By David Lazenby

dlazenby@cullmantimes.com

The Steven and Dana Creel family was named the Farm-City family of the year Thursday evening during the annual Farm City Banquet held at the Cullman Civic Center.

The Creels of the Gold Ridge community have been in the poultry business for a dozen years. They currently have 125 acres and 10 poultry houses under contract with Tyson Foods.

The family also has a stake in the beef business.

The Creels normally run about 70 brood cows on the farm but have reduced the herd to about 20 head due to this year’s drought.

Furthermore, Steven is the immediate past president of the Cullman County Poultry and Egg Association, a board he has served on for six years.

Other organizations in which he is involved include the Alabama Poultry and Egg Association and Alabama Farm Federation.

The Creels run their farm with assistance from their daughter 17-year-old Shalyn, and son, Alex, 9.

In addition to operating the farm, Steven has spent the last decade driving a bus for Fairview schools and Dana owns and operates a hair salon in Cullman and recently began selling real estate with White Dove Realty.

“Even though this is a large farming operation in Cullman County, Steven and Dana have managed to provide practically all of the labor without hired help,” Danny C. Ray wrote in his nomination for the award.

Steven and Dana, who grew up on poultry farms in Fairview, are also active members of Welcome Baptist Church. Steven is also active in the Fairview youth athletic program.

The Cullman City Farm Committee works in conjunction with the Farm-City Council, a non-profit agency dedicated to preserving the link between farm families and urban residents.

The banquet marked the end of Farm City Month, which including a balloon release at the Child Development Center, Peinhardt Farm Day, a proclamation breakfast, Farm City Day at Festhalle Market Platz and a Farm City tour that included stops at Terri Gilley’s farm and Hired Hands Hired-Hand Manufacturing, a multi-million dollar company that produces machines used by poultry producers around the world.