Overview

Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) are thought to have originated in South America where they thrive in tropical and subtropical climates. Because the edible seeds of this annual legume (a member of the pea and bean family) 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, the noted scientist George Washington Carver identified numerous manufactured nonfood uses for the peanut and plant parts and encouraged plantings of peanuts as a rotational crop for cotton production, which expanded acreage in the early 1900s (American Peanut Council, Virginia-Carolina Peanut Promotions).  January 2010 ... Peanuts
 

Marketing

• American Peanut Council - Available in Dutch, German and Spanish.
• American Peanut Shellers Association - This nonprofit trade association is composed of commercial peanut shellers and crushers located in Alabama, Florida and Georgia.
• Food Availability (Per Capita) Data System, Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA.
• Georgia Peanut Commission - The Commission conducts programs in the areas of promotion, research and education. It also publishes the Southeastern Peanut Farmer magazine.
• National Peanut Board - This national check-off program for peanuts is a nonprofit, peanut-farmer-funded research and promotions commodity board that focuses on increasing the consumption of U.S.-grown peanuts and peanut products.
• 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.
• Peanut Company of Australia - Currently promoting high-oleic peanuts, which have heart-healthy benefits and stay fresher longer.
  
• Removal of Government Controls Opens Peanut and Tobacco Sectors to Market Forces, Amber Waves, ERS, USDA, 2009 - Though U.S. peanut acreage contracted with removal of quotas, efficiency gains have sparked export growth.
• Trade Database, Foreign Ag Service (FAS), USDA.
• U.S. Peanuts and Peanut Products, U.S. Crops, Food and Ag Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) 2009 Agricultural Outlook, University of Missouri.
• U.S. Peanut Sector Adapts to Major Policy Changes, Amber Waves, ERS, 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.

Production

• 2008 Virginia Peanut Production Guide, Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2009.
• Crop Production Annual Summary, National Ag Statistics Service (NASS), USDA, 2009.
• Management and Cultural Practices for Peanuts, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, revised 2009.
• Oil Crops Yearbook, ERS, USDA, 2008.
• The Peanut Grower - This magazine is distributed to 18,000 growers in the South.
• Peanut Production, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida.
• Peanut Profiles,The New American Farmer, Sustainable Agriculture and Research Education (SARE), USDA - Describes two peanut-growing operations in the United States.
• Peanut Stocks and Processing, NASS, USDA.
• Peanuts, University of Georgia - This well-organized Web site covers a range of production practices and offers a range of publications. The 2009 Peanut Update provides info about types, irrigation, diseases and weed control.
• Peanuts: Organic Production, Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA), NCAT, 2008 - Experienced peanut growers considering a switch to organic production may find a high demand for organic peanuts and enjoy higher premiums over traditionally grown peanuts.
• Production of Biofuel Crops in Florida: Peanut, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2008.
• A Short Peanut History, Virginia-Carolina Peanut Promotions.
• Taste Tests Prove It: U.S. Peanuts Are Tops, Ag Research Service (ARS), USDA, 2005. 

Links checked January 2010.