The winner of Alabama’s 2009 Farm of Distinction competition will be showcased April 20 as the Alabama Farm-City Committee holds its annual awards luncheon at Birmingham’s Wynfrey Hotel.Held in connection with the Alabama Farmers Federation Women’s Conference (April 19-21), the winning farm is selected from five division winners and one at-large winner from throughout the state. All finalists will be profiled in a video presentation during the annual Farm-City awards luncheon that also recognizes the state’s top county Farm-City Committees for their work in bridging the gap between urban and rural residents.The 2009 Farm of Distinction winner is selected by a panel of agricultural experts who visit each farm entered in the competition. Farms are judged on environmental stewardship, overall appearance, accomplishments, efficiency and leadership of the farm owner. Any size farm is eligible.”These farms represent some of the best Alabama has to offer,” said Alabama Farm-City Chairman J. Paul Till. “Even as we lose more and more farmland to housing developments and urban sprawl, these are farms that strive to be the best in whatever they do. They’re good neighbors, good stewards and good models of well-managed, well-maintained farms. They are farms that make Alabamians proud.”SunSouth and TriGreen Equipment, a network of Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee John Deere dealers, will be donating a new John Deere Gator valued at more than $5,000 to the 2009 winner. In addition, Alabama Farmers Cooperative will award a $1,000 gift certificate, and Swisher International of Jacksonville, Fla., will award $2,500 to the winning farm. The Alabama Farmers Federation and Alfa Health presents the winner with an engraved, mahogany farm sign.The winner will go on to represent the state in the Southeastern Farmer of the Year competition at the Sunbelt Agricultural Expo in Moultrie, Ga., Oct. 20-22. Alabama Farmers Cooperative also awards a $250 gift certificate to each division winner.Last year’s Farm of Distinction was Dewberry Lands of Clay County, owned by Lamar and Felicia Dewberry.The Farm-City event will also honor the best county Farm-City Committees, along with presentations for best scrapbooks, best Farm-City tours, best civic activity, etc. In addition to the county awards, young artists and writers will be recognized for their outstanding entries in the Farm-City poster and essay contests. Students qualify for the state awards by winning first place in their county contests.Established in 1955, National Farm-City Week is observed each year the week before Thanksgiving. The awards program recognizes county groups and individuals for activities associated with the annual observance.For more information, call 800-392-5705, ext. 5096 or email ptill@alfafarmers.org.