What’s Going On Wednesday: August 2, 2017

Happy Wednesday, cattlemen! We have officially wrapped up July and are barreling forward toward the end of summer. Your ACA staff is constantly at work on upcoming meetings, promotions and serving the needs of our cattle producers. In fact we’ve been so busy that’s it has been hard to keep up with the blog, so today’s post features TWO weeks worth of ACA activities. Keep reading to learn what’s happening at the ACA this week and last and stay in touch with your state staff.


 

AJCA Round-Up: That’s a Wrap

Two weekends ago brought great success at the 11th annual AJCA Round-directorsUp. Junior cattlemen from across the state joined to exhibit and expand their knowledge of the beef cattle industry. We were thrilled to host over 150 young people in 14 different contests. YOU can still experience all the fun we had at Round-Up by visiting the Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Association Facebook page and checking out all our videos. Congrats to all who took home a prize and to our newly-elected directors. Check it out:

  • Grand Champion Market Heifer: Lillie Anne Stagner
  • Grand Champion Market Steer: Payton Allen
  • Supreme Champion Breeding Heifer: Dow Boyd

2017-2018 Board of Directors
Adviser: Michael Agar
President & District 4: Cassidy Catrett, Crenshaw County
Vice President & District 1: Reagan Murphree, Blount County
Treasurer & District 1: Cheyenne Ritter, Lauderdale County
Secretary & District 2 Director: Michael Morrison, Clay County
Ex Officio: Cameron Catrett, Crenshaw County
District 2: Tanner Wakefield, Clay County
District 3: Chelsea Langley, Chambers County
District 3: Anniston Bolding, Chilton County
District 4: Bryce Hendricks, Coffee County
At Large: Lakin Whatley, Montgomery County
At Large: Harmon Butler, Dale County
At Large: Sarah Parker, Chambers County

 

 

Ag Media Summit: Website Wins National Award

20258468_1095183907284278_848698245846806497_nAWARD “SITING”: Last week, your ACA publications and marketing staffers Nicky Bechard and Kayla Greer traveled west to Salt Lake City, Utah to participate in the Ag Media Summit (AMS). This largely-attended event hosts over 500 agricultural editorials, marketers and photographers to participate in workshops designed to hone their craft. Each year, the Livestock Publications Council (LPC) hosts its annual membership meeting and contest awards ceremony during AMS. Your association website, BamaBeef.org, brought home first place in the “Association Website” contest category. This national recognition draws attention to the cleanliness, speed and extensive information offered to Alabama’s cattle producers and those looking to learn more about the beef cattle industry. We’re proud to offer such a website to our cattlemen!

 

 

Market & Farm Visit

Last Tuesday, July 25, ACA Executive Vice President Erin Beasley and Director of Industry Relations & Youth Programs Michael Agar stopped by Mid State Stockyard in Letohatchee to visit with market owners and enjoy the sale. After leaving, the duo stopped in at CK Cattle in Hope Hull, Alabama where Michael was introduced to the crew and given the general layout of the operation so he can more effectively plan the Cattle Judging Field Day to be hosted there on September 16.

 

Slim’s Summer Picnic Success

Last Thursday brought tons of fun to The MOOseum as more than 130 20264874_1381386091982555_5653729672246249705_nlittle buckaroos stopped by to participate in Slim’s Summer Picnic. It was a staff effort to execute the event, but the mastermind behind the fun and games was The MOOseum Coordinator Kara Harden. Courtesy of SunSouth Montgomery, we had a John Deere tractor photo op and special thanks to Justalil’ Rodeo Company for bringing all the fun cowboy games!! On top of all that excitement, attendees also got a hamburger lunch and toured The MOOseum!

 

Special shout out to Eclectic Child Development Center for bringing a whopping 49 lil buckaroos and winning a catered beef lunch for their center! We look forward to visiting with them soon.

 

 

Membership

GATORWE HAVE RAFFLE TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE!! Contact us if you’d like a book to sell or purchase for your chance to win the John Deere Gator! The deadline to have money and raffle tickets turned in is before or at the summer board meeting. There will be a prize for the person who sells the most raffle tickets. They come in books of 10 and Jessica can mail them out today! Email Jessica

 

Board of Directors: Don’t forget our Board Meeting to be held August 10 at the ACA Building in downtown Montgomery. We look forward to seeing each of you and updating you on all we’ve done this summer as well as telling you what to look forward to in the fall! To RSVP, email Jessica or call her today at (334) 265-1867. If you’re in our “Top Hand Club” for membership recruitment (below) and will be in attendance to receive your prize, let us know!

  • Mac Strickland
  • Michael Jordan
  • Terry Slaten
  • Terry Wallace
  • Brenda Glover
  • James Robert Parnell
  • Bill Walding
  • Jack Batts
  • James Phillips
  • Clifton Garrett
  • Orland Britnell
  • Daveen Stanford
  • David Welborn
  • Richard Meadows
  • Jim Jordan
  • Joe Bradley
  • Otis Dickerson

 

 

BAMA’S BEST BURGER KICKOFF

After five successful years of the Alabama’s Best Steak contest and the20620882_1101617759974226_3117528004350948988_n implementation of the #ALSteakTrail, your beef checkoff program is switching its focus to burgers. That’s right! This past Monday kicked off the first-ever Bama’s Best Burgers contest. We are on the hunt for the best burger our great state has to offer, and we need your help finding it! Share our contest on Facebook, submit a nomination and stay tuned to continue voting. Contest structure will follow that of last year’s Alabama’s Best Steak contest where we accept nominations, announce a top eight and then ask your help participating in our photo bracket challenges online.

 

The contest is already off to a great start with over 430 nominations submitted and an online reach of over 75,000 in just TWO DAYS. Visit BamaBeef.org/BestBurger to submit your nomination now through Sunday, August 6.

 

 

Cattle Judging Field Day

17190968_1464115086931899_4242343227110361099_n(1)Save the date for our upcoming Cattle Judging Field Day! On September 16, youth across Alabama are invited to participate in a cattle judging class with Auburn University Livestock Judging Coach Jason P’Poole, participate in a cattle judging clinic, learn during a questions class and get feedback on their reason-giving skills from P’Poole and ACA’s Michael Agar, an alumni of the Mississippi State Livestock Judging Team. This event is FREE to all youth, and while AJCA membership is not required, it is encouraged.
Registration for the event is now available online. To learn more or to register, visit BamaBeef.org/JudgingFieldDay

 

Thank You, Agriscience Teachers

Today, ACA Executive Vice President Erin Beasley and ACA Director of Industry Relations and Youth Programs Michael Agar are attending the Agriscience teacher summer meeting to present certificates to every teacher that completed Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) with their students in the 2016-2017 school year.  The top three schools who certified the most kids were: Foley High School, East Limestone High School and Eufaula High School.  We would like to thank every teacher that utilized BQA in their class room last year and look forward to continuing the program this year.  Michael will also be discussing his upcoming youth field days to try and recruit teachers to bring students to learn and get involved with AJCA!

 

 

NCBA Stockmanship & Stewardship Conference

Tomorrow, Erin and Michael will attend the NCBA Stockmanship & Stewardship Conference in Starkville, Mississippi.  Erin will be a speaker on the program doing a talk on “Consumer Perceptions of Production Practices and Animal Welfare” which will feature the latest consumer market research from the national beef checkoff and programs that we implement in Alabama to teach people about beef production.

 

 

Here are 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 FacebookTwitter or Instagram