Opening Evening Sponsored by Bayer

The opening evening food and festivities at the 10th annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference were sponsored by Bayer CropScience, makers of Provost, Temik, Trilix and more.

The evening featured a great band, dancing and excellent food – including the best Snickers pie ever as one of many desserts. Everyone seemed quite satisfied.

Regional Sales Manager Chris Payne had the pleasure of giving the official welcome to the hundreds in attendance, congratulating growers for a great year and thanking them for their support of Bayer CropScience products.

Make sure to check out the photo album for pictures taken at the dinner.

Southern Peanut Grower Conference Photo Album

Mr. Peanut Wears Many Hats

He is known to many in the southeast as “Mr. Peanut” – the voice of authority when it comes to peanuts on the Southeast Agnet.

Tyron Spearman is also the executive director for the National Peanut Buying Points Association and he poses here with some of his members making grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at the Southern Peanut Growers Conference on Sunday. Tyron is the one on the left, if you don’t know him. I just met him myself today – even though I also do programming for the Southeast Agnet. Our paths just never crossed until today.

In this interview, Tyron talks about what the NPBPA does and why they take an active role as a sponsor of the annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference.

Mr. Peanut Interview (2:30 min MP3)

Southern Peanut Grower Conference Photo Album

How to Grill Peanut Butter and Jelly

I tried something new today that I had frankly never even thought of eating before – grilled peanut butter and jelly. Don’t know why I never thought of it – after all, I like toast with peanut butter and jelly. But, grilling gives it a much richer flavor that, as Wesley Powell of Bainbridge, Georgia says goes great with a tall glass of cold milk for breakfast. Add some sliced bananas and you have yourself an “Elvis” sandwich!

Powell is past president of the National Peanut Buying Points Association, which grills up these tasty morsels every year at the SPGC. He shares his secrets to making the perfect grilled PB and J in this interview.

Wesley Powell Interview (3:00 min MP3)

I’ve also got a short YouTube video you can watch:

Southern Peanut Grower Conference Photo Album

Peanut Advisory Board Marketing Efforts

I mentioned Chet’s Peanut Butter toppings in the last post – here’s a close up of this fantastic new product for the peanut industry. It’s only been out there for about six months and already a buzz is getting started.

Leslie Wagner with the Peanut Advisory Board says they have been working to help market this new product. “We love working with brand new companies especially if they have an innovative thing going on,” Leslie told me. “It’s great for backpacking and traveling because it squeezes flat, not like a jar. It’s a great idea!”

Finding innovative new ways to market peanuts and peanut butter is the whole purpose of the Peanut Advisory Board, which represents growers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi. Find out more about what they do in this interview with Leslie.

Leslie Wagner Interview (5:00 min MP3)

Southern Peanut Grower Conference Photo Album

Ice Cream Socializing

As growers arrive to start the registration process, they are given a cool reception – a very welcome one coming in from the Florida humidity!

The Peanut Advisory Board is sponsoring the Ice Cream Social welcome hospitality, a tradition for the peanut growers meeting. It gives the meeting attendees a chance to meet and greet as they pick up their registration packets and check in to their hotel rooms.

The little ones especially enjoy the tasty treat – which can be topped with peanuts, of course – as well as some flavored peanut butter toppings. Chet’s peanut butter breakfast and dessert toppings come in a variety of flavors, including cinnamon nutmeg, chocolate and banana. Yummmmm! Check them out on line at www.harrisfamilyfoods.com

I am getting the Flickr photo album started. Check it out here:

Southern Peanut Grower Conference Photo Album

Registration is Underway

Peanut producers and their families from throughout the Southeast are arriving here at the Edgewater Beach Resort Conference Center in Panama City. It is a beautiful day to be at the beach here on the panhandle of Florida.

The Gulf of Mexico is just across the street from the conference center and right out the back door of the resort hotel. Definitely a great venue for this 10th annual conference. Right now the registration room is filling up and people are getting ready to get checked in to their rooms. Registration just started at 1 pm and people are anxious to get this party started!