The Georgia peanut industry joins together to celebrate National Peanut Month in March
TIFTON, Ga. (March 13, 2014) March is National Peanut Month, a time to celebrate one of America’s favorite foods! The Georgia peanut industry plans to celebrate by hosting the 2014 Georgia PB&J Day at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, Ga. The event kicks off Monday morning March 17, 2014, and will be held in the south wing of the Capitol from 9 a.m. until noon. The peanut industry will have plenty of PB&J’s, grilled PB&J’s, country-fried peanuts, boiled peanuts and more.
A special program celebrating National Peanut Month will be held at 10:30 a.m. with special guests, Sen. John Wilkinson, chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee, and Rep. Tom McCall, chairman of the House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee. The Georgia Peanut Commission and Peanut Proud will also donate 18,720 jars of peanut butter to the Atlanta Community Food Bank during the event.
“Peanuts are Georgia’s Official State Crop and the state boasts the largest share of peanut production in the U.S. at nearly 50 percent,” says Armond Morris, chairman of the Georgia Peanut Commission. “Georgia’s 3,500 peanut farmers contribute approximately $2 billion annually to the state and local economy.”
Coincidentally, March is National Nutrition Month – a great time to recognize the nutritional value of peanuts. One serving of peanuts is a good source of protein, vitamin E, niacin, folate, phosphorus and magnesium. Peanuts are naturally cholesterol-free and low in saturated fat.
Sponsors and exhibitors include the Georgia Peanut Commission, National Peanut Buying Points Association, The Peanut Institute, Kroger, Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia Agribusiness Council, Hardy Farms, Peanut Proud, Southern Peanut Growers, University of Georgia Extension Peanut Team and the Atlanta Community Food Bank.