By Clint Thompson
South Georgia vegetable farmer Kent Hamilton was named the Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year at the annual luncheon on Tuesday, the first day of the three-day Expo event in Moultrie, Georgia.
Hamilton, chief executive officer of Southern Valley Fruit and Vegetable, Inc. in Norman Park, highlighted the attributes that have helped him succeed over the years and what led him to be crowned this year’s farmer of the year.
“Hard work, never give up, being determined, relying on the Lord and trusting in him; asking for his help along the way. Being determined and working hard, that’s almost irreplaceable,” Hamilton said.
Southern Valley Success
Southern Valley encompasses more than 8,500 cultivated acres across Georgia, Tennessee, Florida and the Yucatan Peninsula. It produces various vegetable crops, like green beans, cabbage, trellis cucumbers, peppers, squash, sweet corn, trellis pickles and eggplant.
Hamilton, humbled by the recognition, accepted the award and reflected on the accomplishment by remembering his late brother, Kirk. He also talked about being on the same stage with fellow farmers of the year from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
“We had a round table (on Monday) with the other contestants, and I saw that there was a lot of competition. There’s a lot of really good farming operations out there from other states,” Hamilton said. “It’s been good learning what other growers’ challenges are, things that they face on the farm and how they handle those challenges. That’s been really good learning.
“I knew one of the growers, the farmer from Florida, but the rest of them, I didn’t know any of them. It’s been good being able to meet those guys and spend some time talking with them.”