Peanut Growers

Partnering with the right peanut grower to best benefit your food-related business
By Niki Hampton, Freelance Journalist Self Employed Peanuts are the most well-known and loved nut in the country and around the world. Peanut growers dot the South, offering an array of wholesale raw peanuts, bulk peanuts, wholesale peanuts and peanut seeds. Peanuts are a perfect partner of chocolate, cookie bases, and marshmallow creme as they offer rich flavor, texture and a natural sweetness.

Choose from raw, organic, bulk, or wholesale peanuts in multiple states of processing including shelled, roasted, salted or just raw. To find the best peanut producers and purchase the peanuts most popular with your customers, you should:

1. Survey your customers about the types of peanut candies or other food containing peanuts that they prefer in order to help you determine which ones to offer in your food business.

2. Purchase peanuts from a reputable peanut grower that offers quick service and quality guarantees.

3. Ask for wholesale peanuts, shipping discounts and other deals to save money and in turn pass the savings on to your customers.

Decide on the types of peanuts you need for your recipes or treats for gourmet gifts

Before looking for a peanut grower, you should narrow down the varieties of peanuts you need. If you want to leave your options open, find a peanut producer with many offerings and a quick shipping policy to get your custom orders to you quickly. If you have the room or a greenhouse, consider growing peanuts yourself.
Try:  Attend the Southern Peanut Growers Conference put on by the Southern Peanut Growers Federation to meet peanut growers and find out the latest in peanut processing and growing. Check out the Internet Candy Society's listing of the most popular peanut candies of all time to help you write a candy recipe to reflect those flavors.

Purchase peanuts or peanut seeds from a reputable peanut grower

When looking for a peanut supplier, find one with a large variety of peanuts that are fresh picked. You want a grower who has been in the business awhile and can offer solid references. If you are looking for custom peanuts, find organic peanut growers offering a large variety of peanut breeds and processing applications such as roasting.
Try:  High Mesa, Inc. sells peanuts in a variety of bulk sizes fresh from the farm to you. They offer a variety of processes, including shelled and raw in the Valencia and Virginia breeds. The American Peanut Growers Group, LLC is a group of peanut growers that work together to offer the highest quality peanuts.

Ask for wholesale peanuts, shipping discounts and other deals to save money

Don't be afraid to ask for discounts or purchase through a wholesale peanut grower. You should be entitled to discounts if the peanuts are not fresh, if it's the end of the season, if you are purchasing a large quantity or if you offer to pick up the peanuts instead of having them delivered.
Try:  Highland Hills Farms, LTD offers wholesale raw nuts to roasters and confectioners. They also offer wholesale bulk prices on salted, roasted, and cinnamon roasted (their specialty). Bulk Foods offers a larger variety of peanuts available in bulk quantities that can be ordered online and shipped directly to your shop.

• To save even more money, invest in a peanut roasting machine and roast your own peanuts to each recipe's specification.