GFB News Magazine

Sunbelt Expo establishes Farmer of the Year Fund

Posted on August 18, 2023 12:00 AM

Since 1990, Sunbelt Ag Expo’s Southeastern Farmer of the Year Award program has recognized 286 outstanding state farmers and evolved into one of the Southeast’s most prestigious farm honors.

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia participate in the program. 

More than $1,284,000 in cash and prizes have been awarded to state and overall winners courtesy of previous program sponsor Swisher and Sunbelt Ag Expo.

Massey Ferguson, Harper Family Holdings, the Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia Farm Bureaus and Alabama Farmers Federation are sponsoring the 2023 award program along with SE Farm Press/Farm Progress, Hays LTI and Reinke.

To ensure the Farmer of the Year program continues, Sunbelt Ag Expo has launched the Friends of the Farmer of the Year Fund. To learn more or donate, please visit www.sunbeltexpo.com/foty. Donations are tax deductible.

The Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year award rewards: a commitment to excellence in agriculture; efficiency in farming practices; community, state & national leadership service; sound management and financial practices; plans for future development/changes; sound environmental practices; and sound marketing/promotional practices.

Four Georgians have won the Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year Award: James Lee Adams of Camilla (2000); Armond Morris of Ocilla (2002); Robert Dasher of Glennville (2010) and Philip Grimes of Tifton (2014). For a complete list of all past state winners visit www.gfb.ag/expofoyarchive .