What’s Going On Wednesday: February 22, 2017

Whew! It’s a busy, busy time at the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association. It’s been quite the whirlwind of events and activities, but we are thrilled with the success and the future outlook of our association! We are very proud that last week’s convention hosted over 600 attendees, youth, guests, vendors and industry partners. The 74th annual ACA Convention and Trade Show was a great one, and we appreciate all who came out! We enjoyed seeing each of you, and we particularly enjoyed learning who our new team of state leaders are. For those who haven’t heard yet, here’s the lineup of new state leaders:

ACA President- Richard Meadow, Houston

ACA President-Elect- Jack Batts, Limestone

ACA Vice President- Chris Langley, Chambers

ACA Treasurer- LD Fitzpatrick, Lowndes

New Regional Vice Presidents:

Ashley Catrett, Crenshaw

Jim Jordan, Clay

Sabrina McKinney, Autauga

Brian Smith, Lauderdale

2o17 is sure to be a great year, but we are just worried about this week on today’s post! Keep reading to learn allllllll that’s happening around the ACA this week!


A Watchful Eye on the Legislative Session

Ag Coalition met Tuesday morning to go over 400-500 bills that have already been introduced. the legislative process is pretty slow and committee meetings are taking place. No consensus made on big topics such a gas tax, prison reform and redistricting. There is work being done on both the Education Budget and the General Fund. The General Fund budget is projected to look tight again with no general consensus to raise revenue. On another note, Gov. Bentley appointed a special task force yesterday to look into ways to remove the sales tax on food.

All in all, we are feeling good about this session. Nothing of substance that could either positively or negatively affect the agricultural industry has been introduced, and there’s no projection for it.

 

SLE Rodeo and 2017 Media Luncheon

IMG_7057 WEBThe members of the Southeastern Livestock Exposition met at the building on Tuesday for rodeo committee updates and to host Montgomery-area media in for a steak luncheon. SLE President Walter Crim, color commentator and Frontier Rodeo Company General Manager Don Gay and 2017 SLE Rodeo entertainer Trent McFarland informed the media about what to expect at this year’s show!

There’s so much going on, and you can find all the info you need by visiting www.slerodeo.com. Targeted social media advertising, tv spots, radio interviews and billboards will be hitting the marketing channels soon! Here’s a brief rundown of all you can expect:

  • Thursday Night at 7 p.m.- Children 12 and under enter sle-logoFREE
  • Friday Night at 7 p.m.- Family 4-Pack (4 tickets for $40!)
  • PRCA Freestyle Bullfighting will take place Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights with bulls from Hurrican Hookers Ranch in Louisiana
  • WORLD-CLASS bucking stock from PRCA Top Stock Contractor Frontier Rodeo Company from Freedom, Oklahoma
  • Stick Horse Rodeo for the kiddos each night at 5:45 p.m.
  • Western Festival on Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon

Call us today to get your tickets! 1-888-2RODEO2

 

 

Amping Up SLE Security

Following the media luncheon, SLE staff had a meeting with the Garrett Coliseum staff to discuss new policies on security. This year, rodeo-goers can expect heavier security at the gates of the Coliseum. This will include bag searches, scans and absolutely no guns or alcohol allowed. To strengthen the security front, we are negotiating with a firm out of Birmingham to supply professional security services to this year’s show. This group monitors University of Alabama and Auburn University football games and BJCC events in Birmingham.

 

 

So Long, Capital City Stampede

We are working to close the books on the 74th annual ACA Convention and Trade Show. While registration and monies are matched and counted, scholarship and new officer press releases are being sent across the state to hometown newspapers, and the March issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine is in its final stages of production. Organizing and captioning all those convention photos takes some time, but you’ll get to reminisce come March when that magazine painted with the First Family’s faces hits your mailbox.

 

 

TV Broadcaster of the Year- Charlie Platt

ACA President Richard Meadows and Past President IMG_6406_WEBMax Bozeman will shining their faces on the Charlie Platt show on Thursday in Dothan to present him with “TV Broadcaster of the Year” plaque he was awarded at this year’s convention. Charlie does an outstanding job of helping us promote beef during October Beef Month and is a big fan of Alabama’s beef cattle industry.

 

 

Spring Board Meeting

save the dateHey, speaking of President Richards Meadows, he has set the Spring Board Meeting Tuesday, May 9. Board members, make plans to attend as it will be a great meeting with plans to attend the legislature!

 

 

The Search for an Associate Dean of Instruction

ACA Assistant Executive Vice President Erin Beasley is serving on the search committee for Associate Dean of Instruction for the College of Agriculture at Auburn University.  We are interviewing three outstanding candidates over the next week.  This position serves as a key to student recruitment and innovation of teaching within the college.  It requires someone who is forward-thinking and has the commitment to produce a highly marketable student out of the college.

 

 

Talking Beef in Birmingham

Next week, the Beef Checkoff will sponsor Holley Grainger to speak at the Alabama Dietetic Association annual meeting in Birmingham.  Holley is a registered dietitian and has a large footprint on social media promoting healthy lifestyles and cooking techniques.  She is a Birmingham native and will be a highlight of the program for ALDA this year.

 

 

Thanks for reading this week’s post! We’ll be back next week- same time, same place. Until then, we want to remind you that you can stay in touch with us by following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Have a great week and don’t forget to purchase your SLE Rodeo tickets! 

Downs, Holliman, Parnell Inducted into Alabama Livestock Hall of Fame

The Alabama Livestock Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the state’s livestock industry. The Hall of Fame was established in 1984 by the Southeastern Livestock Exposition and Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and is housed in the Cattlemen’s Building in historic downtown Montgomery. View our newest Alabama Livestock Hall of Fame inductees below. 

John Downs

16711878_976452999157370_8002514180393761763_nJohn Downs of Dothan began Southern Cattle Company (SCC) 25 years ago. With several successful steel business ventures under his belt, he fulfilled a lifelong dream and purchased his first cattle and original 400 acres of SCC, where the headquarters now stand today. What was meant to be just a hobby farm, has developed into one of the largest and most respected purebred operations in the south.  Downs has farms in Alabama and Florida and has run up to 6,000 head of cattle.

The youngest of nine children, John was born in central Alabama to tenant farmers. At 18, Downs got his first public job with Gamble Steel Co. in Montgomery. The ethics of hard work learned in that cotton field began paying off. In 1976, with a wife and three children to support, he took the leap and purchased a red barn in Webb, Alabama, and with $10,000, he began what is now Qualico Steel Company. With the help of family and other partners, Downs’ steel business has expanded to seven steel-related companies in three states employing over 500 team members.

Read more about John in the March issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine.


Jimmy Holliman

16711736_976453052490698_6934660798306439214_nJimmy Holliman of Marion Junction was raised on a cotton farm in the Mississippi Delta. He received a B.S. in Animal Science and a Master’s Degree in Animal Nutrition from Mississippi State University. Holliman was employed by Auburn University for 42 at the Black Belt Research and Extension Center in Marion Junction where he was named director of the station in 1989.  Jimmy started Circle H Cattle Farm in 1982 where he raises black Simmental cattle. He is a member of the First Step Bull Sale Group.
Holliman is widely known as a local, state and national leader in the beef cattle industry. He served as a Regional Vice President of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and as President of the Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Association. He was president of the Alabama Purebred Breeds Council in 1990-1992 and was elected the 69th president of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association.
Holliman has received numerous awards for his service to the beef cattle industry.

Read more about Jimmy in the March issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine.


Jimmy Parnell

16640566_976453069157363_1241444142248626679_nParnell is a native of Stanton where he is a fifth-generation farmer and a partner in his family’s beef cattle and timber operations. He is a graduate of Auburn University in agricultural business and economics. Parnell has been an outstanding leader with agricultural organizations including Alabama Farmers Federation, Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and the Alabama Forestry Association.
Jimmy is currently serving as president and CEO of the Alabama Farmers Federation and Alfa Insurance Corporation. He and his wife, Robin, have two children, James Robert and Anna Grace who have been very active in showing cattle and have each served as president of the Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Association. The family attends Hillcrest Baptist Church in Maplesville.
Read more about Jimmy in the March issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine.

ACA Newly-Elected Regional Vice Presidents

Brian Smith, Lauderdale

16807384_10211605772761182_5786141479857831657_nBrian grew up in Green Hill in Lauderdale County and has lived on the family farm all his life. He graduated from Rogers High School and received a B.S. and Master’s degree from the University of North Alabama.
Under his leadership, the Junior Cattlemen’s membership grew to the largest in the state, and the county membership grew from 423 to 514. Brian, along with the juniors, led the incredible effort to raise funds and take 21 heifers to ranchers in South Dakota following a tragic snowstorm that wreaked havoc on cattle ranches in 2013. Read more about Brian in the March issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine.

Sabrina McKinney, Autauga

Sabrina of Autaugaville has been involved in the cattle industry since 16729463_10211604345845510_228181977817076420_nchildhood. A longtime leader in the cattle industry, Sabrina is the past president of the Autauga County Cattlemen’s Association.  She has been active in the Alabama Angus Association, American National Cattlewomen’s Association and the Alabama CattleWomen’s Association serving in multiple officers and on numerous committees. Read more about Sabrina in the March issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine.

Jim Jordan, Clay

Jim, Talledega, is a lifelong resident of Clay County. Aft16711800_10211604345765508_4394131309011785082_ner graduating in 1992, he worked in the timber industry for many years and in 2002 started his own business, Envirogrind LLC, which he still runs today. He is owner and operator of 4J Farm, which is a small commercial cow/calf and registered show cattle operation. He and his wife of 21 years, Kim, have two sons, Will (16) and Russell (13) who are very active in the Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Association. Read more about Jim in the March issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine.

Ashley Catrett, Crenshaw

16711674_10211604345925512_4333996478735876684_nAshley is a native of Elba and attended Troy University where she earned a B.S. in Elementary Education and Master’s Degree in Special Education. Currently, she is Director of Curriculum for Career and Technical Education, and Accountability for Crenshaw County Public Schools. Ashley, her husband Perry and two daughters, Cassidy and Cameron, own Shinglepile Creek Farm in Luverne, a 50-head commercial and purebred cow/calf operation.The cattle business is a family affair for the Catrett’s as Cassidy and Cameron have both grown up exhibiting and judging cattle. Read more about Ashley in the March issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine.

Langley Elected ACA Vice President

16603107_10211604345725507_8701776104900611904_nChristopher Langley, Sr. of Lafayette in Chambers County was elected vice president of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association on February 16 at the 74th Annual Cattlemen’s Convention and Trade Show in Montgomery.
Chris graduated from Lyman Ward Military Academy and received an Associate’s degree in welding from Southern Union State Community College. A fifth-generation farmer, Chris has proudly has been in the cattle and timber business for 35 years on the same family land. His wife, Elizabeth, also grew up on a large cattle farm and is actively involved in the operation. Langley Farms runs a commercial herd of Angus and SimAngus cattle. Chris is co-founder of Piedmont Cattle Marketing Association where he has sold calves for over 20 years.
As an active member of the county and state association, Chris has served as president of the Chambers County Cattlemen’s Association, taking the county “Over the Top” in membership. He has also served as regional vice president for the last three years.  He has been active in the Alabama Angus Association, Alabama Forestry Association, Alabama Farmers Federation and is an alumni of the AU Leaders Program Class VI.
Chris and Elizabeth have four children, Christopher (22), Charlie (20), Chandler (18) and Chelsea (16) who are all active on the farm.
Learn more about Chris and his family by reading the March issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine. 

Meadows Elected President, Alabama Cattlemen’s Association

16807156_10211604346365523_265717774985369428_nRichard Meadows, Houston County, was elected to serve as president of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association February 16 at the Opening General Session of the 74th annual ACA Convention & Trade Show. This title follows a term of serving as both president-elect and vice president of the state association.
Richard is a proud member of the sixth generation to grow up on his family’s row crop and commercial cattle farm in Columbia, Alabama.  Richard has been involved in the cattle industry since he was very young, and he and his siblings showed steers throughout their 4-H years. Profits from the steer projects were invested in purchasing his very own cattle, and at age 11, Richard bought his first commercial heifer. By age 14, he was able to buy his first purebred Charolais cows.  From these beginnings, the family partnership of Meadows Creek Farm was formed between Richard and his brother, Glenn.  Today, Meadows Creek Farm raises purebred Charolais and commercial crossbred cattle.
While in 4-H, Richard was on the state champion Livestock Judging team.  He continued that trend while in college at Auburn University, by serving on both the livestock and meats judging teams.  He continues to use his skill set to judge cattle shows throughout the Southeast.
Learn more about Richard and his family by reading the March issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine. 

What’s Going On Wednesday: February 8, 2017

Howdy, Cattlemen! We missed catching up with you all last week while we were in Nashville at the 2017 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show. It was a great time of learning, meeting and seeing so many friends from across the nation that share the bonds of cattle production. We were thrilled to see so many attendees from Alabama and enjoyed exploring that massive Trade Show with over 350 vendors. We’re also proud to have attended the largest NCBA Convention in history with over 9,500 attendees- wow!! 

Speaking of Covnention, if you hear about a whirlwind striking Downtown Montgomery near the Cattlemen’s Building, never fear. It’s just your ACA staff running around making final details come together for next week’s 74th annual ACA Convention & Trade Show. This week is all about Convention preparation, but we want to be sure to keep you informed about all that’s going on as we prepare for the busy month of February. Keep reading to find out all that’s happening this week among your state staff.

Capital City Stampede- 74th Annual ACA Convention & Trade Show

2017-convention-websitefeature

One week from today. In just ONE WEEK from today we will be welcoming cattlemen from across the state to the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Convention Center for our 74th annual ACA Convention & Trade Show.

 

We’ve got a sold out Trade Show with over 70 vendors, four outstanding Cattlemen’s College sessions and a great lineup of keynote speakers for our General Sessions. Speaking of that, in the past week we learned that CattleFax Analyst Chad Spearman couldn’t make the trip down to update us on the markets. Now, don’t go getting upset yet because we’ve got some great news to go with that sour lemon. Instead of Chad Spearman, we get his boss- CattleFax CEO Randy Blach will be joining us instead. Those of you who attended NCBA Convention know that Randy gave an outstanding market update concerning weather, exports and future outlooks. Click here to learn more about Randy Blach.

 

We don’t want you to miss out on all the great events we’ve got coming our way next week. Get pre-registered now until FRIDAY at noon by visiting www.bamabeef.org/convention to guarantee your meals. Otherwise, walk-in registration is on a first-come-first-serve basis.

 

Legislative Session

Today was the first day of the Legislative Session which is expected to be a difficult one as redistricting has been added to the already-full agenda. We look forward to getting a first-hand update from the two leaders – Rep. Mac McCutcheon, Speaker of the House, and Senator Del Marsh, President Pro Tempore of the Senate at the Board meeting Luncheon next Wednesday during the Convention. Don’t miss out!

 

Your Ag Coalition is meeting weekly to follow this session and ensure the protection of farmers and landowners across the state.

 

MEMBERSHIP, COUNTY MEETINGS AND A JOHN DEERE GATOR

Counties across the state are hosting annual meetings, and ACA officers and staff are working to attend each and every one! We’ve really enjoyed getting to visit with cattlemen across the state and appreciate the generous hospitality. Unfortunately, we can’t be there if you don’t let us know, so send your upcoming county meeting information to Jessica Kennedy at the state office. If you need ACA trinkets such as membership applications, place mats, napkins, etc for your meeting PLEASE let Jessica know ASAP!

A few notes from the Membership Office:

  1. “Over the Top” Deadline – All membership needs to be in the state office or postmarked by February 28th to qualify for “Over the Top” awards.
  2. Several counties have entered membership but have not yet sent payment.  This is a reminder that membership is processed when payment is received at the state office, so get that check sent in!  Get those memberships and payments into the office by THIS FRIDAY to have updated numbers included on  your Board Meeting handout.
  3. Following your county meeting, send us your new officers so we can update them in our system! Simply email them to Jessica.

To check out information on your county meeting, visit our Bama Beef Events Calendar today. If your meeting isn’t posted or there’s any important information missing, give Jessica a call at (334) 265-1867.

 

John Deere Gator Information: YOU can win a John Deere Gator XUV 560 one of GATORtwo ways…

  1. Recruit a new member, and their name as well as your name is entered. For each new member you recruit, that’s an extra chance, so recruit, recruit, recruit!
  2. Buy a raffle ticket! Tickets sales kick off to ACA MEMBERS at the ACA Convention and Trade Show on Feb. 15-16. Members can purchase one ticket for $10 or three for $20. Did we mention that the Gator is a $10,000 value…

 

Bama Beef Events Calendar

Speaking of upcoming events, stay informed about all that’s happening in Alabama’s beef cattle indsutry by following our Bama Beef Events Calendar online. You can check it on your phone out in the field or view it on your computer after a long day of work. It’s got all the info about upcoming sales, Extension workshops, BQA certifications, Cattlemen’s events…all of it! Check it out by clicking here.

 

You can also stay in-the-know by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For our Snapchatters out there, soon enough you’ll be able to add our Snapchat handle to follow events. (*hint hint* Convention!)

 

YCLP CLASS IV NOMINATIONS- NOW OPEN!

Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program (YCLP) applications are now posted on the website at www.bamabeef.org/YCLP.  This program is for cattlemenyoung-cattlemen-logo_websized between 21-40 years of age who are interested in getting more involved in the ACA and knowledgeable about the industry.  For more information or if you’re ready to submit an application, send them along to Erin at the office.

 

60th ANNUAL SLE RODEO- March 16-18

sle-logoSave the dates and purchase your tickets today! We’ve got a big show headed to Montgomery’s Garrett Coliseum, and you’re not gonna want to miss it. We’ve got the PRCA’s best bucking stock, PRCA Freestyle Bullfighting and Alabama-bred rodeo entertainer Trent McFarland coming your way for a night of thrill and laughter.

 

Bring the little ones down to see the best show on dirt. We’ll even let them play on the dirt during the Stick Horse Rodeo before each nightly performance. Thursday night- kids 12 and under enter FREE while Friday night, families can purchase four tickets for only $40. That’s cheaper than a movie, folks, and a whole lot more entertaining!

 

The SLE staff is busy selling tickets, getting sponsorships and marketing the event. Pretty soon a new commercial will be hitting television screens, while posters and banners are being printed.

 

We can’t wait to see you there- call us today to purchase your tickets at 1-888-2RODEO2 and learn more about the rodeo’s many events by vising the SLE Rodeo website.

COWBOY COOKOFF REGISTRATION

Cowboy Cookoff registration is open online, and we are recruiting teams Alabama Ag Credit (2)_WEBto participate in the steak cookoff on Saturday, March 18 in conjunction with the SLE Rodeo.  Contact Erin with any questions and click here to view rules and registration information.

 

Thanks for reading this week’s post! We’ll be back next week- same time, same place. Until then, we want to remind you that you can stay in touch with us by following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Have a great week and don’t forget to register for Convention and purchase your SLE Rodeo tickets!