PEANUT MARKETING NEWS – February 10, 2020 – Tyron Spearman, Editor (18)

ALABAMA/FLORIDA PEANUT TRADE SHOW ATTRACTS 500 – Last week more than 500 attendees were able to fine-tune
their farming operations with information gained at the 15th annual Alabama-Florida Peanut Trade Show
Featured speakers included, Bob Parker, President and CEO of the National Peanut Board (NPB), updated growers on how
their check-off dollars are being spent on the national level. Marshall Lamb, with the National Peanut Research Lab, provided an
update on the 2020 peanut market and crop outlook. Bob Redding, of The Redding Firm, presented a legislative update as well.
The Grand Door Prize was presented to Chris Long of Bascom, Florida. Long received one season’s use of a KMC peanut
combine and the option of purchasing the combine from a KMC dealer with $15,000 off the list price at the end of the 2020 season.
Amadas Industries also provided the Grower Door Prize to Joey Koptis of Robertsdale, Alabama. Koptis received a
certificate for $10,000 towards the purchase of a new Amadas self-propelled peanut combine or $5,000 towards the purchase of a new
Amadas pull-type peanut combine or $2,000 towards the purchase of a new Amadas peanut digger or $1,000 towards the purchase of
a new Amadas peanut dump cart.
Colombo North America presented a certificate for $10,000 off the purchase of a Colombo combine to Jace Miniger of
Walnut Hill, Florida. Clay Mixon of Dothan, Alabama, won a free trip to the Southern Peanut Growers Conference in July. Sammy
Williams of Columbia, Alabama, won a Benelli Nova 12 gauge shotgun. For exhibits and info, go to www.alpeanuts.com.
WELCOME BABY NUT – For many of us that grew up with Mr. Peanut, sadness described our feelings when Planters announced
that Mr. Peanut had died. CNN reported that Planters resolved the untimely death of their longstanding mascot Mr. Peanut by ...
reincarnating him into a roly poly, so very marketable little Baby Nut.
The ad ran during the first half of the Super Bowl, and as viewers witnessed the divine event, the Planters Twitter account
changed its name to Baby Nut and proceeded to publish a whole bunch of memes featuring the new nut's adorable little face.
The rebirth solves a thorny problem for the snack food company. Several other brands were shown mourning Mr. Peanut and
subsequently bearing witness to Baby Nut's return, including Mr. Clean and the Kool Aid Man.
According to Planter’s history, Mr. Peanut was “born” in 1916 created by a classroom student for a promotional contest
asking for ideas for a mascot for the Planters brand. The Planters Company was founded a decade earlier by Italian immigrant
Amedeo Obici who had worked as fruit stand vendor in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He teamed with Mario Peruzzi, after learning of the
latter’s creative cooking method of blanching whole roasted peanuts in a way which removed all the unwanted hulls and skins.
By 1908, the duo launched Planters Nut Company and moved headquarters and operations to Suffolk, Virginia, then known
as “the Peanut Capital of the World.” Obici died in 1947 and Peruzzi followed in 1955. The Planters brand and company was sold to
Standard Brands in 1960, which merged with Chicago based Nabisco in 1981, which Nabisco then swallowed up by Kraft Foods in
2000. You can join Peanut Pals, An Exclusive Club for Mr. Peanut Collectors…wonder if items will become more valuable!!
The peanut nation looks forward to many exciting ads that sell more Planters peanuts.
REDDING BRIEFS GROWERS AT SC and AL-FL MEETINGS -
Washington, D.C. Peanut representative Bob Redding briefed growers in South Carolina and at the Alabama-Florida trade
show on the latest for agricultural interests in Washington, D.C. Redding included a discussion about the upcoming Fiscal Year 21
agricultural budget and appropriations processes as they relate to peanuts. He also discussed new disaster laws and implementation,
agricultural labor legislation and regulations, peanut research funding and crop insurance. Also important for peanut growers were
comments about USMCA, the latest on China, trade mitigation and the Administration’s current talks with the EU.
On the political side, Redding discussed changes in the U.S. House and Senate Agriculture Committees as well as the
Appropriations Committees and impact on peanut policy. Growers also heard comments about recent retirements in the House
including Chairman Mike Conaway, Congressional Peanut Caucus Co-chair Martha Roby and others important to peanut policy.
Redding closed with an outline of issues that will likely come up in the next Farm Bill debate.
VIRGINIA ANNUAL MEETING IS FEBRUARY 26
Peanut farmers and industry leaders in the Virginia area are invited to the Virginia Peanut Growers Association 73 rd Annual
Meeting on February 26, 2020 at the Workforce Development Center in Franklin. At 9 AM, the production meeting featuring the
latest research results will be held. The Association meeting will be immediately following lunch. Also included will be
announcement of county and state yield winners plus the National Peanut Board will have an update and host a nomination session.
PB&J DAY IS MARCH 2 AT GEORGIA CAPITOL - Want to see your Georgia Legislators in action? Want a photo with
Governor Brian Kemp? Want to serve 1000 PB&J’s to the Georgia law makers? It is the most popular day at the Capitol, the PB&J
Day on March 2, 2020.(9 til N) Be a sponsor for $250 and get your logo on signage. Display tables are limited. The Georgia Peanut
Commission will deliver peanut gift baskets to Ag leaders plus deliver peanut butter to the Atlanta Area Food Banks. Come join the
fun, contact Joy Crosby (joycrosby@gapeanuts.com) if you have any questions.