Ag News
Georgia Farm Bureau presents 2024 state awards
Posted on Dec 18, 2024 at 11:05 AM
In ceremonies during the 87th Annual Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) Convention, the organization announced the recipients of its Rewarding Excellence in Ag Program (REAP), honored 10 Volunteers of the Year, presented the Ag In The Classroom Teacher of the Year Award and recognized the winners of the GFB Hay Contest.
GFB’s REAP award honors county Farm Bureaus for their organization/membership, advocacy, leadership development, education & outreach activities between Sept. 1, 2023, and Aug. 31, 2024. The REAP Awards are divided into three tiers – Harvester (1st), Planter (2nd) and Cultivator (3rd) with tier winners in each of GFB’s three membership categories – small, medium and large. County presidents and office managers listed served for the majority of 2024.
The county winners in the top tier, HARVESTER, are:
Small Farm Bureau counties – Dooly (President Teel Warbington, Office Manager Angela Barton), Turner (President Ross Kendrick, Office Manager Karen McCurdy), Warren (President Tammy Cheely, Office Manager Lisa Smith) and Wilkes (President Danny Gunter, Office Manager Rebecca Griffin);
Medium Farm Bureau counties – Banks (President William Reems, Office Manager Julie Jackson), Berrien (President Parrish Akins, Office Manager Vanna Boykin), Clarke (President Dale Wood, Office Manager Katy Seagraves), Dawson (President Wayne Bennett, Office Manager Tammy Wood), Greene (President Jeff Eley, Office Manager Shirley Duvall), Harris (President Gilbert Andrews, Office Manager Linda Luttrell), Jeff Davis (President James Emory Tate, Office Manager Regina Barton), Polk (President James Casey, Office Manager Sue Cuzzort) and Worth (President Ronald Sumner, Office Manager Connie Melton);
Large Farm Bureau counties – Barrow (President Russ Wilburn, Office Manager Ashley Lowery), Carroll (President Doug Smith, Office Manager Jennifer Dixson), Cherokee (President William Grizzle, Office Manager Rhonda Stargel), Coffee (President Derek Pridgen, Office Manager Carla Palmer), Colquitt (President Trey Hart, Office Manager Greta Collins), Effingham (President Stuart Exley, Office Manager Theresa Peavey), Elbert (President Mandy Williams, Office Manager Haley Oakley), Franklin (President Michael Thomason, Office Manager Rebecca Whitfield), No. Fulton (President Dakota Martin), Haralson (President Jack Williams, Office Manager Kim Hindmon), Madison (President Cindy Jones, Office Manager Lauren Lord), McDuffie (President Mark Rodgers, Office Manager Kim-Cora Kay), Newton (President Chuck Berry, Office Manager Mary Corley), Paulding (President Trudy Sowar, Office Manager Krista Wilkes), Walker (President Mike Bunn, Office Manager Kyla Compton) and Walton (President Ken Boss, Office Manager Mandy Braswell);
Each Harvester County received a plaque & $1,500. Each county president received an embroidered jacket, and each county office manager received a $750 gift card.
The county winners in the second tier, PLANTER, are:
Small Farm Bureau counties – Bacon (President David Lee, Office Manager Jeanne Taylor), Crawford (President Edward Harris, Office Manager Lindsey Campbell), Echols (President Ronald Highsmith), Long (President Manuel Sneed, Office Manager Margaret Bess), Meriwether (President Kenneth Murphy, Office Manager Denise Todd);
Medium Farm Bureau Counties – Floyd (President Cleve Jackson, Office Manager Kelli Shaw), Monroe (President Bill Waldrep, Office Manager Sandi Williams), Oglethorpe (President Matt Hughes, Office Manager Maisie Carter), Screven (President Joe Boddiford, Office Manager Beth Reddick) and Troup (President Joel Keith, Office Manager Anna Rogers);
Large Farm Bureau counties – Habersham (President Chip Brooks, Office Manager Madison Bennett), Henry (President Daniel Welliver, Office Manager Jean Dykes), Jackson (President Swayne Cochran, Office Manager Jada Williams), White (President Stanley London, Office Manager Denise Loggins);
Each Planter County received a plaque. Each county president received an embroidered vest, and each county office manager received a $500 gift card.
The winners in the third tier, CULTIVATOR, are:
Small Farm Bureau Counties – Ben Hill (President Glen Stokes, Office Manager Denise Coleman), Crisp (President Kenny Sheffield, Office Manager Macey Dennard), Jasper (President Scotty Dumas, Office Manager Loretha Gage), Lanier (President Paul Folsom, Office Manager Angie Watson), Marion (President Ray Rustin), Putnam (President Lois Schell, Office Manager Marjorie Hanson), Taliaferro (President Tucker West, Office Manager Melanie Finney), Treutlen (President Kim Thompson) and Upson (President Marcus South, Office Manager Judy Warren);
Medium Farm Bureau counties – Chattooga (President Bill Bryan, Office Manager Sandy Wheat); Decatur (President Judson Hornsby, Office Manager Lisa Green), Dougherty (President Laney Wooten, Office Manager Cindy Drew), Morgan (President Rachel Kinsaul, Office Manager Alison Jenkins), Oconee (President Albert Hale, Office Manager Martha Jo Dalton), Pike (President Ray Brumbeloe, Office Manager Rebecca Rolling), Spalding (President Brian Ogletree, Office Manager Cindy Vandiver), Tattnall (President Cliff Riner, Office Manager Erin Todd), and Toombs (President Chris Hopkins, Office Manager Shelby Galbreath);
Large Farm Bureau counties – Hart (President Larry Haley, Office Manager Tina Simmons).
Each Cultivator County received a plaque. Each county president received an embroidered shirt, and each county office manager received a $300 gift card.
Pringle named GFB Teacher of Year
Henry County teacher Erin Pringle was recognized as Georgia Farm Bureau’s 2024 Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year. Pringle is an instructional effectiveness coach at Unity Grove Elementary School in McDonough, where she has worked for the past 19 years.
Pringle has served as Henry County Farm Bureau’s educational liaison, attended the GFB Ag in the Classroom Workshop & Tour and the Georgia Peanut Tour. She is working toward a certification in ag literacy.
As a school leader, Pringle built in hands-on learning opportunities that introduced students to passions and tie to local careers. She coordinates special activities and student challenges to connect across all content areas to support and extend required curriculum topics.
In her current role as instructional effectiveness coach, Pringle collaborates with local high school students serving on the FFA education team to design lessons and activities for grades K-5 at Unity Grove, including gardening, animal care, crop planning, and environmental stewardship.
As the award winner, Pringle receives $500 and a trip to the 2025 National Ag in the Classroom Conference in Minneapolis next June. The prizes are sponsored by Georgia EMC, GFB & the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture.
GFB honors district Volunteers of the Year
GFB also recognized 10 district Volunteers of the Year for extraordinary efforts to promote agriculture in their local communities. The GFB Volunteers of the Year are: 1st Dist. - Brian Hart, Walker Co.; 2nd Dist. - Cecil Oakley, Elbert Co; 3rd Dist. - Sarah Nichols, Newton Co.; 4th Dist. - Sammy McCorkle, McDuffie Co.; 5th Dist. - Cynthia Douglas, Upson Co.; 6th Dist. - Brad Mason, Jeff Davis Co.; 7th Dist. - Whitney Sheppard, Screven Co.; 8th Dist. - Robin Peavy, Dooly Co.; 9th Dist. - Julie Hardy, Thomas Co.; and 10th Dist. - Ashley Smith, Coffee Co.
Walton County farmer wins GFB Hay Contest
Walton County Farm Bureau member Neal Pannell won the 2024 GFB Quality Bermudagrass Hay Contest. Pannell won the contest with hay that had a Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) test score of 145.95. As the first-place winner, Pannell receives the free use of a Vermeer mower-conditioner for one year, courtesy of Vermeer. He will have the option to buy the equipment at a reduced price at the end of the year.
GFB also congratulates the runner-up winners: 2nd place – Will Cabe of Franklin Co.; 3rd place Tony Petty of Bartow Co.; 4th place – Paul H. Kelly Sr. of Jasper Co. and 5th place – Eddy Turner of Washington Co.
Cabe won second place and a $200 gift card and gift bag with hay that had an RFQ of 145.41. Petty won third place and a $100 gift card and gift bag with hay that had an RFQ of 139.20. Kelly won fourth place and a $100 gift card and gift bag with hay that had an RFQ of 138.20. Turner won fifth place and a $100 gift card and gift bag with hay that had an RFQ of 138.12. GFB sponsored the second through fifth place prizes.
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