Clemmons named Outstanding Farm Family

CHIPLEY – James Alton Clemmons was presented with the Outstanding Farm Family award at Thursday night’s Farm-City Banquet at the Washington County Ag Center. The event was sponsored by the Washington County Farm Bureau.

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The Clemmons family has a long history of service to Washington County, including his grandfather that served as a Washington County commissioner at the turn of the century and his mother that taught at a one-room schoolhouse in Long Bay.

Clemmons graduated from Chipley High School in 1942 and served his country during World War II in the U.S. Army Air Corps in Europe, piloting four-engine bombers. He used the GI Bill to attend the University of Florida, graduating in 1949.

He married Dorothy Jean Tobias of Chipley and they have two children, Dr. James Simmons and Edith Clemmons Prescott. He and Dorothy celebrated their 60^th wedding anniversary in August. They have been members of First Baptist Church in Bonifay since 1949.

Clemmons worked as farm manager of the local Standard Cattle Co. and has since obtained the farm on Douglas Ferry Road and continues to work it.

Clemmons has also served as director of the University of Florida’s beef demonstration unit and as a member of the Washington-Holmes Cattleman’s Association, including service as secretary and president.

“And, he is one of the finest gentlemen I have ever known,” said Bruce Christmas of the Washington County Farm Bureau as he presented the award.

The Service to Agriculture award went to Bryan Lee. The native of Westville in Holmes County was raised on a farm and graduated from Ponce deLeon High School, where he was heavily involved with the Future Farmers of America including holding several offices.

He attended then Chipola Junior College and graduated from the University of Florida. He later obtained his master’s degree from the University of West Florida.

He has been agriculture teacher at Chipley High School since 1996 and has served on the Florida Association of Agriculture Educators, Washington County Educators Association, and Washington County Youth Fair board of directors. He is also a member of the Farm Bureau and the Cattleman’s Association.

He is married to Terri Bryant of Bonifay and they have two children, Rebecca and Samuel. They are members of Carmel Assembly of God.

Kay and Cliff White were named Conservationists of the Year. They operate Holiday Ranch south of Vernon on State 79.

An Arkansas native, Cliff grew up on a farm. He graduated from the University of Tennessee and is retired from the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He is also involved in farms in Arkansas and Missouri.

Kay spent 27 years in custom home building in Columbus, Ga. Together they have two daughters, two sons and five grandchildren.

The Whites operate a registered cow-calf operation using Southern Poll cattle that fatten on grass only. They consider themselves grass farmers, “first and foremost,” said Washington County Extension Agent Andy Andreasen. The cattle are raised only on grass and they are not given growth hormones or antibiotics.

They have partnered with the Washington County Extension Service, University of Florida, Natural Resources Conservation Service EQUIP Program, and Orange Hill Soil Water Conservation Service to continually improve and modernize their operation.

The 2009 Washington County Tree Farmer of the Year is Blanche Brackin. Blanche and her late husband of 35 years, Newman “Buddy” Brackin have two sons, Mark and Bryan.

The original homestead was purchased by Matthew T. Brackin and his wife, Rebecca Collins Brackin, in the late 1800’s. In the late 1940’s, Buddy negotiated to move V.J. Collins and his wife, Lotee Merritt Collins, to the original homestead and farm in the Brackin Community and they managed the Brackin Ranch for over 30 years as a cattle farm. However in the late 1970’s, 600 acres of the 1240 acre farm was planted in pine trees. The farm presently grows slash, loblolly and long leaf pines.

The Brackin Farm is a Florida Certified Stewardship Forest. Proper management by burning and thinning inferior trees is utilized to insure superior trees are left to maximize quality wood production.