The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) presented Lee Leachman, Fort Collins, Colorado, a BIF Continuing Service Award June 23 during the group’s annual meeting and symposium in Des Moines, Iowa.

A light volume of cattle traded last week as per usual ahead of a holiday-shortened week. Prices traded steady to slightly lower with packers more willing to accept lower-grading cattle.

Barring some new disruption, feedlot inventories should drop below 2020 (and 2019) levels in the next month or two and remain there going forward. The drought could become a disruption if feedlot placements increase.

Sara Place, Elanco chief sustainability officer, offers insights on the questions she hears frequently from consumers and the balanced answers she is able to provide, thanks to science.

Cattlemen’s Heritage Beef Company announced plans Friday to construct a 1,500-head per day beef processing facility in Mills County, Iowa, south of the Omaha/Council Bluffs area. The plant will employ 750 workers.

Cattle trade was light in all regions this week with prices steady to higher. USDA’s cattle on feed report put inventories up slightly with placements down 7% from last year, at the low-end of the pre-report estimates.