Happy Wednesday! It’s a busy week with Auburn and Alabama kickoff games this weekend, calving season beginning and the fall months just around the corner. Cattlemen across the state are gearing up for a busy time of year, but we all need to stop for just a moment to send prayerful thoughts to our friends and neighbors to the west. Many Alabama cattlemen work closely with southeast Texas cattle producers, and as a close-knit community, we have to stand and work together during times of catastrophic loss. Keep reading to learn more about this week’s association work and how you can contribute to relief efforts relating to beef cattle.
Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund- Now Live
As you read this, southeast Texas cattlemen are fighting to protect their herds today while lending a helping hand to community relief efforts. More than 1.2 million head of cattle in 54 Texan counties have been affected by the 46+ inches of rainfall accumulated in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. This historical catastrophe has left families evacuated from homes, interstates submerged in flood waters and cattlemen desperately pushing their cattle to high ground. Cattlemen helping cattlemen is a story known all too well by Alabama beef cattle producers who have been on the receiving end of generous donations during times of devastation in our own home state. That is why the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association has opened a Hurricane Relief Fund through the Alabama Cattlemen’s Foundation to raise money that will be donated to relief efforts relating to beef cattle production in southeast Texas. All donations are tax deductible as the ACF is a 501(c)(3) organization.
Click Here to Donate –> www.BamaBeef.org/HurricaneRelief
ACA REGIONAL MEETINGS
The staff is busy preparing for regional meetings which starting next week. We ask that all county officers try to attend these meetings as we will be doing the following:
- A survey for you to complete to help us plan for convention, magazine and website
- County secretaries will get the first look and some training on the brand new web-based membership program that will be used for the upcoming membership year
We’ll also be bringing October Beef Month supplies, updates, software training and open discussion to your back yard. If you’re interested in an October Beef Month box, you must contact Jessica.
Here are the dates:
9/5 Marshall County Dinner
6:30 p.m. Guntersville Extension Office
9/6 Lawrence County Breakfast
7:30 a.m. Mel’s Stockyard (Moulton)
9/12 Tallapoosa County Dinner
6:30 p.m. First Baptist Church of Dadeville
9/13 Tuscaloosa County Breakfast
7:30 a.m. Heritage House (Tuscaloosa)
9/19 Clarke County Dinner
6:30 p.m. Big Mike’s Steak House (Thomasville)
9/20 Pike County Breakfast
7:30 a.m. Julia’s Restaurant (Troy)
For those planning to attend next week’s meetings in north Alabama, we have to guarantee meals by THIS FRIDAY. If you do not RSVP by Friday afternoon, we cannot guarantee a meal. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Jessica Kennedy.
Meeting with ADEM
On Tuesday, ACA Executive Vice President Erin Beasley and ACA Director of Industry Relations & Youth Programs Michael Agar attended an Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) meeting to receive updates regarding environmental programs. Topics such as WOTUS were apart of the conversation. Submit your comments on WOTUS here.
Roanoke Stockyard Visit
Today, Beasley and Agar met with with ACA Vice President Chris Langley 
to visit Roanoke Stockyard. This is just stop on a quest to visit every stockyard in the state over the next six months. It’s a packed house today, despite the dreary weather! Special thanks to Chad, Cal and Don Green for many years of great business.
CATTLE JUDGING FIELD DAY
Join the 40+ youth who have already registered for this event! On September 16, youth across Alabama are invited to participate in a cattle judging class with Auburn University Livestock Judging Coach Jason P’Poole, judge a few classes, learn during a questions class and get feedback on their reason-giving skills from P’Poole and ACA’s Michael Agar, an alumni of the Mississippi State Livestock Judging Team. This event is FREE to all youth, and while AJCA membership is not required, it is encouraged.
Registration for the event is now available online. To learn more or to register, visit BamaBeef.org/JudgingFieldDay
Also- save the date for our upcoming Youth Production Field Day as well! This event will be held November 11 from 9AM-3PM at Langley Farms in Camp Hill, AL. We look forward to seeing you at this event!
OCTOBER BEEF MONTH- BRINGING THE BEEF TO ALABAMA
Get ready for an exciting month of beef promotion! October Beef Month
plans are coming together nicely…and we are bringing big things to this year’s month-long promotion efforts. The following programs are planned and will take place during the busy month:
- Ibotta beef coupon promotion
- Social Media takeover on Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram
- Beef Up the Blood Drive at the ACA office in partnership with the Dept. of Agriculture
- Beef Week in Montgomery featuring beef at 5 downtown restaurants
- Beef 101 educational programs
- Cowboys in the Classroom reading program (if you want to request books, contact Jessica at the ACA office)
Here are a Few Handy Links You May Enjoy:
Thanks for reading this week’s post! Until we post again next week , we want to remind you that you can stay in touch with us by following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy is buried under 50,000 membership profiles and many, long-winded training programs as she works toward launching our new membership software. She is working throughout the day to get herself trained on this new program so that she can train you at our upcoming regional meetings. The plan is to have the software up and running by the kickoff of the November membership drive, with training and plenty of time for questions before the launch.
Fiery 4 finalists have been named. Before we tell you who made it to the top, we want to update you on the scale this contest reached during the week-long tenure of the Elite 8 round. In just seven days, we were able to garner a reach of over 223,500 Facebook users, generate over 26,800 post engagements, encourage over 22,100 clicks on the contestants’ photos and earn 1,149 new page likes on top of the 1,124 from the previous round. This puts us 105 likes away from reaching 20,000 Facebook followers!
eight Alabama counties. While that is far fewer counties than last summer, it is important to check valuable forage grasses. Armyworm caterpillars are detrimental to cattlemen and forage producers. The damage can seem to appear overnight.
more opportunity to congratulate Franklin, Limestone and Lauderdale counties on being the three largest county chapters in 2017. For those who missed the fun at last week’s board meeting, our largest county with 582 members (Franklin County) was awarded a shiny new outdoor tent and “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner” banner, while Limestone County (502 members) was awarded the same banner. Coming in at third place with 350 members, Lauderdale County was awarded a $50 merchandise credit. Congrats to all three hard-working counties!
Cattle sale season is rapidly approaching and board sales have already begun to kick off around the state. This Thursday, ACA Director of Industry Relations & Youth Programs Michael Agar is attending the Piedmont Cattle Marketing Association Board Sale at the ALFA home office at noon in Montgomery. For those interested, the sale can be viewed live at 
Last week’s Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program (YCLP) session was a true adventure. The objective of our second gathering can be defined into one word- teamwork. The young cattlemen kicked off the weekend by joining at the Beef Teaching Unit at Auburn University for lunch then traded their boots for sneakers as they headed out to the AU Challenge Course. All throughout the hot August afternoon, the future leaders participated in ropes course challenges to learn all about working together as a team, encouragement and how to rely and trust on your fellow cattlemen. The afternoon wrapped up with a delicious dinner at La Cantina, owned by Jim Collins of Cusseta, Alabama, followed by a tour of DCJ Ranch, led by farm manager Cal Whatley.
the Ham Wilson Livestock Arena in Auburn. The group listened to several guest speakers then joined breakout groups to participate in a calving demonstration, an estrus synchronization discussion and carcass/fabrication evaluations.
Up. Junior cattlemen from across the state joined to exhibit and expand their knowledge of the beef cattle industry. We were thrilled to host over 150 young people in 14 different contests. YOU can still experience all the fun we had at Round-Up by visiting the 
AWARD “SITING”: Last week, your ACA publications and marketing staffers Nicky Bechard and Kayla Greer traveled west to Salt Lake City, Utah to participate in the Ag Media Summit (AMS). This largely-attended event hosts over 500 agricultural editorials, marketers and photographers to participate in workshops designed to hone their craft. Each year, the Livestock Publications Council (LPC) hosts its annual membership meeting and contest awards ceremony during AMS. Your association website, 
little buckaroos stopped by to participate in Slim’s Summer Picnic. It was a staff effort to execute the event, but the mastermind behind the fun and games was The MOOseum Coordinator Kara Harden. Courtesy of SunSouth Montgomery, we had a John Deere tractor photo op and special thanks to Justalil’ Rodeo Company for bringing all the fun cowboy games!! On top of all that excitement, attendees also got a hamburger lunch and toured The MOOseum!
WE HAVE RAFFLE TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE!! Contact us if you’d like a book to sell or purchase for your chance to win the John Deere Gator! The deadline to have money and raffle tickets turned in is before or at the summer board meeting. There will be a prize for the person who sells the most raffle tickets. They come in books of 10 and Jessica can mail them out today! 
When staff arrived in the office last Wednesday after a welcomed long weekend celebrating July 4, the crew was under new leadership. Longtime staff member and former Director of Checkoff Programs Erin Beasley took over her new role as executive vice president of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association. Since taking on this role in the past week, Erin has moved on up to the big office and gracefully transitioned into her leadership role. Our association is surely in great hands as Erin has an expansive knowledge of the beef cattle industry and a team of great volunteer leaders to work alongside. The future is bright!
the pleasure of visiting BBQ Stop in Jefferson County last Wednesday to present its plaque for winning our 2nd annual Bama’s Best Beef contest. They were joined by ACA Vice President Chris Langley and his wife Elizabeth who spoke during the the presentation and enjoyed the delicious “Brisket & Mac” dish.
Last Wednesday, registration for the 11th annual AJCA Round-Up closed, and we are proud to have over 150 young cattlemen from across the state heading to Montgomery next week for a FIESTA good time. They’ll participate not only in cattle shows, but cattle judging, team grooming, public speaking, essay, career development, ad design, a cook-off and so many more fun contests!
ACA Director of Industry Relations and Youth Programs Michael Agar enjoyed spending this past Saturday in Fruitdale, AL with Washington County cattlemen while learning about the benefits of sun hemp, rotational grazing and livestock mixes from Richard and Steven Petcher. We appreciate Tommy Fuller and the Washington County leadership team for the invite and for hosting a great field day for producers.
livestock judging skills as he took the Intermediate Division reasons at the Simmental Junior Nationals Youth Livestock Judging Contest in Hattiesburg, MS. We were proud to have numerous AJCA members compete within this division. These kids were challenged to rank four head of cattle from best to worst in six classes, including cow/calf pairs, bulls and replacement heifers and keep/cull.
staffers of the ACA. Staffers Kayla Greer, Michael Agar and intern Logan Strock are on the road visiting cattlemen in west Alabama and east Mississippi as the trio made its way to Town Creek Farm in West Point, MS to conduct an interview and cover shoot for the October issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine. A focus on fertility and performance in over 200 docile Brangus bulls made for a great afternoon at Town Creek Farm. Thanks to Milton Sundbeck, Joy Reznicek and Clint Ladner for an afternoon of scenic views and learning more about the Brangus breed!
While making their way west, the staffers stopped in Uniontown to visit Alabama Livestock Auction’s Tuesday sale. Kayla took the opportunity to introduce our newest staffer, Michael, to Jimmy and Jim Sealy while enjoying time on the market scene. On their way back after staying the night in Starkville, the group will visit with cattlemen in Pickens County including Mike Dee at Dee River Ranch. To follow them along their trip, follow the ACA on SnapChat (alcattlemen).
on his role with a busy agenda! Last Friday, he attended the Pike County Invitational at Cattleman Park in Troy and had the opportunity to meet with many Pike County Cattlemen, including none other than Mr. Ed Whatley. He was also introduced to several Juniors, their families and producers. It was a great show with 93 head of cattle shown, roughly 30 of which were steers and 60 heifers.
Saturday, Michael traveled to Sumners Farm in Boaz, AL for the 9th annual South Poll Field Day. The field day featured speakers such as Teddy Gentry, who developed the South Poll breed and Richard Petcher who spoke primarily on the benefits of grazing sunn hemp. Sumners Farm has a model rotational grazing system and their high-quality grass fed cattle certainly reflect that. Juniors within the breed were challenged to speak in front of the crowd of nearly 200 people to tell their own farm story. The field day was followed by lunch and a sale featuring 32 lots of South Poll cattle. We enjoyed the opportunity to visit with South Poll breeders and our north Alabama cattlemen.
from across the state at Auburn’s Beef Unit as they earned their BQA certification, five continuing education hours and a beef lesson plan to take back to their classrooms, courtesy of the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program. As a new school year approaches, these teachers are now more equipped to teach our next generation about cattle production practices and the beef industry from “pasture to plate.” This is your checkoff dollars at work!
Last Friday and Saturday, ACA staffers Kayla Greer, Michael Agar and Logan Strock served on the Southeastern Regional Hereford Show Operations Committee and enjoyed helping ACA Regional Vice President Dr. Don Mulvaney execute the regional show. Michael helped out in the ring while Kayla and Logan provided photographic services for the show and kept a master list of the division and overall winners. Excellent Hereford cattle and even better junior cattlemen exhibitors where in attendance! We even got to see a few of our own AJCA members and congratulate them on wins.
Beef lovers have spoken and Clay, AL’s 
been spending a lot of time going over the various aspects of managing the ACA including magazine, administration, accounting, staff, etc. Erin Beasley will promote to the role of executive vice president effective July 1. Dr. Powell will not entirely hang up his hat, though. He will be taking on a change of title to become the new “SLE Rodeo General Manager” where he will still maintain the responsibility of putting on the 61st annual SLE Rodeo coming to town March 15-17, 2018.
Beef is king of the grill, and dad is king of the household. It’s no wonder the two go hand-in-hand. Be sure to wish your dad a Happy Father’s Day with a juicy steak or a delicious, hot-off-grill burger. Happy Father’s Day to all the great dads out there!
the state staff team for his first week on the job. A recent graduate of Mississippi State University, Michael brings a thorough knowledge of beef cattle industry with him to the team. During college, he served as the president of the Collegiate Cattlemen’s Association, worked at the MSU Beef Unit and competed on the Livestock Judging Team. He completed an internship at Town Creek Farm in Mississippi.
It’s a busy week in downtown Montgomery, and there’s a lot of National Blue and Corn Gold to be seen. That’s right! It’s FFA Week in town, and we’re proud to see so many young folks involved and excelling in agriculture. You’ll find us involved in many aspects of the week but the two most important involve the trade show and the Wall of Honor luncheon.
Honor luncheon. We’re excited today to have around 100 people on our third floor enjoying a steak luncheon as 11 new members will be inducted into the Alabama FFA Wall of Honor. We’re excited to have this crowd with us today, and we’re excited about the many FFA groups that will be touring The MOOseum this week as well!
“juicy, tender, slow-smoked brisket over homemade, melt-in-your-mouth, mac & cheese.” Old Town Stock House of Guntersville, AL “Tteok Galbi” is described as “Korean marinated beef served on house steam buns.”
Now, July. If you want the best advertising deal in town, call us today! July’s magazine reaches a circulation of over 20,000 people…that’s double our normal circulation…but advertising rates are the same! That’s twice the bang for your advertising buck, and we don’t want you to miss out. Give Nicky Bechard a call today at (334) 265-1867 or shoot her an 
This week’s blog wouldn’t be complete without mentioning that Dr. Powell is enjoying his retirement gift while in Oklahoma City at the Women’s College World Series with his three sons, Greg, Matt and Will. Dr. Powell is a lifelong softball fan, so it was to his surprise that we sent him on a trip to enjoy some quality time with his sons while enjoying the sport he loves. He even got to visit the Cowboy Hall of Fame! Our hat’s off to you, Dr. Powell! Safe travels.
Also happening today, we’ll be taking our annual trip over to the Capitol with our friends from Alabama CattleWomen’s Association to have the Beef for Father’s Day Proclamation Signing. Beef is a man’s best friend, and it’s #KingOfTheGrill this summertime. Fire up the grill and give your dad the gift of delicious beef this Father’s Day!
featuring hamburgers at Central Restaurant in downtown Montgomery. This event showcased three outstanding chefs from the restaurants Corks & Cleavers, Sundown and Hamburger King in the Montgomery area. The winning chef, Hunter Harrison of Hamburger King, created a unique blended burger with Mexican chorizo and mushrooms, topped with candied bacon and a Creole aioli. By winning the competition, Chef Harrison will now compete in the World Food Championships this fall in Gulf Shores. We look forward to sponsoring a similar contest this summer featuring steak.
slow-smoked brisket over homemade, melt-in-your-mouth, mac & cheese.” Bertolone’s Italian Cafe of Clanton, AL “Cannelloni” is described as “fresh pasta shells filled with seasoned ground beef, spinach and Italian cheeses topped with bolognese and bescamela sauces.”
summertime heat and rain by bringing your kiddos, daycare or church groups to explore Alabama’s beef cattle industry. Tours are lining up left and right, and the laughter of children is filling our first floor already at the early kick off of summer vacation. The best part is that they’ll be learning without even knowing it! We are open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Come see us!