Category: Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update

Rain has finally graced our pastures, which seems like a foreign concept from the past month, but more along the lines of normal- things are staying busy as usual at the ACAl. With a big Memorial Day Weekend coming up, we can already hear the sound of the sizzle as steaks, burgers and bbq hit the grill. We hope you and your family enjoy a safe, long weekend full of delicious beef and family fun. We also want to take a minute to tip our hat to the soldiers who died protecting our many rights and freedoms. While they are gone from this life, they are never forgotten. We are humbled by their courage and sacrifice.

Keep reading to learn more about what’s happening at the ACA this week.

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Board Meeting Wrap-Up & Membership Update

After a busy and successful Board of Directors meeting last Thursday, we are THRILLED to announce we had 45 counties represented and had an excellent meeting with many great questions asked and information taken back home. We were proud to have the opportunity to award 26 “Over the Top” county presidents with a commemorative padfolio, while the grand prize of a Priefert squeeze chute rolled home behind the leadership from Escambia County. Congrats to Escambia, and big thanks to Fuller Supply and Priefert Ranch Equipment for their generous support of our incentive programs.

 

Another major topic of business discussed at last week’s meeting was membership year dates. For 2018, the membership year ends June 30.  The 2019 membership year changes to January through December in 2019.  All membership entered after July 1 will be “grandfathered into” that transition period.  Secretaries and recruiters- continue your work as normal and ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy will work on the transition at the state office to soften the impact of the transition. Our goal is for the counties to not feel any heat from the transitional period!  To help questions along the way, the state office developed a County Leader Handbook, which was passed out to presidents and secretaries at last week’s meeting. If you did not receive one, or should you need additional copies, you can email Jessica or call her at (334) 265-1867.

 

Membership total for the day is 9,514. Cold calling from the state office begins on June 1. Leaders- let us know if you’d like a list of numbers so you can join in on this initiative!

 

 

Policy Update

Policy work is always on task. This week,  the transportation bill to address hours of service for livestock haulers looks to drop in Senate. We are working to get a co-sponsor on House side from Alabama delegation.

 

 

Stockyard Visits

This week, ACA Director of Industry Relations & Youth Programs Michael Agar was joined at Clay County Livestock by ACA President-Elect Chris Langley and Regional Vice President Jim Jordan. The trio enjoyed lunch with market owner Tad Eason who kindly took time out of his day to visit with the group. Clay County can take pride in having a great, well-kept facility to market their cattle as well as an owner who wants to help them do that best. Pictured are ACA President-Elect Chris Langley, AJCA District 3 Director Chelsea Langley, Agar, Clay County Livestock Owner Tad Eason and two of his children, Clay County Cattlemen’s Association Vice President Mike Morrison and  Regional Vice President Jim Jordan.

 

On Thursday, Michael will travel to South Alabama Livestock in Brundidge to visit with market owner Ed Jones. This leaves Michael with only one more market to visit in the state before he wraps up his first full year on the job at the beginning of June. Visiting each of Alabama’s stockyards at least once annually is an initiative of Michael’s, and we are proud to see him reach his first-year goal!

 

 

 

Bama’s Best Beef- Finalists Announced!

We’re in the final round of the 3rd annual Bama’s Best Beef contest, sponsored by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program! Our two finalists, Smiley Brothers Specialty Foods (Pelham) “Filet Kabobs” and Big D’s Butts ‘N Stuff  (Monroeville) “Brisket Panini” need your vote to help them earn the title of Bama’s Best Beef! To date the contest has reached over 335,700 people and garnered over 22,900 reactions, comments and shares. These are great numbers!

 

The winner we be announced on Tuesday, May 29.

 

 

On the Search for Associate Dean of Extension

ACA Executive Vice President Erin Beasley is participating in a seminar today with a candidate for associate dean of Extension at Auburn. This candidate has a strong beef cattle background. We will participate in one more seminar next week.

 

 

Slim’s Summer Picnic

We are excited to present the 2nd annual Slim’s Summer Picnic happening at The MOOseum on June 15 from 10 AM – 2 PM. The MOOseum Coordinator Kara Harden has been hard at work lining up events for little buckaroos to enjoy, and she’s excited to announce that Lil Boots Rodeo will be here hosting all their fun Western-themed games and activities. We’ll also be grilling burgers and having a fun competition for whoever brings the biggest crowd! If you’ve got little ones that want to enjoy the cowboy fun, give Kara a call at (334) 265-1867!

 

 

ROUND-UP REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

Are you ready to rock?! Registration for the 12th annual AJCA Round-Up, happening July 19-22 is now open online at BamaBeef.org/Round-Up. Also on that site, you’ll find contest and show rules, a schedule of events and 2018-2019 AJCA director applications. The Round-Up is more than just a calf show! If you don’t show cattle, that’s okay! The great news about the Round-Up is that there’s a contest for anyone and everyone. Check it out:

• Photography
• Ad Design
• Record Book
• Poster
• Essay
• Public Speaking
• Skill-A-Thon
• Career Development
• Volleyball
• Carne Fiesta (Cooking Competition)
• Sales Talk
• Cattle Judging
• Team Grooming
• Showmanship
• Prospect Market Show
• Breeding Heifer Show

 

Don’t miss out on all the fun and awesome prizes! Join us in Montgomery to show what you know and make lifelong friends.

 

AJCA membership is required to participate in the AJCA Round-Up. If membership is not current by July 15, your credit card will be charged the membership fee of $15.

 

You can view the 2018 contest rules, a schedule of events or the director application by clicking the links below. Registration is now available online and closes June 29 at 11:55 p.m.

 

 

JUNIOR PASTURE TO RAIL PROGRAM- REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

Speaking of Junior Pasture to Rail, learn more about the program today by visiting www.BamaBeef.org/JP2R. The 2018 Junior Pasture to Rail program will be managed through the AJCA in conjunction with the current Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) Pasture to Rail program. Youth will learn how to retain ownership on their cattle and how to market cattle on the grid. There will be four (4) educational programs beginning in fall 2018 to educate the participating youth about the cattle industry from pasture to plate.

 

Cattle will be gathered at central locations around Alabama and shipped to Hy-Plains Feedlot in Montezuma, KS. Ear notches will be pulled for BVD-PI testing and calves will be tagged, weighed and graded at that time (frame/muscle score, BCS). Data/results will be provided at the awards presentation for the 2018 Pasture to Rail program. Awards will be given to the top three (3) youth based on profitability in two categories: individual profitability of one (1) calf and the average profitability of a pen of three (3) calves.

 

Data provided will include carcass data as well as feedlot performance, medical expenses, feed costs, etc.

 

Program Requirements:

• Youth must be of age 21 or younger by January 1, 2018 to participate
• Youth must be an AJCA, FFA or 4-H member
• Steers are preferred, heifers can be entered but will be at a disadvantage for the program.
• Cattle must be 600-lbs. at minimum on the day of shipment, be weaned and pre-conditioned for 60 days (castrated, dehorned and healed, dewormed) and be vaccinated/boostered for Blackleg, PI3, BVD, BSRV and IBR (modified live).
• A $200 participation fee will be incurred for pens of three (3) or less. A $75/head fee will be added for additional entries.
• Youth must attend a minimum of three (3) of four (4) educational programs to be eligible for any awards.

 

Calves will be shipped at specified dates between August 2018 to March 2019. In order to ship, calves must meet the aforementioned pre-conditioning requirements. Ship dates and locations as well as educational programs will be communicated as determined.

 

Registration will close August 31 at midnight.
This program is sponsored by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program.

 

 

Bama Beef Membership Giveaway

Last week’s membership drawing giveaway winner was Daniel Wilhite of Cullman County. Daniel is the lucky winner of an ACA cap, a BEEF tag and an NCBA pocket knife. This week’s drawing features a prize package sure to amp up your “grilliance” this summer grilling season. The package includes  an ACA Tervis Tumbler, an “I Love Beef” apron and a Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. silicon oven mitt. Those interested can enter the drawing by joining or renewing their membership throughout the week. The winner will be drawn Tuesday, May 29 during the lunch hour.

 

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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. Paid for by Alabama Beef Farmers. 

Fire up the grill and get ready to spoil your favorite mama this weekend as May brings all sorts of exciting events to celebrate. What are we talking about, you ask? Well, not only is this Sunday Mother’s Day (*hint hint gentlemen*), but May is also National Beef Month, National BBQ Month and National Hamburger Month. That’s four wonderful reasons to break out the grill and enjoy delicious, nutritious beef. Aside from what’s for dinner, Alabama’s cattlemen have a lot going on as we all begin to gear up for hay cutting season. Mother Nature has turned up the heat, and that green grass is soaking up the sunshine and growing taller and more nutritious with each passing day. We hope that while you’re taking a water break, you’ll enjoy catching up with your Cattlemen’s Association and getting the update about all that’s happening this week. Keep reading to learn more…

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MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND

We all know that behind every successful farmer is a hardworking farm wife who can fix a mean fence, tenderly care for a bottle calf and toss square bales with the best of ’em. We all know that behind every kid in the show ring is a mama who is beaming with pride, covered in manure and has a hide comb in her back pocket and a halter in her hand. We all know that behind every delicious dinner is a fine, well-tuned home cook who not only grew the vegetables in the side dishes from her very own garden but also masterfully prepared them to fill you up each night.

 

We all know that a mother is irreplaceable, unforgettable and undeniably passionate about her family and its well-being. So to all our farm moms out there, our hats off to you. Thank you for the fine example of love, hard work and passion you display and gently sow into the next generation. Happy Mothers Day!

 

And for all you guys out there who may have forgotten, it’s not too late…breakfast in bed is as easy as it is delicious when you use these prepare recipes from BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.

 

 

MEMBERSHIP & BOARD REMINDERS

County presidents and secretaries be sure to SAVE THE DATE for May 17 as we’ll be meeting up in Montgomery for an engaging, interactive Board meeting we’ve entitled: “Building the Brand: Steering County Leaders Toward Success.” We’re excited to have over 100 registrants for this event! It is sure to be a great day of learning, networking and having all your association questions answered. RSVP to attend by clicking here. Further, let Jessica know who will be attending her i4a membership software training so she can make arrangements for that presentation! 

 

ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy is updating county contact information for mailouts and emails. County leaders, please visit BamaBeef.org/CountyChapters today to double check your information. If you find something is incorrect, please call or email Jessica at the office- (334) 265-1867. Information needed includes mailing address, phone number and an email address, with emphasis on the email!

 

The final renewal notices for 2018 have gone out. If you need help figuring out how to enter memberships in your county, contact Jessica to schedule your i4a training. She will absolutely work around your schedule, day or night, to get you trained! We really need more county participation on the membership entering effort. The quicker county secretaries can learn to enter, the quicker your membership will get entered into the system and start receiving their magazines. We certainly don’t want anyone missing out on those!!

 

We want to continue to shoutout our Over the Top counties as we are extremely proud of their hard work and true, grassroots efforts. Over the Top counties include Bibb, Butler, Choctaw, Clay, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Covington, Cullman, Dale, Escambia, Greene, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan, Perry, Russell, Sumter, Washington and Winston counties! Now, this means there will be a very special presentation made at the August Board Meeting…you guessed it…RED COATS! County presidents- if you went Over the Top and do not already have a red coat, we cannot stress enough the importance of going to get fitted for your coat and sending the suggest size into Jessica. The reason why it’s so important you get fitted is because (1) we can’t return the coats should they not fit and (2) we cannot re-order your correct size until the next year…which means you’ll be without for another year!! (Our orders are set at a minimum volume, and we are unable to order just one or two coats at a time.) We know you want that coat just as much as we want to give it to you, so please get sized! P.S. if you’re planning to attend the Board Meeting on May 17, Jessica has a few limited sizes you may try on if you’d like 🙂 Please, send your coat size to Jessica asap! 

JUNIOR PASTURE TO RAIL PROGRAM- REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

Speaking of Junior Pasture to Rail, learn more about the program today by visiting www.BamaBeef.org/JP2R. The 2018 Junior Pasture to Rail program will be managed through the AJCA in conjunction with the current Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) Pasture to Rail program. Youth will learn how to retain ownership on their cattle and how to market cattle on the grid. There will be four (4) educational programs beginning in fall 2018 to educate the participating youth about the cattle industry from pasture to plate.

 

Cattle will be gathered at central locations around Alabama and shipped to Hy-Plains Feedlot in Montezuma, KS. Ear notches will be pulled for BVD-PI testing and calves will be tagged, weighed and graded at that time (frame/muscle score, BCS). Data/results will be provided at the awards presentation for the 2018 Pasture to Rail program. Awards will be given to the top three (3) youth based on profitability in two categories: individual profitability of one (1) calf and the average profitability of a pen of three (3) calves.

 

Data provided will include carcass data as well as feedlot performance, medical expenses, feed costs, etc.

 

Program Requirements:

• Youth must be of age 21 or younger by January 1, 2018 to participate
• Youth must be an AJCA, FFA or 4-H member
• Steers are preferred, heifers can be entered but will be at a disadvantage for the program.
• Cattle must be 600-lbs. at minimum on the day of shipment, be weaned and pre-conditioned for 60 days (castrated, dehorned and healed, dewormed) and be vaccinated/boostered for Blackleg, PI3, BVD, BSRV and IBR (modified live).
• A $200 participation fee will be incurred for pens of three (3) or less. A $75/head fee will be added for additional entries.
• Youth must attend a minimum of three (3) of four (4) educational programs to be eligible for any awards.

 

Calves will be shipped at specified dates between August 2018 to March 2019. In order to ship, calves must meet the aforementioned pre-conditioning requirements. Ship dates and locations as well as educational programs will be communicated as determined.

 

Registration will close August 31 at midnight.
This program is sponsored by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program.

 

 

Executive Committee Called Upon by President Batts

The ACA Executive Committee will gather at the Cattlemen’s Building on Thursday to prepare for next week’s Board of Directors meeting, discuss upcoming programs and handle other association business. The ACA Executive Committee is comprised of the five state officers, five past presidents and the four outgoing regional vice presidents. The Executive Committee will issue a report at next week’s Board meeting!

MEMBERSHIP GIVEAWAYS

We’ve started a series of giveaways on the ACA Facebook page to encourage cattlemen who need to join or renew to do so soon! This week, our giveaway package includes an ACA tumbler, cap and one of those beloved BEEF tags. The giveaway is now open for entry, and the contest winner will be drawn during the lunch hour on Tuesday, May 15. Anyone who joins or renews now through Tuesday at noon will be entered to win!

 

Visit our Facebook page and share this giveaway opportunity! Who knows…you may just see several of these throughout May and June…??

 

 

BAMA’S BEST BEEF CONTEST

Have you ever tried an unforgettable beef dish served at an Alabama restaurant or food truck? You’re not alone if you answered yes because the 3rd annual Bama’s Best Beef contest, which seeks out unique beef dishes in Alabama, brought in over 200 nominations representing restaurants from the Gulf Coast to the Tennessee line and everywhere in between. Our contest committee proudly unveiled our “Roast” and “Variety” finalists this week who are now competing head-to-head in a Facebook photo challenge. In the “Roast” corner is Claunch Cafe of Tuscumbia, AL’s Pot Roast Sandwich, while the “Variety” finalist is Pelham-based Smiley Brothers Speciality Foods’ Filet Kabobs. So far, the Filet Kabobs are taking the lead with 785 votes vs 367 votes on the Pot Roast Sandwich. Contest participants are encouraged to vote for their favorite dish by “Liking” its photo on our Facebook page now through Sunday, May 13 at midnight.

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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. Paid for by Alabama Beef Farmers. 

May has arrived, and it has brought some right warm weather along with it. Green grass has painted Alabama’s landscapes, and cattle can be seen grazing pastureland while cattlemen enjoy the view from inside the cab of a tractor as they prepare for hay cutting and mowing season. It’s a busy time for Alabama’s cattlemen…but when is it not? The same can be said for your association, so keep reading to learn more about all that’s happening at the ACA this week.

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Membership & Board Reminders

County presidents and secretaries be sure to SAVE THE DATE for May 17 as we’ll be meeting up in Montgomery for an engaging, interactive Board meeting we’ve entitled: “Building the Brand: Steering County Leaders Toward Success.” 

 

ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy is updating county contact information for mailouts and emails. County leaders, please visit BamaBeef.org/CountyChapters today to double check your information. If you find something is incorrect, please call or email Jessica at the office- (334) 265-1867. Information needed includes mailing address, phone number and an email address, with emphasis on the email!

 

The final renewal notices for 2018 went out last week. If you need help figuring out how to enter memberships in your county, contact Jessica to schedule your i4a training. We really need more county participation on the membership entering effort! The quicker county secretaries can learn to enter, the quicker your membership will get entered into the system and start receiving their magazines. We certainly don’t want anyone missing out on those!!

 

We want to continue to shoutout our Over the Top counties as we are extremely proud of their hard work and true, grassroots efforts. Over the Top counties include Bibb, Butler, Choctaw, Clay, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Covington, Cullman, Dale, Escambia, Greene, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan, Perry, Russell, Sumter, Washington and Winston counties! Now, this means there will be a very special presentation made at the August Board Meeting…you guessed it…RED COATS! County presidents- if you went Over the Top and do not already have a red coat, we cannot stress enough the importance of going to get fitted for your coat and sending the suggest size into Jessica. The reason why it’s so important you get fitted is because (1) we can’t return the coats should they not fit and (2) we cannot re-order your correct size until the next year…which means you’ll be without for another year!! (Our orders are set at a minimum volume, and we are unable to order just one or two coats at a time.) We know you want that coat just as much as we want to give it to you, so please get sized! P.S. if you’re planning to attend the Board Meeting on May 17, Jessica has a few limited sizes you may try on if you’d like 🙂 Please, send your coat size to Jessica asap! 

 

Colbert County Youth Programs- Coming Soon!

This Thursday, ACA Director of Industry Relations & Youth Programs Michael Agar will travel to the Colbert County Extension office to meet with Ag teachers and youth industry leaders in the area about 4-H animal science projects and the newly-founded Colbert County Junior Cattlemen’s Association. Statewide Junior Cattlemen programs such as Round-Up and Junior Pasture to Rail Program will also be discussed.

 

 

Junior Pasture to Rail Program- Registration Now Open

Speaking of Junior Pasture to Rail, learn more about the program today by visiting www.BamaBeef.org/JP2R. The 2018 Junior Pasture to Rail program will be managed through the AJCA in conjunction with the current Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) Pasture to Rail program. Youth will learn how to retain ownership on their cattle and how to market cattle on the grid. There will be four (4) educational programs beginning in fall 2018 to educate the participating youth about the cattle industry from pasture to plate.

Cattle will be gathered at central locations around Alabama and shipped to Hy-Plains Feedlot in Montezuma, KS. Ear notches will be pulled for BVD-PI testing and calves will be tagged, weighed and graded at that time (frame/muscle score, BCS). Data/results will be provided at the awards presentation for the 2018 Pasture to Rail program. Awards will be given to the top three (3) youth based on profitability in two categories: individual profitability of one (1) calf and the average profitability of a pen of three (3) calves.

 

Data provided will include carcass data as well as feedlot performance, medical expenses, feed costs, etc.

 

Program Requirements:

• Youth must be of age 21 or younger by January 1, 2018 to participate
• Youth must be an AJCA, FFA or 4-H member
• Steers are preferred, heifers can be entered but will be at a disadvantage for the program.
• Cattle must be 600-lbs. at minimum on the day of shipment, be weaned and pre-conditioned for 60 days (castrated, dehorned and healed, dewormed) and be vaccinated/boostered for Blackleg, PI3, BVD, BSRV and IBR (modified live).
• A $200 participation fee will be incurred for pens of three (3) or less. A $75/head fee will be added for additional entries.
• Youth must attend a minimum of three (3) of four (4) educational programs to be eligible for any awards.

 

Calves will be shipped at specified dates between August 2018 to March 2019. In order to ship, calves must meet the aforementioned pre-conditioning requirements. Ship dates and locations as well as educational programs will be communicated as determined.
Registration will close August 31 at midnight.
This program is sponsored by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program.

 

 

County Activities & A Photo Shoot at Lake Majestik Farm

Michael has been burning up the roads of north Alabama along with ACA Director of Social Media & Communications Kayla Greer. Last week, Michael traveled to Dekalb County to attend the county annual meeting where he enjoyed visiting with President Zane Troxel and northeast Alabama cattlemen. He then headed south to Thorsby in Chilton County where he had a beef by-products booth at the Thorsby High School Farm Day. Kayla then joined him on Saturday for a trip north to the Crimson Classic Santa Gertrudis female sale at Cullman Stockyard.

The duo then headed north again on Monday afternoon to visit with Nic Cornelison of Flat Rock, owner of Lake Majestik Farm and purchaser of the 2018 PAC auction July cover of the Alabama Cattleman magazine. The pair enjoyed spending time with Nic and touring his scenic farm and seeing some big-name bulls in the Brangus breed including Foundation, Beacon, Legacy and Xerox. Be looking out for a black-hided bovine to grace the July cover!

 

 

Professional Development Workshop

This week ACA Executive VP Erin Beasley has been at the Professional Development Workshop in Chicago with fellow state association executives. This conference is a collaborative conference to discuss policy issues, checkoff information, best management practices for associations and other topics to help state affiliates.

 

 

Ag Issues Luncheon in Northwest Alabama

Erin won’t get back home before she hits the road again, but this time she will be staying within state lines. On Thursday, she is looking forward to a big day as she is joined by Regional Vice President Jay Buckley of Colbert Co., Colbert County President Will Gotcher and Franklin County President Steven Smith to participate in an ag issues luncheon hosted by Congressman Robert Aderholt. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will be a special guest of the congressman and will visit with the ag community on policy issues we are facing.

 

 

Bama’s Best Beef Contest

Have you ever tried an unforgettable beef dish served at an Alabama restaurant or food truck? You’re not alone if you answered yes because the 3rd annual Bama’s Best Beef contest, which seeks out unique beef dishes in Alabama, brought in over 200 nominations representing restaurants from the Gulf Coast to the Tennessee line and everywhere in between. Our contest committee is in review now mulling through the many nominations in the brisket, steak, roast and variety categories and looks forward to unveiling the first to finalist to Facebook fans on Monday as we launch our first round of photo challenges where contest participants vote for their favorite dish by “Liking” its photo on our social media platform.

 

The nominations portion of the contest did not disappoint as it reached over 65,038 Alabamians, gained over 6,600 reactions, including likes, shares and comments, and resulted in almost 200 new page likes. Additionally, as a direct result of the Facebook ad, over 460 Facebook users clicked to the contest page on BamaBeef.org, gaining traffic for the association website. We look forward to bigger results as we move into photo challenges! Stay tuned for our category finalists…

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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. Paid for by Alabama Beef Farmers. 

April has flown right past us, and now we are staring a busy month of May in the face! When in the world did that happen? Just as we’ve started to enjoy springtime and all the green grass that comes with it, and now we are quickly shifting our sites toward summertime and hay cutting season. While you work hard in the field, your ACA staff is hard at work in Montgomery protecting your best interests, building a magazine, entering membership, attending meetings, holding beef promotions, educating consumers….whew…and the list goes on. Keep reading to learn all about what’s happening at the ACA this week.

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BAMA’S BEST BEEF- Nominations closing soon!

Have you ever tried an unforgettable beef dish served at an Alabama restaurant or food truck? We’re excited to learn about all the unique beef dishes served up at local dives across our state, and the kick off of our 3rd annual Bama’s Best Beef contest has not disappointed in its short lifetime thus far. The contest kicked off on Monday, April 16 with a Facebook, Twitter and Instagram announcement and in just over a week’s time, the post has already brought in over 100 nominations, reached over 58,300 Alabamians on Facebook and garnered over 122 new likes on our page. We’re very excited about some of nominations we have received in each of the categories as they are truly mouth-watering sounding! Stay tuned for more as nominations close this Sunday at midnight!

 

 

If your local diner is home to a DELICIOUS beef dish, be sure to visit BamaBeef.org/BestBeef to submit your nomination today. We also challenge you to share the contest on your social platforms and learn more about by listening to our Southeast AgNet release with Randall Weiseman or visiting the contest webpage. This contest is your checkoff dollars at work, cattlemen. Let’s get the biggest bang for our buck and work together to promote it!

 

 

Youth Production Field Day SUCCESS!

Success is the word to sum up this past Saturday’s Youth Production Field Day at Langley Farms in Camp Hill, AL. Beautiful weather, gorgeous scenery, interactive lessons on forages, the seven quality cow checks and assisted calving followed by a delicious brisket lunch and tour of Langley Farms made for a successful day of Alabama Beef Checkoff dollars at work! Over 35 youth were in attendance and enjoyed a day of interactive, hands-on learning.

 

Special thanks to Chris & Elizabeth Langley and family for their generous hospitality, Dr. Soren Rodning, Sarah Dickinson and Caroline Nichols for their expertise, the Auburn Collegiate Cattlemen and CattleWomen for their catering services and all who joined us to make this event a success.

 

 

Membership updates

ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy is updating county contact information for mailouts and emails. County leaders, please visit BamaBeef.org/CountyChapters today to double check your information. If you find something is incorrect, please call or email Jessica at the office- (334) 265-1867. Information needed includes mailing address, phone number and an email address, with emphasis on the email!

 

Speaking of mailing address, Jessica is also working to get the final membership renewal mailout sent to the printer for next week. Remember to get your memberships entered because 100% of the dues from this mailout will come back to the state office otherwise. Need helping figuring out how to enter your membership? Contact Jessica to schedule your i4a training. We really need more county participation on the membership entering effort! The quicker county secretaries can learn to enter, the quicker your membership will get entered into the system and start receiving their magazines. We certainly don’t want anyone missing out on those!!

 

We want to continue to shoutout our Over the Top counties as we are extremely proud of their hard work and true, grassroots efforts. Over the Top counties include Bibb, Butler, Choctaw, Clay, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Covington, Cullman, Dale, Escambia, Greene, Jackson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan, Perry, Russell, Sumter, Washington and Winston counties! Now, this means there will be a very special presentation made at the August Board Meeting…you guessed it…RED COATS! County presidents- if you went Over the Top and do not already have a red coat, we cannot stress enough the importance of going to get fitted for your coat and sending the suggest size into Jessica. The reason why it’s so important you get fitted is because (1) we can’t return the coats should they not fit and (2) we cannot re-order your correct size until the next year…which means you’ll be without for another year!! (Our orders are set at a minimum volume, and we are unable to order just one or two coats at a time.) We know you want that coat just as much as we want to give it to you, so please get sized! P.S. if you’re planning to attend the Board Meeting on May 17, Jessica has a few limited sizes you may try on if you’d like 🙂 Please, send your coat size to Jessica asap! 

 

…speaking of…county presidents and secretaries be sure to SAVE THE DATE for May 17 as we’ll be meeting up in Montgomery for an engaging, interactive Board meeting we’ve entitled: “Building the Brand: Steering County Leaders Toward Success.” 

 

 

Ag Commissioner Forum

On Thursday, the ACA will be represented at the Ag Commissioners Forum hosted by the Alabama Agribusiness Council in Auburn. The panel will be made up of Rick Pate, Sen. Gerald Dial, T.O. Crane and Cecil Murphy who are all running for commissioner of Ag and Industries. They will discuss their vision surrounding several topics related to agriculture and how they would operate as commissioner.

 

 

Spring Beef 101- That’s a Wrap!

Today marks the last of six spring BEEF 101 programs held at the Auburn University Beef Teaching Unit and Meats Lab. Throughout the month of April over 200 participants from culinary arts programs across Alabama will have joined us on a beef journey from pasture to plate. Your checkoff went to work as we hosted programs for McAdory High School, Greenville High School, Central High School and Columbus (GA) High School FACS students as well as Lawson State Community College, Trenholm State Community College, Coastal Alabama Community College and Drake State Community College culinary arts programs. This is big news as these future chefs and foodservice representatives will head into their careers with a thorough knowledge of beef cattle production told straight from the cattlemen…and veterinarian…and meat scientist’s mouth! Big thanks to all who have joined us to help put on these many programs.

 

 

County Activities Happening Across Alabama

County activities are are on the rise as warmer weather means less time spent feeding thanks to green grass and more bearable temperatures…so long snow and ice! This past weekend, ACA staffer Michael Agar enjoyed a trip to the Clay County Cattlemen’s Association Spring Meeting while ACA Executive VP Erin Beasley attended a successful Lauderdale County Field Day at Hamner Farm in Killen with 50 other producers. The Greene County Cattlemen’s Association also held a successful Weed Control and Calibration Field Day at Eutaw City Park! Looking ahead, Michael Agar is excited to head to the Dekalb County Cattlemen’s Annual Meeting on Thursday night followed by a trip to Thorsby for a Farm City event on Friday, while Erin Beasley is pleased to spend her last Saturday in April with the Butler County Cattlemen’s Association at their annual meeting. The Mobile County Cattlemen will gather at Freeland Farm for their Spring Meeting on Saturday, and further up the interstate, the BEEF Truck will be hauling Michael Agar and Kayla Greer north to Cullman for the Crimson Classic Sale. A few other events to look out for are the Pike County Invitational Steer & Heifer Show (rules and registration now posted here), the Cattlemen’s Bus Tour (register here) and all kinds of educational Extension events, which can be found here.

 

 

Producer Event At Tuskegee U

Last but not least, on Tuesday the ACA was involved in a conference aimed at small producers hosted by Tuskegee University. Along with a policy update for attendees, information was shared about how small producers can use the association as a resource for their operation.

 

 

CATTLEMEN’S BUS TOUR

JOIN US AS WE EXPLORE THE BEEF INDUSTRY FROM PASTURE TO PLATE!
COST: $325/PERSON
FORM & FEE DUE MAY 1, 2018

Join us on a 3-day, 2-night tour of the beef cattle industry across Georgia, Florida and Alabama! This tour is a true “pasture to plate” experience as it starts off with a tour of Golden State Foods in Opelika where McDonalds burger patties are produced followed by a stop at Buckhead Beef in Atlanta, Georgia where wholesale beef cuts are further processed into cut steaks ready for the restaurant.

After learning what happens to beef once it leaves the farm, we’ll stop for a visit at the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association and then tour Chatel Farms, an FPL feeding facility, in Reidsville, Georgia. We will then head south to tour the Georgia Museum of Agriculture & Historic Village at ABAC, wake up to tour the North Florida Research & Education Center and round out the tour at Southern Cattle Company in Marianna, Florida.

 

BUS TOUR AGENDA

Happy Wednesday! It’s a warm, beautiful, springy day here in our great state which means you are probably out getting your hands dirty. We sure hope so as it is your work that keeps the world fed and makes it go round, but when you decide to sit down this evening and enjoy some dinner and rest up for more work this afternoon, we hope this gives you some quality reading material and helps you stay connected with your state Cattlemen’s Association. Spring is a time when beef promotion really amps up, membership deadlines hit and field days jump on the scene. Keep reading to learn what all that means for you as a cattleman…

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Bama’s Best Beef Kicks Off

Have you ever tried an unforgettable beef dish served at an Alabama restaurant or food truck? We’re excited to learn about all the unique beef dishes served up at local dives across our state, and the kick off of our 3rd annual Bama’s Best Beef contest has not disappointed in its short lifetime thus far. The contest kicked off on Monday, April 16 with a Facebook, Twitter and Instagram announcement and in just two short days the post has already brought in over 35 nominations and reached over 21,700 Alabamians on Facebook alone. This contest has garnered excellent reach and some pretty great feedback as nominations include tasty-sounding dishes and conversations around the contest are all beef-positive.

 

An added bonus to the 3rd annual Bama’s Best Beef  is that YOUR VOICE was heard in building the structure of this checkoff-funded contest. What does that mean? Well, as a direct result of cattlemen requests, the contest categories are featuring popular beef cuts including brisket, roasts and steak. This request came about at the 2018 Marketing Plan Task Force Meeting held October 2017.

 

If your local diner is home to a DELICIOUS beef dish, be sure to visit BamaBeef.org/BestBeef to submit your nomination today. We also challenge you to share the contest on your social platforms and learn more about by listening to our Southeast AgNet release with Randall Weiseman or visiting the contest webpage. This contest is your checkoff dollars at work, cattlemen. Let’s get the biggest bang for our buck and work together to promote it!

 

 

Youth Production Field Day- This Weekend

We are looking forward to our upcoming Youth Production Field Day happening at Langley Farms in Chambers County, Alabama this Saturday. We’ve got 44 young people registered and a variety of topics to cover using the expertise of Alabama Extension personnel. Topics include forages, assisted calving, Beef Quality Assurance and body condition scoring. Following a morning of learning and lunch, attendees will have the opportunity to tour Langley Farms with ACA President-Elect Chris Langley and family.

 

It’s not too late to come if you missed registration. Just contact Michael Agar at (334) 265-1867. More information can be found at BamaBeef.org/ProductionFD.

 

 

Hip Hip Hooray for Over the Top Counties

The Over the Top deadline has come and gone, and ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy is hard at work inputting stacks and stacks of membership. We are SO PROUD to report that we have over 9,000 members in the system to date and 25 counties have gone Over the Top!! Excellent work to all our county chapters on their hard work and true, grassroots efforts!

 

Over the Top counties include Bibb, Butler, Choctaw, Clay, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Covington, Cullman, Dale, Escambia, Greene, Jackson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan, Perry, Russell, Sumter, Washington and Winston counties!

 

Now, this means there will be a very special presentation made at the August Board Meeting…you guessed it…RED COATS! County presidents- if you went Over the Top and do not already have a red coat, we cannot stress enough the importance of going to get fitted for your coat and sending the suggest size into Jessica. The reason why it’s so important you get fitted is because (1) we can’t return the coats should they not fit and (2) we cannot re-order your correct size until the next year…which means you’ll be without for another year!! (Our orders are set at a minimum volume, and we are unable to order just one or two coats at a time.) We know you want that coat just as much as we want to give it to you, so please get sized! P.S. if you’re planning to attend the Board Meeting on May 17, Jessica has a few limited sizes you may try on if you’d like 🙂

 

…speaking of…county presidents and secretaries be sure to SAVE THE DATE for May 17 as we’ll be meeting up in Montgomery for an engaging, interactive Board meeting we’ve entitled: “Building the Brand: Steering County Leaders Toward Success.” 

 

 

National Checkoff Program Audit Underway

Every five years, the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) visits to do an audit specifically for the national checkoff program. This week the ACA has welcomed Dean Oyster from Colorado to the building to conduct this audit. Once the audit is complete, CBB will issue a report that includes recommendations to our office similar to how the annual audit is done with our third party auditor.

 

 

April BEEF 101 Programs Wrapping Up

The last of six spring BEEF 101 programs will complete next week, and we’re thrilled to announce that throughout the month of April over 200 participants from culinary arts programs across Alabama will have joined us on a beef journey from pasture to plate. Your checkoff went to work as we hosted programs for McAdory High School, Greenville High School, Central High School and Columbus (GA) High School FACS students as well as Lawson State Community College, Trenholm State Community College, Coastal Alabama Community College and Drake State Community College culinary arts programs. This is big news as these future chefs and foodservice representatives will head into their careers with a thorough knowledge of beef cattle production told straight from the cattlemen…and veterinarian…and meat scientist’s mouth! Big thanks to all who have joined us to help put on these many programs.

 

 

CATTLEMEN’S BUS TOUR

JOIN US AS WE EXPLORE THE BEEF INDUSTRY FROM PASTURE TO PLATE!
DEPOSIT: $325/PERSON
FORM & FEE DUE MAY 1, 2018

Join us on a 3-day, 2-night tour of the beef cattle industry across Georgia, Florida and Alabama! This tour is a true “pasture to plate” experience as it starts off with a tour of Golden State Foods in Opelika where McDonalds burger patties are produced followed by a stop at Buckhead Beef in Atlanta, Georgia where wholesale beef cuts are further processed into cut steaks ready for the restaurant.

After learning what happens to beef once it leaves the farm, we’ll stop for a visit at the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association and then enjoy a tour of Chatel Farms, an FPL feeding facility, in Reidsville, Georgia, and Southern Cattle Company in Marianna, Florida.

 

BUS TOUR AGENDA

 

 

BEEF PAC discusses primaries

The BEEF Political Action Committee (PAC) held a conference call Tuesday night to discuss upcoming primary races. Several candidates in both House and Senate races will receive contributions from the PAC to help support their campaigns. Candidates continue to call and request visits with the association to discuss issues concerning cattlemen which is keeping ACA lobbyist Erin Beasley busy. If you’re interested in joining the BEEF PAC Club, contact Erin at the office by calling (334) 265-1867.

 

 

April Consumer Newsletter Coming Your Way Soon

Reaching consumers with news about beef’s bold flavor, big nutrition and bursting variety is an important initiative in the 2018 Alabama Beef Checkoff Marketing Plan. To amp up consumer education on the digital front…in addition to our work on social media…we’ve decided to implement email campaigns from our state office. So far in 2018, we’ve sent a consumer e-newsletter out each month highlighting timely information about beef. For instance, in January we highlighted lean beef for all those New Year Resolutions, while in February we promoted serving beef to your Valentine. The April newsletter is highlighting beef’s global footprint as we promote the ethnic variety of beef and how you can serve it to your family for a nutritious and educational family dinner! We do this through an article by Alabama Beef Checkoff Contract Dietician Jessica Ivey, recipes, links to information about how beef can be incorporated into the Mediterranean diet and a guide to marinating the right cuts in the perfect sauce to achieve ethnic flavors!

 

The April Consumer Newsletter will hit over 10,000 inboxes on Friday morning, so be on the lookout and learn how you can serve up dishes from around the world!

 

 

Gilmore Elementary School Headed to The MOOseum

As spring arrives, school groups are heading out to enjoy the beautiful weather in downtown Montgomery. With that comes a full scene at The MOOseum! Today, we’re excited to host Gilmore Elementary School from Jackson County for a day of learning as they come explore The MOOseum. This group features a special little red-headed guest as Maggie Powell is a student in our visiting class. Her teacher, Ms. Cammie Breedlove, gets two thumbs up from us for promoting agriculture in her classroom. She even had former Executive VP Dr. Powell visit to present a beef cattle lesson to her class!

 

County chapters- we encourage you all to reach out to local fourth grade classes and sponsor their trip to The MOOseum. It’s free to attend, but some assistance in gas costs could go a long way toward teaching our young people about Alabama’s very important beef cattle industry! We’d even love to see you tag along on their trip and enjoy a day with us. To learn more about The MOOseum, visit BamaBeef.org/TheMOOseum!

 

 

Extension Workshops,  County Events Firing Up

Extension workshops, county fundraisers and county field days are lining up on our calendar, and we are thrilled to see cattlemen getting out and learning, promoting and networking! If your county has an event coming up, please send it to ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy, and she will disperse the info throughout the office to get it on the website, in the magazine and on staff calendars! For instance, Erin Beasley is looking forward to visiting Lauderdale County this weekend as she joins them for their county field day on Saturday!

 

To stay updated on all that’s happening or to learn about educational events near you, keep an eye out on the Bama Beef Events Calendar on our website, www.BamaBeef.org.

 

 

Environmental Management Commission Meeting

ACA Executive VP Erin Beasley will attend the Environmental Management Commission meeting on Friday which includes several associations and groups visiting with the commission. A few seats will be vacant on the commission in the near future and the ACA has been involved in meeting potential candidates to fill these slots. We hope to keep conservative, common sense people on the commission to assist with environmental needs that we may have in the future.

 

 

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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. Paid for by Alabama Beef Farmers. 

The sun is shining, the grass is green, cattle are being worked across Alabama, and your Cattlemen’s Association staff is in town at work for you this springtime week. Not only are we working for you in Montgomery, but your state leaders are also on the Hill in Washington D.C. at the NCBA Legislative Conference. Keep reading to learn more and to get an update from your state association this week. 

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ACA Leaders Head to D.C.

ACA Executive Vice President Erin Beasley headed north this week alongside ACA President-Elect Chris Langley, NCBA Region II Policy Vice President  Jimmy Holliman and American National CattleWomen’s Vice President Evelyn Greene to the NCBA Legislative Conference in Washington D.C. Today’s agenda consisted of office visits with Alabama’s senators and representatives. This morning, the group met with staff of Sen. Richard Shelby, Sen. Doug Jones and Congresswoman Terry Sewell, and following lunch, they met with Ag Appropriations Chairman Rep. Robert Aderholt and Congressman Mike Rogers, who serves on the Ag Committee, and Rep. Martha Roby.

 

These visits surely are useful, and when cattlemen bring their #BootsOnTheHill, they always make a statement.

 

 

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy is hard at work inputting membership. Her stack is growing- which is a great problem to have- but county secretaries can help out by calling her at 334-265-1867 and scheduling a webinar so they can learn how to input county information! This will help greatly as we approach our Over the Top deadline which is APRIL 15! Yes, the deadline has been extended!

 

 

YOUTH PRODUCTION FIELD DAY

Registration is now available for our upcoming Youth Production Field Day happening at Langley Farms in Chambers County, Alabama on April 21. We’re going to cover a variety of topics using the expertise of Alabama Extension personnel including forages, assisted calving, Beef Quality Assurance and body condition scoring. Following a morning of learning and lunch, attendees will have the opportunity to tour Langley Farms with ACA President-Elect Chris Langley and family.

 

This event is FREE and open to all Alabama youth. If you have any questions, please contact Michael Agar at (334) 265-1867. To register, visit BamaBeef.org/ProductionFD.

 

 

Cattlemen’s Bus Tour

JOIN US AS WE EXPLORE THE BEEF INDUSTRY FROM PASTURE TO PLATE!
DEPOSIT: $325/PERSON
FORM & FEE DUE MAY 1, 2018

Join us on a 3-day, 2-night tour of the beef cattle industry across Georgia, Florida and Alabama! This tour is a true “pasture to plate” experience as it starts off with a tour of Golden State Foods in Opelika where McDonalds burger patties are produced followed by a stop at Buckhead Beef in Atlanta, Georgia where wholesale beef cuts are further processed into cut steaks ready for the restaurant.

After learning what happens to beef once it leaves the farm, we’ll stop for a visit at the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association and then enjoy a tour of Chatel Farms, an FPL feeding facility, in Reidsville, Georgia, and Southern Cattle Company in Marianna, Florida.

 

BUS TOUR AGENDA

 

 

 

Associate Members

ACA Director of Social Media & Communications spent her Wednesday morning at the Alabama Farmers Federation where she met with Alfa Insurance PR team leaders to manage the digital services aspects of their 2018 Platinum Level Associate Membership. We appreciate all our many 2018 associate members, and want to make sure you know who they are!

 

Platinum: Alfa Insurance

Silver: TriGreen Equipment

Silver: Alabama Farmers Cooperative

Silver: Alabama Ag Credit & Alabama Farm Credit

Bronze: Merck Animal Health

Bronze: Mix30 by Agridyne

Bronze: Southeast Select Sires

Bronze: Dow AgroSciences

Bronze: Tucker Milling

Bronze: Lake Majestik

Bronze: Columbiana Tractor, LLC

Bronze: Cavender’s Western Outfitter

 

 

Congratulations, O’Neal!

Join us in celebrating the 22 years of service O’Neal Broaden has given to the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association. On this day in 1996, O’Neal came to the ACA after retiring from the City of Montgomery and has since been keeping our building straight whether he’s setting up the third for for a program, gathering event supplies or helping us keep the office clean. He is a dedicated employee who loves his many, many friends in Alabama’s cattle business. Congratulations on your work anniversary, O’Neal!

 

 

VISIT THE MOOSEUM

As spring arrives, school groups are heading out to enjoy the beautiful weather in downtown Montgomery. With that comes a full scene  at The MOOseum! County chapters- we encourage you all to reach out to local fourth grade classes and sponsor their trip to The MOOseum. It’s free to attend, but some assistance in gas costs could go a long way toward teaching our young people about Alabama’s very important beef cattle industry! We’d even love to see you tag along on their trip and enjoy a day with us. To learn more about The MOOseum, visit BamaBeef.org/TheMOOseum!

 

 

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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.

 

 

 

 

A little rain, a little warm weather, a little Easter celebration…it all makes for a heart-warming week for Alabama’s cattlemen. We hope you enjoyed Easter festivities with family this past weekend and that spring is bursting out on your farm. We know green grass is a welcomed sight for cattlemen following a long winter of feeding hay! While you enjoy looking out over your pastures, your state staff is looking out over a FULL calendar of events headed our way. Between the Cattlemen’s Bus Tour, the upcoming Bama’s Best Beef contest, BEEF 101 programs, the AJCA Production Field Day and Round-Up events…there’s much to look forward to if you’re part of Alabama’s beef cattle industry. Keep reading to learn more and always feel free to reach out to us with questions!

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April BEEF 101 Programs

April is not short on BEEF 101 programs by any means…in fact, there’s SIX throughout the month! This week alone, staffers are spending two days at the Auburn University Beef Unit and Meats Lab to head up BEEF 101 programs with Lawson State Culinary program today and Trenholm State Culinary and Greenville High School Culinary students on Friday. Be sure to check out the May magazine for an update on these programs and big thanks to the cattlemen and meats lab staff who help us make this program a success!

 

YOUTH PRODUCTION FIELD DAY

Registration is now available for our upcoming Youth Production Field Day happening at Langley Farms in Chambers County, Alabama on April 21. We’re going to cover a variety of topics using the expertise of Alabama Extension personnel including forages, assisted calving, Beef Quality Assurance and body condition scoring. Following a morning of learning and lunch, attendees will have the opportunity to tour Langley Farms with ACA President-Elect Chris Langley and family.

 

This event is FREE and open to all Alabama youth. If you have any questions, please contact Michael Agar at (334) 265-1867. To register, visit BamaBeef.org/ProductionFD.

 

 

Legislative Session Wrap Up

The legislative session finished last week, and your ACA Executive Vice President and registered lobbyist Erin Beasley spent plenty of time at the Alabama State House where she acted in a watchdog role protecting cattlemens’ interests and your right to farm. Hear more of what Erin had to say about this session by clicking here.

 

 

April Magazine In Your Inbox

If you’re a member of the ACA, and you’ve supplied us with your email address, then you should have received your digital copy of the Alabama Cattleman magazine in your email inbox on Tuesday! If you didn’t get that email and would like to receive it each month as part of a perk of your membership, give Jessica Kennedy a call at (334) 265-1867 and make sure she has your email address. If you’re a member and would like access, give Kayla Greer a call at the number above to receive the password to the magazine online!

 

 

Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program Class V

The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association recognizes the need to cultivate our future leaders of the association and industry. The Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program (YCLP), funded in part by the Alabama State Beef Checkoff, aims to do just that by identifying the state’s top young cattlemen and developing them into leaders of the future.

 

We are thrilled with all the outstanding applicants for Class V and regret to announce that the application period is now closed for 2018-2019. We’re excited, however, to announce that an invitation to be part YCLP Class V has been extended to 26 young cattlemen from across Alabama, and they’ll gather in Montgomery on May 16-17 for their first session in conjunction with the Spring Board of Directors Meeting. This session will include a day full of farm tours, a cookout social with program alumni leadership training with Dr. Don Mulvaney and an inside peek at what goes on during a Board meeting.

Congratulations to all who have been selected for the 2018-2019 class of the Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program. If you’d like to get in on next year’s program, contact Michael Agar today!

 

 

PRODUCER NEWS Hits Inboxes

Thanks to outstanding input from Alabama’s beef cattle producers, the 2018 Alabama Beef Checkoff Marketing Plan budgeted for four quarterly producer communications pieces to be generated and email blasted to members’ inboxes throughout this year. Last week, we emailed the first edition of the Cattle Call out to over 10,000 inboxes. This newsletter takes important tidbits from the Bama Beef Blog that highlight overall activities from the first few months of 2018 and summarize them in an easy-to-read format that can be read on your phone, tablet or desktop computer!

 

This is just one more way we are keeping Alabama’s cattle producers connected to their state association. We want you to be informed because there is as much strength in knowledge as there is in numbers! If you want to be sure you’re on the list to receive this newsletter next time, send ACA Director of Social Media & Communications Kayla Greer your preferred email address today!

 

 

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy is hard at work inputting membership. Her stack is growing- which is a great problem to have- but county secretaries can help out by calling her at 334-265-1867 and scheduling a webinar so they can learn how to input county information! This will help greatly as we approach our Over the Top deadline which is APRIL 15! Yes, the deadline has been extended!

 

 

VISIT THE MOOSEUM

As spring arrives, school groups are heading out to enjoy the beautiful weather in downtown Montgomery. With that comes a full scene  at The MOOseum! County chapters- we encourage you all to reach out to local fourth grade classes and sponsor their trip to The MOOseum. It’s free to attend, but some assistance in gas costs could go a long way toward teaching our young people about Alabama’s very important beef cattle industry! We’d even love to see you tag along on their trip and enjoy a day with us. To learn more about The MOOseum, visit BamaBeef.org/TheMOOseum!

 

 

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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.

 

Just like that, the busy month of March is quickly riding off into the beautiful springtime sunset and making room for April. It’s an exciting time of year for your state staff as we are getting geared up to put your checkoff dollars to extra hard work. With the Bama’s Best Beef contest, a slew of springtime BEEF 101 programs, Junior Cattlemen events and online promotion, we’ve got quite the lineup of checkoff-funded programs coming in hot! While we’re busy promoting our favorite protein, you’re going to be busy producing it and the forages they need to thrive throughout the year. We know the bold green landscapes that are covering Alabama are a welcomed sight for you producers, and we hope you know how much we appreciate your hard work and involvement in Alabama’s beef cattle industry. Keep reading to learn more about what’s going on in Montgomery…

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Good Friday HOLIDAY

The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and The MOOseum will be closed this Friday, March 30 in observance of the Good Friday holiday. State staff will observe the religious holiday from home among family and appreciate your willingness to allow us to do so. While the phones will be down, our emails are always up…or you can give us a call as of normal business hours on Monday, April 2. We hope your family has a blessed Easter weekend. Don’t forget to add some beef to that Sunday dinner spread!

 

 

Youth Production Field Day

Registration is now available for our upcoming Youth Production Field Day happening at Langley Farms in Chambers County, Alabama on April 21. We’re going to cover a variety of topics using the expertise of Alabama Extension personnel including forages, assisted calving, Beef Quality Assurance and body condition scoring. Following a morning of learning and lunch, attendees will have the opportunity to tour Langley Farms with ACA President-Elect Chris Langley and family.

 

This event is FREE and open to all Alabama youth. If you have any questions, please contact Michael Agar at (334) 265-1867. To register, visit BamaBeef.org/ProductionFD.

 

 

PRoducer news- coming to an inbox near you!

Thanks to outstanding input from Alabama’s beef cattle producers, the 2018 Alabama Beef Checkoff Marketing Plan budgeted for four quarterly producer communications pieces to be generated and email blasted to member’s inboxes throughout this year. We’re very excited to have the first of these producer communication newsletters in production, and we are even more excited that it will be sending out soon. This newsletter takes important tidbits from the Bama Beef Blog that highlight overall activities from the first few months of 2018 and summarize them in an easy-to-read format that can be read on your phone, tablet or desktop computer!

 

This is just one more way we are keeping Alabama’s cattle producers connected to their state association. We want you to be informed because there is as much strength in knowledge as there is in numbers! If you want to be sure you’re on the list to receive this newsletter, send ACA Director of Social Media & Communications Kayla Greer your preferred email address today!

A Watchdog For You

As the legislative session wraps up, your ACA Executive Vice President and registered lobbyist Erin Beasley has been spending ample time at the Alabama State House where she is acting in a watchdog role protecting cattlemens’ interests and your right to farm. She has worked closely with agricultural industry stakeholders throughout this session to protect cattle producers, with the largest win being that of a national ELD mandate extension, which was lobbied extensively for among the Alabama government.

 

Should you have any questions regarding legislative happenings and their effects on the cattle industry, don’t hesitate to contact Erin Beasley by calling (334) 265-1867.

 

 

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

After recovering from convention wrap-up, ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy is back at her desk and hard at work inputting membership. Her stack is growing- which is a great problem to have- but county secretaries can help out by calling her at 334-265-1867 and scheduling a webinar so they can learn how to input county information! This will help greatly as we approach our Over the Top deadline which is APRIL 15! Yes, the deadline has been extended!

VISIT THE MOOSEUM

As spring arrives, school groups are heading out to enjoy the beautiful weather in downtown Montgomery. With that comes a full scene  at The MOOseum! County chapters- we encourage you all to reach out to local fourth grade classes and sponsor their trip to The MOOseum. It’s free to attend, but some assistance in gas costs could go a long way toward teaching our young people about Alabama’s very important beef cattle industry! We’d even love to see you tag along on their trip and enjoy a day with us. To learn more about The MOOseum, visit BamaBeef.org/TheMOOseum!

 

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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.