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Meaty Monday: Wishing You A Beefy Holiday

It is hard to believe that the end of 2012 is right around the corner and the holidays are upon us.  This season is a wonderful time to celebrate with family and friends, so why not make beef a center of the plate celebration? 

Oven roasting large beef roasts makes for not only a delicious meal, but it really does become the icon of the table.  A standing rib roast or perfectly crusted beef tenderloin is quite an impressive sight to say the least.  The best kept secret about a great beef roast? They are really easy to prepare!  Here are some tips to follow whether you decide to prepare a sirloin roast, rib roast or tenderloin roast. 

Step 1: Preheat oven to temperature specified in chart below. (Confirm temperature with an oven thermometer.)

Step 2: Remove roast from refrigerator, place fat side up on rack in shallow roasting pan and season, as desired. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer in the roast so tip is centered in thickest part, but not resting in fat or touching bone. Do not add water; do not cover.

Step 3: Roast according to timetable. Transfer roast to carving board; tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes. (Temperature will continue to rise 5ºF to 10ºF to reach desired doneness, and roast will be easier to carve.)

Now that you have the easy steps to preparing a roast, all you need is a recipe.  The Dijon and Herb Rubbed Beef Roast with Cranberry Sauce can be found in the December issue of the Alabama Cattlemen.  It is a recipe from the popular beef checkoff funded website, www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com where you can find all kinds of information from recipes to cut selection.  

http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/recipe.aspx?id=3841

Please take these tips and excellent recipe to "beef up" your dinner table this holiday season.  Remember, "Beef, It's What's For Dinner"!

National Beef Quality Audit Video Summary

Every five years, a National Beef Quality Audit is performed, in which ranchers, feedlot operators, packers, retailers and government and allied industry are surveyed.  The purpose of the checkoff-sponsored audit is to document accomplishments, future challenges and to identify areas that need improvement.  The full results of the latest audit will be released on July 26 at the summer National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) meetings in Denver. Among the advancements the industry should be proud of are those made in tenderness, palatability, animal care, quality assurance, animal welfare,  stockmanship and stewardship, beef safety and continuing to tell the beef story.  As a prelude to the release of the results, John Paterson,  NCBA executive director of producer education, provides this video summary of the challenges and opportunities identified from the audit and the road map to continuously  improve beef demand and quality.  

Media Distortions about Tifton 85

Several recent news articles have recently made false statements about Tifton 85 hybrid bermudagrass. Tifton 85 is a hybrid, not a GMO. To read more, click here.


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Scenes from the June 2012 ACA Board Meeting

The Alabama Cattlemen's Association Board of Directors met today in Montgomery for a quarterly board meeting. Nearly 100 people were on hand to see membership awards distributed to ACA's top performing county chapters. Complete details from the meeting are upcoming in the July issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine. Below are scenes from the event:

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2012 Alabama Angus Association Field Day

     The Alabama Angus Association recently held its annual summer field day on June 2nd at Thunderfoot Angus in Gordon, AL. The morning program featured presentations from AL Angus Executive Secretary Mike McGuire, AAA Board Member John Harrell, ACA staffer Reid Blossom, and consulting nutritionist Buck Chastain. The afternoon program featured AL Angus President Gregg Blythe presenting awards for Family of the Year, Breeder of the Year, and Junior Scholarship Winners. The Women's Association hosted a silent auction and the annual auction was held for the 2012-13 Angus Association Directory. As well, the raffle heifer drawing was held for CWL Big Time Girl 1011 donated by the NE Alabama Performance Breeders Bull Sale Group.
     Also, the association's annual Junior Preview Show was held the night before at Southern Cross Ranch in Columbia. Complete details from the junior show and field day are upcoming in the Angus Journal.
Below are pictures from the event:

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Alabama Charolais/Houston County Field Day

     The Alabama Charolais Association and the Houston County Cattlemen's Association recently joined forces to host their 2012 Summer Field Day together. The event was held May 26th at Meadows Creek Farm in Ashford and hosted by the Meadows family.
     The day included a junior heifer show and judging contest as well as live music, lunch, educational program, and lots of kids friendly activities and food for all the families involved. Below are scenes from the event:

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ACA Leaders Visit Auburn University

The Alabama Cattlemen's Association's Executive Committee and Foundation Board recently met on campus at Auburn University. While there, the group was led on tours of the Lambert-Powell Meats Laboratory and the Vet School's Large Animal Clinic.

Several cattlemen participated in an exercise to cut Flat Iron steaks from larger shoulder muscle portions, a tactic the beef industry has developed to add value to the beef carcass. Below are pictures from the event:

New Lean Beef Commercials

The beef checkoff is responsible for creating two great new commercials that were released today and will see extensive promotion use in the future. Each spot reinforces for consumers the fact that lean beef makes for a meal that truly brings people together. Each video is embedded below:

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New Online Advertising Opportunities from ACA

     Building on its current offering of email blasts and homepage banner ads, the Alabama Cattlemen's Association is now offering a new online advertising venue. Page specific banner ads allow advertisers to target and reach potential customers based on the content they're viewing on ACA's website, bamabeef.org.
     "This is really just another way to offer value to our current magazine advertisers. They can bundle their magazine ads with an email blast or an online banner add to extend their reach. Now, we're adding locations around ACA's website so that advertisers can further tailor their ad buy," says Reid Blossom, ACA Director of Industry Relations & Youth Programs.
     The new page specific banner ads are currently available on the "Market Prices" and "Alabama Junior Cattlemen's Association" pages but will be added to more pages in the future.
     "With the upcoming AJCA Round-Up, traffic to the Junior Cattlemen page will really pick up and the Market Price page is consistently one of our most popular pages logging over 900 pageviews per month," says Blossom.
     For more information on how to extend your current ads running in the Alabama Cattleman magazine into ACA's electronic capabilities, contact Reid Blossom or Jordan Barrett at the ACA office or click here.


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BQA Celebrates 25 Years

The beef industry is celebrating 25 years of Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) education for cattlemen in this country. What started to address injection site blemishes has progressed into a whole system approach to proper animal care for cattlemen.

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Beef Checkoff Works in Alabama

Cattlemen know their Beef Checkoff works hard for them in Alabama. Whether through advertising campaigns developed at the national level or public relations efforts to boost consumer confidence, the Beef Checkoff works on behalf of cattlemen so they can focus on what they do best; raise great tasting beef.

One example of the Beef Checkoff working on behalf of cattlemen is a partnership with the Culinary Arts program at Wallace State Community College to educate future chefs and food professionals about beef. These will be menu planners, trend leaders and influencers in the future and their understanding of our product and our industry will be mutually beneficial for years to come. The short video below explains this partnership and its benefits:

2012 ACA Convention Survey

Please take a couple of moments to answer a few questions to help ACA evaluate this year's convention and plan for the future. Those who attended as well as those didn't are encouraged to complete the survey. To get started, click the link below:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ACAconventionSurvey

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Region II - May 4-5 in Montgomery, AL

NCBA and ANCW members from around the Southeast will converge on Montgomery, AL May 4-5 to participate in the annual NCBA Region II workshop. Details on the event can be found on ACA's homepage or by clicking the link below.

2012 Region II Agenda/Registration

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Alabama Cow Calf Conference - June 15th

Cow-calf producers in Alabama should mark their calendars for June 15th and make plans to attend the upcoming Alabama Cow-Calf Conference to be held on campus at Auburn University.

A thorough educational program focusing on topics such as Nutrition, Economics, and Management is in store as well as a Trade Show and steak supper. Presenters will be on hand from the University of Arkansas, Kansas State University, Auburn University, and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.


Full program and registration  can be found at www.aces.edu/animalforage and click on Cow-Calf Conference. Cost is $60/person and includes proceedings, tradeshow, breaks, lunch, social hour with speakers and a steak dinner. For more information or a brochure contact: Lisa Kriese-Anderson (334) 844-1561 or kriesla@auburn.edu or your  local Extension office or Animal Science Regional Agent.



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2012 ACA Convention Video Interviews

In case you missed it last month, here are a few scenes from the 69th Annual ACA Convention & Trade Show held March 30-31 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, AL. Look forward to complete coverage from the convention in next month's Alabama Cattleman magazine. We hope to see you there next year at the 2013 ACA Convention!

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1FF5E3448D5B0D20

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New from the Beef Checkoff

Cattlemen and consumers alike will be excited to see new materials being developed and shared online via the Beef Checkoff. Below is a video example of such work:

To see more, visit: http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/meattheexperts.aspx

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Take the 2012 SLE Rodeo Survey

surveymonkey.com/s/2012SLERodeoSurvey

surveymonkey.com/s/2012SLERodeoSurvey

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New BQA Video Available Online

          A new video from the Beef Quality Assurance program titled "BQA Cattle Handling Tips for Cow/Calf Producers" is now available at bqa.org as well as on YouTube. The video was created to demonstrate how to handle different types of cattle (bulls, cows, heifers, calves, and pairs) on cow/calf, stocker, and seedstock operations. Experts Dr. Ron Gill, Curt Pate, Dr. John Maas, and others take you though different production settings and the changing cycle of a cattle operation to understand how the handler and the cattle react to these differing situations. 

Click Here to Watch Online

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ACA Convention - Gaining Ground in 2012

Hundreds of cattlemen will convene on the Rocket City this Friday and Saturday, March 30 and 31 for the 69^th Annual Alabama Cattlemen’s Association Convention Trade Show. The biggest cattle event of the year will be at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville.

The event will offer attendees the opportunity to hear from industry experts on topics relating to policy, trade, production, and marketing. A highlight of the event is the huge trade show which has grown considerably this year to include 75 vendors representing the complete spectrum of products and services in demand from cattlemen as well as a few the whole families can enjoy.

             An added attraction this year is an effort from the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and its members to restock the canned food stores of the North Alabama Food Bank as the one year anniversary of the April 27^th tornadoes draws near. Admission to the trade show on Saturday is free to those who contribute a canned food item to help in the Association’s drive to help the food bank.

             In addition 41 students will be awarded scholarships through the Alabama Cattlemen’s Foundation funded mostly from the sale of the “Cowboy Tag”.  Wendell Gibbs of Ranburne will be inducted into the Alabama Livestock Hall of Fame and Ag Commissioner John McMillan will receive the T. Whit Athey Award for leadership.

Donna Jo Curtis, cattle producer from Athens, will be installed as president of the statewide organization at the annual meeting on Sunday. Curtis will be the second woman to lead this 11,600 member association. Curtis stated that eight out of ten of the counties with the most cattle are located in north Alabama and she extends a special invitation to these producers to take time to come and attend this event.

            Registration on-site for the event is open to everyone, even those who are not members of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association. A complete schedule of events is available online at www.bamabeef.org.

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Setting the Record Straight on Ground Beef

News and commentary reports in recent weeks have brought undue attention on ground beef. However, Donna Jo Curtis of Athens who serves as President of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, has joined with her fellow beef producers in reassuring consumers that the beef they love is both safe and nutritious.

“I raise the beef we all eat. I know the work that goes into caring for these animals and the safeguards that are in place to keep our product wholesome. I serve beef to my children and grandchildren and won’t let some false media reports scare me away from doing what I know is right,” says Curtis.

What has been mislabeled as “pink slime” is actually boneless lean beef trimmings. The picture many have seen circulating the internet is a false depiction of what truthfully looks exactly like ground beef. As their real name suggests, boneless lean beef trimmings are 100% USDA inspected beef.  Imagine trimming fat from a roast or steak.  There’s always some meat that is trimmed with the fat.  It is this meat, separated from the fat, which becomes boneless lean beef trimmings.

Boneless Lean Beef Trimmings

Also receiving some unfair attention are the measures food processors use to fight E. coli contamination. In truth, boneless lean beef trimmings receive a puff of food grade ammonia to eliminate bacteria safely and effectively.  When combined with the natural moisture in beef, ammonium hydroxide is formed, which is a naturally occurring compound found in many foods, in our own bodies and the environment. This antibacterial puff of gas is not an ingredient in boneless lean beef trimmings. This process is safe and has been recognized as such by the FDA since 1974.

Noted author Peter McWilliams is often quoted for saying, “bad news gets higher ratings and sells more papers.” That sentiment surely appears to apply in this situation. The fact is that the beef you buy at your local supermarket or enjoy at your favorite restaurant is safe for you to share with your family. In fact, lean beef has been proven as a part of a heart healthy diet that delivers a delicious array of essential nutrients like zinc, iron, protein, and B vitamins that active bodies need.

The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association has two trained meat scientists on staff that are available to discuss this and other issues related to the beef industry. Those interested should contact Erin Beasley at the ACA office at 334-265-1867. As well, more information on this issue can be found online by visiting www.beefisbeef.com.


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110 Win County Livestock Awards During SLE Week

          During the recent 54^th Annual Southeastern Livestock Exposition Rodeo activities held at the Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, one hundred and ten youth from fifty five counties across Alabama were recognized for their commitment to the state’s livestock industry. Through a sponsorship from the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, the SLE was able to work with county leaders and volunteers to nominate and reward two young people in each county as Star Junior Cattlemen or Premier Exhibitors.

          “We actually awarded over $27,000 to a great group of young people from all over Alabama. These winners represent the state’s best livestock showmen as well as those who’ll be taking the reins as the future leaders of the livestock industry in our state,” says Camp Powers, President of the Southeastern Livestock Exposition.

          Over four hundred and sixty people were on hand for the awards luncheon which was held in conjunction with the 2012 Alabama Junior Beef Expo. The families and supporters of two hundred and eleven junior cattle exhibitors from forty four counties in Alabama were in attendance for the Junior Beef Expo which is hosted each year during SLE Week by the Southeastern Livestock Exposition.

          “We’re very grateful to the Poarch Band of Creek Indians for supporting our youth. Even those young people who don’t show cattle at state level shows like this were able to come and be a part of SLE Week and be recognized for their hard work before a statewide audience. We realize these are youngsters who deserve a lot of support and encouragement and we’re glad to be a part of that,” says Dr. Billy Powell, Executive Director of the Southeastern Livestock Exposition.

          The SLE Rodeo is sponsored each year since 1958 by the Southeastern Livestock Exposition whose founding principle was to support and promote the livestock industry. Nearly 20,000 rodeo fans were treated this year to the IPRA National All Region Finals as well as concerts in the arena by Colt Ford and Clint Black. Crowds were strong all weekend with rodeo attendance up 20% from last year. For more information on the Southeastern Livestock Exposition, visit www.slerodeo.com.

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Scenes from 2012 SLE Week

Thanks to all the rodeo patrons, participants, vendors, sponsors, and volunteers who made the 2012 SLE Rodeo and Junior Beef Expo a success. Below are some scenes from last week's event. Look for more coverage coming in future issues of the Alabama Cattleman magazine. This publication is mailed monthly to 12,000 subscribers. To begin receiving the Alabama Cattleman, join online by clicking here.

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2012 AJCA Board of Directors Elections

Elections for the 2012-2013 AJCA Board of Directors will be held Sunday March 11th at 8 am in the Teague Arena in Montgomery. This annual event is held each year in conjunction with the Alabama Junior Beef Expo. Elections and voting are open to AJCA members. Six positions will be filled during this year's election. Please see details below:

• District one will elect one director for a 2 year term.

District 1 Candidates:
Will Graves, Blount County
James Barton, Jackson County
Carly Lindstrom, Madison County
Shayne Pinyan, Cullman County

District 1 includes: Blount, Cherokee, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, and Winston counties.

• District two will elect one director for a 2 year term.

District 2 Candidates:
Cole Wakefield, Clay County


District 2 includes: Bibb, Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Fayette, Greene, Jefferson, Lamar, Pickens, Randolph, Shelby, Sumter, St. Clair, Talladega, Tuscaloosa, and Walker counties.

• District three will elect one director for a 2 year term.

District 3 Candidates:
Clay McGuire, Lee County


District 3 includes: Autauga, Bullock, Chambers, Chilton, Choctaw, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, Hale, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Montgomery, Perry, Russell, Tallapoosa, and Wilcox counties.

• District four will elect one director for a 2 year term.

District 4 Candidates:
Hannah Goodson, Coffee County
Madison Tew, Dale County


District 4 includes: Baldwin, Barbour, Butler, Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Mobile, Monroe, Pike, and Washington counties.

• One candidate will be elected for an "At Large" position for a 2 year term.
• One candidate will be elected for an "At Large" position for a 1 year term.

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PBCI/SLE County Youth Winners to be Recognized

        The Southeastern Livestock Exposition has recently taken advantage of an opportunity to partner with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Atmore, AL to recognize and reward youth who are active participants in Alabama’s livestock industry. Through a selection process directed at the county level, two young people per county have been selected to each receive a $250 cash award as well as an invitation to receive their award before a statewide audience during the 2012 Alabama Junior Beef Expo. These outstanding young people represent Alabama's finest livestock showmen as well as those young people who are active in our industry outside the livestock show arena.

        Please join us in congratulating this amazing group of young people as they are recognized during a special awards program to be held during the Junior Beef Expo on Saturday March 10th at noon.

County	First	Last
Autauga	Wyatt	Lockhart
Autauga	Logan	Strock
Baldwin	Natalie	de Jongh
Baldwin	August	Cassebaum
Bibb	Jarad	Taylor
Bibb	Dustin	Rominger
Blount	Will	Graves
Blount	Houston	Jones
Bullock	Joseph	Adams
Bullock	Daniel	Adams
Butler	Kenny	Harden
Butler	Jessica	Fuller
Calhoun	Rob	Broadwell
Calhoun	Justin	Grace
Chambers	Zack	Slay
Chambers	Taylor	Blair
Cherokee	Sean	Stansell
Cherokee	Daniel	Rogers
Chilton	Adam	Heflin
Chilton	James	Parnell
Choctaw	Blake	Allen
Choctaw	Slade	Johnston
Cleburne	Josh	Hammond
Cleburne	Abby	Ledbetter
Coffee	Jake	Blackmon
Coffee	Amanda	Reeves
Conecuh	Kelly	Goneke
Conecuh	Ali	Congdon
Coosa	Olivia	Harrell
Coosa	Alex	Eason
Crenshaw	Cassidy	Catrett
Crenshaw	Cameron	Catrett
Cullman	Shayne	Pinyan
Cullman	Brooke	Roberts
Dale	Madison	Tew
Dale	Shelby	Windham
Dallas	Kyle	Friday
Dallas	Katie Ryon	Gibbs
Elmore	Baleigh	Moseley
Elmore	Ryan	Barfoot
Escambia	Hailey	Lambeth
Escambia	Logan	Williamson
Etowah	Emma Kate	Merriman
Etowah	HannahElizabeth	Stewart
Geneva	Codi Nevaire	Clemmons
Geneva	Hannah	Phillips
Greene	Hannah	Garner
Greene	Rachel	Wilson
Hale	Cole	Marsh
Hale	John	Glover
Henry	Josh	Jones
Henry	Tiffany	Turner
Houston	Elizabeth	Miller
Houston	Jacob	Meadows
Jackson	Rayne	Starkey
Jackson	Caleb	Proctor
Jefferson	Katie	Reeves
Jefferson	Thomas	Reeves
Lauderdale	Kayleen	McCafferty
Lauderdale	Hank	Thigpen
Lawrence	Mathew	Namie
Lawrence	Blake	Mennes
Lee	Reid	McGuire
Lee	Chandler	Mulvaney
Limestone	Summer	Clark
Limestone	Lane	Oligee
Lowndes	Danzerrick	Rudolph
Lowndes	Trent	Woodley,Jr
Macon	Dustin	King
Macon	Arquel	Poole
Madison	Zachery	McCord
Madison	Abigal	McCord
Marengo	Hannnah	Rankin
Marengo	Abigail	Rankin
Marshall	Trey	Blackburn
Marshall	Brittney	Howard
Mobile	Whitney	Williams
Mobile	Taylor	Evans
Monroe	Christopher	Bell
Monroe	Jake	Tucker
Montgomery	Khadra	Findley
Morgan	Preston	Adams
Morgan	Quinn	Roberts
Perry	Stewart	Hargroder
Perry	Matthew	Brady
Pickens	Neely	Pearson
Pickens	John	Norris
Pike	Kate	Johnson
Pike	Logan	Johnson
Randolph	Shelby	Traylor
Randolph	Casey	Hadley
Shelby	Cheyenne	Wells
Shelby	Elliot	Folmar
St Clair	Tyler	Funderburg
St. Clair	Cody	Parks
Sumter	Blake	Dial
Sumter	D'Andre	Long
Talladega	Stephanie	Housch
Talladega	Jay	Howard
Tallapoosa	Lindsay	Poole
Tallapoosa	Rebecca	Oliver
Tuscaloosa	Lauren	Hughes
Tuscaloosa	Brannon	Ballard
Washington	Payton	Williams
Washington	Emily	Williams
Wilcox	Carl	Jackson,III
Wilcox	Sarah	Henderson

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