We sit down with Josh and Bailey Williams, the 2025 Excellence in Agriculture winners for Alabama.

We wish the Williams the best of luck as they represent Alabama in the national Excellence in Agriculture contest during the American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention, January 9-14, 2026 in Anaheim, California.

Also, all of us at the Alabama Farmers Federation wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The AgCast will return on January 7th.

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

Mitt Walker brings us the latest on the $12 Billion bridge payment announced on Dec. 8 by President Trump.

The website Mitt referenced is:

https://dm.epiq11.com/case/hansenmueller/info

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

We visit with attendees of the 2025 Youth Leadership Conference held at the 4-H Center in Columbiana, Ala.

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

Maggie Edwards visits with Legislators and the Alabama FFA officers about their experiences at the 98th Annual National FFA Convention & Expo held in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Join Mike and Maggie as they take a look at what's going on, in Agriculture, around Alabama.

Be sure to stay tuned for the Field Staff Report with Cameron Smith

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

Every year, Alabama Ag Credit presents five, $10,000 grants to young farmers to help with their operation goals. We visit them the winners and representatives from Alabama Ag Credit who helped with the process.

Also, our Field Staff Report comes from Jacob Davis.

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

Mike & Maggie break down the latest Ag News from around Alabama.

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

Mike and Maggie bring the latest Ag news from around Alabama. Also, we introduce a new segment to the AgCast. Mac Higgenbotham brings us the first Field Staff Report. This is what's going on the frontline of agriculture for last week.

Visit Alabama Farmers Federation for more on the headlines covered here. Also, subscribe to the Cultivator to get more Ag news from around the state and in our nation.

You can also visit Sweet Grown Alabama for information from Mac's report.

Blake Thaxton, executive director of Alabama Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association, joins us to talk about their annual conference in February of next year and several awards of interest.

To nominate or apply, visit the AFVGA website.

Mitt Walker, director of Governmental And Agricultural programs, brings important information about looming deadlines for Federal program payments that Alabama farmers need to be aware of.

Additional information can be found here.

Maggie speaks with Chris Prevatt and Alabama farmers from the Beef Tour who attended this annual event. 

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

Mike and Maggie review the latest news from around Alabama.

To find the links referenced in this episode, visit The Cultivator page on our website.

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

We speak with Scott Graham, Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist in Entomology & Plant Pathology, about a new pest, the cotton jassid, that has been discovered in Alabama.

Read more about the jassid here.

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

We speak with Alabama Farmers Federation External Affairs Department Assistant Director and legal council, Preston Roberts, about what landowners should know about allowing hunting on their land.

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

Blake Thaxton speaks with Chad Smith, of Smith Tomato, LLC in Steele, Alabama and Destiny Allman Gladden of Almond Farms and Orchards in Oneonta, about the U.S./Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement. Joining Destiny, and contributing occasionally, is her baby, Lawson.

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

Forrest Anders is young farmer who is embracing Artificial Intelligence on his operation. We explore AI with him.

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

We spend a few minutes with our own, Sen. Katie Britt, to discuss successes and efforts she has made for the families of Alabama.

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

Mitt Walker, director of Governmental and Agriculture Programs and the Federation's national lobbyist, explains how the American Relief Plan and the Big Beautiful Bill impacts farmers in Alabama.

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

We visit with Monica Carroll, Alabama's new Farm Service Agency (FSA) director, and Kathy Patterson, program specialist, on what the FSA is and how it benefits farmers in Alabama.

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

So how are the planting season doing this year? We sit down with Carla Hornady, commodity directory, to find out.

Also, several members of the Wetumpka FFA visited our office. We chat with two of them to get their perspective.

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

We have an informative conversation with Alabama Farmers Federation District 6 Director, Phillip Hunter. Phillip and his bother, Will, own Hunter Trees, LLC in Alpine. The operation uses guest workers through the H-2A legal labor program. Phillip also represents Alabama, nationally, as the chairman of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Agricultural Labor Issue Advisory Committee.

John Allen Nichols, agriculture council for the Farmers Federation, wraps up with information about tax incentives for poultry farmers.

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

We speak with the Nic De Castro, the owner of LandTrust. Like Airbnb, LandTrust partners with landowners to bring parties looking for hunting, fishing, camping, etc. to your land. They handle the vetting, booking, and fees and you make money. Visit the landowner page of the site for additional info. or call (406) 709-8450 to see if it is a good fit for your property. 

Marlee Jackson wraps up by our latest culinary contest, Alabama's Best Surf-n-Turf.

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

We catch up with Alabama's Teacher of the Year for 2025-2026, Katie Collins, after her presentation at the annual Ag In The Classroom Summer Institute.

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

We travel to Auburn University to discuss the Farm Survey and producer interviews called, "Farmer in the Middle" with Dr. Mykel Taylor and Dr. Kelli Russell.

Marlee Jackson wraps up by our latest culinary contest, Alabama's Best Surf-n-Turf.

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.

A parasite from the past is making its way up Mexico and could be headed for the US. We discuss this emerging issue with Chris Prevatt.

Marlee Jackson wraps up by our latest culinary contest, Alabama's Best Surf-n-Turf.

Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation.