Tag Archives: pecans

Annual Convention Beneficial for Pecan Industry

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Perry, GA

Down in Perry, pecan producers got the chance to attend this year’s Georgia Pecan Growers Association’s annual conference; a time that allows growers and industry professionals the chance to fellowship, see the latest and greatest equipment, and learn about what’s happening in the industry.

“It’s really important for the industry to be transparent with all the knowledge that’s out there available to them,” says Samantha McLeod, Executive Director of the Georgia Pecan Growers Association. “This really focuses on their industry in particular, helps them with production on their farms and it also helps them with marketing their product after harvest. We have a lot of our national industry groups here reporting on what’s taking place, both domestically and internationally, so the growers can be a little bit more in the know about the marketplace since we aren’t a publicly traded commodity. It’s a tough, niche industry for us, so conferences like this, for specialty crops such as Georgia pecans is just really critical for awareness, joining of knowledge and information, and of course, camaraderie for the industry.

One highlight of the conference was getting to hear from Justin Jones, a Georgia producer that serves as the Industry Relations Chair for the American Pecan Council. Jones spoke to producers about the council’s efforts and challenges with getting into international markets, especially at a time when other tree nuts are struggling with price.

“From an international standpoint, the one thing we have to do is separate the pecan away from other nuts. When you look at almonds, walnuts, when you, historically, look at where we’ve moved relative to each other, we move very closely, but now you look at what the challenges the almonds are going through, the challenges the walnuts are going through, especially the price point, and now you try and separate that out because the almond and the walnut guys right now are underwater with their price. So that’s one thing we’re trying to do is keep pushing the pecan awareness and that’s the struggle is trying to fight against other, cheaper nut prices,” says Jones.

However, according to Jones, markets seem to be opening up in Asia, as India announced earlier this year that they’ll be lowering tariffs on pecans by seventy percent and China has finally lifted their covid restrictions, to which Jones says has already boosted exports.

“I think one of the biggest things we’re looking at for this coming year would possibly be China, which is a big market for us, not as big as it has been but it’s still a big market. You look at when they released their covid restrictions and kind of went back to a normal situation, you could say, where you look at our exports just in the last month or two; they have climbed tremendously just from somewhat opening up of the markets and people getting back to a normal way of life in China. Will that move the needle enough to focus back to the grower level on price? Still to be determined. Especially with other nut prices like they are right now,” says Jones.

By: John Holcomb

Goodson Pecans Wins Flavor of Georgia Contest

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Leesburg, GA – Whether you eat them in pies, salads, or just straight out of the can, pecans have been a staple of many diets across the south. However, recently a new market has opened up using this product thanks to innovative businesses like Goodson Pecans in Leesburg.

“There were no pecan butters at the time and so I asked, ‘what would happen if we tried to make pecan butters,’” says David Goodson, owner of Goodson Pecans? “So, we started slow. We moved out of our home as a cottage kitchen and moved to a store front with a commercial facility and just began the slow process of making and sort of trying to perfect our butters and how we did them. We were learning a lot as we were doing them.”

This multi-generational, family owned company uses the freshest pecans straight from their field to create this unique product. As for the taste and texture can be attributed to plenty of testing in their kitchen.

“We have found in just our experimentation with it some varieties that worked really well together in making the butter. You know, that was part of our process to get it tweaked just right so that the pecan is just super creamy and has got just a good overall sweetness to it. It’s great. I love not only having my wife part of this, but seeing my kids, every one of my kids is involved in some level. They will come up and help in different ways at the store and even when we go to shows, I have my oldest son who will go with me,” says Goodson.

Recently, they left one of those shows with some hardware, as they were named the overall winner for the Flavor of Georgia contest.

“The fact that we won the grand prize at the flavor of Georgia was just a huge burst of joy for us because we have been working hard and really for three years just trying to work on some things,” says Goodson. “We entered in our honey cinnamon pecan butter into the flavor of Georgia. That’s what we went up there with as a finalist.”

Even though the ingredients to this award-winning product might sound simple, the process of getting it to their standards was anything but that.

“We experimented with several different varieties of honey to find something that would pair well with not only pecans, but also with cinnamon and also with sea salt, and overall the whole thing would just have a great flavor profile to it. That’s what we feel like what we found in our honey cinnamon pecan butter is that it’s just a great balance of flavor in all those four aspects of the ingredients that are with it,” says Goodson.

It’s not just the taste consumers will come back for, as this pecan butter, as well as others Goodson Pecans sell can be part of a healthy diet.

“It’s got a lot of great nutritional value to it,” says Goodson. “It’s very high in antioxidants from the pecans but it’s also got other properties that you’re going to find from the honey, from the cinnamon, from the sea salt. We offer not just the honey cinnamon, but also our creamy and crunchy. Those are also great for you and if you love pecans, if you love other butters, it is worth trying it.”

They hope this is just the beginning, as the Goodson’s are always looking to update their product list.

“We are not only excited to be pecan farmers, but also developers of pecan products and I think there are just tremendous days ahead,” says Goodson.

By: Damon Jones

 

Pecan Industry Launches First-Ever National Consumer Campaign

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Fort Worth, TX –  Pecans have been hovering below the radar for most Americans – often dismissed as an ingredient just for holiday pies. Even though pecans are the only major tree nut indigenous to America, many people in the country are unaware of the versatility, health benefits, American heritage, and year-round availability of pecans. That’s all about to change.

Today the pecan industry launched its first-ever national consumer campaign to help America’s native nut proudly claim its spot as a super nutritious, super versatile and super local nut. American Pecans, The Original Supernut™ is a brand positioning for pecans and a consumer education initiative to get Americans to think about pecans in a new way.

“The American pecan industry has a rich history dating back centuries and a powerful story that is largely untold – our goal is to change that,” said Mike Adams, a Texas pecan grower and chairperson of the American Pecan Council – a new organization formed as a result of a Federal Marketing Order (FMO) for pecans approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2016. “Other nuts, to their credit, have benefited from large consumer campaigns for decades. Now, we want to shine a light on our industry that has come together to share the story of the American Pecan.”

Pecans, Humble No More
The new integrated marketing campaign includes digital advertising that showcases all the glorious ways to enjoy pecans that are #notjustpie, a national media integration along with media partnerships and influencer advocates to elevate the little-known health benefits of pecans. It also includes digital and social media, including a partnership with two of America’s top digital platforms, Serious Eats and Simply Recipes, which will feature “shoppable” pecan recipes that make it easy to buy pecans via Amazon Fresh – marking a first for a commodity board.

The campaign will help change America’s perception of pecans, focusing on three major reasons they truly are The Original Supernut.

  • Pecans are super nutritious: Even though pecans are typically considered a dessert nut, they are extremely nutrient dense and nearly two decades of research document their heart-health benefits.* Pecans are among the highest in “good” monounsaturated fats, and contain plant protein, fiber, flavonoids and essential minerals, including copper, manganese and zinc.
  • Pecans are super versatile: They are an easy snack right out of the bag or mixed with dried fruit for a fast trail mix. They can be tossed onto morning oatmeal, yogurt parfaits, and salads. And while pecan pie is a holiday favorite, pecans can be used in many savory recipes such as pasta, dips, and even tacos – the possibilities are endless.
  • Pecans are super local: Of all the major tree nuts eaten in the U.S., pecans are the only ones indigenous to America. Once grown wild and enjoyed by Native Americans, pecans are now harvested in 15 states across the pecan belt.

The marketing campaign and brand positioning, developed by Weber Shandwick, was led by consumer research that guided the development of the campaign. The research revealed current attitudes and beliefs about pecans, demonstrating that the top-of-mind recall of pecans was significantly lower (15%) for pecans compared to other nuts.1 Many consumers did not even think of pecans as a “nut,” but rather a baking ingredient. Pecans were most associated with pies, sweets and indulgent desserts, while other nuts were more likely to be linked to snacking and nutrition.

“Our objective is to broaden the appeal for pecans as more contemporary and preferred as an everyday snack or versatile cooking ingredient,” Adams said. “We are elated by the positive consumer testing of our new brand and there’s a real sense of optimism throughout the industry for what this campaign can do.”

The U.S. annual pecan harvest averages about 300 million pounds, which is a large portion of the global pecan supply. However, pecan production is significantly lower than other major tree nuts that have benefited from Federal Marketing Orders for decades, such as 2 billion pounds for almonds and 1 billion for walnuts. Pecan growers have planted thousands of acres of new trees in the last few years in anticipation of the expected increase in demand.

Pecans: Not Just Pie
To help illustrate the versatility of pecans beyond a pie, the campaign kicks off amidst National Pecan Month with a New York City pecan pop-up called “The Not Pie Shop” (110 Bedford Street) that will be serving a complete pecan menu (everything but pie) and will feature shelves full of innovative pecan products – from pecan milk, pecan butter and pecan oil to pecan snacks, flour and meal. Pecan cooking demonstrations will be conducted by superfood expert Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, New York chef Matt Abdoo, Lexi Davidson of ‘Lexi’s Clean Kitchen’ and Erin Alderson of ‘Naturally Ella.’

“I’m thrilled to help unveil one of the best-kept superfood secrets,” said Blatner, registered dietitian and author of The Superfood Swap. “Pecans have been overlooked for years, so it’s time to recognize pecans as a supernut. They’re packed with valuable nutrients that we need every day, and there are so many different, delicious ways to enjoy them.”

Pecans are a part of a $9 billion industry,2 and nut consumption in the U.S. has been steadily increasing, due to the strong evidence that nuts are heart-healthy* and provide plant protein and unsaturated fats. However, pecans have not enjoyed the same positive trajectory compared to other nuts.

“We are excited about deservingly earning a role on the national stage with our sister tree nuts. The health-conscious consumer is the real beneficiary of eating a natural food that is authentically local, powerfully nutritious, and truly delicious – the American Pecan,” Adams said.

Visit AmericanPecan.com to learn more about the American heritage, health benefits and creative uses of pecans, or visit @AmericanPecan on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

About the American Pecan Council

The American Pecan Council (APC) is a group of passionate pecan growers and shellers whose life work is dedicated to growing, harvesting and processing America’s native nut. Founded in 2016 through a Federal Marketing Order, the APC’s mission is to promote the many benefits of the American Pecan and help tell the story of this truly unique nut. With oversight by the USDA, APC aims to build consumer demand, develop markets and establish industry standards. APC is based in Fort Worth, Texas, and funded by pecan handlers in 15 pecan-producing states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas. To learn more visit www.AmericanPecan.com