A Look Inside
6 | U.S. REP FARMS
Data collection from farms provide critical information for peanut policy.
18
| FIELD DAYS
Field days throughout the summer months provide growers with educational information and an update on a variety of research projects.
20 | GEORGIA PEANUT
TOUR
The 2024 Georgia Peanut Tour is set for September in Americus, Ga. The event provides a tour of the various segments of the peanut industry.
22
| USA PEANUT CONGRESS
Four peanut industry leaders were recognized during the annual USA Peanut Congress in Florida.
DEPARTMENTS
2024 PEANUT HARVEST GUIDEBOOK
The Peanut Harvest Guidebook provides information on harvest equipment tips, peanut digger and combine preseason checklist, irrigation termination prior to harvest and late-season weed management tips.
Peanut harvest in Georgia. Photo by Joy Crosby.
Editor’s thoughts Events
Prepare for Harvest
Due to rains some farmers had a late start planting. Then several weeks without rain slowed down the crop. Farmers then welcomed the recent rains across some parts of the Southeast. Even though farmers are in the midst of caring for their crop, it is never too early to think about harvest and begin preparing now.
One of the ways farmers can begin to prepare is by looking at their peanut digger and combine to see if repairs need to be made. The machines need to be cleaned and inspected. In this issue, the Southeastern Peanut Farmer provides an in-depth look at the parts of the digger and combine that a farmer needs to check in the Harvest Guidebook which begins on page 10. By checking the equipment prior to harvest and making repairs, the farmer can help eliminate added stress when the peanuts are ready, but equipment is not.
However, equipment must be maintained throughout harvest too. As farmers move from one field to another, settings may need to be adjusted on the equipment. Also, repairs may even need to be made throughout harvest.
As the peanut season comes to a close, farmers may wonder when they need to terminate irrigation or late-season herbicide options. This information is also covered on page 14 and 16 in the Southeastern Peanut Farmer's Harvest Guidebook.
Lastly, I would like to congratulate four industry leaders who were recently recognized at the USA Peanut Congress by the American Peanut Council. You will learn more about the winners on page 22 in this issue. Each of the winners made a difference within their respective occupations in the peanut industry. John Powell has been a leader in the shelling industry and with the vision of helping create The Peanut Institute. Stanley Fletcher has focused his research program in economics, trade agreements and peanut policy through the U.S. Peanut Representative Farms. James C. Adams II, former chairman of Amadas Industries, was a pioneer in harvesting equipment and helped with developing the largest self-propelled peanut combine. Lastly, Albert Culbreath is a leading expert in diseases which impact peanut production.
All of these leaders have their specific talent that has made them an important part of the peanut industry. The various segments of the peanut industry from shelling, nutrition research, economics, equipment manufacturing and research all work together to benefit farmers. These leaders are at the forefront in helping to advance the peanut industry and move it forward.
The industry leaders have been involved with a number of organizations within the peanut industry too. There dedication and continued involvement will benefit the entire industry for years to come. Congratulations!
Joy Carter Crosby SEPF Editor
Dates of upcoming field days are on page 18.
American Peanut Shellers Association and National Peanut Buying Points Association Pre-Harvest Meeting
Aug. 20-21, 2024, Albany, Ga. For more information call 229-888-2508 or visit peanut-shellers.org.
Georgia Peanut Tour
Sept. 17-19, 2024, Americus, Ga. For more information call 229-386-3470 or visit georgiapeanuttour.com.
Brooklet Peanut Festival
Sept. 21, 2024, Brooklet, Ga. For more information visit the festival's website at brookletpeanutfestival.com.
Plains Peanut Festival
Sept. 28, 2024, Plains, Ga. For more information visit the festival's website at jimmycarterfriends.org.
Georgia National Fair
Oct. 3-13, 2024, Perry, Ga. For more info visit georgianationalfair.com.
Central Florida Peanut Festival
Oct. 5, 2024, Williston, Fla. For more information visit the festival's website at willistonflchamber.com.
Sunbelt Ag Expo
Oct. 15-17, 2024, Moultrie, Ga. For more info call 229-985-1968 or visit the Expo's website at sunbeltexpo.com.
Florida Farm Bureau Annual Meeting
Oct. 30 - Nov. 1, 2024, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Miramar Beach, Fla. For more information, floridafarmbureau.org.
National Peanut Festival
Nov. 1-10, 2024, Dothan, Ala. For more info visit the website at nationalpeanutfestival.com.
Georgia Farm Bureau Annual Meeting
Dec. 8-10, 2024, Jekyll Island, Ga. For more information visit gfb.org.
Let us know about your event. Please send details to the editor at joycrosby@gapeanuts.com.
U.S. Representative Farms
Data collection from farms provide critical information for peanut policy
by Joy Crosby
During farm bill discussions, trustworthy, reliable and timely economic data is needed to secure a program beneficial for peanut farmers. One program, the U.S. Representative Peanut Farms, provides the timely information as critical decisions are made.
"The rep farms allow us to test various peanut policy proposals on actual peanut farms," says Bob Redding, lobbyist with The Redding Firm. "The variance of farm structures gives us, as best possible, a look at how the farm bill and other ag policy initiatives will play out for peanut growers."
Initial funding for the rep farms came from grower dollars collected for the national checkoff program. The program began in the Southeast and has evolved to include farms from 10 states today. The research program is now funded by the National Peanut Board, Southern Peanut Farmers Federation and the Georgia Peanut Commission.
The rep farms provide an accurate reflection of the cost of peanut production and are led by
Stanley Fletcher, professor of policy at the Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Fletcher has a strong history in economics work related to peanuts. In 1990, Fletcher started his research program focusing on trade and policy which has expanded to include supply and demand, crop insurance, production economics and farm management.
The rep farms came at a critical time in the peanut industry as the quota program shifted to a marketing loan program.
"The change in the peanut program was needed due to trade agreements," Fletcher says. "Farmers who had peanut quota were well protected and supported so they could survive. I knew based on my work in trade that the environment that peanut farmers dealt with was going to change. They needed to have some good, sound information about really what is going on in the farms, not just with peanuts, but the whole farming operation."
Fletcher recalls even in 2002 as the farm bill moved to the conference
committee that there was a group who wanted one payment limit for cotton and peanuts. Fletcher was able to share data from the rep farms showing how devastating this would be for peanut farmers. The data was used to initiate a separate payment limit for peanuts which still exists today.
According to Fletcher, it was clear after the 2002 Farm Bill that the rep farms needed to expand nationwide to include all growing regions for peanuts. The program expanded to a national level in 2005 and today includes 22 farmer panels from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
According to Fletcher, the key behind the rep farms data is the total cash flow of the farm. The rep farm data includes items that Extension budgets do not include such as costs associated for hog and deer control, cover crop costs, equipment maintenance and repairs, as well as various apps to monitor irrigation pivots and more.
According to the data Fletcher
has collected, farmers are really struggling.
"They're really struggling, especially the new younger farmers that are having to rent their land to farm versus an older farmer who owns their own land," Fletcher says. "The farmers who own their own equipment and land might be above water."
According to Fletcher, the young farmers need an outstanding yield in order to continue. However, he notes that farmers haven't had outstanding yields the last few years.
"Those farmers need a yield above what they normally produce so that they can get enough revenue to offset costs," Fletcher says. "That's not been happening recently."
The total cash flow of the farm includes all checks written for any farm expenses including electricity to the barn, internet, fuel for trucks used on the farm and more.
Through the program, data is collected every four years to assist with critical legislative changes and to help through farm bill discussions. The rep farms data has been verified by Darren Hudson, Larry Combest endowed chair and director of the International Center for Agricultural Competitiveness at Texas Tech University.
Fletcher worked with Extension agents, specialists and state checkoff leadership to identify farmers for the rep farms program. This year, the rep farms program celebrates 23 years of data collection from farmers. According to Fletcher, approximately 90 percent of the farmers are the same ones who have participated since the beginning of the program.
When Fletcher meets with a farmer panel initially, collecting the data needed may take up to four or five hours. However, return visits usually only take 2 hours to update data and information.
The data provides significant factors in terms of the costs of production. In 2005, Fletcher witnessed a shift in energy spike as farms transitioned from diesel to electricity for pivots. He also noticed
"Accurate financial data is essential in our presentations to Congress. We have to have good financial data to make our case that the reference price needs to be raised."
Carl Sanders Roeton,
Alabama
"The data collected and compiled in the representative farms program is very beneficial in gauging the health of our farms. Although I practice a strict rotation pattern on my farm, it provides me with information to help make planting decisions during high input costs and fluctuating commodity prices."
Larry Ford Greenwood, Florida
"The work done by Dr. Stanley Fletcher and his farmer participants has had a huge postive impact on the peanut section of the last several farm bills. The numbers are concrete and not just pulled out of the sky, which gives the representative farms credibility."
Tim McMillan Enigma, Georgia
"The representative farms have been one of the best tools I have ever used when talking with my elected officials about proposed changes in legislation. I can tell them how my farm will be affected as well as farms in my area. The representative farm gives me accurate numbers to strengthen my argument."
Dan Ward Clarkton, North Carolina
an increase in tillage practices for peanut production.
The rep farms data is a representation of a typical farm. The participating farmers provide their farm data to Fletcher and then discuss with other participating farmers what is representative for their area. A consensus is then reached for what a representative farm is in their area.
Fletcher asks tough questions to make sure all expenses for the farm are included. One example he remembers is pigweed control. Fletcher noticed that some of the farmers would only list $50 per acre for control. However, he had heard other farmers talk about paying $100 an acre for hand pullers. So, he would question the farmers' expense
to make sure they were accounting for labor costs as well as chemical costs. In the rep farms program, costs associated for weed management includes labor costs for hand pulling and chemical costs.
More recently, the rep farms data has been the foundation for the need for an increased reference price. Discussions are ongoing for the farm bill, but several versions of the bill announced include a higher reference price for peanuts.
"As we look at additional policy discussions, i.e. disaster and other federal programs, the rep farms allow us to determine the impact on peanut growers," Redding says.
Checkoff Report
Investments Made by Growers for the Future of the Peanut Industry
Florida Peanuts Producers Association presents scholarships
The Florida Peanut Producers Association awards scholarships to deserving high school graduates and college students.
Taylor Melvin, Altha, Florida
Melvin graduated from Altha Public School in 2024. She is enrolled in Chipola College and plans to obtain an associate's degree and her bachelor's degree in elementary education. She is the daughter of Phillip and April Melvin.
Shelby Kate Askew, Malone, Florida
Askew has been involved in the FFA and Beta clubs since sixth grade. She served on the National Peanut Festival’s Junior Fair board for two years. Askew is an active church youth group member and enjoys volunteering in the community. She has loved animals her entire life and developed a big love of horses around age six. She has competed in barrel racing and pole bending since age 11 and in the high school rodeo for the last four years. Askew had the opportunity to attend the National High School Rodeo last year and this year. Askew plans to attend Chipola College and work towards a degree in agricultural science. She would love to become a veterinarian, return to her rural community, and work with large animals.
Dawson Jordan, Bascom, Florida
Jordan graduated from Malone High School in 2024. He is enrolled in Chipola College in Marianna, Florida, and plans to obtain an associate's degree and transfer to the University of Florida to pursue a forest resources and conservation degree. He is the son of John and Cindy Jordan.
APPA attends baseball activations with Birmingham Barons and Montgomery Biscuits
You can’t have baseball without peanuts! The Alabama Peanut Producers set up at minor league baseball games throughout May and June, promoting the sport’s go-to snack. The Birmingham Barons game, attended on June 1, included peanut giveaways and advertising among drink rails. Libbie Johnson, APPA’s executive director, attended the Montgomery Biscuits game on May 19, alongside Wendy Yeager and her family, peanut farmers from Dallas County.
Florida CARES Celebration
The 23rd annual Suwannee CARES Celebration was a success and a great event to celebrate environmental stewardship. The Florida Peanut Producers Association set up a booth and grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for all those in attendance. FPPA also handed out educational information and roasted peanuts.
APPA features the ag industry on social media every day in May
The Alabama Peanut Producers Association highlighted the hard work and dedication it takes to feed the world, called “Farmers in Focus,” by featuring one peanut farmer or ag professional in a Facebook post every day in May. Each post included a photo and a quote about their experience in agriculture. This segment reached over 220,000 social media accounts.
The Alabama Peanut Producers Association promoted peanuts during a Montgomery Biscuits baseball game in May.
William Carte, National Peanut Board delegate for Florida; Brittany Peacock, FPPA program coordinator, and Sarah Carte.
Ken Barton, Florida Peanut Producers Association executive director, presents the FPPA scholarship to Taylor Melvin, Altha, Fla.
David DeFelix, (center) Florida Peanut Producers Association board member, presents FPPA scholarships to Dawson Jordan and Shelby Kate Askew.
Georgia Peanut Commission sponsors sustainability capstone project with UGA
The Georgia Peanut Commission partnered with the University of Georgia's Sustainability Certificate program's students in a capstone project focused on sustainability. Three students composed a resource guide titled, "Improving the Three Pillars of Sustainability for Georgia Peanut Growers." This guide looks at the environmental, social and economic spheres of sustainability and details existing research, subject matter experts and their interview takeaways, recommended subject matter experts, as well as additional resources. The goal of this project was to lay a foundation of sustainability information on all three spheres to use in working to improve the profitability and success of Georgia peanut growers. The students presented their findings at the inaugural UGA Sustainability Showcase, May 4, 2024, in Athens, Georgia.
Georgia Peanut Commission sponsors VeryVera Cooking Camp in Augusta
The Georgia Peanut Commission sponsored the VeryVera Cooking Camp in Augusta, Georgia, during June and July. A total of 192 campers attended the camp. VeryVera Cooking Campers spend five days learning about food, experiencing the kitchen hands-on, packaging their treats with a creative flair and learning entrepreneurship in the process. The campers are taught the importance of etiquette, home management, teamwork, and culinary skills. Campers rotate through groups in the kitchen, craft room, education room, and home management. The Georgia Peanut Commission provided peanut snacks and promotional items for the campers.
APPA sponsors Alabama FFA award
The Alabama Peanut Producers Association sponsored a proficiency award with the Alabama FFA. Libbie Johnson, executive director of the Alabama Peanut Producers Association, attended the 96th Alabama FFA State Convention for the presentation. Addison Ward from Dale County FFA placed first in the Fiber and Oil Crop proficiency award area.
Georgia Peanut Commission sponsors UGA engineering capstone projects
The Georgia Peanut Commission sponsored a capstone project with a team of University of Engineering students. The team focused on improving a small scale, on-site peanut processing system which produces peanut butter. The initial prototype of the system was developed by a senior design team in the 2022-2023 school year. The system can be adapted to produce various peanut products allowing farmers the opportunity to produce market-ready products for the consumer.
Another capstone team, sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission, worked with Simer Virk, University of Georgia precision ag specialist. The capstone team worked on detecting weeds using aerial imagery in a peanut field and creating a spraying prescription map that can be inputted into the sprayer and only spray areas where the weeds are present.
Students worked on their capstone projects from August 2023 until May 2024. The students display their prototypes, designs and solutions developed for their projects at the Capstone Design Showcase. Projects are evaluated by a judging team of engineering professionals in both industry and academia.
Libbie Johnson, (right) APPA executive director, presents Dale County FFA member Addison Ward with the Fiber and Oil Crop Proficiency award.
Jessie Bland, Georgia Peanut Commission director of promotions and new market development, visits with UGA students Mallory Lockett and Liora McElvaney, during the UGA Sustainability Showcase.
Don Koehler, Georgia Peanut Commission executive director, visits with UGA engineering students who worked on the peanut processing system at the Capstone Design Showcase in Athens, Ga. Pictured left to right are Edvin Najarro, Ben Graff, Koehler, Mackinley Cooper and Josie Caggiano.
VeryVera camp attendees learn how to make no-bake peanut butter bites.
2024 Peanut Harvest Guidebook
Harvest Equipment Tips
Preseason Guide for Equipment Setup
By Joy Crosby and Kaycee Rippey
Peanut harvest will be in full swing across most of the Southeast soon. Along with proper timing consideration for digging peanuts, proper setup and operation of peanut harvest equipment is an important consideration to minimize harvest losses and to ensure peak equipment performance and efficiency during harvest.
According to Simer Virk, University of Georgia Extension precision ag specialist, previous research on peanut digging losses suggest that farmers who utilize a RTK Guidance system/ auto-steer on their tractor while
digging peanuts can reduce yield losses by 10 percent when compared to digging peanuts with a tractor without an auto-steer system.
Setting up harvest equipment in advance is also beneficial for reducing downtime during a busy time of year.
"Before beginning harvest and making any adjustments specific to the harvest conditions, inspect the digger carefully for any broken, bent or missing parts as well as the sharpness of the blades," Monfort says. "Dull blades fail to cut the tap root resulting in dragging roots or dislodging pods
from the plant."
According to Monfort, there are several settings on a digger where the farmer will need to refer to the operator manual. Farmers can adjust the digging angle as well as the pitch and depth of the digger blades. Digger blades should be set at a slight forward pitch and at the depth where they cut the tap root just below the pod zone.
Both an excessively shallower and deeper depth of the digger blade can result in significant digging losses.
Blade angle/depth is also
Checking equipment and making repairs prior to harvest can help eliminate downtime at harvest.
dependent on soil type and texture. Any considerable change in soil type within or among the fields will also require a change in blade angle/depth adjustments as clay soils usually need a more aggressive angle whereas sandy soils require a less aggressive blade angle.
"Properly dug and inverted peanut plants will form a uniform, fluffy, well-aerated windrow with very few pods touching the soil so growers
should keep a close eye on the digger operation and adjust settings accordingly as and when needed," Virk says.
Tractor speed also has an influence on digging losses and should be optimized based on the prevalent in-field conditions at harvest. Generally, the optimal ground speed for digging peanuts is between 2 and 3 mph. Speeds above 3 mph can result in an increase in digging losses and
therefore should be avoided.
Peanut combines should also be checked in advance. Monfort recommends growers to clean debris out of the basket and turn on the combine at a low idle speed to check the overall combine.
By performing pre-harvest inspection and repairs in advance, growers can save time when the peanuts are ready, and harvest equipment is ready for the field.
Peanut Digger inverter Preseason checklist
Check the entire machine for loose or worn parts. Check the bearings, chain belts, gear box oil level and/or hydraulic motors and hoses.
Check tension of conveyor belt or chain. Belt conveyors typically have more "sag" than chain conveyors. Refer to owner's manural for specific settings.
Make sure the correct frogs are installed for the desired cutting width. Check blade pitch to maintain a consistent cutting depth across the length of the blade. Refer to operators manual.
Set shank the correct distance off the peanut row, 13" off row for singles and 9" for twin rows for runner peanuts. Check coulters and lifter rods for wear and straightness.
Check condition of inverter drum disks. If the star points are worn down or tips in bad condition then it can pull peanuts off vine. Check universal joints on drums. Make sure chain is not loose. Check and replace any lights and make sure hazard symbol is visible. Align the inversion rods before digging. Refer to operator manual for proper spacing.
Peanut Digger Inverter Harvest Season Checklist
• Check digger blades for proper sharpness and depth.
• Coulters should cut vines cleanly.
• Check the flow of material through the digger. Make sure ground speed is synchronized to produce a smooth flow of vines and soil into the digger.
• Make sure drive belts are tight.
• Check for proper vine inversion and inversion rod spacing.
Set the height of conveyor frame.
Peanut Combine Preseason checklist
Check tires for adequate air pressure and oil/ grease levels.
Check all hydraulic cylinders and dumping mechanisms for needed repairs. Check bearings and grease entire combine.
Check pick up teeth at front and header bands. Check header belts and belt clip pin on the Colombo model.
Check condition of belts and chains. Check spring compression setting with proper tension on belt drive. Chain drive should have 1" movement.
Check cylinder springs teeth. Make sure that tines (teeth) are not leaning or broken. Check all cylinders. Damaged or missing springs will bust peanuts and reduce threshing capability.
Replace any missing springs or picking cylinders so that combine can thresh the plant as it should.
Check hydraulic motors and chain drives on swings in models with Unload on the Go.
Replace any pickup springs or header bands that are cracked, broken or uneven.
Inspect stripper bars to ensure all stripper springs are in good working condition.
Stemmer saws take stems off of peanut pods. If a saw has a missing or bent tooth, it could bust a hull turning into a LSK.
The elevator air system can become worn down. Replace any worn sides to make sure your peanuts are not getting shelled during harvest.
Once repairs are made, turn on the combine at idling speed to determine if further repairs are needed.
Stay Safe this Harvest Season
Inspect plastic liners in the air conveyor system and replace as needed. Worn or damaged liners can shell peanuts and cause damage to other components.
Make sure buckets are tight and replace any cracked buckets on the Colombo model. Replace chain and sprokets as needed.
Peanut Combine Harvest Season Checklist
• Adjust settings according to windrow conditions. Remember, no combination of settings will remain optimal throughout a given day.
• Check combined peanuts periodically for LSK’s and foreign material.
• Check chaff passing through the combine for excessive pod loss. If problems occur, adjust stripper spring settings.
• Common adjustments are ground speed, PTO speed, separation fan speed and stripper spring position.
Follow these simple reminders to have a safe harvest season.
1. Turn off power before adjusting, servicing or unclogging power-driven machinery.
2. Make sure loads being towed are properly hitched to the drawbar and that pins and chains are in place.
3. Display slow-moving vehicle signs on machinery towed or driven on the highways. Replace old signs as needed.
4. Make sure all warning lights are in good working condition, replace as needed.
5. Have shields and guards in place and maintained at all times.
6. Inspect and maintain all hydraulic hoses and couplings.
7. Make sure tires are properly inflated.
8. Inspect and maintain all machinery, equipment and tools to keep them in proper working condition.
9. Have first-aid kits available and develop an emergency plan.
KMC introduces new dump cart
The new 2024 KMC 4835 Dump Cart has been designed to increase cart performance while making the farmer more productive in the field. The 4835 Dump Cart tank profile increases the cart capacity by nearly 10 percent over the legacy 4825 Dump Cart. The perforated sides and floor increase strength and allow more dirt to escape from the peanuts.
The 4835 Dump Cart travels smoother through the field due to a repositioned axle and an increase in tire size. The new Dump Cart also features a flexible lip extension and a standard camera and monitor package that help the farmer fill semi-trailers quicker and with more control.
Irrigation Termination
Unlike cotton and corn that have a physiological irrigation termination point at 10 percent open boll and black layer respectively, peanut irrigation termination is more of an art than a science. In a typical year as peanuts approach 120 days after planting (DAP), or 2100 growing degree days (GDD’s), peanut maturity board checks are recommended.
As the peanuts mature and
By Wes Porter University of Georgia
reach 140 DAPs or 2500 GDD’s it is generally recommended that digging start. However, this decision should be made based on the variety and maturity board recommendations.
When farmers are approaching this stage the end of season irrigation is critical. It is recommended to evaluate the current field moisture level, short and long term weather forecast, and your estimated digging date.
Too much soil moisture at the end of the season will cause excessive soil on the shell and will introduce this dirt through the combine and potentially into the wagons. Conversely, too little moisture in the field will make digging of the
peanuts near impossible. The good news is that if the field is irrigated you can apply a small amount of irrigation to make digging easier.
Another important issue to keep in mind once a farmer starts digging their peanut fields is to not forget about their other fields especially if it is hot and dry. It is easy to switch into a harvest mindset and forget about other fields where peanuts may have been planted over a three or four week period. If this is the case many of the later planted peanuts still require irrigation and yield will be lost if the farmer stops irrigating the peanuts too early.
Harvest season is busy and stressful already, but don’t cost yourself more headache or yield by not finalizing your peanut irrigation properly. For specific questions on peanut irrigation termination reach out to your local county Extension agent.
Four Weed Management tips prior to harvest
By Eric Prostko University of Georgia
Peanut growers have very limited herbicide options for lateseason weed management. All herbicides have pre-harvest intervals (PHI) or growth stage cutoffs that limit their use at this time of year.
1
Mowing weeds with a flail mower. Mowing can also be used to help manage weed escapes, prevent seedrain, and improve fungicide deposition and peanut harvestability.
4
See below for four late-season weed control options to consider that will help improve fungicide spray deposition and harvestability while reducing weed-seed rain.
More specific information about
2
Classic (chlorimuron) applied from ~65 days after planting until 45 days before peanut harvest to help manage escaped Florida beggarweed. Classic can only be used on tolerant varieties.
Aim, Classic, Gramoxone/NSA, and PHI’s can be found in the 2024 UGA Pest Control Handbook which is available on-line at https://secure. caes.uga.edu/extension/publications/ files/pdf/SB%2028-24_2.PDF.
3
Aim (carfentrazone) applied 7 days before harvest to help desiccate annual morningglories (Ipomoea spp.). Aim does not have any effect on smallflower morningglory (Jacquemontia spp.).
Gramoxone (paraquat) can be applied in a non-selective applicator to help manage help manage Florida beggarweed, Palmer amaranth, and sicklepod.
LMC-Cross Wick Bar GrassWorks WeedWiperTM TopCrop Super Sponge Weed Wiper
Upcoming field days
Field days throughout the summer months provide growers with educational information to assist them with production on their farm. Many of the updates include information on a variety of research projects including variety development, weed, disease and insect management, precision agriculture and more.
Many times the results of the research projects are new findings or updates on new products available for farmers. Also, many of the field days offer continuing education pesticide applicators credit so farmers should make sure they register in advance or complete proper paperwork at the field days in order to receive credit.
The Southeastern Peanut Farmer has compiled a list of the upcoming field days offered throughout the Southeast relating to peanuts or general crop field days.
Aug. 1, 2024 - Attapulgus Research & Education Center Field Day, Attapulgus, Georgia - The field day will be held at the research center located at 254 N. Griffin Ave., Attapulgus, Georgia. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. and concludes with lunch. Register by calling Lee Hitson at 229-220-1712.
Aug. 6, 2024 - Mississippi Row Crop Field Day, Starkville, Mississippi - The field day will be held at the R.R. Foil Plant Science and Research Center. For more information contact Brendan Zurweller at brendan. zurweller@ msstate.edu.
Aug. 7, 2024 - Southeast Georgia Research & Education Center Field Day, Midville, Georgia - The field day will be held at the research center located at 9638 Highway 56 South, Midville, Georgia. The field day begins at 9:00 a.m. and concludes with lunch. Register by calling 478-589-7472.
August 8, 2024 - Florida Peanut Field Day, Marianna, Florida - Field
Wes Porter, University of Georgia Extension precision ag and irrigation specialist, discusses peanut irrigation research projects during the 2023 Cotton and Peanut Research Field Day in Tifton, Ga.
day registration begins at 7:00 a.m. Central Time at the North Florida Research and Education Center, 3925 Highway 71, Marianna, Florida. For more information, call Barry Tillman at 850-526-1617 or Ethan Carter at 850482-9620.
August 13, 2024 - Florida
Regional Peanut Field Day, Live Oak, Florida - Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time at the North Florida Research and Education CenterSuwannee Valley Farm, 8202 County Road 417, Live Oak, Florida. For more information, call Shivendra Kumar at 386-219-4261.
Aug. 15, 2024 - Southwest Georgia Research & Education Center Field Day, Plains, Georgia - The field day will be held at the research center located at 108 Experiment Station Road, Plains, Georgia. Field day registration begins at 8:00 a.m. and concludes with lunch. Register by calling 229-824-4375.
Aug. 16, 2024 - Wiregrass Row Crop Field Day, Headland, Alabama - The field day begins at 9:00 a.m.
Central Time at the Wiregrass Research and Extension Center, 167 State Highway 134 East, Headland, Alabama. For more information, call 334-693-2010.
Aug. 22, 2024 - West Florida Row Crop Extension Farm Field Day, Jay, Florida
Field day will begin at 8:00 a.m. and will conclude around 1:00 p.m. Central Time at the West Florida Research and Education Center, 4253 Experiment Drive, Jay, Florida. For more information, call Hardeep Singh at 850-983-7104.
Sept. 4, 2024 - Cotton and Peanut Research Field Day, Tifton, Georgia
The field day will be held at the UGA Tifton Campus, Tifton, Georgia. For more information, call 229-3863696 or visit www.gapeanuts.com.
Sept. 24-26, 2024 - Tri-State Peanut Disease Tour
The tour will be held in Tifton, Georgia; Headland, Alabama and Florida. For more information, email spotwilt@uga.edu.
2024 Georgia Peanut Tour set for Americus area
The thirty-sixth annual Georgia Peanut Tour will be held Sept. 17-19, 2024, in Americus, Georgia, and the surrounding area. The tour brings the latest information on peanuts while giving a firsthand view of industry infrastructure from production and handling to processing and utilization. Tour stops will be made in several peanut producing counties in South Georgia.
Attendees can expect to see first-hand nearly every aspect of peanut production in the state. This year’s tour hosts many exciting stops including on-farm harvest demonstrations and clinics, as well as, research at the University of Georgia Southwest Georgia Research and Education Center and the USDA-ARS National Peanut Research Lab.
The tour kicks off this year with the Hot Topics Seminar on Sept. 17 at 2:30 p.m. at South Georgia Technical College's John M. Pope Industrial Technology Center in Americus, Georgia. The seminar topics include an update on the 2024 Georgia peanut crop and a special focus on pressing challenges faced by the global peanut industry, including environmental concerns, current opportunities and market dynamics.
The Georgia Peanut Commission, University of Georgia-Tifton Campus and Griffin Campus, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service National Peanut Research Lab coordinate the tour.
Hotel accommodations can be made at the host hotel, The Windsor in Americus, Georgia by calling 229331-7076. Be sure to ask for the 2024 Georgia Peanut Tour room block
when making a reservation. Additional rooms are available at the Hampton Inn in Americus. Call 229-924-3890 and mention the Georgia Peanut Tour for a discounted rate. The room block's deadline is Aug. 16, 2024.
Visit georgiapeanuttour.com to register and view tour schedule. For more information, contact David West at 229-386-3470 or via email at david@gapeanuts.com
Georgia Peanut Commission 2025 Calendar Photo Contest
The Georgia Peanut Commission is hosting a photo contest through Oct. 1, 2024, featuring peanut farms from across the state to fill the pages of the 2025 Georgia Peanut Calendar. Photos will also be selected to be used in various promotional projects by GPC throughout the year. Georgia farmers are encouraged to submit their best high-resolution photo from throughout the growing season. Winning entries will be selected for each month of the calendar, as well as the cover page. Below are tips to consider when selecting a photo to enter:
• Make sure the photo is not offensive and avoid photos with large,
easy to read corporate logos.
• Think about the months of the year and select photos that represent them. For example, land prep work in the winter, planting in the spring, irrigation in the summer and harvest in the fall.
• Make sure photos are taken in horizontal format, so they will fill the entire page of the calendar.
• Showcase your family (young and old) and what being a Georgia
peanut farmer means to you.
• Choose a photo you feel helps others understand more about how you care for the crop they love.
Photo entries must be taken during the 2022, 2023 or 2024 peanut crop year and feature peanut production. Entries must also be high resolution (300 dpi), horizontal and not taken with a phone; otherwise, they may be disqualified.
Please submit photos in .jpg format and submit them with the online entry form provided on www. gapeanuts.com by Oct. 1, 2024, for consideration. Winning entries will be entered for a chance to win a Visa gift card. Visit www.gapeanuts.com for complete details
Attendees on the 2023 Georgia Peanut Tour visited farms to see peanut harvest and learn more about the Georgia peanut crop.
USA Peanut Congress Held in June
American Peanut Council recognizes four industry leaders
The 28th annual USA Peanut Congress, co-hosted by the American Peanut Council and the American Peanut Shellers Association, was held June 10-13, 2024, in Florida. During the four-day conference, leaders from all sectors of the peanut industry discussed export markets, sustainability, research and the upcoming peanut crop.
Attendees heard from experts on topics including the future of AI in agriculture, peanut health and nutrition research, consumer marketing and brand innovation, peanuts in schools and educational efforts on early introduction, as well as the latest news on what is happening in Congress and the regulatory arena. Speakers from Microsoft, Hormel Foods, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, The Peanut Institute and a panel led by the National Peanut Board, topped the agenda.
The American Peanut Council presented awards to four leaders who have demonstrated significant commitment to the peanut industry.
APC’s Hall of Fame Award was given to American Peanut Shellers Association Executive Director John Powell, who is retiring this year. For nearly 40 years, Powell has served APSA and its members. In this role, he helped found The Peanut Institute, The Peanut Institute Foundation, and the U.S. Peanut Federation. During his career Powell worked on eight Farm Bills, has been a member of APC for more than five decades and has been actively involved in the peanut community, including serving as vice chair and board member of the Friends of Jimmy Carter National Historic Site.
The Lifetime Achievement was awarded to Stanley Fletcher, professor of policy at the Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, and posthumously to James C. Adams II, past chairman of AMADAS Industries.
Fletcher is a nationally recognized economist whose service to the peanut industry and APC has been invaluable. Since the 1990s, he has served on many APC committees to develop research, education and information related to trade agreements and policy. His economic analysis was the foundation for the 2002 Farm Bill.
The second recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Adams, passed away in 2023. In 1963, Adams helped found Hobbs-Adams Engineering with his father and uncle, which has grown to become AMADAS Industries. Adams pioneered and introduced many innovations that helped the industry grow while becoming more efficient and, in a joint venture with John Deere, the world’s largest self-propelled peanut
combine.
Albert Culbreath, a professor at the University of Georgia, was awarded the 2024 Peanut Research and Education Award, sponsored by Bayer CropScience. Culbreath is known as a leading expert in the biology and management of tomato spotted wilt virus in peanuts, and his work on foliar fungal diseases of peanuts, particularly leaf spot. His research has focused on integrated management strategies, including chemical control, fungicide resistance, plant resistance and cultural practices. Culbreath's contributions have significantly influenced the development of Peanut Rx which aides growers in managing key peanut diseases.
Congratulations to these deserving award winners.
Anne-Marie Delorenzo, (left) APC vice-chair, presents the Hall of Fame award to John Powell, executive director of the American Peanut Shellers Association and The Peanut Institute.
Anne-Marie Delorenzo, (right) APC vice-chair, presents the APC Lifetime Achievement Award posthumouly to James C. Adams II, past chairman of AMADAS Industries. Jimmy Adams accepts the award on behalf of his father.
Courtney Dorsett, (right) APC Peanut Research Foundation chair, presents the Peanut Research and Education Award to Albert Culbreath, University of Georgia plant pathologist.
Anne-Marie Delorenzo, (left) APC vice-chair, presents the APC Lifetime Achievement Award to Stanley Fletcher, professor of policy at the Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
Washington Outlook
By Robert L. Redding Jr.
U.S. House Agriculture Committee passes bipartisan farm bill
The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture passed the 2024 Farm Bill with a bipartisan vote. Four democrats, including U.S. Congressmen Sanford Bishop, D-Georgia, and Don Davis, D-North Carolina, voted in favor of the legislation along with all the republican members of the committee.
Important points for peanuts included in the bill are the following:
• Price Loss Coverage Program
• Increase of 17.8% in the reference price
• Increase of 10% in the marketing loan
• One-time base update; fiveyear average of acreage planted for
the 2019-2023 crop years. (Special provisions for allowing non-covered commodities to qualify for the lessor of 15% of the total acres on the farm or five-year average of acreage planted and prevented planted to eligible non-covered commodities for the years 2019-2023.)
• Separate Peanut Payment Limit
• Storage Provision
• Increases payment limitation for eligible entities; $125,000 to $155,000
• Doubles the authorization for the Market Access Program (U.S. Department of Agriculture export program)
The House Leadership has not scheduled floor consideration at this time.
USPF supports RUTF provisions in House Ag Committee farm bill
Recently, U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power announced an additional investment of $200 million to combat child wasting, a significant amount of these funds will be used for Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a peanut product.
The House Agriculture Committee targeted $200 million to be used for RUTF in their bipartisan Farm Bill. USPF supports the RUTF language in the House bill. The provision included in the committee passed legislation is as follows:
House Farm Bill Language (Section 3109, pp. 242-243)
(f) MINIMUM LEVELS OF FUNDING TO ADDRESS CHILD WASTING. —
(1) IN GENERAL.—For each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029, if the most recent Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates, published annually by the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and the United Nations Children's
USPF joins other commodity groups in support of Farm Credit Administration nominee
The U.S. Peanut Federation and five other national commodity organizations sent a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry in support of Marcus Graham who has been nominated by President Biden to the Board of Directors of the Farm Credit Administration.
In the letter addressed to Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Boozman, USPF provides support for Graham by noting his qualifications in agriculture.
Fund, report a rate of children under 5 years of age affected by child wasting above 5 percent for the year covered by such report, not less than the minimum level described in paragraph (2), to be derived from amounts otherwise made available to carry out food assistance programs for such fiscal year and in addition to amounts otherwise made available pursuant to this Act, shall be expended for the procurement of readyto-use therapeutic foods.
(2) MINIMUM LEVEL DESCRIBED. —The minimum level described in this paragraph is—
(A) $200,000,000; or
(B) in the case of a fiscal year for which the total amount made available to carry out programs under title II is less than $1,925,000,000, the product of—
(i) $200,000,000, multiplied by (ii) the quotient of the total amount made available to carry out programs under title II for that fiscal year divided by $1,925,000,000.
"Mr. Graham has professionally served Agriculture at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for over twenty years. He currently serves as USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Deputy Administrator for Field Operations where he provides leadership, management, and support for fifty State Executive Directors, 18,000 FSA field team members, and the entire FSA network which is comprised of over 2100 state and county offices. He also oversees FSA’s state and county salary and benefits totaling $944M and $31M in discretionary allotments.
Prior to the FSA Deputy Administrator position, Mr. Graham served in multiple roles in the Department including several financial leadership positions. He has experience as an FSA Senior Loan Specialist and a Farm Loan Program Risk Assessment Reviewer in Charge. This financial experience combined with his overall leadership abilities make him uniquely qualified for the FCA Board of Directors.
As production agriculture organizations, we want to express our support for Marcus Graham. We hope the committee will move forward expeditiously with this confirmation process and support his nomination."
U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Stabenow proposes farm bill
U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, has proposed a new Farm Bill, the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act. The summary proposal places emphasis on risk management tools. For the Price Loss Coverage Program, the proposal includes:
• A 5% increase in the reference price
• A new price escalator for marketing loans
• A base update with a 160-base acre cap per farm. (The proposal uses crop years 2018-2022 to determine the base acre update.)
No committee mark-up has been scheduled at this time.
U.S. Senator Warnock advocates for higher peanut and cotton reference prices
U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, D-Georgia, in a letter to Chairwoman Stabenow, expressed the need for an increase in reference prices for peanuts and cotton. Senator Warnock stated,
"…I reiterate my support for securing a meaningful increase in reference prices in this year's Farm Bill in response to increases in production costs faced by many commodity farmers in Georgia. While I appreciate your inclusion of a reference price increase in your proposal, especially for southern commodities like peanuts and cotton, I am concerned that this increase is not enough to ensure Georgia farmers can stay on their land, provide good-paying jobs for our state, and continue to harvest nutritious food for Georgia families." (See letter to the right.)
U.S. Senate Ranking Member Boozman proposes farm bill
U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member John Boozman, R-Arkansas, recently announced his Farm Bill Framework. The bill includes the following key provisions for peanuts:
• Price Loss Coverage Program
• An average of 15% increase in the reference prices for all commodities
• Marketing Loan Increase
• Allows for a base update
• Storage provisions
• Doubles the authorization for the Market Access Program (export program).
No committee mark-up has been scheduled at this time.
The Honorable Debbie Stabenow Chair
U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Chair Stabenow,
Thank you for your ongoing work on your Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act and your commitment to passing a multi-year, bipartisan Farm Bill. I write to reiterate my support for securing a meaningful increase in reference prices in this year's Farm Bill reauthorization to help shore up the farm safety net for Georgia’s producers.
I'm glad that, thanks to our months-long collaboration, your proposed framework protects funding for nutrition programs as well as climate-smart agriculture. I believe it is essential that any Farm Bill reauthorization protects the family safety net and does not gut critical nutrition programs that many underserved Georgia families rely on.
I was especially pleased to see that many of my priorities were included in your proposal, including my Southern Commodities, Rates, Opportunities, Production, and Support (Southern CROPS) Act, my bipartisan Protecting America’s Orchardists and Nursery Tree Growers Act, and my bipartisan Promoting Precision Agriculture Act. I proudly introduced these bills to provide crucial updates to U.S. Department of Agriculture programs that producers in Georgia need to compete, stay afloat amid rising input costs, recover from natural disasters, benefit from technological innovations, and spur economic development in rural communities.
In addition to these important priorities, I reiterate my support for securing a meaningful increase in reference prices in this year's Farm Bill in response to increases in production costs faced by many commodity farmers in Georgia. While I appreciate your inclusion of a reference price increase in your proposal, especially for southern commodities like peanuts and cotton, I am concerned that this increase is not enough to ensure Georgia farmers can stay on their land, provide good-paying jobs for our state, and continue to harvest nutritious food for Georgia families.
As you work with Ranking Member Boozman, as well as Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member Scott, to pass a Farm Bill reauthorization, I encourage you to continue protecting the family safety net while at the same time securing the farm safety net. Please count me as a partner in that work as our bipartisan conversations continue.
Sincerely,
Raphael Warnock United States Senator
1025 Sugar Pike Way · Canton, Georgia 30115 |(770) 751-6615 | lpwagner@comcast.net
Peanut industry effort to return peanuts to school nutrition
Southern Peanut Growers is part of national effort by peanut growers to work with K-12 schools across the country to provide information on managing food allergies in schools and return peanuts to the school nutrition program if they have a current peanut ban in place.
Leslie Wagner, executive director of SPG, spoke on a panel at the USA Peanut Congress on June 12, 2024, about the effort. Other panelists were Alex Hallmark, registered dietitian and director of child nutrition with Desoto County Schools; Jason Weber, Alabama peanut farmer and Tarrah Westercamp, registered dietitian and school nutrition specialist with Westercamp Consulting. Lauren Highfill Williams, National Peanut Board director of communications, moderated the discussion.
Wagner exhibited at the Georgia School Nutrition Association Conference with Georgia Peanut Commission in April and will exhibit at the Minnesota SNA Conference in August and the New York SNA Conference in October. The exhibit features information about the best way to manage food allergies – Plan, Don't Ban – as suggested by food allergy experts and case studies on how school systems have overturned existing peanut bans in the last few years.
Southern Peanut Growers exhibited at the annual meeting of the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Conference June 13 – 14, 2024. Conference attendance was their largest ever with about 220 pediatricians in attendance. Leslie Wagner spoke to nearly every pediatrician in attendance focusing on early introduction to prevent peanut allergy and the newest Dietary Guidelines for Americans. SPG also provided the newest information from National Peanut Board on managing food allergies in schools.
This year's meeting continued last year's trend of more pediatricians from outside the state of Georgia attending which helps extend our reach with the early introduction message. SPG had a new card with a QR code where doctors can now order materials for their practice to be sent directly to them throughout the year.
We all scream for Georgia Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Southern Peanut Growers has formed a strategic partnership with popular ice cream maker YOM Ice Cream to develop and distribute an incredible new flavor, Georgia Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. YOM has committed to sourcing locally by utilizing Georgia peanut products from Georgia Grinders.
This new partnership (and the new PB flavor) helps address two strategic concerns. One concern is the declining peanut butter consumption by Gen Z and younger consumers. Also, Georgia peanuts have little distribution in the foodservice or retail channels in the South (and particularly in Atlanta) which are dominated by commodity products.
Yom's unique product format - the push pop - is wildly popular with consumers young and old. To Gen Z it's something different...
a unique ice cream experience that you can "grab and go." For older consumers, there is a huge nostalgia factor for push pops! YOM ice cream is sold at retail locations across the South - many in Atlanta - and is available to the food service industry via several broadline and specialty food distributors. So, the increased demand will be met with increased purchases of Georgia peanut products.
The new Georgia peanut ice cream flavor will be introduced at the Southern Peanut Growers conference July 18, 2024.
Leslie Wagner, right, participates in a panel at the USA Peanut Congress focusing on a national industry-wide effort for K-12 schools.
Leslie Wagner, Southern Peanut Growers executive director, exhibits at the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Conference in June.
SPG exhibits at Georgia Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics Conference
