October 2017

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Extreme Weather, Deja Vu, and a Chance to Learn

Once again, we find ourselves talking about wet conditions at a time of year when we are usually discussing drought and high temperatures. August and early September are usually dry and hot, so we spend our time discussing ways to increase irrigation to meet the water requirements of pecan trees during the nut filling period....

Round Two: Weber Shandwick Team Immerses Itself into Central Pecan Region

The APC-hired marketing team from Weber Shandwick followed the meeting with a central region immersion tour on Sept. 14 and 15. The group consisted of ten team members from the Chicago and Dallas offices; these team members work across the APC account in areas such as creatives, issues, and media relations. On this fast and...

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz Heads Senate Effort to Lower Pecan Tariff in India

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) is leading the effort for the U.S. pecan industry to lower the pecan tariff rate in India.  The U.S. pecan industry has worked to develop the pecan market in India in the face of a significant tariff rate of 36 percent on U.S. pecans. This rate is much higher than...

When the Storm Ends, Cleanup Begins

The dawn of the 2017 pecan harvest is upon us. As usual, it has its own set of unique challenges, which must be dealt with depending on where you are before one could even think about harvesting. First and foremost, many pecan bottoms were flooded due to Hurricane Harvey, and the cleanup of the debris...

Growers Lose Crops, Trees, and Leaves to Harvey and Irma

At the end of August and beginning of September, two hurricanes—Harvey and Irma— hit the Southern portion of the United States. Harvey struck Southeast Texas on Aug. 25 as a Category 4; it quickly downgraded to a tropical storm and then stalled over Texas for three days. Following soon after, Hurricane Irma blasted the Caribbean,...

Raymond Darrell Eikenbary

Raymond Darrell Eikenbary passed away on Sept. 9, 2017. He was born to Grover and Edna Allen Eikenbary on Nov. 2, 1929 in Quay, Oklahoma. He is survived by his special friend, Liz Konigmacher; his former wife, Dolores Guinn, (Harold Guinn); his children, Pam Guenther (Cris Bone), Darrell Eikenbary, Terry Shay, and Dale Eikenbary; his...

Stored Product Insect Pheromones and Traps Warn of Potential Post-Harvest Problems

As we enter the harvest season, it’s that time of year for me to remind everyone about stored product insects and suggest post-harvest insect monitoring tools. As producers, processors, wholesalers and retailers strive to produce and present a high-quality product, stored product insect detection and management becomes essential. Post-harvest pecans can experience infestations at any level...

Finding Beauty in Pecan Ashes

Sometimes failure hits you when you least expect it. When it does, I believe it’s important to seek beauty in the ashes. That was the case for us in May as we sought to find beauty from pecan ashes. I wish that was a symbolic term, but unfortunately, it’s not. If there is one thing...

American Pecan Council Meeting Produces New Policies, New Tasks and More Work

The American Pecan Council (APC) met at the Noble Research Institute (formerly the Noble Foundation) on Sept. 13 in Ardmore Oklahoma. Council members and guests began the day by touring the Noble Research Institute’s greenhouse and labs. In the tour, members saw the latest research on scab as well as some of the pecan trees...

Don Pallet

Don Bailey Pallett, 81, passed away peacefully on Sept. 13, 2017 in Granbury, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was born on Aug. 23, 1936 in Brady, Texas. Preceded in death by his wife, Joanne; Don is survived by his son Michael, daughter-in-law Holly, and granddaughter Hannah Pallett. Don was the retired General...

Shuck Split is Pecan’s Annual Biochemical Ballet

What a time of year for the current development of the pecan! As you may realize and experience yourself, when October comes around, it is most welcome. The cooler days tend to give that extra motivation, that sense of “Hey, it’s not so bad being out here today.” The cooler weather motivates us to get...

October’s Theme: And So It Goes

These last few months of 2017 have felt almost like one of those apocalypse movies. You know the ones. Everything seems to be going well when suddenly Mother Nature seems to turn against humankind. She batters us with rain and winds. She shakes the earth, toppling buildings and livelihoods with a flick of her wrist....

Marketing Guide 2017—October edition

NPSA Hosts Fall Meeting & Plans for the Future

The National Pecan Shellers Association was Navigating the Winds of Change at their annual meeting in Portland, Maine at the beginning of September. The meeting covered a number of pecan industry issues. Topics included updates on legislative matters, promotion and research, health studies, other tree nuts, exports and the American Pecan Council. The NPSA business...

In the Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, South Texas Growers Assess the Damage

Moving slowly, Hurricane Harvey struck the Texas Gulf Coast over a number of days—Aug. 30 through Sept. 2—encompassing a swath of the state and its neighbors and inundating Southeast Texas with over 48 inches of rain in about four days. This large volume of rain saturated the soil and flooded rivers, creeks, bayous, and streams...