Convention Registration Now Open
Make plans to join us for the 81st annual ACA Convention & Trade Show February 23-24, 2024 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, AL. In addition to vast networking opportunities, banquets featuring delicious beef meals and the Alabama beef industry’s largest trade show, the event will provide educational workshops, youth competitions and industry meetings. This year’s featured speakers include Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth, who will keynote the Cattlemen’s Luncheon, and Mary-Thomas Hart, who serves as Chief Counsel for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Mary-Thomas is a litigation warhorse for NCBA, taking on some of our industry’s toughest challenges including the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, voluntary conservation issues and, most recently, Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS).
While the 2024 event will bring back old favorites, it also welcomes some *NEW* features to the event, including: a Friday Evening Happy Hour, a Saturday Sunrise Breakfast Buffett, a Junior Do-It-All Registration option, Youth Scholarship Competitions on FRIDAY instead of Saturday, and more!
Get registered today at https://cvent.me/R1d94g and find lodging information at https://cvent.me/gvYZYZ. Last but not least, if you’d like to be a trade show vendor, get more information here » https://cvent.me/NlozmM.
We’ll see you in the Rocket City on Feb. 23-24, 2024!
Christmas From Cowboys
What do you get the person that has everything? The ACA has just what you need! This year, you can gift your friends or colleagues a membership to the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association. For $50, the person who receives your gifted membership will receive all of the member benefits, including 12 issues of the Alabama Cattleman magazine. The promotion will run through December 22 as a way to garner new membership for the association. To learn more and get to gifting, visit BamaBeef.org/Join or call our office at (334) 265-1867.
Membership Report
The ACA is Over the Top in 2023! Representing more than 10,100 members, we are grateful for the grassroots efforts that got us to our goal of 10,000 members.
Membership Deadlines to Remember
The membership year-end deadline is December 22. We are in the last stretch to recruit new members for Top Hand prizes. The top recruiter will be awarded ten 12″ Priefert panels, donated by our friends at Fuller Supply Company and Priefert Ranch Equipment. Also, new members recruited will go into the drawing for a John Deere Gator and your name will be entered for each new member you recruit. Don’t forget, all counties who go Over the Top by year end will go into the drawing for the Priefert Squeeze Chute, also donated by Fuller Supply and Priefert Ranch Equipment. Get those memberships entered or sent to the office by the deadline to count!
County Meetings
We need your county meeting dates ASAP if you would like them to run in the magazine. This is the easiest way to get the word out to your members! Send the date, time, and location information to ACA Director of Membership Jessica Kennedy.
Elmore County Named “Cattlemen of Beef Month”
Elmore County Cattlemen were crowned the 2023 Cattlemen of Beef Month, thanks to their fantastic programs aimed at supporting beef and their local community during October Beef Month. Their festivities included a community October Beef Month Kickoff event, 29 visits to local elementary classes for Cowboys In The Classroom, 130 social media posts promoting beef, several local fundraiser collaborations and more. Congratulations, Elmore County!
2023 Digital Advertising Report
In 2023, digital advertising was purchased through Alabama Media Group (AMG) to display beef promotional information on AL.com. This included display advertisements on pages with normal content, mobile full-page ads (similar in style to an Instagram post for more organic interaction), an article written by AMG educating consumers on October Beef Month and its importance, and four email newsletters to consumers across the state that are not beef producers. Additionally, a sports partnership with AMG included a video sponsorship for SEC basketball in the spring; Alabama and Auburn football graphics; and a weekly Head2Head update on Alabama and Auburn featuring sports analyst Simone Eli, former Alabama player Mike McCoy, and former Auburn player Cole Cubelic. Investment pricing and impacts are listed with results measuring from January 1, 2023, to October 31, 2023, unless otherwise noted. Total spent for these assets is $70,990 with a total impact of almost 16 MILLION consumers!
Display Advertisements (Investment $14,740, for January to December): Total Impressions -2,327,710 Total Exposure Time – 10,087 Hours, 55 Minutes, 43 Seconds or the equivalent of over 1.21 million (30-second) TV or radio ad spots.
Mobile Full-Page Ads (August to December asset) (Investment $6,300): Total Impressions – 296,925 Total Exposure Time – 382 Hours, 44 Minutes, 42 Seconds, or the equivalent of over 45,840 (30-second) TV/Radio ads.
October Beef Month article (Investment $3,000): Total Impressions – 120,001 .
Three Email Newsletters (throughout the year) (2 delivered to 35,000 recipients, 1 delivered to 60,000 recipients) (Investment $8,950): Total Interactions – 48,645.
SEC Basketball Video Sponsorship (February to April) (Investment $6,000): Total Impressions – 1,997,654 .
Alabama and Auburn Football Graphics (July to November) (Investment $12,000): Total Impressions – 10,833,585.
Head2Head Weekly Updates (August to November) (Investment $20,000): Total Views (23 videos shared) – 284,301.
Alabama Beef Checkoff Task Force Gathers to Plan
Alabama industry professionals, cattlemen, and supporting partners of the Beef Checkoff Program gathered in Montgomery on November 2nd for the Checkoff Task Force Meeting. This time was spent reviewing the effectiveness of this year’s programming and brainstorming new ideas for 2024.
YCLP
During November, YCLP Class X had their fourth session of the year. This session brought them to Northwest Alabama, where tour stops included Golden Farms, Daily Farms, Reeder Cattle Co., and Williams Farms. The class also participated in leadership training and learned about market reports and Livestock Risk Protection. Thanks to all of our hosts and speakers, as well as the Franklin and Lawrence County Cattlemen for providing meals.
Broadcast Cooking Segments
ACA’s Josie Jones and Kathy Adams Phillips of Kathy’s Southern Kitchen visited Cooking with John in Mobile to share some great holiday beef recipes. Be sure to check them out on WKRG December 21 and 28!
Youth Programs
ACA Director of Field Services Reid McGuire attended the Wallace Community College “Tools of the Trade” Career day in November. This event saw over 1,000 youth come to learn about different career paths in trades. Youth that stopped by the ACA booth got to learn about careers within the beef industry, BQA, and did an interactive puzzle to learn about the cuts of beef.
AISA All-Stars
The 2023 Alabama Independent School Association (AISA) All-Star Football players gathered at the ACA for a steak dinner ahead of their final game on the gridiron. While at the ACA, the young men learn more about our association, enjoyed fellowship and fueled up with plenty of protein prior to the big game.
Black Vulture Depredation Sub-Permit
Livestock producers experiencing depredation from black vultures may now apply for a no cost Black Vulture Depredation Sub-Permit through the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries. All approved applicants will be allowed to take up to three black vultures as long as the statewide take number has not exceeded 500. If 500 vultures are harvested in the state, applicants will receive an email notifying them that no more vultures may be taken during the permit period. For more information, visit agi.alabama.gov.
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