This week is the Sunbelt Expo in Moultrie.
We will complete setup tomorrow and be there the three days cooking peanuts and talking to farmers and other visitors. Actually we see far more non-peanut farm visitors than we see peanut farm visitors and do it more as a consumer show.
We will cook about a thousand pounds of peanuts in three days and the product manufacturers will give out coupons and product.
It will be a busy week.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Sunbelt Expo
This coming week is the Sunbelt Expo in Moultrie.
We will be there cooking peanuts and have several related exhibitors in the building. It seems like it was just yesterday that we finished with the last Expo.
As a side note I was at the Georgia National Fair doing a Chef's Demo yesterday and the crowd at eh cooking stage seemed about the same as in the past but the parking lot sure didn't seem as busy.
We will be there cooking peanuts and have several related exhibitors in the building. It seems like it was just yesterday that we finished with the last Expo.
As a side note I was at the Georgia National Fair doing a Chef's Demo yesterday and the crowd at eh cooking stage seemed about the same as in the past but the parking lot sure didn't seem as busy.
Busy Fall
It has been a busy Fall so I have been pretty poor at finding time to update my blog.
On top of everything else that normally happens in the Fall I have been spending a great deal of time on activities of an industry grading committee. I have never worked so hard and accomplished so little in 22 years at the Commission. Perhaps after last week it will begin to move a bit faster.
The concept of using an x-ray machine to grade peanuts is really intriguing. It won't do everything but has the potential to speed up the process on a portion of the grade factors. The current system is pretty labor intense and labor is harder and harder to come by these days, especially seasonable labor.
On top of everything else that normally happens in the Fall I have been spending a great deal of time on activities of an industry grading committee. I have never worked so hard and accomplished so little in 22 years at the Commission. Perhaps after last week it will begin to move a bit faster.
The concept of using an x-ray machine to grade peanuts is really intriguing. It won't do everything but has the potential to speed up the process on a portion of the grade factors. The current system is pretty labor intense and labor is harder and harder to come by these days, especially seasonable labor.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Cotton/Peanut Research Tour
Farmers visit with Dr. Tim Brenneman on a research plot looking at improving the effectiveness of fungicide application by spraying at night on the recent cotton/peanut research tour at the University of Georgia's Tifton Campus.
The tour was the first ever cotton/peanut research tour and was the result of a joint effort by the Georgia Cotton Commission and the Georgia Peanut Commission.
The Cotton Commission has done a research tour for years and invited the Peanut Commission to join the effort.
Farmers in attendance were complimentary of the effort and suggested that it should become an annual event.
I am very excited about this and other things we can do with the Cotton Commission. We have a lot of brainpower in both and working together will be good for our farmers.
Architectural Student Tour
Rodney Dawson, right, explains how a peanut combine works on a recent visit by a group of Architecture Students from Georgia Tech.
The students are participating in an architectural studio project at Georgia Tech to offer a number of design concepts for a new educational and promotion center being considered by the GPC board.
The students are participating in an architectural studio project at Georgia Tech to offer a number of design concepts for a new educational and promotion center being considered by the GPC board.
The tour of Agriculture in south Georgia was to give them a perspective of the breadth and scope of modern agriculture.
They were introduced to everything from a tractor with Auto-Steer to gnats. The tour also included a tour of the Agrirama to remind them of the heritage of agriculture in Georgia and the prospective site located along I-75 which is one of the busiest Interstate Highways in the US.
They were introduced to everything from a tractor with Auto-Steer to gnats. The tour also included a tour of the Agrirama to remind them of the heritage of agriculture in Georgia and the prospective site located along I-75 which is one of the busiest Interstate Highways in the US.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Rain
Tropical Storm Faye sent from 3 to 20 inches of rain across the Georgia peanut belt and about the same in Florida and Alabama.
I have looked at a lot of peanuts since the rain, even through he panhandle of Florida and Alabama all the way to the new production area near Mobile. As a rule peanuts look really good right now. I have been surprised that Spotted Wilt has been as light as it is and that White Mold hasn't just exploded.
I saw a few fields in Southwest Alabama that had been hammered pretty hard with Spotted Wilt but not much else that had severe infestations at this time.
Harvest is upon us and hopefully we get good harvest weather.
I think for a rule the rain benefited peanuts more than most other crops, especially crops more sensitive to the wind that accompanied the rain.
I have looked at a lot of peanuts since the rain, even through he panhandle of Florida and Alabama all the way to the new production area near Mobile. As a rule peanuts look really good right now. I have been surprised that Spotted Wilt has been as light as it is and that White Mold hasn't just exploded.
I saw a few fields in Southwest Alabama that had been hammered pretty hard with Spotted Wilt but not much else that had severe infestations at this time.
Harvest is upon us and hopefully we get good harvest weather.
I think for a rule the rain benefited peanuts more than most other crops, especially crops more sensitive to the wind that accompanied the rain.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Busy Week
This has been a busy week with a lot of things happening at the Peanut Commission.
We had a meeting with Brad Day of the Chamber and the Development Authority to discuss the possible acquisition of the old state patrol location on I-75 to build a new GPC office which would become an educational and promotional facility for Georgia's peanut farmers. The Commission Board has decided to move forward with an offer on the property. We have studied the issue long and hard but the time is now to move forward.
We also had a board meeting and covered a lot of business. The Administration continues to offer challenges in the implementation of this farm bill. The 10 acre base exclusion has caused a lot of problems for a lot of farmers and is a way bigger issue than peanuts. Pennsylvania has the most farms affected.
After the board meeting we had a meeting of the industry-wide grading committee. We seemed stalled for so long and now I am encouraged that there is a great deal of movement toward improving peanut grading.
I think somewhere along the way things will slow down and let us catch our breath but farming is never that way and therefore the Peanut Commission finds itself in a similar situation with always something to do.
September is going to be a busy month with harvest beginning, the Georgia Peanut Tour, A Cotton and Peanut Research Tour, The Plains Peanut Festival, the Farm Bureau Peanut Day, and so much more. Also, our March of Dimes promotion starts this month. This has been one of our great partnerships to get the health and nutrition message to consumers.
We had a meeting with Brad Day of the Chamber and the Development Authority to discuss the possible acquisition of the old state patrol location on I-75 to build a new GPC office which would become an educational and promotional facility for Georgia's peanut farmers. The Commission Board has decided to move forward with an offer on the property. We have studied the issue long and hard but the time is now to move forward.
We also had a board meeting and covered a lot of business. The Administration continues to offer challenges in the implementation of this farm bill. The 10 acre base exclusion has caused a lot of problems for a lot of farmers and is a way bigger issue than peanuts. Pennsylvania has the most farms affected.
After the board meeting we had a meeting of the industry-wide grading committee. We seemed stalled for so long and now I am encouraged that there is a great deal of movement toward improving peanut grading.
I think somewhere along the way things will slow down and let us catch our breath but farming is never that way and therefore the Peanut Commission finds itself in a similar situation with always something to do.
September is going to be a busy month with harvest beginning, the Georgia Peanut Tour, A Cotton and Peanut Research Tour, The Plains Peanut Festival, the Farm Bureau Peanut Day, and so much more. Also, our March of Dimes promotion starts this month. This has been one of our great partnerships to get the health and nutrition message to consumers.
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