Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: September 29, 2021

September is gone with the wind, which means we’re headed into the busiest month of the year, so saddle up for an update from your state ACA staff! We’ve got sales, meetings, and October Beef Month on the menu. Keep reading to learn more about what’s happening in Montgomery this week!


Cooking Segments Firing Up for Beef Month!

Tomorrow, staffer Ali Cantrell will be recording two cooking segments at Renfroe’s Grocery to air on WSFA during the month of October. Renfroe’s has generously offered to sponsor the ingredients and provide the location for the two segments. Ali will be whipping up some tailgating and fall type beef recipes that will make your mouth water so keep an eye out on during beef month. 

Speaking of local news, you should have seen Ali on your screens today if you’re local to Mobile! WKRG aired their Cooking with John segment and Ali will be guest hosting with a Beef Salad recipe and promoting October Beef Month. Tune in two more weeks on October 14 to watch local Junior Cattlemen, Abbeigh Jo Gibson, cook a brisket in a slow cooker!

Membership Update

The statewide membership number ‘o the day is 9,195 members…but we’re not done yet! Final remittance notices have hit mailboxes. If you haven’t renewed, then now’s the time! We are SO CLOSE to our 10,000 member goal, so help us get there with your membership. Don’t forget- we offer fun prizes for our recruiters, also! If you have any membership questions, feel free to contact Jessica Kennedy in our office.

October Beef Month- Full Steam Ahead!

October Beef Month preparations are in full swing! We have some great events coming up, so please keep up with the Bama Beef Online Events Calendar to get the latest on Beef Month activities. Also, please contact staffer Ali Cantrell if you need any materials for your county chapter to pass out at any local events you may be attending. County Leaders, please do not forget to send us pictures from your event to be featured in our magazine as well as social media. Below is the timeline of state-lead activities for October Beef Month 2021.

  • September 24: Nominations open for Bama’s Best Beef
  • October 2-9: Burger Week in Mobtown (Premier Sponsor)
  • October 9: Maxwell Fall Fest 
    • Junior Cattlemen will be hosting a booth at the festival to talk about beef cattle and pass out treats! 
  • October 12 – 15: Beef Week
    • October 12: “Beef Up the Blood Supply” by giving blood at Conestoga Steak House in Dothan, AL and receive a $20 gift card to the steak house!
    • October 13: Receive a $2 discount off a Brisket meal at BBQ Stop in Clay, AL
    • October 14: Visit Gather in Atmore, AL and eat a delicious beef meal and receive a free dessert.
    • October 15: Come get some Beef Swag when you buy a hamburger at Hamburger King in Montgomery, AL
  • October 15: Alabama National Fair “Where’s the Beef?” Cook-off 
    • This will take place at 7 p.m. Please visit the Alabama National Fair website to enter.
  • October 16: County Cattlemen’s Association Steak Sandwich Cook-off
  • October 25: Winner for Bama’s Best Beef competition will be announced
  • October 28: Beef Checkoff Task Force Meeting
  • October 29: Beef 101 at Auburn Beef Unit

Mark your calendars and plan to join us for the events that are close to you! 

Beef on the SuperSpeedway

Talladega weekend is on the horizon! If you’re going to be at the race this weekend, keep your eyes on the jumbotron for a Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. message, and if you listen in over the radio, listen for the sizzle of steak through the Motor Racing Network. ACA has partnered with Georgia Cattlemen’s Association to promote beef throughout the race weekend. ACA staffer Ali Cantrell will also be doing an interview on the Motor Racing Network before the Sunday races to promote October Beef Month and preview Florida Cattlemen’s promotions in Daytona in the spring!

SLE Update

The SLE is excited to be on the search for sponsors for the 2022 rodeo. Thank you to those who have already signed up! If this is something your company may be interested in, please visit the SLE website. This displays every sponsorship package available to you. Don’t hesitate to contact the Director of Rodeo Programs Sarah Hunter if you have any questions!

In other news, SLE Members will gather tomorrow, Thursday, September 30, for the group’s Annual Membership Banquet. It will be great to see returning members, but we also have several new faces that we are excited to welcome! 

The 2022 SLE Rodeo is sure to be a hit of show as many new changes and additions are on the horizon. First, the biggest news, is a shift of dates and times for each of the four PRCA Rodeo Performances. The 2022 show line-up is as follows:

· FRIDAY, March 18, 2022 at 7 PM

· SATURDAY, March 19, 2022 at 1 PM (Matinee)

· SATURDAY, March 19, 2022 at 7 PM

· SUNDAY, March 20, 2022 at 2 PM (Matinee)

The 2022 SLE Rodeo is also proud to feature an added timed event in WPRA Breakaway Roping, and will showcase the trick roping skills of World Champion Western Performer Rider Kiesner, who will also clown the event.

As always, if your county cattlemen’s group is hosting a rodeo, please reach out and let Sarah know what she can do to help!

Field Services

Staffer Morgan Desselle will head to Auburn tomorrow to speak to students on the importance of beef checkoff, the association, and lastly what she does on a day to day basis as the Field Services director. She will talk to the students on how she applied and obtained a job in agriculture and will encourage them to look into jobs in our industry. Friday she will be headed to Uniontown to watch the Heart of Dixie sale! She looks forward to getting out and seeing our cattlemen. Make sure to stop by and say hello if you see her.

With the arrival of fall comes cooler weather and best of all, SALE SEASON! Be sure to keep an eye out on our online calendar to get the latest on upcoming sales in Alabama! www.bamabeef.org/cattlesales

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 or Instagram.

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: September 22, 2021

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: September 22, 2021

It’s the first day of fall, and word on the street is that it is certainly about to start feeling like it outside! We are due a beautiful and DRY weekend ahead, which we all could use to dry up those mushy pastures underfoot…or hoof. Nevertheless, the fall season means a busy time at the ACA, so saddle up for this week’s news and updates for what’s happening and what’s ahead.


Fall Youth Production Field Day

More than 25 youth joined us this past Saturday in Andalusia for the Youth “Back to the Basics” Fall Field Day. The day kicked off with a Beef Quality Assurance(BQA) training led by Auburn University doctoral student Maggie Justice. In all, with adults and children, 36 cattle producers became BQA certified! Attendees and volunteers then enjoyed a delicious hamburger prepared by Covington County Cattlemen’s Association. While enjoying lunch, youth were able to watch a short cutting horse demonstration.

The afternoon was packed full of educational sessions!  Russell Carrell and Michael Agar, AU Animal Sciences doctoral and graduate students, led a hands-on fence fixing demonstration. Youth enjoyed a laugh with Russell’s jokes and learned the basics of building and repairing fences. Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program students Mitchell Alexander and Jason Ealum educated youth on tractor maintenance and safety. Then, last but not least, south Alabama cattle producers Ginger Gaines and Wyatt Sasser guided youth through the tagging process as they got hands on with record keeping.

The education at this field day was designed for youth to walk away with practical skills to take back to their farms. Hats off to all the volunteers who made this Alabama Beef Checkoff-funded event successful!

Industry Meetings

ACA Executive Vice President Erin Beasley has participated in both State NRCS Technical meeting and the Alabama Agricultural and Conservation Development Commission this week. She also has an upcoming meeting with ADEM. The ACA stays involved in all of these entities to provide insight about cattle industry needs and to also provide comments when topics arise related to the industry.

Membership Update

The statewide membership number ‘o the day is 9,145 members…but we’re not done yet! Final remittance notices have hit mailboxes. If you haven’t renewed, then now’s the time! We are SO CLOSE to our 10,000 member goal, so help us get there with your membership. Don’t forget- we offer fun prizes for our recruiters, also! If you have any membership questions, feel free to contact Jessica Kennedy in our office.

October Beef Month- Full Steam Ahead!

October Beef Month preparations are in full swing! We have some great events coming up, so please keep up with the Bama Beef Online Events Calendar to get the latest on Beef Month activities. Also, please contact staffer Ali Cantrell if you need any materials for your county chapter to pass out at any local events you may be attending. County Leaders, please do not forget to send us pictures from your event to be featured in our magazine as well as social media. Below is the timeline of state-lead activities for October Beef Month 2021.

  • September 24: Nominations open for Bama’s Best Beef
  • October 2-9: Burger Week in Mobtown (Premier Sponsor)
  • October 9: Maxwell Fall Fest 
    • Junior Cattlemen will be hosting a booth at the festival to talk about beef cattle and pass out treats! 
  • October 12 – 15: Beef Week
    • October 12: “Beef Up the Blood Supply” by giving blood at Conestoga Steak House in Dothan, AL and receive a $20 gift card to the steak house!
    • October 13: Receive a $2 discount off a Brisket meal at BBQ Stop in Clay, AL
    • October 14: Visit Gather in Atmore, AL and eat a delicious beef meal and receive a free dessert.
    • October 15: Come get some Beef Swag when you buy a hamburger at Hamburger King in Montgomery, AL
  • October 15: Alabama National Fair “Where’s the Beef?” Cook-off 
    • This will take place at 7 p.m. Please visit the Alabama National Fair website to enter.
  • October 16: County Cattlemen’s Association Steak Sandwich Cook-off
  • October 25: Winner for Bama’s Best Beef competition will be announced
  • October 28: Beef Checkoff Task Force Meeting
  • October 29: Beef 101 at Auburn Beef Unit

Mark your calendars and plan to join us for the events that are close to you! 

Beef on the SuperSpeedway

Just in time for October Beef Month, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and the Georgia Beef Board are partnering up to sponsor the Motor Racing Network for Talladega SuperSpeedway races in October! We will be kicking off Beef Month by broadcasting our Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner message on radio affiliates across Alabama and Georgia for the October 2-3 race weekend. If you happen to be at the race that weekend, keep your eyes on the video board for a :30 second clip that will make you want to start your engine to race to the nearest concession stand!

SLE Update

The SLE is excited to be on the search for sponsors for the 2022 rodeo. Thank you to those who have already signed up! If this is something your company may be interested in, please visit the SLE website. This displays every sponsorship package available to you. Don’t hesitate to contact the Director of Rodeo Programs Sarah Hunter if you have any questions!

In other news, SLE Members will gather next Thursday, September 30, for the group’s Annual Membership Banquet. It will be great to see returning members, but we also have several new faces that we are excited to welcome! 

The 2022 SLE Rodeo is sure to be a hit of show as many new changes and additions are on the horizon. First, the biggest news, is a shift of dates and times for each of the four PRCA Rodeo Performances. The 2022 show line-up is as follows:

· FRIDAY, March 18, 2022 at 7 PM

· SATURDAY, March 19, 2022 at 1 PM (Matinee)

· SATURDAY, March 19, 2022 at 7 PM

· SUNDAY, March 20, 2022 at 2 PM (Matinee)

The 2022 SLE Rodeo is also proud to feature an added timed event in WPRA Breakaway Roping, and will showcase the trick roping skills of World Champion Western Performer Rider Kiesner, who will also clown the event.

As always, if your county cattlemen’s group is hosting a rodeo, please reach out and let Sarah know what she can do to help!

Sale Season

Fall is right around the corner. With the arrival of fall comes cooler weather and best of all, SALE SEASON! Be sure to keep an eye out on our online calendar to get the latest on upcoming sales in Alabama! www.bamabeef.org/cattlesales

Checkoff Funded Research Projects

Each year, the Alabama State Beef Checkoff Program budgets monies that are allocated to fund cattle production-based research. This summer, our office issued a call for proposals where researchers had the opportunity to present research and itemized budget proposals in hopes of being selected for funding. Following the submission period, the research committee selected the following programs for funding, representing a variety of topics pertaining to beef cattle production. 

  1. Overseeding Bahiagrass pastures to extend the grazing season and improve sustainability in forage systems (Researchers: Josh Elmore, Dr. Kimberly Mullenix, Dr. Liliane Silva, and Dr. Leanne Dillard)
  2. Forage production and quality of stockpiled Bahiagrass pastures managed under contrasting strategies in Alabama (Researchers: Dr. Kimberly Mullenix, Dr. Liliane Silva, Dr. Leanne Dillard, Josh Elmore, Dr. Kelly Palmer, Ken Kelly, and Michael Agar)
  3. Evaluation of Weed Control Programs for Summer Annual Forage Crops (Researchers: Dr. David Russell and Gerry Thompson)
  4. Comprehensive Digestive Profiles of Bermudagrass Varieties (Researchers: W. Brandon Smith, Werner G. Bergen, S. Leanne Dillard, and M. Kimberly Mullenix)
  5. Assessment of Weaning and Backgrounding Management Practices Utilized by Alabama Cattle Producers (Researchers: Maggie Justice, Alex Tigue, Max Runge, and Ken Kelly)

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 or Instagram.

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: September 15, 2021

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: September 15, 2021

Who can believe it? Not only are we more than halfway through the year already, but we’re somehow already preparing to welcome fall. Next Wednesday is the first official day of Autumn— although it may not quite feel like it— which means one of the most wonderful times of year! Cooler temps, baby calves, fall colors, football, chili and homemade pot roasts…all the wonderful, cozy things of fall. Fall also means events, sales, and Beef Month, making our office calendar quite full. Keep reading to find out what’s happening around our office as we prepare for the final quarter of 2021!


Fall Youth Production Field Day

Come join us THIS Saturday for the Back to the Basics Fall Youth Field Day in Andalusia. This event is open to all youth, sponsored by the state checkoff! Educational sessions will consist of equipment maintenance, fence fixing, record keeping, and youth will become Beef Quality Assurance Certified. Lunch will be provided to all who attend with a cutting horse demonstration for entertainment!  

Two Cook-Offs, Coming Right Up!

We are ONE MONTH away from the first County Cattlemen’s Association Steak Sandwich Cook-off on October 16. We know how proud every county is of its steak sandwiches and the secret recipes behind them! Now it’s time to bring them to the judging table! The ACA is very excited to host the first-ever County Cattlemen’s Association Steak Sandwich Cook-off on October 16 in Cullman. Only a team of 3 is needed from each county to enter and grill their best steak sandwich for a chance to win bragging rights to the best steak sandwich in Alabama as well as a $1,000 towards their county chapter. Please visit our website to find out more about this event and how to register at www.bamabeef.org/steaksandwichcookoff. Contact Ali Cantrell with any questions you may have at (334) 265-1867.

The “Where’s the Beef?” Cook-off at the Alabama National Fair is also on the horizon! The deadline to register for this contest is October 6 and the competition will be held at 7:00pm on October 15 at the Creative Living Center. You can register for this event at www.alnationalfair.org

Membership Update

The statewide membership number ‘o the day is 9,132 members…but we’re not done yet! Final remittance notices will be mailing out soon, so if you haven’t renewed, now’s the time! We are SO CLOSE to our 10,000 member goal, so help us get there with your membership. Don’t forget- we offer fun prizes for our recruiters, also! If you have any membership questions, feel free to contact Jessica Kennedy in our office.

October Beef Month- Full Steam Ahead!

October Beef Month preparations are in full swing! We have some great events coming up, so please keep up with the Bama Beef Online Events Calendar to get the latest on Beef Month activities. Also, please contact staffer Ali Cantrell if you need any materials for your county chapter to pass out at any local events you may be attending. County Leaders, please do not forget to send us pictures from your event to be featured in our magazine as well as social media. Below is the timeline of state-lead activities for October Beef Month 2021.

  • September 24: Nominations open for Bama’s Best Beef
  • October 9: Maxwell Fall Fest 
    • Junior Cattlemen will be hosting a booth at the festival to talk about beef cattle and pass out treats! 
  • October 12 – 15: Beef Week
    • October 12: “Beef Up the Blood Supply” by giving blood at Conestoga Steak House in Dothan, AL and receive a $20 gift card to the steak house!
    • October 13: Receive a $2 discount off a Brisket meal at BBQ Stop in Clay, AL
    • October 14: Visit Gather in Atmore, AL and eat a delicious beef meal and receive a free dessert.
    • October 15: Come get some Beef Swag when you buy a hamburger at Hamburger King in Montgomery, AL
  • October 15: Alabama National Fair “Where’s the Beef?” Cook-off 
    • This will take place at 7 p.m. Please visit the Alabama National Fair website to enter.
  • October 16: County Cattlemen’s Association Steak Sandwich Cook-off
  • October 25: Winner for Bama’s Best Beef competition will be announced
  • October 28: Beef Checkoff Task Force Meeting
  • October 29: Beef 101 at Auburn Beef Unit

Mark your calendars and plan to join us for the events that are close to you! 

Beef Month Feature: Burger Week in Mobtown

We’re kicking off Beef Month in style with a good ole-fashioned Burger Week! Your Beef Checkoff is going to be the Premier Sponsor of Mobtown Burger Week (October 2 – 9, 2021) in Mobile, AL . Tour the best burgers that Mobile has to offer as each participating restaurant vies for your vote by creating a delicious, unique, specialty burger only found during Mobtown Burger Week! A People’s Choice Award will be given to the winning restaurant and a portion of the sale of each burger will be donated to Restore Mobile. Restore Mobile is a non-profit dedicated to protecting and promoting Mobile’s architectural and cultural character through renovation, advocacy, and empowerment.

SLE Update

The SLE is excited to be on the search for sponsors for the 2022 rodeo. Thank you to those who have already signed up! If this is something your company may be interested in, please visit the SLE website. This displays every sponsorship package available to you. Don’t hesitate to contact the Director of Rodeo Programs Sarah Hunter if you have any questions.!

In other news, the SLE Board of Directors gathered on September 9th to discuss several topics regarding the upcoming rodeo. Big ideas are in the works, and this will be an event you do not want to miss! We are also excited to host our SLE Annual Membership Meeting at the end of this month. It will be great to see returning members, but we also have several new faces that we are excited to welcome into our group!  

As always, if your county cattlemen’s group is hosting a rodeo, please reach out and let Sarah know what she can do to help!

Preparing BEEF for BEEF MONTH

This week, Ali Cantrell will be meeting with Renfroe’s Grocery in Montgomery to discuss filming cooking segments for WSFA during October Beef Month. Renfroe’s has graciously offered their facilities and are providing the ingredients for two cooking segments that will highlight BEEF! We are proud to have a close relationship with this grocery chain and that they are so willing to help us accomplish these types of promotions.

Candidate Fundraisers Firing Up for Election Season

Alabama welcomed Congressman GT Thompson, ranking republican member of the House Agriculture committee. ACA participated in a lunch at ALFA where agricultural issues were discussed with Congressman Thompson and Congressman Barry Moore. ACA Executive Vice President Erin Beasley thanked the congressman for his work and reiterated the need for solutions to come for cattle market competition and increases in meat processing.

If you’re in the area please visit www.mobtownburgerweek.com for more details and for announcements of participating restaurants. You can also follow the Facebook event by searching Mobtown Burger Week.

Sale Season

Fall is right around the corner. With the arrival of fall comes cooler weather and best of all, SALE SEASON! Be sure to keep an eye out on our online calendar to get the latest on upcoming sales in Alabama! www.bamabeef.org/cattlesales

Beef on the SuperSpeedway

Just in time for October Beef Month, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and the Georgia Beef Board are partnering up to sponsor the Motor Racing Network for Talladega SuperSpeedway races in October! We will be kicking off Beef Month by broadcasting our Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner message on radio affiliates across Alabama and Georgia for the October 2-3 race weekend. If you happen to be at the race that weekend, keep your eyes on the video board for a :30 second clip that will make you want to start your engine to race to the nearest concession stand!

Checkoff Funded Research Projects

Each year, the Alabama State Beef Checkoff Program budgets monies that are allocated to fund cattle production-based research. This summer, our office issued a call for proposals where researchers had the opportunity to present research and itemized budget proposals in hopes of being selected for funding. Following the submission period, the research committee selected the following programs for funding, representing a variety of topics pertaining to beef cattle production. 

  1. Overseeding Bahiagrass pastures to extend the grazing season and improve sustainability in forage systems (Researchers: Josh Elmore, Dr. Kimberly Mullenix, Dr. Liliane Silva, and Dr. Leanne Dillard)
  2. Forage production and quality of stockpiled Bahiagrass pastures managed under contrasting strategies in Alabama (Researchers: Dr. Kimberly Mullenix, Dr. Liliane Silva, Dr. Leanne Dillard, Josh Elmore, Dr. Kelly Palmer, Ken Kelly, and Michael Agar)
  3. Evaluation of Weed Control Programs for Summer Annual Forage Crops (Researchers: Dr. David Russell and Gerry Thompson)
  4. Comprehensive Digestive Profiles of Bermudagrass Varieties (Researchers: W. Brandon Smith, Werner G. Bergen, S. Leanne Dillard, and M. Kimberly Mullenix)
  5. Assessment of Weaning and Backgrounding Management Practices Utilized by Alabama Cattle Producers (Researchers: Maggie Justice, Alex Tigue, Max Runge, and Ken Kelly)

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 or Instagram.