Elmore County-Alabama Extension

Financial Literacy in Progress

Tuesdays | June 9, June 16, June 23
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Presenter: Ron Humphrey, UREA
Delivery | Hybrid | AAMU, Dawson Building, 4900 Meridan Street N. Huntsville, AL 35811

Register: www.aces.edu/go/6420
Zoom Meeting ID: 823 1092 6298

Congratulations to Courtney Heritage, Elmore County 4-H Agent, on her selection as a member of the Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program Class XIII!

Historic Beef Prices: Looking Beyond the Price Tag

Over the last three years, consumers have probably noticed that they are paying more for their favorite beef products. While some may think this has cattle farmers watching the money pour in, grocery store price tags do not tell the full story. There are a lot of risks and costs that come with being a cattle farmer, and the profits they make may surprise some consumers.

When looking at the markets for cow-calf operations, it is true that cattle farmers are seeing above-normal profitability right now. Like other commodities, these historically high prices are largely the results of supply and demand. Ken Kelley, an Alabama Extension farm and agribusiness management agent with Auburn University, said there is an incredibly low supply of beef cattle in the U.S.

“We are experiencing the lowest inventory of cattle that many farmers have seen in their lives,” Kelley said. “We have also seen demand stay strong, so the low supply of cattle and high demand for beef have driven prices higher. Because of its quality, people are also willing to pay a premium for American-raised beef.”

Like many other agricultural commodities, cattle production is limited by physical space. Farmers cannot simply increase their cattle inventories if they do not have the land needed for proper herd growth and production. It also takes more land to raise cattle than people may think. Kelley said the optimal land allotment is approximately 2 acres for each brood cow. Also called mama cows, a brood cow is a mature animal that a farmer keeps for breeding calves.

Costs and Limitations
To understand the full story, people have to look at more than the price tag on a package of ground beef. According to the Livestock Market Information Center, the 2026 projected national returns for brood cows is $1,139 per cow. While this seems like a lot of money, Kelley said costs have risen for farmers just like they have for consumers.

“People need to understand that there is a lot of risk involved in cattle production,” Kelley said. “While the projected return is $1,139 per cow, the cost of production is now well over $1,000 per animal per year.”

Photo of a black Angus cow and calf standing in a pasture.

The average cow-calf return within the last 20 years is $175 per cow. So, a farmer raising 20 cows on 40 acres stands to make a total profit of $3,500 per year. However, this calculated profit includes the last three years of historic, but abnormal, prices. When the returns from the last three years are removed, the 20-year average return decreases dramatically to $62 per cow for a total of $1,240 per year.

“Imagine investing countless hours, sweat and tears into your operation only to make a little more than $1,200 that year,” Kelley said. “It certainly puts things into perspective.”

These calculated profits also assume that there are no unexpected production costs or losses. A recent example of this is the war in Iran, which has caused disruptions and price increases on items like fuel and fertilizer.

“Fertilizer and fuel make up a large part of forage-production costs for farmers,” Kelley said. “We expect these prices will continue to increase in the short term until some of the world events are solved. Hopefully, the increase isn’t too much, but it is definitely there.”

The Cattle Cycle
As a whole, the agricultural industry has taken some big financial hits over the last few years. In fact, Kelley said cattle farming is one of the few bright spots and profitable components right now. However, there will be a time when farmers start to rebuild their herds and increase cattle inventories. Known in the industry as the “cattle cycle,” it will be at this point when beef prices start to decrease.

“All things are cyclical, and the cattle cycle will turn again,” Kelley said. “So, while prices are high now, and famers should be making money, the cattle cycle tends to flatten those numbers over time.”

May is National Beef Month, a time to highlight the hard work and dedication of the nation’s farmers. While market factors have led to higher beef prices at the grocery store, it is still easy to celebrate the farmers who make those beef products possible.

“Alabama’s cattle producers are truly amazing people,” Kelley said. “The beef industry is one of the nation’s leaders in consumer satisfaction. Our producers invest and sacrifice a lot to make that possible and to contribute to the safest and best food supply in the world.”

Historic Beef Prices: Looking Beyond the Price Tag - Alabama Cooperative Extension System While some consumers may think beef prices have cattle famers watching the money pour in, grocery store price tags do not tell the full story.

Become Beef Quality Assurance Certified.
Free Event; Pre-registration required.

June 15, 2026; 11:30 am to 1:30 pm

Autauga County Agricultural Center
2226 Alabama 14
Autaugaville, AL 36003

To register: https://aubi.ie/autaugaBQA

Ready to grow something new this fall?

Alabama Extension Master Gardener Internship applications open June 1! This program is a great way to build your knowledge of plants, connect with others in your community, and share what you learn through volunteer service.

Fall classes run August 13 through November 7—don’t miss your chance to get involved.
Learn more about the program here: https://www.aces.edu/go/3283

Ready, Set, Grow: Scales Open for Alabama Extension’s 250 Pound Challenge

AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. — The scales are open for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s Grow More, Give More 250 Pound Challenge. This statewide effort invites gardeners to grow extra this season and share the bounty with people in need. The challenge also celebrates the nation’s 250th anniversary while giving Alabama gardeners one more reason to put their summer harvest to work.
Read More:

Ready, Set, Grow: Scales Open for Alabama Extension’s 250 Pound Challenge - Alabama Cooperative Extension System The scales are open for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s Grow More, Give More 250 Pound Challenge.

Join the Central Alabama Master Gardener Association for
POTTING IN THE SHADOWS
June 19, 2026
9 am to noon
Cost $25.00 (limited to 35 participants)
Registration is Required.
To register: square.link/u/Lkn2K2To

First Presbyterian Church Wetumpka
100 W bridge Street
Wetumpka, AL 36092

NOTE: Please Bring your hand trowel, gloves and a pot up to 14 inches. We provide the rest!

In observance of Memorial Day, Alabama Extension offices will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2026.

Memorial Day is a time to honor and remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. As we pause to reflect on their sacrifice, we encourage everyone to have a safe and healthy holiday. www.aces.edu.

Saved by Conservation: Alabama’s Wildlife Comebacks

Rocky’s rematch with Clubber Lang. Steve Jobs’ return to Apple. The 2004 Boston Red Sox. People love a good comeback story. However, these stories are not exclusive to boardrooms and baseball diamonds. Some of the best comeback stories happen in forests and streams across the country.

Since 1973, the ripple effects of the Endangered Species Act and other conservation efforts have made it possible for many wildlife and plant species to write their own great American comeback stories. Celebrated annually, Endangered Species Day, set for May 15, highlights conservation efforts for endangered and threatened species. This year’s theme — Celebrating America’s Wildlife Comeback Stories — spotlights the results of those efforts and their real-world impacts.

“Some of the greatest wildlife comeback stories live right here in Alabama,” said Wesley Anderson, an Alabama Extension wildlife specialist at Auburn University. “From the American alligator to the bald eagle, Alabama has played an important role in the protection and conservation of many threatened and endangered species.”

Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act is a multifaceted piece of legislation. At its core, it federally protects threatened and endangered wildlife and plants. It also allows for species to be added to and removed from the official list of endangered and threatened species. Scientific data largely drives adding or removing a species. The Endangered Species Act outlines five factors to use when considering a species for the list. These include habitat destruction, disease and overutilization of the species.

“We don’t want any species to be on this list forever,” Anderson said. “One of the key parts of the Endangered Species Act is the implementation of recovery plans for each species. The hope is that these efforts lead to them being removed from the list and their management returned to the states.”

Protecting Alabama
Alabama is known as American’s Amazon, thanks to its incredible biodiversity. With this title also comes the incredible responsibility of protecting these resources. Alabama has the third highest number of species currently on the endangered and threatened species list, behind Hawaii and California. Stepping up to the challenge, Alabama has been involved in some of the most influential conservation efforts in the past 100 years.

American Alligators
American alligator in grass sunning

In 1938, Alabama was the first state in the U.S. to protect the American alligator. This was almost three decades before it was listed federally as an endangered species.

“The American alligator faced near extinction in the early 1900s,” Anderson said. “Thanks to decades of conservation efforts, alligator populations in Alabama are now thriving to the point where we have a regulated hunting season.”

The federal government removed the American alligator as an endangered species by 1987. Today, it is still federally protected and listed as a threatened species. This is because it resembles the American crocodile, which is still an endangered species.

Bald Eagles
The bald eagle is another species with a strong conservation story in Alabama. In a state where one of the unofficial greetings is War Eagle, it is hard to imagine that eagles were ever nonresidents. However, records indicate bald eagles did not successfully nest in the state for decades, from 1949 to 1991.

An adult bald eagle in a tree in Guntersville, Alabama.

Across the U.S., one of the primary causes of the bald eagle’s decline was the use of DDT, an insecticide developed in the 1940s. Because of its great harm to wildlife, particularly birds, and its suspected risk to human health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of DDT in 1972. Thanks to this ban and later conservation efforts by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the bald eagle’s 40-year hiatus in the state came to an end. In 1984, the department began eagle restoration efforts, releasing 91 young eagles back into the wild between 1985 and 1991. To date, the department has released more than 500 eagles, and there are more than 100 eagle nests in the state.

“The recovery of the bald eagle is one of the most significant comeback stories in our state’s history,” Anderson said. “We went from 40 years of no resident eagles to this year celebrating the 40th annual Eagle Awareness Weekend at Lake Guntersville State Park. That is a great example of how investments in conservation can go beyond just the environmental aspects to impact our social and cultural identities.”

More Work to Do
Even with these great examples of conservation wins, there is still more work to do in Alabama and beyond. Many of the plants and animals that call the state home face serious conservation risks. Anderson said all residents can play a role in protecting these natural treasures.

“When people take part in citizen science, they become the eyes and ears that help protect our state’s threatened and endangered species for generations to come,” Anderson said. “Every observation matters and we need your help. Also, so many of our imperiled species in Alabama are a part of our aquatic systems. Simple things like keeping waterways clean go a long way in supporting conservation efforts.”

More information on Endangered Species Day and other related projects is available on the Endangered Species Coalition’s website at endangered.org. People can also reach out to a forestry, wildlife and natural resources Extension agent for information on local citizen science projects. Agent’s contact information is available in the online directory at aces.edu.

https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/forestry-wildlife/saved-by-conservation-alabamas-wildlife-comebacks/

Saved by Conservation: Alabama’s Wildlife Comebacks - Alabama Cooperative Extension System This year's Endangered Species Day theme, Celebrating America’s Wildlife Comeback Stories, spotlights the real-world impacts of conservation.

Montgomery County Extension Director position announcement

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Auburn University, is seeking a dynamic County Extension Director to provide visionary leadership, oversee county-level programs, and serve the citizens of Montgomery County.

This individual will build partnerships and collaborate with multiple entities to deliver research-based educational opportunities that transform lives and communities. The County Extension Director is a community-based professional of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) who knows and represents the research-based resources and other resources available through Alabama A&M University and Auburn University. They are recognized as a community leader who addresses the contemporary challenges, issues, and opportunities facing the citizens of the county through university programs and knowledge.

For more information about this opportunity, please go to:

https://jobs-auburn.icims.com/jobs/8012/county-extension-director/job?mode=view&mobile=false&width=1005&height=500&bga=true&needsRedirect=false&jan1offset=-360&jun1offset=-300