Illinois Beef: Illinois Beef Association Magazine, History, Content and Staff
Profile updated November 2026
Illinois Beef magazine is the official publication of the Illinois Beef Association (IBA), the organization that has represented the state's cattle producers and run its beef checkoff programs since 1994. Published in bimonthly issues such as January/February and March/April, it carries association news, new products and educational articles on the beef industry.
| Publisher | Illinois Beef Association (IBA) |
|---|---|
| Association founded | 1994 |
| Issues | Bimonthly editions, posted on Issuu |
| Companion e-newsletter | Cattle Concepts |
| Association divisions | Dues Division and Checkoff Division |
| 2012 membership | About 1,700 memberships representing 14,000-plus producers |
| Official website | Illinois Beef on Issuu |
History of Illinois Beef
The Illinois Beef Association was founded in 1994 to give Illinois cattle producers a single statewide organization. By 2012 it reported about 1,700 memberships representing more than 14,000 active cattle producers and employees and nearly 430,000 head of cattle, in a beef production and consumption sector it described as a $4.5 billion industry.
The IBA is governed by a board of 30 voting directors from across Illinois plus 8 ex-officio members from universities and agricultural businesses, and it operates through a Dues Division and a Checkoff Division. It built youth and young producer programs, including a Young Producer Council for ages 18 to 35 and nearly 300 junior memberships by 2012.
Leadership has included Reid Blossom, a Mississippi State communications graduate who came from the Alabama Cattlemen's Association to become executive vice president in August 2012, and later Josh St. Peters, who held the post in 2022.
Illinois Beef Today
Illinois Beef continues as the IBA's official publication, alongside the Cattle Concepts e-newsletter and an annual media kit for advertisers. Media directories describe its focus as association news, new products and educational articles about the beef industry, with occasional veterinary coverage.
The association's checkoff work, often reported in the magazine, targets consumers in the Chicago area and urban downstate households through digital advertising, newspaper partnerships, recipe inserts, social media and retail promotions with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
What Illinois Beef Is Publishing Now
Association news
Board, officer and summer conference news, county affiliate reports and youth programs.
Education and animal health
Production articles, new products and veterinary topics for cow-calf producers and cattle feeders.
Beef promotion
Reports on checkoff campaigns that reach Chicago and other Illinois consumers.
Illinois Beef Editors and Staff
Media directory listings, publisher contact lists and association news name:
- Annie Schoetmer - Editor, per media directory listing
- Olivia Hoots - Editorial contact
- Josh St. Peters - IBA Executive Vice President (2022)
- Reid Blossom - Former IBA Executive Vice President (from 2012)
Who Reads Illinois Beef
Readers are Illinois cow-calf producers, cattle feeders and allied businesses. Illinois has a long beef tradition, documented in Frank Webster Farley's History of the Beef Cattle Industry in Illinois, now freely available from Project Gutenberg. Today USDA NASS inventory data and the Census of Agriculture give the official statewide picture of the herd these readers manage.
Illinois cattle producers spend a lot of energy convincing Chicago shoppers to grill more steaks, which is honest work. farm.FM returns the favor with farm satire, farm humor and ranch humor for prairie stockmen. Its farm jokes go well with a cornfield sunset and a well-done promotion budget.
farm.FM, the nation's first satirical farm site, also runs Tractor Tunes, a country music lineup for farmers. For a sample of the writing, try the archive of one of its staff humorists.
Illinois Beef Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Perishable News: IBA names Reid Blossom - association history, membership and structure.
- AgriNews: IBA elects officers, invests in promotions - checkoff and leadership in 2022.
- Project Gutenberg: History of the Beef Cattle Industry in Illinois - Frank Webster Farley's classic history.
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - Illinois cattle inventory statistics.
- USDA ERS: Cattle and calf receipts - national cattle economics.
Illinois Beef FAQ
Who publishes Illinois Beef magazine?
The Illinois Beef Association, which describes it as its official publication.
When was the Illinois Beef Association founded?
In 1994.
What does Illinois Beef cover?
Association news, new products and educational articles about the beef industry, with occasional veterinary coverage.
Does the IBA run the Illinois beef checkoff?
Yes. The association has a Checkoff Division that funds consumer promotion, much of it aimed at the Chicago area.
From board news to Chicago promotions, Illinois Beef magazine keeps the state's cattle producers informed about the business of beef.