The Pecan Grower - December 2017

The Pecan Grower Magazine

Vol. XXIX, No 6

December 2017

GEORGIA PECANS

On The Road With GPGA

Page 4

Page 50

Permit #125 Valdosta, GA

Plant Spacing Recommendations

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

THE PECAN GROWER P.O. Box 1367 Tifton, GA 31793

Official Publication of the Georgia Pecan Growers Association, Inc.

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Table of Contents Should You Plant at a Tight Spacing . . . . . . . . . . .Page 4 A Retirement Tribute to Rosemary Alexander . .Page 11 GPGA Membership Information . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 12 Jack Thompson Scholarship Information . . . . . .Page 52 GPGA Golf Tournament Information . . . . . . . . . .Page 16 Using Microbial Biopesticides to Control Pecan Weevil . .Page 18 How to Hire a Water Well Contractor . . . . . . . . .Page 40 We need to talk about Pollution . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 46 Broadening the use of pecans on China’s food Market . .Page 48 On The Road with GPGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 50 • House Listening Session held at the Sunbelt Expo • APGA hosts their 57th Annual Conference • GPGA Exhibits at PMA’s Fresh Summit • UT/TSU Extension Visits Three Bees Farm • Georgia Pecans Round Out APC’s Eastern Immersion Tour Industry Spotlight-Kaylee Clough . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 60 Pecan Production Management Tips . . . . . . . . . .Page 63 Southeastern Pecan Growers’ Handbook . . . . . . . .Page 63 Understanding Pecan Revenue Insurance . . . . . .Page 64 U.S. Pecan Continues Global Push in China . . . .Page 66 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 69 Alphabetical List of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 70

Save the Date!

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Calendar of Events SE Regional Fruit & Vegetable Annual Conference January 11-14, 2018. Visit: www.seregionalconference.com Southeastern Pecan Growers Annual Conference February 23-24, 2018. Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa Point Clear, Alabama. For more information go to www.sepga.com. GPGA Board meeting will be held February 22, 2018, the day before the SE Conference.

Western Pecan Growers Annual Conference and Trade Show March 4-6, 2018. Hotel Encanto. Las Cruces, NM. Contact John White at 575-640-7555 or visit www.westernpecan.org National Pecan Shellers Association Mid-Winter Meeting, March 14-15, 2017. Hotel Valencia Riverwalk; San Antonio, Texas. Contact NPSA, npsa@kellencompany.com Georgia Pecan Growers Annual Conference & Trade Show March 27-28, 2018. UGA Conference Center-Tifton Campus.

Contact GPGA at 229-382-2187 or email Samantha McLeod at Samantha@georgiapecan.org for more information.

TriState Pecan Growers Conference (Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi) June 21-22, 2018. Raymond, MS. Contact Stephen Norman, pecans@rosaliepecans.com or 318-448-3139.

Texas Pecan Growers Association Annual Conference & Trade Show July 15-18, 2018. Embassy Suites, San Marcos, TX. Contact TPGA, 979-846-3285 or pecans@tpga.org .

National Pecan Shellers Association Annual Meeting, September 13 - 14, 2018. Loews Coronado Bay, San Diego, CA. Contact NPSA, npsa@kellencompany.com Arizona Pecan Growers Association Annual Meeting August 24, 2018. Desert Diamond Casino and Hotel, Tucson, AZ. Contact Mike Kilby, mkilby@email.arizona.edu or 520-403-4613.

If you would like to add your event to the PECAN GROWER calendar of events, please contact Samantha McLeod at (229) 3822187 or via email Samantha@georgiapecan.org

March 27-28, 2018 Georgia Pecan Grower Association Annual Conference & Trade Show Golf Tournament Welcome Reception & Raffle Silent Auction FREE Cocktails & Dinner Educational Conference & Trade Show Register Now! www.georgiapecan.org

For news and upcoming events follow us on social media!

Facebook: Georgia Pecan Growers Association Instagram: georgiapecangrowersassoc Twitter: GEORGIAPECANGROWERSASSOC or @GPGA_ and tag us in your posts! #GAPecanGrowersAssociation #PecanProud

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Should You Plant at a Tight Spacing?

Dr. Lenny Wells, Extension Horticulturist, UGA

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s we get into harvest there’s not much you can do at this point about this year’s crop. So, when you’re not harvesting or selling your crop, many of you may turn your attention to making plans for new orchards. If you’ve tried to order trees recently you know how hard they are to come by and how many there are going into the ground. Tree spacing is a big part of planning an orchard and I see a lot of trees being planted at what I consider way too tight for most operations. What works for a large grower with 2000 acres may not work for a grower with 20 or even 200 acres.

Pecans need two main things to grow and be productive: water and sunlight. Everything else is secondary. It’s been proven time and time again. Take care of these two things and everything else gets much easier.

Since we have access to good water and most orchards are now well irrigated, sunlight becomes the most limiting factor in Southeastern orchards. Through the last 4 decades it has been a battle for myself and those before me to convince growers that it’s not the number of trees in the orchard that makes you money, it’s the bearing surface in that orchard that makes pecans bring in the cash. We had made good

December 2017

THE PECAN GROWER 220 E 2nd Street, Suite A P. O. Box 1367 Tifton, GA. 31793 Phone: 229-382-2187 Fax: 404-393-9298 www.georgiapecan.org email: info@georgiapecan.org Executive Editor/Publisher Samantha McLeod samantha@georgiapecan.org

Copy Editor - Amy Howell amy@georgiapecan.org

Advertising Sales - Heather Gray heather@georgiapecan.org

Dr. Lenny Wells

progress on this front and most serious growers opened up their orchards to more sunlight in the last ten years or so -- until hedging came along.

Hedging is a great tool for opening up sunlight in orchards. I also think that for ‘Desirable’ and other scab-susceptible varieties, hedging is the best way to manage for sunlight because you also keep the trees at a small size which can be better covered with fungicide sprays. Hedging does allow us to keep more trees per acre while getting good sunlight into the orchard, allowing us to maintain maximum bearing surface. But there Continued on Page 5, See Plant

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dr. Lenny Wells Dr. David I. Shapiro-Ilan Dr. Ted E. Cottrell Dr. Clive H. Bock Dr. William G. Hudson Dr. Russell F. Mizell III Greg Grosch Dan Tillman Dr. Wojciech Florkowski Samantha McLeod Amy Howell Jeremy Ryan Janice Dees The Pecan Grower (ISSN 1044-9639) is a Production and Marketing News Magazine for pecan growers. Published every other month, (February, April, June, August, October & December), by the Board of Directors of the Georgia Pecan Growers Association, Inc., P.O. Box 1367, Tifton, Georgia 31793; (229) 382-2187. Charter subscriptions are $20 in the United States and $80 for foreign subscriptions each year. Single copy price is $6.00 plus $2.00 postage and handling, (US only). Copyright 1989. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO PECAN GROWER, P.O. BOX 1367, TIFTON, GEORGIA 31793. Send all advertising inquiries and editorials to: Samantha McLeod, Executive Editor/Publisher, P.O. Box 1367, Tifton, Georgia 31793; Phone 229-382-2187, FAX 1-404-393-9298 The Pecan Grower is published for the GPGA by:

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HARLOLOVETT P. O. Box 2211 • Tifton, GA 31793 229.392.2713 inchmeal@friendlycity.net

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Plant, Continued from Page 4 is a limit to this in the Southeastern U.S. where our sunlight is limited by cloud cover.

Since the adoption of hedging in Georgia pecan orchards I have seen the tree spacing of newly-planted orchards grow tighter and tighter. Many growers are now telling me they plan to plant 20 X 40, 30 X 30, or 20 X 30. I’ve even heard of some planning to plant 25 X 12.5.

That’s the spacing apple growers’ use with dwarf rootstock. Some growers fully expect to maintain the trees at 20 X 40, 30 X 30, and 20 X 30 throughout the life of the orchard. Will it work? No one knows, but I am highly doubtful.

In my opinion 35 X 35 is as close as we need to plant in Georgia when utilizing hedging. No matter what we do, we will always be limited by sunlight so spacings that work in the West may not work here in the Southeast. We receive about 40-60% of available sunlight during the growing season, while orchards in the West receive 80-90%. Even in the West when growers plant 20 X 40, many normally thin to 40 X 40 at some point and maintain the trees there with hedging.

If you go with a tight spacing you will need to start hedging at about year 6 or 7. Even with hedging, I ex-

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Estimated potential yield of ‘Creek’ at tight spacings in years 4-10. pect you will still need to thin trees out by year 10 (if not sooner) at some of these spacings. The question then becomes do you get enough production in those years to make it worth planting that tight? The table below shows (generous) potential yields (lbs/acre) for one of our most precocious varieties—Creek—in years 4-10: I think these yields are very generous because when you begin hedging at year 6 or 7, you may limit some of that yield potential. Also you may see some crowding effects that reduce yield in year 9 or 10 even with hedging at some of these spacings. But for arguments sake we will assume it’s still ok. If you go into this determined to cut trees down after year 10 (perhaps sooner Continued on Page 6, See Plant

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Plant, Continued from Page 5 on a 20X30 planting) or you have your own tree spade to move trees and create more acreage, it is probably worth doing as long as you can carry out a plan for tree removal within 10-11 years of planting the initial orchard.

The cost of tree spading is currently at least $80 per tree (and perhaps more) so let’s look at the following.

You would need to remove 12, 13, and 18 trees per acre at 30 X 30, 20 X 40, and 20 X 30, respectively at a cost of at least $960, $1040, and $1440/acre. I’m not sure what the cost of cutting trees out along with the cleanup may be but rest assured it is a considerable cost.

Total income potential for years 4-10 at, say $2.50/lb for ‘Creek’, would be good, but you still have to remember that’s TOTAL income over these years and you have considerable annual production costs in spraying, irrigating, fertilizing, hedging, etc. each year. Bear in mind that current costs for custom hedging are $200 per acre or more if you can find someone to do it.

So, on paper at least, and especially for a large, experienced grower with a tree spade who has land to move the trees to and the will to do this so soon, it may

December 2017

make sense to plant at a tight spacing even if trees are removed early in the orchard’s life. However, for most growers with less than 800-1000 acres of pecans, particularly those new to this, I don’t believe it’s the right way to go. The truth is no one knows at this point since this practice is new to us here in the Southeast.

Making plans to cut down or move trees on paper is a lot different than carrying out this plan in reality. It’s expensive, labor intensive and just plain hard to do from a psychological standpoint. Some growers, particularly those who have the experience and financial means will be able to carry out this plan with no problem. But those growers are in the minority.

Another thing that’s not being discussed regarding tight spacing is that scab pressure and insect pressure increases with tree density. Hedging helps you get better coverage with the chemicals you use. However, the pressure from disease and insects is intensified because of the density of the host on an acre. This means that management of insects and disease gets more intensive at tight spacing, which also means the crop gets more expensive to grow and that’s less net return.

Continued on Page 8, See Plant

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Plant, Continued from Page 6 Also, if you plan to hedge you need to think long and hard about who is going to hedge your trees. We currently have one person that I know of in the state who does custom hedging. In addition, over the last couple of years a couple of folks out of the Florida citrus industry have come up to hedge trees in Georgia. Still, the demand for hedging outpaces the supply of people who do this for the public. So, unless you can afford your own $275,000 hedging machine, I would not recommend hedging as a plan for your future until more custom hedgers are available. Once you start a hedging program you have to stay with it for at least 3 out of 4 years.

The goal is not just to see how many pounds of pecans you can produce but to get the highest net income possible from growing pecans. The management practices that work for a grower with 2000-3000 acres may not work as well for a grower with 200-300 acres simply due to the economies of scale and the man-power and money to get the job done.

I hope I’m proven wrong, but the fact of the matter is that I am seeing practices being put into place in

December 2017

Southeastern pecan production that go completely against everything I have ever learned or been taught about growing pecans. Growers are planting scab-susceptible varieties in low elevation areas at ridiculously tight spacing. I am all for progressive management of pecan orchards. This is what keeps our industry moving forward. Usually the most progressive practices are pioneered and championed early on by progressive growers. However, starting from a baseline of combining cultural management practices that have been proven to fail is not likely to yield a strategy that will succeed.

Just ask some of the growers who were around in the 1980’s when ‘Wichita’ and other scab susceptible varieties were planted at tight spacing. How many of those orchards do you see left standing today?

So, if you’re in this situation and thinking of planting tight, especially if you’re relatively new to growing pecans, I would recommend letting others figure out the best way to manage tree spacing and hedging in the Southeast before jumping into it. Plant at a spacing of 30 X50 or 25 X 50 that will allow you to go either way (hedging or tree removal) when it comes time to manage the sunlight.

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December 2017

From the Staff of the Georgia Pecan Growers Association

Merry Christmas

L-R: Heather Gray, Marketing Assistant; Sheila Harnage, Accounts Manager; Samantha McLeod, Executive Director; Andrew McBrayer, Student Assistant/Intern; Amy Howell, Grants Coordinator; Rosemary Alexander, Executive Assistant

Best Wishes for a happy holiday season!

We look forward to working with you in 2018 and all of the exciting opportunities a new year brings!

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A Retirement Tribute to Rosemary Alexander

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osemary has been a staple in the GPGA office for nearly 8 years. She has served GPGA in many capacities and was always just a phone call away if ever needed. During her time with the Georgia Pecan Growers Association she has had the opportunity to help growers, researchers, industry supporters and the pecan industry in a variety of ways. Additionally, she assisted the U.S. Pecan Growers Council when needed and has been active in supporting their endeavors.

From running the behind-the-scenes work of GPGA’s fall field day and annual conference to manning a booth in China, Rosemary has done it all in support of pecans.

“Rosemary welcomed me in from day one and treated me like family; I will truly miss the interaction of shows and meetings where we would share laughs and camaraderie.

She’s an amazing person with a huge capacity for caring and I value her as a friend.” Billy Brown, Savage of Georgia “Rosemary has always been courteous, respectful and a joy to work with throughout our time supporting and advertising with the Georgia Pecan Growers Association. She has also been a good friend and I wish her the best in her retirement.” Basil Savage, Savage of Georgia “Rosemary joined our GPGA shortly after Janice Dees came to work for our growers. To give up retirement that she had worked so hard to achieve should say enough about her.

Loyalty, Dedication, and the support she gave our board, our growers and me as President and the Presidents that followed me -- words are not enough to say about Rosemary.

Regardless of what had to be done night or day you could always count on her and with a smile on her face. I’m glad for her to retire, but she will be missed by all. From me to you Rosemary I could not ask anymore from anyone and you could not have given more, because it was always the best you had.” Hilton Segler, Former GPGA President “Samantha is the public face of GPGA, but supporting her is a small, mostly unseen staff without whom little would be accomplished -- and Rosemary has anchored this group for many years. She will be missed. Thank you, Rosemary.”

Jeb Barrow, Current GPGA President Prior to her time with GPGA, Rosemary retired from the

Tift County Public School System after serving many years as a teacher and principal. She enjoys spending time with her family, including husband Rodney, two sons and one daughter-in-law, and her three grandchildren – Matt (Shiree) Davis, Haley and Luke Alexander, who are her pride and joy. She remains active within her church and the Tifton community and enjoys scalloping and beach vacations.

GPGA is sad to lose her to sandy beaches and scalloping, but we are so very grateful for all she has done for us. Thank you, Rosemary, for your smile, your wit, your knowledge, your perseverance and your dedication to Georgia Pecans.

You will be missed!

P.O. Box 5947 • Thomasville, GA 31759

www.wghamil.com John Marbury-Albany Ga Greg Hamil-Thomasville Ga Michael Hamil-Thomasville Ga Four Generation Pecan Buyers greg@wghamil.com michael@wghamil.com “Buyer and Seller of Inshell Pecans” Domestic and International Shippers Greg Hamil-Cell 229-224-9988 Michael Hamil-Cell 229-224-9558 John Marbury-Cell 229-343-2481 Office-229-228-9169 Fax: 229-228-0022

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December 2017

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The Georgia Pecan Growers Association is pleased to announce the Third Annual Scholarship Award in memory of Jack Thompson.

Thompson was a leader in the pecan industry for more than 30 years, who worked tirelessly to promote and advance pecans.

GPGA will award up to two (2) scholarships in the amount of $500 for the 201819 Academic Year to deserving upcoming and/or current college students.

Application Specifications:

The award is open to both rising high school seniors, as well as currently-enrolled college students. (Verification of enrollment will be a pre-requisite for receiving funds.)

1) Applicants should submit a one-page cover page that includes the following information: • Name, Mailing Address, County of Permanent Residence, email address and phone numbers for contact • Parent/Guardian name and phone numbers for contact • High School Attended with anticipated graduation date • If the applicant is currently enrolled in college, please also list college, as well as declared major.

• List high school or college GPA as of Fall semester 2017.

• List high school/college/community awards, activities, work experience, and involvement.

2) Applicants should submit an essay describing their educational accomplishments and career goals. (Not to exceed two pages, typed).

3) Applicants should include the name, address, phone number and email addresses for two (2) professional references. Such references might include teachers, employers, and school administrators, as examples.

4) Award preference will be given to students who reside or attend high school in pecan-growing regions within the state of Georgia.

Submission Details: Deadline for scholarship applications is Jan. 20, 2018. Mail applications to the following:

Georgia Pecan Growers Association Attention: Scholarship Committee P.O. Box 1367 Tifton, GA 31793 Previous Award Winners

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Tifton, GA 31793

5 Springhill Dr E • Hwy 82 W

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Visit our website: www.georgiapecan.org for more information

Dr. Lenny Wells 229-386-3424

GA Pecan Horticulturist

Mark Hawke 229-432-7400

Will Easterlin 229-472-7731

Advisory Board

Jesse Thompson 229-392-2445

Trent Mason 478-397-6318

Rob Cohen 229-220-6209

Scott Hudson 229-425-1130

Kyle Durrence 912-237-0105

Chris Clough 912-288-1947

Tom Childress 229-669-4544

Jim Buchanan 229-938-7310

Miley Adams 229-328-7700

Samantha McLeod, Executive Director 229-402-3106

Brad Ellis, Treasurer 229-805-0635

Brent Brinkley, Vice President 229-319-1267

Jeb Barrow, Jr., President 706-833-0785

www.georgiapecan.org

Spring Hill Country Club

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2018 8:30 AM & 1:00 PM Tee Times FOUR MAN SCRAMBLE

8 TH ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT AND RAFFLE

For raffle tickets, please contact

Join us for our 8th Annual Golf Tournament and Raffle at the 53nd Georgia Pecan Growers Association annual conference. Whether you are a selfproclaimed golf pro or an enthusiastic amateur, you don't want to miss this fun event!

Georgia's pecan industry leads the nation in pecan production and is a leader in the world pecan market. GPGA contributes research, marketing and educational opportunities to advance Georgia pecans on behalf of its growers. The annual golf event supports these functions, while providing networking opportunities to our participants at the renowned Spring Hill Country Club.

We depend on our generous sponsors to host the golf event and hope you will accept the challenge to again participate. Sponsorship levels are listed within this brochure. Please help us celebrate and advance our growing industry! any board member or the GPGA office.

Board of Directors

Welcome 16 December 2017

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samantha@georgiapecan.org

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December 2017

Using Microbial Biopesticides to Control Pecan Weevil David I. Shapiro-Ilan1, Ted E. Cottrell1, Clive H. Bock1, Lenny Wells2, William G. Hudson3, and Russell F. Mizell III4 1

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USDA-ARS, Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Lab, Byron, GA 31008 2 Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA. 3 Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA. Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Quincy, FL.

Highlights: ➢ Pecan weevil is a key pest of pecans. ➢ We tested several biopesticide strategies for their ability to control pecan weevil. ➢ A combined approach that used a bacterial-based biopesticide (Grandevo®) as well as beneficial insectkilling nematodes and insect-killing fungi significantly reduced pecan weevil in organic pecan orchards.

Dr. David I. Shapiro-Ilan

Dr. Ted E. Cottrell

Dr. Clive H. Bock

➢ These microbial biopesticides are compatible with pecan husbandry in organic and conventional orchard systems. ➢ Grandevo tested alone (at 3 pounds per acre) reduced pecan weevil damage at the same level as standard conventional chemical insecticides (carbaryl or pyrethroids).

Continued on Page 20, See Weevil

Dr. Lenny Wells

Dr. William G. Hudson Dr. Russell F. Mizell III

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December 2017

Weevil, Continued from Page 18 lower weevil infestation than the control (both years) and there was no difference between the insecticide treatments Summary: in 2014 although the chemical insecticide regime had The pecan weevil (Curculio caryae) is a key pest of pecans. Pecan weevil is generally controlled with broad slightly lower infestation in 2015. These results provide spectrum chemical insecticides. These chemical pesticides evidence that microbial biopesticides can substantially relead to secondary pest outbreaks (such as aphids) and pes- duce pecan weevil infestations in organic and non-organic ticide resistance. Therefore, due to regulatory and environ- systems.

Introduction mental concerns, effective alternatives to broad spectrum The pecan weevil, Curculio caryae (Horn), is a key chemical insecticides for pecan weevil control must be Continued on Page 22, See Weevil sought for pecan production in conventional and organic systems. We explored the use of microbial biopesticides for control of pecan weevil in Georgia pecan orchards. Three experiments were conducted. The first investigated an integrated microbial control approach.

Three microbial agents, Grandevo® (based on byproducts of the bacterium Chromobacterium subtsugae, the beneficial entomopathogenic (insectkilling) nematode Steinernema carpocapsae, and entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana, were applied to each treatment plot (1 acre “Specializing in the Marketing of Tree Nuts!” plot size) at different times during the season. A second experiment comWe at Nature's Finest Foods not only contact you when there are pared the effects of the nematode or timely purchasing opportunities, we also work with your purchasfungus applied as single treatments ing department, marketing personnel and research & development relative to application of both agents staff year-round to provide them with timely crop information, pric(at different times); survival of pecan weevil was assessed one year after laring projections, marketing strategies, and new product development vae were added to pots sunk in an oropportunities. ganic pecan orchard. In a conventional orchard (with 2.5 acre plots), the third With over thirty years years of experience in the nut business, we experiment compared Grandevo applioffer a full line of tree nuts. Whether it's Almonds, Walnuts or Piscations to a commonly used regime of chemical insecticides (carbaryl altertachios from California, Pecans from Texas or Black Walnuts from nated with a pyrethroid). All experiMissouri, our products come from only the finest processors. ments were repeated in consecutive Should your market require it, we can also source Macadamias, years. The combined pest manageCashews, Hazelnuts and Pine Nuts. In almost every case, our nut ment tactic (Experiment 1) reduced meats are processed in GFSI certified (SQF Level 3, BRC or ISO pecan weevil infestation relative to 22000) facilities assuring the highest possible level of food safety. non-treated control plots in both locations in 2014 and one of the two locations in 2015 (the other location had Let us show you the “Nature’s Finest” difference! less than 1% infestation). In experiment 2, no differences among comNATURE'S FINEST FOODS, LTD. bined microbial treatments, 1505 Paramount Parkway single-applied microbial treatments or Batavia, IL 60510-1469 different numbers of application were observed, yet all microbial treatments reduced pecan weevil survival relative Toll Free 877-905-5110 • Office 630-879-5200 to the control. In the third experiment, Fax 630-879-5204 • Email ContactNFF@nffonline.com both Grandevo and standard chemical insecticide applications resulted in

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Weevil, Continued from Page 20 pecan pest affecting orchard nutmeat yield and quality throughout the native range of the pecan and across the Southeastern U.S., and portions of Texas and Oklahoma.

Recommendations for controlling pecan weevil consist primarily of above-ground applications of chemical insecticides (e.g., carbaryl and certain pyrethroids) to suppress adults (Wells et al. 2017). When pecan weevil is found in the orchard, applications of insecticides are recommended every 7-10 days during peak emergence (which is generally ≥6 weeks) (Wells et al. 2017). Although these chemical insecticide applications are effective in controlling pecan weevil in conventionally managed orchards, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding their management in organic pecan systems. Moreover, due to problems associated with aphid and mite resurgence that often result from insecticide applications that target pecan weevil (Dutcher and Payne 1985), research on developing alternative control tactics in both organic and conventional systems is warranted. Our goal was to explore alternative control tactics for pecan weevil that could be employed in organic and conventional pecan orchard systems.

We conducted three experiments to address our objective. In Experiment 1 we tested an integrated approach using three microbial biopesticides to control pecan weevil: insect-killing nematodes (Steinernema carpocapsae), an insect-killing fungus (Beauveria bassiana) and

October 2017

Grandevo® (a bacterial byproduct from Chromobacterium subtsugae).

The three microbial treatments were applied at different times. The idea was to apply treatments prior to adult emergence, during adult emergence, and later when larvae are dropping to the soil (which would prevent their subsequent damage in the future). The nematodes were applied in the spring and early summer prior to pecan weevil emergence because the nematodes can penetrate into the insect’s soil cell and kill larvae or adults (Shapiro-Ilan 2001 a, b); in contrast, the fungus is repelled by the insect soil cell due to antibiotic effects (Shapiro-Ilan and Mizell 2015). Grandevo was applied to the canopy during adult weevil emergence. Grandevo is the only microbial biopesticide that has shown potential as a canopy spray against the pecan weevil (Shapiro-Ilan et al. 2013). The fungus was applied in the late summer-early fall, which is toward the end of the period of adult emergence and into the period that larvae are dropping to the soil; the idea was to create a “barrier” of fungus in the soil that the weevils would pass through and become infected.

Our hypothesis for Experiment 1 was that the combined use of all three biopesticides would result in significant reduction in current and future crop damage due to pecan weevil. Subsequently, additional studies could be used to refine and optimize the application of these biopesContinued on Page 24, See Weevil

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Weevil, Continued from Page 22 ticides. To that end, a second experiment (Experiment 2) was conducted to determine if it is advantageous to apply both nematodes and fungi to the soil relative to when each is applied alone.

It is important to both conventional and organic pecan growers to know how biopesticide options compare in efficacy to standard chemical insecticides that are currently recommended for control of pecan weevil. Thus, in our third experiment (Experiment 3), we compared canopy sprays of Grandevo to canopy sprays of a conventional spray program that growers might choose (carbaryl and a pyrethroid).

Materials and Methods Microbial Biopesticides. The fungus, Beauveria bassiana (GHA strain) was obtained as Mycotrol-O (ES formulation, active ingredient 11.3%) from BioWorks (Victor, NY).

Grandevo (WP, active ingredient 30%) was obtained from Marrone Bio Innovations (Davis, CA). Nematodes, Steinernema carpocapsae (All strain) were obtained from e-nema GmbH (Schwentinental, Germany) for Experiment 1, and grown in larvae of the greater wax worm based on procedures described by Shapiro-Ilan et al.

(2016) for Experiment 2.

Experiment 1, Integrated Use of Microbial Biopesticides. The experiment was conducted at two locations, a commercial pecan orchard (Cleveland Farms, Fort Valley, GA,) and in pecan orchards at the USDA-ARS Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory (Byron, GA,). The experiment was conducted in 2014 and repeated in 2015. Experimental plots at the Cleveland Farms location were certified organic and those used in this experiment in Byron, Georgia are managed organically (no chemical pesticides or fertilizers were used in the plots for at least ten years prior to the experiment). The Cleveland Farm’s plots consisted of Elliot trees approximately 40-45 years old. The USDA plots consisted of mixed cultivar, but mostly Stuart and Schley, trees approximately 70 years old. Plot size was approximately one acre.

Two treatments were implemented: an integrated microbial pest

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management regime versus a no-pest management control.

The pest management regime consisted of the three different microbial biopesticides applied at different times during the season. Nematode were applied to soil surrounding the dripline of the tree (approximately 5-6 m radius) on June 10, 2014 at a rate of 1 million infective juvenile nematodes per m2 in the first trial, and at 250,000 infective juveniles per m2 on June 25, 2015 in the second trial.

Grandevo was applied three times to the canopy during the Continued on Page 26, See Weevil

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Weevil, Continued from Page 24 weevil emergence period (at two-week intervals beginning Aug 7 in 2014 and Sept 17 in 2015) at 3 pounds per acre, which is the highest recommended label rate. The fungus, was applied to soil around the dripline of the tree on Aug 28, 2014 and Sept 15, 2015 at 3 × 1012 conidia spores per tree (Shapiro-Ilan et al. 2008). Soil treatments were applied using a boom sprayer, and the canopy spray treatments were applied using an airblast sprayer.

Treatment effects were assessed after harvest by determining the percentage of nuts infested with pecan weevil.

Nuts were harvested between November and January each year. At least 100 nuts were randomly sampled per plot (range of 100 to 200). Nuts with obvious pecan weevil exit holes were counted as infested. The remaining nuts were cracked and checked for the presence of pecan weevil larvae.

Experiment 2, Small Plot Test Comparing Soil Applied Microbial Agents. The experiment was conducted in plastic buckets based on procedures described by Shapiro-Ilan and Gardner (2012) in an organically managed pecan orchard at the USDA-ARS, Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory. The orchard was a mix of cultivars of Desirable, Stuart, Cheyenne and Cape Fear. The trees were approximately 27 years old. On November 21, 2014, 125 pecan weevil larvae were placed into each bucket, which had been sunk into the ground approximately with the top of the bucket 1 inch below the soil surface, and approximately six feet from a tree trunk under the tree canopy. A lid was placed on the buckets, and they were covered with soil. The experiment had five treatments (including the control) and six 6 replicates per treatment.

The four biopesticide treatments varied in the microbial agent(s) added and or timing of application: 1) “Bb”, B. bassiana fungus applied twice, one week prior and 1 day prior to introduction of pecan weevil larvae at 1 × 1010 conidia per m2; thus, the fungus was applied as a barrier treatment to the larvae entering soil, 2) “ScLow”, S. carpocapsae low rate

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of nematodes applied once approximately ten months after larval introduction (applied October 1, 2015), 3) “ScHigh”, high rate of nematodes applied twice (May 21, 2015 and October 1, 2015), 4) “Bb+Sc”, nematodes and fungi, a combination of Bb and ScHigh, and 5) an untreated control (pecan weevil larvae and water only). All treatments were applied by distributing a 20 ml aqueous suspension from a plastic beaker evenly onto the soil surface.

Treatment effects were assessed approximately 11 months after pecan weevil larvae had been added to the soil. Soil from each bucket was placed in a large plastic bin and the percentage of surviving pecan weevil was determined. The experiment was repeated with 175 larvae (collected in the fall of 2015) and assessed November 2016 Continued on Page 28, See Weevil

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Weevil, Continued from Page 26 (hence two complete trials were conducted).

Experiment 3, Comparison of Biopesticide and Chemical Insecticide Canopy Sprays. The experiment was conducted in four mature pecan orchards at the USDA-ARS Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory (Byron, Georgia). These orchard blocks, unlike those utilized in Experiments 1 and 2, were not managed organically. Each orchard was a block that contained three treatments applied to plots of approximately 2.5 acres.

The three treatments were: 1) Grandevo applied four times at a rate of 3 pounds per acre, 2) a chemical insecticide regime consisting of carbaryl alternated with bifentrhin with two sprays of each (four total) at the recommended rates, and 3) an untreated control. Sulfoxaflor (Closer®) was also applied with chemical insecticide regime to reduce aphid populations. Applications were made using an airblast sprayer (100 gallons per acre). The experiment was conducted in 2014 and repeated in 2015; applications were made between August 13 and September 18. After all applications were completed, treatment effects

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were assessed using a hydraulic lift to sample 100 nuts per tree from the canopy of trees within the plots and determining percentage pecan weevil infestation.

Data from all experiments were analyzed statistically.

Results Experiment 1, Integrated Use of Microbial Biopesticides. In 2014, the combined microbial biopesticide regime resulted in lower infestation of pecan weevil compared with the untreated control at the Cleveland Farm location and at the USDA-ARS location (Fig. 1). At the Cleveland Farm, percentage weevil infestation was less than 1.5% in treated and non-treated plots, whereas in USDA-ARS location infestation was 16% ± 2.10 (mean ± SEM) in the treated plots and 27% ± 2.65 in the control plots.

In 2015, no significant treatment effects were detected at the Cleveland Farm location; the percentage of nuts infested with pecan weevil was 0.43% ± 0.43 in non-treated plots and 0% in treated plots (Fig. 2). A significant treatment effect was observed at the USDA-ARS location in 2015 (treated plots had infestation of 7.6% ± 5.2 and nontreated plots 17.2% ±14.5%) (Fig. 2).

Experiment 2, Small Plot Test Comparing Soil Applied Microbial Agents. In the first trial (applications made in the fall of 2014 and assessed the following year), survival of pecan weevil was lower in all biopesticide treatContinued on Page 30, See Weevil

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Figure 1. Percentage pecan weevil infestation following sequential application of microbial-based pesticides Beauveria bassiana (fungus), Chromobacterium subtsugae (bacteria-based), and Steinernema carpocapsae (nematode) (= Treated) vs. a non-treated control. The experiment was conducted in orchards of the Cleveland Farm, Fort Valley, Georgia (A) and USDA-ARS Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory (B) in 2014. Different letters above bars indicate statistical differences.

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Weevil, Continued from Page 28 ments relative to the control, and there were no differences among treatments (Fig. 3). Weevil survival in the control was 4.67% Âą 0.73 and <1.7% in all treatments (Fig. 3).

The second trial results were similar to the first; pecan weevil survival was lower in all biopesticide treatments relative to the control, and there were no differences among them (Fig. 3). Weevil survival in the control was

Figure 2. Percentage pecan weevil infestation following sequential application of microbial-based pesticides Beauveria bassiana (fungus), Chromobacterium subtsugae (bacteria-based), and Steinernema carpocapsae (nematode) (= Treated) vs. a non-treated control. The experiment was conducted in orchards of the Cleveland Farm, Fort Valley, Georgia (A) and USDA-ARS Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory (B) in 2015. Different letters above bars indicate statistical differences.

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4.57% Âą 0.74 and <0.5% in all treatments (Fig. 3).

Experiment 3, Comparison of Biopesticide and Chemical Insecticide Canopy Sprays. In 2014, both the chemical insecticide regime and Grandevo treatment resulted in a reduction in percentage pecan weevil infestation relative to the control, and the two treatments were not dif-

Figure 3. Percentage survival of pecan weevil 11 months after 125 (Trial 1) or 175 (Trial 2) larvae were added to plastic pots sunk in a pecan orchard and exposed to different microbial biopesticide treatments. Trial 1 was initiated in the fall of 2014 and Trial 2 was initiated in the fall of 2015. Bb = Beauveria bassiana fungus (two applications); Bb+Sc = B. bassiana fungus and Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes (two applications each); ScHigh = two applications of S. carpocapsae nematodes; ScLow = one application of S. carpocapsae nematodes, Control = untreated.

Different letters above bars indicate statistical differences.

Continued on Page 32, See Weevil

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Weevil, Continued from Page 30 ferent from each other (Fig. 4). Percentage infestation was 48.25% ± 16.4, 24.0% ± 7.10 and 23.30% ± 8.3 in the control, Grandevo treated, and chemical insecticide treated

Figure 4. Percentage pecan weevil infestation following application of alternating carbaryl or bifenthrin, Grandevo® (Chromobacterium subtsugae) in 2014 (A) or 2015 (B).

Control = untreated. Different letters above bars indicate statistical differences.

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plots, respectively. In 2015, both treatments (chemical insecticides and Grandevo) caused a reduction in infestation of pecan weevil relative to the control (13.1% ± 5.1), yet the percentage infestation in the chemical insecticide treatment (0%) was slightly lower compared with the Grandevo treatment (1.8% ± 0.78) (Fig. 4).

Discussion The integrated approach using multiple biopesticides was successful in reducing damage caused by pecan weevil. To our knowledge, this is the first report of application of microbial biopesticides, or any organically labeled product, reducing damage caused by pecan weevil in field trials (all prior experiments only measured weevil mortality).

The goal in the current study was also to apply the different treatments to stages of the weevil that are most vulnerable to the particular microbial agent applied. Thus, S. carpocapsae nematodes were applied to soil prior to pecan weevil emergence because the nematode can penetrate the soil cell and is virulent to both larvae and adult weevils (particularly the adults) (Shapiro-Ilan 2001a, b,). Grandevo was applied as a curative agent to the canopy during weevil emergence; application of the nematodes or fungi to the canopy would not be feasible due to UV radiation or desiccation and cost. The fungus, Beauveria bassiana, was applied as a barrier to larvae that dropped from nuts to enter the soil (thus attacking the next generation).

Continued on Page 34, See Weevil

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Weevil, Continued from Page 32 Once it has been established that this integrated approach using three biopesticides can effectively control pecan weevil, the next step is to optimize the regime by determining whether efficacy can be retained while reducing the number or types of applications. Thus, Experiment 2 was conducted to compare single or combined applications of the soil treatments. Results indicated no advantage in applying the nematodes or fungi alone or in combination, and the rate of nematodes or number of applications did not affect the outcome. At this point, our results suggest that a single application of one microbial agent to the soil (nematodes or fungus) would be sufficient to reduce substantially pecan weevil populations. These results need to be confirmed on larger plot studies that also measure crop damage.

Grandevo was applied as a canopy spray in an integrated approach (in sequence with the other biopesticides) as well as a stand-alone product. Furthermore, as a standalone, the biopesticide was compared with a standard synthetic chemical insecticide regime. Results indicated Grandevo alone not only controlled pecan weevil, but provided control similar to the synthetic chemical insecticide (no difference between treatments was observed the first year and less than 2% difference in infestation in the second year). Although we demonstrated the efficacy of biopesticide-based approaches to control pecan weevil,

December 2017

cost efficiency of the methods has yet to be evaluated. The cost of using all three biopesticides as an integrated strategy at the full rates would be cost prohibitive. However, Grandevo could conceivably be used as a curative for weevils in the canopy, and soil applications (of nematodes and/or fungi) could be applied to hot spots in orchards where weevils may be especially concentrated. For additional cost benefits, it would be useful to determine if lower rates of Grandevo (e.g., at one or two pounds per acre) may also be effective.

Furthermore, given that laboratory research indicated Grandevo has some toxicity to certain pecan aphids, (another group of serious pest of pecans) Shapiro-Ilan et al.

2013), yet has little impact on certain natural enemies, additional benefits from Grandevo applications may be possible. In contrast, the current, recommended spray regimes using certain broad spectrum chemical insecticides to control pecan weevil tend to flare aphid and mite pests and reduce populations of natural enemies (and thus supplementary chemical pesticide sprays are needed to target aphid populations) (Wells 2017). The potential for other benefits from Grandevo application is currently being explored.

Thus, additional research is needed to optimize a microbial biopesticide strategy for maximum control of pecan weevil, while minimizing cost. Once the microbial Continued on Page 38, See Weevil

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Weevil, Continued from Page 34 approaches for controlling pecan weevil are optimized, a full cost- benefit analysis can be conducted for using the biopesticides as stand-alone products or integrated with each other, or with conventional tactics.

Acknowledgments We thank Merry Bacon, Stacy Byrd, Rashaad Culver, Kirby Moncrief, Seth Richards, Saleah Starks, and Unicka Stokes for technical assistance. Tom Cleveland (Cleveland Organics) for assistance and use of orchards. We also acknowledge the USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture award # 2013-51106-21234 (Organic Transitions Program) and the Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for funding a portion of the research. Mention of a proprietary product name does not imply USDA’s approval of the product to the exclusion of others that may be suitable.

References Cited Dutcher, J. D., and J. A. Payne. 1985. The impact of pecan weevil control strategies on non-target arthropods, pp. 39-50. In W. W. Neel (ed.), Pecan weevil: research perspective. Quail Ridge Press, Brandon, MS. Shapiro-Ilan, D. I., 2001a. Virulence of entomopathogenic nematodes to pecan weevil larvae Curculio caryae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the laboratory. J. Econ. Entomol. 94: 7-13.

Shapiro-Ilan, D. I. 2001b. Virulence of entomopath-

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ogenic nematodes to pecan weevil adults (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). J. Entomol. Sci. 36: 325-328.

Shapiro-Ilan, D. I., and W. A. Gardner. 2012. Improved control of Curculio caryae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) through multi-stage pre-emergence applications of Steinernema carpocapsae. J. Entomol. Sci. Shapiro-Ilan, D.I., and R. F. Mizell. 2015. An insect pupal cell with antimicrobial properties that suppress an entomopathogenic fungus. J. Invertebr. Pathol. 124: 114– 116.

Shapiro-Ilan, D. I., T. E. Cottrell, M. A. Jackson, and B. W. Wood. 2008. Virulence of Hypocreales fungi to pecan aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in the laboratory.

J. Invertebr. Pathol. 99: 312-317.

Shapiro-Ilan, D.I., T. E. Cottrell, M. A. Jackson, and B. W. Wood. 2013. Control of key pecan insect pests using biorational pesticides. J. Econ. Entomol. 106: 257266.

Shapiro-Ilan, D. I., J. A. Morales-Ramos, and M. G. Rojas. 2016a. In vivo production of entomopathogenic nematodes, pp. 137-158. In T. Glare and M. Moran-Diez (eds.), Microbial-based biopesticides: Methods and protocols, Human Press, New York, USA. Wells, L., T. Brenneman, J. Brock, A. S. Culpepper, W. Hudson, and W. Mitchem. 2017. 2017 commercial pecan spray guide. Bulletin 841, University of Georgia. extension.uga.edu/publications.

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December 2017

How to Hire a Water Well Contractor What You Need to Know Gregory Wayne Grosch, Hydrogeologist/Manager Prior to selecting a water well contractor for a job, it is a good idea to obtain information about several contractors in the area before making a choice. Here are some considerations: • Is the contractor licensed by the State of Georgia? (not all states require licensing, however, Georgia does) • Is the contractor certified through the National Ground Water Association? The highest certification level a contractor can achieve (Master Groundwater Contractor).

• Does the contractor submit well logs?

• Does the contractor have adequate equipment in good condition to do the job?

• In extremely busy peak season times (February through June), if the contractor can drill your well tomorrow there may be a reason he does not have a back log of work?

• Does the contractor have adequate liability and workers’ compensation insurance to protect you?

• What is the contractor’s reputation with previous customers?

• Will the contractor furnish a written contract specify-

ing the terms and conditions of the job?

• Is the contractor a member of the National Ground Water Association? NGWA members support the industry, have access to new technology and improved approaches, are dedicated to quality of workmanship, and promote and protect the groundwater resource.

• Contact EPD and find out whether or not a Drilling ContracGreg Grosch tor has a license and is in good standing with the State. (In Georgia, this would be the same place you would obtain your Letter of Concurrence to drill the well.)

Written Contracts It is important to obtain a written contract when preparing to construct a well. Unless you know what each conContinued on Page 41, See Contractor

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Contractor, Continued from Page 40 tractor will do for his specified price, you cannot compare offers and decide which one to hire. For a drilled well, the contract might include: • Liability insurance coverage held by both the owner and the contractor • A statement that all work is to comply with local and state regulations and codes • The diameter and well thickness of the casing to be used • The type of well development and yield evaluation procedures to be used • The type of screen to be installed, where needed • The type of well cap or seal to be provided • The disinfection procedure • An anticipated date for construction of well • A guarantee of materials and workmanship (The contract should specify that the contractor will return to do or to correct the initial work if necessary) Cost An itemized list of charges is better than a lump sum.

The list could include: • Cost of drilling per foot • Cost of casing per foot • Cost of other materials such as drive shoe, grout, and well cap • Cost of other operations such as grouting, developing

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(if longer than one hour, as in screened wells), test pumping, and disinfection • Cost of drilling deeper and/or second well, if required to ensure an adequate water supply • Cost of abandonment should it prove necessary (Due to lost circulation) • Ask the Driller what costs are not included in the specifications Finished Well checklist After the well has been constructed and before the contractor removes his equipment from the site, you should inspect the well.

Here is a list of items to check: Well Depth--- This is easily done be tying a weight on a tape. Verify the measurement against the well construction report made out by the contractor (Remember that in a gravel packed well, after gravel packing, it is not unusual to have 10 to 20 ft. of fill) Well Yield--- Ask the contractor how many gallons per minute (GPM) the well was tested, what distance the water level dropped during the test, and how quickly the water level recovered after the test.

Well Cap--- Ensure that the well is capped and secure and that the cap is at least 6 inches above ground level.

Disinfection--- Ask the contractor if the well is disinfected Continued on Page 42, See Contractor

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Contractor, Continued from Page 41 Well Construction Record--- Make certain that you receive your copy of the well record. The contractor is required to deliver copies of the record to the owner.

(Considering the well is paid in full) It would be advisable to keep your well record with your house deed so that the information is passed on to future owners.

Keep in Mind…

• Trust the contractor’s judgment in solving unforeseen difficulties that may arise, and discuss unforeseen costs.

(Assuming that you are dealing with a reputable contractor) • If original construction plans must be changed, discuss the options with the contractor.

• Do not expect the contractor to work for free if the well does not fulfill expectations. It is imperative to keep in mind that your contractor of choice is providing access to a natural resource in which the contractor has no control of the quantity or quality of water produced by a well (assuming that the well in constructed appropriately for the geologic conditions encountered).

Final Thoughts When considering the great importance of water used for irrigation in agricultural production (not only in North America but throughout the world) it is relatively easy to cite statistics and justifications to support the importance of water.

December 2017

For example: By 2050 food production must double to feed the world’s growing population, although there is some recent research suggesting more modest production increases of 60%. The high demand for water needed in agricultural production is most certainly on the rise.

From my 20 years of experience in working on water issues that pertain to competing for water resources, I have found that one individual or group often believes that another individual or group is overusing an existing limited supply. We end up segregating ourselves into opposing camps. For example: Surface water vs. groundwater, agricultural vs. urban, recreational vs. industrial, environmental vs. everyone, etc.

In 1997 I graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in geology and was hired by the University of Nebraska Conservation and Survey Department. I began work as a member of a research team that was to focus on the lawsuit of Kansas vs. Nebraska. Kansas was suing Nebraska over a compact that was passed in 1943. This compact stated that a specific amount of cubic feet of water had to flow out of the Republican River Basin (into Kansas) at all times for what they thought was their share of the water.

The Republican River Basin begins in the plains of eastern Colorado, runs through southwestern Nebraska, and into Kansas. When the compact was passed, the states agreed that Colorado would receive 11 percent of the water in the Continued on Page 43, See Contractor

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Contractor, Continued from Page 42 basin, Nebraska would receive 49 percent, and Kansas would receive 40 percent. During this lawsuit, data from 1943 to 1997 showed only two years in that time period that the cubic feet of water flow into Kansas was not met.

It was determined that the lack of water was due to the severe drought during that time period and had nothing to do with irrigation. Even though the drought was well documented, most of the rivers in the central plains had little if any water flowing from them and irrigation wells were targeted. Nebraska had to find a way to protect their right to irrigate their crops.

Georgia is currently in a similar dilemma with Florida, over water rights. To simplify the water flow issue in Georgia, rivers and streams from Pulaski County (Hawkinsville) either flow Southwest or Southeast. Streams that flow Southwest will flow into the Chattahoochee River or into other rivers that flow into Florida. The streams that flow Southeast will end up in the Atlantic Ocean, and are not a part of the current argument. Southwest Georgia currently has two aquifer systems that are shut down from drilling, the Clayton aquifer and the Floridan aquifer.

I applaud Governor Deal’s response to the recent Florida vs. Georgia lawsuit over Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin where the rivers meet. Our state Continued on Page 44, See Contractor

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Contractor, Continued from Page 43 was forced to spend millions of dollars to fight for our rights to use the water that had already been permitted, which in agriculture alone is a multibillion dollar industry.

Florida wanted all wells drilled after 1992, even if permitted, to be decommissioned. This was only one issue in this massive lawsuit.

Thankfully, the judge (also known as Special Master) in Maine ruled that this was unreasonable, however, Florida is appealing this lawsuit. Georgia has spent more than $30 million dollars trying to win this lawsuit. This ruling is not final, the appeal is being sent to the U.S. Supreme Court and the hope is that they do not reject the findings of the lower court. The general public (farm community) was under the assumption that if we won this lawsuit, that the upper Floridan would be opened up again to drilling. This thought is incorrect, because we were actually fighting to keep in operation the wells that had already been drilled and permitted.

In sub area 4 of the Flint River Basin the Floridan aquifer is restricted. One interesting fact that is not widely known is that Florida set minimum flow levels in their rivers. If their minimum flow levels are not met, essentially that becomes our problem and not theirs. Maybe we (The State of Georgia) should set minimum rainfall levels and in the event that we do not receive this set number of inches

December 2017

each year, the two minimums will cancel one another out.

While this is simply my opinion, I think one makes about as much sense as the other.

At right is a map of the Suspension Area called Sub area 4: I strongly encourage you and your Association to stay proactive and engaged in all water issues in Georgia.

Whether you choose to attend meetings, become a member of the board, or to become educated on all relevant water issues in our state, every active member is not only a significant part of this industry but a vital part of the entire economy of Georgia.

References National Ground Water Association: Ground Water Facts 04/2010 National Ground water Association: Water contractor Facts State to State water Agreements: Wessets 10/2017 American Farm Bureau Federation: Food and Farm Facts Book 2015 Edition.

Greg Grosch has worked extensively on water issues in Georgia, and has been appointed by the governor to the Water Well Standards Advisory Council from 2014 to present. He was the President of the GAGP Georgia Association of Groundwater Professionals from 2011 to 2015. He is

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Continued on Page 45, See Contractor

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Contractor, Continued from Page 44

also a member of the Oconee Fall Line Technical College Advisory Board.

Mr. Grosch was a member of the Nebraska Geological society from 1997-1998. He is a nationally certified well driller and holds licenses in 7 states. He also was a Hydrogeologist for the University of Nebraska Lincoln- Conservation & Survey Division from 1997-1998. Greg Grosch lives in Dublin, Georgia with his wife Christy and their three children Grant, Caroline, and Hampton.

Independent Can Company Decorated Tins (Stock & Custom), Trays, Hoffman Line Tins, PET Jars, Vinyl Containers, Accessories, Tin Liners, Glassine Pads, Tamper Evident Bands, Reshipper Cartons.

Eastern Sales Office Call for Catalog Maryann Allen Tel. 941-729-2364 865 Bayshore Dr. Fax 941-729-8072 E-Mail: maryann_allen@verizon.net Ellenton, FL 34222

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December 2017

We need to talk about Pollution Submitted by Dan Tillman, CIC, AFIC - Tillman Insurance

P

ollution…a word that I never see used in a positive context. A word that - the moment you hear it - bad thoughts come to mind. I personally think of the national tragedies like the BP Deepwater Horizon Spill, which was covered by all of the news networks and inflicted horrific damage. While that is my first thought of pollution, is that the only way a pollution incident can happen? No, these incidents can happen on both large and small scales with just as significant damage.

Let’s step back and think about the definition of pollution. There are many different definitions according to whether you are using the EPA’s, Black’s Law Dictionary or the Insurance Services Office (ISO). I am using ISO for this article as follows: “Pollutants” means any solid, liquid, gaseous or thermal irritant or contaminant, including smoke, vapor, soot, fumes, acid, alkalis, chemicals and waste. Waste includes materials to be recycled, reconditioned or reclaimed.

This definition is very clear on a number of items and vague on one in particular. “Waste” can be left for interpretation, but presumably the intent is for “Animal Waste”.

Now go back to the definition and apply to farming. Agriculture clearly has a wide range of pollution exposures in-

cluding fuel, herbicides, insecticides and animal waste to name a few.

In 2000 the Coors Brewing Company accidentally triggered the wrong switch and spilled thousands of gallons of beer into the Clear Creek. The resulting cost to Coors was roughly $500,000.

In this example we see how an item not normally viewed Dan Tillman as a pollutant does create an incident. Yes, even beer can be a pollutant.

I have sited an incident where a known pollutant caused damage and an incident where a beverage has caused damage. Damage to our surroundings can come at any time and in multiple ways. It is time to say, “We need to talk about pollution”. We need to talk about the exposures you might have on your farm. We need to talk about insurance for the exposures and we need to talk about risk management techniques.

Continued on Page 47, See Pollution

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samantha@georgiapecan.org

Pollution, Continued from Page 46 How a farm’s liability policy addresses pollution is very simple. Pollution is listed in the first 10 coverage exclusions. Bodily injury and property damage arising out of pollution and pollution clean-up costs are excluded except under certain limited circumstances. The exclusion is not absolute - but as close as it gets - and the clean-up costs are 100% excluded.

This situation is where we use insurance endorsements, risk management and additional policies to protect your farm. Pollution is one liability exclusion for which coverage can be purchased back. Most farm insurance companies have available endorsements to add back coverage for limited farm pollution and they are segmented by level of exposure.

Pecan farmers need to look at chemical drift coverage.

This endorsement provides coverage for damage to others caused by blast spraying. A cattle farmer needs to look at an endorsement to cover animal waste and the storage of that waste. Note, however, with pollution there’s not an all-encompassing endorsement. Multiple endorsements may be needed to cover a farm’s exposure and individual needs must be examined closely.

The majority of the endorsements in the marketplace have the word “Limited” in them or use sub-limits of liability. These sub-limits are typically much less than the policy limits. Because of this, I suggest implementing

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Risk Management. Transfer of risk is an excellent tool for pollution. In this technique, a farm hires out all duties that present a pollution exposure -- as in the application of chemicals, for example. If a farm chooses to hire these services they require proof of insurance that includes pollution coverage. Certificates of Liability Insurance are standard forms within the industry and illustrate the coverages the applicator has purchased.

Finally, there are cases where a farm operation has pollutants and a significant pollution exposure. In this situation insurance policies outside the farm liability policy need to be purchased. These are specialty market policies and are often referred to as pollution legal liability, pollution liability, environmental liability or environmental impairment liability.

In my writings I always suggest working with a Professional Farm Agent, but with this subject matter I would insist. The pollution coverage forms are very complex items and need to be reviewed carefully.

• For this article I am using the Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Company’s Farm Liability Coverage Form, the Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO) forms and American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS) forms. Pollution forms are not standardized and every policy needs to be reviewed for the exact wording. This is a quick overview and is not intended to be a full review of insurance coverage or the policy.

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Broadening the use of pecans on China’s food market Wojciech J. Florkowski Wojciech J. Florkowski, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Georgia, Griffin Campus

S

imilar to trends in other countries, the snack industry is rapidly expanding in China, a result of growing discretionary income, changing lifestyles, and search for variety.

The traditional purchase of nuts, including pecans, as gifts during the Chinese New Year is common among the country’s rural and urban residents, but the younger generation of consumers has markedly different preferences and does not limit its food choices to specific holidays or festivals. Young Chinese consumers adopt new food preferences and the pace of urban life suits the consumption of snacks. Among a special group of young consumers are millions of students.

Every year about 15 million freshmen enter various institutions of higher learning. They reside in dormitories on campuses and have access to campus supermarkets or nearby commercial centers and their grocery stores, service shops, and restaurants. Their eating habits have been shaped by traditions, but they eagerly try new foods.

During a recent visit to the campus of a major agricultural university in one of the leading cities in China, I ob-

served the selection of snack foods in a campus supermarket. Indeed, snack foods and beverages occupied most of the space. Since students have their main meal served in university cafeterias, they visit the store to buy ready-to-eat meals or snacks. The selection of snacks was quite large and included items tailored specifically for Chinese tastes, but Dr. Wojciech Florkowski also available are large variety of crackers, cookies, and dry fruit and nuts. My attention was captured by an attractive display of small bags showing pecans on the front. Each bag contained 40 grams (about 1.4 ounce) of pecan halves, which were well coated with a transparent (very thin) layer of moContinued on Page 49, See Market

COOK PECAN COMPANY INC.

Custom Cleaning Irrigation Installation Tree Planting Tree Hedging 35 years experience Office: 478-348-6550 14254 Hwy 231 • Davisboro, GA 31018

229-382-2187

samantha@georgiapecan.org

Market, Continued from Page 48 lasses or caramel-like material. The aroma after opening a bag was an intense, pleasant smell of caramel, and the pecan halves appeared to be roasted or dipped in hot caramel. To me they were very tasty, but a single bag was priced 2-3 times higher than other snacks! In the supermarket where I found this snack, a bag was roughly priced at $1.25.

The producer of the snack offered two versions: one was caramel-covered halves, the other was halves covered with a sugary coating and tiny pieces of shredded coconut. They tasted a bit oily, but were crunchy. The size of the halves indicated an improved variety of good size. The caramel-covered pecans were sold in a black pouch, while the coconut-covered were in a white pouch.

A snack of that type and price clearly appears in response to consumer demand. Apparently, there are buyers who not only like them, but can afford to purchase. This product also shows some innovation on the part of the manufacturer in that the store widened the choice of roasted and flavored tree nuts and peanuts it displayed. It is also worth noting that the availability of these pecan products is indicative of the emerging young consumer in China. With discretionary income predicted to grow, for example in Shanghai, at a rate of 10.2% until 2020, pecan product offered by snack manufacturers will probably expand and sales will grow beyond the traditional holiday period. Catering to the new Chinese consumer will be profitable.

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Chocolate Bourbon S’mores Pecan Pie

Ingredients For the Crust: • 2 cups Graham crackers, • 3/4 cup butter, melted finely ground • 1 tsp cinnamon Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degree. Combine ingredients, pack into pie shell of your choice. Bake for 10 minutes Ingredients For the Filling: • 4 eggs • 1 tsp vanilla • 1 cup corn syrup • 1 tsp salt • 1/3 cup brown sugar • 3 cups Georgia pecan • 1/4 cup granulated sugar halves • 1/4 cup unsalted • 1 cup white butter, melted chocolate chips • 4 tsp bourbon Directions: Whip eggs, corn syrup, sugars, butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Combine pecans and chocolate chips separately, fill Graham cracker shell. Top with liquid filling.

Bake for 50 – 60 minutes or until center is set. Remove and chill.

Ingredients For the Meringue: • 1/2 cup egg whites

• 1 cup sugar

Directions: Combine eggs and sugar, whip on high until peaks form. Top chilled pie.

Recipe: Chef Derin Moore, Reynolds Lake Oconee Pie Image: Heidi Kalpak, Reynolds Lake Oconee

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December 2017

ON THE ROAD O

ur staff represents the interests of Georgia pecan growers by attending and participating in events throughout the year in other pecan arenas. Our presence allows us networking opportunities, collaborative endeavors, exposure to new and developing technologies and pecan best practices. This also allows us to promote our own delicious Georgia pecans. The following events highlight where we have been traveling over the last two months!

Compiled by Samantha McLeod, Executive Director GPGA

House Listening Session held at the Sunbelt Ag Expo 2017 marked the 40th year anniversary for the Sunbelt Ag Expo! Among all the livestock, equipment manufacturers and food vendors, farmers and congressmen were able to come together the afternoon of October 17 for a House Listening Session on the grounds of the Expo.

The session was hosted in the RW Griffin Building and was moderated by Georgia’s Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black. The session opened with a prayer for our farms, our families and our nation. Following the opening prayer all attending stood together for the pledge of allegiance led by Colquitt County FFA President and 7th generation farmer, Libba Johnson.

University of Georgia’s President Jere Morehead, kicked off the discussion with the importance of agriculture at the University in support of UGA’s land grant mission.

“In 1887, before there were tractors, television or even the 20th century, there was the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. It has become the University’s strongest arm to carry out its land-grant mission through a three-part structure of teaching, research and extension. Even from its earliest days, the college has worked hard to support Georgia’s number one industry: agriculture.” http://www.caes.uga.edu/about/history.html

Al Lawson, representing the 5th district of Florida.

Throughout the session, representatives from all facets of Georgia’s agriculture industry raised issues and concerns for their commodities. Jeb Barrow, Samantha McLeod President of the Georgia Pecan Growers Association, addressed several concerns for the pecan industry from the importance of the NASS reports, pecan insurance vs. the unaffordable pecan tree Continued on Page 51, See Expo

Farmers Tractor Company

Complete Line Of Pecan Savage Equipment Sales & Service Representatives Hulon Fletcher

U.S. Representatives from the House Committee on Agriculture present to listen to the concerns of their fellow farmers included Congressman Austin Scott, representing the 8th district of Georgia, Congressman Rick Allen, serving Georgia’s 12th district and Congressman

Jimmy Fletcher P.O. Box 607 Howell Road Valdosta, GA 31603

Jerry Fletcher

Phone (229) 244-6645 Fax (229) 244-6646

samantha@georgiapecan.org

229-382-2187

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WITH GPGA Expo Continued from Page 50 insurance and the extensive complexity of the H2A program.

Chairman of the Georgia Commodity Commission

GPGA President Jeb Barrow reports on concerns of pecan growers for the current and upcoming Farm Bill.

L:R: Congressman Al Lawson (FL-5) Congressman Austin Scott (GA-8) Congressman Rick Allen (GA-12) hear out suggestions from Georgia farmers.

Nickel Plus® Nickel ZM2™ Nickel Nutrition for Pecans

for Pecans Thomas Mason also shared in those concerns, but elaborated in detail about the pecan tree insurance issues -- identifying the calculation of the premiums far outweighing any possible payments. He also addressed Continued on Page 52, See Expo

Stone Mountain Pecan Company 1781 Hwy 78 • Monroe, Georgia, 30655

“More than just a cure for mouse ear”

Nickel Plus • Improved nitrogen efficiency & metabolism • Improved scab control in combination w/fungicides • Reduction in early season nut drop • Increased wood strength

Nickel CBM • Nickel Combined with Zinc, Manganese and Molybdenum • Formulation contains 2% Nickel and 4% Zinc • Improved growth of new transplants, non-baring and nursery trees

• Improved Yield and Quality

• Improves nitrogen metabolism

www.nickelplus.biz NIPAN LLC P.O. Box 5611 Valdosta, GA 31601

Tel: 229-460-5922 Fax: 229-242-2965

Contact Robby Coker Phone - 770-207-6486 • Fax - 770-207-4403 Toll Free - 1-888-280-7073

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December 2017

ON THE ROAD Expo, Continued from Page 51 the industry’s concerns with TAP (Tree Assistance Program offered through the USDA Farm Service Agency). He identified issues with the overall eligibility requirements, along with how the losses are inaccurately calculated using total county data rather than acreage reports, which are filed annually with each local FSA office (form 578).

All discussions were constructive, progressive and respectful in voicing the concerns and challenges farmers face as Moderator of the House Listening Sesthey look to the current and next sion, Georgia’s Agriculture CommisFarm Bill for support. sioner Gary Black introduces speakers to the Listening committee.

Commodity Commission for Pecans’ Chairman Thomas Mason addresses pecan related industry concerns to the committee.

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WITH GPGA Alabama Pecan Growers Association hosts their 57th Annual Conference Submitted by Bryan Wilkins Research Associate III, Horticulture staff Auburn University The Alabama Pecan Growers Association held their 57th annual conference this year at the Auburn University Gulf Coast Research and Extension Center in Fairhope, Alabama.

The conference started with a welcome reception and supper on Wednesday. At that time Dr. Lenny Wells from the University of Georgia and Mr. Monte Nesbitt from Texas A&M University reported on the damage sustained by pecan crops in their states from recent Hurricanes Irma and Harvey.

The Thursday educational conference was called to order by APGA president Taylor Harper and followed

by Nikki Charlton from the Nobel Research Institute.

Charlton presented her findings on the sexual reproduction stage of pecan scab and the implications this

change could have in the future control of the disease.

Dr. Tim Brenneman of the University of Georgia gave a very informative talk on how the growers could get the most out of their fungicide programs for disease control.

Janice Dees of the U.S. Pecan Council updated the group on her organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts to help promote and open up new foreign markets for U.S. grown pecans.

James Miles of the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service advised the growers on new federal guidelines for pesticide safety and handling of chemicals.

Auburn University graduate students Michael Polozola and Tom Warren presented the results of their research projects to the growers. Bryan Wilkins, Auburn University Research Horticulturist, presented the results of the 3-year organic fungicide trial that was conducted at the Gulf Coast Research and Extension Center.

Bryan Wilkins ended the conference with Alabama pecan crop estimates, which has become a tradition for the conference.

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December 2017

ON THE ROAD GPGA Exhibits at PMA’s Fresh Summit The Georgia Pecan Growers Association exhibited at the Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Fresh Summit Trade Event in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 19 and 20 as part of the ‘Georgia Grown’ Pavilion. GPGA attended the event to showcase Georgia pecans and pecan products through generous grant funding from Georgia’s Commodity Commission for Pecans. The Pavilion is a coordinated effort by Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) and the Georgia Department of Agriculture. In addition to Georgia Pecans, Georgia’s other specialty crops that displayed within the booth included blueberries, watermelon, peaches and Vidalia onions.

PMA hosts their Fresh Summit each year at different locations throughout the United States. The ultimate goal of the summit is to strengthen global connections between wholesalers, retailers and other buyers within the produce food sector. Fresh Summit is one of the largest shows in the produce industry -- hosting over 20,000 in attendance from around the globe each year. According to Fresh Summit, nearly 80% of these attendees are directly involved in purchasing.

L:R: Heather Gray & Samantha McLeod exhibit on behalf of the Georgia Pecan Growers Association within the Georgia Grown Pavilion at the 2017 PMA Fresh Summit.

At the Georgia Pecan display, GPGA staff was able to connect with many pecan lovers, pecan buyers, potential new buyers and pecan first-timers. The staff further promoted the key health benefits of pecans and their significant nutritional value through informational marketing pamphlets, Georgia pecan supplier lists, pecan recipes and samples, as well as distributing The Pecan Grower magazine.

This year, GPGA was not only listed under the ‘Nuts’ category -- but was also listed under ‘Snack Foods!’ This move is an exciting step forward for Georgia pecans as most consumers and purchasers think of the famous pecan pie at first thought- without considering the snack usages of the product. Providing pecan samples really is a hit for attendees at this show as there are only a few other nuts options present at Fresh Summit. Other pecan producers on display at the show were the Genuine Georgia Group, Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts, the New Mexico Pecan Company and Durham Ellis Pecan Company from Texas. Other tree nuts exhibiting were almonds, pistachios and black walnuts.

In conclusion, GPGA would like to thank Georgia Grown, Georgia Fruit and Vegetables and the Georgia Commodity Commission for Pecans for making this year’s Georgia Grown pavilion a ‘must-see’ at the show.

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samantha@georgiapecan.org

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WITH GPGA UT/TSU Extension Visits Three Bees Farm In late October, one of our very own Georgia Pecan Growers was visited by the University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University Extension’s Eastern Region Nursery’s Greenhouse & Landscaping Tour. With over 45 attendees, Tennessee’s Unicoi County Extension Director Ty Petty brought the group on a 3-day, 3-state tour.

For the Georgia portion of the tour, Petty reached out to Jefferson County Extension Agent Pamela Sapp for assistance in visiting farms and nurseries in the area. It was during their collaboration they thought it might be educational to visit a pecan orchard while in Georgia. Sapp coordinated a visit with local pecan grower and Georgia Pecan Growers Association President, Jeb Barrow Jr., owner of Three Bees Farm located outside of Wrens, Georgia.

To begin the tour, Barrow introduced himself to the group and gave them a quick overview of pecan production in Georgia along with pecan production management practices. Next, Barrow directed his harvesting crew to demonstrate shaking a tree. The group was astounded at all the nuts that dropped and how the shaking didn’t actually damage the tree! All smart phone cameras were on and directed towards the shaker.

Next, Barrow discussed the next step in the harvesting

process, which is the windrower. He then directed the windrower to windrow the previously fallen nuts. Again, camera phones were busy snapping pictures of this process.

Following the windrower, the harvester came through to harvest the nuts.

Concluding the tour, Barrow brought the group through his cleaning facility. Upon departure, Extension Agent Petty awarded Barrow with a plaque in appreciation for his hospitality and allowing the group to tour his farm. They were all extremely appreciative and felt more informed about pecans.

All cameras were out capturing the action of the shaker!

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December 2017

ON THE ROAD man - who were also hard at work. The family provided the Weber Shandwick team a full harvest experience and established a good base of information for them to conThe American Pecan Council (APC) office staff and tinue building on throughout their time in Georgia.

The next stop on the the Weber Shandwick marketing team headed southeast to witness Georgia’s pecan harvest on their last stop of an im- morning’s agenda was mersion tour of pecan growing regions. The Weber Shand- Lane’s Southern Orwick team included a live video crew, a professional chards. Duke Lane Jr. came on board the touring bus and led the team through his orchard to visit more harvesting equipment. In the orchard, the team was welcomed by Duke Lane III and cousin, Phillip Lane.

The variety they were harvesting was called a ‘Kanoodle’. The crew got Duke Lane Jr. shows the team how to crack nuts in the orWeber Shandwick team capturing footage at Mason’s a good chuckle out of the chard to taste the ‘Kanoodle’ name of the variety but Pecans near Fort Valley, GA didn’t have much to joke variety.

Continued on Page 57, See Tour photographer, marketing and communications team leads, creative design personnel and a pecan-loving food blogger PHONE from New York.

229-403-4380 - Cell Flying into Atlanta, the team started the Georgia tour 229-226-9228 - Home in the Perry/Fort Valley and migrated south throughout the 206 SKYLINE DRIVE two-day tour. On the first morning, the team made a shotTHOMASVILLE, GA 31757 gun start to Mason’s Pecan farm. Trent Mason welcomed the group of visitors and hopped on the tour bus where he shared stories about their family farming operation and Growers of Quality Pecan Trees some of the strengths and weaknesses of growing pecans Grown Under Drip Irrigation in Georgia. Mason directed the tour bus throughout the orchard to a location where his harvesting team was hard at work in a large section of the Stuart pecan variety. Once Offering Both Bareroot parked, the group was able to roam throughout the orchard, and Containerized Trees exploring among the trees and learning about the harvesting process. The group witnessed various harvesting activities such as shaking the trees, windrowing the fallen SEVEN VARIETIES nuts, harvesting the nuts from the windrow, and dumping the buggy into a mobile dump cart that brings the nuts to • Desirables • Stuart • Elliot the cleaning plant. The video cameras were constantly rolling and the still cameras were clicking during this in• Sumner • Cape Fear formative process!

Following the orchard tour, the group continued to the • Kiowa • Pawnee Mason’s cleaning plant. Here, the group was greeted by Thomas Mason and given face masks for dust and ear Call or write for Price List plugs for noise and taken on an in- depth tour of their cleaning plant, storage, grading and bagging facilities.

During this portion of the tour, the team had the opportunity to meet the other two Mason siblings - Tiffin and Till-

Georgia Pecans Round Out APC’s Eastern Immersion Tour

“Why pay more when we sell for less”

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WITH GPGA Tour, Continued from Page 56 about after they cracked some nuts and taste tested. This variety proved to be delicious! After the stop in the orchard, the team gathered for a Southern style lunch at the Peachtree Café inside the Lane’s Farmers Market where they indulged on Pecan Crusted Catfish and Fried Pecan Pie. Additionally, Lane’s orchard was also where Nutritionist & Food Blogger, Ellie Krieger, created a video about pecans and pecan production, which she posted on her social media outlets. A portion of this video also promoted a future video that Krieger would record on the following day when she would be back in New York in her test kitchen. Krieger would use a recipe with the fresh pecans from her trip to Georgia. On Facebook alone, Krieger has nearly 85,000 followers!

As described on her website, Kreiger is host and executive producer of the Public Television cooking series, “Ellie’s Real Good Food,” and well known as the host of Food Network’s hit show, “Healthy Appetite.” Ellie Krieger is a leading go-to nutritionist in the media today, helping people find the ‘sweet spot’ where delicious and healthy foods meet. She is also a New York Times bestselling author, James Beard Foundation and IACP award-winning author of five cookbooks.”

(Source www.elliekrieger.com/about/) Krieger will be another great tool in the toolbox for helping Georgia pecans reach a national spotlight.

The third stop for the day was a visit to the Easterlin Pecan Company in Montezuma. The team was greeted by Will Easterlin and his father, Bill. Will led the group throughout the different sections of the warehouse, while teaching them the differences between a grower, an accumulator and a sheller. Discussions led to the pecan market in China and Will generously handed out samples of how the Chinese like to roast their nuts. The touring group wasn’t partial on the tastes, textures and flavors of these samples, but appreciWill Easterlin provides an in depth ated the great experitour of the operations at Easterlin ence regardless.

Pecan Co.

End of day 1 and the group is still smiling at the last stop at Ellis Bros. Pecans.

The group’s last stop for the day was to the Ellis Brothers Pecan Company near Vienna and was warmly welcomed by the large Ellis family; Ceil and Elliot Ellis, Brad and Angie Ellis, Keith Ellis, Slade Ellis, Stephen Ellis and Kate Ellis. Again, the team had the opportunity to witness shaking of the trees for harvest, which was also filmed by the camera crew. The group toured the shelling facility and candy making portion of the Ellis’s operation and had a great time sampling around the store!

Day two of the immersion tour started off in Ocilla at Hudson Pecan Company. The touring group spoke with farm manager Phil Croft, where they learned more about the pecan export business and the Hudson family’s operation.

Phil Croft with Hudson Pecan Co. welcomed the tour group the morning of Day 2 of the tour.

From Ocilla, the group traveled further south to Ray City to visit Shiloh Pecan. Buck Paulk and his family welcomed the tour bus with open arms and began their tour of Shiloh. After the extensive tour through the Paulk orchard, Continued on Page 58, See Tour

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ON THE ROAD WITH GPGA Tour, Continued from Page 57 the group congregated back at the Paulk home for lunch and homemade pecan pie for dessert.

After a heavy portion of southern hospitality, the group hit the

Buck Paulk hops on board the tour bus to provide an in depth and educational tour of his orchards.

road for Sunnyland Farms in Albany.

Once arriving at Sunnyland, the group was welcomed by father and son duo, Larry and Alex Willson. In preparation

Larry and Alex Willson bring the group through shelling, roasting, candying, packaging and shipping processes. for the tour, Larry handed the group hair nets and started to tour their facilities.

The group was able to witness all processes from roasting pecans, to making chocolate pecan turtles, to in-shell packaging, to candying -- all the way to final product â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which included packaging in beautiful holiday tins and boxes ready to ship.

At the conclusion of each day, the Weber Shandwick team hosted a dinner presentation for growers to attend to

learn more about how APC puts growers dollars to work.

The first dinner presentation was held at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton and the second dinner presentation was held at the Merry Acres Inn in Albany.

After two long, pecan-packed days, the Weber Shandwick team was able to immerse themselves into a full pecan harvest in Georgia.

samantha@georgiapecan.org

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Special Thanks to these companies for their participation in each of the 2017 issues of The Pecan Grower Magazine!

AgAmerica Lending

National Pecan Company

Apollo Pecan Nursery & Groves

Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Finest Foods, Ltd

Atlanta Cello & Poly

Navarro Pecan Company

Avery Crop Insurance

Nelson Hardie

Bowsmith

Nipan

Carden & Associates, Inc.

Nut Tree Pecan Nursery

Clough Pecan Company

OMC (Orchard Machinery Corporation)

Cromartie Agricultural Chemicals

P.W.B. Ag Solutions

Durand-Wayland

Pacific Distributing/Orchard Rite

Easterlin Pecan Co., Inc.

Pacific Western (Tree Protectors)

Ellis Bros Pecans, Inc.

Pecan Grove Farms & Nursery

Farmers Tractor Company

Pecan Nut Busters, Inc.

Fleming & Riles Insurance

R.W. Griffin Industries

Flint Ag & Turf

Savage Equipment Company

Flory Industries

Simpson Nurseries

Georgia Pecan Tree Nursery

South Georgia Pecan Co.

Gillisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Variety Fabrication, Inc.

Southwest Georgia Farm Credit

Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts

Stone Mountain Pecan Company

Holiday Tins & Containers

Swihart Sales Company

Hudson Pecan Company

The Peed Company

Independent Can Company

Triangle Chemical Company

Inspection Masters/Savage COE

TriEst Irrigation

JW Renfroe Pecan Company

W.G. Hamil, LLC

Kent Company

Walker-Rhodes Tractor Co., Inc.

Lineage Logistics/FRS

WECO

Merritt Pecan Co.

Weiss/McNair

Modern Electronics & Equipment, Inc.

Weldcraft Industries

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December 2017

Industry Spotlight Seedling Spotlight - Kaylee Clough

By Samantha McLeod, Executive Director GPGA

F

all weather not only brings harvest and cooler weather, but also football, fairs and 4H projects! The fair and 4H usually go hand-in-hand for families involved in

Clough Pictured with her booth display

agriculture and is always a special time of the year. At the fair, visitors can interact with livestock, learn about where and how their food is grown and gain insight about Georgia’s number one industry -- agriculture.

GPGA is proud to spotlight Samantha McLeod Kaylee Clough, a 5th generation pecan farmer and 4Her, in our new section “Seedling Spotlight.”

14-year-old Kaylee is an 8th grader at Pierce County Middle School. Kaylee is the daughter of Chris and Susan Clough of Blackshear, Georgia. She is the middle of three children with an older brother, Johnathan (17), who plans Continued on Page 61, See Clough

samantha@georgiapecan.org

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Clough, Continued from Page 60 to go into the Air Force, and a younger brother, Lake (7). Kaylee’s family farm owns a pecan nursery, operates pecan warehouses/buying point during pecan season, runs a cleaning plant, owns and leases several pecan orchards and supports various pecan-related activities.

As an active member of the Pierce County 4H Chapter for 5 years, Kaylee has worked her way to become a team leader. Outside of regular chapter activities, she dedicates her time and hard work to anything pecans, raising and showing market hogs, as well as journaling and documenting her time spent raising the hogs.

Each year, Kaylee signs up for 4H Project Achievement. In all her years creating 4H Project Achievements, she has always spotlighted her passion for pecans. In previous years, she focused on pecan production and management. This year, focused on the health benefits of pecans. For Kaylee’s project, she created a ‘minibooth,’ which is a small booth full of information about her subject that is displayed among table tops at fairs, events and even Georgia Pecan Grower Fall Field Days.

Clough’s ‘mini-booth’ project display -- labeled “Health Nuts” -- informed the viewer all about the overall health benefits of consuming pecans and pecan products. Some of the items she included in her presentation were: – Georgia’s annual pecan crop is worth an average of $80-100 million – Pecan nutrition chart – Innovative and Healthy Alternative uses for pecans, pecan oil and pecan flour – The U.S. produces 80% of the world’s pecans – 14 states grow pecans, but Georgia is by far the largest producer, growing Clough’s project received as much as 100 million pounds for domestic and foreign markets annually Grand Champion Mini Booth at Continued on Page 62, See Clough the Georgia National Fair 2017

Navarro Pecan Company Supplying the Dairy, Bakery, Confectionary and Snack industries with only the best shelled pecans the US has to offer. Navarro is GFSI compliant and SQF Level 3 certified.

Experience the Navarro difference!

Phone: (903) 872-5641 • Toll Free (800) 333-9507

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December 2017

Clough, Continued from Page 61 – Using GPGA sources, she presented a report published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry (June 2004) that found pecans rank highest among all nuts and are among the top category of foods to contain the highest antioxidant capacity. This means that pecans may decrease the risk of cancer, coronary heart disease and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Source: www.georgiapecans.org She also included examples of foods made with pecans in her table setting: • Cookies, crackers and wafers made Clough’s Mini-Booth at the Georgia National Fair with pecans displaying the “Health Benefits of Pecans” • Coffee made with pecans • Cake mixes made with pecans • Oils and butters made with pecans Kaylee hard work paid off.

Clough received a Grand Champion Ribbon at Georgia’s National Fair in Perry and also received First Place at the Waycross Exchange Fair with her mini-booth.

We now specialize in custom agricultural irrigation systems.

Other high awards she’s received Call us for a customized irrigation system are Reserve Champion Guilt, First to fit your specific agricultural needs!

Place Showmanship, First Place market hog and second place for journaling. Pecan enthusiast, Kaylee Clough, is an outstanding young farmer with a bright future ahead in her agricultural career.

Have a young seedling you would like to see spotlighted in our magazine? Or a Georgia farm or pecan industry? Contact the GPGA office!

Custom Agricultural Irrigation Systems

GPGA Annual Conference & Trade Show March 27-28, 2018 UGA Conference Center Tifton Campus • Tifton, GA

For more information, please contact the GPGA office at 229-382-2187.

Custom Pecan Orchard Design, Tree Planting and Irrigation Design and Installation…..we also offer tree moving.

HUDSON PECAN COMPANY “Dedicated to Quality” P.O. Box 527 Ocilla, GA 229.468.9473 www.hudsonpecan.com hudsonpecancompany@windstream.net

samantha@georgiapecan.org

229-382-2187

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Pecan Production Management Tips • Thin overcrowded orchards • Prune, Hedge or train trees • Plant/Move Trees

• Fertilize dryland orchards according to leaf and soil analysis • Apply potassium to dry and irrigated orchards • Lime, zinc, phosphorous, magnesium may be applied unless done previously

January • Lime, zinc, phosphorous, and magnesium may be applied • Clean up limbs/debris • Service/Repair Equipment February • Thin overcrowded orchards • Hedge Trees • Prune/train trees • Plant/move trees • Apply sethoxydim for rye grass suppression and clover release

• Collect & store graftwood • Dig Trees • Plant nuts

• Service/Repair Equipment • Clean up limbs/debris • Collect & store graftwood • Whip graft • Plant nuts • Dig trees

March • Fertilize dryland orchards if not completed • Apply potassium to dry and irrigated orchards if not completed

• Complete pruning, training, thinning, and planting • Plant nuts • Whip graft

• Spring bud • Begin fungicide sprays at budbreak • Treat trees with history of phylloxera at budbreak

This information was taken from the Southeastern Pecan Growers Handbook.

“This list contains general common practices and tips for pecan production management for the state of Georgia, provided by Dr. Lenny Wells, Associate Professor, University of Georgia.”

Southeastern Pecan Growers' Handbook The Southeastern Pecan Growers’ Handbook printed by the UGA Extension has been reduced!

The new cost is $ 30.00 with no shipping. You will order direct from their website.

The URL is as follows: http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.cfm?nu mber=B1327 By accessing this direct link, you are able to order and pay online directly to UGA. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our the Georgia Pecan Growers office at 229-382-2187 or email samantha@georgiapecan.org for assistance. The GPGA no longer keeps these books in inventory.

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December 2017

Understanding Pecan Revenue Insurance

By Jeremy Ryan, President, Avery Crop Insurance

P

ecan Revenue Insurance (PRV) is available in counties in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Coverage may also be available in other states through a written agreement. In ordered to be considered insurable, an orchard must have produced 600 pounds per acre in one of the previous four crop years. PRV protects against multiple perils including, but not limited to, adverse weather, decline in price and disease.

PRV coverage is available only in two-year modules.

In other words, once applied for, the chosen policy coverage levels will be intact for two consecutive years and may not be cancelled or changed until the end of that two-year module. The sales closing date for PRV is January 31st and the acreage reporting date is March 15th.

The coverage level, premium rates and insurance amount remain the same for each year of the two-year coverage module. The guarantee for the policy is based on the approved average revenue per acre. The approved average revenue per acre is determined from the average gross sales from the most recent 4 to 6 years. If sales records are not available, then a transitional revenue yield can be assigned.

These transitional yields have been updated for 2018 and vary from county to county. A coverage level from 50 to 75 percent of the approved average revenue can be selected.

In 2014 the PRV policy was changed to allow optional units for orchards that are non-contiguous. (This change was significant in the policy because prior to 2014 all of the acres of pecans in a county would have been considered one unit.) Non-contiguous is defined as acreage of an insured crop that is separated from other acreage of the same insured crop by land that is neither owned by the policy holder nor rented by the policy holder for cash or a crop share. However, acreage separated by only a public or private right-of-way, waterway, or an irrigation canal will be

considered as contiguous. In order to qualify for optional units, separate production records must be provided for at least the two most recent consecutive crop years as well as meet the definition of non-contiguous.

At Avery Crop Insurance we have been very involved in the pecan industry for many years. For the first Jeremy Ryan time in 1998 RMA released the Pecan Revenue policy in a pilot form in three counties in Georgia. Since that time Avery Crop Insurance has been the leader in Georgia and the nation in providing growers with Pecan Revenue Insurance. We are very thankful for all of our clients and the trust they have in us to provide them with exceptional service. We are always happy to help any grower evaluate their current insurance program to see if we can help them enhance their risk management in any way.

PECAN TREES GROWN FROM SEED AND GRAFTED IN NORTH CAROLINA Caddo, Cape Fear, Kanza, Lakota, Stuart and more.

CONTACT TROY HAITHCOCK (910) 231-7018 TIM HAITHCOCK (919) 705-4052 timhaithcock8@gmail.com

INDIAN SPRING PECANS AND FARM, LLC

229-382-2187

samantha@georgiapecan.org

Pecan Wit

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December 2017

U.S. Pecans Continues Global Push with Activities in China Submitted by Janice Dees, Executive Director, U.S. Pecans ABC Cooking Studio Media Event U.S. Pecans, in co-operation with ABC Cooking Studio held a media event on October 27th in one of its Beijing stores on Sanlitun. In total 36 attendees were invited to participate in the event, including 10 media outlets (online and offline) and 26 ABC Cooking Studio members.

Kevin Ivey, representing U.S. Pecan Growers Council, delivered a short speech about the history, harvest, application and uses of pecans. A cooking demonstration involving pecan cake was conducted

by ABC chef teach-

ing staff. Two media outlets - China Bakery and China Health Media Group - interviewed Ivey as to common applications for pecans in the U.S., as well as U.S. pecan food safety issues. Total advertising value generated from this event is estimated at $25,000.

Continued on Page 67, See China

229-382-2187

samantha@georgiapecan.org

China, Continued from Page 66 Chinese – Pecan Farm Visit and the CNSA Board Meeting On October 22nd, prior to the ABC Cooking Studio Event, Kevin Ivey, President of the U.S. Pecan Growers Council, visited several pecan farms in China, primarily in Jiangsu Province. Professor Liu Guangqin from the Institute of Vegetable Crops at the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences led Ivey on a tour of two pecan farms. One pecan farm is in Jintan, Changzhou City, where pecan trees are planted on mountain sides. The second farm visited was an experimental orchard institute where different pecan varieties are being tested.

Pecan planting area in China is currently about 40,000 hectares and according to Professor Liu, this figure is expected to reach 200,000 hectares in 5-6 years.

However, the Chinese pecan industry is facing the challenge of finding appropriate growing locations where the weather, soil, water and climate are all suitable for pecan

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growing.

From October 23rd – 26th, the 2017 Annual Council of the Specialized Committee for Nuts and Roasted Seeds of the China National Food Industry Association (CNSA) was held in Meihekou City. Hundreds of Chinese and international companies involved in the processing and production of nuts, roasted seeds, raw materials and ingredients attended the conference.

As a sponsor of the CNSA board meeting the U.S. Pecan Growers Council logo was displayed on the backdrop of conference. Kevin Ivey again participated in the conference and delivered a speech about the production, history, import, export and other market information of U.S. pecans. During the conference, Chinese domestic nut producers - such as walnut, hickory, and pine nut producers - all delivered annual reports for 2017.

During the conference, Three Squirrels (one of China’s significant online marketplace for nut sales) presented the concept of ‘new retail’ -- one of the three

Continued on Page 68, See China

TRI-DELTA PECANS, INC. 537 Broadway Ext. North Greenville, MS 38703 (662) 334-3016 (662) 332-1158 fax

Buyers of In-Shell Pecans Since 1973 Nolan Branton: Greenville, MS Cell: 662.820.7228 nolanbranton@gmail.com Jay Pickle: MS, AR, LA, OK, TX Cell: 662.907.7467 918.212.0940 trideltapecans@yahoo.com Roger Baker: OK Cell: 580.371.5228 Bill Varner Farms Highway 67 • Texarkana, AR 903.826.8094

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China, Continued from Page 67 main trends predicted for the produce industry. ‘New retail’ is the restructuring of retail in the future due to readily-available consumer big data. This restructuring would make it easier to conduct consumer analysis, target consumers directly and cut out distributors that would lead to the Internet and e-commerce becoming the

December 2017

major distribution channels. Current online stores for Asia, such as JD.com and Tmall, are predicted to become the leading retailers. The other two predicted trends were the development of a league of distributors and the adoption of more consumer-oriented approaches offering personalized and customizable products.

"Even if the USPGC was just responsible for 10% of exports, the return on investment with USPGC would be 50 million dollars return on last year alone for a $370,000 dollar investment, that’s $135 dollar return on every dollar spent. Successful even at 10% of the credit!

However, the truth is that the pecan industries investment of $370,000 dollars last year returned almost $500,000,000 dollars back to the USA and the U. S. pecan industry. Tell me that USPGC is not effective? That’s a return of $1,400 dollars for every dollar invested with USPGC. That is seven-ten-thousands of a cent cost per dollar invested with USPGC." - excerpt from a previous writing by Kevin J. Ivey on August 16, 2017

U.S. Pecan Growers Council has launched a new website!

Check us out at www.uspecans.org

229-382-2187

samantha@georgiapecan.org

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FOR SALE

GPGA Annual Conference & Trade Show March 27-28, 2018 UGA Conference Center - Tifton Campus • Tifton, GA For more information, please contact the GPGA office at 229-382-2187.

2 Single Peerless Dryers All Presently Working $1000

2 - 15 Foot Bushhog Mowers $3,500 each

3 Peerless Dual Dryers All Presently Working $1500

1988 Chevy Kodiak Truck Road Ready $5,000

2 - 20 Foot Rhino Mowers $4,500 Each

1985 International Truck Road Ready $5,000

Contact: Chop Evans • 478-955-4642 Fort Valley, GA Lee Evans • 478-235-0857 or Charlie Evans Evans • 478-235-1910

Thank You for advertising in The Pecan Grower Magazine during the 2017 year!

ACETO AgAmerica Lending Agri-Business Technologies Alabama Bag Apollo Pecan Nursery & Groves Atlanta Cello & Poly Avery Crop Insurance Bag-A-Nut Bowsmith Broyhill Calway Foods, Inc. Carden & Associates, Inc. Carter Pecan Company CCA Pecan Clough Pecan Company Cook Pecan Company Cromartie Agricultural Chemicals Durand-Wayland Easterlin Pecan Co., Inc. Ellis Bros Pecans, Inc. Farmers Tractor Company Fleming & Riles Insurance Flint Ag & Turf Flory Industries FMC Georgia Pecan Tree Nursery Gillison’s Variety Fabrication, Inc. Go Daddy Tire Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts Grosch Drilling Gulf Coast Bag Co. Holiday Tins & Containers Hudson Pecan Company

Independent Can Company Indian Springs Pecans and Farms Inspection Masters/Savage COE JAIN Irrigation JW Renfroe Pecan Company Kent Company Lasseter Equipment Lineage Logistics/FRS Linwood Nursery Merritt Pecan Co. Modern Electronics & Equipment, Inc. National Pecan Company Nature’s Finest Foods, Ltd Navarro Pecan Company Nelson Hardie Nichino America Nipan Nut Tree Pecan Nursery Nut Tree Pecan Export Cleaning Services OMC (Orchard Machinery Corporation) P.W.B. Ag Solutions Pacific Distributing/Orchard Rite Pacific Western (Tree Protectors) Parker Brothers Pecan Pecan Grove Farms & Nursery Pecan Nut Busters, Inc. Peerles Manufacturing Company Plant Food Systems Quest Products, LLC Quick Tree Spading Services R.W. Griffin Industries Savage Equipment Company Simpson Nurseries

South Georgia Pecan Co. SouthernAg Carriers Southern Pecan Orchards Southwest Georgia Farm Credit Stone Mountain Pecan Company Stone Pecan Nursery Sunnyland Farms, Inc. Swihart Sales Company The Crow Roost The Peed Company Thomas Hatcher - Pecan Cracker Repair Tillman Insurance Agency Triangle Chemical Company Tri-Delta TriEst Irrigation UPI W.G. Hamil, LLC Walker-Rhodes Tractor Co., Inc. Waters Agricultural Laboratories, Inc. WECO Weiss/McNair Weldcraft Industries W.G. Hamil, LLC

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December 2017

Alphabetical List of Advertisers AgAmerica Lending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 54

Merritt Pecan Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8

Apollo Pecan Nursery & Groves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 28

Modern Electronics & Equipment, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 46

Atlanta Cello & Poly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 32

National Pecan Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 27

Avery Crop Insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 60

Nature’s Finest Foods, Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 20

Bag-A-Nut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 66

Navarro Pecan Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 61

Bowsmith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 68

Nelson Hardie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 52

Broyhill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5

Nipan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 51

Calway Foods, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 53

Nut Tree Pecan Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 25

Carden & Associates, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 49

OMC (Orchard Machinery Corporation). . . . . . . . . . . Page 33

Carter Pecan Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 47

P.W.B. Ag Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 22

CCA Pecan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 69

Pacific Distributing/Orchard Rite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 39

Clough Pecan Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 71

Pacific Western (Tree Protectors) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 30

Cook Pecan Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 48

Pecan Grove Farms & Nursery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8

Cromartie Agricultural Chemicals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 24

Pecan Nut Busters, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 26

Durand-Wayland. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 41

R.W. Griffin Industries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 23

Easterlin Pecan Co., Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6

Savage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 36, 37, 72

Ellis Bros Pecans, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 32

Simpson Nurseries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 58

Farmers Tractor Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 50

South Georgia Pecan Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18

Fleming & Riles Insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 43

Southwest Georgia Farm Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11

Flint Ag & Turf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 21

Stone Mountain Pecan Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 51

Flory Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 45

Stone Pecan Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 56

Georgia Pecan Tree Nursery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 9

Swihart Sales Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 30, 64

Gillison’s Variety Fabrication, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 40

The Peed Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 48

Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 29

Tillman Insurance Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 55

Holiday Tins & Containers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4

Triangle Chemical Company.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 31

Hudson Pecan Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 62

Tri-Delta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 67

Independent Can Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 45

TriEst Irrigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 42

Indian Springs Pecans and Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 64

W.G. Hamil, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11

Inspection Masters/Savage COE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7

Walker-Rhodes Tractor Co., Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 19

JW Renfroe Pecan Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 34

WECO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 38

Kent Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 43

Weiss/McNair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2

Lineage Logistics/FRS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 60

Weldcraft Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 35

Linwood Nursery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 67

samantha@georgiapecan.org

229-382-2187

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CLOUGH PECAN CO. “Home of the Excel Pecan” 3417 Highway 84 West • Blackshear, Georgia 31516

BUY & SELL • WHOLESALE AND RETAIL Pecan Trees in Inventory for Winter Planting Call Us Today to Book Your Trees! “ Excel, Eclipse, Pawnee, Oconee, Sumner, Caddo and several other varieties”

ANDY CLOUGH Owner Home: 912-288-4895

OFFICE: 912-449-4585

CHRIS CLOUGH Vice President Home: 912-288-1947