Alabama Cattlemen's Association

And just like that, September is riding off into the sunset. Time sure flies when you’re having fun, and promoting beef, attending producer events and planning ahead for big events sure make our top list of fun things to do on the job. This year is making a quick escape, but there’s still much left to do including October Beef Month, checking yes to the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program, planning for next year’s checkoff program and hosting another Board meeting. The last three months of the year sure keep us on our toes..just about as much as those calving mamas at your farm do you! Keep reading to learn more about what’s going on at the ACA this week and buckle up for a wild ride as we prepare to tackle the last quarter of 2018.

Checkoff Referendum Vote- October 24

Cattle owners across the state will vote on October 24, 2018 to continue the $1.00 Alabama Beef Checkoff Program. Voting will take place for the referendum in every county Extension office in the state and will be open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on October 24. The Alabama Beef Checkoff Program is essential for beef promotion efforts, issues management, producer programs and youth involvement carried out each year throughout the state. The program has been in place since 1962 as one of the first in the country and was reactivated in 2004 as cattle numbers declined. To date, the program has contributed to thousands of youth being involved in the cattle industry, multiple generations of producers taking part in educational programs and enormous return on investment from research efforts focused on beef cattle production. The wide array of programs available for funding through the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program can be found at www.BamaBeef.org/Checkoff. For questions about how your dollars are used, contact the ACA office.

Membership Update

The Membership Task Force will meet in Montgomery on Thursday to further discuss details associated with the new membership year. These volunteer leaders have meet in-person and via conference call several times over the course of the last several months to hash out details associated with moving the membership fiscal year from July-June to January-December. We feel strongly that this move will be beneficial, but it will require transition as does any change. We ask that if you have any questions or concerns about this change to give us as call at the state office at (334) 265-1867.

Speaking of membership, the last of the membership cards have been mailed, so county secretaries should be on the lookout for their cards to hand out to renewed members at upcoming county meetings. Keep in mind that on July 1, we began the 2019 membership year, so a majority of those members are not renewed yet. Secretaries, be sure to get a current report from the database before passing out 2019 membership cards. To access those reports, contact Jessica Kennedy at our office to get your report login and password.

Last but certainly not least, all of the i4a membership software training videos are uploaded to our website!! From software basics, to renewals, to printing mailing labels, there’s a step-by-step video to help you navigate this new system. To learn how to gain access to these videos, contact Jessica at jkennedy@bamabeef.org or call her at (334) 265-1867.

Food & Wine Festival in Birmingham

This Friday, the Jefferson County Cattlemen’s Association will join in the fun at the Birmingham Food & Wine Festival and assist Western Supermarkets by handing out beef samples at the consumer event. Dubbed the “Food Mecca of the South,” Birmingham has quite the booming foodie culture, and beef has a front row seat to the show. We appreciate the leadership of the Jefferson County crew as they stepped up to help on a weekend where staff is going in many different directions!

ALABAMA CATTLEMEN’S FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS- NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATION

The Alabama Cattlemen’s Foundation provides over $70,000 annually to qualified high school and collegiate students, courtesy of funds raised through the purchase of the Cowboy vanity car tag and generous endowments. Scholarship applications for the 2019-2020 school year are NOW AVAILABLE online at BamaBeef.org/Scholarship.

Applications will close at midnight on November 1. Visit www.BamaBeef.org/Scholarship to review application requirements and to apply today!

YCLP Class V Heads South

ACA Director of Education and Outreach Ali Cantrell will be traveling to Fairhope this weekend to head up the third session with YCLP Class V. On Friday, the class will earn BQA certification with the help of Extension Veterinarian and State BQA Coordinator Dr. Soren Roding at the Gulf Coast Research and Extension Center. This certification course will include hands-on activities such as vaccinating and deworming heifers and the proper penning and handling of cattle. Following this, the class will tour the Research Center with Director Malcomb Pegues who was kind enough to host us for this meeting.

On Saturday, the group will begin in the classroom with a leadership lesson from Dr. Don Mulvaney before heading out to Mark Kaiser’s farm in Robertsdale for a tour of his diversified cattle and poultry operation. We look forward to a unique, hands-on learning opportunity with some of our future leaders in the cattle industry!

Sysco Fall Buying Expo

ACA Director of Education & Outreach Ali Cantrell has spent her day at the Fall Buying Expo with Sysco Foodservice in Birmingham. While there, she will be serving up Ribeye steak samples and promoting the kickoff of October Beef Month the upcoming Monday. Her goal today is to encourage salesmen to increase their beef sales and answer any questions they might have about our favorite protein, BEEF!

Auburn Ag Round-Up This Weekend

Calling all Auburn Ag Alumni: Head on out to Ag Heritage Park this weekend to celebrate Homecoming with a Taste of Alabama. Ag commodity groups, including beef, will be represented at the event and handing out samples of their foods. The ACA has teamed up with the AU Meats Lab in Auburn to offer brisket sliders to event attendees. If you’re going to be on the Plains this weekend, be sure to stop by and see us!

Alabama National Fair Livestock Shows

This weekend, ACA Director of Industry Relations and Youth Programs Michael Agar will work alongside industry leaders to put on the Alabama National Fair Youth and Open Beef shows. Best of luck to all the competitors competing throughout the weekend!

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