National Peanut Month

March is National Peanut Month. I’d planned this post for March 1st, but somehow two weeks have disappeared, and now it’s the 15th. But that still leaves two more weeks to enjoy peanuts this month. In fact, National Peanut Month actually began as National Peanut Week in 1941 and expanded to a month-long celebration in 1974 (13 years before March also became Women’s History Month, incidentally).

You might think that Mr. Peanut would be the spokesnut for National Peanut Month, but in fact that job goes to Buddy McNutty:

Buddy no doubt appeals to kids more than stodgy old Mr. Peanut. Instead of a top hat and spats, this peanut is decked out in an informal baseball cap and sneakers. Buddy McNutty is also the star of a comic book detailing his many adventures. It turns out that a variety of Buddy McNutty merchandise is available from The National Peanut Board's Peanut Store, including this poster:This poster shows a dark time in the history of peanut production when many were forced to work under hazardous conditions for low wages in the peanut mines.

The National Peanut Board is just one peanut group of many including the Georgia Peanut Commission. This Georgian peanut definitely has a hillbilly look about him. I doubt he and Mr Peanut socialize much.

And here we have peanut oil marching along with a package of peanuts:

The Virginia Carolina Peanut Association even provides some clip art shown below:

Baseball Peanut

Sweet Valentine's Day Peanut

So for the next two weeks, remember to eat your peanuts and think of Buddy McNutty.