This cold weather is NOT playing around today, folks. We hope you’re able to stay safe and warm while caring for your cattle in these unforgiving conditions. After the hay is put out and the water troughs are busted out and you’re back in the house thawing out, take time to read about what’s happening at the Cattlemen’s Building this week. You’ll even get a checklist of reminders to help you stay on top of all the events and programs soon happening across the state. Your state staff is always just a phone call away, so stay warm and always remember that we are here to help you be the best cattleman you can be.
ACA Office Closed- It’s a Snow Day!
The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association office is closed today due to road conditions. State staff is available by email throughout the day and will return to the office when safe passage can be guaranteed.
We hope you stay safe and warm while taking care of your cattle, and if you’re fingers aren’t too cold, be sure to snap a few photos and post them to our Facebook page or tag us on Instagram or Twitter at @alcattlemen. Click here to post your photos now!
Membership Update
To date, we are at 5,700 members and counting! As ACA Membership Coordinator works diligently to put in county memberships, help her out by setting aside 30-45 minutes to complete a training webinar for the new membership software, i4a. Software training webinars are still happening! If you have not signed up for training please send Jessica the days that are best for you and if you want a 12pm, 3pm, or 7pm slot. Please choose multiple times and days of availability. If you’re not a big emailer, give her a call at (334) 265-1867.
On that note, we also want to encourage you to keep an eye out for renewal notices as the second renewal mailout is hitting mailboxes this month! Be sure to get those memberships sent to the state office.
County Meetings Happening Across Alabama
County annual meetings are in full swing, and your state staff is excited to buzz all around visiting those meetings. If a state staffer isn’t in attendance, then one of our outstanding officers are. This week alone we’ve hit (or will hit!) Cullman, Marshall, Hale, Houston, Mobile, Franklin, Coffee and Russell counties. Stay updated with the “when” and “where” of meetings by visiting our Cattlemen’s Calendar.
Jessica Kennedy is anxiously awaiting your county leadership updates and county annual meeting photos. She needs the names and contact information of the newest county leaders in order to organize the updating of the magazine and website as well as provide the correct correspondence for important letters and emails pertaining to Board Members. Please send those updates to Jessica! She is also looking out for information on your upcoming county meetings. Send those dates, times and locations her way to get them included on our online calendar and to line up a state representative to attend the event. If you’d like a county meeting mailout done, please give Jessica TWO WEEKS notice. Those mailouts take a good bit of time to design, print and label, so please give us plenty of notice to do a clean, thorough job for your county.
CONVENTION REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
We hope you’ll “Hoof It to Huntsville” on March 9-10 to join us at the 75th annual ACA Convention & Trade Show. Featured speakers include Ashley Culpepper Grant, chief marketing officer at Ranch House Designs, Inc., CattleFax Senior Market Analyst Kevin Good and Wilcox County native Gov. Kay Ivey herself. We will also have the largest cattle industry trade show in the state, Cattlemen’s Colleges featuring a variety of educational topics related to the beef cattle industry, our annual awards banquet and fun for the whole family. (Junior Cattlemen events are also scheduled!) Registration, a schedule of events and hotel information is now available at www.BamaBeef.org/Convention or by calling (334) 265-1867. Early Bird Pricing ends Jan. 31! DON’T MISS OUT!
Check out your January Alabama Cattleman magazine for more information, including a schedule of events and a mail-in registration form! P.S.- Early Bird Prices are good though January 31. Don’t miss out!
Consumer Newsletter Hit Inboxes
Beef. A Pleasurable Protein., the first of many consumer newsletters blasted out to over 10,000 
recipients last week. This month’s edition featured lean beef as part of a healthy lifestyle to fulfill those new year resolutions! An article by beef checkoff contract dietician Jessica Ivey, a recipe collection featuring well-balanced meals on the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. website, cuts information and a recipe for a protein-packed breakfast are just a few of the highlights of the January newsletter. We hope this year to send 12 consumer newsletters highlighting everything from summertime grilling, to tailgating with beef and even how to create some flavorful infusions. Stay tuned, and if you’re interested in receiving these newsletters, visit our website homepage and fill out the “Get Updates” box in the top, right corner!
SLE RODEO TICKETS ON SALE NOW
The 61st annual SLE Rodeo is coming to town March 15-17 at Garrett 
Coliseum. PRCA 2017 Stock Contractor of the Year Frontier Rodeo Company’s elite bucking stock, PRCA Freestyle Bullfighting and hometown funny man Trent McFarland are sure to combine to make one excellent show for the whole family! Kids events will be available where your little buckaroo can play in the dirt like a real rodeo cowboy. If you’re in the market for an awesome stocking stuffer idea, you’re in luck. SLE Rodeo tickets are on sale now! Call us at 888-2RODEO2 or visit us online to order tickets to the show and to learn more about the 2018 SLE Rodeo!
YCLP CLASS V APPLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE
The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association recognizes the need to cultivate our future leaders of the association and industry. The Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program (YCLP), funded in part by the Alabama State Beef Checkoff, aims to do just that by identifying the state’s top young cattlemen and developing them into leaders of the future.
The three primary goals of the YCLP are:
- Provide participants with a “pasture to plate” experience of Alabama’s beef industry
- Equip participants with the tools necessary to become an effective leader and to share their beef story with their peers
- Create a network of young cattlemen who the ACA can depend on to help with beef promotion and issues management as well as become industry leaders in the future
The YCLP consists of six meetings dispersed across Alabama over the course of a year. The class will be selected by a committee based on applications submitted. Preference will be given to those nominees who are between the ages of 20 & 40, but do not be discouraged to nominate yourself or someone else who falls out of that range.
If you’re interested in the program or would like to nominate someone, find the form in the December issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine or print the application.
Thanks for reading this week’s post! Until we post again next week , we want to remind you that you can stay in touch with us by following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.