Membership As of February 28, 2013, your GCA membership totaled 5010, with 4265 regular, 121 associates and 624 junior members. YOU DID IT! We have passed our goal of 5000 members! We are going to celebrate for a few minutes – and continue working to make GCA an organization that every cattle producer in Georgia wants participate in. The cornerstone of our mission remains “uniting and advancing” Georgia’s cattle industry. Just Keep Asking and we will soon be celebrating new milestones!

Legislative Steak Biscuit Breakfast SET! The date has been set for the GCA legislative steak biscuit breakfast at the Capitol on March 14. Make plans to join us in room 230 of the Capitol beginning at 7 AM. The Legislature is in session and looking forward to enjoying a steak biscuit and visiting with you. We would love to have cattlemen members from every region of the state represented. The Legislative Committee will host two legislative update conference calls prior to the breakfast. Please join us either at 1 PM on Monday, March 11th OR 7:30 PM Tuesday, March 12th to hear information about the event and an update on GCA legislative priorities. We will be sending conference call instructions to each Chapter President via email. Please call the office if you need instructions on joining the call. GCA Tour filling up fast! The GCA Tour will be heading Deep in the Heart of Texas, May 21-25, 2013. Call the office or visit www.gabeef.org/gca/gcatour.html for details and to register (see ad on pg. 19 of Feb. magazine). Act fast, 30 of our 45 spots have already been filled. $350 deposit required to hold your seat.

March 2013

GCA CONVENTION & BEEF EXPO- Forage Conference – April 3rd, Georgia National Fairground, Perry, GA Come to the GCA Convention a day early to hear from an All Star lineup of southeastern forage experts. UGA Extension Forage Specialist Dennis Hancock and the Georgia Grazing Lands Conservation Coalition are combining the ever popular "hay school" format with an already outstanding Forage Conference. *Notice* GCA Annual Meeting will be held Friday morning at 10 AM. This is where the rubber meets the road for our association. Each chapter is entitled to one (1) voting delegate for each fifteen (15) members in their chapter as of Nov. 30, 2012 (end of membership year). Each voting delegate may carry up to two (2) proxies. Theses delegates will hear reports from GCA treasurer, committee chairs, elect GCA Region VPs and officers, and vote on any proposed changes to GCA policy or Bylaws. PLEASE make sure your chapter is represented! Immediately following the annual membership meeting, the GCA Board of Directors (each chapter president or representative, Region VPs, and officers) will meet to elect GCA Executive Committee members, approve actions of the Executive Committee and hear any other business. NEW Session – Hot Topics Roundtable Be sure and attend this new convention event on Saturday morning at 8:30 AM. Panel members & topics include: State Vet – Dr. Robert Cobb: Animal Disease Traceability – implementing the new rule; John Callaway – Chair, State Checkoff Working Group – next steps on the state checkoff;

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Chris Taylor – Chair, GCA legislative committee – progress in 2013 session & what’s ahead; Tas Smith – Ga Farm Bureau National Affairs Specialist–Fed. legislative & regulatory update. Bring the Whole Family to Convention! -Georgia Junior Cattlemen’s Assoc. is ramping up Junior activities at Convention, so be sure to check out the website for information on the poster, photo, YouTube video and team marketing competitions! In addition, the Beef Ambassador application deadline has been EXTENDED to March 15. Please visit www.gabeef.org/gjca and look under the Contests tab to find out more information on these contests! Be sure an attend the Cattlemen’s Ball Friday night and let the kids stay for the After Party! Register for Convention today! The Registration form is attached or register online: http://www.gabeef.org/gca/conventionregistration.htm. If you’re in the cattle business, GA National Fairgrounds is the place to be April 3 – 6, 2013! GCA WON a one year lease of a New Holland Baler OR Tractor ($5000+ value) as a result of our National Cattlemen’s member recruitment efforts! We will hold a special raffle at Convention to raise funds as we kick off a GCA Headquarters Remodeling campaign. Only 100 tickets will be sold at a price of $100 each. There will be 10 prizes given away (art, cow-hide rugs, GENEMAX DNA test kits, Cydectin, etc.) with the Grand Prize being choice of NH Tractor or Baler (pics & info on pg. 38 March issue). Tickets may not last until Convention – call the office to secure yours today. Watch for more information on the GCA Building Remodel Campaign in the April Georgia Cattleman and at Convention. GCA Legislative Update - Georgia General Assembly Continues on a Fast Pace GCA took the lead in hosting the Rural Caucus weekly meeting and luncheon in late February. We appreciate the partnership of Ga Farm Bureau, Ga Livestock Markets and Georgia Milk Producers in helping make this event a true

representation of Georgia’s cattle industry. Attendees enjoyed a smoked beef brisket luncheon and heard briefly from members of each of the groups mentioned above. Over 30 legislators attended and were able to ask questions of cattlemen, dairymen and livestock market representatives. Two priorities remain for GCA this legislative session: 1) State checkoff legislation- Senate Bill 97 passed the Senate 47-0 on Valentine’s Day and is in line to be heard by the House Ag Committee and then the full House in the coming weeks. This enabling legislation will form the Commodity Commission for Beef. This is the first step in allowing for a producer referendum on a state beef checkoff. If the bill becomes law this spring, cattlemen may have the chance to vote on the state checkoff as early as fall of 2013. 2) GCA continues to advocate for the immediate filling of the northwest Georgia Beef Cattle Extension Specialist position. While the state budget is extremely tight, we believe that this small investment in the cattle industry will yield positive results for our industry and the Georgia economy. GCA volunteer leaders and staff have been visiting with key legislators, seeking to secure funding for the position. GCA Local Fundraising Raffle Continues! Sold out of Raffle Tickets? We’ll send more. Make sure you have all ticket stubs to the GCA office by Monday April 1st so that they will be included in the drawing OR bring them with you to Convention! The $1000 grand prize will be drawn at the GCA Convention. Keep track of ticket sale income and send GCA a check for our portion (based on rules outlined in past three Leadership Newsletters) at the end of the contest (April, 2013) once your chapter’s membership level has been determined. FREE On-line BQA training through March 15 – visit www.BIVI-BQA.com Enter coupon code = BIVIBQA.