Gov. Ivey declares March as Peanut Month in Alabama. Pictured l-r: Billy Hixon, Pike County; Joel Sirmon, Baldwin County; Carl Sanders, Coffee County, Gov. Ivey, Garrett Dixon, Lee County; Mark Kaiser, Baldwin County, George Kaiser Baldwin County, Kaye Lynn Hataway, APPA.
Alabama Peanut Producers Association (APPA) celebrated National Peanut Month with a proclamation from Gov. Kay Ivey at the Alabama Capitol and a peanut day at the Alabama State House on March 16, 2023.
Carl Sanders, APPA President from Coffee County, and Billy Hixon, APPA board member for Pike County, led the House of Representatives in prayer and pledge at the beginning of their session. Garrett Dixon, APPA young farmer representative from Lee County, led the Senate in the pledge at the beginning of their session.
Throughout the morning, APPA board members and Alabama Farmers Federation staff handed out cans of Alabama chocolate covered peanuts to legislators, and talked with them about topics concerning our Alabama peanut farmers.
“Alabama ranks 2nd in peanut production in the nation, and the peanut industry adds $200 million to the state’s economy,” states APPA president, Carl Sanders. “Having a peanut day at the Alabama State House helps remind our legislators that peanuts are an important crop for Alabama agriculture, and they are good to eat too.”
Gov. Ivey’s proclamation recognized the peanut as the state legume of Alabama, as well as the impact the peanut industry has on the economy of the state, the farmers who grow peanuts, the nutritional value and environmentally friendly attributes. Gov. Ivey also received a can of chocolate-covered peanuts from Sanders.