Agriculture + Lifestyle
Sunbelt Ag Expo: the show goes on
by Jennifer Whittaker
GFB Publications Editor
Posted on December 1, 2024 1:15 PM
The show went on, but as members of the Southeastern ag community gathered for Sunbelt Ag Expo Oct. 15-17 in Moultrie, they paid tribute to their fellow farmers and rural residents in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina who suffered catastrophic damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
“We’re praying for all affected by these recent storms from Florida to the Appalachian Mountains,” Sunbelt Executive Director Chip Blalock said at the Expo opening ceremony. He went on to mention that longtime Expo supporter R.W. Griffin, a feed, seed and fertilizer business that includes cotton gins and peanut buying points, sustained damage to their operation based in Douglas and their homes. The opening ceremony is held annually in the Griffin pavilion.
During the Willie B. Withers Luncheon held on opening day, the Sunbelt Ag Expo Board of Directors presented $1,000 donations to the Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina Tennessee and Virginia Farm Bureaus to help farmers in these states who have suffered recent storm damage.
Georgia Farm Bureau President Tom McCall accepted the generous donation for Georgia, which was deposited in the Weathered But Strong Hurricane Helene Relief Fund being coordinated by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture with support from Georgia Farm Bureau and 40 other Georgia ag organizations. If you would like to make a donation, visit www.supportgeorgiafarmers.org . 100% of the funds donated will be distributed to farmers who suffered storm damage. Farmers who sustained losses to Hurricane Helene may apply for the funds online at www.supportgeorgiafarmers.org until midnight Dec. 31. Farmers must have a current, valid GATE Card issued by the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
Shetland Sheepdog, Belue, named GFB Farm Dog of the Year
Belue, a Shetland Sheepdog who lives in Sumter County with his owner, Brinson Brock, was named the inaugural Georgia Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the Year during the Willie B. Withers Sunbelt Expo Luncheon on Oct. 15. Belue was chosen from 151 canine entries by a panel of judges with farm dog knowledge.
As the winner, Belue will be featured on the 2025 spring Georgia Neighbors magazine, and Brock received a $500 gift card.
Georgia Farm Bureau President Tom McCall & his wife, Jane, congratulate Sumter County Farm Bureau member Brinson Brock on his Shetland Sheepdog, Belue, being named the 2024 GFB Farm Dog of the Year. Belue works sheep, cattle and poultry and attends the middle school ag classes Brock teaches to encourage students’ interest in veterinary science. /Photo by Jennifer Whittaker
Belue has a blue merle coat, stands 15 inches tall and weighs 24 pounds. Brock, his human, says Belue’s favorite treats are Greenies.
“Belue is a constant and vigilant companion. He works sheep, cattle and poultry. He will chase the occasional unwelcome varmint and is able to sense those who might be beyond his control,” Brock said.
In Brock's classroom, Belue willing allows students to groom, bandage, and give him general body condition exams. When students do computerized self-study time, Belue retreats to his pen and waits patiently for the students to finish, Brock said.
“He rounds up chickens and other small animals in the school garden as well as kids playing games in the outdoor study area. He practices agility to the delight of students and visitors to the Agri-Science program,” Brock said.
Owners of the four finalist dogs have been notified and will be announced in the 2025 Georgia Neighbors spring issue to be published next March.
N.C.’s Whitaker named Expo Farmer of Year; Redmond represents Georgia
History was made at this year’s Sunbelt when Faylene Whitaker of Climax, N.C., became the first woman to be named the Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year. Whitaker and her family produce tobacco, nursery plants, tomatoes and other vegetables, strawberries, organic corn and wheat. Whitaker Farms & Garden Nursery operates at three different locations near Climax on 940 acres of owned and rented land and includes an agritourism venue.
She and her late husband, Richard, farmed together for 50 years until his death last year. The couple started growing tobacco in 1975, two years after they married, on 10 acres of rented land using a 150 International tractor and a $40 tobacco setter. After they sold their first tobacco crop, they used the money to buy 36.5 acres of land and expanded into the nursery business of growing trees. The Whitakers’ oldest son, Shane, and his wife, Kelly, farm with Faylene, along with a nephew, but Faylene runs the operation.
Bruce Redmond of Effingham County represented Georgia in the contest. Redmond started farming on his own, growing peanuts and cotton. He took over the family's operation, Shiloh Farms, after his dad, Larry, died in 2018. Today, Bruce farms 2,800 acres of rented and owned farmland, including both dryland and irrigated acres of peanuts and cotton. Shiloh Farms has grown certified Tifton 9 Bahiagrass seed since the 1990s and is now the largest producer of certified Bahiagrass seed in the Southeast.
Redmond has served on his local USDA Farm Service Agency Committee for seven years. He supports Effingham 4-H and the Effingham Young Farmers Association and is an Effingham County Farm Bureau member. He and his wife, Jillian, have four daughters.
UGA Extension Agent Blake Carter nominated Redmond for the award.
History was made this year as Faylene Whitaker of N.C. became the first woman to be named the Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year. Georgia Expo Farmer Bruce Redmond, left, & S.C. finalist Ty Woodard congratulate Whitaker. Visit www.gfb.ag/redmond to read more./ Photo by Jennifer Whittaker
Exhibits & demos reason for Expo
For 46 years Sunbelt Expo has been connecting farmers with ag organizations and companies that offer services or products that can make their farms more productive. This year was no different.
In the Georgia Ag Building at Expo’s main gate, Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) and Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) staff were on hand to tell attendees about the work each does to help farmers.
GDA’s exhibit highlighted 2024 being the 150th anniversary of the GDA. A walkable timeline highlighted significant milestones since the department was founded in 1874. Georgia was the first state to establish a department of agriculture. Georgia Grown vendors were set up in the Expo Family Living Building next door and their products were featured daily in cooking demos.
GFB greeted visitors to its exhibit with swag bags and discussed the organization’s advocacy efforts in Atlanta and D.C. for farmers. GFB Public Policy staff promoted the I Farm. I Vote. Campaign that encourages voters to think about how candidates and ballot issues will impact agriculture. Expo attendees also had the chance to cast their vote to answer the fun-natured question regarding how pecan is pronounced – puh-kahn or pee-can. More votes were cast for the second pronunciation.
GFB staff members handed out ag swag in the Georgia Agriculture Building./Photo by Jennifer Whittaker
Out in the field
Expo attendees had the chance to see self-driving tractors and drones in action at demo plots beside the main road of the show’s research farm.
Sabanto has developed software that can be installed in John Deere, Kubota & Fendt tractors that "drives" the equipment within coordinate parameters you set. Sabanto representative Mike Burdick said turfgrass producers have readily adopted the technology since they must run a tractor over their sod 2-3 times a week. Ag Technologies based in Cordele is the area dealer for the autonomous tractor software. /Photo by Jennifer Whittaker
BestWay Ag, based in Kentucky, demonstrated how their Fly Cart 30 can be used in multiple scenarios on the farm to carry payloads of up to 80 lbs., such as moving Christmas tree seedlings up a mountain to be planted. A smaller drone on display is used to fly over crops to gather crop health data to help farmers determine what types of pesticides/herbicides they need to apply to produce a healthy crop.
Jeff Clack with BestWay Ag said the company volunteered their time and drones to help with relief efforts in Western Kentucky prior to attending Expo. A microphone was attached to the small drone and flown into isolated neighborhoods to tell residents a large drone would be coming to drop off supplies of water, baby formula & food. Clack stressed that anyone with a drone interested in helping should always coordinate with the local Emergency Management Agency so they can secure FAA clearance & be assigned an air grid.
Best Way Ag's Fly Cart 30 drone can be used in multiple scenarios on the farm to move payloads of up to 80 lbs. Before Expo, the Kentucky-based company used the drone to deliver supplies to North Carolina residents left stranded by Hurricane Helene. /Photo by Jennifer Whittaker
Florida shines as 2024 Sunbelt Expo Spotlight State
Florida pulled out all the stops to highlight its agriculture sector that includes 44,703 farms covering 26 million acres. According to Florida ag officials, agriculture and agribusinesses contribute $213.8 billion to Florida’s economy.
When guests entered the primary entrance on the west side of the exhibit, they could explore a fascinating display of antique farm implements Florida farmers used in the last two centuries. Directly across from this display, a hologram theatre let guests time travel from the 1500s when Ponce de Leon introduced cattle to the colony to present day when modern technology is taking agriculture to new heights.
Displays from the center of the building to the east entrance highlighted the many commodities Florida farmers produce. Guests had the chance to taste-test Florida recipe samples and take a photo in front of a colorful backdrop of oranges and green succulents. Florida Farm Bureau gave guests a pine seedling to take home to plant.
“We’re very proud for this to be our year to be spotlighted. We appreciate everyone coming today despite such trying conditions. We’ve had four hurricanes hit us [Florida] in the past year,” Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson said. “Agriculture is the second leading driver of Florida’s economy and provides jobs for about 2.2 million Floridians. A lot of times when we think of national security, we think about oil, but what would happen if we had no food in our grocery stores for seven or 30 days? We need to make sure we treat farming for what it is [a matter of national security]. Anything we can do to bring ag back from these storm crises we’ve experienced is a need.”
Florida was the first Sunbelt Ag Expo Spotlight State in 1981 when Expo first started highlighting a different Southeastern state each year, Expo Executive Director Chip Blalock said. This is the fifth year the state has been featured. Georgia will be the 2025 spotlight state.
Florida’s Spotlight State exhibit included a hologram theatre that let visitors time travel from the 1500s to present day. Guests enjoyed recipe samples and took home pine seedlings./ /Photo by Jennifer Whittaker
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College is one of the Southeastern ag schools with a permanent exhibit at Expo to introduce their school to prospective students./ Photo by Jennifer Whittaker