by Danny Harper
Danny Harper is the Development and Communications Manager at Georgia Organics.
SOWTH 2025 Conference. Image by Jenna Shea Photojournalism.
On February 4-6, 2025, the SOWTH 2025 Conference welcomed over 1,000 food system producers and advocates and leaders from across the Southern United States and territories! Representatives from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands gathered at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) in Atlanta to advance sustainable agriculture and strengthen the local food movement across the region, continuing the legacy of the Southern SAWG Conference. With a focus on connecting the region, SOWTH 2025 was the ag event of the season, offering participants tools, resources, and community to tackle the challenges facing today’s Southern food systems.
In total, 1,326 people attended the conference with 444 (33%) being producers (farmers, growers, graziers, bee raisers, pastoralists, fishers, oyster farmers, and everything in between). Additionally, over 475 attendees were awarded SOWTH scholarships, providing more opportunities for food system community members to benefit from the conference. The Georgia Organics team and our organizing partners were grateful to receive kind words from many SOWTH attendees—Heather “H” Nieto-Friga, CEO of SupplyChange shared, "I had such an incredible time at the conference, and was astounded by how your team made it a comfortable and energizing experience at every turn. Seriously one of the best conferences I've been to. And a huge shoutout to Ever, they were so supportive and helpful to me and everyone else on the Procurement track in a way I haven't experienced with conference support in the past."
Danielle Adamson of HealthMPowers also shared, “It was great to see everyone in person and to witness firsthand the dedication and hard work that went into making this conference an unforgettable experience. The sessions were insightful, the networking opportunities were invaluable, and the overall experience was incredibly rewarding!"
The first day of conference saw attendees journey to various small farms in Georgia, including Patchwork City Farms, Global Growers Network, Rodgers Greens and Roots, Love is Love Cooperative Farm, Decimal Place Farm, Snapfinger Farm, Chattahoochee Queen & Floribunda Flower Farm, High Hog Farm, Grow Where You Are, and Fort Valley State University. Tour-goers got up-close explorations of organic livestock production, scaling small farms for wholesale markets and learning how cooperative farm models work. In addition to Farm Tours, other tours took participants to local community food organizations, further highlighting the collective efforts of sustainable agriculture and how everyone, from nonprofits to small businesses to corporate partners, has a stake in the future of our food system.
Grow Where You Are Farm. Image by Jenna Shea Photojournalism.
Decimal Place Farm. Image by Jenna Shea Photojournalism.
Day one concluded at the Southeast Organic Farmer/Buyer Mixer hosted by Wild Heaven West End Brewery. The evening gave the first arrivals of SOWTH a chance to connect with each other while exploring procurement relationships. And during drinks and mingling, Georgia’s Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper presented the 2024 Farmer Champion Awardees for Early Care and Higher Education:
Cynthai Guerrier (Douglas County)
Lina Lane’s Learning Center (Clayton County)
Family Home Daycare (Henry County)
Polkadot Patch Family Child Care Learning Home (Muscogee County)
The Garden Early Learning Academy (Rockdale County)
Tot Town Daycare (Liberty County)
Agnes Scott College
Mercer University
Oglethorpe University
Spelman College
Congratulations Farmer Champions!
Georgia World Congress Center. Image by Jenna Shea Photojournalism.
Executive Director of Georgia Organics. Image by Jenna Shea Photojournalism.
On Wednesday, day two, SOWTH attendees convened at the Georgia World Congress Center. The day started with breakfast in the Georgia Ballroom, the first of several delicious locally-sourced meals that emphasized SOWTH’s “small farms, big community” focus with the help of our friends at The Common Market. Farms sourced from include:
Hunter Cattle
Goodlicious Farms and Produce
Johnny Pressley Farms 2 U
Arkansas River Rice
Haynes and Son Farms
PL Only Organics
BJ Reece Orchards
McEwen and Sons
The Soy Shop
Roasted potatoes. Image by Jenna Shea Photojournalism.
After the meal and opening remarks from Executive Director of Georgia Organics Alexis Chase and SOWTH Steering Committee Chair Brennan Washington of Southern SARE, attendees dispersed throughout the GWCC for the first day of sessions, with each presentation designed around specialized educational tracks, including Farmer Advocacy, Climate Resilience, Farmers Markets, Producer Resources, and Youth Engagement. During sessions, the Expo hall offered more opportunities to connect with the many food-system professionals gathered for the week. Lunch brought everyone back together in the Georgia Ballroom to hear from Clarenda “Farmer Cee” Stanley founder and owner of Green Heffa Farms, who imparted invaluable knowledge on her experience as a farmer, businesswoman, and advocate for healthier growing.
Farmer Cee Williams. Image by Jenna Shea Photojournalism.
SOWTH Expo Hall. Image by Jenna Shea Photojournalism.
SOWTH Expo Hall. Image by Jenna Shea Photojournalism.
SOWTH concluded on day three with breakfast and morning plenary with the Women in Southern Agriculture Panel, featuring Sue Beckwith, Tomika Bell, Ira Wallace, Diana Garcia-Padilla, Shirley Sherrod, Leni Sorensen, and Ashely Smith. Between the last round of sessions, a special lunch plenary with Ignited Word gave attendees a peek at the first-ever Pollinator’s Atlas: a crowdsourced, digital interactive tool that helps Southern farmers and producers connect with service providers in their states. The Pollinator’s Atlas gave a visual representation of SOWTH’s mission to create a strong, collaborative agricultural community and we appreciate everyone’s participation in the project, with special thanks to Ignited Word for making it possible!
Women in Southern Agriculture Panel. Image by Jenna Shea Photojournalism.
Abbie Cohen of Ignited Word. Image by Jenna Shea Photojournalism.
In the evening, remaining guests gathered for the SOWTH Dinner, closing remarks, and presentation of the inaugural SOWTH Awards: many thanks and congratulations to Ira Wallace and Shirley Sherrod for their years of committed service as food system leaders. Each was recognized with the Ira Wallace Seed Sower Award and Shirley Sherrod Justice in Agriculture Awards named respectively in their honors. Brennan Washington was also recognized for his dedicated service as a longtime advocate for local food systems and his leadership as SOWTH Steering Committee Chair.
Ira Wallace (left) and Shirley Sherrod (right). Image by Jenna Shea Photojournalism.
Brennan Washington, SOWTH Steering Committee Chair and Outreach Coordinator at Southern SARE. Image by Jenna Shea Photojournalism.
Thank you to everybody who joined us this year, and we look forward to meeting again in Jackson, Mississippi in 2027!