First Female "Southeastern Farmer of the Year"
A North Carolina grower has made history, becoming the first woman to be named the Sunbelt AgExpo Southeastern Farmer of the Year. Faylene Whitaker has been farming since she was 19 and married her teenage sweetheart Richard, but says it was tough starting out...
“We had a hard time getting our first loan to operate, and we finally found a local bank that had faith in us and gave us a loan, and we paid it all back that year.”
Faylene lost Richard last year, but committed herself to keeping his legacy alive and expanding her own vision for the farm. She now works alongside her older son and other family members to share her love of agriculture and to pass it along for future generations...
“If you're willing to put the work in, and that sometimes can be long hours and hard work, and you will learn from other people, you can do anything you want to do.”
The Sunbelt Expo is coordinating the Southeastern Farmer of the Year awards for the 34th consecutive year. A total of $1,324,000 in cash awards and other honors have been awarded to 304 southeastern farmers since the award was initiated in 1990. Among the sponsors for the program are the Alabama Farmers Federation, Florida Farm Bureau, and Georgia Farm Bureau.
