More than 300 young farm
families from throughout the
state will gather Feb. 18-20 at
Huntsville’s Embassy Suites Hotel
for the Alabama Farmers Federation’s
2011 Young Farmers Leadership
Conference.It’s an event that not only serves
to develop tomorrow’s agricultural
leaders but also
is the first step
in the Outstanding
Young
Farm Family
competition as
17 state commodity
division
winners are
selected.The OYFF
program,
now entering
its 54th year,
seeks to recognize
young
farm families
and farmers
between the
ages of 18 and
35 who are doing an outstanding
job in their farm, home and community
activities, and promoting a
better understanding of agriculture
with the urban populace.Each commodity winner
receives a plaque and $200 cash
award. From the 17 commodity
divisions, the top six finalists will
be chosen. An overall winner is
then selected from the six finalists
and will be named at the Federation’s
90th Annual Meeting in
Mobile, Dec. 4-6.The overall winner receives a
John Deere Gator, courtesy of Alabama
Ag Credit, ACA and Alabama
Farm Credit, the use of a new vehicle,
$500 cash from Dodge Trucks
and a computer package sponsored
by Valcom/CCS Wireless.The state winner also receives
an all-expense-paid trip to the 2012
American Farm Bureau Federation
Annual Meeting in Hawaii where
he/she will compete for the American
Farm Bureau Young Farmer and
Rancher Achievement Award. The
winner of the 2011 Achievement
Award receives a nicely equipped
2012 Dodge Ram Quad Cab pickup.
Activities for the Alabama
Farmers Federation’s Young Farmers
Leadership Conference begin
Friday, Feb. 18, 5:45-6:30 p.m., with
an invitation-only reception for
county Young Farmers chairmen,
followed by the opening banquet
with keynote speaker Chad Hymas.Hymas, a quadriplegic since age
27, has been recognized by the state
of Utah as the Superior Civilian of
the Year. Now 37, he is the president
of his own communications
company and an internet marketing
company. As a member of the
National Speakers Association,
Chad travels as many as 150,000
miles a year speaking to hundreds
of professional and civic organizations
such as Wells Fargo, Coca-
Cola, AT&T, American Express, the
Utah Jazz and others.He has raced in marathons, and
in the summer of 2003, set a world
record by wheeling his chair from
Salt Lake City to Las Vegas (513
miles). He also participates in such
wheelchair athletic
competitions
as basketball and
rugby and officiates
basketball. Hymas
also spends many
hours with other
injured individuals
in therapy, encouraging
them to overcome
their challenges,
focus on
dreams and make
them a reality, and
to love life for all
that it has to offer.
Saturday activities
include orientation
for OYFF
contestants at
7:45 a.m., followed at 8 by leadership
development training and a
seminar presented by American
Farm Bureau. Alabama Ag in the
Classroom also will be holding a
workshop, and OYFF judging begins
at 8:30 a.m.This year the OYFF awards
banquet and the Young Farmers
Live Auction will be held at the
Davidson Center for Space Exploration.For more information, log on to www.alfayoungfarmers.org or email Brandon
Moore, Young Farmers Division
Director, at BMoore@AlfaFarmers.org.