southeastern peanut farmer - october/november 2014
DESCRIPTION
ÂTRANSCRIPT
A communication service of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.
Inside:n Estate Planningn Rotation n Farm Bill Update
6 Grimes honored with PeanutAchievement Club andSoutheastern Farmer of the YearPhilip Grimes, farmer from Tifton, Ga.,has been recognized for his high yieldsin peanuts through the PeanutAchievement Club and for his overallfarming practices as the SwisherSweets/Sunbelt Expo SoutheasternFarmer of the Year.
12 Crop rotation still neededPeanut crop rotation is needed nowmore than ever says Marshall Lambwith the National Peanut ResearchLab. A long crop rotation has helpedkeep peanut farming competitive withother crops because crop rotation contributes to higher yields, he says.
14 A 100 year family tradition atBirdsong PeanutsFor five generations, BirdsongPeanuts has delivered peanuts to manufacturers around the world.Today the company is helping furtherthe development of the peanut industrythrough their involvement in industryactivities.
Contents
October/November 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 3
Southeastern Peanut Farmer is published six times a year
(Jan./Feb., March, April, May/June, July/Aug., and
Oct./Nov.) by the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.
The publisher is not responsible for copy omission, typo-
graphical errors, or any unintentional errors that may
occur, other than to correct it in the following issue. Any
erroneous reflection which may occur in the columns of
Southeastern Peanut Farmer will be corrected upon
brought to the attention of the editor. (Phone 229-386-
3690.)
Postmaster: Send address changes (Form 3579) to
Southeastern Peanut Farmer, P.O. Box 706, Tifton,
Georgia, 31793.
Circulation is free to qualified peanut growers and others
allied to the industry. Periodical postage paid at Tifton,
Georgia and additional mailing office.
Editorial Content: Editorial copy from sources outside
of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation is sometimes
presented for the information and interest of our mem-
bers. Such material may, or may not, coincide with offi-
cial Southern Peanut Farmers Federation policies.
Publication of material does not necessarily imply its
endorsement by the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.
For editorial concerns call 229-386-3690. No portion of
this or past issues of the Southeastern Peanut Farmermay be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the
written consent of the editor. By-lined articles appearing
in this publication represent views of the authors and not
necessarily those of the publisher.
Advertising: The Publisher reserves the right to refuse
any advertisement. Corrections to advertisements must be
made after the first run. All billing offers subject to credit
review. Advertisements contained in this publication do
not represent an endorsement by the Southeastern PeanutFarmer or the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation. Use
of trade names in this publication is for the purpose of
providing specific information and is not a guarantee nor
warranty of products named. For advertising concerns
call 229-386-3690.
October/November 2014
Joy Carter CrosbyEditor
229-386-3690
Contributing WritersJohn Leidner
Teresa Mays
Jessie Turk
Southeastern Peanut Farmer
P.O. Box 706, Tifton, Ga. 31793
445 Fulwood Blvd., Tifton, Ga. 31794
ISSN: 0038-3694
D e p a r t m e n t s :Checkoff Report ..................................................................................Alabama Peanut Producers Association, Florida Peanut Producers Association,
Georgia Peanut Commission and Mississippi Peanut Growers Association
Washington Outlook ............................................................................
Southern Peanut Growers Update ........................................................
8
20
22
Cover Photo: Philip Grimes named the 2014 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern
Farmer of the Year. Pictured left to right, Chip Blalock, Sunbelt Expo executive director, Jane and
Philip Grimes and Ron Carroll, marketing vice president with Swisher. Photo by Joy Crosby.
4 Southeastern Peanut Farmer October/November 2014
Harvest full of sorrow, gratefulness and pride
(Let us know about your event. Please send detailsto the editor at [email protected].
Harvest is in full swing and anyone traveling through the Southeast
can tell from the smell of freshly dug peanuts to the fields of
Southern snow, also known as cotton from the locals. The fall
brings many families together to help bring in the crops each year.
There is always plenty of work to be done at harvest and each farmer is
hoping for the best weather conditions so the crop is not delayed and
harvested at its optimum maturity. This fall has already brought some farm
families sorrow, gratefulness and pride throughout the Southeast.
Near the beginning of harvest time, the peanut industry lost a valuable
leader through a farming accident. Don Self, a leader in the Mississippi
Peanut Growers Association and member of the National Peanut Board, died
Oct. 1 in a harvesting accident. Don was helping another farmer haul peanuts.
I have seen Don at countless peanut industry meetings and he always had
a smile on his face. In fact, I don’t think he has ever met a stranger. He was
always quick to introduce himself and was a wonderful spokesman for the
peanut industry. He was always willing to lend a hand with any type of
peanut promotion.
To recognize Don’s contributions to the peanut industry, the Mississippi
Peanut Growers Association has established the MPGA-Don Self Memorial
Annual Scholarship. The scholarship will be managed by the Mississippi
State University Foundation and contributions are tax deductible. The goal is
to raise $25,000 to make this an endowed scholarship and to generate at least
an annual $1,000 scholarship in perpetuity. Contributors may make a one-
time donation or make an annual pledge for up to five years.
Any individual or entity wishing to donate should make the check to
“MSU Foundation, Inc.” and note that it is in memory of Don Self. The
mailing address is: MSU Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 9760, Bost Building,
Rm 204A, Mississippi State, MS 39762.
On another note, gratefulness has filled the home of Todd Mason, a
farmer in Campbellton, Florida. Todd has been in the hospital during harvest
time battling a dying pancreas. While he has been fighting health issues,
farmers in the community have stepped up to help with harvesting Mason’s
peanuts and cotton. In addition to farmers, women in the community helped
by preparing meals for the farmers while other individuals helped by picking
up the children from school or volunteered to sit with Todd in the hospital.
I’m sure the Mason family is very grateful for the support from other
farmers throughout the harvest. This example goes to show how supportive
farmers are and their willingness to help others.
Lastly, Philip Grimes, farmer from Tifton, Georgia, is feeling pretty
excited about his recent recognition of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo
Southeastern Farmer of the Year. Philip was recognized for his farming
practices during the Sunbelt Ag Expo. More details
on the award and his farm are available on page 6.
Philip has also been recognized several times
through the Georgia Peanut Achievement Club for
his high yielding peanuts. Congratulations to Philip
and his entire family!
So, as harvest continues on and comes to a
close, I hope all of you will be spared any sorrow
from a farm accident and will be able to feel
gratefulness from others farmer helping you or feel
pride in the crop you have produced this year. t
u National Peanut Festival, Oct. 31-Nov. 9,2014, Dothan, Ala. For more information visit
nationalpeanutfestival.com.
u Georgia Farm Bureau Annual Meeting,Dec. 7-9, 2014, Jekyll Island, Ga. For more
information visit gfb.org.
u Alabama Farmers Federation AnnualMeeting, Dec. 7-8, 2014, Montgomery, Ala. For
more information visit alfafarmers.org.
u American Peanut Council WinterConference, Dec. 10-13, 2014, Washington
Marriott Hotel, Washington, D.C. For more
information visit peanutsusa.com or call
703-838-9500.
u Georgia Peanut Farm Show &Conference, Jan. 15, 2015, UGA Tifton
Campus Conference Center, Tifton, Ga. For
more information visit gapeanuts.com or call
229-386-3470.
u University of Georgia College ofAgricultural and Environmental SciencesAg Forecast Seminar, Jan. 14, 2015 -
Gainesville, Ga.; Jan. 15 - Cartersville;
Jan. 16 - Bainbridge; Jan. 21 - Lyons;
Jan. 22 - Tifton and Jan. 23 - Macon, Ga. For
more information visit georgiaagforecast.com.
u Georgia Agribusiness CouncilLegislative Breakfast, Feb. 4, 2015, Atlanta,
Ga. For more information visit GAC online at
ga-agribusiness.org.
u Georgia Peanut Commission ResearchReport Day, Feb. 11, 2015, Tifton, Ga. For
more information visit gapeanuts.com.
u Peanut Butter & Jelly Day at the GeorgiaState Capitol, March 3, 2015, Atlanta, Ga. For
more information visit gapeanuts.com.
Editorial Calendar of Events
Joy Carter CrosbyEditor
October/November 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 5
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture recently released
the September 2014 Certified
Acreage Report for Peanuts
which shows a slight increase in 2014
planted acreage when comparing the
acreage to recent years.
These reports can be confusing on the
surface. To clarify, when farmers certify
their planted peanut acreage at their local
Farm Service Agency (FSA) office, the
acreage is classified into one of three cat-
egories based on intended use. The cate-
gories are nut peanuts, green peanuts and
hogged peanuts. The only category rele-
vant to the traditional peanut market for
peanut butter, snacks, candy and inshell
peanuts is the nut category. So, when the
certified acres from the green peanuts and
hogged peanuts are removed, the total
peanut acreage planted for the traditional
market is 1,310,521 acres in 2014.
It is also important to note that when
you are comparing data from one year to
the next, you can’t always use the previ-
ous year’s data. In 2013, farmers planted
a reduced acreage of 1,053,271 which
was more comparable to the acreage
planted in the 1920s.
“The 2013 planted acreage was an
extreme outlier,” says Stanley Fletcher,
director of the National Center for Peanut
Competitiveness, University of Georgia.
“To really understand the magnitude of
the 2014 peanut acreage, one needs to
compare it against a norm.”
Since peanuts are a rotational crop,
the best measure for a norm is the
Olympic average of the 2008-2012 peanut
planted acreage which was 1,294,878
acres. By comparing the 2014 planted
acreage with the average, the data shows
farmers were attempting to get back to
their normal peanut rotation in 2014 after
severely altering the rotation in 2013.
Rotation is a key management tool
for the market, as well as preventing dis-
ease and helping increase yields. George
Lovatt, owner of Lovatt and Rushing, a
peanut brokerage company, encourages
farmers to plant what is in their best long-
term interest.
“I think the important thing for the
peanut grower to understand is that we
live in a competitive environment,”
Lovatt says. “And as cotton, soybeans and
corn are weak – necessarily peanuts will
be weak as well.”
The 2014 crop has been a mixed bag
of problems beginning with a delayed
planting due to rain and then hot and dry
summer months. Several farmers experi-
enced weeks without rain at a critical time
for water use in peanuts. Now shellers are
recommending growers to keep their dry-
land peanuts and dry corners of irrigated
fields separate from their irrigated peanuts
when delivering them to their local buy-
ing point.
On top of the issues with the 2014
crop, farmers have been left with uncer-
tainty this year without final farm bill reg-
ulations approved prior to planting. The
combination of the lower acreage in 2013
and potentially lower yields in 2014 have
combined to move peanut supply and
demand closer to equilibrium.
“Some farmers planted with the mis-
taken belief that the price of peanuts
would be supported at $535 per ton,” says
Don Koehler, Georgia Peanut
Commission executive director. “Planting
beyond normal acres in those areas was
noticeable but not largely widespread.”
Many farmers working through the
2014 crop will soon realize that Price
Loss Coverage (PLC) payments will not
arrive until late 2015. Also, the payments
will effectively be based on $470 per ton
(85 percent of base at $535). So, the big
challenge will come with the 2015 plant-
ings especially if other commodity prices
remain depressed.
However, the only number Lovatt
wants farmers to pay attention to is their
bottom line so they make sound and prof-
itable decisions, and hopefully keep the
industry from oversupplying the peanut
market. t
10 Primary Peanut States 2014September Nut
Acreage*
2008-2012Olympic Average
Nut Acreage **
Difference
Alabama 172,527.1 181,062.0 -8,534.9
Florida 164,684.7 146,505.4 18,179.3
Georgia 582,056.6 584,612.3 -2,555.7
Mississippi 27,845.8 16,200.4 11,645.4
New Mexico 4,479.9 9,735.3 -5,255.4
North Carolina 90,297.2 85,222.0 5,075.2
Oklahoma 9,300.4 19,068.5 -9,768.1
South Carolina 106,789.9 69,438.9 37,351
Texas 123,055.5 156,255.36 -33,199.86
Virigina 18,446.4 17,542.1 904.3
Total (10 primary states) 1,299,483.5 1,285,642.26 13,841.24
Minor States
Arkansas*** 10,494.6 8,425 2,069.6
Louisiana 403.6 354.1 49.5
Missouri**** 76.2 356.5 -280.3
Others***** 62.7 100.3 -37.6
TOTAL 1,310,520.6 1,294,878.16 15,642.44
*September 2014 USDA-FSA certified peanut nut acreage (excludes green peanuts and hog
peanuts acreages).
** Olympic Average of 2008-2012 total planted peanut nut acres by state.
***Arkansas did not really start growing peanuts till 2010 so their average is a simple average of
2010-2013.
****Missouri did not start growing peanuts till 2012 so their average is a simple average of 2012-13.
*****Other minor states are Kansas, Minnesota and Nebraska.
U.S. Peanut Nut Acreage Planted by State
2014 planted peanut acreage shows increase
BY JOY CROSBY
6 Southeastern Peanut Farmer October/November 2014
Grimes leads Georgia PeanutAchievement Club yieldsT
his has been a good year for
Philip Grimes. Earlier this
year, the Tift County,
Georgia, farmer was
recognized as the 2014 state winner of the
Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo
Southeastern Farmer of the Year award.
During the Southern Peanut Growers
Conference held this past summer in
Panama City Beach, Florida, Grimes was
recognized for producing the highest 2013
peanut yield in Georgia as verified by
Georgia Extension agricultural agents.
Because of his high yields, Grimes has
been a member of the Peanut
Achievement Club for more than 20
years.
Grimes credits his high yields to the
superior genetics bred into productive
varieties such as Georgia-06G. “We
wouldn’t be where we are without these
high yielding varieties,” Grimes says.
“I’m really looking forward to trying a
new high yielding variety, Georgia-13M.”
Grimes and nine other farmers were
recognized as members of the University
of Georgia Peanut Achievement Club for
2013. Grimes was the high yield producer
with 7,084.6 pounds per acre from 592
acres grown in 2013. Grimes said his
2013 peanuts were the first he grew that
yielded more than 7,000 pounds per acre.
Surprisingly, his yield was not the
highest in the history of the club. The
Dowdy and Gaines Farm in Baker County
produced 7,267 pounds per acre from
304.1 acres during the 2011 crop year.
Individual Georgia farmers also produced
more than 7,000 pounds per year in 2010
and in 1985, according to records
reviewed by John Beasley, former
University of Georgia Extension peanut
agronomist who is now an administrator
at Auburn University.
Grimes used Thimet for thrips
control, and controlled weeds by applying
Sonolan, Dual and Valor herbicides. He
applied Headline and Bravo fungicides
for leaf spot, and used Abound, Convoy,
Proline and Provost fungicides for white
mold control.
For his crop rotation, Grimes planted
corn, cotton and vegetables in the three
years prior to planting his high yielding
2013 peanuts. His tillage practices
included disk harrowing and ripping and
bedding the land. Grimes planted the
Georgia-06G variety in twin rows at a
seeding rate of seven to eight seed per
foot of row. Planting dates were between
April 30 and May 31. He used no lime
nor seed inoculant, but did use landplas-
ter. Grimes irrigated four times and
applied a total of four inches of water to
the 2013 crop.
Farmer Brent Brown of Ben Hill
County was recognized as the only first-
time member of the Peanut Achievement
Club. He produced a yield of 6,752.5
pounds per acre from 199.1 acres in 2013.
“I’ve been farming for 12 years,” Brown
says. “This is the highest peanut yield
I’ve ever made.” Brown attributes his
yields to deep breaking the land with a
bottom plow, timely irrigation and rain-
fall, plus following an effective fungicide
program.
Ken Hall of Worth County is the only
achievement club member to use strip till
planting. Hall’s 2013 yields were 5,166
pounds per acre from 858 acres. Hall has
been a member of the club for five of the
past six years. All other members recog-
nized this year used various forms of
conventional tillage. Hall’s father was a
member during the 1980’s when the club
was named the Money Maker Peanut
Club.
Hulin Reeves Jr. of Ben Hill County,
was earlier recognized by the club for his
2011 yields, and said he has been a mem-
ber of the club a number of times over the
past 12 years. Reeves produced 6,611
pounds per acre from 538.9 acres in 2013.
Wayne Sayer of Irwin County
produced 5,206 pounds per acre from 701
acres. Sayer is also a repeat member of
the club. He credits his high yields in
2013 to plenty of rainfall. Sayer has been
farming for 30 years and says about 70
percent of the land he farms is irrigated
while the rest is dryland. “So this award
for high yield came from a combination
of both dryland and irrigated land,” he
says. Sayer is also the only one of the ten
2013 Georgia Peanut Achievement Club Winners. Pictured left to right: Lyle Stewart, Syngenta;
Wayne Sayer, Wray; Philip Grimes, Tifton; Art Dorminy, Ocilla; Hulin Reeves Jr., Fitzgerald; Eddie
Miller Jr., Iron City; Ken Hall, Poulan; Jimmy Webb, Leary; Brent Brown, Fitzgerald and Dan Watts,
BASF. Not pictured are Al Sudderth, Dawson; and Jerry and Jeff Heard, Newton.
to grow varieties different from Georgia-
06G. In addition to 06G, he planted the
Georgia-07W and Georgia Greener runner
varieties.
Art Dorminy of Irwin County
produced 6,007 pounds per acre from 340
acres. “This is my sixth year to win this
award,” he says. “I’ve been farming for
12 years.”
Jimmy Webb of Calhoun County
produced yields of 6,533 pounds per acre
from 859 acres. Webb credits his hard
working employees for his high yields. “I
didn’t make this crop by myself,” he says.
“Also, timing is critical to high yields. We
make sure to do everything on time.”
Eddie Miller Jr. of Seminole County
renewed his membership in the club with
a 2013 yield of 6,949 pounds per acre
from 588.5 acres. His son Eddie Miller III
became a member last year as a result of
his high yields produced in 2012.
Others recognized include Al
Sudderth of Calhoun County, who
produced 6,508 pounds per acre from 459
acres. Also, the farm of Jerry and Jeff
Heard of Baker County produced 6,011
pounds per acre from 824.2 acres. This is
the third year for brothers Jerry and Jeff
Heard to be recognized by the Peanut
Achievement Club.
The Peanut Achievement Club
awards are sponsored this year by
Syngenta, BASF and Bayer. Bayer is a
new sponsor of the achievement club.
Eric Prostko, University of Georgia
Extension weed scientist, recognized this
year’s top winners. He also paid tribute to
University of Georgia research agrono-
mist Scott Tubbs, research assistant John
Paulk and administrative associate Dena
Watson for their parts in contributing to
the Peanut Achievement Club. “Our
Extension peanut team is committed to
helping our peanut farmers and county
Extension agents,” Prostko says.
Local Extension agents also play a
vital role for the Peanut Achievement
Club in gathering crop input information
and in validating the yields of the state’s
top yielding peanut farmers.
The Peanut Achievement Club traces
its roots to 1950 when it was called the
Ton Per Acre Club. The highest yield that
year was 2,700 pounds per acre. By 1962,
more than a thousand Georgia peanut
growers gained admission to the Ton Per
Acre Club. The award was later changed
to the Money Maker Club. Now it is
called the Georgia Peanut Achievement
Club. t
October/November 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 7
BY JOHN LEIDNER
Name County Acres Yield Crop Rotation*
Philip Grimes Tift 592 7084.6 c-ct-v-p
Eddie Miller Jr. Seminole 588.5 6949 ct-ct-c-p
Brent Brown Ben Hill 199.1 6752.45 p-ct-c-p
Hulin Reeves Jr. Ben Hill 538.9 6610.9 p-ct-c-p
Jimmy Webb Calhoun 859 6533 p-c-ct/c-p
Al Sudderth Calhoun 459.9 6508 p-c-c-p
Jerry Jr. & JeffHeard Baker 824.2 6010.97 p-ct-c-p
Art Dorminy Irwin 340 6007.37 p-c-ct-p
Wayne Sayer Irwin 701 5206.2 p-ct-c-p
Ken Hall Worth 858 5166 p-ct-ct-p
*Crop Rotation Corn = c Cotton = ct Peanuts = p Vegetables = v
Georgia Peanut Achievement Club State Winners
Grimes named 2014 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the YearPhilip Grimes, a farmer from
Tifton, Georgia, who is known for his
conservation practices and high crop
yields, has been selected as the overall
winner of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt
Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year
award for 2014.
Grimes was named as the overall
winner during the Willie B. Withers
Luncheon held during the opening day
of the 2014 Sunbelt Ag Expo farm
show. Grimes was chosen Farmer of
the Year over nine other state winners
who were finalists for the award.
Ron Carroll, marketing vice presi-
dent with Swisher, represented the
company in presenting the cash award
to Grimes. “Philip’s farming success is a
direct result of his hard work,” Carroll
says. “The farming profession is blessed
to have so many dedicated producers,
and there is no doubt that a great farmer
has been selected as the overall winner
during this 25th year of our Farmer of
the Year awards.”
Grimes expressed his appreciation to
Swisher and the other award sponsors. “I
have a great team of supporters who help
me operate my farm,” he says. “I also
want to congratulate the other state win-
ners. They are excellent farmers and
leaders who are fine representatives of
our industry.”
His wife Jane manages the farm’s
office and leads some of the farm’s ini-
tiatives in marketing produce and in
maintaining food safety.
Grimes has farmed for 37 years. He
grows peanuts, cotton, cantaloupes,
broccoli, snap beans and corn on his
2,210-acre farm. As a result of his high
peanut yields, he has been a longtime
member of the Georgia Peanut
Achievement Club. He also raises high-
yield cotton, and his produce crops are
consistently high in quality. He plants a
portion of his land specifically to attract
wildlife.
Additional information is available
online at sepfonline.com.
2014 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern
Farmer of the Year Philip Grimes stands with his
family after being named the overall winner during
the Wilile B. Withers luncheon held opening day of
the 2014 Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Ga.
u More info online at sepfonline.com.
The Georgia Peanut Commission
sponsored Georgia-native, David
Ragan, in the NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series Oral-B USA 500 race at the
Atlanta Motor Speedway, Aug. 31,
2014.
“David Ragan is a Georgia native
and Georgia is the No. 1 peanut-grow-
ing state in the nation,” says Joe
Boddiford, GPC vice chairman and
chairman of the GPC Promotions
Committee. “The Georgia Peanut
Commission is very excited to have
this opportunity to help sponsor him
in the Atlanta race.”
Following the race, David Ragan
also made an appearance at the
Georgia Peanut Commission’s booth
at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Oct.
Additional details on the promotion
are available online at
www.gapeanuts.com.
The Georgia Peanut Commission
and the Georgia Bankers Association
joined forces Oct. 18-25, 2014, in an
effort to promote Georgia’s peanut
industry during its 38th annual
Georgia Peanut Bank Week. Local
banks and financial institutions across
the state of Georgia honored
Georgia’s peanut farmers and their
contribution made to the state and
local economies during one of the
biggest times of the year: peanut har-
vest.
This year’s theme, “Peanuts:
Power You Can Bank On,” showcases
the importance of peanuts, Georgia’s
official state crop, and how Georgia’s
peanut farmers contribute approxi-
mately $2 billion annually to the state
and local economy to help maintain
Georgia’s largest industry, agriculture.
The theme also highlights the
National Peanut Board’s new
campaign, The Perfectly Powerful
Peanut: a platform showcasing the
powerhouse of nutrition peanuts have
to offer.
Peanuts, recipe cards and other
promotional materials were distrib-
uted by banks during the week-long
celebration. For more information,
visit the Georgia Peanut Commission
website at www.gapeanuts.com.
8 Southeastern Peanut Farmer October/November 2014
Checkoff ReportInvestments Made by Growers for the Future of the Peanut Industry.
Georgia Peanut Commission promotes the power of peanutsduring annual bank week
Georgia Peanut Commission sponsors David Ragan at AtlantaNASCAR race in August
For the first time, the Alabama Peanut
Producers Association (APPA) will be exhibiting
at fair events in the western peanut area of the
state. The first fair will be the Baldwin County
Fair in Robertsdale, Alabama, and will be held
September 23-27, 2014.
The APPA is also participating in the
Greater Gulf State Fair in Mobile, Alabama,
scheduled for October 24 - November 2, 2014.
The booth featured a display of historical peanut
photos, health information, peanut recipe
brochures among other items. A large peanut
field photo served as the backdrop for the
exhibit.
The final festival on schedule for this year is
the National Peanut Festival in Dothan, Ala.,
which will be held October 31 – November 9,
2014. APPA was involved in many activities dur-
ing the ten-day event. A large 40 x 60 tent,
appropriately named the “Peanut Pavilion”
served as the main location for APPA activities
during the event. The tent was located in the
agriculture section of the National Peanut
Festival.
Alabama Peanut ProducersAssociation on the fair circuit
Race fans take a sample of Georgia
peanuts during the NASCAR race in
Atlanta, Ga., Aug. 31.
Throughout the fall, the Georgia Peanut
Commission is sponsoring peanut promotional
advertisements with the Atlanta Braves baseball
and the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech
football. Thirty second and 10 second promotion-
al messages aired on the Atlanta Braves Radio
Network, which has approximately 3.5 million
listeners per week throughout the Southeast. Also,
a 30 second promotional message will air during
the UGA and Georgia Tech football season
through IMG, where up to 56 radio affiliates will
broadcast the message.
Also, GPC promoted peanuts during
Homecoming weekend at UGA. While in Athens,
GPC passed out koozies adorning the Georgia
Peanuts logo, as well as its famous little red bags
of peanuts to football fans and Athens-area
residents.
Georgia Peanut Commission promotespeanuts through sports venue
The Florida Peanut Producers and the
Farm Bureau in Escambia and Santa Rosa
counties teamed up to donate one and a
half tons of peanut butter to Manna Food
Pantries in Pensacola.
On April 30, 2014, more than 25
inches of rain fell in the western panhan-
dle of Florida causing tremendous dam-
age to homes, businesses and farms.
Manna Food Pantries in Pensacola lost all
of its food supply and experienced dam-
age to the building and warehouse due to
the flooding. Manna Food Pantries is now
partially restocked due to the generous
contributions and community support and
are now providing emergency food on a
limited basis.
“We’re excited that we’ve gotten to a
point where we can resume service to the
hungry, although we’re still very limited
right now,” says DeDe Flounlacker, exec-
utive director. “We continue to be amazed
by the generosity of this community and
how they’ve come together to help Manna
get back on its feet. But the need is still
great — we ask that the community con-
tinue to give — right now we’ve got a
very limited supply of food.”
After discussing the flood that dam-
aged the Manna warehouse and food sup-
ply, the Escambia County Farm Bureau
voted to spend $1,000 to buy peanut but-
ter, Manna’s most needed item. The Santa
Rosa County Farm Bureau board then
voted to donate $1,001 toward the peanut
butter donation. When notified of the pur-
chase of peanut butter, the board of direc-
tors of Florida Peanut Producers and Ken
Barton, executive director agreed to
match the purchase and donated a pallet
of peanut butter.
Thanks to Peanut Proud for allowing
Farm Bureau and Florida Peanut
Producers Association to purchase the
peanut butter at a reduced cost.
October/November 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 9
Reports from the:Alabama Peanut Producers AssociationFlorida Peanut Producers AssociationGeorgia Peanut CommissionMississippi Peanut Growers Association
Mississippi Peanut GrowersAssociation exhibits at Farm to TableInternational Symposium
Florida Peanut Producers and Farm Bureau donate peanut butter Pensacola food bank
The Florida Peanut Producers and the Farm
Bureau in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties
donate one and a half tons of peanut butter to
the Manna Food Pantries in Pensacola,
Florida.
The Mississippi Peanut Growers Association
(MPGA) exhibited at the Farm to Table
International Symposium, Aug. 2 – 4, 2014, at the
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention
Center. The event included presentations on urban
farming, sustainability, ag policy and cultural
practices.
There was a global cadre of speakers and
panelists serving the farm to table focus. Malcolm
Broome, MPGA executive director, provided
information to more than 600 registered attendees
through the MPGA exhibit booth. Attendees were
from not only Louisiana but across the U.S.
The second annual event was held in con-
junction with the Southern Food and Beverage
Institute which had a tremendous trade show help-
ing to draw several thousand attendees over the
weekend event. The event provided MGPA with a
new audience with lots of potential to use peanuts.
For more information visit, www.f2t-int.com.
Farmers were able to see their checkoff dol-
lars in action during August and September at a
variety of field days throughout the Southeast.
Field days in August were held at the
Wiregrass Research Extension Center in
Headland, Alabama; North Florida Research and Education Center in
Marianna, Florida; the Southeast Research and Education Center in
Midville, Georgia, and the Southwest Georgia Research and Education
Center in Plains, Georgia. There were multiple field days held in
Mississippi during September at multiple locations in Lucedale, Dan West
farm in Lackey and Parrish Farms in Tchula. The University of Georgia
Cotton and Peanut Teams held a Cotton/Peanut Field Day in Tifton during
Sept. as well.
During the field days, farmers were able to view the latest research on
new peanut varieties and management of diseases, insects and weeds.
Growers were also able to learn more about crop rotation, replanting deci-
sions, plant populations, resistance issues and info about new fungicide
and nematicide products.
The purpose of the field days is to showcase current research, which
is funded by the grower checkoff organizations, in plot-side presentations
by the researchers themselves. The events provide an educational environ-
ment for peanut producers and give them the opportunity to pose questions
directly to the researchers and to express concerns pertinent to the produc-
tion of their crops. For more info on the field days, visit sepfonline.com
Field Days held across the Southeast
10 Southeastern Peanut Farmer October/November 2014
As stewards of the land,
farmers are natural plan-
ners. Farmers plan the
perfect time to turn dirt
and plant seed, plan when they will begin
insect, weed and disease management on
their crops and plan when they will begin
harvest. Their entire crop year centers
around their “plan.” However, planning
for their estate is one type of planning
many farmers may not consider.
Earlier this year, Will Thompson, tax
and wealth planning attorney at James-
Bates-Brannan-Groover, LLP in Macon,
Georgia, discussed business succession
and estate planning during the 2014 Ag
Forecast Series sponsored by the
University of Georgia College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Thompson began by discussing the
importance of recognizing how business
succession planning is a process.
“Business succession planning is not
something you can do in an afternoon,”
Thompson explains. “It’s not something
you can sit down with your attorney or
your advisor and say, from three to five
this afternoon, I’m going to knock it out.”
Thompson continues, “It’s a process. It’s
a process that changes. It’s a process that
needs to be started now. You need to start
identifying your successors. Identifying
that process and how you’re going to
transition your business. And if it
changes, that’s ok. Adapt. But you don’t
want to just put it off and catch yourself
in trouble.”
Not only is business succession
planning a process, it’s an event which
affects the entire family. It affects each
one in a different way; some more deeply
than others. Succession planning can even
create a new leader in the family through
someone new taking charge of the family
business.
Compared to other businesses, family
farms and agribusinesses are unique due
to characteristics extending beyond the
business into personal relationships.
Communication becomes key throughout
this stage of the process to ensure there
are no surprises or unknowns between
family members. By exercising good
communication skills in the family, the
likelihood of a disruption in harmony
amongst relatives is slim.
Thompson states there are nine
reasons why family businesses fail to
follow-through with succession planning:
1. It is not urgent.
2. The focus on tax avoidance and
“drop dead plans” creates a false sense of
security.
3. Family member and/or employee
push back.
4. It is always safer not to change.
5. Family businesses do not know
how to undertake succession planning.
6. Lack of courage among the next
generation family business leaders.
7. Senior generation family busi-
ness leaders do not know how to be fair
to their non-employee children relative to
their employee children with respect to
inheritance.
8. Family businesses see succession
planning as an event – not a process.
9. It costs too much.
So if you decided to pursue a busi-
ness succession plan, what are your
options? Thompson says you basically
have three choices: you can pass the
business on to family members; you can
plan to sell it while you are alive or you
can let your estate sell it.
A few critical questions Thompson
feels should be considered are: how is the
next leader of the company selected?;
when is a decision made about who will
be the next leader of the company?; how
are meaningful careers provided for other
family members who are not chosen to
lead?; etc.
The ultimate question becomes: who
is going to be you? It is important for
farmers to begin pondering this idea and
think seriously about it. It is also just as
important for those in the younger genera-
tion to communicate with parents about
the future. During this time, the younger
generation should be voicing their opin-
ions about taking over the family business
and whether it is something they would
like to do.
According to Thompson, 70 to 80
Planning iseverything“By failing to plan, you are planning to fail.”
Winston Churchill
October/November 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 11
percent of family businesses are passed
down to the business owner’s children
and almost the same percentage end in
failure. This failure is due primarily to the
successor not knowing how to manage the
assets of the business. With this in mind,
it becomes critical to begin training a
successor sooner rather than later.
Thompson says lack of training is not
the only thing contributing to failure.
Many successors are not financially
responsible, do not understand the family
business, do not realize the amount of
work required before commitment and
create a habit of spending beyond their
means.
So how do farmers avoid these prob-
lems? It’s simple: begin planning now. Do
not group yourself with the other 80
percent of Americans who choose to do
nothing. By doing nothing, there will be
no control over how assets are divided
and who will receive them.
Thompson presents a few options. He
first discussed a joint ownership with
your spouse. By choosing to do this,
Thompson says, planning may still be
necessary after the death of the spouse.
Also, he says assets are subject to
creditors and predators of both spouses.
Additionally, Thompson states there is no
remarriage protection, so assets may end
up with people you never knew.
Another option is to give away your
assets. With this method, Thompson says,
you lose control and may lose significant
tax benefits.
A will is also an option. Developing a
will is a common way to deal with family
estate and business succession. Thompson
says a will allows you to direct the trans-
fer of property you own at your death. It
allows you to provide for your surviving
spouse, choose who receives assets after
the spouse’s death, minimize confusion
amongst family members and minimize
estate taxes.
The final option Thompson discussed
was a trust. According to Thompson, a
trust is a legal relationship designed to
control property management and distri-
bution. Wills and trusts enable sophisticat-
ed estate planning by providing
creditor/predator protection, remarriage
protection, estate tax minimization and
additional care for children or a spouse.
Thompson concluded his presentation
by discussing a few other planning tech-
niques. The first planning technique
Thompson discussed was a limited liabili-
ty company (LLC). This type of tool is
flexible and found to be beneficial to
small business owners, including farmers
and ranchers.
“Limited liability companies make it
much more difficult to get your personal
assets; you get the liability protection of a
corporation without having to jump
through all of the hoops,” Thompson
explains.
Similar to an LLC is a family limited
partnership. Both an LLC and FLP allow
you to hold assets with liability protec-
tion, as well as take your assets out when
you need them. Not to mention you will
have lower estate taxes and be allowed to
equalize gifts among heirs.
“There are plenty of techniques and
ways to plan, and if you don’t take the
time now, your family is going to suffer
from it on the backend,” Thompson says.
“There’s no better time than the present
to start communicating and start plan-
ning.” t
Will Thompson, tax and wealth planning attorney at James-Bates-Brannan-Groover, LLP in
Macon, Ga., discusses estate management planning with an attendee at the University of
Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ Ag Forecast Series in Tifton, Ga.
BY JESSIE TURK
Nominations are now open for the
Outstanding Young Peanut Farmer in
Georgia. The state winner will be
announced at the Georgia Peanut Farm
Show on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, in
Tifton, Georgia.
The Outstanding Young Peanut
Farmer Award is based upon the appli-
cant’s overall farm operation; environ-
mental and stewardship practices; and
leadership, civic, church, and community
service activities.
“We have so many young peanut
farmers making a difference in their com-
munities and I consider this awards pro-
gram a great opportunity to recognize one
young farmer for their contributions to the
agriculture industry,” says Armond
Morris, GPC chairman.
The award is open for any active
Georgia peanut farmer who is not over 45
years of age as of the end of the calendar
year for which they are applying. An indi-
vidual may receive the award only once.
There is no limit on the number of appli-
cants from each county in Georgia.
Applications are due to the GPC
office by Friday, Jan. 2, 2015. The award
application is available online at
gapeanuts.com or by contacting Joy
Crosby at 229-386-3690 or via email at
The winner receives registration and
hotel accommodations to attend the
Southern Peanut Growers Conference in
July and a sign to display at their farm. t
Nominations open for Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer
12 Southeastern Peanut Farmer October/November 2014
Crop rotation still needed
Peanut crop rotation is need-
ed now more than ever,
according to Marshall
Lamb, research leader at the
National Peanut Research Laboratory in
Dawson, Georgia.
Lamb says growers may be tempted
to shorten crop rotations to capture more
program payments from the new farm
bill’s provisions on generic crop bases.
But this could be a big mistake.
“Growers became interested in
expanding peanut production to get gener-
ic base payments from cotton into
peanuts,” he explains.
He addressed crop rotation as related
to the new farm bill during the Southern
Peanut Growers Conference held this past
summer in Panama City Beach, Florida.
Lamb spoke on the general implica-
tions of changing rotations within the
broad outlines of the farm bill. He said
specific steps by farmers will depend on
final regulations from USDA. The final
regulations will determine if farmers
increase or decrease their peanut acreage.
Lamb says the new farm bill can give
good protection to producers. Exactly
how good won’t be known until after
USDA issues the final regulations.
The farm bill offers the possibility of
converting generic cotton base into a base
for a covered program commodity such as
peanuts.
“You have to plant generic crop base
to get program benefits,” Lamb adds.
“One thing we don’t need to do is to
sacrifice our good agronomic practices,”
he adds. “And crop rotation is one of
these practices.”
He says a long crop rotation has
helped keep peanut farming competitive
with other crops because crop rotation
contributes to higher peanut yields.
“When prices are low, you may get
higher payments from the additional
generic base, but you lose money from
producing the peanuts,” he explains.
“When prices are high, you won’t get the
program payments but you might make
money from producing the peanuts. If
peanut prices are low, you could max out
of your generic payments, but you could
still lose money on your production,” he
adds.
“From a yield standpoint, a minimum
rotation of three years out of peanuts is
recommended,” Lamb says. “Economics
can and often does alter rotation plans.
Shortening your crop rotations is a short-
term decision with long-term conse-
quences. You can’t make it to the long-
term if you don’t survive the short-term.”
He showed research data showing
three years out of peanuts tends to pro-
duce higher yields. With irrigated peanuts,
one year out of peanuts can yield 1,000
pounds more per acre than continuous
peanuts. Likewise, two years out of
peanuts can produce another 938 pounds
per acre. Three years out of peanuts will
increase yields by another 450 pounds per
acre.
The yield increases attributed to rota-
tion are not quite as dramatic in dryland
fields, but are still significant.
Lamb also pointed out that crop bases
for cotton and peanuts are also historically
different from one county to another.
“These decisions will come down to the
farm level,” Lamb says.
He cautions that a rotation featuring
only one year out of peanuts could result
in revenues that would be below the cost
of production.
The “generic” base is not the same
as “traditional” base, according to Lamb.
The major difference is that you have to
plant the crop to receive the generic base
payments.
Lamb says the shortening of peanut
rotations could provide limited short-term
benefits, but these would have large long-
term consequences that could take years
to fix. “Under current market conditions,
now is not the time to shorten peanut rota-
tions,” Lamb adds. t
BY JOHN LEIDNER
14 Southeastern Peanut Farmer October/November 2014
Birdsong Peanutscelebrates 100 years M
any times a fire can
mean destruction or the
end of a business but in
the case of Birdsong
Peanuts, a fire at the shelling plant in
Courtland, Virginia, helped them relocate
to Suffolk and continue the company for
100 years. For five generations, Birdsong
Peanuts has delivered naturally nutritious
peanuts to manufacturers around the cor-
ner and around the world. Peanuts are
their only business so everything they
have rests on their ability to serve their
customers well.
Birdsong Peanuts simply takes one of
nature’s agricultural treasures, shells it
and provides it to food manufacturers,
who create a multitude of food products
including peanut butter, trail mix, snack
peanuts, candy and countless other items.
The HistoryBirdsong got its start in 1914 when
T.H. Birdsong opened a feed and seed
store in Courtland, Virginia. The company
expanded into storing commodities and
began shelling peanuts in the 1930s. The
shelling plant burned in 1939 and Mr.
Amedeo Obici, founder of Planters
Peanuts, asked T.H. Birdsong’s five
sons to relocate near his factory in
Suffolk, Virginia. That plant is still in
operation today.
Until 1965, all of Birdsong’s busi-
ness was in Virginia and North
Carolina. Today the company has
expanded its geography with shelling
plants strategically located from the east
coast of Virginia to Texas. Birdsong
partners with farmers in 11 states and
sells to peanut product manufacturers in
the United States and around the world.
Birdsong’s corporate headquarters
is located in Suffolk, where three gener-
ations of Birdsongs are active in its opera-
tions together with leadership from non-
family management. Each generation fol-
lows T.H. Birdsong’s example by partici-
pating in community and civic activities –
serving on nonprofit boards, as university
trustees and as active members of local
service organizations. Their commitment
to quality and service has proven success-
ful not only in the peanut business but
also in community relationships both at
home and around the globe.
When T.H. Birdsong opened his
country store a century ago in Courtland,
Virginia, little did he know his modest
market would grow into a thriving
corporation that has grown steadily for
five generations.
Industry PartnershipNot many companies in the United
States can say they are still owned and
operated by the same family but when it
comes to Birdsong Peanuts, the family
has maintained control of the operations
through the years. Today, Birdsong
Peanuts is not just a company within the
peanut industry, but a dedicated company
that is helping further the development of
the peanut industry through their involve-
ment in industry activities.
“Giving back is a value our founder,
T.H. Birdsong, not only lived but also
instilled in his family,” says George
Birdsong, chief executive officer of
Birdsong Peanuts. “That commitment to
make the world a better place continues
today, as we partner with our customers
and communities to make a difference.”
Birdsong Peanuts has been very
involved in the Peanut Genomics
Initiative. The goal of the effort is to iden-
tify the peanut genes and what traits the
particular genes possess that would be
helpful in producing better yield and qual-
ity peanuts. These genes would be
“marked” and used in the breeding of new
varieties.
“This method of breeding new vari-
eties would speed up the breeding
process,” Birdsong says. “We are proud to
help lead this effort for the benefit of the
entire industry.”
“He (George Birdsong) can see value
a decade out; he’s someone who is con-
sidered a visionary,” says Scott Jackson,
plant genomics researcher at the
University of Georgia.
Birdsong Peanuts has also been
involved in the formation of Peanut Proud
and the festival held annually in Blakely,
Georgia.
“The Peanut Proud efforts have been
a morale booster for the industry after so
Birdsong got its start in 1914 when T.H.
Birdsong opened a feed and seed store
in Courtland, Virginia.
October/November 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 15
much negative publicity over sal-
monella recall issues,” says Greg
Grimsley, corporate manufactur-
ing manager for Birdsong Peanuts
and president of Peanut Proud.
“Our industry and the public need
to know that our industry actively
supports, with nutritious peanut
butter, those caught in such cata-
strophic circumstances as torna-
does, hurricanes, earthquakes and
other disasters.”
Birdsong Peanuts is actively
involved in the Peanut Butter for
the Hungry project. The project,
coordinated by the American
Peanut Council, utilizes Ready to
Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF)
made with peanuts. An American
pediatrician Mark Manary, MD has
centralized his work in Malawi, but he
works with other providers to increase
production and distribution of RUTF
throughout Africa.
Birdsong is working with Dr. Manary
and other providers to increase production
and distribution of RUTF throughout
Africa. “We are raising funds, donating
equipment, funding research and helping
local farmers in Africa to improve their
crops,” says Jeff
Johnson, president of
Birdsong Peanuts.
“There is no doubt
that Project Peanut
Butter is bringing
solutions to improv-
ing health outcomes
around the world.”
“Peanut butter
for the hungry is an
industry initiative to
get therapeutic foods
made with peanut
butter to children
who need them,”
says Stephanie
Grunenfelder, vice
president of interna-
tional marketing with
the American Peanut Council. “Birdsong
Peanut Company has been very instru-
mental in getting the effort started and has
been supportive of ongoing efforts.”
Stewardship“We at Birdsong realize that our
actions as stewards of the earth can help
create a better world for generations to
come,” says Charles Birdsong, vice presi-
dent of operations and procurement for
Birdsong Peanuts. “Everything we need
for survival, both directly and indirectly,
depends upon the environment, and so we
are committed to charting a sustainable
future.”
Birdsong has installed a five acre
solar arrangement which generates 1.45
million kilowatt hours of energy per year.
This reduces greenhouse gas emissions by
over 1000 tons per year – the equivalent
of removing 197 vehicles from the road.
Birdsong supplies over 20,000 tons
of peanut hull pellets, a source of renew-
able energy, to co-generation plants
around the world. This produces over 41
million kilowatt hours of electricity.
All Birdsong facilities are at or near
zero landfill waste operational status. The
goal is to have all plant campuses certi-
fied zero landfill waste by the
end of 2015. Additional local
conservation efforts supported by
Birdsong include funding a new
food composter for the Salvation
Army of Suffolk and providing
peanut hulls to thicken the com-
post used for gardening programs
at area schools. To support these
efforts and increase awareness,
Birdsong has a goal of rolling out
sustainability workshops to all
employees by the end of 2015.
Many of the farmers, with
whom Birdsong Peanuts partner,
are on the cutting edge of sus-
tainable farming. The farmers
produce their peanuts using con-
servation tillage systems to
increase soil carbon sequestration,
which reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
This practice also increases the water-
holding capacity in soils, thus reducing
irrigation requirements.
“We are fortunate that peanuts are
environmentally friendly by their nature,”
Birdsong says. “We’re doing our part to
reduce the impact from the time they are
planted until they reach the consumer’s
table.”
The future
goals of
Birdsong
Peanuts are to
continue to be
a successful
company and
an important
part of the
peanut indus-
try. Birdsong
Peanuts has
survived from
the fire in 1939
into their 5th
generation of
the family cele-
brating the
company’s
100th anniver-
sary. Today, Birdsong Peanuts operates
six shelling plants and has more than 700
employees.
Birdsong says, “We will continue to
work hard to be a successful company in
the future and to help our entire industry
be successful.” t
The original mill in Courtland, Virginia, burned down in 1939 and was
not rebuilt. The new factory, pictured above, was built in 1940 in
Suffolk, Virginia.
(Above) Current Birdsong Peanuts shelling plant in
Suffolk, Virginia.
(Left) Farmers stock in bags coming to the plant in
the 1940s.
BY JOY CROSBY
16 Southeastern Peanut Farmer October/November 2014
Scott Monfort began his role
with the University of
Georgia College of
Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences (UGA CAES)
Aug. 1 as the new UGA Extension Peanut
Agronomist. He replaces longtime UGA
Extension peanut agronomist John Beasley
who now heads the agronomy department
at Auburn University. Monfort’s role as
Extension peanut agronomist is to work
closely with UGA CAES’ research agrono-
mist Scott Tubbs to help implement new
technology into peanut production
statewide. He will also assist Georgia
peanut farmers and keep them apprised of
the latest developments regarding one of
Georgia’s top row crops.
Learn more about Monfort through
this Q&A with him regarding his role and
vision for the UGA Peanut Team. t
Meet Monfort, new UGA Extensionpeanut agronomist
1. What is your background and
knowledge with peanuts?
I have worked in and around peanut
production all of my life. I began working
in the peanut industry in Edison, Georgia,
on a farm and at MAC Peanut, a peanut
buying point in high School (in the early
1990s). I began my career in agriculture
with Gold Kist Inc. and later with the
University of Georgia Cooperative
Extension Service as an agricultural agent
in Worth County, Georgia.
2. What goals do you have for the
UGA Peanut Team?
The long term goal is to represent
and promote the team for what it is - one
of the best research and extension teams
in the country. This is one of the main
reasons I was interested in the position.
Also, I plan to update the current
information highway for which we pro-
vide growers the most up to date and
accurate research and extension informa-
tion available. This will include the use of
any and all technologies available for pro-
viding information more timely.
I also plan to continue examining
new agronomic practices to increase pro-
ductivity and profit for the growers in
Georgia.
3. How do you see your role in
working with growers?
I consider my role one of the primary
points of contact for peanut production
outside that of the county agents. In
working with peanut growers in both
industry and the extension service, I
developed an immense appetite for
knowledge and education in agriculture
production so that I could better under-
stand and diagnose production problems
and reduce their impacts on yield. This is
largely why I am here. I really enjoy help-
ing growers.
4. What goals do you have for your
role with UGA as Extension Peanut
Agronomist?
Like with all of the positions I have
had over my career, there is a transition
time for me to evaluate the program and
start to determine my direction for the
future. One of the goals I have for the
near future is to evaluate new ways to
provide growers information along with
better ways for our agents to communi-
cate with growers and state specialists.
Another goal I have is to evaluate as
much production technology as I can in
the next few years to try to add to the
yield boost or economic return we have
observed with the new peanut cultivars. I
will fill in the rest of the goal sheet for
the future as I begin to meet with and
understand the needs of the growers over
the next few months.
5. How do you think the university can
effectively serve and educate growers
throughout the state?
Like any company struggling through
a depressed economy, we have to find
more effective and timely ways to help
our growers. We need more face time;
therefore, I will be working on ways to
provide growers the opportunity to meet
the members of the peanut team from the
county agents to the state peanut exten-
sion and research faculty and see the
multitude of research and demonstrations
being conducted each year for the purpose
of producing peanuts more economically.
I hope growers understand we are here as
a truly unbiased partner in their peanut
production operation and are only a call
away. t
Q&A
Scott Monfort
Extension Peanut Agronomist
University of Georgia
Hometown: Edison, Ga.
Education:B.S.A. Plant Protection &
Pest Management, UGA
M.S. Plant Pathology, UGA
Ph.D. Plant Sciences,
University of Arkansas
Work Experience:Research Associate/State
Extension Peanut Specialist,
Clemson University
Associate Professor
Extension Plant Pathologist,
University of Arkansas
BY JOY CROSBY
18 Southeastern Peanut Farmer October/November 2014
The Georgia Peanut Commission
(GPC) supports Georgia Extension agri-
cultural agents by sponsoring award and
educational programs and on-farm applied
research. Each year, GPC sponsors county
Extension agents travel to the American
Peanut Research and Education Society
Annual Meeting. The meeting provides an
opportunity for the agents to learn about
the latest research being conducted in the
peanut industry and how to apply the
information to assist growers.
The travel award winners for 2014
include Bill Tyson, Bulloch Co.; Wade
Parker, Jenkins Co.; Tim Varnedore, Jeff
Davis Co., and Phillip Edwards, Irwin Co.
Tyson also received the Georgia
Association of County Agricultural
Agents Peanut Education for Excellence
annual award, which is sponsored by the
Georgia Peanut Commission. The award
recognizes outstanding Extension pro-
grams in the area of peanut production
and economics. Edwards was recognized
at the meeting with the Bayer Excellence
in Extension program, which is sponsored
by Bayer CropScience.
All four of the award winners gave a
presentation during the Bayer Excellence
in Extension session. t
The Georgia Peanut Commission board of directors unanimously approved a
motion opposing the sharing of grower-funded technology with other countries in
direct competition with domestically produced peanuts. The motion was approved dur-
ing the July 25, 2014, board meeting held at Panama City Beach, Florida, during the
Southern Peanut Growers Conference.
The motion presented by board member Tim Burch of Baker County and seconded
by Joe Boddiford of Screven County states, “The Georgia Peanut Commission opposes
the sharing of technology, developed with peanut farmer checkoff funding, with pro-
ducers in other countries who compete with U.S. producers for peanut markets.”
The Georgia Peanut Commission has been funding research projects at the
University of Georgia and the USDA Agricultural Research Service since 1961. The
funding for the research projects is derived from a $2 per ton assessment collected
from all peanut growers in the state of Georgia.
“Georgia’s peanut growers invest more than $1 million in research annually for
peanut variety development; production research relating to disease, insect and weed
pressure; and economic competitiveness,” says Donald Chase, GPC Research
Committee chairman. “The research funding has been instrumental in developing new
peanut varieties for U.S. growers that have helped growers maintain a competitive edge
over other developed countries in direct competition with the U.S.”
For additional information about the Georgia Peanut Commission and currently
funded research projects, visit www.gapeanuts.com. t
GPC opposes the sharing of grower-fundedtechnology with prodcuers in other countries
American Peanut Research and Education Society honors MurphyEmory Murphy of Tifton, Georgia,
and retired assistant executive director of
the Georgia Peanut Commission was
recently named a Fellow by the American
Peanut Research and Education Society in
San Antonio, Texas, on July 10, 2014.
Becoming a Fellow is the highest honor
provided by the society. Eligibility is
attained by being an active member of the
society for at least five years and the
nominee must have made outstanding
contributions in research, extension and
administration during their career.
In 1980, Murphy was hired as the
assistant executive director of the Georgia
Peanut Commission where he would work
full-time until December 2011. Murphy
was rehired part-time until January 2014
until his vacant position had been filled.
Through the years, Murphy completed 39
years of public work experience in soil
and plant science, research program man-
agement, production agriculture, agribusi-
ness economic development and public
relations.
During his time at the GPC, Murphy
developed and expanded a world-class
research facilitation program for the
Georgia Peanut Commission, coordinating
the funding of over $16 million in
research projects during his career. He
was the coordinator of the Georgia Peanut
Farm Show for 33 years, which has
grown to be the largest single-commodity
show in Georgia. Murphy was also instru-
mental in the founding of the Georgia
Peanut Tour in 1987, a tour focused on
showcasing the quality of Georgia peanuts
which continues today.
Murphy was and still is very active in
all phases of APRES from serving on the
board of directors as a member from
2008-2010, the Program Committee, Site
Selection Committee, and Peanut Quality Committee throughout the years. t
Tim Brenneman, American Peanut Research
and Education Society president and
researcher at the University of Georgia Tifton
Campus, presents Emory Murphy, retired assis-
tant executive director of the Georgia Peanut
Commission, with the APRES Fellow. Pictured
left to right are: Brenneman, Murphy and
Donald Chase, farmer from Macon County,
Georgia, and Georgia Peanut Commission
board member.
GPC recognizes countyagricultural agents
Georgia Peanut Commission supports
Extension agricultural agents with travel to the
American Peanut Research and Education
Society Annual Meeting. Pictured left to right
are, Scott Tubbs, UGA cropping systems
agronomist; Phillip Edwards, Irwin Co.; Tim
Varnedore, Jeff Davis Co.; Bill Tyson, Bulloch
Co.; Wade Parker, Jenkins Co.; and Tim
Brenneman, UGA plant pathologist.
2014 Southern PeanutGrowers Conference
2013 marked the 16th year for the Southern Peanut Growers
Conference which included a large agenda for the nearly 700 peo-
ple registered. This year’s theme was “Peanut Producers:
Powerful. Progressive. Precise.”
Topics discussed during the three-day conference included peanut market-
ing, export markets, health issues, role of grower dollars, production issues
and sustaining farm policy.
Farming legislation is always a concern for peanut producers. This year
during the conference, attendees heard from U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford of
Arkansas, a member of the House Agriculture Committee.
Crawford said it was very tough in getting a farm bill finally passed this
year. He also said he personally felt it should be called the USDA Re-
Authorization Bill, like other agencies like the Department of Defense, for
example. He said he thought it would “help us to communicate more efficient-
ly just exactly what we’re doing.” He noted that in reality, 80 percent of this
authorization is nutrition.”
Former Alabama Peanut Producers
Association executive director Randy Griggs
was honored with the Valor Award during
the morning session of the conference. The
award is sponsored annually by Valent.
“Valor is defined as courage and bold-
ness, as in battle, bravery, courage in
defense of a noble cause,” says John Altom
of Valent. “Our recipients have spent a life-
time providing that kind of leadership to the
peanut industry. They have made a life mis-
sion of integrity and service to their com-
munity, their employees, their neighbors,
and their customers.”
Griggs became executive director of
the Alabama Peanut Producers Association in 1982 and was extensively
involved in industry organizations and legislation on behalf of the Alabama
Peanut Producers Association. He was also recently inducted into the
American Peanut Council’s Hall of Fame.
Five farmers were also recognized dur-
ing the conference with the annual Peanut
Profitability Awards, which are sponsored
by Farm Press. The awards are based solely
on production efficiency — honoring those
growers who produce the highest yields at
the lowest cost per acre. The awards are
based on a producer’s entire farm operation,
and not just on individual farms or small
plots.
This year’s honorees include:
Southwest Region — Isaac, John and
George Guenther, Gaines County, Texas;
Lower Southeast Region — Owen Yoder, Orrville, Alabama; and the Upper
Southeast Region — Billy Bain, Dinwiddie, Virginia.
Highlights of the conference including photos, presentations, speaker
interviews are all available on the Southern Peanut Farmers Federaiton
website at southernpeanutfarmers.org. t
Thanks to the 2014 Conference Sponsors
SyngentaJohn Deere
Ag-Pro CompanyAlbany Tractor Company
Blanchard EquipmentLasseter Equipment Company
Smith Tractor CompanySunSouth LLC
Bayer CropScienceBASF
National Peanut BoardDuPont Crop ProtectionAg Leader Technology
Ag Technologies/Trimble AgricultureAimtrac
Birdsong PeanutsColombo NA
Edgewater Beach ResortFarm Press
AgGeorgia Farm CreditAgSouth Farm CreditFarm Credit of Florida
Farm Credit of Northwest FloridaKelley Manufacturing Co.
Propane Education & Research CouncilValent U.S.A. Corporation
Southeastern Peanut FarmerThe Peanut GrowerAmadas Industries
First South Farm CreditNational Peanut Buying Points Assn.
Olam Edible NutsAMVAC ChemicalDow AgroSciences
ALFAAlabama Power
Georgia Farm BureauGolden Peanut Company
INTX, A Verdesian Life Sciences Co.McCleskey MillsMonsanto BioAg
Nichino America, Inc.Georgia Organic Solutions
Newton CrouchSessions Co. Inc.Snyder’s-Lance
The KBH CorporationWattStopper/Legrand – Ag Services
John Altom of Valent presents Randy
Griggs, retired executive director of
the Alabama Peanut Producers
Association with the Valor Award
during the Southern Peanut Growers
Conference.
Winners of the 2014 Peanut
Profitability Awards were honored at
the Southern Peanut Growers
Conference. Winners, left to right,
are Billy Bain, Virginia; George,
Isaac and John Guenther, Texas;
and Owen Yoder, Alabama.
U.S. House Science and Tech Chair
challenges EPA on Waters ProposalU.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology
Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, sent a letter to U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy demanding
additional information about the agency’s motivation for having detailed
maps assembled showing waters and wetlands for all 50 states. The
maps, which were created in 2013 shortly after EPA proposed its Waters
of the U.S. rule, had never been made public. When confronted at a
hearing, EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe agreed to release the
maps.
Chairman Smith stated, “These maps show the EPA’s plan: to con-
trol a huge amount of private property across the country. Given the
astonishing picture they paint, I understand EPA’s desire to minimize the
importance of these maps. But EPA’s posturing cannot explain away the
alarming content of these documents. It’s time to give Americans a
chance to make up their own minds about EPA’s intentions. While the
agency marches forward with a rule that could fundamentally re-define
Americans’ private property rights, EPA kept these maps hidden. So,
today I will be posting the maps on the committee’s website for public
review.”
The committee reported that while EPA has claimed the maps have
not yet been used to regulate, they have failed to explain why the agency
used taxpayer money to create them. The EPA paid a private contractor
to make many of these maps, yet the details of the arrangement have not
been disclosed. Serious questions remain regarding EPA’s underlying
motivations for creating such highly detailed maps that were created just
days after EPA announced its Waters of the U.S. rule.
The letter requests all documents and communications related to
EPA’s contract to create these maps and demands that these and any
other previously undisclosed maps in the EPA’s possession be entered
into the official rulemaking docket for public review and comment. The
letter also requests EPA keep the public comment period open for at
least 60 days to provide adequate opportunity for public review and
comment.
House passes bill to block EPA’s proposed rule
redefining waters of the United States The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5078, the Waters of
the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act, by a vote of
262-152. This legislation prohibits the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers from finalizing and enforcing a
proposed rule that would redefine “waters of the United States” under
the Clean Water Act, or using the rule as a basis for future administrative
actions. It is the authority of Congress, not the administration, to change
the scope of the Clean Water Act.
To continue following this issue visit the Georgia Peanut
Commission’s legislative blog at www.AmericanPeanuts.com.
Washington Outlookby Robert L. Redding Jr.
Legislative Updates available online at www.americanpeanuts.com
20 Southeastern Peanut Farmer October/November 2014
Peanut leaders met with USDALeaders from the Southern Peanut Farmers
Federation and the Georgia Peanut Commission met
with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s farm bill
team to discuss the status of 2014 Farm Bill regulations
in September. This will be the second meeting for
peanut leaders and USDA relative to the upcoming reg-
ulations.
The peanut farm bill provisions including the pro-
gram and crop insurance have significant changes from
the 2008 Farm Bill. The National Center for Peanut
Competitiveness has developed analyses of the new
peanut provisions and they are located on the 2014
Farm Bill page of the Georgia Peanut Commission’s
Legislative Blog at www.americanpeanuts.com.
Congress returns to Capitol Hill for
limited agendaThe U.S Congress returns for two weeks to debate
a very limited agenda prior to the November elections.
The most obvious “must do” legislation is funding for
the federal government to operate in this next fiscal
year including the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
There will be a significant push by U.S. House and
Senate leadership to avoid any potential government
shutdown.
Important for peanut producers is that the continu-
ing resolution to fund the government should avoid
floor amendments that threaten agricultural programs
and crop insurance.
Administration delays immigration
actionThe Administration plans to delay any executive
order on immigration until after the November 2014
elections. A number of democratic members of
Congress had cautioned the President about the impact
any executive order might have on the elections.
Congress does not plan to act on immigration this
year.
Peanuts avoid Russion ban listRussia left peanuts off the list of imported products
banned from importing. Peanut imports for Russia
increased in recent years, $6 million in peanuts export-
ed to Russia in 2012 and $21 million in peanuts for
2013 according to published reports.
October/November 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 21
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
recently announced key dates for farm owners and
producers to keep in mind regarding the new 2014
Farm Bill established programs, Agriculture Risk
Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC).
The new programs, designed to help producers bet-
ter manage risk, usher in one of the most significant
reforms to U.S. farm programs in decades.
Dates associated with ARC and PLC that farm
owners and producers need to know:
Sept. 29, 2014 to Feb. 27, 2015: Land owners
may visit their local Farm Service Agency office to
update yield history and/or reallocate base acres.
Nov. 17, 2014 to March 31, 2015: Producers
make a one-time election of either ARC or PLC for
the 2014 through 2018 crop years.
Mid-April 2015 through summer 2015:
Producers sign contracts for 2014 and 2015 crop
years.
October 2015: Payments for 2014 crop year, if
needed.
For more information, visit usda.gov/farmbill.
At the Southern Peanut Growers
Conference in Panama City, Florida, the
National Center for Peanut
Competitiveness (NCPC) officially
launched the “Preliminary Base Acreage
and Payment Yields Decision Calculator.”
The annual conference brings growers
from across the Southeast for three days
of educational sessions focusing on pro-
duction, research, marketing, industry
issues and legislative issues.
The calculator was developed by the
NCPC after reviewing the text of the
2014 Farm Bill and discussions with
Congressional staff involved in the draft-
ing of the bill, as well as the United States
Department of Agriculture – Farm Service
Agency (USDA-FSA) personnel. When
the USDA-FSA issues the final rules and
regulations on base reallocation and yield
updating, as well as temporary generic
base allocation for a crop year sometime
late summer/fall 2014, the spreadsheet
will be modified to reflect these changes.
“The program is an easy to complete
decision calculator that uses the software
program Microsoft Excel,” says Dr.
Stanley Fletcher, NCPC’s director and
professor emeritus at the University of
Georgia. “Farmers can follow the step-by-
step instructions provided online in order
to complete the calculator and determine
their base acreage and payment yields. It
is important for farmers to review all
instructions before proceeding with the
decision calculator.”
Grower checkoff funds helped with
the development of the decision calcula-
tor. Funds were derived from the mem-
bers of the Southern Peanut Farmers
Federation (SPFF). The SPFF is com-
prised of the Alabama Peanut Producers
Association, the Florida Peanut Producers
Association, Mississippi Peanut Growers
Association and the Georgia Peanut
Commission. Funding also came through
the Southeastern Peanut Research
Initiative of the National Peanut Board
and farmer checkoff dollars from Texas.
“It is imperative producers begin the
process of collecting the necessary data
now rather than later. With local office
closings and staff cuts in USDA- FSA,
local offices will be challenged in provid-
ing data on demand and working with the
producers at the same level as was seen in
the previous two farm bills,” Fletcher
says. “Documents needed by the producer
for this process will include the FSA-
156EZ, FSA-578 from 2008-2013 and a
document showing proven yields for all
of the producer’s 2014 Farm Serial
Numbers.”
The NCPC developed the calculator
to assist producers in developing farm
strategies and decisions based on their
individual needs. The calculator is avail-
able for download on the Georgia Peanut
Commission’s website, gapeanuts.com.
For additional questions, contact Stanley
Fletcher, NCPC director, at 404-277-2319
or email at [email protected].
National Center for Peanut Competitiveness releases“Preliminary Base Acreage and Payment Yields DecisionCalculator”
USDA Farm Service AgencyAnnounces Key Dates for New 2014Farm Bill Safety Net Programs
New peanut revenue policy introduced for farmers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced a new
peanut revenue policy that will be available for eligible peanut producers.
The new policy approved by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation
(FCIC) Board of Directors, on Thursday, Sept. 19, offers a new revenue
based insurance coverage, previously not available for peanut growers. The
USDA’s Risk Management Agency will now be able to make the program
available to producers for the 2015 crop and will allow producers to ensure
not only against yield loss but also against reductions in revenue.
The Georgia Peanut Commission and the Western Peanut Growers
developed the policy under section 508(h) of the Federal Crop Insurance
Act, which allows private entities to design and submit crop insurance prod-
ucts to the FCIC Board.
“I have represented the Georgia Peanut Commission on the crop insur-
ance working group for a number of years and I’m pleased to see final
approval of revenue insurance options for growers,” says Andy Bell,
Georgia Peanut Commission advisory board member and farmer from
Climax, Georgia. “The revenue based insurance provides growers with
another tool to aid in the production risk of growing peanuts. Also included
is an increase in the replant provision and improved quality adjustment pro-
visions which will allow growers the ability to complete a claim at harvest.”
To assist growers with understanding the changes for 2015, information
will be included on the Georgia Peanut Commission’s website at
gapeanuts.com.
The Best Regional Peanut Butter recipes
in America reached an audience of
55.3 millionSouthern Peanut Growers (SPG) worked with Family
Features to create and distribute a food page to newspaper edi-
tors and online publications in July and August. The page fea-
tures the best “hometown” peanut butter recipes in America
from SPG’s PB my way recipe contest earlier in the year.
“Recipes and beautiful food photography lead to great
pick-up from food editors,” says Caleb Peterson, an account
manager with Family Features. “I think it’s safe to say that
everyone loves peanut butter and this project was a big suc-
cess!”
In July and August, the page was ordered by 288 newspa-
pers for a total print circulation of 9,323,512. In the same time
period, there were also 749 online placements (nearly 25 mil-
lion impressions) and 175 newswire placements (21 million
impressions) for a total audience of more than 55 million!
Southern Peanut Growers and Florida
Peanut Producers team up at Speaking of
Women’s Health EventSouthern Peanut
Growers (SPG) and Florida
Peanut Producers
Association (FPPA) teamed
up to talk about the Perfectly
Powerful Peanut at the
Speaking of Women’s Health
event in Jacksonville,
Florida, on Saturday, Aug.
23. About 1,200 women pay
to attend the day-long health event, which included a keynote
opening session by health and nutrition expert, Joy Bauer, who
talked about the protein power of peanuts. Health screenings,
exhibitors, a luncheon honoring local community health
heroes, breakout presentations on different health topics, and a
closing session with comedienne Jan Innis also took place.
Leslie Wagner, executive director of Southern Peanut
Growers, led an afternoon breakout session showing partici-
pants how to “Power Your Healthy Diet with Peanuts and
Peanut Butter.” Wagner presented the latest nutrition informa-
tion about peanuts while demonstrating and sampling some
easy, healthy and tasty recipes.
Southern Peanut Growers
Marketing arm of Southern Peanut Growers1025 Sugar Pike Way · Canton, Georgia 30115
(770) 751-6615 · FAX (770) 751-6417
email: [email protected]
Visit our website at
http://www.peanutbutterlovers.com
Peanut Butter takes center stage in Better
Breakfast Month Satellite Media Tour
reaching an audience of more than
2.5 millionSeptember was Better
Breakfast Month and Southern
Peanut Growers put peanut
butter front and center with
television stations nationwide.
Rebecca Lang did 22 live
television interviews and two
live radio interviews in four
hours on Sept. 2 promoting peanut butter, Roman Meal whole
grain bread and Hormel Compleats® for easy and delicious break-
fasts full of protein.
Lang is a food writer, cooking instructor, television personali-
ty and contributing editor for Southern Living. Along with show-
casing a couple of easy peanut butter breakfast recipes, she man-
aged to hit every peanut and peanut butter talking point each time:
(1) Peanuts have the most protein of any nut.; (2) Eating peanut
butter for breakfast helps control your blood sugar into the after-
noon – even past a high carb lunch!; and (3) Peanut butter is a
convenient, versatile and inexpensive way to boost your protein
intake at breakfast.
Immediate airings reached an audience of more than 2.5 mil-
lion. Purchase of air time would have cost SPG more than
$100,000. Ten of the interviews were recorded for airing later in
the month, so those numbers were not available at time of publi-
cation.
Southern Peanut Growers upcoming eventsSouthern Peanut Growers (SPG) traveled across the Southeast
this fall promoting peanuts and peanut butter to consumers at
these events.
• Southern Women’s Show, Birmingham, Alabama
October 2 – 5, 2014
Friday is Peanut Lovers Day! Visit our booth or one of five
cooking demonstrations during the four-day show.
• Southern Women’s Show, Jacksonville, Florida
October 16 – 19, 2014
Friday is Peanut Lovers Day! Visit our booth or one of five
cooking demonstrations during the four-day show.
• Taste of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia
October 24 – 26, 2014
October/November 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 23
What’s on your farmer’sChristmas wish list?
Peanut belts, money clips, wallets, key chains,
photo frames.
To place an order, contact:
Georgia Peanut Commission
Phone: 229-386-3470
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.gapeanuts.com
Click on Photo Gallery to view photos of GeorgiaPeanut Commission Gift Shop items.
The National Peanut Board (NPB) recently announced the
launch of PeanutAllergyFacts.org, a new website for parents,
schools, foodservice executives and manufacturers. The site is
designed to provide science-based information about peanut and
food allergies, as well as links to resources about effective allergy
management.
The new site is a key element of a new awareness campaign
to emerge from consumer research conducted in 2013 by The
Bantam Group, which revealed significant misconceptions about
food allergies and allergy management. Among the findings of
the online research, which surveyed 2,000 caregivers of children,
were:
• A significant misconception surrounding the prevalence of
peanut allergies. Study participants perceived peanut allergies to
affect 24 percent of the total U.S. population – or 40 times the
rate reported by the National Institutes of Health (which says that
0.6 percent of Americans have a true peanut allergy);
• Many people are self-diagnosing food allergies, or turning
to those without allergy expertise and appropriate credentials;
• Only 52 percent of households with a self-reported peanut
allergy keep epinephrine on hand to treat an allergic reaction; and
• 70 percent of people believe incorrectly that simply being
near a peanut can trigger a life-threatening reaction.
To date, peanut farmers across the country have committed
more than $10 million of their income to food allergy research,
outreach and education through the NPB. For additional informa-
tion visit www.PeanutAllergyFacts.org.
National Peanut Board LaunchesPeanut Allergy Awareness Campaign
For more information contact: Georgia Peanut CommissionP.O. Box 967, Tifton GA 31793
Phone: 229-386-3470Fax: 229-386-3501
Email: [email protected]
January 15, 20158:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
UGA Tifton Campus Conference CenterTifton, Georgia
Free farmer lunch
Pesticide applicatorscertification
More than 95 Exhibits
Nearly $40,000 in doorprizes
Learn more aboutthe 2014 GeorgiaPeanut Farm Showby scanning thiscode with yoursmartphone.
www.gapeanuts.com
Georgia’s Largest
Commodity Show