Peanut Proud festival

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Peanut Proud festival

Photos of the Peanut Proud festival in Blakely, Ga. to rally the community.

Hundreds of people attended the first annual Peanut Proud Expo in the downtown Blakely square on Saturday. The city known as the peanut capital of the world has seen its share of bad news after one of its factories was linked to the recent salmonella outbreak that killed nine people.

Collin Wilson, 6, stands in costume with his parents (from left) Angie and Bruce Wilson.

Blakely also feels stung because Peanut Corporation of America, the company responsible for the outbreak, was headquartered in Lynchburg, Va.

Fourth generation peanut farmer Mike Newberry laughs with friends. Newberry said the community is "confused" and disillusioned." "We had something bad happen to us," he said. "We're suffering because people have cut back on peanut consumption. We need to put a good foot forward."

Lake Johnson, 2, from Decatur, Ala, gets an offering of a fried peanut butter sandwich from his father.

Jammey Collier, 10, digs for peanuts.

Peanuts bubble in a deep fryer.

Three men walk past a sign on a trailer advertising peanuts as an easy-to-carry comfort food.

Ryan Johnson, 32, from Tallahassee, Fla. holds his son, Nolan Johnson, 11 months, in the air.

Amy Garrod helps blow up balloons that read "eat more peanuts."

The Blakely water tower stands in the distance of the spot where people gathered to rally for their town and peanuts.

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Hundreds of people attended the first annual Peanut Proud Expo in the downtown Blakely square on Saturday. The city known as the peanut capital of the world has seen its share of bad news after one of its factories was linked to the recent salmonella outbreak that killed nine people.

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