Port City To Host 44th Annual Commodity Producers Conference
The state’s port city will attract nearly 800 farmers from around the state who are expected to attend the Alabama Farmers Federation’s 44th annual Commodity Producers Conference in Mobile July 28-31. Registration deadline is June 14.
In addition to tours and entertainment, attendees will meet leaders from Alabama’s three land-grant universities and Extension system.
“We’re going to have a town hall-style meeting this year with the deans of forestry and agriculture at Auburn University, Tuskegee University and Alabama A&M University, and Extension system leaders with Federation President Jimmy Parnell moderating,” said Brian Hardin, the Federation’s Governmental and Agricultural Programs Department director. “We hope the session will be an informal exchange of ideas and create an opportunity for members to share ways that the universities and Extension can better serve the needs of agriculture and forestry in the state.”
The three-day conference, headquartered at the Mobile Convention Center, begins Thursday evening with a welcome banquet and remarks from U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Mobile.
Friday features tours that focus on row crops, cattle, forestry, wetlands, horticulture, nurseries and nautical history.
Saturday will be filled with educational seminars by some of the region’s leading experts on farm policy issues, technology and applied research. Preliminary competitions for the Young Farmers Discussion Meet will be held, and winners will be named in the Excellence in Agriculture and Outstanding Young Farm Family contests. During the Women’s Leadership Division luncheon, winners of the tablescapes, quilts and table runners contests will be announced.
Saturday evening, Alabama’s Outstanding Young Farm Family will be announced, and four finalists in the Discussion Meet contest will be named. Winners also will be announced in the Excellence in Agriculture contest.
Grammy Award-winning singer Jason Crabb will close out the conference.
For more conference information, including registration and tours, visit AlfaFarmers.org.