The 2025 Cattle Industry Convention was recently held in San Antonio, Texas, and a number of Wisconsin cattle farmers attended to participate in Beef Checkoff programs and meetings. Checkoff activities at convention included: interviews for leadership roles; committee meetings, where contractors update producer leaders on year-to-date progress on checkoff-funded projects; Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) board meetings; Consumer Market Research updates; and Beef Quality Assurance forums.
Wisconsin Beef Checkoff leaders were appointed to national leadership roles at the event. Terry Quam, Lodi, was selected as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and Amy Radunz, Ellsworth, was elected to NCBA’s Region III Federation of State Beef Council’s Vice President position. Tammy Wiedenbeck, Lancaster, was also recognized at convention for completing a three-year term on CBB.
Other Beef Checkoff representatives attending convention were: Arin Crooks, Lancaster, CBB board member; Steve Springer, Linden, who will be starting a 3-year board term on CBB; and Wisconsin Beef Council Staff Grace Link and Angie Horkan.
Radunz’ Role in the Federation
The vision of the Federation of State Beef Councils is to build beef demand by inspiring, unifying and supporting an effective and coordinated state and national Checkoff partnership. It provides a voice for producers and qualified state beef councils (QSBCs) to collectively give direction to the Beef Checkoff.
“I continue to be amazed by the demand from our consumers for beef despite some of the economic headwinds,” said Radunz. “I am grateful for all those associated with contributing to the success of the Federation and look forward to seeing those investments continue to build on this success.”
Among other duties, the regional vice president works closely with state beef councils, coordinates regional activities, facilitates Federation Division regional elections and champions Checkoff efforts within the region, especially state beef council engagement in the Federation.
Radunz raises stocker cattle on her farm in Pierce County and is a beef cattle technical specialist for Purina. She has been a mentor for young cattle producers across the state, helping them grow their passion for the beef industry. Radunz is currently serving as the president of the Wisconsin Beef Council. She is also involved with the Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association, where she
currently represents the organization on the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture’s Export Advisory Council.
Quam Assumes Officer Role with CBB
The Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) consists of 101 members, including domestic beef, dairy and veal producers, as well as importers of beef and beef products. Members are individually nominated by certified nominating organizations and appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to serve a non-paid three-year term. CBB administers collection of the $1-per-head on cattle sold in the U.S. and $1-per-head equivalent on imported cattle, beef and beef products. The Board is also responsible for approving the annual budget for its national Checkoff-funded programs.
Cattle producers Ryan Moorhouse of Texas, Dr. Cheryl DeVuyst of Oklahoma and Terry Quam of Wisconsin are the new leaders of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board. Elected by their fellow CBB members at CattleCon, this new officer team is responsible for guiding the national Beef Checkoff throughout 2025.
Secretary-Treasurer Terry Quam operates an Angus seedstock operation, Marda Angus Farms, in Lodi, Wisconsin. Since 1940, the farm has raised cattle that meet the needs of commercial cattlemen and purebred producers throughout the country. Quam has been a longtime, active member of his community and the agricultural industry at large. His activities and leadership roles include the Wisconsin Beef Council, NCBA, Farm Bureau, local and state Cattlemen’s associations, president of the Lodi Agricultural Fair, chairman of the University of Wisconsin Discovery Farms, the Cotton and Wisconsin Corn Boards and Wisconsin Corn Growers.
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