TIFTON, Ga.– The Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) board of directors celebrated its 50th anniversary by lifting a shovel and tossing a little dirt at the site for the new headquarters of the Commission in Tifton, Ga. The event held Monday, Aug. 1, 2011, brought more than 125 attendees to witness the groundbreaking and to celebrate the Commission’s 50 years of representing Georgia’s peanut farmers.

Georgia’s Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black was on hand along with local dignitaries to celebrate with GPC. “This is a building of the future which shows the stewardship of American agriculture and a great marketplace to reach thousands that come by on a daily basis,” Commissioner Black says. “I know this is going to be a headquarters and destination for all of the peanut industry, but really a beacon for all of agriculture as this program moves forward.”

This project has been in the works for a number of years. The GPC board of directors has reviewed many options and potential locations for the new site before deciding on the location off of Interstate 75.

“We started looking at different options six years ago for a new location and one with more visibility to promote peanuts. I applaud the county and this community for making the site affordable for us. I applaud their commitment not just to the peanut industry but to agriculture,” says Donald Chase, GPC building committee chairman. “Agriculture in most of the communities in which we live is the financial backbone and I think that’s true here in Tifton. The new building will be a monument to the peanut farmers of the state.”

The new headquarters will be the first net-zero energy building for state government in Georgia. The cost for the new building will be covered from the sale of the existing building, energy grants, sponsorships and a commemorative brick program. For more information on the GPC building project, visit www.gapeanuts.com.