December 2017

Festive Recipes

Baked Brie with Pecans & Cranberry Orange Chutney From the American Pecan Council Total 24 minutes Ingredients 1/2 cup roasted pecan pieces (see recipe notes) 1 (13.4-ounce) round brie 1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup maple syrup Zest and juice of 1 orange 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme 1 teaspoon freshly...

A 53-Year-Old Tradition Continues in January with the Texas Pecan Short Course

The Texas Pecan Short Course has a history that dates back to 1965 when it started as a week-long class for county extension agents who needed to gain practical training on pecan culture, grafting, pruning, fertilizer, and pest management. Originally taught by the late Professor Emeritus J. Benton Storey, the training had small beginnings with...

Letter from the Editor: Harvest & Holiday Wishes

With the holidays and harvest season upon us, my mind is racing with all the seasonal pressures and thoughts. And I’m sure you can say the same. This year though, there is one other thing, one word that I keep coming back to. Perfection. We search for the perfect gift, try to cook the perfect...

Oklahoma Pecan Grower Celebrates the Next Big Step

In mid-November this year, Dennis and Glenda Ward put on a good, old-fashioned fish fry to celebrate their next big step as an Oklahoma pecan family. The Ward family started farming the southeastern corner of Oklahoma back in the 1930s. Dennis’ grandfather and father (Barney Sr. and Barney Jr.) would eventually run several hundred heads...

Around the Industry: Weber Shandwick Team Finishes Immersion Tours in the Southeast

As growers rushed into harvest last month, the American Pecan Council’s Weber Shandwick team embarked on its final immersion tour. This time the group visited Georgia. Team members witnessed harvest, learned how pecan production varies in the Southeast, and met with local growers and industry members. MASON PECANS, FORT VALLEY, GEORGIA— An employee at Mason Farms collects...

Pecans in Attendance at FNCE & Finally Take Center Stage

My husband, Winston, and I had the pleasure of attending the 2017 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) in Chicago, Illinois recently—a little different than the pecan growers’ conference we attend each year. FNCE had more than 15,000 people in attendance. It’s an experience we won’t forget and one that we are certainly grateful...

Improving Soil Health Through Cover Crops for Pecans

Recently, there has been a lot of attention centered on soil health.  While the importance of soil health is not new to pecan producers, I believe this is an area where we as producers can definitely make improvements. As I travel and see different operations and visit with managers about their management practices one thing...

The Five Fundamentals for Pecan Management

For many Texas growers, the 2017 pecan crop has been difficult to manage. Many have no crop or a short corp. Others have trees with less growth and weak green foliage. However, some growers have their best crop ever. As we look back, we’ll think of what went right or wrong. How do we plan...

An Endless Treasure Trove of Information, Some Suggested Resources for Producers

As another season comes to a close, I hope that producers will take time to look back on the 2017 season to reflect on and evaluate the different management and production activities on what went right and what could be improved. Fortunately, producers have access to numerous sources available—everything from Extension specialist, websites, Extension publications,...

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The Showstoppers: High-Quality Pecan Cultivars from the Texas Pecan Show

Pecan shows are a time-honored November-December tradition in Texas. Although rudimentary pecan shows were held in the early decades of the 1900s, the Texas Pecan Growers Association hosted the first official Texas Pecan Show in 1950. County Extension offices began holding local shows in 1953. The TPGA and Extension shows merged in the late 1950s,...