Alabama Cattlemen's Association

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: September 2, 2020

Welcome, Fall months! We have been awaiting your arrival. As we turn the calendars over to a new month, the temperatures may not quite reflect the seasonal change yet, but boy, the event lineup sure does. We are seeing more educational events, sales and county events as we look ahead to a new season of 2020. Be sure to let us know what you have on the calendar by contacting our office, and keep reading to find out what we are up to this week at the ACA.

ALABAMA AGRICULTURE STABALIZATION PROGRAM

On Tuesday, September 8, the Alabama Agriculture Stabilization Program applications for the direct payments on cattle sold from April 16-May 15 will open on www.agi.alabama.gov. Cattlemen will need to complete the online application with required individual information, sales documentation on cattle sold (no slaughter bulls or cows are eligible), W-9 and bank information. A checklist of items will be sent out to the ACA membership by the end of this week, so producers are prepared on Tuesday when the program begins.

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

As of today, our statewide membership number is at 9,1 43 members. We can almost taste that 10,000….so keep recruiting! In case you need a little help along the way with incentives, we are now offering weekly giveaways featuring excellent ACA items and gear to those who join. This week’s item is a custom walnut serving board, perfect for the holiday season ahead! For members who join today (Wednesday) through Labor Day Monday, they’ll automatically be put in the pot to win this prize. We’ve got more items on the horizon, including grills, custom ACA leather gloves, swags baskets and more cutting boards. Stay tuned and recruit!!

Also, county presidents and secretaries who went “Over the Top,” please submit your coat and shirt sizes into Jessica Kennedy at the office so we can get those Over the Top prizes ordered!

BAMA’S BEST BEEF UPDATE: FIERY PHOTO CHALLENGES

This week launched our second of four photo challenges featuring our eight semifinalist restaurants and dishes! This week, Fannie’s Vista Burger in Fayette, AL went head-to-head with Jeff’s Place Steak Sandwich, a dish that calls Roanoke, AL in Randolph County home. In this round of the contest, Jeff’s Place secured its seat in the Final 4 with almost 195 votes, just barely ahead of Fannie’s with 191 votes at the closing hour! Special thanks to both restaurants for participating. Our next photo challenge— featuring Diamond Jim’s & Mrs. Donna’s Famous Ribeye in Livingston and 5 Points Deli & Grill “One Hot Mess” Burger in Montgomery—ends today at 2:30 p.m. and as it stands, Diamond Jim’s I just barely in the lead. Our fourth and final round launches tomorrow with our south Alabama semifinalists, so stay tuned for next week’s update. Be sure to pump up your local dives with a vote and a visit!

YCLP COUNCIL MEETS VIRTUALLY

ACA Director of Field Services Morgan Pounds jumped on a Zoom call with the current Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program (YCLP) Council on Tuesday to discuss the current class and upcoming alumni opportunities. The council discussed alumni opportunities at the 2021 ACA Convention as well as a potential joint alumni and Class VIII farm tour for Summer 2021.

This year at convention, YCLP will have a booth in the trade show to talk to young producers about the program. The YCLP Council is continuing to aid in planning future classes and keeping alumni updated. Another role discussed was the selection process for the next YCLP class. Applications will go live January 5 – March 12 for YCLP Class VIII. Email Morgan Pounds with any questions concerning YCLP or visit our webpage, https://www.bamabeef.org/p/about/yclp.

COUNTY RODEOS FIRE UP

ACA Staffers have enjoyed the chance to get out and about to two different county Cattlemen’s rodeos over the past several weeks. First, we’d like to congratulate Clay and Pike counties on two outstanding events! ACA’s Lauren Wilson also looks forward to attending her home county’s event later in September in Lawrence County, so mark your calendars for family fun ahead!

A PRESIDENTIAL VISIT

On Thursday, staffers Ali Cantrell and Morgan Pounds will be traveling to ACA President Larry Reeves’ farm to visit with him about October Beef Month plans as well as get a picture of our president with our Beef Month proclamation. Gov. Kay Ivey has already signed our proclamation to officially declare October as Beef Month in Alabama, so we are very excited to kick off the month by promoting beef and hosting festivities throughout our great state.

BEEF UP THE BLOOD SUPPLY

Speaking of October, this year, the ACA is going to “Beef Up the Blood Supply” throughout Alabama with LifeSouth Blood Bank. To celebrate Beef Month, we will be hosting a week of blood donations across Alabama starting in Dothan on October 12! If you live in the Dothan area, have blood, and love a good steak please reach out to us about donating blood that day and you will receive a discount on a Conestoga Steak for your donation. Then the beef mobile will be driving to Decatur Morgan Hospital in north Alabama for two straight days of blood donation and giving away steak sandwiches and beef meal vouchers. We will return to the MOOseum on October 15 for blood donations in the Montgomery area and then we will wrap up the week at the Pike County Cattlemen’s Association center in Troy, AL. Please contact our staffer, Ali Cantrell, about getting signed up for these blood drives if they are near your area!

SLE UPDATE

The Southeastern Livestock Exposition (SLE) Rodeo Sponsorship Committee is meeting Thursday to lay out plans and update the sponsor packet to begin reaching out to businesses for 2021. The organization will have its annual meeting on September 24, also, so members please RSVP to Sydney Dougherty at our office .

We would also like to extend our condolences to the family of Rex Bugbee, pickup man for SLE stock contractor Frontier Rodeo Company, who died last week from injuries sustained in a rodeo accident. We will greatly miss his presence on the dirt at the Garrett Coliseum.

THE MOOSEUM- VOTE NOW!

The MOOseum is in a contest to be named the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Small Business Impact Maker! Hope over to the website today to vote for The MOOseum! We sure are proud of our children’s educational center, and you should be too. Website: https://www.montgomerychamber.com/mgm-impact-makers

SAVE THE DATE- BEEF CHECKOFF TASK FORCE

The Alabama Beef Checkoff Task Force meeting will be held Thursday, October 29 at the Cattlemen’s building in Montgomery. ANY cattlemen in Alabama interested in attending this meeting is welcome to do so by contacting the ACA office at (334) 265-1867. It is a way to get completely involved in the process and having a say in how beef checkoff dollars are spent in the state. The ideas that come out of the task force meeting will be put into a marketing plan and presented to the Beef Checkoff Council for approval and budgeting. Contact an ACA officer or the office today to get more information on the meeting.

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.

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: August 26, 2020

And, in the blink of an eye, we are just about to flip our calendar from August and into the fall months. As calves start to fill the farm landscapes, and harvest takes up time, your state Cattlemen’s staff is busy with a whole list of events and activities that keep our fall calendar full— even on a year like 2020. Cattle sales, beef promotion, educational events and of course, October Beef Month are all top of mind these days. Keep reading to learn more about all that’s going on to prepare for FALL!

Successful Weekend with YCLP

Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program Class VII headed south to Mobile County for its second session this past weekend. The class enjoyed Extension Specialist Ken Kelly’s talk as they learned about budgeting, forages and record keeping practices. We appreciate support from Ken Kelly and Dr. Kelly Palmer as they helped in planning session two and providing education to this year’s class. While in Grand Bay, the participants got to visit two producers. The class visited Mr. Anthony Faggard and Mr. Calvin Freeland of Mobile County. We appreciate their Southern hospitality as they toured the YCLP participants at their farms and offered their extensive knowledge of forages, stockering calves and marketing cattle.

The MOOseum- VOTE NOW

Bama’s Best Beef Update

This week launched our first of four photo challenges featuring our eight semifinalist restaurants and dishes! This week, Bear Creek on the Trail’s Prime Rib from Cherokee, AL in Lauderdale County went head-to-head with Bama Buck’s Trophy Mount Ribeye, a beloved dish from Sardis City in Etowah County. In this round of the contest, Bama Bucks secured its seat in the Final 4 with almost 500 votes! Special thanks to both restaurants for participating. Our next photo challenge launches tomorrow and will feature Fayette County’s own Fannie’s Vista Burger against Jeff’s Place Ribeye Steak Sandwich from Roanoke. Be sure to pump up your local dives with a vote and a visit!

Membership Update

We are excited this week as we broke 9,000 members and are on our way to 10,000 in 2020! Final membership statements have hit mailboxes, and those remittances are coming back to the state office and online. We are also beginning a series of membership giveaways on Facebook to promote joining or renewing with the ACA. The first giveaway launched today and features a beautiful, custom bamboo charcuterie serving board! Anyone who joins or renews today through Sunday will be entered to win, and this is just the first of many awesome prize packages to encourage membership!

Cattle Sale Season

Sale Season has officially arrived! We are excited to be able to get out and support our producers all across the state in their sales. Staffer, Morgan Pounds enjoyed the Piedmont Feeder Calf sale last Thursday in Lafayette and hopped online yesterday to enjoy the all-virtual Alabama & Mississippi Simmental Sale. She and staffer Kayla Greer are heading to Uniontown on Friday for the 22 Annual Herdbuilder Replacement Female sale! We hope to see you there. Check out all the upcoming sales at www.BamaBeef.org/CattleSales or in your next issue of the Alabama Cattleman.

Beef Up the Blood Supply

This October, ACA is going to “Beef Up the Blood Supply” throughout Alabama in partnership with Lifesouth. To celebrate Beef Month and do our civic duties, we will be hosting a week of blood donations across Alabama starting in Dothan on October 12! If you live in the Dothan area, have blood, and love a good steak — please reach out to us about donating blood that day, and you will receive a discount on a Conestoga Steak for your donation. Then, the Beef Truck will be driving to Decatur Morgan Hospital in north Alabama for two straight days of blood donation and giving away steak sandwiches and beef meal vouchers. We will return to The MOOseum on October 15 for blood donations in the Montgomery area and then will wrap up the week at the Pike County Cattlemen’s Association building in Troy, AL. Please contact ACA’s Ali Cantrell about getting signed up for these blood drives if they are near your area!

Save the Date- Beef Checkoff Task Force

SLE Update

The Southeastern Livestock Exposition is gearing up for the 2021 season as meetings to kick start the year are in the works. Staffer Lauren Wilson will host a budget meeting and sponsorship committee meeting in the coming week, and the SLE Annual Meeting and Membership Dinner will be Thursday, September 24. If you are a member of the SLE, please remember to RSVP to that event by calling (334) 265-1867 or emailing Sydney Dougherty.

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.

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: August 19, 2020

Can you believe August is halfway finished, and we are headed quickly into the fall months!? This year has been the slowest and fastest year, combined! It’s certainly a year for the history books. As we prepare for the fall season ahead, we look forward to heavy-paged magazines full of sale ads, heavy-bred cattle ready to calve and a very beef October as we prepare to celebrate Beef Month. Our sites are set on all there is to look forward to, but keep reading to hear about what’s going on this week.

ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL STABALIZATION PROGRAM

The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association (ACA) hails Gov. Kay Ivey for her approval of the Alabama Agricultural Stabilization Program, which includes $10.5 million for the beef cattle industry. Funding is provided as part of the $1.8 billion Alabama received from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and will be implemented through the Department of Agriculture and Industries.

The ACA along with industry stakeholders worked in coordination with the Department of Agriculture and Industries to propose framework for a program specifically for the cattle industry. “We are appreciative of Gov. Ivey’s continued support and recognition of the importance of Alabama’s beef cattle industry,” ACA President Larry Reeves said. “Economic stability is imperative for cattlemen, and these funds will help alleviate the financial stresses incurred from this ongoing pandemic.” The program will provide $10.5 million to cattle producers in Alabama who sold cattle from April 16-May 15, 2020. This timeframe falls out of the parameters of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which provided direct payment for cattle sold January 15-April 15. Cattlemen in the state who sold cattle during the April 16-May 15 time period should expect to provide a sales receipt outlining the number of cattle sold, date of sale, and weight of cattle to be eligible for application. Those approved will receive $69/head for calves weighing less than 600 pounds, $106/head for cattle 601-900 pounds and $181/head for cattle over 900 pounds. Additionally, $1.5 million have been awarded as a grant program for existing small meat processors in the state to increase slaughter capacity.

HEADED TO THE BURGER BASH

This Friday, ACA Director of Education & Outreach Ali Cantrell will be traveling to Houston County for a Burger Bash! Cattlemen from Houston County and many other civic servants in the community will be cooking burgers for first responders in the area as a thank you for their service. It’s always a great day when you can show gratitude to someone by feeding them a delicious beef dish!

BOARD MEETING RECAP & MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Thanks to all who attended last week’s Board of Directors meeting, whether in-person or virtually. We hosted a great event with Cattlemen’s Beef Board update, a state checkoff report, information about the new Alabama Agricultural Stabilization Program and a vote on a by-laws change. We also celebrated 18 counties who went “Over the Top” in the 2020 membership year. Stay tuned for a report in the upcoming magazine. Also, don’t forget to keep recruiting members! As it stands today, the ACA is the proud home of 8,972 members…but let’s make it 10,000!

THE MOOSEUM- MGM IMPACT MAKER

OCTOBER BEEF MONTH PLANNING

October is top of mind these days for staffers Ali Cantrell and Kayla Greer as the duo seek to tackle the month of beef promotion efforts. Cooking segments on statewide local news are in the works, as well as radio, while digital plans are also shaping up. Be on the lookout for fun giveaways, educational videos and lots and lots of beautiful beef imagery and recipes to share on social media! We are looking forward to continuing this beloved ACA tradition of promoting beef in October! If your county is in need of promotional materials or books to read to schools, be sure to contact Ali at our office!

BAMA’S BEST BEEF CONTEST- NOMINATIONS ARE IN!

Nominations for the 2020 Bama’s Best Beef contest are now closed, and staff is working to sort through the more than 5,000 submissions to narrow down our 8 semifinalists! Now more than ever, we need to show our support for those locally owned restaurants that do a great job of bringing the BEEF! This year’s contest combines our spring and fall promotions and will have an added bonus of a People’s Choice contest, in conjunction with the actual tasting round featuring a panel of industry judges. Stay tuned for photo challenges to begin on our Facebook page this Sunday!

HEADED SOUTH TO SHOW SOME SLE GRATITUDE

SLE staffers Lauren Wilson and Erin Beasley headed south today to visit the Poarch Band of Creek Indians headquarters in Atmore, AL. Their objectives were to deliver thank you cards submitted by our many PBCI scholarship recipients and present the 2020 sponsor buckle to Keith Martin and Trina Rackard. They enjoyed the visit down, and of course, very much appreciate the continued generous support of the PBCI to Alabama’s youth and the SLE Rodeo.

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.

Kids in the Kitchen

Incorporating Beef’s Bold Nutrition into At-Home Learning

By Elesha Ergle, RDN

In these uncertain times, there are some things that continue to remain constant. Good nutrition for our kids is vital for their growth and development. Growing children need plenty of high-quality protein to support proper muscle and tissue growth, with adolescent athletes’ needs being even higher. Lean beef is an excellent source of high-quality protein, with the proteins in beef providing a great source of the amino acid, leucine, which is vital to muscle growth and development. A three-ounce portion of lean beef contains about 25 grams of protein and 10 essential nutrients, giving it the “gold star” of nutrition!

Amid the pandemic, you are probably spending more time eating at home, and beef is here to help. Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner has an entire collection of “Kid-Friendly Fare” that can help you get more of beef’s high quality proteins into your little scholars’ diets.

With some schools and sports preparing to return this fall— as well as some preparing for online learning— kids will need optimal fuel to get them through their busy days. Many schools do not offer culinary classes, so teaching cooking skills at home is a great way to incorporate learning while also checking off your lunchtime to-do list.

Because cooking can even be overwhelming to some adults, start simply and slowly. Choose your recipes wisely, and don’t try to cook something that you know your kids will not eat. Ease in to the process with Personal Beef Pizzas. Kids can prepare their own pizza and make a wide variety of toppings available to them to include some veggies. Let them chop or slice veggies (as age appropriate) and through their culinary involvement, they will be more likely to try them. Get kids involved in recipe choices, ingredient swaps, and creative ideas for serving. Let go of your control factor in the kitchen and let them be kids…let them make messes and remember it is not supposed to look just like that picture on the internet.

Assign kids their own tasks that are age appropriate, and let them even have their own measuring cups, plates, or even an apron. Using recipes like Beef Jerky Trail Mix, kids can make their own healthy snacks with no actual cooking involved. Get your young athletes involved in the kitchen by helping them make Beef Jerky Granola Bars. The mix of high-quality protein and carbs in this recipe is the perfect pre-or-post game (or practice) fuel.

While you are teaching in the kitchen, now is the perfect time to talk food safety with your kids. Going through the proper handwashing techniques, using different cutting boards and knives between meats and vegetables, and discussing the proper cooking temperatures are all great life skills that children will need to master to be successful now, and later on, in the kitchen.

Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner is a great teaching tool while working in the kitchen with your kids. From simple recipes and videos to nutrition information and information about beef from pasture to plate, anything you need for a delicious and nutritious lesson plan in there.

So, head to kitchen to prepare for, and tackle, this year’s school year.

This article was funded by the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program. Brought to you by Alabama beef farmers and ranchers.

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: August 5, 2020

And just like that, it’s August! More than halfway through 2020, and this must be the longest year in history. It certainly has been one for the history books! As we turn ahead to board sale season, bull sale season and a busy fall full of beef promotion, we are giddy to get our boots on the ground. Keep reading to find out what’s to come and what’s happening this week at the ACA.

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE & BOARD MEMO

The “Over the Top” deadline has come and gone, and we’d like to congratulate those counties that went over their membership goals and earned their presidents an iconic ACA red coat. We had 18 counties achieve this goal, and they are: Auburn Collegiate, Chambers, Choctaw, Clay, Coffee, Colbert, Coosa, Covington, Franklin, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lowndes, Madison, Morgan, Randolph, St Clair, Tallapoosa and Washington counties.

We would also like to remind county leaders that next week’s board meeting will take place on Thursday, August 13 at the RSA Activity Center in downtown Montgomery. Due to COVID-19, this meeting will allow only a limited audience of one(1) representative per county and will require masks or face coverings. If you haven’t yet, be sure to RSVP to Jessica Kennedy here at the office.

Cattlemen’s sale calendar

With the release of the August magazine came an update to the Cattlemen’s Sale Calendar. The fall is a busy season for sales, and while some may look a little different or be completely online this year, others are continuing on as usual. Be sure to check out the updated events calendar and tag what sales you’ll be attending this year! www.BamaBeef.org/CattleSales

BAMA’S BEST BEEF NOMINATIONS

Nominations for the 2020 Bama’s Best Beef contest are now open, so head over to our website to submit your favorite hometown beef dish. Now more than ever, we need to show our support for those locally owned restaurants that do a great job of bringing the BEEF! This year’s contest combines our spring and fall promotions and will have an added bonus of a People’s Choice contest, in conjunction with the actual tasting round featuring a panel of industry judges. Nominations are live on www.BamaBeef.org/BestBeef so click the link and nominate, nominate, nominate!

HEADED SOUTH FOR FARM TOURS

Staffers Morgan Pounds and Kayla Greer will head south on Wednesday for farm visits and photos. They are looking forward to spending time with Cattlemen in the Mobile County Area. They will be stopping by Anthony Faggard and Calvin Freeland’s operation, both in Grand Bay, to learn what they do day to day on their farms. Director of Field Services Morgan Pounds is always searching for different farms to tour all across the state. If you are a member and would like to host a YCLP Tour or AJCA Field Day at your farm in the future, please contact her for a farm visit.

LOOKING AHEAD

This week has focused a lot on looking ahead as October and the kickoff of the SLE Rodeo timeline takes place. This week, staff with SLE Rodeo met to lay out a timeline for the remainder of the 2020 and into 2021. Checkoff staff also met to layout a marketing plan and budget for October Beef Month. As you can imagine, it will look a little different than normal, but the beauty of digital marketing is that it is always on! Never fear, beef will be promoted no matter what!!

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.

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: July 29, 2020

As we near the end of July, our eyes turn to a busy fall season ahead. Schools return in session, and all the activities that come with the school time season do also. While it may look different in 2020, the fact still remains the same…beef can fuel you through it! The fall focuses on ramped up beef promotions and producer events, and we look forward to putting our boots on the ground for both. While we look ahead, we are also keeping our heads down on the work at hand. Keep reading to learn more about what your ACA staff is up to this week!

ACA LEADERS IN DENVER

Clay Kennamer, Jim Jordan and Erin Beasley are in the Denver this week while President Larry Reeves joins in virtually for the NCBA Summer Meeting. The group will be voting on new policies, resolutions and receiving an update from the Denver office and staff. They took the opinions of Alabama Cattlemen received during our virtual round-ups and aim to represent cattlemen from our home state in their voting efforts!

ATTENDING THE ALABAMA GROCERS CONVENTION

On July 27- 29, ACA’s Ali Cantrell will be headed to Destin, FL to meet with retailers and wholesalers at the Alabama Grocers Association Convention. The convention will have a small trade show during the lunch hour of each day for exhibitors to meet with retailers and host a booth with promotional material. Ali will be speaking with attendees about Beef promotion in the retail sector as well as future educational opportunities with staff and sales such as a BEEF 101.

JUNIOR LEADERS COME TO TOWN

ACA Director of Field Services Morgan Pounds welcomed the newly-elected AJCA Board to Montgomery Monday and Tuesday for their first meeting of their term. This meeting was heavily focused on leadership and team building. The group conducted meetings discussing upcoming events, officer responsibilities, and goals as an overall board for 2021. The AJCA Board also evaluated the 2020 Round-Up and decided to release another survey to get feedback from participants. If you participated in 2020 Round-Up or where in attendance please take the survey here to help us plan for next year.

THE MOOSEUM AND ONLINE GIFT SHOP STAYING BUSY

The MOOseum is open for business for small groups. Masks and temperature checks are required, but that’s not stopping visitors from walking through our doors! We’ve had several tour groups stop by to learn about Alabama’s beef cattle industry as our indoor educational facility is a welcomed stop to parents and childcare leaders looking to keep their kiddos entertained.

Also, online sales have not stopped! In fact, they have revved up tremendously and we are proud to now offer Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Association (AJCA) T-shirts for sale on the store, so purchase one to support our youth organization today! www.BamaBeef.org/Store

BAMA’S BEST BEEF NOMINATIONS FIRE UP

Get ready to nominate your favorite hometown beef dish THIS WEEK as nominations for the 2020 Bama’s Best Beef contest open up on Friday. This year’s contest combines our spring and fall promotions and will have an added bonus of a People’s Choice contest, in conjunction with the actual tasting round featuring a panel of industry judges. Nominations will be live on www.BamaBeef.org/BestBeef so be on the lookout and nominate, nominate, nominate!

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

As of today, the ACA is proud to represent 8,780 members of our state association and counting as counties continue to recruit new and renewal members. County leaders- don’t forget the new “Over the Top” deadline is THIS FRIDAY, July 31. Help us get to 10,000 members strong while earning your iconic ACA red coat! We also encourage ONE representative to save the date for August 13 as we will be hosting a very limited audience Board of Directors Meeting in Montgomery at the RSA Activity Center.

ACES TO HOLD SHORT COURSES THIS FALL

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.

Producers can take the course at different locations around the state, including Jasper, Hayneville, Texasville and Centre. These are regional meetings and producers should select the location and dates most convenient for them. Over four nights, producers will learn critical information on profitable beef production.

There is a $40 registration fee, and all participants will receive a copy of Extension’s recently updated Alabama Beef Handbook.

Alabama Extension animal scientists developed a concentrated curriculum that is most vital for new cattle producers to master. The course will be taught by Extension regional animal science agent. Learn more and register at www.ACES.edu.

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.

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: July 22, 2020

What Round-Up. Those masks were hot, and the sunshine was hotter…but boy oh boy, what a weekend it was! Despite all the curveballs COVID-19 threw our way, ACA Director of Field Services Morgan Pounds handled the changes with grace and pulled off an awesome youth event! We hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did. But, now that the 2020 Round-Up has ridden off into the sunset, we are turning our eyes to the fall months and all the fun that brings os saddle up for this week’s update and let us know if we can do anything to help you!

ROUND-UP WRAP UP

We were thrilled to welcome over 115 youth and 150 cattle to the Garrett Coliseum fairgrounds this weekend for several youth educational contests and three cattle shows. Congrats to all who competed, won and took home big prizes. This year’s overall Top Junior Competitor was Mackenzie Smith of Marshall County. The Overall Intermediate Competitor was Victoria Thompson of Lee County, while her big sister Jewel Thompson took home the Overall Senior Competitor buckle. The Supreme Champion Breeding Heifer was exhibited by Annabelle Wesley of Pike County, while Caleb Fields of Morgan County took home the Grand Champion Market Animal buckle. The Bred & Owned Champion was Audra Graves of Blount County. Stay tuned for the September issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine for a line-up of ALL the weekend’s winners.

We are also thrilled to introduce you to the 2020-2021 Board of Directors.

President: Hannah Maddox, Dekalb
Vice President: Will Meadows, Houston
Secretary: Hannah Grace Childress, Chilton
Treasurer: Russell Jordan, Clay
Ex- Officio: Ashlyn Ruf, Limestone
District 1: Corley Williams, Marshall
District 2: Brooke Ginn, Calhoun
District 3: Jewel Thompson, Lee
District 3: Victoria Thompson, Lee
District 4: Matthew Baxley, Geneva
At-Large: Walker Johnson, Cullman

SWEET GROWN ALABAMA DAY

Today, we enjoyed the opportunity to participate in Sweet Grown Alabama Day, a kickoff farmers market-style event that highlighted many members of the new state branding program, Sweet Grown Alabama. Commissioner Rick Pate, Gov. Kay Ivey and a host of other dignitaries installed the program and welcomed visitors to the state branding launch as we celebrated Alabama agriculture and the spoils of our harvest.

We as an association will work closely with this program moving forward as official Supporters and advocates for cattle producers who sell homegrown freezer beef. If you are interested in being a Sweet Grown Alabama member and having your products listed for sale on their database, visit www.SweetGrownAlabama.org.

CHECKOFF SIGNS GRILLING FORECAST SPONSORSHIP WITH WAFF

For those who tune into WAFF for your local news, be on the lookout beginning in August for a Weekend Grilling Forecast, brought to you by BEEF! This will be a very eye-catching campaign, and completes our task of promoting summer grilling statewide. This campaign matches two billboard campaigns in the Birmingham area and east/Central Alabama. We also have radio promotions going in Mobile, Montgomery, Birmingham and Huntsville and statewide digital advertising through AL.com. This all matches the advertising we are doing through our own social media properties and the website. Summer grilling has been top of mind as families “STEAK at Home.” Visit www.UnitedWeSteak.com/Alabama to learn more.

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

As of today, the ACA is proud to represent 8,723 members of our state association and counting as counties continue to recruit new and renewal members. County leaders- don’t forget the new “Over the Top” deadline has been extended to July 31. Help us get to 10,000 members strong while earning your president an iconic ACA red coat! We also encourage ONE representative to save the date for August 13 as we will be hosting a very limited audience Board of Directors Meeting in Montgomery at the RSA Activity Center.

We also like to highlight our associate members every once in a while, so join us in celebrating our close industry partners of the association.

ALFA Insurance
Ritchie Industries
Alabama Farmers Cooperative
TriGreen Equipment
Alabama Ag Credit \ Alabama Farm Credit
Lake Majestik Farms
Mix30 by Agridyne
Corteva
Southeast Select Sires
Tucker Milling, LLC
Mr. Fix-It
Cargill

ACA AT ALABAMA GROCERS ASSOCIATION CONVENTION

ACES SET TO HOST BEEF SHORT COURSES THIS FALL

There is a $40 registration fee, and all participants will receive a copy of Extension’s recently updated Alabama Beef Handbook.

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.

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: July 8, 2020

The temperatures are rising, and Alabama is due an intense heat wave this weekend…that can only mean one thing. The AJCA Round-Up is near! As our office prepares for the large youth event, we are also balancing a busy promotional and membership calendar. Despite the times and all the interruptions they bring, we are still busy around the ACA. Keep reading to learn more.

ACA HOSTS VIRTUAL REGIONAL ROUND-UPS

In an effort to stay in touch with our county leaders, state officers and staff are hosting four virtual meetings to update leaders on the work of the association and hear from what’s happening in the countryside. It has been a joy to “see” some familiar faces, starting with Tuesday evening’s north Alabama meeting. On Thursday, north central leaders with “gather” online for their round of updates. Then, next Tuesday and Wednesday will get us through the southern counties. We look forward to hopping online and chatting with our county leaders! If you haven’t heard from us regarding these virtual round-ups, please contact our office at (334) 265-1867.

SLE STRATEGICALLY PLANS

Board Members of the Southeastern Livestock Exposition gathered in person and via Zoom on Wednesday for a Strategic Planning Meeting. The agenda included outlining five and 10 year plans for the organization, along with creating a mission statement. They also covered a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) Analysis and addressed goals to work toward. They also talked about plans for the 2021 rodeo and get the ball rolling there.

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

As of today, the ACA is proud to represent 8,578 members of our state association and counting as counties continue to recruit new and renewal members. County leaders- don’t forget the new “Over the Top” deadline has been extended to July 31. Help us get to 10,000 members strong while earning your president an iconic ACA red coat!

AJCA ROUND-UP: ON THE HORIZON!

We are excited to welcome 115 youth livestock exhibitors to the Garrett Coliseum for our 14^thAnnual Round-Up next week. We look forward to seeing the youth of Alabama compete in numerous educational contest all weekend. If you are planning to attend Round-Up as a spectator or exhibitor please be award that mask are MANDATORY in Montgomery city limits. We invite everyone to take part in watching the future of our industry compete on our Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Association Facebook page. We will be streaming events throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday.

BAMA BEEF SALES DIRECTORY

This week, the ACA launched our Bama Beef online sales directory, which connects consumers looking for local beef to the cattlemen who produce it! The listings are now live at www.BamaBeef.org/BamaBeef, so if you know anyone who sells local beef, be sure to have them contact our office so we can include them on the directory! We also encourage you to share this link with consumers you may know who are looking to stock up on some local freezer beef.

ACES BEEF SYSTEMS SHOURT COURSES- COMING THIS FALL

There is a $40 registration fee, and all participants will receive a copy of Extension’s recently updated Alabama Beef Handbook.

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.

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: July 1, 2020

Welcome, July! And Happy Independence Week 🇺🇸 We will stop to celebrate our many freedoms and enjoy a weekend among family and in front of the grill, let us also remember those who have sacrificed for those freedoms. It’s not all about hamburgers and American Flag T-shirts. It’s about the blood, sweat a tears that those who came before us poured in order to make America the greatest country in the world. We salute our heritage and will work to preserve those values. Speaking of work, while the holiday week creates a slower pace in the workplace for many, your ACA team is still busy as we represent you here in our state’s capital. Keep reading for this week’s Bama Beef Update, and again, Happy Fourth of July!

ACA ATTENDS ALMA ANNUAL MEETING

ACA Executive Vice President Erin Beasley and Director of Field Services Morgan Pounds spent a couple of days on Alabama’s most Southern tip this week as they attended the Alabama Livestock Marketing Association Annual Meeting in Orange Beach. As you may well know, Alabama’s livestock markets do not sell on the week of Fourth of July, which frees up these market owners to gather for a quick meeting. The success of our stockyards is vitally important to Alabama’s beef cattle industry, so Erin and Morgan wanted to hear about how they’re coming through COVID-19, provide them with an industry update and host dialogue about how we as an association can continue working with them for the betterment of our cattle industry. Check out the Southeast AgNet story, here.

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

As of today, the ACA is proud to represent 8,533 members of our state association and counting as counties continue to recruit new and renewal members. County leaders- don’t forget the new “Over the Top” deadline has been extended to July 31. Help us get to 10,000 members strong while earning your president an iconic ACA red coat!

AJCA ROUND-UP REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED

Registration for the 2020 AJCA Round-Up has closed, and we are excited to welcome many, many youth in cattle to Montgomery in just two short weeks. While Morgan continues to filter through the entries, we’ll report back with more numbers next week. This year’s event may look a little different— as does everything— but we still look forward to an excellent show. A few changes to look for are the Opening Ceremonies, Awards Banquet are cancelled. We will announce awards by age division in smaller groups. Also, to avoid cross-contact, no food will be served throughout the event. As a reminder, be sure to bring a mask or type of face covering, by ordinance of the City of Montgomery. Stay tuned as more updates come about.

ACA LAUNCHES “STEAK HOME ALABAMA” CAMPAIGN

Just in time for the Fourth of July holiday, the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program is proud to extend a nationally-launched campaign here in our home state. Featuring a steak cut in to the shape of Alabama, the “United We Steak” summer grilling campaign offers a play on a classic, “Steak Home Alabama.” This patriotic campaign captures everything you love about grilling with friends and family. In Birmingham, billboards will feature the above imagery. Facebook and Instagram advertising has already launched and will see a bigger bump in paid advertising later this week, and radio stations are featuring the patriotic sound of the sizzle as stations in Huntsville, Birmingham, Mobile and Montgomery are all running summer grilling commercials, brought to listeners by BEEF.

BAMA BEEF SALES DIRECTORY

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, which we plan to launch publicly next week! 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.

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.

Bama Beef Blog Weekly Update: June 24, 2020

Summertime is in full swing here in Montgomery, and while the year 2020 has offered anything but normalcy, we are doing our best to seek out new and exciting ways to promote beef and work on your behalf! With the AJCA Round-Up approaching quickly and summer grills firing up, it is a time of beef promotion and youth education around here. We’re also continuing on with normal tasks like protecting you on the Hill and putting out our monthly magazine, the Alabama Cattleman. Keep reading to check out what is happening around the ACA this week.

YCLP CLASS VII KICKS OFF

Class VII of the Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program (YCLP) kicks off its first session this Friday in Montgomery. This class of 29 young cattlemen will tour Montgomery Stockyards, McLane-Garrett, LLC, CK Cattle, and enjoy a relaxing stay at Kick Back Ranch Resort. To go along with the farm tours, the class will also receive virtual leadership training with Auburn University’s Dr. Don Mulvaney and have a Q&A beef industry issues discussion with ACA Executive VP Erin Beasley. Plenty of time for networking, socializing and making new friends in the beef industry is also on the agenda! We are looking forward to meeting this year’s class and building their knowledge and leadership skills throughout the year. Follow us on Facebook to keep up with this weekend’s events.

CHECKOFF SIGNS PROMOTIONAL DEAL WITH AL.COM

Beginning late this summer and early this fall and preceding the 2020 College Football season, be watching as AL.com releases its 2020 “Meet the Tide” and “Meet the Tigers” videos, as they’ll be brought to you by BEEF. In a year with so many event cancellations and so few sports, your checkoff team had to explore new, more virtual options for promoting our brand! The ACA logo will fly proud throughout the videos— which are expected to receive over 750,000 impressions online— and the iconic Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner logo and Rodeo jingle will be heard at the end of each of the four pre-season videos featuring the biggest recruits of the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers. We are very excited for this opportunity to feature beef in line with our state’s biggest names in football!

UNITED WE STEAK SUMMER GRILLING CAMPAIGN KICKOFF

BAMA BEEF SALES DIRECTORY

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.

14TH ANNUAL AJCA ROUND-UP

Registration is now open for the 14th annual Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Association Round-Up. It closes in just FIVE short days!! Happening July 16-19 at the Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, this annual junior event is full steam ahead. With adjustments constantly being made to accommodate CDC guidelines in the wake of COVID-19, we would like to draw attention to the fact that the following contests could potentially be cancelled due to the inability to properly and safely socially distance our competitors: Showmanship Clinic, Cattle Judging, Volleyball, Battle of the Beef. The follow events are cancelled: Awards Banquet. Divisions will be called in separately, and winners will be given their awards. No food will be served throughout the weekend. Voting will be come-and-go at allotted time slots based on division. A full schedule and the rules packet are available on the website and are being updated continually, along with registration. Check it out >> www.BamaBeef.org/RoundUp.

ACA MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

As it stands today, the ACA is proud to represent 8,510 members of our state association and counting as counties continue to recruit new and renewal members. County leaders- don’t forget the new “Over the Top” deadline has been extended to July 31. Help us get to 10,000 members strong while earning your president an iconic ACA red coat!

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.