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Pepper
also worked for agricultural lending agencies and the last thing he
wanted to do was repossess farm equipment after a loan default. His
dream was to find a job that could help, not hinder farmers.
He
found it with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System which provides
the economic analysis service for farmers throughout the state.
The
first successful analysis associations in Alabama were in the northeast
corner and in the Wiregrass region. Today, the associations reach nearly
every farm in the state.
"Ag
economists have tremendous value based on the fact they provide
financial and statistical analyses for all agricultural
disciplines," said Tommy Paulk, president of Alabama Farmers
Cooperative, Inc.
Paulk
said agricultural economists such as Pepper touch all aspects of farming
because they can determine the profitability and feasibility of row
crops; fruits and vegetables; nurseries and greenhouses; livestock;
aquaculture and all other areas of agricultural production.
"They
help producers by identifying and evaluating the effectiveness of
different marketing options before production starts," said Paulk.
"They have made significant contributions to our understanding of
the value of technology-oriented research."
The
service isn’t free, but farmers such as Harold Gaines who have taken
advantage of it are quick to say that what they pay is returned many
times over in productivity and profit.
Fees
vary, according to the size of the farm and the type of farm business
organization, according to Pepper.
The
minimum annual membership fee is $550 and the average paid by members in
a typical year is about $800. The fee for having bookkeeping done by the
association is $420 a year.
Pepper
said membership fees help provide "grants" by the association
to the Extension Service which, in turn, compensates the economists for
their help across the state.
Association
members meet once a year to hear a recap by their economists. In Central
Alabama, Pepper and Yeager met with their farmers in
early November.
The
four other economists are Jerry Pierce and Holt Hardin in Northeast
Alabama, Steve Brown in the Gulf Coast region and Bob Lisec in the
Wiregrass.
The
analysts do a little bit of everything to assist farmers including
management advice that includes studies of computer spreadsheets. They
also provide market information on cotton, cattle and other commodities.
"Keeping
records to satisfy the IRS isn’t good enough these days," said
Pepper. "Harold and other farmers who are members of our
associations recognized the importance of keeping up with other things
to help make good decisions."
Farmers
throughout the state have always helped each other if they can and that’s
what happened when the Gaines brothers and others farmers in Central
Alabama wanted to organize an association.
Two
farmers from Northeast Alabama drove to Prattville where they met with
their counterparts to talk about the importance of initiating an
association.
Harold
Gaines credits the late Jim Dismukes with leading the way in organizing.
"He
was an outstanding farmer, an exceptionally intelligent man who knew
what we needed to do," said Gaines, referring to Dismukes.
"His initiative and motivation started it all for us here. He had
been doing it all on his own, but he wanted us all to benefit from
belonging to an association."
About
200 farm families belong to associations in the state and there is room
for more, said Pepper, who encourages everyone to consider joining
groups in their part of Alabama.
"This
isn’t complicated," he said. "It’s just something farmers
need to be dedicated to. The detailed information provided by us goes a
long way in helping our farmers to end the year with a profit." |
