February 2025 Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers,

I am excited to announce the winner of our Annual Harvest Photo Contest: “Perfect Machinery” by Sofia Arri Gonzalo.

Congratulations, Sofia! Thank you for sharing your photo with us. Readers can spot the winning photo on our cover.

We received entries from all over the world, with many folks sharing a little snapshot of the beauty around them. From sweet moments with family and animal friends to beautiful sunsets, each entry showed the beauty and hard work of those who work in this industry.

With our audience’s help, we were able to narrow down a winner. Sofia’s photo gave our voters a close-up view of the intricate details of the pecan tree leaves. Reminding us that these large trees are full of remarkable complexity and natural beauty even at the smallest level.

We will be back this fall with our next photo contest. If you would like a chance to be on the cover, start taking photos and planning your entries now. You could be on our February 2026 cover!

I would also like to take some time to recognize our other finalists. Danny Marquez as our second place winner with his photo “Sunset Pecan Reflections.” Other outstanding entries were provided by Caitlin and Zach Swick, Sebastián Cambareri and Federico Miri, Bernardino Vega, Stan and Renae Schmidt, and Alex Voss. All the photos were beautiful, and it wasn’t easy to choose just one. You can find the finalist’s images and other entries on page 18. We will also share all our entries on our website, Facebook, and Instagram, so stay tuned.

Congrats again, Sofia! Thank you to everyone who sent us a photo! It is always wonderful to see moments in your life and pecan operations. As always, you, our readers, are the best part of the magazine. Looking forward to what is to come, see you in the fall with another chance to be on our cover.

Warmest Wishes,
Sarah Dieringer

Managing Editor