The 39th Annual Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition kicked off on Oct. 18 in Moultrie and while thousands of visitors were treated to the latest in agricultural research and technology, they also were able to get a firsthand look at farm techniques both present and past.
"In sports we're all trying to beat each other," Sunbelt Executive Director Chip Blalock said during the ribbon cutting for spotlight state South Carolina. "The rest of the year we're working together."
Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) carried its message to Sunbelt, sharing the Georgia Agriculture Building with the Georgia Department of Agriculture. GFB representatives handed out souvenirs and shared information on the organization's member benefits and activities to promote agriculture.
As always, Sunbelt offered a vast array of farm machinery. Patrons were able to watch demonstrations in hay tedding and raking, then walk among the windrows to examine them up close. Tillage demonstrations gave visitors a chance to walk the field and see the furrows created by the newest in tilling equipment.
There was also a touch of the old. Georgia Museum of Agriculture blacksmith Ben Willis fired up his forge and fashioned various items from iron as visitors watched.
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences used its Sunbelt building as the venue for an agriculture facts scavenger hunt, while Fort Valley State University's College of Agriculture, Family Sciences & Technology presented items derived from its small ruminant research, including goat milk soap and ice cream made using goat milk.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture's Georgia Grown program announced it is expanding its partnership with Subway restaurants. The program began earlier this year with restaurants in the Atlanta area, northeast Georgia, Albany and Columbus. It is growing to include Macon and Valdosta, as well as Subway locations in Dothan, Alabama, and Tallahassee, Florida.
At the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College building, visitors were treated to a roping demonstration by ABAC student Wayne Manning and music from student Tyler Hogan. ABAC also announced that it has received approval from the University System of Georgia's Board of Regents to add a bachelor's degree program in agricultural education.
"The state of Georgia has had a deficit of vocational agriculture teachers for 30 years," said ABAC President Dr. David Bridges. "Thanks to the positive vote from the Board of Regents, we are now in a unique position to provide a solution to that problem."
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