Vienna, GA |

Peanut harvest is officially underway across Georgia, as combines roar to life and farmers work tirelessly to bring in this year’s crop. Despite a dry finish to the season, early summer rains helped stave off disaster and salvage yields in many areas.

“We started rain, I guess, right at the end of July,” said Teel Warbington of Warbington Family Farm. “I didn’t water from July 30th to about a week to ten days ago… But by and large, the timeliness of the rain was pretty good on the peanut crop here. Time will tell. I don’t think we’re going to set a record.”

Over the coming weeks, peanut fields across the state will be filled with activity from sunup to sundown as harvest ramps up. But according to Warbington, getting started is the most crucial step.

“That’s the most critical part of finishing any project—is starting,” he said. “Getting in a rhythm is key. Everybody knows what they’re doing, and we’ve got a common vision forward. Once you’ve got things settled a bit, it’s a good time of year.”

That timing is especially important given the rising cost of production. Warbington noted that everything from fuel to defoliants has become more expensive.

“Fuel is still up. Electricity’s up. Even some of our defoliants are up,” he explained. “It’s difficult. The Lord has seen us through it before, and I trust He will again—I just hope it’s in farming.”

Despite the financial pressure and unpredictable weather, Warbington says true farmers wouldn’t trade it for anything.

“By and large, to a fault, we’re producers,” he said. “We’re not always good marketers, but we love producing. A person that doesn’t get excited about gathering a crop—even if it’s not a bust—probably doesn’t need to be doing this.”

As farmers across Georgia dig in for the season, it’s clear that resilience, faith, and passion remain deeply rooted in the state’s peanut fields.

By: Damon Jones