Tag Archives: Peanut Farm Show

Annual Peanut Farm Show Provides Growers with Insight

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Tifton, GA |

For almost five decades, peanut growers in Georgia have convened at the Georgia Peanut Farm Show – an annual event facilitating fellowship among producers, showcasing cutting-edge equipment, and providing updates from industry experts.

“We always see new challenges on the farm and there’s always some new technology and maybe new ways of doing the same things. So, we get this to look at maybe new planters or updated harvest machinery. And so, it’s always an opportunity for us to think about how we’re doing things and maybe there’s some changes we would like to make to our own production system. It’s a really good opportunity to just see what’s out there,” expressed Donald Chase, Vice Chairman of the GA Peanut Commission.

In addition to networking with vendors and exploring new equipment, attendees participated in production seminars led by industry experts like Scott Monfort, an Extension Peanut Agronomist at the University of Georgia. Monfort addressed the tumultuous year for growers, highlighting the detrimental impact of weather fluctuations on crop yields.

“Unfortunately, if we get into a situation with a disease problem or insect problem, yeah, they might have done some damage, but we can get in there and correct that pretty quick and it wouldn’t hurt as much, but when you’re talking about the weather and its impact on the overall growth and productivity of the plant, you really don’t see that as a whole until you start digging. It’s not uncommon for us to see that in a small geographic location, but not across the whole state,” explained Monfort.

The adverse growing conditions led to a challenging harvest season, as Monfort noted grading issues stemming from the erratic weather patterns witnessed statewide.

“Not only did non-irrigated get impacted, but our irrigated did too. That’s where we had pods that aborted some of the nuts. We didn’t get them formed. They didn’t fill out all the way to the hull. So, we get smaller peanuts. Dry land didn’t produce much at all in some areas. So it just just compounded on us and then this whole grade issue was with what happened in May, then what happened in June and July. If we would have stayed hot in late August going into September and October, we could have corrected some of that because the plant could have really put on a lot of pods and matured them out, but we didn’t, we cooled off. So that hit us again,” Monfort elaborated.

Bob Kemerait, Extension Plant Pathologist at UGA, emphasized the significant role of disease pressure alongside unfavorable weather conditions.

“The yields that came off of last year were disappointing to a lot of growers. We weren’t at the top; it wasn’t a terrible year, but we weren’t the best. Some of the things that affected that was tomato spotted wilt virus and also white mold. So, a lot of that was environmentally driven. The hot, dry weather made the white mold worse, especially for farmers with non-irrigated fields. Also, our tomato spotted wilt virus, based upon some of the early situations in the 2023 crop was more severe, and so in part, the disappointing yield was not just the growing season, but it was growing season in concert with things like tomato spotted wilt virus and white mold,” Kemerait explained.

By: John Holcomb

Georgia Peanut Commission honors farmers and industry supporters

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TIFTON, GA

Attendees were able to fine-tune their farming operations with information gained at the 46th annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference Jan. 19, 2023, at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. The show is sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission.

The one-day show offered farmers a chance to view the products and services of 100 exhibitors and education opportunities. The University of Georgia Peanut Team presented an educational peanut production seminar focusing on the impact of weather on peanut growth and development, disease management, challenges in fertility and peanut sustainability. An industry seed seminar was held, which highlighted peanut varieties available for 2023.

The Georgia Peanut Commission installed the seventh recipient into the Georgia Peanut Hall of Fame by inducting Sonny Perdue, Chancellor of the University System of Georgia. A portrait of Perdue, unveiled at the Georgia Peanut Farm Show, will be displayed at the GPC headquarters in Tifton, Ga. Prior to becoming chancellor, Perdue was the 31st Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from 2017 to 2021. He also served two terms as the governor of Georgia, from 2003 to 2011, and was a member of the Georgia Senate from 1991 to 2001, where he chaired the Senate Higher Education Committee and eventually became Senate President Pro Tem.

Additionally, the Georgia Peanut Commission presented awards to individuals and businesses for their service to the peanut industry and promotion of peanuts across the United States. The award recipients include Distinguished Service Award – Gary Black, former Georgia Agriculture Commissioner; Research and Education Award – Calvin Perry, retired superintendent of the University of Georgia’s C.M. Stripling Irrigation Research Park, and the University of Georgia Peanut Team; Innovator Award to William D. Branch, peanut breeder at the University of Georgia; Promotion Award to Bob Parker, president of the National Peanut Board; Media Award – Peanut Farm Market News; and the Georgia Peanut Special Award to Darlene Cowart, vice president of Food Safety and Quality with Birdsong Peanuts.

The Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer Award, sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission and BASF, was presented to Adam Curles, Camilla, Georgia. The award is presented to one Georgia peanut farmer based upon the applicant’s overall farm operation; environmental and stewardship practices; and leadership and community service activities. Curles, a fifth-generation farmer, grows peanuts, cotton and corn. Curles strives to utilize innovative stewardship practices on the farm to reduce his carbon footprint and water usage. He is also active within a number of community and agriculture organizations within his county and across the state of Georgia.

In addition to the Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer Award, the Georgia Peanut Commission and Agri Supply presented the Outstanding Georgia Peanut Farmers of the Year Award to individuals representing each of the commission’s five districts. The GPC board members started this award to honor farmers who have the passion, diligence, leadership and desire to see the peanut industry in the state of Georgia continue to be the highest quality. Winners include District 1 – St. Elmo Harrison, Whigham; District 2 – Armond Morris, Tifton; District 3 – Lamar Black, Millen;
District 4 – Barry Martin, Hawkinsville; and District 5 – Jack Miller, Leslie. These farmers received a sign to display at their farm and gift cards from Agri Supply and the Georgia Peanut Commission.

By: Georgia Peanut Commission

Peanut Show speakers discuss allergies and farm bill

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Tifton, GA

Peanut producers and industry allies attending the 46th Annual Georgia Peanut Show Jan. 19 heard updates on numerous policy issues from various speakers during the event lunch.

National Peanut Board President & CEO Bob Parker encouraged members of the peanut sector to submit comments before Feb. 21 asking the USDA Food & Nutrition Service (FNS) to include peanut butter in the food packages given to families through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Parker explained that the USDA FNS has proposed updates to its food package program that do not include peanut butter, which research has shown should be introduced to infants beginning as early as 4-6 months help prevent peanut allergies.  The early introduction of peanut-containing foods is encouraged in the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans and by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“Allergies are the biggest single barrier too peanut consumption,” Parker said. “Research has shown that giving children a little bit of peanut butter starting between four and six months of age reduces their risk of developing a peanut allergy by up to 86 percent. Early introduction of peanuts to children has the potential to prevent an estimated 34,000 peanut allergies each year among WIC recipients alone. If peanut protein is not included in the WIC food packages, peanut allergies could disproportionately affect food insecure families and health inequity will increase.”

Peanut groups calculate the cost of feeding an infant the amount of peanut butter it needs from six through 11 months to prevent allergies to be $4.88 while the estimated annual cost of managing a peanut allergy for a child is $4,184.

Visit www.earlyintroductionforall.org to learn more about the issue and to submit comments encouraging the USDA to include peanut butter to Food Package II for infants ages six through 11 months.

U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, a member of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee and Washington lobbyist Bob Redding discussed efforts being made to pass a new farm bill before the current one expires Sept. 30.

“It’s probably one of the toughest bills to get passed, so you need to work closely with your associations, and we need to know what you need sooner rather than later,” Scott said. “Over half of the House members have never voted on a farm bill and about one-third of the Senate hasn’t.”

Redding predicted that the new farm bill would result in minor changes to existing programs.

“These farm bills are evolutionary with minor changes or revolutionary with major changes,” Redding said. “This year is likely to be an evolutionary year, which is what you want.”

Georgia’s new Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper thanked his predecessor Gary Black for his service and for leaving Georgia’s Department of Agriculture in good standing.

“The transition we worked on together went very smoothly. We’re working hard to make certain your department of agriculture is one you can continue to be proud of,” Harper said. “You’ll see a few new faces but most of Commissioner Black’s staff we’re keeping and I told them to keep  working hard to promote Georgia Grown products, including peanuts.”

By: Jennifer Whittaker

46th Peanut Farm Show Educates Producers on Devastating Disease

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Tifton, GA

For the past forty-six years, peanut growers here in Georgia have made their way to the Georgia Peanut Farm Show – a yearly event that gives producers the chance to fellowship with one another, see the latest and greatest equipment, and hear updates from experts on the industry.

“It’s just a great, information sharing show here for peanut growers and peanut representatives. Those who quit learning, quit growing, and certainly in today’s technological age and the environmental concerns that we have, there’s new information, there are changes if not every day, certainly every year and we need to update our farmers and keep them as up to date and informed as we can about issues and new products that are coming up, so that we can continue to be profitable in the industry we all love,” says Joe Boddiford, Chairman of the Georgia Peanut Commission.

Aside from getting to meet with vendors and see the newest equipment, producers also got to attend production seminars in which industry experts, like Bob Kemerait, an Extension Plant Pathologist with the University of Georgia, spoke about a devastating disease many growers dealt with this past season known as tomato spotted wilt virus.

“The disease caused by tomato spotted wilt virus leads to significant yield reduction,” says Kemerait. “It leads to stunting of the plant, wilting of the plant, and also leads to a much lower pod yield on it, and so if we don’t manage tomato spotted wilt virus it’s very likely that our yields could be off by thousands of pounds, and that’s why it’s so important. We’ve been seeing this virus, tomato spotted wilt virus in peanuts since the mid nineties. The problem in 2022, the 2022 season was it was more severe than it’s been in recent years. It was really, in some fields, was devastating, and we’re not exactly sure why that was but we believe the Winter we had, or didn’t have – it was a warm winter, the impact on the thrips populations, the vectors that transmit the virus may have been a factor, but also because it’s been a few years since our growers have had a really bad year with the disease, they may be becoming a little bit lax, not focusing as much on all the management strategies that they have.”

Kemerait says the importance of having the correct management strategy can’t be overstated, as growers only have one chance to keep the virus under control.

“When they close the furrow, when they move their tractors out of the field, there’s nothing really else they can do to protect the crop, and the UGA Peanut Team works with growers to facilitate the information and also help them understand they get once chance to fight this disease. You either put the right combination down at planting or you don’t. There’s no going back,” says Kemerait.

It’s because of that reason Kemerait says it’s vital producers utilize Peanut RX – a planting tool that will help them minimize the risk of the disease on their operations as they gear up for this upcoming season.

“If you are serious about fighting tomato spotted wilt virus in 2023, you must pay attention to Peanut RX,” says Kemerait. “Peanut RX is available to our growers through a website, peanutrx.org they can also go to our production guides, the University of Georgia extension and they can also get it from various companies as well; following the steps to minimize the risk of this very important disease.”

By: John Holcomb