LEAF GROWERS ATTEND THE

FARM SHOW LOOKING FOR DEALS

The weather was lowering for most of the three days of the Southern Farm Show, Feb. 2-4, but despite fears of Covid and the questionable state of the farm economy, attendance was not far below recent years. Photo courtesy of Southern Farm Shows. The weather wasn’t always propitious, and the threat of Covid was still around, but exhibitors at the Southern Farm Show on February 2-4 generally found a satisfactory audience.   For instance, it was a good show for Granville Equipment Company, says Stephanie Keith, Granville’s general manager. “We had very good traffic by our stand,” she says.” There was a lot of interest in Granville’s two-row multipass harvester and four-row hand primer, both relatively new machines. “Farmers with older machines are trying to calculate the impact of the cost of new machines with the savings of labor it can give them.” There is another problem for farmers who are trying to maintain older equipment, and several exhibitors beside Keith pointed it out to TFN— replacement parts are getting harder and harder to find, making it more feasible to buy new. Another tobacco machinery maker, Tom Pharr of MarCo Manufacturing, said he he didn’t get an order for a multipass harvester the whole three days he was at the Show. Air toppers were more popular. An unusual aspect of this show was that though there was plenty of equipment on display, much of it was already sold! It seemed that manufacturers had trouble getting equipment from the factory for the show and relied instead on dealers to supply equipment for display from their lots. They did, but most of it was already spoken for and couldn’t be sold. As far as Zimmerman could tell, this situation was a result of high demand for equipment and the supply chain problems that have been extensively reported. Other observations from the show: --There was plenty of interest in hemp mechanization, and several manufactures had hemp machines. --New tobacco sprayers were in plentiful supply, and farmers were giving them a hard look.  --Jason Farmer of Louisburg, N.C., received the 2022 Innovative Farmer of the Year Award presented at The Tobacco Farm Life Museum’s annual breakfast on the last day of the Show. Jason and his wife Natalie operate Wester Farms. They grow tobacco as part of very diverse Franklin County farm The contest is sponsored by the Farm Credit Associations of N.C. --Ag commissioner wants flue-cured back up to 400 million pounds. "We had a 21,000 acre increase in flue cured [plantings] in 2021 and a 41 percent increase in flue-cured production," said N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler in his  State of Agriculture address at the Ag Forum on the second day of the Show. --About 252 million pounds were grown., he added. "[That] is good but not what it needs to be." Troxler's goal? "A level of about 400 million pounds that we can count on year after year." But don't count on that happening soon. "[It] is still a work in progress," he said.

Additional 2022 GAP Connections Training Dates --Tuesday, February 15, 9-11 a.m. (EST0. CONTACT Amy Rochkes at (865) 622-4606 or arochkes@gapconnections.com. Bob Martin Eastern Agricultural Center, 2900 NC Highway 125 South, Williamston, NC 27892. --Tuesday, February 15, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. (EST). CONTACTJoanne Jones at (434) 542-5884 or jojenki1@vt.edu. Midway Baptist Church, 2595 Midway Road, Phenix VA 23959. --Wednesday, February 16, 9-11 a.m. (EST). CONTACT Amy Rochkes at (865) 622-4606 or arochkes@gapconnections. com. Johnston County Agricultural Center or 2736 NC 210 Highway, Smithfield, NC 27577. --Thursday, February 17, 9-11 a.m. (EST). CONTACT Amy Rochkes at (865) 622-4606, or arochkes@gapconnections.com. Northeast Park Meeting & Event Center, 3441 Northeast Park Drive, Gibsonville NC 27249. --Friday, February 18, 9-11 a.m. (EST). CONTACT Amy Rochkes at (865) 622-4606, or arochkes@gapconnections.com. Yadkin County Agricultural & Education Building, 2051 Agricultural Way, Yadkinville, NC 27055. --Wednesday, February 23, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. (CST). CONTACT Amy Rochkes, (865) 622-4606, arochkes@gapconnections. com. James E Bruce Convention Center, 303 Conference Center Drive, Hopkinsville, KY 42240. --Thursday, February 24, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. (EST). CONTACT Amy Rochkes, (865) 622-4606, arochkes@gapconnections.com. Clay Community Center, 3400 Indian Mound Drive, Mt. Sterling KY 40353. --Wednesday, March 2, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. (EST). CONTACT Amy Rochkes, (865) 622-4606 or arochkes@gapconnections.com. Wilson County Agriculture Center, 1806 Goldsboro St SW, Wilson NC 27893. --Thursday, March 3, 9-11 a.m. (EST). CONTACT Amy Rochkes, (865) 622-4606, or rochkes@gapconnections.com. Wood Haven Restaurant Jimmy B’s, 1963 E Highway 76, Marion, SC 29571. --Thursday, March 3, 1-3 p.m. (EST). CONTACT Amy Rochkes, (865) 622-4606, or arochkes@gapconnections.com. Wood Haven Restaurant Jimmy B’s, 1963 E Highway 76, Marion, SC 29571. --Monday, March 7, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. (EST). CONTACT Beau Neal, (859) 257-5582, or beau.neal@uky.edu, Fayette County Extension Office, 1140 Red Mile Place, Lexington, KY 40504. --Monday, March 7, 6-8 p.m. (EST). CONTACT Jay Hettmansperger, (859) 792-3026, or jay.hettmansperger@uky.edu. Garrad County Extension Office, 1302 Standford Street, Lancaster, KY 40444. --Tuesday, March 8, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (CST). CONTACT Joe Griffy, (931) 232-5682, or jgriffy1@utk.edu. Stewart County Visitors Center, 117 Visitors Center Lane, Dover Tn. 37058, Wednesday, March 9, 6-8 p.m. (EST). CONTACT Jessica Barnes, (859) 234-5510, or jessica.barnes2@uky.edu. Harrison County Fairgrounds (McCauley Building), 2849 US Highway 27 South, Cynthiana, KY 41031. --Thursday, March 10, 6-8 p.m. (CST). CONTACT Keith Allen, (615) 666-3341, or kallen@utk.edu, Macon County Junior High Auditorium, 1003 St. Rt. 52 E, Lafayette, TN 37083. --Monday, March 14, 2-4 p.m. (CST). CONTACT Matt Futrell, (270) 839-6651, or matthew.futrell@ uky. edu. Christian County Extension Office, 2850 Pembroke Road, Hopkinsville, KY 42240. --Monday, March 14, 7-9 p.m. (CST). CONTACT Matt Futrell, (270) 839-6651, or matthew.futrell@uky.edu. Christian County Extension Office, 2850 Pembroke Road, Hopkinsville, KY 42240. --Tuesday, March 15, 9-11 a.m. (CST). CONTACT Matt Futrell, (270) 839-6651, matthew.futrell@uky.edu. Christian County Extension Office, 2850 Pembroke Road, Hopkinsville, KY 42240. --Tuesday, March 15, 1-3 p.m. (CST). CONTACT Matt Futrell, (270) 839-6651, or matthew.futrell@uky.edu. Christian County Extension Office, 2850 Pembroke Road, Hopkinsville, KY 42240. --Tuesday, March 15, 6-9 p.m. (CST). CONTACT Graham Cofield, (270) 522-3269,OR graham.cofield@uky.edu. Trigg County Recreation Complex, 303 Complex Road, Cadiz, KY 42211. --Wednesday, March 16, 1-3 p.m. (CST). CONTACT Leann Martin, (270) 726-6323, or leann.martin@uky.edu, Logan County Extension Office, 255 John Paul Rd., Russellville, KY 42276. --Thursday, March 17, 1-3 p.m. (CST). CONTACT Matt Chadwick, (270) 753-1452, or matthew.chadwick@uky.edu. Calloway County Extension Campus, 93 Extension Way, Murray, KY 42071. --Monday, March 21, 1-3 p.m. (EST). CONTACT Amy Rochkes, (865) 622-4606, or arochkes@gapconnections.com. Turbotville Community Hall, 41 Church Street, Turbotville, PA 17772. --Tuesday, March 22, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (EST). CONTACT Amy Rochkes, 865 622-4606, or arochkes@gapconnections. com. Solanco Fairgrounds – Hoffman Building. 172 South Lime Street, Quarryville, PA 17566. --Tuesday, March 22, 1-4 p.m. (EST). CONTACT Amy Rochkes, (865) 622-4606, or arochkes@gapconnections.com. Solanco Fairgrounds – Hoffman Building, 172 South Lime Street, Quarryville, PA 17566. --Wednesday, March 23, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (EST). CONTACT Amy Rochkes, (865) 622-4606, or arochkes@gapconnections. com. Garden Spot Fire Rescue, 369 East Main Street, New Holland, PA 17557. --Wednesday, March 23, 1-4 p.m. (EST). CONTACT Amy Rochkes, (865) 622-4606, or arochkes@gapconnections.com. Garden Spot Fire Rescue, 369 East Main Street, New Holland, PA 17557. --Monday, March 28, 6:30-8:30 p.m. (CST). CONTACT Chris Schalk, (270) 651-3818, or chris.schalk@uky.edu. Barren County High School Trojan Academy, 505 Trojan Trail, Glasgow, KY 42141. --Tuesday, March 29, 5-8 p.m. (CST). CONTACT Carol Hinton, (270) 756-2182, cmhinton@uky.edu. Breckinridge County Extension Office, 1377 Hwy 261 South, Hardinsburg, KY 40143. --Wednesday, March 30, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. (CST). CONTACT Carol Hinton, (270) 756-2182 or cmhinton@uky.edu. Breckinridge County Extension Office, 1377 Hwy 261 South, Hardinsburg, KY 40143 --Wednesday, March 30, 6-8 p.m. (EST). CONTACT Kyle Weaver, (812) 427-3152, or keweaver@purdue.edu. Jefferson County 4-H Community Building, 3767 W State Route 256, Madison, IN 47250. --Thursday, March 31, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. (EST). CONTACT Richard Purdin, (937) 544-2339 or purdin.19@osu.edu.modRaines Farm and Greenhouse, 2667 Nichols Ridge Road, Seaman, OH 45679. --Thursday, March 31, 6-8 p.m. (EST). CONTACT Jeffrey Moore, (740) 446-7007 or moore.3036@osu.edu. Gallia County Extension Office, 111 Jackson Pike, Gallipolis, OH 45631. For more information or to register go to https://shop.gapconnections.com/training.