TIFTON — The 43rd annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference on Jan. 17 was attended by more than 1,400 farmers, exhibitors and peanut enthusiasts.

Held at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center, the event is a central hub that brings together farmers, vendors, researchers and industry specialists to mingle and exchange ideas.

The smell of grilled peanut butter and jelly wafted over the hall, and the popular sandwiches disappeared almost as fast as they could be made. The secret to a good grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich is to mix the peanut butter and jelly together before cooking, according to Abbey McClaren, who was busy helping give out the warm, gooey treats.

“We have more than 100 exhibitors,” said Rodney Dawson, who sits on the Georgia Peanut Commission board, which sponsored the event.  “They have all the latest and newest technology to present to the farmers to show what may help them be more profitable.”

He said that new combines and sprayers are among the new equipment on exhibit for farmers to examine.

Massive machinery was on display both outside the conference center and auditorium and equipment demonstrations sprayed, whirred, clicked and lit up throughout the exhibition hall.

Farmers were able to attend seminars related to the 2019 growing season and new advances in research related to peanuts.

A panel on research related to disease and pest control was well attended, as was a question and answer session with the UGA peanut research team.

Dawson said that people come from as far away as Florida, Alabama and parts of north Georgia to attend the show.