Alabama Farmers Federation 102nd Annual Meeting includes elections, awards
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – More than 1,300 farmers from across Alabama participated in the 102nd annual meeting of the Alabama Farmers Federation Dec. 3-4 in Montgomery. The event included elections, special recognitions and entertainment.
Business session elections
Four-hundred sixty-two farmers from the Gulf Coast to the Tennessee Valley served as voting delegates in Montgomery Dec. 4 to conduct business for the state’s largest farm organization.
Agenda items included voting on policy recommendations and electing nine leaders to the Alabama Farmers Federation state board.
Steve Dunn was one leader elected during the group’s 102nd annual meeting. The Conecuh County row crop and cattle farmer was reelected to his 13th two-year term as secretary-treasurer of the 353,000-member-strong Federation.
Meanwhile, Jon Hegeman and Jake Harper were chosen to serve two more years as vice presidents.
This is the third term for Hegeman, a Calhoun County greenhouse owner. His Central Area includes Autauga, Bibb, Calhoun, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Fayette, Greene, Jefferson, Lamar, Pickens, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega, Tuscaloosa and Walker counties.
Harper of Wilcox County now begins his 11th term serving the Southwest Area, which covers Baldwin, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Escambia, Hale, Lowndes, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Sumter, Washington and Wilcox counties. Harper manages a timber and cattle farm.
Additionally, farmer-delegates elected four peers to three-year terms as district directors.
David Bailey of DeKalb County was chosen to serve District 3, which includes Cherokee, DeKalb, Etowah and Jackson counties. Bailey is a poultry farmer and replaces board member John Bert East of Cherokee County.
Shelby County’s Phillip Hunter is beginning his third term serving District 6 farmers. That territory covers Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair and Talladega counties. Hunter owns and manages a tree farm.
Bill Cook of Montgomery County was reelected to represent District 9, which covers Autauga, Butler, Chilton, Lowndes, Montgomery and Wilcox counties. Now in his third term, Cook grows timber and operates a lawn care business.
Serving District 12 is newly elected Jerry Peak, a poultry and cattle farmer from Geneva County. His district includes Dale, Geneva, Henry and Houston counties. Peek replaces Thomas Adams of Henry County.
During the business session, delegates officially approved nominations for Debra Dunn and Dillon Turk to lead the State Women’s Leadership Committee and State Young Farmers Committee, respectively. Geneva County’s Dunn lives on a row crop and cattle farm, while Turk of Mobile County manages his family’s ornamental nursery. Dunn and Turk will also serve one-year, ex-officio terms on the state board, where they’ll gain deeper understanding of Federation business and the organization’s connection with Alfa Insurance.
Elections, awards for State Women’s Leadership Committee and State Young Farmers Committee
As committee chairs, Dunn and Turk will serve one-year, ex-officio terms on the Federation’s state board.
On the WLC, Rachel Chastain of Talladega County was chosen to serve as vice chair and Carla Trantham of Calhoun County was elected as secretary.
Elected to serve Region 1 was Lisa Lake of Cullman County. Region 1 includes Blount, Cherokee, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan and Winston counties. Lake replaces Cullman County’s longtime state committee member Lydia Haynes, who served the committee for six years.
Amy Belcher of Montgomery County will serve Region 3. This includes Baldwin, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Escambia, Hale, Lowndes, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Sumter, Washington and Wilcox counties. Belcher replaces Mobile County’s longtime state committee member Debbie Freeland. Freeland served the committee for six years.
The WLC at-large representative is Debbie Miller of Mobile County. Miller replaces long-time state committee member Ann Whatley from Lee County, who is the immediate past chairman, also serving the committee for six years.
Outstanding county committees were also honored during the annual meeting. They were Cherokee County, Region 1; Lamar County, Region 2; Sumter County, Region 3; and Chambers County, Region 4.
Additionally, 44 counties were presented Awards of Excellence. They were Autauga, Blount, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Coosa, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, DeKalb, Elmore, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Geneva, Houston, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Marion, Marshall, Mobile, Montgomery, Pickens, Randolph, Russell, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Wilcox and Winston counties.
Meanwhile, Young Farmers ages 18-35 elected leaders during their annual business meeting Dec. 3.
District 5’s Denzil Dees of Sumter County was elected as vice chairman, in addition to his newly reelected position representing Choctaw, Dallas, Lowndes, Marengo, Perry, Sumter and Wilcox counties.
Natalie Lee of DeKalb County will serve as secretary and continue representing District 2’s Blount, Cherokee, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Jackson, Marshall and St. Clair Counties.
Forrest Anders of Morgan County was chosen to serve District 1, which includes Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence Limestone, Madison, Marion, Morgan and Winston counties. Anders replaces James Hereford of Madison County. Hereford served a two-year term.
Jordyn Upchurch of Clay County will serve District 3. This includes Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Randolph, Shelby, Talladega and Tallapoosa counties. Upchurch replaces Randolph County’s Ben Johnson, who served the committee for three years.
Reelected to represent District 7 was Emmanuel Bankston of Henry County. His district includes Barbour, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston and Pike counties.
Bart Williams of Autauga County was reelected to serve as the South-At-Large representative. This includes Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Chambers, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Dallas, Elmore, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pike, Russell, Sumter, Washington and Wilcox counties.
Brady and Anna Peek of Limestone County will serve an ex-officio role on the committee as Alabama’s Outstanding Young Farm Family of the Year.
Fourteen counties were recognized for outstanding work, active participation and community involvement. They were Calhoun, Chambers, Clay, Elmore, Henry, Houston, Lee, Limestone, Marshall, Mobile, Montgomery, Talladega, Tallapoosa and Winston counties.
Elections, recognition of state commodity committee leaders
Alabama Farmers Federation grassroots leaders received high praise when voting delegates elected peers to commodity committees during the organization’s 102nd annual meeting Dec. 3 in Montgomery.
State commodity committees are as effective as ever, said Federation Governmental and Agricultural Programs Department Director Mitt Walker.
“The process of allowing farmers to select the best among their peers for these committees has bolstered each group’s influence and resilience,” Walker said. “These members understand present and future issues facing agriculture. Our exceptional group of commodity directors is prepared to work with every member to determine strategy and make Alabama even better.”
Walker said the Federation relies on policy recommendations from state committees to shape and direct the organization’s work.
For the third year, elections took place during the year-end meeting. Brooks Wall of Shelby County was newly elected to the State Forestry Committee. Wall said he’s looking forward to working with other members to promote and protect Alabama timber land.
“With any large industry, there are complications that will arise.” Wall said. “I’m ready to work with many talented and bright people to solve those problems, grow the forestry business and improve it the best we can.”
State committees provide commodity-specific educational programs across the state throughout the year, in addition to guiding research, promotion and education efforts.
Cade Grace of Walker County said he’s grateful to serve farmers and help ensure checkoff funds are allocated to initiatives that benefit all producers.
“Being on the committee gives us the opportunity to sit with others who might have different perspectives and experiences,” said Grace, who was elected to his second term on the State Soybean Committee. “We’re well represented from all parts of Alabama, so we’ll be able to promote programs that help farmers across the state.”
Federation staff will work with committees to dive deep into distinct issues surrounding each of the organization’s 17 commodities: bee & honey; beef; catfish; cotton; dairy; equine; forestry; greenhouse, nursery & sod; hay & forage; fruit & vegetables; peanuts; pork; poultry; sheep & goat; soybean; wheat & feed grain; and wildlife.
Catfish, fruit & vegetable and peanut elections will be held outside the annual meeting. Catfish producers will meet to vote at Catfish Industry Update Meeting Jan. 11 in Marion Junction. The Alabama Peanut Producers Association and Alabama Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association will gather at their corresponding conferences in Dothan and Gulf Shores to elect members. The affiliated organization Alabama TREASURE Forest Association will vote in 2024.
In addition to elections, state commodity committee members who rotated off committees were honored Dec. 4 for serving the maximum nine years.
- Bee & Honey – Justin Hill, Calhoun County
- Beef – Larry Bowen, Randolph County; Tim Whitley, Blount County
- Cotton – Richard Lindsey, Cherokee County
- Equine – Frank Chirico, Coffee County
- Forestry – Emory Mosley, Washington County
- Greenhouse, Nursery & Sod – Brian Keller, Mobile County
- Hay & Forage – Joe Ching, Mobile County
- Sheep & Goat – Charlie Loveless, Calhoun County; Melissa Palmer, Elmore County
- Wheat & Feed Grain – James Walker, Lauderdale County
