What's Going On Wednesday- May 18, 2016

It's not too often that it slows down enough at the state office for our staff team to catch its breath, but this week is one of those weeks. This week, we are able to do a little housekeeping and preparation for events to come. 

Just because events and meetings have slowed down for the moment doesn't mean we have little work to do. We're staying busy playing catch up and look ahead. Keep reading to find out what's going on at the ACA this week, learn about upcoming events and to read about a few outstanding members. 

Madison Back on Staff

The ACA would like to extend a special "welcome back" to Madison Tew of Ozark as she started this week to spend the summer working as an intern again. As we all know, Madison spent last summer with us as well and planned an excellent 2015 AJCA Round-Up weekend. Now an agricultural communications student at Mississippi State University, Madison is back at the ACA earning her official internship credits as well as taking on the 2016 Round-Up. We are so glad to have her back! 

She hit the ground running! Her main objective this week, other than find her footing and gathering information from last year's Round-Up, is designing a schedule flyer incorporating this year's theme (It's A Winning Tradition) and getting it mailed out to past sponsors and AJCA members. County chapters should expect those in the mail shortly and are encouraged to sponsor this excellent leadership development event. 

Membership 

The membership number of the day is 10,740 members of the ACA, but we've got a deal that non-renews just can't pass up. Renew now through June 1 and be sure to include your email address in the contact information. We will host a drawing for our newest renewal memberships on June 8th for a $500 beef certificate. Yes, if you renew for only $50 today, you could get $500 back! That's a deal! 

Don't forget our John Deere Gator drawing sponsored by John Deere, SunSouth, Tri-Green Equipment and Snead Ag. For every new member you recruit, your name and the new member's name will go in the drawing. ACA members also have the opportunity to purchase more chances to win by calling ACA at 334-265-1867.

Bama's Best Beef Final Four Announced

Our spring beef promotion that kicked off April 4 that highlights Alabama's unique beef dishes has narrowed down a final four. Now we are going head-to-head in week two with FIRE Steakhouse in Atmore's Filet Mignon Flatbread and Deano's Grill in Jacksonville's Deano Burger. The winner of this week's photo LIKE challenge will seal their spot in the final round and go head-to-head with week one's winner, West End Grill's Tot Roast! 

Check out the Alabama Cattlemen's Association Facebook page to participate in the contest! Find the first post on our page and LIKE the picture that looks and sounds the tastiest to you! 

Here's the Final Four:

• Tot Roast- West End Grill, Huntsville
• Filet Mignon Flatbread- FIRE Steakhouse, Atmore
• Roast Beef Sandwich- Claunch Cafe, Tuscumbia
• Deano Burger- Deano's Grill, Jacksonville 

Taking the Beef to Fayette Middle School 

This Friday, the Beef Checkoff and the Fayette County Cattlemen’s Association will be providing Fayette Middle School Family and Consumer Science program with a hamburger cookout to reward them for winning the “Exercise + Protein = Success” competition at the end of 2015. FMS teacher, Natalyn Burkhalter, organized the event with her students who did the 30-day protein challenge and a color run at their school. This school had outstanding results with the students who completed the project and learned how to incorporate beef into a healthy lifestyle. We are very excited to cookout with students/faculty this Friday.

Advertise in the July Alabama Cattleman Magazine

The July issue of the Alabama Cattleman offers you the opportunity to maximize your advertising dollars and target your audience with this special magazine issue.

Since 1958, cattle producers have used this informative publication to help keep them abreast of industry happenings and learn about managing their business. Our readers are one of the largest purchasers of equipment, fencing materials, bulls, replacement heifers, semen, animal health supplies, chemicals, guns, ATV’s, boots, farmland and so much more. 

The July issue will be a special one, as it will be mailed to over 17,000 cattle producers and industry-related individuals across the state including the 12,000 members of the ACA. This special issue will include numerous educational feature articles and will be used as a reference for months to come. Please contact Nicky  to reserve your space in the July issue by June 10th!   

Outstanding Cattlemen

We would like to take just a moment to recognize two outstanding cattlemen members on their recent national achievements. 

• Clay County Cattlemen's member and past SLE President Dr. George Smith was recently awarded the John H. Clark M.D. Leadership Award by the Federation of State Medical Boards. This prestigious award is given each year to qualified individuals for outstanding contributions to medical regulation. "The Lineville native served the state for years as head of Alabama’s medical licensing and regulatory agency. He’s even served as a role model for two generations of doctors in his family." Read the full article here.
• Montgomery County cattleman and past SLE President Dr. Woody Bartlett was recently honored by the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) with the 2016 Zoetis-AQHA Best Remuda Award. The Best Remuda Award recognizes the Pike Road-native's ranch for its oustanding efforts in raising American Quarter Horses, an important tool of the trade. Read the full article here.

Upcoming Events

• Pickens County Cattlemen's Association is pleased to be hosting it's 4th annual trail ride at J Bar Ranch in Gordo on Saturday, May 21. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. with a $20 fee per rider. The ride will start at 10 a.m. Lunch will be provided. You must RSVP by TODAY to the Pickens County Extension Office. (205) 367-8148 
• Let us know about your upcoming events, and we will share them in this section for all to see.  Email Kayla

The MOOseum

Schools are letting out. Temperatures are rising. Children are getting bored at home. 

We know how it goes, but we also know that The MOOseum is ready and waiting for your family to learn and play. Learn about beef cattle, sit on saddles, play in Cowboy Slim's kitchen and dress up like a rough-and-tumble cowboy for the afternoon. 

Book a tour for groups or just walk on in for individual families. We are located at 201 S. Bainbridge Street Montgomery, AL 36104. Got questions? Call 265-1867 or email Jessica. 

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What's Going On Wednesday: On To Rodeo

Crazy doesn't even begin to describe this time of year at the Cattlemen's building. Between the convention, rodeo, calf shows, spring events, summertime grilling and beef promotion all around the corner, this staff is gearing up for our busiest time of year! It's worth it, though, when we get to see all of our members at convention or when longtime rodeo-goers tell us how excited they are about this year's SLE Rodeo or when we see the look on dietitians' faces after they've learned something new and exciting about beef. This industry is one that's crazy, and by that we mean crazy fun to work for! 

Keep reading to learn about what's going on at the ACA:

Convention Recap

This year's Convention went off without a hitch! With an excellent trade show, some of the industry's best speakers and a little fun mixed in, the 73rd annual Convention and Trade Show was one for the books. Get the recap here from Dr. Billy Powell's with Randall Weiseman from Southeast AgNET. 

And for a good "Hump Day" smile, check out our new ACA President Bill Lipscomb and his wife Susan boot, scoot and boogie on the dance floor at last Friday's Rotational Grazing event to the tunes of Tim Tyler the Piano Man. More pics and videos can be found at the ACA Facebook page. 

Membership Update

Total membership for 2016 to date is 9,665! Help us reach our goal of 12,000 members! Reminder: the dues effect went into effect as of March 1. 

April 30 is the deadline for Top Hand Club (see prizes in the February Alabama Cattleman) and for your county to go "Over the Top" to qualify for the Priefert Squeeze Chute. April 30 is also the deadline for the Gator raffle. 

Cowboy Cookoff- Sign Up Today

Have you got a Ribeye Steak recipe that's popular among crowds? If so, then get ready to get grillin' at this year's Cowboy Cookoff as part of SLE Rodeo week! Join us in front of Garrett Coliseum on

Saturday, March 19 for a Ribeye Steak cookoff you don't wanna miss. Teams of four or less can compete for monetary prizes in the People's Choice and Judge's Panel categories.

Interested in forming a team? Learn more and sign up today!

The MOOseum

Book your class or group tour of The MOOseum today! It's easy with our online sign up tool or by calling today. (334) 265-1867 Visit the history room, Slim's Kitchen or the Cow Pen or dress up like a real cowboy or cowgirl in the rodeo room! Come on out to The MOOseum, we'd love to see you. 

2016 SLE Rodeo

The 59th Annual SLE Rodeo comes bucking into town March 17-19. This is a family event you don't wanna miss because this year has all kinds of new events including a parade to kick off SLE week! Tickets are easy to buy:

• Call 1-888-2RODEO2 and order over phone
• Visit www.SLERodeo.com and order online through Ticketmaster.
• Visit the Cattlemen's building in Downtown Montgomery or the Garrett Coliseum and buy your tickets in person
• Mail in a ticket order form, which can her found here. 

You're not going to want to miss this family fun show packed with entertainment! Frontier Rodeo Company, PRCA's Stock Contractor of the Year, will be bringing their best including PRCA Saddle Bronc of the Year, Medicine Woman! In between the bucking, bulldoggin' and barrels, Pro Rodeo master comedian Lecile Harris

will entertain the crowd while celebrating 60 years in the business! Don't forget your boogie boots because following Friday and Saturday nights' performances, you'll get to go Dancin' in the Dirt to the Sweet Young'Uns (Friday) and the Wes Loper Band (Saturday). Just in case that's not enough excitement, Thursday night is First Responders Night where FREE general admission is granted to anyone who can present a first responders identification. Friday night is Ladies Night where all ladies tickets will be submitted for some juicy door prizes drawn throughout the show! Lastly, bring those battle cries to the rodeo Saturday

The Sweet Young'Uns will perform
Friday evening following the
show, and the Wes Loper Band will
party in true rodeo fashion Saturday! 

 night for College Night, where college students can receive 4 tickets for only $40 with the presentation of a valid college i.d. 

Saddle up and join in the family fun and entertainment for all ages all while enjoying America's original sport, rodeo! Visit our website for more information and a schedule of events.

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ThrowbackThursday: 1959

#ThrowbackThursday to 1959 with the Tallapoosa County Cattlemen’s Association stood a BEEF sign on Highway 230 between Dadeville and Alex City. Pictured are H.L. Johnson, Mitchell Webster, Tallapoosa County president at the time, W.C. White and Edwin Davis. 

What's Going On Wednesday: August 12, 2015

Meetings, meetings and more meetings- that's the theme of this week at the Cattlemen's building! Task force meetings, committee meetings, board meetings...so many meetings! They're all, however, for the betterment of our association and Alabama's beef industry, so your ACA staffers are happy to conduct or attend as many meetings as it takes! 

Also, our Checkoff and Magazine staffers are preparing for the big month of October- Beef Month in Alabama! Get ready for events, promotions and some pretty cool social media campaigns as well as the "Bulls of Fall" issue of the Alabama Cattleman.

See #WhatsGoingOn around this Cattlemen's office this week:

Alabama's Best Steak

We are in the "Enticing 8" round of the 2015 Alabama's Best Steak contest and the competition is getting hot! This portion of the bracket challenge kicked off Monday at noon and so far over 9,000 votes have been recorded! The bracket closes Saturday, August 15 at midnight, so submit your vote before then at www.AlabamasBestSteak.com. 

The final "Fiery 4" restaurants will be announced Monday, August 24 and anonymous judging will begin and continue throughout the month of September! Make sure your favorite restaurant makes it to the "Fiery 4" and vote now! 

Mag Ads...Get Your Mag Ads!

As we mentioned earlier, October's issue of the Alabama Cattlemen magazine is the "Bulls of Fall" issue, and we are offering an advertising special too good to pass up! If you call and reserve your spot by Sept. 10, we can get you a quarter-page, two-color ad for only $200! If you've got a bull sale going on, then this is the deal for you! 

Get your spot in our October issue today by calling our office and asking for Nicky or by emailing her.

Obesity Task Force Meeting

The Alabama Obesity Task Force held its quarterly meeting Tuesday in Birmingham. The group- comprised of nutrition professionals and organizations- met to discuss initiatives in the state that are helping Alabamians make healthy lifestyle choices, and ACA staffer Erin Beasley was there to make sure beef was well represented!

A new campaign was recently kicked off called "Get Moving Alabama." It features a theme each month to keep the state moving. The ACA is looking for ways to become involved as a lead organization as a part of October Beef Month planning! The next meeting for the task force will be held at the ACA building in December, and Erin will present ways that beef fits into a healthy diet.

Department of Agriculture and Related Industries Board Meeting

Not only was Erin out representing the beef industry in meetings on Tuesday, but the newest ACA staffer Curt Berry was also! Curt spent a chunk out of his day at the Dept. of Ag and Related Industries Board Meeting where a variety of topics were discussed from avian influenza to financial business related to the happenings of our legislature's special session. 

On a topic more related to our industry- State Veterinarian Dr. Frazier gave a report on a proposed rule to change the way bulls are tested for Bovine Trichomoniasis. This rule would simplify the testing process in the future.

SLE Committee Meetings

On Friday our SLE Rodeo officers and committees are meeting in house to discuss the upcoming 2016 SLE Rodeo and the events associated with it! The rodeo will be held March 17-19, 2016 at Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery.

Be on the lookout for social media surveys regarding what you'd like to see at next year's rodeo! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates!

What's Going On Wednesday

The staff is staying busy around the Alabama Cattlemen's Association headquarters! Whether Erin is planning her next BEEF 101 session, Nicky is building next month's magazine or Selina is creating ways to enhance membership, there's always something happening to help make this organization better than before and to use your checkoff dollars in ways that will benefit you!

Check out #What'sGoingOn around the ACA this week.

Need a Bang for Your Advertising Buck? Look no further...

The month of June sneaked up on us all, which means that July is just around the corner! The Alabama Cattlemen magazine does a special issue each July, and by special we mean instead of mailing out the usual 12,000 copies statewide, we send more than 20,000 magazines to families and businesses in Alabama. 

What does this have to do with you? If you're looking to advertise your product, now's the time because while we increase our readership by more than 8,000 households, your cost of advertising remains the same. To spell that out- you get more for your money. Who doesn't want that?

If you're interested in advertising in July's Alabama Cattlemen, call Production Coordinator Nicky Bechard at (334) 265-1867 or email her at nbechard@bamabeef.org on or before June 15th.

AJCA Round-Up in Planning Overdrive

Summer intern Madison Tew is working diligently to make the 9th annual AJCA Round-Up the best yet! She's hoping participants can "Catch a Wave" and a great time at this year's show!

This week Madison is working on getting the awards made for this year's winners, and she's excited because next week we will be launching the online registration platform on the AJCA Round-Up website. Look out for that!

She encourages all who are interested in participating in this year's Round-Up to get your membership forms and dues in ASAP!

If you have any questions regarding the Round-Up, contact Madison at (334) 265-1867 or intern@bamabeef.org.

2015 AJCA Round-Up

July 23-26, 2015

Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, AL

Beef 101

Director of Consumer Marketing Erin Beasley stays busy traveling across the state promoting beef and educating industry influencers (dietitians, retailers, chefs, teachers, food service operators, etc) about the beef product life cycle, a process we call "Pasture to Plate." One way she does that is through an educational program designed for influencers called Beef 101. 

Thanks to our partnership with Auburn University’s Department of Animal Sciences, superior facilities, high quality cattle and top-notch instructors are available for use in the live animal and beef carcass demonstrations of the program.

Feedback from previous Beef 101 participants has been very positive with many claiming they had never experienced a workshop where they were able to have a hands on demonstrations with live cattle, beef carcasses and retail cuts. 

Erin will be in Auburn Thursday, June 4 for a Beef 101 session with family and consumer sciences (FACS) teachers for the program.

If you're a cattle producer interested in getting involved in the education process of Beef 101, contact Erin Beasley at (334) 265-1867.

Beef Prices Explained

It's no secret that beef prices are at an all-time high right now, but as an association that represents Alabama's cattle producers, the ACA is loving this trend; however, we realize from a consumer standpoint that this can be frustrating.

Many ask, why in the world are prices so high right now? Well, here's a great video to explain what goes into the cost of retail beef.

MOOseum Happenings

Summer programs, day camps and kids free from the constraints of school hours keep the MOOseum full during the summer months! Whether a group scheduled a tour or a family popped in after grabbing lunch downtown, everyone's welcome to stop by and learn about Alabama's beef industry. 

Stop by and visit Dusty, Cowboy Slim and Jessica- they'd love to have you!

If you're interested in bring your group by, schedule an appointment with MOOseum Coordinator Jessica Kennedy by calling (334) 265-1867.