March 23, 2022
Young Farmers Golf Tournament Is May 16
The State Young Farmers Committee is hosting a golf tournament benefiting the Alabama Farmers Agriculture Foundation May 16.

Registration includes all green fees, cart rental, a boxed lunch, snack bag and early evening appetizers. 
Livestock Shows Reward Youth For Hard Work
The annual Jr. Beef Expo (JBE) and inaugural Jr. Swine Expo (JSE) were held in Montgomery March 17-19. Sponsored by the Alabama Farmers Federation, over 200 youth exhibited animals in the events.

LouLou Thompson of Pike County and Walker Johnson of Cullman County exhibited the grand champion JBE Breeding Heifer and Market Animal, respectively.

Alyx Johnson of Randolph County and Tucker Ross of Jefferson County exhibited the grand champion JSE Breeding Gilt and Market Animal, respectively.


A full recap of the JBE and JSE will be included in the June Neighbors magazine.
Coffee County Farmers Serve On AFBF Committee
Jonathan and Sara Sanders were named to the national Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) Committee last month. They join a slate of farmers ages 18-35 representing every region of the U.S. on the American Farm Bureau Federation committee.

“Our primary goal is to build a network of unified voices across the nation talking about the importance of agriculture to our generation,” said Jonathan, 30, who grows peanuts, cotton, corn, cattle and timber in Coffee County’s Roeton community.

Jonathan and Sara, who is a teacher, have a daughter, Ivey, and are expecting another daughter, Elliott, this month.
Quick Clicks
The Alabama Senate has confirmed Joseph Twardy of Auburn and Caroleene Hardee Dobson of Birmingham to the Alabama Forestry Commission. Twardy will represent registered foresters on the Commission. Dobson, originally from Monroe County, will represent owners of timberland. Both terms expire Nov. 5, 2026.

U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol registration closes March 31. The program promotes sustainable cotton production and drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics – land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency. Click here to learn more.

College students majoring in a field related to forages or livestock can apply for the John E. Baylor Memorial Forage & Livestock Scholarship. Applications close April 1 for the program, sponsored by The Forage Foundation. Click here to learn more.

Specialty crop block grant applications are due April 12. Eligible projects enhance the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crops in foreign and domestic markets. Click here to learn more.
Bill Seeks To Make Peanut The State Legume
A bill supported by the Alabama Farmers Federation and Alabama Peanut Producers Association received a favorable report in an Alabama Senate committee last week.

HB 350 by Rep. Wes Allen, R-Troy, would make the peanut Alabama’s official state legume while recognizing the contributions of George Washington Carver to peanut research. It was approved by the Senate Fiscal Responsibility & Economic Development (FRED) Committee.
Events & Deadlines
  • March 26 — Weights & Measures Meeting with state troopers at Northeast Alabama Community College at 8 a.m. Contact Dan Williams at (256) 558-9244 for more information.


  • April 1 — Applications open for the Eugene Blair Starter Flock Program. To apply, contact Graysen Biensch at gbiensch@alfafarmers.org.


Catch New Episodes Of Simply Southern TV
Be sure to catch the last new episode of Simply Southern for the first half of season 8. Starting in April, catch previous shows from this season.


The same episode then airs the following Wednesdays nationwide on RFD-TV.

Upcoming shows include:

  • March 26/27/30: Fungi Farm; Barb’s Cakes; Alabama farmers in Washington, D.C.; and a recipe for Crispy Roasted Okra with Creamy Lemon Dressing from SouthernBite.com, sponsored by Sweet Grown Alabama

  • April 2/3/6: Sand Castle University; Noccalula Falls; 2021 weather impacts to agriculture; and a recipe for Apple Scrunch from SouthernBite.com
In Memory