Alabama’s Will Gilmer selected a winner in ‘Faces of Farming & Ranching’ program

A dairy farmer from Alabama has been selected as a national spokesperson for the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA).

Will Gilmer of Lamar County, Ala.,  was one of four farmers selected in USFRA’s Faces of Farming and Ranching program, a nationwide search launched by USFRA in June 2012 as a way to identify farmers and ranchers who are proud of what they do and are eager to share their stories.



Gilmer and three other program winners were selected from a pool of more than 100 farmer and rancher applicants from across the country.

As one of the Faces of Farming & Ranching, Gilmer will share his stories and experiences on a national stage to help answer consumers’ questions about how food is grown and raised to feed our nation.



“By adapting advanced management practices, we are able to raise healthy, comfortable cows that produce quality milk and dairy beef,” said Gilmer.

“I want to help consumers see that farmers and ranchers have a genuine passion for what they do and take pride in the quality of the food they produce, hoping that it makes a positive contribution to society.”



Gilmer and his father own and operate a dairy farm, which has been in continuous operation since Will’s grandfather established it in the early 1950s. They currently milk 200 Holstein cows and raise their own replacement heifers, while managing 600 acres of land used for pasture and forage production.

Those forages include hay, summer silage crops, and small grains/ryegrass for both silage and strip grazing.