Happy National Peanut Day! White Oak Pastures is in the heart of peanut country in south Georgia. We use peanuts and peanut waste byproducts in multiple ways on our farm. We've been celebrating National Peanut Day with a few good meals (and a whole lot of pork products).
Saturday Supper with Jimmy Carter
Last Saturday, we celebrated with one of the most famous peanut farmers on the planet: Jimmy Carter. The Harris family, including grandkids, was invited to dinner with Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. The conversation between the Carters and the Harris family was wide-ranging and lively. CNN's Wolf Blitzer also stopped by for dinner, working on a documentary for Jimmy's 95th birthday.
Stockpiling peanut shells to add to our compost
How are peanuts part of our zero-waste farm philosophy?
At White Oak Pastures, we use peanut processing byproducts in a few different areas of our farm.
Our composting program takes in slaughterhouse byproduct, which is primarily proteins high in nitrogen. To balance our compost, we need to add lots of carbon to our compost mix. Peanut shells are an excellent source of accessible carbon.
We also use peanut skins, a processing byproduct that we receive by the trailer-load, for weed abatement. We use these peanut skins as a weed suppression layer when transitioning newly-acquired row cropland to perennial pasture.
How do we use peanuts with our livestock?
Our farm regularly uses two peanut products as part of the pig ration. We pick up 6,000-9,000 pounds of peanut paste a week from three local peanut-testing facilities. Our hogs also receive off-spec peanut powder from a commercial manufacturer when available.
At this point, our hogs are known in the county as peanut lovers. When a peanut truck recently overturned in an accident down the road, we got a call about taking the peanuts for our hog program!
We think that this rich, fatty supplement to our hog ration helps make some of the best-tasting pork around. If you're looking to celebrate the holiday, consider trying some of our Pastured Pork Bacon (Sugar-Free, Naturally Cured) or Pastured Pork Bratwurst Links. For a bigger meal, we also offer products like Pastured Bone-In Pork Rib Chop or our Smoked Spiral Ham.
Peanuts are a way of life in some parts of the south, and they are an integral part of our operations on our farm. This National Peanut Day, we celebrate this southern staple with a good meal and give thanks to the bounty of southern Georgia.
How will you be celebrating National Peanut Day?
If you have ordered our pork products or anything else from White Oak Pastures in the past, will you consider leaving us a review for our products on our online store? Your reviews help all of our customers decide what they should order next, and your feedback helps us understand which products you enjoy and why. If you have particular comments about a recent purchase, please leave us a review on that product page.
