By Maggie Edwards 

Geneva County’s Debbie Dunn and Mobile County’s Dillon Turk were elected to lead the Alabama Farmers Federation State Women’s Leadership Committee (WLC) and State Young Farmers Committee, respectively, during the 102nd annual meeting in Montgomery Dec. 3-4. 

As committee chairs, Dunn and Turk will serve one-year, ex-officio terms on the Federation state board. 

On the WLC, Rachel Chastain of Talladega County was chosen to serve as vice chair, and Carla Trantham of Calhoun County was elected secretary. 

Serving Region 1 is Lisa Lake of Cullman County. Region 1 includes Blount, Cherokee, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan and Winston counties. Lake replaces Cullman County’s long-time state committee member Lydia Haynes, who served six years. 

Amy Belcher of Montgomery County will serve Region 3. This includes Baldwin, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Escambia, Hale, Lowndes, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Sumter, Washington and Wilcox counties. Belcher replaces Mobile County’s long-time volunteer-leader Debbie Freeland, who served six years. 

The WLC At-Large representative is Debbie Miller of Mobile County. Miller replaces Ann Whatley of Lee County.

Outstanding county committees were also honored during the annual meeting. They were Cherokee County, Region 1; Lamar County, Region 2; Sumter County, Region 3; and Chambers County, Region 4. 

Additionally, 44 counties were presented Awards of Excellence. They were Autauga, Blount, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Coosa, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, DeKalb, Elmore, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Geneva, Houston, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Marion, Marshall, Mobile, Montgomery, Pickens, Randolph, Russell, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Wilcox and Winston counties.

Meanwhile, Young Farmers ages 18-35 elected leaders during an annual business meeting Dec. 3. 

District 5’s Denzil Dees of Sumter County was elected vice chairman, in addition to his reelected position serving Choctaw, Dallas, Lowndes, Marengo, Perry, Sumter and Wilcox counties. 

Natalie Lee of DeKalb County will serve as secretary and continue representing District 2’s Blount, Cherokee, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Jackson, Marshall and St. Clair counties. 

Forrest Anders of Morgan County was chosen to serve District 1, which includes Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence Limestone, Madison, Marion, Morgan and Winston counties.  Anders replaces James Hereford of Madison County, who served a two-year term. 

Jordyn Upchurch of Clay County will serve District 3. This includes Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Randolph, Shelby, Talladega and Tallapoosa counties. Upchurch replaces Randolph County’s Ben Johnson, who served the committee three years.

Reelected for District 7 was Emmanuel Bankston of Henry County. His district includes Barbour, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston and Pike counties. 

Bart Williams of Autauga County was reelected the South At-Large representative. This includes Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Chambers, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Dallas, Elmore, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pike, Russell, Sumter, Washington and Wilcox counties.

Brady and Anna Peek of Limestone County will serve an ex-officio role on the committee as Alabama’s Outstanding Young Farm Family. 

Fourteen Young Farmers committees were recognized for outstanding work, active participation and community involvement. They were Calhoun, Chambers, Clay, Elmore, Henry, Houston, Lee, Limestone, Marshall, Mobile, Montgomery, Talladega, Tallapoosa and Winston counties.