Peanut butter comes in a can. It was put there by a man.

This weekend, I met the man who sorts, roasts, crushes, creams and packages the peanut butter you probably ate on your last PB&J.  The man’s name is Sunland Inc. and he processes nearly 90% of the Valencia peanuts grown in America for major labels like Kirkland (of Costco fame), Arrowhead Mills, and Trader Joe’s.  Prior to my visit to the  “Valencia Peanut Basion of the Nation” in Portales, New Mexico, I had no idea just how amazing peanuts and peanut butter are.  I probably would have told you, had you asked, that making peanut butter seemed about as exciting as, well, spending a day in the nuthouse.  However, thanks to a guided tour by the shipping secretary (let’s call her Rosie), I came away with a great appreciation for peanuts and an even greater appreciation for the working men and women of the world who bear such ignominous titles as “Jar-Watcher,” “Rocks-and-Peanut-Seperator,” and “the-One-Who-Tightens-Loose-Lids-on-Peanut-Butter-Jars.”