Things are firing up around the ACA as we head into some busy summer months, and we are thrilled to have a full calendar on the docket! After last year, we will never take busyness for granted again. We hope you enjoy this week’s update and that it helps keep you in the loop with all things ACA. Before we invite you to get started, we wanted to shoutout a faithful reader of the blog, Regional Vice President and Choctaw County Cattleman Johnny Gibson. Mr. Johnny is top-notch, and never misses a weekly blog update. Lately, however, he has been reading our updates from Arkansas where he is receiving cancer treatment. We invite you to join us in praying for Mr. Johnny and his wife, Henrietta, as they walk through this journey. Thanks for all you do!
Now, please continue reading to learn more about what we’re up to at the ACA this week.
Youth Field Day Success
Our Spring Production Field Day was nothing short of a great success! We would like to thank our host, Quail Valley Farms in Blount County, for showing us true Southern hospitality. Youth of Alabama got the chance to learn about livestock judging, social media and photography, and forages. Jason P’Pool, Associate Extension Professor, did an excellent job talking with our youth on how to judge a production beef animal. Quail Valley Farms provided us with top notch Santa Gertrudis and Brangus cattle for our youth to evaluate. Participants then broke into two groups to have some hands on training. ACA staffer, Kayla Greer, talked with our youth on the do’s and don’ts of agriculture social media. She also gave some tips and tricks for when they are behind the camera! Regional Extension Agent Gerry Thompson did a great hands-on education course with the participants on hay testing and soil sampling.
A special thanks, goes to Blount County Cattlemen’s for providing over 50 youth participants a tasty hamburger for lunch! The youth then wrapped up the sunny Saturday at Quail Valley Farms with a farm tour given by farm manager, Chris Heptinstall, and owner, Ricky Cleveland.
Welcome, Senators!
Thursday morning the ACA and Alabama Poultry and Egg Association will host the Senate at the ACA building for breakfast. This is a great opportunity to have all of the Senators in our building for beef and to network with them. Senators look forward to this every year as it takes place towards to the end of the session!
On the Menu: Beef Cook-Off
The Alabama Jr. & Sr. High School Beef Cookoff will be hosted at Jefferson State Community College this Saturday, April 24. We have over 20 Family and Consumer Science students from all over the state of Alabama registered to compete for the title of Overall Best Beef Dish! While judging is taking place, students will meet with Chef Todd Jackson on how to break down a whole Tenderloin, discuss the importance of adding beef to a healthy lifestyle with Registered Dietician, Elesha Ergle, and learn the pasture to plate story from ACA staffer Ali Cantrell.
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 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.
AU Women in Ag
On Wednesday, ACA Executive VP Erin Beasley attended the AU College of Agriculture’s “Women in Agriculture” event and served on a panel to address attendees. The event brought about 100 women together including students, faculty, staff and industry professionals. Panelists shared their experiences about their roles in agriculture as well as field questions from attendees.
Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program News
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.
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 17and 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 CFAPand 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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