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Illinois cattleman Willrett new leader of Cattle-Fax

<b>By DEBORAH BEHRENDS<br>
Illinois Correspondent</b></p><p>

DENVER, Colo. — Illinois cattle producer Jamie Willrett has been elected as the new president of Denver-based Cattle-Fax.
Cattle-Fax is a member-owned and member-directed market information, analysis, research and educational service organization, serving beef producers in all segments of the industry.  A subsidiary, CF Resources, provides research services, educational programs and economic data for agribusiness companies serving the beef industry.<br>
Members are professional cattlemen of all sizes and types who recognize that no business decision can be better than the information on which it is based. Cattle-Fax membership represents 53 percent of the cattle on feed in a seven-state area and 52 percent of the membership is comprised of cow/calf and stocker producers.<br>
The Cattle-Fax website reports that nearly any type of information or analysis needed to make better long- and short-term marketing and management decisions can be provided.<br>
Willrett is a partner in J. Willrett Farms, a diversified farming and cattle feeding operation located near Malta, Ill., about 70 miles west of Chicago. He is also co-owner of Beef Performance Technology, which provides ultrasound technology as a management tool for cattle feeders.<br>
“We market about 10,000 head a year. In the cattle world, that’s a pretty small operation. In the Midwest, it’s moderate sized.
“The industry is certainly driven by the feed yards in the High Plains and out West,” Willrett said.<br>
Active in both state and national cattlemen’s organizations, Willrett has held many leadership positions with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). He served on the NCBA Executive Committee from 2001 to 2003, and chaired the NCBA International Markets Committee in 2004 and 2005. He currently serves on the NCBA Live Cattle Marketing Committee.<br>
Willrett co-chaired the Industry-Wide Checkoff Task Force Committee in 2006, a group that developed a list of recommendations for enhancing the Beef Checkoff Program. He has also served on the U.S. Meat Export Federation Executive Committee (2004-05) and the Illinois Beef Assoc. Executive Committee (1996-99). He twice served as president of the Illinois Beef Assoc. (1993 and 1999), and was president of the DeKalb-Kane County Cattlemen’s Assoc. from 1985-88.<br>
Willrett is active in the Malta United Methodist Church. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois.<br>
Willrett said his father, James, was president of Cattle-Fax about 20 years ago. He said his family is one of only three that have seen different generations serve as president of the organization. The other two are in Nebraska and Idaho, according to Willrett.
David Wood of Coalinga, Calif., is the new president-elect of Cattle-Fax. Wood is chief operating officer and Beef Division chairman for Harris Farms Inc. Harris Farms operates Harris Feeding Company, the largest cattle feeder on the West Coast with a capacity of 250,000 head. Harris Ranch Beef Company is California’s largest beef processor, and has been an innovative leader in developing fully-cooked, heat-and-serve beef entrees.
Wood owns a 4,000-head cow/calf operation, and runs about 20,000 yearlings annually in four Western states. He is also a partner in a farming operation that produces almonds, pistachios, wheat, alfalfa, cotton, garlic and vegetables.<br>
Wood has served as chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (1995), the California Cattle Feeders Association (1997-98), the California Beef Council (1990) and the Western States Meat Association (1992-94). He has also served on the U.S. Meat Export Federation Executive Committee.<br>
Wood has won numerous cattle industry awards, including NCBA’s Cattle Business of the Century Award and National Environmental Stewardship Award. He was also named California Livestock Man of the Year in 2001, and was honored by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation with the 2003 Beef Industry Vision Award.<br>
Wood is an active volunteer with local FFA, 4-H and youth sports programs. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Cal Poly University, San Luis Obispo.<br>
For more details on Cattle-Fax officers and directors, visit www.cattle-fax.com

3/5/2008