From February 4-6, the SOWTH 2025 Conference welcomed over 1000 food system producers and advocates and leaders from across the Southern United States and territories were brought together for the first of its kind meeting! 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 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta to advance sustainable agriculture and strengthen the local food movement across the region. With a focus on “small farms, big community,” 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, 153 regional scholarships were awarded, 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 local communities to corporate partners, has a stake in the future of our food system.
