The Florida Peanut Producers Association is seeking eligible peanut producers who are interested in serving on the National Peanut Board.  Florida Peanut Producers will hold a nominations election to select  an alternate to the National Peanut Board (NPB) during the Florida Peanut Producers Association Annual Membership Meeting on March 19, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. (cst) at the Jackson County Agricultural Complex on Penn Avenue in Marianna, FL.  All eligible producers are encouraged to participate.

Jeffery Pittman of Bascom, FL is the current Florida National Peanut Board Member and the Alternate position is vacant.  Only nominations for the Alternate position will be accepted.

USDA requires two nominees for the Alternate position. The National Peanut Board will submit Florida’s slate of nominees to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, who makes the appointments.

The National Peanut Board encourages inclusion of persons of any race, color, national
origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or
family status.  NPB encourages all persons who qualify as peanut producers to attend the
meeting and run for nomination.

It is USDA’s policy that membership on industry-government boards and committees
accurately reflect the diversity of individuals served by the programs.

The Florida Peanut Producers Association is the state certified check-off organization for
peanuts and represents Florida’s peanut producers in the areas of promotion, research and education.

The National Peanut Board represents all USA peanut farmers and their families.  The mission of the Board is to provide USA peanut growers with a receptive  and growing market for their peanuts and the information and tools for improved efficiencies.  Through research and marketing initiatives the Board is finding new ways to enhance production and increase consumer demand by promoting the great taste, nutrition and culinary versatility of USA grown peanuts.

For more information please call the Florida Peanut Producers Association office at
(850) 526-2590.

Twenty-two peanut growers and sheller representatives from across the Southeast, Texas, North Carolina and Virginia began Class IX of the Peanut Leadership Academy hosted by the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation Dec. 15-17, 2014, in Panama City Beach, Florida. During the first session of the program, leadership academy attendees were introduced to one another, presented an overview of the peanut industry and attended the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation annual meeting where they had the opportunity to listen to grower and industry reports.
The Peanut Leadership Academy is a cooperative effort between Syngenta Crop Protection, the American Peanut Shellers Association, grower organizations and agricultural extension. The program began in 1998 with the first class of 14 peanut growers from Alabama, Florida and Georgia. Since then, the academy has continued to grow to include growers from Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and sheller representatives.
Lyle Stewart, Syngenta district manager, believes the Peanut Leadership Academy is critical to building successful leaders in the peanut industry.

“Syngenta is proud to support the Peanut Leadership Academy,” Stewart said. “We recognize the significance of the program and the importance of educating young peanut farmers who will become strong leaders in the industry.”

Activities in the leadership program are structured to give participants a thorough understanding of the U.S. peanut industry. The leadership sessions range from field trips, meetings with industry leaders and professional development training. Also, each class has one leadership session in Washington, D.C., where class members have an opportunity to visit with their congressmen about issues affecting the peanut industry.

John Powell, executive director of the American Peanut Shellers Association, sees the Peanut Leadership Academy as a program that can unite shellers and farmers.

“This program allows young farmers the ability to learn more about the manufacturer’s side, the sheller’s side, legislative aspects and more,” Powell said. “But it also allows our young shellers to understand more of the farmer’s side of the business, which is also important.”

Ken Barton, executive director of the Florida Peanut Producers Association sees evidence that the Peanut Leadership Academy continues to accomplish goals of increasing the leadership skills of the participants involved.

“After graduating from the Peanut Leadership Academy, we see many of the participants taking leadership roles not only in the peanut industry but their communities also,” said Barton. “We have a nine member board of directors at Florida Peanut Producers Association and three of these directors are graduates of the Peanut Leadership Academy.”

Peanut Leadership (Pictured above, Left to Right)

• Ken Barton, Executive Director Florida Peanut Producers Association
• Levi Findley, Jay 
• Dexter Gilbert, Campbellton
• Trey Sanchez, Old Town
• Jeremy Rolling, Westville