When she first joined
the Alabama Farmers
Federation as
a part-time membership
clerk in August 1978,
Ginger Mullins had no
idea what the organization
was all about.”All I knew about the
state’s commodities was
that you bought them in
the grocery store,” she
said with a laugh.But when Mullins
retired as administrative assistant
to the Federation’s Department of
Governmental and Agricultural
Programs on Feb. 1, she left behind
a family of farm friends from all
over the state.”The people are what I’ll miss
most,” said Mullins, whose Federation
career spans more than 32
years. “I feel like I have friends
from one end of the state
to the other.”Likewise, Jimmy
Carlisle, director of the
Governmental and Agricultural
Programs, says
Mullins’ quick smile and
people-pleasing attitude
will be sorely missed.
“Ginger’s retirement
leaves a giant hole in the
Federation,” said Carlisle.
“She’s going to be
missed not only by me
and the rest of the Federation staff,
but by hundreds of our members.
She’s touched the lives of so many
of our members, always eager to
help out and always smiling. The
commodity directors all love her,
and our department won’t be the
same without Ginger.”Carlisle said much of Mullins’
duties are being divided between
two other administrative assistants
— Millie Hawes and Carla Hornady.
Mullins was recognized at last
summer’s Commodity Producers
Conference for more than three
decades of service to the Federation.She said her retirement will be
filled with painting, volunteering
and spending time with her husband,
Ronnie; son, Troy; and son
and daughter-in-law, Ronnie Dean
and Karen, who live in Fairhope
with her three grandchildren
— George (5), Lucy (3) and Mae (10
months).”There aren’t many places you
can work where you can truthfully
say you have so many friends,” said
Mullins. “Unless they’ve experienced
it, people just don’t understand
when people talk about this
organization being a family. Everybody
cares for one another.”