Not just during the big show but throughout the year, thousands of people visit the Sunbelt Ag Expo Darrell Willliams Research Farm, making it one of the most visited farms in the region, one could say.

“We have people call us, people in the industry or Extension and other groups that want to show someone what is taking place on the farm here or want to show visitors outside the region what a typical working research farm looks like in our area, what crops are grown and how they are grown,” said Cody Mitchell, the Sunbelt Expo farm manager.

Each year, more than a dozen different companies or university researchers implement research projects on the Expo farm, and each of those might have a dozen, two dozen or more individual plot trials as part of those projects.

Groups that have toured the Expo research farm over the past few years include the Georgia Farm Bureau, Leadership Georgia, Georgia Cotton Commission South Georgia Water tour, the Cotton Producer Information Exchange tour, the Georgia Peanut Tour and Chamber Leadership tour, along with state and federal governmental staff tours.

Companies that have plots on the farm also conduct their own private producer-based tours. Sunbelt Expo exhibitors have dealer and producer trainings on the farm, too. UGA Extension conducts meetings and trainings periodically on the site.

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With all the attention the farm gets each year, the Sunbelt Expo farm staff works extra to keep the farm looking its best.

“We need to keep the farm in tip-top condition because you really don’t know who or what company might be coming through during the year, and we welcome it because it gives us one more opportunity to showcase the research efforts taking place here and to educate those who visit,” Mitchell said.

To keep interest growing on the farm, the Expo did something different for its annual field day, which in previous years took place on just one day in mid-July. The field day includes a few dozen stops where participants can hear UGA Extension specialists and industry agronomists and representatives discuss the research and demonstrations taking place there. This year, the field day lasted for two weeks, from July 10 to July 24. Anyone was welcome to come tour the farm on their own schedule during the two weeks to see the plot work firsthand. While on the tour, or off the tour, people could view online videos made by the expert on each stop of the tour.

So, just how many people visit the farm each year? Hard to put an exact number on it, Mitchell said, but an estimate can happen.

Each year, the Expo farm draws a dozen or so individual tours from different groups, which can include anywhere from a few dozen participants to around 200 participants. And during the big show in October, visitors can take the tram rides to the field demonstration on the farm. For example, each day during the show the popular hay demonstration takes place, which includes equipment to cut, harvest and bale the hay. A total of 10 demonstrations take place each of the three days for the hay, he said, and during some hay demonstrations there can be as many as 300 to 400 for visitors for each demonstration.

So, conservatively speaking, around 10,000-plus people visit the farm each year.

The Sunbelt Expo starts Oct. 15 this year.