What's Going On Wednesday: November 30, 2016

Our prayers have been heard! We finally got some rain!

We know most of our cattlemen were busy this weekend spreading seed for winter grazing and are now sitting back enjoying the sight of rainfall. We've heard of some parts of the state having up to 4.5-5 inches over the past two days. Wow!

Well, now that the turkey is put away, Christmas trees are lit and rain has settled the dust, take a few minutes to read all about what's happening at the ACA this week. We've got some important dates you'll want to hear. 

Capitol City Stampede- 74th Annual ACA Convention & Trade Show

The Capitol City Stampede will be held Feb. 15-16, 2017 at the Renaissance Hotel and Montgomery Convention Center in Montgomery, Ala. Registration opens online TOMORROW, and mail-in registration forms will be available in the December issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine.

We have confirmed three of our key speakers. The first is 10-year veteran of CattleFax, Clay Spearman. The Colorado State University graduate will discuss weather predictions and cattle price outlooks during one of the Convention's sessions. Next on the lineup is NCBA Past President Steve Foglesong who is now serving as a member of President-Elect Donald Trump's agricultural advisory team. Foglesong will give us a look inside the future of American agriculture under the Trump Administration. Also confirmed is NCBA's Senior VP of Global Marketing and Research Alisa Harrison. Alisa comes with vast experience in the worlds of beef retail marketing and public relations, and she will be giving an update on Checkoff efforts globally.

Visit www.BamaBeef.org/Convention to register TOMORROW. Who knows? There may even be a Facebook Event page...

Trade Show Vendors: TOMORROW IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER UNDER THE EARLY BIRD RATES. Find registration forms at BamaBeef.org/Convention. For questions, contact Erin Beasley at (334) 265-1867. 

Moo-ey Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the ACA! Our elves have been especially hard at work this year to introduce two new Christmas programs! First, we are proud to announce that The MOOseum is now a Toys for Tots Drop-Off Location. Bring your unwrapped toys by the ACA to donate to less-fortunate children during the Christmas season and stick around for a tour! 

We'll do you one better, though. Next Friday, December 9, bring your kiddos to The MOOseum for our very first Moo-ey Christmas event! We are hosting children from the River Region into The MOOseum for photos with Santa, a cookie decorating station, coloring time and tours of The MOOseum with real, live show calves (courtesy of AJCA President Cameron Catrett) for the children to see! Bring your little ones by next Friday morning to join in on all the Christmas cheer...and don't forget your toy donation! 

Meadows Family and Black & White Bull Sale

We would like to take this opportunity to say that our thoughts and prayers are with ACA President-Elect Richard Meadows' family after middle son, Will, sustained severe head injuries during an on-farm accident last week. You can follow progress on his recovery by visiting the Will's Journey Facebook Group. 

As many of you know, Richard's 11th annual "Black & White Bull Sale" is scheduled for this Friday, December 2 with consignments from Triple E Farms, Collins Farms and Mull Meadow Farm. The sale is still happening this Friday at noon at Montgomery Stockyards. ACA staff will be on-hand to help out sale functions so that Richard's family can concentrate on what's most important. We hope to see you there! 

Scholarship Application Deadline- TOMORROW!

Time is running out to apply for Alabama Cattlemen's Foundation scholarships! If a young person in your family is headed to college, be sure to visit www.BamaBeef.org/Scholarships to learn more about eligibility requirements and to apply today! Applications close at midnight TOMORROW.

Membership Update

Thanks to all our many counties who got membership lists and payment into the state office by the Early Bird deadline. Stay tuned for the drawing as ACA Membership Coordinator Jessica Kennedy is working to get those memberships input into the system and having checks processed. The drawing will take place soon, and three 2017 members are in for a treat! 

AISA All-Stars

This evening we are excited to host 110 Alabama Independent

School Association All-Star football players for a steak dinner and a lesson on Alabama's beef cattle industry and checkoff programs. These high school seniors from across the state are in Montgomery for the AISA All-Star football games happening this Friday evening at Cramton Bowl. The athletes are in town practicing are stopping by for a punch of protein!  

Drought Defense 

ACA leadership will be attending a second drought meeting with agency heads from the Governor's office and allied industry partners this Thursday. We are all very thankful for the rain, but we are still planning defensive strategies that will be needed to get us through this long-projected dry period. Industry representatives are discussing the possibility of government funding for hauling hay in state, but that discussion is still premature. Stay tuned for updates from that meeting! 

Speaking of drought...new north and central Alabama Extension drought meeting dates have been published online at BamaBeef.org/Drought. Don't miss these educational sessions about the best defensive drought strategies. 

Thanks for reading this week's blog! Stay up to date daily about ACA happenings by visiting our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or by visiting www.BamaBeef.org. Have a great week! 

What's Going On Wednesday: November 23, 2016

Happy Thanksgiving! 

It seems that as quickly as we welcomed the month of November, we're saying goodbye until 2017. It's been a few hard months in the cattle industry with more tough times ahead as we face the obvious obstacles of severe drought conditions during a period of low market prices. Thanksgiving is not about focusing on the hardships, however. It's about being thankful for our many blessings, and this year, those of us in the state office are thankful for our ACA members, the many outstanding state and county leaders and for our industry allies who are always here to offer a helping hand. We are thankful to be a part of Alabama's beef cattle industry which helps produce the world's safest, most nutritious beef supply and the many cattlemen who have spent their lives to this industry. 

That's just a few reasons we are thankful this Thanksgiving. Keep reading to learn about all that's happened around the office in the past two weeks and feel free to leave a comment below about what you're thankful for this year! 

Membership Update

REMINDER– The deadline for the early bird drawing is November 28th. All memberships AND payments must be in the state office by the 28th for members to qualify. Lists or pending membership without payment will not be accepted. If you have any questions please contact Jessica Kennedy in the state office. 

Speaking of membership, progress is being made on the selection of a new membership software package. We are running on borrowed time with our well-use Ag Returns system, but an upgrade is required to grow our membership database capabilities. Staff has been studying and reviewing different software packages and will hopefully come to a decision by December. County leaders, we will keep you informed along the way. 

Also on the software front, early in December we will be implementing a new software package that will help ensure compliance with both the state and national checkoff collections, courtesy of the Cattlemen's Beef Board. 

Alabama State Beef Checkoff Marketing Plan

The 2017 Beef Checkoff Marketing Plan was approved by the

board on November 17. This document will be available on the website soon and shows all of the programs that will be implemented in next year’s plan of work for checkoff staff. A few highlights of this year’s plan are increased educational opportunities, expansion of beef on the digital front and activities to enhance our youth program.

Big Changes for ACA in 2017

If you haven't already heard, at last week's Board Meeting ACA's Dr. Billy Powell announced his retirement effective June 30, 2017 after 35 years of service to the ACA. As for his successor, the Board approved current Director of Checkoff Programs Erin Beasley to be named assistant executive vice president effective January 1. Here's a comment from the future EVP herself...

“It is an honor to serve the cattlemen of Alabama in this role. Our foundation is solid which provides a wonderful opportunity to increase our membership, enhance checkoff programs and continue our relationships in the legislature. I look forward to working with the county cattlemen groups to identify areas of improvement to help meet our member needs. We have a fantastic staff that works hard for you so that you see value in your membership and the impact of your checkoff dollars at work.” -Erin Beasley

Honoring Dr. J Lee Alley

Cattlemen honored Dr. J Lee Alley for his strong leadership in Alabama's animal health sector during his term as state veterinarian and for leading the effort to make Alabama "brucellosis free." Dr. Alley was also instrumental in working with the Ag Coalition to secure the $13.5 million in state funding needed to construct the state diagnostic lab. Today, that lab is one of the most state-of-the-art animal diagnostic labs in the nation.

The State Beef Checkoff donated $10,000 in Dr. Alley's honor to purchase technology upgrades required for the Serology Lab. 

Drought Meetings and Coverage

Photo Credit: ADECA

ACA's Dr. Billy Powell spent a cold and early morning at west Montgomery's Catoma Creek with WSFA's Bethany Davis to interview about the impact of the drought on the cattle industry along with Director of Montgomery Water Works Buddy Morgan and our friends at ADECA. ACA leadership has done interviews with several other news outlets, and we've seen many news segments with cattlemen across the state who have done a fantastic job of representing cattle producers. 

On Tuesday, Dr. Powell had a discussion with Commissioner McMillan to review the status of the drought. Government officials are beginning to ask about what they can do, and Dr. Powell and Commissioner McMillan agreed to suggest a monetary allocation dedicated to having hay shipped into the state may be the next required step for the sake of state cattle producers. Stay tuned for more news on that as the drought committee will meet next week.

Capitol City Stampede- 74th Annual ACA Convention & Trade Show 

The Capitol City Stampede will be held Feb. 15-16, 2017 at the Renaissance Hotel and Montgomery Convention Center in Montgomery, Ala. Registration opens online on December 1, and mail-in registration forms will be available in the December issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine. 

We have confirmed our two keynote speakers- the first is 10-year veteran of CattleFax, Clay Spearman. The Colorado State University graduate will discuss weather predictions and cattle price outlooks during one of the Convention's General Sessions. Also confirmed is NCBA Past President Steve Foglesong who is now serving as a member of President-Elect Donald Trump's agricultural advisory team. Foglesong will give us a look inside the future of American agriculture under the Trump Administration. 

Visit www.BamaBeef.org/Convention to register on December 1! 

Scholarship Deadline Approaching

Time is running out to apply for Alabama Cattlemen's Foundation scholarships!  If a young person in your family is headed to college, be sure to visit www.BamaBeef.org/Scholarships to learn more about eligibility requirements and to apply today! Applications close at midnight on December 1!

Rodeo Tickets- Available Soon

Just in time for Christmas, tickets for the 60th annual SLE Rodeo will be available for purchase Friday, December 16 online and by calling 888-2RODEO2. Talk about a perfect stocking stuffer! Don't miss out on the gift of family fun!

Thanksgiving Holiday

Happy Thanksgiving from all your state staffers. We hope you have a safe and blessed holiday spent with family. The ACA office will be closed November 24-25 in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday. Normal business hours will resume on Monday, November 28. While it may be "Turkey Day," as always, we encourage you to eat BEEF! 

Don't forget to tell us what you're thankful for in the comments below! Thanks for reading this week's post. See you next week! 

What's Going On Wednesday: November 9, 2016

What a day.

What an election.

What a historical moment.

Regardless of your party allegiance, we can all agree that this was a win for the American agricultural industry as producers will begin to see a decline in overreaching legislation by agencies such as the EPA. Your Alabama Cattlemen's Association will go forward into this new executive office and work closely with NCBA to generate a proactive agenda regarding the beef and cattle industries. 

We know it's hard to focus on much more than this morning's news, but keep reading to stay in touch with what we are doing for you at the state office this week.

Membership Software

On Monday, following requests from many counties, the ACA state staff joined together for a proposal and presentation of a new membership software. The AgReturns program that is currently in place in the office is no longer meeting the needs of our membership coordination requirements, and we are looking to upgrade that system. Stay tuned as your staffers work to find a system just right for the ACA on the state and county level. 

Speaking of Membership...

Don't forget! The 2017 membership launched just last week online and via mail. We kicked off the campaign by sending out renewal statements early last week. Note: f you have already renewed your dues for 2017, disregard that statement. Pay your dues now through November 28 to be entered into a drawing for three cash prizes!

If your county chapter needs napkins and/or placemats for your upcoming meetings let Jessica know in advance so that she can ship them in time. Board members will have the opportunity to pick up membership cards at next week's Board Meeting. If you haven't already, contact Jessica about get a speaker or ACA representative to your county meeting by calling (334) 265-1867 or email her.

Wide Load Permit Issues

We were made aware earlier this week about producers who are having trouble receiving a free wide-please let us know at the ACA, and we will be glad to help iron out any further miscommunication. 
load permit from the Department of Transportation. After discussing this miscommunication with ALDOT officials, the issue is cleared and cattlemen should receive permits for hauling hay at no cost. If you do run into an issue regarding permits,

Convention Planning Underway

The 2017 ACA Convention and Trade Show is in our midst, and planning for the event is well underway. Save the dates for the Convention to be held Feb. 15-16 at the Renaissance Hotel and Montgomery Convention Center. Room registration information will be available soon, and registration will open online on December 1. Registration forms will also be available in the December issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine. 

On Monday, staff members visited the hotel to discuss meals and trade show space. It's shaping up to be a great menu, and we have ample space for our trade show. This means you and your family can look forward to seeing a lot of equipment! 

Hartford/Litchfield Sister Cities

On Tuesday, we have the privilege to host the Hartford/Litchfield Sister Cities Program in their 45th

anniversary year. Through this unique relationship, FFA students from Hartford, Ala. (Geneva County) and Litchfield, Minnesota visit each other to learn all about agriculture across their home states. At The MOOseum, our Minnesota visitors were introduced to the beef cattle industry in Alabama and learned all about the ACA. They even visited the third floor and explored the booths of all our generous donors. These students shine a bright light on the future of American agriculture, and we were so glad they stopped by to visit us.

Reporting on the State Beef Checkoff

On Tuesday, ACA Executive Vice President Dr. Billy Powell and Director of Checkoff Programs Erin Beasley attended the Department of Agriculture Board Meeting. While there, the duo presented the audit and a report on the 2015 state beef checkoff. The Board approved the audit performed by CRI Accounting Firm. 

A Trip to the Governor's Office

On Wednesday, ACA State President Bill Lipscomb will be joining us in the office for two important reasons. First, we will nail down the details of next week's Executive Committee and November Board Meetings. The Board meeting will be Thursday, Nov. 17 at 9:30 a.m. at the Cattlemen's Building in Montgomery. State staff has been working to generate a final draft of the proposed 2017 Alabama State Beef Checkoff Marketing Plan to present to the Board for approval. Thanks again to the Task Force that helped streamline and brainstorm new ideas for the plan. 

Second, Mr. President (Lipscomb, that is) will be joining Dr. Powell in a trip to the Governor's office to meet with ALDOT and Emergency Management Agency (EMA) officials on the critical drought situation. The team will discuss ways to help cattle producers in light of this relentlessly dry season.

Troy University Food Forum

Tomorrow, ACA will participate in an online Food Forum with Troy University nutrition class. Will Gilmer, a dairyman from Lamar County, will also be on the call to answer dairy-related questions and ACA's Erin Beasley will answer questions about beef. Students have taken time to research and watch videos about food production to construct their questions. Many questions center around food safety, cattle production and sustainability. This is the fourth year of doing this activity and we look forward to it every year!

60th Annual SLE Rodeo

We are working to finalize rodeo ticket order forms and get the Ticketmaster system ready to go for rodeo tick sales launch. The 60th annual SLE Rodeo will be held March 16-18 in Montgomery's Garrett Coliseum. Save the date and be on the lookout for tickets sales opening soon!

Saluting Our Veterans

Friday the ACA office will be closed to commemorate Veterans Day. Thank you to all who have served for defending our precious freedoms on foreign soil. We tip our hats to you in appreciation of your sacrifice.

Events Calendar

We've got county meetings, cattle sales and Extension workshops galore happening across the state! Tune into our BamaBeef.org Events Calendar to stay up to date, and be sure to mark your calendars for all our upcoming events. 

Thanks for reading this week's blog post. We'll talk again next week...same time, same place! Until then, always feel free to stay in touch with us by calling (334) 265-1867. 

Become a Member of ACA Today

What's Going On Wednesday: November 2, 2016

November already? The year 2016 has almost slipped right past us, and it has been a busy and successful year. We've still got two busy months ahead as we begin to turn our eyes toward 2017 and make preparations for a new year and new programs. 

The drought has hit our state with relentless force, and cattlemen everywhere are struggling at the mercy of Mother Nature. Your Cattlemen's Association is working to provide resources and outlets to get you through this critical situation, and we will keep you update with word of new resources or meetings. Until then, continue to rain dance as you catch up with the ACA with this week's blog update. Enjoy!

Membership

We kicked off the 2017 Membership Campaign by sending out renewal statements yesterday. If you have already renewed your dues for 2017, disregard that statement.

If your county chapter needs napkins and/or placemats for your upcoming meetings let Jessica know in advance so that she can ship them in time. If you haven't already, contact Jessica about get a speaker or ACA representative to your county meeting by calling (334) 265-1867 or email her. 

BQA Certification

Over 75 cattlemen were BQA certified during October Extension education programs. If you were a part of this you should be receiving your certificate and bumper sticker in the mail this week. Those cattlemen will be listed in the upcoming Alabama Cattleman magazine. 

 Thank you for getting certified!

#ALSteakTrail Insights

We were beyond thrilled with the results of the first-ever Alabama Steak Trail promotion! Check out some of these outstanding numbers generated through the contest on Facebook:

Page Likes: 1,224 (getting us over 15,000 page likes!)
Total People Reached: 292, 418
Total Post Likes: 2,546
Shares: 1, 497
Comments: 337
Entries: 63

Congrats to our four lucky drawing winners: Jill Walden from Conestoga Steakhouse, Terry and Leanna Jordan from Big Mike’s Steakhouse, Rachel Oswald from Diamond Jim’s and Mrs. Donna's and  Scott Clements from OH! Bryan’s Family Steakhouse!

2017 Checkoff Marketing Plan Coming Together

Following last week's successful Checkoff Marketing Plan Task Force meeting, ACA program staffers have been busy integrating the many great ideas generated by our producers and industry influencers. As of today, the new ideas are in place and will be sent for review to each of the committees. When the review period ends, staff will budget out the plan and prepare it for presentation to the ACA Executive Committee and Board of Directors on Nov. 16 and 17. 

Paying the Checkoff 

Speaking of the Checkoff...
We have successfully been working with USDA's Packers and Stockyards Program (P&SP) to ensure that a small stockyard in Alabama that was behind on paying their checkoff dollars sent their collected producer checkoff dollars to the Department of Agriculture. As of Monday, the amount due had been paid in full.

Drought Resources

We are continuing to work with Extension to share emergency drought meeting dates and resources in light of the critical drought situation. Even further, we are developing a webpage on BamaBeef.org that will be dedicated to informing producers about upcoming drought meetings and host links to useful resources including the Alabama Hay Listings, FSA Disaster Assistance (specifically the Livestock Forage Disaster Program) and the ACES Drought page. We are hopeful that this page will be live by the end of the week. 

ACA Executive Vice President Dr. Billy Powell will meet with the Emergency Management Agency next week to address how to handle hay, winter feed and water shortages. 

December Alabama Cattleman Magazine

Calling all Angus breeders: December is YOUR time to shine in the Alabama Cattleman magazine and we feature the Angus breed. Contact Nicky by calling (334) 265-1867 by November 10th to discuss some great special rates we have for Angus producers.

Cattle Sales Galore!

Last week, ACA staff enjoyed attending the CK Cattle Headquarters Sale Hope Hull, but that's not
the only place you'll find us. ACA leadership has been across the state attending cattle sales and are enjoying the opportunity to meet and greet with fellow cattle producers.

Don't miss out on upcoming sales in Alabama. Find a list of dates, times and locations on the BamaBeef.org Events Calendar> Cattle Sales page.

JBE Registration CLOSED

Registration for the 2017 Junior Beef Expo is closed as of 11:59 last evening, and staff is working today to consolidate files to proceed with planning out the show. We are expecting a large show for 2017. Final numbers will be announced in coming weeks. 

Meetings and More Meetings

Today, two ACA staffers will be in-and-out of the building as they attend meetings with other commodity and industry representatives. This morning, ACA's Dr. Billy Powell will attend the Alabama Agribusiness Council Board Meeting while ACA's Kayla Greer meets with ag communicators from across the state to update each other on industry happenings and share ideas on better ways to share news regarding agriculture. 

ACA's Erin Beasley has a unique opportunity to participate in final interviews for the livestock economist position previously held by Dr. Walt Prevatt at Auburn University's College of Agriculture. Stay tuned as the three finalists for the job come with outstanding ideas and resumes. 

Thanks for reading this week's blog post to catch up with the ACA. We'll be here next week...same time, same place.

Until then, be safe and say a few extra prayers for rain!