Governor Kay Ivey Proclaims "October is Beef Month" for a 10th Time

Since 1964, October has been recognized as Beef Month in Alabama, and the tradition continues on in 2026. Governor Kay Ivey signed the official proclamation recognizing October Beef Month, marking the 10th year she has done so as governor, a feat only one other can claim.

Throughout the month, ACA and county Cattlemen’s chapters across the state will team up to celebrate Alabama’s beef cattle industry through local events, advertising and promotional activities. What began more than six decades ago with cattlemen handing out “Eat More Beef” stickers has grown into a statewide effort to keep beef top of mind with Alabama consumers. The annual “Cattlemen of Beef Month” contest also returns this year, recognizing county chapters that go above and beyond in their beef promotion efforts throughout October.

Pictured with Governor Ivey are Erin Beasley, ACA staff; Bill Walding of Dale County, Beef Checkoff Council chairman; Randy Moody of Madison County, ACA president-elect; Michael Smith, ACA staff; Jim Miller of Jefferson County, ACA vice president; and Bailey Watson, ACA staff.

Young Cattlemen's Leadership Program Class XIII Heads West for Session Three

YCLP Class XIII enjoyed its third session in West Alabama in September, giving participants an up-close look at the region’s diverse agricultural industry.

The weekend began in Greensboro with visits to Glover Farms and Deep South Livestock Equipment, hosted by 2025 ACA President Keith Glover and past Alabama Checkoff Council Chairman Brenda Glover, followed by a fried catfish lunch at the Alabama Fish Farming Center. The class then traveled to 5E Ranch in Brownstown, where David Edmonds demonstrated chute-side cattle handling, before visiting Next Step Cattle Co. in Livingston with Mike and Michael Alan Cole to learn about bull development and quality genetics. The day wrapped up with a steak dinner from Big Mike’s Steakhouse, courtesy of Alabama Ag Credit.

Saturday began at Watt Cattle Company in Emelle with a home-cooked breakfast prepared by YCLP alumni Tyler and KoryAnn Watt, a visit with ACA Regional Vice President Jeremy May and leadership training led by Dr. Adam Cletzer. The session ended at Penala Farms in Epes, where Denzil Dees shared insight into catfish production and cattle development while offering encouragement to the next generation of agricultural leaders.

Thank you to the hosts, speakers and local organizations who generously shared their time, knowledge and hospitality to make another YCLP session a success.

Beef Checkoff Council Announces 2026-2027 Research Funding

The Alabama Beef Checkoff Council met at Auburn University in September to review production research proposals seeking funding through the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program. Researchers presented brief overviews of their proposed projects, outlining goals and potential benefits to Alabama cattle producers. Following the presentations and evaluation process, the council approved $44,840 in Alabama Beef Checkoff funding for the following research projects:

• Characterizing the Fate of Residual Herbicide in Alabama Forages (Russell, Furlan, et al)
• Statewide Assessment of Beef Finishing Systems and Producer Needs in Alabama (Kelley, Justice, Runge, et al)
• Precision Monitoring of Beef Calf and Replacement Heifer Performance Following Bovine Appeasing Pheromone Administration During Fenceline Weaning Through First Breeding (Justice, Schmidt, et al)
• Physiological Characteristics of Beef Heifers That Failed to Conceive During Their First Breeding Season (Dyce, et al)
• How Does Supplement Selection Alter Warm-Season Forage Digestibility (Smith, Kyle, et al)

Membership Report

The ACA is the proud home to 10,163 members...and counting as the final batch of membership remittances circulate statewide. This means the ACA has gone Over the Top again in 2027! We are grateful for the grassroots efforts of our county organizations.

Recruitment Prizes

Each year at convention, the ACA awards individuals and county chapters for their grassroots recruitment efforts. Thanks to the generosity from our membership sponsors at Priefert, Hartford Veterinary Supply LLC, SunSouth LLC, TriGreen Equipment and John Deere, the ACA looks forward to awarding outstanding prizes for grassroots recruitment efforts at the 2027 ACA Convention & Trade Show— February 19-20, 2027 in Montgomery, AL. 

Over the Top County Chapters

Twenty-nine county Cattlemen's chapters achieved “Over the Top” status by the June 30 deadline. This means the county surpassed total membership from the previous year. With this accomplishment, each Over the Top county president earned a coveted ACA red coat to be presented at the Fall Board of Directors Meeting. The iconic red coat is well-known in the state for the hard work that goes into growing county membership.

The following counties went over the top by June 30: Autauga, Barbour, Bullock, Chambers, Cherokee, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee, Colbert, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, DeKalb, Elmore, Hale, Houston, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Perry, Randolph, Shelby, St Clair, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Walker, and Washington counties.

County Meetings

County leaders, be sure to call or email ACA Director of Membership Jessica Kennedy with the date, time, and location of your upcoming annual meeting and let her know if a postcard will need to be sent out to members informing them of the meeting. Reminder: those need a minimum of three weeks’ notice for processing and mailing!

Southeastern Livestock Exposition Hosts Annual Meeting

The reins were passed to new Southeastern Livestock Exposition leadership at the SLE Annual Meeting on September 24 in Wetumpka. The membership officially confirmed the 2027–2028 Officer Team, who will lead the organization in its upcoming event cycle and strategic planning initiatives:

• President: Galen Grace
• President-Elect: William Martin
• Vice-President: Jim Collins
• Treasurer: Randy Davis

New board members are Stanley Adams, Madden Ragan, and Joe Sellers.

SLE membership extends its sincere appreciation to outgoing President Linwood McClain and Treasurer Thomas Ellis for their dedicated service, guidance and hard work.

Under this new leadership, preparations are already underway for the 70th Annual SLE Rodeo, happening March 19–21, 2027, at Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery. We hope to see you there!

AJCA Fall Field Days Give Youth a Hands-On Look at Cattle Reproduction and Genetics

This September, approximately 200 junior cattlemen from across Alabama took part in the 2026 AJCA Fall Youth Field Days. The South Alabama Field Day took place at JYJ Red Angus, while the North Alabama Field Day was held at Bar V Genetix.

The field days provided youth with the opportunity to get hands-on experience with tools and techniques used throughout the beef cattle industry. Participants rotated through stations focused on reproduction, genetics and herd selection, including blood pregnancy testing, bull and heifer keep/cull scenarios, pelvic scoring, body condition scoring, ultrasounding, artificial insemination, genetic tissue sampling and calving assistance. At each field day, participants also toured the operation following lunch.

At the South Alabama Field Day, participants enjoyed a hamburger lunch prepared by Kenny Woodham and sponsored by Alabama Ag Credit. In North Alabama, the Blount County Cattlemen’s Association provided the hamburger lunch for participants.

We are grateful to the industry professionals who shared their time and expertise at both events, along with the Yance family and the Bar V Genetix team for welcoming our junior cattlemen to their operations. Most of all, we are proud to provide opportunities for AJCA members to learn, ask questions and gain experience they can take home to their own cattle operations!

AJCA Team Makes History at National Youth Cattle Working Contest

Alabama made its debut at the National Youth Cattle Working Contest this year, and four AJCA members were ready to take on the challenge. Merritt Carter (Montgomery County), Luke Meadows (Houston County) and Aubrey Lovelady (Lee County) represented Alabama as the state’s first team to compete at the national contest, with Paige Denton (Franklin County) serving as the team’s alternate. After qualifying at the inaugural Alabama Youth Cattle Working Contest in May, the team earned the opportunity to compete on the national stage alongside eight other teams from across the country.

Throughout the contest, the team put their cattle working knowledge and skills to the test by developing a cattle processing plan, demonstrating hands-on cattle working without adult assistance and completing a team problem. Beyond the competition itself, the experience gave Merritt, Luke, Aubrey and Paige the opportunity to network with industry professionals and meet fellow youth from across the country.



While the final results were not what they had hoped for, the team gave the competition their all and represented Sweet Home Alabama well. As the first Alabama team to compete at the National Youth Cattle Working Contest, Merritt, Luke and Aubrey made history for the Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Association and paved the way for future AJCA members who will have the opportunity to follow in their footsteps.

Congratulations and job well done!