On the second day of the 2026 Georgia Peanut Tour, attendees got an up-close look at one of the first major steps of peanut harvest: digging. After spending approximately 120 to 150 days developing beneath the soil, peanuts reach the point where they are ready to be lifted from the ground. A digger travels through the field, carefully loosening the plants, shaking away excess soil and turning them back onto the ground with the peanuts exposed to the sun. The plants are then allowed to cure and dry in the field for several days before the combine returns to harvest the peanuts.
The Dixons grow peanuts, corn, cotton, and cows. Alongside their variety of crops, they also own a peanut buying point as well as a cotton gin. Three generations continue to ensure this operation continues to push forward for years to come.
Featured on this stop as well is the new Amadas Bulldog Digger. Amadas stated that a lot of the testing work for the new digger was done right here on the Dixon Farm.
Peanuts are a major part of Burke County’s agricultural landscape. The most recent USDA county production figures available show that Burke County harvested approximately 16,900 acres of peanuts, producing 77.5 million pounds with an average yield of 4,586 pounds per acre. Local UGA Extension data also reported that Burke County growers planted approximately 19,436 acres of peanuts in 2023, an increase of about 8% from the previous year.
For Burke County growers, knowing when to dig is especially important. UGA Extension emphasizes that harvesting peanuts at the right stage of maturity can have a significant impact on both yield and grade. In fact, research cited by UGA found that digging as much as three weeks too early can reduce yield potential by as much as 30%.