81st Annual ACA Convention & Trade Show
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, as well as 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 such as the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, voluntary conservation issues and, most recently, Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS). Also joining us will be Secretary of State Wes Allen and Dr. Josh Clevenger of the HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology.
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. 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!
Cattle Connect Podcast, Tune in Today!
The ACA is proud to bring its newest membership communication tool to life, a podcast! On January 19, the Cattle Connect podcast hit airwaves to launch the 2024 season, so tune in weekly on Friday mornings at 7AM as staff discusses beef industry news and explores the many facets of the ACA! This podcast is available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, YouTube and at www.BamaBeef.org/Podcast.
Membership Report
The ACA is aiming to go Over the Top again in 2024— help us get over 10,000 members! As we have entered a new membership year, we are proud to report that as of January 31, we represent 6,437 members and growing more with each county annual meeting that takes place. We are grateful for the grassroots efforts of our county organizations and look forward to another year of membership advocacy alongside you!
Membership Deadlines to Remember
Remember, the Over the Top County Chapter deadline to earn your president a coveted ACA red coat is June 30. And believe us when we say that will be here before we know it! We are also looking forward to awarding our 2023 Top Hand recruitment prizes during the upcoming ACA Convention & Trade Show. The top recruiter will be awarded ten 12″ Priefert panels, donated by our friends at Fuller Supply Company and Priefert Ranch Equipment. New members and their recruiter’s name will go into the drawing for a John Deere Gator, and all 35 counties who went Over the Top by the end of 2023 are in a drawing for the Priefert Squeeze Chute, also donated 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. Stay tuned for our winners!
County Meetings
We need to know about your county meetings in more ways than one. First, we need to know when it will be! Please send the date, time, and location information to ACA Director of Membership Jessica Kennedy so we can list your upcoming meeting in the magazine and on our online events calendar. Second, following the meeting, we need to know about leadership changes. Submit the names and contact information of your county president and secretary also to Jessica, so they can be added to our state correspondence list.
Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program Class XI- Apps Now Open!
Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program (YCLP) Class XI applications are now available online and will close March 17. 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 5, 6, 8 and 10. The application and further information can be found at www.BamaBeef.org/Council.
2024 ALABAMA JUNIOR & SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL BEEF COOK-OFF
The Alabama Junior & Senior High School Beef Cook-off is in the works! The 2024 state contest will take place on Friday, April 12 at the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Academy at Riverchase Career Connection Center (RC3) in Birmingham, AL. In order to qualify for the state competition, contestants must have won a county competition. Please contact ACA Director of Consumer Outreach Josie Jones if you are interested in hosting a county beef cook-off. Registration for the statewide cook-off closes March 4. More information, including rules and registration, can be found by clicking here.
Upcoming Junior Cattlemen Events
Registration is now open for Youth Scholarship Contests at the 81st Annual ACA Convention & Trade Show on Friday, February 23 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, AL. 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 or on-site at the convention in Huntsville. The 2024 Youth Scholarship Contests are sponsored by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program.
Registration is also open for the 9th Annual Southeastern Livestock Exposition Youth & Collegiate Livestock Judging Contest on Wednesday, March 6 in Montgomery, AL. Interested teams can learn more and register online here.
2024 Alabama Legislative Session
The 2024 Alabama Legislative Session will gavel in on Tuesday, February 6, kicking off the busiest 105 days in downtown Montgomery. While big topics such as school choice, gambling and workforce development will rule the chambers of the State House, the ACA’s legislative priorities will remain on task. ACA’s team of lobbyists will be focused on budget priorities in both the General Fund and Education Trust Fund (ETF) relating to animal disease traceability and youth livestock programs as well as working to pass a sales tax exemption on livestock fencing materials. This bill is prefiled in the 2024 Session as SB6 and is sponsored by Sen. Jack Williams of Mobile County. Tune into the Cattle Connect next Friday, February 9 as Erin Beasley and Kayla Greer will discuss these priorities more in depth.
Register for Beef 101
Beef 101 Registration for Spring 2024 is open! This program is sponsored by the Alabama Beef Checkoff and offers free industry educational sessions at the Auburn University Beef Teaching Unit and Meats Lab for high school and college culinary students, high school agriculture groups, and influential culinary individuals. To learn more or register, please visit tinyurl.com/2024beef101.
2024 SLE Rodeo, Coming to Town!
The SLE Rodeo is right around the corner! Join us at the Garrett Coliseum March 15-17 for the SLE PRCA Rodeo. The SLE has countless other events happening on the grounds that we would love for you to be a part of (especially our three-day team roping, ranch horse weekend, cowboy church, and free country concert). We also hope to see ACA families on site to compete in and support the Junior Livestock Exposition. Check out the event schedule on www.SLERodeo.com for complete details of the SLE Rodeo and Livestock Week. We can’t wait to see you there!
2024 DISTINGUISHED YOUNG WOMEN OF ALABAMA VISIT ACA
The ACA welcomed the 2024 competitors of the Distinguished Young Women (DYW) of Alabama program to the ACA building in January. Each year, we introduce the young ladies to our state’s beef cattle industry through a delicious beef meal, brief educational discussion and a tour of The MOOseum. Special thanks to these ladies, and the DYW state committee, for stopping by!
Bama Beef Events Calendar
The Bama Beef Events Calendar (www.BamaBeef.org/Events) is beginning to fill up with county cattlemen’s, youth and Extension activities as we look toward the spring months. Check it daily to make sure you don’t miss an event near you!
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 or tune into the Cattle Connect Podcast.