Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update | April 7, 2021

Welcome, April. Welcome, spring! It’s a beautiful time of year as green grass appears all over Alabama’s farm-scapes. While that green forage fools some into thinking a cattlemen’s agenda may clear out with less feeding to do, boy, we all know that’s not the truth! We’re looking at tightening fences as wondering cows start to eyeball that ungrazed roadside grass, cutting and baling hay, working and weaning calves, watering where there’s no natural sources and so much more. On top of that, the warmer weather and the reduced COVID numbers have people, groups, and events ready to GO! It’s a busy time of year for you, which means it’s a busy time of year for us. Keep reading to learn more about what’s happening at the ACA.

---

Bama Beef Events Calendar

The online Bama Beef Events Calendar is getting a list of new events daily. As Extension begins to normalize, educational programs are popping up across the state. County cattlemen’s chapters are beginning to think about meeting. Sales are lining up. Steak sandwich sales are firing up, and Junior Cattlemen events eyeball those free summer months! Not only that, but summertime means grilling season. We all know that beef is king of the grill, so summer beef promotions are also firing up! Make it a daily task to check out our calendar and keep an eye on events coming near you!

Speaking of events, this weekend ACA’s Morgan Desselle and Erin Beasley will stop by the Clay and Marshall County meetings! We look forward to seeing cattlemen in those counties.

Welcome, Junior Angus Association

On Saturday, April 10. The MOOseum will be hosting a private tour for the Junior Angus Association for their “Raising the Bar Conference.” Eighty Junior Angus members from across the United States will be coming to our building to learn more about the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, the Beef Checkoff and how we raise beef cattle right here in Sweet Home. On Thursday, Erin Beasley will join the group for a discussion about the ACA and the Alabama Beef Checkoff program. Raising the Bar is a three-day conference that builds stronger leaders within state associations, create regional relationships, while preparing juniors for the future. They will be hosting workshops and farm tours around the state to learn more about Alabama agriculture operations.

Membership Update

County leaders, please send us leadership changes for 2021 to Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy. We want to ensure all mailings and correspondence are getting to correct individuals in your county who are in leadership positions! Speaking of mailings, the second round of membership notices will be hitting mailboxes late next week so be on the lookout for renewals, and get those in the system! If you’ve got upcoming events, please also share them with our staff so we can put them on our calendar and potentially attend!

Hosting Congressman Mike Rogers

On Tuesday, the ACA hosted a small fundraising brunch for U.S. Congressman Mike Rogers of Alabama’s third congressional district. While at the building, Rep. Rogers gave an update from D.C., explained some upcoming changes within the new Administration and answered many questions regarding armed services, taxation, and the reopening of the country post-COVID. We appreciate him stopping by and being a friend fo the cattle industry!

All You Need to Know About CFAP

Got questions about CFAP and the various programs administering COVID-19 relief dollars to cattle producers? Here’s what you need to know.

There’s three parts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s push to bring relief and assistance to producers who are struggling due to the pandemic: CFAP 1 payments, CFAP 2 payments, and the newly-created Pandemic Assistance to Producers. Let’s go over them one by one.

CFAP 1 payments have already gone out, but USDA is now increasing the rates for producers based on the number of cattle in inventory between April 16-May 14, 2020. The rates are now as follows:

Feeder Cattle, less than 600 lbs $7.00/head

Feeder Cattle, 600 lbs or more $25.50/head

Slaughter Cattle, fed cattle $63.00/head

Slaughter Cattle, mature cattle $14.75/head

All Other Cattle $17.25/head

“Am I eligible for the increase?” YES, you are if you previously applied for CFAP 1. “Do I need to take any action to get the funds?” NO, producers with approved CFAP 1 applications will automatically receive the increased payment rate.

CFAP 2. The original application window was September 21-December 11, 2020. However, FSA is now accepting *new* and *modified* applications for CFAP 2. This won’t impact everyone, but it’s important for cattle producers who may have missed the original deadline! To see the full eligibility requirements and payment details for CFAP 2, visit farmers.gov/cfap2/livestock.

The third and final program to be aware of is the new Pandemic Assistance to Producers. The NCBA policy team is tracking this initiative closely. While the new program still needs to undergo a formal rulemaking process at USDA, it’s our understanding that they intend to open it up to producers this spring. The program will include additional COVID-19 aid for producers, and other efforts to strengthen the resiliency of the national food supply. We will keep pushing hard to have practical measures like the RAMP UP Act implemented. We will continue to keep you up to date as we receive additional information on federal COVID-19 assistance efforts for cattle producers. In the meantime, reach out to us at (202) 347-0228 if you have questions!

Spring Production Field Day

Calling all youth ages 21 and younger! Join us in Blount County for a day full of education and fun! Spring Youth Production Field Day will be held on April 17 at Quail Valley Farms in Oneonta. The Alabama State Beef Checkoff is providing a chance for our youth to become educated on topics such as cattle judging, foraging, and marketing! Registration for this hands on field day closes Friday April 9 at noon. Register today at www.bamabeef.org/fieldday

Highlighting the Alabama Beef Checkoff

ACA Director of Education and Outreach Ali Cantrell spoke to a marketing class at Samford University on Tuesday, April 6 about how the Beef Checkoff program utilizes our marketing plan. She explained both National and State checkoff programs and what we do to help promote beef throughout the year. These students learned a lot about the checkoff and how the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association represents beef producers in the state. We appreciate Linda Godfrey, a Samford University dietetics professor and Alabama Beef Checkoff Council member, for coordinating this talk.

YCLP Update

YCLP Council members met yesterday for a meeting to discuss upcoming events and applications for the YCLP Council seats Class IV and VII. We will be hosting our first YCLP Reunion! YCLP Alumni from all graduated classes we invited you to join us May 21-22 at Kick Back Ranch! The reunion will give you a chance to catch up with your classmates and meet other young cattlemen. Kick Back Ranch is a family-friendly destination featuring swimming pools, fishing, canoeing, water slides, playgrounds and much more in addition to a variety of western-themed, unique lodging for your family to enjoy! They have offered us a great weekend rate for this event, and we encourage you and your family to make a trip of this reunion. Register today at https://www.bamabeef.org/reunion.

Congratulations to the 2021-2022 Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program Council: