Young and veteran producers in Limestone County have received honors this summer from two of the state’s leading agricultural organizations.

At its annual banquet in June, the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association selected the family of Jaffe and Christy Paysinger as its Poultry Farm Family of the Year. The banquet was held at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham.

The Paysingers and their two children, 10-year-old Mason and 6-year-old Molly, are from Elkmont and grow broilers for Tyson Foods in Shelbyville, Tennessee. They have six poultry houses and are “consistently ranked high among the top performers for their area for Tyson Foods,” according to a release from the APEG.

The Paysingers have also received the No. 1 Grower of the Week Award for excellence on their two farms, Paysinger Farms and Big Oak Farms.

“They also have an outstanding record of environmental stewardship,” the release said. “The Paysingers take pride in their performance and are honored to represent Tyson Foods and the entire agricultural community.”

The Paysingers began growing chickens in 2012 after purchasing a farm with four existing poultry houses. In addition to their poultry operation, the Paysingers produce hay and have a 100-head cow/calf operation selling through Tennessee Livestock Producers.

The Paysingers are active members of New Bethel Baptist Church. Christy, a member of the Society of Industrial Security Professionals, serves on the charities committee through her work, serving Kids to Love and the Food Bank of North Alabama. She also works with various childhood cancer support groups.

Jaffe serves on the Limestone County Cattleman’s Association board of directors, serving as president from 2014-15.

Young farmers awarded

Earlier this month, young farmers from Limestone County were recognized during the Alabama Farm Federation’s 46th annual Commodity Producers Conference in Montgomery.

Samantha Carpenter beat out six competitors in the Excellence in Agriculture contest. Participants are involved in agriculture but derive more than half their income off the farm. As her reward, Carpenter will receive a zero-turn mower from Corteva AgroSciences and a computer package from Valcom/CCS Wireless.

Brady Peek of Athens was one of four finalists named in Discussion Meet, which simulates a committee meeting for contestants to examine and problem-solve pressing agricultural issues. Fifteen farmers competed this year.

The final round of Discussion Meet will be held during the federation’s December annual meeting in Montgomery, where the winner will receive a four-wheeler from First South Farm Credit.

All Young Farmers contest finalists received a Traeger grill courtesy of the Federation. Winners will represent Alabama at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual convention in New Orleans in January.