southeastern peanut farmer - october/november 2014

A communication service of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.

Inside:n Estate Planningn Rotation n Farm Bill Update

6 Grimes honored with PeanutAchievement Club andSoutheastern Farmer of the YearPhilip Grimes, farmer from Tifton, Ga.,has been recognized for his high yieldsin peanuts through the PeanutAchievement Club and for his overallfarming practices as the SwisherSweets/Sunbelt Expo SoutheasternFarmer of the Year.

12 Crop rotation still neededPeanut crop rotation is needed nowmore than ever says Marshall Lambwith the National Peanut ResearchLab. A long crop rotation has helpedkeep peanut farming competitive withother crops because crop rotation contributes to higher yields, he says.

14 A 100 year family tradition atBirdsong PeanutsFor five generations, BirdsongPeanuts has delivered peanuts to manufacturers around the world.Today the company is helping furtherthe development of the peanut industrythrough their involvement in industryactivities.

Contents

October/November 2014 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.

October/November 2014

Joy Carter CrosbyEditor

[email protected]

229-386-3690

Contributing WritersJohn Leidner

[email protected]

Teresa Mays

[email protected]

Jessie Turk

[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

20

22

Cover Photo: Philip Grimes named the 2014 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern

Farmer of the Year. Pictured left to right, Chip Blalock, Sunbelt Expo executive director, Jane and

Philip Grimes and Ron Carroll, marketing vice president with Swisher. Photo by Joy Crosby.

4 Southeastern Peanut Farmer October/November 2014

Harvest full of sorrow, gratefulness and pride

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

Harvest is in full swing and anyone traveling through the Southeast

can tell from the smell of freshly dug peanuts to the fields of

Southern snow, also known as cotton from the locals. The fall

brings many families together to help bring in the crops each year.

There is always plenty of work to be done at harvest and each farmer is

hoping for the best weather conditions so the crop is not delayed and

harvested at its optimum maturity. This fall has already brought some farm

families sorrow, gratefulness and pride throughout the Southeast.

Near the beginning of harvest time, the peanut industry lost a valuable

leader through a farming accident. Don Self, a leader in the Mississippi

Peanut Growers Association and member of the National Peanut Board, died

Oct. 1 in a harvesting accident. Don was helping another farmer haul peanuts.

I have seen Don at countless peanut industry meetings and he always had

a smile on his face. In fact, I don’t think he has ever met a stranger. He was

always quick to introduce himself and was a wonderful spokesman for the

peanut industry. He was always willing to lend a hand with any type of

peanut promotion.

To recognize Don’s contributions to the peanut industry, the Mississippi

Peanut Growers Association has established the MPGA-Don Self Memorial

Annual Scholarship. The scholarship will be managed by the Mississippi

State University Foundation and contributions are tax deductible. The goal is

to raise $25,000 to make this an endowed scholarship and to generate at least

an annual $1,000 scholarship in perpetuity. Contributors may make a one-

time donation or make an annual pledge for up to five years.

Any individual or entity wishing to donate should make the check to

“MSU Foundation, Inc.” and note that it is in memory of Don Self. The

mailing address is: MSU Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 9760, Bost Building,

Rm 204A, Mississippi State, MS 39762.

On another note, gratefulness has filled the home of Todd Mason, a

farmer in Campbellton, Florida. Todd has been in the hospital during harvest

time battling a dying pancreas. While he has been fighting health issues,

farmers in the community have stepped up to help with harvesting Mason’s

peanuts and cotton. In addition to farmers, women in the community helped

by preparing meals for the farmers while other individuals helped by picking

up the children from school or volunteered to sit with Todd in the hospital.

I’m sure the Mason family is very grateful for the support from other

farmers throughout the harvest. This example goes to show how supportive

farmers are and their willingness to help others.

Lastly, Philip Grimes, farmer from Tifton, Georgia, is feeling pretty

excited about his recent recognition of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo

Southeastern Farmer of the Year. Philip was recognized for his farming

practices during the Sunbelt Ag Expo. More details

on the award and his farm are available on page 6.

Philip has also been recognized several times

through the Georgia Peanut Achievement Club for

his high yielding peanuts. Congratulations to Philip

and his entire family!

So, as harvest continues on and comes to a

close, I hope all of you will be spared any sorrow

from a farm accident and will be able to feel

gratefulness from others farmer helping you or feel

pride in the crop you have produced this year. t

u National Peanut Festival, Oct. 31-Nov. 9,2014, Dothan, Ala. For more information visit

nationalpeanutfestival.com.

u Georgia Farm Bureau Annual Meeting,Dec. 7-9, 2014, Jekyll Island, Ga. For more

information visit gfb.org.

u Alabama Farmers Federation AnnualMeeting, Dec. 7-8, 2014, Montgomery, Ala. For

more information visit alfafarmers.org.

u American Peanut Council WinterConference, Dec. 10-13, 2014, Washington

Marriott Hotel, Washington, D.C. For more

information visit peanutsusa.com or call

703-838-9500.

u Georgia Peanut Farm Show &Conference, Jan. 15, 2015, UGA Tifton

Campus Conference Center, Tifton, Ga. For

more information visit gapeanuts.com or call

229-386-3470.

u University of Georgia College ofAgricultural and Environmental SciencesAg Forecast Seminar, Jan. 14, 2015 -

Gainesville, Ga.; Jan. 15 - Cartersville;

Jan. 16 - Bainbridge; Jan. 21 - Lyons;

Jan. 22 - Tifton and Jan. 23 - Macon, Ga. For

more information visit georgiaagforecast.com.

u Georgia Agribusiness CouncilLegislative Breakfast, Feb. 4, 2015, Atlanta,

Ga. For more information visit GAC online at

ga-agribusiness.org.

u Georgia Peanut Commission ResearchReport Day, Feb. 11, 2015, Tifton, Ga. For

more information visit gapeanuts.com.

u Peanut Butter & Jelly Day at the GeorgiaState Capitol, March 3, 2015, Atlanta, Ga. For

more information visit gapeanuts.com.

Editorial Calendar of Events

Joy Carter CrosbyEditor


The U.S. Department of

Agriculture recently released

the September 2014 Certified

Acreage Report for Peanuts

which shows a slight increase in 2014

planted acreage when comparing the

acreage to recent years.

These reports can be confusing on the

surface. To clarify, when farmers certify

their planted peanut acreage at their local

Farm Service Agency (FSA) office, the

acreage is classified into one of three cat-

egories based on intended use. The cate-

gories are nut peanuts, green peanuts and

hogged peanuts. The only category rele-

vant to the traditional peanut market for

peanut butter, snacks, candy and inshell

peanuts is the nut category. So, when the

certified acres from the green peanuts and

hogged peanuts are removed, the total

peanut acreage planted for the traditional

market is 1,310,521 acres in 2014.

It is also important to note that when

you are comparing data from one year to

the next, you can’t always use the previ-

ous year’s data. In 2013, farmers planted

a reduced acreage of 1,053,271 which

was more comparable to the acreage

planted in the 1920s.

“The 2013 planted acreage was an

extreme outlier,” says Stanley Fletcher,

director of the National Center for Peanut

Competitiveness, University of Georgia.

“To really understand the magnitude of

the 2014 peanut acreage, one needs to

compare it against a norm.”

Since peanuts are a rotational crop,

the best measure for a norm is the

Olympic average of the 2008-2012 peanut

planted acreage which was 1,294,878

acres. By comparing the 2014 planted

acreage with the average, the data shows

farmers were attempting to get back to

their normal peanut rotation in 2014 after

severely altering the rotation in 2013.

Rotation is a key management tool

for the market, as well as preventing dis-

ease and helping increase yields. George

Lovatt, owner of Lovatt and Rushing, a

peanut brokerage company, encourages

farmers to plant what is in their best long-

term interest.

“I think the important thing for the

peanut grower to understand is that we

live in a competitive environment,”

Lovatt says. “And as cotton, soybeans and

corn are weak – necessarily peanuts will

be weak as well.”

The 2014 crop has been a mixed bag

of problems beginning with a delayed

planting due to rain and then hot and dry

summer months. Several farmers experi-

enced weeks without rain at a critical time

for water use in peanuts. Now shellers are

recommending growers to keep their dry-

land peanuts and dry corners of irrigated

fields separate from their irrigated peanuts

when delivering them to their local buy-

ing point.

On top of the issues with the 2014

crop, farmers have been left with uncer-

tainty this year without final farm bill reg-

ulations approved prior to planting. The

combination of the lower acreage in 2013

and potentially lower yields in 2014 have

combined to move peanut supply and

demand closer to equilibrium.

“Some farmers planted with the mis-

taken belief that the price of peanuts

would be supported at $535 per ton,” says

Don Koehler, Georgia Peanut

Commission executive director. “Planting

beyond normal acres in those areas was

noticeable but not largely widespread.”

Many farmers working through the

2014 crop will soon realize that Price

Loss Coverage (PLC) payments will not

arrive until late 2015. Also, the payments

will effectively be based on $470 per ton

(85 percent of base at $535). So, the big

challenge will come with the 2015 plant-

ings especially if other commodity prices

remain depressed.

However, the only number Lovatt

wants farmers to pay attention to is their

bottom line so they make sound and prof-

itable decisions, and hopefully keep the

industry from oversupplying the peanut

market. t

10 Primary Peanut States 2014September Nut

Acreage*

2008-2012Olympic Average

Nut Acreage **

Difference

Alabama 172,527.1 181,062.0 -8,534.9

Florida 164,684.7 146,505.4 18,179.3

Georgia 582,056.6 584,612.3 -2,555.7

Mississippi 27,845.8 16,200.4 11,645.4

New Mexico 4,479.9 9,735.3 -5,255.4

North Carolina 90,297.2 85,222.0 5,075.2

Oklahoma 9,300.4 19,068.5 -9,768.1

South Carolina 106,789.9 69,438.9 37,351

Texas 123,055.5 156,255.36 -33,199.86

Virigina 18,446.4 17,542.1 904.3

Total (10 primary states) 1,299,483.5 1,285,642.26 13,841.24

Minor States

Arkansas*** 10,494.6 8,425 2,069.6

Louisiana 403.6 354.1 49.5

Missouri**** 76.2 356.5 -280.3

Others***** 62.7 100.3 -37.6

TOTAL 1,310,520.6 1,294,878.16 15,642.44

*September 2014 USDA-FSA certified peanut nut acreage (excludes green peanuts and hog

peanuts acreages).

** Olympic Average of 2008-2012 total planted peanut nut acres by state.

***Arkansas did not really start growing peanuts till 2010 so their average is a simple average of

2010-2013.

****Missouri did not start growing peanuts till 2012 so their average is a simple average of 2012-13.

*****Other minor states are Kansas, Minnesota and Nebraska.

U.S. Peanut Nut Acreage Planted by State

2014 planted peanut acreage shows increase

BY JOY CROSBY


Grimes leads Georgia PeanutAchievement Club yieldsT

his has been a good year for

Philip Grimes. Earlier this

year, the Tift County,

Georgia, farmer was

recognized as the 2014 state winner of the

Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo

Southeastern Farmer of the Year award.

During the Southern Peanut Growers

Conference held this past summer in

Panama City Beach, Florida, Grimes was

recognized for producing the highest 2013

peanut yield in Georgia as verified by

Georgia Extension agricultural agents.

Because of his high yields, Grimes has

been a member of the Peanut

Achievement Club for more than 20

years.

Grimes credits his high yields to the

superior genetics bred into productive

varieties such as Georgia-06G. “We

wouldn’t be where we are without these

high yielding varieties,” Grimes says.

“I’m really looking forward to trying a

new high yielding variety, Georgia-13M.”

Grimes and nine other farmers were

recognized as members of the University

of Georgia Peanut Achievement Club for

2013. Grimes was the high yield producer

with 7,084.6 pounds per acre from 592

acres grown in 2013. Grimes said his

2013 peanuts were the first he grew that

yielded more than 7,000 pounds per acre.

Surprisingly, his yield was not the

highest in the history of the club. The

Dowdy and Gaines Farm in Baker County

produced 7,267 pounds per acre from

304.1 acres during the 2011 crop year.

Individual Georgia farmers also produced

more than 7,000 pounds per year in 2010

and in 1985, according to records

reviewed by John Beasley, former

University of Georgia Extension peanut

agronomist who is now an administrator

at Auburn University.

Grimes used Thimet for thrips

control, and controlled weeds by applying

Sonolan, Dual and Valor herbicides. He

applied Headline and Bravo fungicides

for leaf spot, and used Abound, Convoy,

Proline and Provost fungicides for white

mold control.

For his crop rotation, Grimes planted

corn, cotton and vegetables in the three

years prior to planting his high yielding

2013 peanuts. His tillage practices

included disk harrowing and ripping and

bedding the land. Grimes planted the

Georgia-06G variety in twin rows at a

seeding rate of seven to eight seed per

foot of row. Planting dates were between

April 30 and May 31. He used no lime

nor seed inoculant, but did use landplas-

ter. Grimes irrigated four times and

applied a total of four inches of water to

the 2013 crop.

Farmer Brent Brown of Ben Hill

County was recognized as the only first-

time member of the Peanut Achievement

Club. He produced a yield of 6,752.5

pounds per acre from 199.1 acres in 2013.

“I’ve been farming for 12 years,” Brown

says. “This is the highest peanut yield

I’ve ever made.” Brown attributes his

yields to deep breaking the land with a

bottom plow, timely irrigation and rain-

fall, plus following an effective fungicide

program.

Ken Hall of Worth County is the only

achievement club member to use strip till

planting. Hall’s 2013 yields were 5,166

pounds per acre from 858 acres. Hall has

been a member of the club for five of the

past six years. All other members recog-

nized this year used various forms of

conventional tillage. Hall’s father was a

member during the 1980’s when the club

was named the Money Maker Peanut

Club.

Hulin Reeves Jr. of Ben Hill County,

was earlier recognized by the club for his

2011 yields, and said he has been a mem-

ber of the club a number of times over the

past 12 years. Reeves produced 6,611

pounds per acre from 538.9 acres in 2013.

Wayne Sayer of Irwin County

produced 5,206 pounds per acre from 701

acres. Sayer is also a repeat member of

the club. He credits his high yields in

2013 to plenty of rainfall. Sayer has been

farming for 30 years and says about 70

percent of the land he farms is irrigated

while the rest is dryland. “So this award

for high yield came from a combination

of both dryland and irrigated land,” he

says. Sayer is also the only one of the ten

2013 Georgia Peanut Achievement Club Winners. Pictured left to right: Lyle Stewart, Syngenta;

Wayne Sayer, Wray; Philip Grimes, Tifton; Art Dorminy, Ocilla; Hulin Reeves Jr., Fitzgerald; Eddie

Miller Jr., Iron City; Ken Hall, Poulan; Jimmy Webb, Leary; Brent Brown, Fitzgerald and Dan Watts,

BASF. Not pictured are Al Sudderth, Dawson; and Jerry and Jeff Heard, Newton.

to grow varieties different from Georgia-

06G. In addition to 06G, he planted the

Georgia-07W and Georgia Greener runner

varieties.

Art Dorminy of Irwin County


acres. “This is my sixth year to win this

award,” he says. “I’ve been farming for

12 years.”

Jimmy Webb of Calhoun County

produced yields of 6,533 pounds per acre

from 859 acres. Webb credits his hard

working employees for his high yields. “I

didn’t make this crop by myself,” he says.

“Also, timing is critical to high yields. We

make sure to do everything on time.”

Eddie Miller Jr. of Seminole County

renewed his membership in the club with

a 2013 yield of 6,949 pounds per acre

from 588.5 acres. His son Eddie Miller III

became a member last year as a result of

his high yields produced in 2012.

Others recognized include Al

Sudderth of Calhoun County, who


acres. Also, the farm of Jerry and Jeff

Heard of Baker County produced 6,011

pounds per acre from 824.2 acres. This is

the third year for brothers Jerry and Jeff

Heard to be recognized by the Peanut

Achievement Club.

The Peanut Achievement Club

awards are sponsored this year by

Syngenta, BASF and Bayer. Bayer is a

new sponsor of the achievement club.

Eric Prostko, University of Georgia

Extension weed scientist, recognized this

year’s top winners. He also paid tribute to

University of Georgia research agrono-

mist Scott Tubbs, research assistant John

Paulk and administrative associate Dena

Watson for their parts in contributing to

the Peanut Achievement Club. “Our

Extension peanut team is committed to

helping our peanut farmers and county

Extension agents,” Prostko says.

Local Extension agents also play a

vital role for the Peanut Achievement

Club in gathering crop input information

and in validating the yields of the state’s

top yielding peanut farmers.

The Peanut Achievement Club traces

its roots to 1950 when it was called the

Ton Per Acre Club. The highest yield that

year was 2,700 pounds per acre. By 1962,

more than a thousand Georgia peanut

growers gained admission to the Ton Per

Acre Club. The award was later changed

to the Money Maker Club. Now it is

called the Georgia Peanut Achievement

Club. t


BY JOHN LEIDNER

Name County Acres Yield Crop Rotation*

Philip Grimes Tift 592 7084.6 c-ct-v-p

Eddie Miller Jr. Seminole 588.5 6949 ct-ct-c-p

Brent Brown Ben Hill 199.1 6752.45 p-ct-c-p

Hulin Reeves Jr. Ben Hill 538.9 6610.9 p-ct-c-p

Jimmy Webb Calhoun 859 6533 p-c-ct/c-p

Al Sudderth Calhoun 459.9 6508 p-c-c-p

Jerry Jr. & JeffHeard Baker 824.2 6010.97 p-ct-c-p

Art Dorminy Irwin 340 6007.37 p-c-ct-p

Wayne Sayer Irwin 701 5206.2 p-ct-c-p

Ken Hall Worth 858 5166 p-ct-ct-p

*Crop Rotation Corn = c Cotton = ct Peanuts = p Vegetables = v

Georgia Peanut Achievement Club State Winners

Grimes named 2014 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the YearPhilip Grimes, a farmer from

Tifton, Georgia, who is known for his

conservation practices and high crop

yields, has been selected as the overall

winner of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt

Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year

award for 2014.

Grimes was named as the overall

winner during the Willie B. Withers

Luncheon held during the opening day

of the 2014 Sunbelt Ag Expo farm

show. Grimes was chosen Farmer of

the Year over nine other state winners

who were finalists for the award.

Ron Carroll, marketing vice presi-

dent with Swisher, represented the

company in presenting the cash award

to Grimes. “Philip’s farming success is a

direct result of his hard work,” Carroll

says. “The farming profession is blessed

to have so many dedicated producers,

and there is no doubt that a great farmer

has been selected as the overall winner

during this 25th year of our Farmer of

the Year awards.”

Grimes expressed his appreciation to

Swisher and the other award sponsors. “I

have a great team of supporters who help

me operate my farm,” he says. “I also

want to congratulate the other state win-

ners. They are excellent farmers and

leaders who are fine representatives of

our industry.”

His wife Jane manages the farm’s

office and leads some of the farm’s ini-

tiatives in marketing produce and in

maintaining food safety.

Grimes has farmed for 37 years. He

grows peanuts, cotton, cantaloupes,

broccoli, snap beans and corn on his

2,210-acre farm. As a result of his high

peanut yields, he has been a longtime

member of the Georgia Peanut

Achievement Club. He also raises high-

yield cotton, and his produce crops are

consistently high in quality. He plants a

portion of his land specifically to attract

wildlife.

Additional information is available

online at sepfonline.com.

2014 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern

Farmer of the Year Philip Grimes stands with his

family after being named the overall winner during

the Wilile B. Withers luncheon held opening day of

the 2014 Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Ga.

u More info online at sepfonline.com.

The Georgia Peanut Commission

sponsored Georgia-native, David

Ragan, in the NASCAR Sprint Cup

Series Oral-B USA 500 race at the

Atlanta Motor Speedway, Aug. 31,

2014.

“David Ragan is a Georgia native

and Georgia is the No. 1 peanut-grow-

ing state in the nation,” says Joe

Boddiford, GPC vice chairman and

chairman of the GPC Promotions

Committee. “The Georgia Peanut

Commission is very excited to have

this opportunity to help sponsor him

in the Atlanta race.”

Following the race, David Ragan

also made an appearance at the

Georgia Peanut Commission’s booth

at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Oct.

Additional details on the promotion

are available online at

www.gapeanuts.com.


and the Georgia Bankers Association

joined forces Oct. 18-25, 2014, in an

effort to promote Georgia’s peanut

industry during its 38th annual

Georgia Peanut Bank Week. Local

banks and financial institutions across

the state of Georgia honored

Georgia’s peanut farmers and their

contribution made to the state and

local economies during one of the

biggest times of the year: peanut har-

vest.

This year’s theme, “Peanuts:

Power You Can Bank On,” showcases

the importance of peanuts, Georgia’s

official state crop, and how Georgia’s

peanut farmers contribute approxi-

mately $2 billion annually to the state

and local economy to help maintain

Georgia’s largest industry, agriculture.

The theme also highlights the

National Peanut Board’s new

campaign, The Perfectly Powerful

Peanut: a platform showcasing the

powerhouse of nutrition peanuts have

to offer.

Peanuts, recipe cards and other

promotional materials were distrib-

uted by banks during the week-long

celebration. For more information,

visit the Georgia Peanut Commission

website at www.gapeanuts.com.


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

Georgia Peanut Commission promotes the power of peanutsduring annual bank week

Georgia Peanut Commission sponsors David Ragan at AtlantaNASCAR race in August

For the first time, the Alabama Peanut

Producers Association (APPA) will be exhibiting

at fair events in the western peanut area of the

state. The first fair will be the Baldwin County

Fair in Robertsdale, Alabama, and will be held

September 23-27, 2014.

The APPA is also participating in the

Greater Gulf State Fair in Mobile, Alabama,

scheduled for October 24 - November 2, 2014.

The booth featured a display of historical peanut

photos, health information, peanut recipe

brochures among other items. A large peanut

field photo served as the backdrop for the

exhibit.

The final festival on schedule for this year is

the National Peanut Festival in Dothan, Ala.,

which will be held October 31 – November 9,

2014. APPA was involved in many activities dur-

ing the ten-day event. A large 40 x 60 tent,

appropriately named the “Peanut Pavilion”

served as the main location for APPA activities

during the event. The tent was located in the

agriculture section of the National Peanut

Festival.

Alabama Peanut ProducersAssociation on the fair circuit

Race fans take a sample of Georgia

peanuts during the NASCAR race in

Atlanta, Ga., Aug. 31.

Throughout the fall, the Georgia Peanut

Commission is sponsoring peanut promotional

advertisements with the Atlanta Braves baseball

and the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech

football. Thirty second and 10 second promotion-

al messages aired on the Atlanta Braves Radio

Network, which has approximately 3.5 million

listeners per week throughout the Southeast. Also,

a 30 second promotional message will air during

the UGA and Georgia Tech football season

through IMG, where up to 56 radio affiliates will

broadcast the message.

Also, GPC promoted peanuts during

Homecoming weekend at UGA. While in Athens,

GPC passed out koozies adorning the Georgia

Peanuts logo, as well as its famous little red bags

of peanuts to football fans and Athens-area

residents.

Georgia Peanut Commission promotespeanuts through sports venue

The Florida Peanut Producers and the

Farm Bureau in Escambia and Santa Rosa

counties teamed up to donate one and a

half tons of peanut butter to Manna Food

Pantries in Pensacola.

On April 30, 2014, more than 25

inches of rain fell in the western panhan-

dle of Florida causing tremendous dam-

age to homes, businesses and farms.

Manna Food Pantries in Pensacola lost all

of its food supply and experienced dam-

age to the building and warehouse due to

the flooding. Manna Food Pantries is now

partially restocked due to the generous

contributions and community support and

are now providing emergency food on a

limited basis.

“We’re excited that we’ve gotten to a

point where we can resume service to the

hungry, although we’re still very limited

right now,” says DeDe Flounlacker, exec-

utive director. “We continue to be amazed

by the generosity of this community and

how they’ve come together to help Manna

get back on its feet. But the need is still

great — we ask that the community con-

tinue to give — right now we’ve got a

very limited supply of food.”

After discussing the flood that dam-

aged the Manna warehouse and food sup-

ply, the Escambia County Farm Bureau

voted to spend $1,000 to buy peanut but-

ter, Manna’s most needed item. The Santa

Rosa County Farm Bureau board then

voted to donate $1,001 toward the peanut

butter donation. When notified of the pur-

chase of peanut butter, the board of direc-

tors of Florida Peanut Producers and Ken

Barton, executive director agreed to

match the purchase and donated a pallet

of peanut butter.

Thanks to Peanut Proud for allowing

Farm Bureau and Florida Peanut

Producers Association to purchase the

peanut butter at a reduced cost.


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

Mississippi Peanut GrowersAssociation exhibits at Farm to TableInternational Symposium

Florida Peanut Producers and Farm Bureau donate peanut butter Pensacola food bank

The Florida Peanut Producers and the Farm

Bureau in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties

donate one and a half tons of peanut butter to

the Manna Food Pantries in Pensacola,

Florida.

The Mississippi Peanut Growers Association

(MPGA) exhibited at the Farm to Table

International Symposium, Aug. 2 – 4, 2014, at the

New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention

Center. The event included presentations on urban

farming, sustainability, ag policy and cultural

practices.

There was a global cadre of speakers and

panelists serving the farm to table focus. Malcolm

Broome, MPGA executive director, provided

information to more than 600 registered attendees

through the MPGA exhibit booth. Attendees were

from not only Louisiana but across the U.S.

The second annual event was held in con-

junction with the Southern Food and Beverage

Institute which had a tremendous trade show help-

ing to draw several thousand attendees over the

weekend event. The event provided MGPA with a

new audience with lots of potential to use peanuts.

For more information visit, www.f2t-int.com.

Farmers were able to see their checkoff dol-

lars in action during August and September at a

variety of field days throughout the Southeast.

Field days in August were held at the

Wiregrass Research Extension Center in

Headland, Alabama; North Florida Research and Education Center in

Marianna, Florida; the Southeast Research and Education Center in

Midville, Georgia, and the Southwest Georgia Research and Education

Center in Plains, Georgia. There were multiple field days held in

Mississippi during September at multiple locations in Lucedale, Dan West

farm in Lackey and Parrish Farms in Tchula. The University of Georgia

Cotton and Peanut Teams held a Cotton/Peanut Field Day in Tifton during

Sept. as well.

During the field days, farmers were able to view the latest research on

new peanut varieties and management of diseases, insects and weeds.

Growers were also able to learn more about crop rotation, replanting deci-

sions, plant populations, resistance issues and info about new fungicide

and nematicide products.

The purpose of the field days is to showcase current research, which

is funded by the grower checkoff organizations, in plot-side presentations

by the researchers themselves. The events provide an educational environ-

ment for peanut producers and give them the opportunity to pose questions

directly to the researchers and to express concerns pertinent to the produc-

tion of their crops. For more info on the field days, visit sepfonline.com

Field Days held across the Southeast


As stewards of the land,

farmers are natural plan-

ners. Farmers plan the

perfect time to turn dirt

and plant seed, plan when they will begin

insect, weed and disease management on

their crops and plan when they will begin

harvest. Their entire crop year centers

around their “plan.” However, planning

for their estate is one type of planning

many farmers may not consider.

Earlier this year, Will Thompson, tax

and wealth planning attorney at James-

Bates-Brannan-Groover, LLP in Macon,

Georgia, discussed business succession

and estate planning during the 2014 Ag

Forecast Series sponsored by the

University of Georgia College of

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Thompson began by discussing the

importance of recognizing how business

succession planning is a process.

“Business succession planning is not

something you can do in an afternoon,”

Thompson explains. “It’s not something

you can sit down with your attorney or

your advisor and say, from three to five

this afternoon, I’m going to knock it out.”

Thompson continues, “It’s a process. It’s

a process that changes. It’s a process that

needs to be started now. You need to start

identifying your successors. Identifying

that process and how you’re going to

transition your business. And if it

changes, that’s ok. Adapt. But you don’t

want to just put it off and catch yourself

in trouble.”

Not only is business succession

planning a process, it’s an event which

affects the entire family. It affects each

one in a different way; some more deeply

than others. Succession planning can even

create a new leader in the family through

someone new taking charge of the family

business.

Compared to other businesses, family

farms and agribusinesses are unique due

to characteristics extending beyond the

business into personal relationships.

Communication becomes key throughout

this stage of the process to ensure there

are no surprises or unknowns between

family members. By exercising good

communication skills in the family, the

likelihood of a disruption in harmony

amongst relatives is slim.

Thompson states there are nine

reasons why family businesses fail to

follow-through with succession planning:

1. It is not urgent.

2. The focus on tax avoidance and

“drop dead plans” creates a false sense of

security.

3. Family member and/or employee

push back.

4. It is always safer not to change.

5. Family businesses do not know

how to undertake succession planning.

6. Lack of courage among the next

generation family business leaders.

7. Senior generation family busi-

ness leaders do not know how to be fair

to their non-employee children relative to

their employee children with respect to

inheritance.

8. Family businesses see succession

planning as an event – not a process.

9. It costs too much.

So if you decided to pursue a busi-

ness succession plan, what are your

options? Thompson says you basically

have three choices: you can pass the

business on to family members; you can

plan to sell it while you are alive or you

can let your estate sell it.

A few critical questions Thompson

feels should be considered are: how is the

next leader of the company selected?;

when is a decision made about who will

be the next leader of the company?; how

are meaningful careers provided for other

family members who are not chosen to

lead?; etc.

The ultimate question becomes: who

is going to be you? It is important for

farmers to begin pondering this idea and

think seriously about it. It is also just as

important for those in the younger genera-

tion to communicate with parents about

the future. During this time, the younger

generation should be voicing their opin-

ions about taking over the family business

and whether it is something they would

like to do.

According to Thompson, 70 to 80

Planning iseverything“By failing to plan, you are planning to fail.”

Winston Churchill


percent of family businesses are passed

down to the business owner’s children

and almost the same percentage end in

failure. This failure is due primarily to the

successor not knowing how to manage the

assets of the business. With this in mind,

it becomes critical to begin training a

successor sooner rather than later.

Thompson says lack of training is not

the only thing contributing to failure.

Many successors are not financially

responsible, do not understand the family

business, do not realize the amount of

work required before commitment and

create a habit of spending beyond their

means.

So how do farmers avoid these prob-

lems? It’s simple: begin planning now. Do

not group yourself with the other 80

percent of Americans who choose to do

nothing. By doing nothing, there will be

no control over how assets are divided

and who will receive them.

Thompson presents a few options. He

first discussed a joint ownership with

your spouse. By choosing to do this,

Thompson says, planning may still be

necessary after the death of the spouse.

Also, he says assets are subject to

creditors and predators of both spouses.

Additionally, Thompson states there is no

remarriage protection, so assets may end

up with people you never knew.

Another option is to give away your

assets. With this method, Thompson says,

you lose control and may lose significant

tax benefits.

A will is also an option. Developing a

will is a common way to deal with family

estate and business succession. Thompson

says a will allows you to direct the trans-

fer of property you own at your death. It

allows you to provide for your surviving

spouse, choose who receives assets after

the spouse’s death, minimize confusion

amongst family members and minimize

estate taxes.

The final option Thompson discussed

was a trust. According to Thompson, a

trust is a legal relationship designed to

control property management and distri-

bution. Wills and trusts enable sophisticat-

ed estate planning by providing

creditor/predator protection, remarriage

protection, estate tax minimization and

additional care for children or a spouse.

Thompson concluded his presentation

by discussing a few other planning tech-

niques. The first planning technique

Thompson discussed was a limited liabili-

ty company (LLC). This type of tool is

flexible and found to be beneficial to

small business owners, including farmers

and ranchers.

“Limited liability companies make it

much more difficult to get your personal

assets; you get the liability protection of a

corporation without having to jump

through all of the hoops,” Thompson

explains.

Similar to an LLC is a family limited

partnership. Both an LLC and FLP allow

you to hold assets with liability protec-

tion, as well as take your assets out when

you need them. Not to mention you will

have lower estate taxes and be allowed to

equalize gifts among heirs.

“There are plenty of techniques and

ways to plan, and if you don’t take the

time now, your family is going to suffer

from it on the backend,” Thompson says.

“There’s no better time than the present

to start communicating and start plan-

ning.” t

Will Thompson, tax and wealth planning attorney at James-Bates-Brannan-Groover, LLP in

Macon, Ga., discusses estate management planning with an attendee at the University of

Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ Ag Forecast Series in Tifton, Ga.

BY JESSIE TURK

Nominations are now open for the

Outstanding Young Peanut Farmer in

Georgia. The state winner will be

announced at the Georgia Peanut Farm

Show on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, in

Tifton, Georgia.

The Outstanding Young Peanut

Farmer Award is based upon the appli-

cant’s overall farm operation; environ-

mental and stewardship practices; and

leadership, civic, church, and community

service activities.

“We have so many young peanut

farmers making a difference in their com-

munities and I consider this awards pro-

gram a great opportunity to recognize one

young farmer for their contributions to the

agriculture industry,” says Armond

Morris, GPC chairman.

The award is open for any active

Georgia peanut farmer who is not over 45

years of age as of the end of the calendar

year for which they are applying. An indi-

vidual may receive the award only once.

There is no limit on the number of appli-

cants from each county in Georgia.

Applications are due to the GPC

office by Friday, Jan. 2, 2015. The award

application is available online at

gapeanuts.com or by contacting Joy

Crosby at 229-386-3690 or via email at

[email protected].

The winner receives registration and

hotel accommodations to attend the

Southern Peanut Growers Conference in

July and a sign to display at their farm. t

Nominations open for Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer


Crop rotation still needed

Peanut crop rotation is need-

ed now more than ever,

according to Marshall

Lamb, research leader at the

National Peanut Research Laboratory in

Dawson, Georgia.

Lamb says growers may be tempted

to shorten crop rotations to capture more

program payments from the new farm

bill’s provisions on generic crop bases.

But this could be a big mistake.

“Growers became interested in

expanding peanut production to get gener-

ic base payments from cotton into

peanuts,” he explains.

He addressed crop rotation as related

to the new farm bill during the Southern

Peanut Growers Conference held this past

summer in Panama City Beach, Florida.

Lamb spoke on the general implica-

tions of changing rotations within the

broad outlines of the farm bill. He said

specific steps by farmers will depend on

final regulations from USDA. The final

regulations will determine if farmers

increase or decrease their peanut acreage.

Lamb says the new farm bill can give

good protection to producers. Exactly

how good won’t be known until after

USDA issues the final regulations.

The farm bill offers the possibility of

converting generic cotton base into a base

for a covered program commodity such as

peanuts.

“You have to plant generic crop base

to get program benefits,” Lamb adds.

“One thing we don’t need to do is to

sacrifice our good agronomic practices,”

he adds. “And crop rotation is one of

these practices.”

He says a long crop rotation has

helped keep peanut farming competitive

with other crops because crop rotation

contributes to higher peanut yields.

“When prices are low, you may get

higher payments from the additional

generic base, but you lose money from

producing the peanuts,” he explains.

“When prices are high, you won’t get the

program payments but you might make

money from producing the peanuts. If

peanut prices are low, you could max out

of your generic payments, but you could

still lose money on your production,” he

adds.

“From a yield standpoint, a minimum

rotation of three years out of peanuts is

recommended,” Lamb says. “Economics

can and often does alter rotation plans.

Shortening your crop rotations is a short-

term decision with long-term conse-

quences. You can’t make it to the long-

term if you don’t survive the short-term.”

He showed research data showing

three years out of peanuts tends to pro-

duce higher yields. With irrigated peanuts,

one year out of peanuts can yield 1,000

pounds more per acre than continuous

peanuts. Likewise, two years out of

peanuts can produce another 938 pounds

per acre. Three years out of peanuts will

increase yields by another 450 pounds per

acre.

The yield increases attributed to rota-

tion are not quite as dramatic in dryland

fields, but are still significant.

Lamb also pointed out that crop bases

for cotton and peanuts are also historically

different from one county to another.

“These decisions will come down to the

farm level,” Lamb says.

He cautions that a rotation featuring

only one year out of peanuts could result

in revenues that would be below the cost

of production.

The “generic” base is not the same

as “traditional” base, according to Lamb.

The major difference is that you have to

plant the crop to receive the generic base

payments.

Lamb says the shortening of peanut

rotations could provide limited short-term

benefits, but these would have large long-

term consequences that could take years

to fix. “Under current market conditions,

now is not the time to shorten peanut rota-

tions,” Lamb adds. t

BY JOHN LEIDNER


Birdsong Peanutscelebrates 100 years M

any times a fire can

mean destruction or the

end of a business but in

the case of Birdsong

Peanuts, a fire at the shelling plant in

Courtland, Virginia, helped them relocate

to Suffolk and continue the company for

100 years. For five generations, Birdsong

Peanuts has delivered naturally nutritious

peanuts to manufacturers around the cor-

ner and around the world. Peanuts are

their only business so everything they

have rests on their ability to serve their

customers well.

Birdsong Peanuts simply takes one of

nature’s agricultural treasures, shells it

and provides it to food manufacturers,

who create a multitude of food products

including peanut butter, trail mix, snack

peanuts, candy and countless other items.

The HistoryBirdsong got its start in 1914 when

T.H. Birdsong opened a feed and seed

store in Courtland, Virginia. The company

expanded into storing commodities and

began shelling peanuts in the 1930s. The

shelling plant burned in 1939 and Mr.

Amedeo Obici, founder of Planters

Peanuts, asked T.H. Birdsong’s five

sons to relocate near his factory in

Suffolk, Virginia. That plant is still in

operation today.

Until 1965, all of Birdsong’s busi-

ness was in Virginia and North

Carolina. Today the company has

expanded its geography with shelling

plants strategically located from the east

coast of Virginia to Texas. Birdsong

partners with farmers in 11 states and

sells to peanut product manufacturers in

the United States and around the world.

Birdsong’s corporate headquarters

is located in Suffolk, where three gener-

ations of Birdsongs are active in its opera-

tions together with leadership from non-

family management. Each generation fol-

lows T.H. Birdsong’s example by partici-

pating in community and civic activities –

serving on nonprofit boards, as university

trustees and as active members of local

service organizations. Their commitment

to quality and service has proven success-

ful not only in the peanut business but

also in community relationships both at

home and around the globe.

When T.H. Birdsong opened his

country store a century ago in Courtland,

Virginia, little did he know his modest

market would grow into a thriving

corporation that has grown steadily for

five generations.

Industry PartnershipNot many companies in the United

States can say they are still owned and

operated by the same family but when it

comes to Birdsong Peanuts, the family

has maintained control of the operations

through the years. Today, Birdsong

Peanuts is not just a company within the

peanut industry, but a dedicated company

that is helping further the development of

the peanut industry through their involve-

ment in industry activities.

“Giving back is a value our founder,

T.H. Birdsong, not only lived but also

instilled in his family,” says George

Birdsong, chief executive officer of

Birdsong Peanuts. “That commitment to

make the world a better place continues

today, as we partner with our customers

and communities to make a difference.”

Birdsong Peanuts has been very

involved in the Peanut Genomics

Initiative. The goal of the effort is to iden-

tify the peanut genes and what traits the

particular genes possess that would be

helpful in producing better yield and qual-

ity peanuts. These genes would be

“marked” and used in the breeding of new

varieties.

“This method of breeding new vari-

eties would speed up the breeding

process,” Birdsong says. “We are proud to

help lead this effort for the benefit of the

entire industry.”

“He (George Birdsong) can see value

a decade out; he’s someone who is con-

sidered a visionary,” says Scott Jackson,

plant genomics researcher at the

University of Georgia.

Birdsong Peanuts has also been

involved in the formation of Peanut Proud

and the festival held annually in Blakely,

Georgia.

“The Peanut Proud efforts have been

a morale booster for the industry after so

Birdsong got its start in 1914 when T.H.

Birdsong opened a feed and seed store

in Courtland, Virginia.


much negative publicity over sal-

monella recall issues,” says Greg

Grimsley, corporate manufactur-

ing manager for Birdsong Peanuts

and president of Peanut Proud.

“Our industry and the public need

to know that our industry actively

supports, with nutritious peanut

butter, those caught in such cata-

strophic circumstances as torna-

does, hurricanes, earthquakes and

other disasters.”

Birdsong Peanuts is actively

involved in the Peanut Butter for

the Hungry project. The project,

coordinated by the American

Peanut Council, utilizes Ready to

Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF)

made with peanuts. An American

pediatrician Mark Manary, MD has

centralized his work in Malawi, but he

works with other providers to increase

production and distribution of RUTF

throughout Africa.

Birdsong is working with Dr. Manary

and other providers to increase production

and distribution of RUTF throughout

Africa. “We are raising funds, donating

equipment, funding research and helping

local farmers in Africa to improve their

crops,” says Jeff

Johnson, president of

Birdsong Peanuts.

“There is no doubt

that Project Peanut

Butter is bringing

solutions to improv-

ing health outcomes

around the world.”

“Peanut butter

for the hungry is an

industry initiative to

get therapeutic foods

made with peanut

butter to children

who need them,”

says Stephanie

Grunenfelder, vice

president of interna-

tional marketing with

the American Peanut Council. “Birdsong

Peanut Company has been very instru-

mental in getting the effort started and has

been supportive of ongoing efforts.”

Stewardship“We at Birdsong realize that our

actions as stewards of the earth can help

create a better world for generations to

come,” says Charles Birdsong, vice presi-

dent of operations and procurement for

Birdsong Peanuts. “Everything we need

for survival, both directly and indirectly,

depends upon the environment, and so we

are committed to charting a sustainable

future.”

Birdsong has installed a five acre

solar arrangement which generates 1.45

million kilowatt hours of energy per year.

This reduces greenhouse gas emissions by

over 1000 tons per year – the equivalent

of removing 197 vehicles from the road.

Birdsong supplies over 20,000 tons

of peanut hull pellets, a source of renew-

able energy, to co-generation plants

around the world. This produces over 41

million kilowatt hours of electricity.

All Birdsong facilities are at or near

zero landfill waste operational status. The

goal is to have all plant campuses certi-

fied zero landfill waste by the

end of 2015. Additional local

conservation efforts supported by

Birdsong include funding a new

food composter for the Salvation

Army of Suffolk and providing

peanut hulls to thicken the com-

post used for gardening programs

at area schools. To support these

efforts and increase awareness,

Birdsong has a goal of rolling out

sustainability workshops to all

employees by the end of 2015.

Many of the farmers, with

whom Birdsong Peanuts partner,

are on the cutting edge of sus-

tainable farming. The farmers

produce their peanuts using con-

servation tillage systems to

increase soil carbon sequestration,

which reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

This practice also increases the water-

holding capacity in soils, thus reducing

irrigation requirements.

“We are fortunate that peanuts are

environmentally friendly by their nature,”

Birdsong says. “We’re doing our part to

reduce the impact from the time they are

planted until they reach the consumer’s

table.”

The future

goals of

Birdsong

Peanuts are to

continue to be

a successful

company and

an important

part of the

peanut indus-

try. Birdsong

Peanuts has

survived from

the fire in 1939

into their 5th

generation of

the family cele-

brating the

company’s

100th anniver-

sary. Today, Birdsong Peanuts operates

six shelling plants and has more than 700

employees.

Birdsong says, “We will continue to

work hard to be a successful company in

the future and to help our entire industry

be successful.” t

The original mill in Courtland, Virginia, burned down in 1939 and was

not rebuilt. The new factory, pictured above, was built in 1940 in

Suffolk, Virginia.

(Above) Current Birdsong Peanuts shelling plant in

Suffolk, Virginia.

(Left) Farmers stock in bags coming to the plant in

the 1940s.

BY JOY CROSBY


Scott Monfort began his role

with the University of

Georgia College of

Agricultural and

Environmental Sciences (UGA CAES)

Aug. 1 as the new UGA Extension Peanut

Agronomist. He replaces longtime UGA

Extension peanut agronomist John Beasley

who now heads the agronomy department

at Auburn University. Monfort’s role as

Extension peanut agronomist is to work

closely with UGA CAES’ research agrono-

mist Scott Tubbs to help implement new

technology into peanut production

statewide. He will also assist Georgia

peanut farmers and keep them apprised of

the latest developments regarding one of

Georgia’s top row crops.

Learn more about Monfort through

this Q&A with him regarding his role and

vision for the UGA Peanut Team. t

Meet Monfort, new UGA Extensionpeanut agronomist

1. What is your background and

knowledge with peanuts?

I have worked in and around peanut

production all of my life. I began working

in the peanut industry in Edison, Georgia,

on a farm and at MAC Peanut, a peanut

buying point in high School (in the early

1990s). I began my career in agriculture

with Gold Kist Inc. and later with the

University of Georgia Cooperative

Extension Service as an agricultural agent

in Worth County, Georgia.

2. What goals do you have for the

UGA Peanut Team?

The long term goal is to represent

and promote the team for what it is - one

of the best research and extension teams

in the country. This is one of the main

reasons I was interested in the position.

Also, I plan to update the current

information highway for which we pro-

vide growers the most up to date and

accurate research and extension informa-

tion available. This will include the use of

any and all technologies available for pro-

viding information more timely.

I also plan to continue examining

new agronomic practices to increase pro-

ductivity and profit for the growers in

Georgia.

3. How do you see your role in

working with growers?

I consider my role one of the primary

points of contact for peanut production

outside that of the county agents. In

working with peanut growers in both

industry and the extension service, I

developed an immense appetite for

knowledge and education in agriculture

production so that I could better under-

stand and diagnose production problems

and reduce their impacts on yield. This is

largely why I am here. I really enjoy help-

ing growers.

4. What goals do you have for your

role with UGA as Extension Peanut

Agronomist?

Like with all of the positions I have

had over my career, there is a transition

time for me to evaluate the program and

start to determine my direction for the

future. One of the goals I have for the

near future is to evaluate new ways to

provide growers information along with

better ways for our agents to communi-

cate with growers and state specialists.

Another goal I have is to evaluate as

much production technology as I can in

the next few years to try to add to the

yield boost or economic return we have

observed with the new peanut cultivars. I

will fill in the rest of the goal sheet for

the future as I begin to meet with and

understand the needs of the growers over

the next few months.

5. How do you think the university can

effectively serve and educate growers

throughout the state?

Like any company struggling through

a depressed economy, we have to find

more effective and timely ways to help

our growers. We need more face time;

therefore, I will be working on ways to

provide growers the opportunity to meet

the members of the peanut team from the

county agents to the state peanut exten-

sion and research faculty and see the

multitude of research and demonstrations

being conducted each year for the purpose

of producing peanuts more economically.

I hope growers understand we are here as

a truly unbiased partner in their peanut

production operation and are only a call

away. t

Q&A

Scott Monfort

Extension Peanut Agronomist

University of Georgia

Hometown: Edison, Ga.

Education:B.S.A. Plant Protection &

Pest Management, UGA

M.S. Plant Pathology, UGA

Ph.D. Plant Sciences,

University of Arkansas

Work Experience:Research Associate/State

Extension Peanut Specialist,

Clemson University

Associate Professor

Extension Plant Pathologist,

University of Arkansas

BY JOY CROSBY



(GPC) supports Georgia Extension agri-

cultural agents by sponsoring award and

educational programs and on-farm applied

research. Each year, GPC sponsors county

Extension agents travel to the American

Peanut Research and Education Society

Annual Meeting. The meeting provides an

opportunity for the agents to learn about

the latest research being conducted in the

peanut industry and how to apply the

information to assist growers.

The travel award winners for 2014

include Bill Tyson, Bulloch Co.; Wade

Parker, Jenkins Co.; Tim Varnedore, Jeff

Davis Co., and Phillip Edwards, Irwin Co.

Tyson also received the Georgia

Association of County Agricultural

Agents Peanut Education for Excellence

annual award, which is sponsored by the

Georgia Peanut Commission. The award

recognizes outstanding Extension pro-

grams in the area of peanut production

and economics. Edwards was recognized

at the meeting with the Bayer Excellence

in Extension program, which is sponsored

by Bayer CropScience.

All four of the award winners gave a

presentation during the Bayer Excellence

in Extension session. t

The Georgia Peanut Commission board of directors unanimously approved a

motion opposing the sharing of grower-funded technology with other countries in

direct competition with domestically produced peanuts. The motion was approved dur-

ing the July 25, 2014, board meeting held at Panama City Beach, Florida, during the

Southern Peanut Growers Conference.

The motion presented by board member Tim Burch of Baker County and seconded

by Joe Boddiford of Screven County states, “The Georgia Peanut Commission opposes

the sharing of technology, developed with peanut farmer checkoff funding, with pro-

ducers in other countries who compete with U.S. producers for peanut markets.”

The Georgia Peanut Commission has been funding research projects at the

University of Georgia and the USDA Agricultural Research Service since 1961. The

funding for the research projects is derived from a $2 per ton assessment collected

from all peanut growers in the state of Georgia.

“Georgia’s peanut growers invest more than $1 million in research annually for

peanut variety development; production research relating to disease, insect and weed

pressure; and economic competitiveness,” says Donald Chase, GPC Research

Committee chairman. “The research funding has been instrumental in developing new

peanut varieties for U.S. growers that have helped growers maintain a competitive edge

over other developed countries in direct competition with the U.S.”

For additional information about the Georgia Peanut Commission and currently

funded research projects, visit www.gapeanuts.com. t

GPC opposes the sharing of grower-fundedtechnology with prodcuers in other countries

American Peanut Research and Education Society honors MurphyEmory Murphy of Tifton, Georgia,

and retired assistant executive director of

the Georgia Peanut Commission was

recently named a Fellow by the American

Peanut Research and Education Society in

San Antonio, Texas, on July 10, 2014.

Becoming a Fellow is the highest honor

provided by the society. Eligibility is

attained by being an active member of the

society for at least five years and the

nominee must have made outstanding

contributions in research, extension and

administration during their career.

In 1980, Murphy was hired as the

assistant executive director of the Georgia

Peanut Commission where he would work

full-time until December 2011. Murphy

was rehired part-time until January 2014

until his vacant position had been filled.

Through the years, Murphy completed 39

years of public work experience in soil

and plant science, research program man-

agement, production agriculture, agribusi-

ness economic development and public

relations.

During his time at the GPC, Murphy

developed and expanded a world-class

research facilitation program for the

Georgia Peanut Commission, coordinating

the funding of over $16 million in

research projects during his career. He

was the coordinator of the Georgia Peanut

Farm Show for 33 years, which has

grown to be the largest single-commodity

show in Georgia. Murphy was also instru-

mental in the founding of the Georgia

Peanut Tour in 1987, a tour focused on

showcasing the quality of Georgia peanuts

which continues today.

Murphy was and still is very active in

all phases of APRES from serving on the

board of directors as a member from

2008-2010, the Program Committee, Site

Selection Committee, and Peanut Quality Committee throughout the years. t

Tim Brenneman, American Peanut Research

and Education Society president and

researcher at the University of Georgia Tifton

Campus, presents Emory Murphy, retired assis-

tant executive director of the Georgia Peanut

Commission, with the APRES Fellow. Pictured

left to right are: Brenneman, Murphy and

Donald Chase, farmer from Macon County,

Georgia, and Georgia Peanut Commission

board member.

GPC recognizes countyagricultural agents

Georgia Peanut Commission supports

Extension agricultural agents with travel to the

American Peanut Research and Education

Society Annual Meeting. Pictured left to right

are, Scott Tubbs, UGA cropping systems

agronomist; Phillip Edwards, Irwin Co.; Tim

Varnedore, Jeff Davis Co.; Bill Tyson, Bulloch

Co.; Wade Parker, Jenkins Co.; and Tim

Brenneman, UGA plant pathologist.

2014 Southern PeanutGrowers Conference

2013 marked the 16th year for the Southern Peanut Growers

Conference which included a large agenda for the nearly 700 peo-

ple registered. This year’s theme was “Peanut Producers:

Powerful. Progressive. Precise.”

Topics discussed during the three-day conference included peanut market-

ing, export markets, health issues, role of grower dollars, production issues

and sustaining farm policy.

Farming legislation is always a concern for peanut producers. This year

during the conference, attendees heard from U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford of

Arkansas, a member of the House Agriculture Committee.

Crawford said it was very tough in getting a farm bill finally passed this

year. He also said he personally felt it should be called the USDA Re-

Authorization Bill, like other agencies like the Department of Defense, for

example. He said he thought it would “help us to communicate more efficient-

ly just exactly what we’re doing.” He noted that in reality, 80 percent of this

authorization is nutrition.”

Former Alabama Peanut Producers

Association executive director Randy Griggs

was honored with the Valor Award during

the morning session of the conference. The

award is sponsored annually by Valent.

“Valor is defined as courage and bold-

ness, as in battle, bravery, courage in

defense of a noble cause,” says John Altom

of Valent. “Our recipients have spent a life-

time providing that kind of leadership to the

peanut industry. They have made a life mis-

sion of integrity and service to their com-

munity, their employees, their neighbors,

and their customers.”

Griggs became executive director of

the Alabama Peanut Producers Association in 1982 and was extensively

involved in industry organizations and legislation on behalf of the Alabama

Peanut Producers Association. He was also recently inducted into the

American Peanut Council’s Hall of Fame.

Five farmers were also recognized dur-

ing the conference with the annual Peanut

Profitability Awards, which are sponsored

by Farm Press. The awards are based solely

on production efficiency — honoring those

growers who produce the highest yields at

the lowest cost per acre. The awards are

based on a producer’s entire farm operation,

and not just on individual farms or small

plots.

This year’s honorees include:

Southwest Region — Isaac, John and

George Guenther, Gaines County, Texas;

Lower Southeast Region — Owen Yoder, Orrville, Alabama; and the Upper

Southeast Region — Billy Bain, Dinwiddie, Virginia.

Highlights of the conference including photos, presentations, speaker

interviews are all available on the Southern Peanut Farmers Federaiton

website at southernpeanutfarmers.org. t

Thanks to the 2014 Conference Sponsors

SyngentaJohn Deere

Ag-Pro CompanyAlbany Tractor Company

Blanchard EquipmentLasseter Equipment Company

Smith Tractor CompanySunSouth LLC

Bayer CropScienceBASF

National Peanut BoardDuPont Crop ProtectionAg Leader Technology

Ag Technologies/Trimble AgricultureAimtrac

Birdsong PeanutsColombo NA

Edgewater Beach ResortFarm Press

AgGeorgia Farm CreditAgSouth Farm CreditFarm Credit of Florida

Farm Credit of Northwest FloridaKelley Manufacturing Co.

Propane Education & Research CouncilValent U.S.A. Corporation

Southeastern Peanut FarmerThe Peanut GrowerAmadas Industries

First South Farm CreditNational Peanut Buying Points Assn.

Olam Edible NutsAMVAC ChemicalDow AgroSciences

ALFAAlabama Power

Georgia Farm BureauGolden Peanut Company

INTX, A Verdesian Life Sciences Co.McCleskey MillsMonsanto BioAg

Nichino America, Inc.Georgia Organic Solutions

Newton CrouchSessions Co. Inc.Snyder’s-Lance

The KBH CorporationWattStopper/Legrand – Ag Services

John Altom of Valent presents Randy

Griggs, retired executive director of

the Alabama Peanut Producers

Association with the Valor Award

during the Southern Peanut Growers

Conference.

Winners of the 2014 Peanut

Profitability Awards were honored at

the Southern Peanut Growers

Conference. Winners, left to right,

are Billy Bain, Virginia; George,

Isaac and John Guenther, Texas;

and Owen Yoder, Alabama.

U.S. House Science and Tech Chair

challenges EPA on Waters ProposalU.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology

Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, sent a letter to U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy demanding

additional information about the agency’s motivation for having detailed

maps assembled showing waters and wetlands for all 50 states. The

maps, which were created in 2013 shortly after EPA proposed its Waters

of the U.S. rule, had never been made public. When confronted at a

hearing, EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe agreed to release the

maps.

Chairman Smith stated, “These maps show the EPA’s plan: to con-

trol a huge amount of private property across the country. Given the

astonishing picture they paint, I understand EPA’s desire to minimize the

importance of these maps. But EPA’s posturing cannot explain away the

alarming content of these documents. It’s time to give Americans a

chance to make up their own minds about EPA’s intentions. While the

agency marches forward with a rule that could fundamentally re-define

Americans’ private property rights, EPA kept these maps hidden. So,

today I will be posting the maps on the committee’s website for public

review.”

The committee reported that while EPA has claimed the maps have

not yet been used to regulate, they have failed to explain why the agency

used taxpayer money to create them. The EPA paid a private contractor

to make many of these maps, yet the details of the arrangement have not

been disclosed. Serious questions remain regarding EPA’s underlying

motivations for creating such highly detailed maps that were created just

days after EPA announced its Waters of the U.S. rule.

The letter requests all documents and communications related to

EPA’s contract to create these maps and demands that these and any

other previously undisclosed maps in the EPA’s possession be entered

into the official rulemaking docket for public review and comment. The

letter also requests EPA keep the public comment period open for at

least 60 days to provide adequate opportunity for public review and

comment.

House passes bill to block EPA’s proposed rule

redefining waters of the United States The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5078, the Waters of

the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act, by a vote of

262-152. This legislation prohibits the Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers from finalizing and enforcing a

proposed rule that would redefine “waters of the United States” under

the Clean Water Act, or using the rule as a basis for future administrative

actions. It is the authority of Congress, not the administration, to change

the scope of the Clean Water Act.

To continue following this issue visit the Georgia Peanut

Commission’s legislative blog at www.AmericanPeanuts.com.

Washington Outlookby Robert L. Redding Jr.

Legislative Updates available online at www.americanpeanuts.com


Peanut leaders met with USDALeaders from the Southern Peanut Farmers

Federation and the Georgia Peanut Commission met

with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s farm bill

team to discuss the status of 2014 Farm Bill regulations

in September. This will be the second meeting for

peanut leaders and USDA relative to the upcoming reg-

ulations.

The peanut farm bill provisions including the pro-

gram and crop insurance have significant changes from

the 2008 Farm Bill. The National Center for Peanut

Competitiveness has developed analyses of the new

peanut provisions and they are located on the 2014

Farm Bill page of the Georgia Peanut Commission’s

Legislative Blog at www.americanpeanuts.com.

Congress returns to Capitol Hill for

limited agendaThe U.S Congress returns for two weeks to debate

a very limited agenda prior to the November elections.

The most obvious “must do” legislation is funding for

the federal government to operate in this next fiscal

year including the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

There will be a significant push by U.S. House and

Senate leadership to avoid any potential government

shutdown.

Important for peanut producers is that the continu-

ing resolution to fund the government should avoid

floor amendments that threaten agricultural programs

and crop insurance.

Administration delays immigration

actionThe Administration plans to delay any executive

order on immigration until after the November 2014

elections. A number of democratic members of

Congress had cautioned the President about the impact

any executive order might have on the elections.

Congress does not plan to act on immigration this

year.

Peanuts avoid Russion ban listRussia left peanuts off the list of imported products

banned from importing. Peanut imports for Russia

increased in recent years, $6 million in peanuts export-

ed to Russia in 2012 and $21 million in peanuts for

2013 according to published reports.


The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

recently announced key dates for farm owners and

producers to keep in mind regarding the new 2014

Farm Bill established programs, Agriculture Risk

Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC).

The new programs, designed to help producers bet-

ter manage risk, usher in one of the most significant

reforms to U.S. farm programs in decades.

Dates associated with ARC and PLC that farm

owners and producers need to know:

Sept. 29, 2014 to Feb. 27, 2015: Land owners

may visit their local Farm Service Agency office to

update yield history and/or reallocate base acres.

Nov. 17, 2014 to March 31, 2015: Producers

make a one-time election of either ARC or PLC for

the 2014 through 2018 crop years.

Mid-April 2015 through summer 2015:

Producers sign contracts for 2014 and 2015 crop

years.

October 2015: Payments for 2014 crop year, if

needed.

For more information, visit usda.gov/farmbill.

At the Southern Peanut Growers

Conference in Panama City, Florida, the

National Center for Peanut

Competitiveness (NCPC) officially

launched the “Preliminary Base Acreage

and Payment Yields Decision Calculator.”

The annual conference brings growers

from across the Southeast for three days

of educational sessions focusing on pro-

duction, research, marketing, industry

issues and legislative issues.

The calculator was developed by the

NCPC after reviewing the text of the

2014 Farm Bill and discussions with

Congressional staff involved in the draft-

ing of the bill, as well as the United States

Department of Agriculture – Farm Service

Agency (USDA-FSA) personnel. When

the USDA-FSA issues the final rules and

regulations on base reallocation and yield

updating, as well as temporary generic

base allocation for a crop year sometime

late summer/fall 2014, the spreadsheet

will be modified to reflect these changes.

“The program is an easy to complete

decision calculator that uses the software

program Microsoft Excel,” says Dr.

Stanley Fletcher, NCPC’s director and

professor emeritus at the University of

Georgia. “Farmers can follow the step-by-

step instructions provided online in order

to complete the calculator and determine

their base acreage and payment yields. It

is important for farmers to review all

instructions before proceeding with the

decision calculator.”

Grower checkoff funds helped with

the development of the decision calcula-

tor. Funds were derived from the mem-

bers of the Southern Peanut Farmers

Federation (SPFF). The SPFF is com-

prised of the Alabama Peanut Producers

Association, the Florida Peanut Producers

Association, Mississippi Peanut Growers

Association and the Georgia Peanut

Commission. Funding also came through

the Southeastern Peanut Research

Initiative of the National Peanut Board

and farmer checkoff dollars from Texas.

“It is imperative producers begin the

process of collecting the necessary data

now rather than later. With local office

closings and staff cuts in USDA- FSA,

local offices will be challenged in provid-

ing data on demand and working with the

producers at the same level as was seen in

the previous two farm bills,” Fletcher

says. “Documents needed by the producer

for this process will include the FSA-

156EZ, FSA-578 from 2008-2013 and a

document showing proven yields for all

of the producer’s 2014 Farm Serial

Numbers.”

The NCPC developed the calculator

to assist producers in developing farm

strategies and decisions based on their

individual needs. The calculator is avail-

able for download on the Georgia Peanut

Commission’s website, gapeanuts.com.

For additional questions, contact Stanley

Fletcher, NCPC director, at 404-277-2319

or email at [email protected].

National Center for Peanut Competitiveness releases“Preliminary Base Acreage and Payment Yields DecisionCalculator”

USDA Farm Service AgencyAnnounces Key Dates for New 2014Farm Bill Safety Net Programs

New peanut revenue policy introduced for farmers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced a new

peanut revenue policy that will be available for eligible peanut producers.

The new policy approved by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation

(FCIC) Board of Directors, on Thursday, Sept. 19, offers a new revenue

based insurance coverage, previously not available for peanut growers. The

USDA’s Risk Management Agency will now be able to make the program

available to producers for the 2015 crop and will allow producers to ensure

not only against yield loss but also against reductions in revenue.

The Georgia Peanut Commission and the Western Peanut Growers

developed the policy under section 508(h) of the Federal Crop Insurance

Act, which allows private entities to design and submit crop insurance prod-

ucts to the FCIC Board.

“I have represented the Georgia Peanut Commission on the crop insur-

ance working group for a number of years and I’m pleased to see final

approval of revenue insurance options for growers,” says Andy Bell,

Georgia Peanut Commission advisory board member and farmer from

Climax, Georgia. “The revenue based insurance provides growers with

another tool to aid in the production risk of growing peanuts. Also included

is an increase in the replant provision and improved quality adjustment pro-

visions which will allow growers the ability to complete a claim at harvest.”

To assist growers with understanding the changes for 2015, information

will be included on the Georgia Peanut Commission’s website at

gapeanuts.com.

The Best Regional Peanut Butter recipes

in America reached an audience of

55.3 millionSouthern Peanut Growers (SPG) worked with Family

Features to create and distribute a food page to newspaper edi-

tors and online publications in July and August. The page fea-

tures the best “hometown” peanut butter recipes in America

from SPG’s PB my way recipe contest earlier in the year.

“Recipes and beautiful food photography lead to great

pick-up from food editors,” says Caleb Peterson, an account

manager with Family Features. “I think it’s safe to say that

everyone loves peanut butter and this project was a big suc-

cess!”

In July and August, the page was ordered by 288 newspa-

pers for a total print circulation of 9,323,512. In the same time

period, there were also 749 online placements (nearly 25 mil-

lion impressions) and 175 newswire placements (21 million

impressions) for a total audience of more than 55 million!

Southern Peanut Growers and Florida

Peanut Producers team up at Speaking of

Women’s Health EventSouthern Peanut

Growers (SPG) and Florida

Peanut Producers

Association (FPPA) teamed

up to talk about the Perfectly

Powerful Peanut at the

Speaking of Women’s Health

event in Jacksonville,

Florida, on Saturday, Aug.

23. About 1,200 women pay

to attend the day-long health event, which included a keynote

opening session by health and nutrition expert, Joy Bauer, who

talked about the protein power of peanuts. Health screenings,

exhibitors, a luncheon honoring local community health

heroes, breakout presentations on different health topics, and a

closing session with comedienne Jan Innis also took place.

Leslie Wagner, executive director of Southern Peanut

Growers, led an afternoon breakout session showing partici-

pants how to “Power Your Healthy Diet with Peanuts and

Peanut Butter.” Wagner presented the latest nutrition informa-

tion about peanuts while demonstrating and sampling some

easy, healthy and tasty recipes.

Southern Peanut Growers

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

Peanut Butter takes center stage in Better

Breakfast Month Satellite Media Tour

reaching an audience of more than

2.5 millionSeptember was Better

Breakfast Month and Southern

Peanut Growers put peanut

butter front and center with

television stations nationwide.

Rebecca Lang did 22 live

television interviews and two

live radio interviews in four

hours on Sept. 2 promoting peanut butter, Roman Meal whole

grain bread and Hormel Compleats® for easy and delicious break-

fasts full of protein.

Lang is a food writer, cooking instructor, television personali-

ty and contributing editor for Southern Living. Along with show-

casing a couple of easy peanut butter breakfast recipes, she man-

aged to hit every peanut and peanut butter talking point each time:

(1) Peanuts have the most protein of any nut.; (2) Eating peanut

butter for breakfast helps control your blood sugar into the after-

noon – even past a high carb lunch!; and (3) Peanut butter is a

convenient, versatile and inexpensive way to boost your protein

intake at breakfast.

Immediate airings reached an audience of more than 2.5 mil-

lion. Purchase of air time would have cost SPG more than

$100,000. Ten of the interviews were recorded for airing later in

the month, so those numbers were not available at time of publi-

cation.

Southern Peanut Growers upcoming eventsSouthern Peanut Growers (SPG) traveled across the Southeast

this fall promoting peanuts and peanut butter to consumers at

these events.

• Southern Women’s Show, Birmingham, Alabama

October 2 – 5, 2014

Friday is Peanut Lovers Day! Visit our booth or one of five

cooking demonstrations during the four-day show.

• Southern Women’s Show, Jacksonville, Florida

October 16 – 19, 2014

Friday is Peanut Lovers Day! Visit our booth or one of five

cooking demonstrations during the four-day show.

• Taste of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia

October 24 – 26, 2014


What’s on your farmer’sChristmas wish list?

Peanut belts, money clips, wallets, key chains,

photo frames.

To place an order, contact:

Georgia Peanut Commission

Phone: 229-386-3470

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.gapeanuts.com

Click on Photo Gallery to view photos of GeorgiaPeanut Commission Gift Shop items.

The National Peanut Board (NPB) recently announced the

launch of PeanutAllergyFacts.org, a new website for parents,

schools, foodservice executives and manufacturers. The site is

designed to provide science-based information about peanut and

food allergies, as well as links to resources about effective allergy

management.

The new site is a key element of a new awareness campaign

to emerge from consumer research conducted in 2013 by The

Bantam Group, which revealed significant misconceptions about

food allergies and allergy management. Among the findings of

the online research, which surveyed 2,000 caregivers of children,

were:

• A significant misconception surrounding the prevalence of

peanut allergies. Study participants perceived peanut allergies to

affect 24 percent of the total U.S. population – or 40 times the

rate reported by the National Institutes of Health (which says that

0.6 percent of Americans have a true peanut allergy);

• Many people are self-diagnosing food allergies, or turning

to those without allergy expertise and appropriate credentials;

• Only 52 percent of households with a self-reported peanut

allergy keep epinephrine on hand to treat an allergic reaction; and

• 70 percent of people believe incorrectly that simply being

near a peanut can trigger a life-threatening reaction.

To date, peanut farmers across the country have committed

more than $10 million of their income to food allergy research,

outreach and education through the NPB. For additional informa-

tion visit www.PeanutAllergyFacts.org.

National Peanut Board LaunchesPeanut Allergy Awareness Campaign

For more information contact: Georgia Peanut CommissionP.O. Box 967, Tifton GA 31793

Phone: 229-386-3470Fax: 229-386-3501

Email: [email protected]

January 15, 20158:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

UGA Tifton Campus Conference CenterTifton, Georgia

Free farmer lunch

Pesticide applicatorscertification

More than 95 Exhibits

Nearly $40,000 in doorprizes

Learn more aboutthe 2014 GeorgiaPeanut Farm Showby scanning thiscode with yoursmartphone.

www.gapeanuts.com

Georgia’s Largest

Commodity Show

southeastern peanut farmer - october/november 2014

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