Ashburn, GA (WLTX) - For over four decades, the 'World's Largest Peanut' in Turner County, Georgia was one tough nut to crack. That is, until Hurricane Michael came through.
The travel landmark, located on Exit 82 of Interstate 75 in Ashburn, Georgia, was blown over last week by high winds caused by the storm. Images from the scene show the peanut was knocked completely off its brick pedestal and onto the ground below. The peanut itself had a large gaping hole in the top, and the crowd around its base was partially shattered.
For those not familiar, the 'peanut' is a large, man-made representation of a goober. It's a steel frame with fabric draped over it that was painted and shaped to look like, well, the kind of peanut that King Kong might eat. Below the nut was a yellow crown that read "Georgia 1st in Peanuts."
There's a small picnic area beside it, presumably so people can stop and gaze at its magnificence.
It was put up back in 1975. An engraved plaque on the base explains that it honors Turner County's most important agricultural product. It's dedicated to the memory of Nora Lawrence Smith, who died in 1971. She was a member of Georgia's Journalism Hall of Fame and the editor of the Wiregrass Farmer, a local paper there.
It's been featured on travel shows as a curiosity that people can find, a little slice (or rather snack) of Americana in southwest Georgia. In 2014, it got a little extra notoriety when stars Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis snapped a phone of themselves in front of the peanut on their travels. Kutcher posted it on his Instagram page, but later took it down.
A GoFundMe page has been started in an effort to repair the landmark. You can find our more about the effort here: World's Largest Peanut GoFundMe Page
