UTICA — The Beef Cow/Calf Meeting will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Celebrations 150 in Utica. This University of Illinois Extension program will provide research-based information and will begin with dinner.

Higher commodity prices, weather extremes and increasing input costs have made for a challenging year for beef producers.

“Drought-induced struggles and high feed costs are the two big hurdles for producers to overcome, but if they can maintain the cow herd, they are likely to see higher profits in the years to come,” said Travis Meteer, a University of Illinois Beef Extension educator.