Wendy Yeager recently graduated from the Agricultural Leaders for Alabama (A.L.F.A. Leaders) program.

The Orrville resident was one of 17 members who was honored at the 46th Commodity Producers Conference on Aug. 2 in Montgomery. The event was hosted by the Alabama Farmers Federation.

Yeager, a successful row crop farmer, enjoyed the two-year program. Yeager said she went through a rigorous process to get into the program. She also made lifelong friends in the group.

“It was the opportunity of a lifetime to participate in the program,” Yeager said. “It was a wonderful opportunity. I was sad to see it end.”

The A.L.F.A. Leaders attended six institutes, including Montgomery, Washington, D.C. and Spain. The program emphasized personal development, communication, political involvement and an in-depth understanding of the Federation.

The trips to the state capital and nation’s capital were the biggest highlights in Yeager’s two-year stint in A.L.F.A. Leaders.

“I enjoyed getting the time to spend on Capitol Hill in Montgomery and Washington D.C.,” Yeager said. “It was eye-opening to spend time in both places. I wish everyone had the time to learn how our Government works because our vote really counts.”

Yeager and her husband, Jamie Yeager, both own Bell Place Farm in Orrville. Their operation has been in existence since 2007 and consists of cotton, wheat, grain sorghum, peanuts and soybeans.

“God opened the doors for me and my husband to become farmers,” Wendy Yeager said. “I’m a fourth-generation farmer. Farming is my life. If you would’ve told me 15 years ago that I’d be farming, I would’ve laughed in your face.”

Wendy Yeager has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Auburn University. She earned a B.S. in animal and dairy science in 2001. Two years later, she earned a master’s degree in ruminant nutrition.

Jamie Yeager is currently the director at Auburn’s Blackbelt Research and Extension Center in Marion Junction. Their primary research focuses on grazing and animal breeding.