Former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away at 100 on December 29, 2024, had a deep-rooted connection with peanuts, a symbol of his modest upbringing and the strong work ethic he embodied throughout his life. Before his political career, Carter managed his family's peanut farm in Plains, Georgia. The National Park Service (NPS) recounts Carter's memories of the peanut harvest, emphasizing the importance of the threshing machine, or "picker," which separated the peanuts from the vines. This process, often powered by a truck and involving mule-drawn sleds, was a significant undertaking requiring the efforts of everyone on the farm.

Following his father's death and his own resignation from the U.S. Navy in 1953, Carter recognized the potential in expanding the farm's peanut production. He ventured into growing peanut seeds and established "Carter's Warehouse," a business that sold seeds, offered shelling services, and supplied other agricultural products like corn, cotton, fertilizer, and lime.

Peanuts became a defining element of Carter's public persona, representing his commitment to ordinary Americans during his presidential campaign against Gerald Ford. His campaign even distributed bags of peanuts promoting his candidacy. This association continued into his presidency, with the White House Historical Association (WHAA) noting a "Peanut Brigade Party" hosted by the Carters in 1977, where they served boiled peanuts to Georgian supporters.