Picard's Peanuts Ltd.

Picard's Peanuts Ltd., doing business as Picard's Peanuts, is a Canadian family-owned snack food company based in Norfolk County, Ontario. It describes itself as Ontario's original peanut company and is one of the only retail sellers of Canadian-grown peanuts in Canada. The business traces its origins to 1978, when Jim Picard Sr., a Simcoe-area farmer looking to move away from tobacco and other cash crops, encountered a prosperous peanut store on a rural road in Georgia, the peanut capital of the United States. Working with the University of Guelph's Delhi Research Farm, he planted a small section of peanuts on his farm in 1979, helping pioneer peanut farming in Canada. The results were strong enough that Jim Picard Sr., his son Jim Picard Jr., and a group of partners opened Picard Peanuts that same year, and the news of Canada's first homegrown commercial peanut farm was broadcast across the country. The company opened its first retail store on Highway 24 north of Simcoe in 1980 and established Canada's first commercial peanut shelling plant to keep the store stocked with fresh peanuts. A severe August ground frost in 1982 damaged the crop, but rather than retreat the family expanded its facilities and developed new flavours and products, including jumbo cocktail peanuts, barbecue peanuts and extra fancy Virginia redskin peanuts. In 1983 it broadened its line into confectionery such as peanut brittle, beernuts and caramel corn. Today Picard's sells online and through six retail locations across Ontario — in Windham Centre, Arva, Morriston, Fonthill, Fort Erie and Woodstock — and ships within Canada and the United States. Its product range includes Extra Fancy Virginia Peanuts, Ontario Grown Valencia Peanuts, Jumbo Cocktail Peanuts, Spanish Peanuts, Naked Virginia Peanuts, chocolate-covered peanuts, Valencia Peanut Butter, peanut brittle, Cookie Nuts and the signature Chip Nuts (crispy potato-chip-covered peanuts) in flavours such as Original Salted, Salt & Vinegar, Dill Pickle and Southern BBQ. The company is privately held and family owned, with Jim Picard Jr. identified as owner and the Picard family behind the operation. It emphasizes Canadian sourcing, freshness and a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and says it serves roughly 15,000 customers a month. Its stated mission is to focus its peanut-growing operation around the needs of ingredient buyers and ready-to-eat snackers, satisfying taste buds throughout Ontario and beyond.

Picard's Peanuts began with a farmer's search for a new crop. In 1978, Jim Picard Sr., who farmed tobacco and other cash crops near Simcoe, Ontario, came across a small but prosperous peanut store on a rural road in Georgia, the peanut capital of the world. That encounter planted the idea of growing peanuts at home. Working closely with the University of Guelph's Delhi Research Farm, Jim Picard Sr. planted a small section of peanuts on his farm in 1979, helping pioneer peanut farming in Canada. The results were good and well received, and Jim, together with a group that included his son Jim Picard Jr., opened Picard Peanuts. As Canada's first homegrown commercial peanut farm, the venture made national news. In 1980 the company opened its first Picard Peanuts store on Highway 24 north of Simcoe — a location that remained a landmark for peanut lovers decades later — and opened Canada's first commercial peanut shelling plant to keep the store stocked with fresh peanuts. Adversity struck in 1982, when an August ground frost severely damaged the peanut crop. Rather than retreat, Picard Peanuts expanded its facilities and developed new flavours, seasonings and products, including jumbo cocktail peanuts, barbecue peanuts and extra fancy Virginia redskin peanuts. As Jim Picard Sr. put it, "If it has a peanut in it, there's nothing we can't make and make it of the best quality." In 1983, with customers clamouring for the new products, the company expanded its line with confectionery items such as peanut brittle, beernuts and caramel corn. Over the following decades the family continued to grow the business, expanding its peanut shop and focusing on value-added food products. From early items such as peanut clusters, peanut brittle and beernuts, the range grew to include chocolate-covered peanuts, peanut butter, Cookie Nuts and the company's signature Chip Nuts — crispy potato-chip-covered peanuts — which it describes as the original and which are sold in flavours including Original Salted, Salt & Vinegar, Dill Pickle and Southern BBQ. The company sells online and through six retail locations across Ontario, in Windham Centre, Arva, Morriston, Fonthill, Fort Erie and Woodstock, and ships within Canada and the United States. It remains family owned, with Jim Picard Jr. identified as owner, and says it serves about 15,000 customers a month. All of its products are grown or manufactured in Ontario, and the company offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

• 1983

  Product line expands into confectionery including peanut brittle, beernuts and caramel corn.

• 1982

  August ground frost severely damages the peanut crop; the company expands facilities and develops new flavours and products.

• 1980

  First Picard Peanuts store opens on Highway 24 north of Simcoe; Canada's first commercial peanut shelling plant opens.

• 1979

  Working with the University of Guelph's Delhi Research Farm, Jim Picard Sr. plants peanuts in Norfolk County; Picard Peanuts is opened as Canada's first homegrown commercial peanut farm.

• 1978

  Jim Picard Sr. encounters a prosperous peanut store in Georgia, inspiring him to grow peanuts in Ontario.

Ontario's original peanut company and a family-owned Canadian peanut grower and snack maker, emphasizing Canadian-grown ingredients, freshness and a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

• Chip Nuts (Crispy Potato Chip Covered Peanuts)

  Signature potato-chip-covered peanuts in Original Salted, Salt & Vinegar, Dill Pickle and Southern BBQ flavours, 275g.

• Extra Fancy Virginia Peanuts

  Classic large Virginia-type peanuts.

• Ontario Grown Valencia Peanuts

  Valencia peanuts grown in Ontario.

• Jumbo Cocktail Peanuts

  Jumbo cocktail peanuts developed after the 1982 frost.

• Valencia Peanut Butter

  Peanut butter made from Ontario-grown Valencia peanuts, 750g.

• Cookie Nuts

  Cookie-covered peanuts.

• Peanut Brittle

  Classic peanut brittle confection.

1. 1Picard's Peanuts | Ontario's Original Peanut Companypicardpeanuts.com
2. 2About us - Picard's Peanutspicardpeanuts.com
3. 3Our History Timeline - Picard's Peanutspicardpeanuts.com
4. 4FAQs - Picard's Peanutspicardpeanuts.com
5. 5Picard's Peanuts Ltd. - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Picard's Peanuts - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
7. 7Picard's Peanuts | Ontario's Original Peanut Companypicardpeanuts.com