Farmer Jeremy Gillam of Judsonia (White County) is the 2012 recipient of the Stanley E. Reed Leadership Award from the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation. Gillam accepted the award from Farm Bureau President Randy Veach and Charlene Reed, Stanley’s widow, Thursday during the organization’s annual conference at the Hot Springs Convention Center. The award goes to an active member, 36 to 45 years old, for outstanding leadership within their county Farm Bureau and community.

Gillam grows blackberries, muscadines, blueberries, grapes, asparagus and peaches on his more than 700-acre farm. Gillam presently is serving his second term in the Arkansas House of Representatives, where he serves on the House Agriculture Committee and the House Judiciary Committee.

“The nobility of service defines who Stanley Reed was,” Gillam said. “He was my mentor and a very, very good friend to me. This award probably means the most to me because of who it’s named for and what it represents.”

A $5,000 donation in Gillam’s name will be made to the Stanley Reed Memorial Chair in Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Injury Prevention at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences.

Gillam was the 2008 Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) Achievement Award winner and was the national runner up in that category for the American Farm Bureau Federation. He won the 2009 state Discussion Meet represented Arkansas in the American Farm Bureau YF&R Discussion Meet in 2010.

Gillam has served as member of the American Farm Bureau Federation Horticulture Advisory Board and presently serves as a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation Labor Advisory Board. He’s serves on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Fruit and Vegetable Advisory Board, as well as the Arkansas Foundation for Agriculture Board of Directors and served on the Southern Fruit Consortium Board of Directors.

Arkansas Farm Bureau created the award last year in honor of Stanley Reed, who was president of Arkansas Farm Bureau from 2003-2008. He died in an automobile accident one-car crash in July 2011. Improving agriculture, and working through Farm Bureau to make that happen, was Reed’s life’s work. He also had a passion for mentoring young people; helping them to learn and grow in ways that helped them, and ultimately others.