Summer heat and showers have flooded the state, and we are grateful as the combo of the two produce what a cattleman needs most— grass! While you work to bale hay, keep water troughs full and manage summer grazing, your ACA staff is busy in the office in Montgomery seeing to the many elements that make the industry work. From managing calls to promoting summertime grilling and planning youth events to producing new merchandise, we can always find something to work on around here! Keep reading to learn more about what’s happening at the ACA.
Executive Committee Meets Virtually Thursday
The Executive Committee will meet tomorrow via Zoom tomorrow in place of the regularly schedule board of directors meeting. The group will receive updates of the association’s response efforts to COVID-19, upcoming checkoff funded projects and discuss cattle pricing proposals that are on the table in the industry. The ACA hopes to have an in person Board of Directors meeting in August.
For today’s membership update, to date, we are proud to have 8,190 members in the 2020 year. Let’s get to that big 10,000!!
USDA Announces Details of CFAP Program
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) opened the application period for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Cattlemen are encouraged to visit their local FSA office quickly to submit application for this government funding. Forms are available at the link below, and word so far is that the application process is pretty streamlined!
Eligible Livestock for CFAP
CFAP assistance is available to livestock producers who have an ownership interest in eligible livestock that have suffered a five percent-or-greater price decline as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and face additional significant costs in marketing their inventories due to unexpected surplus and disrupted markets. The application period will open on Tuesday, May 26.
Cattle eligible for CFAP include:
- Feeder Cattle (<600 lbs.)
- Feeder Cattle (> 600 lbs.)
- Slaughter Cattle: Fed Cattle
- Slaughter Cattle: Mature Cattle
All Other Cattle (not including livestock used, or intended for, dairy production)
A single payment for livestock will be calculated using the sum of the producer’s number of livestock sold between January 15 and April 15, 2020, multiplied by the payment rates per head, and the highest inventory number of livestock between April 16 and May 14, 2020, multiplied by the payment rate per head.
Producers must provide the following information for CFAP:
Total sales of eligible livestock, by species and class, between January 15, 2020, to April 15, 2020, of owned inventory as of January 15, 2020, including any offspring from that inventory; and highest inventory of eligible livestock, by species and class, between April 16, 2020, and May 14, 2020.
Learn more at » https://www.farmers.gov/cfap/livestock
Marketing Meat Direct to Consumers: A Three-Part Webinar Series
In response to growing demand for local meat products, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program have partnered with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and Sweet Grown Alabama to host a three-part webinar series to educate Alabama farmers on the steps required to raise, harvest and market their products in a way that complies with state and national regulation, ensuring a safe and wholesome product for consumers to enjoy.
If you are interested in learning from this series, please pre-register for this virtual event by CLICKING HERE. Webinar access information will be provided following your submission and will be sent via the email address provided in the form.
The webinar will occur as follows:
- June 1, 2020 | 12:00 P.M.
Creating the Product Consumers Expect
– Carcass Goals
– Nutritional Management of Cattle, Pigs & Small Ruminants
– Other Management Considerations
- June 3, 2020 | 12:00 P.M.
The Processing Process
– Choosing a Processor
– Dry Aging vs Wet Aging
– The Math: Dressing Percentages and Carcass Yields
- June 5, 2020 | 12:00 P.M.
Getting Your Product to Market, and Getting Paid for It
– Where to Sell Your Product
– How to Price Your Product
– How to Advertise
– The Ins-and-Outs of Farmers’ Markets
– Intro to Sweet Grown Alabama
If you have any questions, please contact Ali Cantrell at the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association at (334) 265-1867.
Bama Beef Directory
In line with the above webinar series and also in response to growing demand for local beef products, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association is in the process of creating a digital portal to directly connect consumers looking to purchase beef with those who produce it. We are now accepting submissions to be included in this directory. If you are an Alabama beef producer who sells freezer beef, please add your operation to the listing by completing our form available also at www.BamaBeef.org/BamaBeef. Or you can call our office to relay the information. Just ask to speak with Ali Cantrell or Kayla Greer.
Pike County Cattlemen’s Memorial Day Blowout
ACA Director of Field Services Morgan Pounds and several of the AJCA Directors spent the weekend in Pike County at a jackpot show that welcomed over 250 exhibitors. Great work to the county chapter for putting on a great event for youth who were itching to get back in the show ring. Thanks to all who made it happen!
ACA Now Offers Blue BEEF Tags
If you thought our iconic red BEEF tags were popular, let us intprudce you to their Auburn-oriented counterpart. In response to a few requests for blue and white tags, we decided to order a test batch and WOW. They are flying out the door. In the course of one week we’ve sold over 100 of the blue tags through our online store!! Folks are also buying up the red tags, hats and T-shirts while they are there. Don’t miss out on your blue tag >> www.BamaBeef.org/Store
14th annual AJCA Round-Up
Registration is now open for the 14th annual Alabama Junior 
Cattlemen’s Association Round-Up. Happening July 16-19 at the Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, this annual junior event is full steam ahead. The agenda might look a little different this year as the public speaking and career development contests were moved to the convention, and a showmanship clinic and a Bred & Owned show were added to the events lineup. A full schedule and the rules packet are available on the website, along with registration. Check it out >> www.BamaBeef.org/RoundUp.
2020 SLE Rodeo Cancelled, Looking Forward to 2021
Just in case you missed the news last week…On March 13, 2020 the Southeastern Livestock Exposition (SLE) announced the postponement of the 63rd annual SLE Rodeo and Livestock Week amid growing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. SLE leadership has been monitoring conditions related to COVID-19 and the sport of rodeo both locally and nationally over the course of two months and in doing so, has made the decision to cancel the 2020 rodeo and related events.
Tickets will be refunded through the agency in which they were purchased. If tickets were purchased through the Garrett Coliseum Box Office, contact (334) 356-6866 to request a full refund. Tickets purchased with a credit card through the SLE Rodeo Headquarters will be refunded automatically. For tickets purchased through Ticketmaster, rodeo patrons will receive an automatic refund of the ticket order amount to the method of payment used for purchase within 30 days.
Information on the 2021 SLE Rodeo and Livestock Week will be made available in coming months. Please monitor announcements and updates at www.SLERodeo.com or on our Facebook page.
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.
This article was funded by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Progam. Paid for by Alabama beef farmers and ranchers.
