During a stop at Glenn Heard Farms in Brinson, Georgia, Georgia Peanut Tour attendees had the opportunity to see first-hand the process of harvesting peanuts. Heard is a third-generation farmer who grows wheat, milo, corn, cotton, peanuts, sweet corn, and carrots. Heard farms right in the heart of peanut country in Decatur and Seminole counties.
Peanut harvesting is a multi-step process. Digging, which is first, is the process of removing the peanut 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.
Learn more about Glenn Heard Farms by watching the 2021 Through the Eyes of a Farmer video he was featured in.
View the 2023 Georgia Peanut Tour Photo Album
ompared to previous stops. Vic Fleet, owner of Rolling Hills Farm, Inc., located in Colquitt, Georgia, plants green peanuts for boiling. A boiled peanut, botanically, is like a regular peanut. However, boiled peanuts are harvested earlier when they are still immature, and they are then boiled and soaked in salt water. The handling of green peanuts is completely different than that of a commercial grown peanut. A green peanut is a perishable product, and if not dried or frozen, will start rotting from the moment it is harvested.