Rain, drought, scattered storm, drought, random monsoon, dry for a week..dusty trucks, can’t bale because the hay’s too wet, filling water troughs, creek’s flooded. Boy, oh, boy that sure sounds like an Alabama summer, don’t it? Bipolar and unpredictable. A farmer’s greatest tool is his faith, and trusting in the Good Lord’s provision of dry and wet weather is a mindset we’ve all had to accept…and, admittedly, some of us are probably still working on it! It reminds us of the verse from Deuteronomy 11:15, “I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.” While we all work on our faith as we fight the whoas of summer weather, take a break to catch up on all that’s happening at your Alabama Cattlemen’s Association. We’re busy working for you while you’re busy working to feed the world.
Stopping at Stockyards
As you may have already seen on our social media, last week ACA Director of Field Services Morgan Pounds joined Extension Specialist Kent Stanford as the duo visited Sand Mountain Stockyard in Crossville. This week, the stockyard visits continue on as Morgan and staffer Kayla Greer head over to Livingston Stockyard and then Morgan will head south to Double A Auction in Brewton on Saturday! We’re hauling those big ole Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner signs with us, so look out for your favorite market on social media!
AL Auctioneer Named Reserve World Champ
We’d like to say congratulations to Montgomery Stockyard auctioneer 
Chuck Bradley for being named Reserve World Champion at the Livestock Marketing Association’s (LMA) World Livestock Auctioneer Championship held in Dinuba, Calif. at Tulare County Stockyard two weekends ago. Chuck is a Rockford, Ala. native and was joined on his journey by Dallas County cattleman, market owner and LMA Past President Jerry Etheredge. Look out for more info in the July issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine.
State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest
Hogs, goats, sheep…and of course, cattle…youth from across Alabama competed on Tuesday in the 4-H State Livestock Judging Contest in Auburn. ACA staffers Morgan Pounds and Ali Cantrell were at the event to show support of our youth industry partner, help out where needed and cheer on junior cattlemen in the contest! We’re always so impressed with the caliber in which our youth compete, and yesterday’s event was absolutely no exception. Great job to all who came out, competed and/or placed!
Over the Top Deadline Passed
With the passing of Saturday came the end of our “Over the Top” county drive! ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy is busy as she gets all that came in over the weekend uploaded to the system before she can announce what all counties went Over the Top! If you know your’s did….CONGRATS! Thank you for your hard work at the grassroots level. We can’t wait to give you your red coat! If you’ve got questions about membership, be sure to reach out to Jessica at 334-265-1867.
AJCA ROUND-UP REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
Registration for the 2019 “Christmas in July” AJCA Round-Up is now live at BamaBeef.org/RoundUp. We’ve got contest entry, animal entry and novice entry…so enter the site prepared with alllllllll the info you’ll need to successfully complete including AJCA membership number, EID tag numbers, premise I.D.’s, etc. You don’t want to miss this holly jolly youth development event riding in on its sleigh July 18-21 at Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery!
Round-Up Sponsorship, Now Available Online
If you believe the future of our industry in the hands of our junior cattlemen, show your support as they bring their best to the AJCA Round-Up. We now offer the opportunity to sponsor the event through an online option! Skip the paper checks and the visit to the post office…just grab your favorite card and hop over to www.BamaBeef.org/RoundUp. Whether you want to sponsor for $5 or $500, you can do it online and support Alabama’s premier youth livestock event! Just click the link above, scroll down until you see the “Sponsor” button and fill out the form adding any amount you’d like to sponsor. When you’re done, just visit your cart and check out. Your generosity WILL NOT go unnoticed!
The MOOseum- Closed for Renovation
It’s FINALLY happen
ing!! The MOOseum is shutting its doors and going under construction as we renovate throughout parts of June, July and August! Doors close tomorrow (Thursday), so you’ve got a few more hours if you want to check it out one more time. But don’t worry, we’ll have before-and-after shots to show off so you can really appreciate the fresh design when it’s all said and done! We’re excited to see this project coming quickly to a fruition and cannot wait to re-open our doors in August with a fresh, new look! You won’t believe what all we’ve got in store!!
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This article was funded by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Progam. Paid for by Alabama beef farmers and ranchers.
After decades of service to the Southeastern Livestock Exposition (SLE) Rodeo, Dr. Billy Powell and Ms. Martha Davis have retired from the organization. Last week, the SLE Executive Committee met and appointed Erin Beasley as executive director of the SLE, which was then approved by the board of directors. These changes will bring a new staff position to the association which will be posted next week to begin accepting resumes. The new staff person will be primarily responsible for planning the SLE Rodeo on an annual basis. Stay tuned for more information next week. The SLE and ACA both salute Dr. Powell and Martha for their commitment to the rodeo for so many years and wish them both well in retirement.
The membership count of the day is 8,361 members and counting! It’s a big week in the membership office…Don’t forget that the “Over the Top” deadline is THIS SATURDAY! To qualify four your red coat, your county has to go Over the Top by having membership input in i4a or by having names AND money into the office by June 15. Got questions about our “Over the Top” program? Give Jessica a call at (334) 265-1867.
ACA Director of Field Services Morgan Pounds is in Sand Mountain today as she visits with the owners and presents them with their new Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner signage for use at the facility. She enjoyed watching the sale and lunch with market owner John Hamilton (pictured) and Regional Extension Agent Kent Stanford. We appreciate the market for being such a generous host and look forward to getting around to all of Alabama’s livestock markets.
Those iconic corduroy jackets have painted Downtown Montgomery as thousands of young students in agriculture are in town for the annual Alabama FFA Convention! We’re proud to be involved with this outstanding association in a number of ways this week as today we host the FFA Wall of Honor Luncheon, man a booth representing the AJCA at the Trade Show and tomorrow President Chris Langley will have the honor of presenting the Livestock and Meats Evaluation CDE awards to outstanding FFA chapters who competed in these events. The MOOseum is also open for tours, and the opportunity to tour the entire ACA building is on the table for any teacher who stops by with a group. If you’ve got children or students in town, make sure to tell them to stop by and see us!
passage and is on its way to the desk of President Trump for consideration. The ACA would like to the thank the Alabama delegation for its continuous efforts to see this bill through.
ICYMI: House Bill 518— the association’s meat labeling bill— received final passage last Thursday morning, May 23. Special thank you’s are in store for Sen. David Sessions (R-Grand Bay) and Rep. Danny Crawford (R-Athens) for the support and sponsorship of this bill. The bill ensures that the definition of “meat” only applies to products sourced from livestock on farms and ranches and harvested through processing. It also clarifies that laboratory-grown products cannot be labeled as meat. “This is proactive legislation to ensure clarity in food labeling. Around the country, there are more and more companies trying to market lab-grown products as meat, which is misleading since they aren’t derived from actual livestock production,” Sessions said. “The passage of this bill is a win-win for the consumers who love to buy beef, and the cattlemen who work hard to produce a high-quality product,” ACA Executive VP Erin Beasley concluded.
On Tuesday, ACA Director of Field Services Morgan Pounds headed south to visit Opp Stockyards. She is working with the goal of introducing herself to all of the yards in the state in an effort to build mutually beneficial relationships at each yard. Morgan delivered Opp their “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner” sign and got to speak to the crowd. Be on the lookout for Morgan at your local yard, and be sure to say hi if you see her!
A summer grilling consumer e-newsletter shipped out to over 10,000 inboxes on Friday just in time for the Memorial Day holiday, which also happens to be the kickoff of summer grilling season! This digital newsletter featured recipe collections, a doneness chart, rub and marinade inspiration, tips for delicious side dishes to serve alongside beef and a quick grilling guide. It also featured information on grilling provided by Registered Dietitian Elesha Ergle, whose summer grilling information can be found by 
New to the staff at ACA, Director of Field Services Morgan Pounds wants to engage with youth at field days across the state. On Saturday, Morgan visited Blountsville, AL for the Alabama Santa Gertrudis Association Field Day & Show. Hats off to the Alabama Santa Gertrudis Association and Quail Valley Farms for hosting an excellent event. Morgan engaged in conversations with cattlemen throughout the day and enjoyed welcoming juniors to the field day and speaking to the audience about 2019 Round-Up.
Farmers Conference at Wallace State Community College. ACA provided a gold-level sponsorship for the event as well as resource materials to the attendees of the conference. Cullman County cattlemen provided a delicious lunch! Ali had the honor to talk with farmers who have served our country and are now stewards of the land as well. We tip our hat to those with a servant’s heart, especially as we head into Memorial Day weekend!
If you are spending a weekend with family by the pool, don’t forget to break out those burgers and fire up the grill. Memorial Day Weekend is the official kick-off to summer grilling season! Celebrate with a juicy burger, a sizzlin’ steak or fall-off-the-bone beef ribs.
It’s the final week of the 2019 Bama’s Best Beef contest, hosted on the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association Facebook page. We’re on the hunt for a delicious, well-loved dish served up at an Alabama restaurant or food truck, and our finalists have come down to the Beef Brisket at Smokin’ on the Boulevard in Florence and the Bourbonzola Brisket Burger at Roadside ‘Que in Fort Payne. Let us tell you, folks, it’s a nail-biter of a contest. Right now, only 10 votes separate these finalists from their fight for the title. Polling ends Thursday morning, and we’ll have a statewide announcement out by the afternoon. If you haven’t already, 
floor this afternoon. If it passes, it will be sent upstairs to the Senate next week for committee action. The bill outlines that cell-cultured products cannot be labeled as meat in Alabama. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Danny Crawford and co-sponsored by Reps. Joe Lovvorn, Will Dismukes, Ralph Howard, Reid Ingram, Rodney Sullivan and Wes Kitchens. Stay tuned!
This week we hosted Congressman Mike Rogers for a brunch at the Cattlemen’s building. This event draws several associations in Montgomery to attend as he provides an snapshot of the current events in Washington, D.C. ACA President Chris Langley was able to attend and visit with the Congressman.
It’s a busy season…and one perfect for county field day events before the weather gets too steamy! This past weekend, staffer Kayla Greer enjoyed gathering with the Montgomery County Cattlemen’s Association for a farm tour of CK Cattle and Frank Turner & Sons farms. The group of 20+ enjoyed a day of learning about local farms’ beef cattle and forage programs! Meanwhile, ACA President Chris Langley visited the St. Clair County Cattlemen’s Association who also hosted an excellent field day with over 70 in attendance. Kayla Greer is also looking forward to spending this coming Saturday in Lee County for the chapter’s annual field day with an added bonus…a steak cook-off!!
a.m. on Thursday morning, May 16 to update you on association and checkoff news where Board members even get a sneak peak into the upcoming construction project of the The MOOseum. GET EXCITED! After lunch, we’ll head over to the State House to mingle with our legislators and learn more about the legislative process and get updated on current issues taking place. Don’t forget to
Board meeting, but because we’ll be kicking off the SIXTH class of the Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program (YCLP). This program, funded by the Alabama State Beef Checkoff, is designed to develop young cattlemen ages 20-40 into future leaders for Alabama’s beef cattle industry. We meet throughout the year, learn about our many different leadership styles, discuss industry hot topics, encourage leadership growth and explore the industry from pasture to plate through farm tours, educational workshops and consumer events. We’re excited next week to kick off the class with the Board meeting, where the 25 students will be introduced to the Board and will explore the legislative world, followed by farm tours at Frank Ellis Charolais, McLane-Garrett Cattle Company and a tour of the Cargill Feed Mill here in Montgomery. We’ll also host a social on the evening of May 16 at Kick Back Ranch & Events Center for alumni of the program! It’s gonna be a great time. Be on the lookout for photos.
ACA staffer Ali Cantrell attended a briefing on Alabama Bicentennial Day on Monday to learn more about the upcoming festivities to come on December 13 -14. To celebrate Alabama’s 200 years of statehood, Montgomery will be hosting a parade on December 14 with 75 floats and entries showcasing Alabama history, counties, high school All-Star bands, Alabama notables, and the parade would not be complete without the beef truck and steer in tow! The rest of the day will host several celebrations, performances and demonstrations throughout downtown Montgomery including The MOOseum. Make it a point to come see us on December 14 and witness a wonderful chapter of history for the great state of Alabama!
and throw down those steaks and burgers…yuuummmm. Also, throughout April we celebrated the bright, flavorful tastes of spring with savory springtime salads! Beef Checkoff Contract Dietician Elesha Ergle