January/February 2019 - Southeastern Peanut Farmer

Inside: n n n

Farming with Urban Sprawl Peanut Variety Guidebook Peanut Leadership Academy begins Class XI

A communication service of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.

Contents January/February 2019

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

6 Farming with Urban Sprawl Peanut production continues to grow in Baldwin County, Alabama, where the county leads the state in peanut production. The population continues to grow and farm land is turned into shopping malls, subdivisions and schools. Farmers continue on among the growing urban sprawl in the area.

Director of Advertising Jessie Bland jessie@gapeanuts.com Contributing Writers Kaye Lynn Hataway klhataway@alpeanuts.com John Leidner johnleidner@bellsouth.net 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 229-3863690.)

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.

10 Variety Guidebook Selecting a variety is a key management step for farmers.

SEPF’s 2019 Variety Guidebook highlights varieties available to growers in the Southeast and provides growers with the results of state variety tests.

28 Peanut Leadership Academy Class XI begins The Peanut Leadership Academy welcomes twenty new farmers and sheller representatives in Class XI. The program provides participants with an overview of the U.S. peanut industry, along with professional and leadership development skills.

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

Washington Outlook ............................................................................ 32 Southern Peanut Growers Update ........................................................ 34 Cover Photo: Baldwin County, Alabama, peanut farmers Joel Sirmon, Mark Kaiser and Daniel Penry, continue to see the population grow and farmland lost to schools and shopping malls in their community. Photo by Joy Crosby.

January/February 2019 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

3

Editorial

Calendar of Events

A New Year, A New Seed in the Ground nother new year is here and for many in the ag community, it could not arrive soon enough. For many, 2018 brought too much rain at times and then devastation to the farm with Hurricane Michael in October. I have heard many farmers mention, through interviews and discussions, how they are ready for 2019 so they can begin fresh with another seed in the ground. Like I mentioned in my final column of 2018, farmers are resilient. So, now with 2019, farmers have the opportunity to begin new and show everyone how resilient they are.

A new year also brings the checkoff organizations the opportunity to review programs of the past year and determine how to move forward with research funding and promotional programs in 2019. So, whether you are from Alabama, Florida, Georgia or Mississippi, the checkoff organizations in your state are ready to promote your product to consumers across the U.S. Many of the state organizations are known for their work with school nutrition associations as well as sporting event promotions. Those will continue along with a renewed focus on digital advertising to reach the millennial generation as well as more consumer-focused programs to provide education on the early introduction of peanut protein to help prevent peanut allergies.

The industry as a whole - checkoff organizations, buying points, shellers and manufactures - are all working together to help increase consumption and educate consumers with the nutritional benefits of peanuts and peanut butter.

In order to help you the grower, the Southeastern Peanut Farmer, will begin publishing some peanut fun facts in each issue. The facts will highlight some of the key nutritional information about peanuts and help provide you with a quick stat to share with consumers you meet along the way.

So, as you begin planting a new crop of seeds this year, you can also plant a seed of knowledge to a consumer that may be trying to decide what to eat to help their health. I hope 2019 brings you good news on the farm as well. t

A

Joy Carter Crosby

u South Carolina Peanut Growers Annual Meeting & Trade Show, Jan. 24, 2019, Santee Convention Center, Santee, S.C. For more information call 803-284-3343, ext. 261.

u Mississippi Peanut Growers Association Annual Meeting & Trade Show, Jan. 29-30, 2019, Lake Terrace Convention Center, Hattiesburg, Miss. For more information visit misspeanuts.com or call 601-606-3547. u Georgia Young Farmers Association Annual Meeting, Feb. 1-2, 2019, Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center, Augusta, Ga. For more information on the meeting visit georgiayoungfarmers.org. u Georgia Peanut Commission Research Report Day, Feb. 6, 2019, NESPAL, Tifton, Ga. For more info visit gapeanuts.com. u Alabama/Florida Peanut Trade Show, Feb. 7, 2019, National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds, Dothan, Ala. For more information visit alpeanuts.com or flpeanuts.com. u National Peanut Buying Points Association Winter Conference, Feb. 15-18, 2019, Hilton Nashville Downtown, Nashville, Tenn. For more information call 229-386-1716 or visit peanutbuyingpoints.org. u Florida Peanut Producers Association Annual Meeting, Feb. 21, 2019, Jackson County Agricultural Complex and Conference Center, Marianna, Fla. For more information visit flpeanuts.com.

Editor

Peanut Fun Fact The Southeastern Peanut Farmer and The Peanut Insitute plans to bring you a peanut fun fact in each issue of the magazine to help provide you with nutritional knowledge about peanuts and peanut butter. Download complete nutrition fact sheets online at www.peanut-institute.com.

u Peanut Butter & Jelly Day at the Georgia State Capitol, March 4, 2019, Atlanta, Ga. For more information visit gapeanuts.com. u National Ag Day, March 19, 2019.

For more information visit agday.com. u Peanut Proud Festival, March 23, 2019, Blakely, Ga. For more information visit peanutproudfestival.com.

u American Peanut Shellers Association Industry Spring Conference, April 4-5, 2019, Albany, Ga. For more information visit peanut-shellers.org.

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

4

Southeastern Peanut Farmer January/February 2019

Farming with

Urban Sprawl P

eanut farming is a relatively new enterprise in Baldwin County, Alabama. Twenty years ago, peanuts were a minor crop there. Today, Baldwin County farmers often grow and harvest more peanuts than any other county in the state.

This is a county where soybeans, grass sod and potatoes have traditionally been the major crops.

Baldwin County is located in lower Alabama. In land area, it’s the largest county in the state. It’s bordered on the west by Mobile Bay, on the south by the Gulf of Mexico and on the east by the westernmost part of the Florida Panhandle.

Much of the best farmland in the county lies south of Interstate-10 and north of the beaches. This land is fertile and productive. It regularly receives rain when other crop-growing regions of the Southeast are dry. Irrigation is seldom used or needed for row crops, and most irrigation in the county is used for sod and potatoes. Since it’s close to the Gulf, Baldwin County is frequently struck by tropical weather. Here, hurricanes and tropical storms are more likely to ruin crops than severe droughts.

The geography that makes Baldwin County an agricultural mecca has also made it a magnet for human population growth. The area is attractive to homeowners seeking safe communities with good schools, yet a close commute

6

to jobs across the bay in and near the city of Mobile. Baldwin is one of the fastest growing counties in the Southeast.

Sometimes farmers move near the city. More often, the city moves out to the farmland.

As the human population grows in Baldwin County, it’s steadily taking over farmland, and if current trends continue, eventually there may be little left of the county’s rural and farming heritage.

Baldwin County, Alabama's estimated population is 212,628 with a growth rate of 2.47% in the past year according to the most recent United States census data.

Baldwin County is the 6th largest county in Alabama.

Land prices tend to be a lot higher close to urban development and cities.

This can be good if you’re selling land, but bad if you want to buy. And it’s no secret that the owners of land can make a lot more money by selling the land to developers than by leasing it out to farmers. And once land is converted to urban use, it hardly ever reverts back to farming.

Three peanut growers who farm in Baldwin County have met with representatives of the Southeastern Peanut Farmer magazine, and shared some of

Southeastern Peanut Farmer January/February 2019

their concerns and experiences about farming so close to so many neighbors.

Daniel Penry, Mark Kaiser and Joel Sirmon are members and leaders of the Alabama Peanut Producers Association, and all three are graduates of the industrysupported Peanut Leadership Academy.

All three say they increased their peanut plantings after the demise of the old quota program.

Penry farms about 1,700 acres, including about 700 acres of peanuts. He has also grown sweet potatoes. Penry has farmed with his dad Steve Penry since graduating from Auburn University in 2003. Penry implements precision farming production practices as much as possible. His farm first grew peanuts in 2001, a few years before he joined the farming business full time.

“Doing away with the peanut quota opened the door for us to start growing peanuts,” Penry says.

Kaiser said he’s been growing peanuts since the late 1990s. Kaiser farms about 2,000 acres and notes that cattle and pastures are an important part of his overall farming operation. He believes he is able to rotate peanuts with soybeans without suffering peanut losses because he raises rye for grazing between the soybeans and peanuts. Kaiser farms with his brother Greg Kaiser and his dad George Kaiser.

Grass sod was a major crop on the Kaiser farm during the 1990s, and now

the Kaisers lease out 400 acres for sod production.

“A lot of times, we get too much rain for our peanuts,” Kaiser says. He notes that leaf spot and other peanut diseases can be worse when moisture levels are high.

Kaiser points out that new subdivisions are expanding from the bayfront Bon Secour community toward the larger town of Foley, Alabama.

Kaiser recalls that a lot of farmland was sold in the county for development after the farm economic crisis of the early 1980s.

A fifth generation business, Sirmon Farms began during the early 1900s. It has evolved into one of the largest sweet potato processing facilities in the South.

Overall, the farm includes about 4,500 acres. Sirmon, his brother and his dad also have a hydroponic greenhouse lettuce operation that is run by a nephew.

Sirmon says he started growing peanuts in 1997 or 1998 under the old quota system. Back then, he had to rent quota owned by others.

“We were looking for a crop that would let both me and my brother stay on the farm, and we couldn’t do that by growing soybeans,” Sirmon says. His farm now grows about 1,800 acres of peanuts.

Sirmon points to a relatively new housing development and its rooftops that stretches across the horizon next to his farm. A new school is also being built near Sirmon’s farm. He says the school will remove 20 acres of land from farming and will bring more traffic to the rural roads that he must still use to move his implements.

Baldwin County, Alabama Peanut Production 2000 2005 2010 2015

20,128,000 lbs.

95,600,000 lbs.

96,400,000 lbs.

106,400,000 lbs.

h

Top Alabama Peanut Producing Counties for 2017 Baldwin Houston Geneva Henry Escambia State Total

115,000,000 lbs.

106,000,000 lbs.

85,600,000 lbs.

66,300,000 lbs.

55,300,000 lbs.

704,450,000 lbs.

Source: Alabama Ag Statistics Service

Farmers from Baldwin County, Ala., Joel Sirmon, Mark Kaiser and Daniel Penry, continue to see the population grow and farmland lost to schools and shopping malls in their community.

“Land prices are on the rise here,” Sirmon says. “We’ve turned down some outrageously high prices for our farmland.”

Both Sirmon and Kaiser say that people are coming to live in Baldwin County to enroll their children in the county’s well-regarded school system.

“People who can afford it are leaving Mobile County and moving here,” Kaiser adds.

Road traffic has increased as farm equipment has gotten wider. The traffic makes moving equipment on highways a major challenge, according to Sirmon.

“Because of the traffic, I wonder if we may need to go back to using four-row equipment,” Penry says.

There are still a few rural areas in Baldwin County not heavily populated by humans. In one of these areas, Kaiser’s family sold some land to a poultry company that built layer houses. The odors and waste products of animal agriculture bring additional public relations challenges to livestock and poultry farms located near subdivisions.

Kaiser says he is able to use manure from the layers as fertilizer on his land.

These three all say that farming is a year-round job. Since there’s no time off, they can’t leave their farms to take long vacations. Sirmon says labor is a big issue for these farms.

While it is difficult anywhere to start farming today because costs are so prohibitive, that’s especially true in Baldwin County where land costs cannot

be justified if used for farming.

“If you don’t inherit it, I don’t see how you can start farming here,” Kaiser says.

Sirmon says he farms next to the 520-acre OWA amusement park. Its 21 rides also brings crowds to the rural area.

Owa comes from a Muscogee Creek Indian word meaning big water. The park is owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.

Penry farms land that is close to an outdoor shopping mall, within sight of a Barns & Noble bookstore. Penry says it sometimes takes his wife an hour or more to drive his children to school because the traffic is so thick.

“I learned to drive a big tractor while cultivating cotton in a field where a Dillards store now stands,” Penry says.

“We used to rent the land where the Dillards is now.”

Sirmon remembers when he was able to drive down the highways before the age of 16 because there was little or no traffic on the roads then. It’s a different picture now. Today, Sirmon says farmers and their employees need to be courteous and not be in a hurry to drive down the road.

Urbanization may eventually squeeze out the farmers from their Baldwin County land. Until then, Penry, Kaiser and Sirmon will be counting on peanuts to delay that eventuality as long as possible. t

BY JOHN LEIDNER

January/February 2019 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

7

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

Peanut Pavilion educates attendees at National Peanut Festival More than 160,000 guests visited the 2018 National Peanut Festival in Dothan on Nov. 2-11. APPA sponsored the Peanut Pavilion, handing out peanut product samples, recipes, and talking to festival guests about how peanuts are grown, where they are grown, peanut allergies, and peanut recipes. Crowd favorites included grilled PB&J sandwiches, fried peanuts, and chocolate peanut butter smoothies.

Jimmy Royce Helms, APPA board member from Geneva County, talks with National Peanut Festival guests about where peanuts are grown in the United States.

All About Peanuts Farm Day Third graders from Morgan Academy in Dallas County, Alabama, visited the farm of Jamie and Wendy Yeager on Oct. 15, 2018 to learn about how peanuts are grown. Caleb Bristow, APPA executive director, and Kaye Lynn Hataway, APPA project coordinator, shared with the students how peanuts are grown, and made homemade peanut butter for everyone to taste. Students were also able to see peanuts being dug and picked while on the farm.

Auburn University’s Ag Roundup

Kaye Lynn Hataway, APPA project coordinator, passes out a grilled PB&J to one of the guest at Ag Roundup, as Caleb Bristow, APPA executive director, works the griddle in the background.

The Alabama Peanut Producers Association promoted the peanut industry at the 39th annual Ag Roundup held on Sept. 29, 2018, at Ag Heritage Park, on the campus of Auburn University. This event is co-sponsored by the Auburn University College of Agriculture and Agriculture Alumni Association. Ag Roundup is an Auburn homecoming tradition that celebrates Alabama agriculture. Guests learn about the academic and student organization in the college, as well as agriculture industry partners from around the state. The highlight of the event is getting to sample food products that are grown or processed in Alabama.

APPA and SPG team up for Southern Women’s Show The Alabama Peanut Producers Association and Southern Peanut Grower’s promoted peanuts at the Southern Women’s Show in Birmingham, Oct. 4-7, 2018. More than 20,000 attendees had the opportunity to pick up peanut promotional items, educational brochures, and recipes.

Attendees also sampled tasty peanut recipes from the new “Peanut Fuel” brochure prepared by APPA and SPG staff during the show.

Leslie Wagner (left), executive director for Southern Peanut Growers and Stephanie Miller (right), a Blount County peanut farmer, visits with attendees at the Southern Women’s Show in Birmingham, Ala.

8

Southeastern Peanut Farmer January/February 2019

Caleb Bristow, APPA executive director, explains how peanuts are harvested to students at the farm of Jamie and Wendy Yeager in Dallas County, Ala., on Oct. 15, 2018.

Dothan’s “Run the Circle” Dothan held the first “Run the Circle” half-marathon and 5K on Oct. 27, 2018.

The Alabama Peanut Producers Association handed out samples of a chocolate peanut butter smoothie made with the Elmhurst Milked Peanuts with Chocolate™, RXBARS©, and roasted peanuts. Participants also picked up nutritional information and the new recipe brochure, “Peanut Fuel.”

Caleb Bristow, (right) APPA executive director, visits with “Run the Circle” participants about the Elmhurst Milked Peanuts with Chocolate™.

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

Florida Peanut Producers attends Central Florida Peanut Festival The annual Central Florida Peanut Festival takes place on the first Saturday of every October in downtown Williston, Florida. There was a variety of peanut-rich foods to savor and peanutty products for attendees to take home. Top-notch entertainment for the little ones included rides, a petting zoo, and PB&J Sherry Saunders and Judy Wells sandwiches. Hundreds of exhibitors and vendors visit with attendees at the were attending to help celebrate the Peanut. The Central Florida Peanut Festival Florida Peanut Producers Association distributed in Williston, Fla. samples of roasted peanuts, recipe brochures, health and nutritional information and a drawing for a large gift basket filled with delicious peanuts and peanut products.

Georgia Peanut Commission promotes peanuts with digital media This past fall, the Georgia Peanut Commission sponsored targeted display and native ads with Salem Media. The ads ran from Oct. 1 - Dec. 31 and included a harvest focus during the month of October, a Peanut Butter Lovers Month focus in November and a holiday focus for the month of December. During the campaign, digital display and native ads targeted consumers across Georgia in a variety of ways, such as Geo-Targeting (entire state of Georgia), GeoThe Georgia Peanut Commission Fencing (major grocery store chains in Atlanta, promoted peanuts with digital Macon, Columbus, Augusta and Savannah), holiday ads in December.

Contextual Targeting (categories like recipe websites and blogs, as well as keywords searched) and Site Retargeting (ads follow anyone who visits the Georgia Peanut Commission webpage. All of the ads target consumers anytime they are online using their smartphone, tablet, computer or connected TV. As of Dec. 18, the campaign garnered nearly 1.2 million impressions with a click through rate of 2.45 percent, which is above industry average. The top five keywords with the most impressions included: affordable, Georgia peanut farms, Georgia peanuts, heart healthy and nutritious. The campaign covered several benefits of peanuts, including the latest information on peanuts receiving Superfood status.

Georgia Peanut Commission promotes peanuts at Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in Savannah

Attendees sample a variety of peanut products during the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon held in November.

During Peanut Butter Lovers Month, the Georgia Peanut Commission exhibited at the Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon’s Health & Fitness Expo in Savannah.

The event, which took place Nov. 1-2, hosted more than 20,000 attendees. GPC highlighted the nutrition benefits of peanut products and passed out product samples donated by manufacturers. Attendees were also able to pick up a copy of the new recipe brochure, “Peanut Fuel” which contains recipes for those interested in fitness and nutrition.

Mississippi Peanut Growers sponsor American Heart Association Gulf Coast Walk The Mississippi Peanut Growers Association promoted the heart healthy benefits of peanuts by sponsoring and exhibiting at the 25th Annual American Heart Association Gulf Coast Heart Walk in Gulfport, Mississippi. This past fall, MPGA donated CPR training kits to D’Iberville High School so students from the school demonstrated how to correctly perform CPR for visitors at the MPGA booth. MPGA was featured on the Gulf Coast Heart Walk t-shirt, peanuts were distributed at coach visits and at the awards celebration. The American Heart Association estimates 5,000 participated in the walk and were given MPGA Heart Healthy Peanuts literature, plus 1,154 individuals registered on-line.

The Mississippi Peanut Growers Association exhibited at the American Heart Association Gulf Coast Heart Walk in Gulfport, Miss.

Mississippi Peanut Growers awards Don Self Scholarship The Mississippi Peanut Growers Association awarded two students with the Don Self Memorial Scholarship. The recipients are Kacie Crain a horticulture major from Hernando, Mississippi, and Samantha Jones, an agricultural engineering technology & business major from Prentiss, Mississippi. Individuals can continue to make donations to the scholarship in memory of Don Self by mailing a check to -MSU Foundation, Don Self Memorial Scholarship, PO Box 6149, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762.

January/February 2019 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

9

State, federal and private peanut breeding programs are actively involved in the development of improved varieties with desirable traits for increasing dollar value, yield, grade, disease resistance, insect resistance, virus resistance, nematode resistance, aflatoxin resistance, drought tolerance, better shelling characteristics, longer shelf-life, and enhanced flavor and nutritional qualities.

In the U.S., there are four peanut market types (runner, virginia, spanish, and valencia), and within each market type, there are different varieties. The varieties contained in this guidebook reflect those varieties commonly planted in the Southeast and those varieties recommended by agronomists for this area due to resistance to tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV).

Variety selection is an important process in the overall management of the farm. This guidebook serves as a resource for growers when they select a variety for the 2019 crop year.

Runner Type ACI 3321 is a large seeded, higholeic runner peanut. ACI 3321 is a top yielding variety for ACI Seeds and in State Variety testing in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. ACI 3321 has a high level of TSWV resistance, best in class white mold resistance and very good leaf spot resistance. ACI 3321 has demonstrated stability across diverse U.S. peanut production areas. ACI 3321 is well adapted to irrigated and dry-land production.

ACI 3321 was developed by Kim M. Moore of ACI Seeds, a privately funded peanut research and development company based in South Georgia with ongoing research and development across all U.S. peanut growing regions. ACI 3321 seed will be commercially available for the 2019 planting season.

ACI 789 is a high oleic runner variety with a high percentage of medium kernels. The variety matures in about 135

10

days in South Georgia and has good resistance to TSWV. This variety has very good peg strength giving flexibility during harvesting when weather condition delay digging and/or picking. ACI 789 was released in 2015 by ACI Seeds under the Plant Variety Protection Act. ACI 789 was developed by Kim M. Moore of ACI Seeds, a privately funded peanut research and development company based in South Georgia with ongoing research and development across all U.S. peanut growing regions. ACI 789 has demonstrated stability and success across many U.S. peanut production areas.

AU-NPL 17 is a runner type peanut with high-yielding and medium maturity, very good resistant to TSWV, highly tolerant to leaf spot, very good resistant to white mold, and superior shelling characters. AU-NPL 17 has a prostrate growth habit with main stem and with large vines. It has high oleic fatty acid content and excellent flavor. AU-NPL 17 is well adapted to irrigated and non-irrigated lands across diverse U.S. peanut production area. AU-NPL 17 has a very decent grade. The seeds have pink testa and medium large runner seed size, which is a little smaller than Georgia-06G. AU-NPL 17 was released by Auburn University and USDA-ARS National Peanut Research Laboratory in 2017.

Florida-07 is a medium-late (140± days) runner market-type peanut with runner growth habit. It was released from the University of Florida, North Florida Research and Education Center in Marianna, Florida, in 2006. It has shown excellent yield potential (7000+ lbs/A) with good grades. Seed of Florida-07 is similar in size to C-99R and for this reason, gypsum is recommended. It has good to excellent resistance to TSWV with some white mold resistance, and tolerance to leafspot. Florida-07 has high oleic (80±%) oil chemistry with good to excellent roasting, blanching and processing characteristics.

Southeastern Peanut Farmer January/February 2019

FloRunTM ‘331’ is a high-yielding, medium maturity, disease tolerant runnertype variety released from the University of Florida, North Florida Research and Education center, Marianna, Florida, in 2016. It has medium runner seed size with very good grades. FloRunTM ‘331’ has had excellent pod yield in both irrigated and non-irrigated trials over several seasons of testing across several locations in Florida. Of the runner-type varieties tested for resistance to leaf spots and white mold, FloRunTM ‘331’ has had among the best pod yield and lowest disease scores and it is moderately resistant to tomato spotted wilt. FloRunTM ‘331’ has high oleic oil chemistry beneficial for extended shelf-life and marketability of peanuts and peanut products.

Georgia Greener is a high-yielding, TSWV-resistant, typical-seeded, runnertype peanut variety that was released in 2006 by the University of Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton, Georgia. Georgia Greener has a high level of resistance to spotted wilt disease caused by tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and CBR. In multi-location tests conducted in Georgia during the past several years, Georgia Greener was found to have among the lowest disease incidence, highest pod yield, highest TSMK grade, and highest dollar value return per acre compared to other runner-type varieties tested each year.

Georgia Greener has darker green foliage, a typical runner seed size, and a medium maturity similar to Georgia Green.

Georgia-06G is a high-yielding, TSWV-resistant, large-seeded, runnertype peanut variety that was released in 2006 by the University of Georgia, Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton, Georgia. Georgia-06G has a high level of resistance to TSWV. In multilocation tests conducted in Georgia during the past several years, Georgia06G was found to have among the lowest disease incidence, highest pod yield, highest TSMK grade, and highest dollar

value return per acre compared to other runner-types tested each year. Georgia06G combines high TSWV resistance with medium maturity and excellent yield and high TSMK grade which results in greater dollar value return per acre.

Georgia-07W is a high-yielding, TSWV-resistant and white mold-resistant, runner-type peanut variety that was released in 2007 by the University of Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton, Georgia. Georgia-07W has a high level of resistance to TSWV and to white mold or stem rot. Georgia-07W combines high TSWV and white mold resistance with medium maturity and excellent yield, grade, and dollar value return per acre.

Georgia-09B is a high-yielding, high-oleic, TSWV-resistant, mediumseeded, runner-type peanut variety that was released in 2009 by the University of Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton, Georgia. Georgia-09B has a high level of resistance to spotted wilt disease caused by TSWV. Georgia-09B also has the high-oleic and low-linoleic fatty acid ratio for improved oil quality and longer shelf-life of peanut and peanut products. Georgia-09B originated from the first backcross made with Georgia Green as the recurrent parent. It has an intermediate runner growth habit and medium maturity, similar to Georgia Green. Georgia-09B has a medium runner seed size as compared to the larger-seeded, high-oleic, runner-type variety, Florida-07. Georgia-09B combines the excellent roasted flavor of Georgia Green with the high-oleic trait for longer shelf-life and improved oil quality of peanut and peanut products.

Georgia-12Y is a high-yielding, TSWV-resistant, white-mold resistant, medium-seeded, runner-type peanut variety that was released in 2012 by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations.

It was developed at the University of Georgia, Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton, Georgia. Georgia-12Y is similar to another runner-type variety ‘Georgia10T’ in having low TSWV disease incidence and total disease incidence.

However, during several years averaged over multilocation tests in Georgia, Georgia-12Y had significantly higher pod yield and higher dollar value return per

New runner type variety released There is one new variety released for growers to try in 2019. However, there will be limited seed available for this new variety.

Georgia-18RU is a new high-yielding, normal-oleic, TSWV-resistant and leaf scorch-resistant, medium-large seeded, runner-type peanut variety that was released by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station in 2018. It was developed at the University of Georgia, Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton, Georgia. During five-years averaged over multiple location tests in Georgia, Georgia-18RU had the highest percent TSMK grade and the lowest number of seed per pound compared to the Georgia-06G runner-type variety. Georgia-18RU was also found to have a similar low percent TSWV and total disease incidence, high yield and dollar value return per acre as Georgia-06G. Georgia-18RU combines high yield, high grade, high dollar value, and TSWV and leaf scorch resistance with the desirable normal-oleic trait requested by peanut butter manufacturers. It also has similar roasted flavor, blanchability, and maturity as Georgia-06G. t

Seed saving now okay for High Oleic Peanuts It is now legal for farmers to save the seed of high oleic peanut varieties for planting on their own acreage.

Jim Bostick, executive vice president of the Alabama Crop Improvement Association, says the patent on the high oleic trait has expired. That patent had been owned by the University of Florida.

While it is legal to save seed from these varieties for planting on your own farm, it is still illegal to sell such seed without a proper licensing agreement with the owner of the variety. That’s because these peanuts are still protected under the Plant Variety Protection Act, according to Bostick.

It’s also important for farmers to know a little about seed laws. The 1994 Plant Variety Protection Act allows farmers to save enough seed of a protected variety to plant on his or her own farm holdings, but may not sell seed without the permission of the owner of the variety. The widely planted Georgia-06G, for example, has been one of those protected varieties that may be saved for planting on one’s own farm.

Now, high oleic varieties are included in this category. t acre compared to Georgia-10T. Georgia12Y also has a smaller seed size (greater number of seed per pound) than Georgia10T. Georgia-12Y should be an excellent variety for an earlier planting (April) option in the Southeast because of its high TSWV and white mold-resistance and later maturity.

Georgia-13M is a high-yielding, high-oleic, TSWV-resistant, small-seeded, runner-type peanut variety that was released in 2013 by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations. It was developed at the University of Georgia, Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton, Georgia. Georgia-13M is similar to other high-oleic, runner-type varieties

in having high-oleic and low-linoleic fatty acid profiles. However, during several years averaged over multilocation tests in Georgia, Georgia-13M had significantly less total disease incidence and greater dollar value return per acre compared to four other high-oleic, runner-type varieties. Georgia-13M was also found to have a smaller runner seed size as compared to these larger high-oleic runner-type varieties which should save growers in seed cost.

Georgia-14N is a new high-yielding, high-oleic, TSWV-resistant, and RKNresistant, small-seeded, runner-type peanut variety that was released in 2014 by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment

January/February 2019 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

11

Stations. It was developed at the University of Georgia, Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton.

Georgia-14N is similar to other high-oleic, runnertype varieties in having high-oleic and low-linoleic fatty acid profiles. However, during three-years averaged over multilocation tests in Georgia, Georgia-14N had significantly less TSWV and total disease incidence and higher yield, grade, and dollar value return per acre compared to Tifguard. Georgia14N combines high-yield, tomato spotted wilt virus resistance and root knot nematode resistance with smaller seed size, and the high-oleic trait for longer shelf-life and improved oil quality of peanut and peanut products.

Georgia-16HO is a high-yielding, high-oleic, TSWV-resistant, large-seeded, runner-type peanut variety that was released in 2016 by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations. It was developed at the University of Georgia, Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton, Georgia. Georgia-16HO is similar to other high-oleic, runner-type varieties in having the high-oleic and low-linoleic fatty acid profile.

However during several years averaged over multilocation tests in Georgia, Georgia-16HO had less TSWV and total disease incidence and higher yield, grade, and dollar value return per acre compared to Florida-07, FloRun ‘107’, and TUFRunner ‘727’. Georgia-16HO was also found to have a large runner seed size similar to two of these other largeseeded, high-oleic, runner varieties, Florida-07 and TUFRunner ‘727’.

During the past few years averaged over multilocation tests in Georgia, Georgia-16HO was again found to have less TSWV and total disease incidence and higher yield, grade, and dollar value return per acre compared to TUFRunner ‘297’ and TUFRunner ‘511’. Georgia-16HO was also found to have a large runner seed size similar to TUFRunner ‘511’, but not as large of seed size as TUFRunner ‘297’. Georgia-16HO combines high-yield, TSWV resistance with large runner seed size, and the high-oleic trait for longer shelf-life and improved oil quality of peanut and peanut products.

Tifguard is a high-yielding, medium-maturity, runner market-type peanut variety. It was jointly released by the USDA-ARS and the University of Georgia. It was the first peanut variety with a high level of resistance to both the peanut root-knot nematode and TSWV. Tifguard has a runner-type growth habit with dark green foliage and a prominent main stem. It has demonstrated very good yields and grades when tested with no nematode pressure in tests in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and South Carolina. When tested in fields with high nematode pressure it has demonstrated very good yields and grades without the use of nematicides. Tifguard also has a moderate level of resistance to leaf spot.

12

Table 1: Official State Variety Yield Data 2015 Yield GA - Tifton1

FL-Marianna & Gainesville

Irrigated Dryland

Irrigated Marianna & Gainesville

Irrigated

Dryland

6387

-

-

-

-

Variety

AL-Headland2

Runner AC3321

-

-

AU-NPL 17

-

-

Florida-07

5049

5696

6387

6516

3666

FloRunTM ‘331’

-

-

-

-

-

Georgia Greener

5654

6241

-

-

-

Georgia-06G

5572

6885

6906

7442

6997

Georgia-07W

5866

5793

-

-

-

Georgia-09B

5515

6428

6106

6752

5754

Georgia-12Y

5288

5999

6620

7115

7042

Georgia-13M

6123

6407

6196

6389

6389

Georgia-14N

4501

5415

5853

-

-

Georgia-16HO

-

-

-

-

-

Tifguard

4858

5611

6044

6371

5009

TifNV-High O/L

5669

5551

6153

-

-

TUFRunnerTM ‘297’

5357

6253

6938

7587

6607

TUFRunnerTM ‘511’

4998

6059

6514

7133

5990

TifNV-High O/L is a high oleic peanut variety developed and released by USDA-Agricultural Research Service peanut breeder Corley Holbrook. It’s a new high oleic version of the nematode resistant Tifguard that Holbrook released several years ago. The new variety offers high yields, nematode resistance, a high concentration of oleic acid, resistance to spotted wilt virus, moderate resistance to leaf spot and medium maturity. TifNV-High O/L resulted from a cross between Tifguard and the Florida-07 varieties. Holbrook worked with University of Georgia researchers Peggy Ozias-Akins and Ye Chu in using molecular markers for nematode resistance and the high O/L trait. Using the molecular markers, they were able to greatly speed up the process of developing the new variety.

TUFRunnerTM ‘297’ is a high yielding, extra-large seeded, medium maturity runner-type peanut with high oleic oil chemistry developed by the University of Florida, North Florida Research and Education Center in Marianna, Florida. It was released in 2014. TUFRunnerTM ‘297’ has demonstrated very good resistance to white mold, good resistance to TSWV and is susceptible to leaf spots. Yield and grade of TUFRunnerTM ‘297’ have been excellent. It has a prominent center stem with a semi

Southeastern Peanut Farmer January/February 2019

2016 Yield

2017 Yield

FL-Marianna,

FL-Marianna, Gainesville, Jay & Live Oak

GA - Tifton1 Gainesville, Jay & AL-Headland2 GA - Tifton1 Live Oak

Irrigated Dryland Irrigated

-

-

-

-

-

5068

6160

-

Dryland

2018 Yield AL Headland2

Irrigated Dryland Irrigated Dryland Irrigated Dryland (Marianna, (Marianna, Irrigated Gainesville Gainesville, , Live Oak) Jay)

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

5498

5093

6362

6010

4609

-

-

3869

4453

-

-

-

-

-

5809

3995

6334

-

-

5499

6044

4651

6440

6499

4840

6171

4994

6246

-

-

4200

5105

6106

4799

5999

4755

GA - Tifton1

FL -Marianna, Gainesville & Live Oak

Irrigated Dryland Irrigated Dryland (Marianna,

AL Headland2

Dryland

(Marianna, Irrigated Dryland Gainesville, Gainesville) Live Oak)

5708

6661

5367

4306

6917

6579

4166

5227

6153

5079

4306

7315

6161

-

-

5500

4174

-

-

-

-

6668

5576

-

-

5346

5925

5283

4973

6570

5927

4576

6907

6118

6917

6542

6053

5889

-

-

5137

5896

6003

4945

-

-

6915

6190

5971

6104

6433

6076

4119

5570

6330

6171

5401

7189

5107

6933

6724

4429

5862

3261

4441

-

-

4775

6059

5457

4540

-

-

6843

6636

4271

5155

5681

5156

5485

5700

3655

4666

6149

5823

4527

7126

5663

6426

6921

6620

4562

5064

5735

6120

6461

6167

4647

6039

6400

6152

5007

7512

5629

6484

6820

6209

6196

4829

5717

5118

5001

5755

6037

4262

4956

5475

5922

4478

-

-

5413

6072

4343

5059

5853

-

3866

4193

3626

4368

5148

4244

3990

5224

5004

5359

6837

5720

5965

5856

5167

6271

-

-

-

-

6470

5864

6680

4601

5100

6258

5991

5327

7942

5914

7168

7028

4898

5878

6044

4125

-

-

4853

4663

5454

3807

4847

5770

5655

5534

5721

4309

6101

6457

4045

5287

6153

4640

-

-

5295

5144

5633

4533

4757

5896

5583

5683

7175

5625

6300

6047

5108

6434

6938

4869

5590

5917

6117

5510

6437

4205

5082

6162

5828

5105

7221

5844

7096

5892

5351

5900

6514

4426

5463

5754

3601

4258

5977

4589

4882

6316

5457

4736

6795

4972

6467

6398

Table 1: The data above contains the yield results from the 20152018 state variety trials by the University of Georgia in Tifton, Ga., North Florida Research and Education Center in Marianna, Gainesville, Jay and Live Oak, Fla. and Auburn University Wiregrass Research and Extension Center in Headland, Ala. 1 - Complete Test data is available online at www.swvt.uga.edu.

2 - Complete Test data is available online at www.aces.edu/anr/crops/varietytesting.

Mississippi Peanut Yield Data State Average Year

2015

2016

2017

2018

Variety

lbs/A

lbs/A

lbs/A

lbs/A

AU-NPL 17

-

-

6511

6153

Florida 07

3792

4474

6667

-

-

-

7268

6537

Georgia-06G

3655

5112

6977

6610

Georgia-09B

3269

4775

6888

5596

Georgia-12Y

4083

4681

6628

6262

Georgia-13M

4051

4518

6265

5974

Georgia-14N

3310

4095

5484

4851

Georgia-16HO

-

-

7458

6528

3127

-

6141

-

-

-

6208

5709

FloRun

prostrate growth habit.

TUFRunnerTM ‘511’ is a large seeded, medium maturity runner-type peanut with high oleic oil chemistry. The University of Florida, North Florida Research and Education Center in Marianna, Florida released TUFRunnerTM ‘511’ peanut in 2013. It has very good resistance to white mold, moderate resistance to TSWV, and is susceptible to leaf spots.

Yield and grade of TUFRunnerTM ‘511’ have been excellent.

The seed size is similar to Georgia-06G with a similar out-turn of medium, number one and jumbo kernels. The growth habit of TUFRunnerTM ‘511’ is prostrate. t

TM

‘331’

Tifguard TifNV-HI O/L TUFRunner

TM

‘297’

4079

5143

7070

6054

TUFRunner

TM

‘511’

3671

4865

6876

6293

January/February 2019 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

13

New ACI runner variety im Moore, a private peanut breeder with AgResearch Consultants Incorporated (ACI) based in Sumner, Georgia, has developed a new high oleic runner peanut variety that is gaining attention for its high yields and disease resistance in peanut variety trials conducted in the Southeast.

Moore’s career in peanut breeding traces back to his days in graduate school.

At the University of Florida, he collaborated with Al Norden, who developed Florunner, one of the most successful runner varieties ever until it became vulnerable to tomato spotted wilt virus. At the University of Florida, Moore was instrumental in working to develop some of the industry’s first high oleic varieties.

Then, Moore spent much of his early career working as a peanut breeder for AgraTech, a subsidiary for Gold Kist.

At Gold Kist and AgraTech, Moore collaborated with peanut breeder Ernest Harvey who developed GK 7 and other runner varieties. Moore released a high oleic version of GK 7 when he was with AgraTech.

He started breeding peanuts on his own in 2002. In recent years, Moore’s studies have focused on the relative performance of ACI 3321, one of his newest varieties. It is a large seeded high oleic runner variety with resistance to multiple diseases, according to Moore, and it compares favorably in yield and disease resistance to some of the best commercially available runner varieties.

“All we do is high oleic breeding,” Moore says. “I was involved in the initial high oleic research at the University of Florida. I thought 35 years ago that within 15 years, every new peanut variety would be high oleic. There’s no downside to including the high oleic trait in new peanut varieties.”

ACI 3321 is adapted to the Southeast and was developed under heavy disease pressure on the ACI research farm in Worth County, Georgia.

During 2015 in its first yield trial, ACI 3321 produced 6,412 pounds per acre, compared to 6,351 pounds per acre for Georgia-06G. In the same test, both

K

14

Georgia-09B and Georgia-12Y produced slightly more than 5,700 pounds per acre.

In 2016, Moore expanded the tests with sites in both Worth and Tift County, Georgia, and ACI 3321 again outyielded Georgia-06G. Moore also entered the new variety in a disease evaluation conducted

by University of Georgia plant pathologists Tim Brenneman and Albert Culbreath. In 2016 at the University of Georgia’s Blackshank Farm near Tifton, Georgia, ACI 3321’s yields came in second place among nine commercially available varieties. This yield was just behind the new nematode resistant TifNV High O/L variety in a trial with a minimal spray of only chlorothalonil and severe disease pressure. ACI 3321 had the least amount of leaf spot, white mold and tomato spotted wilt virus among the nine commercially available varieties and 41 total peanut entries evaluated in this test.

When the same test was conducted again in 2017, ACI 3321’s yields came out on top.

Of the 41 entries in this 2017 test, ACI 3321 was ranked first in yield, fourth best in spotted wilt incidence, third best in leaf spot rating, and first in white mold resistance.

“We believe it has resistance to multiple diseases,” Moore says. The new variety shows strong tolerance or resistance to spotted wilt, leaf spot and white mold. Moore adds that ACI 3321 has also shown good potential for resistance to both Fusarium and Sclerotinia diseases that attack peanuts.

He says his overall peanut breeding goal has been to produce varieties that will compete in yield and adaptation with those produced by University of Georgia peanut breeder Bill Branch. Branch developed and released the Georgia-06G runner variety, currently the dominant variety commercially grown in the Southeast.

“I have tried to produce varieties that are better than Bill Branch’s but he has raised the bar,” Moore says.

Moore describes the AC 3321 as a low-growing plant. The pedigree of AC 3321 may be familiar with peanut breeders and some growers. Moore says the variety’s parentage includes a cross of

Southeastern Peanut Farmer January/February 2019

Tifguard and York.

Moore notes that seed harvested in 2018 will be Foundation seed for planting in 2019, and that it will be several years before enough seed is produced so that ACI 3321 will become widely available for farmers to plant.

Also in 2017, ACI 3321 was entered into the peanut variety evaluation conducted by Jim Bostick and his colleagues at the Wiregrass Research and Extension Center in Headland, Alabama.

In the irrigated portion of this trial, ACI 3321’s yields came in second place, just behind Georgia-12Y, and in the dryland portion of the test, ACI 3321 was the top yielding entry.

Bostick, executive vice president of the Alabama Crop Improvement Association, notes that the ACI 3321 variety was among the highest yielding varieties in the 2017 test. In the irrigated test, it was second in yield, with 5,708 pounds per acre, behind the Georgia-12Y variety that yielded 6,026 pounds per acre. And in the dryland test, it was the highest yielding variety with 6,661 pounds per acre in 2017. While there’s not much seed available for ACI 3321 now, Bostick says seed supplies should become available to farmers within a few years. Bostick’s records show that 39 acres of ACI 3321 have been applied for certification in 2018. t

BY JOHN LEIDNER

Not much nitrogen value in peanut vines

ome results of recent research studies suggest you can’t count on peanut residue to provide much in the way of residual nitrogen that would benefit subsequent crops.

University of Florida agronomist Mike Mulvaney has conducted several research studies to evaluate the fertilizer value of peanut plants, and determine how much of that fertilizer would become available to the next crop that’s planted in the field.

Mulvaney is based at the University of Florida’s West Florida Research and Education Center near the town of Jay. Overall, Mulvaney concludes, the fertilizer value of peanut plants depends on the amount of plant residue peanut plants produce. Based on tests he conducted at a University of Florida research farm near Citra, Florida, he says if a farmer bales and removes as hay the peanut vines that total 3,000 pounds per acre, they will export about 50 pounds of nitrogen per acre and 60 pounds of potassium per acre. If you value both nitrogen and potassium at 50 cents per pound, removing that hay would cost you about $55 per acre. However, not all of that nitrogen or potassium will be

S

16

available to the next crop.

“Our universities and Extension services have traditionally given a nitrogen credit to crops grown after peanuts,” Mulvaney says.

As examples of the Extension recommendations, he cites Oklahoma which estimates 20 to 60 pounds of N should be credited to crops that follow peanuts. He says the University of Georgia suggests 20 to 40 pounds of N per acre should be credited to wheat that follows peanuts. He cites an Alabama Extension recommendation that 20 to 30 pounds of N per acre should be credited to cotton following peanuts. He also cites Virginia Extension that recommends a 20-45 pound per acre N credit following peanuts (following crop not specified), while Florida recommends a 30 lb N per acre credit to cotton.

“How much nitrogen is available to subsequent crops is what we’re trying to find out,” he says. Mulvaney notes that nitrogen and potassium are the main nutrients contained in peanut plant residue after harvest.

“Judging from the scientific literature, it would be difficult to recommend a nitrogen credit after peanuts,” Mulvaney says. He believes the

Southeastern Peanut Farmer January/February 2019

University of Florida agronomist Mike Mulvaney has conducted research which casts doubt on Extension recommendations regarding the nitrogen fertilizer value of peanuts to the crops that follow.

recommendations of 20 to 60 pounds of nitrogen per acre credited to peanuts resulted from old recommendations that were “grandfathered” and never changed or challenged over the years.

He concedes that it is difficult and expensive to quantify the exact amount of N that should be credited to subsequent crops after peanuts. “I’m not saying there isn’t some N benefit,” he says, “but I am saying it is not supported by the scientific literature. And without science-based data, we can’t make science-based recommendations. As a result, I recommend no N credit following peanuts, until such time that we can prove otherwise.”

Mulvaney explains that as a legume, peanut plants decompose quickly. “When you harvest peanuts, you lose a lot of that nitrogen quickly,” he adds. “If you give a nitrogen credit to peanuts for a crop that follows, you would get more of that nitrogen used by wheat than by cotton.”

The amount of peanut residue produced also has a large impact on the amount of nutrients available to

subsequent crops, according to Mulvaney.

He notes that 6,000 pounds of residue per acre will have twice the amount of nitrogen as 3,000 pounds.

He notes the amount of nutrients available to the crop is dramatically decreased if the residue is incorporated.

“Incorporate the residue and you lose the nitrogen more quickly,” he says. “I would leave peanut residue laying on the ground if you don’t bale it. And if you plant a cover crop, plant it as soon as possible after peanuts to maximize residual nitrogen use.”

For instance, Mulvaney suggests if the weather is favorable, broadcasting cover crop seed even before peanuts are dug may be an option. The digging process will help incorporate the seed into the ground, and that will allow the cover crop to maximize its use of the nitrogen produced by the peanut plants. “This corresponds to the time of fastest nitrogen release and ensures a crop is present to take up any N as it becomes available from peanut plants,” Mulvaney says. “Of course, there’s not a lot of N uptake when seedlings are small, but it may help with tillering.”

Whether the peanut residue is buried or left on the surface, its decomposition will be faster in more tropical climates such as Florida than in a more temperate climate such as North Georgia, according to Mulvaney.

While Mulvaney likes to see peanut residue left on the ground after harvest, he can’t say that doing so will result in an increase in cotton yields or cover crop biomass the following year. He cites studies conducted at Headland, Alabama,

by Kip Balkcom, USDA-Agricultural Research Service agronomist based in Auburn, Alabama. These studies showed no cotton yield benefit or rye biomass benefit from peanut residue.

“The fertilizer value of peanut residue is just hard to prove scientifically,” Mulvaney says.

Even though Mulvaney can’t guarantee a yield benefit from nitrogen provided by peanut vines, he says there are other good reasons for leaving the residue on the soil surface. These include protection from soil erosion, increased soil organic matter and increased water infiltration. He believes the ‘wave pattern’ often seen in crops after peanut is due to a mulching effect by the windrows instead of a nitrogen effect.

Wheat yields grown after cotton, peanut, and fallow plots on two soil types in Florida.

Figure 1. Wheat yields grown after cotton, peanut, and fallow plots on two soil types in Florida.

Within a soil type, different letters represent significantly different means. Peanut residue only improved wheat yield on sandy loam soils when wheat received 30 lbs N/ac or less compared to cotton residues, but peanut residue did not increase yields compared to a fallow control plot.

(Unpublished data from A. Jani and M. Mulvaney)

In research trials in Florida on sand and sandy loam soils, wheat plots grown after peanut were not different from those grown after a summer fallow, regardless of N rate applied to wheat. The only time peanut residue increased wheat yield was when wheat received 30 lbs N/ac or less, and even then only when compared to previous cotton, but not after a summer fallow control. Put another way, if wheat is grown on a cotton field and peanut field, what might look like a N credit after peanut may really be a yield depression after cotton. Those differences were most apparent when low rates of N were applied to wheat, and not apparent at all on sandy soils. The apparent yield depression may be due to N immobilization by cotton residues with high carbon content.

Other studies determined that peanut vines contained about 1.74 percent nitrogen. He noted that 1,000 pounds of residue per acre would have 17 pounds of nitrogen, while 3,000 pounds of peanut residue would have 52 pounds of nitrogen, and 6,000 pounds of peanut residue would have 105 pounds of nitrogen.

Decomposition studies on sandy soils in Florida showed 1,000 pounds per acre of incorporated peanut residue released two pounds of nitrogen to wheat and only one pound of nitrogen to cotton. By comparison, 6,000 pounds of incorporated residue released 24 pounds of N for wheat

and 10 pounds of N for cotton. Leaving peanut residue on the soil surface resulted in about 2-3 times more nitrogen being released during wheat and cotton production.

If left on the soil surface, the nitrogen released from 1,000 pounds of peanut residue totaled six pounds for wheat and five pounds for cotton. If 6,000 pounds of peanut residue were left on the surface, 35 pounds of nitrogen was released for wheat and 23 pounds of nitrogen was released for cotton.

In his earlier studies, Mulvaney found similar results regarding residue placement when he tested other crop residues that might be included in a vegetable crop rotation. For instance, he used residues from mimosa, lespedeza, oat straw and soybeans. In these studies, the soybean residue decomposed too quickly to warrant a nitrogen credit to subsequent crops.

For the decomposition trials, he collected these residues in small bags and measured the amount of nitrogen and carbon released over a year. He again found that buried residue decomposes faster than surface residue, and concluded that more nitrogen is potentially available to spring crops from surface residue than from incorporated residue. “There is more N available from surface residues which act as a slower release fertilizer,” says Mulvaney. t

BY JOHN LEIDNER

January/February 2019 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

17

Chefs and food bloggers experience peanut industry first-hand haring the peanut story is at the forefront of promotions led by the Southern Peanut Growers and Georgia Peanut Commission. What better way to tell the peanut story than to invite influencers such as chefs and food bloggers to the No. 1 producing peanut state - Georgia at harvest time. The experience provided the influencers with a first-hand view into the industry and knowledge to share with their followers.

Southern Peanut Growers and Georgia Peanut Commission teamed up to host the harvest tour for chefs, food bloggers and a representative from RXBAR. The tour included a Southern flavor with visits to a well-known restaurant, The Whistle Stop Café, and provided an educational experience with farm and industry visits.

“The Southern Peanut Growers and the Georgia Peanut Commission take their peanuts very seriously and are quite proud of the products that they produce,” says Melinda McIsaac, culinary instructor, Indiana University in Pennsylvania. “This experience has created an even higher sense of respect for those who dedicate their life to supplying our world with such

S

Harvest Tour Attendees: Amy Casey - Personal Chef and Food Writer, Manasquan, New Jersey Elieke Demmer - Scientific Affairs Manager, RXBAR, Chicago, Illinois Lisa Dorman - Nutritionist and Culinary Consultant, Food and Fitness International, Miami, Florida Patricia Howard - Private Chef and Caterer, New York, New York Melinda McIsaac - Chef Instructor, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Academy of Culinary Arts Roberta Pipito - Food Blogger, Homemade Delish, Philadelphia, Penn.

Rachel Quenzer - Food Blogger, The Everyday Mom Life, Chicago, Illinois Gerri (Gigi) Wilson - Travel and Food Blogger, The Dish, Hilton Head, S.C.

18

Chefs and food bloggers snap photos of David Reed, farmer from Pinehurst, Ga., during the Georgia Peanut Harvest Tour. The photos and video clips were shared through social media and on the bloggers’ websites.

nutritious (and let’s not forget delicious!) foods. I thank you for this amazing opportunity and look forward to sharing my new-found knowledge of the peanut process with my students.”

The tour began on Monday at the University of Georgia Griffin Campus where the group began to learn about the importance of land grant universities to modern agriculture and visited the Product Innovation & Commercialization Center. The group toured the facility and participated in a sensory panel sampling two different peanut milk drinks.

The tour headed south to visit the farm of David and Beverly Reed in Pinehurst, Georgia. Reed was harvesting peanuts as the group arrived so attendees were able to learn more about peanut production and see how peanuts are harvested. Many attendees shared photos and video clips with their followers on social media and on their blog posts once they returned home.

The tour ended the day with a visit to the farm of Armond and Brenda Morris where a Southern staple was served for dinner - fried fish and cheese grits.

Tuesday began at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus with a visit to the Future Farmstead at the National Environmentally Sound Production Agriculture Laboratory. Future Farmstead Program Coordinator Craig Kvien,

Southeastern Peanut Farmer January/February 2019

provided a tour of the farmstead and explained the energy efficient technologies used throughout the home.

Following the Future Farmstead tour, attendees were able to learn more about research at the University of Georgia from Peggy Ozias-Akins and U.S. Department of Agriculture research from Corley Holbrook. Both presenters provided an overview of peanut breeding and molecular genetics of plant development.

GPC board members, and Bob Parker with National Peanut Board joined the group for lunch at the GPC office where Casey Cox gave a presentation on farming and sustainability. After lunch the group toured Tifton Peanut Company buying point and Tifton Quality Peanuts shelling plant.

“This was such an amazing experience. I think my favorite part about the learning process was visiting the peanut farms. You just see the passion and love that these farmers have for their crops. It’s a beautiful thing to see and to understand the hard work that goes behind this process,” says Roberta Pipito, food blogger with Homemade Delish and guest host on the Rachael Ray show and the Dr. Oz show. “For me it’s not just a bag of peanuts anymore; it’s hard work and sweat to bring these delicious little legumes to our homes.” t

BY JOY CROSBY

Peanut Efficiency Awards seeking nominees

Kirk Kealey, director of the University of Georgia Food Product Innovation and Commercialization Center, leads a tour for the chefs and food bloggers on the UGA Griffin Campus.

Participants learned more about food safety and the development of new food products.

Juliet Chu, research professional at University of Georgia, provides a tour of the greenhouse where peanut plants are crossed for future breeding lines. She provided a first-hand overview of the research explained on the tour

by Peggy Ozias-Akins and Corley Holbrook.

Achieving high yields and grades is important in peanut production, but it’s only part of the equation for efficient, long-term sustainable production.

The Farm Press Peanut Efficiency Award is based on production efficiency, honoring growers who produce the highest yields by using inputs wisely. The awards are presented based on the producer’s entire peanut operation and not on individual farms or small plots.

A second major component of the Peanut Efficiency Award is education. Southeast Farm Press, Delta Farm Press and Southwest Farm Press support the education element by publishing articles throughout the year focusing on peanut production efficiency.

Awards are presented to growers from the Lower Southeast, including Alabama, Georgia, Florida; the Upper Southeast, including Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina; the Southwest, including Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico; and the Delta, including Mississippi, Arkansas and Missouri.

“The elements of production cost and price are equally important factors in our evaluation of nominees. Marketing expertise definitely has given an edge to recent winners of the award,” says Marshall Lamb, research director for the National Peanut Research Laboratory and primary advisor of the PEA program.

Please submit nomination forms directly to the National Peanut Research Laboratory, or local county Extension agent, peanut specialist or economist. The deadline for all nominations is April 15, 2019. Growers can access the nomination form online at southeastfarmpress.com, southwestfarmpress.com or deltafarmpress.com. To receive a hard copy of the form, call Farm Press headquarters at 662-624-8503.

The awards program has honored 19 classes of winners from the U.S. peanut belt. Since the program’s beginning in 2000, the Peanut Efficiency Awards have honored 57 deserving growers or farms. The awards program began with the Southern Peanut Growers Conference in conjunction with the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation and the two have grown together over the years.

Winners of the 2019 awards will receive an expense-paid trip for two to the Southern Peanut Growers Conference in July at the Edgewater Beach Resort in Panama City Beach, Florida. t

GPC board members renominated Chefs and food bloggers learn about the peanut shelling process and snap photos during their tour of Tifton Quality Peanuts shelling plant in Tifton, Ga.

Chefs and food bloggers pose for a group photo in front of the Georgia Peanut Commission headquarters in Tifton, Ga.

Three Georgia Peanut Commission board members were renominated without opposition to the Georgia Peanut Commission board of directors at nomination meetings held on Dec. 10, 2018. The Georgia Farm Bureau Federation conducted the nomination meetings for the commission’s districts two, four and five.

Armond Morris, Tift County, representing district two; Rodney Dawson, Pulaski County, representing district four and Donald Chase, Macon County, representing district five, all previously held the seat for their district, which expired Dec. 31, 2018.

Since only one person was nominated for each district, no election is required and the nominated person automatically becomes a member of the Georgia Peanut Commission Board. Now, after renomination, they will serve Georgia peanut farmers on the board for the next three years.

The Georgia peanut production area is divided into five districts based on acreage distribution and geographical location with one board member representing each district. Additional board members include: Joe Boddiford of Screven County, representing district three and Tim Burch of Baker County, representing district one.

For more information on the programs of the Georgia Peanut Commission, visit www.gapeanuts.com. t January/February 2019 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

19

2019 Georgia Ag Forecast University of Georgia CAES economists adress farmers, lenders and agribusiness leaders on the latests trends and economic conditions in Georgia agriculture am Pardue, dean of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), will serve as the keynote speaker at the upcoming Georgia Ag Forecast seminar series set for Jan. 22 through Feb. 1, 2019. The annual meetings allow UGA agricultural economists to address Georgia’s farmers, lenders and agribusiness leaders about the latest trends and economic conditions in Georgia’s No. 1 industry — agriculture.

At the seminar’s six locations across the state — Bainbridge, Carrollton, Lyons, Macon, Tifton and Watkinsville, Georgia — Pardue will discuss how CAES works with Georgia’s agricultural leaders and how the college works to help solve the issues facing rural Georgia.

“Perhaps more than ever, the Ag Forecast is needed to assist farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses and the organizations that support them to plan for the future,” Pardue says. “Uncertainty in weather, commodity prices, trade and access to markets, regulatory policy, and labor creates a challenging environment for Georgia producers. While we cannot predict the future, we can bring all the tools at our disposal to better inform our stakeholders in their decision-making processes.”

CAES hosts the Georgia Ag Forecast seminar series every year. Those

S

Ag Forecast Schedule: Jan. 22 - Macon, Georgia Jan. 23 - Carrollton, Georgia Jan. 25 - Watkinsville, Georgia Jan. 29 - Lyons, Georgia Jan. 31 - Bainbridge, Georgia Feb. 1 - Tifton, Georgia The Tifton seminar begins at 7:30 a.m. with a breakfast buffet. All of the other seminars begin at 10 a.m. and followed with a networking lunch.

Register online at: www.georgiaagforecast.com

20

University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Dean Sam Pardue visits with UGA peanut economist Adam Rabinowitz following the Ag Forecast in Lyons Georgia on January 30, 2018.

interested in attending the seminars can register at georgiaagforecast.com.

Economists from the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development and CAES Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics will present the economic outlook for Georgia’s producers with an emphasis on Georgia’s major commodities.

“Ag Forecast provides producers, bankers and agribusiness leaders with a glimpse of what will happen in 2019. It presents data on how conditions in Georgia, the United States and the globe will impact producers here in Georgia,” says Kent Wolfe, director of the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development.

Participants will have the opportunity to meet with UGA faculty and UGA Cooperative Extension agents and will leave the meeting with a copy of the 2019 Georgia Ag Forecast book. It provides detailed outlooks of the major commodities produced in Georgia from scientists who work on the crop yearround.

One topic that’s expected to be on the forefront is how Hurricane Michael will impact the future of Georgia agriculture.

Southeastern Peanut Farmer January/February 2019

The storm devastated south Georgia agriculture on Oct. 10, 2018, causing more than $2.5 billion in crop losses.

Since the hurricane moved through Georgia during harvest season, multiple crops were at extreme risk for damage.

“The impact from Hurricane Michael will undoubtedly be a hot topic because it impacted a number of commodities in the state with potential global implications,” Wolfe says.

The 2019 Georgia Ag Forecast series will be held: • Jan. 22: Macon, Georgia - Georgia Farm Bureau Building • Jan. 23: Carrollton, Georgia Carroll County Ag Center • Jan. 25: Watkinsville, Georgia Oconee County Civic Center • Jan. 29: Lyons, Georgia - Toombs County Agri-Center • Jan. 31: Bainbridge, Georgia Decatur County Agricultural Center • Feb. 1: Tifton, Georgia - Tifton Campus Conference Center.

The Georgia Ag Forecast seminar series is presented by UGA CAES and the Georgia Department of Agriculture. t

BY CLINT THOMPSON UNIVERISTY OF GEORGIA

Special Review

January 17, 2019 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center Tifton, Georgia

Photos & video of seminars will be available online following the show at www.gapeanuts.com.

Georgia Peanut Farm Show Award Winners The Georgia Peanut Commission presents the following awards to individuals who have contributed to the advancement of the peanut industry. The awards are presented during the Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference awards luncheon on Jan. 17, 2019, at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center.

Distinguished Service Award - Marcus Evans, Georgia Peanut Commission The Distinguished Service Award is presented to Marcus Evans, director of field services and industry information for the Georgia Peanut Commission. Evans retired in October 2018 after 31 years of service on behalf of Georgia’s peanut farmers. He has shown a true dedication to the peanut and agricultural industry through the years and has dedicated his life toward bettering the livelihood of farmers.

In his role at GPC, Evans coordinated GPC representation at Extension grower meetings throughout the state, served on the Georgia Peanut Tour Committee and coordinated many of the promotional activities at GPC. Some of the specific activities he coordinated include the exhibits at the Sunbelt Ag Expo, Georgia Farm Bureau, American Farm Bureau, Georgia Young Farmers Association, Georgia School Nutrition Association, Georgia Dietetics Association, as well as peanut festivals in Georgia. Evans also coordinated a variety of promotions including sporting event promotions with University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern and the Atlanta Braves, as well as Georgia Peanut Bank Week and partnerships with Georgia 4-H. Through the years, Evans served on committees with the American Peanut Council and National Peanut Museum. In 2015, Evans was awarded honorary membership by the Georgia Young Farmers Association.

Before beginning his career at GPC, Evans worked for Allied Chemical in Metropolis, Illinois, and Nutrien Ag Solutions (formerly Crop Production Services) in western Kentucky as a chemical and fertilizer salesman. He currently resides in Tifton, Georgia, with his wife Rhonda. Together they have seven children and 13 grandchildren.

Research and Education Award – Dr. Corley Holbrook, U.S. Department of Agriculture The Georgia Peanut Research and Education Award is presented to Dr. Corley Holbrook, research leader for the USDA-ARS Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit in Tifton, Georgia. He also has over 30 years of experience in peanut breeding and genetic research. Holbrook has published over 500 technical publications and delivered numerous invited presentations at regional, national, and international conferences.

He has served on the Board of Directors of the American Peanut Research and Education Society (APRES) and the Crop Science Society of America. Holbrook has also served as president of APRES. He developed ‘Tifguard’ - the first peanut cultivar with resistance to both the peanut root-knot nematode and tomato spotted wilt virus. Holbrook recently released TifNV-High O/L which combines these resistances with the high oleic characteristic. He also served as a co-chair of the Research Steering Committee for the Peanut Genomic Initiative. Holbrook led the work to develop structured population and to phenotype these populations for economically important traits. This has resulted in the identification of numerous genetic markers that can be used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of all U.S. peanut breeding programs.

Media Award – Brad Haire, Southeast Farm Press The Georgia Peanut Media award is presented to Brad Haire, editor of Southeast Farm Press. Raised in South Georgia, Haire has covered the South’s diverse agriculture for more than 20 years, working with daily and weekly newspapers, as news director of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, editor of Farm Progress Companies Southern Farmer and now as editor of Southeast Farm Press. His stories and photographs about agriculture have been published across the country. His video work has appeared on television stations in Georgia and websites across the region. He has contributed to segments for NBC and CBS affiliates, CNN, Animal Planet, PBS and National Geographic, too, and has produced a daily farm radio show. He’s won a handful of national awards for Extension educational materials.

He lives in South Georgia with his wife, Teresa, and their two children Brandon and Charlee.

Congratulations to the 2019 Georgia Peanut Farm Show Award winners!

Check out the Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference UGA Peanut Team Seminar and Seed Seminar presentations online at gapeanuts.com.

The presentations will be available following the Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference.

22

Southeastern Peanut Farmer January/February 2019

Special Award - Gary Black, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture The Georgia Peanut Special Award is presented to Georgia’s Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black.

For more than 35 years Commissioner Black has championed sound state and federal policies impacting food safety, science-based environmental stewardship and agricultural marketing. Recently being elected for his third term, Commissioner Black remains committed to fostering growth in Georgia’s No. 1 industry. Black devoted many hours to recovery efforts following Hurricane Michael this past fall and helped farmers have a voice nationwide on the damage to agriculture in Georgia.

Black’s love of agriculture was first sparked on his family’s farm in Commerce. He became an active member of the Commerce FFA and was elected president of the Georgia FFA Association in 1975. Black attended the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, where he earned a degree in agricultural education and interned with Sen. Herman Talmadge and the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture.

Upon completing his degree at UGA, Black worked for Georgia Farm Bureau as the Young Farmers coordinator for seven years before being named president of the Georgia Agribusiness Council, where he served for 21 years.

Commissioner Black was first elected in November 2010 and immediately set out to retool the Department of Agriculture so it could continue to serve farmers and producers in a 21st century economy. Georgia Grown - the Department’s marketing and economic development arm - was revitalized as a business-minded program that seeks to help Georgia producers find new markets and consumers. As part of the Department’s new goal to bolster local economies and local food systems, the Department of Agriculture and Georgia Grown launched the Feed My School program which aims to connect local school systems with producers in their area. In recognition of these successes, Commissioner Black was named Georgia Trend Magazine’s Georgian of the Year in 2017.

Despite all this, Gary W. Black would rather be referred to as Lydia’s husband and Ward and Caroline’s dad. He and Lydia continue to raise commercial beef cattle on his family farm in Commerce. The Blacks are also active in the Sunday school and music ministries of Maysville Baptist Church.

Special Award - American Peanut Shellers Association The Georgia Peanut Special Award is presented to the American Peanut Shellers Association in recognition of its 100th anniversary. The APSA is a non-profit trade association, composed of commercial peanut shellers and crushers. Chartered on April 5, 1919, the association is the oldest organized group in the peanut industry. The primary purpose of the American Peanut Shellers Association is to promote the common interests of those engaged in the peanut shelling industry and more particularly, those in the Southeastern states.

The Association consists of both active (commercial peanut shellers and crushers) and associate members (other affiliated businesses). The Association provides a unified base and forum for members working closely together to advance the industry, both at home and abroad. APSA provides information to all of its members, as well as a multitude of items to aid in marketing and sales. In addition, APSA is involved in various peanut promotional projects throughout the year. The active members of the Association are the founders of both The Peanut Institute and The Peanut Institute Foundation.

The American Peanut Shellers Association is a co-sponsor of the annual USA Peanut Congress - the largest meeting of all segments in the peanut industry. This conference allows the members an opportunity to meet and discuss affairs with key industry figures worldwide.

Special Award - University of Georgia Tifton Campus The Georgia Peanut Special Award is presented to the University of Georgia Tifton Campus in recognition of its 100th anniversary. Originally formed as the Coastal Plain Experiment Station in 1919, the campus is now known as the University of Georgia Tifton Campus. It is one of three campuses that form the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, along with the Athens and Griffin Campuses.

For 100 years, UGA-Tifton has been committed to the land-grant mission supporting Georgia’s peanut farmers. In 1949, scientist James Shepherd developed and tested the first peanut combine. Current combines implement many of the same concepts as first developed by Shepherd. Also, the UGA-Tifton Peanut Team has been instrumental in developing management strategies to counter tomato spotted wilt virus, a devastating disease in the mid-90s. The team is comprised of scientists from different disciplines who are dedicated to help grow an industry that produces half of the United States’ peanut crop.

UGA-Tifton is celebrating its campus Centennial this year, which will culminate with a special event on May 3, 2019, the official date the campus was formed in Tifton, Georgia. There are 76 scientists on campus. Students can also stay close and go far at UGA-Tifton by studying in one of four undergraduate programs and two graduate masters programs. UGA-Tifton has an economic impact of $83 million. It also operates the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center, whose yearly impact on the local economy is $5 million. UGA-Tifton is among the top five employers in Tift County, Georgia.

January/February 2019 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

23

Outstanding Georgia Peanut Farmer of the Year District Winners District 1 – Joe Heard, Joe Heard Farms, Newton, Georgia The District 1 winner is Joe Heard of Newton, Georgia. Heard began farming in 1957 at the young age of 14. During that year, he made his first crop of peanuts and corn. While in school, it was tradition during that time period for many of the children to work on the farm during some of the school days. Heard remembers missing school to work on the farm, and he continues to work hard every day on the farm with his sons and grandsons. Through the years, he has also grown milo, wheat, rye and cotton on the farm. The farm has been recognized numerous times through the years for high corn yields in the Dekalb Fieldmaster’s Club and high peanut yields in the Georgia Money Maker Club (now known as the Georgia Peanut Achievement Club). In addition to farming, Heard serves on the board for American Peanut Growers Group in Donalsonville and manages Five Points Peanut Buying Point in Newton. The buying point purchases 13,700 tons annually for APGG and 50 to 70 percent of those peanuts are grown by the Heard family. The farm is a stockholder in Miller County Gin and operates Joe Heard Trucking. Today, the farm is approximately 10,000 acres and still remains a family farm. The farm includes his two sons, Jerry and Jeff, and grandsons Chase, Will, Walker and Kevin. Joe and his wife, Nancy, are proud their family is involved in agriculture and their children and grandchildren have returned to rural Georgia to carry on the family tradition in agriculture.

Heard’s family includes two sons, Jerry and Jeff and one daughter, Karen. Jerry is married to Tammy and they have four children: Brooklyn Holt, Chase, Will and Walker, along with great grandchildren Sawyer and Henry Holt. Jeff is married to Janna and they have two children, Kevin and Caroline. Karen League lives in Toccoa, Georgia, with her two children, Cason and Gabby, where she is a practicing speech language pathologist.

District 2 – Ray Peele, Peele Farms, Lenox, Georgia The District 2 winner is Ray Peele of Lenox, Georgia. Peele, a third-generation farmer, began farming in 1960 with a one-row Farmall tractor, 4 acres of peanuts, 4 acres of cotton, 2 acres of tobacco and 45 acres of corn. Through the years, the farm has continued to grow and expand including watermelons and cantaloupes.

Today, the farm encompasses 800 acres of cotton, peanuts and watermelons along with seven John Deere tractors, GPS enabled guidance and a KMC Flex Digger. The farm also raises beef cattle and has six broiler houses. Peele has two sons, Gerold Jr. and Mark, who are involved on the farm today. Even with his sons involved on the farm, Peele enjoys plowing up peanuts at harvest time and remembers how many advancements have been made in agriculture from his early farming day with his dad and stringing peanuts at harvest time to dry. In his free time, he enjoys riding in his truck looking at the crops and watching his sons work.

Peele is a stockholder in Lenox Peanut Co. and is a member of the Berrien County Young Farmers, Georgia Farm Bureau and former FFA member. In addition to farming, Peele believed in education and served on the local school board from 1972 to 1976. He is a member of Union Grove Church of God and served as the church clerk for 16 years and Sunday school teacher for 35 years. He also served as chief of the volunteer fire department for 20 years. He obtained an associate’s degree at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Peele was married to Aneta who passed away in 2011. Their children are Gerold Jr., who is married to Olga and Mark, who is married to Carmen. He has two grandchildren: Kelly and Gerry. Peele was nominated for this award in the fall of 2018 but unfortunately passed away on Dec. 19, 2018, before he could be fully recognized for his many contributions to agriculture.

Thanks to Agri Supply for sponsoring the Outstanding Georgia Peanut Farmer of the Year award and to BASF for sponsoring the Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer.

24

Southeastern Peanut Farmer January/February 2019

District 3 – Bobby C. Smith Jr., Smith Farms, Rocky Ford, Georgia The District 3 winner is Bobby C. Smith Jr. of Rocky Ford, Georgia. Smith is a third-generation farmer who started farming in 1974. He is a lifetime resident of Screven County and graduated from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College before beginning to farm full-time. Today the farm includes 8,500 acres in Screven and Jenkins County. Smith farms with his two sons, Jason and Justin, and together they grow cotton, corn, peanuts and wheat. In 2010, Smith was recognized as the Conservationist of the Year by the Ogeechee River Soil and Water Conservation District. He is an honorary member of the Screven County FFA and the farm hosts the Screven County FFA Alumni Pheasant Shoot annually. Smith received the Honorary State FFA Degree in 2017 from Georgia FFA Association. He currently serves as secretary on the Board of Directors for the Planters Electric Membership Cooperative. Smith also serves on the Planters EMC Finance Committee and previously served as chairman on the Policy Committee. He serves on the Georgia EMC Board and was selected as GEMC Director Volunteer of the Year in 2014. Smith also serves on the Board of Directors for Oglethorpe Power Company and has served as chairman since 2015. Since 2010, He has served as chairman of the Screven County Industrial Development Authority. In 2013, Smith was selected as Georgia Economic Developers Association Volunteer of the Year. He has served on the Ogeechee Technical College Board since 2017. Smith is also a member of the Sylvania Lions Club and was selected as the Lion of the Year in 2003. He was also selected as Sylvania Rotary Club Citizen of the Year in 2013. Smith is married to Kaye and they have two sons: Jason and Justin. Jason is married to Cali and they have three children: Calin, Jay Conley and Jacob. Justin is married to Amber and they have one son: Bradley.

District 4 – Windell Gardner, Bayou Plantation, Cordele, Georgia The District 4 winner is Windell Gardner of Bayou Plantation in Cordele, Georgia. Gardner is a secondgeneration farmer who has farmed in multiple states through the years. He began farming in 1982 in Bainbridge, Georgia. In Bainbridge, the farm consisted of vegetables, cotton, peanuts and cattle. In 2004, he moved to Arkansas and grew cotton. Then in 2011, he moved to West Texas and grew wheat, corn and raised cattle. He finally moved back to the current farm in Cordele, Georgia, in 2013 and farms today with his son Drew and son-in-law, Ric. He currently farms 3,154 acres in Crisp, Dooly and Lee counties, where he grows peanuts, corn and raises beef cattle. One of his fondest memories while farming is being able to buy a 1989 John Deere tractor he used when he first started farming. He sold the tractor to a farmer in Virginia and then years later Gardner saw it on auction site in Ohio and discovered it was his old tractor. He was excited to be able to buy it again and return it to the family farm in 2018. While farming in Bainbridge, he served on the FSA county board and received honors as the Soil and Water Conservationist of the Year, Decatur County Chamber Cotton Award and Vegetable Award. He also received high yield awards for his corn and peanuts, and in 1993 was the state winner of the Georgia Money Maker Club (now known as the Georgia Peanut Achievement Club). He received the Bainbridge FFA Blue and Gold Award and was presented with the Honorary Chapter Farmer award. In 2008, his farm was named the Jefferson County Farm Family of the Year in Arkansas. Gardner is married to Brenda and they have two children, Dia and Drew. Dia is married to Ric Dean and they have four children: Maddie, Maelee, Mary Richard and Margo. Drew is married to Ashley and they have one child, Mille Drew.

District 5 – James Gaston, Teel-Crawford-Gaston Plantation, Americus, Georgia The District 5 winner is James Gaston of Americus, Georgia. The Centennial Farm was first purchased in 1919 by Gaston’s granddad. His father began farming in 1926 and then he began farming in 1972 after teaching school for five years. The original house built on the farm in 1856 and 750 acres of the original plantation were placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of Interior in 2004 and the farm was named a Georgia Centennial Farm in 2005. Gaston’s younger son, Wes, joined the family farm in 2018. The farm today consists of 1,385 acres of peanuts, cotton, corn, soybeans, hay and timber, as well as beef cattle. Through the years, Gaston has been honored for his high peanut yields in the Georgia Money Maker Club (now known as the Georgia Peanut Achievement Club) and won state honors three times.

In 2018, he received the Sumter County 4-H You Rock award. Gaston serves on the Board of Directors for Sumter County Farm Bureau and served on the Georgia Farm Bureau Soybean & Feed Grain Committee, where he served as chairman for two years. He previously served for 11 years on the Lower Chattahoochee River Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors. Gaston is also a member of Sumter County Young Farmers, FFA Alumni and SOWEGA Cattlemen’s Club. He currently serves on the Sumter County Board of Elections and previously served on the Sumter County Board of Education, Sumter County Zoning Board and Sumter County Board of Equalization. Gaston is a member of Concord Methodist Church, CMC Men’s Club and chartered the local Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp in 1974. He is married to Nancy and they have two sons, Jim and Wes. Jim is married to Leah and they have one daughter, Pearl. Wes is married to Mary Catherine and they have two children, Lilly and Emma.

The Georgia Peanut Commission presents the Outstanding Georgia Peanut Farmer of the Year awards to one farmer in each of the commission’s five districts. This award is designed to honor farmers who have given life-long devotion to peanut farming and who have the passion, diligence, leadership and desire to see that the peanut industry in the state of Georgia continues to represent the highest quality possible. The awards are presented during a breakfast held prior to the opening of the Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference on Jan. 17, 2019, at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center. This award is sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission and Agri Supply.

January/February 2019 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

25

Thanks to the 2019 Georgia Peanut Farm Show Exhibitors Able Ag Solutions, LLC Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) Actagro ADAMA Adkinson Motorsports AgAmerica Lending, LLC AgResource Management Agri-AFC Agri Supply Aimtrac AirEvac Alltech Crop Science Amadas Industries American Peanut Council/The Peanut Foundation American Peanut Research & Education Society AMVAC Chemical Arysta LifeScience Atlantic & Southern Equipment Avery Crop Insurance BASF Corporation Bayer CropScience Bayer - Seed Division Bill Hembree Insurance Chandler Equipment Co. Chemical Containers, Inc. Colombo NA Corteva Agriscience Custom Ag Formulators, Inc. D&D Irrigation Services LLC Drexel Chemical Farm Credit Associations of Georgia Flint Ag & Turf Florida Foundation Seed Producers, Inc. FMC Corporation Georgia Corn Growers Association Georgia Crop Improvement Association Georgia Department of Agriculture Georgia Development Authority Georgia Farm Bureau Georgia Federal-State Inspection Service Georgia’s Integrated Cultivar Release System Georgia Organic Solutions, LLC Georgia Peanut Commission Greenleaf Technologies, LLC Harrell Ag Hays LTI InformedAg Jager Pro JLA International Kelley Manufacturing Co. Lasseter Tractor Company Lindsay Corp.

LMC Ag LLC Meherrin Ag & Chemical Nachurs

National Peanut Board National Peanut Buying Points Association NewLeaf Symbiotics Newton Crouch Inc. Nichino America Inc. Nolin Steel Nutrien Ltd. O2YS Corporation Omya, Inc. Peanut Proud, Inc. Pearman Corporation Peerless Manufacturing Co. Perry Brothers Oil Phytogen Pioneer Poly Tech Industries Propane Education & Research Council Rabo AgriFinance Rainbow Manufacturing Co. Reinke Irrigation R.W. Griffin Industries LLC South Georgia Banking Company Southeast Ag Equipment Southeast Farm Press Southeastern Peanut Farmer Southern AGCOM, Inc. Southern Drawl Cotton Southern Peanut Farmers Federation Southern Peanut Growers Specialty Sales Stallings Crop Insurance Staplcotn Sumner Ag Services, Inc. Sunbelt Ag Expo Syngenta The KBH Corporation The Peanut Grower Trellis, Inc. Triangle Chemical Company University of Georgia American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers University of Georgia Peanut Team University of Georgia Tifton Campus U.S. Ag LLC USDA-ARS Nat. Peanut Research Lab USDA Farm Service Agency USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA National Research Conservation Service USDA Rural Development U.S. Peanut PAC Valent USA LLC Valley Irrigation Vantage Southeast Walinga USA, Inc.

National Peanut Board elects officers an Ward, a peanut farmer from Clarkton, N. C., was elected chairman of the 12-member National Peanut Board last week during the Board’s quarterly meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. Ward, who served last year as vice chairman, will begin his one-year term January 1. Greg Gill of Walnut Ridge, Ark., is immediate past chairman.

“I’m humbled and honored to serve as chairman of the National Peanut Board this year,” Ward says. “We have a broad program of work to implement in 2019— everything from our Early Introduction campaign to drive awareness of the guidelines for the prevention of peanut allergies, to funding effective production research to increasing consumption of peanuts and peanuts butter. It should be a busy and productive year.”

Also, National Peanut Board elected Peter Froese Jr. of Seminole, Texas, as vice chairman; Andy Bell of Climax, Georgia, as treasurer; and Les Crall of Weatherford, Oklahoma, as secretary.

Officers will serve one-year terms

D

Peanut Buying Points Winter Conference The National Peanut Buying Points Winter Conference is set for Feb. 15-18, 2019, at the Hilton Nashville Downtown in Nashville, Tennessee.

The 2019 conference theme is “Insuring a Future in Peanuts” with sessions on insurance, future crop predictions, risk management and the farm bill. All buying points, shellers and industry associates are invited to attend.

The program will kick off on Friday night with a Welcome Reception.

Educational sessions will be held on Saturday and Sunday mornings. There will also be a Prayer & Awards Breakfast on Sunday morning. The Great Cash Giveaway Reception and Auction will be held Sunday evening.

Registration is available online at www.peanutbuyingpoints.org. For more information or to obtain a registration form, email Angela Elder at spearmanagency@friendlycity.net. t

National Peanut Board 2018 officers pictured are (l-r) Dan Ward, North Carolina, chairman; Andy Bell, Georgia, treasurer; Les Crall, Oklahoma, secretary, and Peter Froese Jr., Texas, vice chairman.

beginning January 1.

During the meeting in December, USDA swore in seven farmer leaders who were appointed earlier in 2018 by Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

The members will serve three-year terms from Jan. 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2021.

Returning members sworn in were Andy Bell (Georgia), Bud Bowers (South Carolina) and Peter Froese Jr. (Texas).

The returning alternate is Jeff Roper (Texas). The new member to be sworn in

is Micah Barham, (At-Large, Louisiana).

Harry Wimberly (South Carolina) and Clay Deane (At-Large, Missouri) are the new alternates sworn in.

Sec. Perdue announced Dec. 27, 2018, the appointment of Casey Cox, Camilla, Ga., to fill a vacant seat as an alternate on the National Peanut Board.

The three-year term begins Jan. 1, 2019.

The South Carolina Peanut Board seeks eligible peanut producers who are interested in serving on the National Peanut Board. South Carolina Peanut Board will hold a nominations election to select two nominees for alternate to the National Peanut Board during a meeting at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 23, 2019, at Clark’s Restaurant in Santee, S.C. Neal Baxley, Jr. of Mullins, S.C. currently serves as the alternate. The term for the current South Carolina alternate expires Dec. 31, 2018.

For more information on the promotions and activities of the National Peanut Board, visit their website at www.nationalpeanutboard.org. t

Barber receives Distinguished Service Award Fourth generation County since 1963, Marion County farmer growing melons and Thomas Richard Barber peanuts and raising Jr. recently received the cattle. highest award Florida Barber has served Farm Bureau awards it’s on the Marion County members, the Farm Bureau Board of Distinguished Service Directors and served as Award. county president from “Richard has been 1973 to 1975 and from involved in most 1993 to 1995. Barber led Florida Farm Bureau president John Hoblick, presents Richard Barber with the effort to create the dimensions of activity the Distinguished Service Award in the agricultural Florida peanut check-off during the Florida Farm Bureau’s community,” says John annual meeting in October. and is a charter member Hoblick, Florida Farm of the Florida Peanut Bureau president. “He has been a loyal Producers Association. He also served on Farm Bureau leader and a community vol- the Board of Directors of many other unteer who has always been willing to agricultural organizations including assist other colleagues. He has also been a Florida Watermelon Grower’s positive mentor for young people.”

Association, Florida Peanut Advisory Barber was born in Ocala, Florida, Council, National Peanut Board and Farm and graduated from Ocala High School in Credit of Florida. Barber was recognized 1956. He graduated from the University as Florida Farmer of the Year and later as of Florida in 1961 with a Bachelor of Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Science in animal husbandry and Year. He was inducted into the Florida nutrition. He has been farming in Marion Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2004. t January/February 2019 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

27

Class XI of Peanut Leadership Academy begins wenty peanut growers and sheller representatives from across the Southeast, Texas and the Virginia-Carolina area began Class XI of the Peanut Leadership Academy Dec. 9-12, 2018, in Panama City Beach, Florida. The Peanut Leadership Academy is hosted by the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation and is a cooperative effort between Syngenta Crop Protection, the American Peanut Shellers Association and grower organizations.

The program began in 1998 with the first class of 14 peanut growers from Alabama, Florida and Georgia. Since then, the academy has grown to include farmers from Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and sheller representatives.

Activities in the leadership program are structured to give participants a thorough understanding of the U.S. peanut industry. Throughout the course of 18 months and five sessions, program attendees participate in activities ranging from field trips, meetings with industry leaders and professional development training, as well as an overview of legislative activities in Washington, D.C. During this time, participants build on leadership skills, discuss and debate key industry issues and build relationships.

T

Twenty peanut growers and sheller representatives from across the Southeast, Texas and the Virginia-Carolina area began Class XI of the Peanut Leadership Academy Dec. 9-12, 2018, in Panama City Beach, Florida.

During the first session of the program, the class members were introduced, presented an overview of the peanut industry, discussed industry issues, completed etiquette training and attended the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation annual meeting.

Session two of Class XI is scheduled for April 3-5, 2019. For more information on the Peanut Leadership Academy, contact PLA Coordinator, Jessie Bland at the Georgia Peanut Commission or visit www.southernpeanutfarmers.org. t

BY JESSIE BLAND

Peanut Leadership Academy Class XI Alabama: Wade Helms, Dothan Kevin Holland, Bay Minette Justin House, Uriah Lance Miller, Boaz

Georgia: Knapp Boddiford, Sylvania Blake Edenfield, Brooklet Andrew Grimes, Tifton Kevin Rentz, Brinson

Florida: Tyler Brown, Jay Ashby Massey, Graceville Mikaela Massey, Graceville

North Carolina: Brandon Belch, Conway South Carolina: Neal Baxley, Mullins

u Learn more online at www.southernpeanutfarmers.org.

28 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

January/February 2019

Texas: Lexi Floyd, Brownfield Rustin Knight, Brownfield Benny Teichroeb, Seminole Virginia: Wesley Barnes, Courtland Sheller Representatives: Brook Birdsong, Birdsong Peanuts Carson Daughtrey, Birdsong Peanuts Megan Fletcher, Golden Peanut & Tree Nuts

Alabama-Florida Peanut Trade Show set for February 7 he 14th annual AlabamaPeanut growers who attend will not only Florida Peanut Trade Show is be able to fine tune their farming operations, fast approaching. This year’s but will have a chance to win prizes valued show will be held Thursday, at thousands of dollars. Kelley Feb. 7, 2019, at the National Peanut Festival Manufacturing Co. is donating the Grand Fairgrounds, located on Hwy. 231 South in Door Prize this year. The winner will receive Dothan, Alabama. the use of a new six-row peanut combine for Sponsored by the Alabama Peanut the 2019 harvesting season, with the option Producers Association and the Florida of purchasing the combine through an Peanut Producers Association, the one-day authorized KMC dealer with $15,000 off the Attendees have the opportunity to view the list price. The winner must be certified as a event offers farmers a full day to view the products and services of more than 80 peanut grower with an FSA farm number, industry products and services of more than exhibitors at the Alabama-Florida Peanut and must be present to win.

80 exhibitors. The trade show opens at 8:30 Trade Show, Feb. 7 in Dothan, Ala. All peanut growers are invited and a.m. and will continue until noon with a encouraged to attend. For more information on the show, lunch immediately following. including exhibit space availability, contact APPA at Following the catered lunch, Marshall Lamb, National Peanut Research Lab, will speak to growers about crop outlook 334-792-6482 or klhataway@alpeanuts.com. t as well as the current market status.

T

February 7, 2019 National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds Dothan, Alabama Registration/Trade Show 8:30 a.m.

Door Prizes Catered Lunch More than 80 exhibitors For more information contact: Alabama Peanut Producers Association Ph. 334-792-6482 www.alpeanuts.com Florida Peanut Producers Association Ph. 850-526-2590 www.flpeanuts.com

30

Southeastern Peanut Farmer January/February 2019

Mississippi Peanut Growers Association annual meeting set for Jan. 29-30, 2019 he Mississippi Peanut Growers Association plan to hold their 14th annual meeting and trade show Jan. 29-30, 2019, at the Lake Terrace Convention Center in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The event provides growers with the latest information on peanut production, research and new products.

Growers will have the opportunity to visit with several exhibitors showcasing equipment and services for the peanut industry. Exhibits open at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 29.

Speakers during the annual meeting will provide an update on peanut varieties, agronomic practices, peanut market outlook for 2019, weed and insect research in Mississippi peanuts. Growers will also hear reports on checkoff activities of MPGA and the National Peanut Board. For more information visit www.misspeanuts.com. t

T

Jan. 29-30, 2019 Lake Terrace Convention Center Hattiesburg, Mississippi Tues., Jan. 29 - 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., Wed., Jan. 30 - 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Florida Peanut Producers Assn.

44th Annual Membership Meeting February 21, 2019 Jackson County Agricultural Complex & Conference Center 2741 Penn. Ave., Marianna, Florida Registration begins at 6:00 p.m. (CST) Dinner at 6:30 p.m. (CST)

For More Information: Phone: 850-526-2590

For More Information, contact: Malcolm Broome, Executive Director Mississippi Peanut Growers Association (601) 606-3547 or malcolm@misspeanuts.com www.misspeanuts.com

2019 Alabama Peanut Production Meetings February 21 - 8:00 a.m.

Row Crops Expo, John F. Rhodes Civic Center, 301 D’Olive Street, Bay Minette February 25 11:00 a.m. - Sportman’s Lodge, Selma 5:00 p.m. - EV Smith Station, Shorter February 26 11:00 a.m. - Shane’s Rib Shack, Enterprise 5:00 p.m. - Wiregrass Research & Ext. Ctr., Headland March 5 - 6:00 p.m.

Row Crop Meeting, Covington Co. Ext., Andalusia March 21 - 5:00 p.m.

Sand Mountain Research & Ext. Center, Crossville March 22 - 11:00 a.m.

Western Sirloin Steakhouse, Moulton

For more information contact: APPA at 334-792-6482 or www.alpeanuts.com January/February 2019 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

31

Washington Outlook

by Robert L. Redding Jr.

President Trump signs 2018 Farm Bill Hurricane Relief not included in Final 115th Peanut grower priorities included in new law Congressional Action After a lengthy conference committee process, U.S. House and Senate Conferees agreed on outstanding provisions of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018.

The farm bill was approved in December, clearing the Senate by an 87-to-13 margin and the House by a 369to-47 margin. The law was signed by President Trump on Dec. 20, 2018.

Priorities for the Georgia Peanut Commission and the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation were included in the final agreement. Those include:  $535 per ton Reference Price  Storage and Handling Provisions  Separate Peanut Payment Limit The farm bill fell short of votes necessary to pass the floor earlier in the year but was able to move forward after Senate floor passage. Numerous issues held the conference up including overall funding for both Senate and House initiatives, conservation differences, the House SNAP work requirements and Title I commodity differences between the House and Senate bills.

Additional items of interest to Southeastern peanut growers include:  Option for yield update  More flexibility in choosing PLC or ARC for commodities  Conservation Stewardship Program option for those growers that lose base planted in pasture from 20092017.

This is a very good farm bill for peanut growers.

Southeastern growers had much support from members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees.

Growers should express appreciation to those members for their hard work in protecting growers and rural communities.

In addition to the GPC’s efforts, many thanks to SPFF partners Alabama Peanut Producers Association, Florida Peanut Producers Association and the Mississippi Peanut Growers Association for their support, time spent developing policy and numerous trips to Washington, D.C. Finally, since the 2002 Farm Bill, the peanut industry coalition of the SPFF, the American Peanut Shellers Association and the National Peanut Buying Points Association, have worked closely together on peanut policy issues. This coalition has proven industry segments can work together towards common goals.

Dr. Stanley Fletcher, policy professor at the Center for Rural Prosperity & Innovation at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, has summarized key peanut provisions of the farm bill on page 33.

32

Supplemental Disaster Legislation Rolls till Early 2019 Despite efforts by key ag members of the Georgia, Alabama, Florida and North Carolina congressional delegations, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black and USDA, funding for the 2018 disaster as a result of Hurricanes Michael and Florence was not included as part of the final Continuing Resolution (CR) for Fiscal Year 2019 Appropriations legislation sent to the President. The current CR funds specific agencies of the federal government through February 8, 2019. Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have been working on a supplemental disaster assistance package.

These committees are anticipated to start working again on this legislation in 2019. The U.S. House of Representatives will have new democratic leadership after January 3, 2019. U.S. Congressman Sanford Bishop will chair the Subcommittee on Agricultural Appropriations which will be critical to the disaster assistance effort.

U.S. House Ag Committee shake-ups With the democrats controlling the 116th Congress, the new Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee will be former Committee Chair Collin Peterson of Minnesota. Chairman Mike Conaway will move to Ranking Member of the committee. Subcommittee chairs have not been named to date but the next senior member of the committee is Georgia Congressman David Scott whom will chair a subcommittee. Also on the majority side are Congressmen Al Lawson and Darren Soto of Florida. Republican members of the committee from the Southeast include Georgia Congressmen Austin Scott and Rick Allen, Mike Rogers of Alabama, Neal Dunn of Florida and Trent Kelly of Mississippi.

Congressman Austin Scott will assume a Ranking Member position on a subcommittee.

There are not significant changes in the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee.

Chairman Roberts and Ranking Member Stabenow will retain their positions.

The committee may add one additional republican member as a result of the election. Critical to Southeastern peanut growers are Senators David Perdue of Georgia, John Boozman of Arkansas and Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi who serve on the Agriculture Committee.

USCMA Debate in 2019 The U.S. Congress will begin debate of the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement on trade beginning in 2019. There were already concerns in both parties about various provisions. With the majority changes in the U.S. House of Representatives, the final outcome of the agreement in Congress is still difficult to predict. In addition, as part of any agreement, there are likely to be side agreements proposed to move the legislation forward.

The SPFF has been concerned about abandoning NAFTA and will continue to work with members of Congress on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The new Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee is Richard Neal of Massachusetts. Both parties are still addressing new committee member appointments and leadership positions. Important for peanut growers is that the peanut belt is well-represented on the committee and will likely improve that position with additional new members added. In the Senate, U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson is a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee Subcommittee on Trade and the Subcommittee is chaired by Senator John Cornyn of Texas.

Southeastern Peanut Farmer January/February 2019

Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 Title I - Peanuts Covered Commodities:

Effective reference price:

As defined in the 2014 Farm Bill as well as adding seed cotton.

(To be used in the PLC calculation instead of the reference price): Is the lesser of: (A) 115% of the reference price for such covered commodity; or (B) Greater of: a. The reference price for such covered commodity; or b. 85% of the Olympic average of the most recent 5 crop years marketing year average price.

This implies that the effective reference price for peanuts can range from $535 per ton (current reference price) to a maximum of $615.25 per ton.

Base Acres: As defined in the 2014 Farm Bill and recorded for the farm for the 2018 crop year. No base reallocation or updating was included in the language. However, it does have language for treatment of unplanted base on a farm that was planted to grass or pasture (including cropland that was idle or fallow). If a farm’s entire cropland was planted to grass or pasture as well as the cropland that was idle or fallow during the time period of January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2017, the bases and payment yields for that farm would be maintained. However, no ARC/PLC payments can be made to those bases for the 2019 through 2023 crop years.

Furthermore, producers on such farm will not have the option of changing the election between ARC/PLC for those covered commodities bases. Included in the language is the prohibition on reconstitution of the farm to get around this feature. Farms that have the ARC/PLC payments suspended will have the opportunity to participate in a 5-year grassland incentive contract under the Conservation Stewardship Program at a rate of $18 per base acre.

Payment Yield: As defined in the 2014 Farm Bill 90% of the 2008-2012 crop years average yield per planted acre could be the covered commodity’s payment yield if the landowner of the farm selected the update.

Language was included where for the landowner will have a single opportunity to update payment yield on their farm beginning with the crop year 2020. If landowner decides to update the payment yield on a covered commodity by covered commodity basis, the new payment yield will be 90% of the average yield per planted acre for the crop years of 2013-2017 multiplied by the yield update factor for that covered commodity. The yield update factor for peanuts is 0.9273. If for a given year, the farm’s covered commodity yield is less than 75% of the average county yield for 2013-2017, USDA shall assign a yield for that crop year equal to 75% of the average of the 2013-2017 county yield.

Marketing year average price: National average market price received by producers during the 12-month marketing year. (Same as in 2014 Farm Bill.)

Marketing Loan: The marketing loan was increased for certain covered commodities.

For peanuts and cotton, their marketing loan rate remained the same as in the 2014 Farm Bill (Peanuts - $355/ton and Upland cotton $0.45-$0.52/lb). For calculations of PLC/ARC for seed cotton, the loan rate is $0.25/lb but is a NO non-recourse marketing assistance loan for seed cotton.

PLC Calculation: The effective price is the higher of the marketing year average price or the national average loan rate. (Same as in 2014 Farm Bill) If the effective price, is less than the effective reference price, the PLC payment is determined. The payment formula is the same as in the 2014 Farm Bill but with a change using the effective reference price definition instead of strictly the reference price.

Payment formula = 85%*Base Acres*Payment Yield* (Effective reference price-effective price).

Special Rules for Peanuts: Same as in the 2014 Farm Bill in regards to administering the marketing assistance loans through DMAs, marketing cooperatives and FSA; storage of loan peanuts; and storage, handling and associated costs – USDA pays handling and other associated costs but no storage costs but will be repaid when the loan is redeemed.

If forfeited, USDA pays storage, handling and other associated costs. Repayment rate for loan peanuts is the same as in the 2014 Farm Bill.

Updated ARC/PLC Election Options: Producers have a choice between ARC and PLC on a crop by crop and farm by farm basis starting with the 2019 crop year. The choice made for 2019 crop year will also apply to the 2020 crop year. For crop years 2021 through 2023, producers will have flexibility to make annual decisions between ARC and PLC on a crop by crop and farm by farm basis.

Payment Limitations:

Reference price: Same as in the 2014 Farm Bill except seed cotton which is the same as in the 2018 seed cotton provision.

Peanuts - $535/ton

Oats - $2.40/bu

Wheat - $5.50/bu

Rice (long and medium) - $14.00/cwt

Corn - $3.70/bu

Soybeans - $8.40/bu

Grain Sorghum - $3.95/bu Barley - $4.95/bu

Seed cotton - $0.367/lb.

u AGI limit is same as in 2014 Farm Bill (i.e., $900,000 3-year average). u Separate peanut payment limit. u $125,000 payment limit for ARC/PLC payments. u Marketing loan gains (MLG) and loan deficiency payments (LDP) are not included in the payment limit. u Includes changes for family member definition such that first cousin, niece and nephew are included. Spousal rule still applies.

January/February 2019 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

33

Southern Peanut Growers Download 2019 calendar featuring illustrated peanut butter recipes

Early introduction gift baskets promotion on instagram

Southern Peanut Growers teamed up with They Draw & Cook to solicit great food and cooking illustrations and recipes featuring our favorite food: peanut butter! More than 350 illustrations were submitted for consideration from October 1 - 23, 2018. The top three winners were announced on October 30: Peanut Butter Cream Punch by Batsheva @batshevadesigns, Yummy Small Peanut Butter Pancakes by Anna Lindsten @annalindsten, Chocolate PB Granola by Tara Langlois @thingstaramakes.

Ten finalists were selected and competed for the People’s Choice Award from November 1 - 11 on the Southern Peanut Growers Facebook page. The winner was PB Banana Smoothie with Spinach by Delight Grace @delightfullybe with 459 votes.

Southern Peanut Growers gained 126 new Instagram followers and 157 new Facebook page likes during this promotion.

The top twelve illustrated recipes were made into a 2019 calendar which is available for printing on the Southern Peanut Growers website www.PeanutButterLovers.com.

The Southern Peanut Growers conducted a giveaway for two early introduction gift baskets for new parents November 26 - 30, 2018, on Instagram. Followers could enter themselves if they had young babies or could tag their Instagram friends who have young babies to enter them in the contest. In five days, there Winners of the Southern Peanut Growers were 171 valid entries and Instagram contest Southern Peanut Growers received a gift basket gained 27 new followers on filled with baby friendly products to assist with Instagram.

The gift baskets, provided early introduction of peanut products.

by National Peanut Board, included: a copy of Born to Eat: Whole Healthy Foods from Baby’s First Bite, Bamba peanut puffs, Puffworks Baby peanut puffs, Peanut Butter & Co. peanut butter, Crazy Richards powdered peanut butter, Little Nut peanut butter packets, Inspired Start peanut and apple pouches, Baby bowl and spoon set, PB&J themed bib, and early introduction resource cards.

The winners of the gift baskets were Teresa B. in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and Rachael G. in Mt. Clemens, Michigan.

Peanut Soup Ingredients:

Directions:

8 cups of vegetables broth 1 cup of natural, smooth peanut butter ¾ cup of tomato paste 1 medium red onion, diced 1 bunch of collard greens, chopped with ribs removed 2 Tbsp. of olive oil 3 Tbsp. of sriracha 2 Tbsp. of fresh ginger, ground or grated 2 Tbsp. of garlic, minced Salt and pepper to taste

1. Add olive oil to a large pot (preferably a Dutch oven) and heat. Then add onions, garlic and ginger. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.

2. Add the broth to the pot and bring it to a boil.

3. In a separate bowl, combine peanut butter and tomato paste and mix well. Then add to the pot and whisk until its well combined with the broth.

4. Add in sriracha and collard greens and simmer for at least 30 minutes. If you have the time, let it simmer for a full hour. You can also add more sriracha if you like things really spicy. Also add salt and pepper to taste.

5. If you decide you want to add Italian sausage, cook it during this time in a separate pan. Also cook the rice at this time.

6. After the soup has simmered, serve. Add it to the bowl with rice and top with pico, additional peanuts, cilantro and sausage if you decide to go non-vegan.

Optional: Peanuts, brown rice, pico de gallo, cilantro, Italian sausage Serves 6

Created by Rachel Quenzer, The Everyday Mom Life. Rachel attended the Georgia Peanut Harvest Tour hosted by Southern Peanut Growers and Georgia Peanut Commission.

Marketing arm of

Southern Peanut Growers 1025 Sugar Pike Way · Canton, Georgia 30115 (770) 751-6615 · FAX (770) 751-6417 email: lpwagner@comcast.net Visit our website at http://www.peanutbutterlovers.com

Southern Peanut Growers Conference EDGEWATER BEACH & GOLF RESORT July 18-20, 2019 Panama City Beach, Florida

l a u n n A 21st t!

Even

Key topics: Legislation, Research and Promotion For more information contact: Alabama Peanut Producers Association P.O. Box 8805 Dothan, AL 36304 334-792-6482 Florida Peanut Producers Association 2741 Penn Avenue, Suite 1 Marianna, FL 32448 850-526-2590 Georgia Peanut Commission P.O. Box 967 Tifton, GA 31793 229-386-3470

Brought to you by the: Alabama Peanut Producers Association Florida Peanut Producers Association Georgia Peanut Commission Mississippi Peanut Growers Association

Mississippi Peanut Growers Association P.O. Box 284 Petal, MS 39465 601-606-3547

Registration opens April 1, 2019. www.southernpeanutfarmers.org