‘Tis the season for a very Merry Cowboy Christmas!
We are settling down for the holidays here at the ACA, but not before we check our list twice and make sure all is silent before the big night! Ok, ok….enough with the Christmas puns.
We hope you and yours had a wonderful, filling Thanksgiving Day celebration and have traded out your fall leaves and turkeys for garland and prime rib! It’s the most wonderful time of the year…because beef is the centerpiece at holiday tables everywhere! We’ll be promoting beef for the holidays and closing in on the 2018 year over the next month, so keep reading to learn more about what’s going on at the ACA this week.
76th annual aca convention & trade Show
We’re beefin’ up the ‘Ham…Birmingham, that is! Join us at the 2019 ACA Convention & Trade Show at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) February 15-16, 2019. There are endless activities, learning opportunities and networking experiences awaiting your registration including dynamic and educational Cattlemen’s Colleges, a trade show with the industry’s elite equipment, tool and nutritional names, a menu of delicious beef meals and fun for the whole family at Friday evening’s Boots & BBQ event and Saturday’s Awards Banquet!
We look forward to the 76th annual ACA Convention and Trade Show, and you should too! REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN at www.BamaBeef.org/Convention. Mail-in forms will be available in your December issue of the Alabama Cattleman or on the site listed above.
New Year Advertising Special
Listen up, advertisers! You’ll want to hear this! The Alabama Cattleman magazine is offering a discounted rate in the January and February issues if you reserve a full-page, four-color ad in both issues. The February issue is also our convention ssue and will be distributed at convention in addition to the regular mailing. If you are interested in reserving a full page color ad in both of these issues at the reduced rate of $850 per insertion, contact Production Coordinator Nicky Bechard by December 7th. P.S.- This is a $150 savings!
County Meetings Near & Far
On Tuesday, Ali Cantrell attended the Blount County Annual Meeting about checkoff programs and Association updates. She reported a great meeting and one where she had the opportunity to meet and talk with new members of Blount County and explain how their checkoff dollars are being utilized. Ali will continue on her county meeting train on Thursday as she attends the Lowndes County Annual Meeting.
We’ve enjoyed seeing the highlights from the Talladega, Clay, Lauderdale, Lawrence and Butler county meetings and love to see the hard work of counties executed in their annual meeting. As a reminder, leading up to your county’s annual meeting, please contact Jessica Kennedy in our office to inform herof the date, time and location and to request a speaker! Remember, the earlier you get those dates to us, the earlier we can get them on our website and in the magazine!! Following the meeting, send Jessica any officer updates in order to update our system with corrected contact information for 2019.
Also, as you’re collecting membership information to put into the system, remember how important phone numbers and email addresses are! It is essential to county leaders and to us here at the state to be able to contact our members when needed. It helps everyone in the long run. Also, as a reminder, the three-year member dues have changed to $120 with $82 coming back to the state office.
Transportation Update: Extending the Electronic Logging Devices Delay for Livestock Haulers
Contributed: NCBA
Livestock haulers across the country are currently exempt from implementing electronic logging devices (ELDs). The question is: For how much longer? A few months ago, NCBA worked closely with allies in Congress to secure a temporary exemption through December 7, 2018. With less than 10 days to go before that exemption expires, NCBA has been making the rounds on Capitol Hill to remind lawmakers that a further extension is necessary.
“The livestock industry needs additional time to work with Congress and the Administration on a long-term solution to overly-restrictive Hours of Service rules,” said Executive Director of Government Affairs Allison Rivera. “Extending the ELD implementation delay for livestock haulers will give us more breathing room while that process moves forward.”
A draft fiscal year 2019 government spending bill includes a provision that would delay ELD implementation for livestock haulers until September 30, 2019. Keeping that provision included in any spending bill is an immediate priority. NCBA is also looking forward to further conversations with the Department of Transportation (DOT) on the recent petition that requests flexibility for livestock haulers on Hours of Service (HOS) requirements. Authored by industry groups including NCBA and the Livestock Marketing Association, the petition asks for increased drive time for livestock haulers and includes a plan for working with the DOT on additional fatigue-management practices. The petition has already garnered bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress (read the letters of support here and here). As a next step, DOT is expected to open a public comment period on the petition.
A VERY MOOEY CHRISTMAS
Each Christmas season, The MOOseum and the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program looks forward to a time of giving back to the community with a cowboy-themed MOOey Christmas event! Local care centers bring their classes for Christmas cookies, The MOOseum tours, a look at live animals and, of course, a sit on Cowboy Clause’s lap. This year we are excited to host this event on Friday, Dec. 21 and invite you to bring your little ones out to experience the magic of Christmas…with a Western flare!
SLE RODEO TICKETS
The 62nd annual SLE Rodeo will come bucking back to town March 14-16 
for the best show on dirt east of the Mississippi! Rodeo ticket sale open up for Elite Buyers on Tuesday, Dec. 4 so if you qualify, give Kara Coplin a call at 888-2RODEO2. Don’t forget to save the dates!
MARKETING PLAN
As a result of this month’s Checkoff Task Force, executive committee and 
board of directors meetings, we are proud to report that the 2019 Alabama Beef Checkoff Marketing Plan has been approved. You can check out the marketing plan on the website now at www.BamaBeef.org/Checkoff.
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.