Alabama Farmers Federation commodity leaders met in Birmingham Feb. 7-9 to elect leaders and discuss goals and issues for the year. Nearly 700 farmers representing 16 commodities attended the Annual Commodity Organizational Conference.
The new director of Alabama’s Cooperative Extension System, Dr. Gary Lemme, spoke to farmers during the luncheon meeting Feb. 7-8.The Feb. 7 luncheon recognized Tim Whitley of Blount County for his service on the State Beef Committee. Bill Easterling of Barbour County and John Farrow of Tallapoosa County were honored for their service on the State Catfish Committee; and Charlie Speake of Russell County and Tim Mullek of Baldwin County were honored for their service on the State Cotton Committee.On Feb. 8, Laird Cole of Hale County and George Rankin of Marengo County were honored for their work on the State Dairy Committee. David Rogers of Cherokee County, Steve Bradley of Jefferson County and Don Allison of Winston County were honored for their service on the State Hay and Forage Committee. Jimmie Fidler of Baldwin County was honored for his work on the State Horticulture Committee, and Sam Abney of Autauga County and Eugene Blair of Chambers County were honored for their service on the State Meat Goat and Sheep Committee. On behalf of the State Meat Goat and Sheep Committee, Sam Abney presented an award at the end of the luncheon to National Legislative Programs Director Mitt Walker for his service. Walker served as director of the Meat Goat and Sheep Division from 2005 to 2012.During the Feb. 9 luncheon, Steve Thomas of Chambers County was honored for his service on the State Greenhouse Nursery and Sod Committee; Mike Dee of Pickens County was recognized for his service on the State Soybean Committee; and Shep Morris of Macon County and Wayne Woodham of Dale County were honored for their work on the State Wheat and Feed Grains Committee.
State committee members elected during the meetings will serve three-year terms (unless otherwise noted). Newly elected members and officers are:
Bee and Honey – Chairman Billy Mullins of Madison County; First Vice Chairman Joe Lambrecht, Elmore; Second Vice Chairman Lionel Evans, Limestone; Andy Webb, Washington, and Gerald Whitaker, Coffee.Beef – Chairman Clay Kennamer of Jackson County; First Vice Chairman Meador Jones, Marengo; Second Vice Chairman Mike Henry, Montgomery; Bill Lipscomb, Autauga; Keith Glover, Hale; Gerry Holmes, Morgan, and Wendell Wilson, Calhoun.Catfish – Chairman Will Pearce of Dallas County; First Vice Chairman Butch Wilson, Dallas; Second Vice Chairman Paul Wheeler, Perry; Randy Hollingsworth, Hale; Sid Nelson, Sumter, and Harold Smith, Barbour.

Cotton – Chairman Jimmy Miller of Blount County; First Vice Chairman Phil Vandiver, Madison; Second Vice Chairman Richard Edgar, Elmore; Tom Ingram, Lee; Thomas Kirkland, Dale; Joe Mullek, Baldwin, and Lance Whitehead, Fayette.Dairy – Chairman Will Gilmer of Lamar County; First Vice Chairman Joe Ching, Mobile; Second Vice Chairman Richie Traylor, Randolph; Wayne Bearden, Macon; Trey Martin, Coffee; James “Buck” Shand, Dallas, and James Waite, Covington.Equine – Chairman Jamie McConnell of Chilton County; First Vice Chairman Charles Kelly, Talladega; Second Vice Chairman Bonnie Shanholtzer, Autauga; Gean Harris, Cleburne; Cindy Fitts, Tuscaloosa, Jo Ann B. Laney, Russell, and Scotty Noles, Randolph.Forestry – Chairman John Dorrill of Pike County; First Vice Chairman Emory Mosley, Washington; John Farrow, Tallapoosa; Jake Harper, Wilcox; James Malone, Mobile, and Russ Runyan, Walker.Greenhouse, Nursery and Sod – Chairman Jason Powell of Chilton County; Bob Moore, Macon; Bethany O’Rear, Blount; Tommy Odom, Mobile, and Dennis Wiley, Lauderdale.Hay and Forage – Chairman Winford Parmer of Autauga County; First Vice Chairman Wade Hill, Lawrence; Second Vice Chairman Joe Potter, Colbert; Alvin Anderson, Jefferson; Roger Brumbeloe, Blount, and Stanley Newton, Chambers.Horticulture – Chairman Art Sessions of Mobile County; First Vice Chairman Frank Benford, Chambers; Todd Cassebaum, Baldwin; Joe Adams, Bullock; Jeremy Calvert; Cullman, and Jordan Hamner, Lauderdale.Meat Goat and Sheep – Chairman Wess Hallman of Blount County; First Vice Chairman Drexel Johnson, Coffee; Second Vice Chairman Clay Mims, Chilton; Tammy Doughty, Pickens; Michael Letlow, Shelby, and Melvin Price, Henry.Pork- Chairman Mark Pennington of Calhoun County; First Vice Chairman Frank Morris, St. Clair; Second Vice Chairman Jon Petree, Franklin; Luther Bishop, Colbert; Greg Buttram, DeKalb, and Tim Donaldson, Cullman.Poultry – Chairman Joe Roberts of Fayette County; First Vice Chairman Dennis Maze, Blount; Second Vice Chairman Tom Duncan, Butler; Tommy Thompson, Covington; Jan Woodham, Dale, and Joe Murphy, Pike.Soybean – Chairman Jeff Webster of Madison County; First Vice Chairman Pat Buck, Sumter; Secretary/Treasurer Don Glenn, Lawrence; Robert Acker, Cherokee; Johnny Bryant, Calhoun, and Annie Dee, Pickens.Wheat and Feed Grains – Chairman Stanley Walters of Marengo County; First Vice Chairman Andy Wendland, Autauga; Second Vice Chairman Dan Rhyne, Lowndes; Mack Hughes, Jackson, and Paul Looney, Limestone.Wildlife – Chairman Will Ainsworth of Marshall County; First Vice Chairman Dell Hill, Talladega; Grady Bobo Jr., Tuscaloosa; Jimmy Fetner, Randolph; Henry Fuqua, Bullock, and Randy Gilmore, Jefferson.Members of the Alabama Peanut Producers Association met and elected members Feb. 9 in Dothan. Those elected were Carl Sanders of Coffee County; Ed White, Henry; Thomas Murphy, Henry; Mark Kaiser, Baldwin, and Joel Sirmon, Baldwin. For more information on Alabama’s 17 commodities, visit AlfaFarmers.org.