Local student, committee earn statewide Farm-City Honors

Service and community involvement took center stage as farmers, leaders and students came together for the Farm-City Banquet April 9 in Auburn, recognizing achievements and embracing this year’s theme, “Grow Alabama.”

The theme was a callback to “Agriculture & Forestry Grow Alabama: An Economic Contribution Study” released last year by Alabama Agribusiness Council, Auburn University and Alabama Extension.

From left are Alabama Farm-City Committee Chair Jeff Helms, Rambo, Beason and Alabama AITC Steering Committee Chair Kim Earwood.

Alabama Farm-City Committee Chairman Jeff Helms said the committee hoped “Grow Alabama” would help students and volunteers understand the importance of agriculture while learning what kinds of farmers and forest landowners are in their local areas. 

“We were amazed at the talent this year,” said Helms, the Alabama Farmers Federation communications director. “From brightly detailed posters and carefully crafted essays to top-notch Farm-City tours and banquets, 2025 was a big year for county participation. The theme was wonderfully incorporated in so many unique ways. Grow Alabama is a great reminder of the role farmers play in the state and national economy.”

Emma Rambo of Phil Campbell High School in Franklin County was honored for earning first place in the Alabama Farm-City essay contest for students in 10th through 12th grade during the Alabama Farm-City Awards Luncheon in Auburn April 9. Rambo and her teacher, Caleb Beason, received $300 each from Alabama Ag in the Classroom (AITC) for the essay, which was written around the theme Grow Alabama.

From left are Alabama Farm-City Committee Chair Jeff Helms, Franklin County Farm-City Committee Chair Katernia Cole and AFAF board member Mahlon Richburg.

You can read Rambo’s full essay HERE.

The Franklin County Farm-City Committee was honored for the Best Civic Club Activities for smaller population counties during the Alabama Farm-City Awards Luncheon in Auburn April 9. Franklin County received cash prizes from the Alabama Farmers Agriculture Foundation (AFAF) for their work, which centered around the theme Grow Alabama. Committee members were actively engaged on other local boards and committees, using those opportunities to share the Farm-City mission with entities like Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions clubs, plus the Franklin County Arts & Humanities Council.

Eighteen kindergarten through 12th-grade students were honored for their displays of ways agriculture grows Alabama in poster, essay and video formats. 

Winners and runners-up in poster and essay contests received cash prizes from Alabama Ag in the Classroom, while Alabama Farmers Cooperative (AFC) sponsored the video contest. Schools of first- and second-place scorers received matching cash prizes.

Eli Humphries of Red Bay Elementary School placed fourth in the Poster Contest for fourth- to sixth-graders and received a $60 cash prize.