Peanuts!

Peanuts? Two years ago nobody had ever even considered growing peanuts in Randolph County. Rice, soybeans, and cotton. Milo and corn. Those are the crops that have supported Randolph County for decades. But our sandy bottomland soil, created by eons of overflows by the Black River and our other four rivers, is perfect for growing peanuts, and a couple of years ago some of our farmers decided to give it a try.

In two years we’ve advanced from a few hundred experimental acres of peanuts to tens of thousands of acres of these little root nuts. Last week the Pocahontas city council voted to donate 25 acres of city-owned property in East Pocahontas to a couple of young Randolph County native brothers who will build a large peanut storage and processing facility here.

I’m picturing a great new industry growing up here, based on peanut brittle, roasted peanuts, peanut butter, peanut oil, and all the other great products we can create from locally grown peanuts. A great agritourism opportunity!