Bill Text: VA SJR134 | 2016 | Regular Session | Enrolled

Virginia Senate Joint Resolution 134 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Commending the Virginia peanut industry.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2016-02-12 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ134ER) [SJR134 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2016-SJR134-Enrolled.html

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 134 Commending the Virginia peanut industry. Agreed to by the Senate, February 4, 2016 Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 12, 2016

WHEREAS, the first commercial crop of peanuts to be grown in the United States was grown in Sussex County in 1842; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia-type peanut is known worldwide for its size, taste, and versatility; it can be enjoyed as in-shell peanuts, cocktail peanuts, canned gourmet peanuts, or peanut butter and as an ingredient in various dishes; and

WHEREAS, peanut production in Virginia is concentrated in the City of Suffolk and seven counties in the southeastern part of the state: Southampton, Isle of Wight, Sussex, Greensville, Surry, Dinwiddie, and Prince George; and

WHEREAS, peanut production in Virginia led to the establishment of many industry-related businesses, including Planters peanuts, established in Suffolk in 1913, and Birdsong Peanuts, a sheller that celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2014; and

WHEREAS, southeastern Virginia is home to numerous gourmet peanut retailers known by consumers around the country and the world, the largest among these being Hubbard Peanut Company, in business for 60 years, as well as FERIDIES' Peanut Patch and the Virginia Diner; and

WHEREAS, peanut production and processing have provided significant economic benefits to Virginia for many years; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Tech Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Suffolk has achieved national renown for its research work in peanut production; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, the Western Tidewater Humanities Council, and Rock Eagle Productions, with support locally from the Wakefield Foundation, regional historic groups, and the Virginia peanut industry, are producing a documentary to be aired on the Public Broadcasting System highlighting the history and importance of the peanut to Virginia; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Virginia peanut industry for its significant contributions to the economy of the Commonwealth and the livelihood of countless Virginians; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare copies of this resolution for presentation to the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, the Western Tidewater Humanities Council, Rock Eagle Productions, and the Wakefield Foundation as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the significance of the peanut to agriculture in the Commonwealth.