Month: November 2022

Congratulations, Mrs. Ali Gotcher!

This weekend was a treat for staff as we all got to head to Florence to witness ACA Director of Education and Outreach Ali Cantrell get married to Colbert County Cattleman and YCLP Council Member Will Gotcher. The two have been together nearly two years, and this weekend we enjoyed a beautiful wedding ceremony to celebrate their nuptials! Ali is now Ali Gotcher, and her email moving forward is agotcher@bamabeef.org. She will be remaining on staff with the ACA as a remote employee in Muscle Shoals, where the couple now reside.

Join us in congratulating Ali and Will on this happy occasion!

ACA Hosts Region II

This week, the ACA hosted NCBA Region II Southeastern States at the building for an organizational meeting for staff and leadership. The group discussed state legislation, national legislation, state promotional projects and other topics pertinent to cattlemen’s associations. State in attendance included: Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. South Carolina & Louisiana could not attend. The group met with NCBA staffers Ethan Lane for policy updates and Jennifer Nealson to get updates on beef checkoff programming via ZOOM.

80TH ANNUAL CONVENTION REGISTRATION, NOW OPEN!

Join us in Montgomery for the 80th annual ACA Convention & Trade Show happening February 17-18, 2023! https://cvent.me/0RRd5B If you are a State Board Member, be sure to check your email from Jessica Kennedy for important information about your registration!

Our annual convention offers educational sessions, networking, an outstanding menu of beef meals and the largest cattle industry trade show in the state of Alabama! In addition, each year at convention we have the opportunity to host our Annual Membership Meeting, State Officer Elections, Alabama Livestock Hall of Fame inductions, the BEEF PAC Live Auction and Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program graduation.

In addition, the 2023 event will also feature our annual Youth Scholarship Contests, and registration for those events is also now available online! Youth ages 9-21 can register and find more information for Career Development, Public Speaking, and Quiz Bowl competitions at https://cvent.me/DDDYgO.

We hope to see you there for this family-friendly event!

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

We are so close to the goal of 10,000 members! As of today, the ACA is proud to represent 9,888 members across the state. If you need county annual meeting or October Beef Month supplies, contact our office at 334-265-1867.

County leaders: in order for your meeting to make it into the ACA magazine you will need to get your meeting info to Jessica Kennedy by the 15th of the month prior. You can email Jessica with your meeting details or submit them online by clicking here. We will see many of you tomorrow at the Fall Board of Directors Meeting beginning at 10 at the state office!

Miss SLE Rodeo

Do you know of a young lady who is interested in competing for the title of Miss SLE Rodeo or Junior Miss SLE Rodeo on March 9, 2023? Justalil Rodeo Company is hosting a Rodeo Queen Clinic on January 21, 2023 in Troy, AL. Only 25 participants will get the opportunity to learn from the experts when it comes to Rodeo Royalty! Pre-registration for this clinic is required, so be sure to check out their website and sign up before January 14, 2023: https://justalilrodeo.com/rodeo-queen-and-princess-clinic/

You can view more information regarding the Miss SLE Rodeo pageant here: Miss SLE Rodeo Pageant

Sale Season

This week ACA Director of Field Services Reid McGuire was in attendance for the Fall Beef Cattle Improvement Association Bull Sale was held in Uniontown. This sale showed a strong offering of Angus, Simmental, and Chi-Angus bulls from progressive breeders across the state. Congratulations to all involved on a great sale!

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.

Election Results

The Alabama BEEF PAC sends congratulations to many elected officials who were successful in yesterdays election. Notably, Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate, Governor Kay Ivey, Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth, Attorney General Steve Marshall, Secretary of State Wes Allen, Treasurer Young Boozer and State Auditor Andrew Sorrell. The ACA also looks forward to working with newly elected US Senator Katie Britt and US Congressman Dale Strong. In the state legislature, there will be over 25% new faces serving Alabamians when they convene in March. For more election night results, visit here.

80th Annual Convention Registration, Now Open!

Join us in Montgomery for the 80th annual ACA Convention & Trade Show happening February 17-18, 2023! https://cvent.me/0RRd5B If you are a State Board Member, be sure to check your email from Jessica Kennedy for important information about your registration!

Our annual convention offers educational sessions, networking, an outstanding menu of beef meals and the largest cattle industry trade show in the state of Alabama! In addition, each year at convention we have the opportunity to host our Annual Membership Meeting, State Officer Elections, Alabama Livestock Hall of Fame inductions, the BEEF PAC Live Auction and Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program graduation.

In addition, the 2023 event will also feature our annual Youth Scholarship Contests, and registration for those events is also now available online! Youth ages 9-21 can register and find more information for Career Development, Public Speaking, and Quiz Bowl competitions at https://cvent.me/DDDYgO.

We hope to see you there for this family-friendly event!

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

We are so close to the goal of 10,000 members! As of today, the ACA is proud to represent 9,871 members across the state. If you need county annual meeting or October Beef Month supplies, contact our office at 334-265-1867.

County leaders: in order for your meeting to make it into the ACA magazine you will need to get your meeting info to Jessica Kennedy by the 15th of the month prior. You can email Jessica with your meeting details or submit them online by clicking here. Be sure to RSVP for the November 17 Board of Directors meeting at the ACA in Montgomery.

A Day in Auburn

ACA Executive Vice President Erin Beasley attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries Pesticide Residue and State Chemical Lab. The event was well attended including Commissioner Pate, Governor Ivey, Auburn University President Roberts and local elected officials. The Pesticide Residue Laboratory’s primary function is to protect the public health, by monitoring agricultural commodities for the presence of harmful pesticide residues and protect the environment. The lab provides an independent source of data and analytical expertise to expand the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) testing capacity.

Erin also attended the AU College of Agriculture Hall of Honor luncheon for the families of inductees that will be honored in February at a banquet. ACA Past President, Billy Maples, represents the Production Agriculture sector this year for the awards and gave remarks to those in attendance.

SOUTHEASTERN LIVESTOCK EXPO NEWS

The Southeastern Livestock Exposition is excited to announce all things new to 2023! It is our mission to impact and support youth in agriculture, and we are thrilled to extend our reach. Not only are we hosting the Junior Beef and Swine Expos, but we are adding the Junior Dairy Expo to the line up in 2023. We are also inviting three state youth rodeo associations to compete at the Garrett Coliseum the weekend before the SLE Rodeo: Alabama Junior Rodeo Association (3/10/23), Alabama Little Britches Rodeo Association (3/11/23), and Alabama High School Rodeo Association (3/12/23). This event will be known as the SLE Youth Rodeo Showdown. It is our hope that these young cowboys and cowgirls will one day come back and compete in the SLE Rodeo once they earn their PRCA cards! Moreover, the SLE leadership has decided it is time to bring some elegance back to the arena, so we are hosting the Miss SLE Rodeo pageant on March 9, 2023. You can find all details regarding the queen contest by visiting www.SLErodeo.com/queen.

Last but not least, we are ecstatic to announce that John Harrison is our 2023 SLE Rodeo clown, barrrelman, and featured act!  He is sure to keep you laughing while you sit back and enjoy some good ‘ole clean, family friendly fun! Just this year, he has been selected by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association for the following:

– 2022 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Barrelman

– 2022 Top 5 Coors Man in the Can Nominee

– 2022 Top 5 Comedy Act of the Year Nominee

– 2022 Top 5 Clown of the Year Nominee

Not only is he on fire in 2022, but John has been one of the best in the business for years! He was selected to go to the WNFR as the barrelman 8X, won the Coors Man in the Can award 4X, and has held the title of Comedy Act of the Year 4X. He creates a lively atmosphere that you will not want to miss!

We have a few more fun announcements up our sleeve, so us follow us on Facebook (@SLE Rodeo) to learn more in the coming weeks!

If you want to be part of this organization whether that be through membership, sponsorship, or volunteering, please reach out to Sarah Hunter, Director of Rodeo Programs, by emailing Sarah Hunter.

Save the dates for next year’s rodeo— March 17-19, 2023! 

Foundation Scholarships Now Closed

The Alabama Cattlemen’s Foundation would like to thank everyone who submitted scholarship applications this fall. We are THRILLED to have received more than 200 applications for 21 different scholarships in 2022. We look forward to carefully evaluating each applicant to find the perfect scholarship to fit his/her academic, scholastic or involvement needs! We will notify applicants of awards or deferrals ASAP.

Sale Season Update

This week ACA Director of Field Services Reid McGuire attended the Frank Turner and Sons Farms Annual Bull Sale. It was a strong offering of Angus and Charolais bulls and continued the strong momentum of this sale season. While Reid hit the sale in Hayneville on Friday, Erin dropped in at the Fall Sale in Letohatchee on Saturday. We look forward to seeing you at the BCIA Fall Roundup in Uniontown this Friday!

Region II Set to Gather in Montgomery

Next week, the ACA will host NCBA Region II Southeastern States at the building for an organizational meeting for staff and leadership. The group will have a chance to discuss state legislation, national legislation, state promotional projects and other topics pertinent to cattlemen’s associations.

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.

The results are in and our Cattlemen of Beef Month Award goes to…CLAY COUNTY CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION! They hosted 7 steak sandwich sales, were part of at least 3 big Beef Month events, were featured in a radio interview to promote Beef Month, read to 41 elementary school classrooms, were part of 3 local festivals, hosted a beef cook-off, and had 14 social media posts throughout the entire October Beef Month! This garnered them 90 points for their efforts and gave them the bragging rights of being declared The 2022 Cattlemen of Beef Month. Congrats!

However, they had some stiff competition among 25 counties who participated. And we appreciate every county that put their best foot forward this month to promote our delicious product, BEEF! Below is the list of the top 5 counties that participated and the entire list of counties that had a hand in making this the best Beef Month yet.

In no particular order, the rest of the counties that participated:

Thank you to the counties, volunteers, and members who put in such great efforts for 2022 October Beef Month!

Bama’s Best Beef Announced

In a narrow, but firm, margin, the winner of the 2022 Bama’s Best Beef contest is…McLin’s Restaurant of Daleville, AL! The third-generation, family-owned-and-operated eatery won both the People’s Choice and Judge’s Pick divisions, making them the overall contest winner.

A 12-oz. Certified Angus Beef® ribeye aged 45 days and seasoned with a secret blend of 16 ingredients that only owner Ricky McLin knows, the McLin’s Special Ribeye has garnered the attention (and appetites) of more than 410,000 fans on Facebook.

“I run the front of house,” said manager Matt McLin. “I’m the one that sees the face, and it’s my job to learn people. I’ve probably seen three-or-four dozen new families in the past two weeks that I know have never dined with us. They said they had seen us on Facebook and wanted to try the steak.”

McLin’s Restaurant owner, Ricky McLin, and managers, Matt McLin and Zach McLin, were visited by ACA staff, officers and judges on Wednesday, Oct. 26 where the dish was judged and a finalist plaque was presented. As a result of the win, McLin’s Restaurant will also receive additional Facebook advertising, airtime on The Land Show to share their restaurant’s story, roadside signage and coverage in the Alabama Cattleman magazine. Their opponent, Boondocks BBQ & Creamery in Wedowee will also receive coverage as the state runner-up for its Brisket Plate, which also gets two thumbs up from staff and judges!

The annual Bama’s Best Beef contest, which highlights local restaurants’ beef dishes, is sponsored by the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association (ACA) and funded by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program.

CATTLEMEN’S FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS, closing soon

Alabama Cattlemen’s Foundation Scholarships are LIVE for application, and they close THIS SUNDAY, November 6! These scholarships are for high school seniors and collegiate students who are members, or whose parents or grandparents, for at least two consecutive years. In addition to the many scholarships we’ve traditionally offered, we are thrilled to announce SIX new scholarship opportunities for students pursuing higher education. They are:

 “Tagged for Academic Excellence” Scholarship

 “Tagged for Civic Engagement” Scholarship

 “Tagged for Campus Involvement” Scholarship

“Tagged for Industry Involvement” Scholarship

 Agricultural Law Scholarship

 Rural Medicine Scholarship

Explore these many opportunities and APPLY BY SUNDAYat www.BamaBeef.org/Scholarships

Industry Relations & YCLP

The first weekend of this month ACA Director of Field Services Reid McGuire was on hand for the beef cattle show at the Alabama National Fair. Exhibitors from across the state exhibited their projects and fair attendees got to see first hand all of the hard work of our youth. This was great exposure for our state’s beef industry to the public.

We also had our third YCLP session in DeKalb County. Special thanks to Zane Troxell, D&S Quality Meats, and John and Randa Starnes of Tennessee River Music for hosting us for tours. Also, a huge thanks to the Northeast Alabama Agribusiness Center for the use of their facility for our Friday night meal and leadership session. We heard from Kathy Gotcher of the Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Committee, as well as YCLP Council members Will Gotcher and Katie Sowell. Thanks to the DeKalb County Cattlemen’s Association for sponsoring a delicious steak dinner!

At the end of October, Reid was also in attendance for the annual bull sales at CK Cattle and Tennessee River Music. Both sales were excellent offerings that yielded strong results, and we are optimistic that the momentum will continue through the remainder of the sale season!

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

We are so close to the goal of 10,000 members! As of today, the ACA is proud to represent 9,847 members across the state. If you need county annual meeting or October Beef Month supplies, contact our office at 334-265-1867.

County leaders: in order for your meeting to make it into the ACA magazine you will need to get your meeting info to Jessica Kennedy by the 15th of the month prior. You can email Jessica with your meeting details or submit them online by clicking here. Be sure to RSVP for the November 17 Board of Directors meeting at the ACA in Montgomery.

SOUTHEASTERN LIVESTOCK EXPO NEWS

The Southeastern Livestock Exposition is excited to announce all things new to 2023! It is our mission to impact and support youth in agriculture, and we are thrilled to extend our reach. Not only are we hosting the Junior Beef and Swine Expos, but we are adding the Junior Dairy Expo to the line up in 2023. We are also inviting three state youth rodeo associations to compete at the Garrett Coliseum the weekend before the SLE Rodeo: Alabama Junior Rodeo Association (3/10/23), Alabama Little Britches Rodeo Association (3/11/23), and Alabama High School Rodeo Association (3/12/23). This event will be known as the SLE Youth Rodeo Showdown. It is our hope that these young cowboys and cowgirls will one day come back and compete in the SLE Rodeo once they earn their PRCA cards! Moreover, the SLE leadership has decided it is time to bring some elegance back to the arena, so we are hosting the Miss SLE Rodeo pageant on March 9, 2023. You can find all details regarding the queen contest by visiting www.SLErodeo.com/queen.

Last but not least, we are ecstatic to announce that John Harrison is our 2023 SLE Rodeo clown, barrrelman, and featured act!  He is sure to keep you laughing while you sit back and enjoy some good ‘ole clean, family friendly fun!

Just this year, he has been selected by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association for the following:

– 2022 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Barrelman

– 2022 Top 5 Coors Man in the Can Nominee

– 2022 Top 5 Comedy Act of the Year Nominee

– 2022 Top 5 Clown of the Year Nominee

Not only is he on fire in 2022, but John has been one of the best in the business for years! He was selected to go to the WNFR as the barrelman 8X, won the Coors Man in the Can award 4X, and has held the title of Comedy Act of the Year 4X. He creates a lively atmosphere that you will not want to miss!

We have a few more fun announcements up our sleeve, so us follow us on Facebook (@SLE Rodeo) to learn more in the coming weeks!

If you want to be part of this organization whether that be through membership, sponsorship, or volunteering, please reach out to Sarah Hunter, Director of Rodeo Programs, by emailing Sarah Hunter.

Save the dates for next year’s rodeo— March 17-19, 2023!  

BEEF 101

On Friday, ACA Director of Education & Outreach Ali Cantrell will host her last Beef 101 for the year for culinary students from Jefferson State Community College and for the Maranathan Academy Family and Consumer Science program. There will be a total of 35 students in attendance. This program has hosted over 400 students, foodservice employees, producers, and consumers in this year alone! We have hosted 10 Beef 101 programs throughout 2022 with an average of 42 participants or more at each session. Please contact Ali if you would like to be a part of a Beef 101 program in the future or if you would like to schedule a Beef 101 in 2023.

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.