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WILLIAMS FAMILY SERVES AS GRAND MARSHAL
Williams family
Williams Family Honored as Grand Marshal During Plains Peanut Festival
By Joy Crosby
George, John, Al and Larry Williams in front of Williams Warehouse in Plains, Georgia. The family led the Plains Peanut Festival parade as the Grand Marshal in 2022.
The Williams family have operated Williams Warehouse in Plains, Georgia, since 1926. Through the years, the Williams family have been instrumental in serving farmers within the area and they are known for supplying quality seed for the peanut industry. The Williams family have also been instrumental in supporting local events within Plains, including the Plains Peanut Festival.
The family members include Larry and Sharon Williams, Al and Cathy Williams, George and Jan Williams, and John and Cindy Williams. All of the Williams family were recently recognized as the Grand Marshal and led the Plains Peanut Festival parade.
The Williams family have carried on the family tradition passed onto them from their fathers, Albert and Frank, and Grandfather Oscar, by supplying seed and fertilizer to area farmers and storing cotton and peanuts.
The Williams family are known for their strength, faith and their way of taking care of the farmers. Their family business has always been about building relationships with farmers and taking care of the crop the farmers bring to them each season.
The warehouse holds many fond memories for the family members but the best memories are the relationships they built with the customers they served. "The interaction between us and the farmers was the most important aspect of the business," says John Williams. "The money was second."
Through the years, as the business changed and adapted, so did farming practices in the area. The Williams family recalls how they have seen farmers plant with 2-row equipment and now use 8 to 12-row planters. Harvest equipment has also advanced from 2-row equipment to 6 and 8 row diggers and combines now.
At the warehouse, the capacity for storing and moving peanuts has increased from 50 pound bags to 2,200 pound tote bags.
In 2021, the Williams family sold the business to Buffalo Peanut Company. The Williams family once served the grandparents of the new owners.
2022 Southern Peanut growers conference in review
By Joy Crosby
The 2022 Southern Peanut Growers Conference was held July 21-23, 2022, at Edgewater Beach Resort in Panama City Beach, Florida. The three-day event provided farmers with information relating to peanut production, legislative updates, school nutrition and more. The event also allowed farmers the opportunity to visit with multiple companies offering services or new products for the farm.
The opening general session focused on school nutrition and included Sherry Coleman Collins, consultant with the National Peanut Board, Judson Crane with the Florida School Nutrition Association and Amy Carroll with the School District of Lee County Florida. Coleman Collins provided an update on peanut allergies and the work being done to help educate school systems on protocols to address peanut allergies rather than being peanut free.
Crane and Carroll both addressed examples in their local communities on how they overcame being peanut free. According to Carroll, the School District in Lee County brought peanuts back to their menu in 2022 after being banned since 2004. She credits allergy management education as being more realistic and effective than banning a single food item.
The second general session focused on ag labor, carbon credits and additional sustainability opportunities for farmers. The third general session focused on legislative activities and featured Congressman Michael Cloud, R-Texas. Congressman Cloud addressed the group with an update on ag policy.
Awards were presented during the conference to deserving farmers.
John Altom with Valent presented the 2022 Valor Award to Armond Morris, retired chairman of the Georgia Peanut Commission. Morris has dedicated more than 40 years in service to GPC and a variety of other peanut organizations.
Farm Press presented the 2022 Peanut Effi ciency Awards during the breakfast on Saturday morning. The 2022 winners are: Upper Southeast: Ben Cowin, Williamston, N.C.; Lower Southeast: Wayne Hobbs, Irwin County, Ga.; Delta: Mitchell Rogers, Covington County, Miss. and Southwest: Karl Stutzman, Weatherford, Okla.
Photos, speaker presentations, interviews and more are available online at www.southernpeanutfarmers. org.
Congressman Michael Cloud provided an update on ag policy during the 2022 Southern Peanut Growers Conference.
John Altom (left) with Valent, presents the 2022 Valor Award to Armond Morris, retired chairman of the Georgia Peanut Commission, during the 2022 Southern Peanut Growers Conference.
The 2022 Farm Press Peanut Effi ciency Award winners are (left to right) Southwest: Karl Stutzman, Weatherford, Okla.; Lower Southeast: Wayne Hobbs, Irwin County, Ga. and Upper Southeast: Ben Cowin, Williamston, N.C. Not pictured: Delta: Mitchell Rogers, Covington County, Miss.
