November 2018

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Letter from the Editor: “A Time to be Thankful and Together”

While I prepared this issue, Hurricane Michael struck the Southeast. Florida, Alabama, and Georgia were hit particularly hard and growers in that region are still reeling from the devastating storm. There aren’t enough words to express how these people must be feeling. And this letter is not nearly long enough to express how I feel...

A November Tradition—Pecan Pie

Delicious Pecan Pie Submitted by reader Corinne Johnston from Thomaston, Georgia Makes 1 pie | Cooking 25 mins. Ingredients 3 egg whites 1 cup sugar 1 tsp baking powder 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs 3/4 cup chopped pecans 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 pint whipping cream, whipped Instructions Beat egg whites until stiff, then add sugar...

The Western Pecan Producer Short Course

Out West, growers from all over the western production region, including those who are just getting into pecans, gathered in Las Cruces at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum on Oct. 15 to participate in the biennial Western Pecan Producers Short Course. Over three days, around 100 current and future pecan producers received...

2018 NPSA Lifetime Achievement Award Winners

Atlanta, Georgia – Sept. 14, 2018 – The National Pecan Shellers Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor the NPSA can bestow upon a member of our association in recognition of an individual’s significant contributions and lasting influence for the pecan industry. It is especially impactful as the association celebrates its 75th Anniversary in...

Part 2—Exploring the National Marketing Campaign, Q&A with the APC

The American Pecan Council launched pecans’ national brand and congruent marketing campaign just a little over five months ago. Since then, “The Original Supernut” has made appearances on “Good Morning America,” been featured in numerous national publications, and been promoted by food bloggers, dietitians, and influencers. But if you’re not looking for it, the marketing campaign...

Marketing Guide 2018—November issue

Letter to the Editor: Responding to Previous Letter on the Trade War

The pecan industry, led by U.S. Pecans, through years of negotiation got the Chinese tariffs on pecans down to 7 percent and now they are at 47 percent. This change will likely decrease the price of pecans and destroy markets. It is true that the Chinese have institutionalized unfair trade practices toward the U.S. and...

TriAgri Farm Center Event

Continuing a fall tradition, Oklahoma and North Texas growers met on Oct. 2 at the TriAgri Farm Center in Coleman, Oklahoma for a processing plant tour, update from the Hamilton family, and a delicious barbecue dinner. Mark Hamilton led the group through the cleaning plant and emphasized that the pecans are “never touched by hand”...

Low Input Doesn’t Mean ‘No’ Input

Pecan Scab! Just mentioning this fungal disease makes grower’s grab their wallets. Ask just about any pecan scientist or grower and you will get the same answer. Pecan scab is the most economically important disease of pecan in the southeastern United States. It can devastate the leaves and nuts of susceptible cultivars in humid regions...

Rain, Rain, Rain Plagues Texas Growers

Texas A&M Pecan Orchard at the University Brazos River Farm in the 2018 season had set, sized, and filled the largest crop of the last 20 years; but it may be lost from too much rain at harvest. Our June, July, and August were some of the driest months on record, and now, we have...

Colors of Fall, Colors of Health

Before I get into writing on another topic in pecans here, I want to take a moment and extend my deepest sympathy to our pecan friends who may have been injured or even worse affected by Hurricane Michael that swept through the lower southeastern pecan production region last month. One thing for sure, we all...

HURRICANE MICHAEL— Georgia’s Worst-Case Scenario, Now a Reality

About a month out, growers in the Southeast are still reeling from Hurricane Michael’s destruction. Each day the damage becomes more and more apparent, and Georgia growers now say that the state’s pecan industry will take decades to recover. “This is a forever lost,” says one South Georgia grower. “In my lifetime, I won’t see...

Challenges for the Expanding Pecan Industry in China

China has been the No. 1 importer for the pecan market since 2000, and import levels, in general, have shown a consistent upward trend since that time. Shipments to China accounted for 51 percent in 2017 of all American pecan exports compared to 44 percent in 2016. In recent years, pecan planting has boomed in...

Shuck Tunneling Larvae to Watch for in Pecans

Starting around mid-September and continuing through October, I routinely receive samples and email pictures of pecans from producers and homeowners that want to know “What is feeding in the pecan shucks?” In fact, I received two samples in one week from a homeowner with that very same question. There are two moth larvae that I...