Arkansas Farm Bureau re-elects prime leaders

Arkansas Farm Bureau members Friday (Dec. 2) re-elected its prime management at its annual conference.

Wealthy Hillman of Carlisle was re-elected as Arkansas Farm Bureau’s president and Mike Freeze of Little Rock will proceed as vice chairman for the agriculture advocacy group. Each had been elected Friday morning at Farm Bureau’s 88th Annual Conference on the Sizzling Springs Conference Middle.

Delegates additionally elected six board members in the course of the ultimate day of the assembly, together with three new board members.

Hillman, 59, was chosen for a fourth time period as president. He beforehand served 11 years because the group’s vice chairman. He first joined the group’s board of administrators in 2001. He’s Arkansas Farm Bureau’s eleventh president since its creation in 1935. He’s a sixth-generation farmer whose major crops are rice and soybeans. He’s additionally vice chairman of Riceland Meals.

“I’m honored to characterize this group in one other time period as president,” stated Hillman. “I’m extremely happy with the work our members do for communities throughout this state day by day and Arkansas’s agriculture business. I’m grateful for the help of my household, with out them, my work at Farm Bureau merely wouldn’t be potential. Representing the hard-working farmers and ranchers from throughout our state is the glory of my life.”

Freeze, 70, begins his fourth time period as vice chairman. He operates the Keo Fish Farm, the biggest hybrid striped bass hatchery on this planet. He’s a previous chairman of the Arkansas Recreation and Fish Fee.

“I recognize the boldness put in me,” Freeze stated. “Working with our president and board members to additional the objectives of Farm Bureau is a vitally essential job. I would like our members to know I don’t take that obligation flippantly. I’ll do my greatest to meet my duties as vice chairman.”

Board motion later resulted within the re-election of Dan Wright of Waldron as Secretary/Treasurer. Wright, 62, raises poultry and grows hay.

Three new state board members had been elected by the delegate physique on Friday morning: Magen Allen of Bismarck, Brad Doyle of Weiner, and Dana Stewart of Judsonia.

Allen is co-owner of J.A. Farms Feed in Bismarck. She simply concluded a time period as chair of the Arkansas Farm Bureau Ladies’s Management Committee. She is a member of the Bismarck Faculty Board.

Doyle is a soybean, rice and wheat farmer and the outgoing president of Poinsett County Farm Bureau. He additionally serves as president of Eagle Seed Firm and president of the American Soybean Affiliation.

Stewart serves as president of White County Farm Bureau. She is a sixth-generation cattle producer and co-manager of the Martin Cattle Firm. She is a member of the American Farm Bureau’s Companions in Advocacy Management coaching program.

Voting delegates additionally re-elected 4 board members to two-year phrases. They’re Jason Henson, Mount Judea; Dan Wright, Waldron; Terry Dabbs, Stuttgart; and Caleb Plyler, Spring Hill.

Voting delegates additionally addressed a spread of state and federal coverage points, together with Boards and Fee appointments, tax exemptions for 4H and FFA initiatives, agricultural training for Okay-12, the continuation of internet metering for renewable power, extra funding for county and state gala’s, the formation of a timber cooperative for landowners, help for water infrastructure initiatives to preserve groundwater, conservation incentives for personal landowners, safety of mineral rights contracts, help of infrastructure on roads, highways, bridges and broadband.

Arkansas Farm Bureau is a nonprofit, personal advocacy group of just about 190,000 households all through the state working to enhance farm and rural life.