The first female Southeastern Farmer of the Year hails from North Carolina. Faylene Whitaker was recognized on Tuesday at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia, as this year’s Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year.
Whitaker was chosen over seven of the top farmers throughout the Southeast. She is the first female in the program’s 34-year history to be chosen. The humble Whitaker remembered her late husband, Richard, in saying thank you at the annual luncheon event.
“I am a small farm, and the person who would be my greatest cheer person today passed away last year, but we had 50 great years of marriage. We were high school sweethearts who had a dream. Our family today is carrying that dream on,” Whitaker said. “This honor doesn’t go just to me, it goes to me, my family, it goes to my workers, my employees. I can’t thank you enough for all the support I’ve had from the people that were on the stage with me. They’ve been so supportive.”
Whitaker Farms and Garden Nursery operates at multiple locations in and around Climax, North Carolina, on 940 acres that produce tobacco, garden plants, tomatoes, strawberries, organic corn and various vegetables.
State Winners
The Farmer of Year contest included participants from other Southeastern states like Alabama (Joel Sirmon), Arkansas (Ted Honeycutt), Florida (Jason Watts), Georgia (Bruce Redmond), South Carolina (Ty Woodard), Tennessee (George McDonald) and Virginia (Walter Bass Jr).
State winners of the Sunbelt Expo award received a $2,500 cash award and an expense-paid trip to the Sunbelt Expo from the sponsors.
The Sunbelt Ag Expo will continue through Thursday. Florida is being recognized as this year’s Spotlight State.