- Peanuts don’t grow on trees…or bushes, for that matter. They’re legumes that grow underneath the soil. This helps make peanuts a sustainable crop because they add beneficial nitrogen to the soil and require much less water than other nuts. That’s amazing, right?
- Harvesting peanuts is a two-step process. First, a farmer drives a machine called a digger along the peanut rows. The digger pulls up the peanut plant, flips it upside down and sets it back down on the row. The peanuts dry for a few days then the farmer uses another machine called a shaker or a picker, which separates the peanut pods from the rest of the plant.
- Peanut harvest starts along the Southeastern U.S. in September and October and can continue until November as far as west as New Mexico and Oklahoma. Peanuts have a relatively long growing season compared to many other crops, taking 140-150 days to mature before they’re ready. During harvest time, farmers want to avoid wet weather and get their peanuts off the ground before the first frost.
- Food safety is super important so peanuts aren’t usually sold directly to consumers from the farm. Many farmers can attest to the joy of eating a peanut fresh off the vine though. After harvest, farmers take their peanuts to a buying point where they’re tested and cleaned.
- US farmers can produce a lot of peanuts per acre. In 2015, farmers harvested about 4,000 pounds of peanuts per acre [1]. Investments in research and responsible growing practices help peanut farmers keep their yields high.
Bonus! Farmers are tech-savvy and many share peanut harvest videos and pictures on Twitter and Instagram. Do a quick search and get a first-hand look at peanut harvest.