CULLMAN, Ala. – The annual Farm-City Banquet took place Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. at Loft 212. The Farm City Committee alternates between recognizing a Farm Family and a City Family to represent Cullman County for the year. Fred and Delores Osborne were this year’s 2021 City Family. Fred and Delores were given a portrait of their family in commemoration.
Committee Chairman Leonard Slade presented the 2022 Farm Family award to Michael Graveman and Skyla Elliot. Slade said, “Michael and Skyla both came from farming backgrounds. Michael is a fourth-generation poultry grower. You will find Michael in and around the Festhalle several days a week as he is serving as a manager of the market.”
He continued, “Skyla is a medical assistant at St. Vincent’s hospital attending to the medical needs there in the community. She has farming history running through her veins also, with family members active in agriculture. Michael and Skyla are givers in the true meaning of the word. They grow food, they encourage the production and the selling of food by others and Skyla tends to the needs of the sick. This has covered all the needs of our community, making Cullman County sustainable for the future.”
Also presented, on behalf of commissioner Rick Pate and the Alabama Dept. of Agriculture and Industry, was the Century Farm award to the Haynes family. The Charlie Gorham homeplace and Haynes Farms were selected as the Alabama Century and Heritage farms. Both farms are owned by Haynes Farms LLC with partners Lydia and Darrel Haynes and their sons Ben and Bart Haynes.
Lydia said a few words as she accepted the award: “This is actually the third farm. My homeplace, The Lovelady Farm was recognized in 1985 as a century farm, so we own or partly own three farms that have been in our family for over 100 years. If you total the years of agriculture, its 371 years of farming in Cullman County.”
“You think about the Great Depression, two wars, all of these farms sent their oldest sons to WWII. It’s a commitment. The posters and the theme this year was sustainability in agriculture. I call that sustainable agriculture.”
Denise Schuman also announced the winners of the poster contest:
K-3rd Poster Winners
- 1st– Marlee Whitehead, Holly Pond Elementary
- 2nd– Maggie Phillips, Good Hope Elementary
- 3rd– Kenzie Chamblee, East Elementary
4-6th Poster Winners
- 1st– Marriah Hain, Cullman Christian School
- 2nd– Lena Elliot, Good Hope Elementary
- 3rd– Harper Easterwood, East Elementary
Judge Chad Floyd announced the youth awards:
- Outstanding FCCLA Member- Piper Stricklin, Cold Springs High School
- Outstanding 4-H Member- Drew Conway, Cullman High School
- Outstanding FFA Member- Craig Lawrence, West Point High School
(L-R) Marriah Hain, Lena Elliot and Harper Easterwood (Sara Gladley for The Cullman Tribune) 
(L-R) Marlee Whitehead, Maggie Phillips and Kenzie Chamblee (Sara Gladney for The Cullman Tribune) 
(L-R) Outstanding FFA Member Craig Lawrence, Outstanding FCCLA member Piper Stricklin and, Outstanding 4-H Member Drew Conway (Sara Gladney for The Cullman Tribune)
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