Two Pike County farmers were elected to state commodity committees during the Alabama Farmer’s annual Commodity Organization Meeting earlier this month.

Joe Murphy was elected to serve on the Alabama Farmers Federation State Poultry Committee and Billy Hixon was elected on to serve on the Alabama Farmers Federation State Beef Committee.

Farmers representing 16 Alabama commodities elected leaders, discussed priorities and reviewed research aimed at improving productivity in the Alabama Farmer’s Federation’s annual Commodity Organization Meeting.

Almost 600 farmers attended the meeting at the Embassy Suites Hotel where commodity leaders also helped establish Federation policy.

Federation Governmental and Agricultural Programs Department Director Brian Hardin said the meeting is part of the found of the state’s largest farm organization.

“It is the members elected to these state committees who provide the leadership and guidance for the Federation in every area of agricultural production,” Hardin said.

The meeting also honored outgoing commodity committee members each day during lunch.

The members and their committees were Lionel Evans, Limestone County, Bee & Honey; Gerry Holmes, Morgan County, Beef; Lance Whitehead, Fayette County, Cotton; Russ Runyan, Walker County, Forestry; Joe Adams, Bullock County, Horticulture; Bonnie Shanholtzer, Autauga County, Equine; Tommy Odom, Mobile County, Greenhouse, Nursery & Sod; Hank Richardson, Cherokee County, Greenhouse, Nursery and Sod; and Johnny Bryant, Calhoun County, Soybean.

Alabama Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard was the keynote luncheon speaker for the first meeting day, followed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Steve Musser of the Natural Resources Conservation Service on day two and Alabama Agriculture Commissioner John McMillan on the final day.