Overview
Peanuts are thought to have originated in South America where they would thrive in tropical and subtropical climates. Because the edible seeds of this annual legume plant start above ground but mature underground, peanuts are also known as groundpeas or groundnuts. In the United States, peanuts were considered a regional food of the South until after the Civil War when technological advancements resulted in an increased demand for peanut oil, peanut butter, roasted and salted peanuts and confections. In addition, George Washington Carver has been credited with identifying numerous manufactured nonfood uses for the peanut and plant parts and encouraging plantings of peanuts as a rotational crop for cotton production, thereby expanding acreage in the early 1900s (Phillips; Virginia-Carolina Peanut Promotions; American Peanut Council).
February 2006 . . . Peanuts
Links
- American Peanut Shellers Association - This nonprofit trade association is composed of commercial peanut shellers and crushers located in Alabama, Florida and Georgia.
- Georgia Peanut Commission - The Commission conducts programs in the areas of promotion, research and education. It also publishes the Southeastern Peanut Farmer magazine.
- Oil Crops Yearbook, ERS, USDA, 2007.
- Peanut and Tree Nut Processors Association - To provide a common forum for the processors and manufacturers of peanuts, tree nuts and related products, and the suppliers of goods and services, in order to further the advancement of the industry.
- Peanut Backgrounder, ERS, USDA, 2005.
- The Peanut Grower - This magazine is distributed to 18,000 growers in the South.
- Peanut Stocks and Processing, NASS, USDA, 2007.
- Peanuts, University of Georgia - This well-organized Web site covers a range of production practices and offers a range of publications. The 2007 Peanut Update provides info about cultivars, irrigation, diseases and weed control.
- Trade Database, FAS, USDA.
- U.S. Peanut Sector Adapts to Major Policy Changes, Amber Waves, USDA, 2004 - This article discusses the impact of the 2002 Farm Act on U.S. peanut production. The Farm Act removed peanuts from the list of commodities regulated by marketing quotas.
Links checked February 2008.