As part of their recent 50th anniversary celebration, members of the Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) board of directors held the official ribbon cutting ceremony and open house at the new headquarters in Tifton, Georgia:

“We are proud of the new energy efficient headquarters and the opportunities that exist to promote peanuts to millions of consumers traveling through Georgia,” says Donald Chase, GPC Building Committee chairman and peanut farmer from Oglethorpe, Ga. “The principles of forward thinking in the design of the new headquarters is a testament to the forward thinking of farmers in the peanut industry here in Georgia.”

The new headquarters is the Georgia state government’s first net-zero energy building, designed and built to meet criteria for LEED Certification at a Platinum Level. The building also boasts both passive and active geothermal systems, solar energy arrays, systems to take advantage of natural sunlight, and even rain harvesting capabilities.

The one thing the building does lack is any kind of debt for its construction. “We’re absent of a mortgage because it’s paid for,” noted Don Koehler, GPC executive director. Sponsorships and a commemorative brick and bench program paid for the construction. The commission also pointed out that the building was put up using local contractors and businesses for the relatively low price of just $87 per square foot.

You can see more pictures from the ribbon cutting ceremony here.