The Georgia Peanut Commission board of directors celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this week by lifting a shovel and tossing a little dirt at the site for the new headquarters of the Commission in Tifton, Ga. The event held Monday, Aug. 1, brought more than 125 attendees to witness the groundbreaking and to celebrate the Commission’s 50 years of representing …
MPK Teaches Peanut Industry Some New Moves
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 …
Peanut Proud Helping Tornado Victims
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 …
Farm Bill Forecasting at Peanut Meeting
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 …
Time for Peanuts on the Beach
It’s time once again for peanuts on the beach in Panama City, Florida – where it’s cooler than it is here in the Midwest! It’s the 13th Annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference (SPGC), being held once again at the beautiful Edgewater Beach Resort, July 21-23, and I will once again be the official SPGC blogger. This will be the fourth …
March is Peanut Month
March is National Peanut Month and to celebrate it, the Georgia peanut industry brought peanuts to the state capitol last week. In addition to providing plenty of grilled PB&J’s and boiled peanuts, the peanut industry put on a program about the importance of peanuts to the state. “Peanuts are Georgia’s Official State Crop and the state boasts the largest share …
Serving Peanuts To Farmers
When you’re in Georgia at a farm show you know you’re going to be talking peanuts. That’s what I did with Don Koehler, Georgia Peanut Commission, pictured with Donna Rocker. We not only talked peanuts we sampled some. Don says that during the trade show in the AFBF Pavilion at the AG CONNECT Expo they made and served 350 waffles …
National Peanut Board iPhone App
The National Peanut Board has entered the iPhone app world. “Peanuts: Energy for the Good Life®” iPhone app offers recipes, snack suggestions and a five-minute mindfulness meditation exercise with Stephan Bodian, author of Meditation for Dummies® ― tools to help you care for your body and mind throughout every part of every day. The app features more than 30 dietitian …
Vilsack Visits Georgia Peanut and Ethanol Producers
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in the Peach State earlier this week talking with peanut growers and visiting an ethanol plant. Ethanol plants in the southeast are pretty rare – in fact, First United Ethanol, LLC (FUEL) is really the only one to speak of that is operating at any capacity. FUEL is a 100 million gallon per year corn-based …
24th Annual Georgia Peanut Tour
The Georgia Peanut Tour got started today. You can get a detailed overview of where they’re going from Amanda Smith, chairman of the Georgia Peanut Tour Committee. Follow along on the blog, Twitter and Facebook. The 24th Annual Georgia Peanut Tour kicked off this week in Americus, Ga., with a Hot Topics Seminar at the Sumter County Extension Service Office. …