2011 World Champion Visits Alabama

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Invite to the 2011 ACA Convention & Trade Show

We hope you can join us February 11-12 in Montgomery for the 68th Annual ACA Convention & Trade Show at the Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center.

This year's line-up of speakers and activities will make for a great weekend that you won't want to miss. Check below for a video invite to the convention from ACA staffers Selina Knight and Erin Hunter.

2011 Alabama Jr/Sr High Beef Cookoff

PEach year, students across Alabama participate at the local and state level in the Alabama Jr/Sr High Beef Cookoff. The event is not only a fun contest for the participants, it's also a great way to showcase the beef industry.

Promoting Lean Beef in Alabama

In a recent posting to Prevention.com, lean beef was named as a "nutritional superstar" and ranked #5 in a listing of 25 ridiculously healthy foods.

Surprised? We weren't.

In fact, the beef industry has been put in the driver's seat in the war on fat by laying claim to 29 mouthwatering cuts that meet government guidelines for "lean".

Here in the Yellowhammer state, the Alabama Cattlemen's Association is following a directive set through the Alabama Beef Checkoff Marketing Plan to spend 2011 spreading the word to consumers about the benefits of lean beef.

One such opportunity recently presented itself during a luncheon hosted for the contestants of the 2011 Distinguished Young Women of Alabama contest.



Interested in reading more about lean beef on Prevention.com? Click here for details.

Producer Profile: Donna Jo Curtis of Athens, AL

This producer profile installment travels to the far north end of Alabama, only a few miles south of the Tennessee border, to the small Thach community and the home of ACA Vice President Donna Jo Curtis. Not only respected as a volunteer and leader in her community, she also has earned the admiration of her fellow cattlemen as a model of working hard and doing things right.

We hope you enjoy this opportunity to get to know ACA's Vice President, Donna Jo Curtis.

Producer Profile: Mitch Smith of Holly Pond, AL

This installment of Producer Profiles travels just a few miles north of downtown Holly Pond to visit Dr. Mitch Smith, D.V.M. and his family.

Dr. Smith not only works with cattle nearly every day in his veterinary practice but comes home to see them grazing behind his house each night as well. In fact, those animals at home belong to his son and should help put him through college in a few years.

We hope you enjoy this latest highlight of another cattleman in Alabama who has truly made the cattle business, a family business.

Producer Profile: Sam Pinyan of Holly Pond, AL

This installment of Producer Profiles goes to Cullman County to highlight Sam Pinyan and his family in Holly Pond.

The Pinyans operate a multi-generation farm focusing on cow-calf production, poultry, stockers, and row crops. Just as they work together, they play together as well; travelling around the country participating in junior livestock shows.

We hope you enjoy this opportunity to get to know another cattleman in Alabama who works every day to provide high quality beef for you and your family.

Producer Profile: Johnny Morrow of Tuscaloosa, AL

Too often, we take good leaders for granted. When this happens, we miss the opportunity to really get to know these people and learn from them.

One man who's certainly gained the respect of his fellow cattlemen as a leader is Johnny Morrow of Tuscaloosa County. His farm, actually located in Greene County, is known as a source of high quality females to replacement heifer buyers in this part of the world. As well, feeder calf buyers around the country are quickly learning to associate the Morrow Farms name with high performing, profitable cattle.

Johnny too has gained a positive reputation by simultaneously serving as president of the Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Association, president of the Tuscaloosa County Cattlemen's Association, and as a Regional Vice President of the Alabama Cattlemen's Association.

Producer Profile: Jimmy Sealy of Uniontown, AL

There are a lot of good stories to tell within the beef industry in Alabama. Stories of yesteryear and bigger than life personalities. Stories of high-sellers, test-winners, and national awards. If a few don't pop into your mind immediately, you probably ought to try spending more time with folks who've been around a while; it'll be well worth your time.

Too often, the stories that go untold are the ones right in front of us. These are the tales of people we know who're working hard day in and day out to make this industry better; people that pull together as a family and stick it out as the cattle market dives and pitches through highs and lows.

In this installment of Producer Profiles, we take a short minute to look at the family behind Alabama Livestock Auction in Uniontown, AL. This is one of 24 stockyards in the state, and like the rest, the job of hosting an auction week after week isn't an easy one. As you'll see though, the Sealy family embraces this way of life.



To learn more about Alabama Livestock Auction, you can visit their website by clicking here.

Producer Profile: Ryan Solomon of Headland, AL

More and more, the discussion surrounding our nation's food supply is focusing on the source of food products. Rightly so, consumers are taking an interest and asking "where does my food come from?"

While some groups have used this opportunity to scare consumers into thinking that food is produced in big corporate factories, the true story behind where your food comes from actually carries a lot less sensationalism.

The fact is 98% of the beef farms and ranches in this country are family-owned; many of which are located right here in Alabama.

In the first of what we hope becomes a regular series here on the Bama Beef blog, we'd like to highlight one such beef producer and member of the Alabama Cattlemen's Association. We hope you enjoy this snapshot of a real cattleman in Alabama and that it helps you answer the question, "where does my food come from?"