Southern Peanut Growers Blogging

Chuck Zimmerman

Hello from Panama City Beach, FL. This is the location of the Southern Peanut Growers Conference. Cindy and I are on the scene. Things started out as usual with Mr. Peanut, Tyron Spearman, grilling PBJ’s (with grape jelly). There was also a make your own ice cream sundae bar. According to Mr. Peanut, a young man told him that the …

Ag Groups, Peanuts, SPGC

BASF at Peanut Growers Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

BASF has always been a big supporter of the Southern Peanut Growers Conference and so has Becker Underwood – but this year the two were a single team together. “With the acquisition of Becker Underwood, VAULT as a peanut inoculant is a very important product we’re looking forward to launching from the BASF platform,” said southeast BASF rep Chris Maurer …

Agribusiness, Audio, BASF, Peanuts, SPGC

Texas Congressman at Peanut Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

Congressman Mike Conaway (R-TX) provided an update on the farm bill at the 2013 Southern Peanut Growers Conference on Saturday. Rep. Conaway, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, says the House still intends to get a nutrition bill passed. “We’ll have a nutrition title and it will have reforms in it…probably stronger reforms than what we had in the …

Ag Groups, Audio, Farm Bill, Peanuts, SPGC, Video

House Ag Committee Chair at Peanut Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

Peanut growers are very happy with House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) for his work in crafting a farm bill that is very different than the Senate bill in that it addresses the needs of southern farmers. Speaking at the Southern Peanut Growers Conference in Panama City Beach on Saturday, Rep. Lucas (R-OK) went through the process of how …

Audio, Farm Bill, Peanuts, SPGC, Video

Peanut Growers Gather to Work and Play

Cindy Zimmerman

The 14th annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference kicked off Thursday with the usual scoop of southern hospitality at the ice cream registration reception. Georgia Peanut Commission Executive Director Don Koehler is very excited about this year’s meeting of the Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi peanut producers. “It’s our biggest conference we’ve ever had, largest attendance. We’ve got more sponsors, we’ve …

Audio, Farm Bill, Peanuts, SPGC

Time for the Southern Peanut Growers Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

The SPGC blog is ready for the 14th Annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference being held Thursday through Sunday, once again at the Edgewater Beach Resort, Panama City Beach, Fla. This will be the 5th year that the annual conference of peanut growers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi will be covered start to finish on this blog in photos, audio …

Peanuts, SPGC

MPK Teaches Peanut Industry Some New Moves

Cindy Zimmerman

I had the opportunity to see the lovely and talented advocate for agriculture Michele Payn-Knoper in action last week at the 2011 Southern Peanut Growers Conference where she was the keynote luncheon speaker. “We have to engage with the 98 and a half percent of the population who are not farmers,” she said, encouraging the peanut growers to use the …

Peanuts, SPGC, Video

Peanut Proud Helping Tornado Victims

Cindy Zimmerman

Peanut Proud was an effort started two years ago when the peanut industry faced the salmonella outbreak that threatened consumer perceptions of healthy peanut butter. When the industry came through the challenge stronger than before, Peanut Proud started looking for a way to give back to the people, and that opportunity came without warning when a string of tornadoes struck …

Audio, Peanuts, SPGC

Farm Bill Forecasting at Peanut Meeting

Cindy Zimmerman

Prospects for a new Farm Bill dominated a discussion at the Southern Peanut Growers Conference in Panama City over the weekend. Congressman Stephen Fincher (R-TN) of the freshman class in the House of Representatives for 2010 would like to see the next Farm Bill delayed until after the 2012 election. “We’ve got to make sure as we approach writing a …

AFBF, Peanuts, politics, SPGC