I really like proving people wrong, especially those who argue about something they know very little about like growing peanuts in North Dakota.

On Oct. 9, I harvested my peanut crop and although it wasn't the yield I was hoping for, I received a crop that is good enough to save for next year's seed and have a few roasted peanuts for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I grew two varieties; Carwile and Tennessee Red Valencia. The valencias didn't do so well, but the Carwiles produced very well. By the end of this weekend, the warm autumn North Dakota wind will have dried the peanuts out and I will begin to package them for seed or shell them for roasting.

This comes with great pride because I've been growing peanuts successfully for three years now in northwestern North Dakota when just about everybody in the industry has told me I can't grow peanuts in North Dakota.

Well, I've got news for them. And do they ever taste delicious.

The unfortunate part of this is, I'm having an extremely diffficult time finding certified organic peanut seed. I have written to numerous companies and emailed several others. Most don't respond, but those who do tell me I can't grow peanuts in North Dakota.

I really wish they would leave that to me. I'm willing to pay for the seed, so perhaps it would be in the best interest of the company to just sell me the seed.

The seed I've got I received from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange in Virginia. They sell in small packets that really aren't economical to purchase on a large scale. I've even asked Southern Exposure if they will sell me seeds in a large quantity and they haven't responded. Ideally, I'd like to grow an acre.

Now, I mentioned earlier that my yields weren't as good as I would have liked. There are two reasons for that which I will rectify next year.

First, they were planted late; May 17. They really should be planted earlier. It's like I told one of my friends, I will treat peanuts from now on like I do tomatoes. People have grown tomatoes in North Dakota since statehood.The peanuts will be started in the greenhouse in March in biodegradable containers and when they are set outside there will be no shock as when seedlings are transplanted.

The second thing was lack of water. We had a drought this past summer and six days in July exceeded 100 degrees. Next year we will irrigate and rectify problem No. 2.

Case solved. Otherwise, the peanut plant will behave just like any other legume. It tolerates light frost, competes well with certain weeds and has no pests to speak of.

That means in October we have fresh, certified organic peanuts grown right here in North Dakota. I've said it before and I'm going to say it in this blog entry that peanuts are going to become a big cash crop for Ilene and I. It may take another five years but I'm going to make this happen. I've already got three years of research under my belt.