Alabama Cattleman: History, Alabama Cattlemen's Association Profile, Content and Staff
Profile updated November 2026
Alabama Cattleman magazine is the monthly member magazine of the Alabama Cattlemen's Association (ACA), the Montgomery-based group that has spoken for the state's beef producers since 1944. It reaches cattle families in every one of Alabama's 67 counties, where beef cattle are raised from the Tennessee Valley to the Wiregrass.
| Publisher | Alabama Cattlemen's Association (ACA) |
|---|---|
| Association founded | January 4, 1944, at the Demopolis Inn, Demopolis |
| Headquarters | Montgomery, Alabama |
| Frequency | Monthly, delivered to members |
| Managing Editor | Nicky Godwin |
| Membership | 10,128 members in 2025, with chapters in all 67 counties |
| Official website | BamaBeef.org |
History of Alabama Cattleman
The Alabama Cattlemen's Association was organized on January 4, 1944, at the Demopolis Inn in west Alabama. It replaced the Alabama Livestock Growers Association, which had become largely inactive by 1943, and a historical marker in Demopolis now notes the founding site. The first year's statewide membership was just 40.
Growth came quickly as Alabama's Black Belt and hill country shifted from cotton toward pasture and cattle. ACA membership peaked at 18,620 in 1974, when the association described itself as the largest cattlemen's association in the nation. Members join through county chapters, and owning cattle is not required to belong.
Over the decades the ACA built the programs its magazine still covers: the Southeastern Livestock Exposition held each March in Montgomery, the Alabama Junior Cattlemen's Association, the Alabama Livestock Hall of Fame and the MOOseum, a children's education center about the beef industry. Its foundation has awarded scholarships since 1992, and the association campaigned for the 1999 Agricultural Bond Initiative that funded university research and extension. The ACA is affiliated with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and serves as Alabama's qualified state beef council.
Alabama Cattleman Today
Alabama Cattleman is an exclusive member benefit. Members who give the state office an email address receive a monthly message with access to the latest issue through the association's Read Now page, and the magazine also runs an annual cover contest, a breeder's directory and an advertising program that supports the association.
The ACA's mission, as stated by the association, is to improve the business climate for Alabama's beef cattle industry, promote a positive image of the industry and educate consumers that beef is safe, wholesome and nutritious. The magazine is the main channel for that work among producers, alongside the association's Cattle Connect podcast.
What Alabama Cattleman Is Publishing Now
Association and policy news
Reports from the state office on legislation, checkoff programs, county chapter meetings and the annual convention, plus coverage of the Southeastern Livestock Exposition.
Educational articles
Production and management pieces on forage, hay, herd health, genetics and marketing, many drawn from land-grant research and extension specialists.
Youth, cattlewomen and breeders
News from the Alabama Junior Cattlemen's Association and Alabama CattleWomen's Association, Hall of Fame honors, sale reports and a breeder's directory.
Alabama Cattleman Editors and Staff
The ACA staff page lists these people connected with the magazine and association leadership:
- Nicky Godwin - Managing Editor, Alabama Cattleman Magazine
- Erin Beasley - Chief Executive Officer, ACA
- Kayla Greer - Senior Vice President, ACA
- Bailey Watson - Manager, Youth Programs and Marketing
Who Reads Alabama Cattleman
Readers are cow-calf producers, stocker operators, seedstock breeders and agribusiness people across Alabama. According to figures the ACA compiles from the Alabama agricultural statistics service, the state had about 1.2 million cattle and calves in January 2026, ranking 17th nationally, with cattle valued near $2.4 billion and nearly 18,000 farms with beef cows. Cattle are raised in every county, and beef ranks second to broilers in Alabama farm cash receipts.
Hay matters as much as cattle: the association reports nearly 2 million tons harvested from 760,000 acres in 2026, with DeKalb, Cullman, Chambers, Marshall and Montgomery among the top cattle counties.
Alabama cattle families spend a lot of time worrying about hay, rain and whether the bull will stay on the right side of the fence. For a break from the checkoff updates, farm.FM offers farm satire, farm humor and ranch humor with a Southern sense of timing. Its farm jokes travel well from a Demopolis sale barn to a county chapter supper.
Part newsroom, part radio dial, farm.FM bills itself as America's first satirical farm site and plays Tractor Tunes, its country music for farmers. Browse a farm.FM writer's back catalog to see the style.
Alabama Cattleman Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Alabama Cattlemen's Association: About - founding in Demopolis, mission and membership.
- ACA: Alabama Beef Cattle Facts - state inventory, value and county rankings.
- Encyclopedia of Alabama: Alabama Cattlemen's Association - the association's programs and history.
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - official Alabama cattle inventory data.
- USDA ERS: Cattle and calf receipts - the national economics of cattle.
Alabama Cattleman FAQ
Who publishes Alabama Cattleman magazine?
The Alabama Cattlemen's Association, headquartered in Montgomery.
How often is Alabama Cattleman published?
Monthly. Members receive an email each month with access to the latest issue.
When was the Alabama Cattlemen's Association founded?
On January 4, 1944, at the Demopolis Inn in Demopolis, Alabama.
Who edits Alabama Cattleman?
Nicky Godwin is listed as managing editor on the ACA staff page.
For eight decades of Alabama cattle families, the Alabama Cattleman magazine and its association have been the place to find policy news, production advice and the people behind the state's beef herd.