2022 Peanut Harvest Guidebook Planning for Harvest in an Unpredictable Economy By Abby Himburg Richardson
Carl Sanders and Jonathan Sanders of Alabama inspect their peanut picker during the 2021 peanut harvest.
D
espite many hopes, 2022 has turned out to be just as unpredictable as the last two years. As if harvest wasn’t arbitrary enough, add in the extremely fragile economy and supply shortages and farmers have one of the most capricious harvest seasons in decades. Therefore, it is more important than ever for farmers to take the necessary precautions to prevent their harvest season from being one of the worst ones yet. According to Kris Balkcom, Auburn University Extension peanut specialist, buying parts ahead of time could be the key to having a more successful and less stressful harvest season this year. "We see less and less parts available at stores and it will only continue to get worse during harvest as these parts are in high demand," Balkcom says. The price of peanut blades may remain the same but farmers may have
issues with availability in a couple of months. Balkcom recommends for farmers to go ahead and purchase one set of blades for every 10-15 acres of planted peanuts.
farmers to become more innovative than ever. Parker encourages farmers to be patient this season and focus on what they can do to creatively fix those issues that do arise.
"Hopefully you won’t need them but if you do, you’ll have them," Balkcom says. "Also, the blades don’t go bad, so you’ll have them for next year."
“Having faith, family and a fly rod goes a long way,” Parker says.
Balkcom also recommends for farmers to go ahead and purchase a few extra bearings, sprockets and belts. "We have no way of knowing what parts might be impossible to come by in a few months," he says. "This simple task could be the difference in saving you money in the long run." Balkcom encourages farmers to check their equipment now instead of waiting until right before harvest to do so. If repairs are needed, he suggests for farmers to get the equipment into the shop for repairs now. Between supply shortages and staff shortages, farmers may experience a longer than usual turnaround time at the repair shop. “If you know that your peanut picker is on its last leg, I would definitely purchase a new one before harvest," Balkcom says. "Now is the time to buy that extra piece of equipment you’ve been putting off purchasing.” Summer preparation can pay off big when it comes time to harvest. “Try to find ways to shift the focus away from the day-to-day stress of harvest by preparing now,” says Chris Parker, associate director of the Wiregrass Research and Extension Center. “This year will most likely pose challenges we’ve never experienced, but hopefully only man-made issues.” This harvest season may push
14 Southeastern Peanut Farmer | July/August 2022
As harvest grows closer, Parker also recommends for farmers to keep spraying. Not applying a late fungicide spray never saves any money in the long run, he adds. Farmers need to protect those leaves until the digger pulls into the field. "We all know that the weather is unpredictable," Parker says. “One lunch break watching the weather channel can change your entire harvest strategy when something sneaks into the gulf.” Another challenge facing farmers is finding labor during harvest. Parker and Balkcom suggest for farmers to reach out to their local high school agricultural education teacher for short term labor needs. The teachers may have students interested in farming that hasn’t had the opportunity to work on a farm. If farmers reach out now and find a student, then they will have time to train them and have them ready to go for harvest. The last tip from Balkcom includes taking advantage of local pod blasting clinics. The extension service host clinics in locations across Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Mississippi so Balkcom recommends for growers to check with their local extension office to see if one is being hosted in their area. Pod blasting is a great way to gauge optimal harvest time. Harvest is always unpredictable and this year will be no different. However, by planning ahead and taking a few extra steps, it might just save farmers major time and stress.
