Ag News
Sunbelt Expo ushers in new era of agriculture
Posted on Oct 13, 2022 at 0:00 AM
The Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition will celebrate its 44th anniversary show Oct. 18-20.
More than 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 America with field demonstrations, the Sunbelt Ag Expo brings together all segments of agribusiness including farmers, educators, policymakers, ag enthusiasts and families.
Georgia Farm Bureau 8th District Director Scotty Raines, the Georgia Farmer of the Year, will vie for the title of Swisher Sweets Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year. Raines, a diversified row-crop farmer from Turner County, and farmers of the year from nine other states will be introduced during the Willie B. Withers Luncheon on Oct. 18.
All attending the show will see the latest innovation and technology that the agriculture industry has to offer.
Georgia Farm Bureau sponsors the Advocacy in Action contest for high school and college students with a particular interest in ag policy, law, and communication. Teams of advocates will have the chance to present information in a lobbyist/policy maker setting to improve their advocacy skills.
Education is the key component of Sunbelt Expo with more than 300 seminars and demonstrations offered over the 3-day event. These seminars and demonstrations are taught in exhibit areas for beef, dairy, poultry, forestry, pond management, equine and cattle management. Farmers and ranchers attending gain beneficial knowledge on the latest in cutting edge techniques from industry leaders and university specialists. The Expo works with 21 different education sponsors to host a strong seminar and demo schedule. These education sponsors include major universities and colleges with six of these having permanent exhibit buildings on-site.
The Expo will feature Youth Educational Challenges sponsored by Country Financial for 6th -12th graders as a competitive and fun opportunity for students to demonstrate their knowledge in five different content areas. Additionally, an Ag Mechanics contest sponsored by Farm Credit Associations of Georgia will be offered for students.
The Sustainable Living Area focuses on topics for the specialty gardener. Flint River Fresh, created by the Flint River Soil & Water Conservation District and run by Fredando Jackson, “Farmer Fredo,” will organize the display that attracts hobby gardeners and enthusiasts alike. A bounty of information on gardening tips, tools, healthy recipes, and more will be offered in the Georgia Metals Pavilion and in the demonstration garden.
Sunbelt’s 600-acre research farm field demonstrations are annual crowd-pleasers. These demos showcase harvesting and tillage equipment for peanuts, corn, soybeans and hay. In addition, hay demos will include all facets of hay harvesting from cutting to baling and will provide visitors the opportunity to see 80 different types of hay harvesting equipment run in a true farm setting.
Expo is honored to have Arkansas as the 2022 Spotlight State. Agriculture has been Arkansas’ largest industry since it gained statehood in 1836.
Chevrolet, a ten-year partner of Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition, will feature the Chevy Truck Tour with multiple consumer engagement stations and on-site product staff.
The Expo always features an array of aromatic compliments of the delicious food sold within the grounds during the show.
In addition, many demonstration areas, including the Georgia Ag Building, the aquaponics display, the backyard garden, the Georgia Peanut Commission building and the Georgia Grown Marketplace within the Family Living Building, host segments throughout the day with chefs and food enthusiasts alike. Be sure to stop by for a sample of some scrumptious treats.
There’s never a dull moment during the 3-day show and attendees will find there is something for the entire family. There is a daily rolling Antique Tractor Parade, the American Grand Finals Stock Dog Trials (the largest field of competition in recent Expo history), and even a Cow Milking Contest. Add in rural lifestyle fun, truck, tractor and ATV test drives, and the venue is perfect for rural enthusiasts.
“The Sunbelt Expo is an unbelievable showcase of rural living blanketed with agriculture’s newest ideas and technologies,” said Sunbelt Executive Director Chip Blalock. “It's three days of fun, education and dreaming about agriculture’s future as we team together to feed, clothe and house a growing population around the world.”
The Sunbelt Ag Expo is open Oct. 18-20. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 18 and 19 and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 20. Admission at the gate is $10 per person per day. Advanced and discount tickets can be purchased online thru Oct. 14. The show site is four miles southeast of Moultrie on Georgia Hwy 133. For more information, visit www.sunbeltexpo.com.
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