November 2019

USDA Announces Second Round of 2019 MFP Payments

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the second tranche of 2019 Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments aimed at assisting farmers suffering from damage due to unjustified trade retaliation by foreign nations. The payments will begin the week before Thanksgiving. Producers of MFP-eligible commodities will now be eligible to receive 25 percent of the...

The Pecan ThanksEveything Pie Takes America’s Holiday Meal to the Next Level

Fort Worth, TX – Nov. 7, 2019 – The three-bird roast has had its day. The newest holiday food mash-up is here and features America’s signature seasonal ingredient—pecans. Proving they are a hardworking ingredient belonging in every dish, American Pecans is making America’s wildest holiday dreams come true with the debut of the Pecan ThanksEverything Pie—a complete...

November 2019 Advertisers

TEXAS PECAN BOARD: Texas Pecan Month & Influencer Tour

The Texas Pecan Board, Texas’ state check-off program, hosted two events last month as part of its continued efforts to promote the Lone Star’s state nut. On Oct. 1, board representatives gathered in Austin, Texas to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the pecan tree being named the state tree of Texas. During this celebration, these...

The Curse of Alternative Bearing

Growing, producing, and marketing pecans is a complex process with many tangibles of which we have limited control. Of those, alternate bearing is the most consequential and costly over the orchard’s life. When all production and financial challenges occur, we do what we can and hope for the best; however, alternate bearing never goes away....

A Preliminary Study of Pecan Consumption Patterns in China: Part 2

In this month’s edition of Pecan South, we provide readers with the second part of the preliminary results from our ongoing data collection efforts in China. Before moving forward, we once again remind readers that these are preliminary results and subject to change, but we do not expect any potential changes to be statistically significant....

2019 Marketing Guide—November issue

Before Harvest, Consider This

November means it’s time for harvest throughout the entire pecan industry. While some growers in the Southeast have been picking nuts for nearly two months, those of us out here in the West are just getting going. ‘Pawnee’ will have been ready for a little bit, while most other varieties are just finishing up and...

The Doors to India and Washington

Pecan growers know how to work their way through an orchard and, as it turns out, through the halls of Congress as well. Of course, that involves literally and figuratively being led by the National Pecan Federation (NPF) around the twisted maze that is Washington, D.C. The Redding Firm, hired on by the National Pecan...

Pecans Featured on “Chasing Down Madison Brown”

Featuring a different adventure every week, the TV show “Chasing Down Madison Brown” on RFD-TV will take viewers behind the scenes into the pecan world. Organized by the American Pecan Council, the show traveled to San Saba, Texas to learn all about the Original Supernut. Host Madison Brown visited Millican Pecan Company and San Saba...

Boom & Bust: Being Tax Savvy With the Highs and Lows of Pecan Farming

The ups and downs of running a farm operation are relentless. In some years, prices are right, pecans are plentiful, and income is good. However, it can take a nasty turn for the worst in a heartbeat. The “bad” thing about a good year is the potentially high tax bill. The “good” thing about a...

Photosynthesis: Turning Sunlight, Water and Air into Pecans

Except for a few parasitic plants, plants do not depend on any other organism to capture their food energy for them, the way we do. Most plants can make all of their own food using the chemical reactions of photosynthesis to supply what they need for energy and growth. There are really only three “raw...

Around the Industry

NPSA 2019 Annual Meeting The National Pecan Shellers Association hosted its annual meeting on Sept. 11-12 this year in Nashville, Tennessee at the Kimpton Aertson Hotel. Association members gathered on the first day for the annual Shellers Forum; this forum was followed up with a Welcome Reception to kick off the meeting. On the second...

Social Media–A Tool to Maximize Your Marketing in a Digital Age

As the American Pecan Council continues our mission to drive awareness and demand for pecans nationwide, we know that our journey must adapt to a fast-moving, ever-changing world. Launching any marketing program in the digital age means a careful review of the best tactics to efficiently and effectively stretch assessment dollars. More than anything, this...

The Origin of Improved Pecans

After writing my last article on “The Importance of Native Pecans for the Future of the Industry,” I have had several readers visit with me about the article, telling me how much they enjoyed it and many saying that it gave them a great appreciation for natives. I have had a few ask me to...

Snickers Pecan Bars Fixin’ to Satisfy American Consumers

After surveying candy-lovers on what nut they wanted in their candy, Snickers answered their call and launched a limited release of Snickers Pecan Bars on Sept. 25. Once they hit the market, the bars sold out in less than 12 hours, and consumers are clamoring for more. “We were eager to involve our fans in...

Letter from the Editor: “Giving Thanks”

As we get closer to Thanksgiving, the Pecan South office always gets inundated with calls from consumers searching for fresh pecans. Unlike your typical consumer, these people don’t just look for pecans in their local grocery stores. No, they know the variety they want. They know the best time to buy America’s native nut. And...