The 11th annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference is scheduled for July 12-14, at the Edgewater Beach Resort in Panama City Beach, Fla.

This year’s conference features an agenda that offers farmers the opportunity to learn more about legislative issues, peanut research and promotions.

In addition to the conference sessions, the event focuses on the family by offering a kids’ program and a spouses’ program. These programs will be similar to previous conferences. There will also be a golf tournament.

Registration for the meeting will begin Sunday, July 12, at 1 p.m., lasting until 6:30 p.m., at the Edgewater Beach Resort Conference Center. The hospitality room and refreshments will be compliments of the Peanut Advisory Board with grilled PB&Js compliments of the National Peanut Buying Points Association.

At 6:30 p.m., room registration will move to the Edgewater Beach Resort Information Center.

A welcoming reception hosted by Bayer CropScience will begin at 7 p.m., followed by a Welcoming Dinner from 7:30 p.m. until 10 p.m.

On Monday, July 13, beginning at 6:45 a.m., Valent will host a prayer breakfast. This will be followed by the Valor Award presentation and will feature inspirational music by Gina Lawhon.

The general sessions, beginning at 8 a.m. on Monday, will be as follows:

General Session I: Peanuts & Politics. The Legislative Agenda, Congressman Allen Boyd. Kidz Klub (must register directly through Edgewater Beach Resort). Spouse Program, Pam Farrel, best-selling author and guest speaker.

General Session II: Production Issues. The Growers’ Role in Food Safety, Darlene Cowart, JLA USA; Role of Basic Research in Peanut Production, Phat Dang, NPRL; Calcium Nutrition in Large-Seeded Peanut Cultivars, Glen Harris, University of Georgia; How Serious is the Herbicide Resistant Weed Issue?, Eric Prostko, University of Georgia; and Managing Diseases in Disease Resistant Cultivars, Bob Kemerait, University of Georgia.

A noon lunch buffet will be sponsored by BASF and will feature the presentation “Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti” by Bill and Pam Farrel.

The Farrels are best-selling authors of over 26 books. During the luncheon, the Farrels will explain why a man is like a waffle (each element of his life is in a separate box) and a woman is like spaghetti (everything in her life touches everything else). With 150,000 copies sold, the Farrels offer their biblical wisdom, solid insight, and humorous anecdotes — all served up in just the right combination so that readers can feast on enticing ways to develop and maintain healthy relationships with the opposite sex

The luncheon will provide attendees with a unique and fun look at the different ways men and women regard life and serve as a terrific tool for marriage, relationships at work, at home, at church, and with friends. The Farrels are relationship specialists helping to bring practical insights to personal relationships. They are frequent guests on radio and television and have written numerous magazine articles and are columnists in newspapers in the United States and in Canada.

General Session III: Our Industry, Where Are We? The Marketing Numbers, George Lovatt, Lovatt & Rushing, Inc.; Surviving a Crisis, Patrick Archer, American Peanut Council; and We’ve Got a Good Message, Patricia Kearney, The Peanut Institute.

The Southern Peanut Growers Conference continues on Tuesday, July 14, with registration beginning at 6:45 a.m. and the Farm Press Peanut Profitability Awards Breakfast and Grower Panel sponsored by the National Peanut Board set for 7 a.m.

Sponsors of this year’s awards include Arysta LifeScience, BASF, Bayer CropScience, Becker Underwood, Golden Peanut Company, John Deere, Helena, National Peanut Board, Senninger Irrigation, SipcamAdvan, Southern Peanut Farmers Federation, Syngenta, Texas Peanut Producers Board, U.S. Borax, Southeast Farm Press, Southwest Farm Press and Delta Farm Press.

General Session IV will feature the following topics and speakers: Government Purchasing and Feeding, Stephanie Grunefelder, American Peanut Council; and Southern Marketing Efforts, Leslie Wagner, Peanut Advisory Board.

Lunch is on your own with the afternoon free. A golf tournament will be held at the Hombre Golf Course from 12:30 p.m. until 6 p.m.

Beginning at 7 p.m., a reception, dinner and entertainment will be sponsored by Syngenta with the theme “Hats Off to You.” Peanut growers will be the special VIPs at this event, and attendees are asked to come dressed as their favorite actor or actress in a movie. Wear an outfit representing your favorite movie character or come dressed in cocktail attire for a fun night of look-alikes.

Conference sponsors for 2009 include Southern Peanut Farmers Federation, Alabama Peanut Producers Association, Florida Peanut Producers Association, Georgia Peanut Commission, Mississippi Peanut Growers Association, Peanut Advisory Board, Syngenta, Bayer CropScience, BASF, Valent, Trimble Agriculture/Ag Technologies, LLC, Farm Press, Farm Progress, Peanut Grower and Southeastern Peanut Farmer

Room reservations for the Southern Peanut Growers Conference can be made by contacting the Edgewater Beach Resort at (800) 874-8686. When making hotel reservations, ask for the Southern Peanut Growers Conference rate.

For more information about the conference, contact the Georgia Peanut Commission at (229) 386-3470, the Alabama Peanut Producers Association at (334) 792-6482, the Florida Peanut Producers Association at (850) 526-2590, or the Mississippi Peanut Growers Association at (601) 947-4223.

You may register online at www.southernpeanutfarmers.org.

email: [email protected]