Nominations open for 2024 Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer Award

GPClogo300dpiRGBNominations are now open for the Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer. The state winner will be announced at the Georgia Peanut Farm Show on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, in Tifton, Ga. The award is sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission and BASF.basf

The Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer Award is based upon the applicant’s overall farm operation; environmental and stewardship practices; and leadership, civic, church, and community service activities.

“We have so many young peanut farmers making a difference in their communities, and I consider this awards program a great opportunity to recognize one young peanut farmer for their contributions to the agricultural industry,” says Joe Boddiford, chairman of the Georgia Peanut Commission.

The award is open for any active Georgia peanut farmer who is not over 45 years of age, as of Jan. 18, 2024. An individual may receive the award only once. There is no limit on the number of applicants from each county in Georgia.

“BASF is honored to be a sponsor of the Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer Award,” says Dan Watts, district manager of BASF Crop Protection Products. “We are committed to agriculture and bringing innovative solutions to producers that will allow them to continue to be successful.”

Applications are due to the GPC office by Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. The award application is available online at the GPC Web site, www.gapeanuts.com or by contacting Joy Crosby at 229-386-3690 or joycrosby@gapeanuts.com.

The 2023 winner was Adam Curles of Camilla, Georgia. The award winner receives registration and hotel accommodations to attend the Southern Peanut Growers Conference, July 17-19, 2024, at the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort, Savannah, Georgia, and a sign to display at his or her farm.

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47th annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show set for Jan. 18, 2024, in Tifton

(Oct. 25, 2024) Make plans to attend the 47th annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. The one-day show is free and open to all farmers and industry representatives to attend.

Attendees will have the opportunity to visit with nearly 100 agribusinesses and organizations in the peanut and agricultural industry. Farmers will be able to earn private and commercial pesticide applicator certification, as well as learn about cutting-edge research and developments during the University of Georgia Peanut Production Seminar and industry-wide sponsored Peanut Seed Seminar.

Farm Show chairman Rodney Dawson is looking forward to the 2024 show.

“I encourage farmers to attend this one-day show in Tifton,” Dawson says. “The knowledge they will gain from industry representatives and seminars is an investment in the future of their farm.”

The Georgia Peanut Commission, in cooperation with OneBlood, will host a blood drive from     9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18. At the close of Thursday, there will be nearly $10,000 in door prizes presented to farmers, as well as a Grand Door Prize, vendor products, certificates and equipment.

For more information on the show, contact the Georgia Peanut Commission office at 229-386-3470 or visit www.gapeanuts.com.

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USPF Participates in Washington, D.C. Event for Worldwide Hunger

(Oct. 20, 2023 – WASHINGTON, D.C.) United States Peanut Federation (USPF) Chairman Jamie Brown travelled to Washington, D.C. this week to attend meetings and events centered around worldwide hunger and peanut nutrition initiatives. The U.S. Peanut Federation partnered with other global hunger advocacy groups to host a reception for congressional members and staff in the U.S. House Agriculture Committee hearing room on peanuts and the role they play in addressing global hunger. The event was co-sponsored by Golden Peanut.

U.S. Representative Austin Scott (GA-08) made remarks at the reception on the United States’ role in international food aid and the importance of peanuts as a key component of Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food. Also in attendance was Mark Moore, Co-Founder and CEO of MANA Nutrition. MANA Nutrition, which operates out of Fitzgerald, GA, manufactures a Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) composed of peanut paste, milk, and a mix of vitamins and minerals that is used to treat children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

In his comments at the reception, USPF Chairman Jamie Brown reaffirmed the peanut industry’s commitment to helping address global hunger. Peanuts are one of the cheapest sources of proteins and are high in fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. Peanuts have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, help manage diabetes, and even increase cognitive function.

The U.S. Peanut Federation recently signed a letter with other commodity and nutrition groups advocating for the inclusion of Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) in new international food assistance.

According to the letter, “Nearly 45 million children – those most vulnerable to food insecurity – suffer from acute malnutrition, known as “wasting”. Through Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), over 95% of wasted children can recover, yet only 25% of children have historically had access to treatment. Thanks to leadership from USAID and Congress last year, over $580 million was mobilized to provide a one-time increase to RUTF procurement, which has doubled the number of children being treated. However, without sustained funding, RUTF treatment will return to previous levels of 1 in 4 children receiving the care they need.”

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The United States Peanut Federation (USPF) is comprised of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation, the American Peanut Shellers Association, and the National Peanut Buying Points Association. USPF serves as a unified voice in Washington, D.C. for all sectors of the peanut industry and advocates actively for strong agricultural policy.

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Oct/Nov 2023 – Southeastern Peanut Farmer

The Oct/Nov 2023 issue of the Southeastern Peanut Farmer is now available online.
Click here!

This issue features:

  • A Home Run with Cover Crops
  • The Big Peanut Restored
  • Southern Peanut Growers Conference In Review
  • Georgia Peanut Farm Show set for Jan. 18, 2024
  • 2023 Georgia Peanut Tour showcases peanut belt
  • Georgia Peanut Achievement Club
  • Check off reports from the state grower organizations
  • Legislative Update
  • Southern Peanut Growers Update
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Georgia Farmers Recognized for 2022 High Yields

Seventeen farmers were recently announced by the University of Georgia Peanut Team for their high yielding peanuts in 2022. The high yields ranged from 4,781 to 6,493 pounds per acre.

The winners were recognized at a dinner in August which was sponsored by the University of Georgia Peanut Team, the Georgia Peanut Commission, American Peanut Shellers Association, National Peanut Buying Points Association, AMVAC, Bayer, BASF and Nichino America.

Many of the high yielding farmers agree that having a good rotation, good quality seed and good weather make all the difference with their yields. Additionally, the timing of applications for disease, weed and insect management are key in achieving high yields.

“Many of the state winners combine their management practices of crop rotation and critical timing of applications to reach these high yields,” says Scott Monfort, University of Georgia Extension peanut agronomist. “The yields are counted for the entire farm, irrigated or dryland; and they continue to increase year after year.”

Another component of the farmers’ success is following recommendations from the Extension service and asking questions.

According to a report on the production practices of the 2022 winners, the majority use a 3-year rotation plan with other crops such as cotton or corn. Most of the winners plant in twin rows during the month of May.

Another trait among the high yield winners is cultivar selection with many of the winners planting the Georgia-06G cultivar. Other cultivars planted by the winners include TifNV-High O/L and Georgia-12Y.

The 2022 Georgia Peanut Achievement Club overall state winners are Brandon DeWitt, Brooks County, with 6,493 pounds per acre in the 100-299 acreage category; Mike Newberry, Early County, with 6,418 pounds per acre in the 100-299 acreage category; Kerry and Lisa Hodges, Screven County, with 5,754 pounds per acre in the 300-699 acreage category and 4 Miller Farms, Seminole County, with 6,293 pounds per acre in the 700-plus acreage category.

The District 1 winners are Wes Gaston, Sumter County, with 5,133 pounds per acre in the 100-299 category; Jerry Jones, Webster County, with 5,019 pounds per acre in the 100-299 acreage category and Trey Jones, Webster County, with 4,718 pounds per acre in the 300-699 acreage category.

The District 2 winners are Adam Tabb, Miller County, with 6,119 pounds per acre in the 100-299 acreage category; John Gaines Jr., Baker County, with 6,089 pounds per acre in the 100-299 acreage category and Judson Hornsby, Seminole County, with 5,840 pounds per acre in the 700-plus acreage category.

The District 3 winners are Larry Ray Walker, Ben Hill County, with 5,957 pounds per acre in the 100-299 acreage category; Buckhead Creek Farms, Jenkins County, with 5,372 pounds per acre in the 300-699 acreage category; David Selph, Wilcox County, with 5,400 pounds per acre in the 300-699 acreage category and Charles Smith Jr., Jefferson County, with 5,827 pounds per acre in the 700-plus acreage category.

The District 4 winners are Chase Farms, Macon County, with 5,275 pounds per acre in the 100-299 acreage category; Hulin Reeves Jr., Irwin County, with 5,603 pounds per acre in the 300-699 acreage category and Nellwood Farms, Bulloch County, with 5,349 pounds per acre in the 700-plus category.

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Cotton/Peanut Research Field Day set for Sept. 6, 2023, in Tifton, Georgia

2017_ugacottonpnutfieldday_63s_webThe Georgia Cotton Commission, Georgia Peanut Commission and the University of Georgia Extension Cotton and Peanut Teams, will co-sponsor a joint research field day on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023, in Tifton, Georgia.

The field day will start at 8:00 a.m. at the Tifton Campus Conference Center (TCCC) in the North Parking Lot. After a brief welcome, field day attendees will visit the RDC Pivot and the UGA Lang Farm to tour several trials and hear from speakers. Attendees will return to the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center for lunch and a short program. The field day is a free event, but attendees are encouraged to RSVP to Ashley Golden at ashley.golden@uga.edu or calling 229-386-3366 to provide an accurate count for lunch.

The purpose of the tour is to showcase current research, which is funded by the respective commissions, in plot-side presentations by the researchers. The sponsors’ goal is to provide an educational environment for cotton and peanut farmers and give them the opportunity to pose questions directly to the researchers and to express opinions and concerns pertinent to the production of their crops.

Chairmen of the cotton and peanut commissions, Bart Davis and Joe Boddiford, respectively, agree this event gives farmers the distinct opportunity to interact with the leadership of each commission, other farmers and industry representatives. It is an excellent place for farmers to observe, first-hand, the research programs funded by their checkoff investments.

To view an agenda, visit www.georgiacottoncommission.org or www.gapeanuts.com.

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Applications are now being accepted for Peanut Leadership Academy Class XIII

Applications are now being accepted for Class XIII of the Peanut Leadership Academy. To be eligible for participation, candidates must derive their primary livelihood from farming and currently produce peanuts, make a commitment to the program, agree to attend all sessions except in times of illness or a family emergency, be between the ages of 22 and 45 and provide a completed application.

The Peanut Leadership Academy is a cooperative effort between Syngenta Crop Protection, the American Peanut Shellers Association and grower organizations. The program began in 1998 with the first class of 14 peanut growers from Alabama, Florida and Georgia. Since then, the academy has grown to include growers from Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and sheller representatives.

During the program, participants are taught how to become more effective spokespeople for the peanut industry, develop industry relationships and further grow their leadership skills. Five sessions take place throughout the 18-month class and require approximately 20 days of travel. During the sessions, activities are structured to give participants a thorough understanding of the United States peanut industry and include industry tours, meetings with industry leaders and professional development training. Each class also has one leadership session in Washington, D.C. where participants have an opportunity to visit with members of congress on issues affecting the peanut industry.

To download a copy of the upcoming class application, visit www.southernpeanutfarmers.org. Applications must be postmarked or emailed to jessie@gapeanuts.com by Oct. 1, 2023, for consideration. The first session will begin in December 2023.

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July/August 2023 – Southeastern Peanut Farmer

The July/August 2023 issue of the Southeastern Peanut Farmer is now available online.
Click here!

This issue features:

  • Farmall Celebrates 100 Years
  • 2023 Peanut Harvest Guidebook
  • Peanut Leadership Academy Class XII Graduates in Music City
  • Johnson to Lead Alabama Peanut Promotion, Research Efforts
  • USA Peanut Congress Held in June
  • National Peanut Board Hosts Inaugural School Nutrition Summit
  • Check off reports from the state grower organizations
  • Legislative Update
  • Southern Peanut Growers Update
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May/June 2023 – Southeastern Peanut Farmer

The May/June 2023 issue of the Southeastern Peanut Farmer is now available online.
Click here!

This issue features:

  • From Farm to Fabulous
  • 2023 Peanut Irrigation and Water Management Guidebook
  • Southern Peanut Growers Conference set for July
  • Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day set to feature the latest updates in new technology and research
  • Check off reports from the state grower organizations
  • Legislative Update
  • Southern Peanut Growers Update
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USPF Testifies at U.S. Senate Agriculture Subcommittee Hearing on 2023 Farm Bill

(May 3, 2023) The U.S. Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade held a hearing on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, entitled “Commodity Programs, Credit, and Crop Insurance – Part 1: Producer Perspectives on the Farm Safety Net.” Representing the U.S. Peanut Federation was Karla Thompson of JET Farms Georgia and Integrity Farms in Camilla, Georgia.

Thompson’s testimony emphasized the priorities of the peanut industry for the 2023 Farm Bill, including an increase in the reference price for the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) Program. Inflation on key farm inputs, including fuel, fertilizer, and labor, have all contributed to the rising cost of production for peanut producers. According to Dr. Stanley Fletcher of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and Professor Emeritus at the University of Georgia, the 2021 cost of production was $545.97 per ton, and the 2022 cost of production is approximately $668 per ton.

During her testimony, Thompson gave anecdotal evidence supporting the rising cost of production, stating:

“On our farm alone, many of our expenses have almost doubled since 2018. Our fertilizer costs absolutely skyrocketed. We need certain fertilizers to sustain the right nutrient levels in the soil, both for the peanuts we are growing in any given season and to protect the land for the future. In the past few years, we have experienced seasons where we could barely obtain the necessary products due to supply chain issues. Supply shortages directly translated to price increases, and our fertilizer expenses have as much as doubled. Currently, fertilizer prices are changing week to week preventing us from making informed management decisions.

Labor costs have been especially challenging. We believe in taking care of our team and paying them fairly, so labor costs are a primary focus of our financial planning. Since 2018, it has become increasingly difficult to plan for and cover our labor costs. For example, we need skilled equipment operators to plant and harvest our peanuts safely and efficiently. Every year, it gets harder and harder to find local workers with those skills, and so we have come to rely on guest workers from Mexico that we recruit through the H2A visa program. The costs for the H2A program have always been high, but they have risen dramatically just this past year. In Georgia, the U.S. Department of Labor unexpectedly raised the H2A minimum wage by 14%, from $11.99 in December 2022 to $13.67 for 2023.”

Thompson also voiced the support of the U.S. Peanut Federation for a voluntary base update that includes growers with and without peanut base acres. While the 2014 Farm Bill allowed for base updating for peanut growers that already had base on their farms, it excluded many young farmers and new production areas.

During the hearing, Thompson answered questions from U.S. Senators Raphael Warnock,
D-Georgia, and Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, on the challenges that peanut producers are currently facing.

Senator Warnock commented, “Georgia accounts for almost half of the peanuts produced annually in the United States, and we are proud of that. That’s more than 2 billion pounds a year.” Senator Warnock asked Thompson to provide insight on the Marketing Assistance Loan (MAL) Program and peanut forfeitures.

According to Thompson’s testimony, “historically forfeitures [of peanuts] have been very low. They are typically under 5 percent. In 2017 and 2018 they were around 3 percent, in 2019 there were zero forfeitures, in 2020 it was .17 percent, and in 2021 there haven’t been any forfeitures on record. In response, Senator Warnock stated, “I take that as evidence that the Marketing Loan Program is working well for peanut farmers, and I look forward to supporting this program in this year’s Farm Bill.”

In addition to Thompson, Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, and Rob Larew, president of the National Farmers Union, also testified, as well as representatives from other commodities including dry beans, sorghum, wheat, dairy, rice, cotton, soybean, sugar beet, and corn.

Watch the full hearing online at the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry website at www.agriculture.senate.gov.

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The United States Peanut Federation (USPF) is comprised of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation, the American Peanut Shellers Association, and the National Peanut Buying Points Association. USPF serves as a unified voice in Washington, D.C. for all sectors of the peanut industry and advocates actively for strong agricultural policy. For additional information, please contact the USPF at (202) 543-7464.

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