Alabama Cattlemen's Association

What’s Going On Wednesday: September 25, 2019

Can it really be true? Next time we meet here on the blog it’s going to be October…already?! Wow, we must be having a lot of fun around here because time sure is flying. While we continue on in our efforts on the farm and here in Montgomery, take just a second to catch up on all that’s happening at the ACA this week. Fall months bring busy calendars, so saddle up for sales, October Beef Month promotions and so much more!

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Membership Count of the Day: 9,345
County presidents and secretaries are encouraged to email Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy with information about their county annual meetings, should you already have the date set! We’d love to go ahead and get that info up on our calendar, get a staffer or officer assigned and get it on the list for the November magazine! Thanks to the MANY counties who responded to last week’s call for dates and check out who’s meeting when by visiting the Bama Beef Events Calendar at www.BamaBeef.org/Events.

Sysco Fall Buying Expo

Today, Beef will be front and center at Sysco’s Fall Buying Expo at The Finley Center in Hoover. ACA Director of Education & Outreach Ali Cantrell and chefs from Sysco will be hosting a booth at the protein section of the food show and will be teaching customers how to cut ribeye steaks that they can take home and enjoy. They will also be able to take some good beefy recipes with them from beefitswhatsfordinner.com.

Staffers Hit Sales

Staffer Morgan Pounds will be hitting some more sale barns this weekend. She will be headed south for some great special sales. Morgan will go to Dothan on Friday to stop by and check out the 7^th Annual Melvin Adams Farms Bred Heifer Sale at Dothan Livestock Company. On Saturday, Morgan will be in Brundidge for Southeast Brangus Breeders Association Showcase Sale. This sale will consist of 85 Brangus and Ultrablack female lots. If you are in the area stop by and catch a good sale!

Promoting Beef Month

ACA Director of Education & Outreach Ali Cantrell hit the radio waves on 98.9 Bama Country in Montgomery. She joined in on Bubba and Kristy’s talk show Tuesday morning to talk about Beef Month and to encourage people to come to BeefFest at SweetCreek Farm Market. Tune in October 7 on your drive into work because she will be dropping in again for another interview. Ali Cantrell also recorded a Business Break with WSFA in Montgomery to promote Beef Month and BeefFest. That segment should air the first week of October!

SLE Annual Meeting

Members of the Southeastern Livestock Exposition will gather on Thursday evening at the Cattlemen’s Building for their annual membership meeting and dinner. New directors will be elected and installed, announcements about the 2020 show will be made, the crew will get a sneak peak into the new SLERodeo.com website and our newest staffer, Lauren Terry (soon-to-be-Wilson), will make her debut to the group. We are excited to host this meeting and make some big announcements to the crew. Stay tuned on rodeo entertainment news and more, coming soon!

ALABAMA CATTLEMEN’S FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS

Applications for 2019-2020 Alabama Cattlemen’s Foundation scholarships are now open and are set to close on November 1, 2019. This year’s lineup of scholarships include those funded by the sale of the Cowboy vanity car tag, such as the “Tagged for Greatness” scholarship, as well as many endowed scholarships from generous families. An addition to the many award opportunities this year is a Trade School Scholarship for students attending a trade school program in the state of Alabama. Be sure to check out our many scholarships and get those applications submitted by November 1.

Award recipients will be honored at the 2020 Alabama Cattlemen’s Foundation Scholarship Banquet to be held April 11, 2020 at the Wetumpka Civic Center in Wetumpka, AL. More information and applications can be found online at www.BamaBeef.org/Scholarships.

BEEFFEST AT SWEETCREEK

October 12-13 is sure to be a great time as we team up with the folks at SweetCreek Farm Market and Alabama Department of Ag and Industries to host the first-ever BeefFest in conjunction with the venue’s annual pumpkin festival! Make a road trip to Pike Road, AL for fun games, craft vendors, a beef chili cook-off and a coloring contest for kiddos. ACA staff and volunteers will be present to tell the pasture to plate story while serving up some delicious beef chili samples. Don’t miss out on all the fun!

JUNIOR PASTURE TO RAIL REGISTRATION OPEN

If you’re interested in teaching your youth about marketing cattle on the grid and retained ownership, we’ve got just the program for you! Youth are invited to register their animals into he Junior Pasture to Rail Program— a partnership between the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program and Alabama Beef Systems Extension— where they’ll ship calves in November, participate in a few pasture to plate educational opportunities, their receive the carcass data on their animals after harvest. To learn more about program requirements and to register, visit www.BamaBeef.org/JP2R.

TRADE SHOW REGISTRATION NOW LIVE

Registration is open for the trade show at the 77th annual ACA Convention & Trade Show happening in Montgomery on February 14-15. That’s right, bring your sweetheart to town and enjoy promoting your product or service to Alabama’s largest gathering of cattlemen! Please contact staffer Ali Cantrell if you would like to be a vendor at the 2020 show or visit www.BamaBeef.org/Convention to register online with a credit card.

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.

Food Safety For the Win!

Be the MVP of Your Tailgate with Unbeatable Food Safety Skills

By Elesha Ergle, RDN

College football season is here, it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Whether your favorite tailgating memories are from childhood, college, or just last weekend, a few of your memories are sure to include some of your favorite foods. Beef is always a staple in our family football gatherings or for tailgating near campus, and food safety is always a top priority for my team. Safe food handling before, during and after cooking can be the difference between a win or loss at your next gathering. Be the MVP of your party and know proper preparation, cooking and holding techniques for beef to prevent food-borne illnesses.

Pre-game Instructions

When purchasing beef, pay attention to the ‘use-by’ or ‘best before’ dates stamped on the packages, and keep beef refrigerated at 40 degrees (or below) until ready to use. Store raw beef on the bottom shelf of refrigerator or place in a shallow pan to prevent package from leaking on to other items. If purchasing frozen beef, avoid packages with ice crystals, which is an indication of thawing and re-freezing. Always wash your hands before and after handling raw beef, and keep raw foods separate from cooked foods. For more information, Beef It’s What’s For Dinner has an entire page to assist you in safely handling beef from start to finish.

Kick-Off

You have safely handled your pre-game warm up, now it’s time to cook some delicious beef recipes for your football party! No tailgate is complete without some sort of nachos or cheese dip. Beef up your regular old queso with this Crock Pot Queso Dip, using the slow cooker to safely hold your dip for up to four hours, so you can graze over it the whole game. Call an audible on your nacho game with some Cowboy Nachos by Ree Drummond, which uses brisket instead of ground beef; or give your fans something to cheer about when they make their own nacho creations with these easy Big Game Fritos Pies.

The After Party

Using proper heat sources such as chaffing dishes or slow cookers, beef can be safely held at 135 degrees or higher for up to four hours; foods should then be discarded and not kept for reuse, even if they are to be reheated. Use this USDA guide for safe food handling to help you keep all your foods safe at home and away games.

No matter what team you are cheering for, football season is a great time to grab some beef and get your party going! For more recipes, food safety information, and to learn more about beef from pasture to plate, visit Beef It’s What’s For Dinner.

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

What’s Going On Wednesday: September 18, 2019

Well, it’s still hot. The fall season will officially grace us with its calendar presence on Saturday, but weather-wise…not so much! We know it’s getting tough out there. It’s dry and hot. Not to mention those blasted love bugs!! Hang in their cattlemen. Your work is justified and appreciated! While you continue to work on the farmscapes of Alabama, we will continue to put boots on the ground across the industry trail here in Alabama. Keep reading to learn more about what’s happening at the ACA this week!

Southeastern Livestock Network Meets at ACA

The ACA is hosting the Southeastern Livestock Network (SLN) this week which consists of representatives from Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana. Several state veterinarians are also meeting here to discuss regulatory developments regarding Animal Disease Traceability (ADT). The two groups will come together to further the steps needed to prepare for changes in ADT next year.

Membership Update

Membership Count of the Day: 9,321
County presidents and secretaries are encouraged to email Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy ASAP with information about their county annual meetings, should you already have the date set! We’d love to go ahead and get that info up on our calendar, get a staffer or officer assigned and get it in the October magazine! Don’t hesitate to share that info as soon as you get it.

Blount County Youth Event

Staffer Morgan Pounds and AJCA President Ashlyn Ruf will be headed to Blount County for the Cutting Horse Demo & Calf Handling Talk hosted by Blount County Cattlemen’s Association on Thursday. Both Morgan and Ashlyn are looking forward to the chance to talk about junior cattlemen and the exciting events coming for our youth this year!

NCBA Announces New CEO Hire

DENVER (Sept. 18, 2019) – The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) announced two significant leadership changes today.

Screenshot 2019-09-18 11.32.55 — Woodall (Photo: BeefUSA.org)

The NCBA Executive Committee of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association confirmed Colin Woodall to serve as the association’s new Chief Executive Officer. Woodall, who was named this morning after an exhaustive national search, managed NCBA’s efforts in Washington, D.C., for more than a decade. Since joining NCBA in 2004, Woodall has been instrumental in ensuring the interests of NCBA members and the beef community, are well represented in the nation’s capital.

Originally from Big Spring, Texas, Woodall graduated from Texas A&M University. Following graduation, he worked both as a grain elevator manager and sales manager for Cargill at several locations in western Kansas and the Oklahoma panhandle before moving to Washington, D.C., to work on Capitol Hill.

“I am very thankful for the opportunity to lead NCBA and to serve the beef community as the next CEO of the association. American beef producers are the best people I know and although our industry faces many challenges, I am confident we can overcome them,” said Woodall.

Ethan Lane was also named today to serve in the role of Vice President, Government Affairs. In his new role, Lane will guide NCBA’s policy efforts in Washington, D.C., where he has extensive experience advocating on behalf of cattle producers.

Filming Cooking Segments

ACA Director of Education and Outreach Ali Cantrell is cooking up the beef this morning with Jack Galassini in preparation of October Beef Month promotions. Ali is talking tailgating on the segment and offering up some great hand-held beef dishes great for around the tent on gameday, and she’s serving up a few holiday roasting ideas as we head into the fall months. These segments will air on WSFA.

ALABAMA CATTLEMEN’S FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS

NCBA at Work Following Tyson Fire

(Now former) NCBA Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Colin Woodall provided an update related to the investigation being conducted by USDA, into market response following the fire. Both NCBA and USDA believe it’s important for all market participants to understand what has transpired in the markets and ensure full transparency. NCBA will continue to work closely with USDA and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to identify any market participant who may try to illegally capitalize from the market situation. Read more at https://www.ncba.org/ourviews.aspx?NewsID=7042

To receive the extended member-only updates, visit NCBA.org/membership.aspx or call 866-BEEF-USA and become a member today!

Beef Education

On Thursday, Ali will be traveling to Auburn to present to grad students from the Ukraine about the beef industry in Alabama. This is in partnership with USDA on promoting U.S. cuisine. The day will start off with a tasting at Bow and Arrow and then Dr. Jason Sawyer and Ali Cantrell will present on beef and the industry.

Beef Cattle Short Course & Other Events

Morgan will stopping by her second short course next Tuesday in Oneonta. Producers new to the cattle business should attend Alabama Extension’s new Beef Systems Short Course. The short course is a multi-night lecture series covering the fundamentals of beef production and is geared for new and limited experience producers. The price is $40.00 to register. To register or learn more visit their website or check out our Bama Beef Events Calendar where you’ll find MANY upcoming events, sales and educational workshops. The fall calendar is filling up!