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Layered Mason Jar Salad From Brenda McGranahan, Cinnabon, & Benjamin Stanley, Baskin Robbins Prep 15 minutes | Cook 15 minutes | Serves 4 Ingredients For the Vinaigrette: 1/4 cup pecan oil 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon honey 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 2 cara cara oranges, zested 1 tablespoon bourbon,…

Hard to believe another year has come and gone, and with it, another pecan harvest of some pretty iffy pecans in some areas of the state. Although other folks had very good pecans, the norm for many areas of Texas has been only fair to good pecans. Please, please, don’t get me wrong. I am…

Harvest has come to an end and the retail season continues to slow down as well, but with a new year comes new opportunities to chase after long-sought dreams and to bring change to a retail business, orchard, or pecan operation. It’s a new year for taking chances. Traveling from East to West across the…

As the 2017 season is either finished or winding down for most growers, it is this time of year that I like to look back and evaluate the pest problems that were encountered during the season. One way that I get another view outside of producer visits is through the county pecan shows that I…

The Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of China announced on Nov. 22 that the tariff on some imported products, including pecans, will be lowered to 7 percent starting on Dec. 1, 2017. This announcement came a month after Kevin Ivey, president of the U.S. Pecan Growers Council, visited with Chinese pecan growers, toured farms…

The tree-planting trend continues here in the Southeast. I don’t know of a single nursery in Georgia that has trees available for planting now unless you booked way in advance, and many nurseries are rapidly booking up for the 2019 crop as well. So, with all the trees being planted and with the damage growers…

Training is the act of teaching or developing skills and knowledge related to a specific competency, thus improving one’s capability, capacity, performance, steadfastness, and productivity. In this respect, I would like to write here on training the young pecan tree, as I think that is what most may be doing this time of year. Although…

It’s 2018. Crazy, right? I can barely believe how time moves so fast, yet so slow. Like every year before it, 2017 passed like each moment was lived out in the ocean. Moments inundated us; crashed into us like tsunami-size waves. Pushing us under, stealing the breath from our lungs, potentially drowning us in their…

When I first joined the A&M Extension Faculty in 1969, Bluefford G. Hancock wanted me to learn pecans and sent me to Hugo Pape in Seguin, Texas once a month for two years. It was the best training one could have received; we learned the same topics taught in school, but this was real life….

Five industry associations have united to support an industry-wide effort to secure representation in Washington, D.C. through a lobbyist and a new potential association—the National Pecan Federation Inc.—in the hopes of creating a political action committee (PAC) for the pecan industry). The National Pecan Federation (NPF) would act in the interest for the entire industry…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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,…

Back in September, Georgia pecan growers got to experience what it would be like to grow pecans on the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Irma followed Interstate 75 directly up the Florida peninsula into Georgia with sustained winds of 20-40 mph and gusts reaching from 50-75 mph, something our friends in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana are all…