What's Going On Wednesday: May 11, 2016

Spring Board Meeting is the theme around the office this week. Planning, preparing and a whole lot of printing is underway at the ACA building as we look forward to seeing our friends and fellow cattlemen from across the state tomorrow in Montgomery. 

We've got more than just the Board Meeting happening around here, though! Keep reading to find out what's going on around the ACA this week. 

Membership 

We are working to wrap up membership with 10,730 members as of today and 19 "Over the Top" counties. Great job to all the counties who gained members from the previous year! Board members will get a full report from the membership office at tomorrow's gathering. 

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.

Influencer Education in Huntsville

Past President Donna Jo Curtis and Erin Beasley spoke to the North Alabama Dietetic Association (NALDA) last night in Huntsville. This group was very interested in how cattle are produced from pasture to plate. Donna Jo did an excellent job sharing her beef story with the group. By the end of the program, the NALDA group had asked if they could go on a farm tour to Athens! These dinner and discussion meetings have now been completed in all major districts in Alabama so that dietitians can earn continuing education hours.

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 one with West End Grill's Tot Roast and Claunch Cafe's Roast Beef Sandwich. The winner of this week's photo LIKE challenge will seal their spot in the final round! 

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 

YCLP Class III

Sixteen students of the YCLP Class III will join this afternoon at the ACA. The group will gather for leadership development and learn more about the program this afternoon followed by a cookout at Gunter AFB's Peterson Lodge. Tomorrow, the group will continue leadership development during the morning hours then join in on the Spring Board Meeting and tour of the Capitol. Sixteen of 21 young cattlemen between 21-40 years of age will begin their year-long adventure to learn more about the cattle industry and develop leadership skills this afternoon in Montgomery. 

Pic from Last Week: Wood Fruitticher Food Show

Erin was a part of the Wood Fruitticher (WF) food show last week

for all of their customers. She was set up in the protein aisle to talk to customers and salespeople about beef cuts. In addition, she gave a seminar about how beef fits into foodservice applications. In July, WF will bring their sales force to Auburn for BEEF 101. Pictured is Erin with John Leland from Creekstone Farms and Terry Ianneillo, Center of the Plate specialist for WF.

Upcoming Cattlemen's Events:

• Fayette County Cattlemen's Association will host a PCA Rodeo at the Multipurpose Complex in Fayette May 13-14 at 7:30 p.m. This event is rain or shine! There will be plenty of fun for the entire family with children's games and events incorporated into the show. Adult tickets are $10, ages 5-12 are $5, children 4 and under get in for free. Come on out and have fun at a good old-fashioned rodeo! 

• 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 May 18 to the Pickens County Extension Office. (205) 367-8148 

Board Members: Learn more about industry news and happenings and hear announcements, updates and reminders from your state staff at the Spring Board Meeting tomorrow! We can't wait to see you!

What's Going On Wednesday: May 4, 2016

Happy Wednesday! It feels like yesterday that we typed up last week's post, but here we are a week later and busier than ever. April has escaped us already which means things are about to really fire up in May, especially folks' grills. That's right, it's summertime grilling season, and we are excited. 

There's a lot to be excited about on the ACA's upcoming calendar. Keep reading to find out what's going on and what's coming our way. 

Oh, and Happy (Early) Mother's Day to all our awesome moms out there! 

Membership 

We are working to wrap up membership with 10,715 members as of today and 19 "Over the Top" counties. Congratulations to Barbour, Dallas and Tuscaloosa counties on going "Over the Top" at the last minute. Great job!

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.

Legislative Update

The ACA hosted the final meeting of the Ag Coalition this Tuesday and is pleased to report the vast majority of the undesirable bills being monitored by the Ag Coalition did not pass. This includes the Gas Tax bill and four different animal welfare bills that would have negative effects on our industry operations. The Coalition is also pleased to report that money to sustain operations at Garrett Coliseum for this year was signed into the budget. 

The Legislative Session will end today after a grueling evening of filibustering into the wee hours of the night. The topic of today's discussion- the $800 million prison bond. 

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. By using the power of social media to drive the contest, we received many nominations of those not-so-average beef dishes made and served right here in Alabama.

The four finalists who will then go head-to-head on social media in a photo contest in the next two weeks. The winner will be determined by the number of "likes" the dish's photo receives. Be sure to help out your hometown restaurants. Check out the final four (in no particular order): 

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

2017 SLE Rode Dates Decided

Last week's meeting of the SLE Executive Committee resulted in the finalization of next year's SLE Rodeo dates. Save the date now for the 2017 SLE Rodeo to be held March 16-18, 2017 at Garrett Coliseum. For all of our exhibiting families out there, these dates also reflect the timetable for the 2017 Junior Beef Expo. 

Wood Fruitticher Food Show

ACA's Director of Checkoff Programs Erin Beasley is headed south for the Wood Fruitticher Food Show tomorrow and Friday to visit with beef customers about beef products. While there, she will also be doing a presentation to the sales force and customers to discuss beef quality information and new cuts that are popular in foodservice.

YCLP Class III

YCLP Class III will kickoff next week in conjunction with the Spring Board Meeting. Twenty-one young cattlemen between 21-40 years of age will begin this year long adventure to learn more about the cattle industry and develop leadership skills. Stay tuned for more information on the individuals in this class.

Northeast Alabama Visit

ACA's Director of Social Media and Communications Kayla Greer will be hitting the road Friday to visit the purchasers of the October Alabama Cattleman magazine cover, Salacoa Valley Brangus. Kayla will have a cover shoot and get information on the operation, so stay tuned for that during October Beef Month. 

After departing from Salacoa Valley, Kayla will head west to Fort Payne for the evening and join ACA President Bill Lipscomb and newly-inducted Alabama Livestock Hall of Fame member and country music legend Randy Owen at his operation for a photo shoot and feature article interview. Bill and Kayla will then enjoy the Tennessee River Music "Dixieland Delight: Red, White & Black" sale. 

Far east from Bill and Kayla will be Jimmy Holliman attending the Timberland Cattle sale. 

Farmer of the Year

We are pleased to submit the nomination of Wendall Gibbs to the Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year competition. Information on Gibbs Farms and Mr. Wendall are being prepared to be submitted. Please bid him good luck and congrats if you see him. 

Pickens County Trail Ride

Pickens County is please 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 May 18 to the Pickens County Extension Office. (205) 367-8148 

Tidbits from the Office

• On Monday, Dr. Powell enjoyed an outing with the Alabama Council of Association Executives where they heard from meeting planners on future convention locations in the state.
• We are excited to have a moment to sit and do some housekeeping in the office. On the "to-do list" is consolidating checkoff funding and closing out membership. 
• Preparations for the July issue of the Alabama Cattleman magazine are already in the works. This issue is very large and goes out to over 18,000 households. If you want to advertise, this is your best bet! Contact Nicky Today
• Board Meeting plans for next week are in the works with an agenda being drawn up, final invitations being sent and meetings with staffers about their updates. We can't wait to see our Board members NEXT WEEK on MAY 12!

What's Going On Wednesday: April 13, 2016

Beef promotion, trips to D.C. and meetings, meetings and more meetings are the theme around the Cattlemen's building this week. There's always something going on that keeps the staff busy, but we sure love working for Alabama's cattlemen. Keep reading to find out what's going on at the ACA this week. 

Trip to D.C.

ACA Executive Vice President Dr. Billy Powell, President Bill Lipscomb and President-Elect Richard Meadows are in Washington D.C. Tuesday through Thursday of this week. While there, the trio will join with 30 other state cattlemen's associations to attend the Spring Legislative Conference. This trip will provide our state cattlemen's representatives with the opportunity to go on office visits with Alabama's congressional delegation!

Membership

We are wrapping up membership with 10,624 members as of today and 16 "Over the Top" counties. A number of counties are still lagging, though. RVPs are reaching out to their assigned county presidents about plans to get in the 2400 non-renewed members. Another conference call between the RVPs will be held on Monday, April 18 to report on the results. 

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 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

Just in case you need some more incentive in your recruiting efforts, let your non-renewed friends and neighbors know this! The April Alabama Cattleman magazine is the LAST magazine you'll get if you do not renew by April 15, and you have until Friday to renew now online and you'll get a package in the mail from us with some nifty ACA gadgets and gizmos such as a hat, iWallet and other goodies. Don't miss out- renew today! 

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

Ag Econ Interviews

Dr. Dea Cue Fields, the chair of the Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology Department at Auburn, invited ACA leadership to participate in the final interviews of the three candidates in the running to replace Dr. Walter Prevatt. All three candidates come with outstanding resumes, and we are excited and honored to be part of the process. 

ACA's Director of Checkoff Programs Erin Beasley participated in this week's round of interviews and speaks highly of the candidate. 

Bama's Best Beef 

We kicked off a springtime beef promotion on Monday that highlights Alabama's unique beef dishes. Using the power of social media to drive the contest and by promoting it to Alabama's restaurants and chefs, we've started to receive nominations of those not-so-average beef dishes made and served right here in Alabama. We've got our eyes set on all those unconventional, yet delicious, beef dishes! 

If you know of a beef dish from an Alabama restaurant that fits the bill, nominate them here.   

Beef 101

Starting today with Lawson State Culinary Arts and Moody High School FCCLA, we kicked off a busy month of Beef 101 programs. We offer this program tovarious influencer groups across the state in order to teach them about beef from “Pasture to Plate." 

We would like to invite our Board members to attend. Your role in this program is to interact with participants who are “non-cattle” folks so that they leave the program with a bright outlook on our industry.

Here are the dates and groups. We have 5 seats at each program

available at first come first serve basis. RSVP to Erin if you can attend.

Erin Beasley showing a side of beef
to Moody High School FCCLA students
at the Lambert-Powell Meat Lab in Auburn.

• April 19th- Faulkner State Culinary, Wood Fruitticher Foodservice Sales Team Leadership
• April 25th- Trenholm State Culinary
• April 29th- Jeff State Culinary, McAdory Middle School culinary students, American Culinary Federation chefs

For today's program, we were proud to have YCLP Class II alumni Alex Tigue on the team to help with carcass fabrication and the live evaluation! Great job, Alex. 

YCLP Class III

Speaking of YCLP- county presidents, applications are out now for the Young Cattlemen's Leadership Program- Class III. Send us your nominations of 20-40 year olds who work in Alabama beef cattle industry by MONDAY as the first meeting will be held May 11 in Montgomery. We look forward to another great year with Alabama's young cattle producers. Get the application

Meetings, Meetings and More Meetings

The ACA building has hosted quite a few meetings this week as well. On Monday night, Erin Beasley hosted a group from the Montgomery Dietetic Association. Youth Leadership Jackson County visited and toured the building Tuesday, and the Alabama Leadership Initiative will have a meeting here Friday morning. As usual, the Ag Coalition also met in the ACA Board on Tuesday morning as well. 

What's Going On Wednesday: March 30, 2016

As we leave the Convention and SLE Rodeo is our rear view mirror for 2016, we are gearing up a for a busy next couple of months! The MOOseum, checkoff and legislative fronts are looking busy as we begin heading into April and May. We stayed busy through the "winter," as our cattlemen across the state did with feeding and calving seasons, but it's time for beef promotion in Alabama. Keep reading to learn what's going on around the ACA this week!

Checkoff Corner

Busy April Full of Beef: 101

We would like to invite you to join us at Auburn University for the checkoff funded program, BEEF 101. Next month, we will hold 4 of these programs with various influencer groups across the state to learn about beef from “Pasture to Plate”. Your role in this program is to interact with participants who are “non-cattle” folks so that they leave the program with a bright outlook on our industry.

Here are the dates and groups. We have 5 seats at each program

available at first come first serve basis. RSVP to Erin if you can attend.

• April 13th- Moody HS and Lawson State Culinary School
• April 19th- Faulkner State Culinary, Wood Fruitticher Foodservice Sales Team Leadership
• April 25th- Trenholm State Culinary
• April 29th- Jeff State Culinary, McAdory Middle School culinary students, American Culinary Federation chefs

Beef Cookoff Weekend Ahead

The Alabama Jr. and Sr. High School Beef Cookoff will take place this Saturday at Carver High School in Montgomery. Thirty-eight students from 29 counties will participate in the state contest this year to show off their coveted beef dish. During the cookoff, students will learn about beef by participating in an educational program discussing beef cuts and careers in the food industry. Stay tuned for an update next week of event winners and highlights!

Bring It On: Bama's Best Beef

We've got an exciting, new spring beef promotion kicking off Monday, April 4 that highlights Alabama's unique beef dishes. Using the power of social media to drive the contest and by promoting it to Alabama's restaurants and chefs, we hope to receive nominations of those not-so-average beef dishes made and served right here in Alabama. We're not looking for your average burger or ribeye. Nope, we got our eyes set on beef tar-tar, beef wellington and all those other unconventional, yet delicious, beef dishes! 

After the nomination round, the contest committee will narrow it down to four top finalists who will then go head-to-head on social media in a photo contest.

Stay tuned for that contest and send us your submissions starting next week! 

Sysco Promotion Winners

Sysco Foodservice sales promotion kicks the year off strong for beef sales: The sales team at Sysco Calera set out to up their beef sales from January 18-March 17th. As a result, the team posted a 72,000 lb. increase in beef tonnage compared to this time last year. The top sellers were awarded Yeti coolers, funded through the beef checkoff. These promotions produce a fantastic return on investment for your checkoff dollars. Pictured are the winners from the promotion- Todd Johnston, Frank Odell, Andy Slaten, Nat Weis and Craig Smitherman. 

YCLP Class III

County Presidents, applications are out now for the Young Cattlemen's Leadership Program- Class III. Send us your nominations asap as the first meeting will be held May 11 in Montgomery. We look forward to another great year with Alabama's young cattle producers. Get the application. 

Membership

We are at 10,520 members out of our 12000 member goal. Get out and get recruiting; not only will it help the state association, but it could win you some awesome prizes. We have had 16 counties go "Over the Top." Just in case you need some incentive to get out and recruit, check out these 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

Just in case you need some more incentive in your recruiting efforts, let your non-renewed friends and neighbors know this! The April Alabama Cattleman magazine is the LAST magazine you'll get if you do not renew by April 15, and if you renew now online, you'll get a package in the mail from us with some nifty ACA gadgets and gizmos such as a hat, iWallet and other goodies. Don't miss out- renew today! 

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

YCLP and BQA Meetings 

Dr. Billy Powell, Erin Beasley and Kayla Greer had a successful meeting this morning with Auburn University Dept. of Animal Sciences' Dr. Wayne Greene, Dr. Don Mulvaney and Dr. Soren Rodning to make way to enhance the YCLP and Alabama BQA programs. The group also discussed ways of better implementing the Alabama Beef Cattle Strategic Plan. 

If you're not BQA-certified, become certified today for FREE thanks to Boehringer Ingelheim. Also, be on the look out for upcoming cattle meetings in the state that will offer you the chance to become BQA certified. 

Ag Awareness Day at Auburn 

Pending the weather tomorrow, ACA staffer Kayla Greer will be taking to her alma mater to help the College of Agriculture (COA) students with their "Ag Awareness Day" on campus as part of Ag Week 2016. The COA students will be taking over Haley Concourse on Auburn's campus and fill it with agriculture-related games, booths and equipment to expose non-agriculture students to the many commodities. ACA's steer trailer featuring the beef cuts will be there too! Check out the College's Facebook page to see all the fun events happening this week on Auburn's campus. 

Trip to D.C.

Dr. Billy Powell, ACA President Bill Lipscomb and President-Elect Richard Meadows are finalizing their plans for their trip to Washington D.C. in the next two weeks. While there, the trio will join with 30 other state cattlemen's associations to attend the Spring Legislative Conference. This trip will provide our state cattlemen's representatives with the opportunity to go on office visits with Alabama's congressional delegation!

What's Going On Wednesday: March 23, 2016

Forgive us for not getting a post out last week. In the midst of all the craziness from the SLE Rodeo, tasks had to be prioritized. On the bright side, things are finally slowing down around the ACA office, and we're back to tell you all about what's going on and what's ahead for the ACA. Keep reading to stay in touch with your state office staff. There's lots to look forward to around here!

SLE Rodeo Rides Away

We are saying "so long" to the 59th annual SLE Rodeo and packing away all that comes with it. This year's rodeo featured the best bucking stock and cowboys we've ever seen. You'd have to go to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas to see better competition. Not only that, but an arena record was broken in barrel racing.

We had incredible attendance and feedback from outside events that happened around the rodeo. Folks loved having the Cinch Junior and Senior High School Rodeo in the Garrett Coliseum arena, and a huge highlight this year was the inaugural 4-H, FFA and Collegiate Livestock Judging Competition where over 200 students judged beef cattle, hogs, sheep and goats at Garrett Coliseum. Five SEC teams also were there to practice their judging on their way to Houston Rodeo. It was a fantastic event with a great turnout. The NBHA barrel racing, team roping and Junior Beef Expo events also had a great turnout with impressive competition.

Alabama Ag Credit

The Cowboy Cookoff was a success with about 300 people showing up to help judge the People's Choice category. Congrats to Alabama Ag Credit for winning 1st place in People's Choice and Judge's Panel and to team "Grill Me Tender" for taking second on the Judge's Panel. 

Membership

We are within 1500 members of our 12000 member goal, folks! Get out and get recruiting; not only will it help the state association, but it could win you some awesome prizes. We have had 16 counties go "Over the Top," and they all received 20 SLE Rodeo tickets, courtesy of the SLE. Just in case you need some incentive to get out and recruit, check out these 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, Snead Ag. For every new member you recruit, your name and the new members names go in the drawing. ACA members also have the opportunity to purchase more chances to win by calling ACA at 334-265-1867.

A Checkoff Preview

Your checkoff dollars will be used to educate a wide variety of influencers next month. April will feature four BEEF 101 programs at Auburn University, a dinner and discussion meeting with Montgomery Dietetic Association and a farm tour at CK Cattle Company in Hope Hull for culinary students and chefs. Get ready for some great updates from these worthwhile events.

A new contest, Bama’s Best Beef, will kick off on Monday, April 4th. This online contest will be completely consumer driven to find the most unique and delicious beef dish served at an Alabama restaurant. Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to the promotion kick-off!

Alabama Legislature

The Ag Coalition continues to monitor the activity of the Alabama Legislative Session. The session is about at its halfway point and will take next week off for Spring Break. Particular interest has been taken in monitoring the General Fund and Education budgets, and to date, they are moving along without any revenue increases that would negatively affect Alabama agriculture. 

Speaking of government, Dr. Billy Powell, ACA President Bill Lipscomb and President-Elect Richard Meadows are finalizing their plans for their trip to Washington D.C. While there, the trio will join with 30 other state cattlemen's associations to attend the Spring Legislative Conference. This trip will provide our state cattlemen's representatives with the opportunity to go on office visits with Alabama's congressional delegation!

Welcome Back, Madison

Madison Tew worked tirelessly to make
the 9th annual AJCA Round-Up a
success!

We are excited to announce that the young and talented Madison Tew of Dale County will be returning to her desk at the ACA office again as the summer intern. Madison' main task will, of course, be to plan the AJCA Round-Up held July 22-23 at Garrett Coliseum's livestock barns. 

Madison will be joining us on an official internship required as part of her agricultural communications curriculum at Mississippi State University. She was the taskmaster of last year's show and did an outstanding job, so we are excited to have her on the team for the 10th annual AJCA Round-Up!

YCLP Class III

County Presidents should be on the lookout for applications for the Young Cattlemen's Leadership Program- Class III. Those will be coming your way shortly as the class's first meeting will be May 11 in Montgomery. Be thinking about your nominations. 

Good Friday

After an eventful two months, the ACA staff will be enjoying some rest at home in honor of Good Friday, March 25. The office will be closed all day, but we will return bright and early on Monday morning. 

Movie Monday: A Special Convention Invite for Young Cattlemen

Are you a junior or millennial-aged cattlemen? We would love to see you at the 73^rd annual ACA Convention and Trade Show! ACA Director of Industry Relations and Youth Activities has a special invitation just for you for this week’s #MovieMonday. 

What's Going On Wednesday: January 13, 2016

Howdy, folks! Has it already been a week since the last #WhatsGoingOnWednesday post? Wow time sure does fly when you're busy working for Alabama's cattlemen. It's a very busy time of year for the ACA state staff as we are preparing for the 73rd annual ACA Convention and Trade Show and the upcoming SLE Rodeo! Aside from those two large-scale events, there's smaller projects, events and meetings happening constantly around the ACA building. Keep reading to stay in-the-know about #WhatsGoingOn with your state ACA staffers.

Iron City Beef Bash

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

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 clicking the link above. Reserve your room at the Sheraton: CLICK HERE or call 205-324-500

(Group code: AL CATTLEMEN'S ASSOCIATION)

Trade Show Vendors

Attention all vendors, trade show is filling up quick! It won’t be long until our trade show will reach maximum capacity. We encourage any interested company to complete their vendor registration in the next week to ensure a booth space. Online registration can be found by visiting, http://www.bamabeef.org/pdf/2016/01-05/exhibitor_form.pdf. Questions? Contact Erin or Selina at the ACA office.

2016 Membership

We are off to a great start in membership for 2016 and it's expected to take a major jump after annual meetings take place. As of today, 2016 membership is at 5,259 paid members!

There are county meetings happening all across the state during January and February! Check out the ACA Calendar and make sure to go to your county's annual meeting! 

February Magazine

The February magazine is the Convention issue, so hang on to it to

use as a reference while you're in Birmingham! Just in case you lose it, though, copies will be available at the Convention, and that means it's a great time to advertise! Get the best bang for your advertising dollar by contacting Nicky Bechard by January 15 to advertise in our next issue! (334) 265-1867

4-H Skill-A-Thon and Quiz Bowl

Saturday ACA staffer Curt Berry went to the 4-H Skill-A-Thon and Quiz Bowl at the 4-H Center in Columbiana. While there, Curt visited with junior cattlemen from across the state, learned more about the contest and watched the well-prepared students compete with their knowledge of animal agriculture. He was impressed with the amount of preparation and farm knowledge goes into this event. Great job, juniors!

JBE Fundraising

Speaking of juniors, Curt has been very busy working with the Junior Beef Expo Fundraising Committee to gain sponsorships for this year's show. SLE President Thomas Ellis, Van Smith, Rusty Roden, Jimmy Parnell and Paul Pinyan have multiple meetings this week to discuess fundraising efforts. If you're interested in sponsoring the 2016 JBE, contact Curt. 

2015 DYW contestants enjoying
time spent in The MOOseum

DYW at ACA

Tomorrow the ACA will host the Distinguished Young Women of Alabama for a lunch and learn about the state’s cattle industry. Contestants from across the state will enjoy a beef lunch, try to stump Dr. Powell with their hometown’s county location, tour The MOOseum and participate in a beef trivia contest to test their knowledge about beef. Full coverage of the event will be in the February edition of the Alabama Cattleman.

YCLP Weekend Getaway

For the last meeting before Convention, the YCLP Class II students will be joining Dr. Don Mulvaney in southeast Alabama this Saturday and Sunday for farm tours and leadership training. The group will take their first stop in Eufala at Corcoran Farms, visit the Headland Research Center, tour Meadow Creek Farm then retire to Dothan for dinner and leadership sessions. Sunday morning, the group will enjoy breakfast and more training and head back to the farm. This is the final get together before their graduation from the program which will take place at Convention. This group has visted farms across the state, toured a packing facility, participated in hours of leadership training, networked among millennial cattlemen in Alabama and learned about the ACA and the legislative process. It's been a successful year for the class, and they are excited for the upcoming Class III to experience all they have. 

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

Facebook Contest

Did you know that lean beef is part of a healthy lifestyle? As you kick off your 2016 diet and fitness plan, 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.

3L Ranch Photo Shoot

Bill said one of his favorite spots
on his Prattville ranch is behind
the wheel of his Ranger side-by-side.

In preparation for a new president after his installation at the upcoming convention, ACA staffers Kayla Greer and Curt Berry spent Tuesday afternoon at President-Elect Bill Lipscomb's homestead. While there, the staffers took Alabama Cattleman cover pictures of Bill and his wife, Susan, and visited with the couple while learning about their Prattville operation. Bill is very excited for his upcoming presidency and cannot wait to meet as many members as possible. 

He and Susan are picture-perfect! Thanks, Mr. Bill and Mrs. Susan for spending the afternoon with Kayla and Curt! 

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.

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.