Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

A familiar face for Wiregrass farmers will soon take on a new role in the Alabama Farmers Federation. Jacob Davis, who spent three years as Alabama Peanut Producers Association (APPA) executive director, starts as the Federation’s Area 8 Organization director Feb. 6.

“I’ve enjoyed working with and for Alabama peanut farmers,” Davis said. “And that’s not going to change. Now, I’ll just be working with more diverse commodities and more people. We’re in the relationship business at the Alabama Farmers Federation. Meeting and serving our people well is what I enjoy.”

As Area 8 director, Davis will serve as a liaison between the Federation home office and farmers in Coffee, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston and Pike counties.

He will join nine counterparts across the state visiting county leaders to build strong relationships; bringing county concerns to the state level; helping surface legislative candidates; strengthening the bond between Alfa Insurance and the Federation by delivering materials to service centers; and recruiting leaders for Young Farmers and Women’s Leadership committees.

“Jacob is a long-time friend of the Federation, and his specific skillset will be invaluable to farmers in Area 8,” said Federation Organization Department Director Matthew Durdin. “He gets our people. We’re excited to have Jacob join our team.”

APPA is an affiliated organization of the Federation, and its director serves as a member of the Federation’s Governmental & Agricultural Programs Department.

During his tenure at APPA, Davis monitored federal policy impacting peanut farmers; oversaw promotions for Alabama-grown peanuts; worked on research projects with stakeholders and the National Peanut Board; and managed day-to-day operations in APPA’s Dothan office. While at APPA, he increased retail peanut sales for the association by 433% through partnerships with 165 local businesses.

Davis, an Opp native, is a two-time Auburn University graduate with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agriscience technology education. He taught agriscience for 10 years at Elba High School before joining the Alabama State Department of Education’s Career and Technical Education Section in 2004, first as an education specialist and then as education administrator, where he worked with the state FFA officer team. He retired in 2019.

Throughout his career, Davis has cultivated experience serving on committees he’ll now source involvement for, including the Alabama Farm-City Committee, Alabama Ag in the Classroom Steering Committee and other influential statewide entities.

Davis and his wife, Sonna, have one son, Jaken, a freshman at AU. They attend Fairview Baptist Church in Samson.