During a stop at WH Cross Farms in Unadilla, Georgia, Peanut Tour attendees had the opportunity to see first-hand a father and son duo showing the process of harvesting peanuts. WH, the father, has been farming since the 1980s while his son, Jared, has been farming since 2007. They grow peanuts, cotton, and corn.
Agricutlure is an important industry for Dooly County. There are 90,000 acres of cotton and 25,000 acres of peanuts.
Peanut harvesting is a multi-step process. Digging, which is first, is the process of removing the peanuts from the ground, shaking off any excess soil, rotating the plant, and then leaving the plant in rows, allowing the peanut to release moisture before being picked from the vine once dry. Farmers must monitor the maturity of the peanut crop before commencing the important task of digging. If removed from the ground too early, the peanuts will not reach the necessary maturity to meet accepted standards for grading. To reach maturity, the peanut growing period is 140-150 days following planting.
After a few days left to dry, peanuts are ready to be picked. Peanuts are picked with a combine. The combine separates the peanuts form the vine, placing the peanuts in a hopper on the top of the machine and depositing the vines back into the field.
