What's Going On Wednesday: January 20, 2016

January is slipping away from us! Only one more Wednesday post before we are hopping along into Convention month. There's still a lot to be done to prepare, but plans for Convention are really shaping up. It's going to be a great time of fellowship, learning and experiencing all this industry has to offer. There's a lot more than just Convention going on, however. Keep reading to see #WhatsGoingOn around the Cattlemen's this week.

Membership Report

2016 ACA membership entered the day with 5,754 members so far. There's a lot of upcoming county meetings where numbers will jump. Be sure to check out the Cattlemen's Calendar to find out when your county annual meeting is and be sure to pay your dues before the increase goes into effect on March 1. 

Help your county go “Over the Top” by Feb. 26th, and your county president will receive a red coat along with 20 rodeo tickets to share among the county chapter. "Over the Top" counties will also entered into the drawing to win the Priefet Squeeze Chute (Side Note: Counties must have at least 100 members to qualify for the squeeze chute). Congratualtions to Sumter County who's gone "Over the Top" with 93 members, seven more than 2015.

73rd Annual ACA Convention and Trade Show

Have you registered for the ACA Convention and Trade Show yet? Now's the time! 

We have a great lineup of guest speakers and a sold-out trade show 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. 

Our trade show is sold out with over 60 vendors including companies like Tri-Green, Priefert, Fuller Supply, Deep South Livestock, Merck, New Holland North America, Southern Silage Company, Drummonds Farms, BamaWise, Verizon Wireless and many, many more! The trade show alone is worth the trip to the Iron City! 

Friday night's Rotational Grazing is going to be a great time for all with fun, fellowship and boot, scoot and boogy-in' to Tim Tyler the Piano Man! Other entertainment and a photo booth sponsored by the Southeastern Livestock Expo will be available as well!

A special thanks to this year's Convention sponsors Alabama Farm Credit/Alabama Land Credit, Alabama Farmers Cooperative. Alabama Farmers Federation, AgriLabs, Alabama CattleWomen’s Association, First South Farm Credit, Fuller Supply Company/Preifert Ranch Equipment, Morgan Stanley, ServisFirst Bank, Southeast AgNet and the Southeastern Livestock Exposition.

More information regarding this year's convention is in January's issue of the Alabama Cattleman and there will be more in February's upcoming issue. Register online or by mail today by clicking the link above. Reserve your room at the Sheraton: CLICK HERE or call 205-324-500

(Group code: AL CATTLEMEN'S ASSOCIATION)

Alabama Livestock Hall of Fame

The ballots have been mailed to the 37 living members encouraging them to vote on individuals for induction into the Alabama Livestock Hall of Fame at Convention on Saturday, February 27. Two new honarees and a Pioneer Inductee will be inducted with their families at side. Be sure to get those ballots in!

Farm Tours

On Tuesday, ACA Director of Industry Relations Curt Berry traveled north to St. Clair and Cullman counties to four different operations. Curt's objective was to view nominations for the NCBA, NRCS and Soil and Water Conservation's Environmental Stewardship Award. Stay tuned to follow the progress of this award. 

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 Cowboy Cookoff

Round up your team for the Cowboy Cookoff! Online registration

is now available for teams interested in competing in the 2016 Cowboy Cookoff, held in conjunction with the SLE Rodeo on March 19 in Montgomery at the Garrett Coliseum. Prize money will be given to the Judges Choice winner ($500) and the People’s Choice winner ($250). Entry fee is only $100 and we will provide you with the steaks! Questions? Contact Erin at the ACA office.

Rodeo and Junior Beef Expo Planning

Dr. Billy Powell met with Garrett Coliseum staff this week and is holding a meeting Friday with SLE officers to finalize plans for this year's SLE Rodeo. He says it's shaping up to be the best one in 59 years!

Dr. Powell also talked to Alabama Junior Cinch and Senior High School Rodeos, and SLE is allowing them to hold rodeos in the Coliseum on March 12 and 13, prior to SLE week. This will be a great learning experience for these upcoming rodeo cowboys and cowgirls.

ACA staffer Curt Berry has been busy with Junior Beef Expo (JBE) planning and fundraising, and he, along with Dr. Powell, is in discussion with Extension's 4-H and Youth Development Specialist Jason P’Poole to discuss plans for 1st Annual Southeastern Livestock Expo 4-H/FFA and Collegiate Livestock Judging Contest.

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.

What's Going On Wednesday: September 16, 2015

Who's loving the Fall weather this week brought along with it? Your ACA staff sure is because we know the Fall season brings some exciting things through our office- namely, October Beef Month and Fall calving season! We are staying busy, and we know the Alabama Cattlemen are as well with new babies hitting the ground left and right! 

Here's #WhatsGoingOn with what your ACA staff is doing for you this week:

Social Media Posts

Speaking of new babies hitting the ground during the calving season, we want to see! Post your new calf pictures on the Alabama Cattlemen's Association Facebook page so we and the rest of our followers can watch together as the Alabama beef industry grows! We can't wait to see all the pictures!

Junior Beef Expo

It's an exciting day because the Junior Beef Expo rules are now available to view on the website! The JBE will be held March 18-20, 2016 at the Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery in correspondence with the SLE Rodeo.

Some notable deadlines are:
October 15: Deadline for EID tagging is Steers & Market Heifers
October 30: Deadline for Market registration
January 1: Deadline for breeding heifer entries

Visit the link above for more details, and if you come upon a question not already covered in the rules, contact Curt Berry. 

Congressman Luncheon

Congressman Mike Rogers stopped by the ACA building Monday for a luncheon hosted by the ACA. A group of 30 were able to visit and hear from the Congressman while enjoying some delicious beef! 

Protein Panel in Huntsville

Erin Bealsey spent all day Tuesday in Huntsville as she and other Limestone and Madison counties producers represented the ACA in a large consumer show hosted by the Von Braun Center. Mickey Childers, Donna Jo Curtis, Ray Hilburn and Erin (all pictured left) discussed and took consumer questions about how beef, dairy, poultry and eggs are produced in America during a Protein Panel discussion. Erin and the producers also hosted a booth in the show where the steer trailer showed the main primal cuts of a beef animal, and Erin performed a "tailgating with beef" cooking segment for the show's large crowd. 

Burger Bash

This first-time event will hit Montgomery Thursday evening for a night full of good beef! The Alabama Cattlemen's Association is sponsoring the beef product for this event, and Erin, Selina, Kayla and Curt  along with a few Montgomery County cattle producers will be making Cattlemen's sliders to serve at the ACA booth. 

During the Burger Bash, 12 River Region restaurants will compete for the winning, tastiest burger to represent Montgomery at the World Food Championship.

BEEF 101

If it's not obvious that the Fall is Erin's busiest time of year already, it's about to be. Erin will be leading a BEEF 101 program with Jeff State Culinary and Shelby County Career Tech Culinary at the Lambert-Powell Meats Lab in Auburn Friday, September 18. 

The group will hear the "Pasture to Plate" story, participate in a live animal evaluation with local producers and AU cattle, tour the packing facility and view a carcass fabrication. All the while, asking questions about our industry and having them answered by industry professionals. 

World Champion Auctioneer in Montgomery

ACA's Billy Powell visits with
Brandon Neely and Autauga County
producer Wayne Thorn

Brandon Neely stopped by the Montgomery Stockyards Monday, September 14 to provide his talents at the market's bred heifer sale. Neely, a Southside, Ala. native, is the first ever Alabamian to bring the world title back to his home state. Jerry Etheredge and other stockyard staff were excited to have him by to help sell the day's 1,300 cattle. Visit the ACA Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages to hear his chant! While you're there, follow us! 

What's Going On Wednesday: September 9, 2015

If you thought August escaped us fast, then what do you call what September is doing to us? Wow! We sure hope every one of our members had a relaxing,beefy and football-filled Labor Day weekend!

As usual things are busy around the Cattlemen's building! The staff members are hitting the ground running as we are gearing up for the exciting months ahead.

See #WhatsGoingOn around the ACA building this week and stay updated on what your ACA staff is doing for you! Check it out:

BEEF 101

Thursday, September 10th will host more than 80 young industry professionals and influencers as a multi-faceted group merges together for BEEF 101 at the Lambert-Powell Meats Lab in Auburn. Drake State and University of North Alabama Culinary Schools will enter into the world of beef cattle production to learn about the "Pasture to Plate" process to better understand the beef industry and product. During the session, they will hear from ACA staffers Dr. Billy Powell and Erin Beasley about an overview of the process, and following, Dr. Misty and Jason Edmundson and ACA President Jim Akin will host breakout sessions  during a live animal evaluation on cattle management, terminology and beef cuts. 

Following a beef lunch, the groups will tour the packing plant and learn about the slaughter and fabrication process. Erin Beasley and Dr. Bratcher of Auburn's Department of Animal Sciences will even fabricate a carcass right in front of them! This program is an excellent way to teach the beef industry influencers about the beef product and how it goes from pasture to plate! 

Also joining in on the BEEF 101 program is the...

Youth Cattlemen's Leadership Program

The 18 emerging leaders of the YCLP Class II led by Dr. Don Mulvaney will join in on the BEEF 101 program fun to refresh and educate on the "Pasture to Plate" process. Preceding and following the live animal evaluation and the packing plant tour, the group will delve into some leadership concepts and training discussions and exercises. 

Alabama Legislature

On Tuesday, September 8, the second Special Session of the Alabama Legislature came to order to seek out ways to fill the $200 million gap in the state's General Fund. ACA Lobbyist Dr. Billy Powell ACA is monitoring the session, and here are some facts he's laid out to help you follow what's happening on the Hill!

• The House Weighs and Means Committee is passing some revenue enhancement bills that will now face the full House for voting.
• A proposal to increase property taxes was killed in the House Weighs and Means Committee this morning.
• Word on the street is that it's unlikely that many of these revenue enhancement bills will pass the full House and Senate. If this prediction holds true, the $200 million gap will not be filled and significant cuts in the state government will be made. 
• As of today, the budget for the Department of Agriculture and Related Industries looks promising. 

There's a quick legislative update. Don't hesitate to call with questions!

Sell the Sizzle

This coming Friday will host the kick off of the October Beef month “Sell the Sizzle” promotion with Sysco Gulf Coast.  As an incentive for this promotion, the top two beef salesmen will receive a cash prize for selling the most beef over their base levels for the month! The overall goal is to generate a $30,000 to $40,000 increase in beef sales during October Beef Month because we think everyone should #EatBeef. 

Junior Beef Expo

Planning and rule-making for the 2016 Junior Beef Expo is underway following last week's Alabama Youth Livestock Show Association! Save the date because the JBE will be held March 18-20, 2016 at Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery during the SLE Rodeo!

Be on the lookout for information regarding the JBE. Entry deadline will be October 30, 2015! Entry information will be sent to agriscience teachers and County Extension Agents on deadlines and how to attain EID tags for show livestock.

The MOOseum Renovation

Weekly meetings between ACA's Billy Powell, Erin Beasley, Curt Berry and Kayla Sellers are held, and the staff are working daily on the back-end projects associated with The MOOseum renovation! Be on the lookout for exciting changes in the future.

As for now, The MOOseum is up-and-running and just waiting for your class to visit! Book a tour now by calling (334) 265-1867 or by emailing Jessica Kennedy. 

Staff Out and About

ACA staffer Curt Berry will be on the road this Friday as he joins ACA Vice President Richard Meadows in Houston County for a farm tour of Meadows Creek Farm. South Carolina-native Curt is taking as many opportunities as possible to explore the state and meet our cattlemen, and Friday will be his first adventure since his start on July 15. If you're interested in having Curt stop in for a visit, email him or call (334) 265-1867. 

What's Going On Wednesday: September 2, 2015

Hello, September! 

Who's ready for Fall weather and college football?

How did September sneak up on us so quickly? The year is probably slipping out from under us so quickly because we stay so wrapped up in industry events and happenings. You know what they say- time flies when you're having fun!

Check out #WhatsGoingOn this week in the Cattlemen's building to keep the staff busy working for you and your prized product- beef! Let us know if there's anything we can do for you. Our phones are always on, and our email addresses are just >one click< away.

2016 Junior Beef Expo Planning Underway

On Monday, August 31, the Alabama Youth Livestock Show Association, which is comprised of a group of producers and industry representatives from Extension 4-H, FFA, the Alabama Farmers Federation, the Southeastern Livestock Exposition and the ACA, me to finalize plans for the 2016 Junior Beef Expo. The #JBE16 will be held March 18-20, 2016 at the Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery during the SLE Rodeo.

Be on the loockout for information regarding the JBE. Entry deadline will October 30, 2015! Entry information will be sent to agriscience teachers and County Extension Agents on deadlines and how to attain EID tags for show livestock.

Beef Checkoff Work

This week ACA staffer Erin Beasley is working with the Auburn University Hospitality and Restaurant Management students.

Tuesday, September 1 she gave a lecture to students about cattle production and beef quality information Barney Wilborn from the meat lab covered pork quality. 

Thursday the students will do a lab at the Lambert-Powell Meat Lab to see how cattle are graded and how to fabricate a carcass. There are about 50 students in the class and most will go into a management role with a hotel, restaurant, resort or catering company. They will need to understand beef and how to order product with their job.

Promoting ACA

In the past week, ACA staffer Kayla Sellers has made multiple trips to Auburn to speak to different ag communications clubs and classes on the impact social media has in agriculture! While there, Kayla promoted ACA membership and online engagement to the millennial audience and got feedback on what social media they preferred! She will apply this information she learned going forward in her online endeavors!

The MOOseum Renovation

Yesterday, September 1, ACA staffers Billy Powell, Curt Berry and Kayla Sellers met to continue working on The MOOseum remodel project! Exciting things are in the future for The MOOseum, and we are looking forward to offering Alabama's youth a more modernized learning experience about the beef industry!

If you're interested in booking a tour for your class, contact Jessica or call (334) 265-1867.

Alabama General Fund

Today, ACA Executive Director Dr. Billy Powell will join with other Alabama ag leaders at a press conference called by Ag Commissioner John McMillian to discuss the impact of potential budget cuts in his department. These budget cuts could be a result of the budget voted on by the Alabama legislature during the Special Session.

Legislative Update

Speaking of Special Session, Gov. Robert Bentley called a second Special Session to begin Sept. 8 on Capitol Hill in Montgomery.

In preparation for the Special Session, the Ag Coalition will meet in the ACA building Sept. 8 to prepare for and discuss possible legislation to correct the $200 million shortfall in the General Fund.

Marketing Plan Meeting

With cattle sales down significantly for the year, ACA staff met today (Wednesday) to discuss the marketing plan to prioritize checkoff-funded programs for the remainder of the year.

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: July 29, 2015

The AJCA Round-Up is over and the final "thank you" letters are being sent today, and our staff is catching its breath from the busy weekend and gearing up for a busy month of August! Not too much exciting stuff is going on around the office this week, so for #WhatsGoingOnWednesday, we're going to do more of a #WhatsAheadWednesday! Check it out:

Beef Checkoff at the FACS Summer Conference

Erin Beasley is spending her day doing checkoff work in Birmingham as she runs a beef education course with Culinard Culinary School. This afternoon she will be talking
to Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) teachers during a breakout session at their summer conference. Erin will be presenting the new lesson plans for beef consumer education materials.

Alabama Legislature 

The special session reconvenes Monday, Aug. 3 and following the session at the State House, Ag Commissioner John McMillan with the Department of Ag and other ag organizations in the state are having a dinner meeting with house and senate leadership about topics discussed in the session. The dinner will be hosted at the Alabama Cattlemen's Association building, and ACA reps will be in attendance. 

What's Ahead?

While we catch our breath and unwind from the Round-Up, we are also preparing ourselves for the busy month ahead. August brings with it many important meetings that will have an effect on future events hosted by the ACA and the SLE. 

During August we will be having a SLE committee meetings to work out a schedule of events for the 2016 rodeo, and the Junior Beef Expo committee will be in to work on the 2016 state show in March during SLE season. Meetings to discuss and plan the remodeling the MOOseum will come back to life in hopes of taking some large steps toward updating the visitor's experience. Last but certainly not least, our Summer Board of Directors meeting will be on August 27 at the ACA building.