80TH ANNUAL ACA CONVENTION & Trade show
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. This year’s General Sessions and Cattlemen’s Colleges will feature topics ranging from agricultural policy, to animal health and nutrition, to cattle markets and more!
We hope to see you there for this family-friendly event! Online pre-registration closes Sunday, February 5. On-site registration will be available, but meals will not be guaranteed— don’t miss out!
January 2023 Membership Report
The ACA is proud to represent 6,181 members thus far in 2023, and we are proud to boast a few new membership benefits including perks at Big Mike’s Steakhouse franchises statewide, discounts at Great Wolf Lodge and deals from Trucker’s Warehouse. Check out the list of member benefits at www.BamaBeef.org/Benefits.
The ACA Winter Board of Directors Meeting will be at the ACA Convention & Tradeshow on Friday, February 17, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. We will be awarding Top Hand Club prizes and drawing for the Priefert Squeeze Chute. Each of the 34 counties that went Over the Top in 2022 will be in the drawing for the chute, which was sponsored by Fuller Supply and Priefert Ranch Equipment. Remember, a representative from the winning county must be present at the drawing in order to win. If there is no representation present at the meeting, another county will be drawn. Congratulations to our 2022 Over the Top County Chapters: Baldwin, Barbour, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Clay, Coosa, Covington, Cullman, Dale, Dallas, DeKalb, Elmore, Escambia, Fayette, Franklin, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lowndes, Madison, Marengo, Monroe, Morgan, Randolph, St Clair, Sumter, Washington, Wilcox, and Winston.
County Meetings Underway
Speaking of ACA Membership, the grassroots of the organization are at work this month hosting county annual meetings across Alabama. State officers and staff are enjoying the opportunity to attend these meetings, provide a state update, fellowship with local members, and enjoy delicious meals and impressive cake auctions! Just in January alone, nearly 20 counties have hosted meetings, and February/March calendars are filling up more with each passing day. If you need supplies, postcards, or to notify the state office about an upcoming annual meeting, please contact ACA Director of Membership Jessica Kennedy or fill out this form.
Tornado Clean Up Day on Friday, January 27
ACA staff, leaders and members will be in West Alabama on Friday, January 27 to help members with cleanup from tornados earlier this month. The generosity of our members will allow us to bring along skid steers, chain saws and fencing supplies to visit Hale and Sumter counties. If you were heavily affected by the storms and have a NEED, please contact Erin Beasley (ebeasley@bamabeef.org). If you would like to HELP, contact Reid McGuire (reid@bamabeef.org).
Inauguration Day 2023
Cattlemen leaders enjoyed time spent participating in Inauguration Day festivities on Monday, January 16 in downtown Montgomery. After the swearing in ceremony for constitutional officers, ACA officers and staff attended several elected officials’ receptions and enjoyed the Inauguration Parade— which featured the beef truck and trailer! The ACA congratulates elected officials and looks forward to working together to protect the business climate of Alabama’s beef cattle industry over the next four years.
2023 Distinguished Young Women of Alabama Visit ACA
The ACA welcomed the 2023 competitors of the Distinguished Young Women of Alabama program to the ACA building earlier this month. Each year, the girls spend time at the building touring The MOOseum and learning more about the association. This year, we were proud to have US Sen. Katie Britt in attendance as she serves as a host mom for competitors. Pictured are competitors with parents or grandparents in the ACA with Erin Beasley (left) and Senator Britt (right). They are L-R: Lynsey Spann, Marion County; Meredith Wright, Clarke County; Claudia Diamond, Choctaw County; and Emily Anne Morgan, Crenshaw County.
Upcoming Junior Cattlemen Events
Registration is now open for Youth Scholarship Contests at the 80th Annual ACA Convention & Trade Show on Saturday, February 18 at the Montgomery Convention Center. Contest entry is FREE, and scholarship prizes will be awarded for winners in Public Speaking, Career Development and Quiz Bowl competitions. Interested youth ages 9-21 can learn more and register online at https://cvent.me/287OP0 or on-site at the convention in Montgomery. The 2023 Youth Scholarship Contests are sponsored by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program.
Registration is also open for the 8th Annual Southeastern Livestock Exposition Youth & Collegiate Livestock Judging Contest on Wednesday, March 8 in Montgomery, AL. Interested teams can learn more and register online at www.SLERodeo.com/JudgingContest.
Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program, Apps Out Now!
Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program (YCLP) Class X applications are now available online and will close March 15. The YCLP is funded by the Alabama Beef Checkoff and serves to develop young leaders in the state cattle industry. There will be six (6) YCLP sessions for a select group of young cattlemen between the ages of 22 and 40 looking to take on more leadership and responsibility within the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and its county affiliates. Participants will network with other young cattlemen, tour diverse cattle operations, and develop advocacy and leadership skills as it relates to beef cattle production— all while learning more about the industry we represent. Applications and additional program details can be found at www.BamaBeef.org/YCLP, or by contacting YCLP Coordinator Reid McGuire at 334-265-1867.
The YCLP Advisory Council is also accepting applications for alumni of classes 4, 7 and 9. The application and further information can be found at www.BamaBeef.org/Council.
2023 Alabama Junior & Senior High School Beef Cook-Off
The Alabama Junior & Senior High School Beef Cook-off is in the works! The 2023 state contest will take place on April 14, 2023 at Jefferson State University in Birminham, AL. In order to qualify for the state competition, contestants must have won a county competition. Please contact ACA Director of Education & Outreach Ali Gotcher if you are interested in hosting a county beef cook-off. Registration for the statewide cook-off closes Monday, March 20. More information, including rules and registration can be found here.
2023 SLE Rodeo- Coming to Town March 17-19
Director of Rodeo Programs Sarah Hunter has been hot on the road in January. She traveled to the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo to take notes and visit with the FWSSR leadership and PRCA staff, and she has traveled to county cattlemen’s meetings to promote the upcoming SLE Rodeo.
The SLE Rodeo office has stayed busy preparing for several different events. The Southeastern Livestock Exposition hosted a New Member Orientation Luncheon at the rodeo headquarters to welcome a strong group of agricultural leaders into the organization. The organization is only five spots away from maxing out its membership— which caps at 150— and that is very exciting! The SLE Rodeo committee has been working tirelessly to prepare for the upcoming Livestock and Rodeo Week in March and are eager to welcome back 8X Stock Contractor of the Year Frontier Rodeo Company, 2022 PRCA Clown of the Year John Harrison, and the electric Ultimate Bullfighters! New this year will be a concert on the dirt featuring Shackelford Lane following the rodeo on Friday, March 17.
Visit www.SLERodeo.com to view the event schedule and purchase tickets. We can’t wait to see you there!
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