South East Farm Press Logo

A focus on timeliness plus an entrepreneurial approach to farming play key roles in At McIntosh’s success in growing peanuts.

John Hart, Associate Editor

July 8, 2018

9 Slides

Timely fungicide applications, a disciplined rotation and avoiding volunteer peanuts all worked to help Williamsburg County, S.C. farmer Atwood “At” McIntosh make record-breaking peanut  yields of 5,100 pounds per acre last year.

A focus on timeliness plus an entrepreneurial approach to farming play key roles in  McIntosh’s success in growing peanuts each year. Because of his success in producing peanuts, McIntosh, 38, is the 2018 Peanut Efficiency Award winner for the Upper Southeast.

In addition to growing peanuts, McIntosh produces corn and cotton near Kingstree, S.C.

McIntosh started farming with his father Irwin McIntosh in high school. His dad still helps, but he is mostly retired from full-time farming. Eight generations of the McIntosh family have farmed in the Kingstree area since the Revolutionary War.

Wayne Nixon, an agronomist with Severn Peanut Company, who nominated McIntosh for the award, says McIntosh was the only South Carolina farmer he works with to break the 5,000-pound peanut yield barrier last year.

“At is an excellent farmer. He tries to be a good steward of the land. He uses a good rotation and strip tillage. He keeps his soil fertility correct. He is timely. He applies the correct pesticides and fungicides at the right time. Last year, he had very little leaf spot. That’s a real breakthrough in South Carolina,” Nixon says.

 

About the Author(s)

John Hart

Associate Editor, Southeast Farm Press

John Hart is associate editor of Southeast Farm Press, responsible for coverage in the Carolinas and Virginia. He is based in Raleigh, N.C.

Prior to joining Southeast Farm Press, John was director of news services for the American Farm Bureau Federation in Washington, D.C. He also has experience as an energy journalist. For nine years, John was the owner, editor and publisher of The Rice World, a monthly publication serving the U.S. rice industry.  John also worked in public relations for the USA Rice Council in Houston, Texas and the Cotton Board in Memphis, Tenn. He also has experience as a farm and general assignments reporter for the Monroe, La. News-Star.

John is a native of Lake Charles, La. and is a  graduate of the LSU School of Journalism in Baton Rouge.  At LSU, he served on the staff of The Daily Reveille.

Subscribe to receive top agriculture news
Be informed daily with these free e-newsletters

You May Also Like