By Maggie Edwards 

Patience and persistence paved the way to victory for Tallapoosa County’s Josh and Bailey Williams, Alabama’s 2025 Excellence in Agriculture contest winners.

“When we married in 2016, we knew we wanted to get back to farming,” said Josh, a former Benjamin Russell High School agriscience teacher and current Alexander City Schools career technical education director. “We both come from an agricultural background, but we planted roots together away from family operations. We wanted to raise our kids to have the same experiences we did. That’s when we got intentional about the future.” 

Josh and Bailey’s love story began when the two aspiring agriculturalists met through Alabama FFA. More than a decade later, they share the joys of agriculture with children Maren, 4, and Callahan, 1, on their family farm. Maren has taken to farm life, running her own farm-fresh egg business.

“Raising the kids on a farm has been a dream come true for us,” said Bailey, who noted they’re expecting a third farmhand next year. “It’s a blessing for us to teach them life skills from an ag perspective. It’s something we bonded over in the beginning, and we’re seeing that come to fruition.” 

Through resilience and hard work, they purchased Windy Hill Farm in 2023. Today, the Williamses raise cattle, goats and backyard chickens while cultivating a large family garden. They also lead Tallapoosa County Young Farmers, a division of the Alabama Farmers Federation.  

Receiving an Alabama Ag Credit JumpStart Grant last year allowed for farm expansion, which yielded a robust Kids’ Farm Camp complete with animal stations and hands-on ag-tivities.  

“I wanted to host a farm day for kids to come learn about food and fiber,” Bailey said. “I am a proponent of contextualized learning mixed with ag literacy. This combined the two.”

Bailey believes showcasing excellence in agriculture means finding creative ways and solutions to farm. 

“American producers are fighting an uphill battle,” said Bailey, a speech language pathologist. “Young farmers like us continue to fight high land prices, cattle markets and a tough farm economy. Continuing to grow your operation despite all that embodies excellence.” 

For Josh, serving the future of agriculture is a priority. 

“I pursued ag education because it allowed me to give students the chance to be engaged in agriculture like I was,” said Josh, also president of the Alabama Student Angler Bass Fishing Association. “It’s always been my passion to help students find their passion and what they can be successful in.”

Josh and Bailey are proof that hard work and faith lead to accomplished goals.

“I’m most proud of how intentional we were about setting ourselves up to live out our dream,” Bailey said. “Josh has been the calm in the storm. He’s a great provider. I’m the dreamer, and he’s logical. We’ve gotten here through blood, sweat and tears.”

Excellence in Agriculture participants highlight their industry passion and Federation experience through an application and presentation. The contest is for members ages 18-35 who earn most of their income off farm. The Williamses will compete in the national contest in January.