TIFTON — Armond Morris of Tifton received the Outstanding Georgia Peanut Farmer of the Year Award for District 2.

Morris was named during the recent 46th Annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center.

The award is sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission and Agri Supply.

The Georgia Peanut Commission presents the Outstanding Georgia Peanut Farmer of the Year awards to one farmer in each of the commission’s five districts, commission representatives said in a statement.

The award is designed to “honor farmers who have given life-long devotion to peanut farming and who have the passion, diligence, leadership and desire to see that the peanut industry in the state of Georgia continues to represent the highest quality possible,” representatives said.

Morris is a fifth-generation farmer who farms in Irwin and Tift counties. He began farming in 1963 by sharecropping peanuts, tobacco and corn with his father.

Morris has been a leader when it came to advancements regarding machinery within the peanut industry including the development of the six-row peanut inverter and the four-row peanut combine at KMC, commission representatives said. He was instrumental in discussing the need for the advanced equipment with KMC and testing the new design.

Morris has been a leader within agriculture through his service with a variety of agricultural organizations.

“However, his heart has always been with peanuts,” representatives said. “Morris recently retired from serving on the Georgia Peanut Commission board of directors for more than 40 years as an advisory board member, board member and chairman.


Morris has been a spokesperson and advocate for Georgia’s peanut farmers on the state, national and international level. He also served as chairman of the American Peanut Council in 2011.

Through the years, Morris has represented farmers as president of the Georgia Young Farmers Association and secretary of the National Young Farmers Association.

Within his hometown of Irwin County, Morris has served as president of the Rotary Club, chairman of the Irwin County Commissioners, president of the Irwin County Young Farmers, serves on the board of the Ben Hill-Irwin County FSA and is a member of the Irwin County Farm Bureau.

Morris received the Distinguished Service Award from the Georgia Peanut Commission and was inducted into the American Peanut Council Hall of Fame in 2022. He also received the Southeast Farm Press Peanut Efficiency Award in 2021, JE Leger Agribusiness Award in 2017, National Peanut Buying Points Association – Distinguished Service Award in 2017, Sunbelt Expo Swisher Sweets Farmer of the Year in 2002, Irwin County Young Farmers Association Farm Family Award and the Master Farmer Award from ABAC and the Georgia Young Farmers Association.

Additional district winners include District 1 – St. Elmo Harrison, Whigham; District 3 – Lamar Black, Millen; District 4 – Barry Martin, Hawkinsville; and District 5 – Jack Miller, Leslie. These farmers received a sign to display at their farm and gift cards from Agri Supply and the Georgia Peanut Commission.