Jimmy Carter’s legacy as both a president and peanut farmer earned him another accolade on Nov. 9, as he became the first U.S. president inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame.
It’s an achievement Carter himself called “the highlight of his life in agriculture,” at the induction ceremony for the 64th UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association Awards.
President Carter spent his young adult life working on his father’s peanut farm in Plains, Georgia, and even left the Navy when his father died to take over the Carter Family peanut farm.
His support for agriculture persisted throughout his presidency, even though he had to separate ties from the farm to not pose a conflict of interest as president.
President Carter ended his term in 1980, and returned to Plains to continue as an agribusiness leader and peanut farmer.
His consistent leadership and unwavering dedication to Georgia’s farming called for recognition in this Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame – an award honoring achievements in agriculture and business since 1972.
“When you think of notable Georgia farmers, you can’t help but think about President Carter,” the CAES Alumni Association President Van McCall said in a UGA press release.
Peanuts and President Carter persist as an important part of south Georgia’s community.
Savannah Peat is a senior majoring in journalism and minoring in political science.
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