What's Going On Wednesday- June 15, 2016

It's been one of those weeks around the ACA. You know, the ones where you feel really busy and backed up with projects while nothing major is actually happening. The office is quiet this week as the staffers are at their desks gearing up for big projects ahead. For example, Dr. Powell and Martha Davis are planning the upcoming Executive Committee Meeting. Erin is planning upcoming beef promotions, while Kayla gets on building the new BamaBeef.org. Nicky is working on the largest magazine issue of the year, and Jessica is keeping things moooving smooth in The MOOseum. Cynthia is wearing many hats while she keeps membership up to date and keeps the bills paid around the office, and Madison is busy pulling together the 10th annual AJCA Round-Up! Keep reading to see what she and the rest of us are up to this week around the ACA...

AJCA Round-Up

Want to know more about the AJCA Round-Up? 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 and it working daily on all the details associated with this year's show! 

BamaBeef.org - Under Construction!

The new BamaBeef.org is OFFICIALLY under construction with a completion date set at none other than the August Board Meeting. 

Get excited as this new streamlined website will offer all the user-friendly functions of a modern site with a good, old-fashioned look! The plan is for it to become your #1 resource to anything related to Alabama's Beef Cattle Industry. 


Kayla and Erin met with their "coach" at the website designer to talk layout, design features, themes and functions this week. Kayla will begin training in the next week or two and will begin building the new site from the ground up after that! Stay tuned. 

Membership Report

The membership number of the day is 10,992 members of the ACA. We are SO close to 11,000, so send in your renewals!! 

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.

SLE Livestock Week Meeting

The SLE Executive Committee is meeting today to finalize major plans and dates for the 2017 60th annual SLE Rodeo! With such a big anniversary on the way, a great rodeo is in the works. 

Mark your calendars NOW to head to Garrett Coliseum March 16-18, 2017 for the Southeastern Livestock Exposition Rodeo. 

A Day on the Green

Dr. Billy Powell and Pike County cattleman Ed Whatley will spend the day out of the office Thursday and in the good, ole Alabama heat! It's for a good cause, though, as they will be participating in the 4-H Foundation Golf Tournament as the representatives for the ACA. Send them good thoughts tomorrow for accurate aim and long, straight drives. 

The MOOseum

The MOOseum is buzzing with activity from summer camps and day cares! We've got groups coming by to learn and play daily! 

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.

Speaking of The MOOseum, big plans are in the works for renovation, and we mean it! Dr. Billy Powell, Erin Beasley and Kayla Greer spent the entire day Tuesday making renovation plans and edits. Get ready for the same, great children's center with a fresh face! 

Army Worm Watch

Contributed by Dr. Kathy Flanders

Shane Middleton in Mobile County (dairy farm) reported late last week on an outbreak of army worms in some millet.  He indicated that they have populations that warranted spraying. He also indicated that a neighbor had them as well.

The Middleton farm is located in the far western edge of Mobile county and just across the line into Mississippi.

If you experience issues with army worms, contact your local Extension office to report.

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 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: 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 9, 2016

Convention has come to a close, and we are saddling up for SLE Rodeo at the Cattlemen's building this week. That's right, the SLE Rodeo comes buckin' into town next week, and our team is gearing up for its many events as well as running around town promoting it! The rodeo isn't all that's going on around the ACA, though. 

Keep ready to find out what's going on...

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 & Military Night where FREE general admission is granted to anyone who can present a first responders or military 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 or LIKE US on Facebook. 

The MOOseum on Simply Southern

In case you missed it, The MOOseum was featured on last Sunday morning's episode of Simply Southern. Don't worry, you won't have to catch a rerun because it's already on YouTube. Technology is too neat, right? Here's the episode:  (Our segment appears at around 10:00 minutes in the show.)

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

Rodeo Promo

Speaking of television, Dr. Billy Powell and Kayla Greer have been busy appearing on television and radio shows promoting the SLE Rodeo and Livestock week. If you listen to or watch WSFA, WAKA, WBAM Bama Country, I-92 WLWI, WTXT The Ticket with Doug Amos and Charlie Trotman, The River or Cumulus with JT and LeeAnn, you're bound to hear from us about the rodeo. More promotions to come this week and next so be listening or watching out!

Cowboy Cookoff- Sign Up Today

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

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

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

Membership Update

Total membership for 2016 to date is 10,159! Help us reach our goal of 12,000 members! Reminder: the dues effect went into 
effect as of March 1. 

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

Ag Coalition

The Ag Coalition met Tuesday morning to review legislative matters impacting our industries. Legislation has slowed down and both General Fund and Education budgets are slowly making their way through the House and Senate. According to Dr. Billy Powell, there was lots of discussion on the proposed increase in fuel tax and ensuring that funds are dedicated to fixing rural roads and bridges. The Ag Coalition is also monitoring several HSUS-sponsored bills.

Dietitians Farm Tour

This Wednesday afternoon, your Beef Checkoff dollars will go to work as staffers Erin Beasley and Kayla Greer will be joining forces with the fine folks at Autauga Farming Company, including ACA President Bill Lipscomb, to host over 60 dietitians on a farm tour. This is a pre-conference tour hosted as part of the Alabama Dietetics Association State Convention taking place in Montgomery. 

This is an opportunity to show these industry influencers how beef in produced and to answer their questions to teach them that beef is a safe, wholesome, nutritious product. 

Collegiate Livestock Judging Competition

Livestock Week will kickoff Thursday with a bang as over 200 students are participating in the first-ever SLE High School and Collegiate Judging Contest at Garrett Coliseum. Jason P’ Poole of Extension in in charge of this event and is excited to host this large group of talented livestock judgers. 

In Other News...

Dr. Powell met this week with State Statistician Cynthia Price with the USDA National Ag Statistics Service, and she reported that due to budget restraints, the July 1 cattle inventory survey has been suspended. 

What's Going On Wednesday: Feb. 24, 2016

It's certainly not your average week around the ACA! As staff prepares to head to Birmingham tomorrow morning, it's all hands on deck in Convention mode. Selina is stuffing vendor and online registration packets, Curt is putting the finishing touches on his Junior session plans, Kayla is running program copies, planning out the Friday night photo booth and developing a social media presentation, and Martha and Dr. Powell are managing the team and all the tiny details that come along with a convention as well as putting the final touches on the Awards Banquet, Legislative Luncheon, Board Meeting, and well, everything else that's going on. Erin is even working from home managing the trade show and its many vendors! 

Needless to say, it's busy around here, so forgive us if this week's post is shorter than usual. The them of this week is #BamaBeefMeet. 

ACA Convention and Trade Show- FRIDAY AND SATURDAY!

ACA officers and staff are finalizing plans for the “Iron City Beef Bash” this weekend in Birmingham! It's going to be a great time of fellowship and education, so don't miss out.

If you haven't registered for the 73rd annual ACA Convention and Trade Show, don't worry. It's not too late! Onsite registration will be available Friday and Saturday. Cost of registration onsite will be $15 per day! 

We have a great lineup of guest speakers and a sold-out trade show for the Iron City Beef Bash 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, nationally-recognized Extension Ag Economist Dr. 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! We also have a great selection of items for Beef PAC auction planned for Friday night with World Champion Auctioneer Branden Neely along with some very interesting items. You do not have to be present to participate and we will send you a list of auction items soon!

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 February's issue of the Alabama Cattleman. We can't wait to see you there- we'll be ready!

Alabama Live! Interview

Monday morning, Dr. Billy Powell and Kayla Greer spent the morning on the set of Alabama Live! promoting the Convention and Trade Show. This was the second talk show interview promoting the Convention and great coverage for the event! To see the interview, click here. 

Membership Update

Total membership for 2016 to date is 8,227! Help us reach our goal of 12,000 members! THIS WEEK is your final opportunity to renew or join at the $30 rate. The dues increase will take effect on March 1st. 

April 30 is the deadline for Top Hand Club (see prizes in the January Alabama Cattleman) and for your county to go "Over the Top" to qualify for the Priefert Squeeze Chute. April 30 is also the deadline for the Gator raffle- tickets for the Gator will be for sale at the ACA Convention. 

Cowboy Cookoff- Sign Up Today

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

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

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

Social Media Update

You might have started noticing some small changes on our social media sites. If not, take a look! Hopefully some bigger, better and more productive changes are headed the ACA's way! As for this week, though, the Sunday post (pictured below) did excellent! To date, it's gotten 419 likes, 908 shares and reached over 97,000 people and counting! To explain, that means over 97,000 people have been exposed to the good message about producing cattle in the state of Alabama...for FREE! Social media is a powerful tool. Pictured is Jim Akin on his Lauderdale County farm. 

Follow us today! 

FACEBOOK 
TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

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.