EANUTS ARE PART OF MY EARLIEST MEMORY IN LIFE. Just shy of 3 years old, I sat in a
hospital waiting room in Tucson, eating cheese-peanut butter crackers and drinking orange soda while upstairs, my Mom gave birth to my baby brother. Turns out, I’m hardly alone when it comes to childhood peanut consumption. According to the National Peanut Board, the average child will eat 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before graduating high school. Here in the United States, we consume enough peanut butter to make over 10 billion peanut butter and jelly sandwiches annually, and the typical American eats more than six pounds of peanuts and peanut butter products every year. The fact that we’re so crazy about peanuts actually makes good health sense. Peanuts contain more than 30 essential nutrients and no cholesterol. They have a higher antioxidant capacity than grapes, spinach, broccoli, carrots and tomatoes. More protein is found in the peanut than any nut; although, many people don’t realize that the peanut isn’t actually a “nut” but rather a legume and is related to beans and lentils. Peanut plants originated in South America, and peanuts were used as sacrificial offerings by the Incans of Peru as far back as 1,500 B.C. In the U.S., Dr. George Washington Carver is considered the “Father of the Peanut Industry,” having researched and developed over 300 uses for peanuts in the early 1900s. As National Peanut Day (September 13) approaches, I decided to find out more about the various peanuts grown in our area. The majority of peanuts in the country—65 to 70 percent—are grown in the Southeast, including Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama. While peanuts are grown in 27 counties in the Sunshine State, Marion is the southernmost county and ranks No. 5 in production, with 4,500 acres. Levy County is No. 3, while No. 1 honors go to Jackson County in the panhandle. In 2010, 135,000 Florida acres were
dedicated to producing peanuts, and it’s estimated that this will expand to 145,000 this year. Peanuts contribute over $4 billion to the U.S. economy annually, and four types of peanuts are grown in this country: runner, Virginia, Spanish and Valencia. In Florida, most acreage is devoted to the runner variety.
BENEATH A STARTLING BLUE SUMMER SKY, Justin McKinney, a research coordinator with
the University of Florida peanut breeding program, walks through row after row of peanut plants. At the 1,200-acre University of Florida Plant Science Research & Education Unit on Highway 318, about 40 acres are dedicated to peanuts. McKinney notes that the university’s breeding program is constantly working to develop peanut varieties that have a higher yield and are more disease resistant. “Peanuts are an indeterminate crop, which means they grow vegetation and produce seeds at the same time,” says McKinney. “Determinate crops, such as PeanuT corn, grow vegetation first and V arieTies then produce a seed.” Unlike corn and soyRUNNERS: Over 50 beans, peanuts are a “forpercent of crop goes to peanut butter; the rest giving” crop. They thrive goes to candy and other in well-drained, sandy soil uses. and can recover from hot, VIRGINIA: Largest of the dry periods, which makes peanuts; commonly them ideal for North Central sold at ballparks and for Florida. McKinney notes that candy. peanut farmers in our state VALENCIA: Picked produce anywhere from 2,800 green; used for boiled to 3,200 pounds per acre. Any peanuts. yield over 4,000 pounds per SPANISH: Small, acre is considered high and red-skinned peanut popular for eating and is usually only achieved with not commonly grown in irrigation. Florida.
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