsible beef producer." - David Bruene
Amstutz Cattle
Bloomfield, IA
With their three little boys in tow, Aaron and Mindy Amstutz manage a 400-head commercial Angus cow herd, two monoslope barns, hogs and row-crop ground, in addition to bulls for the ICA Bull and Heifer Evaluation Program.
Wolfe Simmentals
Prole, IA
Bill and Jane Wolfe are repeat consignors to the Iowa Cattlemen's Association's Bull and Heifer Evaluation Program. Together with their son, Matt, and his wife, Emily, they are continuing a family tradition of a strong Simmental herd in south central Iowa.
A to Z Feeders
Atlantic, IA
Alan Zellmer, founder of A to Z Feeders of Atlantic, is a first generation cattleman. But his hard work and dedication over the years have led to a second generation of Zellmers in the cattle business, and a growing third generation.