2021 Swisher Farmer of the Year from South Carolina Robert Hall!
Many special guests travel across the southeast to attend the Farmer of the Year banquet on day one of the Sunbelt Ag Expo. This year more than ever, with last year’s awards postponed, the eager farmers from Virginia to Florida stood on stage, hoping to hear their name called. Before announcing the winner, Governor Brian Kemp joined the stage, thanking our southeastern farmers for their constant hard work and dedication to our industry. Robert “Bob” Hall, a fruit and vegetable farmer of South Carolina, was the lucky one who got to hear his name called as the 31st annual Swisher Farmer of the Year. His wife joined him on stage as they thanked their family for never complaining about the long hour’s farmers endure. Congratulations to all this year’s Swisher Farmer of the Year nominees and the many sponsors. – Charley Lollis
Spence Field flooded with farmers, students, and visitors at 8:30 a.m. this Tuesday to kick off Expo after a year of uncertainty. Across the yard, there are numerous field demonstrations showing visitors the newest technology and innovation. Demonstrations include tillage, cotton harvest, peanut harvest, tedding, cutting, raking, and baling. The Expo’s mission is to educate, and these demonstrations give people the opportunity to see farming in real-time. New technologies include weed recognition in fields that sprays the weed when detected. The demonstrations will be going on all week, and it is something you do not want to miss!! – Ava Jane Teasley
People gathered from all over the country today to make the first day of the expo a success! The expo was full of familiar faces and supporters of agriculture. Virginians and Georgians alike watched as the ribbon was cut to reveal this year’s spotlight state exhibit: Virginia. The Virginia State FFA Officer team drove all the way to the expo to represent their state and present the state exhibit. The exhibit allowed us to see Virginian agriculture showcased in south Georgia. Just like Georgia Grown, Virginia Grown promotes Virginia agriculture as a leader in the future of U.S. agriculture. Youth like FFA state officers represent the future of agriculture in all states. – Lizzy Parks
I’ve always been a people person which is one of the reasons I’ve always liked the Sunbelt Ag Expo. So many interesting people from all across the agriculture industry attend, it makes starting up a conversation easy. Whenever I went, people were enjoying the nice weather, various activities, and events. I ran into lot of staff, alumni, and students from my college, all making the most of their time at the Expo. I was able network with a variety of people and hear about what brought them here. – Gabrielle Ius
Cattle demonstrations are in full swing at the Sunbelt Ag EXPO! Spectators looked joyful and interested while they learned about the livestock industry. Specifically, they learned about the process of selling cattle, and what the specific buyers are looking for while their cattle are in the chute. This demonstration was very informative for people that may not have a background in the cattle industry. Priefert also did an interactive contest with children in the audience. This was a great way to start engaging young minds in not just the livestock industry but agriculture in its entirety. – Kerstin Hall
Today kicked off a week of family, fun, and agriculture here at the expo. This morning, in the R.W. Griffin Building, the opening ceremony for the expo was held. Georgia Agriculture Commissioner, Gary Black, spoke about his first experience at the working expo and how it made a lasting impression on him. This year’s expo is now in full swing and is expected to be the best expo yet. With vendors and attendees hailing from the state of Virginia all the way to Florida, the opening ceremony brought everyone together and promised a great week at this year’s expo. – Bridget Dixon