What's Going On Wednesday- June 1, 2016

Well hello June! 

When did the past five months happen? If anybody knows, please call and tell us because we can't believe that the summer months are already here! We hope this week's blog post finds our cattlemen staying relatively cool and probably in the cab of a tractor pulling a hay baler. It's that time of year, so hit that tractor into auto pilot, kick back and enjoy finding out what's going on at the ACA this week! 

Bama's Best Beef Winner Announced!

West End Grill’s “Tot Roast” has been named “Bama’s Best Beef” after two months of social media promotion! After last week’s final round which generated over 1000 reactions, more than 100 shares and 139 comments, the Tot Roast was named the winner Friday, May 27 at 9 p.m. over the contest’s other finalist, Deano’s Grill’s “Deano Burger.”

The West End Grill owners and staff will be presented with a

plaque and on-site media conference directed by Alabama Cattlemen’s Association leadership and staff. We encourage all Huntsville-area members to visit West End Grill and offer your congratulations! Erin and Kayla certainly can't wait to try the dish themselves!

As described by the restaurant’s menu, the Tot Roast is, “crispy fried tater tots smothered in [West End Grill’s] Mississippi pot roast, cheese and gravy. One hundred percent Angus beef is slow roasted with a secret blend of spices and layered on top pepperoncinis and sticks of real butter, all to make the pot roast.” 

AJCA Round-Up

Want to know more about the AJCA Round-Up? Well you can know TODAY! All information for this year's show is available on our website, including links to registration! Don't forget, you must be a paid AJCA member in order to compete in the Round-Up. Join Today

Learn more, sign up and get ready for the 10th annual AJCA Round-Up to be held July 21-24 at Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery. We can't wait to see all our favorite Juniors, and they'll want to be there because Round-Up Coordinator Madison Tew has ordered some amazing prizes! 

Membership 

The membership number of the day is 10,849 members of the ACA. The renewal drive is over, and we will draw for the winner of the $500 beef certificate on June 8. Stay tuned! 

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.

Don't Miss Your Chance to Advertise!

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!   

AJCA Round-UP

BQA Mail Outs

Have you gotten BQA certified at an on-site training program this year? If so, be on the lookout for your certificate and bumper sticker in the mail. ACA Director of Checkoff Programs Erin Beasley got those put together and mailed out last week! 

Congrats and great job to our Alabama cattle producers who have become BQA certified! 

Cash for CAFOs

The Alabama Cattlemen's Association with be meeting Thursday morning alongside Alabama Farmers Federation Poultry Producers representatives at the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). The primary focus of this meeting is to discuss funding for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs. Over $400,000 was added to the ADEM budget to offset CAFO expenses by the department, and this meeting will help determine a budget for this allowance. 

Make Way for a New BamaBeef.org 

You heard it right, a new ACA website is in the works! Erin Beasley and ACA Director of Social Media and Communications Kayla Greer had a conference call with our representative to get the paperwork in hand to launch the website redesign project.

Kayla has her sights set on this being her major project for the summer, and she hopes for an August launch date! The team of website designers are on board to help her reach that goal! Hmmm...maybe by the Summer Board Meeting? 

Engaging Post of the Week

The popularity of our Facebook is growing, as you may remember from the social media alert on last week's blog post! Last week we celebrated reaching 8,000 followers, and this week that number has already grown to 8,400. 

Even more exciting than that, however, is the popularity of a single post from this week! On Sunday, we posted the picture you see to the right. It reads, "Do not educate children to be rich. Educate them to be happy, so when they grow up they know the value of things, not the price." Pretty picture, pretty quote, pretty big numbers!! 

To date, this post has reached over 145,000 people through the power of liking, sharing and commenting. It has received over 7,000 reactions, over 1,600 shares, 172 comments and 3,800 post clicks. That's huge!

Think about it. That's 145,000 people who have been exposed to the ACA and our message just this week at NO cost to us. Thanks, Facebook! 

View Our Page 

The MOOseum

Schools are 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. 

SASDA

Looking slightly ahead to next week, Dr. Powell will be spending his Sunday and Monday with the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture. Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture John McMillan serves as president this year and has invited Dr. Powell to speak at their Monday morning meeting. He will be speaking to 16 different states agricultural leaders on the Alabama beef industry and the impact of the checkoff dollars used to answer the question, "Where does my food come from?" 

Joint Meeting Ahead

The agenda is being made for the upcoming joint meeting of the ACA Executive Committee and the Alabama Cattlemen's Foundation Board. Just as a reminder, that meeting will be held June 21. 

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: April 27, 2016

This is a day that strikes a chord for many of our state's cattlemen and cattlewomen, especially those in northwest Alabama, as it is the anniversary of the devastating tornadoes that took homes, schools, churches, cities and over 250 lives as it blew it's path across Alabama. We would like to start this week's blog by sending our thoughts to the families who were in any way affected by this tragedy. Whether you lost your home, farm, livestock, family members or your community, you're in our thoughts on this fifth anniversary. It's incredibly hard to come back from a tragedy like that, but we happen to know that our state cattle families are resilient, driven and most importantly, hard working. 

On a happier note from that sad memory, it's been a busy week around the Cattlemen's building in Montgomery. The month of April is slipping out from under us quickly, but it's been a successful month for many reasons. With May just around the corner, we've got lots to look forward to! Keep reading to find out what's going on with the state ACA staff this week!

Membership

We are wrapping up membership with 10,664 members as of today and 16 "Over the Top" counties. We've got 10 counties who are so close to going over the top, and they've got only THREE DAYS left to qualify for the "Over the Top" Priefert chute drawing. 

Get out and get recruiting; not only will it help the state association, but it could win you some awesome prizes. Just in case you need some incentive to get out and recruit, check out these Top Hand Club prizes:

• 5 new members – ACA cap and knife
• 15 new members – ACA shirt
• 25 new members – ACA vest
• 35 new members – ACA Red/Black jacket
• 50 new members - $250

Top Hand Club sponsored by Alabama Ag Credit and Alabama Farm Credit

Also, 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.

Beef 101

Trenholm State Culinary students, ACA
staff and leadership and ACES agents.

ACA leadership and staff have a busy week with Beef 101. This Monday, ACA President-Elect Richard Meadows, ACA Treasurer LD Fitzpatrick, Macon County's Jason and Misty Edmundson and Tallapoosa County President Jacob Hodnett spent time in Auburn with ACA staffers Erin Beasley and Kayla Greer at the third Beef 101 program this month. Students from this large class included culinary students from Trenholm State Culinary, vet students from Auburn's Veterinary Medicine program and ACES county agents.

ACA President-Elect Richard Meadows
leading a live animal evaluation
conversation.

The group got to learn about cattle production from pasture to plate. They started with learning about the cattle industry as a whole, some vocabulary and types of operations. Questions about GMO's, hormones and anitbiotics in beef and other important indsutry topics were discussed at length. Then the group headed outside to participate in a live animal evaluation led by Dr. Misty Edmundson and Richard Meadows. The group then learned about the slaughter practice with an educational video, followed by a delicious lunch catered by the Auburn Collegiate Cattlemen and CattleWomen. Following lunch, the group enjoyed a tour of the meat lab and a carcass fabrication demonstration. 

We've got the fourth and final Beef 101 program in April coming up this Friday. We will host 75 students from the McAdory Middle School Culinary program, Jeff State Culinary, American Culinary Federation chefs and ACES staff. Coming along to help is YCLP alumni Alex Tigue, Macon County cattleman Jason Edmundson and ACA's Dr. Billy Powell. The film crew from Simply Southern will also be there to cover the event!

Ag Coalition

The Ag Coalition met Tuesday morning in the ACA Board Room to get an update on the current legislative session, which will be winding down shortly. Dr. Powell is still pleased to report that any proposed legislation that would have any effect on our industry is not anticipated to pass during this session.

Chambers County Ladies Night Steak Supper

Thursday evening, ACA Director of Social Media and Communications will hit the road toward Lafayette to be the guest speaker at the group's annual Ladies Night steak supper. Kayla will entertain the ladies with a discussion about taking to social media to promote the cattlemen's lifestyle and product. She is excited to answer questions that the group may have and offer insight to the group on the world of digital marketing. Thanks for the invite, Chambers County Cattlemen's Association! 

SLE Meeting

Also happening on Thursday, the Southeastern Livestock Exposition executive team will be meeting to discuss the final thoughts and figures on the 2016 SLE Rodeo. There's much to be discussed as the rodeo is a huge undertaking! 

Beef Symposium at ACA

The ACA building is the host to many meetings and dinners, and this week was no exception. Cargill hosted a Beef Symposium in the meeting area where a steak dinner was enjoyed and feed reps and producers were educated on beef cattle nutritional plans and the upcoming VFD. 

Magazine Hustle and Bustle

This week is one strongly focused on the May issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine! Production and editing this week, press next week and your mailbox the next! Dr. Powell and Martha Davis have been busy typing away articles and columns for the Alabama Report and Along the Trail commentary, Kayla and Erin have been getting pics and articles submitted, and Nicky has been working to put it all together along with advertising! We hope you enjoy the upcoming May issue. 

What's Going On Wednesday: January 6, 2016

Welcome 2016! Just as suspected, your state staffers hit the ground running after returning from a long and appreciated Christmas and New Year break. With convention and the SLE Rodeo just around the corner atop multiple new and ongoing projects, there's lots of planning, fundraising and meeting to be done around the ACA Building in the next couple of months. This post is just about #WhatsGoingOn with your state staffers this week, though, so keep reading for updates regarding convention, the rodeo, The MOOseum, beef marketing and lots more! 

ACA Convention and Trade Show

We have a great lineup of guest speakers and trade show vendors for the Iron City Beef Bash 73rd Annual ACA Convention and Trade Show. Alabama Senior Senator Richard Shelby will be the keynote speaker at the legislative luncheon while Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, Ph.D., Administrator for the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, will be the general session guest speaker. Other guest speakers include USMEF's Dan Halstrom  who will speak on "What Lies Ahead for the Beef Export Market," Soren Rodning, DMV, from Auburn University, Extension Ag Economist Derrell Peel from Oklahoma State University and NCBA Executive Director of Producer Education Josh White. 

Be on the lookout for more information regarding this year's convention in January's issue of the Alabama Cattleman. Register online or by mail today by visiting our website.  Reserve your room at the Sheraton: CLICK HERE or call 205-324-500

(Group code: AL CATTLEMEN'S ASSOCIATION)

Scholarships

The scholarship committee has made final decisions and is pleased

to report that over 50 students will be awarded scholarships at the

2016 ACA Convention. Scholarships totals will exceed $50,000 to well deserving students who have excelled both academically and through leadership roles. Letters will go out soon to scholarship recipients!

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.

2016 Membership

This is the best start in years for our membership! As of today our 2016 membership is up to 4,785 with several more to enter from the holidays. Membership deadline is Februrary 26th at noon to go "over the top." Counties must be over by five to qualify for the presidents red coat, 20 SLE rodeo tickets and a secretary shirt. We are happy to have AgriLabs back as the 2016 Over the Top sponsor! They have continued to support ACA for years. Thanks you, AgriLabs!

Don’t forget about the individual prizes all members can qualify to win! The Top Hand club is sponsored by Alabama Ag Credit and Alabama Farm Credit, and current members can win prizes simply by recruiting new members. Check out the January magazine to find a list of prizes.

There are county meetings galore this month! Check out the ACA Calendar and make sure to go to your county's annual meeting! 

Alabama Cattleman Magazine

Were you beginning to think about advertising in the Alabama Catleman magazine this year? If so, February is a great month to do so because it will be the Convention issue handed out to all in attendance at our Convention. Contact Nicky Bechard by January 15 to advertise in our next issue! (334) 265-1867

Checkoff Corner

New Year’s Foodservice Promotion Kicks off with Sysco

 Sysco Central Alabama salesmen will be competing from January 18-March 17 to sell the most pounds of beef. This promotion should generate a nice bump in beef sales of 12-15,000 lbs. (approximately $100,000) of beef in an otherwise quiet selling time for beef in foodservice. Stay tuned for information on the winners in early spring!

Stockyard and Co-Op Mailouts

ACA's Erin Beasley is working on a mailout to all stockyards and Alabama Farmer’s Cooperative stores. These packets will include a newsletter with association updates, copies of the 2016 Beef Checkoff Marketing Plan, Convention speaker and schedule info and SLE Rodeo ticket order forms.

COOL Repealed

Erin has also been in communication this week with retailers regarding the repeal of COOL and a new final rule on ground beef grinding requirements in the supermarket. One of our jobs is to provide information to small retailers to help them better transition when new laws are put in place. Erin does a great job communicating with these retailers. Dr. Powell has been on the phone with Sen. Richard Shelby about this matter (and others) as well. 

Junior Beef Expo

ACA Director of Industry Relations and Youth Activities Curt Berry has been busy planning and fundraising for the 2016 Junior Beef Expo. Now that registration is closed, we can announce that we have 342 entries for this year's show! 

If you have questions or would like to be a sponsor for the show, visit our website, email Curt or call (334) 265-1867. 

January Beef Promotion

Did you know that lean beef is part of a healthy diet? As you kick off your new healthy lifestyle, don’t forget to incorporate lean beef into your meals for a punch of protein and other essential vitamins and nutrients! On Facebook now through January 15 you can comment on the below picture with your favorite meal featuring lean beef to win a $25 beef certificate, a "Beef Strong" fitness tank and a cookbook featuring healthy guides to cooking with lean beef.

The MOOseum

Call today or email Jessica today to book your tour at The MOOseum. Exciting things are in the future for our educational center including a little facelift along with the incorporation of some modern technology! We are excited for what it will offer Alabama's youth in the future. 

AU Agriculture Dean Search

The search for the next Dean for the Auburn University College of Agriculture is coming to a close with four outstanding candidates coming in for their final interviews. Dr. Billy Powell hosted steak dinners for two of the candidates this week at the ACA building and will meet the the other two next week.

Throwback Thursday: December 1989

#ThrowbackThursday to December 1989 when stockyard reps, packers, order buyers and dealers were invited to a meeting at the Cattlemen’s Building to receive an update on the beef promotion program. A few good men stopped for a picture and those men are (L-R) ACA beef promotion field man Ed Whatley, Richard Webster, Montgomery; Sam Carter, Frisco City; Pervy Thames, Robertsdale and Tommy Moseley, Linden. 

Throwback Thursday: 1981

The Montgomery State Steer Show used to be and still is the biggest calf show in state! Today, it's called the Alabama State Steer Show and is part of the Junior Beef Expo! This week, as we begin to plan for the upcoming SLE rodeo season (which entails the JBE), we thought it'd be fun to reflect on some of our old state show pictures! This one stood out because not only was it one of the early full-color pages of the Alabama Cattleman magazine, but it featured a perfect example of how showing calves can develop a child into a leader. Featured for this week's #ThrowbackThursday from the year 1981 is the Alabama Farmer's Federation Executive Director Paul Pinyan with his Reserve Champion steer at the Montgomery State Steer Show.

The steer was bought by W.S. “Billy” Newell, left, and J.W. “Mac” Casey, center, for a price of $5.00 per pound. Newell and Casey donated the steer to the Alabama Sheriff’s Boys Ranch in memory of Tine W. Davis.

Share with us your old state show pictures on the SLE Rodeo Facebook.

W.S. "Billy" Newell, J.W. "Mac" Casey and Paul Pinyan with his Reserve Champion
steer at the 1981 Montgomery State Steer Show.

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!