2019 will be the 30th Anniversary of Swisher International and the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition to have the honor to salute the agricultural community and industry with the Swisher Sweets / Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year Award. In the previous 29 years, many of agriculture’s top business leaders, innovators, environmentalists, pioneers, family men, problem solvers and leaders have received national recognition. Swisher International and Sunbelt Ag Expo continue to provide recognition for a select group of true heroes – American Farmers and make the public more aware of the many ways agriculture touches their lives every day.

Since its inception in 1990, the Swisher Sweets / Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year Award has evolved into the most prestigious honor in the southeast and nation with 255 outstanding agribusiness leaders being honored for their “excellence in agriculture.” Ten states participate in the program: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. In the previous 29 years of the award, over $1,164,000 has been awarded to state and overall winners. Each state winner receives $2500 and an all expense paid trip to Expo along with various other prizes. The overall Southeastern winner receives $15,000 and various other prizes from the sponsors.

2018 Overall and State Winners

Kevin Yon

South Carolina

2018 Swisher Sweet Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year

Kevin Yon, a highly successful purebred Angus beef cattle producer and a leader in beef cattle and Angus breed organizations, has been selected as the overall winner of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year award for 2018.

Yon is from Ridge Spring, S.C. He is a son and grandson of sharecroppers and a first-generation Angus breeder.

Yon was named as the overall winner at the Willie B. Withers Luncheon held during the opening day of the 2018 Sunbelt Ag Expo farm show. Yon was chosen as Farmer of the Year over nine other state winners who were finalists for the award.

His farm encompasses 4,258 acres with 2,515 acres of rented land and 1,743 acres of family owned land.

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