American Pecan Board hosts USDA delegation
The American Pecan Board, a relatively new organization, is currently in the process of staging regional meetings across the pecan belt to inform and receive feedback on a potential federal marketing order for pecans. The board is recommending that the industry establish such a plan. There are many details to be worked out, according to...
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USDA reinstates pecan crop report
USDA has recently released the summary for the 2013 pecan crop, a report which was dropped a year ago due to budget cutbacks and then reinstated after considerable industry feedback. The report, shown on opposite page, gives state by state production for both natives and improved varieties. For 2013, USDA reports the utilized production for the entire...
Read moreGrasshoppers frustrate many Texas pecan producers
The hot, dry, dog days of summer are upon us here in Texas and grasshopper and June beetle calls have been common. Over the past month, I have received several calls on grasshoppers and June beetles defoliating trees and I’m sure more calls are on the way. These hot dry conditions we are experiencing favor...
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CHOCOLATE CHIP PECAN PIE BARS
Ingredients: CRUST 1 1/2 cup flour 1/4 cup cornstarch 1/2 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup butter, softened FILLING 3/4 cup light corn syrup 1 cup sugar 3 eggs, lightly beaten 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 4 T. butter, melted 2 cups pecans, chopped 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line...
Read morePecan nut thinning is now!
Texas has a great pecan crop for 2014. All trees not hit by the late winter freeze are loaded. In addition, we have had the best late spring and summer rains in some areas with very little scab. Most varieties at the Texas A&M pecan orchard are loaded. We had 5 major rains of 3...
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Impacts of grazing cattle in a pecan grove
One of the most common forms of ground cover management in native pecan groves is to pasture cattle (Fig. 1). Grazing offers 2 advantages for a pecan producer: a second source of income from the same parcel of land (pecans + beef) and a significant reduction in orchard mowing costs. The grazing of animals under...
Read moreCenter for Pecan Innovation focuses on new food uses
The Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Pecans (Georgia Pecan Commission) announced earlier this year the establishment of the Center for Pecan Innovation to find new uses for America’s Nut. “Our initial focus will be new food products made from pecans, which is one of the most nutritious tree nuts,” says John Robison, chairman of the...
Read moreCold storage pecans total 264 million lbs.
According to USDA’s latest cold storage report, there were approximately 264 million pounds of pecans, on an inshell basis, in cold storage at the end of June. That number is reached by converting the 55.624 million pounds of meats to an inshell number and then adding that number to the actual inshell number which is 137.696...
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