Building Leaders One Row at a Time

By: JOYANNA LOVE

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 100- mile 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.

Preston Stevens, the student who took care of this year’s crop.

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 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.

Close-up of the peanuts being dumped.

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 best types of soil formations for growing peanuts, which is common in Dale County. The sandy loam soil type makes gathering peanuts much easier and allows for little to no yield loss. Preston admits he has gained many important skills needed to be a successful farmer from his father, who has many years of experience farming in Dale County. The task of caring for the peanuts taught Preston more about agriculture and the responsibilities needed to harvest a crop from start to finish to gain optimum yields. He also enjoyed being a part of a project that can help others who wish to pursue a college degree in a field that he so deeply loves and enjoys. The Headland Peanut Warehouse Cooperative and the Golden Peanut Company, which are big supporters of FFA and all things agriculture-related, donated the seed and helped cover drying expenses that come along with growing a peanut crop. The chemicals that were sprayed all year were donated by Agri-AFC Headland Agronomy, and we are so thankful for their support of our chapter. The 9.5-acre field that this year’s crop was planted on was donated by David Byrd Farms. Mr. Byrd believes in our youth and wishes to see more young adults take interest in the agriculture industry. Without the help of our community, this year’s groundbreaking scholarship opportunity would not have been possible. This is why we are grateful to be able to give back to our members and make the financial burden that college can have on a student a little lighter. Our chapter looks forward to continuing the development of well-minded students that will be the future leaders in this amazing industry and continuing the growth of agriculture in Dale County, Alabama.

Peanuts being dumped to take to market to be sold.

From left to right: Josh Jones, FFA Advisor;Tyler Baxter, Chapter Reporter; Elizabeth MacAloney, Chapter President; Lilly Jacobs, FFA Advisor