[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 197 (Friday, November 12, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1224-E1225]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE 77TH NATIONAL PEANUT FESTIVAL IN DOTHAN, ALABAMA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARRY MOORE

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 12, 2021

  Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to recognize the 
77th National Peanut Festival in Dothan, Alabama, the ``Peanut Capital 
of the World.''

[[Page E1225]]

  As the men and women of my home state of Alabama know well, we have 
been blessed with a rich history in agriculture--largely thanks to the 
peanut.
  In the early 1900s, as boll weevils devastated cotton crops and 
producers across the southeastern United States, Alabama farmers began 
to instead plant peanuts. This decision to diversify ultimately 
preserved the struggling region and led to new levels of success for 
its people.
  Having grown up on a family farm, I know firsthand the hard work and 
dedication that it takes to succeed in farming. Genesis 2:15 says, 
``then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to 
cultivate it and keep it.'' That is exactly what our farmers continue 
to do in South Alabama.
  Today, we are proud to boast that the majority of all peanuts 
produced in the United States are grown within a 100-mile radius of 
Dothan, Alabama.
  Since November of 1938, when Dr. George Washington Carver addressed 
the very first National Peanut Festival, countless friends and families 
have gathered to celebrate the annual harvest and the many successes 
the peanut has brought to the Wiregrass.
  The festival has grown from a three-day event in 1938 to a full ten-
day celebration in 2021, with over 200,000 expected attendees.
  I am proud that Alabama has continued this tradition--a tradition 
that commemorates the true grit of our people and the pride we have in 
our history.
  I join the Second Congressional District of Alabama, as well as the 
entire state, in congratulating the National Peanut Festival on its 
77th year, and I look forward to celebrating with this community for 
many years to come.

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