Town Creek Farm Since 1993
FALL 2016
Vo l u m e 4 , I s s u e 3 • P u b l i s h e d b y To w n C r e e k Fa r m , We s t Po i n t , M i s s i s s i p p i • B r a n g u s a n d U l t r a b l a c k
PecansM and Cattle S BY
MY GRANDFATHER LYNN WHITE WAS BORN IN CISCO, TEXAS, IN 1900 AND DIED IN 1998. He
ILTON UNDBECK
were going fishing. I noticed a young pecan orchard with neat rows all bedded up with would have easily made it to 100 or so had he young trees. I thought, what a great idea. Pawbe had plenty of land to plant such an not tripped on a cast iron clothes iron in 1996, strategically placed near the bathroom orchard. I couldn’t wait until Saturday to tell MILTON SUNDBECK door by my grandmother many years before, him about my great new idea on how to grow prior to her death. We somehow thought she pecan trees. The Grit welcomes your inquiries Saturday came. We were on the way back was calling him home. and feedback. The Grit is I was the oldest grandchild and called him from thrashing limbs that were missed. I told published by Town Creek Farm, Pawbe what I had seen and what a great idea Pawbe as a small child. The name stuck and it was for increasing his production. all his grandchildren called him Pawbe from West Point, Mississippi. “We could just bulldoze all the Mesquite then on. I was named after my Dad and am Town Creek Farm and Seene Bean trees on the high ground. We still called Junior to this day. Milton Sundbeck, Owner Lynn White's father was a cowboy by day, could plant the whole place in pecans trees,” I said. After a light tap on my arm with his and a preacher on Sunday. Like so many Office: 32476 Hwy. 50 East walking stick, Pawbe asked, “Junior, do you others at that time in Texas, he made a living West Point, Mississippi 39773-5207 see any pecan trees growing up there on the off the land by wits and determination. To 662.494.5944 flats?” “No sir,” I said. “Well, if the Good Lord earn cash money in the fall, he would camp www.TownCreekFarm.com in creek bottoms and the whole family would intended for a pecan tree to grow up there, Joy Reznicek, President don’t you think we would see one?” His gather wild pecans for a month or so. Over 205.399.0221 question was an answer I didn’t fully time, Pawbe, who became something of a Joy@TownCreekFarm.com understand its breadth at the time. As I self-taught naturalist, became fascinated by became older and wiser, the more powerful varieties of wild pecans he encountered. As Clint Ladner his answer became in my understanding of he became a young adult his fascination with 662.812.8370 the natural world and all living things in it. pecans brought him to Georgetown, Texas. CLadner@TownCreekFarm.com In order to improve returns on He went to work for a gentleman Pawbe South American Representative investment in land, no matter what grows on referred to as Dr. Mann. Ing. Agr. Federico Maisonnave it or what is built on it, owners will often Pawbe learned how to "bud pecans," (011) 595 981 362 898 resort to creations of human ingenuity to manage an orchard and buy land where Skype: federico.maisonnave gain an advantage over boundaries hidden in pecans would prosper. Over time, Pawbe Maisonnave.Federico@gmail.com acquired land that could run cattle and, more the natural world. I have to keep reminding myself of Pawbe’s rule when it comes to our Total Commitment importantly, land that had a creek bottom cattle business. Seldom does a day go by that full of wild pecan trees. With a few loyal, I don’t see, hear or read about a breakhardworking Mexican families he through idea or product that will put more transformed the wild pecan trees into money in cattlemen’s pockets. productive orchards by budding, thinning High on my watch list when it comes to and trimming. He never sprayed or fertilized, the “no pecan tree on the hill rule” is DNA accepting the yield nature gave him from Since 1993 marker technology for breeding selection. year to year. Cattle grazed under the trees DNA technology seems to be better suited to until harvest was imminent. His most JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST TO RECEIVE THE MOST discovering what not to do. Certainly, when productive cattle ranch and pecan bottom UPDATED SALE INFORMATION AVAILABLE. it comes to identifying negative genetic was Southeast of Elgin, Texas. EMAIL INFO@TOWNCREEKFARM.COM conditions such as DD, marker identification Pawbe camped in the bottom during fall TO JOIN OUR FOLLOWING. harvest in a solid tent with wooden sidewalls. has merit. Like Johnes testing, if you have a positive animal you can cull it. One of my cousins named it the “Nut Discovering negative traits are one thing. Hut” and put the name over the door. Predicting positive heritable traits are A wood cook stove kept the camp another altogether. Picking a path forward warm and cozy. A grandson or two from the vastness of inherit traits is made all stayed with him most weekends. the more complex by unknown negatives It was there, in 1962, at a ripe old lurking in genomes. We know fertility cannot age of 17, that I learned one of the be predicted by genetic markers. Our friend most important lessons of my entire John McKnight has often said, “Fertility may life. Pawbe had one of his biggest have low heritability, but infertility is highly harvests ever that year. There was a heritable”. mountain of burlap bags packed with Connecting EPDs to genetic markers is pecans, carefully stacked by Mexican families who showed up each fall to help just the latest game in town. Maybe there is a way; to me it is like with harvest. predicting history with math. A week before harvest, my dad and I BRANGUS BULL LOT 136, 524C2, OUT OF A FIRST CALF HEIFER.