Springtime is here, and our calendar shows! With items filling up our to-do lists, you can bet that while you’re busy in the barns, hayfields and pastures, your ACA staff is busy in the workplace. We’re planning and executing beef promotion, youth development events and educational opportunities. We’re putting out a magazine; we’re playing watchdog for you on the legislative front. There’s no shortage of work around here— and we know that’s something you all know a thing or two about. Keep reading to learn more about what’s happening at the ACA this week.
Youth Spring Production Field Day – This Weekend!
We look forward to welcoming all the juniors who registered for the Field Day this Saturday! The 2021 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 has closed for this event, but walk-up guests are welcome. Learn more at: www.bamabeef.org/fieldday. If you can’t make it this time, make sure to save the date for our fall field day in Andalusia on September 18!
Annual Beef Cook-Off, Coming Right Up!
The Annual Alabama Jr. & Sr. High School Beef Cook-Off will NEXT WEEKEND at a new location! Jefferson State Community College has been gracious enough to host the Beef Cook-Off and we thank the culinary education staff for the support. We are extending the registration deadline for those counties that have not been able to host a cook-off yet.This event will be held at Health Sciences and Culinary Institute building at Jefferson State and registration is FREE! Please contact Ali Cantrell if you have any questions.
YCLP Update
We are one month out from welcoming our YCLP Class VIII to Montgomery to kick off their first session. Session 1 will be full of leadership and networking. The class will be joining in on the Spring Board Meeting, attending farm tours, and participating in our BEEF 201 program at the Auburn Meat Lab.
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.
Membership Update
The membership total o’ the day is: 7,143 members of the ACA! 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 are hitting mailboxes, 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!
AJCA Upcoming Events
AJCA is excited to host two ZOOM meeting opportunities for county leadership looking to grow their junior cattlemen’s involvement. Join us May 25 or 27 for an hour of discussion with junior leaders across the state! They will share their tips, tricks, and experiences on how to engage youth at a county level. To register or learn more visit our youth event calendar at https://www.bamabeef.org/events/youth.
AJCA Round-Up is just around the corner. Staffer Morgan Desselle is working on putting the last final touches to the entry packet before she releases all the details next month. Registration will open May 17 and close July 2. There will be exciting new things added to Round-Up this year. Make sure to check over the packet for all the new things coming to AJCA! Don’t worry we will keep with the tradition on some of our events as we welcome the AJCA members and their families for the 15th Annual AJCA Round-Up July 15-18!
CFAP Info: Here’s What You Need to Know
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!
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!
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