MACON, Ga. – Nomination meetings to fill three positions on the Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) Board of Directors will be held Dec. 20 and 21 in Ocilla, Cochran and Americus. The Georgia Farm Bureau Federation will conduct the meetings during which peanut producers will nominate peers to represent the Peanut Commission’s Districts 2, 4 and 5. The terms of the commission members who currently represent these districts expire Dec. 31, 2021.

“I encourage peanut growers in these districts to attend the meeting for their district and participate in the nomination process for these Georgia Peanut Commission positions,” says Georgia Farm Bureau President Tom McCall. “The Georgia Peanut Commission plays an important role in promoting Georgia peanuts by supporting research that addresses production issues growers face, educating producers about peanut industry issues, and promoting the nutritional benefits of eating peanuts to consumers.”

The Georgia peanut production area is divided into five districts based on acreage distribution and geographical location with one board member representing each district. Each nominee must produce peanuts and live within the district for which he or she is nominated.

The GPC District 5 nomination meeting will be held on Dec. 20 at 9 a.m. at the Sumter County Farm Bureau Office located at 141 Highway 27 East, Americus, Georgia. Donald Chase of Macon County is the district incumbent. Counties in District 5 include Chattahoochee, Clay, Lee, Macon, Marion, Peach, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, Terrell and Webster.

The GPC District 2 nomination meeting will be held on Dec. 21 at 9 a.m. at the Irwin County Farm Bureau office located at 495 Lax Highway, Ocilla, Georgia. Armond Morris is the incumbent in the district. Counties in District 2 include Atkinson, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Thomas, Tift, Turner and Worth.

 The GPC District 4 nomination meeting will be held on Dec. 21 at 9 a.m. at the Bleckley County Farm Bureau Office located at 157 West Dykes St., Cochran, Georgia. Rodney Dawson of Pulaski County is the District 4 incumbent. Counties in District 4 include Bleckley, Crisp, Dodge, Dooly, Houston, Laurens, Pulaski, Telfair, Twiggs, Wheeler, Wilcox and Wilkinson.

Any peanut producer may be nominated or make nominations at the meeting for the peanut district in which he or she lives. Incumbents are eligible for renomination.

If more than one person is nominated, an election will be conducted by mail ballot at a date to be announced. Commission by-laws state that a person must receive a majority of the votes cast for a position in order to be elected to the board. If only one person qualifies for the position, no election is required and the nominated person automatically becomes a member of the Georgia Peanut Commission Board. Commission members serve terms of three years. 

Founded in 1937, Georgia Farm Bureau is the state’s largest general farm organization. The organization has 158 county offices, and its volunteer members actively participate in activities that promote agriculture awareness to their non-farming neighbors.