(From left to right) Cattlemen Director Greg Hamilton, CD Caleb Beason, Rachel Agee (RMS), CD Jack Hargett, Robynn Bragwell (Belgreen), CD Terry Bolton, Cindy Coan (RHS), CD Bob Vall, Sherry Hutcheson (RBHS), FC Assistant Superintendent Donald Bordon, Joslyn Garrison (PCHS), Cattlemen President Steven Smith, FC Superintendent Gary Williams and Cattlemen V.P. Orland Britnell.

The Franklin County Cattlemen are making the most of the opportunity in October Beef Month to promote cattle and beef products.

Wednesday at the Franklin County Board of Education office the Cattlemen donated beef products to Phil Campbell, Belgreen, Red Bay and Russellville for the culinary curriculum in the Family and Consumer Sciences departments. “I talk to each school and find out what they want. Some of them want stir fry, some of them want something different … Whatever they want, we give them a hundred pounds of beef per school,” explained cattleman Orland Britnell.

The cattlemen donated beef valuing $1,250.

“This is a lot of benefit to our consumer science teachers and students because they can use this beef to teach them to fix different dishes and things they can enjoy,” said FC Superintendent Gary Williams. “We appreciate it.”

Williams said another great asset the cattlemen provide to local students are the many scholarships they fund, from money collected through numerous steak sandwich sales and other means.

“We’re just thankful to the Cattlemen for their support of the school system, what they do for the programs. It’s very beneficial,” Assistant Superintendent Donald Borden added.

Last week, cattlemen read stories about cattle and beef to first and third grades across Franklin County, books that proved to be educational as well as entertaining.

“Some of these kids have never been acquainted with anything to do with animals,” Britnell said. He was able to expand on every page of the alphabet-structured book “Beef Cattle” as he introduced the students to the world of cattle farming.

“Cows don’t wear shoes, like you do,” he pointed out, as he covered H for hooves. “They’ve got split hooves with two toes. They have four legs, four feet and eight toes. They might get a stick or rock stuck in there, and they limp. We have to observe our cattle, and if you have one limping, then you get it into a head catch … and you help them back taking that rock or stick out of the hooves. It will cause then a lot of problems, so we get it out. We help them.”

The Cattlemen donate a copy of the book to each elementary school.

The state Cattlemen’s Association coordinates October Beef Month in Alabama. “October Beef Month is a great tradition in Alabama dating back to 1964,” ACA director of checkoff programs Erin Beasley said. “Looking into the month of October, beef will be everywhere through social media, events and promotions designed to keep our favorite protein top of mind with consumers.”

Cattle production is the second largest animal agriculture industry in the state of Alabama, falling only behind poultry production. Beef cattle production in Alabama represents a $2.5 billion industry that supplies more than 7,000 jobs to Alabamians.