At the Sunbelt Ag Expo, Rusty Bowers, the owner of Pine Street Market in Avondale Estates, received a $10,000 prize check from the Georgia Peanut Commission.
He was the entry in the Georgia Peanut Product Innovation Award Contest. It was presented by Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper and Georgia Peanut Commission Chairman Donald Chase. The award was given during the Sunbelt for the Georgia Peanut Pot Liquor Sausage, which features local chicken, peanuts, and collard greens.
The sausage won the innovation prize for demonstrating both creativity and exceptional flavor. Peanuts are the essence of Georgia to me according to the man that made this sausage. Bowers said, “I visited the farms and the shelling facilities and know how important peanuts are to our state. I really want to create a salute to Georgia agriculture, which is why I chose a chicken sausage with the peanuts and collard greens and herbs. I felt like it would be a winner and it was.”
The contest was a big success called the innovation. They had several entries. The contest received 28 entries, and the top five finalists were required to submit their product. So, $10,000 goes to Rusty Bowers, the winner of the Innovation for Peanuts Award.
Audio Reporting by Tyron Spearman for Southeast AgNet.