We hope it’s evident that it has been quite a busy month in our office since the blog has taken a back seat to October Beef Month for the past two weeks! Never fear, however, because we’re back and ready to report.
Cooler temperatures are finally finding their way into our state, and hay is beginning to hit the ground, much like new calves. We’ve seen some great pictures of cattlemen welcoming their newest arrivals and have very much enjoyed seeing those with unique markings. Keep reading and be sure to check out the November magazine to see a few the most-uniquely marked heifers that are new to the Alabama cow herd.
Black Rock Bistro AWarded Plaque
On Wednesday, Oct. 11 ACA checkoff staff joined ACA President-Elect Jack Batts, Regional Vice President Jay Buckley and Walker County President Tyler McClendon in Jasper to award Black Rock Bistro with its Bama’s Best Burger winning plaque.
The 2017 Bama’s Best Burger contest culminated with the announcement of the winning burger, Black Rock Bistro’s “Alabama Burger.” This dish features a 1/2-pound burger patty topped with homemade pimento cheese and fried green tomato. It’s as delicious as it sounds, and it paired nicely with the sample of brisket restaurant owner Greg Kilgore smoked up for us to enjoy! Black Rock Bistro truly earns two thumbs up.
Beef Up the Blood Supply
On Friday, Oct. 13 the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association partnered up with 
the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries to host a Beef Up the Blood Supply event with LifeSouth. All who donated blood earned a ribeye steak sandwich grilled up by ACA staff! We surpassed LifeSouth’s donor goal by five donors…just another way to show that cattlemen care!
Special thanks goes to Butler County President James Allen Stinson who drove all the way from Georgiana to donate! We appreciated his dedication and involvement.
Worlds of Work
On Oct. 12-13, ACA Director of Industry Relations and Youth Programs Michael Agar headed west to set up a booth in the Worlds of Work “Ag World” at Shelton State Community College where over 4,000 8th grade students came by to see him and the beef cuts trailer over the two-day period. Michael had a table of beef cattle byproducts, and the youth were full of questions not having previously known there was “cow” in their favorite makeup, lotions, sporting equipment, vehicles and even in their marshmallows. (That’s always a fan favorite!)
Partners in Action: Beef Checkoff Relaunches Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. Brand
During the middle week of the month, ACA Executive Vice President Erin Beasley and Director of Social Media and Communications Kayla Greer took a quick trip to Denver to visit NCBA and hear next year’s checkoff promotion plans and learn how to implement those programs within our state.
The most exciting part of the trip was learning about the work and tools associated with the new Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner brand relaunch that hit airwaves on Oct. 9. This relaunch included in a new website that combines information about beef from pasture to plate. Not only can consumers visit this site to find delicious beef recipes and explore beef cuts, but they can also meet the farmers and ranchers behind the beef with in-depth feature articles and beautiful videos that transport the consumer to the farm. If you haven’t already, check out the new website and visit the Rethink the Ranch page.
RISE at UWA
The National Young Farmers Education Association funded a RISE event on the campus of the University of West Alabama in Livingston where ACA staffer Michael Agar was asked to speak on beef cattle production. Being that Michael is not far removed from the classroom, he had lots of advice for the 11th and 12th grade students as they turn their heads toward college and potentially choosing a career in the cattle industry.
Eclectic Child Development Earns Cookout from Elmore County Cattlemen
A special thank you goes out to Dr. Nealy and Justin Barrett and the 
Elmore County Cattlemen’s Association for grilling up a delicious beef lunch for the youngsters at Eclectic Community Day Care, sponsored by the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association. This group won a catered lunch for bringing the largest group to our summertime event, Slim’s Picnic, and enjoyed ribeye steak sandwiches grilled up by local cattle producers. Great work!
YOUTH PRODUCTION FIELD DAY
Parents, teachers and county junior cattlemen advisers…stop what you’re doing and grab your calendar! Register now for for a Youth Production Field Day on Nov. 11 at Langley Farms in Camp Hill. Dr. Soren Rodning, Sarah Dickinson and Courteney Holland will teach on a variety of topics including BQA, calving demos, body conditioning scoring and forage testing. Registration is available at www.BamaBeef.org/ProductionFD. Lunch will be provided and a farm tour of Langley Farms will follow the morning’s learning opportunities.
Alabama Calf goes viral
Auburn fan and Lauderdale County cattleman Dan Goode could not believe his eyes when we found this Shorthorn heifer in his pasture. Marked clearly with an Alabama “script A,” this calf was born a fan, by default, of the Crimson Tide. Her markings have made her quite popular and have even spread as far as ESPN, Fox Sports, Sports247, SEC Country, thanks to a little push from Paul Finebaum.
This little heifer calf, born on Indian Camp Creek Stock Farms in Florence, will be raised to be shown in 4H, FFA and AJCA shows across the state by the Goode children. Keep an eye out for her, and Alabama fans be sure to give her a “Roll Tide” in passing.
Scholarships Now Available
Alabama Cattlemen’s Foundation scholarship applications are now 
available online at www.BamaBeef.org/Scholarships. We encourage you to visit the site and explore the many scholarship opportunities for high school and college students in Alabama. Each year, the AFC gives over $50,000 in scholarships to deserving students whose parents or grandparents are members of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association.
Check out the many scholarship opportunities, and don’t forget- the deadline is Dec. 1 at midnight!
October Beef Month Activities:Hats Off to County Chapters
Beef has been the talk of the town this October Beef Month thanks to the work of county chapters across the state! We at the state office have had an influx of great pictures from counties who have participated in Cowboys in the Classroom, hosted steak sandwich sales, educated about beef cattle at farm/ag days and even from restaurant-owning cattlemen who have offered a beefy special in their eateries throughout the month. Great job, cattlemen! View photos here or here.
At the state office, we’ve hosted the Beef Up the Blood Supply community 
event in partnership with the Alabama Department of Ag and worked hard to educate influencers, such as Auburn City Schools food service representatives and culinary students, through multiple Beef 101 programs. Besides getting out and promoting beef, we’ve amp’d up our social media footprint through beef-specific advertisements and posts such as recipes, beef facts, production practice infographics, how-to videos, cooking tips and more. We’ve worked hard to point people back to the checkoff-funded BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com. Our website even took on a new look for the month as it features beef imagery in the background, an “October is Beef Month in Alabama” banner across the top and scrolls through delicious, themed recipes each week throughout the month. So far, we’ve promoted burgers, easy weeknight meals and tailgating appetizers, and this week is all about stews and chilis as fall weather brings a welcomed chill to the state!
We also took a leap into unknown territory this month as we partnered with the Ibotta couponing app to drive a $2 OFF roast rebate to consumers across Alabama. WOW at its results! This campaign has been exposed to over 400,000 people and has earn over 4,500 rebates to date. With just a week left in the campaign, we expect to meet our goal of encouraging the sale of over 5,000 roasts of any brand or variety across Alabama grocers. That’s YOUR checkoff dollars at work putting beef on consumers’ tables!