Alabama Cattlemen's Association

Bama Beef Blog: January 29, 2020

Whirlwind is the word in our office as we head into a very busy convention and rodeo season. You’ll hear us say that a lot until both of those events ride off into the sunset for 2020, so hang in there while we work to make these events great! Like last week, our post may seem a bit short and uneventful but that is certainly not the case in the office. Like bees in a hive, we are buzzing around the office with convention and rodeo prep— everything from magazine articles and convention videos, youth contest organization, vendor packets, meetings with convention center staff, creating agendas, designing the programs, taking registration, building the trade show map and many many more fun tasks that are keeping us on our toes. While you hold down the fort on the farm, we’re here in Montgomery creating a shindig you’re sure to love…oh, and keeping up with all the regular day-to-day tasks that keep us busy throughout the year. Keep reading to learn what’s going on at the ACA this week.

2020 ACA CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW

The countdown is on! We are just weeks away from convention. Registration is still open for the 77th annual ACA Convention & Trade show to be held February 14-15 at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Convention Center. ONLY FIVE HOTEL ROOMS remain on our block at the neighboring Staybridge Suites, so get those rooms booked lickety-split.

What better way to say “I love you” on Valentine’s Day than to bring your darlin’ to our Friday night event, the Sweetheart Shindig? Not to mention all the fun and excitement around our General Sessions, featuring Donnell Brown of R.A. Brown Ranch and a CattleFax update, informative Cattlemen’s Colleges and Alabama’s biggest cattle industry trade show. We’ve also host NCBA CEO Colin Woodall as our Cattlemen’s Luncheon featured speaker. Don’t miss this exciting event!

You can register online today by visiting www.BamaBeef.org/Convention or you can call us at the office and we’ll take your registration by phone! Be sure to have your credit card handy and have an idea of what you and your’s would like to attend by checking out our mail-in form in the January issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine.

SLE RODEO- TICKETS, GET YOUR TICKETS!

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

This week, ACA Director of Rodeo Programs Lauren Wilson met with the sponsorship committee to discuss what has been covered, and who still needs to be reached out to. We’ve also booked our acoustic entertainment for the hospitality tent, and we’re excited to featured the vocal talents of Ed Whatley on Thursday night, Brandon Self on Friday night and Charity Bowden on Saturday. The SLE Rodeo website has been updated to feature information on the Alabama Stock Horse Association Show and Clinic and the SLE Team Roping events. Coming soon is information on the NBHA Barrel Race.

USMCA: SIGNED!

Today, representatives from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association gathered on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. for the signing ceremony of the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA). NCBA President Jennifer Houston, who attended the ceremony, released the following statement:

“This is a great day for America’s cattle producers, and we were once again honored to participate in another great victory for our industry. Of course, the ratification of USMCA comes on the heels of a game-changing new trade deal with China, a new bilateral agreement with our largest export partners in Japan, and much-improved access to the European Union.

“Add that to the new waters rule that was finalized last week, new proposed grazing regulations, and new proposed rules that would provide much-needed relief the National Environmental Policy Act, and it’s easy to see that 2020 is off to a truly historic start for U.S. beef producers. I want to thank the President and his entire team for listening to our producers’ concerns and for working with us to find real common-sense solutions.”

Membership Update

To date, our ACA membership count is up to 5,622 and counting as county meetings are still in full swing. This week, staffers and officers will be on the road to attend the Lee, Crenshaw, Monroe and Chilton county meetings. Next week will being the Henry, Dale and Chambers meetings. County leaders, be sure to send Jessica Kennedy those meeting dates, times and locations and officer updates following the meeting!

Convention Youth Contests

This year the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program is sponsoring THREE educational contest for Alabama’s youth involved in agriculture. These contests are FREE of charge and provide educational opportunities. We will be offering quiz bowl and public speaking for juniors ages 9-21. Youth ages 17-21 are invited to compete in a career development contest to prepare their interview skills for the future. The link to register for these contests close this Saturday. www.BamaBeef.org/Contests

At the Super Speedway

ACA Director of Education & Outreach Ali Cantrell was able to drive the track of Talladega Speedway on Tuesday to discuss promoting Beef at the races. Ali discussed with them some standard advertisement with the track but they also discussed a relatively new event that the ACA could be a part of. “Driving STEM at Talladega Superspeedway ” started this past fall and the 2.66-mile venue hosted 550 students from five different schools in October to learn about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and its relation in the sport of NASCAR at the most competitive track on the circuit. This program has the potential for ACA to come out and show how by-products from the cattle industry impact the sport of NASCAR by creating fuel, tires, and etc for the sport.

YCLP

Our sixth class of the checkoff-funded Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program (YCLP) will graduate at Convention in February. We are now accepting applications for our seventh class of YCLP. Applications for this program close on February 29. The YCLP consists of six meetings dispersed across Alabama over the course of a year. The class will be selected by a committee based on applications submitted. Preference will be given to those nominees who are between the ages of 20 & 40, but do not be discouraged to nominate yourself or someone else who falls out of that range. Click here to apply » www.BamaBeef.org/YCLP

The YCLP main focuses are to build on leadership and networking skills. If you are an alumni of this program we are excited to say we are starting a YCLP Council for alumni. The meeting introducing this idea will be held at convention on Saturday at 3:00 pm. We invite all alumni to this meeting to discuss the future of this program and it’s alumni opportunities to come!

Thanks for reading this week’s post! Until we post again, we want to remind you that you can stay in touch with us by following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Bama Beef Blog Update: January 22, 2020

Someone turned on the A/C on full blast this week, folks! It is a chiller out there. Thank goodness these icy temps won’t stick around too long, and we can stop busting ice so early in the morning. While you’re chasing wintertime farm work, your staff in Montgomery is busy behind the desk and on the roads as we attend annual meetings and keep our heads down planning the best events we can for 2020. With convention and rodeo so rapidly approaching, you can say those are the themes around the office. There’s a lot of back end work that must be done so you can enjoy a great trade show, convention and rodeo. Keep reading to find out a little more about what’s going on with your state staff.

2020 ACA CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW

The countdown is on! We are officially less than a month away from convention. Registration is still open for the 77th annual ACA Convention & Trade show to be held February 14-15 at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Convention Center. What better way to say “I love you” on Valentine’s Day than to bring your darlin’ to our Friday night event, the Sweetheart Shindig? Not to mention all the fun and excitement around our General Sessions, featuring Donnell Brown of R.A. Brown Ranch and a CattleFax update, informative Cattlemen’s Colleges and Alabama’s biggest cattle industry trade show. We’ve also confirmed our Cattlemen’s Luncheon speaker, NCBA CEO Colin Woodall. Don’t miss this exciting event!

SLE RODEO- TICKETS, GET YOUR TICKETS!

Last week hosted a very productive Board meeting while a week full of meetings regarding sponsorships, partnerships and advertising have kept staffers busy this week!

Junior Update

The AJCA Board of Directors have hit the county meetings this year. They have enjoyed meeting cattlemen and juniors from counties in their district. Last night Jewel Thompson spoke at Bullock County on the upcoming events AJCA is hosting, while last week Will Meadows his the Houston and Mobile County meetings.

AJCA will be having their annual field day on April 18^th at Quail Valley Farms in Blountsville, AL. The schedule for this event will be released at the beginning of March. The junior board has voted to add a few new things to this years spring field day. We look forward to a full day of fun and education for our juniors of Alabama. Another event to go ahead and mark off on your calendars is our 14^th Annual Round-Up will be July 16-19^th at the Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, Alabama.

Convention is less than one month away! This year the state beef checkoff is sponsoring three youth contest to be held at convention. Public Speaking and Quiz Bowl are open to juniors 9-21. Seniors ages 17-21, we invite you to sharpen up on your interview skills in our Career Development contest. All contest are free of entry and awards presentation will be done at the conclusion of the Quiz Bowl on the main trade show stage. For more information visit www.BamaBeef.org.Contests.

County Meeting Chaos…and Fun!

Just like the Juniors, your ACA staff and officers are out and about attending county annual meetings! Last week closed out with a trip to Coffee County for Kayla Greer and Lauderdale County for Ali Cantrell. On Tuesday of this week, Morgan Pounds stopped in at the Bullock County meeting, and staff will go in all directions on Thursday as Kayla Greer heads to Marion County, Lauren Wilson heads to Washington County and Morgan Pounds stops in at Mobile County. The fun doesn’t stop there, though, as Saturday night has Ali Cantrell heading to Jefferson County, President Chris Langley to Jackson County, Sabrina McKinney to Russell County and Erin Beasley to Colbert County. Whew- what a busy week!

If you haven’t let us know about your upcoming county annual meeting, contact Jessica at our office at (334) 265-1867.

YCLP

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

As of today, the membership total is up to 5,236 and counting as county annual meeting season is in full swing and staffer Jessica Kennedy continues to receive mail-in and online membership submissions. County leaders, reports are good to go and are ready for download on the i4a system. Be sure to refer to these as you head into your annual meeting. Following your meetings, please provide Jessica with county leadership changes and contact information. We need everything including phone, mailing address and email!

Board members, Board Memos went out in the mail last regarding our Winter Board Meeting held at the ACA Convention. A luncheon will follow the meeting. As a reminder, Board members will be provided a meal ticket, but additional guests, including spouses, will need to purchase a Board luncheon ticket. This can be done by calling Jessica Kennedy at (334) 265-1867.

Thanks for reading this week’s post! Until we post again, we want to remind you that you can stay in touch with us by following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Bama Beef Blog Update: January 15, 2020

Finally, some sunshine! After a very wet start to our week, we are seeing a little break in the rain and are able to get out in the mud to feed some cows. Don’t forge your muck boots and your 4WD vehicles! Just like you, we are sinking our feet into the thick of county annual meeting, convention and rodeo season. With our two biggest events of the year quickly on the horizon, we are staying busy to make them the best yet while continuing to keep your association running on all cylinders. Keep reading to get your weekly update from the staff at ACA.

2020 ACA CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW

You can register online today and take advantage of those awesome Early Bird deals AVAILABLE ONLY FOR TWO MORE DAYS by visiting www.BamaBeef.org/Convention or you can call us at the office and we’ll take your registration by phone! Be sure to have your credit card handy and have an idea of what you and your’s would like to attend by checking out our mail-in form in the January issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine.

SLE Rodeo- Tickets, Get Your Tickets!

Our staff here is busy at work making sure this show is the best yet. Today, Director of Rodeo Programs Lauren Wilson will host an SLE Board meeting to cover important events leading up to the rodeo. She is also negotiating several sponsorship deals, working on a deal with our bullfighting contractor, B-K Fighting Bulls, putting finishing touches on the schedule and working with our many, active committees. ACA Director of Communications Kayla Greer is negotiating advertising deals with media, working on our media luncheon to be held February 27 and promoting ticket sales through the website on social media!

County Annual Meetings in Full Swing

Staffers are burning up the highways this week as it is the busiest two weeks of the year for county annual meetings! Lauren Wilson popped into Pike County’s meeting on Monday, while Ali Cantrell buzzed over a Collegiate Cattlemen’s meeting in Auburn on Tuesday. Kayla Greer will head to Hale County on Thursday evening, and meanwhile, Ali will head south to Houston County. Then on Friday, Kayla Greer will hit Coffee County’s Annual Meeting and call it week, while Ali Cantrell heads to Lauderdale County on Saturday and President Chris Langley stops in at Franklin County. Then, we start again next week with Shelby, Bullock, Elmore, Washington, Marion, Jefferson, Jackson, Colbert and Russell counties on the docket. If you see us in passing, be sure to honk or say hi! We’d love to hear from you!

Working with Influencers

Last Friday, The Alabama Obesity Task Force met in our building for their first quarterly meeting of the year. Staffer Ali Cantrell was in attendance during the meeting as they discussed new initiatives to help the state of Alabama live a more healthy lifestyle. The ACA has been a friend to the Obesity Task Force through the years so that beef can be included in the conversation in terms of health and wellness.

YCLP Class VII Apps- Now Open!

We are now taking YCLP Applications for Class VII! The Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program (YCLP) has been a passion of the Cattlemen’s Association. In just six sessions we hope all the participants walk away with leadership skills, networking contacts, and expanded knowledge of the beef industry. 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. Visit www.BamaBeef.org/YCLP if this program interest you. Applications close on February 29.

For our YCLP Alumni, we will be having a meeting at ACA Convention on Saturday February 15 at 3:00pm. Please contact Morgan Pounds for additional information at mpounds@bamabeef.org.

Membership Update

As of today, the membership total is up to 4,949 and counting as county annual meeting season is in full swing and staffer Jessica Kennedy continues to receive mail-in and online membership submissions. County leaders, reports are good to go and are ready for download on the i4a system. Be sure to refer to these as you head into your annual meeting.

Board members, Board Memos will go out in the mail today regarding our Winter Board Meeting held at the ACA Convention. A luncheon will follow the meeting. As a reminder, Board members will be provided a meal ticket, but additional guests, including spouses, will need to purchase a Board luncheon ticket. This can be done by calling Jessica Kennedy at (334) 265-1867.

Junior Cattlemen Update

We are excited to have over 550 followers on our AJCA Instagram page. We have some new content coming your way that involves past AJCA presidents. If you were a past AJCA President please contact Morgan Pounds at mpounds@bamabeef.org to be featured on our Instagram page. The AJCA Board of Directors voted to do another giveaway first week in March involving some FREE SLE t6ickets. Follow our page to stay updated on what our juniors around the state are up to! Instagram: @al_juniorcattlemen

Convention is just one short month away! The AJCA Board of Directors voted to move Career Development and Public Speaking to convention. These two contests offer great scholarship opportunities sponsored by the Alabama Beef Checkoff program. We have also added a Quiz Bowl contest to convention this year to get our youth across the state involved. For more information visit www.BamaBeef.org/Contests.

Lastly, the AJCA is excited to roll out a new look in 2020. Staffers Morgan Pounds and Kayla Greer have worked on a new logo for the junior association and are excited to offer a more modern, cleaned up version to use as a brand for our activities. As it rolls out, you will be seeing it more, but a sneak peek can be seen above!

DYW at ACA

On Thursday, a representative from each county will visit the Cattlemen’s building for the Distinguished Young Women (DYW) of Alabama luncheon. The young ladies are in town preparing for the statewide scholarship pageant, and to break from training, the group will stop by ACA for a steak luncheon, a game of beef trivia and a tour of The MOOseum.

Thanks for reading this week’s post! Until we post again, we want to remind you that you can stay in touch with us by following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Bama Beef Blog Update: January 8, 2020

Happy New Year!

If you turn on the news, it seems that 2020 has started quite sour. Wildfires encompassing Australia, rising tensions in the Middle East, and the Golden Globes going vegan to fight climate change just to name a few…but the best we can do here in our great state is to keep our heads down, boots on the ground and continue to do the work and pray the prayers we know make a true difference. Keep your heads high, cattlemen, and continue reading to find out what all is new in the new year and what all you may need a refresher on!

2020 ACA CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW

Registration is now open for the 77th annual ACA Convention & Trade show to be held February 14-15 at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Convention Center. What better way to say “I love you” on Valentine’s Day than to bring your darlin’ to our Friday night event, the Sweetheart Shindig? Not to mention all the fun and excitement around our General Sessions, featuring Donnell Brown of R.A. Brown Ranch and a CattleFax update, informative Cattlemen’s Colleges and Alabama’s biggest cattle industry trade show. We’ve also confirmed our Cattlemen’s Luncheon speaker, NCBA CEO Colin Woodall. Don’t miss this exciting event!

You can register online today and take advantage of those awesome Early Bird deals by visiting www.BamaBeef.org/Convention or you can call us at the office and we’ll take your registration by phone! Be sure to have your credit card handy and have an idea of what you and your’s would like to attend by checking out our mail-in form in the January issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine.
With convention being only a little over a month away, we only have a few spots available in our trade show if your company wants a booth! Please contact Ali Cantrell at our office if you would like to be a vendor at our trade show or visit online at www.BamaBeef.org/Convention to sign up for a booth! Early bird prices are now closed.

SLE RODEO TICKETS NOW ON SALE

Membership Update

Welcome to the 2020 membership year! As it is today, we’ve got 4,442 members renewed in the system…and counting as many many county meetings are underway in the next few weeks. Our mailbox stays full with renewals, which is certainly no problem for us! We’re excited to start the new year with over 4000 members with the help of three-year members who paid up last year! This will certainly help in our efforts to go Over the Top with 10,000 members in 2020!

County leaders, we want to make sure that you know 2020 Membership Reports are in the works and will be online soon through our software, i4a. If you have issues pulling these reports, please contact Jessica at our office.

AJCA Board Winter Meeting

This past weekend, ACA Director of Field Services Morgan Pounds met with the AJCA Board of Directors to discuss upcoming events. The juniors brought many new ideas to the table for 2020. We are excited to say our Spring Field Day will be held on April 18 in North Alabama. We will have a full day of events with a morning option and afternoon option. A detailed schedule will come soon!

The AJCA Board is also looking forward to seeing youth across Alabama compete in the contests at Convention on February 15. Click here to register today in public speaking, career development, and quiz bowl and your chance at scholarship prizes!

SLE Sponsorship Committee Meets

The SLE Rodeo Sponsorship Committee met today to review current sponsors, those working on a deal and to name those that still need to be reach out to. The Parade Committee hosted a conference call on Tuesday to discuss timing, events and potential participants. The Parade Committee would love to invite County Cattlemen’s Chapters to participate with a float, riders and/or signage in the 2020 SLE Rodeo Kickoff Parade. Riders will receive a complimentary meal, courtesy of Fat Boys BBQ Ranch, and a ticket to the Thursday night kickoff performance. If this interests you, contact Lauren Wilson at our office. To learn more, visit www.SLERodeo.com/Events.
Last but not least, advertising is in the works. This week, Lauren Wilson and Kayla Greer will seal the deal on radio advertising. One TV deal is signed and another is in the works. Billboards and targeted mobile ads are ready to go also! Facebook is firing up and performing well. The rodeo is almost here, folks- only 71 days away!

Increased Advertising in 2020

Digital advertising is a major focus for the association and the checkoff in 2020, and with that, constant rolling ads will be available on the Facebook and Instagram platforms. Rolling membership ads driving viewers to our “Join Now” page, Beef. It’s Whats for Dinner recipes and producer-driven ads about how your checkoff dollars go to work will constantly be available on the social platforms. So far, in just the first week of the new year, a membership ad, convention ad, two beef recipe ads and a producer ad have run, and all are performing well. They’ve garnered hundreds of link clicks to the associated websites, and our weekend online renewals saw a big jump on Sunday! We’re excited to continue to watch our footprint grow on these platforms and utilize them to get the word out about all we at the ACA offer!

Our consumer e-newsletters will also continue on monthly in 2020, with a brand new look! We’ve updated our template to provide a fresh appearance, and we’re excited to send the first one of 2020 out on Thursday to over 10,000 inboxes. Keep an eye out!

New Year, New Beef 101 Programs

ACA Director of Education & Outreach Ali Cantrell has three Beef 101 programs scheduled for this spring with FACS groups and culinary schools. If you are interested in sitting in on a Beef 101 please contact her at the office at (334) 265-1867. The dates for the confirmed programs are February 26, March 24, and April 1.

County Annual Meetings in Full Swing

It is a new year and our calendar is full with county annual meetings! Staffers Lauren Wilson and Morgan Pounds are head north to see our Marshall, Morgan and Limestone county cattlemen this weekend! Next weekend will host many, many more and we can’t wait to see you! Check out our www.BamaBeef.org/Events calendar to see the complete list. If your’s isn’t on there, be sure to submit it to Jessica Kennedy here at the ACA.

Thanks for reading this week’s post! Until we post again, we want to remind you that you can stay in touch with us by following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

A Lean New Year

By Elesha Ergle, RDN
Welcome to 2020, the year of hindsight! As we start this fabulous new year, set your sights on some new and creative ideas to add to your lunch boxes and dinner plans. If your previous years’ recipes are starting to lose their luster, let beef help you come up with some exciting and healthy ideas that will keep you going all year long.

Beef’s Nutrition
Beef is a healthy option! Here are the fast facts: a 3-ounce portion of lean beef (about the size of a deck of cards) contains less than 10 grams of fat and about 170 calories with about 25 grams of protein! If you are curious about all the lean cuts that beef has to offer, Beef It’s What’s for Dinner has you covered.<

BOLD Beef
In 2012, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the study Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet (BOLD), which promoted four different diets, each integrating beef in varying amounts. At the end of the study, the participants that received larger amounts of lean beef were found to have lower cholesterol levels than those of diets with lower amounts of lean beef. The study provides “support for including lean beef in a heart-healthy dietary pattern.”

Fast Foods
While there are many beef recipes that require a lot of your time to prepare, Electric Pressure Cookers (EPC)— such as an Instant Pot— can cut your cooking times more than half. If you love a good roast with potatoes and carrots, try using a lean rump roast in your EPC for your next meal. This recipe uses only 3-4 ingredients and is ready in under 2 hours! (Tip: add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar OR substitute 1-cup water with 1-cup cola to the recipe to further increase tenderness.)

Snacking with Beef
If you have resolved to add more exercise in to your new year, try some beef snacks for the trip to the gym or post-workout routine. Beef It’s What’s for Dinner has a great Beef Trail Mix, and this recipe for beefy sweet and savory trail mix can be the answer to your afternoon snacking routine. If you are looking for a great home workout, try the Farm To Gym workout at the link below.

No matter what your resolutions, resolve to eat more healthy, lean beef! Set your sights on some of these new ideas or visit Beef It’s What’s for Dinner for more information and recipes. Let your hindsight be 2020 as the best year ever!

Happy New Year from all of us at the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association.

This article was funded by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Progam. Paid for by Alabama beef farmers and ranchers.

What’s Going On Wednesday: December 18, 2019

Well, folks, this is it. Somehow this is the last blog update of 2019. It feels like we were just saying “Happy New Year.” Twelve months sure goes fast! As we settle down for the holiday season, we wanted to send one last update to keep you informed. As we go into the new year, things are looking quite busy already. Keep reading for your last update of 2019 and from our staff to you, have a very Merry Christmas!

Baby Beasley Has Arrived

The biggest news of the week is that Miss Tatum Nicole Beasley has made her debut. Just in time for Christmas, the daughter of Chad and Erin Beasley was born on Tuesday weighing 8lbs 11oz and with a head full of dark hair, not red like her big brother’s. Erin and baby girl are doing well, recovering now and will be headed home just in time for Christmas. What a special Christmas it will be for their family! Congratulations to the Beasley Family on a beautiful baby girl.

SLE Rodeo Tickets Now on Sale

Looking for that perfect last-minute stocking stuffer? Well, just in time for the holiday season we have opened 2020 SLE Rodeo ticket sales! Hop on over to www.SLERodeo.com/Tickets now to secure your seats at the greatest show on dirt and to give the gift of rodeo to your loved ones!
Speaking of the rodeo, ACA Director of Rodeo Programs Lauren Wilson had quite the productive week last week as she attended the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. The SLE Rodeo is proud to welcome Gold Buckle Beer as a new sponsor, and we are waiting to hear back from Ram to seal the deal! We also finalized our deal with Wrangler, and are excited about that relationship moving forward. It’s shaping up to be an excellent show!

2020 ACA CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW

Talkin’ Beef in a Healthy Diet

On Thursday Ali Cantrell will be traveling to Tuscaloosa to meet registered dietitian and author Carolyn Williams. The beef checkoff will be sponsoring her as a speaker for the Alabama Dietetics Association Annual Meeting. Carolyn is a native of Alabama and is a former dietitian with Cooking Light. She just released a cookbook on the anti-inflammatory diet which includes beef recipes. The cook book is called Meals that Heal. After meeting with Carolyn, staffers will be traveling to Birmingham to meet with Chef Chris Villa, a teacher a Riverchase Career Connection Center. They will be discussing way to incorporate beef education into Riverchase’s lesson plans.

Stopping in at Stockyards

Stockyards all across the state are wrapping up their 2019 sales this week. Staffer Morgan Pounds attended Mid-State Stockyard’s final sale of the year on Tuesday and is headed to Roanoke today for their final sale. At the sale, they’re hosting a Christmas drawing that will bring producers from all over the state and even some from Georgia and surrounding areas for a chance to win some awesome prizes, including cash! We’re excited to attend this event with ACA President Chris Langley.

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

We’ve sent our first round of 2020 membership statements. County secretaries should be on the lookout for those remittances and start inputting them into the i4a system! For questions or a refresher, don’t forget you can contact Jessica Kennedy here at our office or can visit www.BamaBeef.org/i4a for instructional videos.

As county annual meetings fire up and you need reports, shoot Jessica an email as she will generate what you need! Be sure to send in your county meeting information beforehand so we can get it on our Cattlemen’s Calendar and send us your updated leadership information following this meeting!

ACA HOLIDAY HOURS

The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association will be open Monday, December 23 and then close until Thursday, January 2 in observance of the Christmas and New Year holidays! Staffers will likely be checking email, so feel free to send those our way throughout the break, but if you need to place an online order or call us with questions, you have until the 24th to do so.

Thanks for reading this week’s post! Until we post again, we want to remind you that you can stay in touch with us by following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

All About Holiday Roasting

By Elesha Ergle, RDN

It is hard to believe that Christmas is upon us! Whether you’re busy trying to finish up those last-minute gifts or scrambling to get paperwork done before the end of the year, count on beef to help make your holidays go smoothly. The holidays are the perfect time to try out some new techniques and recipes for the perfect Christmas Roast.

Oven Roasting

Many will shy away at the very thought of an large and pricy cut of meat that you have to cook in the oven. Fear no more! Beef It’s What’s for Dinner is here to the rescue with all the information you could need bring the perfect Christmas roast to the table. If you are looking for a step-by-step tutorial, here is a great video from Fine Cooking on how to reverse sear the perfect prime rib roast.

Slow Cooking

Slow cookers are among the favorite ways to cook a delicious, tender roast. If you enjoy a roast with gravy and vegetables this Ultimate Slow Cooker Pot Roast is a must for your recipe collection. Wow your guests with a Mississippi Roast from your slow cooker and the only worry you will have is washing the dishes.

Electric Pressure Cooking (EPC)

Did you get an EPC for Christmas last year and still haven’t used it? Now is a good time to start! You can produce an easy, delicious holiday roast in less than half the time of oven roasting or slow cooking. If you are worried about where to start, Conquer Your Instant Pot with Chef Alli. When you’ve mastered the basics, give this Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots recipe a try.

The Perfect Cut

When you are shopping for the perfect cut of meat for your roast, be sure to choose a size that will work well for the equipment that you are going to use. Most slow cookers or electric pressure cookers can comfortably hold a 4-5 pound roast. While prime rib or chuck roasts are among the most popular for holiday roasting, there are many other choices as well. Beef It’s What’s For Dinner can help with a listing of different cooking methods, the best choice of cuts, and recipes for all your roasting needs

Be Merry and get roasting this holiday season. Merry Christmas from all of us at Alabama Cattlemen’s Association!

This article was funded by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Progam. Paid for by Alabama beef farmers and ranchers.

What’s Going On Wednesday: December 11, 2019

Only two more blogs left in the year 2019. Where, oh where, did this year go? It has been one for the books, we can tell you that! As we begin to head into the Christmas season and close up shop here at the office for the holiday, we want to give you just a few more updates. Keep reading to get all the news from you state Cattlemen’s headquarters.

Join Us THIS SATURDAY

Bicentennial Day is this Saturday, and the staff in the office are busy preparing for the celebrations that are happening in downtown Montgomery. Montgomery County Cattlemen will be out in full force grilling burgers for volunteers that day and some samples as well for visitors that stop by. Montgomery Countian Gene Lazenby will be in the role of Cowboy Santa, and we will also have Junior Cattlemen from both Lowndes and Montgomery county coming to help as well. We will be hosting burger samples, rodeo games and tours of the brand new MOOseum! Come on out and join the fun! There will be activities all through downtown including food, music, historical tours, live music and a parade. The fun begins Saturday at 10 a.m.

2020 ACA CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW

NCBA Applaus U.S. Senate Introduction of Real MEAT Act

Press Release from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association:

WASHINGTON (Dec. 11, 2019) – The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today applauded the introduction of the Real MEAT (Marketing Edible Artificials Truthfully) Act of 2019 by U.S. Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska. The Senate bill is a companion to H.R. 4881, which was introduced by U.S. Representatives Roger Marshall (R – 1st Dist., Kansas) and Anthony Brindisi (D – 22nd Dist., N.Y.) in October.

“It’s clear that fake-meat companies are continuing to mislead consumers about the nutritional merits and actual ingredient composition of their products,” said NCBA President Jennifer Houston. “We commend the efforts of Senator Fischer on introducing this legislation, which would end deceptive labeling of fake meat products and allow cattle producers to compete on a level playing field.”

“Beef is derived from cattle—period,” Senator Fischer said. “Under USDA, beef undergoes a rigorous inspection and labeling process, but plant-based protein products that mimic beef and are sometimes labeled as beef are overseen by the FDA instead. These products are not held to the same food safety and labeling standards as beef. The NCBA has been a leader on this issue, and I am thankful for their strong support of the Real MEAT Act, which will protect consumers from deceptive marketing practices and bring transparency to the grocery store.”

Specifically, The Real Meat Act will:

1. Codify the Definition of Beef for Labeling Purposes
• Establish a federal definition of beef that applies to food labels;
• Preserve the Congressional Intent of the Beef Promotion and Research Act;

2. Reinforce Existing Misbranding Provisions to Eliminate Consumer Confusion
• FDA has misbranding provisions for false or misleading labels;
• Prevent further consumer confusion with alternative protein products;
• Clarify the imitation nature of these alternative protein products;

3.Enhance the Federal Government’s Ability to Enforce the Law
• FDA will have to notify USDA if an imitation meat product is determined to be misbranded;
• If FDA fails to undertake enforcement within 30 days of notifying USDA, the Secretary of Agriculture is granted authority to seek enforcement action.

Batter Up with the Barons

On Monday, staffer Ali Cantrell hit the road to Birmingham to meet with Mark Harwood of Associated Grocers of the South to talk about marketing and signage in the retail case that will entice our consumers to buy more beef. While she was up in the ‘Ham she also met with Richard Coates from the Birmingham Barons to discuss are upcoming sponsorship with the Barons for the 2020 season. When fans attend games this season they will hear the announcer declare our iconic phrase, “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner” and see a nice, juicy steak on the jumbotron!

JLDC

Staffer Morgan Pounds joined the thousands of youth at the Joint Leadership Development Conference (JLDC) in Birmingham yesterday to talk about the Junior Cattlemen’s Association and the leadership opportunities it brings. She also gave out information on upcoming Youth Convention Contests. If you have not heard, we will be hosting three youth events this year at convention for youth ages 9-21! We will host all youth events Saturday February 15! Click here to learn more about events and rules.

MONTGOMERY AREA FOOD BANK DROP OFF

Speaking of The MOOseum, we are also proud to be a Montgomery Area Food Bank Drop Off location this year! Our venue will host a barrel where you can drop off all kinds of non-perishable food items to help address food insecurity in the River Region. We appreciate any and all donations!

Japan Welcomes U.S. Beef with Lower Tariffs

Last week the U.S. entered a trade deal with Japan that would level the playing field and provide expanded opportunities for U.S. beef and pork producers in the Japanese marketplace.

With tariff rates mirroring those imposed on major competitors, the United States Meat Exports Federation (USMEF) forecast for 2020 is for U.S. beef and pork exports to Japan to reach $2.3 billion and $1.7 billion, respectively.

“This agreement is one of the biggest developments in the history of red meat trade, as no international market delivers greater benefits to U.S. farmers and ranchers, and to the entire U.S. supply chain, than Japan,” said Dan Halstrom, CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Junior Pasture to Rail Calves Are Off!

Junior Pasture to Rail calves are on their way to Hy-Plains Feedyard this week! Morgan met with our friend Alex Tigue of extensions and some juniors on Monday to kick start this program! If you would like to learn about the program and potentially sign up for next year, shoot Morgan an email to be put on mailing list for Junior Pasture to Rail 2020-2021! mpounds@bamabeef.org

Staffers Out & About

Staffers have been on the roads and in the air this week traveling to many different events and meetings! You’ve already read about several of those events, but to continue, on Tuesday evening, staffer Ali attended the Greene County meeting and was able to update the 80+ members in attendance about the checkoff programs. Johnny Gladney also got up and spoke about the Pasture to Rail program as well as the Junior Pasture to Rail Program.

On Monday, ACA Exec Erin Beasley popped over to her home county’s meeting in Macon County for a delicious steak at Elmer’s in Notasulga. The group had great attendance and hosted a livestock marketing panel which consisted of market owners.

Staffers Morgan Pounds and Kayla Greer will head south to Elba on Friday to enjoy a day with our incoming President, Larry Reeves, as they prepare for his introductory video, article and magazine cover. Be looking for the Reeves Family to grace the March 2020 edition of the Alabama Cattleman.

Last but certainly not least, Director of Rodeo Programs Lauren Wilson is in Las Vegas this week attending the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. While there, she will be doing some contestant and national sponsor recruiting for our SLE Rodeo as well as meeting the team with Frontier Rodeo Co. and our featured entertainers! This is an excellent PRCA networking opportunity for Lauren to match faces with the many names she speaks to on the phone! Tickets go on sale for the 2020 SLE Rodeo on December 15- don’t miss it!

ACA Holiday Hours

RODEO TICKET SALES GO LIVE SOON!

Boy, do we have a stocking stuffer for you! That’s right, just in time for Santa Claus to make his grand appearance in homes across Alabama, we’ll have 2020 SLE Rodeo tickets on sale just in case you need one last item! Gift the gift of rodeo to your loved ones this year and be on the lookout for tickets to go on sale to the public on December 15! Learn more about the show and stay updated with new announcements by visiting www.SLERodeo.com.

Thanks for reading this week’s post! Until we post again, we want to remind you that you can stay in touch with us by following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

What’s Going On Wednesday: December 4, 2019

Welcome back! We hope you and your family enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving feast together and that beef found its way onto your table. Now, as we string the Christmas lights and put up the tree, we’d like to wish you a very Merry Christmas! December is usually a slower time around the office as we prepare to close the books on 2019 and are looking ahead to 2020. Our biggest agenda items include traveling to county annual meetings and sales and continuing to make preparations for our upcoming convention. With that said, keep reading to see what we’ve been up to this week!

2020 ACA CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW

Alabama Forage Conference & Other Stops Along the Way

This week staffer Morgan Pounds hit the road to visit north Alabama. On Monday, Morgan stopped by North West Alabama Livestock Auction for the weekly sale. She enjoyed visiting with the producers and buyers of northwest Alabama. Morgan County President Ray Ward and Vice President Walton Ashwander then joined her at Such-N-Such Burger in Decatur on Tuesday. While there, cattlemen and staff presented the restaurant with their finalist plaque for Bama’s Best Burger contest and enjoyed a tasty lunch, the Heart Attack Burger. Today, Morgan is at the Alabama Forage conference at Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville. If you are at the conference, be sure to stop by our trade show booth and see her.

Celebrating Alabama’s 200th Birthday

Join us as we celebrate Alabama’s 200th year of statehood on Saturday, December 14 in downtown Montgomery! It will be a day packed with events all across the downtown area. Here at ACA, The MOOseum will be hosting its grand re-opening with tours, rodeo games in our parking lot, beef samples and plenty of photo opps with tractors and none other than Cowboy Santa! Events begin at 10 a.m. and they day will host tours at all of downtown’s historical sites, a parade, Gov. Ivey’s presentation of the new Bicentennial Park, food trucks, games, live music and all kinds of fun. Don’t miss out and join us here at The MOOseum!

Montgomery Area Food Bank Drop Off

Membership Update

We closed out the 2019 membership year with 9,522 members and are excited to move into 2020 with the goal of 10,000! Let’s get there together. We’ve sent our first round of 2020 membership statements, and if they haven’t already, they’ll be hitting mailboxes soon! County secretaries should be on the lookout for those remittances and start inputting them into the i4a system! For questions or a refresher, don’t forget you can contact Jessica Kennedy here at our office or can visit www.BamaBeef.org/i4a for instructional videos.

As county annual meetings fire up and you need reports, shoot Jessica an email as she will generate what you need!

County Annual Meeting Calendar Full!

Speaking of county annual meetings, our state officers and staff are burning up the roads as we attend these funs nights of fellowship. This week alone, Ali Cantrell attended the Covington County Annual Meeting and will head north on Thursday to the Talladega County meeting. While she heads north on Thursday, staffer Kayla Greer will head south to attend the Lowndes County Annual Meeting, while Morgan Pounds heads up I-65 to Bibb County. The Dekalb County Cattlemen’s group will also be meeting this week on Thursday…and that’s just this week!! We enjoy getting out and about to visit with you guys, so if you haven’t already let us know about your upcoming meeting, email Jessica at our office!

ACA Hosts AISA All Stars

Each year in December, we look forward to the opportunity to host the Alabama Independent School Association (AISA) All-Star Football players as they are in town for the big game! It’s no secret that a bunch of high school football players love beef, so it is always an excellent opportunity for us to power them up with a complete and nutritious protein before they hit the gridiron. While here, they will learn a little about the ACA and about the many benefits of beef. Special thanks to ACA Past President Jimmy Holliman for helping us facilitate this opportunity each year. Let us know if we should be on the lookout for your son or grandson!

Rodeo Ticket Sales Go Live Soon!

Thanks for reading this week’s post! Until we post again, we want to remind you that you can stay in touch with us by following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

What’s Going On Wednesday: November 20, 2019

Welcome back! We apologize for so many weeks without a blog, but it has been a busy time of meetings here at the ACA. Hopefully, you got to attend one of those meetings and hear an update anyway!! If not, then this week’s blog is right up your alley. Keep reading to learn more about what’s happening this week and what has been happening in previous weeks. Enjoy!

Membership Update

The membership update of the week is 9,446 members! It looks like we are going to close out 2019 with just at 9,500 members and that drives us full force to get that big 10,000 next year! The good news is that we start the year with over 3,300 members as we’ve got a load of three-year members already on the 2020 list!

It’s a busy time for county annual meetings. Please send Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy your upcoming county meeting information so we can get that published in the Alabama Cattleman magazine, the Bama Beef Online Events Calendar and inform staff/officers! Also, if you want a postcard made to notify members, be sure to make that request at least two weeks in advance!

After your meeting, be sure to call our office to let us know who your new leaders are! We will need their name, address, cell phone number and email address to keep them updated with information from the state office.

Lastly, membership statements for the 2020 year are set to go out the first of next week. These statements will target our 2019 non-renewed members and those whose membership will expire the first half of 2020, prior to the red coat deadline. Be on the lookout for those!

2020 ACA Convention & Trade Show

Junior Cattlemen Getting Involved!

The AJCA board of directors have been out and about trying to make county meetings in their elected districts! The board expressed interest in setting foot in their district’s county meetings to update county members on junior events to come.

One of the featured talking points is that this year at convention, we will be holding THREE educational contests for youth ages 9-21 involved in AJCA, 4-H or FFA. We will be hosting a public speaking contest and quiz bowl for all age division. ACA also will host a career development contest for the senior age division to allow them to build on their resume and interview skills. The Alabama State Checkoff will be sponsoring the youth educational contest and awarding scholarships to winners. Click here to learn more about contest and register!

Legislative Update from the Exec Office

In the past few weeks, three key issues have been tackled in Washington DC.

First, a letter has been submitted to the US Fish and Wildlife Service requesting that the Service promulgate new Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) rules to increase flexibility for cattlemen to protect their livelihoods from protected avian predators.
The Real MEAT (Marketing Edible Artificials Truthfully) Act dropped in the House of Representatives with bipartisan support which addresses the false marketing of plant-based products as meat. This is a key piece of legislation that takes a step in the right direction to protect the misbranding of our product in the meat case.
Another bill was introduced to help with hours of service for livestock haulers. This legislation looks to add 150 air mile radius on the back end of hauls to give some more flexibility on total hours of drivetime. Currently, we have 150 air miles on the front end followed by drivetime of 11 hours once a hauler gets out of the air mile radius. The addition would be helpful to give another few hours on the last leg of a trip.

All of these issues will continue to be addressed and we will work to see action on them going forward.

BEEF 101 at Auburn

This week ACA is hosting two BEEF 101 programs in Auburn. Today, ACA Director of Education and Outreach Ali Cantrell will be teaching 45 culinary students from Lawson State Community college and Wenonah High School with the help of Misty and Jason Edmondson. Friday, November 22 will host 60 students from Summerdale High School FACS program who will be hearing from Ali Cantrell and Chambers County cattleman Jim Collins.

BQA in The Black Belt

ACA staffers Kayla Greer and Morgan Pounds will head to the Black Belt Research & Extension Center tomorrow for a BQA training and certification hosted by Dallas County Cattlemen led by the charge of current YCLP student Bryan Monk. We look forward to visiting with producers who are looking to gain their certifications or renew them!

Events, Events & More Events

Staffers have been burning up the roads traveling to sales and other cattlemen events! Recently, officer and/or staff were present at the Salacoa Valley Farms sale, Tennessee River Music bull sale, Gibbs Farms sale, BEEF U in Auburn, the Clay County Cattlemen’s Annual Meeting, Barbour County Annual Meeting, the Frank Tuner & Sons sale, South Alabama Bull Sale, the Alabama Farmers Federation Annual Ag Foundation Skeet Shoot, Down South Grill Fest in Mobile County and the Fall Sale at Mid-State Stockyard, among others! The calendar still looks full as we head into a busy county annual meeting season. We enjoy getting out and seeing all you fine folks!

SLE Rodeo Making Strides Toward a Great 2020 Show

Significant work continues for the 2020 SLE Rodeo which includes sponsorships, ticketing and planning of the event itself. Tickets will go on sale to the public on December 15. Have you seen the newly re-designed www.SleRodeo.com? If not, take a look and use it to keep up with all of the fun happening at this exciting event!

ACA Director of Rodeo Programs Lauren Wilson has been at work with members of her sponsorship committee bringing in new and potential sponsors, and those new connections are paying off! We are excited of new partnerships coming to the show. If you want to become a sponsor, reach out to Lauren or visit our website at www.SLERodeo.com/Sponsor and complete the form or just learn more about opportunities!

Lauren also met with several committee chairs at the end of October to learn what she could about each committee to be able to better help and serve them. The meeting was very successful and she has a better knowledge of the ins-and-outs of our committees, their roles and how she can go to work for them.

We are excited to announce that on March 14-15, the weekend prior to the show, the SLE will host an Alabama Stock Horse Association Clinic and Show! More details to come on that, but we are thrilled for this new event.

Bama’s Best Burger Presentation

Barbour County Cattlemen and representatives from the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association state officer team and staff gathered at Brickstone Burgers & Brews on Monday in Eufaula to present owners Dwayne and Angie Register a plaque acknowledging the restaurant’s recent honor of being named home to Bama’s Best Burger. The award-winning dish, the Brickstone Burger, is a beef patty topped with bacon, blue cheese crumbles, banana peppers and Sriracha sauce. This title was earned after a two-month battle on the Cattlemen’s Facebook page and an anonymous judging round with a panel of three beef industry judges. The Bama’s Best Beef contest is sponsored by the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association with support from the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program. Their burgers earned two thumbs up from our crew!

YCLP Class VI Meets for a Final Time

YCLP Class VI finished up their last session in the Wiregrass two weekends ago. The class got the opportunity to see JYJ Red Angus owned by Jim and Jessica Yance, Southern Cattle Company, and the Wiregrass Research & Extension Center managed by Rickey Hudson. Special thanks to Jim Yance, Ken Stewart, and Ricky Hudson for welcoming the class with southern hospitality. This wrapped up YCLP Class VI stops, and next on the agenda is graduation at convention! We are proud of this year’s graduates and all they have already accomplished towards becoming leaders of this association.

Happy Thanksgiving

It may be coined Turkey Day, but beef deserves a place at any holiday table! To learn about unique ways to feature beef in your Thanksgiving tablescape, read our most recent blog post from Registered Dietitian Elesha Ergle.

With the holiday in mind, we would like to note that the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and The MOOseum will be closed next Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29 in observance of the holiday. Normal business hours will resume on Monday, December 2. Happy Thanksgiving from us here at the ACA!

Thanks for reading this week’s post! Until we post again, we want to remind you that you can stay in touch with us by following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.