Opportunities for Youth at Expo

While the Sunbelt Ag Expo serves as a central hub during the third week of October for those in the agricultural industry to conduct business, it also serves as a place for students and young adults with a particular interest in the field of study to learn from the leaders in the industry.  Aside...

Field Day – Join us Online Thursday to Learn from the Researchers

Rain may have our fields a bit soggy, but that won’t keep us from keeping you up-to-date on the latest research happening on the Darrell Williams Research Farm.  While we can’t visit with you in person on Thursday, we look forward to you being able to watch the pre-recorded videos from wherever...

West Retires from the SAE Board

West Retires from the SAE Board

Dr. Joe West officially retired from the Sunbelt Ag Expo Board at its quarterly meeting in July.  West graciously served the SAE Board for seven years.  While he will no longer serve the Expo in this capacity, he will serve the organization for a three-year term beginning later this month as a...

It’s Almost Time

It’s Almost Time

August means it’s time for a new school year to begin.  It means high school football is right around the corner.  In the south, August means the beginning of harvest season.  On the Darrell Williams Research Farm at the Sunbelt Expo, we will soon begin harvesting corn.  In the weeks and months to...

Field Day Postponed

Field Day Postponed

We are ready to see you, but Mother Nature’s outpouring of rain over the past few days has left the fields in an impassable condition.  Regrettably, we are postponing this year’s Field Day until lots of sunshine dries out the farm.  Be sure to follow our social media channels and check...

It’s Time!

It’s Time!

It is hot in south Georgia, which means we are in full Expo planning mode. It’s time to make your plans for the 43rd Annual Sunbelt Ag Expo. No matter if you are a farmer, a rancher, a teacher, a banker, a student, a stay-at-home parent or anything in between, you will find something of interest...

New Technology in the Field on the Expo Research Farm

New Technology in the Field on the Expo Research Farm

Partnerships are vital to the success of the Sunbelt Ag Expo and the Darrell Williams Research Farm. Most recently, Southeast Ag Equipment and Case IH helped to expand our research capabilities on the farm by providing a Case IH 3340 sprayer. The sprayer is equipped with an individual PWM (Pulse...

Making an Impact on the Southeast

Making an Impact on the Southeast

As we round the corner toward July, we are closing in on the Sunbelt Ag Expo’s 43rd Annual Show, October 19-21. In just four months, Moultrie will welcome tens of thousands of visitors from all over the country to celebrate agriculture and the advancements that have been made in the industry...

Headed to any Conferences this Summer?

Our staff plans all year to host the Sunbelt Ag Expo each October - it’s what we live for. In addition, we host a Field Day in July, featuring all of the technology on trial on the Darrell Williams Research Farm. However, we also enjoy traveling all over the Southeast visiting with our friends and...

Is Your Hay Award Winning?

Is Your Hay Award Winning?

This year, we are excited to welcome back to the Sunbelt Ag Expo the Southeastern Hay Contest. A tradition since 2004, The Southeastern Hay Contest has been keeping hay growers striving for the best for over a decade. Those interested in hay production make up one of the largest attendee groups at...

“Art” on the Expo Farm

“Art” on the Expo Farm

Have you ever seen farm research that looks like an art project? On any given day, various types of research are being conducted on the Darrell Williams Research Farm at the Sunbelt Ag Expo. On this particular day, the research looked more like art than farm research. One of the many UGA...

Backyard Gardening – A Year-round Venture at the Expo

Backyard Gardening – A Year-round Venture at the Expo

The Sunbelt Ag Expo is grateful for the opportunity to have partnered with many groups within our community over the last several years. Since 2008, the Expo has featured backyard gardening seminars and demonstrations. In 2015, a permanent exhibit space was established that has proven to be a...

We’re Rollin’ on the Research Farm

We’re Rollin’ on the Research Farm

The largest research area on the Darrell Williams Research Farm located at the Sunbelt Ag Expo is the UGA Forage Bermudagrass Variety “Garden.”  Dr. Dennis Hancock, former UGA Forage Specialist, worked with the Sunbelt Farm Crew to establish the plot over five years ago. For the past three years,...

SAE Research Farm the Beneficiary of New Technology

SAE Research Farm the Beneficiary of New Technology

Water conservation has been at the forefront of research and policy in the Southeast for nearly as long as water has been flowing.  More recently, Reinke Manufacturing and CropX partnered to install CropX field sensors on Reinke irrigation equipment located on the Darrell Williams Research Farm...

Dr. Jensen has officially “Gone Fishin’”

Dr. Jensen has officially “Gone Fishin’”

This month, we said, “See you later,” to long-time board member, Dr. John Jensen, after 14 years of service to the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition. Dr. Jensen obtained a B.S. degree from the University of Minnesota and an M.S. and Ph.D. degrees both from Auburn University. If you know anything...

Highlighting Youth at Expo

Highlighting Youth at Expo

While the Expo’s mission is to provide ag companies a venue that is conducive to trade with customers, its extended mission supports the year-round education of all ages. Many students of all ages attend the Sunbelt Ag Expo each year. Those companies and educational partners that have realized the...

The Ag Industry is Supporting the Expo’s Research Farm

The Ag Industry is Supporting the Expo’s Research Farm

It takes a village to operate a non-profit research farm. Because of long-term relationships with many companies in the industry, the Darrell Williams Research Farm located at the Sunbelt Ag Expo is able to carry out world class research to support continued technological advancements in the...

Corn Research Underway on the Expo Farm

Corn Research Underway on the Expo Farm

As planting is now if full swing on the Darrell Williams Research Farm, let’s learn a bit about what’s going in the ground. First up - corn! The Expo’s farm crew works closely with Nutrien Ag Solutions each year. They conduct quite a bit of their research on the Expo Farm and this year is no...

Planting for the Future – Research on the Expo Farm

Planting for the Future – Research on the Expo Farm

The Sunbelt Ag Expo boasts a 100-acre exhibit site; however, what makes it unique to other farm shows in the country is the 600-acre Darrell Williams Research Farm.  Each year, near the end of March when the longer days begin to warm the soil just enough, the Expo’s farm crew begins planting plots...

Sunbelt’s Connections Run Deep

Sunbelt’s Connections Run Deep

The Sunbelt Ag Expo includes important involvement from special sections like Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and Georgia Grown. The participation and support bring visitors to the Expo and provide opportunities for students. In 1964 the Sunbelt Ag Expo looked very different. It was referred...

Special Events at the Expo

Special Events at the Expo

The Sunbelt Ag Expo prides itself on the community it has built within and outside of Moultrie. The Expo has a culture of learning opportunities, friendly competition, and fellowship, impacting its visitors. Special events such as the Southeast Q-Fest, Southeast Hay Contest, and Farmer of the Year...

Sunbelt Ag Expo: Continuing to Impact the Southeast

Sunbelt Ag Expo: Continuing to Impact the Southeast

Year after year, the Sunbelt Ag Expo brings thousands of people from around the southeast, and even the world, to rural Moultrie, Georgia. Forty-two percent of those visitors come from states other than Georgia. In total, the Expo generates $16.72 million in economic output for not just Colquitt...

Expo 2021 is Right Around the Corner

Expo 2021 is Right Around the Corner

The setbacks the COVID-19 pandemic inflicted on the Sunbelt Ag Expo in 2020 have lit a fire for improvement and safety for the 2021 event. Oct. 19-21, 2021, the Sunbelt Ag Expo will be live and in-person in Moultrie, Georgia. The mission of being “North America’s Premier Farm Show” has not been...

Educating the Next Generation

Educating the Next Generation

Senate Bill 330 or the “Green Agricultural Education Act” was signed by Governor Nathan Deal at the 90th Georgia FFA Convention on April 27, 2018. The purpose of this bill is to develop and implement agricultural education in elementary schools. The bill also provided for the Professional...

Expo’s Youth Educational Challenges Provide Great Benefits

Expo’s Youth Educational Challenges Provide Great Benefits

The Youth Educational Challenges competition at the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition gives students opportunities to put their skills to the test. The challenges allow students 6th- 12th grade to engage in six competitive categories where they can compete in junior and senior level competitions....

Making College Connections at the Expo

Making College Connections at the Expo

The Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition has always had a special connection with colleges and universities throughout the Southeast. The Sunbelt Ag Expo began in 1964 on the campus of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC). At the time it was known as “Dealer Days” but now it has grown into North...

Rural Center Connects Georgia Grown with ABAC Dining Hall

Rural Center Connects Georgia Grown with ABAC Dining Hall

Georgia Grown is a statewide program that allows new and established agribusinesses to grow and thrive by bringing producers and consumers together. Local producers can add their businesses to a statewide, searchable list, which gives their business exposure to potential customers, suppliers, and...

FOY What To Expect

FOY What To Expect

If 2020 has proven anything, it is to expect the unexpected. Every day presented unique challenges, which were answered with innovation and perseverance by industry producers - the very qualities that make the Farmer of the Year exceptional. As we look to what 2021 might hold, we again see...

State Winners – Part 2

State Winners – Part 2

Meet our second half of our state winners for the 2020 Swisher Sweets Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year contest. These five farmers share a passion for the land, the spirit of perseverance, and the ability to see the long-term vision. Chip Blalock, executive director of the Sunbelt Ag...

State Winners – Part 1

State Winners – Part 1

When competing based on one’s accomplishments, we like to focus on what distinguishes each competitor from the rest. Though the Swisher Sweets Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year contest looks at the differences between individuals, they also acknowledge that each of the ten state winners...

Farmer of the Year History

Farmer of the Year History

For 31 years, the Swisher Sweets Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year award program has celebrated excellence in agriculture by showcasing the best of the best. These ten leaders, each representing a state in the Southeast region, are true examples of the American farmers, serving as...

Marketing Your Livestock

Marketing Your Livestock

When it comes to marketing livestock, producers are faced with many questions: what to produce, where to market the product, when to price, and more. Livestock producers often sell their livestock. They produce and raise what they have resources for, sell at market outlets to gain the most return...

Current State of the Livestock Industry

Current State of the Livestock Industry

Despite being in the midst of a global pandemic, the livestock industry is doing well after some struggles earlier in the year. In the third quarter of 2020, there is an overall percentage increase in meat production. According to the USDA, “The average weights for pork, beef, broilers, and...

Getting the Most Out of Your Cattle Equipment

Getting the Most Out of Your Cattle Equipment

Safe and efficient cattle handling is a top priority for cattle producers. It takes knowledge of animal behavior and proper handling techniques to get the most out of your cattle and cattle working facilities. Well-designed facilities do not make up for lack of proper handling. Here are three tips...

Preparing Your Cattle for the Winter

Preparing Your Cattle for the Winter

As the winter winds begin to blow in, it is time to start preparing cattle for the colder temperatures that lies ahead. Good management decisions are crucial to maintaining cattle health throughout the winter. Check out these three keys to success to consider during the colder months. 1. Body...

Sorghum in the South

Sorghum in the South

Although we see sorghum in the Southeast today, it has deep roots in ancient history around the world. In an archeological dig at Nabta Playa, in northeast Africa, archeologists found sorghum dating back to when it was first domesticated. Throughout time, the ancient Egyptians found ways to help...

South Georgia Snow

South Georgia Snow

When you think of snow, frozen crystals falling from the sky to settling and creating a white layer on the ground may come to mind. However, in the South, where snow is not common because of the climate, cotton is referred to as the snow in South Georgia. Cotton is one of Georgia’s top ten...