Cattle Producers Gather at CattleCon 2026

Annual cattle industry event draws nearly 9,000 attendees to Nashville

Feb. 4, 2026 at 11:07am

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Almost 9,000 cattle producers, industry partners and stakeholders from around the country are in downtown Nashville this week for CattleCon 2026, the largest cattle industry event of the year. The event features a fireside chat with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and National Cattlemen's Beef Association President Buck Wehrbein to discuss national nutrition priorities and the recently released Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Why it matters

CattleCon is a critical annual gathering for the cattle industry to discuss key issues, network, and plan for the future. This year's event comes at an important time as the industry navigates changes to federal dietary guidelines and works to attract the next generation of cattle producers.

The details

CattleCon 2026 has some new activities this year including 'Next Generation Day' and the Emerging Leaders event on Thursday, as well as a 'Career Crawl' with companies at the NCBA Trade Show to explore internships, job openings and career opportunities. NCBA President-Elect Gene Copenhaver says it is critical for the industry to focus on developing tools and resources to help the next generation of cattle producers take over operations.

  • CattleCon 2026 is taking place this week in downtown Nashville.
  • Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will join NCBA President Buck Wehrbein for a fireside chat tomorrow.

The players

Gene Copenhaver

NCBA President-Elect from Virginia.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary.

Buck Wehrbein

President of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

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What they’re saying

“I think maybe the biggest one that happened was recently with dietary guidelines, you know, not only putting proteins, beef and pork and other good proteins back in the pyramid, but turning the pyramid upside down.”

— Gene Copenhaver, NCBA President-Elect

“We have a smart, innovative technology-wise generation coming forward. And I think we have to develop more tools as an association in the industry for them to come in. And the transition part, we got to get some tools for the older generation and make it easier for them to be able to move out the operation to them and not be so hard on them tax wise or otherwise.”

— Gene Copenhaver, NCBA President-Elect

What’s next

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will join NCBA President Buck Wehrbein for a fireside chat at CattleCon 2026 tomorrow to discuss national nutrition priorities and the recently released Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The takeaway

CattleCon 2026 is a critical annual gathering for the cattle industry to address key issues, plan for the future, and work to attract the next generation of cattle producers. This year's event comes at an important time as the industry navigates changes to federal dietary guidelines and focuses on developing resources to help with the generational transition of cattle operations.