And just like that, May is heading to our rear view mirror, and it’s evident in those rising temperatures and that unforgiving humidity. Hello, summertime! Welcome to the season of hay baling, preparing feeder calves for market, managing forages and pesky weeds, fighting flies, endless mowing and the infinite job of keeping water troughs full. Each season comes with its challenges, but the cattleman breed is tough, full of grit and can take the heat. THANK YOU for your work.
Speaking of work, your state ACA staff is always busy representing you and keeping association and checkoff programs on a roll. Keep reading to find out what’s happening at the ACA this week.
hb 518 passes
ICYMI: House Bill 518— the association’s meat labeling bill— received final passage last Thursday morning, May 23. Special thank you’s are in store for Sen. David Sessions (R-Grand Bay) and Rep. Danny Crawford (R-Athens) for the support and sponsorship of this bill. The bill ensures that the definition of “meat” only applies to products sourced from livestock on farms and ranches and harvested through processing. It also clarifies that laboratory-grown products cannot be labeled as meat. “This is proactive legislation to ensure clarity in food labeling. Around the country, there are more and more companies trying to market lab-grown products as meat, which is misleading since they aren’t derived from actual livestock production,” Sessions said. “The passage of this bill is a win-win for the consumers who love to buy beef, and the cattlemen who work hard to produce a high-quality product,” ACA Executive VP Erin Beasley concluded.
House Bill 518 now goes to Governor Kay Ivey’s desk for her consideration.
Ag in the Classroom Summit
You won’t find ACA Director of Education & Outreach Ali Cantrell in Montgomery this week, nope! Ali is is helping with Alabama Ag in the Classroom (AITC) Summit in Florence, AL where over 90 ag teachers are in attendance to learn more about incorporating ag-related activities to the classroom and participating in farm tours across the northwest corner of Alabama. The workshops and tours are meant to enhance the learning environment in Alabama Ag classrooms and provide resources- including beef cattle swag- to teachers.
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
The membership count of the day is 8,187 members and counting! HELP US GET TO 10,000+!! If you are a county president or secretary who did not receive your 2019-2020 leadership handbook at the May Board Meeting, please email Jessica to have your copy mailed today. It’s packed with officer and staff information and resources you need in your county such as an Regional Extension Agent map, a by-laws template, ACA merchandise and postcard service information and much more. Contact Jessica Kennedy today to get your copy sent the in mail!
Visiting Opp Stockyards
On Tuesday, ACA Director of Field Services Morgan Pounds headed south to visit Opp Stockyards. She is working with the goal of introducing herself to all of the yards in the state in an effort to build mutually beneficial relationships at each yard. Morgan delivered Opp their “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner” sign and got to speak to the crowd. Be on the lookout for Morgan at your local yard, and be sure to say hi if you see her!
AJCA Board Meeting
This Friday, staffers, led by Morgan Pounds, will welcome the Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Board of Director’s for a quick Board of Directors meeting. At the meeting, Morgan will have the opportunity to introduce herself and meet the juniors that serve in leadership roles. The board will prepare for the 2019 Round-Up and other upcoming AJCA events.
AJCA Round-Up and 4-H State Judging Contest
Speaking of Round-Up and other upcoming AJCA Events, we’ve got the 
scoop! Registration for the 2019 “Christmas in July” AJCA Round-Up is now live at BamaBeef.org/RoundUp. We’ve got contest entry, animal entry and novice entry…so enter the site prepared with allllll the info you’ll need to successfully complete including AJCA membership number, EID tag numbers, premise I.D.’s, etc. You don’t want to miss this holly jolly youth development event riding in on its sleigh July 18-21 at Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery!
Before the Round-Up, though, staffer Morgan Pounds is looking forward to attending the 2019 State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest on Tuesday, June 18 at the Auburn University Beef Teaching Unit. Registration for the event closes THIS FRIDAY. To learn more and register, you can follow the links below.
- Information Packet: Click here
- Entry for the Contest is at 4-H Online available at: Click Here
Consumer E-Blast Hits Inboxes
A summer grilling consumer e-newsletter shipped out to over 10,000 inboxes on Friday just in time for the Memorial Day holiday, which also happens to be the kickoff of summer grilling season! This digital newsletter featured recipe collections, a doneness chart, rub and marinade inspiration, tips for delicious side dishes to serve alongside beef and a quick grilling guide. It also featured information on grilling provided by Registered Dietitian Elesha Ergle, whose summer grilling information can be found by clicking here. If you’d like a copy of the newsletter to share, email ACA Director of Social Media & Communications Kayla Greer.
Thanks for reading this week’s post! Until we post again, we want to remind you that you can stay in touch with us by following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
New to the staff at ACA, Director of Field Services Morgan Pounds wants to engage with youth at field days across the state. On Saturday, Morgan visited Blountsville, AL for the Alabama Santa Gertrudis Association Field Day & Show. Hats off to the Alabama Santa Gertrudis Association and Quail Valley Farms for hosting an excellent event. Morgan engaged in conversations with cattlemen throughout the day and enjoyed welcoming juniors to the field day and speaking to the audience about 2019 Round-Up.
Farmers Conference at Wallace State Community College. ACA provided a gold-level sponsorship for the event as well as resource materials to the attendees of the conference. Cullman County cattlemen provided a delicious lunch! Ali had the honor to talk with farmers who have served our country and are now stewards of the land as well. We tip our hat to those with a servant’s heart, especially as we head into Memorial Day weekend!
If you are spending a weekend with family by the pool, don’t forget to break out those burgers and fire up the grill. Memorial Day Weekend is the official kick-off to summer grilling season! Celebrate with a juicy burger, a sizzlin’ steak or fall-off-the-bone beef ribs.
It’s the final week of the 2019 Bama’s Best Beef contest, hosted on the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association Facebook page. We’re on the hunt for a delicious, well-loved dish served up at an Alabama restaurant or food truck, and our finalists have come down to the Beef Brisket at Smokin’ on the Boulevard in Florence and the Bourbonzola Brisket Burger at Roadside ‘Que in Fort Payne. Let us tell you, folks, it’s a nail-biter of a contest. Right now, only 10 votes separate these finalists from their fight for the title. Polling ends Thursday morning, and we’ll have a statewide announcement out by the afternoon. If you haven’t already, 
floor this afternoon. If it passes, it will be sent upstairs to the Senate next week for committee action. The bill outlines that cell-cultured products cannot be labeled as meat in Alabama. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Danny Crawford and co-sponsored by Reps. Joe Lovvorn, Will Dismukes, Ralph Howard, Reid Ingram, Rodney Sullivan and Wes Kitchens. Stay tuned!
This week we hosted Congressman Mike Rogers for a brunch at the Cattlemen’s building. This event draws several associations in Montgomery to attend as he provides an snapshot of the current events in Washington, D.C. ACA President Chris Langley was able to attend and visit with the Congressman.
It’s a busy season…and one perfect for county field day events before the weather gets too steamy! This past weekend, staffer Kayla Greer enjoyed gathering with the Montgomery County Cattlemen’s Association for a farm tour of CK Cattle and Frank Turner & Sons farms. The group of 20+ enjoyed a day of learning about local farms’ beef cattle and forage programs! Meanwhile, ACA President Chris Langley visited the St. Clair County Cattlemen’s Association who also hosted an excellent field day with over 70 in attendance. Kayla Greer is also looking forward to spending this coming Saturday in Lee County for the chapter’s annual field day with an added bonus…a steak cook-off!!
a.m. on Thursday morning, May 16 to update you on association and checkoff news where Board members even get a sneak peak into the upcoming construction project of the The MOOseum. GET EXCITED! After lunch, we’ll head over to the State House to mingle with our legislators and learn more about the legislative process and get updated on current issues taking place. Don’t forget to
Board meeting, but because we’ll be kicking off the SIXTH class of the Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program (YCLP). This program, funded by the Alabama State Beef Checkoff, is designed to develop young cattlemen ages 20-40 into future leaders for Alabama’s beef cattle industry. We meet throughout the year, learn about our many different leadership styles, discuss industry hot topics, encourage leadership growth and explore the industry from pasture to plate through farm tours, educational workshops and consumer events. We’re excited next week to kick off the class with the Board meeting, where the 25 students will be introduced to the Board and will explore the legislative world, followed by farm tours at Frank Ellis Charolais, McLane-Garrett Cattle Company and a tour of the Cargill Feed Mill here in Montgomery. We’ll also host a social on the evening of May 16 at Kick Back Ranch & Events Center for alumni of the program! It’s gonna be a great time. Be on the lookout for photos.
ACA staffer Ali Cantrell attended a briefing on Alabama Bicentennial Day on Monday to learn more about the upcoming festivities to come on December 13 -14. To celebrate Alabama’s 200 years of statehood, Montgomery will be hosting a parade on December 14 with 75 floats and entries showcasing Alabama history, counties, high school All-Star bands, Alabama notables, and the parade would not be complete without the beef truck and steer in tow! The rest of the day will host several celebrations, performances and demonstrations throughout downtown Montgomery including The MOOseum. Make it a point to come see us on December 14 and witness a wonderful chapter of history for the great state of Alabama!
and throw down those steaks and burgers…yuuummmm. Also, throughout April we celebrated the bright, flavorful tastes of spring with savory springtime salads! Beef Checkoff Contract Dietician Elesha Ergle