For the McCormick family, farming is more than an occupation. It’s a way of life they hold near and dear. 

Dalaine McCormick was bailing hay by the time he was in high school. Farming has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember. Dalaine and his wife Melanie operate McCormick Farms on nearly 500 acres. Dalaine bought his first piece of hay equipment in 2000, and in 2015, Farm Credit helped them purchase a chicken house. Today, their farms sends approximately 500,000 pounds of poultry product out every 50 days.

Like Family 

When the McCormicks were just getting started and transitioning into the family farm, Farm Credit was there to help. “Alabama Farm Credit has really made everything come to life for us. It has made our dream come true and provided what we needed to be able to start the farm and to expand,” said Melanie.

Melanie and Dalaine think of Alabama Farm Credit like family. When they need something, all they have to do is give their loan officer, Lindsey Goodwin a call, and “he’s right there.” Melanie added, “He makes visits to the farm, which we like – we don’t always have to come to him; he comes to us.”

Preserving the Legacy

Over the years, Delanie has watched as the nearby farms consolidated, getting bigger and bigger as the number of farmers dwindled and he doesn’t want that to be the fate of his family’s farm. “I don’t think people really understand how important ag is to our country and to the state and our area. Only 2 percent of the population is farmers now” Dalaine said.

Looking to the future, the McCormicks dream about passing along the farm to their son, hoping that he will be the 6th generation to keep this family business thriving. “We have to be stewards to keep good relations with our neighbors,” Delanie said. “So [my son} can take it on one day and still have something there for him to use.”