Local Farmers Expect Worldwide Market, Increased Profits With Opening Of New Peanut Plant In Atmore

February 24, 2022

A grand opening was held Wednesday for Coastal Growers, an $90 million peanut processing facility in Atmore with a worldwide market.

Coastal Growers is owned by a cooperative of 195 farmers who live mostly in Alabama and Florida.

For a photo gallery and photo tour, click or tap here.

“The growers don’t have to truck their peanuts to other places with this, U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) said. “It’s localized to give you an opportunity hopefully to make more money because you don’t have to pay that transportation costs. That’s what it’s all about. Peanuts are making a huge run in the south and I hope it continues to get better, products get better.”

The 400,000 square foot facility sits on 60 acres in the Atmore Industrial Park that used to be a cotton field. There are currently 64 employees, and they expect to hire 100 total within a year.

Coastal Growers is already shipping food grade Alabama and Florida peanuts to 11 counties on three continents.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for Escambia County farmers and farmers in our general area to increase overall what they can earn in the peanut industry,” Libbie Johnson, UF/IFAS Escambia County (FL) Extension agriculture agent, said. “Its another outlet for them and direct line to the consumers.”

“This means for local farmers that we can see our crop go through the process, and we can see the end result,” said Santa Rosa County farmer Mickey Diamond. “It just means a little more money for us for our peanuts. We’re going to see it through to the end user instead of just selling it and it being gone.”

“I know it’s already been going, but from this day on, we’ll all keep an eye on what’s going on here. There’s no telling how much bigger this will get as time goes,” Tuberville said.

For a photo gallery and photo tour, click or tap here.

NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

2 Responses to “Local Farmers Expect Worldwide Market, Increased Profits With Opening Of New Peanut Plant In Atmore”

  1. paul on February 24th, 2022 11:54 am

    mmm peanuts….

  2. RAD on February 24th, 2022 7:11 am

    Great story and idea. Wish everyone involved great success.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News