Tallassee High School students during the Elmore County Cattlemen’s Cookout.
While visiting Tallassee High School in Alabama, Elmore County Cattlemen’s Association (ECCA) President Murray Terrell spoke about how his experiences in FFA led to him joining the association and the various projects ECCA is involved in. From elementary students to breast cancer survivors, ECCA serves all.
One of the 67 county cattlemen’s associations in the state, ECCA is very active in promoting the beef industry and helping the community. ECCA offers four scholarships annually, including two agriculture-based scholarships, one trade-based scholarship and one for general studies.
Terrell was an officer during his time in FFA and earned his American FFA Degree, which is the highest degree achievable in the National FFA Organization. He graduated from Auburn University with a degree in animal science and completed two years of post-graduate education while working on his master’s in ruminant nutrition. Ruminant nutrition is the study of the diet and feeding of animals with four-chambered stomachs, including cattle, goats and sheep.
After spending five years working on a feed lot in south Alabama, Terrell spent the next 33 years working for Cargill Animal Nutrition, with a focus in nutrition and formulation, and retired this year.
Cowboys in the Classroom
Many ECCA members are current or retired teachers, and they do not let their experiences go to waste. Cowboys in the Classroom is a program where ECCA members go to elementary schools in Elmore County and teach children about the cattle industry.
Cooking for Auburn
ECCA is also one of the most active county chapters in Alabama, and is often asked to send members to events supported by the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association. As a result, ECCA has been asked to cook for Auburn University’s football team the past two years, alongside the Lee County Cattlemen’s Association and the Montgomery Cattlemen’s Association.
Beef Month and FFA
October is beef month in Alabama, so it’s the perfect time for ECCA to promote the cattle industry. Partnering with FFA chapters in Elmore County, ECCA provides $500 worth of supplies and its own grill, then donates any money earned by selling steak sandwiches. The Tallassee FFA Chapter plans to use any money raised to help fund its trip to the National FFA Convention & Expo.
Terrell and another ECCA member have also generously spent several hours at Tallassee High School teaching students about beef, and let some students manage the grill under close supervision.
Breast Cancer Awareness
The City of Wetumpka hosts an annual March for Breast Cancer Awareness in October. At the 2025 event, Terrell and his wife, a breast cancer survivor, raised awareness with a booth representing the Beef for Breast Cancer program that is supported by the Beef Council.
Terrell and ECCA support so many people in their community. From students to college football players to cancer survivors, ECCA provides support wherever it can. These are just a few of the many events ECCA attends, sponsors and has created. It plans to continue teaching about not only the beef industry, but also agriculture, through service.
