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Clough has been a member of the association for as long as she can remember and, during the association’s slower years, she never failed to send newsletters and keep the membership, albeit small, informed. “Miss Clough would show up and talk to people about joining the association. She was very active and attended all the national meetings, representing Ala- bama,” says Darren Richmond, ASGA’s marketing director. “She’s a breeder herself, has a small herd, and she’s been very involved. She is just kind of a voice of the Santa Gertrudis breed in the state.” To Clough, the association represents cattle producers who strive to be the best and produce the best. “We can and do learn from each other. We promote each other’s cattle; it’s educational and it’s just a very good group of people with good fellowship,” Clough says. Recently, three members – Tinney Farms, Grandview Farms and Quail Valley Farms – donated 50 purebred embryos to Auburn University to begin developing a university herd with the goal to perform research on the breed. “In the Southeast where a high per- centage of Santa Gertrudis cattle are, there is a strong need for cattle with

Brahman influence because of the heat and parasites,” Payne says. “Santa Ger- trudis cattle are tough and, while a lot of cattle don’t survive well in the Southeast and in South America, our cattle thrive in those conditions, so this research will be beneficial for the breed as a whole.” In the upcoming months, the asso- ciation will be preparing for the Crim- son Classic Sale in April and the first Alabama Santa Gertrudis Association Field Day in years, hosted by Ricky and Angie Cleveland at Quail Valley Farms. The field day will be on May 18 and host representatives from SGBI, Ala- bama Cattlemen’s Association, Auburn University, TransOva and Purina, plus more vendors who will educate and inform breeders. Early on, Montgomery says the field days that the association used to host taught her daughters how to show cattle, and taught Montgomery and her husband about Santa Gertrudis cattle and the best ways to raise cattle and turn a profit in the livestock industry. Following the upcoming field day, the association will host a junior heifer show for youth members to practice prior to the national show at Texas A&M University. In October, Alabama Connection members and Quail Valley Farms will 1/2 page h rizontal Santa Gertrudis USA Mid-Coast March 2019

host the first stop on the Santa Gertru- dis World Congress 2019 tour at the 31 st Annual Alabama Connection Sale, followed by tours at Tinney Farms and Grandview Farms. Payne says he has gained a lot from the association and looks forward to seeing what the future holds. “When people work together, they get stronger. I think this association ties the breeders together, they network among themselves, and we get stronger as a breed.” Junior members show off hand-painted barn wood that they auctioned off in 2018 as a fundraiser to support the program’s growth.

Saturday, May 11, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. Washington County Fairgrounds, Brenham,Texas Mid-Coast Santa Gertrudis Association CATTLEMAN’S Op portunity Sale Open & Bred Heifers · Pairs · 3N1s · STAR 5 Females Select Gain Tested Bulls · Embryos · Semen

Earlier 2019 Sale Date!

Cattle viewing Friday, May 10 from 3:00-6:00 p.m., followed by a cocktail social at 6:00 p.m. - Hotel - Best Western Inn Brenham, Texas 979-251-7791 WWW.MIDCOASTSANTAGERTRUDIS.COM -More Info- contact Sale Chairman Matt Kubena • 979-373-1911 makubena@aol.com

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MARCH 2019 • WWW.SANTAGERTRUDIS.COM