Protein-Packed Immune Defense | Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.

Beef is here to help you get your New Year off to a great and healthy start!

By Elesha Ergle, RDN

Happy New Year! We made it to 2021…now what? Getting started every year most people want to resolve to eat healthier, lose weight, or exercise more. While these can all be positive things, making small changes to your lifestyle and diet can help more than trying to change everything.

Beef is here to help you get your New Year off to a great and healthy start! 

Protein Packed

Beef’s protein is one of its most valued assets. One 3-ounce serving of beef provides 25 grams of protein with only 173 calories! The proteins in beef contain all 9 essential amino acids, helping our bodies build muscle and stay healthy and strong. Get some beef jerky on your next grocery order and keep it on hand in the car or gym bag for quick snacking. If you want to try your hand at your own jerky, Trisha Yearwood’s Oven Jerky is a great recipe to try. 

Immune Health

While protein may take the driver’s seat of the beef car, zinc would be calling shotgun. Beef is an excellent source of zinc, which aids the immune system and metabolism. A 3-ounce portion of lean beef can provide up to 80% of your daily value of zinc! No supplements needed here, just a healthy dose of beef and a good recipe. Get your day going with some Beef Breakfast Burritos and load up on 38 grams of protein and 70% of your daily value of zinc. 

Vitamin D is very important for our immune health as well as mental health. Low vitamin D levels have been linked to weakened immune response as well as depression. While lean beef does not contain high amounts of Vitamin D, beef liver is a good source. Not only is beef liver a good source of Vitamin D, it is an excellent source of vitamin B-12, Vitamin A, and Iron, making it a nutrient-dense super food. Although it is usually not the beef on everyone’s shopping lists, liver can be cooked in many different and delicious ways. Try the classic Liver and Onions or Beef Boudin Boulettes recipes from Beef It’s What’s For Dinner. 

Whatever your New Year looks like, resolve to eat more beef! Beef is a versatile, healthy choice that can fit any budget or lifestyle. For more recipes, nutrition information, or information on beef from pasture to plate, visit Beef It’s What’s For Dinner.

Goodbye, 2020, we probably won’t miss you! Happy, healthy 2021, everyone!

This article was funded by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program. Brought to you by Alabama beef farmers and ranchers. Photo courtesy of BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: January 13, 2021

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: January 13, 2021

These are crazy times we live in, folks, but with all the uncertainty we face, one thing remains certain. Your ACA staff is at work for you representing your right to farm! We’re proud to represent Alabama’s cattle producers and your top-quality product. Just like you, we continue to work. Keep reading to learn more about news and updates from the ACA this week!

ACA Co-Hosts “Tele” Town Hall with NCBA

In the evening hours of January 12, cattlemen from across Alabama hopped on the phone with ACA Executive Vice President Erin Beasley, NCBA CEO Colin Woodall and NCBA VP of Government Affairs Ethan Lane for a state and national cattle industry update. Thanks to all 75+ members that participated in this informative and engaging “tele” Town Hall event. For those interested in joining NCBA, visit www.ncba.org to sign up. If there are any follow-up questions about topics covered, cattlemen can call Erin Beasley at the office to discuss or shoot her an email at ebeasley@bamabeef.org.

ACA Convention & Trade Show

Join us in Jefferson County as we’ll be Branding Up Birmingham during our 76th annual ACA Convention & Trade Show. We’ve got excellent industry speakers including Elanco’s Dr. Sara Place and the United States Meat Exports Federation President Dan Halstrom. They’ll be bringing you all the news on beef sustainability and global beef marketing. Aside from the education, our event will feature a jam-up trade show, youth contests sponsored by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program and, of course, delicious beef meals. 

Get your seat at the table and be sure to join us March 5-6 by registering online now, and don’t forget to book your stay at the Westin Hotel online or by calling (205) 307-3600 and using code ACA. If you would like to be a vendor in our trade show, contact ACA’s Ali Cantrell to reserve your space or register online by clicking here. 

Youth Contests at Convention

Our Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Board of Directors look forward to welcoming youth from across the state to convention to compete in career-centered contests! We will be bringing back public speaking, career development and quiz bowl to ACA Convention. The contests are all sponsored by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program and are free for youth to compete, while offering scholarship prizes. We look forward to seeing youth compete in these contests on Saturday, March 6 in Birmingham. Please visit our convention webpage to register and view the rules on these youth contests.

SLE Rodeo Tickets Now on Sale

We are 71 days out from the first performance of 2021! 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 or call 888-2RODEO2 to learn more about all that SLE Livestock Week offers and to purchase your tickets today!

Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program: Apps Now Open

We are now accepting Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program Class VIII applications. This program is funded by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program and offers young producers a chance to tour Alabama farms, meet industry leaders, and network with young producers from across the state. Throughout the program, young cattlemen will meet six times and walk away with connections, knowledge, and leadership skills that will aid in their day-to-day operations. Please visit our YCLP application form to read more and see if this program is something that interest you! Apply here for YCLP Class VIII

Conservation Commission Meeting

ACA Executive Vice President Erin Beasley will be involved with a board meeting for the Alabama Ag and Conservation Development Commission Wednesday afternoon. This commission oversees many programs within NRCS and Soil and Water Conversation. Some programs that may be familiar to cattlemen are feral hog control and riparian buffer programs. ACA serves on many boards to represent the cattle industry for our producers!

Bringing the Beef to Birmingham

This Saturday, the Alabama Steak Championship will take place at Oak Mountain State Park! There will be 73 steak cooks competing for the title of Alabama Steak Champion and 30 cooks will be competing in the “Anything Soupy” contest. Jefferson County Cattlemen Jeb Tate and Vice President Berry Jenkins, as well as Colbert County Cattlemen Will Gotcher, will be judges for the “Anything Soupy” contest as part of our sponsorship of the event. The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association is the steak sponsor for this event and staffer Ali Cantrell will be on site with a booth with giveaways as well as ACA gear to sell.

For those interested in attending, it is a cash-only fee to enter Oak Mountain State Park for those not staying at the campground, and it is $5 per adult (age 12 +), $2 per child (age 4-11), $2 per Senior (age 62+) and free for ages 3 and under.

2021 Membership Update

We are starting on strong in January as to date, the ACA is home to 4,548 current members. County leaders, please submit your county annual meeting information to Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy by THIS Friday in order to make the cut for next month’s magazine. Even if you haven’t nailed down a date, we’d love to know if you’re postponing your normal meeting, so we can make note of that for your members! Also, leaders, you should be receiving membership renewals in the mail, and as a reminder, please get those entered or sent in by the 15th of each month for those members to receive the following month’s magazine. Those mailing sending in updates to the state office need to do so earlier to allow time for processing!

Legislative Update

The legislative session in Alabama is set to begin on February 2. Legislators will be looking at a very different session as they navigate how to tend to business safely. ACA’s Erin Beasley visited with Sen. Greg Reed, President Pro Tem, this week about topics that will be covered during the session and safety procedures to conduct the business. The ACA building has been offered to both the House and Senate to be used for committee and caucus meetings this session due to space limitations at the State House.

AJCA News

New year, new ideas! We are excited to announce we will be sending out a quarterly e-newsletters to anyone who would like to stay updated on junior events and opportunities! Subscribe today to our Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Association quarterly newsletter, and get the latest on updates from your AJCA Board of Directors! https://www.bamabeef.org/ajcanews

Membership & Checkoff Ads Firing Up on Facebook

With the new year comes a new plan to implement advertising on Facebook for both ACA membership and checkoff-related content. Currently, a “Your Dollar Does” producer communication piece is running as well as a month-long membership campaign. A Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner protein advertisement just wrapped up, and another beef-and-health-based ad is set to launch next week. This effort comes as an attempt to keep rolling advertisements through our social media accounts so our page remains relevant, we increase followership, increase clicks to our website and reach Alabamians who don’t currently follow us. These ads will run continuously year round and so far are receiving great feedback!

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 or Instagram.

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: January 6, 2021

Happy New Year! Hindsight is 20:20…thank goodness! As we head into a new year, things may look very different, but one thing that remains the same is our busy calendar. The first quarter of the year is jam packed for our association as we tackle convention, the SLE Rodeo and attend as many county meetings as possible. We’re also working to lay the groundwork for the year to come, so grab a seat and keep reading for a look as what’s happening at the ACA this week.

ACA Convention & Trade Show

Join us in Jefferson County as we’ll be Branding Up Birmingham during our 76th annual ACA Convention & Trade Show. We’ve got excellent industry speakers including Elanco’s Dr. Sara Place and the United States Meat Exports Federation President Dan Halstrom. They’ll be bringing you all the news on beef sustainability and global beef marketing. Aside from the education, our event will feature a jam-up trade show, youth contests sponsored by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program and, of course, delicious beef meals.

Get your seat at the table and be sure to join us March 5-6 by registering online now, and don’t forget to book your stay at the Westin Hotel online or by calling (205) 307-3600 and using code ACA. If you would like to be a vendor in our trade show, contact ACA’s Ali Cantrell to reserve your space or register online by clicking here.

SLE Rodeo Tickets Now on Sale

We are 71 days out from the first performance of 2021! 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 or call 888-2RODEO2 to learn more about all that SLE Livestock Week offers and to purchase your tickets today!

2021 Membership Drive

It’s a new membership year, and we are now recruiting for 2021! ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy is working to mail out county supply boxes this week, so county leaders, be on the look out for those! Reporting for 2021 is now updated, and we are working to get all those that renewed or joined online during the holidays updated in the system. We encourage county secretaries to begin submitting members who renewed from the first mail out now. Let’s make 2021 the best yet! If you have any membership questions, contact Jessica Kennedy at our office by calling 334-265-1867.

YCLP Class VII to Hold Last Session

The Young Cattlemen’s  Program Class VII will be headed off to their final session this weekend. The class will be going out with a BANG! From farm tours at Town Creek, Mike Dee’s and Eric Smith’s to touring Mississippi State Meat Lab and speaking with NCBA Executive Colin Woodall, this session is no doubt one for the books. This year’s class has had the opportunity to build on their knowledge of the beef industry, networking skills, and enhance their natural leadership abilities.

If you are interested in joining next year’s YCLP class applications are open until January 31st at https://www.bamabeef.org/f/101. We look forward to graduating YCLP Class VII at Convention in  Birmingham!  

ACA and NCBA “Tele” Town Hall Call-In Meeting

Next Tuesday, January 12 at 5:30 p.m. CST, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association will be joining forces with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association to host a call-in “town hall” for members of the ACA. ACA Executive Vice President Erin Beasley will supply a state cattle industry and policy update, while NCBA CEO Colin Woodall will do the same on the national level. NCBA’s Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane will also be on the call to cover news on the national policy forefront. If you’re a member of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, you are invited to call-in and have your questions answered! You must pre-register for this event in order to receive further calling instructions. Register Now

Junior Cattlemen Update & Save the Dates

The Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Board of Directors have been hard at work planning and brainstorming for 2021 events. We are excited to announce this year we have not one but two field days on the calendar. We also will be bringing career centered contest back to ACA Convention this year. Please register now online for public speaking, career development, and quiz bowl at https://www.bamabeef.org/Contests. We are also excited to host two ZOOM trainings on building Junior Cattlemen’s county chapters. Lastly, we of course, will continue on the tradition of Round-Up in July!

Please see below events and mark them on your calendar. Stay tunned for more details on the below events! 

  • Deadline to register for Convention: February 15th
  • AJCA Convention Contest: March 6th Birmingham, AL
  • Spring Field Day: April 17th Quail Valley Farms – Oneonta, AL
  • Building County Junior Cattlemen’s Programs Zoom: May 25th or  May 27th at 7:00 pm ONLINE
  • Round-Up: July 15-18th Montgomery, AL
  • Fall Field Day: September 18th  Covington County Arena Andalusia, AL
Alabama Steak Championship

The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association is proud to be the steak sponsor for the Alabama Steak Championship happening at Oak Mountain State Park on January 16! We’re very excited to be a part of this event and happy that Jefferson County Cattlemen Jim Miller and Tim Tate will be joining us as judges for the “Anything Soupy” contest! ACA will have a booth at the location with fun Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner recipes and giveaways.

Beef Cooking Segments in the Works

Speaking of beef, Director of Education & Outreach Ali Cantrell is also getting a jump start on contracts with news stations for cooking segments for 2021. Be on the lookout for cooking segments brought to you on your local tv news station throughout the course of 2021!

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.

Seasoning’s Greetings, from Beef!

BY ELESHA ERGLE, RDN

Bring on the holidays and get ready for a new year! Holidays have looked a little different for some of us, but we can still have some great times with our family this season.

Get your menus going with beef! Holidays are a time for trying new recipes as well as keeping up traditions. Whether you have family coming in to town, or it is just going to be you and your household, beef can help you keep everyone fed.

Quick & Easy Ground Beef

It’s been a long year and you want to make the holidays as simple and cost effective as possible. Get started with some easy beef recipes. Ground beef is a high protein, budget-friendly staple that can be used in so many ways. From soups to casseroles, sloppy joes to tacos, ground beef is a simple ingredient to keep on-hand for those busy days when you need to feed family but do not want to spend all day in the kitchen. Cook ground beef ahead of time and keep on-hand for seasoning for an easy meal such as this Homestyle Ground Beef Casserole.

Break Out the Apps

If you are headed to a small holiday gathering, impress your friends with some great beefy appetizers. Flaky Beef Stuffed Pinwheels make an appetizer platter that will be the hit of the party. Cocktail sausages are a party favorite; grab some all beef cocktail sausages and throw in a crock pot with grape jelly and BBQ sauce for a crowd favorite. Try some quick and easy Maple Chili Meatballs and your friends will be begging for the recipe!

Home for the Holidays

Beef It’s What’s For Dinner has your holidays covered no matter what your holiday plans look like. Try some new recipes for Classic Holiday Dinners or Holiday Entertaining. Search for new spices and rubs for your favorite cuts of beef. You can even keep your guests mesmerized to the crackling of the “Drool Log”. Make your holidays something special with beef! 

No matter the season, beef has you covered with the taste and nutrition for all your family’s needs. Set up the Drool Log and keep your family fed this holiday (and every day!) with beef.

Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year to everyone from all of us at Alabama Cattlemen’s Association!

This article was funded by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program. Brought to you by Alabama beef farmers and ranchers.

Bama Beef Blog Update: December 2, 2020

What a way to welcome in December. Snow in North Alabama, and heavy frost everywhere else! The cold air and the full calendars are a sure sign that the year is coming to an end. Whether the calendar is full with industry events like bull sales and county annual meetings or Christmas events with loved ones, it’s a busy— yet wonderful— time of year! Speaking of wonderful…Alabama’s cattle producers are a pretty wonderful group to work for, so keep reading to learn what your state staff is working on this week.

Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program Class VIII Apps Now Live

Applications for Class VIII of the Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program (YCLP) are now live on our website! YCLP is funded in part by the Alabama State Checkoff. This program aims to identify the state’s top young cattlemen and develop them into leaders of our industry. The class will have production and consumer based tours from May 2021 – March 2022. This program provides networking, leadership, and experience to cattlemen ranging in ages 22-40.

We are excited to see this program continue to grow. Last year, we had a record number of applications. To help the committee with selection process we have added a component to the YCLP application. Applicants will now have to submit a letter of recommendation from a YCLP alumni or county cattlemen’s leadership. For all who are interested you can apply here. Applications close January 31, 2021.

Working With Our Friends in Nutrition

On December 1, The MOOseum hosted child nutrition specialists from the Alabama Department of Education. The Department of Education utilized the child-like kitchen facilities of The MOOseum to film a 5-minute video about meal component crediting and how to prepare a healthy meal for youth. We are excited to see our MOOseum featured in a video that will have the potential to educate families on dietary guidelines and the necessity of having great quality protein on your plate!

Membership Update

The 2020 Membership Year will close this Friday, and to date, the ACA is home to 9,601 members. ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy will begin work closing out the year in the system on Friday and will notify county leaders when the system is live for the input of 2021 members. Stay tuned for more news from her and don’t forget that giving an ACA membership as a gift this holiday season is a great way to show the cattleman in your life how much you mean to them! Give a membership as a gift at www.BamaBeef.org/Join.

Social Media Fired Up for Holiday Roasting

Digital ads were flighted this week featuring a variety of topics surrounding holiday roasting. The ads feature roast recipes, roasting hacks and promote the Drool Log. The ads were targeted to Alabama consumers and household decision-makers ages 25-65 who have a positive attitude toward beef. So far the ads are performing excellent and are receiving positive feedback! Be sure to feature the Drool Log on smart screens at your upcoming holiday events, and don’t forget to share The Night Before Beefmas with Your favorite farm kids!

Junior Board Set to Meet

The Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Board of Directors will have their winter meeting this weekend. Staffer Morgan Pounds will take the juniors south to Andalusia for this meeting. Juniors will work on team bonding Friday and enjoy a steak and some Christmas lights in downtown Andalusia. The board will get to business on Saturday as they discuss upcoming events for youth across Alabama. This year’s AJCA Board would love to come to your county meeting to discuss youth involvement. If you would like a junior board member to speak please let Jessica Kennedy know when you update us on your county meeting details!

Wishes for Warriors in Colbert County

This Saturday, ACA’s Ali Cantrell will be attending the Wishes for Warriors event at Rattlesnake Saloon in Tuscumbia, AL. This is the second year that Colbert County Cattlemen’s Association will be preparing ribeye steak sandwiches for the veterans attending this event. We are excited to meet the veterans and thank them for their service to our country!

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.

More Than Just “Turkey Day”

By Elesha Ergle, RDN

It is hard to believe that November is already upon us, bringing with it cooler temperatures, and of course, the holidays. For many, the holidays might look a little different this year due to the pandemic, but we can still keep some traditions alive as well and add some beef to our holiday menus. Keep your family fed this holiday season with the versatility and optimal nutrition of beef! 

Beef’d up Breakfasts

Busy holiday mornings are no time to be worrying about trying to cook a big breakfast for your family. Try some easy recipes that will feed a crowd without spending too much time in the kitchen, like this One-Pan Cheesy Beef Breakfast Scramble. For those hunters that are going out early, make up some Beef Breakfast Burritos the night before that can be quickly microwaved for on-the-go eating. Add some protein to your grab-and-go breakfasts with beef jerky. Pair some jerky with a cereal bar or pastry for a more complete and filling meal. 

Beefy Casseroles

If you have some family members staying with you, get some casseroles together for easy cooking and entertaining. Put together a Cheeseburger Pie and sit back and watch your guests gobble it up. Or try putting together some casseroles ahead of company coming so that all you have to do is heat and serve. Shepherd’s Pie is a delicious and filling meal that can be made ahead of time and reheated when company comes. Add in a salad and you have a complete meal with very little work!

“Turkey Day” Featuring Beef 

Add beef to your Turkey Day with some beefed up sides. Beef It’s What’s For Dinner has an entire collection of beefy sides sure to add flavor to your Thanksgiving spread! Change up your traditional green bean casserole with this Hamburger Green Bean Casserole, try out cornbread muffins with the bold flavor of beef sausage, or make up a slow-cooker of your favorite meatballs for before meal grazing. 

No matter the time of year or holiday, beef has you covered for all your favorite recipes! For more recipes, nutritional information, and information on beef from pasture to plate, visit Beef It’s What’s For Dinner.

Have a wonderful and blessed November and holiday season! We have so much to be thankful for. 

This article was funded by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program. Brought to you by Alabama beef farmers and ranchers.

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: November 18, 2020

It has been a few weeks since we last updated you all here on the blog, but with Board meetings and checkoff planning…and of course social media, hopefully most of you have gotten an update or two along the way! While 2020 quickly comes to a close, the phrase “Hindsight 20:20” comes to mind. It has been one heckuva year- one that has challenged us and one that’s made us grow as stewards of your association and your checkoff dollars. While in the future the phrase “2020” may just send a chill down all our backs, we can also reflect on the positive growth we as an association and beef council have found during this year of trial, change and lots of “Plan B’s and C’s.” Keep reading to learn what’s going on this week at the ACA.

Alabama Beef Checkoff Task Force Set to Meet

Speaking of Plan B, this week’s Alabama Beef Checkoff Task Force Meeting is just that. Originally scheduled for Thursday, October 30, we were forced to postpone the meeting when Hurricane Zeta decided to come to town the evening before. Now, on Thursday, our staff and officers will welcome cattlemen and industry influencers from across the state in for a checkoff program highlight presentation and brainstorming sessions about how to put those dollars to work in 2021. We always look forward to this meeting as it is the first step to creating our “playbook” for the next year and allows us to go boldly into 2021 with a plan in place! It’s not too late to decide to come to tomorrow’s meeting- just call our office and bring your ideas.

YCLP Meets for Session 4

The Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program Class (YCLP) VII kicked off their fourth session November 12 and 13 in Montgomery. The class had the opportunity to sit in on the Alabama Cattlemen’s fall board meeting and witness county leadership receive their red coats for going Over the Top. A special congratulations to Caleb Beason and Chad Kennedy, YCLP alumni, for going Over the Top as county presidents! The class was able to see firsthand how being involved in YCLP creates leaders of our industry and association!

The class also gained knowledge of how the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association is a grassroots system. At the conclusion of the board meeting the class met with ACA leadership to discuss becoming a leader in county cattlemen’s chapters. We appreciate ACA President Larry Reeves and ACA Vice President Jim Jordan investing their time into this class. Following, Erin Beasley and checkoff staff explained to the class the flow of state and national checkoff dollars.

On Friday, the class participated in leadership training provided by Dr. Don Mulvaney of Auburn University. YCLP members finished out session four with a pasture to plate experience. The class was able to watch a full carcass fabrication by participating in the BEEF 201 program. It truly brought the program full circle. We will be accepting YCLP Class VIII applications online starting December 1 at www.BamaBeef.org/YCLP.

Checkoff Sponsors Nutrition Seminar Program

ACA Director of Education & Outreach Ali Cantrell will be working with NCBA this Friday on the Nutrition Seminar Program (NSP) to provide support for Marie Spano’s presentation at the Alabama Dietetics Association (ALDA) 2021 meeting! Marie Spano, MS, RD, CSCS, CSSD is a sports registered dietitian for the Atlanta Braves.  She plans to talk about Sports Nutrition Challenges and Solutions.

Below is a brief description of her presentation: Dietitians play an integral role keeping athletes well-fueled and in the game. While following research-based principles, the application of sports nutrition is often far from textbook and requires mixing science and behavior change into a variety of on-the-field solutions that produce results.Marie is supportive of beef and is definitely a truth-seeker when it comes to nutrition science so she will be a great fit for this audience and NCBA and ACA will be a proud sponsor of this talk.

Stopping in at Diamond Jim’s

Also happening on Friday, the checkoff staff will head to west Alabama where they’ll meet up with RVP Donald Means at Diamond Jim’s and Mrs. Donna’s Family Steakhouse in Livingston. The local eatery was a finalist in this year’s Bama’s Best Beef contest with its dish, the Famous Ribeye, and we will be attending to present a plaque acknowledging their participation and placement. We look forward to meeting the staff and trying out that ribeye, all while supporting a local Alabama restaurant!

Membership Update

As a reminder, the 2020 membership year will close on December 4, 2020. County secretaries are asked to HOLD all 2021 membership renewals until everything is closed. Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy will send the green light when inputs can be made for the 2021 year! The first renewal statement for members expiring January-June 2021 will be sent on Monday, December 7. Get ready to check your mailbox!

Coming Up: Junior Board Meeting Set

The Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Board of Directors is set to meet first weekend in December for winter meeting. The board will discuss upcoming events such as ACA Convention March 4-6 and what youth activities will be available for Alabama’s youth. We look forward to hosting youth events in 2021! To stay up-to-date follow the blog and the Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s on Facebook and Instagram!

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 Weekly Update: October 28, 2020

What a week! Events, meetings, cancellations and now a hurricane. It has been a little busy around these parts! While October is soon coming to a close, the Beef Month 2020 chapter will close, and will will drift into year-end projects and start rolling on SLE Rodeo. The fun never really stops around here, not even in a year like 2020! Keep reading to learn more.

Checkoff Meeting Postponed

In true 2020 fashion, yet another one of our meetings as been rescheduled! The Checkoff Marketing Plan Task Force meeting that was set to be held tomorrow, October 29 at the ACA building has now been rescheduled for Thursday, November 19. We came to this decision following news of the potential impacts of Hurricane Zeta. If you would like to attend the meeting on November 19 to help us brainstorm ideas for 2021 checkoff programming, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office at (334) 265-1867.

YCLP Recap

YCLP Class VII spent their weekend in North Alabama for their third session. This year’s class has only two session remaining, believe it or not! They have toured numerous cattle producers all across the state.

This past weekend they toured ACA President-Elect Clay Kennamer’s backgrounding yard and cow-calf operation. They also had the opportunity to tour Lookout Mountain Genetics. We appreciate John Starnes, Stephanie Turner, and Tristan Tilley for being great hosts. The class also stopped by Lake Majestic to catch their cowboy auction sale. Lake Majestic is owned by one of our YCLP alumni, Nic Cornelison. We would like to give a special thanks to Jackson and DeKalb County Cattlemen’s for cooking a steak dinner on Friday night for the group.

The class will graduate at Convention in March. If you are interested in the program or participating next year please contact YCLP Coordinator Morgan Desselle at morgan@bamabeef.org!

AL.com Email Marketing

October Beef Month may soon be coming to an end, but our promotions are running strong. This afternoon, we deployed an October Beef Month email marketing campaign through AL.com that featured beef imagery, recipes and nutrition information. This email was targeted to nearly 200,000 Alabama parents, the target audience of the checkoff promotion. We are excited to learn the results of this campaign after ample time is allowed for opening!

Membership Update & Board Memo

We have surpassed our membership from last year- YAY! But we still haven’t reached that big 10,000…help us get there! Board members, please RSVP to the upcoming Board meeting to be held November 12 at the RSA Activity center in downtown Montgomery. Send your RSVP to jkennedy@bamabeef.org.

FACS Advisory Board

ACA Director of Education and Outreach Ali Cantrell was asked this week to sit on the new Family and Consumer Sciences Advisory Board Committee. She attended her first meeting here in Montgomery on Tuesday, October 27 and was included in discussions on how to expand the FACS program and how ACA and the checkoff program can impact the culinary arts. This committee will meet twice a year but will be in close contact throughout the year in order to market different educational programs.

Bull Sale Season

ACA Staff will head to the CK Cattle Headquarters Sale this Friday. Sale Session is in full blast around the state. Head over to our online sale calendar to view the sales going on around the state, you are sure to find one that fits what you are looking for!

ACA Hosts Regional Meeting

ACA will host Region 2 (LA, MS, TN, AL, GA, FL, SC, NC) state executives and leadership next week on November 4-5. The agenda will include policy and beef checkoff topics as well as give states some time to discuss holding events with the challenges of COVID-19. ACA officers will attend the meeting as well as Jimmy Holliman who serves as Region 2 Policy VP and Eric Smith, Region 2 PAC General.

USDA’s CFAP 2 Program

Late in September, the U.S. Department of Agriculture opened application for a second round of COVID assistance relief through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), or CFAP 2. Key details include: 

Cattle Payments: The CFAP 2 payment rate for eligible beef cattle is $55 per head. Payments will be based on the maximum owned inventory of eligible livestock, excluding breeding stock, on a date selected by the producer, between Apr. 16, 2020, and Aug. 31, 2020.

Signups will run through December 11, 2020. 

More CFAP 2 details are available on USDA’s website: https://www.farmers.gov/cfap/livestock.

Foundation Scholarships : Deadline Soon!

Applications for the 2021-2022 Alabama Cattlemen’s Foundation Scholarships are now open online at www.BamaBeef.org/Scholarships. The ACF is proud to award over $65,000 in scholarships annually to Alabama’s youth in livestock and those who are the children or grandchildren of longtime members. We offer a variety of scholarships with a range of requirements— there’s truly something to fit any student! We appreciate those who purchase the Cowboy vanity car tag that help fund these scholarships, as well as the generous families who have endowed scholarships through our foundation. Applications CLOSE on November 6 at midnight, so be sure your favorite student(s) submits today!

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 Weekly Update: October 21, 2020

After a very busy week out of the office, staff are enjoying some much needed time at the desk this week as we look toward plans for 2021. The checkoff team has its eye on the 2021 Checkoff Marketing Plan while the rodeo team is working on the 2021 SLE Rodeo. It’s business as usual— plus some— as we are busy with fall months!! Keep reading to learn more about what we are up to in the bottom half of October Beef Month.

Beef Up the Blood Supply Wrap Up

In partnership with county Cattlemen chapters, LifeSouth Community Blood Centers and local restaurant partners, the ACA promoted October Beef Month through a weeklong series of blood drives across the state. Beginning on Monday, October 12 state staff partnered with the Houston County Cattlemen’s Association and Conestoga Steak House, owned by cattleman Ted Toole, to secure 30 donors in the Dothan area. Volunteer donors were given a burger for lunch, prepared by Houston County Cattlemen, and a $10 gift certificate for a steak dinner at Conestoga— a prize generously donated by the restaurant. 

Then on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Blood Mobile and the Beef Truck met at Decatur Morgan Hospital in Decatur where over 90 blood donations were secured. Donors in Decatur were met with a ribeye steak sandwich, prepared by the Morgan County Cattleman Cook Team, and a voucher for a free Backyard Brisket Burger from SUCH n SUCH Burgers & Tacos, former finalists in the Bama’s Best Burger contest. 

On Thursday, October 15, ACA staff partnered with Commissioner Rick Pate and the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries as we hosted a blood drive at the ACA headquarters in downtown Montgomery. Thirteen donors were given a burger to-go and a voucher for a free brisket sandwich from Fat Boy’s Bar-B-Que Ranch in Prattville, owned by Danny Loftin. 

Then, to close out the week on Friday, the Beef Truck and Blood Mobile set up shop in Troy at Pike County Cattlemen’s Park and Arena. Donors received a burger to-go, prepared by Pike County Cattlemen & CattleWomen, as well as a $2 off voucher for a ribeye steak dinner at Mossy Grove School House Restaurant. 

Throughout the week, this October Beef Month celebration helped secured nearly 150 blood donations and promoted beef across Alabama. Special thanks to our county Cattlemen’s chapters for their help and to all our donors who made this event a success! 

YCLP Class Prepares for Another Session

YCLP Class VII will be headed to North Alabama this weekend for their third session. This year’s class is halfway through the program. They have been to numerous cattle producers all across the state. This weekend they will be touring ACA President-Elect Clay Kennamer’s backgrounding yard and cow-calf operation. They will also have the opportunity to take a tour at Look Out Mountain Genetics and Lake Majestic. Lake Majestic is owned by one of our YCLP alumni, Nic Cornelison.

The class will graduate at Convention in March. If you are interested in the program or participating next year please contact YCLP Coordinator Morgan Desselle at morgan@bamabeef.org

Staff Gets Out & About

Staffers will be out and about this weekend traveling to county cattlemen’s picnics, sales and the young cattlemen’s tour. Morgan Desselle will be touring farms, coordinating YCLP, enjoying Lake Majestic’s sale and catching Tennessee River Musi’s sale on Monday. Ali Cantrell will be stopping by Marshall County Cattlemen’s picnic, while Erin Beasley will be headed to Debter Hereford Farm 48th Bull Sale in Horton, Alabama. Stop by and say hey to staffers if you will be in area!

Call to Attend: Beef Checkoff Task Force Meeting

The Alabama Beef Checkoff Task Force meeting will be held Thursday, October 29 at the Cattlemen’s building in Montgomery. ANY cattlemen in Alabama interested in attending this meeting is welcome to do so by contacting the ACA office at (334) 265-1867. It is a way to get completely involved in the process and having a say in how beef checkoff dollars are spent in the state. The ideas that come out of the task force meeting will be put into a marketing plan and presented to the Beef Checkoff Council for approval and budgeting. Contact an ACA officer or the office today to get more information on the meeting.

USDA’s CFAP 2 Program

Late in September, the U.S. Department of Agriculture opened application for a second round of COVID assistance relief through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), or CFAP 2. Key details include: 

Cattle Payments: The CFAP 2 payment rate for eligible beef cattle is $55 per head. Payments will be based on the maximum owned inventory of eligible livestock, excluding breeding stock, on a date selected by the producer, between Apr. 16, 2020, and Aug. 31, 2020.

Signups will run through December 11, 2020. 

More CFAP 2 details are available on USDA’s website: https://www.farmers.gov/cfap/livestock.

Foundation Scholarships : Deadline Soon!

Applications for the 2021-2022 Alabama Cattlemen’s Foundation Scholarships are now open online at www.BamaBeef.org/Scholarships. The ACF is proud to award over $65,000 in scholarships annually to Alabama’s youth in livestock and those who are the children or grandchildren of longtime members. We offer a variety of scholarships with a range of requirements— there’s truly something to fit any student! We appreciate those who purchase the Cowboy vanity car tag that help fund these scholarships, as well as the generous families who have endowed scholarships through our foundation. Applications CLOSE on November 6 at midnight, so be sure your favorite student(s) submits today!

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 Weekly Update: October 14, 2020

Happy October Beef Month! We’re halfway through the best, most beef-tacular month of the year, and the fun times are rolling! The fall months have no disappointed thus far, and we’re excited to bring you an update of ALL that has gone on. Keep reading and don’t forget to ENJOY BEEF!

Beef Up the Blood Supply SUCCESS!

As of today, we are halfway through our Beef Up the Blood Supply event, and WOW what a success! So far, we’ve helped collect 120 pints of blood from donors who all received a beef meal to-go from county Cattlemen cook teams AND a beef voucher to a local restaurant. In Dothan, Houston County Cattlemen helped serve up burgers to 30 donors who also received $10 gift cards for a steak dinner at Conestoga Steak House. Big shoutout to Ted Toole of Conestoga for this generous promotion and for hosting our event in his parking lot! In Decatur, the Morgan County Cook Team did not disappoint with their steak sandwiches as they served the 45 donors who came to the Tuesday event at Decatur-Morgan Hospital. They’ll be there again today with another 45 expected donors! On Thursday, the Blood Mobile and the grill will head back to the ACA office in downtown Montgomery as we host a Montgomery event with vouchers to Fat Boys Bar-B-Que for all donors. Then on Friday, we’ll head to Troy to set up shop at the Pike County Cattlemen’s Arena where we’ll be serving up burgers and offering $2 OFF vouchers for a steak dinner at Mossy Grove School House Restaurant. Join us!

Links to sign up for a slot are below, or just walk-in!

Deactur (Wednesday): http://ow.ly/wtUj50BM9QQ

Montgomery (Thursday): http://ow.ly/H56w50BM9SQ

Troy (Friday): http://ow.ly/YzMj50BM9WD

Checkoff Team “Attends” Virtual PIA

Each year in October, national Beef Checkoff staffers Erin Beasley, Ali Cantrell and Kayla Greer attend the Partnership in Action (PIA) Conference in Denver where they explore consumer market research, new campaign initiatives and learn about what to expect from the national Beef Checkoff in the coming year and how to implement those same tactics in our home state. Due to COVID, the event is all virtual this year, but so far it has not disappointed! We can’t say too much yet, but be prepared to see big work coming from your checkoff dollars…beginning with the holiday season! We are excited to implement these new marketing programs in Alabama. Stay tuned for more!

Save the Date- Beef Checkoff Task Force Meeting

Speaking of checkoff planning, the Alabama Beef Checkoff Task Force meeting will be held Thursday, October 29 at the Cattlemen’s building in Montgomery. ANY cattlemen in Alabama interested in attending this meeting is welcome to do so by contacting the ACA office at (334) 265-1867. It is a way to get completely involved in the process and having a say in how beef checkoff dollars are spent in the state. The ideas that come out of the task force meeting will be put into a marketing plan and presented to the Beef Checkoff Council for approval and budgeting. Contact an ACA officer or the office today to get more information on the meeting.

Fair Season

ACA’s Director of Field Services Morgan Desselle will be out at Alabama National Fair all weekend helping working the beef shows. Hats off to the Alabama Farmers Federation and National Fair show crew for continuing to host several species livestock shows during the pandemic. We know here at ACA first-hand that this is not an easy task to undertake from our experience with the AJCA Round-Up this summer, BUT our youth need this! If your county is hosting a show for youth, be sure to let us know so we can add it to our Youth Livestock Events calendar. Email Morgan with your event information

Membership Update

As of today, our statewide membership number is at 9,502 members. We can almost taste that 10,000….so keep recruiting! Board members are encouraged to save the date for November 12 as we plan to host our Fall Board of Directors meetings. Notices will be mailing out soon. We look forward to seeing you all there. 

Day of the Cowboy

This weekend ahead, ACA Director of Rodeo Programs Lauren Wilson will be hosting a booth at Falkville’s Day of the Cowboy Ranch Rodeo event. The SLE is proud to sponsor the hospitality chuckwagon meal, and Lauren will be there selling ACA and SLE swag. Be sure to stop by and tell her hi! Speaking of rodeo, save the dates for the 2021 SLE Rodeo- March 18-20, 2021 at Garrett Coliseum.

USDA’s CFAP 2 Program

Late in September, the U.S. Department of Agriculture opened application for a second round of COVID assistance relief through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), or CFAP 2. Key details include: 

Cattle Payments: The CFAP 2 payment rate for eligible beef cattle is $55 per head. Payments will be based on the maximum owned inventory of eligible livestock, excluding breeding stock, on a date selected by the producer, between Apr. 16, 2020, and Aug. 31, 2020.

Signups will run through December 11, 2020. 

More CFAP 2 details are available on USDA’s website: https://www.farmers.gov/cfap/livestock.

Foundation Scholarships Now Open

Applications for the 2021-2022 Alabama Cattlemen’s Foundation Scholarships are now open online at www.BamaBeef.org/Scholarships. The ACF is proud to award over $65,000 in scholarships annually to Alabama’s youth in livestock and those who are the children or grandchildren of longtime members. We offer a variety of scholarships with a range of requirements— there’s truly something to fit any student! We appreciate those who purchase the Cowboy vanity car tag that help fund these scholarships, as well as the generous families who have endowed scholarships through our foundation. Applications CLOSE on November 6 at midnight, so be sure your favorite student(s) submits today!

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.