2025 Perennial Peanut Field Day – June 6

by | Apr 25, 2025 | Conference, Educational Training, Farm Equipment, Field Day, forage, Forage & Pasture, hay, Perennial Peanut, Production Meeting

2025 PPPA Field Day graphic

If you are a perennial peanut producer, or are interested in becoming one, you are invited to attend the annual Perennial Peanut Field Day.  In 2025, the Field Day will be held in Marianna, Florida, on Friday, June 6, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Central time (10-3 Eastern).  The Field Day is provided by the Perennial Peanut Producer’s Association (PPPA) in partnership with the UF/IFAS Panhandle Ag Extension Team.  This educational training provides a great combination of local farm tours and educational presentations related to perennial peanut production.  This year’s field day is being hosted by UF/IFAS Extension Jackson County – 2741 Penn Avenue, Marianna, FL 32448.  Field Day participants will meet there for registration and a brief PPPA meeting before heading out for the farm tour.  Following the tour, there will be five short 15-30 minute presentations, as well as a BBQ lunch.

The 2025 edition of the Perennial Field Day will feature a unique farm tour of SCC Quarter Horses, which is a performance ranch horse farm that also produces perennial peanut hay.  At SCC Quarter Horses, perennial peanut is a primary source of nutrition for their horse herd.   Chad Farren, has over 20 years of experience breeding, raising, and training quarter horses.  He formerly worked for Southern Cattle Company but has now taken over the ownership and management of the horse herd at Little Star Ranch, under the name of SCC Quarter Horses.  Chad has unique perspective because he is knowledgeable in both high value horse production as well as quality hay production.  The tour will showcase both operations.  The information Chad shares will help you better relate to your horse hay customers.

Following the farm tour, the group will reconvene at the Extension Office for some short 15-30 minute presentations the planning committee calls “Innovation Updates.” There will be five presentations:

  1. Perennial Peanut rhizome analysis for planting – Lynn Sollenberger, UF/IFAS Agronomy Department
    –
  2. Perennial peanut planting options – Buck Carpenter, Southern Pioneer Farms
    –
  3. Perennial Peanut acreage assessments – Chang Zhao, UF/IFAS Land-use and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
    –
  4. Top quality square bale hay production & harvest – Bill Conrad, Conrad Farms
    –
  5. Legume hay pellet feed plant update – Jesse Cone

After the conclusion of the formal presentations, participants are also invited to an optional interactive tour of the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center’s Beef & Forage Research Unit. Join Drs. Jose Dubeux, Cheryl Mackowiak, and Ed Borgato who will share information on perennial peanut grazing systems, rhizoma and pintoi peanut varieties, plus answer questions on weed control and production management.

Download the printer friendly flyer and agenda:  2025 Perennial Peanut Field Day Flyer and Agenda

The registration fee for this event is $15/person, payable the day of the event by cash or check at the door. Credit or debit cards will not be accepted for payment at this event, so plan accordingly.  I you plan to attend, please RSVP to reserve your seats and meals by Monday, June 2, by using the following link. This is just a simple online survey for a basic RSVP without charge.

https://go.ufl.edu/ppeanut

–

Questions about this event can be directed to Lindy Cone – pppa@perennialpeanuthay.org, Cheryl Mackowiak – echo13@ufl.edu, or Doug Mayo – demayo@ufl.edu or 850-482-9620.

–

An Equal Opportunity Institution
The University of Florida is committed to providing universal access to all of our events. For disability accommodations, such as sign language interpreters and listening devices, please contact Doug Mayo: 850-482-9620 or demayo@ufl.edu at least 1 week in advance. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.

Doug Mayo
Follow Me
Latest posts by Doug Mayo (see all)