The Powerful Peanut Experience opens at the Georgia National Fair

Released: Oct. 3, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – Last year, nearly 500,000 visitors explored the reimagined Georgia Grown Building at the Georgia National Fair, featuring the Seedlings to Solutions Experience, highlighting forestry and the Seed to Shirt cotton exhibit. This year, Georgia’s Rural Center teamed up with the Georgia Peanut Commission to bring fair-goers another immersive exhibit: the Powerful Peanut Experience. Georgia Grown and the Georgia Department of Agriculture will showcase the power and sustainability of peanuts, Georgia’s official state crop during the Georgia National Fair, Oct. 2-12, 2025, in Perry, Georgia.

During opening day of the Georgia National Fair, the Georgia Peanut Commission and Georgia’s Rural Center held a ribbon cutting for the new Powerful Peanut Experience. During the ceremony, Joe Boddiford, chairman of the Georgia Peanut Commission, announced a special dedication of the exhibit to Don Koehler, GPC executive director, for his nearly 40 years of service to the peanut industry.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture and Georgia Grown continue to enhance their signature building by highlighting peanuts at the 36th Georgia National Fair. Peanuts are a $2 billion industry in Georgia, and in 2024, the state produced around 50% of the peanuts grown in the U.S. Peanuts have supported rural communities for generations and are grown in 78 out of the 159 counties in Georgia. They are a sustainable crop and a nutrient-rich source of protein, making them an excellent staple for a balanced diet.

While peanuts and agriculture do support rural areas, these communities face unique challenges. Georgia’s Rural Center was created in 2018 to build healthy, vibrant rural Georgia communities through collaborative partnerships-partnerships that help Georgians in every corner of the state and address these challenges of all types. Additionally, Georgia’s Rural Center works to rediscover all that is unique and extraordinary in the state’s less populated areas. With the passage of HB 495 during the 2025 Georgia Legislative Session, the Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation moved to the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

“Georgia’s Rural Center continues its mission to rediscover rural Georgia and support the communities in the state’s rural areas through impactful projects like this exhibit as a branch of the Georgia Department of Agriculture,” said Charlie Fiveash, director of Georgia’s Rural Center.

Through its partnership with the Georgia Peanut Commission, The Center showcases the importance of peanuts to Georgia’s agribusiness. This encounter takes patrons beneath the soil to learn about the history, the growing and harvesting process, nutrition, sustainability, and incorporating peanuts into a healthy diet. Since 1961, the Georgia Peanut Commission has promoted and provided research and education for Georgia’s Peanut industry.

“We’re truly excited about the opportunity to give people a deeper look into the world of peanuts—from start to finish. This exhibit is something special, and we’re grateful for all the hard work that went into making it happen. Our main goal is for visitors to walk away knowing more about peanuts than when they arrived – and to be inspired to share what they’ve learned with others. We want everyone to see just how incredible this industry really is and its impact in Georgia,” said Don Koehler, executive director of the Georgia Peanut Commission.

Once inside the exhibit, visitors will step beneath towering 3D peanut plants and experience firsthand how peanuts are grown. The journey begins with the foundation of the peanut industry, exploring why peanuts are such a unique plant and food source, and the role key historical figures played in their rise. Next, you’ll follow the peanut’s growing cycle, from ideal climates and farming stages to the different peanut varieties and their sustainability story. The final section celebrates peanuts as a food, highlighting the history of peanut butter and how peanuts fuel a healthy lifestyle. Just outside, visitors can also explore an iconic Peanut Wagon for an added hands-on experience.

“This year, we’re thrilled to bring another exciting exhibit that features one of our state’s most famous crops and helps tell the story of Georgia agriculture – the Powerful Peanut Experience – to the Georgia Grown Building at the 2025 Georgia National Fair. Together with the Seed to Shirt Cotton Exhibit and the Seedlings to Solutions Forestry Exhibit, visiting the Georgia Grown building will be an awesome opportunity for fairgoers to experience our state’s #1 industry firsthand,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper.

Georgia’s Rural Center, the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Georgia Grown, the Georgia Peanut Commission, the Georgia Forestry Commission, and Magnolia Loom invite you to experience Georgia’s tasty peanut industry, its working forests, and the journey of a seed to a 100% American-made, Georgia-grown cotton t-shirt!

Visit the Georgia Grown Building at the Georgia National Fair, October 2-12, 2025, to engage in the Powerful Peanut, the Seedlings to Solutions, and the Seed to Shirt Experiences.