Women Plow The Way For Organization Growth

LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE

ALABAMA FARM BUREAU

ALABAMA FARMERS FEDERATION

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The farm family stood as a bulwark of freedom, Gov. Lurleen Wallace observed at a 1967 meeting of the Alabama Farm Bureau Women’s Committee where she was a luncheon guest. From left are Dot Smith, Tuscaloosa County; Annie Ruth Loyd, Jackson; Judi Coers, Dale; Nell Guthrie, Bullock; Mabel McDale, Limestone, chairman; Wallace; Clara Bell Dial, Sumter; Caroline Bacheldor, Russell; Alice Gregg, Marion; and Gay Langley, Talladega.

Politics, Policy, Promotion And Education

Women Plow The Way For Organizational Growth

By Debra Davis

Policy, politics, promotion and education. Those are the building blocks of the Alabama Farmers Federation Women’s Leadership Division.

As the Federation celebrates its centennial, it’s also a time to reflect on the role females played in parlaying the organization into a political powerhouse with grassroots members as its core strength.

In 1924, Mrs. John S. Morris of Alpine in Talladega County became the first woman to hold statewide office in what was then known as Alabama Farm Bureau. Two years later, she was elected the first president of the State Women’s Council, a forerunner to the State Women’s Committee.

The group became the Women’s

State Women’s Leadership Committee Chairman Kathy Gordon, right, and longtime member Lillian Slay of Chambers County discuss the organization’s history during the Women’s Leadership Conference earlier this year in Birmingham. Leadership Division in 2010. The new name reflects women’s contributions and is more closely aligned to its American Farm Bureau counterparts.

The headline in the Alabama Farm Bureau News Sept. 6, 1965, read: “On Their Way! Farm Bureau Women Organized To Carry On Important Duties.” Formal organization of the Women’s Committee was completed during the group’s first meeting at the state headquarters Aug. 26-27 that year. That was in accordance with recommendations made by the 1963-64 Study Committee and approved by the Special Delegate Session in February 1965.

The late J.D. Hays, state president at the time, was quoted in the article saying, “Farm Bureau from this day is going to be a better organization.”

His prediction was spot-on.

Women’s Leadership committees across the state continue to organize county events to educate a growing urban population about the importance of Alabama agriculture. County leaders also help with statewide projects like Alabama Ag In The Classroom

Kicking off the 1968 Rural Clean-up drive are Houston County Sheriff A.B. Clarke; Mrs. Rudolph Weeks and Mrs. A.C. Singleton, Farm Bureau Women’s Committee; W.O. Mendhein, sanitation supervisor; County Engineer F.R. LeBron; and Mrs. Tullie Hollis, Farm Bureau Women’s Committee chairman. First-place winners in the 2010 Women’s Leadership Division contests were, from left, Deloris Mount of Crenshaw County, hand-stitched quilts; Gayle Smith of Limestone County, machine-stitched quilts; Lydia Haynes of Cullman County, handbags; and June Flowers of Pike County, tablescapes. The contests were at the Alabama Farmers Federation’s 38th Annual Commodity Producers Conference in Columbus, Georgia.

Farm Bureau Women’s leaders attended the 1965 convention in Birmingham. From left are Mrs. Thomas McDole, Limestone County, chairman of the new Alabama committee; Mrs. Haven Smith of Chappelle, Nebraska, chairman of the American Farm Bureau Federation Women’s Committee; Mrs. D. C. Till Jr., Lowndes County, vice chairman; and Mrs. L. D. Smith, Tuscaloosa County, secretary. and Farm-City. County committees frequently organize meetings where local politicians communicate with members about pending legislation.

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System played a significant role in the early years of the Women’s Division. Extension workers helped educate homemakers about gardening, food safety and preservation, and sewing.

Today, many women are decisionmakers on their family farms. It’s not uncommon to see women driving a tractor, combining grain, running a multi-million-dollar poultry farm or working cattle.

While their roles have changed, their mission remains the same — making certain Alabama agriculture has a seat at the table when decisions are made about its future.

Alabama voting delegates to the 1973 American Farm Bureau Women’s Conference in Los Angeles, California, were, from left, Mrs. Rex Roberts, Mobile County; Mrs. Ada Lee Hood, Etowah County; Mrs. Oscar Jones, Autauga County; Mrs. Fred Whitfield, DeKalb County; Mrs. B.B. Phillis, Henry County; Mrs. Emma Saxon, Etowah County; Mrs. Fern Kitchens, Walker County; Mrs. Edna Hughes, Jefferson County; Mrs. Emmett Gaston, Mobile County; Mrs. Ocie Tucker, Jefferson County; and Mrs. Loretha Hall, Escambia County. Mrs. Hood was elected by the Southern Region as its voting delegate to the American Farm Bureau Federation business session.

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By Lois Chaplin

To honor the centennial of the Alabama Farmers Federation, let’s observe how gardening has changed over 100 years. The subject could fill a book, is fun to ponder and is a sure rabbit hole of memories and thoughts. To begin my research, I immediately sought input from gardening friends on Facebook, a 21st-century fount of information for gardeners. Folks concurred that availability, more options and technological advancements influenced our garden habits.

“It’s cyclical with the times...like fashion,” said Dani Carroll, a regional Extension agent in east-central Alabama. “I remember when lawns were the most popular topic out there. Now, I’m seeing lawn interest decline in favor of 2020 Victory Gardens and heritage plants.”

Shane Harris of Tallapoosa County Extension added, “My grandfather once said that each plant or tree around the home had to be edible, had to have a job. They even swept the yard and had no grass.”

Steve Bender, Southern Living’s Grumpy Gardener, noted, “The ability to buy fresh produce year-round means people now garden because they want to, not because they have to.”

Indeed, gardening is more of a choice these days, with more emphasis on ornamentals. Rebecca Bull Koraytem, a sales executive with David Austin Roses, observed that, “New varieties have broad national appeal and thrive in a variety of soils and climates. When I first started my design career, I would put hours into choosing just the right variety. Now, I see the same varieties sold coast to coast. It’s all about making the gardener successful.”

Carol Reese of the University of Tennessee in Jackson pointed out the “year-round” availability of plants. Plastic containers were not around 100 years ago. Plants were sold as ball-andburlap or dormant bare-root (and only during planting season). However, some gardeners noted the choice of vegetable varieties has decreased as seed companies have consolidated and focused more on commercial varieties. Sam Wall, who spends time in both Pensacola, Florida, and Forest Home, Alabama, sees some bright spots in seed advancements. “Collards are a hundred times better,” he said. “Now, you don’t even have to open the windows when you cook them!”

There is no doubt gardening has changed a lot in 100 years, but one thing has remained the same: Gardeners love to share!

Many of their observations on gardening shifts are listed below. Alabama

Gardening Innovations Since 1921

n Bagged potting mixes n Drip irrigation n Sprinkler technology n Container-grown nursery stock n Nearly year-round plant availability n Compact plants for small spaces and containers n Lightweight ornamental containers n Foundation plantings around houses n Artificial lighting for indoor cultivation n Controlled-release fertilizers n Tolerance to heat, cold, disease and other stresses n Fancy hybrid native azaleas, hydrangeas and other ornamentals n Improved blueberries, persimmons and other home garden fruit n Improved greenhouse and hydroponic materials and equipment n Targeted chemistry for insect and disease management n Virtual connection to gardening groups, information n Nearly unlimited plant and seed availability via internet n Proliferation of indoor flowering plants and foliage plants

Lois Chaplin is an accomplished gardener and author. Her work appears here courtesy of Alabama Farmers Cooperative.

Congrats On A Century Of Growth, Alfa Farmers! E ALAFARM.COM

Midmorning. I was driving the Alabama two-lane highways. My old Ford loped across farmland, cattle pastures and a chipped asphalt highway that predated the Coolidge administration. The sun was blaring. There were dew splotches on the pavement.

I was on my way to Birmingham, running late as usual.

I was supposed to speak at a luncheon for retired veterans. I wore a necktie, my finest Salvation Army-bin Hush Puppies and Old Spice. My tardiness, however, was my own fault. I had avoided interstates in favor of south Alabama’s lethargic back roads.

I always avoid interstates. I dislike interstates. I come from slow-moving country people who abhor interstates with a purple passion. My people were farmers, ranchers and fundamentalists. We were brought up to move slowly when dealing with 1,400-pound animals, to be careful and to always wear clean underwear before riding in an automobile. We do not do interstates.

At some point during my drive, I found myself stuck in a line of nearstandstill traffic. Bumpers and headlamps backed up like a strand of Christmas lights. The cars were moving slower than a Canadian glacier, and I knew I wouldn’t make the luncheon.

I banged on my steering wheel. “You gotta be kidding! C’mon!”

I tried my cell. No service. Great.

When we came to a hill, I saw the cause of the midmorning congestion. A fleet of John Deere tractors was leading the sluggish parade. The convoy advanced at a cool 9 mph.

And something happened.

I was catapulted into a time warp. I found myself four decades in the past, riding upon the knee of my father as he piloted a red belly Ford along an old two-lane. I could almost see the string of Toyotas and Chevys behind him, honking impatiently. I could almost see him spitting into his Dr. Pepper bottle.

I was raised among farmers, homemakers, shade-tree mechanics and men who drove tractors on rural routes. My people were livestock people, dirt people, tee-totalers and deep-water Baptists with sunburns that stopped mid-arm. We were obsessed with Billy Graham, rainfall totals, Coca-Cola and punctuality. My grandfather read the “Farmer’s Almanac” for spiritual wisdom.

Sometimes I forget these things. But today, I was remembering plenty.

I pulled over at a filling station to use the phone. The man behind the counter was built like a refrigerator. He plopped a phone on the counter whereupon I called the retired-veterans guy and apologized for being late. He told me the luncheon was about to start and not to worry, we’d try some other time. He was gracious, but I could tell I’d disappointed everyone.

I hung up and felt like a boot heel.

“Everything okay?”

“Fine.”

He nodded.

I faked a smile.

As I was walking out, something happened. Something we writers call “the whole point of this run-on story.”

At the front door, I stopped. I turned. The back of the store was stocked with fishing tackle. There were live-bait coolers, humming, filled with crickets and night crawlers. There were lures of every size, shape and denomination. Rods, reels, bait wells.

I asked where people went fishing around here.

He pointed out the window.

“Place up the road. Big old farm. It’s private, but the farmer lets people fish his pond because it’s stocked.”

A feeling came over me. I cannot explain it. It was a creeping feeling that started in my belly. Here I was on an average morning in south Alabama without a thing to do.

I bought a few bucks’ worth of fishing gear, a pocket-fishing rod, peanuts and a cup of lukewarm coffee. In a few minutes, I was navigating red dirt roads until I found a fishing hole that could have doubled as the world’s largest mosquito breeding pit.

The serene pond looked like something from an early period Monet. Behind the water was a far-off combine. Cattle lingered. When I stepped from my truck, my Hush Puppies sank 6 inches into the Alabama mud with a suction sound. I was in Heaven. I fished for three hours. I fished until my skin was covered in new freckles, and my red hair was dry. I fished until I faintly remembered what my grandfather used to call me as a nickname — Critter.

When I was packing up, the silence was shattered by the pleasant roar of a 45-horsepower diesel, rolling up the hill, towing a combine. When the Massey Ferguson got closer, the farmer did not stop. He shot his arm out the window, waved and shouted.

“Catch anything?”

I held up five small bream on a stringer like a kid who just won the spelling bee.

He saluted me, then spit into a Dr. Pepper bottle.

And as I pulled out of the long driveway onto the secluded highway, I realized I was smiling. Smiling hard.

The American farmer is in my bloodline and always will be. I am proud of these men and women who do their part to spin this earth forward. Farmers deserve a nationwide fanfare they will seldom receive in this lifetime. And yet, they aren’t interested in fanfares. They prefer simplicity, humility and the sanctuary of open spaces.

It is for this reason that — even if I arrive late for my own memorial service — I will always choose to drive the back roads of Alabama.

Happy 100th birthday, Alfa Farmers.

Columnist and novelist Sean Dietrich shares tales of common people, the human spirit, traditional regional music and life in the American South through his podcast series at SeanDietrich.com.

ALABAMA FARMERS FEDERATION

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Telling The Story – Alfa Advertising

From products to service options, Alabama Farmers Federation and Alfa Insurance have evolved over the past 75 years, and so has their advertising. Formed in 1946 to provide fire coverage to Alabama Farm Bureau members, the company quickly began offering automobile policies and other services. Over the years, advertising has showcased Alfa’s outstanding customer service and core values of faith, family, community and integrity.

While Alfa’s advertising has changed over the years, Alfa’s exceptional customer service has remained the hallmark of the company’s marketing efforts.

1946-1972

Black and white print ads were used from the late 1940s to early 1970s. One of the first highlighted three lines of insurance offered by Alabama Farm Bureau: automobile; fire and windstorm; and life insurance. During this time of rapid expansion, Alabama Farm Bureau became known as The “Growth” Company. Ads ran in newspapers across the state of Alabama with the tagline “Helping Build the South in a New Era.” One of the company’s first television commercials was developed during this time, running extensively on WSFA-TV in Montgomery. Viewers from the late ‘50s and ‘60s still quote the famous spot, which featured local child celebrity Dixie Lee Turner announcing, “Mama, it’s the Farm Bureau man.”

1973-1986

The 1970s saw Farm Bureau adopt a new logo, which it kept until the name change more than a decade later. Color print ads depicted family life in the South. Taglines of the era included “Because We Care,” which foreshadowed the development of the company’s philanthropic brand, “Alfa Cares.” In 1980, the organization established the inhouse advertising agency Creative Consultants Inc., which continues to be charged with creating memorable marketing campaigns for Alfa and maximizing the effectiveness of the advertising budget.

1987-2009

In 1987, Alabama Farm Bureau Insurance changed its name to Alfa Insurance. The name Alfa was derived from using the first two letters of the words “Alabama” and “farmer.” It was selected as the ideal name to reflect the company’s agricultural heritage and passed stringent tests for memorability. With the name change came a new logo. One of the most successful advertising campaigns in Alabama history encouraged current and potential customers to remember Alfa as, “A New Name for an Old Friend.” Advertising reflected Alfa’s sense of family, community and top-rated customer service from some of the “Best Agents in the Business.” The slogan and jingle “Call Alfa” were adopted during this time and have since become memorable parts of Alfa’s legacy. In 1991, the Haynes quadruplets of Calhoun County, along with their older sister, became the faces of Alfa. Sporting matching red shirts emblazoned with the letters of the brand, the Alfa Quads appeared in television commercials and print advertising for the next several years. When they graduated from college in 2013, Alfa again featured the family. In the early 2000s, Alfa urged customers, “Let’s Talk About Tomorrow,” during a campaign which featured special effects, including a piano falling on a sports car.

2010-Present

Alfa launched its first mobile app in 2010. The launch of Alfa2Go® coincided with a new advertising campaign, “Right There with You.” Customer and employee testimonials later were used to reinforce the human connection of the Alfa brand. Creative Consultants Inc. (CCI), brought television production back into Alabama during this time — saving money which was invested in media placement. Local talent was utilized to achieve high production value at minimal cost. For several years, Alfa advertising featured slices of everyday life — showcasing the importance of customer service and affordable insurance. Sean of the South served as Alfa’s spokesperson in 2020-21, before the company shifted gears to highlight how little things (like accidents) can become big things without proper insurance. The new campaign debuted in September 2021. Meanwhile, CCI expanded advertising in recent years to include extensive digital marketing as Alfa rolled out online quoting and purchasing for automobile customers.

Alabama Farmers Federation forms in 1921 to provide a voice to the farming community of the state

1921 Congratulations to a century of serving

and 75 years of providing stable

Alfa Insurance expanded product coverage offering to include private passenger auto

1947

Alfa Insurance established a life insurance operation

1971

Alfa Insurance sustained over $22 million in paid claims from Hurricane Fredrick

1979

1946

Federation leaders founded Alfa Insurance in 1946 to provide fire protection for rural residents and John Tucker Harris of Lee County submits first application

1956

Alfa Insurance appointed EW Blanch, now Aon, to arrange reinsurance protection for property catastrophe events

1975

First edition of “Neighbors” published

Alabama Farmers Federation on Alabama’s farming community

insurance protection through Alfa

Hurricane Ivan struck Mobile Bay and widespread insured damage totaled $328 million

Alfa Insurance sustained major hurricanes in back to back years with Katrina causing $233 million in paid claims

2004

Alfa Insurance privatized to better serve the membership

Unprecedented tornado outbreak resulted in largest historical catastrophe event for Alfa Insurance with nearly $450 million in paid claims

2007

Jimmy Parnell elected President of Alabama Farmers Federation and assumed Alfa presidency

2012

1995 2005 2011 TODAY

Hurricane Opal resulted in $76 million of insured damage

Alfa Insurance has over $1.4 billion of policy surplus, a staff of over 2,000 and manages over $4 billion in assets