By Maggie Edwards

Geneva County’s Debra 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 organization’s 102nd annual meeting in Montgomery Dec. 3-4. 

As committee chairs, Dunn and Turk will serve one-year, ex-officio terms on the Federation’s 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 as secretary. 

Elected to serve Region 1 was 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 the committee for 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 state committee member Debbie Freeland. Freeland served the committee for six years. 

The WLC at-large representative is Debbie Miller of Mobile County. Miller replaces long-time state committee member Ann Whatley from Lee County, who is the immediate past chairman, also serving the committee for six years. 

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 their annual business meeting Dec. 3. 

District 5’s Denzil Dees of Sumter County was elected as vice chairman, in addition to his newly reelected position representing 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. Hereford 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 for three years.

Reelected to represent 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 to serve as 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 of the Year. 

Fourteen counties 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.