SPFF News & Resources

“Consumers are from Venus, Farmers are from Mars” was the title of the talk by luncheon speaker Charlie Arnot with the Center for Food Integrity, sponsored by BASF at the SPGC.

“There’s a huge disconnect between what consumers think and what farmers think about what’s going on in agriculture,” Arnot said. “We simply aren’t speaking the same language.”

Arnot told peanut producers that the communications game has changed dramatically with the advent of social media and consumers really want to know that farmers care, not so much about the science.

Listen to my interview with Charlie here: Charlie Arnot, Center for Food Integrity (MP3)

Check out the SPGC photo album

Researchers from universities in the southern peanut growing region presented updates on the latest R&D to help farmers fight pests and disease and increase production.

Agronomist Dr. Scott Tubbs with the University of Georgia talked about the role of peanuts in a cropping system, including the interesting history of how the peanut came to be a commercially produced crop, which was basically as a cover crop for cotton to help manage the boll weevil.

Listen to an interview with Dr. Tubbs on his presentation: Dr. Scott Tubbs, UGA (MP3)

Plant pathologist Dr. Nick Dufault with the University of Florida discussed the situation in foliar and soil-borne diseases of peanuts, especially in areas that are getting heavy moisture this year. He talked about assessing risk under the Peanut Rx program and the factors to consider in a management program with the many options for fungicides available for peanuts. “You definitely want to rotate,” he said. “That will help us maintain our longevity for these fungicides. We have so many we don’t want to lose any tools in our toolbox.”

Listen to my interview with Dr. Default here: Dr. Nick Dufault, UF (MP3)

From Auburn University, the panel also included Dr. Ayanava Majumdar – better known as Dr. A to farmers and extension agents – and his topic was the burrower bug, which he says has been around for awhile but is getting to be more prevalent in peanut fields because of environmental conditions and cultural practices. “It’s an opportunistic pest,” he said. “They are in the stink bug family of insects with piercing sucking mouth parts.” He says there are many different types so it is important to correctly identify them before doing anything about them.

Listen to my interview with Dr. A here: Dr. Ayanava Majumdar (MP3)

Check out the SPGC photo album

Farm Press has been presenting the Peanut Profitability Awards at the SPGC for 13 years, and this year was the first time a winner from the Southeast has come from Florida.

Ross, William and James Terry of I.C. Terry Farms in Lake City are this year’s winners based on 2011 average peanut yield of 5800 pounds per acre during a hot, dry summer with no irrigation.

James, pictured here with the microphone, did most of the talking for brother William and cousin Ross. “We been growing peanuts since World War II. My daddy started peanuts back when they had stationary harvesters,” James said.

One of the ways they stay profitable is keeping equipment running as long as possible. Their newest tractor is 12 years old and the oldest is 40, “and it still runs and gives us good service, so why get away from it?”

James believes that peanuts are a pretty forgiving crop and the good Lord sends rain when they need it, which is why they don’t use irrigation. “Why waste all the extra water? Peanuts only need water a couple times critically. If they get water at those times, they’ll make peanuts.”

Listen to an interview with James:
James Terry, Lake City, FL (MP3)

The other regional winners this year were Bud Bowers of Luray, South Carolina and Joe White of Frederick, Oklahoma. It was also the first time that an Oklahoma grower won in the Southwest region.

Check out the SPGC photo album

Weather, water, fuel and fertilizer are the big four areas that are out of the control of any farmer when it comes to the cost of doing business. Weather is a given, but the other variables can change almost as quickly and have just as devastating an impact on the bottom line.

Mark Masters of Albany State University with the Georgia Planning and Policy Center talked about the availability of water – both from an environmental and a policy standpoint. “We talked about issues such as drought and how that impacts the water resources and even issues related to endangered species and dwindling waters supplies in some areas,” he said.

He says that the peanut industry has already been taking steps to help growers through research into proper irrigation practices and genetics.

Listen to my interview with Mark here:
Mark Masters Interview (MP3)

The future of energy costs with finite fossil fuel resources was the topic for Dr. Gale Buchanan, former USDA chief scientist and Under Secretary for Research in the Bush Administration.

“Everyone should become knowledgeable of what the situation is with fossil energy sources of all types,” said Dr. Buchanan. “These are finite sources of energy and we need to be planning for the future.”

Dr. Buchanan stressed the need for research. “The only way we can deal with this is by strengthening our research efforts to try to make agriculture less energy intensive and still maintain productivity,” he said.

Listen to my interview with Dr. Buchanan here:
Dr. Gale Buchanan Interview (MP3)

Check out the SPGC photo album

It’s really a dichotomy that peanuts can help with two of the most pressing health problems in the world today – obesity and hunger.

Jim Leek of JLA USA said it’s reached the point where over a third of all U.S. children are considered clinically obese, especially in the south, while children are still starving in Africa. “Peanuts are just about as close to perfect a food as you can find,” he said, noting it can reverse malnutrition in a matter of weeks. Jim knows this first hand himself, and his daughter and her husband and children are currently working in Rawanda to help educate people there about peanuts and how to grow them.

Listen to my interview with Jim here:
Jim Leek Interview (MP3)

Stephanie Gruenfelder, American Peanut Council, talked about the growing use of the peanut-based nutritional product RUTF (Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food), which also contains powdered milk, sugar, and vegetable oil. “It’s designed specifically for kids who are really on the brink of death,” she said. “In 2000, one country used it as a test and it proved to be a 95% success rate.” By 2010, there were 40 countries using the product and that could be even greater if UNICEF had more dollars to spend on it.

However, Stephanie points out, peanut growers “can’t look at people who are starving as a market, we can look at it as a humanitarian opportunity for us.” To that end, the 2012 Peanut Proud Challenge was developed, urging growers to donate peanuts to be converted into RUTF and peanut butter for food banks.

Listen to my interview with Stephanie here:
Stephanie Gruenfelder Interview (MP3)

Pat Kearney with The Peanut Institute talked about some of the exciting new research they are doing that is showing how peanuts can help with weight management. “Peanuts are good for hunger even when people are overweight,” Pat says. Peanuts are a better snack choice because they keep hunger pangs at bay longer. “Just an ounce of peanuts can satisfy you for about three hours,” she said.

Another exciting study has found that peanuts with the skin are very high in antioxidants. “Peanuts with skins have actually more antioxidants and bio-actives than blueberries, green tea or chocolate,” she said.

Listen to my interview with Pat here:
Pat Kearney Interview (MP3)

Check out the SPGC photo album