Author: Alabama Cattlemen's Association

Summer heat and showers have flooded the state, and we are grateful as the combo of the two produce what a cattleman needs most— grass! While you work to bale hay, keep water troughs full and manage summer grazing, your ACA staff is busy in the office in Montgomery seeing to the many elements that make the industry work. From managing calls to promoting summertime grilling and planning youth events to producing new merchandise, we can always find something to work on around here! Keep  reading to learn more about what’s happening at the ACA. 

Executive Committee Meets Virtually Thursday

The Executive Committee will meet tomorrow via Zoom tomorrow in place of the regularly schedule board of directors meeting. The group will receive updates of the association’s response efforts to COVID-19, upcoming checkoff funded projects and discuss cattle pricing proposals that are on the table in the industry. The ACA hopes to have an in person Board of Directors meeting in August.

For today’s membership update, to date, we are proud to have 8,190 members in the 2020 year. Let’s get to that big 10,000!!

USDA Announces Details of CFAP Program

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) opened the application period for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Cattlemen are encouraged to visit their local FSA office quickly to submit application for this government funding. Forms are available at the link below, and word so far is that the application process is pretty streamlined!

Eligible Livestock for CFAP

CFAP assistance is available to livestock producers who have an ownership interest in eligible livestock that have suffered a five percent-or-greater price decline as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and face additional significant costs in marketing their inventories due to unexpected surplus and disrupted markets. The application period will open on Tuesday, May 26.

Cattle eligible for CFAP include:

• Feeder Cattle (<600 lbs.)
• Feeder Cattle (> 600 lbs.)
• Slaughter Cattle: Fed Cattle
• Slaughter Cattle: Mature Cattle

All Other Cattle (not including livestock used, or intended for, dairy production)

A single payment for livestock will be calculated using the sum of the producer’s number of livestock sold between January 15 and April 15, 2020, multiplied by the payment rates per head, and the highest inventory number of livestock between April 16 and May 14, 2020, multiplied by the payment rate per head.

Producers must provide the following information for CFAP:

Total sales of eligible livestock, by species and class, between January 15, 2020, to April 15, 2020, of owned inventory as of January 15, 2020, including any offspring from that inventory; and highest inventory of eligible livestock, by species and class, between April 16, 2020, and May 14, 2020.

Learn more at » https://www.farmers.gov/cfap/livestock

Marketing Meat Direct to Consumers: A Three-Part Webinar Series

In response to growing demand for local meat products, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program have partnered with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and Sweet Grown Alabama to host a three-part webinar series to educate Alabama farmers on the steps required to raise, harvest and market their products in a way that complies with state and national regulation, ensuring a safe and wholesome product for consumers to enjoy.

If you are interested in learning from this series, please pre-register for this virtual event by CLICKING HERE. Webinar access information will be provided following your submission and will be sent via the email address provided in the form.

The webinar will occur as follows:

• June 1, 2020 | 12:00 P.M.
  Creating the Product Consumers Expect
  – Carcass Goals
  – Nutritional Management of Cattle, Pigs & Small Ruminants
  – Other Management Considerations
• June 3, 2020 | 12:00 P.M.
  The Processing Process
  – Choosing a Processor
  – Dry Aging vs Wet Aging
  – The Math: Dressing Percentages and Carcass Yields
• June 5, 2020 | 12:00 P.M.
  Getting Your Product to Market, and Getting Paid for It
  – Where to Sell Your Product
  – How to Price Your Product
  – How to Advertise
  – The Ins-and-Outs of Farmers’ Markets
  – Intro to Sweet Grown Alabama

If you have any questions, please contact Ali Cantrell at the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association at (334) 265-1867.

Bama Beef Directory

In line with the above webinar series and also in response to growing demand for local beef products, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association is in the process of creating a digital portal to directly connect consumers looking to purchase beef with those who produce it. We are now accepting submissions to be included in this directory. If you are an Alabama beef producer who sells freezer beef, please add your operation to the listing by completing our form available also at www.BamaBeef.org/BamaBeef. Or you can call our office to relay the information. Just ask to speak with Ali Cantrell or Kayla Greer.

Pike County Cattlemen’s Memorial Day Blowout

ACA Director of Field Services Morgan Pounds and several of the AJCA Directors spent the weekend in Pike County at a jackpot show that welcomed over 250 exhibitors. Great work to the county chapter for putting on a great event for youth who were itching to get back in the show ring. Thanks to all who made it happen!

ACA Now Offers Blue BEEF Tags

If you thought our iconic red BEEF tags were popular, let us intprudce you to their Auburn-oriented counterpart. In response to a few requests for blue and white tags, we decided to order a test batch and WOW. They are flying out the door. In the course of one week we’ve sold over 100 of the blue tags through our online store!! Folks are also buying up the red tags, hats and T-shirts while they are there. Don’t miss out on your blue tag >> www.BamaBeef.org/Store 

14th annual AJCA Round-Up

Registration is now open for the 14th annual Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Association Round-Up. Happening July 16-19 at the Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, this annual junior event is full steam ahead. The agenda might look a little different this year as the public speaking and career development contests were moved to the convention, and a showmanship clinic and a Bred & Owned show were added to the events lineup. A full schedule and the rules packet are available on the website, along with registration. Check it out >> www.BamaBeef.org/RoundUp.

2020 SLE Rodeo Cancelled, Looking Forward to 2021

Just in case you missed the news last week…On March 13, 2020 the Southeastern Livestock Exposition (SLE) announced the postponement of the 63^rd annual SLE Rodeo and Livestock Week amid growing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. SLE leadership has been monitoring conditions related to COVID-19 and the sport of rodeo both locally and nationally over the course of two months and in doing so, has made the decision to cancel the 2020 rodeo and related events.

Tickets will be refunded through the agency in which they were purchased. If tickets were purchased through the Garrett Coliseum Box Office, contact (334) 356-6866 to request a full refund. Tickets purchased with a credit card through the SLE Rodeo Headquarters will be refunded automatically. For tickets purchased through Ticketmaster, rodeo patrons will receive an automatic refund of the ticket order amount to the method of payment used for purchase within 30 days.

Information on the 2021 SLE Rodeo and Livestock Week will be made available in coming months. Please monitor announcements and updates at www.SLERodeo.com or on our Facebook page.

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, Twitter or Instagram.

It has been quite the week here at ACA. With the roll out of CFAP, a magazine deadline, the upcoming Pike County Show and several Foundation projects (including Jackson, Coffee and Pike counties), there’s much going on! We’ve got news all around to bring your way as we head into the holiday weekend and official kickoff of summer grilling season. Speaking of grilling, we were supposed to be launching a nationwide summer grilling campaign today…but COVID-19 has forced us to delay until June 10. Don’t worry, we are still going to be promoting firing up the grill with beef until then. Keep reading to learn more about what’s happening— and what has happened— since our last update!

2020 SLE Rodeo Cancelled, Looking Forward to 2021

On March 13, 2020 the Southeastern Livestock Exposition (SLE) announced the postponement of the 63^rdannual SLE Rodeo and Livestock Week amid growing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. SLE leadership has been monitoring conditions related to COVID-19 and the sport of rodeo both locally and nationally over the course of two months and in doing so, has made the decision to cancel the 2020 rodeo and related events.

Tickets will be refunded through the agency in which they were purchased. If tickets were purchased through the Garrett Coliseum Box Office, contact (334) 356-6866 to request a full refund. Tickets purchased with a credit card through the SLE Rodeo Headquarters will be refunded automatically. For tickets purchased through Ticketmaster, rodeo patrons will receive an automatic refund of the ticket order amount to the method of payment used for purchase within 30 days.

Information on the 2021 SLE Rodeo and Livestock Week will be made available in coming months. Please monitor announcements and updates at www.SLERodeo.com or on our Facebook page.

USDA Announces Details of CFAP Program

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced details of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Below is a high-level summary of the program and additional details can be found in the attached rule and at https://www.farmers.gov/cfap/livestock.

Eligible Livestock for CFAP

CFAP assistance is available to livestock producers who have an ownership interest in eligible livestock that have suffered a five percent-or-greater price decline as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and face additional significant costs in marketing their inventories due to unexpected surplus and disrupted markets. The application period will open on Tuesday, May 26.

Cattle eligible for CFAP include:

• Feeder Cattle (<600 lbs.)
• Feeder Cattle (> 600 lbs.)
• Slaughter Cattle: Fed Cattle
• Slaughter Cattle: Mature Cattle

All Other Cattle (not including livestock used, or intended for, dairy production)

A single payment for livestock will be calculated using the sum of the producer’s number of livestock sold between January 15 and April 15, 2020, multiplied by the payment rates per head, and the highest inventory number of livestock between April 16 and May 14, 2020, multiplied by the payment rate per head.

Producers must provide the following information for CFAP:

Total sales of eligible livestock, by species and class, between January 15, 2020, to April 15, 2020, of owned inventory as of January 15, 2020, including any offspring from that inventory; and highest inventory of eligible livestock, by species and class, between April 16, 2020, and May 14, 2020.

Learn more at » https://www.farmers.gov/cfap/livestock

Giving Back With a Virtual Cookoff

The weekend, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association will be partnering with the Montgomery Biscuits and Bama-Q to host a Virtual Burger Cook-off at the Biscuits stadium in Montgomery. This cook-off will raise awareness about the impacts of COVID-19 and host as a fundraiser for local organizations benefiting healthcare workers and restaurant workers. On May 22, Montgomery County Cattlemen will be cooking 150 ribeye steak sandwiches in the stadium to serve healthcare workers at Baptist Medical Center East and meet with media to talk about the cook-off on Saturday. Bama-Q will broadcast the burger cook-off live through multiple outlets (Facebook, fireTV, ROKU) on May 23 and viewers will be able to donate through an online donation platform directly to Biscuits Charitable Foundation. We are excited to be part of this event that features our favorite protein, beef, on the kickoff weekend for summer grilling!

Marketing Meat Direct to Consumers: A Three-Part Webinar Series

In response to growing demand for local meat products, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program have partnered with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and Sweet Grown Alabama to host a three-part webinar series to educate Alabama farmers on the steps required to raise, harvest and market their products in a way that complies with state and national regulation, ensuring a safe and wholesome product for consumers to enjoy.

If you are interested in learning from this series, please pre-register for this virtual event by CLICKING HERE. Webinar access information will be provided following your submission and will be sent via the email address provided in the form.

The webinar will occur as follows:

• June 1, 2020 | 12:00 P.M.
  Creating the Product Consumers Expect
  – Carcass Goals
  – Nutritional Management of Cattle, Pigs & Small Ruminants
  – Other Management Considerations
• June 3, 2020 | 12:00 P.M.
  The Processing Process
  – Choosing a Processor
  – Dry Aging vs Wet Aging
  – The Math: Dressing Percentages and Carcass Yields
• June 5, 2020 | 12:00 P.M.
  Getting Your Product to Market, and Getting Paid for It
  – Where to Sell Your Product
  – How to Price Your Product
  – How to Advertise
  – The Ins-and-Outs of Farmers’ Markets
  – Intro to Sweet Grown Alabama

If you have any questions, please contact Ali Cantrell at the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association at (334) 265-1867.

14th annual AJCA Round-Up

Registration is now open for the 14th annual Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Association Round-Up. Happening July 16-19 at the Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, this annual junior event is full steam ahead. The agenda might look a little different this year as the public speaking and career development contests were moved to the convention, and a showmanship clinic and a Bred & Owned show were added to the events lineup. A full schedule and the rules packet are available on the website, along with registration. Check it out >> www.BamaBeef.org/RoundUp.

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, Twitter or Instagram.

It has been two months since we last updated about what is going on in the office, and to be honest…you probably already know. Coronavirus has shifted all our lives like we never could have anticipated. Although blog updates have been slow, the work continued and today we encourage you to saddle up for a long, all-encompassing update about the many things that have been happening while we have practiced social distancing and worked remotely for a stint of time. Here goes…get ready for a big read!

ACA Membership Update

We will start with our the most constant aspect of our association…membership! We were thrilled with the continued support through membership we have received throughout the pandemic. We are just a handful of members away from 8,000 for the year, clocking in the day with 7,983 members. As a reminder, the Over the Top county membership deadline to qualify for your iconic red coat is June 30. Stay tuned for information about our May Board of Directors meeting coming soon.

FREE Webinars Available and Upcoming

While education may look drastically different today, the good news is that thanks to technology…it is still possible from the comfort and safety of our homes. While many great informational webinars have taken place to date, we want to draw your attention to a few that stand out.

• The Intersection of the Cattle & Beef Industries
  • This twice-weekly, two-hour informational session is designed to provide an accurate science-and-evidence-based overview of the U.S. beef industry from conception to consumption for producers, consumers and decision makers.
• Are Your Cattle Breed-Ready?
  • Sponsored by Multimin USA and the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, this informational webinar is targeted for cow/calf producers and will feature the knowledge of Multimin Technical Veterinarian Dr. Andy Bennett. There will be two convenient dates and times- May 18 at 7 p.m. and May 29 at 2 p.m. To register and get more information, contact Sheri Chapman at (334) 352-5062 or sheri@multiminusa.com.
• USDA Agricultural Marketing Services Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Update
  • USDA announced the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) will be hosting a webinar for farmers, ranchers and other producers interested in applying for direct payments through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) this Thursday, May 14, 2020, at 12 p.m. CST.  This webinar is an opportunity for producers to learn about the general application process and required documentation prior to the official beginning of signup. Producers interested in participating may register in advance for webinar HERE.

County Cattlemen’s Associations Give Back

Through a partnership with the Alabama Cattlemen’s Foundation and local sponsors, county chapters across Alabama have given back to the frontline workers of this pandemic in the best way they know how— with beef! Butler, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Colbert, Franklin, Houston, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Limestone, Madison, Montgomery and Shelby counties have already completed projects that provided beef meals to hospital staff, first responders, truck drivers, farm supply stores and other employees deemed “essential.” That’s not all as Jackson will complete this charitable project on Friday, followed by Coffee County on Saturday. If you are interested in doing this in your own county, contact our office at (334) 265-1867.

Summer Grilling Campaign Excitement!

We will be able to tell you more next week, but trust us when we say that our national office is getting ready to release an EXCELLENT summer grilling campaign, and we are excited to extend it here in our home state in a number of ways. ACA’s Ali Cantrell and Kayla Greer have been busy planning this campaign to best implement it in Alabama under the current circumstances. Given that many events are cancelled, digital is the main route for this promotion. That includes billboards, display and social ads through AL.com, radio commercials in Mobile, and all of our summertime consumer-facing assets will also claim this promotion’s battle cry. If baseball kicks back into play, it will also be seen at the Montgomery Biscuits and Birmingham Barons stadiums.

We look forward to the chance to unveil it to you all next week on May 20 following the national launch, just in time for Memorial Day Weekend. We have to keep it under wraps until then…but it lacks nothing in patriotism and style!

14th annual AJCA Round-Up

Registration is now open for the 14th annual Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Association Round-Up. Happening July 16-19 at the Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, this annual junior event is full steam ahead. The agenda might look a little different this year as the public speaking and career development contests were moved to the convention, and a showmanship clinic and a Bred & Owned show were added to the events lineup. A full schedule and the rules packet are available on the website, along with registration. Check it out >> www.BamaBeef.org/RoundUp.

Representing Cattlemen in the News

There are two things that are in no short supply around our office…hand sanitizer and news media interview requests. Given the current state of the cattle markets and the kink in the supply chain due to packing plant shut downs, the news has been knocking on our doors regularly. ACA Executive VP Erin Beasley has been fielding these calls and questions. Check out her latest interview with WSFA (Montgomery) HERE and read this article written by Tuscaloosa-based and James Beard awarding-winning dietician Dr. Carolyn Williams, RD about what you really need to know about the meat “shortage.” We will continue to monitor local news outlets across Alabama to ensure the right information is being shared. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

SLE Rodeo Update

The Southeastern Livestock Exposition Board of Directors will hold a tele-meeting tomorrow to discuss the plans for the 2020 rodeo. A statement will be release on or by Friday afternoon regarding this year’s events. Stay tuned to Facebook for updates.

Giving Back With a Virtual Cookoff

On Memorial Day weekend, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association will be partnering with the Montgomery Biscuits and Bama-Q to host a “Virtual” Burger Cook-off at the Biscuits stadium in Montgomery. This cook-off will raise awareness about the impacts of COVID-19 and host as a fundraiser for local organizations benefiting healthcare workers, restaurant workers and first responders. On May 22, local cattlemen will be cooking ribeye steak sandwiches in the stadium to serve healthcare workers at Baptist South Medical Center and meet with media to talk about the cook-off on Saturday. Bama-Q will broadcast the burger cook-off live through multiple outlets (Facebook, fireTV, ROKU) on May 23 and viewers will be able to donate through an online donation platform directly to Biscuits Charitable Foundation. We are excited to be part of this event that features our favorite protein, beef, on the kickoff weekend for summer grilling!

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, Twitter or Instagram.

Someone turned up the heat and the activity here in Montgomery as the temperatures turn springlike, and our calendars show all the signs of the rodeo coming to town. This week’s post may be short and sweet since staff is moving in all directions…but know our boots are always on the ground working for you!

SLE Rodeo in Town Next Week!

The rodeo may be in town next week, but the fun starts now! Today, staffers Morgan Pounds, Ali Cantrell and Lauren Wilson welcomed bus loads of college and high school judging teams to the SLE Livestock Judging Contest. More than 150 youth gathered at the Garrett Coliseum to judge livestock classes and put to work their judging skills, sponsored by the SLE and executed but he hand of Extension’s Jason P’Poole. Thanks, Jason!

That’s not all the SLE fun happening this week, though, as ticket sales are keeping the phones off the hook, media interviews are happening across town and all the nuts and bolts of executing an event of the caliber are in motion.

We are in the single digits…just 8 days out from the first performance of 2020! Buck on over to www.SLERodeo.com/Tickets now to secure your seats at the greatest show on dirt! This year’s show is sure to please as we’re featuring freestyle bullfighting, the best stock in the PRCA, all kinds of children’s events and hometown rodeo clown, Trent McFarland! We’ve got some awesome ticket deals available for you to take advantage of, so don’t wait. Get on over to www.SLERodeo.com to learn more about all that SLE Livestock Week offers and to purchase your tickets today! And don’t forget- we offer group ticket sales to groups of 25+ members.

Our ticket sales guru, Sydney Dougherty, is the friendly voice you’ll hear when you call 888-2RODEO2 and now through rodeo time, you can find her here at the office selling tickets during the drive time, 5-7 p.m. and during the lunch hour. Can’t call her during your work day? No big deal— find her here when you have time!

2020 SPRING YOUTH PRODUCTION FIELD DAY

Information is now available on the 2020 Spring Youth Production Field Day being hosted on April 18 at Quail Valley Farms in Oneonta, AL (Blount County). Youth will enjoy a variety of educational topics from EPDs to cattle judging and from ultrasound scanning to a farm tour. Lunch will be provided at this FREE youth event, and it is brought to all youth of our state by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program. Registration for this event  is NOW OPEN. Learn more » www.BamaBeef.org/FieldDay

Consumers Hear about Beef

This week, we published a blog article written by checkoff-contracted Registered Dietitian Elesha Ergle on the portable nutrition of beef. Her post focused on the fact that families are on the move this time of year as the weather warms up, and highlighted the many ways beef can be a portable and nutritious meal. This post will also be used in a consumer e-newsletter, coming soon to an inbox near you!

ACA MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

As of today, the ACA is proud to represent 7,019 members in the 2020 year and counting as county meetings are still happening, although the calendar is lightening up. Following the annual meetings, leaders, we as that you send in county leader contact information so we can update it on our website in our records!

A couple of deadlines to remember as we get deeper into the year:

• Early Bird Membership Drawing: March 31, 2020
• Over the Top Red Coat Deadline: June 30, 2020
• Top Hand Recruiting Deadline: December 31, 2020

PROSTART INVITATIONAL

Earlier this week, staffer Ali Cantrell traveled to Orange Beach for the ProStart Invitational Cook-off. As a sponsor of this event, she was able to meet with potential culinary students to educate them about beef cooking techniques and the beef production system. She also presented the contestants with the Best Beef Dish Award!

Speaking of, beef Cook-offs are underway throughout Alabama! Ali is preparing for our Alabama Jr. & Sr. High School Beef Cook-off on April 4. If your county has hosted a local beef cook-off, be sure to get your winners registered on our website at www.bamabeef.org/events/2020/alabama-juniorsenior-high-school-cookoff and contact Ali Cantrell if you have any questions. THIS FRIDAY, March 13, is the last days for students to register for our state cook-off.

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, Twitter or Instagram.

As usual, it’s a busy week here in Montgomery! You ACA staff is moving in all directions as we prepare for spring events, beef promotions, a busy legislative season and, of course…the SLE Rodeo. We’ve got boots on the ground and are excited for all that’s to come on our hectic spring calendar. Keep reading to learn more about what’s going on with your Alabama Cattlemen’s Association this week. 

Saddle Up for the SLE Rodeo

Tomorrow will host a day of big fun as we welcome media from across the state and River Region in for our 2020 SLE Rodeo Media Luncheon! More than 120 SLE members and media personalities will join to learn about our upcoming events, and we will highlight them for the services they’re offering to help promote the rodeo! We look forward to this event each year.

Also, this week launched our radio campaigns, as staffer Lauren Wilson is out and about beginning to do interviews, and billboards across Alabama are beginning to light up with the news about the 2020 show! Sponsors continue to roll in, and we are down to the nuts and bolts of executing this year’s event. If you’d like to take part in our Wrangler voucher program— where if you spend $70+ on Wrangler jeans, you can get a ticket to the show— you can find those vouchers available at Sikes & Kohns, Camo Country and Bridges Western Wear.

Speaking of the rodeo, we are 22 days out from the first performance of 2020! Buck on over to www.SLERodeo.com/Tickets now to secure your seats at the greatest show on dirt! This year’s show is sure to please as we’re featuring freestyle bullfighting, the best stock in the PRCA, all kinds of children’s events and hometown rodeo clown, Trent McFarland! We’ve got some awesome ticket deals available for you to take advantage of, so don’t wait. Get on over to www.SLERodeo.com to learn more about all that SLE Livestock Week offers and to purchase your tickets today! And don’t forget- we offer group ticket sales to groups of 25+ members.

BCIA Meets at ACA

The Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Association (BCIA) will host their annual meeting at ACA this Saturday. We are excited to host our friends of the BCIA. The event will feature an interactive discussion on “Replacement Heifer Marketing Options and Opportunities” with an Alabama BCIA producer panel moderated by Josh and Michelle Elmore, Alabama Cooperative Extension agents. The ins and outs of replacement heifer marketing, dos, don’ts, and things to be sure to consider from experienced beef cattle professionals and producers. Following lunch, Alabama BCIA Rresident Malcomb Peagues will preside over the BCIA Annual Meeting and Awards Presentations.  Visit this direct link to the BCIA website for the full event schedule:https://albcia.com/bcia-2020-annual-meeting You can register on site for $35.00 a person.

ALDA in Town

This week, ACA Director of Education & Outreach Ali Cantrell will be attending the Alabama Dietetics Association (ALDA) Annual Meeting in Montgomery. ACA will be sponsoring the speaker, Carolyn Williams PhD RD, for Friday morning. She will be speaking on The Anti-Inflammatory Diet and incorporating lean red meat into a healthy lifestyle.

2020 Spring Youth Production Field Day

Information is now available on the 2020 Spring Youth Production Field Day being hosted on April 18 at Quail Valley Farms in Oneonta, AL (Blount County). Youth will enjoy a variety of educational topics from EPDs to cattle judging and from ultrasound scanning to a farm tour. Lunch will be provided at this FREE youth event, and it is brought to all youth of our state by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program. Registration for this event will open this coming Monday, March 2. Learn more » www.BamaBeef.org/FieldDay

ACA MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

As of today, the ACA is proud to represent 6,678 members in the 2020 year and counting as county meetings are still happening, although the calendar is lightening up. That puts us at 70% for the year, but we aren’t stopping until we reach 10,000!! This week, we are excited to see Walker County Cattlemen’s and Baldwin County Cattlemen’s host their annual meetings and for the Shelby County Cattlemen’s Association to put on their annual rodeo!

A couple of deadlines to remember as we get deeper into the year:

• Early Bird Membership Drawing: March 31, 2020
• Over the Top Red Coat Deadline: June 30, 2020
• Top Hand Recruiting Deadline: December 31, 2020

COOKOFF SEASON

Beef Cook-offs are underway throughout Alabama! Now that convention is over, Staffer Ali Cantrell is preparing for our Alabama Jr. & Sr. High School Beef Cook-off on April 4. If your county has hosted a local beef cook-off, be sure to get your winners registered on our website at www.bamabeef.org/events/2020/alabama-juniorsenior-high-school-cookoff and contact Ali Cantrell if you have any questions.

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, Twitter or Instagram.

That’s a wrap! We have put a bow on convention, and are thrilled with the turnout of this year’s event. Keep reading for a recap and saddle up as we head into SLE Rodeo season! Busy is an understatement around this office as we finish up county annual meeting season, head into spring beef promotions, execute the rodeo, begin planning for a busy summer of youth activities and YCLP…and well, basically do everything we did last year and then some. Keep reading to follow along our busy week!

THANK YOU

Thanks to all who attended, spoke at, sponsored or contributed to convention in any way!! The 77th annual ACA Convention & Trade Show was one for the books. We hope you enjoyed each event and speaker as much as we did. Of course, the bow on top is getting to spend a weekend fellowshipping with our favorite group of folks!

Throughout the course of the weekend, we hosted over 320 pre-registrants and over 80 walk-in visitors. What a great group! The crowd enjoyed an excellent trade show, engaging speakers, tons of education and of course, delicious beef! We also elected our new slate of state officers and regional vice presidents. They are:

• President: Larry Reeves, Coffee County
• President-Elect: Clay Kennamer, Jackson County
• Vice President: Jim Jordan, Clay County
• Executive VP: Erin Beasley

• RVP: Chip Cleveland, Autagua County
• RVP: Joe Bradley, Randolph County
• RVP: Steven Smith, Franklin County
• RVP: Alvin Stinson, Butler County

Again, thanks to all who came. Be sure to save the date for next year— March 5-6, 2021 in Birmingham!

SLE Rodeo Coming to Town

We are 29 days out from the first performance of 2020! Buck on over to www.SLERodeo.com/Tickets now to secure your seats at the greatest show on dirt! This year’s show is sure to please as we’re featuring freestyle bullfighting, the best stock in the PRCA, all kinds of children’s events and hometown rodeo clown, Trent McFarland! We’ve got some awesome ticket deals available for you to take advantage of, so don’t wait. Get on over to www.SLERodeo.com to learn more about all that SLE Livestock Week offers and to purchase your tickets today! And don’t forget- we offer group ticket sales to groups of 25+ members.

The SLE Media Luncheon will take place next Thursday to officially kick off the upcoming rodeo festivities. With a month to go until the rodeo, advertising and ticketing will move into high gear as staff prepares for the event. Visit www.SLERodeo.com for a full list of events taking place at the rodeo and to take care of your ticketing needs.

AJCA Junior Contest Success

Congrats to the 20+ juniors who came and participated in our first ever convention contests! We had a great day of contests on Saturday, and our judges raved about how impressed they were in our young people. Here’s who placed in this past weekend’s events:

Junior Division Public Speaking 

• First Place: Mason Smith
• Second Place: MacKenzie Smith
• Third Place: Will Speros

Intermediate Division Public Speaking

• First Place: Blair Wyrosdick
• Second Place: Victoria Thompson
• Third Place: Rex Harrison

Senior Division Public Speaking

• First Place: Trace Strock
• Second Place: Heather Gladney
• Third Place: Madison Stewart

Career Development

• Third Place Career Development Competitor: Heather Gladney
• Reserve Supreme Career Development Competitor : Will Jordan
• Supreme Career Development Competitor: Josie Chance

2020 Alabama Cattlemen’s Convention Quiz Bowl Champion Team

Team Name: Bibbaloose

• Johnathan Chance, Josie Chance, MacKenzie Smith, Heather Gladney

2020 Alabama Cattlemen’s Convention Quiz Bowl Reserve Champion Team

Team Name: Bust the Knowledge

• Izzy Kent, Bence Upchurch, Aiden Upchurch, Blair Wyrosdick

CookOff Season

Beef Cook-offs are underway throughout Alabama! Now that convention is over, Staffer Ali Cantrell is preparing for our Alabama Jr. & Sr. High School Beef Cook-off on April 4. If your county has hosted a local beef cook-off, be sure to get your winners registered on our website at www.bamabeef.org/events/2020/alabama-juniorsenior-high-school-cookoff and contact Ali Cantrell if you have any questions.

Alabama Legislative Update

The legislative session is in its third week. So far, over 200 senate and close to 300 house bills have been dropped. The ACA is monitoring several bills related to environmental and animal regulations. Additionally, the ACA will be hosting several legislative groups in the coming months at the building to discuss topics of interest to the cattle industry. As in past years, the ACA also hosts the Ag Coalition group every Tuesday of the session to discuss bills pertinent to agriculture. Stay tuned as we play watchdog for you to protect your right to farm!

Beef Education Kicks Off for Spring

ACA Director of Education & Outreach Ali Cantrell will be traveling to Brookwood High School tomorrow for their Career Technical Education Safety Day. Ali will be visiting with students about the pasture to plate story for Beef Cattle and how HACCP guidelines are a part of that system along with food safety.

Beef 101’s will kick off next Wednesday with 40 culinary students from Boaz High School. We’re excited for a new year of Beef 101’s and if you would like to attend a program this spring we have three scheduled for March 24, April 1 and 9. Please contact Ali Cantrell if you are interested.

Membership Update

As of today, the ACA is proud to represent 6,372 members in the 2020 year and counting as county meetings are still happening! On Thursday, staffer Kayla Greer will hit the road to Selma for the Dallas County Meeting while our new president, Larry Reeves, heads north to St. Clair County.

A couple of deadlines to remember as we get deeper into the year:

• Early Bird Membership Drawing: March 31, 2020
• Over the Top Red Coat Deadline: June 30, 2020
• Top Hand Recruiting Deadline: December 31, 2020

Social Advertising Going Strong

This year, as an initiative of both the checkoff and the association, our cattlemen elected to put more dollars on social advertising to reach both producers and consumers with our messaging. Since January 1, we have hosted constant rolling ads through our business accounts on both Facebook and Instagram (as they are owned by the same company), and we have been very pleased with the results of these cost-effective campaigns. Since the start of this new marketing strategy, we have had a reach of over 82,000 users and encouraged more than 4,500 link clicks to either our website, www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com or www.BeefBoard.com.

Ads include messaging directed toward consumers with Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand content, while ads targeted at Alabama beef cattle producers promotes both membership and the work of your checkoff dollars, funded by the respective accounts. If you see an ad (or a rodeo one for that matter), be sure to share it and help us get the most bang out of your buck!

AJCA Spring Field Day

Be on the lookout for registration for spring field day to open the first week in March. This year our field day will be held in Blountsville, Alabama at Quail Valley Farms on April 18. We look forward to seeing our youth come out and spend a day learning some new things about our industry!

YCLP

Our sixth class of the checkoff-funded Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program (YCLP) graduated at Convention this past weekend, and we kicked off a spinoff program, the YCLP Council. We are now accepting applications for our seventh class of YCLP. Applications for this program close on February 29. The YCLP consists of six meetings dispersed across Alabama over the course of a year. The class will be selected by a committee based on applications submitted. Preference will be given to those nominees who are between the ages of 21 & 40, but do not be discouraged to nominate yourself or someone else who falls out of that range. Click here to apply » www.BamaBeef.org/YCLP 

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, Twitter or Instagram.