Oh, happy day! The temps are warm. The grass is green, and grills are lit! It’s an exciting time of year as we sneak into the summer months and all that come with them. For now, we’ll enjoy the spring and hold tight to those cool, dewey mornings. While you enjoy those outside days, your state staff is inside on the grind as we plow through beef promotions, membership, producing a magazine and playing a watchdog role for you in the state house. Keep reading to learn more about what’s happening in our neck of the woods this week!
Bama’s Best Beef Competition Fires Up
We’re proud to announce this year’s Bama’s Best Beef finalists:
- Smokin’ on the Boulevard (Florence) Beef Brisket
- Roadside ‘Que (Fort Payne) Bourbonzola Brisket Burger
- The Anatomy of Pi Food Truck (Jasper) Steak & Mushroom Pie
- Little Savannah Restaurant & Bar (Birmingham) Spicy Coffee Rubbed Cowboy Ribeye
This week’s Facebook poll challenge has the Steak & Mushroom Pie going head-to-head with the Bourbonzola Brisket Burger, and so far, the burger has got the lead! Walker County folks- get voting! And great work to Jackson County fans on pushing your local dive so far to the lead! Next week’s contest will put our other two finalists in a dual…then the two winners will duke it out for the title! Head on over to the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association Facebook page to participate in the voting!
BEEF 101 Spring Programs Wind Down
Last week, ACA hosted Trenholm University Culinary students in Auburn for a BEEF 101 and AJCA members, Chelsea and Chandler Langley, joined in as part of their Junior Pasture to Rail program. It was a successful day full of beef industry knowledge and hands-on experience with live cattle evaluation and fabrication of a beef carcass. Chelsea and Chandler have 10 head of cattle in the Junior Pasture to Rail program where they retain ownership of their cattle and learn how to market cattle on the grid. Throughout the time of the program, they are asked to attend educational programs that will explain the how their feeder calves are expected to perform in the feedlot and how they should manage their expenses and herd health. Great work, juniors!
Youth Production Field Day Postponed
It may come as no surprise to you- especially you parents out there- as kids these days are just busy! Due to so many spring activities lining up on top of each other here at the end of another school year, we decided it best to reschedule the Spring Youth Production Field Day scheduled for this Friday, April 26 in Atmore to a later date! Between important FFA eliminations, sporting events, a judging clinic and end-of-year activities, youth have too much on their calendars for now! We look forward to getting down to south Alabama for this field day later on in the year.
National Report in the Works
It is required each year that the Beef Checkoff publish a report of checkoff 
activities! Your state checkoff team is at work pulling numbers, putting our writing caps on and evaluating programs from 2018. After the report comes together, it will take a trip to Denver for design and approval then come back just in time for the June issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine. Be on the look out and get last year’s report in the palm of your hand!
Samford University Nutrition and Dietetics Advisory Board
ACA Director of Education & Outreach Ali Cantrell has been invited to be on the Samford University Department of Nutrition and Dietetics Advisory Board where she will be an integral part of the counseling body for the department. She will be traveling to Samford University on Thursday for the first Advisory Board meeting to learn more about her new role and advocate for the beef industry. Ali will provide advice, leadership and support for continued development of high-quality academic programs in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics. We are excited about this new relationship with Samford University!
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
The membership count of the day is 7,544 members and counting! County secretaries, be sure to be submitting that information to the i4a membership software or here to our state office! Hopefully by now, renewals are flooding your mailboxes as renewal statements were sent in the past two weeks. Board Members, be sure to save the date for our upcoming Board Meeting to be held Thursday, May 16 at 10 a.m. We’ll see you there!
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