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Ten years ago, the Georgia Peanut Tour welcomed its first visitor from the southern African nation of Malawi, where peanuts are part of the local cuisine but are only grown in small gardens or bought in informal markets. Over the next decade, visitors from Malawi attended the tour every year, traveling halfway around the world to see how farmers, shellers, researchers and others work together to get a large crop of peanuts to consumers every year.

According to figures from the newly-released Georgia Farm Gate Value Report for 2022, food and fiber production from Georgia’s 159 counties contributes more than $18 billion to the economy statewide. The Georgia Farm Gate Value Report offers a comprehensive analysis of the county-level production value for Georgia commodities. The report is compiled and published by the University of Georgia Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development within the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.

Bill Flatt earned his first dollar from plowing a mule and picking cotton in the Tennessee heat. His grandmother made sure he set aside some of his earnings for the church and saved the rest for college. That discipline he established early in his life stuck. By his 80th birthday, Flatt had given over $1 million to the University of Georgia, creating seven endowed funds and two professorships in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences.