Whether you're a large, fulltime farmer or a small, weekend hobby farmer, the Sunbelt Agricultural Expo is an event you don't want to miss, so make plans now to attend this year's event Oct. 18-20 in Moultrie, Ga. More than 1,200 exhibitors will showcase the latest in farming technology and rural lifestyle information in the 100-acre exhibit area.
Visitors can ride a tram from the exhibit area to the fields where cotton, peanuts, corn, soybeans, and hay will be harvested at the show's 600-acre working research farm.

John McCormick of Screven County is vying with finalists from nine other states to be named the 2016 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year. McCormick, who was announced as the Georgia winner in March, grows row crops on 1,040 acres near Sylvania, Ga.

South Carolina is the 2016 Expo Spotlight State. The South Carolina Department of Agriculture, South Carolina Farm Bureau, Clemson College of Agriculture Forestry & Life Sciences and Clemson Public Service & Agriculture will host the state's exhibit titled "Planting Innovation, Growing Diversity," located in the Spotlight State Building, the Clemson Building and the outdoor area between the two buildings.

There will be numerous demonstrations and interactive displays in the exhibit including food tasting stations, the S.C. 4-H Shooting Sports Trailer, a calving simulator, and a John Deere tractor reassembled by Clemson students to show the inner workings of the machine.

The Expo Cattle Exhibit will feature educational sessions each day of the show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. At 12:30 p.m. every day, Dr. Lee Jones, with the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, and Dr. Jason Smith with UGA Extension, will discuss what farmers need to know about upcoming changes in antibiotic availability and use in animal feeds as the federal Veterinary Feed Directive goes into effect Jan. 1, 2017. Other speakers will address growing forages, the effects of cow health and body weight on reproduction and the cattle industry outlook.

Be sure to stop by the Georgia Agriculture Building at the main gate to visit with Georgia Farm Bureau leaders and staff to learn about all the benefits your Farm Bureau membership offers and to see what our organization is doing for farmers. The Georgia Farm Monitor will tape its cooking segment "Meals from the Field" with Ray D'Alessio & Marcia Crawley at 11 a.m. on Oct. 19.

The Hoss Tools Sustainable Living Center will offer attendees interested in planting a backyard garden the chance to try out Hoss garden tools, such as wheel hoes and garden seeders. There will also be numerous speakers at the living center. Lisa Mason Zeigler, a cut-flower farmer from Virginia who has been growing flowers for florists since 1998, will discuss organic gardening.

Laura Kahles, with Field & Forest Products, a certified organic mushroom spawn company, will discuss growing Oyster mushrooms on ag byproducts. Fredando Jackson, known as Farmer Fredo, from Plains, Ga., will discuss the art of container vegetable gardening. Greg Key, who founded Hoss Toools in 2009, will discuss techniques for preparing your garden to plant, planting seeds and transplants, and maintaining your garden to reduce weeds and disease pressure.

For a complete schedule of Expo events, visit www.sunbeltexpo.com.