Home

Features

Archive

Scholarships

Subscribe

Advertise

Contact us

Links

Archive Contents

Summer Drought Testing Resolve 
of Peanut Producers
by Alvin Benn

Carl Sanders ran his hands through clumps of sandy soil, looked dejectedly at the unusual separation between rows of peanut plants and gazed upward.

The sky was bright blue, dotted by a few cotton candy clouds. The only thing soaked was his shirt as temperatures soared into the high 90s.

"These should be knee deep, not at my ankles," he said, crouching over his stunted plants. "They should be touching each other, too, not separated."

Instead of a long, green cover over his fields, Sanders saw only long rows of brown soil. He wasn’t alone. His despair has been felt this summer by other farmers who grow peanuts in Alabama.

It was the last week of July and precipitation had been minuscule. When it did rain, it was measured in fractions of an inch—hardly enough to soak thirsty peanut plants.

"From the 10th of May until the middle of July—an eight week period—it just didn’t rain very much," Sanders said. "When it did, it wasn’t a measurable amount."

One of the negative results of the continuing drought has been the differing "ages" of the plants that are maturing.

"When peanuts come up in the same field at different times, it makes for a bad grade," Brundidge farmer Frank Talbot told Jaine Treadwell of the Troy Messenger in a recent article.

Farmers who grow other crops or raise cattle have had to deal with the same problem, but those who raise peanuts are among the hardest hit in Alabama.

Roeton peanut farmer Carl Sanders measures the distance of dirt between rows of peanut plants that should be touching. Lack of rain has caused that problem.

August arrived with dire predictions by agriculture experts, some of whom said 2006 could be the worst peanut production year since 1915. The first few days of August were the same as the weeks before—little or no rain to help the crop.

By mid-August, the ground remained dry as a bone at many of Alabama’s peanut growing farms, but Sanders remained optimistic. 

"I still think we’ll have a crop," he said. "It may not be a bumper crop, but I feel we’ll have enough rain to provide us with what we need."

It has been so dry this year that Sanders, who is president of the Alabama Peanut Producers Association, has become something of a weather junkie—checking forecasts before he heads for bed or as soon as he rises the next morning.

Peanut production may be one of Alabama’s best kept secrets. Millions of Americans eat it every day, but few realize that the peanut butter they spread under a layer of grape jelly came from a field in Alabama.

Most Americans are familiar with the name "George Washington Carver" and link him with peanuts but, other than those who examined his amazing life, not many know he conducted his peanut studies in Alabama at Tuskegee Institute.

It adds up to a solid connection between Alabama and a crop that is as American as Mom’s apple pie.

The history of the peanut in America dates back to DeSoto and other Spanish explorers who discovered its versatility. Eventually, peanuts became so popular that they began to attract the attention of markets in Asia and Africa.

If peanuts had a downside during America’s early years, it was perception. During the 18th and 19th centuries, those who could afford finer foods denigrated peanuts as a food for the poor.

The demand for peanuts increased rapidly following the Civil War and, with the dawning of the 20th century, development of the crop had become much more sophisticated.

That led to a demand for peanut oil, roasted and salted peanuts, peanut butter and confections. In the South, boiled peanuts remain popular among those who prefer them to the roasted variety.

Carver’s research into peanuts enhanced the industry even more. He saw peanuts as more than just a tasty treat. As a botanist who developed hundreds of uses for peanuts, he considered it a valuable cash crop, especially for a state as poor as 

Carl Sanders has been a member of the Dale Farmers Cooperative for many years.

The federal government got into the act during the first decades of the 20th century by authorizing price support programs to encourage farmers to begin planting peanuts.

Most of America’s peanut production is centered in the Southeast with Georgia and Alabama leading the way. Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Virginia and Oklahoma also are major peanut producers.

Randy Griggs, director of the Alabama Peanut Producers, which is a division of the Alabama Farmers Federation, points out that about half of America’s total peanut crop is grown within a 100 mile radius of Dothan.

Alabama has about 1,800 peanut farmers who employ 4,000 full-time workers. It has made peanuts a multi-million dollar crop in the state for many years.

By the middle of the 20th century, peanuts had become a valuable crop. No one in the mid-1800s could have dreamed they would be. A southern farmer by the name of Jimmy Carter grew peanuts in Plains, GA, where he grew up, got into politics and became president of the United States.

Peanuts are grown worldwide with China and Argentina having become major exporters in recent years. The U.S. is the world’s third largest peanut exporter.

What sets America apart from many peanut producing countries is a unique appetite for the product itself. Many countries use peanuts for oil or as ingredients for other products. In the U.S., peanuts represent a delightful snack from a bag, in a sandwich or as part of a new creation from scientists at major corporations.

Americans love peanuts so much, in fact, that about half of the entire annual yield is turned into peanut butter. During an average year, Americans consume 700 million pounds of peanut butter. That averages out to 3.3 pounds per person.

Sanders enjoys eating peanuts as much as he loves to raise them, but this summer has tested his resolve and patience more than any he can remember in a long time.

"The last time it was this bad was in 1980 when we had very little rain and the borers ate up what few plants we had that year," said Sanders, referring to the lesser cornstalk borer.

Larvae from the borer do what the name implies—it bores its way into host plants such as those that produce peanuts. In so doing, the borer severely weakens large plants and often kills young seedlings.

Dry weather and insects have threatened this year’s peanut crop in Alabama.

On peanuts, lesser cornstalk borers will feed on any portion of the plant that contacts the soil including limbs, pegs and pods.

"Look at this plant," Sanders said, pointing to damage caused by a borer that had feasted on what would have been a mature peanut. Instead, it died on the vine.

Sanders remains optimistic that there will be enough moisture this summer to help salvage at least part of the peanut crop.

"If we can get adequate rainfall through to harvest time, we might make it," he said. "But, we don’t have any wiggle room left, so everything has to be almost perfect from now on."

Farming has been a part of Sanders’ life from when he first learned to walk. His family has tilled the soil of Coffee County for decades and peanuts have represented a major cash crop.

Sanders and his relatives also raise cattle, cotton and corn, but peanuts have made the family known and respected throughout southeast Alabama. Little wonder, then, why Carl Sanders is into his sixth consecutive year as president of the state’s peanut producers.

"I guess nobody else wants the job," he said, with a laugh, as he drove toward a large field where his peanut plants were wilting on the vine. "I really don’t mind, though. I’ve been friendly with peanut growers for many years and do what I can to help."

Home

TOP

Archive Contents