Ga. 'peanut town' worries about economic future

By KATE BRUMBACK – 2 days ago

BLAKELY, Ga. (AP) — This rural stretch of southwest Georgia has long been tied to the peanut, and to give the region's famed cash crop due reverence, an 8-foot monument topped by a peanut carved from marble sits in the shadow of the town's historic downtown courthouse.

The legume's legacy is everywhere: Peanut fields abound, and about an hour and a half's drive away is the childhood home of the nation's most famous peanut farmer, former President Jimmy Carter.

But lately the self-proclaimed "Peanut Capital of the World" has found itself defending the peanut, not celebrating it. Blakely was thrust into the center of a nationwide salmonella outbreak that has sickened some 550 people and prompted international product recalls. The peanut butter plant that produced the suspect peanut paste is a big employer here, and its workers are out of jobs.

"This is an unfortunate thing, and I hate that our community has become known for this," said Ric Hall, mayor of Blakely, a town of about 5,300. "But we're optimistic, and we're working just as hard as we can to get through this."

Even before the outbreak, there were signs in recent years that peanut fortunes were fading — and local agriculture specialists hope steps they've taken to protect themselves will be enough to pull the area through. While the region's farmers continue to plant peanuts, other crops and industry are gaining ground.

"We are certainly trying to bring more industry to the area because, God knows, we're going to dry up if we don't," said Olin Thompson, chairman of the Early County Development Authority. More here.