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Kent Hamilton named Sunbelt Georgia Farmer of the Year

Posted on Jul 23, 2025 at 12:58 PM


Kent Hamilton, a Colquitt County vegetable producer and CEO of Southern Valley Fruit and Vegetable, Inc., is the 2025 Sunbelt Ag Expo Georgia Farmer of the Year.

Hamilton and farmers from six other states are vying to be selected this year’s Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year. He and the Sunbelt Ag Expo farmers from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia will be honored during a lunch on opening day of Sunbelt Expo on Oct. 14 in Moultrie. The overall winner will be announced at the lunch.

Southern Valley, based in Norman Park, grows green beans, cabbage, trellis cucumbers, a variety of peppers and squash, sweet corn, trellis pickles and eggplant. The family-owned farm also owns 100 head of cows. The farm cultivates more than 8,500 acres in Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.

“I started farming 38 years ago with my uncle and my late brother, Kirk, in a row crop operation centered on cotton, peanuts, and tobacco,” Hamilton said. “Over time, we’ve strategically changed our focus to vegetables and expanded to ensure year-round productivity and to grow crops in regions with favorable seasonal climates.”

Hamilton’s brother died in a farming accident during their first year of farming and their father, Benny, died not long after. Hamilton’s mother, Wanda, who just died in June, joined forces with him and together they nurtured what would become a well-respected name in fresh produce.

“Strong leadership has been essential in overcoming challenges. What began with my mother and aunt as first-generation leaders has transitioned to the second generation of my cousins and me, who continue to guide the business forward,” Kent said. “Alongside us are our children who constitute the present and the future. It is a family-operated corporation that’s spent generations growing, packing, and shipping fresh produce with care, integrity, and heart.”

Southern Valley maintains direct relationships with customers across retail, wholesale, and food service channels. All sales and marketing operations are managed in-house, allowing full control over the brand and customer experience.

“We’re a fully integrated business – from seed to shelf – beginning with growing in our greenhouses and harvesting from our fields to employing our own labor force, operating our own packing facilities, and using our own trucking companies to ensure timely and efficient distribution to final destinations,” Hamilton said.

Their vegetables are grown on plastic beds with drip tape irrigation, which helps conserve water and boost yields. Cucumbers are pole-grown for better plant health and productivity.

“By planting more cover crops and rotating fields, we protect the soil and allow nutrients to rebuild naturally,” Hamilton said. “We are increasingly using biological products to promote healthier soil and reduce reliance on harsh chemical pesticides. This method protects beneficial insects and wildlife and helps to create and maintain a balanced ecosystem,”

Southern Valley has prioritized data-driven decision making into its management process by leveraging tools like PowerBI, which has reduced stress, improved operational efficiency, and boosted profitability, Hamilton said.

About 10 years ago, Southern Valley partnered with Pratt Industries, the world’s largest, privately held 100% recycled paper and packing company. The farm buys thousands of tons of recycled paper per year, saving over 100,000 trees annually and preventing thousands of cubic yards of landfill growth.

The farm’s Georgia location has a packing house of about 250,000 sq. ft. equipped with a rapid post-harvest cooling system. Food safety protocols and industry best practices are used at every farm. Southern Valley is PrimusGFS certified, with third-party audits conducted regularly, and SMETA certified, reflecting the farm’s commitment to sustainability and ethical labor practices.

Southern Valley has navigated its share of obstacles over the last four decades, from labor shortages to crop diseases to H2A program challenges. The farm currently hires 750 H2A seasonal workers in Georgia, 200 in Tennessee, 150 in Florida, and 800 in Mexico.

Hamilton gives his wife, Pam, credit for being the rock of the family and teaching their children a strong work ethic, the importance of respect, and how to build positive relationships.

Their daughter, Courtney Hamilton Griffin, is the farm’s director of operational support. She oversees all departments, contributes to marketing initiatives, and has input on important farming funding. Their son Austin serves as the director of agriculture for the company, overseeing all farming operations at every location and is tasked with maximizing crop yields and ensuring optimal performance at each site. Son Presley is the head of purchasing and maintenance, supervising all repair and maintenance activities at the main farm shop and packing shed in Georgia, as well as being responsible for preparing and dispatching equipment to the satellite farm locations. Presley also handles procuring essential inputs.

Kent is the current Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association president, helping to advocate for produce growers.

“I don’t see myself ever fully retiring, but I would like to eventually slow down a little. Farming has taught me that there are more things out of my control than are in my control. No matter how bad things can get, there are always better times ahead,” Kent said. “God sees to that balance. And those good times are to be enjoyed with family and loved ones. Solomon wrote about the brevity of life and, as I observe its cycles through farming, I have to concur. I know that simply getting up every morning and going to work is a privilege and a blessing.”

The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension coordinates the selection of the Georgia Expo Farmer of the Year. Colquitt County Extension Coordinator Jeremy Kichler nominated Hamilton for the Georgia Farmer of the Year award.

“Kent and his family are a staple in the vegetable industry and in the local community. This third-generation farm started as an 80-acre operation 37 years ago and has grown exponentially,” Kilcher said. “Kent, his family members, his entire staff, and their workers are truly the ‘Best of the Best’ and richly deserve this honor.”

A panel of judges will visit Hamilton and the farms of the other state finalists, the week of August 5–8. The judges include John McKissick, retired UGA ag economist, Charles Ed Snipes, retired Mississippi State University weed scientist, and Kevin Morgan, retired executive assistant to the Florida Farm Bureau president. Judges typically serve for three years before rotating off the team.

The other state Sunbelt Expo Farmers of the Year are: Alabama’s Dr. Issac “Nealy” Barrett, Jr., a veterinarian who runs an integrated cattle operation with four entities that grow hay/haylage, maintain a cow/calf herd, run stockers, retain ownership of cattle with feedlots and grazing partners and sell beef directly to customers; Jeremy Allen, of Arkansas, who produces cattle and hay, and has livestock feed and trucking businesses; Florida’s Jim Alderman, who grows a variety of vegetables organically and herbs conventionally along with raising cattle; North Carolina’s David “Harrell” Overman, who raises field corn and soybeans and sweet potatoes and also raises hogs for Smithfield Foods; South Carolina’s Jeff Wilson, who grows cotton, rye, rye straw, strawberries, green beans, tomatoes, okra, cucurbits, peaches, cantaloupes, watermelons, sweet corn, cut flowers, pumpkins and ornamental cornstalks, which are all sold at one of the farm’s three retail stores; and Virginia’s Steve Hopkins, who raises cattle and turkeys and grows hay, corn and sorghum for the cattle.

Read more about the other state Expo farmers at https://sunbeltexpo.com/news-media/.


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