It’s officially the most wonderful time of the year! Not only has the Christmas season arrived, but bright fall leaves are painted across our farmscapes, new calves are on the ground, hay fills the rings in our pastures and turkeys make way for delicious holiday roasts on our tables. Like we said, it’s the most wonderful time of year!! As your state staff prepares to tie up all the ends of 2017, we are also looking forward to a big year in 2018. Keep reading to catch up on all that’s been going on in Alabama’s beef cattle industry and to get a few very important updates.
Scholarship Application Deadline
Alabama Cattlemen’s Foundation scholarship applications are now 
available online at BamaBeef.org/Scholarships and the deadline to apply is THIS FRIDAY at midnight! We encourage you to visit the site and explore the many scholarship opportunities for high school and college students in Alabama. Each year, the AFC awards over $50,000 in scholarships to deserving students whose parents or grandparents are members of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association.
Check out the many scholarship opportunities, and don’t forget- the deadline is Friday, Dec. 1 at midnight!
Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program Industry Tour
The Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program (YCLP) Class IV took an industry tour of west Alabama cattle operations Nov. 10-11, and it was an excellent weekend of learning and networking. The tour started out at Alabama Livestock Auction, Inc. at the BCIA Fall Round-Up Bull Sale, headed west to tour Next Step Cattle Company’s bull development facility in Livingston with ACA Past President Jimmy Holliman and enjoyed dinner at Diamond Jims & Mrs. Donna’s. After a good night’s sleep in Demopolis, the crew toured Ralph Cole and family’s diversified cattle and catfish operation in Greensboro then rounded out the tour back in Uniontown where Jim and Jimmy Sealy offered marketing advice to the young cattlemen. Special thanks to all our hosts and all who attended!
Hot Topic Tuesday: YCLP Leadership Project Success!
Speaking of YCLP, Class IV students Matthew Brady and Blake Hamner 
completed their joint leadership project this week and did an excellent job! Sponsored by the Perry and Tuscaloosa Cattlemen’s Associations and Alabama Ag Credit, Blake and Matthew organized “Hot Topic Tuesday,” an event held at the Black Belt Experiment Center on November 28th. Extension Veterinarian Dr. Soren Rodning preformed a live estrus synchronization, a hands-on calving demonstration and presented on hot topics in the beef industry to around 25 attendees. After the program, lunch was provided by Alabama Ag Credit.
This is what the Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program is all about. Congratulations on a job well done to Matthew and Blake. Special thanks to all who helped make the event a success!
County Annual Meetings & Membership Update
It’s county annual meeting season, and our Bama Beef Events Calendar is bursting with meeting dates. Check it out, and be sure to send ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy your county annual meeting dates for us to share!
Speaking of Jessica, she is still working to perfect the membership reporting process. Stay tuned with more information from her and remember that we’re all learning how this new program works together! Secretaries who will be inputting membership can email Jessica or call (334) 265-1867 for their logins and website links. Before beginning to enter membership, we encourage secretaries to sign up for a training webinar. Send Jessica a list of days and times that work for best for you: Mon-Sun 8am, 12pm, 3pm, 7pm.
A Quick Legislative Update
We have been working diligently with leadership in D.C. this week in regards to the Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) bill. Last week, a 90-day waiver was granted for the livestock hauling sector of the industry to allow more time to formulate solutions to this mandate. ACA has been working with Livestock Marketing Association along with producers to discuss with Sen. Shelby and Congressman Rogers offices the details as to why ELDs cause issues for our industry from the standpoint of animal welfare. Stay tuned for details as they unfold.
Last week we met with the Ag Coalition to listen to details about an Agribusiness and Rural Jobs Act that will be presented in the legislature in the upcoming session. The bill expands access for private financing for small rural businesses who are either expanding or starting from the ground up.
Additionally, the Alabama BEEF PAC Committee will meet next Wednesday, Dec. 6 to evaluate all candidates in the upcoming election. The PAC Committee will decide which candidates will receive financial contributions.
Alabama Forage Conference
ACA Director of Industry Relations & Youth Programs Michael Agar spent time in Eufala this week at the Alabama Forage Conference. Special thanks to Drs. Kim Mullenix and Leanne Dillard for spearheading this event designed to help cattle produce high-quality forages for Alabama livestock.
A Very MOOey Christmas
The MOOseum is hosting its 2nd annual MOOey Christmas at the 
Cattlemen’s Building on Dec 8 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Currently, we have 155 kiddos scheduled to come and give their Christmas wish list to our very own Cowboy Santa, Mr. Bill Lipscomb. We have partnered with the United States Marine Corps to host a Toys 4 Tots drive, and we are having a competition for the schools scheduled. The school that brings the largest donation will receive a $50 The MOOseum gift certificate to use for merchandise for their classroom. We will also be honored to have servicemen from the USMC to attend our event.
Also, could it be a “MOOey” Christmas without the “Moo?” AJCA President Cassidy Catrett and AJCA Past President Cameron Catrett are once again lending a hand and bringing live cattle to the building for the children to see. YCLP Class IV student and Lee County Cattleman Markie Hageman is bringing a few cattle reindeer props for photos, and of course, we will be serving cookies and milk! Come on out and celebrate with us…and don’t forget your Toys 4 Tots donations!!
AUBURN UNIVERSITY COLLEGIATE CATTLEMEN & CATTLEWOMEN SAUSAGE BOXES
Are you looking for the perfect Christmas gift for the meat eater in your life? The AU Collegiate Cattlemen and Cattlewomen have got JUST what you need in their jam-packed with goodness sausage boxes. For only $30 you can 2-lbs of summer sausage, 1-lb. of jalapeño summer sausage and 1-lb. of a perfectly-paired cheese. Who wouldn’t love a gift like that?!
Proceeds from the sale of this year’s sausage boxes will aid in sending our collegiate cattlemen and cattlewomen to the 2018 NCBA Convention in Phoenix, Arizona. This is an outstanding educational and networking opportunity for our young people who will soon enter the industry. If you’re interested in ordering a box, call (334) 674-0569, email clb0012@auburn.edu or mail in this printer-friendly order form.
SEC Championship Recipe Inspiration
Alabama’s own Auburn Tigers are taking on the Georgia Bulldogs this weekend in the SEC Championship and no matter who you cheer for, we can all agree on one thing…Beef. It’s What’s For Gameday. Cheer on your team with yummy steak nachos!
Here are a Few Handy Links You May Enjoy:
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Last week at the state office, the state beef checkoff team hosted the 2018 Checkoff Task Force Meeting, and it was a day full of great ideas, planning, brainstorming and exploring areas of growth for the beef checkoff program. During this meeting, cattlemen and industry influencers gathered to hear a recap of this year’s program successes, learned about national checkoff goals and perspectives from NCBA’s Season Solorio and offered input and desires for areas of the program such as producer communication and education, retail/foodservice, advertising and social media, youth and issues management. Staff is now busy typing up all the new ideas, budgeting and preparing our more important presentation of the year for the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association Executive Committee and Board of Directors. Look forward to all to come and thanks to all who took time out of their busy schedules to contribute their input on the Alabama beef checkoff program.
The new membership software is now complete, and ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy has been working diligently to produce educational videos to help teach county leaders how to use the new program. County secretaries are encouraged to attend the November Board Meeting on Nov. 16 as Jessica will be assigning county login information and discussing where to access “how to” videos.
On another digital front, our ibotta coupon- which offered $2 OFF a roast of any brand or variety purchased at most Alabama grocers- encouraged the sale of over 5,700 roasts, provided educational beef messaging to over 16,900 app users and reached more than 539,200 Alabama residents. This coupon featured prominent checkoff logos and well-represented Alabama’s beef cattle producers. Great work, team!
On Wednesday, Oct. 11 ACA checkoff staff joined ACA President-Elect Jack Batts, Regional Vice President Jay Buckley and Walker County President Tyler McClendon in Jasper to award Black Rock Bistro with its Bama’s Best Burger winning plaque.
the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries to host a Beef Up the Blood Supply event with LifeSouth. All who donated blood earned a ribeye steak sandwich grilled up by ACA staff! We surpassed LifeSouth’s donor goal by five donors…just another way to show that cattlemen care!
On Oct. 12-13, ACA Director of Industry Relations and Youth Programs Michael Agar headed west to set up a booth in the Worlds of Work “Ag World” at Shelton State Community College where over 4,000 8
Auburn fan and Lauderdale County cattleman Dan Goode could not believe his eyes when we found this Shorthorn heifer in his pasture. Marked clearly with an Alabama “script A,” this calf was born a fan, by default, of the Crimson Tide. Her markings have made her quite popular and have even spread as far as ESPN, Fox Sports, Sports247, SEC Country, thanks to a little push from Paul Finebaum.
available online at 
Beef has been the talk of the town this October Beef Month thanks to the work of county chapters across the state! We at the state office have had an influx of great pictures from counties who have participated in Cowboys in the Classroom, hosted steak sandwich sales, educated about beef cattle at farm/ag days and even from restaurant-owning cattlemen who have offered a beefy special in their eateries throughout the month. Great job, cattlemen! View photos 
event in partnership with the Alabama Department of Ag and worked hard to educate influencers, such as Auburn City Schools food service representatives and culinary students, through multiple Beef 101 programs. Besides getting out and promoting beef, we’ve amp’d up our social media footprint through beef-specific advertisements and posts such as recipes, beef facts, production practice infographics, how-to videos, cooking tips and more. We’ve worked hard to point people back to the checkoff-funded BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com. Our website even took on a new look for the month as it features beef imagery in the background, an “October is Beef Month in Alabama” banner across the top and scrolls through delicious, themed recipes each week throughout the month. So far, we’ve promoted burgers, easy weeknight meals and tailgating appetizers, and this week is all about stews and chilis as fall weather brings a welcomed chill to the state!
Imagine a half-pound beef patty topped with made-from-scratch pimento cheese and a fried green tomato. If your mouth is watering at the thought of a burger of this caliber, then a trip to Black Rock Bistro in Jasper, Ala. is due in your future.
and Sysco Gulf Coast joined us at the Auburn Beef Teaching Unit & Meats Lab to learn about beef from pasture to plate. ACA President Richard Meadows welcomed the group, helped lead a conversation about the beef life cycle and gave a background on his cattle operation. Jason and Dr. Misty Edmondson spoke to the group about beef production practices during a live animal evaluation then Meats Lab staff fabricated a beef carcass into retail cuts for the group to see. It was a great program and introduced many of those who sell our product to the production and meat science aspects of the industry!
This week, ACA Executive VP Erin Beasley hosted NCBA Supply Chain Relationship Management Director Shelley Bradway to Alabama as she visited several distributors and participated in Beef 101. On Monday, Beasley and Bradway headed to Atlanta to visit Buckhead Beef to discuss educational opportunities and resources available to them through the beef checkoff. Following Beef 101 
on Tuesday, Shelley along with program staff and AU Meat Sciences faculty toured the new Golden State Foods meat plant in Opelika. This
We had great participation and feedback from our Regional Meetings. Thank you to all who attended! Out of 67 counties we had 39 represented this year. One of the highlights from the meetings was revealing a little about the new membership software. This new software will be available to all counties who wish to use it by November. The new software will be much more user-friendly and is updated quite frequently to improve functionality.
Your Alabama Beef Checkoff dollars went to work to host a Cattle Judging Field Day on Saturday, Sep. 16 at CK Cattle in Hope Hull. We were excited to have 50 youth from counties all over the state join us for the day. To kick off the event, Jason P’Poole discussed the fundamentals and terminology involved in judging cattle. Following the discussion, youth took to the pens to judge three classes, including Angus heifers, SimAngus heifers and ChiAngus bulls. Participants then took a lunch break while scorecards were tallied, and the top three in each age division received prizes for their success. A farm tour of CK Cattle finished out the day. We would like to give a special thanks to ACA Vice President Chris Langley, AJCA Director Chelsea Langley and Regional VP Jim Jordan for attending this event and the folks at CK Cattle for allowing participants to learn from their outstanding cattle.
Foreign Agricultural Service. The representatives have to come to Alabama from Kenya, Malawi and Tanzania to learn about American agriculture. ACA Executive Vice President Erin Beasley answered their many questions about the beef industry, led them on a tour of our building and even grilled up some delicious beef for them to try out!
Montgomery Stockyards welcomed Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) World Champion Auctioneer Brian Curless from Pittsfield, Illinois last week to visit the area and sell cattle on sale day. ACA staff enjoyed the opportunity to visit the market, meet with Brian and hear his impressive chant. While in Alabama, Brian also took time to visit Autauga Farming Company with ACA Past President Bill Lipscomb.
Fruitticher (WF) Foodservice, based out of Birmingham. New salesmen from around the state gathered to learn about beef from Pasture to Plate in an effort to sell more product. WF has heavily increased their beef sales over the last two years by focusing on steak cuts and also introducing branded beef items. They primarily sell to restaurants in the state. Next week, the checkoff is excited to partner with Certified Angus Beef (CAB) to offer BEEF 101 to 50 retail and foodservice people.
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.
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.
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!