Malia Riggs
Elmore Autauga News
Top Photo: Mike Parmer received Farmer of the Year.
The Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce hosted the 41st annual Farm City Banquet in Autaugaville last night, where citizens of Autauga County packed the arena for a night of honoring the rich agricultural heritage that encapsulates Autauga County.
In Autauga County alone agriculture, forestry and other related industries generate a revenue of around $915 million and over 7,000 jobs. As agriculture is one of the largest industries, many local officials county wide from Billingsley to Autaugaville attended the Banquet for a night of celebration and fellowship.
Festivities started with a steak dinner, catered by Karen Tucker Catering followed by awards honoring the business leader of the year, farmer of the year and the recognition of the student winners of the Farm City Week poster, essay and video contests.
“If you think about it, the great thing about tonight’s event is really that once a year our agriculture community and our business community can gather together in one place for a night of food and fun and fellowship. The goal of this observance is to express gratitude for the bounty that God blessed this land and to recognize the achievements of former rural townspeople and city residents who make our nation’s agricultural production and distribution system the greatest in the world,” Chairman of the Farm City Committee Mike Lamar said.
Billingsley High School student and FFA member Kayden Bland won the video submission for this year’s Farm City Banquet. In Bland’s video, she stated that Autauga County is home to over 370 farms with over 100,000 acres of farmland. Each farm typically consists of around 50-180 acres and 99% of those farms are still family owned Bland stated in her video.
Bland’s video was played during the Farm City Banquet and is also housed on YouTube under Bland’s YouTube channel Southern Sown Southern Grown under the name Farm City 2024.
The Business Leader of the Year Award was presented to longtime Prattville resident Joel Powell, owner of Powell Wrecker Service. Powell was born and raised in Autauga County and before stepping into the wrecker business Powell continued to run a successful dairy and farming operation.
Powell started his wrecker service with a homemade tow truck, affectionately named Old Blue, working 24/7 servicing Autauga County. Since 2010 it has become a family business, and Powell has grown his fleet to 11 trucks with six full-time drivers, and two full-time individuals in the office.
“Through all these innovations and changes, the reliance upon their faith in God, hard work and serving with integrity have stood firm. Just as Old Blue, which still is still parked on the farm, has stood firm and faithful, as a humble reminder of the beginning they experienced,” Former Business Leader of the Year recipient David Lewis said of Powell.
The farmer of the year award was presented to another longtime Autauga County resident, Mike Parmer. Parmer has worked in Autauga County since he was 16 years old farming with his dad. Parmer also furthered his education at Auburn University studying agriculture and wildlife sciences.
When Parmer is not busy working habitat restoration to help future generations, or raising commercial beef, he is busy being the father of four children.
“He is an authentic follower of Christ, a wonderful husband and father and a huge fan and supporter of his school Auburn University. It has been truthfully said that he is the real deal. It is a great honor and privilege to congratulate Mike Palmer as this year’s Farmer of the Year,” Farm City Committee member Lowell Strock said of Parmer.
From field to table or from farm to plate, the 41st annual Farm City Banquet was an evening highlighting Autauga County’s finest, cultivating gratitude and honoring the heart and deep roots within Autauga County.
Poster Winners include:
Grades K-3rd
Easton Bridges – 1st place, Autauga Academy, Teacher: LeAnn Jones
Korbin Whitten – 2nd place, Prattville Kindergarten Teacher: Sadie Robbins
Grades 4th – 6th
Ariana Sullivan – 1st place, Autauga Academy, Teacher: Samantha Anderson
Noah Water – 2nd place, Autauga Academy, Teacher: Julie Johnson
Essay Contest Winners include:
Grades 7th – 9th
Cheyanne Johnson – 1st place, Billingsley High School, Teacher: Logan Strock
Abby Longcrier – 2nd place, Billingsley High School, Teacher: Logan Strock
Grades 10th – 12th
Colton Lawrence – 1st place, Billingsley High School, Teacher: Logan Strock
Natalie Kuczmarski – 2nd place, Billingsley High School, Teacher: Logan Strock
Video
Kayden Bland –Billingsley High School, Teacher: Logan Stock
