Farmers Encouraged to Vote Nov. 3 | Alabama Farmers Federation members are encouraged to support Alabama FarmPAC-endorsed candidates in the Nov. 3 election. View polling locations here. | |
Disaster Assistance Available for Alabama Farmers Impacted by Hurricane Isaias | | |
Alabama farmers impacted by Hurricane Isaias may be eligible for financial and technical assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Available programs can help producers recover from crop, livestock, infrastructure and land losses, including assistance for damaged farmland, fencing, trees and farm facilities. Producers are encouraged to document damage and report losses to their local Farm Service Agency office.
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Tuberville Joins AgCast, Releases Playbook Ahead of Election | | |
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., recently joined the Alabama AgCast to share his plans for serving Alabama ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Tuberville is the Alabama FarmPAC-endorsed candidate for governor.
Tuberville has also released his "Back to Basics: The Golden Age Playbook" outlining seven priorities for Alabama: bring the jobs home, affordability, education, smaller government and lower taxes, safe streets and safe homes, infrastructure and health care.
| | Farmers Back Hill in Ag Commissioner Race | | |
Alabama farmer and grocery store owner Corey Hill of Marshall County is the farmers' choice for Alabama commissioner of agriculture and industries.
The Alabama FarmPAC-endorsed candidate is passionate about Alabama agriculture and committed to serving the farmers who grow the nation's food and the families who depend on it.
A longtime leader in the Alabama Farmers Federation who came up through its Young Farmers program, Hill has served as Marshall County Farmers Federation president and on the State Poultry Committee. He and his family raise poultry and cattle in Douglas, where Hill has served as mayor.
| | State Candidates, Ag Leaders Tour Plant Farm | |
Young’s Plant Farm in Lee County welcomed Corey Hill, the Republican nominee for Alabama commissioner of agriculture and industries, and Caroleene Dobson, the Republican nominee for Secretary of State, for a tour of its greenhouse operations Oct. 8.
Additional guests included representatives from the Alabama Farmers Federation, Capitol Resources and Greenway Plants. The group discussed challenges and opportunities facing horticulture while highlighting the green industry's importance to Alabama’s agricultural economy.
| | Thanksgiving Boxes Feature Alabama Products | | |
The Alabama Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association, Sweet Grown Alabama and Boozer Farms are offering Thanksgiving boxes featuring products from eight Alabama farms.
Each $50 box includes sweet potatoes, apples, satsumas, a pumpkin, pecans, cornmeal, broccoli and seasonal jelly.
Orders are due Nov. 23, with pickup scheduled for Nov. 24. Pickup locations are available throughout the state, including Auburn, Opelika, Birmingham, Wetumpka, Prattville and other communities.
The initiative encourages consumers to incorporate locally grown products into their Thanksgiving meals while supporting Alabama farmers.
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Resources
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Crude oil continues to be an extremely volatile commodity in 2026, with tensions remaining high in several key oil-producing regions. Nearby light crude oil futures is trading around $100 per barrel and is up roughly 80% this year, with this year’s high to date recorded at $119.48 per barrel. The previous swing high from 2022 (during the Russia-Ukraine Conflict) is $130.50 per barrel, and the all-time high remains at $147.27 per barrel, set in 2008. Adjusted for inflation to today’s dollars, the 2008 peak equates to roughly $226 per barrel. Currently at $100, crude oil trades at under half its inflation-adjusted record. View price chart.
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Row Crops
- A recent Alabama Crops Report newsletter from Alabama Extension is packed with information on testing for organic matter and nematodes in soil, a monthly cotton update and details on Cercospora leaf blight of soybeans. Read it here.
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Peanuts
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Alabama Peanut Producers Association is offering peanut gift boxes for the Christmas season. Available in assortments of salted, butter toffee, honey roasted and chocolate-covered, peanut orders must be placed by 4 p.m. Oct. 31. Pickup is in Dothan. Purchase here.
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Poultry
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The U.S. poultry industry supports more than 2.3 million jobs and generates nearly $800 billion in economic activity nationwide. Recent growth highlights the industry’s importance to farmers, processing facilities, local businesses and rural communities. Learn more.
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Pork
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The National Swine Registry and National Pork Board are conducting a survey to examine the show pig industry. Findings will help guide future programs, resources and support for exhibitors and breeders nationwide. Exhibitors, breeders, families and industry participants are encouraged to complete the confidential survey. Responses are anonymous, and participants will have a chance to win prizes. Take the survey here.
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Dobson Highlights Alabama Forestry Challenges, Opportunities in Op-Ed | |
Alabama forest landowners face growing economic challenges as mill closures, declining timber prices and foreign competition threaten the state's forestry industry.
In an opinion column through Yellowhammer News, Caroleene Dobson called for stronger federal trade enforcement, investment in domestic wood manufacturing and state incentives to create new markets for Alabama timber. Dobson is the Alabama FarmPAC-endorsed candidate for secretary of state.
"As a commissioner on the Alabama Forestry Commission, I believe the path forward is clear and achievable," Dobson said. "It does not require inventing new programs. It requires enforcing the trade laws we already have and treating America’s domestic forest industry as the strategic asset it is."
| Ag Credit Awards $50,000 to Beginning Farmers | | |
Alabama Ag Credit awarded $50,000 to five beginning farming operations Oct. 22 through its 2026 JumpStart Grant Program, bringing the program’s total investment in Alabama farmers to $250,000 since its launch in 2022.
Each year, JumpStart awards five $10,000 grants to help beginning farmers establish and grow their agricultural businesses, supporting investments ranging from livestock, and pasture improvements to poultry production and farm infrastructure.
Applicants are evaluated on business plans, understanding of financial and operational needs and proposed use of grant funds.
“Starting a farm takes vision, determination and a willingness to invest in something that may take years to fully develop,” said Alabama Ag Credit President and CEO Nick Hartley. “These recipients represent the entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic that make Alabama agriculture strong. We’re proud to invest in their futures and help them take the next steps toward building sustainable operations."
| | Martin Presented Pork Producers Scholarship | | |
Makenna Martin of Tallapoosa County was named grand champion Senior Premier Exhibitor in the Youth Swine Show at the Alabama National Fair, earning an extra cash prize in addition to her purple rosette.
As senior grand champion, Martin received a scholarship from the Alabama Pork Producers Association. The Premier Exhibitor contest combines results from a quiz, animal evaluation and showmanship, and its senior division is for youth ages 16-18. Alabama Farmers Federation and Alfa Insurance sponsored youth livestock activities at the fair in Montgomery. Martin is pictured with State Pork Committee members Amanda Simpson of DeKalb County and Sammie Lee Stone of Jefferson County.
| | Auburn Opens STEM and Agriculture Complex | |
Alabama Farmers Federation staff were in attendance as Auburn University celebrated the opening of its $224 million STEM + Agricultural Sciences Complex Oct. 23. This marks the largest academic construction project in university history.
The 265,000-square-foot facility brings together six departments from the College of Agriculture and College of Sciences and Mathematics to advance research, education and innovation. The complex features state-of-the-art laboratories and collaborative spaces designed to address challenges in agriculture, food security and environmental stewardship.
| | Farm to Stay Grants Available for Farmers | | |
Alabama farmers looking to diversify their income via agritourism could receive up to $10,000 through a new grant program from Airbnb and American Farmland Trust.
The Farm to Stay Grant Program will award up to 30 grants nationwide, ranging from $5,000 to $10,000. Funding can help farmers establish agritourism operations, renovate properties for overnight guests or develop on-farm experiences such as tours, workshops and farm-to-table dinners.
Eligible applicants include working, for-profit farms generating more than $1,000 in profit.
Applications open Nov. 30 and close Dec. 4. Farmers are encouraged to apply early. An informational webinar is Nov. 13 at 11 a.m.
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Nov. 6 - Alabama Farmers Agriculture Foundation Skeet Shoot in Alpine. Contact Brittany Daniel at BDaniel@alfafarmers.org to reserve a team slot.
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Nov. 9-11 - Alfa Youth Leadership Conference in Columbiana
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Dec. 6-7 - Alabama Farmers Federation annual meeting in Montgomery. Meal ticket orders are due Nov. 30.
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