Whew! It’s a busy, busy time at the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association. It’s been quite the whirlwind of events and activities, but we are thrilled with the success and the future outlook of our association! We are very proud that last week’s convention hosted over 600 attendees, youth, guests, vendors and industry partners. The 74th annual ACA Convention and Trade Show was a great one, and we appreciate all who came out! We enjoyed seeing each of you, and we particularly enjoyed learning who our new team of state leaders are. For those who haven’t heard yet, here’s the lineup of new state leaders:
ACA President- Richard Meadow, Houston
ACA President-Elect- Jack Batts, Limestone
ACA Vice President- Chris Langley, Chambers
ACA Treasurer- LD Fitzpatrick, Lowndes
New Regional Vice Presidents:
Ashley Catrett, Crenshaw
Jim Jordan, Clay
Sabrina McKinney, Autauga
Brian Smith, Lauderdale
2o17 is sure to be a great year, but we are just worried about this week on today’s post! Keep reading to learn allllllll that’s happening around the ACA this week!
A Watchful Eye on the Legislative Session
Ag Coalition met Tuesday morning to go over 400-500 bills that have already been introduced. the legislative process is pretty slow and committee meetings are taking place. No consensus made on big topics such a gas tax, prison reform and redistricting. There is work being done on both the Education Budget and the General Fund. The General Fund budget is projected to look tight again with no general consensus to raise revenue. On another note, Gov. Bentley appointed a special task force yesterday to look into ways to remove the sales tax on food.
All in all, we are feeling good about this session. Nothing of substance that could either positively or negatively affect the agricultural industry has been introduced, and there’s no projection for it.
SLE Rodeo and 2017 Media Luncheon
The members of the Southeastern Livestock Exposition met at the building on Tuesday for rodeo committee updates and to host Montgomery-area media in for a steak luncheon. SLE President Walter Crim, color commentator and Frontier Rodeo Company General Manager Don Gay and 2017 SLE Rodeo entertainer Trent McFarland informed the media about what to expect at this year’s show!
There’s so much going on, and you can find all the info you need by visiting www.slerodeo.com. Targeted social media advertising, tv spots, radio interviews and billboards will be hitting the marketing channels soon! Here’s a brief rundown of all you can expect:
- Thursday Night at 7 p.m.- Children 12 and under enter
FREE - Friday Night at 7 p.m.- Family 4-Pack (4 tickets for $40!)
- PRCA Freestyle Bullfighting will take place Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights with bulls from Hurrican Hookers Ranch in Louisiana
- WORLD-CLASS bucking stock from PRCA Top Stock Contractor Frontier Rodeo Company from Freedom, Oklahoma
- Stick Horse Rodeo for the kiddos each night at 5:45 p.m.
- Western Festival on Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon
Call us today to get your tickets! 1-888-2RODEO2
Amping Up SLE Security
Following the media luncheon, SLE staff had a meeting with the Garrett Coliseum staff to discuss new policies on security. This year, rodeo-goers can expect heavier security at the gates of the Coliseum. This will include bag searches, scans and absolutely no guns or alcohol allowed. To strengthen the security front, we are negotiating with a firm out of Birmingham to supply professional security services to this year’s show. This group monitors University of Alabama and Auburn University football games and BJCC events in Birmingham.
So Long, Capital City Stampede
We are working to close the books on the 74th annual ACA Convention and Trade Show. While registration and monies are matched and counted, scholarship and new officer press releases are being sent across the state to hometown newspapers, and the March issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine is in its final stages of production. Organizing and captioning all those convention photos takes some time, but you’ll get to reminisce come March when that magazine painted with the First Family’s faces hits your mailbox.
TV Broadcaster of the Year- Charlie Platt
ACA President Richard Meadows and Past President 
Max Bozeman will shining their faces on the Charlie Platt show on Thursday in Dothan to present him with “TV Broadcaster of the Year” plaque he was awarded at this year’s convention. Charlie does an outstanding job of helping us promote beef during October Beef Month and is a big fan of Alabama’s beef cattle industry.
Spring Board Meeting
Hey, speaking of President Richards Meadows, he has set the Spring Board Meeting Tuesday, May 9. Board members, make plans to attend as it will be a great meeting with plans to attend the legislature!
The Search for an Associate Dean of Instruction
ACA Assistant Executive Vice President Erin Beasley is serving on the search committee for Associate Dean of Instruction for the College of Agriculture at Auburn University. We are interviewing three outstanding candidates over the next week. This position serves as a key to student recruitment and innovation of teaching within the college. It requires someone who is forward-thinking and has the commitment to produce a highly marketable student out of the college.
Talking Beef in Birmingham
Next week, the Beef Checkoff will sponsor Holley Grainger to speak at the Alabama Dietetic Association annual meeting in Birmingham. Holley is a registered dietitian and has a large footprint on social media promoting healthy lifestyles and cooking techniques. She is a Birmingham native and will be a highlight of the program for ALDA this year.
Thanks for reading this week’s post! We’ll be back next week- same time, same place. Until then, we want to remind you that you can stay in touch with us by following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Have a great week and don’t forget to purchase your SLE Rodeo tickets!