2021 Portales Magazine

Agriculture
million according to the USDA’s
last agricultural census.
Roosevelt County is number one
in production of peanuts and third
in total milk production.
PEANUTS
In earlier days its neighbors often
referred to Portales playfully as
“Goober Gulch.” That nickname
derived from the early adoption
(1914) of peanuts as a local
row crop that grew well in
the sandy soil and warm, dry
climate. By 1926 peanuts were
being processed and roasted
commercially.
The Portales area has been linked with agriculture since
surrounding plains were settled. Initially the area was used to
graze beef cattle but the early part of the 20th century brought
farmers, irrigation and commerce.
Roosevelt County is the fourth most important county in New
Mexico in terms of market value of its agricultural products at $471
Peanuts are actually not a nut at
all, but a legume, in the same family as beans and peas. The plant
fl owers above ground and puts out “pegs” that grow into the soil
where the pods grow from the peg.
The variety grown locally is the Valencia peanut, known for its
naturally sweet taste and bright hulls popular for roasting in the shell.
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38 Roosevelt County Chamber 2021 portales.com