Welcome, July! And Happy Independence Week 🇺🇸 We will stop to celebrate our many freedoms and enjoy a weekend among family and in front of the grill, let us also remember those who have sacrificed for those freedoms. It’s not all about hamburgers and American Flag T-shirts. It’s about the blood, sweat a tears that those who came before us poured in order to make America the greatest country in the world. We salute our heritage and will work to preserve those values. Speaking of work, while the holiday week creates a slower pace in the workplace for many, your ACA team is still busy as we represent you here in our state’s capital. Keep reading for this week’s Bama Beef Update, and again, Happy Fourth of July!
ACA ATTENDS ALMA ANNUAL MEETING
ACA Executive Vice President Erin Beasley and Director of Field Services Morgan Pounds spent a couple of days on Alabama’s most Southern tip this week as they attended the Alabama Livestock Marketing Association Annual Meeting in Orange Beach. As you may well know, Alabama’s livestock markets do not sell on the week of Fourth of July, which frees up these market owners to gather for a quick meeting. The success of our stockyards is vitally important to Alabama’s beef cattle industry, so Erin and Morgan wanted to hear about how they’re coming through COVID-19, provide them with an industry update and host dialogue about how we as an association can continue working with them for the betterment of our cattle industry. Check out the Southeast AgNet story, here.
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
As of today, the ACA is proud to represent 8,533 members of our state association and counting as counties continue to recruit new and renewal members. County leaders- don’t forget the new “Over the Top” deadline has been extended to July 31. Help us get to 10,000 members strong while earning your president an iconic ACA red coat!
AJCA ROUND-UP REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED
Registration for the 2020 AJCA Round-Up has closed, and we are excited to welcome many, many youth in cattle to Montgomery in just two short weeks. While Morgan continues to filter through the entries, we’ll report back with more numbers next week. This year’s event may look a little different— as does everything— but we still look forward to an excellent show. A few changes to look for are the Opening Ceremonies, Awards Banquet are cancelled. We will announce awards by age division in smaller groups. Also, to avoid cross-contact, no food will be served throughout the event. As a reminder, be sure to bring a mask or type of face covering, by ordinance of the City of Montgomery. Stay tuned as more updates come about.
ACA LAUNCHES “STEAK HOME ALABAMA” CAMPAIGN
Just in time for the Fourth of July holiday, the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program is proud to extend a nationally-launched campaign here in our home state. Featuring a steak cut in to the shape of Alabama, the “United We Steak” summer grilling campaign offers a play on a classic, “Steak Home Alabama.” This patriotic campaign captures everything you love about grilling with friends and family. In Birmingham, billboards will feature the above imagery. Facebook and Instagram advertising has already launched and will see a bigger bump in paid advertising later this week, and radio stations are featuring the patriotic sound of the sizzle as stations in Huntsville, Birmingham, Mobile and Montgomery are all running summer grilling commercials, brought to listeners by BEEF.
BAMA BEEF SALES DIRECTORY
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, which we plan to launch publicly next week! 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.
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