Pecan Farming?

[Learning to Farm]

So, the farm has 30 or more old pecan trees, around 65-70 years old and I was wondering how to find someone to harvest them. We have had some really good crops but they go to waste most years.

Suggestions?

Thanks!
LtF

 

[texasjohn]

Labor intensive activity. make sure that ground under trees is bare so nuts can be easily found and picked up. Get LONG cane fishing poles, wait until nuts are ready to fall....very late fall....climb into trees, go out on big limbs, thrash the outer limbs bringing nuts to ground, pick up nuts from ground.

Mechanized equipment very expensive, includes an arm attached to a tractor that closes around limbs and pulls/pushes to vibrate limbs and make nuts fall, then a pickup device with rubber fingers pulled behind a vehicle that picks up the nuts.

50+ years ago, there were people who would come out and do the thrashing and pickup nuts on shares. Entire family affair, typically with lots of kids to clamber out on limbs to do the thrashing and pick up the nuts. Times have changed, I haven't seen anyone in Texas doing it on shares in many years.

Do it yourself, or put an ad in Craig's List for people to come do it on shares.....insurance liability is large from falls, etc....for small return.

 

[Learning to Farm]

Ok, so my next question is: Anyone want shares in Pecans? (your not allowed to sue):laughing:

I encourage the parents of the kids that come to the farm to ride to take a feed bag and take all you want...

Also, if I ate squirrel the ones here are so fat, something is enjoying the the nuts.:confused2:

 

[jonyyuma]

Spread a big plastic tarp, before shaking the trees..We pick them on our trips to Texas..By the 5-gallon or the pound..

 

[kthompson]

We only have three or four trees producing but normally have enough wind to shake the tree here. Matter of fact early hurricane will cause many to fall before ready.

But some thoughts: find out who sells pecans and ask them who may harvest the pecans. Search for Pecan Growers Association in your state. Ask the county agent.

BTW, the wood is great for smoking meat. You may find someone who will do any removal for the wood for that use. The wood is very pretty for building such as cabinets but very brittle to work with.

 

[Learning to Farm]

BTW, the wood is great for smoking meat. You may find someone who will do any removal for the wood for that use. The wood is very pretty for building such as cabinets but very brittle to work with.

We have lost a tree each year for the past 5 years. Mostly to the groundhogs digging at that base of them (gumble grumble, bang bang). However the last one was to lightning. Smoking pecan wood smells amazing!

 

[PatasColo]

I agree with the "put tarp/plastic/sheet under it first" idea. When we're going to "pick" plums from my sister's tree, we get two of us to hold out a sheet (suspended above ground, to avoid bruises to fruit), and one or two to shake tree. It is SO Much Faster than picking, and we can get the stuff out of the high limbs too. We've had enormous amounts of plums from one tree this way. It's pretty labor intensive though to do with more than a tree or two. :laughing: Better call out the local Boy Scouts!
-Mitch

 

[jonyyuma]

Yes, actually i watched several people with the commercial shakers on their tractors shake the trees after placing tarps or plastic sheets on the ground..It is so much better for getting the pecans..last year my three trees produced about a gallon of good pecans, the rest were diseased inside..

 

[Bird]

When I was a kid, I picked up a lot of pecans on the halves. And when we lived in Navarro County, we had a dozen pecan trees with different sized pecans. I used to just mow the grass under the trees as short as the mower could go with side discharge and I'd go in a circle around each tree blowing the clippings out away from the tree so it would be easier to pick up the pecans. I've done a lot of cracking and shelling pecans myself, but then later, I'd just sell enough pecans to pay the place that bought them to do the cracking and shelling with their machinery.

 

[flusher]

So, the farm has 30 or more old pecan trees, around 65-70 years old and I was wondering how to find someone to harvest them. We have had some really good crops but they go to waste most years.

Suggestions?

Thanks!
LtF

I have about 20 old almond trees at least 50 years old. Way too tall to harvest economically. The squirrels and the blackbirds take care of the harvesting. Leave me the husks and shells to clean up. No problem--just work them into the soil with a spike harrow.