Cullman County’s Jimmy Parker was elected to the Alabama Farmers Federation’s State Meat Goat and Sheep Committee at the 2017 Commodity Organizational Meeting in Montgomery Feb. 8. 

Nearly 700 farmers representing every major commodity grown in Alabama elected state committee members Feb. 7-9 who help chart the course for the state’s largest farm organization during the Alabama Farmers Federation’s three-day Commodity Organizational Meeting at the Embassy Suites in Montgomery. The Alabama Peanut Producers Association had its annual meeting Feb. 7 in Dothan.

The Federation’s Brian Hardin said these farmers determine goals for their respective commodities, help set the organization’s policy and elect state committee leaders.

“The committee structure is a great way for our farmers to choose what the organization will work on,” said Hardin, the Federation’s Governmental and Agricultural Programs director. “In addition to elections for the 17 commodities our organization represents, farmers can learn about research and discuss governmental regulations and production practices.”

Hardin said the Federation’s Commodity Organizational Meeting exemplifies grassroots structure.

Hale County’s Townsend Kyser agrees. He said serving on the State Catfish Committee allows farmers to work directly with the Federation to help resolve on-farm and legislative issues.

“We elect spokesmen to deal with our issues as they arise and help look after our industry,” Kyser said. “That allows farmers back home to tend to the daily needs of their farms and commodity. At this meeting, it’s also nice to see other people from across the state who we don’t interact with a lot throughout the year.”

The election schedule was as follows:

Feb. 7 – Bee & Honey, Beef, Catfish, Pork, Soybean and Wheat & Feed Grains divisions

Feb. 8 – Cotton, Equine, Horticulture, Meat Goat & Sheep, Poultry and Wildlife Resources divisions

Feb. 9 – Dairy; Forestry; Greenhouse, Nursery & Sod; and Hay & Forage divisions and an Alabama TREASURE Forest Association board meeting.

In addition to electing new commodity leaders, outgoing commodity committee members were honored during lunch each day. They were: 

Bee & Honey — Barry Banks, Walker County; and Hobson Hite, Cullman County

Beef — Mike Henry, Montgomery County

Cotton — Sammy Gibbs, Escambia County

Dairy — Mike Ryan, Tuscaloosa County; and David Wright, Calhoun County

Greenhouse, Nursery & Sod — Ed Dennis, Dallas County; and Bethany O’Rear, Blount County

Hay & Forage — Joe Potter, Colbert County

Horticulture — John Neighbors, Tallapoosa County

Meat Goat & Sheep — Drexel Johnson, Coffee County; and Charlie Thompson, Lauderdale County

Soybean — Rickey Cornutt, Marshall County

Wheat & Feed Grains — Stanley Walters, Marengo County; and Andy Wendland, Autauga County

Wildlife Resources — Will Ainsworth, Marshall County; Jimmy Jimmerson, Cleburne County; and Mike Parmer, Autauga County

New committee members will be published in the March issue of Neighbors.