UGA Tifton Campus to host annual Peanut Farm Show
From Georgia Faces
By Jordan Hill
University of Georgia, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
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( Image credit: Brad Haire/UGA CAES)
The University of Georgia Tifton Campus will be the center for all-things peanuts for growers and industry personnel on Thursday, Jan. 15, when the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center hosts the annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show.
Held at the conference center for the third consecutive year, the show is designed to inform and educate farmers and consultants. It also showcases the latest peanut equipment and technology. UGA economists, pathologists and entomologists from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will also be on hand to provide industry updates.
“This is the largest farm show for peanuts in any state in the Southeast,” said Scott Monfort, UGA Extension peanut agronomist. “The Georgia Peanut Farm Show is always well attended, and attendance seems to be growing now that it’s in Tifton.”
More than 100 exhibits will be set up. The college will hold a peanut production seminar and a peanut seed seminar. The event begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 15.
“It’s a celebration of the industry,” said Joe West, assistant dean on the UGA Tifton Campus. “Farmers need the latest and greatest technology to continue being successful. It’s really important to learn about the latest chemical technology and what government regulations are in place.”
UGA made improvements in and around the Tifton Campus Conference Center to allow for better access to the peanut show. A large door was constructed at the conference center to allow for the largest equipment to be moved inside for display. A dirt runway for a crop-dusting plane was also created. The runway is located across from the conference center and will allow planes to be displayed at the conference center.
Georgia produces 49 percent of all U.S. peanuts, and is the largest producer of peanuts in the country. According to the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development, Georgia produced 428,550 acres in 2013, which led to $507 million in farm gate value.
For more information on the January farm show, contact the Georgia Peanut Commission at (229) 386-3470 or visit www.gapeanuts.com.
(Jordan Hill is an intern with the UGA Tifton Campus.)