Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, was long associated with peanuts — an enduring symbol of his humble beginnings and a testament to the values of hard work that he embraced during his lifetime.
Before entering the political arena, Carter, who passed away at age 100 on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, managed his family's peanut farm in Plains, Georgia, according to the National Park Service (NPS).
"The key to peanut harvest was the threshing machine, which we called a ‘picker’ because it picked the nuts from the vines," said Carter, the NPS noted.
JIMMY CARTER SPENT NEARLY 2 YEARS IN HOSPICE CARE BEFORE HIS DEATH
"It was most often driven by a flat belt from the rear axle or wheel of a truck, and the dried stacks were hauled to it on wooden sleds, each pulled by a mule," Carter also said, the same source reported.
He added, "This was a big and important operation and involved all the men on the place."
After his father passed, Carter resigned from the U.S. Navy in 1953.
He saw fortune in expanding the three acres of peanuts on the farm.
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Carter began growing peanut seeds himself, opening "Carter’s Warehouse," which sold seeds and shelling.
The agri-business also supplied corn, ginned cotton, liquid nitrogen, bulk fertilizer and lime.
Carter’s connection to peanuts became a defining feature of his public image.
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It became a symbol for his White House bid, reflecting his dedication to representing everyday Americans.
The Jimmy Carter Presidential Campaign Committee even handed out bags of peanuts with "Jimmy Carter for President" during his run against Republican Gerald Ford.
In Oct. 1977, President Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter hosted a Peanut Brigade Party.
The First Family hosted 500 Georgian supporters on the South Lawn for a barbecue and boiled peanuts, according to the White House Historical Association (WHAA).
