Alabama Farmers Federation

County Young Farmers Attend District Meeting

Cherokee County Young Farmers were part of a group of 90 Young Farmers members who gathered for dinner at a district meeting at Top of the River March 13. Alabama Farm Credit sponsored the meal. The event included talks from State Young Farmers Chaimran Ben Maples, Alfa Insurance Farm Services Specialist Shane Wootten, Alabama Farmers Federation Governmental and Agricultural Programs Department Director Brian Hardin and Will Ainsworth, candidate for Alabama lieutenant governor.

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Local Farmers Recognized During Commodity Organizaitonal Meeting

Cherokee County's Robert Earl Acker was recognized for serving the maximum nine years on the Alabama Farmers Federation State Soybean Committee during the 2018 Commodity Organizational Meeting in Montgomery Feb. 6. From left are Federation President Jimmy Parnell, Acker and Federation Soybean Division Director Carla Hornady.

Matt McMichen was presented $10,000 from the Alabama Soybean Producers for winning the 100-Bushel Soybean Challenge Feb. 6. McMichen, whose family farms in Cherokee County, set an official state record when harvest broke the 100-bushel-per-acre yield mark at 102.1530 bushels per acre on portions of the field. From left are the Alabama Farmers Federation Soybean Division Director Carla Hornady; Mindy McMichen; Tyler Bruce; Freida, Matt and Nick McMichen; and Alabama Soybean Producers Chair Colt Clemmons.

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Cherokee County Students Attend Youth Leadership Conference

Cherokee County students JoLee Walker, Jonnie Ann Walker and Sammi Parker attended the Alabama Farmers Federation’s Youth Leadership Conference at the 4-H Center in Columbiana Oct. 2-3. The Cherokee County Farmers Federation sponsored the Walkers and Parker at the conference, where 46 ninth-10th grade students learned about social media etiquette, servant leadership, politics and agricultural misconceptions. The Walkers are 10th-graders at Cedar Bluff High School and are from Centre. Parker is a ninth-grader at Sand Rock High School and lives in Collinsville. From left are Parker, Jonnie Ann Walker and JoLee Walker.

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County Commission Presents Farm-City Proclamation

The Cherokee County Commission presented a Farm-City Day Proclamation to Cherokee County Farmers Federation (CCFF) and Farm-City Committee members Aug. 14. From left are Probate Judge and Commission Chairman Kirk Day, District 1 Commissioner Randy Jones, District 2 Commissioner Kimball Parker, Farmers Federation Board Member James Grimes, Farmers Federation Women's Leadership Committee Chairman Charlotte Grimes, Farm-City Committee member Dewandee Neyman , CCFF President John Bert East, District 4 Commissioner Carlton Bubba Teague, District 3 Commissioner Marcie Foster, Cherokee County Extension Agent and Farm-City Committee member Landon Marks, Alabama Farmers Federation Area 3 organization Director Kyle Hayes, and CCFF Board Member and Farm-City committee member Barry Bailey.

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Cherokee County Student Receives $1,750 Agriculture Foundation Scholarship

Auburn University student and scholarship recipient Matt Sewell was recognized during the Alabama Farmers Federation 2017 Scholarship Recipients Luncheon Aug. 19 at the Ham Wilson Arena in Auburn. Sewell studies agronomy and soils - soil, water and land use track.The $1,750 scholarship was funded by the Cherokee County Farmers Federation and the Federation’s Alabama Farmers Agriculture Foundation. From left are Federation President Jimmy Parnell, Sewell, Cherokee County Farmers Federation President John Bert East and Federation State Board Member Phillip Thompson.

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Members of various county Farmers Federations toured Children's of Alabama Aug. 5 during the Alabama Farmers Federation's annual Commodity Producers Conference in Birmingham. Children's, the chosen philanthropy project for the event, received a check for $120,000, which included donations from county Farmers Federations.

Cherokee County Farmers Federation Members Show They Care With Donation To Children's of Alabama

No one wants to see their child laying in a hospital bed. When this unfortunate circumstance becomes a reality, many Cherokee County residents choose Children's of Alabama in Birmingham.

To show support and care for children and families who find themselves at the country's third-largest pediatric hospital, the Cherokee County Farmers Federation donated $100 to Children's of Alabama.

In 2016 alone, Children's of Alabama logged 1,058 medical visits by pediatric patients from Cherokee County. In total last year, there were 676,484 patient visits to the hospital's clinics with 15,784 patient admissions.

The fundraising effort was part of the Alabama Farmers Federation's Commodity Producers Conference, which took place in Birmingham Aug. 3-5. Donations were collected from county Federations across the state, from Alabama Farmers Federation and Alfa Insurance employees and during the Alabama Farm Expo Aug. 5. At the closing banquet, the Federation presented Children’s of Alabama with a check for $120,000.

Children's of Alabama is the state's only free-standing pediatric hospital. It includes the pediatric teaching hospital for the School of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the state's only pediatric kidney dialysis program, one of the Southeast's largest burn units and one of the nation's only pediatric rheumatology programs.

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Cherokee County Farmers Federation Promotes Ag Tag With Local Probate Offices

Employees at the Cherokee County Probate Office showed their enthusiasm for agriculture and education when they received Ag Tag T-shirts recently. They look forward to wearing them on casual Friday in the office.

Motorists may purchase an Ag Tag at the local probate office for an additional $50 when renewing registration. Recently redesigned, the tag features a patriotic farm scene and displays the drivers’ commitment to supporting Alabama students and farmers.

“These tags are really nice,” said Cherokee County Probate Judge Kirk Day. “Agriculture remains the largest industry in Cherokee County and buying these tags will give our citizens the opportunity to show their pride and support for the industry.”

Funds raised through Ag Tag sales support education and promotion efforts including the annual Alabama Ag in the Classroom Summer Institute for teachers, Farm-City Week programs, college scholarships for students studying agriculture-related degrees, prizes for livestock show competitors and other youth agriculture programs.

“My family has been farming in Cherokee County for over 100 years,” said Cherokee County Farmers Federation President John East. “Agriculture is our livelihood and buying an ag tag for your vehicle is a great way to promote agriculture and show support for farmers.”

Find out more about the Ag Tag and the Alabama Farmers Agriculture Foundation at www.AlabamaFarmersFoundation.org.

Above photo: From left are Cherokee County Farmers Federation President John East with Kristy Erwin, Renee Gossett, Panitha Malone, Rita Stover and Cherokee County Probate Judge Kirk Day.

Below: From left are Cherokee County Farmers Federation President John East with Tabitha Davis, Helen Dutton and Pamela Gilliland.

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Cherokee County Women's Leadership Committee Crowns Top Cooks

Three local ladies recently took home honors in the Cherokee County Farmers Federaiton's Women's Leadership Committee's annual cookoff contests. Winners in the cheeseball category were, from left, Phyllis Jones, first place; Marily Williams, second place; and Shirley Lumsden, third place. In the pork category, Lumsden took top honors and Jones placed second.

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Bailey Family Shows Serious Faith, Agriculture Committment Through Strumming, Singing, Farming

The Bailey family from Sand Rock in Cherokee County is serious about God & country. Members of the Bailey family have been involved in agriculture in several ways. Barry was an agriculture teacher; Barry’s wife, Jill, helped the family raise cattle and crops; and sons Wiley, Cliff, and James Paul all received degrees from Auburn University. Barry is on the Board of Directors of the Cherokee County Farmers Federation while Jill is on the group's Women’s Leadership Committee. Wiley is the Area Two Organization Director for the Alabama Farmers Federation. Cliff teaches special education at Fairview High School, and, James Paul raises cattle, poultry and finishing hogs. As I said the Baileys are serious about their relationship with God. The Bailey Family sings gospel music and Wiley is a minister. Cherokee County is proud of the Bailey Family.

Contributed by Randy Jones

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ATFA Executive Director Visits Local TREASURE Forest Owner

Alabama TREASURE Forest Assoication (ATFA) President BJ Johnson and ATFA Executive Director William Green talked timber June 6 at Johnson's Cherokee County TREASURE Forest.

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Cherokee County Educators Attend Alabama Ag In The Classroom Summer Institute

Kindergarten through sixth-grade teachers and other educators from around the state learned more about Alabama's largest industry while attending the Alabama Agriculture In The Classroom Summer Institute. Held in Tuscaloosa May 31-June 2, the institute included farm tours, workshops, seminars and a farmer discussion panel. Attendees from Cherokee County are pictured with Hale County catfish farmer Wallace Drury. From left are Kelsey Higgins, Drury and Centre Elementary’s Shaundra Young.

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Going Hog Wild For Project Pig Squeal

The Northeast Alabama 4-H Pig Squeal Project livestock show and auction was April 29 in Sand Rock. The project, where participants raised two hogs, lasted 105 days.

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Federation President Stops In Jacksonville To Visit Calhoun, Cherokee County Farmers

Alabama Farmers Federation President Jimmy Parnell met with farmers from Calhoun and Cherokee counties, including the county Farmers Federations, Women's Leadership Committees and Young Farmers. The March 30 meeting included a meal and a talk given by Parnell at the Calhoun County Farmers Federation building in Jacksonville.

Top left photo: From left are Federation Central Area Vice President Dean Wysner, Cherokee County Farmers Federation President John Bert East, Parnell, Calhoun County Farmers Federation President Wendell Wilson, Federation District 3 Director Phillip Thompson of Jackson County and Federation District 6 Director Dell Hill of Talladega County.