Peanut allergy near peanut farming in Oklahoma

Our family is entertaining the idea of moving from Michigan to Oklahoma this year. Our oldest son is allergic to peanuts. He is 4 yrs old. I have just discovered that there are quite a few peanut farms in Oklahoma! I'm not sure what to think. Do I have to be concerned about living even remotely close to these farms? Please help as we are making plans but if this is going to be a problem, we will stay put.

[FurballsMom]

Just how allergic to peanuts is the little guy?  I'm allergic to peanuts myself, but not as drastically as other people are.  Mine may be more of a food sensitivity.  But, I do know this much:  Peanut allergies can and do kill.  And, your little guy is only four years old.  Here in the city I live in, the ball park where the major baseball team plays had just a couple of days where they offered some peanut-free zones for the people, especially little kids, with peanut allergies.  This is because it is well-known that people with severe enough peanut allergies can't even be in the same room with peanuts and can't be breathing the peanut dust or they will have anaphylaxis.

For some reason there was some public backlash about this peanut-free zone that was only for a couple of days by ignorant people who have no empathy for these little people at all.  Well, I do, because I have another issue that has to do with environmental allergies called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS).  The backlash that people were complaining about the peanut-free zones that was offered for only a couple of days was also a backlash against people with MCS and making accomodations for us, which most people and places still don't and won't even though it's actually required by the ADA.  I felt attacked personally by that backlash and I don't even care about going to sporting events.  I don't try to go to movies and restaurants, because I know what I'll have to face with people wearing all kinds of scented personal care products and getting sick because of it.  I just didn't understand what the backlash was about when it was only for a couple of days and was only for a section of the ball park anyway.

But, it did bring some awareness to the issue that peanut allergies are very serious and just how serious they are.  I would advise against going to a known peanut growing area of the country for this reason.  You don't know what you'll have to face in certain seasons, like in the autumn and summer time when the peanut dust will likely be scattered all over the air.  I can just picture driving down the road behind a great big vehicle from the peanut farm in the summer time and having all that peanut dust being stirred up into the air and causing your little guy problems with anaphylaxis.