The Southern Farm Show has always been considered a must-attend event for farmers and others in Virginia and the Carolinas and the same rings true for 2016.

Set for Feb. 3-5 at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, the show spreads over dozens of acres with both indoor and outdoor exhibits, offering a wide array of agricultural products and services. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. With more than 400 exhibiting companies, the Southern Farm Show is the largest agricultural exposition in the Carolinas and Virginia

“We’re looking forward to seeing many old friends and meeting some new ones. We promise a show that will provide farmers the information and knowledge they need to produce bountiful crops this year,” said show manager David Zimmerman. “Commodity prices certainly aren’t where we want them to be, which means farmers will have to be more efficient than ever before. The Southern Farm Show is designed to help farmers be efficient and learn the most up-to-date and cutting edge production information.”

Zimmerman said a record number of exhibitors will be at the show and to meet the demand, a fourth exhibit tent is being added. The 66 foot x 110 foot structure - designated Tent #2 - will be located on the Midway area of the N.C.  State Fairgrounds. “A lot of new equipment will be introduced at the show and we are excited about that,” he added.

Exhibitors say the expo is vital for connecting with customers. Ted Williams, vice president of sales and marketing for Suffolk, Va.-based Amadas Industries explains that the Southern Farm Show is not a “selling” show for Amadas, but the show is vital for reaching out and meeting customers one-on one. Amadas Industries is a leading maker of peanut harvesting and processing machinery as well as other farm equipment.

“The Southern Farm Show is a great venue for us to display our products and greet our customers,” Williams said. “We have a solid customer base in Virginia and the Carolinas and we meet a lot of our customers at the show in Raleigh. We learn about their plans, find out what they are thinking and what they are going to plant. All of this helps greatly with our strategic planning, and it’s all very valuable.”

A highlight of the show will be the Ag Development Forum hosted by North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. The forum is set for Thursday, Feb. 4 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Holshouser Building. The forum focuses on economics and ag policy issues of interest to North Carolina farmers. At the forum, Commissioner Troxler presents his annual “State of Agriculture” address.  Admission is free.

In addition, the Tobacco Farm Life Museum will hold the 11^th annual Breakfast with the Commissioner on Friday, Feb. 5. at 7:30am in the Holshouser Building at the show.  During the breakfast, Commissioner Troxler will present the “Excellence in Agriculture” award to Richard H. Linton, dean of the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences at N.C. State University.  Linton is being honored for his dedication to the continued growth of agriculture and partnerships in North Carolina. 

The North Carolina Soybean Producers Association will also celebrate its 50^th anniversary at the Soybean Producers Forum set for Friday, Feb. 5 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Martin Building. A highlight will be the 50^th anniversary soy production panel “Know More, Grow More – Getting the Most from Your Soy Crop in 2016. The panel will feature Tom McKemie of Coastal Agrochemical, Mike Baker with Asgrow, Derek Potter, a Pamlico County farmer and Kevin Matthews, a Yadkin County farmer.

In addition, the North Carolina Pork Conference, presented by the North Carolina Pork Council, will be held at 9 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 3 in the Martin Building. The Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina will hold its annual meeting at 10 a.m., Friday, Feb. 5 in the Holshouser Building.

For more information, contact Southern Farm Shows Inc. at (800) 849-0248 or visit the show website at http://www.SouthernFarmShow.com.