Coming up next on Made in Virginia is a
product with over 175 years of commercially successful production and
one that continues to enjoy a reputation as being the world's finest. It is the
Virginia peanut - so sit back and join us right here on Made in Virginia. Made in
Virginia is brought to you by At Union Bank and Trust we salute, the dreamers, the thinkers, the doers, the believers, the builders and the makers - thanks to your vision hard work and innovation, you make Virginia shine - Union Bank and Trust a
partner of Virginia business and a proud supporter of Made in Virginia and
Virginia public broadcasting When you buy a home you're not just
investing in your future you're giving your memories a place to call home
Old Dominion Realty a proud supporter of Made in Virginia. TMEiC honoring
Virginia's manufacturing heritage and proudly supporting Made in Virginia
TMEiC, we drive industry.... and a very special thanks to Made in Virginia
supporters - The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum in
Staunton Virginia - a truly unique Made in Virginia experience. The Greater Augusta
Regional Chamber of Commerce a partner for success and the Law
Offices of Allen and Carwile The Virginia peanut truly the gourmet
peanut is valued for its size, texture and most of all its superb flavor but
the Virginia peanut is not a nut at all Ask ten people how the peanut grows and
what a peanut really is and you are likely to get ten different answers so
first what is a peanut and how does it grow to become the world's most popular
treat - it doesn't grow on trees like walnuts or pecans and it is not the root
of the plant rather the Virginia peanut is a legum you like peas and beans
taxonomically classified as Arrakis hypogea it grows utilizing an extremely
rare and mysterious means in which the peanut is formed by injecting the plants
ovary into the ground from the pegs which grow downward into the soil from
the flowers on the peanut plant which develop into the delicious nutritious
and highly sought-after Virginia peanut The peanut grows under the ground and a
lot of people think of peanut is like a potato where the potato is part of the
roof whereas the peanut's not like that the peanut comes from the peanut on the
peanut plant the plant of course is above the ground, from the limbs of the plant,
comes a flower, from the flower comes a peg, to peg goes under the ground and the
peanut forms on the end of the peg so the peanut does not form on that peg
until it gets under the ground so if you were to take a picture and look at it
from a distance all the peanuts are dangling from the plant but they are all
underground so that's the way a peanut plant grows. The
peanut is grown in 11 southern states ranging eastward from Virginia down to
Florida and west to New Mexico but it is here in the light sandy loam calcium
rich soil of southeastern Virginia where the world's finest crunchiest and most
flavorful peanut is grown. Well first of all Virginia is the oldest a pretty nuts
we first grew peanuts in 1842 commercially so we are the oldest state to
commercially have produced peanuts but as far as this area is concerned they
just produce a very nice peanut - they always have - eight or nine counties in
Virginia grumpy nuts and they're all in the southeastern corner of the state all
over contiguous to each other because that's where the sand is and our climate
is the best in the state too for peanuts because we are within the most northern
state to grow peanuts - we have to be very careful in that in May we have to get
them in the ground but we have to wait into the ground warms up so we're kind
of locked a little bit on the front side but we're particularly locked on the
back side as we're in the safe this year We have to get them out of the ground as
best we can before it frosts or we've got a dodged frost and getting them out
of the ground so our growing season is much smaller than many of the other
states because we got to get them in the ground on time, we got to get them out of
the ground on we are very much known for our ballpark peanuts which are either
you eat at the ballgame or the big ones that are put in the cans which we're so
famous for with the many processes in our area so anywhere I go and exhibit
for peanuts people want to know where they can buy Virginia peanuts - Virginia
is home to right around 175 peanut farmers - combined they have more than
eighteen thousand acres and produced 67 million pounds of Virginia peanuts. This
peanut crop now being harvested is typically planted in April through May
- the planting process begins when soil temperatures reach between 65 and 70
degrees Fahrenheit - the goal is to generate a high-quality seed to be
replanted for next year's crop here in Virginia or exported to other growers
outside of the state. A portion of the best peanuts harvested are selected for
commercial cooking and consumption Virginia peanut farmers take their crop
very seriously it's not easy maintaining the legacy
year after year as the world's finest But the end product is well worth the
effort - quality control on the Made in Virginia peanut is never compromised. All
the peanuts we grow or growing for seed - we start, start out
with foundation seed which of this part of Virginia Crop Improvement Association
and each person that's in the seed business, they buy a certain number of
pounds of foundation seed in each variety every year and from foundation
seed, you plant those and what you get from back are considered registered
seed they have to go through a field inspection process - they'll inspected
while they're growing to make sure they're not any mixed varieties or a lot of
weeds and things in the field in order to and I'll get a certificate backs in
each farmer on whether their peanuts have passed or not and I can't use them to
certify seed if they fail but all the farmers around here do a great job and
it's rare that you ever get one that would fail to field inspection before - now
we don't use them all for seed - we screen off some of the larger peanuts for
selling to people that cook peanuts and we also cook and process peanuts
ourselves. The peanut seed kernels are planted two inches deep every four
inches or so in rows about three feet apart. Then if conditions are right
staying warm and with enough water nature runs its course - the seeds
germinate and sprout within two weeks of planting. For the next 30 to 40 days the
peanut plant matures and will bloom at that point the nearly magical but
certainly rare form of plant reproduction geo Carvey occurs. The pod
forms and for the next 60 to 70 days it develops into the peanut hulls and the
sought-after kernels of the Virginia peanut. The total time from planting to
harvesting is between 120 to 160 days depending on the variety. The first step
in getting the world's greatest peanut to market is digging. The peanuts are dug
in multiple rows in each passing. The digging machine inverts the plans to
remove soil and to expose the peanut to the sun for better drying in the field. Digging in dry just like the growing process is also dependent on time and
conditions. The soil must not be too wet or too dry for digging and the weather
must stay dry for at least two days after the peanut plants have been dug
and inverted before they are harvested the initial field run - the first in a two
step drying process must be completed before the farmer can begin to harvest
the peanuts. Harvesting is done with a combine machine commonly called a Peanut Harvester - the peanut harvester separates the peanuts from the vines - the peanuts
still in their hulls go into a large hopper on the top of the machine while
the vines are ejected out the back. The vines that are left in the field from
the combining process - the vines are kicked back out by the combine and
they're left in the field either the farmer can leave them there to add
nitrogen back to the soil because they're full of nitrogen or they can
bale them and use them for feed for livestock which love them because it's
full of protein so peanuts do add back to the soil versus taking away. Once the hopper is full - the peanuts are transferred to a
drying trailer. The drying trailer has a perforated floor for circulation and
will be connected to a force dry air supply. The peanuts will continue to dry
in the trailer until the moisture content is reduced to the required 10%
This usually occurs within two to three days and is essential so the peanuts can
be stored without spoiling Once dried, the peanuts are taken to the
buying station where they are sampled and graded by the federal state
inspection service. When the peanuts come in they have to come across these scales
right here and they're weighed in. We have peanut graders that are furnished
by the Virginia State Inspection Service We pay seven hundred seven dollars and
95 cents a ton of feed for having them graded. They are independent from us,
we're not their boss - they we furnish them with grading room and a bathroom and a
peanut sampling and they do the rest and they have qualified people, they go
through training in order to do these this job and they're very good they're
very good people. Here the peanuts are weighed and identified by variety and
farm number. The peanuts are then taken to the sampling machine, which draws a
random sample by vacuum from various locations within the load. This assures an
accurate fair sample is obtained. From this large sample a 1700 gram or three
pound sample is obtained and run through a foreign material machine. This
separates the peanuts from any foreign material and loose shelled kernels - some
hand cleaning of this smaller sample may still be required. The clean peanuts are
then weighed and a 500 gram or 1.6 pound and sample is obtained the peanuts are then sorted by size, then
loaded into the sheller which removes the hulls from the kernel - next the
kernels are sorted to identify the percentage of mature kernels splits and
extra-large kernels - next the moisture content is determined. The peanuts are
now ready for the final sample. The total of these must weigh 500 grams, which must match the weight of the original sample And they determine the percentage of
whole shells you know, the percentage of smk, they call that Salma to a kernels
and then they have something called "other kernels" which a little shriveled peanuts and then they crack them open, shell them crack them open and they determine they
determine the percentage of splits and the damage and all that and all those
factors are entered into a computer and it's a price chart that they are paid by
and that all those factors determine the price that they will receive for the
peanuts - of course that price is considered the loan rate
$359 I think and 95 cents but of course they're not growing them for that amount - we use the contract for 535 or more for some varieties we pay more because they have
to be irrigated. Once graded the peanuts are stored or taken to the shelling
plant the peanuts are loaded by conveyor into
a peanut cleaning machine - rocks, dirt stems, sticks and vines are removed. Next
the peanuts go to the sheller - here they are separated into three sizes and moved
into one of three different shelling chambers where they are shelved. Sizing
the peanuts for shelling minimizes splitting thus keeping the world's
greatest peanut kernels intact. Once shelled, the peanuts move to a vacuum
separator which removes any unshelled peanuts from the shelled ones. From here
they go to the picking room where the electric eyes identify and remove
undesirable peanuts - this is accomplished with a precise air blast right down to
the individual kernel from the lot. No detail is overlooked in the quality
control of these high-demand Made in Virginia gourmet peanuts as they are
then inspected and hand-picked by a person to remove any further undesirable
foreign material or inferior product After hand picking, the peanuts go into a
sizer - the sizing machine is crucial as it determines which peanuts become the
final product - only the super extra-large kernels become Made in Virginia gourmet
peanuts From there, the peanuts that made the
grade get cooked - the cooking process begins by first weighing the extra-large
peanut kernels - the keepers - into 12 pound batches. The peanuts are then soaked in
nearly boiling water for 30 minutes From there the water is drained and the
peanuts are cooked in peanut oil at 325 degrees for 6 minutes - after cooking
they are poured onto flat metal trays lined with several layers of absorbent
paper towels Salt is sprinkled on the peanuts and they are then racked for
cooling before being sent for packaging Once cooled the salted peanuts are
loaded into the hopper for precise portioning and various sized packages
and containers The cans are filled and vacuum sealed then stamped with a best used by date Next the cans are labeled and packaged
in cartons ready for shipment Then finally the Made in Virginia peanuts
- the pride of Virginia farmers - are sent to cold storage ready for distribution,
sale and consumption. Well we've always had the competition when it comes to the
almonds and the pistachios and some of these higher dollar commodities or
higher dollar nuts but when it comes to peanuts, they're much more sustainable
than some of these other nuts are it takes a fraction of water to grow a
peanut versus growing an almond or growing a pistachio. Peanuts grow under
the ground - there are many people who think peanuts grow on trees just like
almonds and pistachios but they don't They grow under the ground so we've got
a lot going for us in the sustainability area too and I think that's going to
benefit us in the future Virginia peanuts are valued by consumers
the world over in fact the peanuts American baseball
fans enjoy in the ballpark are the variety known as Virginia peanuts
- delicious and with a pleasing crunchy texture, nothing beats the flavor of a
true Virginia peanut. Although not the largest US producer the Virginia peanut
farmers take great pride in knowing the peanuts they produce are the finest most
sought after peanut in the world We ship all over the country
and you know all over the United States and abroad
- well we've considered the Virginia peanut is the best peanut you can get. We
have the best climate for growing peanuts you know some areas they get too hot
and I think they have a flavor problem in some areas that have the extremely
hot weather when they are digging and peanuts on top of the ground and they go
to extreme heat. I've heard people talk about the flavor issues in those areas
but we just think we have the largest peanut and the best peanut in the
country. There are 130 farms in Sussex County, Virginia with an average size of
571 acres - 25% of the county's land is devoted to agricultural production. Principal crops are cotton, corn flue-cured tobacco, small grains, soybeans
and of course peanuts I'm very proud to be a processor -
I've done this so long I just feel like the farmers I deal with are part family
here we try to do everything we can to help the farmer and farmer does
everything they can do do everything they can do to try to deliver a good
product to me so I try to work with them especially this time of year when the
weather is critical and you know you might be expecting a frost any day and
you need to get the harvest the crop in and we work weekends in order to get all
this done, whatever it takes We need the consumer for one
which we've got that I feel like you need the infrastructure and I feel like
we've got the infrastructure and of course you need the farmers and the
farmers couldn't exist without infrastructure so I think we've got a
group of farmers now in our state that are committed to growing peanuts and
they want to continue to grow peanuts and once you have the farmers growing
the peanuts they need somewhere to deliver them to such as this facility
here and many others across the southeastern part of the state so as
long as we've got the infrastructure and the processors to process those peanuts
then peanuts should be around just as long as they have been around let's look so
There's a lot of pride in in that crop The southeastern Virginia is known for
peanuts that's just the way it is and these farmers want to carry on the
tradition of those before them - now once again I'll mention to you that we don't
grow what we used to - the program change took at the federal price support
program changed in 2002 and that's when we went from 75,000 acres down to about
20,000 acres - we were down to 12,000 in one of those years but we've rebounded
back to 20 and I think we'll stay around the 20,000 acres but even those 20,000
acres while that pales in comparison to the 700 and some thousand acres grown in
Georgia those 20,000 acres are very important to us and those farmers who
grow those 20,000 acres take just as much pride in those 20,000 as they did
in the 75,000 acres so it's carrying on the tradition and what people expect to
come from the peanuts produced in our area. Wakefield Virginia has long been
known as the peanut capital of the world the area's average summer temperature is
78 degrees with an annual rainfall of 44 inches - perfect for peanuts. Incorporated
in 1902, Wakefield boasts the renowned Virginia Diner with peanut pie and other
home cooked southern delicacies but the real draw here is and always will be the
best peanuts in the world You got to remember there's not a peanut
farmer there are farmers who grow peanuts, corn, cotton, soybeans and wheat
so these are farmers that grow a number of crops and they rotate each year and
in some years in this field there are peanuts but next year they're not going
to have peanuts in that field so we have farmers who grow a number of crops among them being peanuts - they are taken from the field. Now you've got the processors
that are involved and the shellers that are involved in Suffolk they used to be
seven or eight shellers there's one now and that's hurt some. They are a huge
company but still they are the only ones left in Suffolk - then we get to the
processors. You've got planters in Suffolk who's been here a hundred years
you've got all of these processes that we're known for that put them in the can
so when you add all of that together between the farmers, the equipment
dealers and the fertilizer Plaza dealers and the processors - it's a good chunk of
people that are involved in peanuts in this area. It's very important very
important. The farmers are well they have several crops that they grow here but
peanuts are a good money crop you know it's they're making exceptional yields now - they you know some of the new varieties we have they're making 5,000 pounds to the acre and more and years
ago say 10 to 15 years ago 30 bags to the acre 3,000 pounds to the acre was
considered a good crop so they need to make more of them because the prices
aren't quite as good as they were when they had the support program - a
government support program. You know like I said southeastern Virginia for since
1842 has been known for peanuts so we've got the history behind us there are
processors, planters for one works on for another that had been here for over a
hundred years - the the oldest Hubert Peanut Company to put them in the Kansas
been here over 60 years - so it is we've got the traditions behind us - the peanut
sells itself because people ask for it because they know what to expect when
they eat a Virginia peanut so again we try to make ourselves stand out a little
bit but we really don't need to because people already know. Virginia farmers
have been growing peanuts for nearly 200 years - although not the largest peanut
producer in the United States, the sandy soil and climate of southeastern
Virginia produces a peanut of impeccable taste and texture with over two dozen
varieties - the Virginia peanut has endured and distinguishes itself as the
best in the world The Virginia peanut valued for its large
size, beauty and outstanding flavor is also known as "A" The Dude, "B" the ballpark peanut, "C" The Kings Peanut or "D" The New World Peanut - the answer when we return Made in Virginia is brought to you by.....At
Union Bank and Trust we salute the dreamers, the thinkers, the doers, the
believers, the builders and the makers thanks to your vision, hard work and
innovation you make Virginia shine Union Bank and Trust - a partner of Virginia business and a proud supporter of Made in Virginia and Virginia public
broadcasting This is the place we call home. This place right here...this is our place...This is the place we call home When you buy a home you're not just investing in your future
you're giving your memories a place to call home
Old Dominion Realty a proud supporter of Made in Virginia - TMEiC, honoring
Virginia's manufacturing heritage and proudly supporting Made in Virginia
TMEiC - we drive industry.....and a very special thanks to Made in Virginia
supporters...The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum in
Staunton Virginia, a truly unique Made in Virginia experience The Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce a partner for success.....and the
law offices of Allen and Carwile So...what is the Virginia peanut also known
as....the answer "B" - The Ballpark Peanut and with over 70 million major-league
baseball tickets sold annually the Virginia peanuts is a home run
Next time on made in Virginia it's all about guitars and the people who make
them they're called lute ears and they make
the world's finest steel string flattop guitars right here in Staunton in the
heart of Virginia's beautiful Shenandoah Valley where deep musical roots and
elegant craftsmanship come together Don't miss this one
next time on Made in Virginia if you would like to learn more about today's episode or suggest a Virginia manufacturer for the program you may
visit us at MadeinVirginia.tv and at WVPT.net
