Roger Estlack

The longtime goal to preserve both peanut quality and seed integrity is a step closer after Texas A&M AgriLife and the Texas Peanut Producers Board jointly unveiled a new $1 million-plus peanut sheller.

The sheller has a 1-ton per hour capacity, can process lots as small as 250 pounds and offers the rare ability to process identity-preserved peanuts. Also, with design modifications built in by Bratney Corp., the new peanut sheller can reduce split-seed losses to less than 10%.
The capacity the sheller can handle, combined with its exceptional ability to clean and sort seeds, makes it one of a kind, said Patrick J. Stover, Ph.D., vice chancellor of Texas A&M AgriLife, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research.

“With the technology we are unveiling today, Texas A&M AgriLife Foundation Seed can now work with both food companies and farmers in an identity-preserved production system that delivers specific peanuts to end users,” Stover said. “Now AgriLife-bred peanuts can specifically target improved nutritional traits, benefiting the consumer and also enhancing value for the farmer.”

Stover thanked industry partners Shelly Nutt, Texas Peanut Producers Board executive director, and Bob Parker, National Peanut Board president and CEO, for their support, saying,

“We are incredibly thankful for everything you both do for Texas peanuts and Texas A&M AgriLife.”

Because the peanut sheller will preserve both peanut quality and seed integrity, it creates an environment where peanut farmers can grow improved varieties and shellers can sell seed that is both genetically pure and of the highest quality.

“This is huge,” Nutt said. “Our board was created in 1969, and the reason the farmers wanted to self-assess is they wanted a research program that would look at what Texas needed. So, 50 years later, we’re seeing an accomplishment toward a goal our farmers have had all this time.”
This facility gives peanut farmers access to a pure, high-quality seed from varieties specifically suited for Texas’ unique environment, along with the Southwest growing region.

Texas peanuts, and the farmers and businesses that make up the peanut industry, are valuable to Texas agriculture. Texas is the fourth largest peanut-growing state in the nation, with nearly 170,000 acres planted by Texas peanut producers in 2021. In 2020, Texas produced 8% of the peanuts grown in the nation, with an average yield of 2,900 pounds per acre.

“This peanut shelling plant is vitally important to gain the respect of the seed industry and to make our varieties the industry standard in not only value-added traits but also in the quality,” Nutt said. “The Texas peanut industry really appreciates this, and we look forward to working with Texas A&M AgriLife and Texas A&M Foundation Seed for years to come.”

Assuring the purity of the peanut supply is critical to maintaining and growing markets both domestically and internationally, Parker said. He thanked the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for supporting the peanut seed program and to the peanut owners in Texas for such a substantial investment in this program.

“The ability to test single seeds of high oleic peanuts really exposed the problem we had with mixtures in our peanut seed system and the lack of purity in our peanuts,” he said.
Parker said while It’s been a long time coming, this is a good time for a facility like this to be brought online to address a growing market.

“The final assessment notice for 2021 just came in, and the U.S. broke the all-time record for per capita peanut consumption last year – 7.6 pounds – and built on that this year to around 7.9 pounds per capita,” he said.

Rick Vierling, director for the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Vernon and Texas A&M AgriLife Foundation Seed, said “if someone wants to do only high oleic peanuts – we can do that. Right now, it is very difficult for a larger operation to shell identity-preserved peanuts. However, since we operate at only 1 ton an hour, we can clean out and switch to different peanuts for a minimal cost.”

Another benefit of the new sheller, which will begin processing peanuts after harvest later this year, is it is capable of screening for a better quality of seed for production, Vierling said. The larger shellers are not designed to do that – and improved seed quality gives the producer a better stand and ultimately better yields.

“We are making huge strides here at Foundation Seed and this certainly will give us the impetus to continue our mission of serving Texas and adding value to the state economy,” Vierling said.

COVID cases in Donley County are on the decline, local officials are reporting this week.

Clinic spokesperson Marsha Bruce said Tuesday that there are 16 active cases under the care of CFMC, down from 32 last week and 37 two weeks ago.

“It looks like we are slowing down a bit,” Bruce said.

The clinic has posted 67 positive cases in the month of September, including 13 new cases in the last week.

Clarendon CISD Nurse Debbie Thompson also reported lower numbers of COVID cases in the public school.

“I’ve only had one positive test in the last week,” Thompson said.

Testing overall has come down at CCISD, and Thompson said she has had about 20 tests over the past week, compared to an average of 100 tests each of the previous three weeks. Tests conducted at the school are often re-tests as school officials try to stay on top of students and staff who have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus.

“It’s getting much better,” Thompson said.

As of Tuesday, the school reported about five students and/or staff absent because of active COVID-19.

Meanwhile, vaccination rates among Donley County residents is slowly rising.

Bruce said CFMC is seeing about 20 people per week getting vaccinated and said they are having people do that at the Donley County Activity Center every Thursday starting at 9 a.m.
The Texas Tribune reports this week that 32.3 percent of Donley County residents are fully vaccinated. That represents a total of 1,053 people, up from 1,039 one week ago.

The Moderna vaccine is available at no charge at the local clinic for everyone ages 18 and over. The Pfizer vaccine is available in Amarillo for children 12 and up.

St. Mary’s Catholic Church is holding its 24th annual BBQ Dinner on October 3from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Parish Hall (corner of Montgomery and McClelland).

This is an all-you-can-eat dinner of barbecue beef and ribs, beans, potato salad, cole slaw, homemade bread, and desserts. The cost is $15 for adults, $7 for children ages 5 to 12, and children under five eat free.

Christian Mothers will have a Country Store, selling handmade items and baked goods. Entertainment will be provided by the Cactus Crooners. Come join us for an afternoon of good food, entertainment, and fellowship.