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TIFTON, Ga. (Jan. 17, 2025) - More than 1,500 attendees were able to fine-tune their farming operations with information gained at the 48th annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference Jan. 16, 2025, at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. The show is sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission.

The one-day show offered farmers a chance to view the products and services of nearly 100 exhibitors and education opportunities. The University of Georgia Peanut Team presented an educational peanut production seminar focusing on the impacts of multiple weather events in 2024 and what to expect in 2025, management of foliage feeders and soil borne insects, history of tropical spiderwort in Georgia and how to manage it, and effects of the expanded season and weather on leafspot management. An industry seed seminar was held, which highlighted peanut varieties available for 2025.

The Georgia Peanut Commission presented awards to individuals and businesses for their service to the peanut industry and promotion of peanuts across the United States. The award recipients include Distinguished Service Award – T.E. Moye, Jr., president of Georgia Federal State Inspection Service; Research and Education Award – Tim Brenneman, University of Georgia professor and plant pathologist; and the Media Award – Jim Wallace, retired news anchor for WALB TV.  

The Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer Award, sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission and BASF, was presented to Ryan Ireland, Ashburn, Georgia. The award is presented to one Georgia peanut farmer based upon the applicant’s overall farm operation; environmental and stewardship practices; and leadership and community service activities. Ireland grows peanuts, cotton, corn, wheat, hay and cattle. Ireland strives to incorporate new and innovative ways to increase yields and be a natural steward of the land. Ireland chooses to focus on water retention, disease control and overall soil quality. 

In addition to the Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer Award, the Georgia Peanut Commission and Agri Supply presented the Outstanding Georgia Peanut Farmers of the Year Award to individuals representing each of the commission’s five districts. The GPC board members started this award to honor farmers who have the passion, diligence, leadership and desire to see the peanut industry in the state of Georgia continue to be the highest quality. Winners include District 1 – Martine Phillips, Colquitt; District 2 – Billy Senkbeil, Sylvester; District 3 – Daniel Johnson, Alma; District 4 – Wayne Peavy, Vienna; and

District 5 – Sauls Partnership, Shellman. These farmers received a sign to display at their farm and gift cards from Agri Supply and the Georgia Peanut Commission.

At the close of the day, the presentation of the Grand Door Prize donated by Kelley Manufacturing Co. was presented to Robb Lane, Omaha, Georgia. Lane received one season’s use of a new 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 2025 season, as well as a cash prize.

Amadas Industries also provided the Grower Door Prize to Melissa Williams of Lenox, Georgia, and Joey Williams, Lenox, Georgia. Melissa Williams received a customized Grizzly cooler and a certificate towards the purchase of a new Amadas self-propelled peanut combine, pull-type peanut combine, peanut digger or peanut dump cart. Joey Williams received a customized Grizzly cooler and a certificate for Amadas parts.

For photos and additional information on the Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference, visit the Georgia Peanut Commission website at www.gapeanuts.com.

For those who have ever listened to pop music on the radio, the concept of weekly pop music charts will at least be vaguely familiar. Radio stations often play a countdown of either the top five or top ten songs on the chart that week, when either samples or the entire songs are played.  Pop music can be hard to ignore. And even for those people who don’t necessarily love it, there’s a pretty good chance that they have heard at least some of the songs that are on the charts today. Whether from shopping in a store, hearing them on television commercials or just in someone else’s car while driving with the top down, pop music is everywhere.  Not only is it everywhere, but pop music is a mixed bag of what some people think sounds like an awful racket, and some genuinely interesting songs that all somehow reach the zenith of popularity. While some songs may only be on the chart for one week, there are others which remain among the most popular songs for months on end. And it’s difficult to predict how or why these songs get the results that they do.  So what is your favorite type of music?  What is your favorite song?  If you are like me, listening to music makes getting tasks done quickly.  So put on a few tunes and get your day started.

January recognizes National Handwriting.  The purpose of National Handwriting Day is to remind the public of the importance of handwriting.  According to the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association (WIMA), National Handwriting Day is a chance to re-explore the purity and power of handwriting.  In an age now dominated by computers, handwriting adds a personal touch.  It can also reveal much about the writer’s personality.  Throughout history, handwritten documents have expressed love, kept families close together no matter the distance, and initiated important changes in laws that govern the people of our nation.  National Handwriting Day is sponsored by WIMA every January 23rd in conjunction with John Hancock’s birthday.  John Hancock was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence and is famous for his large, bold signature.  The Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association is a national trade association covering a 4.5 billion dollar industry of pen, pencil and marker manufacturers.  I find it so interesting to see how many people write left handed versus right handed, cursive versus print.  My mother was right handed as well as I was, my sister is left handed, and my daddy was both.  Pretty cool huh?

 Memories… I love memories and this one popped up on my Facebook timeline this weekend.  This picture was from January 17, 2018.  It was a snowy day in Sylvester.  Yes that is right, Sylvester, Georgia!  I know you are shocked as I was too!  I enjoyed that day though.  It was cold and snowy for a few hours and even though we didn’t get much it was enough for us and it was so beautiful.  I loved it all that day but I would not want to live where they have snow off and on all winter.  That would probably stress me out.  I could tolerate and would love actually if it would snow once every winter.  That would be just enough for me.  Prior to this snow, I think the one before that was 2010.  My daddy passed away in August 2009 and it was extremely hot that Summer.  I was talking to daddy about how hot it was and he said it is such a hot Summer that I bet it will be a cold winter.  He then looked at me and mother and said “Maybe it will snow this winter”.  My son, Larry, was only 5.  He looked at his Papa and said “Papa will you make it snow this winter and he replied with I sure will”.  February followed and it snowed.  Larry loved it!  We lived in Albany at that time and it was everywhere.  I almost got a little nervous driving over there trying to get home from work.  We here in South Georgia don’t know exactly how to drive in the snow!  Can we please have some snow this winter? 

TIFTON, Ga. (Jan. 21, 2025) - The Georgia Peanut Commission is seeking candidates for the position of executive director. The GPC Board of Directors seek candidates to oversee the management of Commission resources and serve as the staff team leader. During the recent Georgia Peanut Farm Show, Don Koehler, current GPC executive director, announced his plans to retire Aug. 1, 2026.

Founded in 1961, the Georgia Peanut Commission is funded through a grower assessment on all peanuts produced and marketed in Georgia. The Commission carries out programs in the areas of research, education, promotion and advocacy.

“We are looking for someone with a huge passion for agriculture, specifically peanuts,” says Joe Boddiford, GPC chairman. “The Georgia Peanut Commission needs someone with great leadership qualities, exceptional communication talents and a strong advocate for Georgia’s peanut farmers.”

Ideal candidates will be energetic leaders with experience in agriculture. This position operates in a high-pressure environment and requires a great deal of commitment of time on the part of the individual. It is also a very diverse position which requires an individual with broad vision to truly lead. It requires a combination of depth and vision, people skills, management ability, and dedication to the purpose of the Commission.

For more details about the position and job description, please visit the Georgia Peanut Commission’s website at gapeanuts.com/executivedirector.

 Does your pet love going on walks? Well, here is a day you and your dog can walk. Not only is walking a good activity for us but for our pets too. Always carry bags for cleaning up and disposing of waste. Use your hands as a bowl or you can carry a collapsible water bowl. Don't forget to pack your dog's favorite treats for rewarding good behavior during the walk, especially if training. Walking together is a great time to focus on training your dog and strengthening the bond between you.To get the most out of your time together, don’t walk and talk on the phone. Use this time to focus on your pet. They spend a lot of time alone already and need you. Praise them when they walk well and pay attention to you. To make walks more fun for you and your dog, pick new paths, and travel off the normal route by taking your dog on different routes, going to exciting places like the dog park or taking walks with friends and their dogs. During the winter it gets dark early. If you normally walk your dog before the sunrise or late afternoon/evening hours, you want to make sure you can be seen by motorists, bicyclists and other dog walkers/pedestrians. A lighted leash and collar combination is good for your dog. You will do well to wear light colored clothes at least and better yet, a reflective vest or jacket.

 January 18th is National Winnie the Pooh day.  Maybe you have watched this children's classic who we all loved as a kid, our dear old friend Winnie the Pooh. He is a bear that loved honey and had some pretty cool friends including Christopher Robin.  Christopher Robin always played with Pooh and his friends. His friends are Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga Roo, and Rabbit.  I used to watch Winnie the Pooh when I was younger. I absolutely loved and still love Winnie the Pooh. It's such a great movie. I had a porcelain tea cup set that had Winnie the pooh on it that I got for Christmas from my Nanny. Winnie the Pooh was the best show or movie to watch when I was younger.  Even the newer movie, Christopher Robin, was really good. It was sad but it was a really good movie.   

 With our busy schedules, it is hard at times to fit in cleaning the house sometimes especially first of the year cleaning or spring cleaning but if tips like this keep coming in, it will be a piece of cake!  This is easy as can be to clean your blinds.  Simply get one of your pair of tongs from the kitchen, attach a cloth to it and attach it with rubber bands and dust away!  This will be easy to keep the blinds cleaned monthly now.  Just a quick tip from Windex.  I read recently that if you keep your house picked up on a daily basis and do one chore like this one once a week then you are able to do them once a month and have your house always looking like you have just finished your spring cleaning.  

 School breakfast and lunch plays an important role in the lives of our children. One of the roles it plays is the academic benefits it provides.  Students who eat full, nutritious meals like the ones provided by the school for breakfast and lunch have: Improved cognitive function—Short-term memory, the ability to conceptualize, and abstract reasoning skills improved when students ate snacks that contained more nutrients.  It provides higher test scores.  Students who received the necessary levels of iron in their meals scored better on math and IQ tests.  The meals also provide better attention spans.  Parents reported that their children could concentrate better after they had eaten more nutritious meals.  Another role it plays is the behavioral benefits it provides.  Your child’s behavior can also change for the better if he or she is enjoying school meals.  Children who eat breakfast and lunch that meets their nutritional needs experience better classroom behavior.  Children and adolescents have been shown to get along better with classmates and cause fewer class disruptions when they have been eating properly.  Fewer absences occur as well when children eat properly.  Students who consistently eat enough throughout the day are less likely to miss school days or extra-curricular activities throughout the year due to respiratory problems.  Students who attend class more often are more likely to perform well in school, so limiting absences is extremely important.  Did you know that eating properly improves their mood?  Hungry children tend to be angrier and more irritable.  They also cannot socialize as well.   

 Winter storms are dangerous. They can bring cold temperatures, power failures, loss of communication services, and icy roads. This can make being outside dangerous, so you should limit your time outside. Although staying indoors as much as possible can help reduce the risk of car crashes and falls on the ice, you may also face hazards inside your home.  Protect yourself and your loved ones during a winter storm. Take extra steps to make sure you heat your home safely, and follow the tips below.

· Heat your home safely.

· If you plan to use a wood stove, fireplace, or space heater, be extremely careful. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and remember these safety tips:

· Turning on the stove for heat is not safe; have at least one of the following heat sources in case the power goes out:

· Extra blankets, sleeping bags, and warm winter coats

· Fireplace that is up to code with plenty of dry firewood or a gas log fireplace

· Portable space heaters or kerosene heaters. Check with your local fire department to make sure that kerosene heaters are legal in your area.

· Use electric space heaters with automatic shut-off switches and non-glowing elements. Make sure to keep them away from any flammable materials, like curtains or blankets.

· Use fireplaces, wood stoves, or other combustion heaters only if they are properly vented to the outside and do not leak gas from the flue or exhaust into the indoor air space.

· Have your heating system serviced by a qualified technician every year.

· Do not burn paper in a fireplace.

· Make sure you have proper ventilation if you must use a kerosene heater.

· Use only the type of fuel your heater is designed to use—don’t substitute.

· Keep heat sources, like space heaters, at least 3 feet away from drapes, furniture, or bedding. Never cover your space heater.

· Never place a space heater on top of furniture or near water.

· Never leave children unattended near a space heater.

· Make sure that the cord of an electric space heater is not a tripping hazard, but do not run the cord under carpets or rugs.

· Avoid using extension cords to plug in your space heater.

· If your space heater has a damaged electrical cord or produces sparks, do not use it.

Source: CDC

National Pie Day on January 23rd celebrates one of the Nations’ favorite desserts. No matter how you slice it, pie in just about any form makes a crowd happy. Fruit pies or berry pies, they are mouthwatering servings of homemade goodness. National Pie Day simply celebrates the pie. Everyone is invited to bake their favorite pie, but more importantly, the day reminds us to enjoy eating pies! The only other question to ask is, will it be all a mode? Did you know, the first pies appeared around 9500 BC in the Egyptian Neolithic period or New Stone Age? So, humans have been eating pies for a very long time. And with so many to choose from, we shouldn’t have any problem finding one we like. After all, we celebrate the day twice a year.

 January is National Cleaning Off Your Desk month.  January is a great time to kick off the new year with cleaning off your desk!  I often feel if my desk is clean I can get more done now but when the desk is bogged down with clutter I feel almost like I can not function.  So let me be the first one to get my desk cleaned up!