Alabama’s Jay & Rosemary Corte

by pblovers

Meet Jay and Rosemary Corte, Alabama Peanut Farmers

Fourth generation peanut grower Jay Corte farms his family’s land in Daphne, Alabama. Much like many of his southeastern neighbors, farming is a family business and the Corte’s roots date back to Jay’s great-grandfather in 1890.

In 1998, Jay and his wife Rosemary decided to shift their focus to peanuts, initially planting a five-acre crop.

“Peanuts mature underground, so the crop is less susceptible to weather damage, like hurricanes – a major concern because of our close proximity to the coast,” says Rosemary. Peanuts proved successful, and today, the farm has grown to over 3,000 acres, with two-thirds devoted to peanuts and cotton.

Planting cotton and peanuts exclusively helps alleviate some of the tough planting decisions many farmers encounter.

“It’s best to rotate your crops every year – for us that means planting peanuts in one field and cotton in the other,” says Jay. “The next year, we’ll switch them up for good soil management practices.”

Every fall, the 1,000+ acres of peanuts are harvested, and the highest-quality peanuts will end up in the mouths of consumers in the form of candy, peanut butter and spreads. The Corte’s are excited to be part of such a unique process, providing consumers with a delicious, healthy ingredient.

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