SPFF News & Resources

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

Somewhere around 600 peanut farmers, industry friends and their families helped make the 2011 Southern Peanut Growers Conference one of the record books.

“We sold out more room nights than we’ve ever had, we had higher registration than we’ve ever had, and I really think we had one of the best conferences we’ve ever had,” said Don Koehler, executive director of the Georgia Peanut Commission.

Don says the growers came, despite the fact that dry conditions throughout the southern growing region are causing concerns. “I think there was some desire to just get away, I mean, you can’t make it rain!” said Don, pictured here with two grandsons enjoying the final night entertainment, sponsored by Syngenta.

Don notes that Syngenta has been a sponsor for the conference since the very beginning. “Syngenta’s been the anchor of this conference,” he said. “They were the first sponsor that came forward when we started this 13 years ago.”

Listen to my interview with Don here: Don Koehler (MP3)

“Our sales reps have a relationship with these growers that’s second to none,” said Syngenta Peanut Crop Manager Scott Johnson. “It’s a good time to have fellowship and to learn the needs of the growers and of the industry.”

Listen to Scott explain why Syngenta supports SPGC by clicking on the link below:
Scott Johnson, Syngenta (MP3)

13th Annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference Photo Album

Jimmy Lee has been a fixture at peanut events around the southeast for many moons, as the former host of the Georgia Farm Monitor radio and TV shows, and since his second retirement about four years ago he continues visiting his friends in the peanut industry to do video.

Jimmy celebrated 50 years in broadcasting in June, 2005 and was inducted into the Georgia Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2006. “I’ve met a lot of people and done a lot of interviews,” Jimmy told me. “We counted up at one point and we were about 50,000 interviews in all that time.” Among those interviews were three U.S. presidents and the Duke himself, John Wayne. From 1985-1997 he produced and hosted a weekly half-hour television program and a daily radio program for the Georgia Peanut Commission.

Jimmy says he’s stopped having birthdays and “doesn’t recommend” retirement, but he still stays busy and has a lot of fun.

Listen to my interview with Jimmy here: Jimmy Lee (MP3)