2026 Feeder Meeting

May 20 - May 21

This year’s meeting is May 20-21 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. Registration and our room block is now open!

REGISTRATION

Online registration is now OPEN. Early bird registration closed on 3/9. Prices increased on 3/10.

REGISTRATION PACKAGES

Feeder Council Producer Member
Includes access to all meetings, breakfast and lunch on Thursday and one ticket to Wednesday evening’s Padres game, and Thursday night’s reception event at Puesto.
Registration price: $350

Industry Partner
Includes access to all meetings, breakfast and lunch on Thursday and one ticket to Wednesday evening’s Padres game, and Thursday night’s reception event at Puesto.
Registration price: $450

Additional Welcome Party Tickets
Limited availability. While tickets last.
Registration price: $150

No refunds for registration will be available after 3/25.

As of 3/26 we are experiencing technical difficulties with online registrations. If you would like to register before it is fixed, please call the office at (916) 444-0845. Thank you for understanding.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Make your reservations now at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront by using the link below or by calling 1-800-Hiltons (1-800-445-8667) and mentioning the group code CCAF. The final day to book in the block is 4/28/26.

SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

FEATURED SPEAKERS 

Dr. Steve Lerner, Sr. Scientific and Business Advisor, Novonesis

PRESENTATION TITLE: Efficiency Matters: Ingredient Innovations to Reduce Production Footprint

Dr. Steve Lerner is the Senior Scientific and Business Advisor for the Animal BioSolutions division of Novonesis. In this role, Steve is responsible for mentoring less experienced technical services, marketing, and sales professionals in a joint effort to bring more sales, profit, and other significant results, like engagement and retention, to the company.  

 Steve has a Ph.D. in Reproductive Physiology from West Virginia University and a post-doctoral Fellowship in Molecular Genetics from the University of Southern California. He holds an M.S. in Biology/Embryology from West Virginia University and a B.S. in Zoology from University of Maryland. Prior to joining Chr. Hansen, Steve worked at Nutrition Physiology Company as Vice President of Product Development and Commercialization.  

ELANCO TITLE SPEAKER: Dr. Dale Woerner, Cargill Endowed Professor of Sustainable Meat Science, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University

PRESENTATION TITLE: Key Challenges in Beef x Dairy: Liver Abscesses and Red Meat Yield

Dr. Dale R. Woerner is the Cargill Endowed Professor of Sustainable Meat Science in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at Texas Tech University. He earned both his B.S. (2003) and M.S. (2005) degrees in Animal Science from Texas Tech University, followed by a Ph.D. in Animal Science with a focus on Meat Science from Colorado State University in 2009. Dr. Woerner served as a faculty member at Colorado State University for nine years before joining the faculty at Texas Tech University in 2018. Over his career, he has secured more than $15 million in industry-funded research and has published over 300 scholarly works, including peer-reviewed manuscripts and technical reports in the field of meat science.

Bradley J Johnson, Ph.D., Professor, Gordon W. Davis Regent’s Chair in Meat Science and Muscle Biology, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University

PRESENTATION TITLE: Feedlot Nutrition and Management Programs for Heavier Carcass Weights and Improved Beef Quality

Bradley J. Johnson is currently the Gordon W. Davis Regent’s Chair in Meat Science and Muscle Biology and a Professor in the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources’ Department of Animal and Food Sciences at Texas Tech University. Johnson has been in this position since June 1, 2008. Johnson, a native of Milbank, SD, earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science from South Dakota State University. His master’s degree in animal science and Ph.D. in animal science is from the University of Minnesota.  Our laboratory focuses on research that increases our understanding of factors regulating growth and development of skeletal muscle in meat animals such as beef cattle.  Our group has used exogenous growth promotants like steroidal implants, beta adrenergic agonists, and ionophores as models to study the mechanism of postnatal muscle growth in meat animals. We have been using the beef on dairy model to study some of these differences in growth response to implants.  In addition, our lab group evaluates natural compounds as potential alternatives to exogenous growth promotants.  Separately, the research team is involved in developing novel means to enhance marbling in beef.  This research focuses on novel receptors present on intramuscular adipocytes that appear to have positive effects on lipid accumulation.

Ethan Lane, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, NCBA

PRESENTATION TITLE: The Only Constant is Change- Cattle Politics in Today’s Washington

Ethan Lane is the Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Ethan is a 5th generation Arizonan with more than 20 years of experience in natural resources, land use issues, and advocacy on behalf of the cattle industry.

Prior to his role as the Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Ethan was the Executive Director for the Public Lands Council and Senior Executive Director of the NCBA Federal Lands portfolio. Before joining PLC and NCBA, Ethan operated a consulting firm where he worked on multiple high profile political campaigns and advised a variety of private companies and industries on regulatory and legislative issues impacting their businesses. Prior to moving to Washington, Ethan spent ten years helping to grow and manage a large real estate and ranch portfolio Arizona. His diverse background gives him a unique perspective on the challenges producers face on a daily basis.

Overland Stock Yards

PRESENTATION TITLE: West Coast Feeder Cattle Supply Update

Speaker to be announced.

Holden Ramey, Analyst, CattleFax

PRESENTATION TITLE: Market Update & Outlook

Holden Ramey is from Northeast Colorado where he grew up on his family’s farming and ranching operation. Holden remains active in the family operation running both commercial and registered cattle. Holden attended Northeastern Junior College where he competed on the livestock judging team and received associate’s degrees in animal science and agricultural business. Holden continued on to Colorado State University. While at Colorado State, Holden was a member of the livestock judging team. Holden received bachelor’s degrees in animal science and agricultural business in the fall of 2018. He then went to work for Five Rivers Cattle Feeding at the Kuner Feedlot. Holden received a master’s degree in agricultural economics from Colorado State in the spring of 2022. His graduate research focused on margin analysis and risk management in the cattle feeding sector.

Holden joined CattleFax as an analyst in January of 2022. His primary responsibilities include research and analysis focusing on feeder cattle, fed cattle, and the grain markets.

Holden enjoys attending cattle shows and sales and traveling across the country.

Josh White, Sr. Executive Director, Producer Education & Sustainability, NCBA

PRESENTATION TITLE: Consumer Expectations and How We Meet Them

Josh White serves as the Sr. Executive Director – Producer Education & Sustainability for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). He is a fourth-generation cattleman whose first experiences with cattle trace back to helping with his grandfather’s commercial Hereford cows in central Georgia as a child. By age twelve Josh had purchased his first heifer, began building his own herd and became a self-professed cattle nerd. In 2009 Josh took the opportunity to transition from a cattle industry volunteer leadership role to full time industry service and joined the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association and Georgia Beef Board as Executive Vice President, serving there until joining NCBA in 2014.

In his current role as Sr. Executive Director – Producer Education & Sustainability with NCBA, Josh and his team are working to capitalize on the rich histories of the Beef Quality Assurance, Masters of Beef Advocacy, Environmental Stewardship Award Program, Stockmanship & Stewardship, and Cattlemen’s College programs while moving these initiatives forward to deliver even greater value to NCBA members and the cattle industry. New programs like the Rancher’s Resilience Grant are a true passion for Josh and the team – finding ways to empower even more producers to participate in impactful educational opportunities. In addition to overseeing numerous programs, Josh provides leadership for NCBA’s policy funded sustainability efforts and supports beef checkoff funded efforts associated with sustainable cattle production.

Lance Zimmerman, Rabo AgriFinance

PRESENTATION TITLE: Market Updates and Insights on all US beef and cattle trade

Lance Zimmerman serves as the North American senior beef industry analyst for Rabobank’s RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness team. With more than two decades of experience across the animal protein sector, he is widely recognized—both regionally and globally—for his forward‑looking market insights and thought leadership.

Throughout his career, Lance has remained dedicated to serving the food and agribusiness industry, with a strong emphasis on agribusiness and animal protein research. He spent 12 years with CattleFax, joining the organization in 2011 as a market analyst. He advanced to manager of research, analysis and data in 2016 and later became director of research and protein market analysis. Before that, Lance spent eight years with Certified Angus Beef, where he led efforts in industry relations, marketing strategy, and supply development.

Raised on a commercial cow–calf, backgrounding, and diversified crop operation in northwest Kansas, he also served as a Kansas FFA State Officer. His leadership within the industry includes serving as a U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef board member and previous chair of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Young Producers Council.

Lance holds an M.S. in agricultural economics and a B.S. in agricultural communications and journalism from Kansas State University. He has been honored with multiple scholarships and awards during both his undergraduate and graduate studies.

He and his wife, Andria, live in Saint George, Kansas, with their children, Lawson and Macie. Lance enjoys supporting the family farming operation, hunting, and spending time with his kids at the baseball and softball fields.

ADDITIONAL PRESENTATIONS & SPEAKERS

California Acting State Veterinarian Dr. Amanda “Mandy” Murray

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