United Bank officials have announced comedian Jerry Carroll will headline its 2012 Agriculture Appreciation Expo & Luncheon. The event, open to family and friends of farming across Southwest Alabama and Northwest Florida, will take place Thursday, Feb. 2 at The Club in Atmore and will also feature seminars from the National Cotton Council and FarmerMac.

“From planning and budgeting to hands-on fieldwork, United Bank recognizes the hard work of our farmers and those who support them,” said United Bank President and CEO Bob Jones “To say thanks, we want our agriculture community to learn and laugh with us before another hectic season begins.”

Carroll’s entertaining and relatable topics about everyday life originate from his time on his family’s farm. From the time he could walk, he said he joined his father and uncle to farm 130 acres of flue cured tobacco, 500 acres of corn, 500 acres of small grain, 500 acres of soybeans, 40 head of cattle, and 5,000 hogs per year. Spending 14 hours a day in a tractor cab gave him plenty of time to think about his life’s dream of entertaining people and making them laugh. Since 1993, Carroll has performed for crowds ranging from local cattlemen’s association banquets to heads of state.

The day’s events will begin at 11 a.m. with an update and a question/answer session with representatives from the National Cotton Council. The council serves as the central forum for the industry and is the unifying force in working with the government to ensure that cotton’s interests are considered.  Following an entertaining lunch at noon, representatives from FarmerMac will present details at 1:30 p.m. on how its finance program can impact the working farm budget. As a partner with United Bank, FarmerMac provides a secondary market for agricultural mortgage and helps the bank provide stable long-term rates to rural markets. FarmerMac is also a premier sponsor for the luncheon.

“We appreciate what FarmerMac means for the bank and for our clients,” Jones said. “As a partner in land finance and as a sponsor for our Ag Expo FarmerMac makes a tangible impact on our rural areas and opens the door for us to be an even greater resource for our agricultural community.”