The final seminar of the tour brought attendees to Service Brewing in Savannah, Georgia, where agriculture, technology and industry came together for a day of learning and conversation.

Attendees heard from industry representatives across several areas of the peanut industry. Brian Martinez and Carter West with John Deere shared insight into emerging technologies and innovations that are helping shape the future of peanut production.

Courtney Dorsett with Premium Peanut and the American Peanut Shellers Association gave attendees a look inside the shelling process and discussed the ways shellers work to maintain quality throughout the journey from seed to consumer.

The conversation continued with Nick Lightfoot of WECO, who discussed moisture monitoring and how technology can help improve drying consistency and efficiency. Brian Wood with Georgia Plant Food introduced the Georgia Plant Food Educational Society, sharing more about its mission and the important role fertilizer plays in agriculture.

The day also offered a unique look beyond agriculture, as the owner of Service Brewing shared the history of the building and the story behind how the brewery came to be.

From new technology in the field to quality control in the shelling plant, the final seminar highlighted the many people, technologies and industries working together to move Georgia agriculture forward.

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Today’s stop in Bulloch County at Sikes Farms gave attendees a close-up look at peanut harvest in action as a combine worked its way through the field, picking up rows and separating the peanuts from the vines. As the peanuts are lifted into the combine, the pods are separated from the plant and collected in the machine’s hopper, while the vines are left behind in the field. It’s a process that requires careful timing, specialized equipment and experience to efficiently bring the crop from the field to the next stage of production.

The harvest also provided an opportunity for visitors to learn more about the Sikes family and their farming operation. Greg Sikes has been farming for 27 years and now farms alongside his son, Landon. Together, they grow peanuts, cotton, corn and wheat.

Farming runs deep in Greg’s family. Although his parents did not farm, both his grandfather and great-grandfather were farmers. Greg chose to revive the family farm, following in their footsteps and building an operation of his own. His connection to the peanut industry extends beyond his farm as well. Greg recently served as president of the National Peanut Buying Points Association and is also part owner of Candler Peanut.

With approximately 26,400 acres of peanuts harvested and an average yield of 3,998 pounds per acre according to the latest USDA county-level data, Bulloch County is an important part of Georgia’s peanut industry. Seeing harvest firsthand at Sikes Farms gave tour attendees a closer look at not only the scale of peanut production in the county, but also the people, families and generations of farming experience behind the crop.

View the 2026 Georgia Peanut Tour Photo Album.

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%.

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A stop at Sylvania Peanut Company gave attendees an inside look at what happens to Georgia peanuts once they leave the field. The group was able to see firsthand how a buying point fits into the peanut industry and the many steps that take place before peanuts continue on to their next destination.

At Sylvania Peanut Company, freshly harvested peanuts arrive from farms and begin their journey through the buying point. From receiving and drying the crop to sampling and grading each load, every step plays a role in determining the quality and condition of the peanuts. Attendees got to see how these processes work together to prepare the crop for storage and, ultimately, shipment to a shelling facility.

The visit highlighted just how much happens between the moment peanuts are harvested and the time they reach the next stage of processing—and the important role buying points play in keeping Georgia’s peanut industry moving.

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After leaving MANA Nutrition, tour attendees hopped on I-75 and headed south to Tifton Quality Peanuts in Tifton, Georgia. Tifton Quality Peanuts began its shelling operation in 2005 and has been running strong ever since. The company is a grower-owned shelling facility. One of the highlights of the tour was the very large domes where the peanuts are stored. Each of the three domes can hold up to approximately 13,000 tons of peanuts. Between the domes and additional warehouses, the facility can store up to 70,000 tons on site.

Attendees walked through the entire shelling process. It begins with peanuts being moved out of storage and into the plant, where they pass through a series of machines. First, the peanuts go through cleaning equipment to remove dirt, rocks, and other foreign materials. From there, they enter a rotating machine that breaks open the hulls, allowing the kernels to separate. The peanuts then move on to a color sorter, which detects defects in each kernel. Defective peanuts are identified by specific colors and separated from the high-quality kernels. Next, the kernels are sized before being packed into large totes and placed in cold storage.

So where do the peanuts go once they are shelled? Companies like Mars Snackfoods, Hershey, and Tom’s Snacks purchase them to use in some of your favorite treats!

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Tour attendees visiting MANA Nutrition in Fitzgerald, Georgia, received an inside look into Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). RUTF is a dense, nutrient-rich food used to treat severe malnutrition. The purpose of RUTF is to help children gain weight, improve strength, and restore overall health. It is made with milk, multivitamins, and peanut butter. The product is especially effective because it is shelf-stable and requires no preparation.

This stop was highlighted because every package of RUTF begins with peanuts grown in Georgia. MANA purchases approximately 2 million pounds of peanuts each month to produce the product. The Fitzgerald facility spans 135,000 square feet and has the capacity to produce 500,000 pounds of RUTF per day—enough to help feed up to 10 million children each year.

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Attendees had the opportunity to visit a buying point in the heart of Coffee County, Georgia. Douglas Peanut and Grain Company serves as the first point of delivery for freshly harvested peanuts in the county. Once peanuts are harvested from the field, farmers must first tag their load right there in the field before transporting it—either in wagons or semi-trailers—to the buying point.

At the buying point, the peanuts undergo a drying process while still in the wagon. Once they are dried to the required moisture percentage, a sample is pulled, and the grading process begins. Grading is carried out by the Georgia Federal-State Inspection Service. After grading, the peanuts are moved into storage warehouses and eventually hauled to shellers for the next stage of processing.

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In September 2024, a devastating hurricane tore through South Georgia, leaving the state’s agricultural industry with a major blow. Chicken houses were demolished, irrigation pivots overturned, and equipment sheds collapsed. Georgia farmers were unsure how they would move forward. Hurricane Helene tested their faith, but through resilience, determination, and heart, they began to clean up and rebuild. That is exactly what Clay McKinnon did. Tour attendees heard his story on the very farm that was once full of devastation.

Clay McKinnon is a third-generation farmer in Coffee and Atkinson counties. He farms alongside his father, Wayne. The McKinnons grow peanuts, cotton, corn, soybeans, and blueberries, in addition to raising poultry.

Ashley Smith, Extension agent, and Clay shared in detail the damage his farm sustained. Winds reached 125 mph as Helene tore through the area. The McKinnons lost five poultry houses, grain bins, and equipment sheds; pivots were overturned; debris scattered their fields; and their row crops, timber, and blueberries were heavily damaged. The estimated cost of the destruction was approximately $3 million.

Through it all, Clay pressed forward. Standing on the farm today, tour attendees saw new poultry houses, upright irrigation pivots, and healthy rows of peanuts and cotton. Everything on display stood as a testament to Clay’s resilience and passion for farming.

Additionally, at this stop, Ashley Smith walked attendees through a variety trial she has worked on with Clay. The varieties featured were GA-22MPR, GA-21GR, GA-23RKN, GA-06G, TIFNVHG, DG913, ARNIE, and FLORUN 52N.

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Attendees had the opportunity to watch a combine make its way up the rows of turned peanuts in Cook County, Georgia, today. A combine is used to harvest peanuts. It separates the peanuts from the vine, placing them in a hopper on top of the machine while returning the vines to the field.

Cook County is a hub for Georgia agriculture, producing a wide variety of crops including peanuts, cotton, corn, fruits, and vegetables. Approximately 10,000 acres of peanuts alone are grown in the heart of Cook County. Another unique commodity that many might not expect is persimmons. At one point, Cook County had the most acres of commercial persimmon production in the nation.

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Georgia Peanut Tour attendees got to dig even deeper into a day in the life of a farmer nearing harvest. One of the steps a farmer has to take to know if his peanuts are ready to harvest is assessing the maturity of their peanuts. Extension agents Cale Cloud, Tucker Price and Jacob Kalina taught tour attendees how a farmer may go about determining the maturity of their peanuts.

The peanuts are placed in a basket in which they are then pressure washed, exposing the endocarp. After the peanuts are placed on a Peanut Profile Board  by color to determine if the peanuts have reached optimum maturity. If harvested to0 early and peanuts are left immature, the flavor, shelf life, yield, and grade could be affected. Farmers could lose as much as 500 to 700 pounds per acre in fields if not harvested at the correct time.

View the 2025 Georgia Peanut Tour Photo Album