FFA SENTINEL
Building Leaders One Row at a Time This year’s peanuts being harvested by Preston Stevens.
When you think of a spring football game or the turning of the fall leaves, what is the most iconic snack that comes to mind? Most people would say peanuts, but have you ever stopped and wondered where these tasty legumes come from? Well, in fact, Alabama is one of the top three producers of peanuts in the United States, and half of the peanuts grown in the United States are grown within a 100mile radius of Dothan, Alabama. Dale County, Alabama, sits a few miles west of Dothan, and peanuts are a customary crop grown in our area. In many years peanuts can be the deciding factor if a farm has a profitable financial year. Peanuts can also be a really good source of healthful fats, protein and fiber. Despite being high in calories, peanuts are nutrient-rich and low in carbohydrates. Here in Dale County, the peanut does so much more for the members of the Dale County High School FFA Chapter than just acting as a salty snack. This Alabama-native commodity gives way to dreams of pursuing a college degree! With lots of planning and a whole lot of praying and hard work, our chapter was able to partner with our local farmers and Ag industries to create our very own Peanut Scholarship Peanut Patch. The Peanut Patch has allowed our chapter the opportunity to teach members more about agriculture and how closely connected our community is with global agriculture markets. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the Peanut Patch are used to fund the scholarship that the chapter will award to one deserving senior member 30
Cooperative Farming News
who wishes to pursue a degree in Agriculture. It is the chapter’s goal to flood our local Ag industries with Dale County High School FFA Alumni as the leaders of tomorrow. This year’s peanut crop yield off the 9.5 acres was 41,179 pounds, translating to an average of 4,333.89 pounds per acre, and solidifies a successful crop year in most farmers’ eyes. Though it took lots of planning and praying, as mentioned, the dream could not have come true without the help and support of a few important people and companies. Preston Stevens, who is a member of our chapter, planted, sprayed and harvested the peanut crop this year with guidance from his father, Tommy Stevens. Preston used his family farm’s equipment to farm the peanuts and enjoyed every minute of it. When asked about this year’s crop, Preston said that the Peanut Patch field has one of the
Preston Stevens, the student who took care of this year’s crop.
