Alabama BCIA Presents Awards, Appoints Officers at 40th Annual Meeting
Auburn, May 4, 2004 --- The Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Association handed out its 
highest honors at its 40th Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet March 27 in Birmingham. 
       
The organization celebrated its 40-year history by honoring past presidents, past Producers of the 
Year and bull evaluations in addition to presenting annual awards.
	
Dorian Garrick of Colorado State University spoke about how best to achieve genetic change.  
Other speakers included Billy Maples of Elkmont, Bob Adams of Union Springs and Harrell Watts 
of Sardis, who have all been key figures throughout the history of Alabama BCIA.
       
This year’s Commercial Producer of the Year is Gordon Burkhalter of Burkhalter Farms in 
Clanton. The Burkhalter operation has been around for 22 years and manages a cowherd of 
about 150, including Simmental-Angus cross and a few purebred Angus.
       
Bob and Rob Adams won the Purebred Producer of the Year award as owners of Adams Angus 
Farm in Union Springs. This 65-year-old farm consists of 75 brood cows, timberland and hunting 
leases. Bob Adams was a charter member of Alabama BCIA.
       
The Richard E. Deese Award was presented to Jimmy Holliman of Marion Junction for his 
outstanding service to Alabama BCIA and to the beef cattle industry in general. Holliman, 
incoming president of the Beef Improvement Federation, has been involved in the cattle industry 
all his life. He owns Circle H Cattle Farm in Marion Junction and has held numerous leadership 
positions in the industry.

Alabama BCIA awarded the top three farms in each of three herd-size categories for average 
weaning weights. The average weight for all records processed in 2003 was 560 pounds. 
       
In the small (five to 29) herd category, first place went to Bill and Betty Richards of B&B Farms in 
Northport, whose 12 calves averaged 660 pounds. In the medium (30 to 99) category, first place 
went to Malcomb Peagues of the Gulf Coast Research and Extension Center in Fairhope, whose 
75 calves averaged 660 pounds. In the large (100 or more) category, first place went to Kermit 
Stephens of KK&W Farm in Brierfield, whose 111 calves averaged 671 pounds. 

This year, 230 cows from 38 farms were recognized as Gold Star Cows. To qualify as a Gold Star 
Cow, a commercial cow must have two or more calves in the BCIA program, must have calved 
and weaned a calf every year on the program, must have a calving interval of 370 days or less 
and her calves’ adjusted 205-day weight ratio must be 105 with a minimum adjusted weaning 
weight of 560 pounds. BCIA processed a total of 6,108 cow records in 2003.

For each year a cow qualifies to be a Gold Star Cow, it is awarded a star. Bill Lipscomb of 
Lipscomb’s 3-L Ranch in Prattville owns the longest-running Gold Star Cow, a 13-star whose 
calves’ 205-day weight averages 569 pounds and whose calving interval is about 364 days. 

The farm with the most Gold Star Cows is Autauga Farming Company in Autaugaville, owned by 
Milton Wendland. The farm had 55 Gold Star Cows this year.

New officers were also appointed at the meeting. Officers for 2004 are Max Bozeman of Elba, 
president; David Latham of Montgomery, vice president; Wesley Stroud of Athens, treasurer; and 
Michelle Elmore of Clanton, secretary.

Alabama BCIA was formed in 1964 to promote, educate and facilitate the use of performance 
testing, record keeping and marketing opportunities for BCIA members and to improve the 
Alabama cattle industry. For more information, visit www.albcia.org.