Howdy there, cattlemen! After a long weekend and quite the turnaround in the office, we missed getting to chat with you last week. To make up for it, we’ll make this post extra informative and make sure you have all the information you need to stay in touch with your state cattlemen’s association. As July is scooting by at a rapid rate, we’re busy will all the many preparations and planning that is required for our many fall promotions and events. Fall…sheesh. When did half of 2017 get away?
Nevertheless, we know you’re busy with cutting, baling, raking and all the many other jobs of being a cattleman, but beat this humid noontime heat with a break on our blog!
Last Week Recap
Beasley Takes Over as Exec
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!
Bama’s Best Beef presentation
ACA Checkoff staff Erin Beasley, Kayla Greer and Michael Agar had 
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.
The ACA representatives were also joined by press staff of the Trussville Tribune and Birmingham-based food critic and friend of the beef industry Comedienne Joy. Both outfits did print and video stories on our winning restaurant.
On top of meeting new friends of beef, we had the opportunity to learn about the owners of BBQ Stop, Cliff & Debbie Mortimer. Alabama transplants by way of Ohio, this duo makes a perfect restaurant-owning team. While Cliff is the head pitmaster who has won over 250 barbecue cook-offs across the nation, Debbie handles all the aesthetics and public relations needed to promote a family-owned restaurant. The food was outstanding! The brisket got two thumbs up from our beef-loving team and Chris and Elizabeth even purchased a bottle of their award-winning “Southern Peach” bbq sauce. If you ever find yourself in Clay, swing by and give them a try!
AJCA Round-Up- registration closed
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!
Director applications have also been submitted, and we’re proud to have so many qualified young cattlemen running for a leadership role. We’ll have elections for one seat in each district during the 3-day event. Check out our candidates…
District 1:
- Emma Merriman
- Reagan Murphree
- Ashley Ruf
District 2:
- Will Jordan
- Michael Morrison
District 3:
- Nathan Gullatt
- Chelsea Langley
- Sarah Parker
District 4:
- Josh Graham
- Bryce Hendricks
- Jacob Meadows
10,000 Members And Counting
After a major membership drive run by the state team and with the help of county chapters across the state, the ACA met its 2017 goal of having 10,000 members! In fact, the membership final count for 2017 was 10,024! That being said, the 2017 membership year is now closed and all memberships sent in to the state office will be applied to 2018.
Strides are being made toward the application of our new membership software, I4A. The software is in testing and will be up and running in the fall. ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy mentioned that anything entered in the old database will not be processed moving forward, so send all membership to the state office in a spreadsheet with member name and number along with money.
JOHN DEERE GATOR TICKETS: We have John Deere Gator drawing tickets 
for sale now, and we need to sell many more than we have! Tickets are $10 or 3 for $20. Just think…$10 and you could be the proud winner of a John Deere Gator XUV 560. Give Jessica a call today to purchase your tickets over the phone or have her mail you a booklet! The drawing will be held at the August 10 Board of Directors Meeting.
Washington County Field Day
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.
Now for This Week…
Simmental Junior Nationals
On Monday, ACA’s Michael Agar got the opportunity to break out his 
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.
Following the judging portion of the contest the participants gave a brief set of reasons to judges that briefly described what they saw and their reasoning for placing the class the way they did. Michael noted that he was very impressed by the youth involved in the contest as a whole and particularly within the state of Alabama. Great job, juniors!
ACAE Lunch & Learn
The ACA was proud to host the Alabama Council of Association Executives during their monthly luncheon on Tuesday as the group discussed the work being done to establish a conference center in Gulf Shores. Association execs from across Alabama joined in our building to learn about these new opportunities.
NCBA Summer Conference
ACA President Richard Meadows, Past President Bill Lipscomb and Executive Vice President are on a plane to Denver as we type! The trio will be in Denver until Saturday attending the NCBA Summer Conference where they’ll be updated on all the work happening out of our parent organization.
Stocker Conference
Friday, July 14th, ACA’s Michael Agar will travel to Hale county for the Stocker Cattle Shortcourse which has been organized by REA Brenda Glover. We will head on on Thursday to Hale County to meet with ALFA’s District VI Director Wallace Drury where they’ll spend the day visiting with a variety of cattle producers. Michael is looking forward to meeting with West Alabama cattle producers!
AUGUST BOARD MEETING- SAVE THE DATE
Board of Directors: Don’t forget our Board Meeting to be held August 10 at the ACA Building in downtown Montgomery. We look forward to seeing each of you and updating you on all we’ve done this summer as well as telling you what to look forward to in the fall!
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.
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!
ntina in Auburn’s “Tex Mex Lasagna” is described as a “three-layer tortilla lasagna of seasoned ground beef, refried beans, and red chili sauce, topped with our delicious Monterey and cheddar blend cheese and finished with pico de gallo and a sprinkle of cotija cheese.”
The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association is excited to sponsor the Culinary Fight Club Alabama “Blended Burger Battle” happening Thursday night from 6-9 p.m. at Central in downtown Montgomery. We’re sponsoring the beef as area chefs go head-to-head to craft the best burger in show. Our own Erin Beasley will be serving as a guest judge while staff attends to support the beef-centric event.
MBA State Coordinator and ACA Director of Social Media & Communications Kayla Greer has been working to create a “digital took kit” for graduates of both the Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program and the Masters of Beef Advocacy program to use during the summertime. The tool kit features graphics, captions, images and ideas about how to effectively post about all that goes on around the beef cattle industry during the summer months.
We’ve got a new face in the office as Logan Strock has started his summer internship with the ACA this week! Logan is from White City in Autauga County and is a student at Mississippi State pursuing his degree in agriscience education. He’s with us this summer to help plan the 11th annual, Fiesta-themed AJCA Round-Up held at the Garrett Coliseum July 20-23. He’s already off to a great start as he’s lining up contest judges and preparing to host Junior directors for a planning meeting next Tuesday!
ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy wanted to make sure you all got the reminder that the year-end “Over the Top” deadline is the May 9th Board Meeting. Counties who have gone “Over the Top” and have at least 100 members will be included in the drawing for the Priefert Chute. We have 20 counties who are within an arm’s length of going “Over the Top,” and your chance at a $5,000 Priefert squeeze chute should be encouragement enough! If that’s not enough, county presidents who go “Over the Top” will receive an award at the 2018 ACA Convention and TWO free banquet tickets.
It’s an exciting week for social media! The 2nd annual Bama’s Best Beef contest has kicked off in search of Alabama’s most unique beef dish! The contest starts out with a nomination round which will be open until midnight on May 13. Following a week of deliberation to select a finalist in the Asian, Hispanic, All-American and Other categories, the final four dishes will go head-to-head in Facebook Photo Challenges with the hopes of being crowned “Bama’s Best Beef.”
Erin Beasley enjoyed a nice visit with longtime friend of the Cattlemen’s Association, Gov. Kay Ivey. During the meeting, the trio discussed issues relating to the beef cattle industry and rural Alabama.
kick off next Monday and Tuesday for the year. Twenty-five outstanding cattlemen between 21-40 years of age will commit to this program over the next year to learn more about the association, develop leadership skills and increase their overall knowledge of the cattle industry. Moving forward, this program will continue to show its worth by seeing graduates move into leadership roles at the county and state level.
For those who may have missed the news last week, the ACA is excited to have Logan Strock in our office this summer as he has accepted an internship where he will lead the effort in putting on the 11th annual AJCA Round-Up. Logan is a current AJCA director and a student at Mississippi State University where he is studying agricultural education.
Montgomery’s Garrett Coliseum. Stay tuned as rules and registration information will be made available late May. We can’t wait to see you there!
met to discuss final reports on the 2017 SLE Rodeo and livestock week and to make decisions regarding the 2018 show. The committee is excited to announce that the 61st annual SLE Rodeo, along with Frontier Rodeo Company and PRCA Freestyle Bullfighting, will come bucking back to Montgomery March 15-17, 2018. Save the dates now!
The ACA Facebook page has reached another milestone this week as we broke through to 16,000 followers!! For those non-Facebookers out there, this means that we reach over 16,000 people a day with our positive message about beef and beef cattle production. This year’s goal is 25,000 so help us get there and spread the word to LIKE our page!