2026 Perennial Peanut Field Day – June 5

Hay farmers, livestock producers, and anyone interested in learning about growing perennial peanut are invited to participate in the 2026 Perennial Peanut Producers Association (PPPA) Field Day, on Friday, June 5, 2026. UF/IFAS Extension will host the event in Quincy, Florida, at the University of Florida’s North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) – 155 Research Rd, Quincy, FL. Registration and networking are set to begin at 8:30 AM Eastern (7:30 AM Central). The event offers a blend of a successful farm tour, formal presentations, and a field demonstration. For those that are not able to attend in person, there is an option to hear the formal presentations via Zoom (~11:30 AM). Passcode is PPFD2026. The program will begin 9:00 AM EDT with a brief welcome and PPPA business meeting, followed by a tour of Robert Harrsion’s Perennial Peanut Hay Farm. Following the tour, educational presentations will begin at approximately 11:30 AM. Topics to be discussed include: the IR-4 herbicide registration process, use of perennial peanut for ornamental and wildlife plantings, a needs assessment discussion for perennial peanut growers, rhizome quality testing prior to planting, and an update on the forage pellet plant under construction near Madison. The event concludes with a herbicide field demonstration and discussion for the use of Corteva’s product called NovaGraz . – Agenda (times are approximate after returning from the farm tour) 8:30 – 9:00 PPPA Board Meeting 8:30 Registration & Networking 9:00 – 9:25 Welcome & PPPA Business Meeting – Tyler Putnal, President PPPA 10:00 – 11:00 On-farm Tour: Robert Harrison, Gadsden County perennial peanut hay producer 11:30 – 12:00 The Ins and Outs of Herbicide Approvals – Kristen Searer-Jones, IR-4 Southern Region, UF Food & Env. Toxicology Lab, Gainesville (The Southern Region IR-4 Project coordinates research to assist the registration of pest management tools for specialty crops and minor uses.) 12:00 – 1:00 Lunch and Sponsor Acknowledgements 1:00 – 1:30 Perennial Peanut Plantings: Ornamental and Wildlife Value – Dr. Leynar Leyton, Ornamental Plant Breeder; Dr. Carolina Baruzzi, Wildlife Ecologist, NFREC, Quincy, FL 1:30 – 2:00 Commodity Group Needs Assessment with Audience Participation – Dr. Marcelo Wallau, State Forage Specialist, UF/IFAS, Gainesville, FL; Mr. Doug Mayo, Jackson County CED, Marianna, FL 2:00 – 2:15 Brief Updates : Doug Mayo – Rhizome quality testing); Jesse Cone – Pellet Plant progress 2:15 – 3:00 Field Demonstration of NovaGraz on perennial peanut plots – Mark Mauldin, UF/IFAS Extension Washington County – Lunch is included with the $15 per person registration and will be provided to all participants. Please use the RSVP link below to reserve seats and meals for your party. Payment will be made at the event by cash or checks made out to the PPPA. RSVP by June 1 @ – For more information, contact: Educational program chair Dr. Cheryl Mackowiak (850) 875-7126 echo13@ufl.edu PPPA Field Day Sponsor Chair Perennial Peanut Producers Association Lindy Cone, Secretary 850-973-2339 pppa@perennialpeanuthay.org – An Equal Opportunity Institution The University of Florida is committed to providing universal access to all events. For disability accommodations, such language interpreters and listening devices, please contact Cheryl Mackowiak: (850) 875-7126 or echo13@ufl.edu at least 1 week in advance. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.