In Pitt County, 39,790,000 pounds of peanuts were harvested last year, making it the fourth largest producer of peanuts in North Carolina, trailing behind Halifax County (#1), Bertie County (#2), and Martin County (#3). One of the most critical decisions for peanut producers is determining the right time to dig up the peanuts. To help maximize yields and aid in this decision-making process, Pitt County offers Peanut Maturity Workshops.

This season, the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Pitt County Center held eight peanut maturity workshops, receiving a record total of 233 samples for analysis. This is the highest number of samples ever processed by Pitt County Center. The analysis suggests that the optimal digging date for peanuts in Pitt County is October 1st. However, due to heavy rainfall, the harvest may be delayed by a few days. Fortunately, there is a seven-day window beginning on October 1st during which digging can occur.

Below is an image of the calendar documenting all the peanut samples, organized according to their predicted optimum maturity.