July/August 2019 - Southeastern Peanut Farmer

Inside: n

Georgia Peanut Tour set for Cordele n Harvest Guidebook n Disaster Relief Roundatable

A communication service of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.

Contents July/August 2019

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Joy Carter Crosby Editor joycrosby@gapeanuts.com 229-386-3690

The thirty-third Georgia Peanut Tour is set for Sept. 17-19, 2019, in the Cordele, Ga. and surrounding area. The tour provides a first-hand view of the industry infrastructure from production and handling to processing and utilization.

Director of Advertising Jessie Bland jessie@gapeanuts.com Contributing Writers Kaye Lynn Hataway klhataway@alpeanuts.com Pam Golden Caraway

Southeastern Peanut Farmer P.O. Box 706, Tifton, Ga. 31793 445 Fulwood Blvd., Tifton, Ga. 31794 ISSN: 0038-3694 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, typographical 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 members. Such material may, or may not, coincide with official 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 Farmer may 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 Peanut Farmer 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 229-386-3472.

Georgia Peanut Tour set for September in Cordele area

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Harvest Guidebook The 2019 Southeastern Peanut Farmer Harvest Guidebook features information on maturity, machinery and moisture at harvest, grading process improvements as well as buying points efficiency and recovery following a hurricane.

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Disaster Relief Roundtable More than 150 peanut farmers met with congressional and ag leaders in Georgia for a roundtable discussion following the recent passage of the disaster aid legislation. Farmers praised Georgia’s congressional leaders during the event and learned more about the next steps in the process.

Departments: Checkoff Report .................................................................................. 8 Alabama Peanut Producers Association, Florida Peanut Producers Association, Georgia Peanut Commission and Mississippi Peanut Growers Association

Washington Outlook ............................................................................ 20 Southern Peanut Growers Update ........................................................ 22 Cover Photo: Dug peanuts ready for picking at the farm of Joe Boddiford in Screven County, Georgia. Photo by Joy Crosby.

July/August 2019 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

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Editorial

Calendar of Events

The Last Words s an ag journalist, we often write about production research or the latest technology, new product or new method in order to help educate and assist the farmer in being profitable and hopefully help solve some of their problems. Or, we share a unique technique or method a farmer is trying on their farm in order to share the new idea with other farmers. Those tractor rides to obtain that unique story, tailgate talks, field days and more all help to obtain information for the best story and sometimes our last words to farmers.

For one ag journalist those last words to farmers came in the May/June issue of the Southeastern Peanut Farmer. The last words from John Leidner to farmers centered around variable rate irrigation, smartphone apps for irrigation recommendations and the pros and cons of drip irrigation. John always looked for that unique topic that would be the most beneficial to farmers and help them solve a problem or issue.

On April 22, I received an email from John’s son, Mark, that included the articles for the May/June issue and an update on John. He actually completed the articles while in the hospital which shows his dedication to covering agriculture and helping the farmer. Then on April 30, John called to tell me the news that no journalist ever wants to say, “I need to resign, I have cancer.” The call was a short one, followed by a hospital visit and then his passing on June 18.

Prior to John writing for the Southeastern Peanut Farmer, he spent 30 years as peanut editor John Leidner and Southeast regional editor of Progressive Farmer. I remember reading articles by John in Progressive Farmer during my high school years. His writings had an impact on me which led me to pursue a degree in ag communications. Little did I know that many years later, I would hire him to write for the Southeastern Peanut Farmer.

He also worked closely with the Sunbelt Expo, writing in all 41 of their programs and writing press releases for the Farmer of the Year program. In 2007, John wrote a book on the history of the Expo entitled, The Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition: A Thirty-Year Perspective.

He was very dedicated to covering ag news and sharing it with farmers.

I think he especially liked attending field days and visiting with researchers about their ongoing peanut research or visiting with farmers. His articles have definitely helped to keep the farmer updated on research and how to apply new practices on their farm. I was fortunate to be able to travel with him to peanut industry meetings across the Southeast and learn from him as I watched him interview farmers. He was a great travel buddy and always up for the next adventure and my article ideas. He will definitely be missed in the ag community, peanut industry and especially by me! t

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Joy Carter Crosby Editor Editor’s note: Donations in John’s memory may be made to Our Divine Savior Catholic Church of Tifton, 1205 Love Ave., Tifton, Ga., or Tift Regional Foundation, PO Box 747, Tifton, Ga. 31793, or Texas A&M Foundation, 401 George Bush Dr., College Station, TX., 77840.

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Southeastern Peanut Farmer July/August 2019

u Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day, July 25, 2019, Moultrie, Ga. For more information visit sunbeltexpo.com or call 229-985-1968. u American Peanut Shellers Association and National Peanut Buying Points Association Pre-Harvest Meeting, Aug. 7, 2019, The Bindery, Leesburg, Ga. For more information visit peanut-shellers.org or call 229-888-2508. u Twilight Peanut Tour, Aug. 8, 2019, I.C. Terry Farm, Lake City, Fla. For more information call 850-526-2590. u Southeast Georgia Research and Education Center Field Day, Aug. 14, 2019, Midville, Ga. For more information call 478-589-7472. u Florida Peanut Field Day, Aug. 15, 2019, North Florida Research and Education Center, Marianna, Fla. For more information call 850-526-1611. u West Florida Peanut Field Day, Aug. 22, 2019, West Florida Research and Education Center, Jay, Fla. For more information call 850-393-7334. u Wiregrass Research and Extension Center Row Crops Field Day, Aug. 23, 2019, WREC, Headland, Ala. For more information call 334-693-2010. u UGA Cotton Peanut Field Day, Sept. 4, 2019, UGA Tifton Campus, Tifton, Ga. For more information call 229-386-3696. u Georgia Peanut Tour, Sept. 17-19, 2019, Cordele, Ga. and surrounding area. For more information visit the tour blog online at georgiapeanuttour.com. u Brooklet Peanut Festival, Sept. 21, 2019. For more information visit the festival’s website at brookletpeanutfestival.com. u Plains Peanut Festival, Sept. 28, 2019.

For more information visit plainsgeorgia.com. u Central Florida Peanut Festival, Oct. 5, 2019, Williston, Fla. For more information visit willistonfl.com.

(Let us know about your event. Please send details to the editor at joycrosby@gapeanuts.com.

2019 Georgia Peanut Tour set for Cordele area he thirty-third annual Georgia Peanut Tour will be held Sept. 17-19, 2019, in Cordele, Georgia, and the surrounding area. The tour brings the latest information on peanuts while giving a first-hand view of industry infrastructure from production and handling to processing and utilization. Tour stops will be made in several peanut producing counties including Crisp, Macon, Pulaski, Sumter, Terrell and Turner.

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, research at the University of Georgia Southwest Georgia Research and Education Center and the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Peanut Research Laboratory in Dawson, Georgia.

The tour kicks off this year with the Hot Topics Seminar on Sept. 17 at 3 p.m. at Lake Blackshear Resort & Golf Club, Cordele, Georgia. The seminar topics include an update on the 2019 Georgia peanut crop and a special focus on the production of peanuts.

The Georgia Peanut Commission, University of Georgia-Tifton Campus and

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During the 2018 Georgia Peanut Tour, attendees were able to see how peanuts are harvested in at the farm of Charley and Lee Cromley, in Bulloch County, Ga.

Griffin Campus, Southwest Research & Education Center, Attapulgus Research & Education Center, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service National Peanut Research Lab coordinate the tour.

Hotel accommodations can be made at the Lake Blackshear Resort in Cordele, Georgia by calling 1-800-459-1230.

Rooms are available at the rate of $109 plus tax for a standard room. Be sure to

ask for the Georgia Peanut Tour room block 335100. The room block deadline is Aug. 23, 2019.

Visit georgiapeanuttour.com to register and view tour schedule. The early bird registration rate is $90 prior to Aug. 9, 2019. For more information, contact Hannah Jones at 229-386-3470 or via email at hannah@gapeanuts.com. t

National Peanut Board referendum passes eanut producers voted overwhelmingly to continue the Peanut Promotion, Research, and Information Program, administered by the National Peanut Board (NPB), in a referendum conducted by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from April 15 through May 3, 2019. Ninety-three percent of those who voted said “yes” to continuing NPB’s research, marketing and promotion program.

In order for the continuance referendum to pass, a majority of eligible producers needed to vote in favor of continuing the Order. Growers who paid assessments on peanuts produced during the representative period from June 1, 2017 through May 31, 2018, were eligible to vote.

“I am very proud of the work we do at the National Peanut Board; especially

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in the areas of production research funding, peanut allergy prevention work and our promotion of the great taste and nutritional benefits of peanuts and peanut butter,” says Dan Ward, 2019 chairman of the National Peanut Board and a peanut farmer from North Carolina. “The referendum results are an excellent endorsement of the high-quality of work our Board and staff do together.”

The last referendum for peanuts was conducted by USDA in 2014, which is a requirement of The Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1996.

In the last five years, the National Peanut Board has delivered on its mission of improving the economic condition of USA peanut farmers and their families through compelling promotion and groundbreaking research.

Some highlights include:

Southeastern Peanut Farmer July/August 2019

• Peanut per capita consumption is at an all-time high, growing steadily from seven pounds in 2014 to seven-and-a-half pounds in 2018.

• National Peanut Board has accelerated its peanut allergy prevention outreach, education and involvement to healthcare professionals and consumers in the last five years. Since 2001, NPB has allocated more than $25 million toward peanut allergy research and education.

• Since its inception, the National Peanut Board has invested a total of $34.5 million toward production research, contributing to significant yield increases and efficiencies for peanut producers. This total includes NPB’s leverage of just $871,500—of NPB funds and other industry partners’ funds—to obtain over $2 million in NIFA-matching funds for peanut production research. t

Checkoff Report Investments Made by Growers for the Future of the Peanut Industry.

Georgia Peanut Commission hosts Peanut Palooza to Kick Off Summer

Florida Peanut Producers Association promotes peanuts at Florida State Hospital Health Fair

The Georgia Peanut Commission hosted a Kick Off to Summer Peanut Palooza on May 24 at the Georgia Peanut Commission office in Tifton.

Members of the public were invited to attend the free event.

The family-friendly event featured everything from free boiled peanuts, fried peanut samples, Deb’s Curbside Cupcake truck and a special appearance from Mr. Peanut.

The afternoon also included a DJ, opportunities to plant your own peanut plant, prizes and Frank McGill, retired University of giveaways, photo opportunities Georgia Extension peanut agronomist known as “Mr. Peanut,” for kids to sit inside of a visits with Mr. Peanut during the tractor, a bounce house and Peanut Palooza on May 24 at the Georgia Peanut Commission office more.

In addition to the outside in Tifton, Ga. activities, the GPC office was open for extended hours to provide attendees the opportunity to visit the gift shop and take a tour of the building. The GPC building is one of the only energy efficient buildings in Tifton.

The event brought in more than 300 visitors, several which were from out of state.

The Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee held their 30th Annual Health Fair for State Hospital employees.

FPPA was one of 57 exhibitors to attend the event. The heart healthy peanut was popular with employees and other Health Fair exhibitors. FPPA Ken Barton, Florida Peanut Producers Association executive focused on the heart health director, visits with attendees during benefits of peanuts and peanut the Florida State Hospital Health products while providing com- Fair in Chattahoochee, Fla. plimentary bags of Florida Roasted Peanuts that display the Heart Healthy Check from the American Heart Association. Heart health information and recipe brochures were also provided to attendees along with health and nutritional information from The Peanut Institute and the National Peanut Board.

Georgia Peanut Commission promotes early introduction campaign through Pandora Radio With National Peanut Board co-promotion funds, the Georgia Peanut Commission sponsored a 30-day campaign with Pandora Radio focusing on early introduction and National Peanut Board’s “Size 4 to 6 Months” promotion. The campaign included audio and banner ads and ran from April 12 to May 12 targeting females, age 18-34 in the Atlanta metro area. The campaign was published on Pandora and SoundCloud and targeted podcasts and music streaming sites, as well.

Overall, the campaign resulted in more than 1.1 million impressions and more than 1,600 visits to the website, www.peanutallergyfacts.org.

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Southeastern Peanut Farmer July/August 2019

State organizations board and staff attend USA Peanut Congress in Florida Board of Directors and staff of the Alabama, Peanut Producers Association, Florida Peanut Producers Association and Georgia Peanut Commission recently attended the USA Peanut Congress, June 22-26, in Florida. The event provided board members and staff the opportunity to interact with other peanut growing state leaders, buying points, brokers, researchers, shellers and peanut product manufacturers regarding joint promotions, research and educational efforts.

The state association board members and staff serve on many committees through the American Peanut Council including Peanut Butter for the Hungry, The Peanut Foundation, APC Export Steering Committee, APC Sustainability Initiative Taskforce, Membership Committee, as well as serving on the APC Board.

During the general session at the event, attendees were able to learn more about marketing trends, weather outlook, crop update, economic update and an update on the early introduction campaign and The Peanut Institute.

Reports from the: Alabama Peanut Producers Association Florida Peanut Producers Association Georgia Peanut Commission Mississippi Peanut Growers Association

Alabama Peanut Producers Association promotes peanuts at Alabama Welcome Centers The Alabama Peanut Producers Association has partnered with the Alabama Tourism Department to provide peanuts to visitors at all eight Alabama Welcome Centers around the state. When visitors stop in at an Alabama Welcome Center, they can sample a pack of Alabama roasted peanuts. A window cling sign will be visible for visitors to know that Alabama peanut farmers Kaye Lynn Hataway and Carole Granger, of APPA, serve peanut provided the free peanuts. snacks at the Houston County Welcome center visitors can Welcome Center’s Tourism Day. also obtain a copy of APPA’s recipe brochure, “Cooking with Alabama Peanuts.”

APPA celebrated with two of the Alabama Welcome Centers at their annual Tourism Day Celebrations. APPA staff attended the celebrations in Houston County on May 9 and DeKalb County on May 30. Travelers were treated to a samples of peanut butter toffee dip and no-bake peanut butter energy squares. In addition, APPA staff talked with visitors about how peanuts are grown and ways to introduce peanut products early to help prevent peanut allergies.

Alabama Peanut Producers sponsors Alabama FFA Fiber and/or Oil Crop Production Proficiency The Alabama Peanut Producers Association sponsored the Fiber and/or Oil Crop Production proficiency award at the 91st annual Alabama FFA Convention held in Montgomery, Alabama, June 5-7, 2019. The first place Jacob Davis, APPA executive winner was JJ Scott of director visits with FFA members Slocomb FFA. The additional during the Alabama FFA State state finalists were Dyllan Lee Convention in Montgomery, Ala. of Enterprise FFA, Jackson Adkins of Rehobeth FFA, and Hunter Shaver of Goshen FFA. The Alabama Peanut Producers Association also exhibited during the Alabama FFA Career Show. Students received samples of Alabama roasted peanuts, information on careers in the peanut industry, and learned how and where peanuts are grown in the state.

Mississippi Peanut Growers Association exhibits at Mississippi School Nurse Association annual conference The Mississippi Peanut Growers Association attended and exhibited at the 26th Annual Conference of the Mississippi School Nurse Association in Vicksburg, Mississippi, June 5 - 7, 2019. This is the first time MPGA exhibited at the Mississippi School Nurse Association, which had an attendance of nearly 200 school nurses from schools across all 82 counties of Mississippi.

The theme for the conference was “Building Bridges from Health to Education,” and Malcolm Broome, executive director for MPGA stated the literature given to the nurses fit right into the education part of their theme. In addition to peanuts, stress reliever peanuts and peanut butter spreaders, nurses were provided with the brochure, “12 Common Questions About Peanut Allergies Answered” and the new “Instead of Peanut Free. . . Be Allergen Aware” from the National Peanut Board. This resource was specifically written for School and Health Professionals.

Broome reports this could quite possibly be the best group of school personnel MPGA has met with to really focus in on food allergies. In conversations with the nurses, all of them were not aware of the information being given to them and everyone of them were dealing with at least one student in their school that had a peanut allergy.

As a result of exhibiting at the school nurse conference, MPGA was invited to participate in the Mississippi Nurses Association Conference this Fall in Biloxi with an expected attendance of 1,200 to1,400 nurses from all medical professions.

Another exhibit at the event had materials for sale for the nurses with one disturbing sign against NUTS they could purchase and post on their campus.

Georgia Peanut Commission board approves 2019-2020 operating budget The Georgia Peanut Commission board of directors approved the 2019-2020 fiscal year operating budget of $3,897,000 on June 13, 2019. The budget includes a variety of projects in research, education and promotion.

New projects in the promotion area consist of a spokesperson partnership with NBA star Trae Young, sponsorship of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Semifinal Game, cinema promotion and sponsorship of the television show, Small Town Big Deal. New projects in the education area include development of a children’s book about peanuts and a precision ag blog to assist farmers with learning about new technology.

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2019 HARVEST GUIDEBOOK The Three Ms Rule Harvest

Maturity, Machinery & Moisture

urricane Michael taught many lessons when it ripped through prime peanut country during the 2018 harvest. One of those lessons was the peanuts can be more forgiving than other crops when it comes to weather situations like the wind and moderate rainfall from Hurricane Michael.

With that storm and the ensuing wet harvest across the region in mind, Extension peanut agronomists are focusing on three things going into the 2019 harvest: maturity, machinery and moisture. These aren’t three new harvest issues, but considerations for all three are slightly refined.

“Sometimes we have to take the lemons and make lemonade out of them,” says Auburn University Extension Peanut Specialist Kris Balkcom. “We can learn something every time.”

Deciding when to dig peanuts has always been a bit of science – due largely to the UGA-developed hull scrape method – and a bit of art, which is due to the variability of plants across a field, disease pressure and expected weather.

In 2018, many growers dug fields later than they would have preferred. Yet, Balkcom says, “we constantly had high grading peanuts.” This was due mainly to the growing season that we had which was near perfect for setting a crop of peanuts due to the consistent rainfall all season long. The lesson? Some growers may have slipped into a habit of digging

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early to hedge harvest losses, but sometimes wind up cutting their yield due to digging too early.”

On the first M, maturity, growers are encouraged to put the extra effort into getting a representative sample for pod blast evaluation.

“The biggest thing that we deal with, that can alter the results, is whether the grower went out and got a good representative sample of the field,” says UGA Extension Peanut Agronomist Scott Monfort. “If he’s getting low grades because they weren’t mature, that may be one of the reasons why.”

For a sample to be representative, Monfort suggests pulling from at least five places in the field. Those pulls should be all over the field, not just on the edges.

When a field is highly variable in soil types, checking separate samples from clay and sandy soil can increase accuracy.

Southeastern Peanut Farmer July/August 2019

Field by field samples also gauge maturity more accurately, Balkcom says.

“We think about this year, when we have more spotted showers, and you’re going to have variability as far as maturity,” he says. “It’s more important to go in there and look at that pod blast on a field-byfield basis.”

Mississippi State Peanut Specialist Brendan Zurweller sees Growing Degree Days (GDD) as a useful method for predicting maturity and deciding when to pod blast. It also serves as a barometer for maturity to help growers make decisions when viewing the extended weather forecast. “If we can track GDD as the crop matures,” Zurweller says, “then we’ll have a better estimate of maturity before the weather threatens.”

Machinery is the second M and the harvest tip offered here is more of a reminder. Calibrating and re-calibrating is

Harvest Equipment Checklist Peanut Digger Pre-harvest Checklist u Check the entire machine for loose or worn parts. u Make sure the plow shanks are not bent and the digger blades run level. u Straighten any bent rattler bars. u Check all bearings and the gear box oil level. u Check coulters and vine cutters for proper location and condition. u Align the inversion rods before digging (see operator manual for proper spacing). u Check for binding or unusual noises by operating the machine briefly. u Have plenty of extra digger blades on hand.

Harvest Season Checklist u Check digger blades for proper sharpness and depth. u Coulters should cut vines leaving no clumps. u 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. u Make sure drive belts are tight. u Check for proper vine inversion and inversion rod spacing. essential, Balkcom says. He encouraged growers to check behind the digger. “We don’t want to be too shallow,” he says. “If you see those stars, from the end of the pins where peanuts were, then you know you cut peanuts off. Look, so you know whether you need to go deeper.”

Soil moisture is very important when it comes to digging peanuts. When its dry and hard, digging is difficult and creates more work due to having to change the digger blades more frequently, but it is time well spent because of the better performance from new blades.

With Mississippi’s heavier soils, Zurweller suggested growers check their digging depth each time they move to another field. “We have a lot of variability in soil texture between fields and digging too deep on heavier soil can contribute to high amounts of foreign material,” Zurweller explains.

Finally, moisture is a multi-faceted conversation. There’s the moisture content going to the buying point and the moisture raining down from the clouds.

“Optimum moisture for picking is 1517%, maybe even as low as 13%,” says Chris Butts, a USDA agricultural engineer stationed at the National Peanut Research

Combine maintenance checklist Pre-harvest Checklist u Clean inside and out, removing all dirt and residue from the previous crop. u Check for loose, bent, broken, or missing parts such as pickup springs, cylinder springs and stripper springs. u Check air lift ducts for holes, lodged objects and dirt buildup. u Make sure all shields are functional and in good shape. u Replace the “Slow Moving Vehicle” sign if it is not in good condition.

Harvest Season Checklist u Adjust settings according to windrow conditions.

Remember, no combination of settings will remain optimal throughout a given day. u Check combined peanuts periodically for LSK’s and foreign material. u Check chaff passing through the combine for excessive pod loss. If problems occur, adjust stripper spring settings.

Laboratory in Dawson, Georgia.

“When weather conditions, such as hurricanes or big storms are coming up, you have to get the crop off the ground,” Butts acknowledged. “Barring that, you need to avoid taking high moisture peanuts to the buying point because they make your load heavier and they take more time at the buying point.”

Which brings the conversation around to the heavy rain that dictated harvest in 2018. Parameters for making decisions when forecasted weather is adverse to harvest begin with an evaluation of vine health.

“If the peanuts are mature and the vines are good, we might tell growers to go ahead and leave them in the ground.

Whereas a crop that is mature with deteriorating vines and pegs will likely be recommended to be inverted to have them on the ground in front of a rain event,” Monfort says. “It’s all about vine health, related to disease problems, and just overall maturity of the crop.”

The question also goes to how quickly a grower can dig his crop – what machinery is available and how many acres need to be covered.

Another consideration is soil type.

For Monfort, whose growers often have sandy fields, peanuts frequently are better left in the ground. For Zurweller, where many peanuts are produced on more heavy soils, getting back into wet fields takes longer. Zurweller would consider having peanuts on top of the ground when heavy rain hits if you are getting later into harvest, especially if canopy health is declining which could put you at risk for increased digging losses.

Balkcom also leans toward digging.

“If they’re freshly dug, they’re going to stay green if we don’t get too much sun,” he says.

Ultimately, however, vine health is the primary consideration when deciding whether to dig ahead of a storm. In some cases, the best option may be to spend that time putting out a fungicide treatment to maintain plant health under optimum conditions for disease development.

“A good fungicide program during the season, keeping those vines in good shape, gives you the freedom to let the peanuts go to maturity without worrying about turning them loose,” Balkcom says.

“The best thing you can do is protect those vines.” t

BY PAM GOLDEN CARAWAY

July/August 2019 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

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Harvest Guidebook

Break the Bottleneck at Buying Points

rowers who have experienced harvest delays because peanut wagons were in short supply understand the importance of efficiency at the buying point.

USDA Agricultural Engineer Chris Butts says growers can help speed up the process. While buying points focus on increased elevator capacity, dump pits and warehouses, growers can turn their attention to their digger and combine settings, moisture content and wagon load weights.

“These are normal things that growers do anyway,” Butts says, noting it’s easy to skip a step or two when in a time crunch during harvest.

Digger and combine settings can impact the percentage of foreign material in a wagon. Calibrating and re-calibrating the combine pays off when the peanuts are graded.

“Anything a grower can do to reduce the foreign material, particularly dirt, helps them on the grade and helps the buying point because it saves time at the cleaner,” Butts says. “It may mean getting out and adjusting the combine two or three times during the afternoon, or at least walking behind it to check what’s being dumped in the cart.”

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Loading at the appropriate moisture and loading uniformly at the appropriate weight also pays off because the loads dry quicker and more evenly.

Moisture content should be at 1517%. Drying down to 13% is okay, but loading at 20% slows down the process at the buying point. Each additional 0.5% of moisture, adds at least an hour of drying time.

Growers who have a hand-held grain moisture meter can use that tool to check peanuts as well. Calibration curves for peanuts are available for download from the manufacturer’s website. As harvest progresses, growers also can check with the buying point regarding what their loads are measuring.

“If you bring a load in above 20%, it will either take excessively long for the load to dry or they’ll have to run it through the dump pit and maybe the cleaner,” Butts says. The extra two or three hours that a trailer is tied up with a load slows down the turn-around for growers waiting to load. “Just from the standpoint of managing the rolling stock that the buying point has, they can turn that trailer around pretty quick if you get it in there at optimum moisture.”

Time is money – in the field and under the dryer.

Southeastern Peanut Farmer July/August 2019

“It does affect growers’ wallets because if the buying point is able to dry efficiently, they may not have to pass on higher drying costs the next year,” Butts says.

Loads above the optimum moisture content at harvest also can impact yield and grade, particularly if the moisture content is too high. “From my experience, the window between 17 and 20%, is when it gets to be sort of tough picking,” Butts says. “Excessive splits may occur because more agressive combine settings are required and the peanuts are tight in the hull, so the peanut seed absorbs the mechanical pressure.”

Overloaded trailers also increase drying time and could have even greater consequences. Heavy loads create dangerous driving conditions and can damage the trailers.

“Overloading can cause some kind of failure to occur on the trailer, such as brakes. If that happens on the road, the farmer could have some liability in an accident,” Butts says, giving an example of an accident in which, the farmer wasn’t at fault, but was assigned a percentage of the liability because the trailer was overloaded. “It could potentially put them or the buying point out of business.” t

BY PAM GOLDEN CARAWAY

Harvest Guidebook

Making the Grade ore than 50 years after the peanut grading system was created, the peanut industry is fully embracing technology in ongoing efforts to improve the grading process.

Although computerized systems have been in use in the grade rooms for over 20 years, the industry is well into the process of implementing a software-based system that greatly improves the ability to track peanut loads even before they reach the grade room.

Through a project led by GA FederalState Inspection Service (GA FSIS), the industry is also in the midst of a major effort to improve the efficiency of the grading process itself. These are significant improvements that are making use of various forms of new technological advances in mechanical and electrical engineering as well as information technology.

“The advancement in the way the peanut industry is embracing technology is amazing and exciting,” says Keith Sellars, IT manager for GA FSIS. e-Nuts, the load creation and tracking system created in-house by GA FSIS, is operational in about half of the buying points in Georgia and is getting adopted at buying points in other states as well, Sellars says. e-Nuts is a software package that records peanut load data from creation to storage. It interfaces with Farmers’ Stock, the peanut grading software, to provide all the load information in near real-time. Sellars says a website component of the system gives growers the opportunity to see all their grading and load information in near

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real-time just by logging into enuts.org.

Neal Flanagan, president of the American Peanut Growers Group, started working with e-Nuts during 2018.

They’re rolling it out to some of their buying points in the organization this season.

“It’s a pretty robust system and it’s very useful, particularly as a management tool,” Flanagan says. “There’s some data input and some additional steps you had to take, but the advantage of the visibility and the knowledge is worth it.”

The next step toward upgrading the peanut grading and selling process is improved grading. Peanuts now are graded manually at each buying point using equipment that was developed decades ago.

The cooperative grading project – a joint effort of GA-FSIS, the Georgia Institute of Technology, LMC Manufacturing of Donalsonville, the University of Georgia, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) at Athens and Dawson – will be tested during the 2019 harvest season.

Testing of the prototypes will begin at the GA FSIS Albany Headquarters in the next couple of months, and may continue at one or more buying points during the season.

If the system meets the industry’s needs and passes the USDA approval process, some of this equipment may be rolled out as soon as the 2020 season, says GA-FSIS President T.E. Moye.

“We’re going to run it and compare it to the grades were getting now,” Moye says, explaining that each load will be graded in the current manual system and a

Southeastern Peanut Farmer July/August 2019

separate sample will be graded using the improved system. “We will compare the two. We want to make sure that the new process is fair and it’s accurate.”

The new system could potentially include: • A vision system, developed by Georgia Tech. “That camera, once it’s trained, will pick out damaged peanuts for us so all we’ll have to do is weigh them to give the grade,” Moye says.

• A foreign material machine, developed by LMC. The machine will separate foreign material and loose shelled kernels (lsks) from in-shell peanuts by using a series of air columns and grids • A rotary sheller, developed cooperatively by ARS and LMC. This sheller will increase speed and efficiency of shelling the sample which can be a labor intensive step currently.

• In-shell moisture machine, developed by ARS. Altogether, Moye says, the improved grading system “should speed up the process a good bit and take out a lot of the human eye part of the process, so it will be less physical labor after this is developed.”

The goal is consistent, credible grading to support all stakeholders – from farmers to buyers. “I would say that it should be faster, it should be accurate, and it will give growers the confidence of knowing that a third party that’s unbiased will determine the grade of their peanuts – and that’s GA-FSIS.” t

BY PAM GOLDEN CARAWAY

Harvest Guidebook

Photo credit: Ken Barton, Florida Peanut Producers Association.

Buying Points are Better, Not Bitter Ed Ham, owner of Ed Ham Peanut Co., in Bascom, Florida, looks over new equipment at the buying point following the devastation of Hurricane Michael in 2018.

ometimes it takes a disaster to lead you down the right path. That’s a sentiment repeatedly voiced by peanut buying point owners recovering from damage caused by Hurricane Michael during the 2018 harvest. Ed Ham, owner of Ed Ham Peanut Co., is one of those buying point owners.

“We can say woe is me and I lost everything or we can say it was time to improve our equipment and we didn’t want to, now we have to,” Ham says recently. “We always look for silver linings. We can’t farm if we don’t have faith.”

Ham estimates the damage to his Bascom, Florida, buying point at about $500,000. “About” simply because some carnage is still being uncovered. Pieces of another farmer’s equipment recently were found and removed from a wooded area on the property while the company was removing trees damaged by the storm.

“Everything we put back up is going to be stronger to withstand a big wind,” Ham says. “You can’t second guess the Lord. If he decides it’s time to come down, it’s going down. But we can do everything we can to build everything right and keep moving forward.”

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Across the 11 buying points in the American Peanut Growers Group (APGG) at that time, President Neal Flanagan says they lost eight or nine elevators and a majority of the drying sheds and also suffered extensive damage to cold storage facilities and warehouses.

“Basically,” Flanagan says, “The eye of the hurricane went over all of them.”

The buying points immediately cobbled together enough equipment to continue harvesting the 2018 crop. Since then, rebuilding has been an ongoing priority.

“It’s going to take us between 5 and 10 years to get back to where we were,” Ham says. “But we’re getting back there.”

One of the upgrades at Ham Peanut is the new elevators are faster and more efficient, able to move 100 farmer-stock tons an hour.

“We won’t even be able to fill up the dump pit anymore,” Ham says. “As fast as you can dump them, we’re going to move them.”

With the 2019 harvest looming, buying point owners said the clock is ticking louder than ever.

“I think one advantage we have at APGG is we are grower run, so our growers have a good understanding of

Southeastern Peanut Farmer July/August 2019

what it takes to get things done,” Flanagan says.

Lessons from the storm are underpinning not just construction but also practices going forward.

For instance, Flanagan says, “we learned how important it is to get peanuts dried down right away.”

Flanagan notes that peanuts were waiting in wagons at some locations when the storm hit, which caused increased aflatoxin and several other issues. “It shows just how important it is to get peanuts under the driers quickly,” he says.

Losing power for a week or so at various warehouses also created issues, particularly with green peanuts. “We kind of learned our lessons so well there that we’re considering adding CFM [cubic feet per minute of fan power] to some warehouses,” Flanagan says. “Getting the peanuts dried down puts them in better shape to survive.”

Finally, Flanagan encouraged buying points to invest in business disruption insurance.

“Even though it’s expensive,” Flanagan says, “it saved our cans, so to speak.” t

BY PAM GOLDEN CARAWAY

Industry awards at USA Peanut Congress crowd of attendees convened for the USA Peanut Congress held at Amelia Island, Florida, June 22-26, 2019. The meeting brings all segments of the industry together to receive the latest updates on new products, industry issues, crop updates and more. During the conference awards were presented to recognize the efforts of four individuals in the peanut industry.

The American Peanut Council presented the Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously to Dorothy “Dot” Hubbard, developer of Hubs Nuts, a gourmet Virginia peanut. Dot’s daughter Lynne Rabil, president and CEO of Hubbard Peanut Company, accepted the award of her behalf.

Dorothy “Dot” Hubbard was a trail blazer in terms of popularizing a peanut product, but was also a female entrepreneur in a time when that was rare.

Hubbard, who passed away in 2002, founded Hubbard Peanut Company in Sedley, Virginia. The company, maker of the Hubs brand, is known for their gourmet Virginia-type peanut that has become the industry standard.

Facing many challenges, Hubbard was able to grow the business into the successful company it is now. She started the business in 1954 by selling a 1-ounce bag of peanuts for 10 cents at the Virginian Drugstore in Franklin, Virginia.

Hubbard continued to perfect the unique recipe and pioneered a technique for cooking Virginia peanuts.

During that time, there was no system for zip codes, UPS or FedEx, or credit cards, so the business was launched from Hubbard’s home. She hand skinned the first peanuts branded as Hubs. Orders and checks began to pour into the tiny Sedley post office and the gourmet Virginia peanuts were popularized as gift quality. The business continued to grow and expand across Virginia, the country and worldwide.

The APC Hall of Fame Award was established to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the peanut industry as well as the APC. This year the Hall of Fame inductee is Bill Brown, process operations manager at the Jif plant in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Brown started with Proctor & Gamble in 1985 and started working on peanuts in 1992. He transitioned to the J.M. Smucker Company when they purchased Jif & Crisco from P&G in 2002 and began serving on the APC Board later that year. He served as chairman of the Board during 2009 and at a time where his leadership was needed as the PCA salmonella crisis threatened to severely damage the industry. Under his leadership, he and the APC Executive Committee took control of the situation and developed a methodical approach to manage the crisis.

Brown has also been involved with both strategic planning efforts undertaken

by APC and contributed a great deal to those successes. He has also been the long-time chair of the Issues Management Committee, offering his problem-solving abilities to that effort. Brown has been called upon to help with other committees and task forces and has been a real pillar of the peanut industry.

The American Peanut Council and Bayer CropScience presented the Research and Education Award to David and Soraya Leal Bertioli, peanut researchers at the University of Georgia Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics. The Peanut Research and Education Award acknowledges the scientific contributions that keep the peanut industry competitive on a world market.

The Bertioli’s began their work on peanuts while at the University of Brasilia in Brazil. After working as visiting scientists in Scott Jackson’s lab, they were offered and accepted permanent positions at the University of Georgia. Their unique but related research programs have focused on the wild relatives of peanuts that contain a reservoir of untapped genetic variation, such as disease and pest resistances, to create breeding lines containing traits from these wild relatives for use in breeding programs around the world to solve real-world limitations to peanut production.

The Bertiolis have, in the past 15 plus years, worked to genetically characterize the relationships of the wild relatives of peanut with the cultivated.

Importantly, their work underpinned the

Patrick Archer (left), president of the American Peanut Council, presents the APC Hall of Fame Award to Bill Brown, process operations manager at the Jif plant in Lexington, Ky.

The American Peanut Council presents the Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously to Dorothy “Dot” Hubbard, developer of Hubs Nuts, a gourmet Virginia peanut. Pictured left to right: Patrick Archer, APC president, and Dot’s daughter Lynne Rabil, president and CEO of Hubbard Peanut Company.

effort to sequence the peanut genome by first focusing on the more tractable diploid, wild ancestors.

The Bertiolis have characterized many of the wild relatives for traits to solve limitations to peanut production. Of high importance are disease and pest resistances, such as nematodes, rust and leaf spot, among others, as many of the wild relatives are naturally resistant to many pests and diseases. The Bertiolis also have contributed greatly to the peanut genome sequencing consortium.

The recent advances in marker-assisted breeding owe much to their previous work on developing molecular markers.

The peanut industry will benefit from this research for years and years to come. t

BY JOY CROSBY

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Southeastern Peanut Farmer July/August 2019

Washington Outlook

by Robert L. Redding Jr.

Secretary Perdue Announces Tariff Mitigation Plan U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will take several actions to assist farmers in response to trade damage from unjustified retaliation and trade disruption.

President Donald J. Trump directed Secretary Perdue to craft a relief strategy to support American agricultural producers while the Administration continues to work on free, fair and reciprocal trade deals to open more markets in the long run to help American farmers compete globally.

Specifically, the President has authorized USDA to provide up to $16 billion in programs, which is in line with the estimated impacts of unjustified retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods and other trade disruptions. These programs will assist agricultural producers while President Trump works to address longstanding market access barriers.

There are 3 tariff mitigation programs available: n Market Facilitation Program n Food Purchase and Distribution Program n Agricultural Trade and Promotion Program Peanuts have been approved for Market Facilitation Program payments. Market Facilitation Program (MFP) for 2019, authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), will provide $14.5 billion in direct payments to producers.

Producers of alfalfa hay, barley, canola, corn, crambe, dry peas, extra-long staple cotton, flaxseed, lentils, long grain and medium grain rice, mustard seed, dried beans, oats, peanuts, rapeseed, safflower, sesame seed, small and large chickpeas, sorghum, soybeans, sunflower seed, temperate japonica rice, upland cotton, and wheat will receive a payment based on a single county rate multiplied by a farm’s total plantings to those crops in aggregate in 2019.

Those per acre payments are not dependent on which of those crops are planted in 2019, and therefore will not distort planting decisions.

Moreover, total payment-eligible plantings cannot exceed total 2018 plantings.

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President Trump Signs Disaster Legislation President Donald J. Trump officially signed the $19.1 billion disaster relief package on June 6, 2019, following eight months of negotiations in Congress.

The legislation includes $3 billion for critical agriculture disaster relief for farmers recovering in the wake of Hurricane Michael.

U.S. Senators David Perdue, R-Georgia, and Johnny Isakson, R-Georgia, applauded President Trump for quickly signing into law critical disaster relief funding for Georgia and other states impacted by hurricanes, wildfires, floods and other natural disasters.

“Today, President Trump fulfilled his promise to help Georgia farmers and communities rebuild after Hurricane Michael’s devastation,” says Senator Perdue. “While it should not have taken eight months to pass this disaster relief package, this will serve as a learning experience for both sides of the aisle.

Disaster relief should never be a partisan issue. The American people need to know that we will have their backs in times of need.”

“I am so grateful that the disaster relief that Georgia farmers and millions of Americans have been waiting on for so long is finally coming,” says Senator Isakson. “I’ve spent most of this year pressing for action, and I thank President Trump and everyone who worked to see this through. I am hopeful that this aid will be expedited to reach those who need it quickly so that Georgians can get the relief they need to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.”

Georgia Delegation Provides Disaster Relief Recommendations to USDA The Georgia Congressional Delegation submitted recommendations to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue regarding the implementation of the Ag Disaster legislation. The letter was signed by U.S. Senators David Perdue and Johnny Isakson, as well as U.S. Representatives Rick Allen, Sanford Bishop, Buddy Carter, Austin Scott and David Scott.

The letter stated, We write to express our gratitude for your support for the much needed Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, 2019, which was recently signed into law by President Trump. We look forward to working with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure that disaster aid is delivered in a timely and effective manner so that producers affected by Hurricane Michael have the opportunity to rebuild their farms and livelihoods.

As you write the regulations and implement the more than $3 billion appropriated for the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program (WHIP), we hope that you will consider the following recommendations.

1. Issue WHIP payments in a timely manner and as a one-time payment.

2. Use individual versus county yields for both pecans and specialty crops.

3. Provide a Risk Management Agency (RMA) yield exclusion for the 2018-2019 pecan crop.

4. Use net crop insurance indemnities to determine WHIP payments.

5. Incorporate the cottonseed endorsement (and other endorsements/riders) into WHIP for producers who purchased the seed endorsement (or other riders) with their insurance coverage.

6. Work with the Georgia Department of Agriculture to administer a block grant funds to adequately address the needs of Georgia, including specialty crops and forestry.

Southeastern Peanut Farmer July/August 2019

Disaster Relief Roundtable held in Georgia he day after President Donald Trump signed the disaster relief legislation more than 150 Georgia farmers joined congressional leaders and ag leaders at a disaster relief roundtable at Davis Farms in Doerun, Georgia, on June 7, 2019. Many farmers in attendance were thankful for the recent passage of the disaster relief package and were eager to learn about the next steps in the process.

U.S. Senator David Perdue, RGeorgia, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, Governor Brian Kemp, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black, U.S. Representatives Sanford Bishop, D-Georgia, and Austin Scott, RGeorgia, were all in attendance to discuss the passage of the legislation and offer advice on the next steps.

“It’s been eight months since Hurricane Michael blew through Georgia.

I’m proud we were able to get this relief back to the farmers who have been devastated and to the local banks who have given our farmers patient help throughout these challenging months,”

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says U.S. Senator Perdue, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

“When Hurricane Michael hit southwest Georgia last October, President Trump came down immediately to see the damage for himself,” says Secretary Perdue. “This week, President Trump signed the disaster aid bill that would not have been possible without his leadership or the leadership of the Georgia members of Congress.

Dick Minor, Minor Brothers Farms, thanked members of This aid will provide much Congress and ag leaders for their efforts in passing needed support and resources to disaster relief legislation during the Disaster Relief our producers and farmers here in Roundtable at Davis Farms in Doerun, Georgia.

Georgia. USDA stands ready to work with the state of Georgia to “These critical disaster relief funds will get this aid package implemented in not stay in our accounts – they will flow weeks not months, in a fair and efficient to not only our farmers but everybody way.” involved in our communities here in south “Hurricane Michael affected us Georgia.” tremendously in our cotton crop and A video from the roundtable event is specialty crops. Most of our crops were a available on the Georgia Peanut total loss after the hurricane,” says Dick Commission Youtube page at Minor, owner of Minor Brothers Farms.

YouTube.com/GaPeanutCommission. t

he U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced it is offering $75 million in funding for the eradication and control of feral swine through the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program (FSCP) in a joint effort with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The 2018 Farm Bill included this new pilot program to help address the threat that feral swine pose to agriculture, ecosystems and human and animal health.

NRCS will direct up to $33.75 million of the allocated FSCP funds toward partnership efforts to work with landowners in identified pilot projects in targeted areas. Applications are being accepted through Aug. 19, 2019, for partners to carry out activities as part of these pilot projects in select areas of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.

APHIS has determined that these states

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have among the highest feral swine population densities and associated damages in the country.

Pilot projects will consist broadly of three coordinated components: 1) feral swine removal by APHIS; 2) restoration efforts supported by NRCS; and 3) assistance to producers for feral swine control provided through partnership agreements with non-federal partners. Projects can be one to three years in duration.

NRCS is now accepting proposals from non-federal partners to provide landowner assistance for on-farm trapping and related services as part of the pilot projects described above. NRCS will provide funding for these services through partnership agreements. The funding limit for a single award is $1.5 million.

Awardees will be required to provide at least 25 percent of the partnership agreement budget as a match to NRCS funding.

Additional information on specific pilot projects, including target areas and the roles for which partner assistance is

Photo credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture.

USDA Announces Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program

being requested, can be found on the FSCP webpage.

Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Aug. 19, 2019. To view the announcement and submit an application on Grants.gov, enter USDA-NRCSMULTI-FSCP-19-GEN0010253 in the search area. t

July/August 2019 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

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Southern Peanut Growers Southern Peanut Growers Sponsors Culinary Instructor Meeting The Southern Peanut Growers sponsored the annual meeting of the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAFÉ) in Charlotte, North Carolina, June 20 – 22.

There were 140 culinary educators in attendance, representing high school, community college, and university culinary programs.

SPG hosted a tasting table at the opening night reception where we sampled a Vegan Kare Kare with a peanut sauce and spiced boiled peanuts. The SPG table at the information fair on Friday morning featured the SPG foodservice training kit, peanut allergy information, sustainability information, recipes, nutrition information, and the ever-popular promotional items like peanuts, peanut butter spreaders and sandwich keepers.

“The highlight of the event was the breakout session on peanut butter where we pushed the boundaries on peanut butter flavor pairings,” says Leslie Wagner, executing director of SPG. “The sign-ups for our session filled so quickly that they added additional seats to accommodate more people.!”

Wagner introduced the session with a brief overview of peanut farming and sustainability. Chef Instructor Pamela Roberts shared a flavor wheel to explain how peanut butter works with so many different flavors to create that special ‘umami’ people seek. She sampled peanut butter with pickled and fermented options and in beer brewing. Local chef Joseph Huang, owner of Bang Bang Burgers, showcased his Elvis burger with peanut butter, tempura banana and bacon.

Joesph Huang, owner of Bang Bang Burgers, showcases an Elvis burger with peanut butter, tempura banana and bacon during the Southern Peanut Growers sponsored breakout session at the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education annual meeting.

Southern Peanut Growers Facebook Live Hosted by Crazy for Crust Dorothy Kern, the food blogger known as Crazy for Crust, hosted a Facebook Live on the Southern Peanut Growers Facebook page on May 15, 2019. Kern loves peanut butter and has a following of 1.2 million fans on Facebook. She made a No Bake Peanut Butter Icebox Cake during the segment.

The Southern Peanut Growers Facebook page gained 116 new page likes during the Facebook Live segment which reached more than 26,000 people. The live video has been viewed nearly 10,000 times.

No Bake Peanut Butter Icebox Cake Ingredients: 27-36 Nutter Butter cookies 1 3/4 cups milk, divided 1 3.4-oz. box instant vanilla pudding mix

1/2 cup peanut butter 8-oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed 1 cup Reese’s Pieces, for topping

Directions: Place 1/2 cup milk in a small bowl or measuring cup. Dip 1/3 the peanut butter cookies quickly in the milk and then place in the bottom of an 8x8” pan.

Whisk 1 1/4 cups milk with the pudding mix in a large bowl. Allow to set then stir in the peanut butter and half the whipped topping.

Spread 1/2 of the peanut butter mixture on top of the cookie layer. Dip another 1/3 of the cookies in milk and place on top the peanut butter mixture. Top with remaining pudding, then dip the remaining cookies in milk and place on top.

Spread the rest of the whipped topping over the cookies and sprinkle with Reese’s Pieces.

Chill for at least two hours before serving.

Recipe by Dorothy Kern from CrazyforCrust.com.

Marketing arm of

Southern Peanut Growers 1025 Sugar Pike Way · Canton, Georgia 30115 (770) 751-6615 email: lpwagner@comcast.net Visit our website at http://www.peanutbutterlovers.com

September 17 - 19, 2019 Cordele, Ga. & Surrounding Area

For more information contact: Georgia Peanut Commission P.O. Box 967, Tifton GA 31793 Phone: 229-386-3470 Fax: 229-386-3501 Email: hannah@gapeanuts.com www.georgiapeanuttour.com

Tour Coordinated By: GEORGIA PEANUT COMMISSION UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA Tifton Campus and Griffin Campus Southwest Research and Education Center Attapulgus Research and Education Center USDA/ARS, NATIONAL PEANUT RESEARCH LAB