Farm City Month: Building a bridge
ASHFORD — "Houston County counts on farmers" is more than a slogan for a Dothan chief executive officer who recently spent his first day on a farm.
Walter Hill, CEO of Wiregrass United Way and a past president of Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce, spent the day with Brandon Shirah learning more about Shirah Cattle Company in Ashford.
As part of the annual Houston County Farm-City Celebration, farmers and their "city slicker" neighbors trade professions for a day. "It is a program to help educate both sides about the important role they play in the local economy," said Hill, who was the "city" representative this year.
Hill gave Shirah an overview of the Wiregrass United Way function, presented him with an official LIVE UNITED shirt, and hosted him as a guest at the Dothan Rotary Club meeting during Shirah's visit to Dothan.
Then it was Shirah's opportunity to host Hill at Shirah Cattle Company, located at 1131 North County Road 75 in Ashford. "The importance of a farm-city relationship was brought to the forefront for me there," said Hill, whose previous farming experience was limited to helping his father in the family's garden. "There is such importance in developing mutual support."
Established in 2013, the Shirah Cattle Company operation owned and operated by Shirah and his children, Branson, Landon, Caydon, and Katie Grace Shirah, specializes in quality cattle.
Hill had high praise for Shirah. "His goal is to have two acres of land per cow," said Hill, listing what he learned during the vocational swap. "He is an extremely smart businessman. He knows everything about every cow he owns. He knows their birthday, their parents, their grandparents, and their weight, and their feeding schedule," Hill said. "He even gets to know some of their personalities."
It's all second nature to Shirah, who grew up on a farm. "As a kid, working beside my dad and grandad row cropping peanuts, cotton, corn, and tending to several different herds of crossbred cows on our cow/calf operation; there was no doubt what I wanted to do when I grew up. I wanted nothing else but to be a cowboy," he said. "Dreams really do come true; with all thanks and glory to God and my savior Jesus Christ."
Agriculture is the No. 1 business in the state of Alabama, said Houston County Farm City Committee Member Gloria Jeffcoat of George Jeffcoat Farms outside of Gordon. She is the Houston County Farm-City Poster and Essay Contest chairman. This year's theme for the poster and contests, open to students in every school located in Houston County, is "Houston County Counts on Farmers," she said. Winning essays and posters will be on display at the Houston County Farm-City Banquet Nov. 21 at the Dothan Civic Center. Other awards presented at the banquet include: Farm-City Service, Volunteer of the Year, Young Farmer of the Year, Farm Family of the Year, the Allen Mathews Memorial Award, and Future Farmer of America, and Family, Career and Community Leaders of America Award winners.
In addition to the student essay and poster contests and the Farm-City Swap with Hill and Shirah, Farm-City events include the Touch a Truck and Peanut Boil at Landmark Park; Farmers on Foster Farmers Market; a farm tour, a tour for youth; information addresses to several area civic organizations; and proclamations of support presented by the cities of Dothan and Ashford and the Houston County Commission.
Jeffcoat credits the success of the Houston County program to sponsors, including Alabama Peanut Producers, Ameris Bank, Alabama Ag Credit, Helena Chemical, Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis Club of Dothan, Dothan Livestock Auction, First South ACA, Five Star Credit Union, Houston County Cattlemen's Association, Houston County Farmers Federation, MidSouth Bank, the National Peanut Festival, ServisFirst Bank, Tri-State Rubber, Wiregrass Electric Cooperative, HNB First, Wiregrass R C & D, and the Houston County Soil and Water Conservation.
Staff Writer
