October 17, 2002
Moultrie-- About 4:00 Thursday, the crowds and the exhibitors began heading after another successful Sunbelt Ag Expo. This marked the 25th consecutive year of the Expo, with each year surpassing the previous.
Wayne Bulter and his 4-year-old Border Collie Roy, work cattle for a living, and the pair put on quite a demonstration as they drove a herd of cattle Thursday.
"I was born with a naturalk whistle," said Alabamian Wayne. Border Collies are born with good istincts and a hard stare. They look the cattle straight in the eye. "It intimidates 'em," Wayne says.
Roy now moves on to the national championship in Tennessee.
Other friends of the farmer don't have paws, but power. Tiimes have changed on the farm, including the method for bailing hay. Several exhibors showed off their newest machines, which roll the hay into giant cylibders, weight a good ton or so.
"You don't have a chance to see so many products in the field as here, with the same moisture, the same conditions at once," said German visitor Stefan Lindig. "So it's a benefit for us to go to a show like this."
Sawmill exhibits at the Sunbelt Ag Expo are giving farmers new ideas to make more money.
Portable sawmills are becoming more popular among farmers, who use the sawmills to process trees on their farm. The lumber can be used to build and do repairs on the farm, or sell to others.
“We can cut the wood on our property, and use it ourselves, or sell it at low cost to other local farmers. So we can help them, and help ourselves too,” said Florida Farmer James Summers.
Hudson Forest Equipment workers say their portable sawmills cost between four and fifteen thousand dollars.
The company has sold six portable saw mills to Georgia farmers this year.
Sunbelt has grown from 410 exhibits to over 1,100 this year.
posted at 6:20PM by dave.miller@walb.com
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