JERRY RAY NAMED 2019 TENNESSEE FARMER OF THE YEAR
In his forty-five-year career as a diversified farmer, Jerry Ray has never worked for anyone but himself. This means that when things go well—in the ordinary course of fat years and lean—he earns the rewards. And when they don’t, he accepts the full weight of responsibility. It’s an old-fashioned...
SIDI LIMEHOUSE NAMED 2019 SOUTH CAROLINA FARMER OF THE YEAR
Sidi Limehouse (pronounced “sigh dye”) is a man with deep Lowcountry roots. His early mercantile ancestors settled in Charleston in the 1700s and spread out from there. When he came into the world on Johns Island in December of 1938, his father celebrated by purchasing Mullet Hall Plantation on...
JOHNNY WISHON NAMED 2019 NORTH CAROLINA FARMER OF THE YEAR
Johnny Wishon didn’t grow up on a farm, but his father, a game warden, did. Wishon remembers, “We had a little over five acres of land, and my dad always had the biggest garden in the county. He would let me grow extra vegetables to sell to the local grocery store.” In high school he became...
TED PARKER NAMED 2019 MISSISSIPPI FARMER OF THE YEAR
Forty years ago Ted Parker borrowed $5,000 to rent forty acres in Oloh, Mississippi. He now spends his days operating six farms in six different locations in six counties in the piney country of south Mississippi. He recalls, “In those early times I continued to borrow money to purchase more...
DANNY CUNNINGHAM NAMED 2019 KENTUCKY FARMER OF THE YEAR
Danny Cunningham grew up on a sixty-acre dairy farm in Calloway County, Kentucky. At thirteen he learned to drive an old pickup truck to school on back roads because his dad figured that by letting him drive, he could get home at least an hour earlier than if he took the bus. And that hour could...
ROBERT L. DICKEY, III NAMED 2019 GEORGIA FARMER OF THE YEAR
Since 1897, Dickey Farms has been producing high quality peaches. Today, Robert Lee Dickey II (“Mr. Bob”), Robert Lee Dickey III (“Robert”), and Robert L. Dickey IV (“Lee”) combine their skills to carry on the farming legacy of growing the tastiest peaches in the south. Calling on deep family...
CHARLES W. OBERN NAMED 2019 FLORIDA FARMER OF THE YEAR
To be successful in farming requires a good deal of stamina, flexibility, and determination, along with a love of the art of growing things. Charles “Chuck” Obern, owner of C&B Farms, Inc., embodies all these qualities, in addition to curiosity—an instinctive awareness that research can...
CHRIS ISBELL NAMED 2019 ARKANSAS FARMER OF THE YEAR
Curiosity, innovation, and sustainability are the hallmarks underlying the success of Isbell Farms, a six-generation family enterprise with 3000 acres of rice production in Humnoke, Arkansas. Chris Isbell, Judy Isbell, Mark Isbell, Shane Isbell, and Jeremy Jones form the company’s partnership that...
HANK RICHARDSON NAMED 2019 ALABAMA FARMER OF THE YEAR
Facing challenges, dealing with disasters, and toughing out hard times are not things Hank Richardson enjoys, but he is good at them. Born on a modest farm in Centre, Alabama, Richardson and his two older brothers, Harlan and Jerry, always worked together seamlessly. But they needed to branch out...
DAVID WILDY NAMED 2019 JUDGE FOR FARMER OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year News Release For Immediate Release DAVID WILDY NAMED 2019 JUDGE FOR FARMER OF THE YEAR AWARDS Arkansas row crop farmer David Wildy has been selected as the newest judge for the 2019 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the...
41st Annual Sunbelt Ag Expo – A Success in the Wake of Hurricane Michael
THIS YEAR’S EXPO FEATURED AG TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION, AND EDUCATION The Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition celebrated its 41st Anniversary show October 16-18, 2018. Over 1,200 exhibitors displayed and demonstrated products and welcomed thousands of visitors to the 100-acre show site and the 600-acre...
Expo research and demo touches ag across the nation
Excerpt from Ron Smith at Southeast FarmPress As the 41st annual Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition wound down, Chip Blalock, executive director, sat behind his desk in the Sunbelt office in Moultrie, Ga., and reminisced. It was an eventful week for the “North America's Premier Farm Show,” which just...
Vice President Mike Pence Speaks at Sunbelt Ag Expo
Vice President Mike Pence attended the Farmer of the Year banquet on opening day of the 2018 Sunbelt Ag Expo. Below are a collection of press releases and other media surrounding the event. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-vice-president-pence-sunbelt-ag-expo/...
South Carolina Farmer Kevin Yon Named 2018 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year
Download Press Release as PDF. Download Press Release as Word Doc. Previously on our site: KEVIN YON NAMED 2018 SOUTH CAROLINA FARMER OF THE YEAR https://vimeo.com/315746184 (Moultrie, Ga.)—Kevin Yon, a highly successful purebred Angus beef cattle producer and a leader in beef cattle and Angus...
Horse Master Julie Goodnight to offer seminars at Sunbelt Expo
Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Equine is partnering with the Expo to bring top horsemanship clinician Julie Goodnight for the entire three-day show. Julie Goodnight established a connection with horses at a young age. After a successful run as a youth rider on jumping horses, she...
ATTEND THIS YEAR’S EXPO FOR AG TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION, AND EDUCATION
The Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition will celebrate its 41st Anniversary show October 16-18, 2018. Over 1,200 exhibitors will display and demonstrate products and welcome thousands of visitors to the 100 acre show site. Crowned as North America’s Premier Farm Show® and the largest Farm Show in...
HOWARD BROWN NAMED 2018 NORTH CAROLINA FARMER OF THE YEAR
https://vimeo.com/315745149 If you have ever enjoyed eating rainbow trout in upscale restaurants in the eastern U.S., you might thank Howard Brown of Andrews, N.C. He and his business, C.R. Brown Enterprises, have played a large part in developing the trout farming industry in western North...
LONNIE FORTNER NAMED 2018 MISSISSIPPI FARMER OF THE YEAR
https://vimeo.com/315739504 Lonnie Fortner of Port Gibson, Miss., left his career as a county executive director with the USDA Farm Service Agency to become a farmer. He started as a farm manager and later was made a partner in Rock Lake Planting Company. He recently branched out on his own as...
DARREN LUTTRELL NAMED 2018 KENTUCKY FARMER OF THE YEAR
https://vimeo.com/315738343 An occasional local talk radio personality, Darren Luttrell is also a third-generation farmer, a successful poultry producer and a high yielding corn and soybean grower. He lives in Beaver Dam, Ky., and farms in Ohio County near the Olaton community. Luttrell’s farm...
JAMES VAUGHN NAMED 2018 GEORGIA FARMER OF THE YEAR
https://vimeo.com/315737253 An attorney who practices law from offices on his farm, James Vaughn of Forsyth, Ga., is especially proud of taking a 650-acre pine tree plantation and converting it over a ten-year period into productive pastures where he raises forages for his beef cattle. As a result...
LYNETTA USHER GRINER NAMED 2018 FLORIDA FARMER OF THE YEAR
https://vimeo.com/315736202 Lynetta Usher Griner’s life and career plans changed dramatically during 1989. That year, her brother Tommy Usher died in a boating accident on the Suwannee River. A seventh generation Floridian, Lynetta lives in Levy County, Fla., where she had been practicing law....
LUKE ALSTON NAMED 2018 ARKANSAS FARMER OF THE YEAR
https://vimeo.com/315735130 Luke Alston of Mena, Ark., gave up a stable career as a Farm Bureau insurance claims adjuster to pursue his dream of farming. He returned to his family’s farm where his great-great grandfather homesteaded in 1897. At his Holly Springs Homestead farm, he built eight...
JOHN DELOACH NAMED 2018 ALABAMA FARMER OF THE YEAR
https://vimeo.com/315734157 John DeLoach of Vincent, Ala., is successfully raising row crops on a farm that has been in his family since 1820. He grows corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton and hay on his 1,325-acre farm. He owns 710 acres and rents 615 acres. DeLoach’s yields have been good. His per acre...
PAUL ROGERS, JR. NAMED 2018 VIRGINIA FARMER OF THE YEAR
https://vimeo.com/315748364 Paul Rogers, Jr., of Wakefield, Va., has had a long and successful farming career, and an equally extensive and rewarding avocation as a youth league and high school baseball coach. As a result of his success as a crop farmer, Rogers has been selected as state winner of...
JOHN VERELL NAMED 2018 TENNESSEE FARMER OF THE YEAR
https://vimeo.com/315747261 A fulltime farmer for 16 years, John Verell of Jackson, Tenn., takes a scientific approach to producing high yields on his successful 5,050-acre crop farm. He grows corn, soybeans and wheat on 3,000 rented acres and 2,050 acres of owned land. As a result of his success...
KEVIN YON NAMED 2018 SOUTH CAROLINA FARMER OF THE YEAR
A son and grandson of sharecroppers, first generation Angus breeder Kevin Yon and his family from Ridge Spring, S.C., have established Yon Family Farms as one of the best Angus seedstock herds in the nation. Yon is a leader in the beef industry and in Angus organizations. As a result of his...
Sunbelt Ag Expo hires Becca Turner as new Vice President of Marketing, Gina McDonald Announces Retirement
Moultrie, GA: The Expo is proud to announce Becca Turner has been named Vice-President of Marketing for “North America’s Premier Farm Show”. “Becca brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and we look forward to having her join our outstanding staff,” said Chip Blalock, Sunbelt Executive...
Virginia Farmer Robert Mills, Jr. Named 2017 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year
Robert Mills, Jr., a first generation farmer who grows tobacco and raises beef cattle and pullet breeder chickens near Callands, Va., has been selected as the overall winner of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year award for 2017.
2017 SE Hay Contest Results
Also see: Massey Ferguson's "A cut above the rest" video series on quality haymaking. Download this press release as a PDF here. 2017 - Results October 17-19, 2017 Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition, Moultrie Georgia A Cooperative Extension Effort of Auburn University, Clemson University, The...
Instructions for Expo Handlers
Any issue getting into the trial please call Jim Shepard 229 886 7266 Pickup Handlers Packets from Cheri Ireland. Her trailer can be found in the wet camping area. Monday Night the tram will leave from the wet camping area at 6:15pm for dinner Tuesday Open Handler meeting will be at 7:20am. Please...
Tennessee is the 2017 Sunbelt Ag Expo Spotlight State
Tennessee in the Spotlight: From Memphis Blues to Mountain Bluegrass, We’ve Got Your Music Tennessee, the Volunteer State, invites Sunbelt Expo guests to experience “The Soundtrack of America – Made in Tennessee” at this year’s Spotlight State Exhibit. We will showcase Tennessee’s cultural...
ROBERT MILLS, JR. NAMED 2017 VIRGINIA FARMER OF THE YEAR
https://vimeo.com/288548880 After two weeks in an eighth grade vocational agriculture class, Robert Mills, Jr., decided he wanted to become a farmer. He defied everyone who told him he couldn’t do it. Mills says his dream came true. At Briar View Farm, he is now a successful first generation...
MIKE ROBINSON NAMED 2017 TENNESSEE FARMER OF THE YEAR
https://vimeo.com/288547976 At Sugartree Farms near Belvidere, Tenn., Mike Robinson has built a successful family row crop and beef cattle farm. He also owns Sugartree Feeds, a store that adds value to some of his grain, hay and straw. A farmer for 35 years, Robinson owns 1,108 acres and rents...
KEMP McLEOD NAMED 2017 SOUTH CAROLINA FARMER OF THE YEAR
https://vimeo.com/288547172 Alexander “Kemp” McLeod of McBee, S.C., is a hard-working farmer who raises 22 peach varieties, strawberries, pumpkins and row crops. He operates a successful roadside store along a busy four-lane highway where he sells his fruit and where visitors enjoy an outstanding...
VAN HEMRIC NAMED 2017 NORTH CAROLINA FARMER OF THE YEAR
https://vimeo.com/288546327 Van Hemric of Hamptonville, North Carolina started farming on a modest scale in 1988 with six acres of tobacco. The next year, he put up his first chicken house. He now grows 200-250 acres of flue-cured tobacco, and raises broiler layers in eight chicken houses. He...
MIKE STURDIVANT NAMED 2017 MISSISSIPPI FARMER OF THE YEAR
https://vimeo.com/288545431 After earning a prestigious Harvard University Master of Business Administration degree, Micajah “Mike” Sturdivant III could have entered real estate or most any other business, but decided instead to become a Mississippi Delta farmer. Sturdivant comes from an...
MIKE BACH NAMED 2017 KENTUCKY FARMER OF THE YEAR
https://vimeo.com/288544448 Robert Michael “Mike” Bach has served his country as an officer in the U.S. Army, and as a successful Kentucky farmer. In the Army, Bach was known for his marksmanship. He retired as a lieutenant colonel. As a farmer, Bach successfully transformed his farm from reliance...
EVERETT WILLIAMS NAMED 2017 GEORGIA FARMER OF THE YEAR
https://vimeo.com/288543025 At WDairy near Madison, Ga., Everett Williams milks 1,700 to 1,800 highly productive cows three times daily. This herd of crossbred cows has an impressive rolling herd average for milk production at more than 28,000 pounds of milk per year. Williams farms 3,657 acres....
MARK WILSON NAMED 2017 FLORIDA FARMER OF THE YEAR
https://vimeo.com/288542080 Mark Wilson migrated to the United States in 1972 and gave up a promising corporate career to live the American dream as owner and operator of his own successful plant nursery. Wilson runs the 30-acre Greendale Nursery in Homestead, Fla., produces plants that are sold...
MARK MORGAN NAMED 2017 ARKANSAS FARMER OF THE YEAR
https://vimeo.com/288541281 Mark Morgan is a young farmer who specializes in bringing customers to his farm to pick his peaches. “If people to come here one time to buy peaches, they’re likely to come back,” says Morgan. Morgan of Clarksville, Ark., produces pick-your-own peaches at his Peach...