What’s Going On Wednesday: December 12, 2018

Only a few more blogs before the year’s end. Where, oh where, did 2018 go? As we prepare to settle in for the holidays and take on a busy Christmas season, we want to take what fleeting last opportunities there are to bring you all the updates with what’s happening at the ACA. Keep reading to learn more.


 

76TH ANNUAL ACA CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW

Convention_Logo-01We’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 are also available in your December issue of the Alabama Cattleman or on the site listed above.

 

 

Farm Bill Watch

2018 farm bill graphicThe Farm Bill passed out of conference committee on Monday and should be on the floor this week. Now is the time to get it across the finish line before Christmas, and Congress is being urged to “vote yes” on this important piece of legislation. Of note for cattlemen, the bill still includes an authorization for a Foot and Mouth Disease vaccine bank.

 

 

Producer & Consumer Communications

Stay tuned as this month wraps up a series of communication pieces that target beef consumers and Alabama beef producers. On Thursday, the final consumer e-newsletter of 2018 will hit over 10,000 inboxes across the state. Titled “Home for the Holidays,” you can bet this piece is all about the many ways to incorporate beef into your holiday plans. After Christmas, the fourth and final “Cattle Call” producer communication e-newsletter will blast and bring a quarterly wrap-up of all that has gone on in the Alabama beef cattle industry since October. If you would like to receive these newsletters, contact ACA Director of Social Media & Communications Kayla Greer.

 

Tis the season for county meetings

UnknownWe’ve enjoyed seeing the highlights from all the county meetings and loveto see the hard work of counties executed in their annual meeting. We look forward to many more still to come, which can be found on the Bama Beef Events Calendar. As a reminder, leading up to your county’s annual meeting, please contact Jessica Kennedy in our office to infor her of 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.

 

 

ADT Working Group

The Alabama Animal Disease and Traceability working group will meet on Friday to further discuss the advancement of animal disease traceability in Alabama. This fall USDA announced that states would no longer has access to metal ear tags beginning in January 2019 but would implement a cost sharing program on electronic identification tags.

 

 

Beef on ABC

On Tuesday, if you were in the Birmingham area, you may have seen ACA staffer Ali Cantrell on the ABC cooking segment at 9am. She cooked up a hearty pot roast and some Mexican beef sausage cornbread muffins from BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com to beef up the holiday season.

 

 

A VERY MOOEY CHRISTMAS

16579819-santa-in-cowboy-shoes-sit-on-lucky-horseshoeEach 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 sle-logofor the best show on dirt east of the Mississippi! Elite and Premiere ticket sales are now available, so give Kara Coplin a call at 888-2RODEO2. Give the gift of rodeo this Christmas!!


 

 

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 FacebookTwitter or Instagram.

Give the Gift of Delicious Family Meals

By Elesha Ergle, RDN

 

 

 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The movies, magic, gifts and the biggest part of it all…the stress.  I love Christmas, but the stress it can bring with cooking, traveling, gift-buying, elf moving and decorating doesn’t seem worth it. We all spend plenty of time in the kitchen during the holidays, so here are some beefy, time-saving and stress-relieving ideas to help you manage your holidays.

 

 

Crowd Pleasers and Stress Relievers

We spend a lot of time in crowds during the holidays. Whether it’s church socials, school parties, work parties or family traditions, there is always some kind of gathering that requires our attendance. I love to take finger foods to parties or have plenty on-hand when hosting a gathering, and beef is the perfect, versatile ingredient that can make it all possible. Make several batches of these Cranberry Meatballs and then you will only need to reheat when you need them.  And who doesn’t love a good dip?  This Slow Cooked Reuben Dip is sure to be a crowd pleaser…and with a prep time of only 10 minutes, it will lighten your cooking load!

 

 

Christmas Morning

The kids are up at the crack of dawn and you’ve been up half the night assembling a trampoline that you wish you had paid the assembly fee. We’ve all  been there. The last thing you want is to spend the following morning cooking breakfast.  Prepare for Christmas morning by prepping ingredients for these Beef Sticky Buns a couple of days in advance. Then, on Christmas morning, all you have to do is assemble the sticky buns and bake. A much easier task than the trampoline, I assure you.

 

 

Traveling Home for the Holidays

So many of us travel to family during the holidays and don’t want to show up empty-handed. It seems like such a chore to get something prepared that we end up volunteering to bring rolls. Make your life easier by choosing dishes that can be prepped ahead of time and then cooked in a slow cooker or an electric pressure cooker (EPC).  If you plan to take something that requires an oven, it will likely be full of other dishes. Carry your EPC or slow cooker with you and impress your family by bringing beef this year!  Make your dish center stage with this amazing roast recipe using an EPC and all your family will want the recipe. No EPC? No problem! Use this recipe for the slow cooker version.

 

 

Visit Beef It’s What’s For Dinner for even more recipes, nutrition information and to learn all about beef from pasture to plate.  Here’s to hoping your holidays are filled with love, joy, peace and plenty of beef!

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 

 

 

State Checkoff color_nobackgroundThis article was funded by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Progam. Paid for by Alabama beef farmers and ranchers. 

What’s Going On Wednesday: December 5, 2019

And just like that, it’s December! As we roll into the last year of the month and prepare for the holiday season ahead, we want to take what few opportunities are left to keep you updated with association and checkoff happenings. Keep reading to learn more about what’s happening this week…and stay warm out there!


76TH ANNUAL ACA CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW

Convention_Logo-01We’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.

 

 

FFA Joint Leadership Development Conference

Screenshot 2018-12-05 11.46.04AJCA President Michael Morrison and Clay County Cattlemen’s Vice President Mike Morrison joined staffer Michael Agar as they set up a booth in the FFA section at theJoint Leadership Development Conference (JLDC) in Birmingham. Michael engaged youth attendees by educating them on beef cattle retail cuts and where they come from on the live animal. He also discussed beef by-products and promoted AJCA membership and events.

 

 

NEW YEAR ADVERTISING SPECIAL

Screenshot 2018-01-10 10.57.02Listen 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 THIS FRIDAY, December 7th. P.S.- This is a $150 savings!

 

 

COUNTY MEETINGS NEAR & FAR

Unknown-6We’ve enjoyed seeing the highlights from all the county meetings and love to see the hard work of counties executed in their annual meeting. We look forward to many more still to come, which can be found on the Bama Beef Events Calendar. As a reminder, leading up to your county’s annual meeting, please contact Jessica Kennedy in our office to inform her of 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.

 

 

Stay Tuned…for BEEF!

If you’re in the Birmingham area, tune in next Tuesday to the ABC station to see ACA staffer Ali Cantrell on the cooking segment at 9am. She will be cooking up a hearty pot roast and some Mexican beef sausage cornbread muffins from BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com to beef up the holiday season.

 

 

A VERY MOOEY CHRISTMAS

16579819-santa-in-cowboy-shoes-sit-on-lucky-horseshoeEach 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 sle-logofor 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!


 

 

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 FacebookTwitter or Instagram.