Fire Up the Grill…It’s Summertime!

By Elesha Ergle, RDN

 

The summer sun is starting to make its debut, so let the summer fun begin! Grilling is a staple for summertime activities and is a great way to stay involved with your outdoor guests while preparing a delicious meal. If you have no idea where to begin with grilling, get started with some grill basics. Choose what works best for you and your surroundings. Whether gas or charcoal, you can find the option that is best suited for your grilling needs. For detailed information on different types of grills and their uses, check out this video from Home Depot. No matter the type of grill you decide on, beef can bring you versatile recipes to please any tastes. Beef It’s What’s For Dinner has grilling basics as well as a ton of recipes.

 

Burgers Galore
If perfecting an excellent burger is your goal, Food Network has a great informational video with beef buying, seasoning, and handling information, as well as grilling tips. If you are comfortable with your grilling skills, these Maple Bacon Beer Burgers are sure to be a favorite. Smash burgers are a diner favorite and make a great addition to your summertime grilling scene. Get your grill and griddle ready for these BBQ Smash Burgers, they will be a hit at your next gathering.

 

Steak Out
Grilling the perfect steak is something that most steak lovers desire, but remember- practice makes perfect. First choose the cut that best suits you. Some people only want a ribeye, where others may prefer a filet. Choose your cut and spend your time perfecting the one that you enjoy most. Sous vide has become a common-place household item and makes steak grilling even easier, especially for leaner cuts of beef such as sirloin or strip steaks. Grill master Bobby Flay has some great resources for grilling the perfect steaks such as this Perfectly Grilled Strip Steak.

 

Gas or charcoal, burgers or steaks, no matter what your taste buds crave, give into grilling and enjoy the wonderful taste of beef outdoors! Beef is an excellent source of protein, zinc, and iron with recipes for any meal, any occasion. For more recipes and more information on beef from pasture to plate, visit Beef It’s What’s For Dinner.

 

Happy Grilling! 

 

Our Favorite Summer Grilling Links

 

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

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: May 27, 2020

Summer heat and showers have flooded the state, and we are grateful as the combo of the two produce what a cattleman needs most— grass! While you work to bale hay, keep water troughs full and manage summer grazing, your ACA staff is busy in the office in Montgomery seeing to the many elements that make the industry work. From managing calls to promoting summertime grilling and planning youth events to producing new merchandise, we can always find something to work on around here! Keep  reading to learn more about what’s happening at the ACA. 


 

Executive Committee Meets Virtually Thursday

ACA logo- meme size copyThe Executive Committee will meet tomorrow via Zoom tomorrow in place of the regularly schedule board of directors meeting. The group will receive updates of the association’s response efforts to COVID-19, upcoming checkoff funded projects and discuss cattle pricing proposals that are on the table in the industry. The ACA hopes to have an in person Board of Directors meeting in August.

For today’s membership update, to date, we are proud to have 8,190 members in the 2020 year. Let’s get to that big 10,000!!

 

 

USDA Announces Details of CFAP Program

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) opened the application period for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Cattlemen are encouraged to visit their local FSA office quickly to submit application for this government funding. Forms are available at the link below, and word so far is that the application process is pretty streamlined!

 

Eligible Livestock for CFAP

CFAP assistance is available to livestock producers who have an ownership interest in eligible livestock that have suffered a five percent-or-greater price decline as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and face additional significant costs in marketing their inventories due to unexpected surplus and disrupted markets. The application period will open on Tuesday, May 26.

Cattle eligible for CFAP include:

  • Feeder Cattle (<600 lbs.)
  • Feeder Cattle (> 600 lbs.)
  • Slaughter Cattle: Fed Cattle
  • Slaughter Cattle: Mature Cattle

All Other Cattle (not including livestock used, or intended for, dairy production)

A single payment for livestock will be calculated using the sum of the producer’s number of livestock sold between January 15 and April 15, 2020, multiplied by the payment rates per head, and the highest inventory number of livestock between April 16 and May 14, 2020, multiplied by the payment rate per head.

Producers must provide the following information for CFAP:

Total sales of eligible livestock, by species and class, between January 15, 2020, to April 15, 2020, of owned inventory as of January 15, 2020, including any offspring from that inventory; and highest inventory of eligible livestock, by species and class, between April 16, 2020, and May 14, 2020.

Learn more at » https://www.farmers.gov/cfap/livestock

 

 

Marketing Meat Direct to Consumers: A Three-Part Webinar Series

Screenshot 2020-05-20 14.48.00In response to growing demand for local meat products, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program have partnered with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and Sweet Grown Alabama to host a three-part webinar series to educate Alabama farmers on the steps required to raise, harvest and market their products in a way that complies with state and national regulation, ensuring a safe and wholesome product for consumers to enjoy.

If you are interested in learning from this series, please pre-register for this virtual event by CLICKING HERE. Webinar access information will be provided following your submission and will be sent via the email address provided in the form.

The webinar will occur as follows:

  • June 1, 2020 | 12:00 P.M.
    Creating the Product Consumers Expect
    – Carcass Goals
    – Nutritional Management of Cattle, Pigs & Small Ruminants
    – Other Management Considerations
  • June 3, 2020 | 12:00 P.M.
    The Processing Process
    – Choosing a Processor
    – Dry Aging vs Wet Aging
    – The Math: Dressing Percentages and Carcass Yields
  • June 5, 2020 | 12:00 P.M.
    Getting Your Product to Market, and Getting Paid for It
    – Where to Sell Your Product
    – How to Price Your Product
    – How to Advertise
    – The Ins-and-Outs of Farmers’ Markets
    – Intro to Sweet Grown Alabama

If you have any questions, please contact Ali Cantrell at the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association at (334) 265-1867.

 

 

Bama Beef Directory

In line with the above webinar series and also in response to growing demand for local beef products, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association is in the process of creating a digital portal to directly connect consumers looking to purchase beef with those who produce it. We are now accepting submissions to be included in this directory. If you are an Alabama beef producer who sells freezer beef, please add your operation to the listing by completing our form available also at www.BamaBeef.org/BamaBeef. Or you can call our office to relay the information. Just ask to speak with Ali Cantrell or Kayla Greer.

 

 

Pike County Cattlemen’s Memorial Day Blowout

ACA Director of Field Services Morgan Pounds and several of the AJCA Directors spent the weekend in Pike County at a jackpot show that welcomed over 250 exhibitors. Great work to the county chapter for putting on a great event for youth who were itching to get back in the show ring. Thanks to all who made it happen!

 

 

ACA Now Offers Blue BEEF Tags

100085826_1953128378156489_312650877296967680_nIf you thought our iconic red BEEF tags were popular, let us intprudce you to their Auburn-oriented counterpart. In response to a few requests for blue and white tags, we decided to order a test batch and WOW. They are flying out the door. In the course of one week we’ve sold over 100 of the blue tags through our online store!! Folks are also buying up the red tags, hats and T-shirts while they are there. Don’t miss out on your blue tag >> www.BamaBeef.org/Store 

 

 

14th annual AJCA Round-Up

Registration is now open for the 14th annual Alabama Junior AJCA RoundUp LogoCattlemen’s Association Round-Up. Happening July 16-19 at the Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, this annual junior event is full steam ahead. The agenda might look a little different this year as the public speaking and career development contests were moved to the convention, and a showmanship clinic and a Bred & Owned show were added to the events lineup. A full schedule and the rules packet are available on the website, along with registration. Check it out >> www.BamaBeef.org/RoundUp.

 

 

2020 SLE Rodeo Cancelled, Looking Forward to 2021

sle-logo

Just in case you missed the news last week…On March 13, 2020 the Southeastern Livestock Exposition (SLE) announced the postponement of the 63rd annual SLE Rodeo and Livestock Week amid growing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. SLE leadership has been monitoring conditions related to COVID-19 and the sport of rodeo both locally and nationally over the course of two months and in doing so, has made the decision to cancel the 2020 rodeo and related events.

 

Tickets will be refunded through the agency in which they were purchased. If tickets were purchased through the Garrett Coliseum Box Office, contact (334) 356-6866 to request a full refund. Tickets purchased with a credit card through the SLE Rodeo Headquarters will be refunded automatically. For tickets purchased through Ticketmaster, rodeo patrons will receive an automatic refund of the ticket order amount to the method of payment used for purchase within 30 days.

 

Information on the 2021 SLE Rodeo and Livestock Week will be made available in coming months. Please monitor announcements and updates at www.SLERodeo.com or on our Facebook page.

 

 

 

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.

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: May 20, 2020

It has been quite the week here at ACA. With the roll out of CFAP, a magazine deadline, the upcoming Pike County Show and several Foundation projects (including Jackson, Coffee and Pike counties), there’s much going on! We’ve got news all around to bring your way as we head into the holiday weekend and official kickoff of summer grilling season. Speaking of grilling, we were supposed to be launching a nationwide summer grilling campaign today…but COVID-19 has forced us to delay until June 10. Don’t worry, we are still going to be promoting firing up the grill with beef until then. Keep reading to learn more about what’s happening— and what has happened— since our last update!


 

2020 SLE Rodeo Cancelled, Looking Forward to 2021

sle-logo

On March 13, 2020 the Southeastern Livestock Exposition (SLE) announced the postponement of the 63rdannual SLE Rodeo and Livestock Week amid growing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. SLE leadership has been monitoring conditions related to COVID-19 and the sport of rodeo both locally and nationally over the course of two months and in doing so, has made the decision to cancel the 2020 rodeo and related events.

 

Tickets will be refunded through the agency in which they were purchased. If tickets were purchased through the Garrett Coliseum Box Office, contact (334) 356-6866 to request a full refund. Tickets purchased with a credit card through the SLE Rodeo Headquarters will be refunded automatically. For tickets purchased through Ticketmaster, rodeo patrons will receive an automatic refund of the ticket order amount to the method of payment used for purchase within 30 days.

 

Information on the 2021 SLE Rodeo and Livestock Week will be made available in coming months. Please monitor announcements and updates at www.SLERodeo.com or on our Facebook page.

 

 

 

USDA Announces Details of CFAP Program

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced details of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Below is a high-level summary of the program and additional details can be found in the attached rule and at https://www.farmers.gov/cfap/livestock.

 

Eligible Livestock for CFAP

CFAP assistance is available to livestock producers who have an ownership interest in eligible livestock that have suffered a five percent-or-greater price decline as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and face additional significant costs in marketing their inventories due to unexpected surplus and disrupted markets. The application period will open on Tuesday, May 26.

Cattle eligible for CFAP include:

  • Feeder Cattle (<600 lbs.)
  • Feeder Cattle (> 600 lbs.)
  • Slaughter Cattle: Fed Cattle
  • Slaughter Cattle: Mature Cattle

All Other Cattle (not including livestock used, or intended for, dairy production)

A single payment for livestock will be calculated using the sum of the producer’s number of livestock sold between January 15 and April 15, 2020, multiplied by the payment rates per head, and the highest inventory number of livestock between April 16 and May 14, 2020, multiplied by the payment rate per head.

Producers must provide the following information for CFAP:

Total sales of eligible livestock, by species and class, between January 15, 2020, to April 15, 2020, of owned inventory as of January 15, 2020, including any offspring from that inventory; and highest inventory of eligible livestock, by species and class, between April 16, 2020, and May 14, 2020.

Learn more at » https://www.farmers.gov/cfap/livestock

 

 

 

Giving Back With a Virtual Cookoff

The weekend, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association will be partnering with the Montgomery Biscuits and Bama-Q to host a Virtual Burger Cook-off at the Biscuits stadium in Montgomery. This cook-off will raise awareness about the impacts of COVID-19 and host as a fundraiser for local organizations benefiting healthcare workers and restaurant workers. On May 22, Montgomery County Cattlemen will be cooking 150 ribeye steak sandwiches in the stadium to serve healthcare workers at Baptist Medical Center East and meet with media to talk about the cook-off on Saturday. Bama-Q will broadcast the burger cook-off live through multiple outlets (Facebook, fireTV, ROKU) on May 23 and viewers will be able to donate through an online donation platform directly to Biscuits Charitable Foundation. We are excited to be part of this event that features our favorite protein, beef, on the kickoff weekend for summer grilling!

 

 

 

Marketing Meat Direct to Consumers: A Three-Part Webinar Series

Screenshot 2020-05-20 14.48.00In response to growing demand for local meat products, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program have partnered with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and Sweet Grown Alabama to host a three-part webinar series to educate Alabama farmers on the steps required to raise, harvest and market their products in a way that complies with state and national regulation, ensuring a safe and wholesome product for consumers to enjoy.

If you are interested in learning from this series, please pre-register for this virtual event by CLICKING HERE. Webinar access information will be provided following your submission and will be sent via the email address provided in the form.

The webinar will occur as follows:

  • June 1, 2020 | 12:00 P.M.
    Creating the Product Consumers Expect
    – Carcass Goals
    – Nutritional Management of Cattle, Pigs & Small Ruminants
    – Other Management Considerations
  • June 3, 2020 | 12:00 P.M.
    The Processing Process
    – Choosing a Processor
    – Dry Aging vs Wet Aging
    – The Math: Dressing Percentages and Carcass Yields
  • June 5, 2020 | 12:00 P.M.
    Getting Your Product to Market, and Getting Paid for It
    – Where to Sell Your Product
    – How to Price Your Product
    – How to Advertise
    – The Ins-and-Outs of Farmers’ Markets
    – Intro to Sweet Grown Alabama

If you have any questions, please contact Ali Cantrell at the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association at (334) 265-1867.

 

 

 

14th annual AJCA Round-Up

Registration is now open for the 14th annual Alabama Junior AJCA RoundUp LogoCattlemen’s Association Round-Up. Happening July 16-19 at the Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, this annual junior event is full steam ahead. The agenda might look a little different this year as the public speaking and career development contests were moved to the convention, and a showmanship clinic and a Bred & Owned show were added to the events lineup. A full schedule and the rules packet are available on the website, along with registration. Check it out >> www.BamaBeef.org/RoundUp.

 

 

 

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.

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: May 13, 2020

It has been two months since we last updated about what is going on in the office, and to be honest…you probably already know. Coronavirus has shifted all our lives like we never could have anticipated. Although blog updates have been slow, the work continued and today we encourage you to saddle up for a long, all-encompassing update about the many things that have been happening while we have practiced social distancing and worked remotely for a stint of time. Here goes…get ready for a big read!


 

 

ACA Membership Update

We will start with our the most constant aspect of our ACA logo- meme size copyassociation…membership! We were thrilled with the continued support through membership we have received throughout the pandemic. We are just a handful of members away from 8,000 for the year, clocking in the day with 7,983 members. As a reminder, the Over the Top county membership deadline to qualify for your iconic red coat is June 30. Stay tuned for information about our May Board of Directors meeting coming soon.

 

 

FREE Webinars Available and Upcoming

While education may look drastically different today, the good news is that thanks to technology…it is still possible from the comfort and safety of our homes. While many great informational webinars have taken place to date, we want to draw your attention to a few that stand out.

  • The Intersection of the Cattle & Beef Industries
    • This twice-weekly, two-hour informational session is designed to provide an accurate science-and-evidence-based overview of the U.S. beef industry from conception to consumption for producers, consumers and decision makers.
  • Are Your Cattle Breed-Ready?
    • Sponsored by Multimin USA and the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, this informational webinar is targeted for cow/calf producers and will feature the knowledge of Multimin Technical Veterinarian Dr. Andy Bennett. There will be two convenient dates and times- May 18 at 7 p.m. and May 29 at 2 p.m. To register and get more information, contact Sheri Chapman at (334) 352-5062 or sheri@multiminusa.com.
  • USDA Agricultural Marketing Services Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Update
    • USDA announced the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) will be hosting a webinar for farmers, ranchers and other producers interested in applying for direct payments through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) this Thursday, May 14, 2020, at 12 p.m. CST.  This webinar is an opportunity for producers to learn about the general application process and required documentation prior to the official beginning of signup. Producers interested in participating may register in advance for webinar HERE.

 

 

County Cattlemen’s Associations Give Back

Through a partnership with the Alabama Cattlemen’s Foundation andChilton local sponsors, county chapters across Alabama have given back to the frontline workers of this pandemic in the best way they know how— with beef! Butler, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Colbert, Franklin, Houston, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Limestone, Madison, Montgomery and Shelby counties have already completed projects that provided beef meals to hospital staff, first responders, truck drivers, farm supply stores and other employees deemed “essential.” That’s not all as Jackson will complete this charitable project on Friday, followed by Coffee County on Saturday. If you are interested in doing this in your own county, contact our office at (334) 265-1867.

 

 

Summer Grilling Campaign Excitement!

We will be able to tell you more next week, but trust us when we say Screenshot 2020-05-13 11.45.58that our national office is getting ready to release an EXCELLENT summer grilling campaign, and we are excited to extend it here in our home state in a number of ways. ACA’s Ali Cantrell and Kayla Greer have been busy planning this campaign to best implement it in Alabama under the current circumstances. Given that many events are cancelled, digital is the main route for this promotion. That includes billboards, display and social ads through AL.com, radio commercials in Mobile, and all of our summertime consumer-facing assets will also claim this promotion’s battle cry. If baseball kicks back into play, it will also be seen at the Montgomery Biscuits and Birmingham Barons stadiums.

 

We look forward to the chance to unveil it to you all next week on May 20 following the national launch, just in time for Memorial Day Weekend. We have to keep it under wraps until then…but it lacks nothing in patriotism and style!

 

 

14th annual AJCA Round-Up

Registration is now open for the 14th annual Alabama Junior AJCA RoundUp LogoCattlemen’s Association Round-Up. Happening July 16-19 at the Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, this annual junior event is full steam ahead. The agenda might look a little different this year as the public speaking and career development contests were moved to the convention, and a showmanship clinic and a Bred & Owned show were added to the events lineup. A full schedule and the rules packet are available on the website, along with registration. Check it out >> www.BamaBeef.org/RoundUp.

 

 

Representing Cattlemen in the News

There are two things that are in no short supply around our office…hand sanitizer and news media interview requests. Given the current state of the cattle markets and the kink in the supply chain due to packing plant shut downs, the news has been knocking on our doors regularly. ACA Executive VP Erin Beasley has been fielding these calls and questions. Check out her latest interview with WSFA (Montgomery) HERE and read this article written by Tuscaloosa-based and James Beard awarding-winning dietician Dr. Carolyn Williams, RD about what you really need to know about the meat “shortage.” We will continue to monitor local news outlets across Alabama to ensure the right information is being shared. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

 

 

SLE Rodeo Update

sle-logoThe Southeastern Livestock Exposition Board of Directors will hold a tele-meeting tomorrow to discuss the plans for the 2020 rodeo. A statement will be release on or by Friday afternoon regarding this year’s events. Stay tuned to Facebook for updates.

 

 

Giving Back With a Virtual Cookoff

On Memorial Day weekend, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association will be partnering with the Montgomery Biscuits and Bama-Q to host a “Virtual” Burger Cook-off at the Biscuits stadium in Montgomery. This cook-off will raise awareness about the impacts of COVID-19 and host as a fundraiser for local organizations benefiting healthcare workers, restaurant workers and first responders. On May 22, local cattlemen will be cooking ribeye steak sandwiches in the stadium to serve healthcare workers at Baptist South Medical Center and meet with media to talk about the cook-off on Saturday. Bama-Q will broadcast the burger cook-off live through multiple outlets (Facebook, fireTV, ROKU) on May 23 and viewers will be able to donate through an online donation platform directly to Biscuits Charitable Foundation. We are excited to be part of this event that features our favorite protein, beef, on the kickoff weekend for summer grilling!

 

 

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.