The Hagerson Family (left to right) Boyd, Jody, Brad, Milton, Neil and Chris Hagerson.
Georgia Peanut Tour attendees toured the Hagerson family farm in Sumter County, Ga. to learn more about seed production. Not all peanuts are grown for human consumption, says John Beasley, University of Georgia peanut agronomist. The Hagerson family grows foundation seed for other producers. All of the peanuts grown on the Hagerson farm in 2010 go towards seed increase for growers for 2011. The Hagerson’s grow about 4,500 acres in row crop production of peanuts, cotton, soybeans and green beans. The family has been growing peanut seed for the Georgia Seed Development Commission for 35 years. One of the main crops on the farm is peanuts which consist of 700 acres. The cultivars planted this year on the Hagerson farm include GA-06G, GA-07W and GA-09B. Even though the Hagerson’s grow peanuts for seed production they still face many of the same issues as other growers. The Hargerson’s have had the misfortune like other growers in the state with pigweed that is resistant to glyphosate and ALS chemistry herbicides, particularly Cadre. According to Neil Hagerson, they have been under a terrible stress this year with heat. “We haven’t had any rain in this area for 4 weeks. If it hadn’t been for irrigation then we wouldn’t have a crop this year,” Hagerson says. The Hagerson’s do receive a premium to grow seed peanuts. However, it is worth it since they have more work to do at harvest time. The Hagerson’s have to clean their combines and remove every peanut out of the combine when they move from one cultivar to another. “It’s the little things like that which cost us time,” Hagerson says.