Welcome to the Bama Beef Blog, where you can check out the latest news from the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program and the Southeastern Livestock Expo. Keep reading for more info!

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Foundation Board and RVPs Meet in Montgomery

Alabama Cattlemen’s Foundation Board Members, including state officers and regional vice presidents (RVP), gathered at the Cattlemen’s Building on Wednesday to meeting regarding the Foundation, to discuss area RVP maps, to explain the role of an RVP and to brainstorm ways to recruit members, enhance county communication efforts and how to serve their region best. We appreciate the volunteer leaders of our association for spending the day with us!

YCLP Class IX Announced

Members of the ninth class of the Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program (YCLP) are as follows:

Travis Allred, Morgan County

Daniel Burkhalter, Henry County

Logan Cofield, Randolph County

Tyler Dunn, Henry County

Jamie Dykes, Barbour County

Sheena Gay, Randolph County

Jacob Gay, Randolph County

Austin Grant, Macon County

Serah Hall, Houston County

Kelsey Hopper, Baldwin County

Jared Lawley, Shelby County

Ashley Long, Fayette County

Kevin Lusk, Jackson County

Tanner Maddox, Franklin County

Shelby Marsh, Hale County

Laura Jean McCurdy, Lowndes County

Jeremy Pearson, Cherokee County

Jessica Rush, Lee County

Noah Sanders, Coffee County

Taylor Scott, Lauderdale County

Levi Smith, Henry County

Jason Smith, Dallas County

Christian Stanley, Pike County

Clay Tucker, Monroe County

Cooper Waller, Montgomery County

Matthew Watson, Mobile County

Daniel Wendland, Autauga County

Shelby Windham, Dale County

Macklin Watson, Monroe County

AJCA Spring Field Day

Staffers Morgan Desselle and Ali Cantrell are headed north to prepare for the Spring Junior Cattlemen’s Field Day. Tomorrow youth from all over Alabama will meet in Fayette County for a day full of education. Youth will have a chance to evaluate three classes of Brangus cattle provided by Triple T Brangus. Auburn University’s Jonah Biensch and Jason P’Pool will walk the youth through a beef cattle judging clinic.

That afternoon will be packed full of educational sessions. Sweet Grown Alabama’s Ellie Watson will provide a professional development course on public speaking. Regional Extension Agent Paul Vining will host a hands-on forage demonstration. The day will be wrapped up with Director of Education and Outreach Ali Cantrell speaking on pasture to plate. We look forward to seeing all the participants! 

2022 Cook-Off Results

Congratulations to the winners of the 2022 Alabama Junior and Senior High School Beef Cook-Off that was hosted this past weekend at Jefferson State Culinary and Hospitality Institute in Birmingham. Additional thanks go to our many judges, Amanda Engle— who provided an excellent ribeye ultra sounding demo— Registered Dietitian Elesha Ergle who spoke on beef nutrition, and the chefs of Jefferson State, who so generously hosted our event and gave a great lesson on preparing beef tenderloin. Big thanks also to Tim Tate of Tate Farms for providing a heifer to scan during ultrasounding! The winners of this year’s event are:

Overall Best in Beef

Abbey Grace Tuck, Jefferson County

Rosemary Thyme Beef Filet

Junior South

1) James Betres, Shelby County

2) Daniel Navarro, Baldwin County

3) Dejuan Richardson, Russell County

Junior North

1) Sutton Howard, Jefferson County

2) Rebekah Nordin, Walker County

3) Nevaeh Foster, Calhoun County

Senior South

1) Patrick Fuller, Shelby County

2) David Parrish, Baldwin County

3) Madison Jones, Russell County

Senior North

1) Abbey Grace Tuck, Jefferson County

2) Cherokee Finney, Limestone County

3) Dallas Davis, Marshall County

Beef 101

Beef 101’s are back in the swing of things! On April 6 we hosted 40 students from Shades Valley High School along with 10 producers and employees from Cargill. Then on April 12, we hosted 20 culinary students from Trenholm State Community College at the Auburn Beef Unit. Dr. Misty Edmondson and Jason Edmondson gave talks on the beef production system. The manager of the meat lab, Barney Wilborn, and regional extension agent, Dr. Alex Tigue, also spoke to them in the meat lab and fabricated a whole side of beef.

This spring, there is one more opportunity to attend a Beef 101 on April 27. And if you are a producer interested in doing a more advanced version, our Beef 201 program will take place on May 6. Please contact Ali Cantrell at acantrell@bamabeef.org if you would like to attend either of these programs.

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

The 2022 membership year has officially kicked off, and we are headed boldly in the direction of 10,000 members! Many counties are hosting annual meetings. Please, contact Jessica Kennedy at our office to let her know about county meeting dates and leadership changes OR complete this online form to notify us of your meeting, assign a mailout, and request a guest speaker. As always, leaders, we encourage you to enter new members and renewals by the 15th of each month to guarantee they stay on the magazine distribution list and to deposit checks in a timely manner. Also, PLEASE send county leader updates to the state office so we can update them for future mailings, emails, etc. Contact Jessica to let her know who your county officers are!

Samford University Nutrition Advisory Board

Last week, Ali Cantrell, traveled to Samford University to attend the Nutrition Advisory Board meeting, of which she is a member. They discussed curriculum and how to best enhance the department. She also, stayed to speak with students in the Food Service Management course for nutrition students about Marketing Development Practices within the beef checkoff program.

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 or Instagram.

Welcome to the Bama Beef Blog, where you can check out the latest news from the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program and the Southeastern Livestock Expo. Keep reading for more info!

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DOWN TO EARTH: AGRICULTURE SUSTAINS ALABAMA

Alabama farm and forestry organizations debuted a yearlong public education campaign — Down to Earth: Agriculture Sustains Alabama — during a campaign launch event in Pike Road on March 31, 2022. 

At an afternoon press conference, Gov. Kay Ivey proclaimed March 31 Down To Earth Day. Ivey, whose rural roots run deep, lauded the collaborative campaign, which will showcase sustainable, high-tech and efficient techniques farmers and forest landowners have followed for decades.

Ivey’s remarks followed a fun-filled field trip for Pike Road School System fourth-graders at the Pike Road Agriculture, Recreation and Performing Arts Center (ARPAC). Through hands-on activities at a dozen stations, over 200 students learned about Down to Earth’s Big 6 topics — carbon emissions; animal and plant efficiency; data and technology; conserving natural resources; smart land use; and sustaining for the future.

Down to Earth Co-chair Kayla Greer said her group’s goal is to reach at least 1 million consumers with Down to Earth messages. “At the end of the day, we want people to know sustainability isn’t about the size of the farm or the commodity produced,” said Greer, who serves as campaign co-chair along with Caleb Hicks. “It’s about using the land in smart ways and protecting our natural resources so we can produce food, timber and fiber for people now and long into the future.”

Following the field trip and press conference, hundreds of locals flocked to the Pike Road ARPAC. A bevy of booths educated the public about sustainability, farm life, Alabama forestland and efficient, high-tech farm practices.

Meanwhile, five teams of media personalities participated in a competition featuring common agricultural tasks. The contest included a rural relay, where participants roped a calf, donned a poultry biosecurity suit and measured feed; raking a fire break to slow a forest fire; and Rural Jeopardy! featuring questions about Down to Earth’s Big 6 topics.

Down to Earth partners include the Alabama Agribusiness Council, Alabama Association of RC&D Councils, Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries, Alabama Farmers Federation, Alabama Forestry Commission, Alabama Poultry & Egg Association and Sweet Grown Alabama. 

Over the year, the Down to Earth message will be shared online at DownToEarthAL.com as well as through social media ads, events and bimonthly press releases. FFA groups, 4-H clubs and civic organizations will help share Down to Earth’s sustainability message. Down to Earth was also Alabama Farm-City’s 2021 theme.

Interact with @DowntoEarthAL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Spring Junior Cattlemen’s Field Day

Legislative Update

The legislature is expected to conclude the session this week. Today marks day 28 of the session leaving only two more possible days. Lawmakers are working out details of several bills including concurrence on the Education Trust Fund. Three bills related to agriculture are on the House special order calendar today. They include the “Sweet Grown Alabama” bill (SB274) which exempts sales tax on value added products, a raise for the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries (SB319) and SB 317 related to agricultural authorities. A recap of the session will be provided in next weeks blog.

Speaking of policy, Tuesday night, the ACA attended the Montgomery City Council meeting as proposed changes to the city’s animal ordinance was on the agenda. The item was carried over until the next meeting in two weeks which will give time for comments and changes to be submitted to the proposal. For any questions about this matter, contact Erin at the office.

IT’S COOK-OFF TIME!

YCLP Update

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 or Instagram.

Welcome to the Bama Beef Blog, where you can check out the latest news from the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program and the Southeastern Livestock Expo. Keep reading for more info!

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DOWN TO EARTH: AGRICULTURE SUSTAINS ALABAMA

Sustainability is a buzzword that has captured the attention of producers and consumers alike, and agricultural communicators from across the state are taking on the buzz. In March 2021, communications staff from commodity representatives and trade organizations across the agricultural sector began meeting to discuss how to tackle this topic. The result of almost a year of conversations— Down to Earth: Agriculture Sustains Alabama.

This yearlong public education campaign is a collaborative communications effort designed to be a voice for agricultural stakeholders in Alabama to promote the sustainable, conservation-minded practices farmers and ranchers are already doing. The goal is to reach 1 million Alabama consumers to influence their beliefs by promoting the work of farmers and ranchers across the state— to tell YOUR story. We know your goal is to create as much output with as little input, all while protecting the environment for future generations, and it is now time we, as communicators, do a better job of telling that story. To do that, the group has broken down the sustainability topic into six main points: Carbon Emissions, Animal & Plant Efficiency, Data & Technology, Conserving Natural Resources, Smart Land Use and Sustaining for the Future. We will be extending this campaign via digital advertising, broadcast news, print media, and a video campaign. The 2021 Farm-City theme also reflected this concept, which served as an excellent soft launch and way to introduce this tricky topic in an interactive way to school children across the state. 

Working group members include the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, the Alabama Farmers Federation, Alabama Poultry & Egg Association, Alabama Agribusiness Council, Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, Sweet Grown Alabama, the Alabama Commission, Simply Southern and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. ACA’s Kayla Greer is a co-chair to this statewide, collaborative effort alongside Caleb Hicks of AP&EA. 

The campaign officially launches TOMORROW  March 31, 2022 with an event called “Down to Earth Day” in Pike Road, AL. It will include an educational field trip portion, public education event, and a media conference with elected officials as our special guests. This is YOUR campaign, so if you want to be part of it as a spokesperson, event volunteer, or just learn more about how to help spread the message, contact Kayla Greer at (334) 265-1867 or email her. Otherwise, please help us spread the Down to Earth message on social media beginning March 31, 2022 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Scholarship Banquet This Friday

On Friday night, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Foundation Scholarship Banquet will be held at the Wetumpka Civic Center. The foundation is awarding over $80,000 this year to deserving students from across the state! The foundation is funded through sales of the Cowboy Tag, so go buy you one today. Several scholarships are also available through the generous endowments from families in the state.

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

The 2022 membership year has officially kicked off, and we are headed boldly in the direction of 10,000 members! May counties are hosting annual meetings. Please, contact Jessica Kennedy at our office to let her know about county meeting dates and leadership changes OR complete this online form to notify us of your meeting, assign a mailout, and request a guest speaker. As always, leaders, we encourage you to enter new members and renewals by the 15th of each month to guarantee they stay on the magazine distribution list and to deposit checks in a timely manner. Also, PLEASE send county leader updates to the state office so we can update them for future mailings, emails, etc. Contact Jessica to let her know who your county officers are!

As a reminder, the deadline for the Membership Cash drawing is March 31. Get membership in before that date in order to make the drawing!

Legislative Update

The legislature is back to town this week after taking a week off for spring break. Today marks the 25^th day of the session, which means things are in crunch mode. Both budgets still need final passage and are working their way through committee action this week. The ACA is keeping a check on several budget items and also monitoring bills through this home stretch. The senate ag committee meets this afternoon before legislators go into session for the day. 

It’s cook-off time!

Coming up on April 9, the Alabama Beef Checkoff, FCCLA, and Alabama CattleWomen’s Association will be hosting the Alabama Jr. and Sr. High School Beef Cook-off competition. We are excited to host students from all of the state at Jefferson State Community College where they will present creative and delicious beef dishes for our judges. Winners will win money as well as the notoriety of being a Beef Cook-off Champion. While judges are tasting, the students, teachers, and parents will be participating in educational programs from chefs from Jefferson State Community College, Registered Dietitian Elesha Ergle, and they will get to see ultrasound tech, Amanda Engle, ultrasound the ribeye area of a calf.

SLE Rodeo Recap

Thank you to everyone who came to the 2022 SLE Rodeo and Livestock Week! This was an incredibly successful event on all fronts. We are thrilled to see the youth programs growing each year.

In 2022, the Southeastern Livestock Exposition was able to support 350+ youth rodeo competitors, 200+ junior beef and swine exhibitors, and 300+ youth competed in the 7^th annual SLE Livestock Judging Contest including not only 4H and FFA, but also 16 collegiate teams from across the country! We are thankful for the support from the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. With their help, we were able to give over $75,000 in scholarships to Alabama’s youth in agriculture. Our charitable efforts don’t stop there. The SLE also donated $8,300 to a special group in 2022: The Alabama Sheriffs Youth Ranches. Girls from the Tallapoosa County Ranch even volunteered their time to help with the 2022 Miracle Rodeo, and they (along with ~140 other people) also joined us for our first ever Cowboy Church in the Teague Arena on March 20.

Not only are we proud of the joint efforts we receive to promote and support our youth, but we are also proud to have had a sold-out rodeo on March 19! The SLE Rodeo is part of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) NFR Playoff Series. Thanks to this great accomplishment, we welcomed a number of world champions to Montgomery, AL!

We hope to see this event continue to grow, so save the dates for next year and tell your friends: the SLE Rodeo will bring the best in bucking stock and the best cowboys back to the Garrett Coliseum to compete again March 17-19, 2023. We look forward to seeing you there!

BAMA-Q SLE RODEO STEAK CHAMPIONSHIP

The SLE Rodeo hosted the 2^nd Annual Bama-Q SLE Rodeo Steak Championship. We had two winners for the steak championship, Steak A & B winners were Jeff Moody and Marty Plute. This competition saw 48 contestants from all across the country, and we even had one participant come all the way from New Zealand. Troy Bilbrough flew in from New Zealand to compete for the Steak Cookoff Association World Championship in Fort Worth, TX the week before and then made the trip to Alabama for the Bama-Q SLE Rodeo Steak Championship. A special congratulations also goes also to Catherine Noble who won the Hot Dog Ancillary competition!

YCLP Council elected and set to meet

The Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program Council will be meeting tomorrow. They will elect a YCLP Council Chairman, vote on incoming YCLP Class IX seats, discuss the YCLP Alumni Reunion and other business. We look forward to the first meeting of newly elected council. 

The newly elected council members are:

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 or Instagram.

Welcome to the Bama Beef Blog, where you can check out the latest news from the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program and the Southeastern Livestock Expo. Keep reading for more info!

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ACA CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW

Join us in Mobile, AL at the Mobile Convention Center on March 4-5 for the largest cattle industry trade show and educational event in Alabama. ACA Convention & Trade Show registration will close next week! Walk-in registration is welcome, but meals will not be guaranteed. Grab your seat at the table by getting registered today. Keynote speakers include John Driscoll of the Mobile Port Authority and Kevin Good of CattleFax. As always, we’ll host a trade show with more than 75 vendors full of equipment, feed, animal health, retail and breed representatives. The event will also feature Cattlemen’s Colleges, Youth Contests, our annual BEEF PAC Auction, and incredible meals. Learn more about our Schedule of Events and Register Now. 

SLE RODEO, COMING TO TOWN!

The countdown is on for the 65th annual SLE Rodeo as we are only 30 days away from the greatest show on dirt! The Southeastern Livestock Exposition (SLE) is proud to be nationally-televised on The Cowboy Channel thanks to being named a 2022 NFR Play-Off Series Rodeo by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). 

As an official NFR Playoff Series rodeo, will have the top professional ProRodeo cowboys and cowgirls competing against the best livestock in the business during four performances from March 18-20, 2022. We will also have live performances from World Champion Western Entertainer and Trick Roper Rider Kiesner, a PowWow performance by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, B-K Ranch Fighting Bulls, and more! Buy your tickets now by visiting Tickets & Deals (slerodeo.com) so you don’t miss out on any of the action! 

We’re proud to announce new changes coming in 2022 as we shift from a Thursday-Saturday event to a Friday-Sunday show. The show order is as follows: Friday, March 18 (7PM); Saturday, March 19 (1PM); Saturday, March 19 (7PM); and Sunday, March 20 (2PM). Also new in 2022 is the addition of WPRA Breakaway Roping, live at each event! Learn more about all the family fun on our Events Calendar and stay tuned to social media for event announcements, ticket giveaways and all the news the SLE Rodeo has to bring! 

Our rodeo committee is also looking for volunteers for the weekend of the rodeo. If you are available to offer your time, please complete the form on this website: Volunteer at the Rodeo (slerodeo.com). We are looking forward to three action-packed days of good, clean family fun, and we hope to see you there. 

If you need to book a room, check out the Homewood Suites for a 10% discount if you plan to attend the show! Just call 334-272-3010, ask for the SLE Rodeo rate and tell them Ray sent you!

Legislative Update

There is a lot going on in the legislative world as session days tick away. The legislature is expected to go three days a week until the end of February which will put them over halfway through the session by the end of the month. A package of broadband bills passed the Senate last week to promote high speed expansion. We are continuing to monitor bills that are dropped. To date there are over 350 house bills and over 230 senate bills introduced. Today, the Cattlemen’s building will host a large number of legislators for the “Sweet Grown Alabama” luncheon. The event will highlight the work that Sweet Grown Alabama does to connect local farmers to consumers. The ACA is a partner with Sweet Grown and looks forward to hosting this event. Tomorrow, a fundraiser will be held at the Cattlemen’s building for Congressman Mike Rogers. This is an annual event and a time for Congressman Rogers to share an update on D.C. issues with local associations and lobbyists.

Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner 300

Ali Cantrell will travel to Daytona SuperSpeedway this weekend to help our national Beef Checkoff team in efforts to promote the Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner 300 race. Last year, Florida Beef Council led the charge with NCBA to promote beef at the race, and the message reached 1.9 billion people both from tv, radio, online services and in person interactions in the stadium. This all happened with a reduced amount of people allowed in the stadium due to the COVID pandemic. We are excited to see the results after this race weekend! The BIWFD 300 is February 19 in Daytona, Florida. Race week has multiple events that will be highlighting beef with celebrities, a cook-off and live behind the scenes action!

2022 COVER CONTEST

Submission Deadline: February 20, 2022

We’re on the hunt for farm lifestyle photography featuring cattle for the March 2022 issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine, and we need your help to capture it! Check out the entry rules at www.BamaBeef.org/Cover. 

To enter, email up to five  photos to ngodwin@bamabeef.org and kgreer@bamabeef.org. File attachments or links to online gallery downloads are acceptable. Links or tags on social media albums will not be accepted. Submissions should include photographer’s name, hometown, county and farm name in order to give proper credit to the photographer.

Entry Requirements:

• Submissions must not feature posed family portraits. Visible faces are not preferred.
• Submissions must be high resolution (300dpi minimum)
• Submissions must be portrait oriented.
• Submissions must leave ample space for the publication masthead.
• Submissions must feature Alabama cattle farm scenery or lifestyle
• Submissions must be seasonal to the publication date (early spring).
• Submissions must not be overly-edited and may not include a watermark.
• Submissions may not be used previously by another publication or company.
• Submissions must be captured by an Alabama resident & member of the ACA.

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

The 2022 membership year has officially kicked off, and we are headed boldly in the direction of 10,000 members! As we approach late winter/early spring, many counties will host annual meetings. Please, contact Jessica Kennedy at our office to let her know about county meeting dates and leadership changes OR complete this online form to notify us of your meeting, assign a mailout, and request a guest speaker. As always, leaders, we encourage you to enter new members and renewals by the 15th of each month to guarantee they stay on the magazine distribution list and to deposit checks in a timely manner. Also, PLEASE send county leader updates to the state office so we can update them for future mailings, emails, etc. Contact Jessica to let her know who your county officers are!

BEEF at FCCLA

Next week, the Alabama Beef Checkoff will sponsor the FCCLA culinary competition at Jefferson State Community College. It will next Wednesday, February 25, and the students will be challenged to cook a petite tenderloin. Beef will be provided by the Beef Checkoff and staffer Ali Cantrell will be a judge that day. We are very excited to sponsor an event that will challenge such talented students.

Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program

Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program (YCLP) Class VIII will graduate at the ACA Convention Awards Banquet. We are looking forward to seeing these 23 young leaders grow in our organization and as industry advocates. With one class graduating, that calls for another class incoming. Applications for YCLP Class IX are now open! This program is for young cattlemen who are looking to build on their leadership skills, network with producers from across the state, and gain deeper industry knowledge. If you want to learn more about this program or apply please visit www.bamabeef.org/yclpclass9. These applications will close March 15, 2022 and will be passed on to the YCLP Council for the selection process to take place.

YCLP Council will meet tomorrow to discuss YCLP Reunion dates and location, select YCLP Council 2022-2024, and prepare for YCLP Alumni meeting at Convention. If you are an alumni of YCLP please join us at ACA Convention on Saturday, March 5 at 3:00pm for an alumni meeting. At this meeting you will be introduced to the new YCLP council, graduating class, and hear about upcoming alumni opportunities. New to convention this year, we are inviting all YCLP alumni to join the graduating class at an alumni reception. Saturday March 5 at 8:30 grab your plus one and join us for drinks, music, and networking to celebrate Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program Class 8 sponsored by Alabama Farm Credit!

Junior Cattlemen Update

The Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Association (AJCA) will be hosting youth career-centered contests at the ACA Convention and Trade Show! Join the AJCA Board of Directors, Saturday March 5 in Mobile for public speaking, career development, and quiz bowl competitions. All contests will be sponsored by Beef Checkoff and are FREE for all youth to enter. Each contest holds great scholarships opportunities! Here’s some more dates to mark on your calendar:

Welcome to the Bama Beef Blog, were you can check out the latest in news from the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program and the Southeastern Livestock Exposition. Keep reading for more info!

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ACA CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW

ACA Convention & Trade Show registration is now live! Join us in Mobile, AL at the Mobile Convention Center on March 4-5 for the largest cattle industry trade show and educational event in Alabama. Keynote speakers include John Driscoll of the Mobile Port Authority and Kevin Good of CattleFax. As always, we’ll host a trade show full of equipment, feed, animal health, retail and breed representatives. The event will also feature Cattlemen’s Colleges, Youth Contests, our annual BEEF PAC Auction, and incredible meals. Learn more about our Schedule of Events, Book Your Hotel Room, or Register Now. 

If you are interested in having a booth at our trade show in Mobile, please contact Ali Cantrell. The early bird pricing will end on February 1, 2022! You can also register online, or you can visit our Convention Website.

Head on Down to Houston

Speaking of convention, ACA staff and officers will be in Houston next week to attend the NCBA Annual Meeting. Alabama will carry votes in both policy and federation meetings. These meetings help set direction for the upcoming year for NCBA policy and programming for the National Beef Checkoff program. We expect to see a large number of producers in attendance for the event and hope that any Alabamians will make their way to the ACA booth in the trade show, which will sprawl over 7 acres!

Talking Beef

ACA Director of Education and Outreach Ali Cantrell is hosting a booth at the Associated Grocers of the South, Inc Food Show. She will be meeting with independent grocers across the state to talk about promoting beef in the retail case and offering educational programs to their employees.

On Thursday, Ali will attend the Huntsville Trash Pandas Business Mixer where she will have the opportunity to visit with businesses from across the state. As a 2022 sponsor of the minor league team, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association will have a booth to visit with attendees and raffle off a beef gift bag at the end of the night. With this sponsorship, fans will see BEEF on the Jumbotron at home games throughout the season.

2022 Cover Contest

Submission Deadline: February 20, 2022

We’re on the hunt for farm lifestyle photography featuring cattle for the March 2022 issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine, and we need your help to capture it! Check out the entry rules at www.BamaBeef.org/Cover.

To enter, email up to five  photos to ngodwin@bamabeef.org and kgreer@bamabeef.org. File attachments or links to online gallery downloads are acceptable. Links or tags on social media albums will not be accepted. Submissions should include photographer’s name, hometown, county and farm name in order to give proper credit to the photographer.

Entry Requirements:

• Submissions must not feature posed family portraits. Visible faces are not preferred.
• Submissions must be high resolution (300dpi minimum)
• Submissions must be portrait oriented.
• Submissions must leave ample space for the publication masthead.
• Submissions must feature Alabama cattle farm scenery or lifestyle
• Submissions must be seasonal to the publication date (early spring).
• Submissions must not be overly-edited and may not include a watermark.
• Submissions may not be used previously by another publication or company.
• Submissions must be captured by an Alabama resident & member of the ACA.

SLE RODEO, COMING TO TOWN!

The countdown is on for the 65th annual SLE Rodeo as we are only 51 days away from the greatest show on dirt! The Southeastern Livestock Exposition (SLE) is proud to be nationally-televised on The Cowboy Channel thanks to being named a 2022 NFR Play-Off Series Rodeo by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). 

Our show will have the top professional rodeo cowboys and cowgirls competing against the best livestock in the business during four performances from March 18-20, 2022. We will also have live performances from World Champion Western Entertainer and Trick Roper Rider Kiesner, a PowWow performance by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, B-K Ranch Fighting Bulls, and more! Buy your tickets now by visiting Tickets & Deals (slerodeo.com) so you don’t miss out on any of the action! 

We’re proud to announce new changes coming in 2022 as we shift from a Thursday-Saturday event to a Friday-Sunday show. The show order is as follows: Friday, March 18 (7PM); Saturday, March 19 (1PM); Saturday, March 19 (7PM); and Sunday, March 20 (2PM). Also new in 2022 is the addition of WPRA Breakaway Roping, live at each event! Learn more about all the family fun on our Events Calendar and stay tuned to social media for event announcements, ticket giveaways and all the news the SLE Rodeo has to bring! 

Our rodeo committee is also looking for volunteers for the weekend of the rodeo. If you are available to offer your time, please complete the form on this website: Volunteer at the Rodeo (slerodeo.com). We are looking forward to three action-packed days of good, clean family fun, and we hope to see you there.

If you need to book a room, check out the Homewood Suites for a 10% discount if you plan to attend the show! Just call 334-272-3010, ask for the SLE Rodeo rate and tell them Ray sent you!

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

The 2022 membership year has officially kicked off, and we are headed boldly in the direction of 10,000 members! As we approach late winter/early spring, many counties will host annual meetings. Please, contact Jessica Kennedy at our office to let her know about county meeting dates and leadership changes OR complete this online form to notify us of your meeting, assign a mailout, and request a guest speaker. As always, leaders, we encourage you to enter new members and renewals by the 15th of each month to guarantee they stay on the magazine distribution list and to deposit checks in a timely manner. Also, PLEASE send county leader updates to the state office so we can update them for future mailings, emails, etc. Contact Jessica to let her know who your county officers are!

YCLP

Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program (YCLP) Class VIII will graduate at the ACA Convention Awards Banquet. We are looking forward to seeing these 23 young leaders grow in our organization and as industry advocates. With one class graduating, that calls for another class incoming. Applications for YCLP Class IX are now open! This program is for young cattlemen who are looking to build on their leadership skills, network with producers from across the state, and gain deeper industry knowledge. If you want to learn more about this program or apply please visit www.bamabeef.org/yclpclass9. These applications will close March 15, 2022 and will be passed on to the YCLP Council for the selection process to take place.

Speaking of YCLP Council, those applications are also now open. If you are a YCLP Alumni and would like to serve on the YCLP Council, please visit www.bamabeef.org/council to learn more about the roles the Council serves and to apply. Those elected will serve a two-year term beginning March 2022. Open seats are available in Classes 2 (2015-2016), 3 (2016-2017), 5 (2018-2019), 6 (2019-2020) and 8 (2021-2022). Applications for YCLP Council close February 15, 2022.

UPCOMING EVENT: ALABAMA JR. & SR. HIGH SCHOOL BEEF COOK-OFF

The Annual Alabama Jr. & Sr. High School Beef Cook-Off will be on April 9 at Jefferson State Community College. If your county has hosted a local beef cook-off, be sure to get your winners registered on our website at https://www.bamabeef.org/cookoff by March 21! This event will be held at Health Sciences and Culinary Institute building at Jefferson State, and registration is FREE! Please contact Ali Cantrell on our staff if you have any questions. 

JUNIOR CATTLEMEN UPDATE

The Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Association (AJCA) will be hosting youth career-centered contests at the ACA Convention and Trade Show! Join the AJCA Board of Directors, Saturday March 5^th in Mobile for public speaking, career development, and quiz bowl competitions. All contests will be sponsored by Beef Checkoff and are FREE for all youth to enter. Each contest holds great scholarships opportunities! Here’s some more dates to mark on your calendar:

Saturday, March 5: Youth Contests at the ACA Convention (Register Now)

Thursday, April 14: Spring Youth Production Field Day (Vista Farms- Fayette)

July 14-17, 2022: AJCA Round-Up ( Montgomery, AL)

Saturday, September 17: Fall Youth Production Field Day (Location TBD)

DOWN TO EARTH: AGRICULTURE SUSTAINS ALABAMA

Sustainability is a buzzword that has captured the attention of producers and consumers alike, and agricultural communicators from across the state are taking on the buzz. In March 2021, communications staff from commodity representatives and trade organizations across the agricultural sector began meeting to discuss how to tackle this topic. The result of almost a year of conversations— Down to Earth: Agriculture Sustains Alabama.

This yearlong public education campaign is a collaborative communications effort designed to be a voice for agricultural stakeholders in Alabama to promote the sustainable, conservation-minded practices farmers and ranchers are already doing. The goal is to reach 1 million Alabama consumers to influence their beliefs by promoting the work of farmers and ranchers across the state— to tell YOUR story. We know your goal is to create as much output with as little input, all while protecting the environment for future generations, and it is now time we, as communicators, do a better job of telling that story. To do that, the group has broken down the sustainability topic into six main points: Carbon Emissions, Animal & Plant Efficiency, Data & Technology, Conserving Natural Resources, Smart Land Use and Sustaining for the Future. We will be extending this campaign via digital advertising, broadcast news, print media, and a video campaign. The 2021 Farm-City theme also reflected this concept, which served as an excellent soft launch and way to introduce this tricky topic in an interactive way to school children across the state. 

Working group members include the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, the Alabama Farmers Federation, Alabama Poultry & Egg Association, Alabama Agribusiness Council, Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, Sweet Grown Alabama, the Alabama Commission, Simply Southern and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. ACA’s Kayla Greer is a co-chair to this statewide, collaborative effort alongside Caleb Hicks of AP&EA. 

The campaign officially launches on March 31, 2022 with an event called “Down to Earth Day” in Pike Road, AL. It will include an educational field trip portion, public education event, and a media conference with elected officials as our special guests. This is YOUR campaign, so if you want to be part of it as a spokesperson, event volunteer, or just learn more about how to help spread the message, contact Kayla Greer at (334) 265-1867 or email her.Otherwise, please help us spread the Down to Earth message on social media beginning March 31, 2022 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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 or Instagram.

We are halfway through January and have already got all sorts of events, programs and business in the works. There’s nothing like staying busy! Keep reading to learn more about what’s happening in our office this week and stay in touch with your Cattlemen’s Association.

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ACA CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW

ACA Convention & Trade Show registration is now live! Join us in Mobile, AL at the Mobile Convention Center on March 4-5 for the largest cattle industry trade show and educational event in Alabama. Keynote speakers include John Driscoll of the Mobile Port Authority and Kevin Good of CattleFax. As always, we’ll host a trade show full of equipment, feed, animal health, retail and breed representatives. The event will also feature Cattlemen’s Colleges, Youth Contests, our annual BEEF PAC Auction, and incredible meals. Learn more about our Schedule of Events, Book Your Hotel Room, or Register Now. 

If you are interested in having a booth at our trade show in Mobile, please contact Ali Cantrell. The early bird pricing will end on February 1, 2022! You can also register online, or you can visit our Convention Website.

SLE RODEO, COMING TO TOWN!

The countdown is on for the 65th annual SLE Rodeo as we are only 58 days away from the greatest show on dirt! The Southeastern Livestock Exposition (SLE) is proud to be nationally-televised on The Cowboy Channel thanks to being named a 2022 NFR Play-Off Series Rodeo by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). 

Our show will have the top professional rodeo cowboys and cowgirls competing against the best livestock in the business during four performances from March 18-20, 2022. We will also have live performances from World Champion Western Entertainer and Trick Roper Rider Kiesner, a PowWow performance by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, B-K Ranch Fighting Bulls, and more! Buy your tickets now by visiting Tickets & Deals (slerodeo.com) so you don’t miss out on any of the action! 

We’re proud to announce new changes coming in 2022 as we shift from a Thursday-Saturday event to a Friday-Sunday show. The show order is as follows: Friday, March 18 (7PM); Saturday, March 19 (1PM); Saturday, March 19 (7PM); and Sunday, March 20 (2PM). Also new in 2022 is the addition of WPRA Breakaway Roping, live at each event! Learn more about all the family fun on our Events Calendar and stay tuned to social media for event announcements, ticket giveaways and all the news the SLE Rodeo has to bring! 

Our rodeo committee is also looking for volunteers for the weekend of the rodeo. If you are available to offer your time, please complete the form on this website: Volunteer at the Rodeo (slerodeo.com). We are looking forward to three action-packed days of good, clean family fun, and we hope to see you there. Let’s rodeo!

DOWN TO EARTH: AGRICULTURE SUSTAINS ALABAMA

Sustainability is a buzzword that has captured the attention of producers and consumers alike, and agricultural communicators from across the state are taking on the buzz. In March 2021, communications staff from commodity representatives and trade organizations across the agricultural sector began meeting to discuss how to tackle this topic. The result of almost a year of conversations— Down to Earth: Agriculture Sustains Alabama.

This yearlong public education campaign is a collaborative communications effort designed to be a voice for agricultural stakeholders in Alabama to promote the sustainable, conservation-minded practices farmers and ranchers are already doing. The goal is to reach 1 million Alabama consumers to influence their beliefs by promoting the work of farmers and ranchers across the state— to tell YOUR story. We know your goal is to create as much output with as little input, all while protecting the environment for future generations, and it is now time we, as communicators, do a better job of telling that story. To do that, the group has broken down the sustainability topic into six main points: Carbon Emissions, Animal & Plant Efficiency, Data & Technology, Conserving Natural Resources, Smart Land Use and Sustaining for the Future. We will be extending this campaign via digital advertising, broadcast news, print media, and a video campaign. The 2021 Farm-City theme also reflected this concept, which served as an excellent soft launch and way to introduce this tricky topic in an interactive way to school children across the state.

Working group members include the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, the Alabama Farmers Federation, Alabama Poultry & Egg Association, Alabama Agribusiness Council, Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, Sweet Grown Alabama, the Alabama Commission, Simply Southern and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. ACA’s Kayla Greer is a co-chair to this statewide, collaborative effort alongside Caleb Hicks of AP&EA.

The campaign officially launches on March 31, 2022 with an event called “Down to Earth Day” in Pike Road, AL. It will include an educational field trip portion, public education event, and a media conference with elected officials as our special guests. This is YOUR campaign, so if you want to be part of it as a spokesperson, event volunteer, or just learn more about how to help spread the message, contact Kayla Greer at (334) 265-1867 or email her. Otherwise, please help us spread the Down to Earth message on social media beginning March 31, 2022 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

The 2022 membership year has officially kicked off, and we are headed boldly in the direction of 10,000 members! As we approach late winter/early spring, many counties will host annual meetings. Please, contact Jessica Kennedy at our office to let her know about county meeting dates and leadership changes OR complete this online form to notify us of your meeting, assign a mailout, and request a guest speaker. As always, leaders, we encourage you to enter new members and renewals by the 15th of each month to guarantee they stay on the magazine distribution list and to deposit checks in a timely manner. 

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Gov. Ivey called a special session on Tuesday, putting on hold lawmakers’ regular law-making session to focus on the massive federal influx of funds. Lawmakers will begin work today focused on spending $772 million in American Rescue Plan Act Funds. A spending bill hasn’t been made public, but the talk is that priority spending for broadband internet, assisting hospitals and nursing homes and building out water and sewer infrastructure in communities where service lacks.

YCLP

Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program(YCLP) Class VIII will graduate at the ACA Convention Awards Banquet. We are looking forward to seeing these 23 young leaders grow in our organization and as industry advocates. With one class graduating, that calls for another class incoming. Applications for YCLP Class IX are now open! This program is for young cattlemen who are looking to build on their leadership skills, network with producers from across the state, and gain deeper industry knowledge. If you want to learn more about this program or apply please visit www.bamabeef.org/yclpclass9. These applications will close March 15, 2022 and will be passed on to the YCLP Council for the selection process to take place.

Speaking of YCLP Council, those applications are also now open. If you are a YCLP Alumni and would like to serve on the YCLP Council, please visit www.bamabeef.org/council to learn more about the roles the Council serves and to apply. Those elected will serve a two-year term beginning March 2022. Open seats are available in Classes 2 (2015-2016), 3 (2016-2017), 5 (2018-2019), 6 (2019-2020) and 8 (2021-2022). Applications for YCLP Council close February 15, 2022.

DYW at ACA

The Distinguished Young Women of Alabama will visit the Cattlemen’s building on Thursday for a steak lunch and tour of The MOOseum. We are looking forward to having these young people who are competing in the state contest after winning their county competitions. If you have a daughter or granddaughter participating in the competition, be sure to tell them to come say hi when they’re here and let us know who they are!

UPCOMING EVENT: ALABAMA JR. & SR. HIGH SCHOoL BEEF COOK-OFF

The Annual Alabama Jr. & Sr. High School Beef Cook-Off will be on April 9 at Jefferson State Community College. If your county has hosted a local beef cook-off, be sure to get your winners registered on our website at https://www.bamabeef.org/cookoff by March 21! This event will be held at Health Sciences and Culinary Institute building at Jefferson State, and registration is FREE! Please contact Ali Cantrell on our staff if you have any questions. 

JUNIOR CATTLEMEN UPDATE

The Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Association (AJCA) will be hosting youth career-centered contests at the ACA Convention and Trade Show! Join the AJCA Board of Directors, Saturday March 5^th in Mobile for public speaking, career development, and quiz bowl competitions. All contests will be sponsored by Beef Checkoff and are FREE for all youth to enter. Each contest holds great scholarships opportunities! Here’s some more dates to mark on your calendar:

Saturday, March 5: Youth Contests at the ACA Convention (Register Now)

Thursday, April 14: Spring Youth Production Field Day (Vista Farms- Fayette)

July 14-17, 2022: AJCA Round-Up ( Montgomery, AL)

Saturday, September 17: Fall Youth Production Field Day (Location TBD)

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 or Instagram.

Happy New Year! It has been a few months since we updated our blog. We apologize for that, but the rush at the end of the year made for a wild ride here at ACA. Never fear, we’re back and loaded down with a set of news from our staff to get us moving forward into 2022. Saddle up, we’ve got a lot to unpack!

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ACA Convention & trade Show

ACA Convention & Trade Show registration is now live! Join us in Mobile, AL at the Mobile Convention Center on March 4-5 for the largest cattle industry trade show and educational event in Alabama. Keynote speakers include John Driscoll of the Mobile Port Authority and Kevin Goode of CattleFax. As always, we’ll host a trade show full of equipment, feed, animal health, retail and breed representatives. The event will also feature Cattlemen’s Colleges, Youth Contests, our annual BEEF PAC Auction, and incredible meals. Learn more about our Schedule of Events, Book Your Hotel Room, or Register Now.

If you are interested in having a booth at our trade show in Mobile, please contact staffer, Ali Cantrell. The early bird pricing will end on February 1, 2022! You can also register online, or you can visit our Convention Website.

SLE RODEO, COMING TO TOWN!

The countdown is on for the 65th annual SLE Rodeo as we are only 65 days away from the greatest show on dirt! The Southeastern Livestock Exposition (SLE) is proud to be nationally-televised on The Cowboy Channel thanks to being named a 2022 NFR Play-Off Series Rodeo by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). 

Our show will have the top professional rodeo cowboys and cowgirls competing against the best livestock in the business during four performances from March 18-20, 2022. We will also have live performances from World Champion Western Entertainer and Trick Roper Rider Kiesner, a PowWow performance by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, B-K Ranch Fighting Bulls, and more! Buy your tickets now by visiting Tickets & Deals (slerodeo.com) so you don’t miss out on any of the action!

We’re proud to announce new changes coming in 2022 as we shift from a Thursday-Saturday event to a Friday-Sunday show. The show order is as follows: Friday, March 18 (7PM); Saturday, March 19 (1PM); Saturday, March 19 (7PM); and Sunday, March 20 (2PM). Also new in 2022 is the addition of WPRA Breakaway Roping, live at each event! Learn more about all the family fun on our Events Calendar and stay tuned to social media for event announcements, ticket giveaways and all the news the SLE Rodeo has to bring!

Our rodeo committee is also looking for volunteers for the weekend of the rodeo. If you are available to offer your time, please complete the form on this website: Volunteer at the Rodeo (slerodeo.com). We are looking forward to three action-packed days of good, clean family fun, and we hope to see you there. Let’s rodeo!

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

The 2022 membership year has officially kicked off, and we are headed boldly in the direction of 10,000 members! As we approach late winter/early spring, many counties will host annual meetings. Please, contact Jessica Kennedy at our office to let her know about county meeting dates and leadership changes OR complete this online form to notify us of your meeting, assign a mailout, and request a guest speaker. As always, leaders, we encourage you to enter new members and renewals by the 15th of each month to guarantee they stay on the magazine distribution list and to deposit checks in a timely manner.

alabama legislature: back in session

The legislative session began yesterday as both chambers gaveled in. The big talk of the session is how the state will use the remaining amounts of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money that the state has received. Another big topic is the strong financial position of the budgets of this session. The ACA will be watching carefully through the session and working on legislation that will positively and negatively impact our industry. During the session, the Ag Coalition meets at the Cattlemen’s building on Tuesday mornings to discuss bills and get ready for the legislative week. Other meetings will take place such as caucus meetings and receptions during the session so the building is a huge asset to provide legislators.

UPCOMING EVENT: Alabama Jr. & SR. HIGH SCHOLL BEEF COOK-OFF

The Annual Alabama Jr. & Sr. High School Beef Cook-Off will be on April 9 at Jefferson State Community College. If your county has hosted a local beef cook-off, be sure to get your winners registered on our website at https://www.bamabeef.org/cookoff by March 21! This event will be held at Health Sciences and Culinary Institute building at Jefferson State, and registration is FREE! Please contact Ali Cantrell on our staff if you have any questions. 

LOOKING BACK: GREER TALKS SOCIAL MEDIA

To kick off 2022, ACA Director of Communications Kayla Greer had the honor to be a guest speaker at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference in Savannah, GA. More keen on livestock and certainly a “brown thumb,” Kayla didn’t have much to offer in terms of raising fruit and vegetables, but her expertise on social media tools and practices were invaluable to the audience. Kayla joined the conference— which hosted 3,000 farmers from across the Southeast— to speak at a special Social Media Boot Camp session last Thursday. This intimate and interactive deep dive into social media was limited to only 60 guests, but the crew spent the entire day exploring the many tools and features associated with Facebook Business Pages. Kayla specifically spoke on the Facebook Business Suite, Creator Studio and broke down Insights and Analytics that the small businesses could use to leverage audience engagement on their platforms.

A great trip to beautiful Savannah and great way to bring new light to the tasks she does daily, Kayla has already got her wheels spinning for a similar program for cattle producers who utilize social media to market cattle and/or local beef products. Stay tuned!

Junior Cattlemen Update

This past weekend, the AJCA Board Directors gathered in Montgomery for their Winter Planning Meeting. The Board looked into 2022 to plan upcoming events and explored overall goals for the year. A few dates to keep in mind: