What’s Going On Wednesday: April 25, 2018

April has flown right past us, and now we are staring a busy month of May in the face! When in the world did that happen? Just as we’ve started to enjoy springtime and all the green grass that comes with it, and now we are quickly shifting our sites toward summertime and hay cutting season. While you work hard in the field, your ACA staff is hard at work in Montgomery protecting your best interests, building a magazine, entering membership, attending meetings, holding beef promotions, educating consumers….whew…and the list goes on. Keep reading to learn all about what’s happening at the ACA this week.


 

BAMA’S BEST BEEF- Nominations closing soon!

Screenshot 2018-04-18 09.32.14Have you ever tried an unforgettable beef dish served at an Alabama restaurant or food truck? We’re excited to learn about all the unique beef dishes served up at local dives across our state, and the kick off of our 3rd annual Bama’s Best Beef contest has not disappointed in its short lifetime thus far. The contest kicked off on Monday, April 16 with a Facebook, Twitter and Instagram announcement and in just over a week’s time, the post has already brought in over 100 nominations, reached over 58,300 Alabamians on Facebook and garnered over 122 new likes on our page. We’re very excited about some of nominations we have received in each of the categories as they are truly mouth-watering sounding! Stay tuned for more as nominations close this Sunday at midnight!

 

 

If your local diner is home to a DELICIOUS beef dish, be sure to visit BamaBeef.org/BestBeef to submit your nomination today. We also challenge you to share the contest on your social platforms and learn more about by listening to our Southeast AgNet release with Randall Weiseman or visiting the contest webpage. This contest is your checkoff dollars at work, cattlemen. Let’s get the biggest bang for our buck and work together to promote it!

 

 

Youth Production Field Day SUCCESS!

Success is the word to sum up this past Saturday’s Youth Production Field 31131530_1619787168138187_6482191210694050817_nDay at Langley Farms in Camp Hill, AL. Beautiful weather, gorgeous scenery, interactive lessons on forages, the seven quality cow checks and assisted calving followed by a delicious brisket lunch and tour of Langley Farms made for a successful day of Alabama Beef Checkoff dollars at work! Over 35 youth were in attendance and enjoyed a day of interactive, hands-on learning.

 

Special thanks to Chris & Elizabeth Langley and family for their generous hospitality, Dr. Soren Rodning, Sarah Dickinson and Caroline Nichols for their expertise, the Auburn Collegiate Cattlemen and CattleWomen for their catering services and all who joined us to make this event a success.

 

 

Membership updates

ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy is updating county contact information for mailouts and emails. County leaders, please visit BamaBeef.org/CountyChapters today to double check your information. If you find something is incorrect, please call or email Jessica at the office- (334) 265-1867. Information needed includes mailing address, phone number and an email address, with emphasis on the email!

 

Speaking of mailing address, Jessica is also working to get the final membership renewal mailout sent to the printer for next week. Remember to get your memberships entered because 100% of the dues from this mailout will come back to the state office otherwise. Need helping figuring out how to enter your membership? Contact Jessica to schedule your i4a training. We really need more county participation on the membership entering effort! The quicker county secretaries can learn to enter, the quicker your membership will get entered into the system and start receiving their magazines. We certainly don’t want anyone missing out on those!!

 

We want to continue to shoutout our Over the Top counties as we are extremely proud of their hard work and true, grassroots efforts. Over the Top counties include Bibb, Butler, Choctaw, Clay, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Covington, Cullman, Dale, Escambia, Greene, Jackson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan, Perry, Russell, Sumter, Washington and Winston counties! Now, this means there will be a very special presentation made at the August Board Meeting…you guessed it…RED COATS! County presidents- if you went Over the Top and do not already have a red coat, we cannot stress enough the importance of going to get fitted for your coat and sending the suggest size into Jessica. The reason why it’s so important you get fitted is because (1) we can’t return the coats should they not fit and (2) we cannot re-order your correct size until the next year…which means you’ll be without for another year!! (Our orders are set at a minimum volume, and we are unable to order just one or two coats at a time.) We know you want that coat just as much as we want to give it to you, so please get sized! P.S. if you’re planning to attend the Board Meeting on May 17, Jessica has a few limited sizes you may try on if you’d like 🙂 Please, send your coat size to Jessica asap! 

 

save the date…speaking of…county presidents and secretaries be sure to SAVE THE DATE for May 17 as we’ll be meeting up in Montgomery for an engaging, interactive Board meeting we’ve entitled: “Building the Brand: Steering County Leaders Toward Success.” 

 

 

Ag Commissioner Forum

On Thursday, the ACA will be represented at the Ag Commissioners Forum hosted by the Alabama Agribusiness Council in Auburn. The panel will be made up of Rick Pate, Sen. Gerald Dial, T.O. Crane and Cecil Murphy who are all running for commissioner of Ag and Industries. They will discuss their vision surrounding several topics related to agriculture and how they would operate as commissioner.

 

 

Spring Beef 101- That’s a Wrap!

Today marks the last of six spring BEEF 101 programs held at the Auburn University Beef Teaching Unit and Meats Lab. Throughout the month of April over 200 participants from culinary arts programs across Alabama will have joined us on a beef journey from pasture to plate. Your checkoff went to work as we hosted programs for McAdory High School, Greenville High School, Central High School and Columbus (GA) High School FACS students as well as Lawson State Community College, Trenholm State Community College, Coastal Alabama Community College and Drake State Community College culinary arts programs. This is big news as these future chefs and foodservice representatives will head into their careers with a thorough knowledge of beef cattle production told straight from the cattlemen…and veterinarian…and meat scientist’s mouth! Big thanks to all who have joined us to help put on these many programs.

 

 

County Activities Happening Across Alabama

County activities are are on the rise as warmer weather means less time spent feeding thanks to green grass and more bearable temperatures…so long snow and ice! This past weekend, ACA staffer Michael Agar enjoyed a trip to the Clay County Cattlemen’s Association Spring Meeting while ACA Executive VP Erin Beasley attended a successful Lauderdale County Field Day at Hamner Farm in Killen with 50 other producers. The Greene County Cattlemen’s Association also held a successful Weed Control and Calibration Field Day at Eutaw City Park! Looking ahead, Michael Agar is excited to head to the Dekalb County Cattlemen’s Annual Meeting on Thursday night followed by a trip to Thorsby for a Farm City event on Friday, while Erin Beasley is pleased to spend her last Saturday in April with the Butler County Cattlemen’s Association at their annual meeting. The Mobile County Cattlemen will gather at Freeland Farm for their Spring Meeting on Saturday, and further up the interstate, the BEEF Truck will be hauling Michael Agar and Kayla Greer north to Cullman for the Crimson Classic Sale. A few other events to look out for are the Pike County Invitational Steer & Heifer Show (rules and registration now posted here), the Cattlemen’s Bus Tour (register here) and all kinds of educational Extension events, which can be found here.

 

 

Producer Event At Tuskegee U

Last but not least, on Tuesday the ACA was involved in a conference aimed at small producers hosted by Tuskegee University. Along with a policy update for attendees, information was shared about how small producers can use the association as a resource for their operation.

 

 

CATTLEMEN’S BUS TOUR

JOIN US AS WE EXPLORE THE BEEF INDUSTRY FROM PASTURE TO PLATE!
COST: $325/PERSON
FORM & FEE DUE MAY 1, 2018

Join us on a 3-day, 2-night tour of the beef cattle industry across Georgia, Cattlemens Bus Tour_LowFlorida and Alabama! This tour is a true “pasture to plate” experience as it starts off with a tour of Golden State Foods in Opelika where McDonalds burger patties are produced followed by a stop at Buckhead Beef in Atlanta, Georgia where wholesale beef cuts are further processed into cut steaks ready for the restaurant.

After learning what happens to beef once it leaves the farm, we’ll stop for a visit at the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association and then tour Chatel Farms, an FPL feeding facility, in Reidsville, Georgia. We will then head south to tour the Georgia Museum of Agriculture & Historic Village at ABAC, wake up to tour the North Florida Research & Education Center and round out the tour at Southern Cattle Company in Marianna, Florida.

 

BUS TOUR AGENDA

Thursday, May 31
-Depart from Montgomery at 8 a.m.
-Tour of Golden State Foods in Opelika
See how a McDonald’s burger patty is produced
-Tour of Buckhead Beef in College Park, GA
Explore how beef is further processed into retail cuts
-Bunk in Macon, GA
Friday, June 1
-Start the Day at 7:30 a.m.
-Breakfast at the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association
-Tour of Chatel Farms in Reidsville, GA
Explore this FPL feeding facility in person
– Dinner and tour of the Georgia Museum of Agriculture & Historic Village at ABAC in Tipfton, GA
– Bunk in Bainbridge, GA
Saturday, June 2
– Tour of North Florida Research & Education Center at 8:30 a.m.
– Head out for Marianna, FL at 9:30 a.m.
– Tour Southern Cattle Company in Marianna, FL
SCC is a large-scale operation that has a hand in multiple
segments of the industry!
– Return to Montgomery, AL
Seats will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Deposits are non-refundable.
For more information, contact Michael Agar at (334) 265-1867 or magar@bamabeef.org.

 

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 FacebookTwitter or Instagram. Paid for by Alabama Beef Farmers. 

What’s Going On Wednesday: April 18, 2018

Happy Wednesday! It’s a warm, beautiful, springy day here in our great state which means you are probably out getting your hands dirty. We sure hope so as it is your work that keeps the world fed and makes it go round, but when you decide to sit down this evening and enjoy some dinner and rest up for more work this afternoon, we hope this gives you some quality reading material and helps you stay connected with your state Cattlemen’s Association. Spring is a time when beef promotion really amps up, membership deadlines hit and field days jump on the scene. Keep reading to learn what all that means for you as a cattleman…


 

Bama’s Best Beef Kicks Off

Screenshot 2018-04-18 09.32.14Have you ever tried an unforgettable beef dish served at an Alabama restaurant or food truck? We’re excited to learn about all the unique beef dishes served up at local dives across our state, and the kick off of our 3rd annual Bama’s Best Beef contest has not disappointed in its short lifetime thus far. The contest kicked off on Monday, April 16 with a Facebook, Twitter and Instagram announcement and in just two short days the post has already brought in over 35 nominations and reached over 21,700 Alabamians on Facebook alone. This contest has garnered excellent reach and some pretty great feedback as nominations include tasty-sounding dishes and conversations around the contest are all beef-positive.

 

An added bonus to the 3rd annual Bama’s Best Beef  is that YOUR VOICE was heard in building the structure of this checkoff-funded contest. What does that mean? Well, as a direct result of cattlemen requests, the contest categories are featuring popular beef cuts including brisket, roasts and steak. This request came about at the 2018 Marketing Plan Task Force Meeting held October 2017.

 

If your local diner is home to a DELICIOUS beef dish, be sure to visit BamaBeef.org/BestBeef to submit your nomination today. We also challenge you to share the contest on your social platforms and learn more about by listening to our Southeast AgNet release with Randall Weiseman or visiting the contest webpage. This contest is your checkoff dollars at work, cattlemen. Let’s get the biggest bang for our buck and work together to promote it!

 

 

Youth Production Field Day- This Weekend

YouthProdFieldDay_April

We are looking forward to our upcoming Youth Production Field Day happening at Langley Farms in Chambers County, Alabama this Saturday. We’ve got 44 young people registered and a variety of topics to cover using the expertise of Alabama Extension personnel. Topics include forages, assisted calving, Beef Quality Assurance and body condition scoring. Following a morning of learning and lunch, attendees will have the opportunity to tour Langley Farms with ACA President-Elect Chris Langley and family.

 

It’s not too late to come if you missed registration. Just contact Michael Agar at (334) 265-1867. More information can be found at BamaBeef.org/ProductionFD.

 

 

Hip Hip Hooray for Over the Top Counties

The Over the Top deadline has come and gone, and ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy is hard at work inputting stacks and stacks of membership. We are SO PROUD to report that we have over 9,000 members in the system to date and 25 counties have gone Over the Top!! Excellent work to all our county chapters on their hard work and true, grassroots efforts!

 

Over the Top counties include Bibb, Butler, Choctaw, Clay, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Covington, Cullman, Dale, Escambia, Greene, Jackson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan, Perry, Russell, Sumter, Washington and Winston counties!

 

Now, this means there will be a very special presentation made at the August Board Meeting…you guessed it…RED COATS! County presidents- if you went Over the Top and do not already have a red coat, we cannot stress enough the importance of going to get fitted for your coat and sending the suggest size into Jessica. The reason why it’s so important you get fitted is because (1) we can’t return the coats should they not fit and (2) we cannot re-order your correct size until the next year…which means you’ll be without for another year!! (Our orders are set at a minimum volume, and we are unable to order just one or two coats at a time.) We know you want that coat just as much as we want to give it to you, so please get sized! P.S. if you’re planning to attend the Board Meeting on May 17, Jessica has a few limited sizes you may try on if you’d like 🙂

 

save the date…speaking of…county presidents and secretaries be sure to SAVE THE DATE for May 17 as we’ll be meeting up in Montgomery for an engaging, interactive Board meeting we’ve entitled: “Building the Brand: Steering County Leaders Toward Success.” 

 

 

National Checkoff Program Audit Underway

Every five years, the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) visits to do an audit Checkoff_Funded by Beef Farmers and Ranchersspecifically for the national checkoff program. This week the ACA has welcomed Dean Oyster from Colorado to the building to conduct this audit. Once the audit is complete, CBB will issue a report that includes recommendations to our office similar to how the annual audit is done with our third party auditor.

 

 

April BEEF 101 Programs Wrapping Up

30705078_1265073736961960_3276197742717795694_nThe last of six spring BEEF 101 programs will complete next week, and we’re thrilled to announce that throughout the month of April over 200 participants from culinary arts programs across Alabama will have joined us on a beef journey from pasture to plate. Your checkoff went to work as we hosted programs for McAdory High School, Greenville High School, Central High School and Columbus (GA) High School FACS students as well as Lawson State Community College, Trenholm State Community College, Coastal Alabama Community College and Drake State Community College culinary arts programs. This is big news as these future chefs and foodservice representatives will head into their careers with a thorough knowledge of beef cattle production told straight from the cattlemen…and veterinarian…and meat scientist’s mouth! Big thanks to all who have joined us to help put on these many programs.

 

 

CATTLEMEN’S BUS TOUR

JOIN US AS WE EXPLORE THE BEEF INDUSTRY FROM PASTURE TO PLATE!
DEPOSIT: $325/PERSON
FORM & FEE DUE MAY 1, 2018

Join us on a 3-day, 2-night tour of the beef cattle industry across Georgia, Cattlemens Bus Tour_LowFlorida and Alabama! This tour is a true “pasture to plate” experience as it starts off with a tour of Golden State Foods in Opelika where McDonalds burger patties are produced followed by a stop at Buckhead Beef in Atlanta, Georgia where wholesale beef cuts are further processed into cut steaks ready for the restaurant.

After learning what happens to beef once it leaves the farm, we’ll stop for a visit at the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association and then enjoy a tour of Chatel Farms, an FPL feeding facility, in Reidsville, Georgia, and Southern Cattle Company in Marianna, Florida.

 

BUS TOUR AGENDA

Thursday, May 31
-Depart from Montgomery at 8 a.m.
-Tour of Golden State Foods in Opelika
See how a McDonald’s burger patty is produced
-Tour of Buckhead Beef in College Park, GA
Explore how beef is further processed into retail cuts
-Bunk in Macon, GA
Friday, June 1
-Start the Day at 7:30 a.m.
-Breakfast at the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association
-Tour of Chatel Farms in Reidsville, GA
Explore this FPL feeding facility in person
-Bunk in Bainbridge, GA
Saturday, June 2
– Tour of North Florida Research & Education Center at 8:30 a.m.
– Head out for Marianna, FL at 9:30 a.m.
– Tour Southern Cattle Company in Marianna, FL
SCC is a large-scale operation that has a hand in multiple
segments of the industry!
– Return to Montgomery, AL
Seats will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Deposits are non-refundable.
For more information, contact Michael Agar at (334) 265-1867 or magar@bamabeef.org.

 

 

BEEF PAC discusses primaries

The BEEF Political Action Committee (PAC) held a conference call Tuesday night to discuss upcoming primary races. Several candidates in both House and Senate races will receive contributions from the PAC to help support their campaigns. Candidates continue to call and request visits with the association to discuss issues concerning cattlemen which is keeping ACA lobbyist Erin Beasley busy. If you’re interested in joining the BEEF PAC Club, contact Erin at the office by calling (334) 265-1867.

 

 

April Consumer Newsletter Coming Your Way Soon

APRIL_HEADER_Reaching consumers with news about beef’s bold flavor, big nutrition and bursting variety is an important initiative in the 2018 Alabama Beef Checkoff Marketing Plan. To amp up consumer education on the digital front…in addition to our work on social media…we’ve decided to implement email campaigns from our state office. So far in 2018, we’ve sent a consumer e-newsletter out each month highlighting timely information about beef. For instance, in January we highlighted lean beef for all those New Year Resolutions, while in February we promoted serving beef to your Valentine. The April newsletter is highlighting beef’s global footprint as we promote the ethnic variety of beef and how you can serve it to your family for a nutritious and educational family dinner! We do this through an article by Alabama Beef Checkoff Contract Dietician Jessica Ivey, recipes, links to information about how beef can be incorporated into the Mediterranean diet and a guide to marinating the right cuts in the perfect sauce to achieve ethnic flavors!

 

The April Consumer Newsletter will hit over 10,000 inboxes on Friday morning, so be on the lookout and learn how you can serve up dishes from around the world!

 

 

Gilmore Elementary School Headed to The MOOseum

As spring arrives, school groups are heading out to enjoy the beautiful MOOseum COLOR logoweather in downtown Montgomery. With that comes a full scene at The MOOseum! Today, we’re excited to host Gilmore Elementary School from Jackson County for a day of learning as they come explore The MOOseum. This group features a special little red-headed guest as Maggie Powell is a student in our visiting class. Her teacher, Ms. Cammie Breedlove, gets two thumbs up from us for promoting agriculture in her classroom. She even had former Executive VP Dr. Powell visit to present a beef cattle lesson to her class!

 

County chapters- we encourage you all to reach out to local fourth grade classes and sponsor their trip to The MOOseum. It’s free to attend, but some assistance in gas costs could go a long way toward teaching our young people about Alabama’s very important beef cattle industry! We’d even love to see you tag along on their trip and enjoy a day with us. To learn more about The MOOseum, visit BamaBeef.org/TheMOOseum!

 

 

Extension Workshops,  County Events Firing Up

Extension workshops, county fundraisers and county field days are lining up on our calendar, and we are thrilled to see cattlemen getting out and learning, promoting and networking! If your county has an event coming up, please send it to ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy, and she will disperse the info throughout the office to get it on the website, in the magazine and on staff calendars! For instance, Erin Beasley is looking forward to visiting Lauderdale County this weekend as she joins them for their county field day on Saturday!

 

To stay updated on all that’s happening or to learn about educational events near you, keep an eye out on the Bama Beef Events Calendar on our website, www.BamaBeef.org.

 

 

Environmental Management Commission Meeting

ACA Executive VP Erin Beasley will attend the Environmental Management Commission meeting on Friday which includes several associations and groups visiting with the commission. A few seats will be vacant on the commission in the near future and the ACA has been involved in meeting potential candidates to fill these slots. We hope to keep conservative, common sense people on the commission to assist with environmental needs that we may have in the future.

 

 


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 FacebookTwitter or Instagram. Paid for by Alabama Beef Farmers. 

What’s Going On Wednesday: April 11, 2018

The sun is shining, the grass is green, cattle are being worked across Alabama, and your Cattlemen’s Association staff is in town at work for you this springtime week. Not only are we working for you in Montgomery, but your state leaders are also on the Hill in Washington D.C. at the NCBA Legislative Conference. Keep reading to learn more and to get an update from your state association this week. 


ACA Leaders Head to D.C.

file-8ACA Executive Vice President Erin Beasley headed north this week alongside ACA President-Elect Chris Langley, NCBA Region II Policy Vice President  Jimmy Holliman and American National CattleWomen’s Vice President Evelyn Greene to the NCBA Legislative Conference in Washington D.C. Today’s agenda consisted of office visits with Alabama’s senators and representatives. This morning, the group met with staff of Sen. Richard Shelby, Sen. Doug Jones and Congresswoman Terry Sewell, and following lunch, they met with Ag Appropriations Chairman Rep. Robert Aderholt and Congressman Mike Rogers, who serves on the Ag Committee, and Rep. Martha Roby.

 

These visits surely are useful, and when cattlemen bring their #BootsOnTheHill, they always make a statement.

 

 

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Facebooklogo_homepageACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy is hard at work inputting membership. Her stack is growing- which is a great problem to have- but county secretaries can help out by calling her at 334-265-1867 and scheduling a webinar so they can learn how to input county information! This will help greatly as we approach our Over the Top deadline which is APRIL 15! Yes, the deadline has been extended!

 

 

YOUTH PRODUCTION FIELD DAY

YouthProdFieldDay_April

Registration is now available for our upcoming Youth Production Field Day happening at Langley Farms in Chambers County, Alabama on April 21. We’re going to cover a variety of topics using the expertise of Alabama Extension personnel including forages, assisted calving, Beef Quality Assurance and body condition scoring. Following a morning of learning and lunch, attendees will have the opportunity to tour Langley Farms with ACA President-Elect Chris Langley and family.

 

This event is FREE and open to all Alabama youth. If you have any questions, please contact Michael Agar at (334) 265-1867. To register, visit BamaBeef.org/ProductionFD.

 

 

Cattlemen’s Bus Tour

JOIN US AS WE EXPLORE THE BEEF INDUSTRY FROM PASTURE TO PLATE!
DEPOSIT: $325/PERSON
FORM & FEE DUE MAY 1, 2018

Join us on a 3-day, 2-night tour of the beef cattle industry across Georgia, Cattlemens Bus Tour_LowFlorida and Alabama! This tour is a true “pasture to plate” experience as it starts off with a tour of Golden State Foods in Opelika where McDonalds burger patties are produced followed by a stop at Buckhead Beef in Atlanta, Georgia where wholesale beef cuts are further processed into cut steaks ready for the restaurant.

After learning what happens to beef once it leaves the farm, we’ll stop for a visit at the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association and then enjoy a tour of Chatel Farms, an FPL feeding facility, in Reidsville, Georgia, and Southern Cattle Company in Marianna, Florida.

 

BUS TOUR AGENDA

Thursday, May 31
-Depart from Montgomery at 8 a.m.
-Tour of Golden State Foods in Opelika
See how a McDonald’s burger patty is produced
-Tour of Buckhead Beef in College Park, GA
Explore how beef is further processed into retail cuts
-Bunk in Macon, GA
Friday, June 1
-Start the Day at 7:30 a.m.
-Breakfast at the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association
-Tour of Chatel Farms in Reidsville, GA
Explore this FPL feeding facility in person
-Bunk in Bainbridge, GA
Saturday, June 2
– Tour of North Florida Research & Education Center at 8:30 a.m.
– Head out for Marianna, FL at 9:30 a.m.
– Tour Southern Cattle Company in Marianna, FL
SCC is a large-scale operation that has a hand in multiple
segments of the industry!
– Return to Montgomery, AL
Seats will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Deposits are non-refundable.
For more information, contact Michael Agar at (334) 265-1867 or magar@bamabeef.org.

 

 

 

Associate Members

ACA Director of Social Media & Communications spent her Wednesday Alfa Logo Master (CMYK C)2morning at the Alabama Farmers Federation where she met with Alfa Insurance PR team leaders to manage the digital services aspects of their 2018 Platinum Level Associate Membership. We appreciate all our many 2018 associate members, and want to make sure you know who they are!

 

Platinum: Alfa Insurance

Silver: TriGreen Equipment

Silver: Alabama Farmers Cooperative

Silver: Alabama Ag Credit & Alabama Farm Credit

Bronze: Merck Animal Health

Bronze: Mix30 by Agridyne

Bronze: Southeast Select Sires

Bronze: Dow AgroSciences

Bronze: Tucker Milling

Bronze: Lake Majestik

Bronze: Columbiana Tractor, LLC

Bronze: Cavender’s Western Outfitter

 

 

Congratulations, O’Neal!

IMG_5750 copyJoin us in celebrating the 22 years of service O’Neal Broaden has given to the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association. On this day in 1996, O’Neal came to the ACA after retiring from the City of Montgomery and has since been keeping our building straight whether he’s setting up the third for for a program, gathering event supplies or helping us keep the office clean. He is a dedicated employee who loves his many, many friends in Alabama’s cattle business. Congratulations on your work anniversary, O’Neal!

 

 

VISIT THE MOOSEUM

MOOseum COLOR logoAs spring arrives, school groups are heading out to enjoy the beautiful weather in downtown Montgomery. With that comes a full scene  at The MOOseum! County chapters- we encourage you all to reach out to local fourth grade classes and sponsor their trip to The MOOseum. It’s free to attend, but some assistance in gas costs could go a long way toward teaching our young people about Alabama’s very important beef cattle industry! We’d even love to see you tag along on their trip and enjoy a day with us. To learn more about The MOOseum, visit BamaBeef.org/TheMOOseum!

 

 


 

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 FacebookTwitter or Instagram.

 

 

 

 

Vary Your Healthy Plate with Ethnic Flavors

By Jessica Ivey, RDN

 

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, breakfast, lunch, dinner…

 

It can be so easy to get stuck in a rut, eating the same foods over and over again. Incorporating ethnic cuisines can be a fun way to break out of the mealtime monotony and add news flavors to your family’s dinner table.

 

As our world has become more and more global, and diners have become increasingly adventurous, Americans are exposed to a plethora of ethnic cuisines. Mexican, Chinese and Italian foods hardly seem foreign anymore, while Indian, Thai and Korean are growing in popularity. Introducing your family to world cuisines can be a healthy way to eat and can make mealtime more fun. Try having a weekly theme, like Mediterranean Monday or Asian Friday. Or why not take a trip around the world, learning about a different country and their traditional foods each Saturday night?

 

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, healthy eating patterns can be adapted for all cultural, ethnic and personal preferences, opening the door to a world of flavors. No matter the cuisine, be sure to include a serving of lean protein paired with plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains for a balanced plate.

 

Try these healthy global dishes to add flavor and variety to your week:

  • Mediterranean: Beef kofta are meatballs bursting with flavor thanks to the addition of onions, spices and/or herbs. Skewer the meatballs and grill along with skewers of peppers and onions. Serve the kofta and veggies on top of grilled pita bread with Tzatziki sauce, a yogurt and cucumber condiment, and fresh parsley. Try this Mediterranean Beef Meatball Kabob recipe for inspiration.
  • Thai: With the characteristic balance of sweet, salty and spicy, this Thai Burger puts a fun new spin on the all-American tradition of grilling out. If you’re watching your calorie intake, try this Thai Beef and Cucumber Salad featuring a peanut butter beef marinade and cool cucumber salad.
  • Korean: Bibimbap, which means “mixed rice,” can be a nutritionally-balanced dish, featuring rice topped with sautéed or steamed vegetables and sliced beef. Make this Bibimbap-Style Korean-Marinated Flank Steak for a lean and flavorful protein, and serve over whole grain brown rice with steamed broccoli, sautéed mushrooms or your other favorite vegetables.
  • Peruvian: Peruvian Lomo Saltado is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, thanks to the addition of one of America’s favorite side dishes – French fries. That’s right – this traditional stir-fried dish features strips of lean beef, onions, tomatoes and French fries. Now that’s a fun Friday night dinner idea.
  • Indian: With its exotic ingredients and aromatic spice mixes, Indian cuisine has many new tastes to entice American palates. This Beef Tikka with Pineapple Coconut Raita features well-seasoned beef topped with a sweet pineapple yogurt sauce. For a hands-off option, try this Indian Slow Cooker Shredded Beef made with a prepared Indian Tikka Masala sauce.

 

Head on over to BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com for more delicious recipes inspired by flavors from all around the world. For me, I can’t wait to try the Beef Tikka, which I will be serving up on the @alcattlemen Instagram story on Thursday, April 12. Join me for step-by-step instructions on this delicious, nutritious dish!

What’s Going On Wednesday: April 4, 2018

A little rain, a little warm weather, a little Easter celebration…it all makes for a heart-warming week for Alabama’s cattlemen. We hope you enjoyed Easter festivities with family this past weekend and that spring is bursting out on your farm. We know green grass is a welcomed sight for cattlemen following a long winter of feeding hay! While you enjoy looking out over your pastures, your state staff is looking out over a FULL calendar of events headed our way. Between the Cattlemen’s Bus Tour, the upcoming Bama’s Best Beef contest, BEEF 101 programs, the AJCA Production Field Day and Round-Up events…there’s much to look forward to if you’re part of Alabama’s beef cattle industry. Keep reading to learn more and always feel free to reach out to us with questions!


April BEEF 101 Programs

April is not short on BEEF 101 programs by any means…in fact, there’s SIX throughout the month! This week alone, staffers are spending two days at the Auburn University Beef Unit and Meats Lab to head up BEEF 101 programs with Lawson State Culinary program today and Trenholm State Culinary and Greenville High School Culinary students on Friday. Be sure to check out the May magazine for an update on these programs and big thanks to the cattlemen and meats lab staff who help us make this program a success!

 

YOUTH PRODUCTION FIELD DAY

YouthProdFieldDay_April

Registration is now available for our upcoming Youth Production Field Day happening at Langley Farms in Chambers County, Alabama on April 21. We’re going to cover a variety of topics using the expertise of Alabama Extension personnel including forages, assisted calving, Beef Quality Assurance and body condition scoring. Following a morning of learning and lunch, attendees will have the opportunity to tour Langley Farms with ACA President-Elect Chris Langley and family.

 

This event is FREE and open to all Alabama youth. If you have any questions, please contact Michael Agar at (334) 265-1867. To register, visit BamaBeef.org/ProductionFD.

 

 

Legislative Session Wrap Up

The legislative session finished last week, and your ACA Executive Vice President and registered lobbyist Erin Beasley spent plenty of time at the Alabama State House where she acted in a watchdog role protecting cattlemens’ interests and your right to farm. Hear more of what Erin had to say about this session by clicking here.

 

 

April Magazine In Your Inbox

Screenshot 2018-04-04 13.20.34If you’re a member of the ACA, and you’ve supplied us with your email address, then you should have received your digital copy of the Alabama Cattleman magazine in your email inbox on Tuesday! If you didn’t get that email and would like to receive it each month as part of a perk of your membership, give Jessica Kennedy a call at (334) 265-1867 and make sure she has your email address. If you’re a member and would like access, give Kayla Greer a call at the number above to receive the password to the magazine online!

 

 

Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program Class V

young-cattlemen-logo_websizedThe 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.

 

We are thrilled with all the outstanding applicants for Class V and regret to announce that the application period is now closed for 2018-2019. We’re excited, however, to announce that an invitation to be part YCLP Class V has been extended to 26 young cattlemen from across Alabama, and they’ll gather in Montgomery on May 16-17 for their first session in conjunction with the Spring Board of Directors Meeting. This session will include a day full of farm tours, a cookout social with program alumni leadership training with Dr. Don Mulvaney and an inside peek at what goes on during a Board meeting.

Congratulations to all who have been selected for the 2018-2019 class of the Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program. If you’d like to get in on next year’s program, contact Michael Agar today!

 

 

PRODUCER NEWS Hits Inboxes

Thanks to outstanding input from Alabama’s beef cattle producers, the 2018CATTLE CALL_PRODUCER COMM EBLAST HEADER Alabama Beef Checkoff Marketing Plan budgeted for four quarterly producer communications pieces to be generated and email blasted to members’ inboxes throughout this year. Last week, we emailed the first edition of the Cattle Call out to over 10,000 inboxes. This newsletter takes important tidbits from the Bama Beef Blog that highlight overall activities from the first few months of 2018 and summarize them in an easy-to-read format that can be read on your phone, tablet or desktop computer!

 

This is just one more way we are keeping Alabama’s cattle producers connected to their state association. We want you to be informed because there is as much strength in knowledge as there is in numbers! If you want to be sure you’re on the list to receive this newsletter next time, send ACA Director of Social Media & Communications Kayla Greer your preferred email address today!

 

 

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Facebooklogo_homepageACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy is hard at work inputting membership. Her stack is growing- which is a great problem to have- but county secretaries can help out by calling her at 334-265-1867 and scheduling a webinar so they can learn how to input county information! This will help greatly as we approach our Over the Top deadline which is APRIL 15! Yes, the deadline has been extended!

 

 

VISIT THE MOOSEUM

MOOseum COLOR logoAs spring arrives, school groups are heading out to enjoy the beautiful weather in downtown Montgomery. With that comes a full scene  at The MOOseum! County chapters- we encourage you all to reach out to local fourth grade classes and sponsor their trip to The MOOseum. It’s free to attend, but some assistance in gas costs could go a long way toward teaching our young people about Alabama’s very important beef cattle industry! We’d even love to see you tag along on their trip and enjoy a day with us. To learn more about The MOOseum, visit BamaBeef.org/TheMOOseum!

 

 


 

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