january/february 2016 - southeastern peanut farmer

A communication service of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.

Inside:n Duvall elected AFBF

President

n Variety Guidebook

n APC Celebrates 75 years

CongratulationsZippy!

6 Duvall Elected AFBF PresidentZippy Duvall has been elected to a two-year term as American Farm BureauFederation president. Duvall succeedsBob Stallman, who served 16 years at thehelm of the nation’s largest general farmorganization.

10 Variety GuidebookSelecting a variety is a keymanagement step for farmers.SEPF’s 2016 Variety Guidebookhighlights varieties available togrowers in the Southeast and provides growers with the resultsof state variety tests.

24 American Peanut Council Celebrates 75th AnniversaryThe American Peanut Council celebrated their 75th anniversary in2015. The council represents all segments of the peanut industrythrough marketing, export promotions,research efforts through the PeanutFoundation and managing the PeanutButter for the Hungry initiative.

Contents

January/February 2016 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 3

Southeastern Peanut Farmer is published six times a year

(Jan./Feb., March, April, May/June, July/Aug., and

Oct./Nov.) by the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.

The publisher is not responsible for copy omission, typo-

graphical errors, or any unintentional errors that may

occur, other than to correct it in the following issue. Any

erroneous reflection which may occur in the columns of

Southeastern Peanut Farmer will be corrected upon

brought to the attention of the editor. (Phone 229-386-

3690.)

Postmaster: Send address changes (Form 3579) to

Southeastern Peanut Farmer, P.O. Box 706, Tifton,

Georgia, 31793.

Circulation is free to qualified peanut growers and others

allied to the industry. Periodical postage paid at Tifton,

Georgia and additional mailing office.

Editorial Content: Editorial copy from sources outside

of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation is sometimes

presented for the information and interest of our mem-

bers. Such material may, or may not, coincide with offi-

cial Southern Peanut Farmers Federation policies.

Publication of material does not necessarily imply its

endorsement by the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.

For editorial concerns call 229-386-3690. No portion of

this or past issues of the Southeastern Peanut Farmermay be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the

written consent of the editor. By-lined articles appearing

in this publication represent views of the authors and not

necessarily those of the publisher.

Advertising: The Publisher reserves the right to refuse

any advertisement. Corrections to advertisements must be

made after the first run. All billing offers subject to credit

review. Advertisements contained in this publication do

not represent an endorsement by the Southeastern PeanutFarmer or the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation. Use

of trade names in this publication is for the purpose of

providing specific information and is not a guarantee nor

warranty of products named. For advertising concerns

call 229-386-3690.

January/February 2016

Joy Carter Crosby

Editor

[email protected]

229-386-3690

Director of Advertising

Jessie Bland

[email protected]

Contributing Writers

John [email protected]

Teresa [email protected]

Southeastern Peanut Farmer

P.O. Box 706, Tifton, Ga. 31793

445 Fulwood Blvd., Tifton, Ga. 31794

ISSN: 0038-3694

D e p a r t m e n t s :Checkoff Report ..................................................................................Alabama Peanut Producers Association, Florida Peanut Producers Association,

Georgia Peanut Commission and Mississippi Peanut Growers Association

Washington Outlook ............................................................................

Southern Peanut Growers Update ........................................................

8

32

34

Cover Photo: Zippy Duvall smiles with excitement after being elected the American Farm Bureau

president during the organization’s annual meeting on Jan. 12, 2016. Photo by Joy Crosby.

4 Southeastern Peanut Farmer January/February 2016

The Future of Agriculture

(Let us know about your event. Please send detailsto the editor at [email protected].

The words above were written by E.M. Tiffany and adopted at the third

National FFA Convention in 1930. Those words have been recited by

me and most likely millions of other FFA members through the past

85 years. Those words are still a reminder to me on the importance of

my job and the role I play in helping farmers by promoting their product or

writing about issues or research advancements that will help them on the farm.

Recently, the abundance of jobs in agriculture has been highlighted by the

U.S. Department of Agriculture. In fact, USDA

forecasts that over the next five years the annual

demand for college graduates in agriculture and food

industries will be 57,900 jobs per year. The need for

students pursuing a degree in agriculture is needed and

so is the desire to believe in the future of agriculture.

Throughout the past two and a half years, I have

had the pleasure of working with Whitney Yarbrough,

Georgia Peanut Commission communications intern,

and from what I can tell the future is bright for

agriculture with students like her graduating in the field

of agriculture. So, I decided to provide Whitney the

opportunity to share her story with you regarding her

internship. t

They say all good things must come to an end. After two and a half years

my time as the communications intern at the Georgia Peanut Commission has

come to a close. During my time at GPC I have been granted with many

amazing opportunities. Growing up, I always loved boiled peanuts, but that was

the extent of my peanut knowledge. I was raised on a small cattle farm in the

Panhandle of Florida and always had a passion for agriculture. In August of

2011, I moved to Tifton, Georgia where I began my college career at Abraham

Baldwin Agricultural College studying Agricultural Communications. Ken

Barton, executive director of the Florida Peanut Producers, recommended I visit

with Joy Crosby, director of communications for GPC, about an internship. Once

the internship came open in 2013 I started an internship with GPC.

During my internship I have been able to travel to many events promoting

peanuts, from the Southeastern Peanut Growers Conference, Ag Issues Summit,

Georgia Peanut Tour, school ag days and even two NASCAR race promotions.

Through these various events I have been able to network with peanut farmers,

researchers and other industry experts. I have been able to write articles for the

Southeastern Peanut Farmer, work closely with the Southern Peanut Farmers

Federation, and I even completed an internship with the Florida Peanut

Producers this past summer in Marianna, Florida.

As I move on to this next chapter in my life after

college graduation, I cannot begin to thank not only

GPC, but the peanut industry as a whole for this

amazing experience. To see the passion everyone in this

industry has is unbelievable! Thanks to the GPC board,

staff and peanut farmers across the state of Georgia for

everything you do to fund an internship program. The

hands-on experience I have learned is something I will

forever be grateful for. I always hear people say they

“work for peanuts” like it is a bad thing - I’m here to

tell you, it isn’t half bad. t

u University of Georgia College ofAgricultural and Environmental Sciences Ag

Forecast Seminar, Jan. 21, 2016 - Carrollton,

Jan. 22 - Cleveland, Jan. 25 - Bainbridge, Jan.

26 - Tifton, Jan. 27 - Alma and Jan. 29 -

Macon, Ga. For more information visit

georgiaagforecast.com.

u South Carolina Peanut Growers AnnualMeeting & Trade Show, Jan. 28, 2016, Santee

Convention Center, Santee, S.C. For more

information call 803-734-0338.

u Georgia Agribusiness Council AnnualMeeting & State Legislative Breakfast,

Feb. 2-3, 2016, Atlanta, Ga. For more informa-

tion visit GAC online at ga-agribusiness.org.

u Mississippi Peanut GrowersAssociation Annual Meeting & Trade

Show, Feb. 3-4, 2016, Lake Terrace

Convention Center, Hattiseburg, Miss. For

more information visit misspeanuts.com or

call 601-606-3547.

u Georgia Peanut Commission MediaTraining, Feb. 9, 2016, NESPAL Seminar

Room, Tifton, Ga. For more information visit

gapeanuts.com or call 229-386-3470.

u Georgia Peanut Commission ResearchReport Day, Feb. 10, 2016, NESPAL

Seminar Room, Tifton, Ga. For more informa-

tion visit gapeanuts.com or call 229-386-3470.

u Alabama/Florida Peanut Trade Show,Feb. 11, 2016, National Peanut Festival

Fairgrounds, Dothan, Ala. For more

information visit alpeanuts.com or call

334-792-6482.

u American Peanut Shellers Pre-PlantingMeeting, March 8-9, 2016, Merry Acres

Conference Center, Albany, Ga. For more

information visit peanut-shellers.org.

u Florida Peanut Producers AnnualMeeting, March 10, 2016, Jackson County

Conference Center, Marianna, Fla. For more

information visit flpeanuts.com or call

850-526-2590.

u Peanut Butter & Jelly Day at the GeorgiaState Capitol, March 16, 2016, Atlanta, Ga.

For more information visit gapeanuts.com.

Editorial Calendar of Events

Whitney YarbroughGeorgia Peanut Commission Intern

Joy Carter CrosbyEditor

“I believe in the future of agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deeds -achievements won by the present and past generations of agriculturists...”


As important as it is to

harvest mature peanuts,

it’s even more important

to plant peanut seed that is

mature. Maturity is an elusive plant and

seed trait that is passed on from one

season to the next.

Maturity is a component of flavor

and overall peanut quality. Old peanut

harvesting methods produced the most

mature and most flavorful peanuts,

according to Tim Sanders, retired USDA-

Agricultural Research Service scientist at

North Carolina State University. He says

the old stack pole method of curing

peanuts produced the most flavorful

peanuts and the most black pods. Black

pods, a color in the mesocarp revealed

when pods are subjected to blasting or

hull scraping, are the most mature seed.

Seed maturity impacts important

traits for growers. Immature seed can

result in poor germination and plant

emergence. Plants from immature seed

are less able to withstand stress from

pests and weather. And plants from

immature seed are likely to produce lower

yields and grades, as well as mature seed

more slowly which leads to perpetuating

immaturity in the crop.

Maturity is complicated because

peanut plants are indeterminate. That

means the plants continue producing

flowers throughout the growing season.

So at harvest, you have both mature and

immature pods on the same plant.

Halting flower production may

improve peanut maturity. Sanders points

to work by USDA-ARS scientist Marshall

Lamb at the National Peanut Research

Lab in Dawson, Ga. Lamb is using

herbicides to shut down late season

flowering. This allows the plant to

redirect its energy to maturing the pods

already on the plant.

Placing blasted or hull-scraped

peanut pods on a profile board can give

an indication of peanut quality and

maturity. Sanders says, “All big peanuts

are not necessarily mature, and all small

peanuts are not necessarily immature.” He

says it’s not unusual to find peanuts of

every stage of maturity in one kernel size

or pod size.

While genomics may one day play a

role in improving peanut flavor, Sanders

says this work will take many years. He

also notes that overall peanut flavor has

decreased over the past 30 years, and it

remains a concern for the entire peanut

industry.

University of Florida crop

physiologist Diane Rowland is leading

important studies on peanut maturity. She

says seed maturity is important for both

above- and below-ground plant growth.

In these studies, seed from black,

mature pods produced a plant canopy

faster than seed from yellow pods. Plants

from immature seed don’t “catch up,”

according to Rowland.

Studies by University of Florida

graduate student Marco Goyzueta showed

that mature seed also produces deeper

roots than immature seed from yellow

hulls.

Rowland says seed maturity of a crop

one year can affect the maturity of the

crop the next year. So planting immature

seed leads to harvesting immature seed.

And when this seed is planted, then

immaturity and poor flavor continue to be

problems for years into the future.

“So we think

there may be a

problem with

commercial seed,”

Rowland says. Ethan

Carter, one of her

graduate students,

conducted a study

that suggested

changes in the

shelling process

might improve the

maturity of peanuts

shelled for seed.

In Carter’s study,

plant emergence from

commercial seed was

about 70 percent,

while emergence

from brown and black

pods was 80 percent,

and emergence from

yellow pods was only

50 percent.

While large seed

are not always mature

seed, there is a

general trend in that

direction. And that

may be one way for shelling plants to

improve the quality of the seed they sell.

Shelling plants have the capability to

separate pods by size, and Carter suggests

that shelling plants could save seed for

planting by just separating pods prior to

shelling into large and small sizes.

Carter and Rowland also noticed

some variety differences. For instance,

seed from yellow pods had better

emergence for the FloRun 107 variety

than for the TufRunner 727 variety. They

believe that seed maturity issues may

explain why some varieties are more

acceptable during the shelling,

manufacturing and marketing phases than

other varieties.

Rowland says researchers and the

peanut industry have ignored seed

physiology for too long. “It makes a

bigger impact than we realized,” she says.

“The problem with the success of certain

cultivars may be due to seed maturity, and

there may be things we can do during

shelling that will address this problem.”t

Why Peanut Maturity is Important

BY JOHN LEIDNER


Duvall elected AFBF president

Zippy Duvall has been

elected for a two-year term

as American Farm Bureau

Federation (AFBF)

president by the voting delegates at the

97th AFBF Annual Convention on

January 12, in Orlando, Florida. Duvall

succeeds Bob Stallman, who served 16

years at the helm of the nation’s largest,

most influential general farm

organization. Duvall, a broiler, cattle and

hay producer from Greensboro, Georgia,

becomes the 12th president during

AFBF’s almost 97-year history.

“I am so humbled and thankful for

your support and belief in my leadership

for AFBF president. I will continue to

represent all farmers and ranchers across

the states. May God bless each of you as

AFBF moves forward,” Duvall says after

his election.

This election marks the first time in

more than 30 years that more than one

candidate has been nominated for the

president. Duvall defeated Don Villwock,

Indiana; Barry Bushue, Oregon and Kevin

Rogers, Arizona.

Three votes were needed before

Duvall reached a majority vote. Each time

a vote was held, the candidate with the

least votes is removed for the next round

of voting. The third and final round of

voting was held between Duvall and

Villwock with Duvall securing the

majority vote of the AFBF delegates.

Cheers and applause could be heard

by Duvall’s family, friends and supporters

when his name was announced by

Stallman. Duvall then headed to the stage

to provide his acceptance speech. Once at

the podium, he immediately recognized

his family and asked them to join him on

stage.

In his acceptance speech, Duvall

says, “The people who have carried this

country have been farmers. We are the

ones that sent our children to war to fight

for our freedoms. We are the ones who

stayed up all night taking care of the

livestock. We are the ones who have

plowed the field and wiped the sweat off

of our brow. We are the back of the

economy of this great U.S.A. And it will

continue to be that way and I promise and

commit to you that we are going to be

better and stronger so your families and

grandchildren will have an industry and

way of life that they can continue. Thank

you for putting your trust in me.”

Duvall even spoke to those who

didn’t vote for him and received an array

of laughter and applause from the

delegates.

“If you didn’t vote for me this time,

I’m going to work so hard, you are going

to want to vote for me next time,” Duvall

says.

Duvall is committed to working for

the American farmer and rancher and

reinforced that commitment during his

speech.

“I’m going to wake up every morning

and work for these (holding his hands up)

- the working hands of the American

farmer and rancher,” Duvall says. “I will

not forget where the strength of this

organization is, it’s in those hands. We are

the strength and the hope for the people in

this country and all around this world

because we are the ones that are going to

provide the nourishment they need.”

Duvall recited a quote from Bob

Doyle, “There is no other human right

more precious than the right to eat.”

Duvall explained to the delegates

how the statement touched his heart

because that’s how important we are.

“We should be proud to be American

agriculture,” Duvall adds. “We are going

to continue to fire that flame, that eternal

flame that we call the American dream.”

The delegates also elected Scott

VanderWal from South Dakota as vice

president.

Duvall began his Farm Bureau

journey as a volunteer at his local Greene

County Farm Bureau, where he still

serves on the board of directors. In 1982,

he won the GFB Young Farmer

Achievement Award and went on to win

the AFBF Award in 1983. Duvall chaired

the GFB Young Farmer Committee, and

in 1987, he served as chairman of the

AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers

Committee and on the AFBF Board under

the leadership of the late AFBF President

Former American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Bob Stallman, left, hands the gavel to

newly elected AFBF President Zippy Duvall of Georgia. Stallman did not seek re-election after

serving as AFBF President for 16 years.

Long becomes Georgia Farm Bureau president

Photo

cre

dit:

Jennifer

Whitta

ker, G

eorg

ia F

arm

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Dean Kleckner from Iowa. Duvall and his

wife, Bonnie, have four children and three

grandchildren.

Following the results of the AFBF

election, Duvall resigned as president of

GFB. Therefore, Gerald Long of

Bainbridge, Georgia, becomes the new

president of GFB. Long has served as

GFB 1st vice president since 2008.

The GFB bylaws provide a

succession plan for the organization to fill

the office of president if it is vacated.

Long, who was serving as 1st vice

president, assumed the responsibilities of

GFB president effective Jan. 12. He will

serve as GFB president until December 6,

2016, at which time GFB members will

elect the next GFB president during their

annual convention. Long is eligible to run

for the position if he chooses.

Long is a diversified farmer who

raises cattle and grows peanuts,

vegetables, corn, cotton, hay, small grains

and timber with his family on their farm

near Bainbridge. He was first elected to

the GFB Board of Directors in December

1999 as a GFB 9th District director

representing 14 counties in Southwest

Georgia. In 2006, GFB voting delegates

in the 53 counties in GFB’s South Region

elected Long as GFB South Georgia vice

president. GFB voting delegates statewide

have designated Long to serve as GFB 1st

vice president each year since 2008.

“Georgia Farm Bureau is an

organization that represents all of Georgia

agriculture. We communicate with our

elected officials on the local, state and

national level to voice the needs of

agriculture and advocate for the farmer,”

Long says. “ While I served as 1st vice

president I had the opportunity to

represent all of Georgia and travel all over

the state and meet county Farm Bureau

leaders in their respective counties. Even

though we may grow different

commodities, we pretty much have the

same issues. Serving as 1st vice president

gave me an opportunity to see those

issues and work through them to try to

make it better for the farmers back on the

farm. I will continue to do this as Georgia

Farm Bureau president.”

Following Long becoming the new

GFB president, Robert Fountain Jr. of

Emanuel County, who has served as the

GFB Middle Georgia vice president for a

total of 15 years, was designated by the

GFB Board of Directors to serve as the

organization’s 1st vice president until

December 6, 2016, at which time GFB

members will designate the next GFB 1st

vice president during their annual

convention. Fountain is eligible to run for

the position if he chooses.

Founded in 1937, Georgia Farm

Bureau is the state’s largest general farm

organization. t

Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) President Gerald Long, right, and GFB 1st Vice President Robert

Fountain Jr. begin new leadership roles for the organization effective Jan. 12 after former GFB

President Zippy Duvall was elected president of the American Farm Bureau Federation during the

97th Annual AFBF Convention in Orlando, Fla. on Jan. 12. Long previously served as GFB 1st vice

president and GFB South Georgia vice president. In addition to serving as GFB 1st vice president,

Fountain will continue to serve as GFB Middle Georgia vice president.

American Farm Bureau Federation President

Zippy Duvall is congratulated by his wife, Bonnie

(above right), following his election as president.

Pictured left is the Duvall family on hand during

the election on Jan. 12, 2016, Orlando, Fla.

BY JOY CROSBY

Three Georgia Peanut Commission board

seats were filled without opposition recently at

nomination meetings. District 2 Director Armond

Morris of Irwin County, District 4 Director

Rodney Dawson of Pulaski County and District 5

Director Donald Chase will each serve another

three-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2016. They

were all renominated without opposition during

meetings held Dec. 21 and 22, 2015. The

meetings were conducted by Georgia Farm

Bureau.

Thousands of consumers who attended

the annual Peanut Butter Festival in

Brundidge, Alabama, were treated to samples

of fresh grilled peanut butter and jelly sand-

wiches. Staff members from Alabama Peanut

Producers Association joined the city to cele-

brate this tasty and nutritious product that is

result of a home grown commodity – peanuts.

The Georgia Peanut Commission

continues its education mission by

attending ag days and schools to help

educate children about agriculture,

specifically how peanuts grow and the

nutritional qualities of peanuts and

peanut butter. Throughout the fall of

2015, GPC attended the ag day or

career day in Bleckely County and

Lowndes County, and supplied peanuts

and educational materials to ag teach-

ers throughout the state of Georgia.

The Georgia Peanut Commission

also hosted first and third grade students last fall from Len Lastinger

Elementary School in Tifton, Georgia, for a day of peanut education. The

students visited the GPC headquarters and learned more about the history of

peanuts, how peanuts grow and nutrition. The students also played some nutty

games and were able to plant their very own peanut seed.

Photos from all of these events are available on the GPC website at

gapeanuts.com.


Checkoff ReportInvestments Made by Growers for the Future of the Peanut Industry.

Georgia Peanut Commission educates children about peanuts

Alabama Peanut Producers Association promotes peanuts at

Brundidge Peanut Butter Festival

The Georgia Peanut Commission’s National

Peanut Board Co-Promotion took place during

the months of November and December. GPC

started with a Pandora Radio ad that began in

mid-November and continued throughout the

holiday season. This ad targeted millennial

females in the Atlanta metro area and ran for 30

days. The ad’s key messaging included NPB’s

Perfectly Powerful Peanut platform and

promoted giving the power of peanuts

throughout the holiday season. The ad also

encouraged listeners to visit the GPC online gift

shop to make purchases and provided a click-

through link directing listeners to the online gift

shop.

To compliment the Pandora ad, GPC also

hosted a social media campaign on Facebook,

Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Through these

platforms, GPC promoted giving the power of

peanuts during the holidays through gifting

peanuts, peanut novelty items, peanut

recipes/dishes, as well as donations to

organizations, such as Peanut Butter for the

Hungry. To increase engagement with

millennials, GPC hosted a photo contest with

the campaign and encouraged viewers to post a

photo of how they were giving the power of

peanuts and share the photo on social media

using #GivePeanuts and #PeanutPower. The

photo contest winner was awarded with a Fitbit

Flex, an item popular amongst millennials to

track fitness and nutrition habits.

Georgia promotes peanuts through

Pandora and social media

The Mississippi Peanut Growers Association sponsored the Mississippi

Diabetes Foundation Walks in Hattiesburg, Jackson and Meridian. This is the

fifth year MPGA has sponsored the walks held annually in October. The

MPGA tent exhibit featured the peanut industry’s slogan “The Perfectly

Powerful Peanut” and #peanutpower across the canopy. MPGA also distributed

complimentary bags of roasted peanuts and educational materials.

According to Malcolm Broome, MPGA executive director, the presence of

“Buddy McNutty” from the National Peanut Board helped to bring a crowd of

attendees by the booth. All participants in the walk received educational

information on peanuts and diabetes and a t-shirt with the MPGA logo. All the

walks had an estimated attendance of approximatel 4,000 consumers.

According to Broome, the goal of this 5-year sponsorship by MPGA is to show

some of 392,000 citizens of Mississippi with diabetes that peanuts and peanut

butter should be a staple in their daily routine.

Mississippi Peanut Growers sponsor Diabetes Walks

Morris, Chase and Dawson renominated

for Georgia Peanut Commission board

Jessie Bland, GPC staff, teaches students

from Bleckley County Elementary School

about peanuts during the school’s ag and

career day.

Caleb Bristow,

APPA executive

director, grills up

one of the many

batches of

Grilled PB&J

sandwiches dur-

ing the festival in

Brundidge, Ala.

The Alabama Peanut

Producers Association

(APPA) recently donated

11,220 jars of peanut but-

ter to three food banks

within the state. The

donations were made

possible by the check-off

dollars APPA receives

from the approximately

1,200 peanut growers in

the state and Peanut

Proud, a non-profit

organization created to

assist in humanitarian

relief efforts. Facilities in

Alabama receiving the

peanut butter include the

Wiregrass Area United Way Food Bank in

Dothan, Montgomery Area Food Bank in

Montgomery and Bay Area Food Bank in

Theodore, Alabama.

The Mississippi Peanut Growers

Association and Peanut Proud donated

10,080 jars of peanut butter to the

Mississippi Food Network

in Jackson, Mississippi, in

October.

“Mississippi Food

Network is pleased to be

partnering with the

Mississippi Peanut Growers

Association,” says Charles

Beaty, CEO of Mississippi

Food Network. “Peanut

butter is a staple food item

for many families and one

that is a great benefit to our

food bank, our member

agencies and the clients

they serve.”

The network feeds

150,000 people a month

and was very appreciative of the donation.

The Mississippi Food Network is the only

food bank located in the state and last

year they distributed over 19.5 million

pounds of food. The delivery of the

peanut butter was promoted in print

media across the state plus a video was

filmed by the Friday Night Under the

Lights crew and added to their website at

FNUTL.com. MPGA is a sponsor of their

high school football program.

Their website is www.msfoodnet.org

where you can learn more about the net-

work.

The APPA, MPGA and Peanut Proud

would like to thank Southern Ag Carriers,

Inc. for providing the delivery of peanut

butter to each facility.

The Florida Peanut

Producers Association and

Southern Peanut Growers

partnered again this year to

bring peanuts center stage at

the Southern Women’s

Show in Jacksonville,

Florida. Approximately

35,000 people attended the

4-day show held in October

2015.

The popular

Jacksonville event attracts

more than 1,400 vendors

including The Taste of

Home Cooking Schools,

Wine and Canvas painting

parties in addition to all the

returning favorites.

FPPA offered sampling

opportunities at the exhibit

which included roasted

peanuts, peanut butter and

peanut butter toffee dip. FPPA

also provided recipe cards

and brochures as well as

literature on the healthful

benefits of consuming

peanuts and peanut products.

On the cooking stage, FPPA

staff prepared and served

Beef Kabobs with Peanut

Sauce and a side dish of

Asian Peanut Slaw.


Reports from the:Alabama Peanut Producers AssociationFlorida Peanut Producers AssociationGeorgia Peanut CommissionMississippi Peanut Growers Association

Alabama and Mississippi Peanut Associations donate peanut

butter to food banks across the state

Florida Peanut Producers and Southern Peanut Growers exhibit at

Southern Women’s Show in Jacksonville

Ken Barton, FPPA executive

director, talks about peanut

production in Florida as he

prepares Beef Kabobs with

Peanut Sauce and Asian

Peanut Slaw on the cooking

stage during the Southern

Women's Show in

Jacksonville, Fla.

Florida Peanut Producers

Association exhibit at Central

Florida Peanut Festival

The Florida

Peanut Producers

Association

recently attended

and exhibited at

the Central

Florida Peanut

Festival in

Williston,

Florida. This day

to celebrate the

peanut was start-

ed 27 years ago

by local peanut

farmers. Some 15 years ago the

Williston Area Chamber of Commerce

began to manage the festival and

coordinate the activities.

The Festival has grown to more

than 11,000 attendees visiting more

than 140 vendors. All things peanut

were enjoyed by the attendees. The

wonderful smell of boiled peanuts,

fried peanuts, roasted peanuts, grilled

peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,

peanut brittle, and a wide assortment

of peanut candy, pies and cakes filled

the air and gave excitement to festival

goers. The Planters Peanut Mobile

made its way along the parade route

and then Mr. Peanut visited with the

crowd.

Ken Barton, executive

director of FPPA and

wife Rhonda visit with

Mr. Peanut at the

Central Florida Peanut

Festival.

The Alabama Peanut Producers

Association donated peanut butter

to foodbanks in Dothan,

Montgomery and Theodore.

Pictured left to right at the Dothan

delivery are David Hanks, execu-

tive director, Wiregrass Area

United Way Food Bank; Caleb

Bristow, APPA executive director,

and peanut growers George

Jeffcoat of Gordon, Ala., and

Thomas Adams of Newville, Ala.


State, federal and private peanutbreeding programs are actively involvedin the development of improved varietieswith desirable traits for increasing dollarvalue, yield, grade, disease resistance,insect resistance, virus resistance, nema-tode resistance, aflatoxin resistance,drought tolerance, better shelling char-acteristics, longer shelf-life, andenhanced flavor and nutritional quali-ties.

“Possibly, no other single researcheffort can benefit the whole peanutindustry as much as an improved vari-ety,” says Bill Branch, University ofGeorgia peanut breeder.

In the U.S., there are four peanutmarket types (runner, virginia, spanish,and valencia), and within each markettype, there are different varieties. Thevarieties contained in this guidebookreflect those varieties commonly plantedin the Southeast and those varietiesrecommended by agronomists for thisarea due to resistance to tomato spottedwilt virus (TSWV).

Variety selection is an importantprocess in the overall management of thefarm. This guidebook serves as aresource for growers when they select avariety for the 2016 crop year.

Runner TypeFlorida-07 is a medium-late (140±

days) runner market-type peanut with run-

ner growth habit. It was released from the

University of Florida, North Florida

Research and Education Center in

Marianna, Florida, in 2006. It has shown

excellent yield potential (7000+ lbs/A)

with good grades. Seed of Florida-07 is

similar in size to C-99R and for this rea-

son, gypsum is recommended. It has good

to excellent resistance to TSWV with

some white mold resistance, and tolerance

to leafspot. Florida-07 has high oleic

(80±%) oil chemistry with good to excel-

lent roasting, blanching and processing

characteristics.

FlorunTM ‘107’ is a medium maturity

runner-type variety released by the

University of Florida, North Florida

Research and Education Center in

Marianna, Florida, in 2010. The seed size

of FlorunTM ‘107’ is slightly larger than

Georgia Greener and it produces a high

percentage of medium kernels in the grad-

ing process. FlorunTM ‘107’ has demon-

strated very good yields and grades with

good resistance to spotted wilt (TSWV)

and moderate resistance to white mold.

The maturity of FlorunTM ‘107’ is similar

to Georgia Green and requires about 135

days to maturity under irrigated condi-

tions in Florida. The oil of FlorunTM ‘107’

is high oleic and will help fill the need for

a medium-sized runner peanut seed with

high oleic oil chemistry.

Georgia Greener is a high-yielding,

TSWV-resistant, typical-seeded, runner-

type peanut variety that was released in

2006 by the University of Georgia Coastal

Plain Experiment Station in Tifton,

Georgia. Georgia Greener has a high level

of resistance to spotted wilt disease

caused by tomato spotted wilt virus

(TSWV) and CBR. In multi-location tests

conducted in Georgia during the past sev-

eral years, Georgia Greener was found to

have among the lowest disease incidence,

highest pod yield, highest TSMK grade,

and highest dollar value return per acre

compared to other runner-type varieties

tested each year. Georgia Greener has

darker green foliage, a typical runner seed

size, and a medium maturity similar to

Georgia Green.

Georgia-06G is a high-yielding,

TSWV-resistant, large-seeded, runner-

type peanut variety that was released in

2006 by the University of Georgia,

Coastal Plain Experiment Station in

Tifton, Ga. Georgia-06G has a high level

of resistance to TSWV. In multilocation

tests conducted in Georgia during the past

several years, Georgia-06G was found to

have among the lowest disease incidence,

highest pod yield, highest TSMK grade,

and highest dollar value return per acre

compared to other runner-types tested

each year. Georgia-06G combines high

TSWV resistance with medium maturity

and excellent yield and high TSMK grade

which results in greater dollar value

return per acre.

Georgia-07W is a high-yielding,

TSWV-resistant and white mold-resistant,

runner-type peanut variety that was

released in 2007 by the University of

Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station

in Tifton, Ga. Georgia-07W has a high

level of resistance to TSWV and to white

mold or stem rot. Georgia-07W combines

high TSWV and white mold resistance

with medium maturity and excellent yield,

grade, and dollar value return per acre.

Georgia-09B is a high-yielding,

high-oleic, TSWV-resistant, medium-

seeded, runner-type peanut variety that

was released in 2009 by the University of

Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station

in Tifton, Georgia. Georgia-09B has a

high level of resistance to spotted wilt

disease caused by TSWV. Georgia-09B

also has the high-oleic and low-linoleic

fatty acid ratio for improved oil quality

and longer shelf-life of peanut and peanut

products. Georgia-09B originated from

the first backcross made with Georgia

Green as the recurrent parent. It has an

intermediate runner growth habit and

medium maturity, similar to Georgia

Green. Georgia-09B has a medium runner

seed size as compared to the larger-seed-

ed, high-oleic, runner-type variety,

Florida-07. Georgia-09B combines the

excellent roasted flavor of Georgia Green

with the high-oleic trait for longer shelf-

life and improved oil quality of peanut

and peanut products.

Georgia-12Y is a high-yielding,

TSWV-resistant, white-mold resistant,

medium-seeded, runner-type peanut vari-

ety that was released in 2012 by the

Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations.

It was developed at the University of

Georgia, Coastal Plain Experiment Station

in Tifton, Ga. Georgia-12Y is similar to

another runner-type variety ‘Georgia-10T’

in having low TSWV disease incidence


Variety

2012 Yield

GA - Tifton1FL-Marianna,

Gainesville & JayAL-Headland2

Irrigated Dryland

Irrigated

Marianna &

Gainesville

Dryland

Runner

Florida-07 6286 5161 6250 5826

FloRunTM ‘107’ 5530 4460 6590 4792

Georgia Greener 5158 5147 5328 5463

Georgia-06G 5614 5924 5902 6026

Georgia-07W 5974 4734 6301 6262

Georgia-09B 5651 5288 5969 5227

Georgia-12Y 5974 6162 - -

Georgia-13M 5696 5037 - -

Tifguard 5239 5475 5714 5790

TUFRunnerTM ‘297’ - - 6607 -

TUFRunnerTM ‘511’ - - 6429 -

TUFRunnerTM ‘727’ 5400 4280 6098 -

Table 1: Official State Variety Yield Dataand total disease incidence. However, during several

years averaged over multilocation tests in Georgia,

Georgia-12Y had significantly higher pod yield and

higher dollar value return per acre compared to

Georgia-10T. Georgia-12Y also has a smaller seed

size (greater number of seed per pound) than

Georgia-10T.

During 2012, Georgia-12Y and Georgia-10T

were compared to two other new runner-type vari-

eties over multilocation tests in Georgia. Georgia-

12Y and Georgia-10T were both found to have

among the best overall performance compared to

FloRunTM ‘107’ and TUFRunnerTM ‘727’. Georgia-

12Y should be an excellent variety for an earlier

planting (April) option in the southeast because of its

high TSWV and white mold-resistance and later

maturity.

Georgia-13M is a high-yielding, high-oleic,

TSWV-resistant, small-seeded, runner-type peanut

variety that was released in 2013 by the Georgia

Agricultural Experiment Stations. It was developed at

the University of Georgia, Coastal Plain Experiment

Station in Tifton, Georgia. Georgia-13M is similar to

other high-oleic, runner-type varieties in having high-

oleic and low-linoleic fatty acid profiles. However,

during several years averaged over multilocation tests

in Georgia, Georgia-13M had significantly less total

disease incidence and greater dollar value return per

acre compared to four other high-oleic, runner-type

varieties. Georgia-13M was also found to have a

smaller runner seed size as compared to these larger

high-oleic runner-type varieties which should save

growers in seed cost.

Tifguard is a high-yielding, medium-maturity,

runner market-type peanut variety. It was jointly

released by the USDA-ARS and the University of

Georgia. It is the first peanut variety with a high level

of resistance to both the peanut root-knot nematode

and TSWV. Tifguard has a runner-type growth habit

with dark green foliage and a prominent main stem.

It has demonstrated very good yields and grades

when tested with no nematode pressure in tests in

Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and South Carolina.

When tested in fields with high nematode pressure it

has demonstrated very good yields and grades with-

out the use of nematicides. Tifguard also has a mod-

erate level of resistance to leaf spot.

TUFRunnerTM ‘297’ is an extra-large seeded

runner-type peanut with high oleic oil chemistry

developed by the University of Florida, North Florida

Research and Education Center in Marianna, Florida.

It was released in 2014. TUFRunnerTM ‘297’ has

demonstrated very good resistance to white mold,

good resistance to TSWV and is susceptible to leaf

spots. Yield and grade of TUFRunnerTM ‘297’have

been excellent. It has a prominent center stem with a

semi prostrate growth habit. Seed supply will be limited to production of

Foundation and Registered seed in 2016.

TUFRunnerTM ‘511’ is a a large seeded, medium maturity runner-

type peanut with high oleic oil chemistry. The University of Florida, North

Florida Research and Education Center in Marianna, Florida released

TUFRunnerTM ‘511’ peanut in July 2013. It has very good resistance to

white mold, moderate resistance to TSWV, and is susceptible to leaf spots.

Yield and grade of TUFRunnerTM ‘511’ have been excellent. The seed size

is similar to Georgia-06G with a similar out-turn of medium, number one

and jumbo kernels. The growth habit of TUFRunnerTM ‘511’ is prostrate

with a good center stem. The seed supply for 2016 will be limited.

TUFRunnerTM ‘727’ is a medium to medium maturity, high oleic,

runner market type peanut cultivar with very good resistance to white

mold, resistance to TSWV and some resistance to late leaf spot developed

by the University of Florida, North Florida Research and Education Center

in Marianna, Florida. It has a prostrate, runner growth habit with large

vines and medium large runner seed size. Yield and grade of TUFRunnerTM

‘727’ have been excellent. The prefix “TUF” is an acronym for The

University of Florida from which it was released in 2011. TUFRunnerTM

‘727’ was developed at the North Florida Research and Education Center

in Marianna, Florida. t


2013 Yield 2014 Yield 2015 Yield

GA - Tifton1FL-Marianna &

Gainesville

AL-

Headland2GA - Tifton1

FL-Marianna,

Gainesville &

Jay

AL -

Headland2GA - Tifton1

FL -Marianna,

Gainesville,

Jay & Live Oak

AL -

Headland2

Irrigated Dryland

Irrigated

Marianna &

Gainesville

Irrigated Dryland Irrigated Dryland

Irrigated

Marianna &

Gainesville

Irrigated Dryland Irrigated Dryland Irrigated Irrigated Dryland

5151 5119 5408 4828 6244 5739 4113 5344 6153 3439 5049 5696 6387 6516 3666

5388 4834 5258 5962 4683 5928 4155 5637 5754 3621 5091 5596 6210 6788 5862

5031 5016 5262 6398 5273 5877 4242 5692 5881 3131 5654 6241 - - -

5264 5291 5525 6870 5409 6026 4562 6176 5844 3748 5572 6885 6906 7442 6697

5324 5369 5360 6089 5209 5743 4583 6595 6280 3585 5866 5793 - - -

5118 4548 5359 6062 5909 6140 3031 5930 5899 3222 5515 6428 6106 6752 5754

5838 5880 5963 6579 5971 7058 4837 6416 5699 3113 5288 5999 6620 7115 7042

5149 5203 - - - 5372 4449 5928 5527 2986 6123 6407 6196 6389 6389

5460 4628 4783 5663 4556 5676 4262 5570 5617 3258 4858 5611 6044 6371 5009

- - 5780 - - 5964 4336 6305 - - 5357 6253 6938 7587 6607

- - 5569 - - 5930 4881 6274 6334 3603 4998 6059 6514 7133 5990

5149 5143 5386 6207 5481 5724 4773 5509 6461 3694 5100 5811 6559 6570 5899

Table 1: The data above contains the yield results from the 2012-2015 state variety trials by the University of Georgia in Tifton, Ga.,

North Florida Research and Education Center in Marianna, Gainesville, Jay and Live Oak, Fla. and Auburn University Wiregrass

Research and Extension Center in Headland, Ala. 1 - Complete Test data is available online at www.swvt.uga.edu.

2 - Complete Test data is available online at www.aaes.auburn.edu/peanutvarietyreports.

City Starkville Beaumont Stoneville Overall Average

Variety lbs/A lbs/A lbs/A lbs/A

Florida 07 3381 3790 4204 3792

FloRunTM ‘107’ 3297 3040 4611 3649

Georgia-06G 3261 2978 4726 3655

Georgia-09B 3449 2205 4152 3269

Georgia-12Y 3544 3540 5165 4083

Georgia-13M 3311 4066 4777 4051

Georgia-14N 3015 3079 3835 3310

Tifguard 3126 2281 3975 3127

TUFRunnerTM 297 3631 3598 4649 4079

TUFRunnerTM ‘511’ 3409 2701 4904 3671

TUFRunnerTM ‘727’ 3403 3114 4322 3613

2015 Mississippi Peanut Yield DataPeanut Seed Seminar

Sponsored by the:American Peanut Shellers Association

Georgia Peanut CommissionSouthern Peanut Farmers Federation,

The Peanut Foundation

Georgia Peanut Farm Show &

ConferenceJan. 21, 2016 - 10:35 to 11:35 a.m.

University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference

Center, Tifton, Georgia

View video of the presenations online at

gapeanuts.com following the show.

AL/FL Peanut Trade ShowFeb. 11, 2016

Following luncheon at noon

National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds

Dothan, Alabama


New varieties released forSoutheastern growers

Georgia-14N is a new

high-yielding, high-oleic,

TSWV-resistant, and RKN-

resistant, small-seeded, runner-

type peanut variety that was

released in 2014 by the

Georgia Agricultural

Experiment Stations. It was

developed at the University of

Georgia, Coastal Plain

Experiment Station in Tifton.

Georgia-14N is similar to other high-oleic, runner-type vari-

eties in having high-oleic and low-linoleic fatty acid profiles.

However, during three-years averaged over multilocation tests in

Georgia, Georgia-14N had significantly less TSWV and total dis-

ease incidence and higher yield, grade, and dollar value return per

acre compared to Tifguard. Limited seed supplies will be avail-

able for Georgia-14N in the 2016 planting season. Georgia-14N

combines high-yield, tomato spotted wilt virus resistance and root

knot nematode resistance with smaller seed size, and the high-

oleic trait for longer shelf-life and improved oil quality of peanut

and peanut products.

FlorunTM ‘157’ is a medium maturity, high oleic, runner-type

variety released by the University of Florida, North Florida

Research and Education Center in Marianna, Florida, in 2015. It

has small runner seed similar to Georgia Green and produces a

high percent percentage of medium kernels in the grading

process. FlorunTM ‘107’ has moderate resistance to spotted wilt

and late leaf spot similar to Georgia-06G and is susceptible to

white mold, similar to Georgia-09B. It matures in about 140 days

under irrigation in Marianna, Florida. Its yield potential and grade

have been excellent. Seed supply of FloRunTM ‘157’ is limited

to seed increase and likely will not be available for commercial

production until after the 2017 season.

TifNV-High O/L is a new

high oleic peanut variety

developed and released by

USDA-Agricultural Research

Service peanut breeder Corley

Holbrook. It’s a new high

oleic version of the nematode

resistant Tifguard that

Holbrook released several

years ago.

The new variety offers high yields, nematode resistance, a

high concentration of oleic acid, resistance to spotted wilt virus,

moderate resistance to leaf spot and medium maturity.

TifNV-High O/L resulted from a cross between Tifguard and

the Florida-07 varieties. Holbrook worked with University of

Georgia researchers Peggy Ozias-Akins and Ye Chu in using

molecular markers for nematode resistance and the high O/L trait.

Using the molecular markers, they were able to greatly speed up

the process of developing the new variety. t

TifNV-High O/L

Georgia-14N


Although peanuts are a very

efficient crop in terms of

water use, they demand a

lot of water during certain

plant growth periods. To make good

yields, the crop will use about 25 inches

of water from the time of planting until

harvesting.

Droughts have caused 43 percent

yield losses in the U.S. during the past 50

years, according to Virginia Tech

scientists. Drought losses are especially

large in non-irrigated fields, and about 65

percent of the U.S. peanut acreage is not

irrigated.

It’s little wonder that many scientists

are looking at genetics to make peanuts

more efficient in the use of water. And

they’re making some headway in the

search for more drought tolerant peanuts.

Developing drought tolerant varieties

will take some time. That’s because

drought tolerance is a complex trait. No

one or two genes will solve the challenge

of drought resistance. Developing new

drought tolerant varieties will take many

years, even with marker assisted selection

that speeds up the breeding process.

And for farmers in the Southeast, any

new drought tolerant varieties will also

need to yield under normal rainfall or

irrigation with the best widely grown

varieties such as Georgia-06G. While

drought tolerant varieties would be

important for use in the Southeast, the

need for such peanuts is even greater in

the Southwest where drought seems to be

a persistent and ongoing concern.

Also, most widely grown peanut

varieties have good tolerance to short

term droughts of a few weeks or less.

As to the progress in recent years,

scientists in Texas have identified four

molecular markers associated with tran-

spiration efficiency. This is the kind of

information plant breeders can use with

marker-assisted selection to develop

peanut plants that have the ability to

squeeze more growth and yields from a

limited amount of water.

The research in Texas is also showing

that differences in plant canopy

temperatures are often associated with

susceptibility to drought and the ability to

overcome drought.

Likewise, studies by University of

Georgia scientists have shown that lower

canopy temperatures indicates that plant

respiration is lower, and as a result, the

plants are better able to withstand the

stress that comes with drought.

A drought tolerant peanut variety

may be one that produces more flowers,

or one that grows at a shorter height

under the stress of drought.

Studies in Virginia using rainout

shelters to impose a severe drought found

that a breeding line yielded three times as

much as a widely grown Virginia type

variety.

Studies at Auburn University in

Alabama are targeting peanuts growing

during mid-season droughts. These

studies also took place with 149 lines of

runner peanuts in rainout shelters.

Results showed that a measurable

trait called specific leaf area was closely

associated with drought tolerance and

yields. In essence, plants with thicker

leaves were the most drought tolerant.

These lines should also provide

valuable genes for breeders to use in

developing drought tolerant varieties.

All of these studies are basically

showing that there is a lot of genetic

diversity in the ability of peanuts to

withstand and overcome the effects of

drought. And genetic diversity is the

lifeblood of plant breeding programs.

Drought tolerance is one of the goals

of the peanut breeding program jointly

conducted by Auburn University and the

USDA’s National Peanut Research

Laboratory in Dawson, Ga.

Marshall Lamb with the USDA-

Agricultural Research Service at the

Dawson Lab says this breeding program

has discovered three genes associated

with drought tolerance. “Drought toler-

ance is important for dryland and for irri-

gated producers,” Lamb says.

Before he left his position with The

Peanut Foundation earlier in 2015,

Howard Valentine encouraged and worked

closely with the Peanut Genome

Initiative. He said molecular markers for

drought tolerance are among the

important traits that should soon be

available to peanut breeders. He noted

that peanut plant collections from India

have provided much information on

drought tolerance.

Likewise, Valentine noted that

varieties from China seem to have great

resistance to aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is more

likely to be a problem during years when

heat and drought occur during the latter

part of the growing season, especially

during the last three to six weeks prior to

harvest.

In the Southeast and elsewhere, the

real damage from drought depends in

large part on when the drought takes

place. In Georgia, for example, peanuts

can often recover from a drought that

occurs during July. But a drought during

August may be catastrophic.

Drought tolerance for some varieties

may come from breeding for a shorter

growing season. For instance, a new

variety two weeks earlier in maturity than

the widely grown varieties should allow

peanuts to escape much of the damage

that comes from drought. Short-season

varieties would also allow for

doublecropping peanuts that are planted

after harvesting wheat.

Varieties that grow and yield well

with a limited amount of water would

benefit the entire peanut industry. t

Drought TolerantPeanuts in the Future

BY JOHN LEIDNER


Superior root growth is a great

trait to have in a peanut

plant. Peanut scientists have

long been interested in char-

acterizing peanut root growth and how it

can help the plant cope with stress.

For instance, scientists 30 or more

years ago suggested that extensive roots

help peanut plants tolerate drought. Then,

studies during the 1990s confirmed that

peanut lines yielding well during drought

were able to withstand stress because of

large root systems. Studies 20 years ago

showed that high yields came from peanut

plants with deep roots.

Now, there’s renewed interest by

peanut scientists in looking at peanut

roots. For instance, Craig Kvien at the

University of Georgia Tifton Campus is

looking for peanut varieties and breeding

lines with superior root growth. He says

root growth is influenced by soil condi-

tions, seed size and seed maturity.

Kvien points out that peanut roots do

not grow to reach pockets of water in the

soil, but rather roots grow where water is

already present in the soil.

There is also a direct relationship

between the weight of the roots and the

size of the above-ground plants. Kvien

has evaluated 20 lines of peanut plants.

After two years of testing, the top two

lines with the best roots were the same

during both years. Kvien also hopes to

identify genetic links that will allow the

planting of peanuts with deeper and

stronger roots.

At the University of Florida, graduate

student Brendan Zurweller is studying

root architecture in response to different

amounts of irrigation. He used a small

rhizotron or root tubes to analyze roots

for length and diameter along with the

growth of tap roots and lateral roots.

He found that the breeding line COC

041 had deep rooting depth, similar to

that seen in the TUFRunner 511 variety.

In general, he observed that the Valencia

type peanuts in his trial produced a more

fibrous root architecture which could be a

beneficial trait for exploring more soil

volume.

In his studies, deficit or supplemental

irrigation produced better rooting than did

full irrigation. He found the best rooting

occurred when 60 percent of full irriga-

tion was applied.

Diane Rowland, University of Florida

agronomist, says it is exciting to be able

to identify peanut genotypes that may

have the ability to lift water from deep in

the soil for use during days when the

weather is dry.

Root plasticity is the ability of the

roots to alter their normal response to

stresses such as drought. The new studies

of roots are designed in large part to iden-

tify which peanut breeding lines can con-

tribute genes that will allow peanuts to

become more drought tolerant. t

Meanwhile, growers can improve

peanut rooting depth on their own when

they include sod for grazing in their crop

rotations.

University of Florida agronomist

David Wright says that strip till planting

will help plants produce deeper roots. In

his studies, using a sod-based rotation

produced 7,000 pounds of peanuts per

acre with the Georgia-06G variety, with a

profit of about $700 per acre. Wright says

the profit from one year of peanuts in a

sod-based rotation will equal the money

made over five years with continuous peanuts. Sod-based non-irrigated peanuts pro-

duce yields as good as irrigated peanuts following two years of cotton, according to

Wright.

Root systems are deeper when peanuts are planted following a grazing crop such

as bahiagrass, according to Wright. Infrared and thermal images taken of the peanuts

showed that peanut plants grown following bahiagrass were cooler during the hot

summer months when compared to peanuts following conventional rotation crops

such as cotton. Wright says this is due to the tremendous root systems of the peanuts

following grazing.

“If you graze cattle, your roots grow deeper and faster than they would after

other cover crops,” Wright says. “Try cattle in your peanut rotation, even if you have

to use cattle from your neighbors.” t

Root work for drought tolerant genetics

BY JOHN LEIDNER

Craig Kvien, University of Georgia, hopes to identify genetic links that will allow the planting of

peanuts with deeper and stronger roots. The new studies are designed to identify which peanut

breeding lines can contribute genes that will allow peanuts to become more drought tolerant.

How farmers can improve peanut roots

A field of peanuts being harvested. The

peanuts were strip tilled behind winter grazing

which was overseeded into killed bahiagrass

the previous fall. The peanuts yielded 7,000+

pounds per acre.

Photos & video of seminars will be available online following the show at

www.gapeanuts.com.

January 21, 2016

UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center

Tifton, Georgia

Special Review

Distinguished Service Award - Jerry Chandler The Distinguished Service Award is presented to Jerry Chandler, CEO of McCleskey Mills.

In 1978, Chandler joined his brother Tom Chandler, who had purchased a small Americus business with a

negative net worth four years earlier. Chandler came on board as vice-president and part owner of the

operation, McCleskey Mills, Inc. Over the next five years the brothers and their partners grew the business

and built a new shelling plant in Smithville to replace the outdated and dilapidated plant in Americus. The

Smithville facility opened in 1983 and is still the site of the corporate office of McCleskey Mills, a shelling

and farmer-stock storage facility. Ten years after the Smithville plant was operational, Chandler succeeded his

brother Tom as the President of the company. With a strong support system that had been established in the

eighties and early nineties, Chandler led the way for McCleskey to establish itself as a leader and promoter of

Southeastern U.S. peanuts. Since joining the company in 1978, Chandler has been involved in nearly every facet of the business.

During his 36 years in the peanut shelling business, Chandler has found time to be active in the Southeast Peanut Association,

now American Peanut Shellers Association. He served as president of the organization in 1986. Chandler served on numerous

committees and chaired four, including the Committee on Peanut Marketing Agreement. He was a member of the APSA Executive

Committee from 1982-2000 and of the Board of Directors from 2000-2004. He continues to be a valuable resource for the shelling

segment of the industry and has many friends in all segments of the industry.

In 2006 Chandler assumed the chairmanship of McCleskey, and in 2011, he and his partners nearly doubled their company’s

shelling capacity after purchasing Doster Warehouse from partners Jack and Norma Chastain located in Rochelle, Georgia.

Chandler has also been generous to his community. He has been a member of the Dawson Rotary Club and has served on the

Advisory Committee of Terrell Academy and is currently on the Board of Directors for both the Bank of Terrell and the Bank of Lee

County. He is a member of the First Baptist Church in Dawson where he and his wife, Cheryl, reside today. They have three children

(Chad with wife Cathie, Chevin with son-in-law George and Kendall with son-in-law, Anthony) and six grandchildren (Hayden,

Collins, Carson, Parker, Madison and Chandler).

Special Award - Zippy DuvallThe Georgia Peanut Special Award is presented to Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau

Federation. Duvall was elected to serve a two-year term as AFBF president during the organization’s annual

meeting on Jan. 12, 2016. Duvall previously served as president of the Georgia Farm Bureau. Prior to being

elected GFB president, he served on the GFB Board of Directors representing the fourth district.

In addition to serving as president of Georgia Farm Bureau Federation and its affiliate companies, he is a

member of the Greene County Farm Bureau board of directors, a member of the board of directors of the

American Farm Bureau and Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company based in Jackson, Mississippi. He

has also received various distinguished honors and recognitions including Georgia Agri-Leaders, Georgia

Dairy Family of the Year, Georgia Distinguished Co-operator and Greene County Agri-business of the Year.

He and his wife, Bonnie, operate a 300 brood cow beef operation, and are poultry producers, producing about 750,000 broiler

chickens each year. Together they have four children and three grandchildren. The Duvall’s are members of New Hope Baptist

Church where he serves as a deacon.

Export Award – Stephanie GrunenfelderThe Georgia Peanut Export Award is presented to Stephanie Grunenfelder, senior vice president of the

American Peanut Council, based in Alexandria, Virginia. She has been at the council since August of 2006 and

supervises export marketing programs on behalf of the peanut industry in Canada, Latin America and Asia and

manages the industry’s Peanut Butter for Hungry Initiative, which began in 2007. Before joining the council,

Grunenfelder was the director of nutrition research and education for the Mushroom Council and director of

marketing for the Florida Tomato Committee, both agricultural trade associations.

Grunenfelder has a master’s degree in Nutrition Education and completed the University of Florida’s

Leadership Program for Agriculture and Natural Resources in 1999. She has served on several committees

representing agricultural industries including the Produce for Better Health Foundation, the Produce Marketing

Association, and USDA’s Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee for Horticultural. Currently, she is serving as the chairman for the

U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council. She grew up on a soybean and corn farm in Indiana. Grunenfelder and her husband

Brian have three children and live in Northern Virginia.


Georgia Peanut Farm Show Award WinnersThe Georgia Peanut Commission presents the following awards to individuals who have contributed greatly to the peanut industry.The awards are presented during the Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference awards luncheon on Jan. 21, 2016 at theUniversity of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center.

Research and Education Award – Dr. Nathan SmithThe Georgia Peanut Research and Education Award is presented to Dr. Nathan Smith, professor and

Extension economist in Agribusiness Production with Clemson University. He is located at the Sandhills

Research and Education Center in Columbia, South Carolina, where he serves as Agribusiness Team Leader

and his major responsibilities are production economics and risk management of row crops.

Dr. Smith was an Extension economist with the University of Georgia prior to joining Clemson

University. He was located on the Tifton Campus in Tifton, Georgia where his major responsibilities were

production economics, marketing and policy for peanuts, feed grains, and soybeans. Dr. Smith was a member

of the UGA Peanut Team where he collaborated with production specialists and researchers on the economics

of peanut production. He was also a member of the Grains Team covering corn, soybeans and wheat. As part

of the teams he produced crop budgets and developed the crop comparison tool shortly after coming to Georgia.

He developed a successful marketing education and outlook program for peanuts, feed grains and soybeans. He developed

policy education programs since the beginning of the debate for the 2002 Farm Bill. During the last three farm bills, Dr. Smith was

an integral part of the Extension Ag Economics Farm Bill Education effort that includes a website, spreadsheet decision aid, and

many meetings with over 9,000 Georgians in attendance (producers, landlords, lenders and industry professionals). He has been an

invited speaker regionally and nationally on the implications of the peanut program on peanut profitability and peanut marketing.

Dr. Smith received the Farm Service Agency Administrator's Award for ensuring the Administration's goals were met in the

Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. As part of the National Extension Farm Bill Training Team he was also awarded

the Outstanding Public Issues Education Program Award for the National Extension Farm Bill Train-the-Trainer Program from the

Farm Foundation and the National Public Policy Education Committee in 2003. He received the State Extension Award from the

Georgia/Florida Soybean Association in 2015. Dr. Smith has also conducted several education programs on cooperatives for

producers including feasibility analyses of peanut marketing and shelling cooperative and, organic peanut production and processing

in Georgia. Dr. Smith’s most recent work focuses cost analyses of peanut production research results, market situation and outlook,

implementation of peanut revenue insurance, and implications of the 2014 Farm Bill.

Dr. Smith was Extension Marketing Specialist for row crops at the University of Arkansas before coming to the University of

Georgia. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Clemson University, Master of Science degree from Auburn University and

PhD from the University of Kentucky, all in agricultural economics. Dr. Smith was raised in Easley, South Carolina and met his

wife, Kim, while attending Clemson University. They have two sons Douglas and Daniel.

Media Award – Cairo Messenger and Sam SmithThe Georgia Peanut Media Award is presented to individuals or businesses for their outstanding commitment to the peanut

industry by providing vital information to peanut farmers and consumers in Georgia. The 2016 awards are presented to the Cairo

Messenger and Sam Smith, news photographer, for WALB in Albany, Ga.

The Cairo Messenger, founded in 1904, has been owned and operated by the Wind family

for 111 years. Currently, the fifth generation of the family is carrying on the tradition. With a

paid circulation of over 6,000 copies weekly, The Messenger is the trusted source for news and

advertising for Cairo, Grady County and the surrounding area. Grady County is known as one

of the most diversified farming sections in the nation and The Messenger has consistently focused on agriculture in this thriving

southwest Georgia community. Herbert S. Wind serves as president and Randolph H. Wind is editor and publisher. They are

supported by talented writers Mesha C. Wind and Darrell Mudra.

News photographer Sam Smith has worked for 55 years at WALB in Albany, Georgia. Smith started

working at WALB on October 1, 1960. When the station started covering local news a few months later, he

volunteered to shoot the film. He has seen many changes in his years from shooting 16 mm film to digital

video before his retirement in September 2015.

Smith also played a part in the Civil Rights movement by shooting iconic footage of Martin Luther King

and peaceful protests in Albany. He's covered just about every major story in South Georgia since then - from

Jimmy Carter's presidential run to the flood of 1994.

Smith set an example for many in news production and took a serious responsibility to serve the people of

South Georgia. He has seen incredible changes in technology over the years, but he always stayed on top of

advancements and shared his vast knowledge freely with generations of young journalists. Smith has also

received more than 40 awards for his photography journalism coverage from the Georgia Association of Broadcasters and Associated

Press.

He is married to Linda and they have two sons, Sikes and Bryan, who are employed in law enforcement. Smith plans to spend

more time playing golf and time with his grandson, Taylor. Smith is a member of First Methodist Church in Albany and an Eagle

Scout.


Congratulations to the 2016 Georgia Peanut Farm Show Award winners!

District 1 – Louie Grimes, Colquitt, GeorgiaThe District 1 winner is Louie Grimes of Colquitt, Ga. Grimes is fourth generation farmer who still farms

on original family farm land dating back to the 1860s. Grimes has farmed for fifty years on a small family

farm and has to micromanage the farm to make it work. His wife, Alma Jean, assisted him on the farm by

running the peanut dryers or delivering peanuts to the buying point. Prior to retiring in 2004, Grimes grew

peanuts, corn and watermelons. Today, Grimes manages pasture, hay, pecans and 50 head of beef cattle.

Grimes served for 30 years on the GFA Peanut Association as a board member, vice president and

chairman. He also served as an advisory board member for the Georgia Peanut Commission and represented

farmers on the National Peanut Growers Group and the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation. Grimes also

served on the Miller County Farm Bureau board and represented Miller County on the Flint River Soil and

Water Conservation District. Grimes is a member of Georgia Farm Bureau, Miller County Young Farmers and FFA Alumni. Grimes

served as a Georgia FFA state officer in 1953-54 and received his American FFA Degree. Grimes has also served as a Sunday school

teacher for twenty-five years at Thompson Freewill Baptist Church and serves as chair of the Board of Deacons.

Grimes enjoys hunting and fishing. He is most proud of his 11-point deer killed at the farm and the 39 pound striper fish he

caught at Lake Seminole in 1984. He also enjoys collecting arrowheads on the farm. The Grimes have one son, Mark and one

granddaughter, Kelsey who is married to Allen.

District 2 – Wavell Robinson, Pavo, Georgia The District 2 winner is Wavell Robinson of Pavo, Ga. Robinson’s grandfather moved to Pavo from

Americus and started farming in 1908. In 1960, Robinson began his college career at the University of Georgia

where he studied agricultural engineering. In 1963 Robinson, a third generation farmer, returned home to help

his dad farm the land. Today, Robinson grows peanuts, cotton, tobacco and watermelon on 2,000 acres.

Robinson helped start BCT Gin and served as the first president of the gin that serves Brooks, Colquitt

and Thomas counties. He stepped down as president for a few years and returned as the current president in

1990, where he has served for the past twenty-five years. Robinson has also served on the Georgia Cotton

Commission for nine years, The Brooks County Hospital Board for four years and the Farm Service Agency

for nine years.

Robinson served as president of the Brooks County Farm Bureau for six years and Director of the Southern-Southeastern Cotton

Growers Association. From 1986-1990, he served on the Georgia Boll Weevil Eradication Board for the state of Georgia. He has also

served as a deacon at Pavo Baptist Church for several years.

He is married to Darlene and they have two children, Regina and Brian. Regina and husband Steven have three children, Lewis,

Brooks and Peyton. Brian and wife Tracy have two children, Tyler and Rylee Claire. Robinson enjoys bird hunting with his three

dogs.

District 3 – James M. Dixon, Girard, GeorgiaThe District 3 winner is James M. Dixon of Girard, Ga. Dixon began farming in 1954 with his dad and

farmed with him for forty years. During that time, Dixon grew 1,800 acres of peanuts, cotton, corn, soybeans,

wheat and raised cattle and pigs.

Dixon served as president of the Georgia Corn Growers Association and as a board member for the

Georgia Peanut Producers Association, Georgia Soybean Board and the Georgia Federal State Inspection

Service. He also served on the Farm Service Agency board, Burke County FHA Board and Advisory Board for

the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Science. Dixon served on the Burke

County Board of Commissioners for 15 years, Association of County Commissioners of Georgia Board and

the National Association of Counties Board. He also served as ag advisor for the late Georgia Senator Paul

Coverdell and peanut advisor to the Secretary of Agriculture during the President Reagan’s administration.

Dixon was awarded the Region III Conservationist of the Year award in 1988 by the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation

Commission. He also participated in Leadership Development for Food and Ag Policy hosted by Kellogg’s.

Dixon is a member of the Rosemont Baptist Church in Waynesboro, Georgia. He is married to his wife Joanne and they have

three children, Joni, Rick and one son, Robert, who passed away earlier. They have five grandchildren, five great grandchildren and

one on the way.

Outstanding Georgia Peanut Farmer of theYear District Winners


District 4 – Sam Floyd Jr., Danville, GeorgiaThe 2015 District 4 winner is Sam Floyd Jr. of Danville, Georgia. He began farming in 1956 with a one

row tractor, a plow and two mules on rented land. During the 1960s, Floyd purchased around 50 acres of land

and has continued to grow the operation. His sons came on board in the 80s and 90s and the operation has

continued to grow to around 4,000 acres of row crop land of which they own over half. Floyd farms along with

his sons, Clay and David, and his nephew, Chris Meadows. Together they produce peanuts, cotton, corn and

beef cattle, in Twiggs and Bleckley counties.

Floyd has served on many agricultural boards and has fully supported the industry throughout his career.

He has served on the Georgia Cotton Commission advisory board, Farm Service Agency county committee for

Twiggs County, Region IV Soil and Water Conservation District Board since 1981 and the Twiggs County

Farm Bureau Board. He is a member of the Georgia Farm Bureau and has assisted the University of Georgia with cotton variety

trials. Floyd was honored in the Peanut Achievement Club in 1979 and has received the Twiggs County Young Farmer Award.

He has two children, Clay (Sherry) and David (Lianne), three grandchildren, Kyle, Tori and Lainey, and three

great-grandchildren, Emily, Rhett, and Olivia. Floyd resides on his family home place in Danville.

District 5 – Wilbur T. Gamble Jr., Dawson, GeorgiaThe District 5 winner is Wilbur T. Gamble Jr. of Dawson, Ga. Gamble began college at Abraham Baldwin

Agricultural College and then transferred to Georgia Southwestern College which allowed him to begin

farming with his dad since the college was closer to home. He began farming on his own in 1958.

Today the farm consists of 4,000 acres of cropland including peanuts, cotton, corn, soybeans and wheat.

The Gamble family received the Centennial Farm Award in 2001. The Georgia Centennial Farm Program was

developed in 1993 to distinguish family farms that have contributed to preserving Georgia's agricultural history

by maintaining working farms for more than 100 years.

Gamble was elected to Terrell County Board of Commissioners in 1969 and took office January 1, 1970,

and has served as chairman (elected at large) consecutively ever since. He currently serves on the Bank of

Dawson executive board. Gamble served on the Georgia Peanut Commission board for 24 years and 12 years as chairman. He also

served as chairman of the National Peanut Growers Group, president of the National Peanut Council in 1987-1988 and served on the

National Peanut Council export committee. He received the Master Farmer award from ABAC in 1974.

He is married to Lila and they have two children, Myra and T. Gamble III. T. is married to Cheryl and they have two children,

Layla and Wilbur Thomas Gamble IV. Gamble enjoys Georgia football and hunting and fishing.

Thanks to Agri Supply for sponsoring theOutstanding Georgia Peanut Farmer of theYear award and to BASF for sponsoring theOutstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer.

The Georgia Peanut Commission presents the Outstanding Georgia Peanut Farmer of the Year awards to one farmer in each of thecommission’s five districts. This award is designed to honor farmers who have given life-long devotion to peanut farming and whohave the passion, diligence, leadership and desire to see that the peanut industry in the state of Georgia continues to represent thehighest quality possible. The awards are presented during a breakfast held prior to the opening of the Georgia Peanut Farm Showand Conference on Jan. 21, 2016, at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center.

Check out the Georgia

Peanut Farm Show and Conference

UGA Peanut Team Seminar and Seed Seminar

presentations online at gapeanuts.com.

The presentations will be available following

the Georgia Peanut Farm Show and

Conference.


Thanks to Kelley Manufacturing Co. for sponsoring the Grand Door Prize Package and to Amadas Industries for sponsoring

the Grower Door Prize.

92.5 The Farm, WKZZ

ABAC

Adkinson Motorsports

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc.

Advanced Trailer

AgAmerica Lending

Agri Supply

Ag Technologies, LLC

Aimtrac

Alltech Crop Science

Amadas Industries

American International TN

American Peanut Council

Ameris Bank

AMVAC Chemical Corp.

Angus Energy

American Peanut Research & Education Society

Arysta LifeScience

Atlantic & Southern Equipment

BASF Corp.

Bayer CropScience

Central Life Sciences

Chandler Equipment

Colombo NA Inc.

Conger LP Gas/Propane Education & Research Council

Crustbuster Speed King Inc.

Domtec International, LLC

Dow AgroSciences

Dupont Crop Protection

Dupont Pioneer

Erickson's Forklifts, Inc.

Farm Credit Associations of Georgia

Fellowship of Christian Farmers

Fleming & Riles Insurance

Flint Ag & Turf

Florida Foundation Seed Producers, Inc.

Georgia Crop Improvement Assn.

Georgia Department of Agriculture

Georgia Development Authority

Georgia Farm Bureau

Georgia Federal-State Inspection Service

Georgia's Integrated Cultivar Release System

Georgia Organic Solutions

Georgia Peanut Commission

Golden Peanut Company

Greenleaf Technologies

Growers Mineral Solutions

Hannah Solar, LLC

Hays LTI

H.B.T. Supply Co.

Jager Pro

JLA International

Kelley Manufacturing Co.

Lasseter Equipment Group

Lindsay Corp.

Thanks to the 2016 Georgia Peanut Farm Show Exhibitors

LMC-Ag, LLC

Massey Logistics, LLC

Meherrin Ag & Chemical

Merrill Lynch

Microtherm, Inc.

Monsanto

Monsanto BioAg

Nachurs

National Peanut Board

National Peanut Buying Points Association

Newton Crouch

Nichino America Inc.

Nolin Steel

Peanut Proud, Inc.

Pearman Corp.

Peerless Mfg. Co.

PhytoGen Cottonseed

PNC Bank

Poly Tech Industries

Premium Peanut

P.W.B. Ag Consulting

Rainbow Mfg. Co.

Rick Heard Co.

Robert Hutson Ford & Ram

South Georgia Banking Company

Southeast Farm Press

Southeastern Peanut Farmer

Southeastern Pneumatic, Inc.

Southern AGCOM, Inc.

Southern Peanut Farmers Federation


Specialty Sales Co.

Sumner Ag Services, Inc.

Surefire Ag Systems

Sunbelt Ag Expo

Suwannee Hi-Cal

Syngenta

Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc.

The KBH Corporation

Peanut Foundation

The Peanut Grower

The Peanut Institute

Thrush Aircraft

Tyson Steel Building Products

Ubly Peanut Blade Mfg.

University of Georgia Peanut Team

University of Georgia Tifton Campus

U.S. Ag LLC

USDA-ARS Nat. Peanut Research Lab

USDA

U.S. Peanut PAC

Valent

Valley Irrigation

Verdesian Life Sciences

Walinga USA, Inc.

The American Peanut

Council celebrated a mile-

stone anniversary of 75

years in 2015. The anniver-

sary called for a special celebration held

during the APC’s Winter Conference,

Dec. 8-10, 2015, in Atlanta, Georgia. The

event brought back memories for some

while stories were shared and laughter

was heard around the room.

The American Peanut Council (APC)

was formed in 1997 through a merger of

the National Peanut Council and the

National Peanut Council of America. APC

is the only U.S. organization which repre-

sents all segments of the peanut industry

including peanut growers, shellers, prod-

uct manufacturers and allied industry

including brokers and international mem-

bers.

“I think the American Peanut Council

serves the entire industry extremely well,”

says John Powell, executive director of

the American Peanut Shellers Association.

“Not only is it an organization where all

segments can get together and work on

common problems, the APC has stepped

forward as a leader in any emergency

issue that faces the industry, such as food

safety.”

The BeginningFour major peanut cooperatives con-

vened on March 29, 1940, in Washington,

D.C., with the goal of organizing a peanut

industry association. The initial organizers

represented more than 50,000 peanut

growers from Virginia, North Carolina,

the Southeast and Southwest growing

regions. They collected $400 of initial

funding to begin the work of establishing

an umbrella organization for all segments

of the peanut industry. The group met

again in August of 1940 to complete

incorporation, officially chartering the

“National Peanut Council.” Work began

immediately, funded by an initial budget

of $15,000. The goal of the organization

from the very beginning – which

remains in place today – was to

improve peanut quality.

Modane Marchbanks

became the first staff director of

the NPC in 1942, staffing an

office in Georgia. NPC’s motto

was “Cooperation Brings

Success”.

While the world was

embroiled in World War II, the

National Peanut Council was

looking to the future, and held the very

first annual meeting in Pensacola, Florida,

on May 25, 1941. In addition to plans to

improve peanut quality, the industry

established National Peanut Week, in

order to focus attention on the nutritional

value of peanuts; worked with USDA on

protecting rates for peanuts; looked at

new uses for the peanut; and fought unfa-

vorable legislation.

In 1941, the first marketing quotas

were established. At that time, a parity

price of $122 was established for “quota”

peanuts. Two crops were common, one,

on allotted acres for shelling and edible

use, and another on excess acres. The

excess acres produced peanuts that were

crushed for oil. Farmers who agreed to

grow peanuts for the war effort received

more favorable “quota” acreage allotment

after the war.

It wasn’t long before the National

Peanut Council had 248 members in 18

states. In 1943, official bylaws for the

association were adopted, setting the stage

for the association of today.

The object of the Council was “To

improve the quality of peanuts and to pro-

mote the sale of peanuts and peanut prod-

ucts.” The very first activities of the

Council were an educational campaign

and a publicity campaign to keep peanuts

top of mind with consumers.

At the fourth annual “Wartime

Conference” held at the Biltmore Hotel in

Atlanta in May of 1944, the topics of dis-

cussion were: After-Victory Problems of

Interest to the Peanut Industry, Consumer

Acceptance of Peanut Products in

Wartime, Peanuts After the War and

Rehabilitation for Industry and

Agriculture by Means of Better Nutrition.

In 1945, the industry’s research and

development investment yielded one of

the most significant and successful inno-

vations in the history of the industry.

That year, with funding from the

Council’s research budget, “Napeco” was

introduced as a stabilizer to reduce oil

separation in peanut butter. This innova-

tion, patented by the NPC and re-named

“Fix-X,” was later sold to Proctor &

Gamble, a move that funded the associa-

tion for a few years. Proctor & Gamble

did not own a peanut butter brand at the

time, but did own Crisco and was interest-

ed in hydrogenation technology. Soon

after the purchase, P&G bought “Big

Top” peanut butter from W.T Young

Foods in Lexington, Kentucky. The brand

name was changed to Jif, which is now

owned by the J.M. Smucker Company,

and remains America’s best-selling peanut

butter brand.

In 1946, the annual meeting was held

in Virginia Beach and was focused on the

future of the peanut industry. Committees

for Advertising and Publicity, Research

and Development and Advancing the

Cause of the Improvement of the Peanut

were established.

Beginning that year, the NPC was the

organization designated by the industry to

American PeanutCouncil celebrates 75th anniversary

In the 1970s the American Peanut Council (formerly

National Peanut Council) promoted peanuts at a variety of

consumer shows as pictured above.


conduct consumer promotions. The goal

of the new promotions was to increase

consumption of peanuts and peanut butter.

The NPC conducted activities to celebrate

National Peanut Month, conducted pro-

motions with food editors and other influ-

encers, and developed materials to be

used in schools. They also conducted

retail promotions over the years, until

1999, when the National Peanut Board

was established, and took over this role.

Benjamin Birdsong served as

Chairman of the NPC in 1955, presiding

over the 16th annual industry convention

held in New Orleans. A major topic on the

agenda that year was to push USDA to

allocate more of its oilseed research budg-

et to peanut research. The industry was

looking for ways to develop the market

and to improve production quality; both

issues still relevant today.

In 1972, the NPC launched the

“Peanuts Pack Protein Power” campaign,

in response to consumer perceptions that

peanuts were “fun, but fattening.”

Between 1972 and 1976, the NPC con-

ducted programs stressing the nutritive

value, the versatility and the tastiness of

peanuts and peanut butter to encourage

consumers to buy and use more peanut

products. Consumer perception of peanuts

as not only fun, but also nutritious began

to emerge. Promotions during the cam-

paign included work with food editors of

prominent magazines and newspapers, as

well as a campaign to get peanuts on TV.

The FutureToday, the American Peanut Council

continues to serve as the umbrella trade

association representing all segments of

the U.S. peanut industry. The APC’s mis-

sion is to provide the industry with the

means to address all issues which may

impact the trade and marketing of U.S.

peanuts and peanut products.

Headquartered in the metropolitan

Washington, D.C. area, the APC monitors

developments in the domestic and interna-

tional markets and responds with a

diverse array of domestic and internation-

al marketing, trade servicing, research and

issues management programs. The APC

maintains close working relationships

with government agencies, research insti-

tutions and related peanut and agricultural

trade associations.

APC’s Export Division administers

the U.S. peanut industry’s export market

development program. APC’s European

headquarters in London, U.K., maintains

contact with European customers and

oversees European public relations agen-

cies conducting promotional programs on

behalf of U.S. peanuts in the U.K.,

Germany and the Netherlands.

Representatives in Mexico, Canada and

Japan conduct trade servicing, market

research and public relations activities in

those markets as well.

In addition to market promotion

activities, APC’s Export Division works

closely with worldwide peanut associa-

tions and international organizations to

monitor technical issues and regulatory

actions which could impact the peanut

trade. In cooperation with U.S. and inter-

national organizations, APC participates

in discussions regarding international

trade regulations in order to ensure that

international standards reflect commercial

practicalities.

The U.S. peanut industry conducts

research in many areas including peanut

allergy causes and cures, peanut produc-

tion improvement, peanut quality, food

safety, and peanut genomics. The Peanut

Foundation, the research arm of the

American Peanut Council, is charged with

coordinating the Peanut Genomic

Initiative and focuses primarily on peanut

production research to improve the quali-

ty and yields of U.S. peanuts.

Peanut Butter for the Hungry, man-

aged by the APC, is a humanitarian initia-

tive of the peanut industry in the U.S. to

help malnourished children in places

where resources are limited. Peanut Butter

for the Hungry works with food banks

across the U.S. and donates peanut paste

for the development of ready-to-use thera-

peutic foods (RUTF).

Through 75 years, APC has con-

tributed to the betterment of the peanut

industry through organizing consumer

promotions, issues management, funding

research, export promotions and more.

The APC has also been like an extended

family to many of the members who cher-

ish the friendships they have made

through the years. One of those members,

Norma Chastain, retired owner of Doster

Warehouse in Rochelle, Georgia had this

to say.

“Being a part of the peanut world has

been like being a part of a family where

your last name is peanut. We were com-

petitors, yet we were willing to help each

other,” Chastain says. “And being a part

of the peanut world has just been a mag-

nificent part of my life, a real treasure;

especially being able to work with the

growers because that’s where it all begins.

Without the grower, there are no

peanuts.” t

On Friday, December 11, 2015

more than 40 volunteers gathered in

Atlanta’s Colony Square for a PB&J

spreading party. Hosted by Which Wich,

National Peanut Board and APC’s

Peanut Butter for the Hungry initiative,

the volunteers prepared more than 2,000

sandwiches in just over an hour. The

sandwiches were then donated to local

Atlanta organization, Action Ministries,

which addresses the challenges of

poverty by meeting the basic needs of

hunger relief, housing and education.

This spreading party came at the heels of APC’s annual winter conference,

which also celebrated its 75th anniversary. The community spirit that’s at the core

of the spreading party was an appropriate way to conclude the week’s activities, as

individuals from various segments of the peanut industry collaborated to make

healthful sandwiches for those in need. Immediately following the spreading party,

Peanut Butter for the Hungry made a donation of seven pallets—or 10,000 jars—of

Peanut Proud peanut butter to the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Peanut butter is

often the number one requested item from food banks due to its nutritious, versatile

and shelf-stable nature.

Additional information about this project is available online at pb4h.org.

Peanut Butter Spreading Party provides hunger relief

BY JOY CROSBY


Deena and Douglas Harrell, Whigham, Ga.,

help load the Action Ministries truck with more

than 2,000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

A new online survey launched by

the American Farm Bureau Federation

will collect feedback from farmers and

ranchers about their experiences with 10

Agriculture Department programs

housed in three agencies. Results will be

used by AFBF to develop recommenda-

tions on how USDA can enhance its

programs and make them more useful to

farmers and ranchers.

All farmers and ranchers, not just

Farm Bureau members, are encouraged

to take the survey, which takes about 10

minutes to complete.

The survey focuses on the following

USDA programs from the Farm Service

Agency, Natural Resources Conservation

Service, and Rural Development:

• Environmental Quality Incentives

Program;

• Conservation Stewardship Program;

• Conservation Reserve Program;

• Conservation Reserve Enhancement

Program;

• Value-Added Agricultural Producer

Grants;

• Rural Energy for America Program;

• Farmers’ Marketing and Local Food

Promotion Program;

• Direct Farm Ownership Loans;

• Direct Farm Operating Loans; and

• Guaranteed Farm Loans (farm

operating and farm ownership).

The AFBF will share feedback from

the survey about what is working well

with the programs and how they can be

improved with USDA.

The survey is available online at

usdaprograms.questionpro.com. Farmers

have until March 15 to complete the

survey. t

Survey aims to collect farmer feedback on USDA programs

Georgia’s flagship

university has a $4.4

billion annual economic

impact on the state,

according to a new study that analyzed

how the three-part teaching, research and

service mission of the University of

Georgia contributes to the state’s

economy.

The study, conducted by UGA

economist Jeffrey Dorfman, of the

College of Agricultural and

Environmental Sciences, quantified

variables such as the increase in earnings

that graduates of the university’s schools

and colleges receive, revenues from the

licensing of university inventions, and the

creation of business and jobs resulting

from the university’s public service and

outreach units.

“Nowhere is the bond between the

state of Georgia and the University of

Georgia more evident than in our

far-reaching economic impact,” says

President Jere W. Morehead. “The

contributions of UGA faculty, staff,

students and alumni are helping to ensure

a strong economic future for our state.”

Educating StudentsEach year, more than 9,000 UGA

students earn undergraduate, graduate and

professional degrees in fields ranging

from business to engineering, the

sciences, arts and humanities. To measure

the economic impact of these degrees,

Dorfman and his colleagues took data on

earnings by major and multiplied the

estimated value of each degree and major

offered by UGA by the number of

graduates in the 2013-2014 academic

year. To ensure they were capturing the

economic impact in Georgia alone, they

multiplied the economic impact of the

degrees awarded by the percentage of

each college’s alumni who remain in the

state after graduation. Overall, 62 percent

of UGA graduates remain in the state

after earning their degrees.

The researchers also found that UGA

generates nearly $39 for each dollar of

state instructional funding.

Fueling DiscoveriesDiscoveries by UGA scientists have

resulted in more than 575 products that

have reached the marketplace, including

medicines, vaccines and software, as well

as crop, ornamental plant and turfgrass

varieties.

Licensing and royalty revenue from

these inventions contribute to UGA’s

economic impact, as do companies that

are launched based on UGA inventions.

More than 60 Georgia companies are

based on UGA inventions, including

biotech, agricultural technology and

educational software companies.

The research enterprise at UGA is on

an upward trajectory, with a 7 percent

increase in external funding from federal

agencies such as the National Institutes of

Health as well as private organizations

such as the Bill and Melinda Gates

Foundation over the past fiscal year.

Using a commonly used model known as

IMPLAN, Dorfman and his colleagues

found that UGA generates nearly $2 in

economic impact for each $1 of federal

and foundation research funding it

receives.

Serving GeorgiaService to the state of Georgia is an

integral part of UGA’s land-grant mission,

and the university’s public service and

outreach units contribute to economic

prosperity and quality of life through

programs for individuals, businesses and

communities. Public Service and

Outreach at UGA has a $345 million

annual impact on the Georgia economy,

the study found.

Dorfman noted that he designed the

study to only capture economic impacts

that would not exist were it not for the

presence of the University of Georgia. He

also emphasized that many UGA

programs create economic impacts that

are difficult if not impossible to measure.

The university’s 4-H youth development

and mentoring programs, for example,

have been shown to encourage healthy

choices, civic participation and interest in

science, technology, engineering and

math. In the 2103-2014 school year, 4-H

served more than 115,000 students in

schools across Georgia.

“Our findings are a conservative

estimate of the university’s economic

impact on the state of Georgia,” Dorfman

noted, “so the $4.4 billion figure that we

arrived at should be treated as the mini-

mum impact UGA has on the state.” t

UGA has a $4.4 billion economic impact on Georgia


BY SAM FAHMYUNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

Good information is

the best defense against

the unforeseen

circumstances — like

changing governmental

regulations and weather

patterns — that can

impact agriculture.

That’s why the

University of Georgia’s

team of agricultural economists kicks off

each year with the Georgia Ag Forecast

seminar series. There, they present valu-

able insights into what the upcoming year

will hold for the state’s largest industry.

The 2016 Ag

Forecast sessions will be

held on Thursday, Jan.

21, at the Carroll

County Ag Center in

Carrollton; Friday, Jan.

22, at Unicoi State Park

in Cleveland; Monday,

Jan. 25, at the Cloud

Livestock Facility in

Bainbridge; Tuesday, Jan. 26, at the UGA

Tifton Campus Conference Center in

Tifton; Wednesday, Jan. 27, at the

Blueberry Warehouse in Alma; and

Friday, Jan. 29, at the Georgia Farm

Bureau Building in Macon.

Registration for the series is now

open at georgiaagforecast.com.

The UGA College of Agricultural and

Environmental Sciences hosts the annual

seminar series, and its attendance grows

every year. Nearly 1,000 producers,

agribusiness representatives and commu-

nity leaders attended the seminars in

2015.

For more information on the 2016 Ag

Forecast series, visit

georgiaagforecast.com, follow

@UGA_CollegeofAg on Twitter or search

for #agforecast on social media. t

Registration open for UGA's 2016 Ag Forecast

Pardue named Dean of UGA's College ofAgricultural and Environmental Sciences

Samuel Pardue, a noted

poultry science researcher

and administrator at North

Carolina State University,

has been named dean and director of the

University of Georgia’s College of

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Pardue is currently associate dean

and director of academic programs at NC

State’s College of Agriculture and Life

Sciences, and his appointment at UGA is

effective March 14.

“I am pleased that Dr. Pardue is

joining the university as the next dean and

director of the College of Agricultural and

Environmental Sciences,” says President

Jere W. Morehead. “His academic

background and professional experience

are ideal for leading the College at a very

exciting time in its history and working

with key stakeholders and alumni who are

critical to our future success.”

Since 2012, Pardue has overseen the

academic programming in the College of

Agriculture and Life Sciences’ 16 depart-

ments. Prior to being named associate

dean, he served for seven years as the

head of the department of poultry science,

which in 2012 was named the Prestage

Department of Poultry Science in honor

of a $10 million gift he helped secure.

“Dr. Pardue has demonstrated

extraordinary leadership in advancing

agricultural instruction, research and

extension,” says Senior Vice President for

Academic Affairs and Provost Pamela

Whitten. “I am confident that he will

work with our faculty, staff, students,

alumni and other supporters to take our


Environmental Sciences to an even higher

level of excellence.”

Pardue helped double the number of

poultry science majors, expanded distance

education offerings and acquired external

funding to modernize teaching

laboratories. In addition, he served as the

co-principal investigator on a USDA grant

to increase the multicultural diversity of

agriculture students and was a founding

member of the college’s Diversity

Council.

The department of poultry science

ranked in the top 10 in five research

publication and citation criteria among

departments of animal and poultry science

under his leadership. He invested in a

Biological Safety Level 2 facility to

expand the department’s research

capabilities and also supported the

development of a poultry processing

laboratory to address the needs of the

state’s largest agribusiness.

Pardue sits on the administrative

board of NC State’s Graduate School,

served as the university’s Faculty

Athletics Representative for five years

and served as the college’s liaison for

accreditation by the Southern Association

of Colleges and Schools.

He has

conducted his

research with

$2.5 million in

external fund-

ing, holds three

patents and has

published near-

ly 100 journal

articles, book

chapters and

abstracts.

Pardue has

given invited

presentations across the United States and

in Australia, Switzerland, Costa Rica and

Mexico.

His additional honors include being

named to the NC State Academy of

Outstanding Teachers, Alumni

Distinguished Undergraduate Professor

and receiving the Purina Mills Award for

Teaching.

“I am honored to have the opportuni-

ty to work with UGA’s outstanding

administration, faculty, staff, students,

alumni, friends, and Georgia’s dynamic

agricultural community,” Pardue says.

“The College of Agricultural and

Environmental Sciences has played a

significant role in growing Georgia’s #1

economic sector. It is a college with a

long and honored history. I look forward

to an even brighter future for CAES.” t


Samuel Pardue

Dean and Director of the

University of Georgia


Environmetal Sciences


The annual Alabama-Florida Peanut Trade Show is

fast approaching. This year’s show will be held

Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, at the National Peanut

Festival Fairgrounds, located on Hwy. 231 South

in Dothan, Alabama.

Sponsored by the Alabama Peanut Producers Association

and the Florida Peanut Producers Association, the one-day event

offers farmers a full day to view the products and services of

more than 80 exhibitors and a day of education. The trade show

opens at 8:30 a.m. and will continue until noon with a lunch

immediately following.

Following the catered lunch, a seed seminar will be held.

Topics and guest speakers for the seed seminar are: Varieties

Currently in Production and on the Horizon – Bill Branch,

peanut breeder with the University of Georgia and Corley

Holbrook, peanut breeder with USDA/ARS; Current Breeding

Research update – Marshall Lamb, National Peanut Research

Lab/Auburn University; The Peanut Genomic Initiative – Steve

Brown, executive director of The Peanut Foundation.

Peanut growers who attend will not only be able to fine tune

their farming operations, but will have a chance to win prizes

valued at thousands of dollars. Kelley Manufacturing Company

is donating the Grand Door Prize this year. They are offering the

use of a new six-row peanut combine for the 2016 harvesting

season, (valued at $15,000), with the option of purchasing the

combine through an authorized KMC dealer with $15,000 off

the list price. In lieu of the six-row combine the winner can

choose the use of another KMC peanut harvest implement with a

10 percent discount off the list price for purchase.

The winner must be certified as a peanut grower with an

FSA farm number, and must be present to win.

All peanut growers are invited and encouraged to attend.

For more information on the show, including exhibit space avail-

ability, contact Teresa Mays with APPA at 334-792-6482 or

[email protected]. t

Alabama-Florida Peanut Trade Show set for February 11

February 11, 2016National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds

Dothan, Alabama

Registration & Trade Show8:30 a.m.

Door Prizes

Catered Lunch

More than 80 exhibitors

Seed & Production Seminar

For more information contact:Alabama Peanut Producers Association

Ph. 334-792-6482

www.alpeanuts.com

Florida Peanut Producers Association

Ph. 850-526-2590

www.flpeanuts.com

GRAND DOOR PRIZEsponsored by

KMC


Peanut Profitability Awards seeking nominees

From adverse drought to his-

toric flooding to some pretty

good irrigated yields, the

2015 peanut crop was a

rollercoaster. And peanuts remained the

backbone of many farming operations,

and the fallback position for growers now

facing the toughest economic times in

decades.

The Farm Press Peanut Profitability

Awards are based on production efficien-

cy, honoring growers who produce the

highest yields at the lowest cost per acre.

Awards are presented to growers from the

Lower Southeast, including Alabama,

Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and

Arkansas; the Upper Southeast, including

Virginia, North Carolina and South

Carolina; and the Southwest, including

Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

“While achieving consistently high

yields and grades is important, it’s only

part of the equation to maximizing profits.

The elements of production cost and price

are equally important factors in our evalu-

ation of nominees. … Marketing expertise

definitely has given an edge to recent

winners of the award,” said Marshall

Lamb, research director for the National

Peanut Research Laboratory.

The grower nomination form for the

Peanut Profitability Award is very exten-

sive, and it considers both fixed and vari-

able costs. Achieving high yields is just a

component of profitability. This program

looks deeper at per-unit cost and how

effectively a nominee manages cost struc-

ture, Lamb said. Actual per-unit costs and

returns information will remain confiden-

tial to Lamb and his staff.

Growers may submit their nomina-

tion form directly to the National Peanut

Research Laboratory, or they may submit

it to their county Extension agent, peanut

specialist or economist. The deadline for

all nominations is April 15, 2016.

Growers can access the nomination form

online at southeastfarmpress.com,

southwestfarmpress.com or

deltafarmpress.com. To receive a hard

copy of the form, call Farm Press head-

quarters at (662) 624-8503.

The awards program has honored 16

classes of winners from throughout the

U.S. Peanut Belt. Since the program’s

beginning in 2000, the Peanut

Profitability Awards have honored 45

deserving growers or farms. The awards

program began with the first-ever

Southern Peanut Growers Conference in

conjunction with the Southern Peanut

Farmers Federation and the two have

grown together over the years.

Winners of the 2016 awards will

receive an expenses-paid trip for two to

the Southern Peanut Growers Conference

in July at the SanDestin Golf and Beach

Resort. In addition, the winners are fea-

tured in special Peanut Profitability issues

of Southeast Farm Press, Southwest Farm

Press and Delta Farm Press. t

Unmanned Systems in Precision Agriculture Conference to be held in TiftonThe University of Georgia Tifton

Campus Conference Center will host the

fourth annual Unmanned Systems in

Precision Agriculture Conference on

Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 3 and 4,

2016.

The Atlanta and Coastal Plain chap-

ters of the Association for Unmanned

Vehicle Systems International are spon-

soring the conference.

The focus of the conference is to

update farmers, Cooperative Extension

personnel, researchers, agricultural con-

sultants and agricultural business profes-

sionals on the latest research regarding

agricultural drone use and the proposed

federal and state regulations.

“We will have flight demonstrations,

presentations on how to get started using

drones on the farm and information on the

latest research in the agricultural uses of

UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles),” said

Glen Rains, a College of Agricultural and

Environmental Sciences agricultural engi-

neer on the UGA Tifton Campus.

The keynote speaker for the event

will be Georgia state Rep. Jimmy Pruett,

who is a member of the National

Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

He is a member of the National

Unmanned Aircraft Systems Study

Committee initiative established by the

NCSL to examine drone use in the United

States.

Registration for the conference is

$125 for both days or $85 for one.

Applications are being accepted for

exhibitor space and sponsorships. For

more information, please visit ugatifton-

conference.org. t

Auburn and Alabama Extension host Precision Ag Workshop in AlabamaAuburn University and Alabama

Extension professionals will host a

Precision Agriculture Workshop in

Auburn, Ala. on Jan. 28, 2016. The event

will take place at the Auburn University

Dixon Hotel and Conference Center.

Cutting edge precision agriculture

presentations and precision ag demonstra-

tions will be led by Extension profession-

als and private companies.

Alabama Extension Precision Ag and

Grain Crops Specialist Brenda Ortiz said

there are many producers who have not

fully adopted precision agriculture

practices and site-specific management

strategies.

“We want to provide current

information, access to current technology

and connect farmers with private

companies and consultants who can assist

producers with this move,” Ortiz says.

Topics covered by presenters will

include precision planting, precision

spraying, variable rate nitrogen, variable

rate irrigation and data management.

Ortiz said the workshop will combine

presentations and demonstrations to give

attendees a thorough overview of site

specific management practices.

“Site specific management can help

farmers increase yield and profitability,

increase efficiency and be better stewards

of the environment,” she says. “We want

to help farmers understand how to better

use our natural resources, and how to

analyze data collected in their fields and

use it effectively.”

Ortiz said the conference will have

information for producers who are new to

precision ag practices and for those who

have already implemented practices on

their farms.

Speakers include Dr. Ajay Sharda

from Kansas State University, Dr. Brian

Arnal from Oklahoma State University,

Dr. Timothy Stombaugh from the

University of Kentucky and Dr. Kenneth

Stone from USDA/ARS. Company pre-

senters include Trimble, SunSouth John

Deere Dealer, TriGreen John Deere

Dealer, MapShots, Valley and Russell

Planter Service.

There is no registration fee, but regis-

tration is required. Register online at

https://auburn.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_

cYE8U4TToCTfmhT. t

Unmanned Aircraft Registration System Takes FlightThe Federal Aviation

Administration’s (FAA) new web-based

registration system for small unmanned

aircraft systems (UAS) is now active.

Hobbyists and recreational users who fly

UAS, which include remote controlled

aircraft, may register at

www.faa.gov/uas/registration.

Owners must register small UAS

weighing more than 0.55 pounds (250

grams) and less than 55 pounds (approx.

25 kilograms) if they are to be flown out-

doors for hobby or recreation.

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx

and FAA Deputy Administrator Mike

Whitaker announced the rule requiring

registration earlier this month.

Aircraft operated by the current

owner before Dec. 21, 2015 must be reg-

istered no later than Feb. 19, 2016. For

all others, registration is required prior to

the first outdoor flight. Owners must pro-

vide their complete name, physical

address, mailing address (if different), and

a valid email address to register.

Federal law requires a $5 registration

fee that will be collected at the time of

registration via credit card. To encourage

speedy compliance, the FAA is making

the process free for the first 30 days.

(The registration website will initially

charge the owner’s credit card $5, but a

refund credit will appear shortly after-

ward.)

After completing registration, owners

will receive a personal registration num-

ber. If a person owns more than one

small UAS, each aircraft must be marked

with that number. Any method may be

used to mark the UAS, as long as the

number is legible. Registrants may put

the number in the battery compartment if

it is easily accessible.

The FAA will immediately email a

certificate containing the holder’s name,

registration number, and the dates of

issuance and expiration. The operator

must keep either a printed or electronic

version of this certificate on hand for

inspection as proof of registration.

Registration must be renewed every three

years. If assistance is needed with regis-

tration, email [email protected]. t


Gayle White, a farmer from

Frederick, Okla. was elected chairman of

the 12-member National Peanut Board

last week during the Board’s quarterly

meeting in Atlanta, Ga. White, who is the

Oklahoma member and had been the

board’s treasurer, will begin her one-year

term Jan. 1.

“I’m honored to serve all peanut

farmers as chairman of the National

Peanut Board this year,” White says. “I

feel confident that the direction we’ve set

for 2016—understanding our target mar-

ket of 80 million millennials while contin-

uing to focus on peanut allergy education,

outreach and research—will only increase

consumer confidence in and preference

for peanuts.”

National Peanut Board also elected

Ed White of Newville, Ala. as vice-chair-

man; Greg Gill of Walnut Ridge, Ark. as

treasurer; and Dan Ward of Clarkton, N.C.

as secretary. These officers will serve one-

year terms beginning Jan. 1.

USDA officially instated new board

members and alternates, who will begin

their three-year terms Jan. 1. New board

members sworn in were Eileen Jordan

(At-Large), Andy Bell (Georgia), Bud

Bowers (South Carolina) and Peter Froese

Jr. (Texas). New alternates sworn in were

Micah Barham (At-Large), William Carte

(Florida), Neil Lee (Georgia), Neal

Baxley Jr. (South Carolina) and Bob

White (Texas.).

National Peanut Board would like to

recognize the following outgoing board

members and thank them for their years

of service to the peanut industry: Vic

Jordan (at-large member and past chair-

man), John Harrell (Georgia member and

past chairman), Monty Rast (S. C. mem-

ber and chairman) and Bob White (Texas

member and immediate past-chairman.) t

Peanut researchers honored at D.W. Brooks AwardsThe University of Georgia College of

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

(UGA CAES) recognized two members of

the UGA Peanut Team with the D.W.

Brooks Awards for Excellence. The win-

ners include Peggy Ozias-Akins and

George Vellidis.

Ozias-Akins, professor in the

Department of Horticulture and director

of the UGA Institute for the Plant

Breeding, Genetics and Genomics,

received the D.W. Brooks Distinguished

Professor Award. The award recognizes

her 30-year career at UGA developing

new breeding techniques for peanuts.

Vellidis, professor in the Department

of Crop and Soil Sciences, received the

D.W. Brooks Faculty Award for

Excellence in Research. The award recog-

nizes his work developing precision agri-

culture techniques that allow farmers to

grow more with less water and his inter-

national collaborations that focuse on pre-

cision agriculture technologies.

The D.W. Brooks Awards and

Lecture Series was launched more than 30

years ago in honor of Brooks, an alumnus

and former faculty member of the UGA

CAES, who devoted his career to the

improvement of life through contributions

to agriculture.

As the founder and chairman emeri-

tus of Gold Kist, Inc., Brooks advised

seven U.S. presidents on various agricul-

ture and trade issues. He helped create the

integrated poultry production system that

transformed Georgia agriculture during

the 20th century, and also started Cotton

States Mutual Insurance Companies in

1941 to provide farmers with insurance.

“I want to congratulate all of our

2015 D.W. Brooks awards recipients,”

said Josef Broder, interim dean of CAES

and associate dean for academic affairs

for the college. “They truly represent the

finest the college has to offer in the

realms of teaching, research and

Extension. It’s through their work that the

college is able to improve the lives of

Georgians and communities across the

country and the world. We are truly grate-

ful for their outstanding work.”

The awards were presented Nov. 10

at the Georgia Center for Continuing

Education in Athens, Georgia. For more

information on the D.W. Brooks awards

and lecture series, see

caes.uga.edu/events/dwbrooks. t

National Peanut Board elects new officers;New members and alternates sworn in

Sec. Vilsack Appoints Peanut Standards Board MembersAgriculture Sec. Tom Vilsack has

appointed three producers and three

industry representatives to serve on the

Peanut Standards Board. All six members

will serve on the board through June 30,

2018. Their appointments are effective

immediately.

Sec. Vilsack selected producer Carl

Sanders of Brundidge, Alabama, and

industry representative Ann D. King of

Douglas, Georgia, to represent the

Southeast Region; producer Jimbo

Grissom of Seminole, Texas, and industry

representative Shelly Nutt of Lubbock,

Texas, to represent the Southwest Region;

and producer Lee Swinson of Warsaw,

North Carolina, and industry representa-

tive Carl Gray of Courtland, Virginia, to

represent the Virginia-North Carolina

Region.

The Peanut Standards Board is made

up of eighteen members representing the

Southeast Region, the Southwest Region

and the Virginia-North Carolina Region.

One third of the board is appointed each

year.

The Peanut Standards Board is

authorized under the Farm Security and

Rural Investment Act of 2002. USDA

consults with the board to establish or

change quality and handling standards for

domestically produced and imported

peanuts. t


Senator Grassley seeks to eliminate commodity

certificate languageU.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has initiated an effort to

remove commodity certificate language from the Fiscal Year 2016

Omnibus Appropriations legislation. The current continuing resolution

will expire December 11, 2015 and Congress will need to act prior to the

expiration to avoid a government shutdown. Some congressional leaders

believe that a short extension will be necessary but Congress will still

complete work on the Omnibus by the congressional Christmas Break.

Senator Grassley opposes the addition of the commodity certificate

language which reinstates a program used by southern producers in

earlier farm bills. Politico quoted Senator Grassley as stating, “If the

agriculture community wants to be taken seriously, we should heed our

own advice …, adding that he hoped “I don’t have to oppose commodity

certificates in the omnibus because a few people want to reinstate

unlimited farm subsidies.”

The Georgia Peanut Commission supports the commodity certificate

language in the Omnibus.

U.S. export-import bank updateAlthough there was much opposition in the U.S. House of

Representatives, the House voted overwhelmingly to reauthorize the

U.S. Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank). The vote was 313 to 118. A

number of amendments were considered but the Ex-Im Bank reautho-

rization moved forward. Ex-Im reauthorization was strongly supported

by the Administration.

The U.S. Senate had already passed identical Ex-Im Bank

reauthorization language attached to their Transportation Reauthorization

legislation. The House bill was wrapped into a larger House passed

Transportation Reauthorization bill.

The House and Senate completed their work on the Transportation

Bill conference report which was passed by both the House and the

Senate and has been signed by the President. The Ex-Im Bank language

remained intact in the conference report.

U.S. Congressman Stephen Fincher, R-Tennessee, led the effort in

the House to reauthorize the Ex-Im Bank. Congressman Fincher worked

diligently to acquire enough signatures for a discharge petition pushing

House leaders to consider the legislation.

Congressman Buddy Carter, R-Georgia, was also a leader in the

Ex-Im Bank debate. Congressman Carter noted the threat to American

jobs and the irreparable damage expiration of the Export-Import Bank

has caused in the First District, the State of Georgia, and the entire

nation. While on the floor, Carter said “in the First District of Georgia,

the Ex-Im Bank facilitates exports for over 17 companies, more than

half of which are small businesses, over $500 million in exports and

supports over 3,200 jobs. Around Georgia, these numbers jump to more

than $4 billion in exports from 205 companies supporting almost 30,000

jobs. With the recent expiration of the Ex-Im Bank, many of these com-

panies have suffered the loss of millions of dollars in new business

growth, market access, and risked thousands of jobs."

Washington Outlookby Robert L. Redding Jr.


Budget agreement includes severe crop

insurance cuts - Ag leaders negotiate

transportation bill fixThe Administration, House and Senate Budget lead-

ers proposed a Budget Package opening up crop insur-

ance provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill. The bill included

$3 billion in crop insurance cuts as well as requiring a

new U.S. Department of Agriculture Standard

Reinsurance Agreement by the end of 2016.

House and Senate Agricultural leaders as well as

major farm organizations lined up in opposition to the

crop insurance cuts. House and Senate leadership

assured stakeholders that these funds will be reinstated

in the Fiscal Year 2016 Omnibus Appropriations

legislation to be considered during early December

2015.

The Georgia Peanut Commission and Southern

Peanut Farmers Federation opposed the cuts to crop

insurance programs.

House and Senate Ag leaders determined later that

the best approach was to restore the funding and

eliminate the policy language via the Surface

Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015

or Transportation Bill. The Transportation Bill has

passed both the House and the Senate and has been

signed by the President.

After an agreement was reached with House lead-

ers, Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas, and Ranking

Member Collin Peterson, D-Minnesota, acknowledged

the deal.

Chairman Conaway said, “I want to thank my

colleagues who have made it very clear over the last 24

hours that the attempt to gut crop insurance in the budg-

et agreement was not acceptable. Our nation’s farmers

and ranchers did their part in reigning in our nation’s

debt in the 2014 farm bill, saving an estimated $23

billion. It is imperative that we do not undermine their

trust by attacking the primary tool they use to manage

the tremendous risks involved in producing food and

fiber. I will continue fighting against policies that hurt

our farmers and ranchers, and I am thankful to leader-

ship for working with us to avoid these harmful cuts.”

Ranking Member Collin Peterson, D-Minnesota,

said, “I’m pleased that we have an agreement to fix the

crop insurance cuts and not open the farm bill. We have

assurances that the cuts will be removed and the farm

bill will not be raided. We produced a fiscally responsi-

ble and bipartisan farm bill in 2014 that saved $23

billion. We’ve done our part. I can now support the

Budget Agreement with these assurances.”


The Mississippi Peanut

Growers Association plan

to hold their annual meet-

ing and trade show Feb. 3-

4, 2016, in Hattiesburg, Miss. The event

provides growers with the latest informa-

tion on peanut production, research and

new products.

Growers will have the opportunity to

visit with several exhibitors showcasing

equipment and services for the peanut

industry.

Speakers during the annual meeting

will provide an update on Mississippi

State University, furrow irrigation strate-

gies for midsouth peanut production sys-

tems, peanut diseases and control meas-

ures, peanut market outlook, insect

reseach and unmanned aerial systems.

Growers will also hear reports on check-

off activities of MPGA and the National

Peanut Board.

Kelley Manufacturing Co. is donating

the Grand Door Prize of the use of a new

six-row peanut combine for the 2016

peanut season, with the option of purchas-

ing the combine through an authorized

KMC dealer with $15,000 off the list

price. In lieu of the six-row combine the

winner can choose the use of another

KMC peanut harvest implement with a 10

percent discount off the list price for pur-

chase.

Amadas is donating the use of an

Amadas four or six-row digger/inverter

for the 2016 peanut season.

The winner of both door prizes must

be a certified peanut grower with an FSA

farm number, and must be present to win.

The meeting is free for all peanut

farmers to attend. t

Mississippi Peanut Growers Associationannual meeting set for Feb. 3-4, 2016

Lake Terrace Convention Center1 Convention Center Plaza

Hattiesburg, MS 39401 For More Information, contact:

Malcolm Broome, Executive DirectorMississippi Peanut Growers Association(601) 606-3547 or [email protected]

February 3-4, 2016

Lake Terrace Convention Center

Hattiesburg, Miss.Feb. 3 - 1:00 to 5:15 p.m. Feb. 4 - 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (CST)

The U.S. Department of

Agriculture (USDA)

recently finalized a rule to

ensure that farm safety-net

payments are issued only to active man-

agers of farms that operate as joint ven-

tures or general partnerships, consistent

with the direction and authority provide

by Congress in the 2014 Farm Bill. The

action, which exempts family farm opera-

tions, closes a loophole where individuals

who were not actively part of farm man-

agement still received payments.

“The federal farm safety-net pro-

grams are designed to protect against

unanticipated changes in the marketplace

for those who actively share in the risk of

that farming operation,” says Agriculture

Sec. Tom Vilsack. “To ensure that help

goes to those who genuinely need it, such

as America’s farm families, the Farm Bill

authorized USDA to close a loophole and

limit payments from those not involved

on a daily basis in nonfamily farm man-

agement.”

Since 1987, the broad definition of

“actively engaged” resulted in some gen-

eral partnerships and joint ventures

adding managers to the farming operation,

qualifying for more payments, that did not

substantially contribute to management.

The rule applies to operations seeking

more than one farm manager, and requires

measureable, documented hours and key

management activities each year. Some

operations of certain sizes and complexity

may be allowed up to three qualifying

managers under limited conditions. The

changes apply to payments for 2016 and

subsequent crop years for Agriculture

Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss

Coverage (PLC) Programs, Loan

Deficiency Payments (LDP) and

Marketing Loan Gains (MLG) realized

via the Marketing Assistance Loan pro-

gram.

As required by Congress, the new

rule does not apply to family farms, or

change regulations related to contribu-

tions of land, capital, equipment, or labor.

The changes go into effect for the 2016

crop year for most farms. Farms that have

already planted fall crops for 2016 have

until the 2017 crop year to comply. For

more details, producers are encouraged to

consult their local Farm Service Agency

office or visit www.fsa.usda.gov. t

USDA removes farm program payments to managers not actively engaged in farming

#myPBjoy Instagram contest increased Southern

Peanut Grower’s followers by 75 percentSouthern Peanut Growers

hosted its first Instagram con-

test for November, Peanut

Butter Lovers Month. People

were asked follow

@peanut.butter.lovers on

Instagram and then share a

photo of their favorite peanut

butter treat or favorite place to eat peanut butter with the hashtag

#myPBjoy. The contest resulted in 140 posts, 98 contest entries, 78 new

followers on SPG’s new Instagram site and 711 click-throughs to

www.peanutbutterlovers.com.

Weekly winners received a peanut butter prize box filled with new

peanut butter products. Caroline enjoys her peanut butter on a roasted

sweet potato with a little cinnamon. Shawna makes PB Oat Balls for a

quick energy boost. Tiffany carries peanut butter with apples or crackers

for handy snack for her kids while running errands. Nici eats peanut but-

ter daily by adding it to smoothies or mixing it with some chocolate as a

dip for apples, bananas or celery.


and Alabama Peanut

Producers Association

sponsors Magic City

MarathonOn Sunday, November 23, 2015,

1,500 runners hit the roads of down-

town Birmingham, Alabama, for the

fourth annual Magic City Half

Marathon, 5k, and Fitness Festival.

Thousands of runners, families and

friends from Birmingham, the state of

Alabama, and across the country gath-

ered to enjoy downtown Birmingham.

The Alabama Peanut Producers

Association and the Southern Peanut

Growers were sponsors of the races and

distributed Alabama peanut packets, peanut butter samples and nutritional

information about peanuts.

This event benefits the Ruben Studdard Foundation for the

Advancement of Children in the Musical Arts through sponsorships and

other charitable groups while driving positive economic impact to

Birmingham.


Marketing arm of Southern Peanut Growers1025 Sugar Pike Way · Canton, Georgia 30115

(770) 751-6615 · FAX (770) 751-6417

email: [email protected]

Visit our website at

http://www.peanutbutterlovers.com

Magic City Half Marathon runners

visit the Alabama Peanut Producers

Association and Southern Peanut

Growers booth to sample peanuts

and peanut butter.

Southern Peanut Growers puts

peanut butter front and center for

holiday eats and treatsSouthern Peanut Growers was able to include

Peanut Butter Saltine Brittle in a Holiday Eats & Treats

food page offered to publications nationwide in

November and December. This sweet and salty treat is

perfect for a holiday party or for holiday gift giving!

This full-color food page was picked up by 245

print publications for a total circulation of more than 3.5

million and by 1,150 online publications with a total

audience of more than 135 million.

Southern Peanut Growers website

has been updatedThe Southern Peanut Growers updated

www.peanutbutterlovers.com to make it more friendly

for mobile devices. Check out the new recipe pages

which were reformatted for visual appeal and now

resemble a Pinterest feed.

• Jan. 21 – Georgia Farm Show, Tifton, Ga.

• Feb. 3-4 – Mississippi Peanut Growers Annual

Meeting, Hattiesburg, Ms.

• Feb. 11 – Alabama-Florida Peanut Trade Show,Dothan, Ala.

• Feb. 26-28 – Southern Women’s Show,Savannah, Ga.

• March 10 – Florida Peanut Producers AnnualMeeting, Marianna, Fla.

Visit Southern Peanut Growers at

these upcoming events


Florida Peanut

Producers Assn.

41th Annual

Membership

Meeting

March 10, 2016Jackson County Agricultural Complex &

Conference Center

2741 Penn. Ave., Marianna, Florida

Registration begins at 6:00 p.m. (CST)

Dinner at 6:30 p.m. (CST)

For More Information:

Phone: 850-526-2590

2016 Alabama Peanut

Production Meetings

February 18 - 11:00 a.m.

Alabama Department of Ag & Industries,

Montgomery


North Alabama Agriplex Center, Cullman

February 22 - 5:30 p.m.

Wiregrass Research & Extension Center, Headland


5 County Complex, New Brockton


11:00 a.m. - Lighthouse Restaurant, Irvington

5:30 p.m. - Baldwin County Farmers Federation,

Robertsdale


Grace Fellowship Church, Atmore

For more information contact: APPA at 334-792-6482 or

www.alpeanuts.com

For more information contact: Georgia Peanut Commission

P.O. Box 967, Tifton GA 31793

Phone: 229-386-3470

Fax: 229-386-3501

Email: [email protected]

www.gapeanuts.com

Congratulations Zippy and Bonnie!American Farm Bureau President

january/february 2016 - southeastern peanut farmer

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