In December, two of the region's largest farm organizations elected leadership during their annual meetings.

Georgia Farm Bureau members elected Tom McCall for a two-year term as president Dec. 8.  McCall of Elbert County grows wheat, oats, triticale, grain corn, sweet corn and hay. The McCall family also raises beef cattle, hogs and sheep.

McCall replaces Gerald Long, who retired from the position after serving as GFB president since 2016. Long, of Bainbridge, served on the GFB Board of Directors in various roles since 1999 including GFB 9th District director, GFB South Georgia vice  president and GFB 1st vice president.

McCall has been a Farm Bureau member since 1978. McCall’s first leadership role with Farm Bureau was serving as the chairman of the Elbert County Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) Committee. He represented GFB’s 2nd District on the GFB YF&R Committee in 1981-82 and chaired the state committee in 1982. McCall represented GFB’s 2nd District on the GFB Board of Directors from 1984-1996.  He also served as ECFB president for a number of years.

McCall served in the Georgia House of Representatives for 26 years, retiring from the legislature at the end of his 2020 term. McCall chaired the Georgia House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee from January 2005-2020. He also served on the House Game, Fish & Parks Committee, Natural Resources & Environment Committee and the Transportation Committee.

McCall and his wife, Jane, have two living adult children. The couple have two grandchildren. The McCalls attend Eliam United Methodist Church.

The Alabama Farmers Federation’s reelected President Jimmy Parnell to a fifth two-year term during its 99th annual meeting in Montgomery Dec. 7.

Parnell, a fifth-generation farmer from Stanton in Chilton County, is a partner in his family’s cattle and timber business. He thanked the voting delegates representing all 67 counties who unanimously reinstated him. Parnell ran unopposed and also serves as Alfa Insurance president.

“I am excited about the opportunity to lead this organization into its 100th year,” Parnell said. “Throughout history, farmers have faced obstacles, and the past year brought special challenges. Despite those, farmers continued to feed and clothe America and the world. Our organization faced its challenges head on and continued to work for farmers every day. As we chart a course for the next century of this organization, we are still led by men and women who are dedicated to serving farmers and promoting the economic, social and educational interests of Alabamians.”

Parnell, 56, is a former State Young Farmers Committee chairman and served on the Federation’s state board from 1999-2008. He was Chilton County Farmers Federation president from 2006-2012.