From February 4-6, the SOWTH 2025 Convention welcomed over 1000 meals system producers and advocates and leaders from throughout the Southern United States and territories have been introduced collectively for the primary of its type assembly! Representatives from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands gathered on the Georgia World Congress Middle in Atlanta to advance sustainable agriculture and strengthen the native meals motion throughout the area. With a concentrate on “small farms, massive group,” SOWTH 2025 was the ag occasion of the season, providing contributors instruments, sources, and group to sort out the challenges going through at present’s Southern meals programs.
In whole, 1,326 individuals attended the convention with 444 (33%) being producers (farmers, growers, graziers, bee raisers, pastoralists, fishers, oyster farmers, and every little thing in between). Moreover, 153 regional scholarships have been awarded, offering extra alternatives for meals system group members to learn from the convention. The Georgia Organics group and our organizing companions have been grateful to obtain type phrases from many SOWTH attendees—Heather “H” Nieto-Friga, CEO of SupplyChange shared, “I had such an unimaginable time on the convention, and was astounded by how your group made it a comfy and energizing expertise at each flip. Severely top-of-the-line conferences I’ve been to. And an enormous shoutout to Ever, they have been so supportive and useful to me and everybody else on the Procurement observe in a method I have not skilled with convention assist within the previous.” Danielle Adamson of HealthMPowers additionally shared, “It was nice to see everybody in particular person and to witness firsthand the dedication and onerous work that went into making this convention an unforgettable expertise. The classes have been insightful, the networking alternatives have been invaluable, and the general expertise was extremely rewarding!”
The primary day of convention noticed attendees journey to varied small farms in Georgia, together with Patchwork Metropolis Farms, International Growers Community, Rodgers Greens and Roots Love is Love Cooperative Farm, Decimal Place Farm, Snapfinger Farm, Chattahoochee Queen & Floribunda Flower Farm, Excessive Hog Farm, Develop The place You Are, and Fort Valley State College. Tour-goers bought up-close explorations of natural livestock manufacturing, scaling small farms for wholesale markets and studying how cooperative farm fashions work. Along with Farm Excursions, different excursions took contributors to local people meals organizations, additional highlighting the collective efforts of sustainable agriculture and the way everybody, from native communities to company companions, has a stake in the way forward for our meals system.
