Hegeman Elected To Serve Central Area
By Marlee Moore
my perspective. We have to stay ahead of the curve and be at the forefront of defending issues important to t’s midafternoon on a blustery our members,” he said. “We have an winter day, and Jon Hegeman is opportunity to be forward-thinking, striding through the bright, humid and I want to help Mr. Parnell execute greenhouses of his Greenway Plants that.” Inc., making plans to visit 17 Alabama To more thoroughly serve counties. members, Hegeman is surveying As the Alabama Farmers county leadership during local board Federation’s new Central Area vice meetings to note expectations of president, Calhoun County’s Hegeman his service and issues that need will communicate interests and ideals representation in Montgomery. from those 17 counties to the board of Back home in Calhoun County, the the state’s largest farm organization. Hegemans are raising 8-year-old Ella “Grassroots make this organization and 8-month-old Jon Henry. strong,” said Hegeman, 37, a The family attends Grace first-generation farmer elected Fellowship Church. during the Federation’s annual Greenway Plants, based in meeting in December. “I’m the White Plains community not here to represent Jon near Anniston, has 11 acres Hegeman. I’m representing indoor and 10 acres of constituents in these outdoor growing space, counties.” which produce 5 million The Central Area includes container plants annually. Autauga, Bibb, Calhoun, Since Hegeman took over Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, in 2004 with just 4 acres of Fayette, Greene, Jefferson, greenhouses, the company Lamar, Pickens, Randolph, has contracted to grow plants Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega, like dracaena, English ivy and Tuscaloosa and Walker ferns for Home Depot, Lowe’s counties. and Walmart. Federation President Recently, he began Jimmy Parnell said he looks growing groundcover forward to serving Alabama perennials in Centre in farmers with Hegeman. Cherokee County and is “Jon is a great example of transitioning some acreage how the Federation develops to industrial hemp. Hegeman homegrown leaders,” Parnell Central Area Vice President Jon Hegeman lives in the White Plains employs over 40 workers said. “He distinguished community of Calhoun County with his wife, Amy, and children Ella and during peak season for his himself through Young Jon Henry. labor-intensive business. Farmers programs, becoming The child of missionaries, Hegeman where he learned fundamentals of a leader at state and national levels. grew up riding horses with vaqueros the organization and the value of In addition, Jon isn’t afraid to ask in the Dominican Republic before membership. in-depth questions and take a stand moving to Canada at age 11. There “Understanding what the for what he believes in. He is a proven he gained experience working with Federation does for farmers changed leader, and we look forward to
I
8
|
NEIGHBORS
|
February 2020
working with him on the board.” Hegeman was State Young Farmers Committee chairman in 2013 and American Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee chairman in 2015. He and wife Amy, who have been married nine years, were Alabama’s Outstanding Young Farm Family (OYFF) in 2012. Hegeman is the Federation State Greenhouse, Nursery & Sod Committee chairman, while Amy leads the organization’s State Equine Committee. Hegeman also graduated from the Federation’s A.L.F.A. Leaders program,
alfafarmers.org
