Farm City awards announced

By Kelly Tabor

Published: November 14, 2008

The Coffee County Farm City Committee presented awards Thursday morning for the top contributors to agriculture and business in the county for 2008.

Businesses as well as poultry, cotton and livestock producers were honored at the two-hour event organized by Coffee County Extension Office, Eddie Vaughan of the Elba Chamber of Commerce and Phil Thomas and James Aplin of the Enterprise Chamber of Commerce.

The award for Farm of Distiction went to the Sanders family of the Roeston Community in northeast Coffee County. Carl Sanders manages about about 100 calves, 400 acres of pasture and timber and 1,000 acres of row crops, including peanuts, corn, cotton, wheat and oats. Sanders said he uses soil conservation practices because he is concerned about the environmental impact on for future generations.

The Coffee County Baptist Association, which has roots stretching back to 1877, recieved the Farm City Service Award.

“I believe that Alabama baptists are second only to the Red Cross in terms of emergency response,“ said Extension Coordinator Stan Windham. “Their disaster relief efforts and reponse to crisis are noticable.“

Elba General Hospital and Nursing Home, which has operated for more than 45 years, was honored with the Industry of the Year Award. The hospital and 111-bed nursing home is the largest employer in west Coffee County with more than 200 employees.

Windam presented the Pioneer for the Poultry Industry Award to H.J. “Tony” Harrell, who built his first chicken houses on County Road 606 in 1954. Harrell was instrumental in building Southland Poultry which would later be sold to Wayne Farms, and was inducted into the Alabama Poultry Hall of Fame in 1975.

“I’m not sure people realize the importance of this industry,“ said Windham. “Poultry production alone brings in $90 million a year and we’ll reach $100 million if we keep going at this rate.“

The full list of 2008 Farm City Award winners are:
Industry of the Year - Elba General Hospital and Nursing Home
Business of the Year - PoFolks Restaurant, owned by Ron Jones
Farm City Service Award - Coffee County Baptist Association
Cotton Award - Troy and Ted Fillingim of Fillingim Farms
Outstanding Conservation Farmer - Billy Eagerton
Alabama Young Farmer Family of the Year - Coy and Henry Patterson
Farm City Pioneer Award - Jimmy Bowden, presented to Karen Bowden
Farm of Distiction Award - Carl Sanders Farm
Forestry Award - Jim Ellis
Livestock Award - Carol Marler of Marler Farms
Livestock Award - Gilmer Grant
Peanut Award - Bryan Shaeffer
Poultry Industry Pioneer Award - H.J. “Tony” Harrell
Pilgrim’s Pride Broiler Grower of the Year - Loftin and Linda Martin
Wayne Farms Award - Bennie Joe and Nancy Dunaway Family Farm
Wayne Farms Breeder - Phil and Susie Farris of Farris Farms
Wayne Farms Pullet Grower - David Rowe of KDK Farms, Inc.
Spirit of Coffee County Award - Enterprise Coffee Geneva Economic Development Corporation
Spirit of Coffee County Award - State Representative Terry Spicer
Spirit of Coffee County Award - State Representative Jimmy Holley