![]() ![]() Unfortunately the debate over how to address the global food challenge has become polarized, pitting conventional agriculture and global commerce against local food systems and organic farms. If these trends continue, the double whammy of population growth and richer diets will require us to roughly double the amount of crops we grow by 2050. The spread of prosperity across the world, especially in China and India, is driving an increased demand for meat, eggs, and dairy, boosting pressure to grow more corn and soybeans to feed more cattle, pigs, and chickens. But sheer population growth isn’t the only reason we’ll need more food. We’ll likely have two billion more mouths to feed by mid-century-more than nine billion people. The environmental challenges posed by agriculture are huge, and they’ll only become more pressing as we try to meet the growing need for food worldwide. ![]() As we’ve cleared areas of grassland and forest for farms, we’ve lost crucial habitat, making agriculture a major driver of wildlife extinction. Agriculture also accelerates the loss of biodiversity. Farming is the thirstiest user of our precious water supplies and a major polluter, as runoff from fertilizers and manure disrupts fragile lakes, rivers, and coastal ecosystems across the globe. This season, whether you’re hosting holiday parties, baking for you and some friends, or just looking for something to snack on, find Hampton Farms peanuts in the produce section of your local grocery store.Agriculture is among the greatest contributors to global warming, emitting more greenhouse gases than all our cars, trucks, trains, and airplanes combined-largely from methane released by cattle and rice farms, nitrous oxide from fertilized fields, and carbon dioxide from the cutting of rain forests to grow crops or raise livestock. Our business is family owned and operated, and we are committed to producing the finest peanut-based snacks and services with integrity, honesty, and the pride of American farmers. Hampton Farms has been delivering the freshest, best quality peanuts from seed to shelf since 1917. ![]() The resulting pods are then sorted and distributed based on size, preparing them for an array of different market uses. This process also completely removes any remaining excess soil, stones, or vines. These machines force them through perforated grates to de-hull them, or separate the kernels from the shells.Īfter the peanuts are shelled, they are inspected again, this time with a color-sorting device that eliminates any discolored kernels. The initial step of the shelling process involves cleaning the peanuts, after which they are sent via conveyor belts through shelling machines. After grading, peanuts are sent to be shelled. Department of Agriculture to determine quality and value. But first, the harvested peanuts are inspected and graded by the Agricultural Marketing Service of the U.S. While around 10% of peanuts become next year’s seed, around 80-90% of peanuts are sent to a sheller before heading to market. From the windrow, peanut farmers separate the peanuts from their leaves using a combine, and the isolated peanuts begin their trip to market, leaving the harvesting farm. They remain here for around three days, drying and curing. ![]() At this point, the peanuts are placed in a “windrow,” with leaves facing down, to dry the legumes. This process is completed using a “ digger,” which severs the root and picks the plant away from the ground. When the peanuts are ready to be harvested, peanut farmers must loosen the plants and lift them from the earth’s soil. Their harvest date primarily depends on when they were planted, however, as peanuts are typically harvested around 120-160 days after planting. This growing cycle takes somewhere between four and five months, during which the plant grows to be about 18 inches in height. Unlike many plants, a peanut plant flowers above the ground but fruits below it. Peanuts are harvested in autumn, during the months of September, October, and even into November. But what goes into peanut harvesting and shelling? How do they get from the ground to the shelf or into our delicious recipes? Below, we dig into the peanut harvesting process and cover how peanuts are shelled. Peanuts are no different, as their leaves also turn yellow and start to wither, signifying that they’re ready to be harvested and shelled. Before heading into winter, the leaves turn vibrant yellows, oranges, and browns and begin to fall from the trees. ![]()
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