Since March is National Peanut Month, Southern Peanut Growers (SPG) is celebrating with “PB&J My Way,” a national recipe contest looking for nutty new takes on the classic PB&J. For every peanut butter sandwich recipe received, SPG will donate a jar of peanut butter to hunger relief organization Feeding America.
No matter how you slice it, the PB&J is a classic. In a recent poll by SheSpeaks.com, nearly 50 percent of respondents said they opt for the traditional PB&J; 10 percent favor peanut butter and honey; 13 percent are with The King (Elvis, of course), making their peanut butter sandwich with bananas; and another 13 percent just reach for the jar, enjoying peanut butter sans the sandwich. The remaining 14 percent of respondents said their favorite peanut butter sandwich combo is unique to them – and those are the recipes “PB&J My Way” is seeking!
Easy to make and eat, a peanut butter sandwich has countless variations. Tell SPG what “PB&J My Way” means to you, and the organization will donate one jar of peanut butter to Feeding America for each recipe submitted, up to 4,000 jars. Feeding America is the nation’s leading domestic hunger relief charity, providing assistance through a nationwide network of food banks.
The top ten creative peanut butter sandwich recipes will also win enough peanut butter to enjoy for an entire year – that’s one case for each of the best recipes – and they will also be featured on www.peanutbutterlovers.com.
The nation’s peanut industry is helping out the relief effort in Haiti by donating high protein peanut butter and you can support that effort with your own donations. Peanut butter is especially good for emergency situations like this because it’s a great source of nourishment that needs no refrigeration.
The peanut industry has already donated $108,500 in contributions and four truckloads of peanut butter have been shipped so far totaling nearly three million servings. The peanut butter is being delivered to families in Haiti through Operation Blessing, Catholic Relief Services and Food for the Poor.
Donations can be sent to: EC 2055 – PB for Haiti P.O. Box 725 Blakely, GA 39823
Make checks payable to Early County 2055 and note on check: PB for Haiti. All donations are tax deductible and you will receive a letter acknowledging the donation.
It’s just about time for the National Peanut Festival. Farmers can apply for a ticket to Farmer Day which is November 2. The Festival runs October 30 – November 8.
Approximately half of the peanuts grown in the United States are grown within a 100-mile radius of Dothan, Alabama.
The National Peanut Festival (NPF) — the nation’s largest peanut festival — is held each fall to honor peanut growers and to celebrate the harvest season
The Miss National Peanut Festival winner is Katie Andrews -Miss Ozark.
Follow the NPF on Twitter.
As the peanut harvest arrives to the Alabama, Georgia, and Florida tri-states; people gear up for an enormous event that is held each year to celebrate the important role peanuts play in Southeast Alabama, known by locals as the “Wiregrass” area. During this time, residents also extend a salute to the actual peanut producers of this crop for their continued hard work and dedication in producing this healthy and tasty nut.
Known as the “Peanut Capital of the World,” Dothan, Alabama, is a prime location for producing peanuts. In fact, if you’re in Dothan, you’re in the heart of peanut country considering this area produces more than 65% of all the peanuts produced in the United States.
The Georgia peanut industry donated another 14,112 jars of peanut butter today in celebration of Hunger Action Month in September. This donation was made to the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank.
“We are very appreciative of all the donations and efforts that have made this donation come to fruition. This donation will supply needed food protein to thousands of households fending off hunger,” says Ronald Raleigh, executive director of the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank. “We serve a population of needy seniors, families and children in middle Georgia, and we’ve found that everyone loves peanut butter regardless of their age, gender or ethnicity.”
The donation was made by the Georgia Peanut Commission, National Peanut Buying Points Association, American Peanut Shellers Association and Georgia Farm Bureau along with fourteen other individuals, organizations and businesses.
The 23rd Annual Georgia Peanut Tour is being held this week to provide producers with the latest information on peanuts while giving a first-hand view of industry infrastructure from production and handling to processing and utilization.
For the second year in a row, master blogger Joy Carter with the Georgia Peanut Commission will be blogging all the events starting with the Hot Topics Seminar on Tuesday with food safety experts discussing production practices, quality management, and outbreak investigations. The tour includes a cross section of field conditions in South Central Georgia, peanut harvest clinics, production research at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus, peanut handling and grading facilities as well as a focus on biofuels, equipment and implements, trailers and dryer, dome storage and handling, shelling and blanching.
The Georgia peanut industry helped to fill the coffers of the state’s food banks – and the stomachs of hungry children – with a hefty donation this week.
In honor of Hunger Action Month, representatives from the Georgia Peanut Commission, National Peanut Buying Points Association, American Peanut Shellers Association and Georgia Farm Bureau along with fourteen other individuals, organizations and businesses donated 28,224 jars of peanut butter to the Food Bank of Southwest Georgia. That’s enough peanut butter to make 350,000 sandwiches!
“Peanut butter is an excellent source of protein and an ideal item to have in our pantries because adults and kids alike can make a quick meal or snack out of it,” said Brett Kirkland, president of the Food Bank of Southwest Georgia. “Thanks to the peanut industry and the donors of this project, this large donation of peanut butter will help us and our 300 partner agencies continue to distribute high-quality, easy-to- prepare food to those in need of food assistance.”
The Food Bank of Southwest Georgia serves 20 counties throughout Southwest Georgia and partners with over 300 agencies to serve approximately 30,000 people each year, including 10,000 children. In the 20 county service area, there are 100,000 people living in poverty and 200,000 people at risk of being food insecure at some point during the year.
Peanut butter is one of my favorite foods. I’m also choosy enough to choose Jif. Now Jif has a contest going that will award some college scholarships. So get your peanut butter creativity going.
Adding some creativity to mundane lunch routines could have a huge payoff. Jif Peanut Butter, the trusted peanut butter of choosy Moms, is accepting entries for the Eighth Annual Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest(TM). From August 7, 2009 through November 13, 2009, parents can help their kids ages 6 – 12 submit their most creative recipe for a chance to win a $25,000 college scholarship fund. Four runners-up will each receive a $2,500 scholarship fund.
Last year, the contest received the most entries in its history and 10-year-old Jordyn Boyer of Lebanon, Pa., was awarded top prize with her “Po’ Boy Peanut Butter Chicken Cheesesteak.” Inspired by regional culinary influences, her sandwich was made with Jif Creamy Peanut Butter, chicken, peppers, onions, mozzarella cheese — and even apples — providing a new twist on her home state’s staple cheesesteak. For added flavor, she created a dipping sauce of Jif Peanut Butter, Worcestershire sauce, honey mustard with a drizzle of honey.
The Eighth Annual Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest encourages families to spend time together in the kitchen as an activity to foster creativity. A parent can submit their child’s original recipe which is scored based on creativity, nutritional balance, taste, appearance and ease of preparation. Ten semifinalists’ recipes will be selected in January 2010 and posted on www.Jif.com as part of a nationwide online vote. Peanut butter lovers who are 13 years or older can then vote for the five finalists who will compete in a live judging event in New York City during March 2010.
Steve Bailey with Redfish Riviera and Captain Daniel Snapp with Grassy Flats Charters, in colorful shirts promoting peanuts, presented tips and tricks of the fishing trade to peanut growers and their families.
Listen to an interview with Steve and Captain Daniel here:
The Webster definition of “valor” is “strength of mind or spirit that enables a person to encounter danger with firmness” and that was required this year more than any other for the peanut industry.
In recognition for his strength and leadership of the peanut industry during a time of crisis, American Peanut Council president Patrick Archer received the Valor Award, presented by Valent USA.
Patrick says this year is one he hopes he never has to repeat. “The recall started January 9th and was greatly expanded the following weekend, which was inauguration week in Washington DC,” Patrick said. “The city was in lock down, we had to work from home. It made a difficult situation even more of a challenge.”
He credits everyone in the peanut industry with the massive communications effort that helped get information out that eventually helped to resolve the situation. “The industry really pulled together during the crisis and everybody from the grower all the way through the manufacturer really worked hard in a concerted and coordinated effort to combat the problem,” Patrick said.
The theme of the 11th annual conference is really a tribute to the U.S. peanut industry for overcoming adversity in 2009.
Everyone knows that this year has been a tough one for the industry, starting out with the salmonella issue in January. But, Georgia Peanut Commission executive director Don Koehler says the industry has come back stronger than ever after what could have been a complete crisis.
“Farmers are really resilient and even though it wasn’t a crisis they caused themselves, we have made it through,” Don says. “And the really good news is that our May 2009 numbers for peanut butter were 13 1/2 percent over what we did in May 2008.”
That is truly an amazing example of crisis management and communications, two topics growers will be hearing about during the conference this week, as well as an even bigger emphasis on food safety than ever before. “We want to make sure that can never happen again,” said Don. “But, when you look at it, we’ve got to take our hats off and maybe even bow just a little bit to the growers and to the peanut industry in general.”
A lot of people might have stopped eating peanut butter recently but I’m sure not one of them. I’m glad to see that Smuckers continued it’s annual Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest. Somehow in all the excitement of Ag Day and spring I missed the fact that they announced the winner of this year’s contest. This sounds like a recipe worth trying.
Today, the makers of Jif(R) peanut butter announced Jordyn Boyer, 10, of Lebanon, PA, as the winner of the Seventh Annual “Jif(R) Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest(TM).” Jordyn was inspired by an authentic Louisiana sandwich to create her Po’ Boy Peanut Butter Chicken Cheesesteak Sandwich. Her sandwich is made with Jif Creamy Peanut Butter, chicken, peppers, onions and mozzarella cheese. For added flavor, she created a dipping sauce of Jif peanut butter, Worcestershire sauce, honey and honey mustard. Jif, the trusted pantry staple for more than 50 years, awarded Jordyn with a $25,000 scholarship fund, a Jif gift basket and the title of the nation’s most creative peanut butter sandwich.
The Atlanta Motor Speedway is declaring Sunday, March 8, as “Georgia Peanut Farmer Appreciation Day” during the Kobalt Tools 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race in recognition of Georgia’s official state crop.
It’s a show of support to Georgia-based peanut farmers who have been suffering due to the recent difficulties facing the industry, with the whole salmonella in peanut products problem.
The Georgia Peanut Commission will have a trackside billboard advertising Georgia peanuts, sampling opportunities on race day and a role in the Kobalt Tools 500 pre-race festivities. In addition, the Commission will have a sampling location and display in the Atlanta Motor Speedway Display Lot.
It is important to note here that the peanut industry is working closely with the Food and Drug Administration to address the salmonella issue and make sure that any tainted products are found and recalled. It is unfortunate that the actions of one company, the Peanut Corporation of America – which knowingly released a product with potential salmonella contamination into the food supply – is causing our good farmers to suffer. But – they will prevail and ultimately win this race. Go peanuts!!!
One of the participants in the 2008 World Food Prize symposium who caught my eye yesterday was Dr. Gale Buchanan, USDA Under Secretary for Research Education and Economics. I saw him sitting in on every session I attended, so I caught up with him for an interview about the event and what he thought.
This year’s World Food Prize winners are former Senators Bob Dole and George McGovern, who are being honored for their work to expand USDA’s school feeding program. Dr. Buchanan says it is nice to see USDA’s program recognized for its world feeding efforts. “The department has a vital role to play in addressing these issues,” Buchanan said. “The focus of this conference is not looking inward but looking outward to every country around the world.”
Regarding the issue of being able to produce both food and fuel on a global basis, Buchanan says, “Food is important, it’s what sustains us and it’s got to be at the top of the list, but energy is at the top of the list too. We have to continue working to find ways to ensure we have the amount of food, feed and fiber that we need, but also the energy that it takes to sustain us. Using agricultural products as part of that solution is very important.”
I last saw Dr. Buchanan at the Southern Peanut Growers Meeting earlier this year and, being a southerner, he sees value in the potential for using peanuts to produce biodiesel, for example. “When Rudolf Diesel invented the diesel engine he proposed that his new engine should be run on peanut oil,” Buchanan told me. “And certainly I think peanuts and other oilseed crops have great potential to address energy concerns in the future.”
Listen to Dr. Buchanan’s interview here:
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I am so lame. I was supposed to alert you to the Georgia Peanut Tour before the tour. But guess what? This is the great thing about a blog. It’s archived!
So take a look at what agriblogging professional Joy Carter did. I think she’s raising the bar for you ag group communications managers. I think Joy has been drinking some of that new media Kool-Aid.
Left to right, the trio representing them at the conference were Josh Pitts of Ag Technologies, Trimble regional sales manager Tim East and Brian Kelly with Ag Technologies. I set up my computer at their booth to do most of my work at the conference and enjoyed spending time with these guys.
Tim says they chose to sponsor this coverage because, like precision agriculture, it is “cutting edge – a high-tech way of communicating, getting ideas out and sharing experiences.”
They did spend quite a bit of time talking with peanut growers at the conference about precision technology because it can be a big time and money saver for growers.
Chuck used some of this interview in his ZimmCast this week, I believe, but you can listen to the entire interview with all three here:
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FFA Alumni State Leaders are gathered in Washington, DC and thanks to a new blog, you can keep up with the action.
The National FFA Alumni State Leaders Conference kicks off today. FFA Alumni members will have an exciting week touring Washington, D.C., visiting with their congressional representatives and learning more about opportunities available through the FFA Alumni. The event would not be possible without the generous sponsorship of Tractor Supply Company, Toyota and Farm Credit Services.
This blog has been created to provide information and photos regarding the National FFA Alumni’s 2008 State Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C. Joy Carter with the Georgia Peanut Commission, who is southern region director on the National FFA Alumni Council, is the blog developer and poster – I am sitting in the Panama City airport with her right now as she prepares to head out to DC. The FFA Alum blog address is ffaalumnislc.wordpress.com.
At the Southern Peanut Growers Conference this week, I had a chance to meet up with one old friend I hadn’t seen in over 20 years – and one new friend that I knew but had never met.
Those of you in the ag journalism business may recognize this lady – formally the voice of the American Farm Bureau Federation once upon a time. You knew her then as Michele Brooks, but for the last 20 years she has been Michele Treptow, married to Rick Treptow of the Georgia Farm Bureau. Michele and I spent a few short minutes catching up and reminiscing about the “dot heads” at the 1985 annual AFBF meeting in Hawaii – and the infamous “Saturday night massacre” later that year when Chuck, Gary Cooper and I were forced out of Florida Farm Bureau after getting approval from the board to take their radio network independent. Ahh, the memories!!!
This gentlemen is known as “Mr. Peanut” in the Southeast and he wears many hats in the peanut industry. Tyron Spearman has been the peanut industry reporter for Southeast Agnet for at least as long as I have been reporting for them – but we had never met until this meeting. It was a great pleasure to meet him and get a chance to chat. He is extremely well respected in the peanut industry.
The SPGC was one of the very best conferences I have ever had the pleasure of attending. The agenda allowed for free afternoon time on the beach, the general sessions were very informative and well attended, the food was great, and the blues bash closing dinner and entertainment was great fun. This group is really a family and they obviously enjoy getting together at this great venue in Panama City every year. I will have more information about the conference in future posts. Not having internet access in my room was a drawback, but I had great access in the conference center.
Farmers and others in agriculture are just like everyone else these days. For the vast majority of us, computer usage is becoming a part of our everyday lives, if it hasn’t already taken it over!
That’s why the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation made the decision to use the new media tools of blogging and podcasting to reach out and provide information on this year’s Southern Peanut Growers conference to anyone and everyone who has access to the World Wide Web on spgc.wordpress.com.
Joy Carter with the Georgia Peanut Commission, who is also editor of Southeastern Peanut Farmer magazine and responsible for outreach to media and growers, came up with the idea of using the blog for conference coverage.
“We wanted to open the door for more farmers and industry representatives not able to attend the conference to be able to see who the speakers are, see photos from the conference and hear more about issues within the peanut industry,” Joy said. The website is also being promoted to agricultural media who can download the photos and audio to use.
Joy says the Georgia Peanut Commission has also had great success in educating producers about legislative issues with AmericanPeanuts.com.
Listen to an interview with Joy here:
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Southern peanut growers know the place to party and this week that’s Panama City, FL. While I get ready to go west to Denver, Cindy is attending the Southern Peanut Growers Conference. In this week’s program you can hear several of her interviews. We’ve got Randy Griggs, Alabama Peanut Producers, several guys from Trimble and Ag Technologies, the companies sponsoring the conference blog we built and Wesley Powell, past president of the National Peanut Buying Points Association. Wesley talks about grilling peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
The program this week ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. Since we’re talking peanuts, you get to listen to “Peanuts” from one inch from midget. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.
You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 179 (18 min MP3)
Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:
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The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also subscribe in iTunes
Commodity Classic took place in Anaheim, CA. You'll find all of Chuck, Cindy and Joanna's photos here.
Happy Ag Week
It's time to thank our farmers and ranchers for all their hard work to feed us.
In this week's program I interview Linda Tank, CHS, Inc., who is Chair of the Agriculture Council of America, the group coordinating National Ag Day. Learn more about their activities, especially this week in Washington, DC.
Since March is National Peanut Month, Southern Peanut Growers (SPG) is celebrating with “PB&J My Way,” a national recipe contest looking for nutty new takes on the classic PB&J. For every peanut butter sandwich recipe received, SPG will donate a jar of peanut butter to hunger relief organization Feeding America.
The peanut industry has already donated $108,500 in contributions and four truckloads of peanut butter have been shipped so far totaling nearly three million servings. The peanut butter is being delivered to families in Haiti through Operation Blessing, Catholic Relief Services and Food for the Poor. 
It’s just about time for the 
The Miss National Peanut Festival winner is Katie Andrews -Miss Ozark. 
The
The 23rd Annual Georgia Peanut Tour is being held this week to provide producers with the latest information on peanuts while giving a first-hand view of industry infrastructure from production and handling to processing and utilization. 
In honor of Hunger Action Month, representatives from the 
Peanut butter is one of my favorite foods. I’m also choosy enough to choose Jif. Now 
A new addition this year to the 
In recognition for his strength and leadership of the peanut industry during a time of crisis, 
The theme of the 11th annual conference is really a tribute to the U.S. peanut industry for overcoming adversity in 2009.
“Farmers are really resilient and even though it wasn’t a crisis they caused themselves, we have made it through,” Don says. “And the really good news is that our May 2009 numbers for peanut butter were 13 1/2 percent over what we did in May 2008.”
The 
It’s a show of support to Georgia-based peanut farmers who have been suffering due to the recent difficulties facing the industry, with the whole salmonella in peanut products problem. 
One of the participants in the 2008 World Food Prize symposium who caught my eye yesterday was Dr. Gale Buchanan, USDA Under Secretary for Research Education and Economics. I saw him sitting in on every session I attended, so I caught up with him for an interview about the event and what he thought. 
This year’s World Food Prize winners are former Senators Bob Dole and George McGovern, who are being honored for their work to expand USDA’s school feeding program. Dr. Buchanan says it is nice to see USDA’s program recognized for its world feeding efforts. “The department has a vital role to play in addressing these issues,” Buchanan said. “The focus of this conference is not looking inward but looking outward to every country around the world.”
I am so lame. I was supposed to alert you to the 
New technology and new media are a perfect fit, so it is fitting that 
The National FFA Alumni State Leaders Conference kicks off today. FFA Alumni members will have an exciting week touring Washington, D.C., visiting with their congressional representatives and learning more about opportunities available through the FFA Alumni. The event would not be possible without the generous sponsorship of Tractor Supply Company, Toyota and Farm Credit Services.
At the Southern Peanut Growers Conference this week, I had a chance to meet up with one old friend I hadn’t seen in over 20 years – and one new friend that I knew but had never met.
This gentlemen is known as “Mr. Peanut” in the Southeast and he wears many hats in the peanut industry. Tyron Spearman has been the peanut industry reporter for 
Farmers and others in agriculture are just like everyone else these days. For the vast majority of us, computer usage is becoming a part of our everyday lives, if it hasn’t already taken it over!
Southern peanut growers know the place to party and this week that’s Panama City, FL. While I get ready to go west to Denver, Cindy is attending the 
It's time to thank our farmers and ranchers for all their hard work to feed us.
