Hello August. Goodbye August.
It sure feels like it came and went that quickly, and now we are barreling forward head first toward September and a busy fall season! Fall is not only busy for us with all the activities centered around beef promotion, but it’s a busy time for you as those fall calves start hitting the ground and county events start firing up! We’re excited to hit the roads toward those events, county meetings and cattle sales as it means we’ll get to see you out and about! Keep reading to learn what we’ve been up to this week and what we’ve got in the works here at the ACA state office.
Checkoff Funds Beef Cattle Research
The Alabama Beef Checkoff places a high priority on funding practical cattle production research that will assist producers in the state. Recently, researchers across the College of Agriculture at Auburn University submitted cattle research proposals totaling 15 projects for consideration of funds. After evaluation of the projects, five stood out and received funding to begin work this fall. They are:
- An Economic Analysis of Productivity and Efficiency of AL Cattle Industry: Best Management Practices and Growth Opportunities (V. Hartarska, D. Nadolnyak, G. Richburg, B. Goodrich, M. Runge)
- Cottonseed Assessment for Improvement of Beef Cattle Feed Recommendations (K. Mullenix, J. Koebernick)
- Improving the Reproductive Efficiency of Heifers Using a Combination of Estrus Synchronization, Natural Service and Fixed-Time Artificial Insemination (S. Rodning, S. Dickinson, L. Marks, J. Elmore, M. Elmore, M. Edmondson, J. Gard, F. Biase, P. Dyce, P. Walz)
- On-Farm Demonstration of Biofertilization in Pastures (D. Held, L. Dillard, R. Muntifering, J. Kloepper)
- Eradication of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Using Novel Antiviral Drugs (J. Wower, S. Rodning, P. Walz, J. Sztuba-Solinska, I. Wower)
A Weekend Full of Cattlemen Fun
This past weekend, ACA Director of Education and Outreach Ali Cantrell got the opportunity to see how Alabama puts on a rodeo when she went to both the Pike and Clay County Cattlemen’s rodeos. Both rodeos had a sell-out crowd and a grand ole time. In between the two rodeos, she also attended the ACWA Youth Ag Day and joined in on the fun activities going on with the youth of Wedowee, Alabama. Special thanks to AJCA President Michael Morrison, District 2 Director Christian Meadows and District 2 Director Chelsea Langley for being involved with this event!
ACA Director of Industry Relations & Youth Programs Michael Agar also 
joined in on the fun but was bested by a mechanical bull at the Pike County Cattlemen’s Western Festival where he drew 3rd place in their Celebrity Bull Ride. He enjoyed attending the event where he met up with ACA President-Elect Chris Langley fellow staffer, Ali Cantrell.
Michael completed his weekend by attending the Alabama & Mississippi Simmental Sale in Uniontown, AL which featured 17 consignors. Great prices and buyers from across the country made for an excellent sale!
Regional Meetings
On Monday night, Regional Vice President Gene Fernandes gathered his counties for a meeting in Southwest Alabama with ACA staff. Each RVP has been tasked with planning a time and place for county leadership to meet and work with staff. Membership, October Beef Month and grassroots involvement highlight the conversation. The next meeting will be for RVP Jim Jordan’s counties on September 6 at 6:00PM at Western Sizzlin’ in Oxford.
Rep. Bradley Byrnes Reception
Last night, ACA VP Larry Reeves and Erin Beasley attended a roundtable discussion and reception for Congressman Bradley Byrnes in Dothan. Farmers surrounded the table and were given a chance to discuss key issues for the agriculture industry including Farm Bill, trade and for us in livestock, Hours of Service for transporting cattle. Congressman Byrne sits on the important Rules committee in the House of Representatives which decides which bills will make it to the floor calendar.
THE COUNTY LEADER RUN-DOWN
As we approach a busy time of year for counties, Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy wants to be sure you’re prepared and that all communication lines are open to make this the most successful year for county annual meetings and events yet!
County Meeting Scheduling
Please EMAIL JESSICA your county meeting information (time, date, location, etc.) and anyone you request to speak/attend whether it be a staff member or state officer. If you would like for this information to appear in the magazine, it must be sent to Jessica by the 15th of the previous month!
Mailouts – Postcards/Letters
If you need a mailout done please let Jessica know 1-2 weeks prior to the actual date the mailout needs to go in the mail, not two weeks from the date of the meeting.
Supplies
If you need supplies such as napkins and placemats prior to your meeting, please email Jessica the number of members you anticipate, and she will ship them to you. Local counties may pick them up here at the ACA building.
Reports
WE’VE GOT AN UPDATE ON REPORTS! At the county meeting, we had mentioned that the new membership year would affect our ability to supply reports until January 2019. THANKS TO THE DEDICATED WORK OF JESSICA KENNEDY, WE THINK THIS ISSUE IS SOLVED! Now she is busy at work creating individualized county reports. Once they are completed, Jessica will send county presidents and secretaries an email announcing their availability!
Leadership Changes
County secretaries, it is your responsibility to make sure you send Jessica Kennedy the changes to your county leadership after your county meetings. Jessica has to change these on mailing lists, in the magazine, online, etc. and needs all contact information – name, address, phone number and the very important email addresses! Email is how we send a majority of our information. If this information is not updated here at the ACA, then those officers are not getting the information they need and we have no line of communication.
October Beef Month Supplies
ACA Director of Education and Outreach Ali Cantrell introduced the reading book for our Cowboys in the Classroom program called “My Family’s Beef Farm.” Cowboys in the Classroom is an opportunity for producers to visit their local classrooms and educate youth about the beef they consume and where it comes from. One book will be donated to the library of the school for future access to the students. There has also been an addition to the Cowboys in the Classroom program where county leaders can also provide a Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner Coloring and Activity Book. These are two separate books that you can provide to the classroom for the students to enjoy. If you want to participate in the Cowboys in the Classroom Program in your county, please let Ali know how many schools you plan to attend so she can send you these books in time for October.
BAMA’S BEST BURGER UPDATE
The Bama’s Best Burger contest is in its last week of narrowing down our 
eight regional semifinalists to the final four. Last week’s Facebook poll challenge opened up the dual between Heard’s BBQ & Soul Food (Maplesville, AL) Signature Burger vs 82 West (Union Springs, AL) Cheeseburger. Heard’s BQ & Soul Food secured their seat in the finals with 595 votes throughout the week, and now the Meat Boss (Mobile) Boss Burger is going head-to-head with Our Place Diner’s (Ozark) Big Bopper Burger. So far in the voting, Our Place Diner is in the lead!
Next week kicks off the Final 4 Taste Test Challenge with a panel of industry judges who will anonymously visit each joint to try out the finalist burgers, which are (as a reminder) Bentley’s Hartselle’s Cheeseburger, R & R Burgers (Springville) T-Rex Burger, Heard’s BBQ & Soul Food’s (Maplesville) Signature Burger with one more to determine this week!
To participate in the voting, visit the Alabama Cattlemen’s Facebook page and simply click the photo of the burger you’d like to vote for!
Early Childhood Nutrition Summit
On Tuesday, staffer Ali Cantrell participated in the Early Childhood Nutrition Summit and met with dieticians and nutritionist that are leading the way in assuring child health and well-being in Alabama. She also joined the Obesity Task Force in order to ensure that beef is included in the plan for a healthy lifestyle.
CATTLE JUDGING FIELD DAY
On September 8, the Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Association will host a Cattle Judging Field Day at Summerford Charolais in Falkville, AL. This youth event is FREE and open to all young cattlemen below the age of 21. Extension Specialist and Auburn Livestock Judging Team Coach Jason P’Poole will be teaching our youth the basics of livestock judging beginning at 9:00 a.m., and after a brief how-to, the participants will judge three classes of livestock (bulls and heifers) and answer questions about them. Lunch will be provided at noon with a farm tour led by Robert Summerford to follow.
To register, visit www.BamaBeef.org/Judge.
Tailgating Treasures
Break out the shakers, grab your lucky shirt and practice those battle 
cries…college football season is one again among us! Don’t forget to fuel your game day spirit with the protein-packed goodness of beef. Beef makes a delicious ingredient in those go-to tailgate foods. Got a good queso dip? Add ground beef to include protein in that next bite. Want to make a sandwich or burger? Don’t forget about beloved sloppy joes which …BONUS stay warm in a slow cooker. Need something handheld? Meatballs are the way to go. And don’t forget to throw some beef on top of those nachos! BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com is home to thousands of delicious beef recipes and even a collection built around those Saturdays in a college town. Tailgating Treasures Try out these delicious recipes for kickoff weekend!
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