Back to February 2021

Letter from the Editor: Monarch Butterfly and Pecan

Winner of our 3rd Annual Photo Contest submitted by Jorge Jalife and taken by Vero Zertuche


A Monarch butterfly rests on top of a mature nut cluster in an orchard in Coahuila, Mexico.

This photo won our 3rd Annual Photo Contest and graced the cover of the February 2021 issue. A Monarch butterfly rests on pecans in La Ximena Orchard in Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila, Mexico. (Photo by Vero Zertuche, submitted by Jorge Jalife)

Dear Readers,

I am happy to announce the winner of our third annual Harvest Photo Contest— “Monarch Butterfly and Pecans,” submitted by Jorge Jalife and taken by Vero Zertuche.

Vero captured this magical moment at La Ximena Orchard in Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila, Mexico.

Congratulations, Jorge Jalife and Vero Zertuche! Thank you for sharing this photo with us. Readers, you can spot their winning picture on our cover.

This year we followed the same process that was established three years ago when selecting a winner. In October 2020, we opened our third annual Photo Contest to submissions. We then received many entries from around the world. Amid the ongoing pandemic, pecan growers and industry members took moments to capture the beauty of their orchard and pecan businesses. From sunsets during harvest to snow days, entries showed moments of peace during a turbulent year.

After the submission deadline, the Pecan South staff narrowed down the photos to five finalists and then created a poll. This poll was shared via email, Facebook, and Instagram and allowed all of you—our readers—to vote for a winner. Vero’s photo of a Monarch butterfly on a pecan struck voters as something unique and fleeting that broke the mold of the typical Pecan South cover image.

We’ll be back this fall for our fourth photo contest. So if you’d like a chance at getting on the cover, you can start taking photos and thinking about your entries now. And maybe, it’ll be your photo on the February 2022 cover!

I’d also like to recognize our four other finalists Craig Ivey, Mike Craig with Savage Equipment, Molly Willis, and Scot Jones, whose beautiful photos showed different glimpses of orchard life. Their snapshots, as well as some of the other entries, can be found on page 48.

Congrats to Vero and Jorge! And thank you again to everyone who sent us a photo! Our staff and I enjoyed seeing parts of your life and pecan operation, and I can’t wait to see the great pictures you all take for the next contest. You are indeed the best part of this magazine. Pecan South looks forward to connecting with you and helping you in any way we can.

Sincerely,

Catherine Clark

Managing Editor

Author Photo

Catherine Clark

Catherine Clark is the managing editor of Pecan South. She has her M.S. in Journalism from the University of Southern California, and her B.A. in Communication and Spanish from Trinity University. For questions, comments or concerns, she can be reached at cclark@pecansouthmagazine.com.