Farming is an expensive endeavor. Whether you're starting your own farm or you have years of experience under your belt, profit margins can be so narrow that shifts in market price or weather can be damaging. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) recognize the unique challenges farmers face and provide programs that not only mitigate financial damage, but also support farm growth and improvements. USDA also encourages military veterans, young people, women and the historically underserved or socially disadvantaged to pursue and succeed in careers in agriculture.
In 2016, Hurricane Matthew affected peanut farmers up and down the East Coast in ways that run the gamut. Some like Georgie Griffin, president of Leggett and Gurganus Peanut Company in North Carolina, paid a price.
One-third of consumers worldwide prefer to buy food from sustainable brands.
That’s according to a recent surveyof 20,000 adults from five countries, including the U.S, which was conducted by Unilever – a transnational consumer goods company.
After attending Menus of Change(MOC), an annual summit hosted by the Culinary Institute of America and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, I learned how the food service industry is making moves to listen to consumers’ concerns. The good news is that chefs and other food service leaders are working to improve environmental health – but there is still great need for change in one specific area: water sustainability.
Peanut breeders are thinking small and innovating with peanuts seeds to improve the sustainability of peanut production. Developing new varieties that maximize peanuts’ already sustainable traits can help reduce the environmental impact of peanut farming, make production more cost-effective for farmers, and make peanuts one of the most sustainable crops.
Aug. 9, 2018—ATLANTA—Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) seeks eligible peanut producers who are interested in serving as an alternate member on the National Peanut Board. GPC will hold a nominations election to select two nominees for alternate position during a meeting on Thursday, September 13, at 12:00 p.m. (noon) EST, at the Georgia Peanut Commission office, 445 Fulwood Blvd., Tifton, Ga.
August 9, 2018--ATLANTA--The National Peanut Board, along with funding partner USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), announces the awarding of three research grants focusing on genomics-enabled plant breeding.
Collaborating with two peanut industry funding partners, the Southeastern Peanut Research Initiative (SPRI) and the Peanut Foundation, the National Peanut Board was able to allocate $542,226. NIFA’s dollar-for-dollar matching funds yielded a total of $1,084,452 for production research.
Peanuts are one of the most sustainable and environmentally-friendly food sources available today. A feature of its growing cycle—self-pollination—makes peanuts environmentally-friendly. Self-pollination means peanuts do not require outside aid—such as bees, other insects or the wind—to carry pollen from one plant to another in reproduction. Very few plants pollinate independently of insects, bees or wind. Self-pollination is most often seen in legumes (peanuts are legumes) and in many kinds of orchids, peas, sunflowers and daisies.
June 20, 2018 – ATLANTA – The National Peanut Board will set strategic direction for the FY-19 program of work and budget at its next quarterly board meeting July 18 and 19, 2018, at Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort, 9300 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin, Fla.