GFB News Magazine

Georgia agriculture shines at Sunbelt Expo

by Compiled by Jennifer Whittaker

Posted on November 23, 2025 11:03 PM

Every Sunbelt Ag Expo is special, but the sun seemed to shine a little brighter at this year’s show held Oct. 14-16 in Moultrie. Maybe that’s because Georgia had the honor of being the 2025 Expo Spotlight State. It could also be attributed to Colquitt County vegetable farmer Kent Hamilton being named the Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year.  

If you couldn’t attend this year’s show, we hope these shots make you feel you were there!

Members of the Georgia Society, Sons of the American Revolution present the flags during the Willie B. Withers Expo Luncheon.  Photo by Jennifer Whittaker

Congratulations to Kent Hamilton of Colquitt County for being named the 2025 Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year! Sunbelt Expo Executive Director Chip Blalock, left, congratulates Hamilton and his wife, Pam. During a moving, heartfelt speech, Hamilton dedicated the honor to his late brother, Kirk, who died from a farming accident when the two were just beginning to farm 38 years ago. Hamilton also thanked his wife, Pam, his children and extended family members and farm employees. / Photo by Jennifer Whittaker

Kent is CEO of Southern Valley Fruit & Vegetable, Inc., a family farm based in Norman Park. Southern Valley grows green beans, cabbage, trellis cucumbers, a variety of peppers and squash, sweet corn, trellis pickles and eggplant. The Hamiltons also own 100 head of cows. The farm cultivates more than 8,500 acres in Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Kent is a former president of the Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association. Kent received $15,000, the use of a Massey Ferguson tractor for a year and other prizes.

“This is an honor I wasn’t expecting because every farmer standing on this stage has an outstanding operation and is deserving of this award. I started farming with my uncle and my late brother, Kirk, in a row crop operation centered on cotton, peanuts and tobacco,” Hamilton said. “After my brother and father’s deaths, I partnered with my late mother, and we strategically changed our focus to vegetables and expanded to ensure year-round production. This is truly a family business, and I want to acknowledge the role that everyone in the family and our many dedicated employees play in making our farm a success.”

 Kent and Pam have four adult children – Courtney, Kaylee, Austin and Presley. Courtney, Austin and Presley work for the farm along with Kent’s cousins and their children. Kaylee is a nurse.

Hamilton was chosen from farmers from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. As the overall winner, Hamilton received $15,000, the use of a Massey Ferguson tractor for a year or 250 hours, a Hays Smoker Grill, a Henry Repeating Arms special edition rifle and a diesel package from Howos. Each state winner received $2,500 and an expense-paid trip to the Expo.

Australian Shepherd Rooster was named the 2025 GFB Georgia Farm Dog at the Wilie B. Withers Luncheon. From left, GFB President Tom McCall & his wife, Jane, congratulate Rooster’s family, sister, Dalaney, mom, Nikkole, & dad, Shawn Raff, on the award along with Gov. Brian Kemp & First Lady Marty Kemp. / Photo by Logan Thomas 

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp participated in many of Expo’s first day festivities, including the awards lunch. During remarks at the opening ceremony and the awards lunch, Gov. Kemp acknowledged that many Georgia farmers are still recovering from damage caused by Hurricane Helene last year and are contending with hard economic circumstances.

“I’m honored to be here with you all today to spotlight agriculture. Georgia farmers and timber growers have had an incredibly tough year. Rest assured your state partners see you and are working to help you,” Kemp said during the opening ceremony. “The ongoing efforts of recovery make this event so important as it showcases the solutions to many of the problems that farmers and timber owners are facing.”

During the awards lunch, Kemp thanked members of the Georgia General Assembly for passing legislation this year that provides tax credits to help timber producers replant trees and exempts materials farmers need to rebuild poultry houses and other livestock structures damaged by Helene.

For the fourth time since 1981, Georgia was the Sunbelt Ag Expo Spotlight State. A coalition of Georgia ag organizations, including Georgia Farm Bureau, supported the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s leadership in creating the “All Roads Lead to Georgia Grown” exhibit. / Photo by Logan Thomas

“We’re happy to be the spotlight state this year. All roads lead to Georgia agriculture. All roads lead to Georgia Grown,” Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said. “Agriculture impacts every Georgian and every American. As Expo visitors walk through our building, we hope they get a sense of how vast Georgia agriculture is and how much our farmers contribute to their plates.”

A coalition of Georgia ag organizations, including Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB), supported the Georgia Department of Agriculture's (GDA) leadership in creating the spotlight state exhibit. After visitors entered the building from the east, west or south on ramps (doors), they found themselves on the Georgia Grown highway with farmstands sitting along the road they could visit to learn more about Georgia agriculture.

Staff representing the UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences and UGA Extension, the Georgia Corn Growers Association, Fort Valley State University College of Agriculture, Family Sciences & Technology, Georgia Farm Bureau, the GDA and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) manned their respective organization’s roadside stands.

Colorful banners highlighting the many crops Georgia farmers grow including apples, beef, carrots, cotton, dairy, peanuts, pecans, poultry, timber, vegetables, Vidalia onions and watermelons hung from the ceiling throughout the building.

“Georgia grows everything from apples to zucchini. There’s not a letter in the alphabet that you can’t use to name a commodity grown in Georgia,” GFB President Tom McCall said at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the spotlight state exhibit. “I was stumped for a minute when I got to Q but then I remembered we’ve got bee producers who grow queen bees. Georgia is fortunate enough to have two land-grant universities, UGA and Fort Valley State. They’re both exhibiting in this building and have separate buildings so be sure to visit them to see what they’re doing to help farmers. We’re also got ABAC, which is a landmark of Georgia agriculture.”

Outside the spotlight building, Expo travelers could rest at umbrella-shaded picnic tables or relax in cushioned swings hanging from white pergolas set against scenic backdrops of a Georgia citrus grove or apple orchard. Photo murals of pecan and peach orchards and an antique farm truck offered other photo opportunities.

NASCAR driver Ross Chastain, an eighth-generation watermelon farmer, stressed the importance of wearing seat belts. Chastain spoke at a press conference held by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) urging motorists and farm vehicle drivers to take steps to prevent catastrophic accidents. / Photo by Jay Stone

“It’s easy to get in and leave the show today and not wear your seatbelt,” Chastain said. “You’re busy. We’re busy. We’re tired. We’ve walked the show. Our knees hurt and we’re just ready to go home. But taking those two seconds to buckle up could be the difference in getting home and not getting home at the end of the day. That’s all we want; we want everybody to be safe.”

Chastain urged drivers to avoid driving with any kind of impairment, whether it’s being intoxicated, using a cell phone or becoming otherwise distracted.

“It’s wild now to see and hear that there are real-life implications happening out there and people are getting injured on tractors. When you get on a tractor, you never think that’s going to be the last thing that you do,” Chastain said.

During a press conference the GOHS held Oct. 7 in Perry, GOHS Director Allen Poole preached patience, saying the time it takes to wait for a safe time to pass a farm vehicle on the road is a rough equivalent to sitting through two traffic lights in urban areas.

Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said 43% of traffic fatalities happen on rural roads, and over a five-year period, farm equipment was involved in more than 300 accidents and 10 fatalities.

“It’s real. It happens,” Harper said. “We know it happens and there’s a lot we can do working together to ensure that we address these issues.”

Georgia Department of Public Safety Commissioner Col. William Hitchens added that as of Oct. 7, there had been 131 crashes involving slow-moving vehicles in Georgia in 2025. Those incidents resulted in 36 people being injured and four being killed. Hitchens noted that crash data indicates that Wednesday is the day of the week with the most crashes, and the greatest percentage of the crashes happen between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., followed closely by 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

“I’m asking Georgians to put safety first and prioritize patience when passing farm equipment,” Hitchens said. “Wait for a clear, safe time to pass, and only do so when it’s legal, and you have full visibility of what’s ahead. Never let frustration lead to a dangerous decision.”

While saying farmers want to get out of the way, Harper stressed that motorists need to give them a little extra time considering the size of many pieces of farm equipment. He asked drivers to pass with caution, avoid passing on double lines and in no-passing zones.

“Watch out for farm equipment. Obey speed limits. Park your phone and wear a seat belt to help protect our farmers,” Harper said.

Georgia Farm Bureau President Tom McCall, center, visits with former GFB Presidents T.M. “Mort” Ewing, left, and Gerald Long. / Photo by Jennifer Whittaker

Curt Pate, one of the nation’s most respected cattle handlers, gave daily demos teaching cattle producers how to move their cattle using techniques to minimize the cattle’s stress. / Photo by Jennifer Whittaker

Sunbelt Ag Expo hay cutting demos were a big draw at the 2025 show. / Photo by Jennifer Whittaker