By Clint Thompson
The Sunbelt Ag Expo is just around the corner for farmers, industry leaders and agricultural enthusiasts looking to attend the Southeast’s premier farm show. It is scheduled for Oct. 20-22 in Moultrie, Georgia and will host visitors from Georgia, Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Arkansas and Virginia.
The annual Farmer of the Year luncheon will be held on Oct. 20. South Carolina is this year’s Spotlight State.
Chip Blalock, Sunbelt Ag Expo show director, talked about this year’s three-day event and what attendees can expect to see.
“Oh, it’s been a great year. It’s been an interesting year on the research farm with drought in the early part of the year and then all the rain in May and June and now we get to October. It’s supposed to be the driest month of the year, and we’ve already got seven-plus inches of rain more or less throughout the southwest Georgia region,” Blalock said. “But you can rest assured on Oct. 20, 8:30 (a.m.) when we open the gates on the 48th annual Sunbelt Ag Expo, the grounds will be in pristine condition and ready to roll.
“You know, we are the major outdoor farm show in the southeast. In the states that come in and participate in the Farmer of the Year program, in the Spotlight State program, it just really puts a bow on what we do that we have partners throughout the Southeast. And we all work together for that common goal of feeding the world, clothing the world, providing shelter and energy for the world. You bet all of our exhibitors will be highlighting the latest in their respective spheres.”
Program Specifics
The Sunbelt Ag Expo will be open Oct. 20-21 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Oct. 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission at the gate is $15 per person per day. Technological advancements will once again be on display, whether it is in the field demonstrations or by the numerous vendors on site.
“We continue to show the autonomous tractor technology and the versatility that that technology brings, the drone technology; whether it’s crop surveillance, livestock surveillance, crop spraying,” Blalock said. “We’ve got two square balers in the field that are double balers that put out two square bales in the back at a time, which enhances our efficiency when we’re making square bales. One of those is Kubota and the other one is Massey Ferguson, I think. Just all over the grounds, throughout the fields, you can see the latest technology and gather information to take back your operation to enhance your environmental and economic sustainability.”