Florida Agriculture: Past, Present, and Future
By Emily Bruce Florida’s diverse agriculture industry is central to the Sunshine State’s economy, environment, and vibrant heritage. Agriculture is Florida’s 2nd largest industry, with more than 300 commodities produced on 44,703 farm operations in the state. Nursery floriculture is the number one...
Sunbelt Expo Cotton Transformed into T-shirt Souvenirs
by Shelby Wentz, ABAC Agricultural Communication, May 2026 graduate You never leave the Sunbelt Ag Expo without souvenirs, right? How about a unique item supporting Georgia agriculture but also supporting Georgia-grown cotton? This year’s souvenir shirts are made directly from cotton grown right...
A True Community Affair
By Bethany Champion, ABAC Agricultural Communication, May 2025 graduate When you think of Sunbelt Ag Expo, the facility grounds in Moultrie, Georgia, where the premier event takes place probably comes to mind. While this is undeniably the best place to be during Expo week, the impact of the farm...
Advancements Being Made by Industries in Row Crop Technology
There is much to see in the fields at this year’s Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Days on the Darrell Williams Research Farm. If you haven’t had a chance already, be sure to stop by and visit before July 24th. We’ve enjoyed featuring the research conducted in partnership with the University of Georgia....
2024 Farmer of the Year – Walter Bass, Jr., Virginia
Walter Bass, Jr. Virginia Farmer of the Year 2024 Four generations of the Bass family have farmed in the small town of Gladys, Virginia for just over 100 years. Bass Sod Farm, designated a Century Farm, is comprised of 2313 rented and owned acres that grew tobacco for much of its history. Today it...
2024 Farmer of the Year – George McDonald, Tennessee
George McDonald Tennessee Farmer of the Year 2024 Just three years from now in 2027, George McDonald and his family will be celebrating an entire century of caring for Catesa Farms, fifty miles northeast of Nashville in Riddleton. He said, “Growing up with both my grandparents and parents on the...
2024 Farmer of the Year – Ty Woodard, South Carolina
Ty Woodard South Carolina Farmer of the Year 2024 Ty Woodard, of Woodard Farms, Inc., is a third-generation diversified farmer and agribusiness owner in Darlington County. Ty’s grandfather, Frank Woodard, Jr., always dreamed of returning to his agricultural roots after his parents’ Latta farm...
2024 Farmer of the Year – Faylene Whitaker, North Carolina
Faylene Whitaker North Carolina Farmer of the Year 2024 Two years after they married, Faylene Whitaker and her late husband, Richard, started their own farm in 1975 on ten acres of rented land, using a 150 International tractor and a $40 tobacco setter. When the first crop was sold, they applied...
2024 Farmer of the Year – Bruce Allen Redmond, Georgia
Bruce Allen Redmond Georgia Farmer of the Year 2024 Bruce Redmond is boldly carrying on the legacy of his late father, Larry Redmond, who started Shiloh Farms in the early 1980s. The operation consists of 2800 owned and rented acres in Guyton and produces bahia grass, TifQuik bahia grass, dry and...
2024 Farmer of the Year – Jason Watts, Florida
Jason Watts Florida Farmer of the Year 2024 Growing up in the rich agricultural area of Okeechobee, Jason Watts is the grandson of dairy farmers on both sides. His great-grandfather grew citrus crops, as did many farmers in those days. He said, “My uncles, grandmother, and eventually my dad owned...
2024 Farmer of the Year – Ted Huneycutt, Arkansas
Ted Huneycutt Arkansas Farmer of the Year 2024 The history of Huneycutt Farms reaches back to 1882, when the great-grandfather of brothers Ted and Steve Huneycutt began farming in Dalark, Arkansas, a border town between Clark and Dallas counties. Their grandfather, Claude, sharecropped and later...
2024 Farmer of the Year – Joel Sirmon, Alabama
Joel Sirmon Alabama Farmer of the Year 2024 Joel Sirmon, along with his brother and three sisters, was born on a 300-acre dairy and farrow-to-finish hog operation that also grew corn and soybeans. His parents wanted him to pursue higher education, so he went off to Auburn University in 1976 but...
Innovative Research Carried Out by UGA Specialists on the Darrell Williams Research Farm
Field Days means the fields are ready for “company.” We look forward to you visiting over the next two weeks. When you visit, you will see plots being managed by UGA researchers and agents. Last week, we featured the work done by UGA’s Forage Specialist Dr. Lisa Baxter. This week, we are...
2024 Field Days: Stop 21 – Forquimica
2024 Field Days: Stop 21 - ForquimicaContact: Marcelo Augusto Campos, [email protected] COTTON treatment 1:In furrow: Formaiz 2 oz/ac - Power Seed New 2 oz/ac treatment 2:In furrow: Formaiz 2 oz/ac - Power Seed New 2 oz/ac - Boromax nitro 4 oz/ac 30 DAE: Phosman 14 oz/ac 40 DAE: ...
2024 Field Days: Stop 20 – Forquimica
2024 Field Days: Stop 20 - ForquimicaContact: Marcelo Augusto Campos, [email protected] CORN treatment 1:In furrow: Formaiz 4 oz/ac treatment 2:In furrow: Formaiz 4 oz/ac - Boromax nitro 4 oz/ac V3: Fortune 20 oz/ac treatment 3:In furrow: Formaiz 4 oz/ac - Boromax nitro 4 oz/ac V3:...
2024 Field Days: Stop 19 – Simplot
2024 Field Days: Stop 19 - SimplotContact: Justin McCoy, [email protected] Simplot Grower Solutions is an American-owned, family-run company honored to be participating in this years Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia. Currently we have over 240 locations across North America and are...
2024 Field Days: Stop 18 – Seedway
2024 Field Days: Stop 18 - SeedwayContact: Trev Simmons, [email protected]
2024 Field Days: Stop 17 – Dyna-Gro
2024 Field Days: Stop 17 - Dyna-GroContact: Tim Moore, [email protected] Contact: Eric Lee, [email protected] *This plot does not have a video.
2024 Field Days: Stop 16 – DeKalb
2024 Field Days: Stop 16 - DeKalbContact: Jason Pittman, [email protected] Corn: DKC 66-06 TRE (116 RM) Placement: Place on deep sands irrigated and dryland Agronomics: Tall plant type with high ear placement. Average disease package so responds to a fungicide. Wide row (36”/38”) population...
2024 Field Days: Stop 15 – Pioneer
2024 Field Days: Stop 15 - PioneerContact: Adrienne Smith, [email protected]
2024 Field Days: Stop 14 – Americot, Inc.
2024 Field Days: Stop 14 - Americot, Inc.Contact: Justin Goodman, [email protected], or Adam Anderson, [email protected] NG 5430 B3XF - New Release! Americot is very excited about this variety in 24 and 25 growing season; not only for its high yield potential but being able to put forth a...
2024 Field Days: Stop 13 – Phytogen
2024 Field Days: Stop 13 – PhytogenContact: Adrienne Smith, [email protected] 2024 PhytoGen® cottonseed product descriptions for Sunbelt ExpoPhytoGen® cottonseed offers a wide portfolio of industry leading varieties with the Enlist® cotton trait. Enlist® herbicides offer the most robust...
2024 Field Days: Stop 12 – DeltaPine
2024 Field Days: Stop 12 – DeltaPineContact: Jason Pittman, [email protected] Cotton: 2333 – New B3XF with exceptional yield and stability, won or was at the top of most trials in the SE in 2022 did well again in 23. Growth similar to 1840, place on mid level dryland all the way up to high...
2024 Field Days: Stop 11 – Dyna-Gro
2024 Field Days: Stop 11 - Dyna-GroContact: Tim Moore, [email protected] or Eric Lee, [email protected] *This plot does not have a video.
2024 Field Days: Stop 10 – Southeastern Hay Contest
2024 Field Days: Stop 10 - Southeastern Hay ContestContact: Dr. Lisa Baxter, [email protected], www.sehaycontest.com The Southeastern Hay Contest (SEHC) encourages producers to test their hay because it can ultimately help save money by identifying supplementation needs. The SEHC is only possible...
2024 Field Days: Stop 9 – UGA Forage Team – Baxter
2024 Field Days: Stop 9 - UGA Forage Team - BaxterContact: Dr. Lisa Baxter, [email protected], www.georgiaforages.com The Sunbelt Ag Expo’s Darrell Williams Research Farm continues to provide an exceptional opportunity to highlight forage research in South Georgia by providing an outdoor classroom...
2024 Field Days: Stop 8 – R.W. Griffin
2024 Field Days: Stop 8 - R.W. GriffinContact: Calvin Meeks, [email protected] RWG Corn Sidedress TrialRW Griffin 18-0-0-3 has been one of the top choices for side dressing corn in Georgia with excellent economics and performance proven year in and year out. The RWG research committee has...
2024 Field Days: Stop 7 – Helena
2024 Field Days: Stop 7 - HelenaContact: Eli Croley, [email protected] or Heath Herndon, [email protected] *This plot does not have a video. The plan for the plot is to track potassium levels in the plant throughout the year utilizing our Extractor Tissue sampling program. In over 5000...
2024 Field Days: Stop 6 – R.W. Griffin
2024 Field Days: Stop 6 - R.W. GriffinContact: Calvin Meeks, [email protected] RWG Cotton Sidedress TrialRW Griffin 18-0-0-3 has been one of the top choices for side dressing cotton in Georgia with excellent economics and performance proven year in and year out. The RWG research committee...
2024 Field Days: Stop 5 – UGA Extension – Kichler
2024 Field Days: Stop 5 - UGA Extension - KichlerContact: Jeremy Kichler, [email protected] Colquitt County on farm demonstrations conducted at the Sunbelt Ag ExpoCounty agents and Extension specialists provide research-based information to growers, consultants, and industry. One of the...
2024 Field Days: Stop 4 – UGA Extension – Kichler
2024 Field Days: Stop 4 - UGA Extension - KichlerContact: Jeremy Kichler, [email protected] Colquitt County on farm demonstrations conducted at the Sunbelt Ag ExpoCounty agents and Extension specialists provide research-based information to growers, consultants, and industry. One of the...
2024 Field Days: Stop 3 – RW Griffin
2024 Field Days: Stop 3 - RW GriffinContact: Calvin Meeks, [email protected] RWG TopFlow Peanut Trial TopFlow is a liming material available to growers exclusively from RW Griffin that has demonstrated superior handling characteristics and performance. It has also demonstrated excellent...
2024 Field Days: Stop 2 – UGA Peanut Team – Monfort
2024 Field Days: Stop 2 - UGA Peanut Team - MonfortContact: Scott Monfort, [email protected] UGA PEANUT TEAM is conducting several trials at the Sunbelt Expo’s Darrell Williams Research Farm. The trials are all set up as large plot evaluations similar to how we conduct our on-farm evaluations. The...
2024 Field Days: Stop 1 – UGA Weed Science – Culpepper
Stop 1 - UGA Weed Science - CulpepperContact: Stanley Culpepper, [email protected] As family farms work tirelessly providing food, feed, and fiber for the world, the need for cutting edge research to support their sustainability is crucial. At the Sunbelt Expo, nearly 10 acres of land is used by the...
2024 Field Day Tour – July 10-24, 2024
2024 FIELD DAYS This year, the 2024 Field Days take on a new form over a two-week period instead of a one-day event. To access all of the additional information to accompany what you will see in the fields, check out the articles and videos below from the researchers and companies participating in...
Are You Ready to Learn About Hay at this year’s Field Days?
The farm crew has been working in overdrive to prep for this year’s Field Days. While we’ve always hosted an opportunity for farmers to join us to see the latest crop technology being put on trial in the fields, this year’s experience will be a bit different. Instead of a one-day Field Day, the...
Farming Full-Speed Ahead
Now that we are well into the spring season, land prep has been done and planting is underway at the Darrell Williams Research farm. The warm weather and the aroma of freshly turned dirt have us excited for what’s to come with the 2024 growing season. At the end of the season, we will have 168...
Field Day 2024 – Mark Your Calendars!
Sunbelt Ag Expo stands out from other farm shows across the country because of its 530-acre Research Farm. Each year in late March or early April, the Expo farm crew begins planting plots representing crops grown in the southeast. What better way to celebrate the days getting longer and the...
Thirty-Four Years of Recognizing Excellence
By Chip Blalock Thirty-four years of recognizing excellence in Agriculture is what the Sunbelt Ag Expo SE Farmer of the Year program is all about. Since 1990, we have had the honor of recognizing 296 salt-of-the-earth farm families and distributing $1,320,000 of prize money. The original eight...
National Ag Day
It’s National Ag Day! Even though we celebrate the agricultural industry year-round here at the Sunbelt Ag Expo, we wanted to honor the people in the industry who make it possible for us to live our daily lives and raise awareness of how influential the agriculture industry is. The country as a...