What’s Going On Wednesday: April 26, 2017

Happy Wednesday!

April is escaping us just as quickly as the rest of 2017 has, and we are ready for the big month of May. We’ve got a lot to look forward to with the Spring Board Meeting, the kickoff of summertime grilling season and the 2nd annual Bama’s Best Beef contest. We know many of our cattlemen are busy raking in the first baling of the summer months to prepare for wintertime, but take a break from balers, rakes and BushHogs to find out what’s going on at the ACA this week.


Membership Reminders

PREIFERT SQUEEZE CHUTE WINNERS_webACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy wanted to make sure you all got the reminder that the year-end “Over the Top” deadline is the May 9th Board Meeting.  Counties who have gone “Over the Top” and have at least 100 members will be included in the drawing for the Priefert Chute. We have 20 counties who are within an arm’s length of going “Over the Top,” and your chance at a $5,000 Priefert squeeze chute should be encouragement enough! If that’s not enough, county presidents who go “Over the Top” will receive an award at the 2018 ACA Convention and TWO free banquet tickets.

 

ACA Membership is currently at 9,400.  Be sure to send in all membership before the Spring Board Meeting that our reports are as current as possible.  Following the Board Meeting, the state office will be mailing out the FINAL dues notices.  Those renewals will be routed to the state office.

 

We wrapped up the May issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine, our most exciting member benefit, this week. ACA Executive Vice President Dr. Billy Powell noted that he wrote his 381st column with this issue and has only one more to go. He wrote his first column in July 1985. With his retirement is set for June 30 of this year, he is looking forward to heading back to his home in Washington County where he will enjoy the company of his many grandchildren.

 

 

Beef 101

Today, ACA Assistant Executive Vice President and Beef Checkoff Director Erin Beasley is teaching future chefs about beef from pasture to plate at Auburn University’s state-of-the-art beef cattle teaching facilities! Erin, with the help of veterinarians, cattlemen and meat scientists, will be teaching this group about live animal production as well as how beef carcasses are harvested and fabricated into retail cuts. This is a gold mine of information for chefs who will be preparing the food we all eat in restaurants across the state!

 

 

Legislative Session Near End

We are in the short rows of the legislative session, and the General Fund and Education budgets have yet to pass. The gas tax, which would in part fund the re-paving of rural roadways, is hanging on by life support, but the Ag Commission is pleased to note that there aren’t any bills that would have a negative impact the cattle industry lingering behind the scenes.

 

 

SLE Rodeo- Coming Back for a 61st Year!

Last week, the Southeastern Livestock Exposition Executive Committeesle-logo met to discuss final reports on the 2017 SLE Rodeo and livestock week and to make decisions regarding the 2018 show. The committee is excited to announce that the 61st annual SLE Rodeo, along with Frontier Rodeo Company and PRCA Freestyle Bullfighting, will come bucking back to Montgomery March 15-17, 2018. Save the dates now!

 

 

AJCA Round-Up Dates and Intern

Screenshot 2017-04-26 11.43.05The ACA is excited to have Logan Strock in our office this summer as he has accepted an internship where he will lead the effort in putting on the 11th annual AJCA Round-Up. Logan is a current AJCA director and a student at Mississippi State University where he is studying agricultural education and plans to graduate in 2019.

 

The dates for this year’s Fiesta-themed event are July 20-23 at fiestalogo5Montgomery’s Garrett Coliseum. Stay tuned as rules and registration information will be made available late May. We can’t wait to see you there!

 

 

Facebook Success!

social_3-512The ACA Facebook page has reached another milestone this week as we broke through to 16,000 followers!! For those non-Facebookers out there, this means that we reach over 16,000 people a day with our positive message about beef and beef cattle production. This year’s goal is 25,000 so help us get there and spread the word to LIKE our page!

 

 

Here’s a Few Handy Links You May Enjoy:

 

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

 

What’s Going On Wednesday: April 19, 2017

Who turned on the heat?!

 

In true Alabama fashion, the threat of a late spring frost has lessened and the heat has turned up during April. This warm, sunny weather has cattlemen hitting the hay fields to get in the first cut of baling season while cattle graze on the beautiful green grass that’s come from a wet and warm few months. 

 

Your ACA staff is gearing up for the summer months ahead as we prepare for summertime beef promotions and continue educating producers and consumers about our favorite protein, beef. Keep reading to learn more about what the cattle folks in Downtown Montgomery are up to this week. 

 


Legislative Lookout

It’s been a busy couple of weeks around the ACA on the legislative front. We’ve had big names in the political world, including Twinkle Cavanaugh, Tommy Tuberville, Martha Roby and Luther Strange, by the office for visits or to have a luncheon. In light of the changing of the guard in government, the ongoing legislative session and upcoming elections, it’s important to stay close to our state and national leaders.

 

IMG_9015_lowOn Tuesday, the Ag Coalition met at the ACA to continue monitoring activity in the state legislature then ACA leaders Dr. Billy Powell and Erin Beasley spent this afternoon at the State House meeting with staff and visiting with elected officials. This afternoon, we were pleased to host a luncheon for Sen. Luther Strange as he is in town on his Spring Break. He gave us an update from Washington D.C. and made a few comments on the special election announced for August 15.

 

 

Future Communicators Stop By ACA

On Tuesday, the Auburn University Agricultural Communicators of 17952472_1277793099008522_8054079626406577653_nTomorrow stopped by today to visit The MOOseum and to learn more about our association. This is a crop of students at Auburn’s College of Agriculture who are studying under the Agricultural Communication curriculum and will become the marketing, PR, communication and  journalism leaders of the agricultural industry throughout their diverse careers.  After touring the building and meeting the staff, the group had a Q&A session with ACA Director of Social Media and Communications and Agricultural Communication alumna Kayla Greer.

 

This group isn’t the only that’s stopped by lately. With warm, springtime weather, we’ve been hosting many school and leadership groups who are touring Downtown Montgomery in The MOOseum. It continues to be a popular place! If you’ve got leadership or other extracurricular groups in your county, encourage them to visit The MOOseum so we can showcase the cattle industry in Alabama.

 

 

Beef 101: Back at it on Friday

We will have a BEEF 101 on Friday with Wallace State Culinary in Hanceville and McAdory Middle School FACS program.  President Richard Meadows will work with the group on live animal information, and ACA staffers Erin Beasley, Kayla Greer and Kim McBrayer will join the group to help out and answer questions.

 

 

BQA Certification Soars in April

Wiregrass (2)During April, the state beef checkoff has supported multiple hands-on BQA workshops at Research and Extension Centers across the state.  We anticipate that close to 200 cattlemen will become BQA certified through this effort, led by Dr. Soren Rodning who is the BQA coordinator for Alabama. Great work to Dr. Rodning and his team as well as the many cattlemen who have come out to learn and get certified!

 

 

SLE Executive Meeting

On Friday, the Southeastern Livestock Expo Executive Committee is sle-logomeeting to review the 2017 SLE Rodeo and Livestock Week many activities and discuss figures relating to attendance and expenditures. This meeting will decide the plans for the 2018 show, so stay tuned for more information!

 

 

Spring Board Meeting

save the dateBoard Members: Please don’t forget that the Spring Board Meeting is set for Tuesday, May 9. Make plans to attend as it will be a great meeting and day spent at the State House meeting elected officials from your districts!

 

 

 

Here’s a Few Handy Links You May Enjoy:

 

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!

What’s Going On Wednesday- April 12, 2017

This is the time of year where your Checkoff dollars really get put to work. We’re gearing up for summertime beef promotions and all the educational events and social media contests come with it. Just this past week alone, you’re Checkoff dollars have put on a beef cook-off, BQA certification courses and a Beef 101 program. You can learn about these programs and all the other events happening by continuing to read this week’s blog update. 


Membership Update

We are excited to brag this week on all of our “Over the Top” counties! Greene, Clay, Chambers, Houston. St. Claire, Baldwin, Elmore, Henry Cherokee and Dekalb counties have all earned their presidents a red coat for their great work in recruiting members! We look forward to presenting those and acknowledging our county chapters hard work. Thanks to all of our hardworking counties, our membership is looking to be around 9,200 to date!

 

Don’t forget to save the date for the Spring Board Meeting in Montgomery- May 9. Also, your state leaders are always on the job. They’ll be meeting via conference call today to get a final push for membership and to catch up on all important matters centered around the state association.

 

Alabama Junior/Senior High School Beef Cook-Off

Overall Winning Dish (1)_website
“Best in Beef” overall winning dish, The LA Cheesesteak, prepared by Carol Ann Salter of Baldwin County.

Saturday was a big day for the Alabama Beef Checkoff as the ACA and ACWA teamed up to host around 30 young and talented Family and Consumer Science students for the 58th annual Alabama Junior/Senior High School Beef Cook-Off at Carver High School in Montgomery. After making their submissions, students enjoyed Q&A sessions about Beef Myths and Careers in the Industry while the judges faced the daunting task of selecting winners for each division. These students truly brought the best of beef in an impressively prepared and plated fashion.

 

Carol Ann Salter of Baldwin County was awarded the title, “Best of Beef” Overall Winner with her dish, The LA Cheesesteak, which was noted by a chef and contest judge as “restaurant quality.”

 

Congrats to all our winners from this past weekend’s statewide beef cook-off.
SENIOR NORTH DIVISION
1st Place- Matt Sanders, Blount County
2nd Place- Megan Lovell, Limestone County
3rd Place- Morgan Shyanne, Lauderdale County
SENIOR SOUTH DIVISION
1st Place- Carol Ann Salter, Baldwin County
2nd Place- Aiden Smith, Montgomery County
3rd Place- Cassidy Renfroe, Russell County
JUNIOR NORTH DIVISION
1st Place- Grant Ezekiel, Jefferson County
2nd Place- Victoria Hamilton, Limestone County
3rd Place- Alexandria Driver, Walker County
JUNIOR SOUTH DIVISION
1st Place- Acadia Thomas, Dallas County
2nd Place- Avery Fuller, Shelby County
3rd Place- Braswell McMeans, Baldwin County

 

Click Here to view the winners’ pictures and to get a copy of their outstanding recipes!

 

Keeping A Sharp Eye on Politics

As politics heat up across the street from the ACA building with conversations about Gov. Bentley’s resignation, announcements of who has decided to enter the governerial race and reaching the halfway point of the legislative session, your state association is steadily monitoring bills and ongoing conversations to protect your best interests. On Tuesday, the Ag Coalition met in the ACA Building to discuss this week’s political news and welcomed special guest, Rep. Martha Roby, as she visited to hear about the concerns of cattle producers in her district.

 

Also on the political front, Dr. Billy Powell joined in on a luncheon of association executives with Congressman Gary Palmer on Tuesday where Palmer sought to learn about the concerns and interests of associations in the state.

 

BQA Certification

IMG_6724
Sand Mountain REC BQA trainees learning about the proper use of vaccination syringes.

More and more producers across the state are becoming BQA certified thanks to your checkoff dollars and the hard work of Dr. Soren Rodning with Auburn University and his team of Extension specialists. We’ve already seen great return at both the Sand Mountain and Black Belt Research and Extension Centers and are looking forward to two programs this week at Gulf Coast and Wiregrass Research and Extension Centers on Thursday and Friday.

 

It’s not too late to register today for your chance to become BQA certified. Visit bamabeef.org/bqa to learn more about a program near you!

 

The MOOseum’s Special Guests

MOOseum COLOR logoThis week we are excited to host a special group of youngsters to The MOOseum as the First Family brings a group from their home county. ACA President Richard Meadows will be joining his youngest, Luke, and his fourth grade class from Houston Academy as they tour The MOOseum today. This is a busy time of year in our children’s educational center as fourth graders from across the state are traveling to Montgomery to put their entire year’s worth of Alabama History education to the test by touring Capitol Hill.

 

We truly have an asset in The MOOseum, and children always enjoy their time learning and playing in an interactive way. They are able to ask questions and experience the life of a cattleman in a fun atmosphere! Thanks, Houston Academy, for stopping by!

 

Beef 101

17884578_1010043122465024_5397805817505992224_n
ACA Vice President Chris Langley and wife, Elizabeth, talking about their cattle operation with Trenholm State Culinary program at Beef 101.

April is a big month for Beef 101. This week, on Monday ACA’s Erin Beasley hosted a group of culinary students from the Trenholm State Culinary Arts Program to experience beef from pasture to plate. We appreciate the partnership we have with the Beef Unit and Meat Lab staff Auburn University in organizing these outstanding programs and our state leaders who come out to help give a cattleman’s perspective on things. This week, ACA Vice President Chris Langley and his wife, Elizabeth, did an excellent job in answering questions from the culinary students. Thanks, Chris and Elizabeth!

 

Throughout April, the checkoff-funded program will host over 200 individuals from culinary students to Extension personnel who all share an interest of learning more about beef.  Cattlemen are encouraged to attend if they are interested.  The remaining dates are April 21 and 26.  Contact Erin if you would like more information or if you would like to attend.

 

Congrats to Chris and Elizabeth Langley, 2017 Farm of Distinction

Photo: Alabama Farmers Federation
Photo: Alfa Farmers

Speaking of the Langley Family, we’d like to offer our congrats to them on being named the 2017 Alabama Farmers Federation Farm of Distinction. This honor came with $12,000 in cash and prizes and the responsibility to represent our state in the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year contest at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia. Learn More

 

Jackson County Group at the ACA

Dr. Billy Powell is excited to host a group of outstanding young leaders from northeast Alabama today. Jackson County Leadership will be visiting the building for a tour and to learn more about our association and the impact of the beef cattle industry in Alabama. The group with tour The MOOseum and have a Q&A with Dr. Powell before heading out to visit other associations in the downtown area.

 

SAVE THE DATES! 11TH ANNUAL AJCA ROUND-UP

fiestalogo5Take a break from your summertime siesta to join us in Montgomery for a fiesta! That’s right. The 11th annual AJCA Round-Up will be taking on a “South of the Border” theme at Garrett Coliseum’s livestock barns July 20-23. Stay tuned for registration information. We look forward to seeing you there!

 

 

Here’s a Few Handy Links You May Enjoy:

 

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!