Dusty Job...But someone has to do it!

Harvest season is in full swing here at the orchard, and there’s nothing quite like the rhythm of these November days. We’ve already made our first pass over most of our Pawnee trees, and now we’re circling back for round two. Even though it’s late fall, the weather has been so warm that the trees are still hanging onto their leaves. That means when the shakers move through, they’re not just knocking down pecans...they’re shaking loose a whole cloud of foliage too.

Once the shaker finishes its job, the sweepers take over. They crawl down each row, gathering leaves, limbs, and pecans into one long tidy windrow. It usually takes a couple of passes, but eventually everything ends up in a single line down the middle of the row...providing a clear path for the harvester to follow.

Once the harvester has passed, the row behind it looks almost swept clean, like a fresh start.  From there, everything heads back to the cleaning plant. That’s where we separate leaves and debris from the actual pecans and run the nuts through a series of sorting and sizing steps. By the end, those dusty, orchard-fresh pecans are clean, uniform, and ready for the next stage..

It’s not a glamorous process...shaking, sweeping, and harvesting kicks up plenty of dirt (that haze in your picture isn’t fog…it’s pure Texas dust!). But it’s one of the most important and satisfying parts of our year. Every pass through the orchard brings us one step closer to sharing another season’s harvest with all of you.

The Boar War: Protecting Our Pecan Crop

***Warning - Some pictures and content in this post might be too graphic to some viewers.***

 A lot of folks assume the greatest threats our pecan orchards face at harvest time are woodland furry or feathered fiends like squirrels and crows.  Some might even guess that the real problem is unwanted trespassers who just "borrow" a bag or two.  And while these pests do cause crop loss on a very small scale, it is nothing compared to the destruction caused by our biggest predator:  wild hogs.  Aside from the weather, nothing does more damage to our trees, orchard floor, and fall crop than these unwelcomed animals.  

Wild hogs don't just nibble a few pounds here and there...they root up acres of ground, smash young trees, spread disease, and pose real danger to people and pets.  These hogs aren't the kind that win ribbons at the county fair or befriend a spelling spider.  And despite what my dad told me when I was young that everything tastes better when it's chicken fried, these nasty creatures don't even taste good rolled in milk, eggs, and flour, and fried for Sunday supper.  Wild hogs are massive, aggressive, and persistent and keeping them out of our orchards is something we take very seriously. 

Over the last couple of decades, as the wild hog population has exploded across Texas, farmers and ranchers have gone to great lengths to combat them.  In our own orchards we've tried it all:  setting up traps, hunting (and allowing a select few trained others to hunt), and building electric fences around the perimeters.  Each effort is targeting one main goal...keeping these beasts from tearing up our land and devouring our crops.

Wild hogs travel in social groups called sounders.  Most range from just 2-20 animals but larger groups of 40 to 50 aren't uncommon especially during droughts when resources are scarce.  These sounders can wreck havoc on an orchard in a single night.  They'll gobble up the nuts on the ground, but the real damage comes from everything else they leave behind: trampling, rooting, and waste that ruin the orchard floor and make harvest nearly impossible.  

For our harvesting equipment to work properly, the orchard floor has to be smooth and level so the machines can sweep up the nuts and pull them into trailers.  But when a sounder moves through, they leave the ground looking less like an orchard and more like a monster truck rally after a rainstorm or like your grandma's garden after a family of armadillos move in...times ten!  Repairing that kind of damage takes both time and money, which not only cuts into profits but also delays us from getting pecans to our stores and ultimately to our customers.  

Years ago, we learned never to plant an orchard without first planning water.  Dry summers and long droughts taught us that lesson the hard way, and ever since, we've put irrigation in before a single tree takes root. These days we've added another must-have:  electric fencing.  We don't shake a limb or roll a harvester until the fences are in place and humming.  The cost is real, but the damage wild hogs can render is far worse.  If only Charlotte's Web could spin us a fence strong enough to keep the hogs out, we'd hire her in a heartbeat.  Until then, hot wire will have to do. 

Tis the Season to Get Prepping

In our part of the world, middle of August is the time when students K-12th grade start back to school.  Every year comes with chaos, excitement, a little bit of dread, and a new routine.  But this year came with my first (and only) experience.  I now have a senior in high school.  August 13th was my sweet girl's last first day of high school.

Cue the waterworks!

Actually, I didn't shed too many tears...I didn't have time to!  Leading up to the big day, Dotty and her friends were painting parking spots (whose idea was it to be on concrete in Texas in August...seriously way too hot for that!), painting senior jeans, painting car windows, painting, painting and more painting.  And just about the time I was really happy the arts and crafts portion of her senior year was over, she was helping to organize the senior sunrise breakfast!  

Have I mentioned before that I don't cook?!

So on Dotty's first day of school I was thoroughly worn out and she was ready and gone before the sun came up so I barely had a chance to grab a quick picture and a hug as she rushed out the door.  It was probably for the best.  I am not a big fan of crying or emotions in general (I am in counseling...its a work in progress.)  So with the chaos of the days leading up to and the day of the actual event where my one and only child is having her LAST FIRST DAY...to say it was not what I expected would be an understatement.  

But that is true in life too I think.  

I had prepared for the big emotions, the need to want to "take to the bed" as Leanne Morgan would say, the wailing and gnashing of teeth, the anxiety, the depression...I was prepared for all of it.  But if it came it was going about 100 mph and I missed it.  I also didn't feel big feelings of joy or excitement either.  

It ended up kind of being just a Wednesday.

I feel like that as we prepare for the holiday season at work.  The overwhelming prep work is harder than the days we are actually in the thick of things. 

Thinking about all we will need, might need, and hope to high heaven we don't need.  Trying to guess what will be popular this year or what customers will want this holiday season.  Setting up interviews for new staff.  Trying to create a schedule where all shifts are covered.  Prepping the warehouse and the retail area for the different stages that we know will take place as the season progresses.  Trying to alleviate any potential disasters.  Getting all the equipment checked (and rechecked.)

In our retail world we spend 8 months prepping for 2 months of retail frenzy followed by 2 months of recovery! 

It feels a lot like prepping for your only child to go into senior year. 

I spent almost 18 years getting ready for this event...it will last not even one full year...then I hope I can recover by the time she graduates college! 

But just like with my daughter's senior year the memories made, the time spent, the moments captured, the long days and even longer nights...they are all worth it.  Perhaps I have mentioned that Dotty is my only child (once or twice maybe) and so while I don't get a chance to do senior year again with a kid, I know that no matter how many opportunities any parent gets, we will never get it perfect.

Same with retail.

No matter how many seasons I have had under my belt, some stuff will still go wrong...but more things will go right. And like with my senior...I plan to just cherish the time.  Before I know it, another holiday season will be over and we will be prepping for the next.

Tis the season! 

Behind the Scenes: Lights, Camera...Pecans!

We had a blast this week filming our brand-new commercial that will hit local TV this fall in the Wichita Falls area! It’s always an exciting (and slightly chaotic) day when the cameras roll...but this year’s shoot was especially meaningful.

Let’s just say, I’ve confirmed once again that I was not made to be a stage mom! The moment kids step in front of the lights with lines to deliver, all my usual “take charge” instincts fly right out the window. I’ve got a whole new respect for child actors. Seriously, hats off to them!

The Montz granddaughters have basically grown up in front of the camera...literally! They’ve been part of Pecan Shed print ads and commercials since before they were even born. This year would have marked my niece Presley’s 20th year of appearing in our ads, but she had to sit this one out due to a packed schedule (and maybe because she’s heard enough of my “brilliant ideas” to last a lifetime...ha!).

My daughter, Dotty, just wrapped her 18th year in the spotlight as she begins her senior year of high school. My other nieces, Lulu and Lona, have been troopers for 10 and 8 years, respectively. And this year, we welcomed our newest star...Lila! She’s the adorable daughter of our amazing cameraman and creative mastermind, Jake from KFDX (not to be confused with my brother Jake…though that’s caused some funny mix-ups over the years!).

You’d be surprised how much time goes into a 30-second commercial. What you see on TV takes well over an hour  (sometimes closer to two) to film. And by the end of it, I usually need a nap, a snack, and maybe a good therapy session! But each year gets a little easier. Maybe the girls are getting more comfortable, or maybe I’m learning to loosen my grip. Either way, this time I walked away with just a dull headache...and a full heart.

That’s kind of the lesson, isn’t it?

Whether it’s filming commercials or walking through big life transitions, the more we try to tightly control every detail, the more things seem to slip through our fingers. As Dotty heads into her senior year, I feel myself wanting to cling to every moment...like holding on to the edge of a cliff. But the truth is, the harder I grip, the more the moments seem to get crumpled by the pressure.

I heard a line on a podcast this week that stopped me in my tracks:
“We need to trust God more than our grip.”
Whew. That hit home.

As a mom, especially one facing the bittersweet season of senior year, I want to trust God with everything. But sometimes, my tight grip on Dotty’s future tells a different story. Letting go isn’t easy...especially for those of us who find comfort in the illusion of control. But I never want my agenda to get in the way of God’s plan for her.

You know, when we film these commercials, I give Jake from KFDX a rough vision. But what he produces always blows me away. It’s better, brighter, and more beautiful than anything I had in my head.

And that’s just like God.

His plans for our kids—for us—are always greater than anything we could dream up. So here’s to letting go a little more, trusting a lot more, and believing that the best is still ahead.

Thanks for being part of the Pecan Shed family. We can’t wait to share this new commercial with you soon...because from our family to yours, it’s made with heart…and just a little bit of pecan dust.

Nuts About FFA - And One Proud Momma

Just a few days before America celebrated Independence Day, I was down in Fort Worth Texas celebrating my daughter, Dotty, as she received her Lonestar FFA Degree at the Texas FFA State Convention.  I may not have been wearing red, white and blue, but my heart was bursting like a Rushing's Pyrotechnics fireworks finale! I was one very proud momma!

While I grew up in an ag family and now work in the industry at the Pecan Shed, I didn't experience FFA firsthand.  So Dotty's FFA journey has been a whole new world for me.  And what a ride it's been!

Her freshman year, she enrolled in her first ag class and jumped into LDEs (Leadership Development Events).  I called her Official Dress a costume (oops) and got lovingly corrected...it's OD, thank you very much!  That spring she told me her bunnies were now officially part of her SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experience).  Later, she started preparing for a CDE (Career Development Event) in entomology - yes bugs!  Her Papa kept asking if the pecan weevil was on any of the tests...sadly it was not. She wrapped up the year by writing a speech on the pecan industry for her SDE (Speaking Development Event) and she even ran for chapter office.  

I had a front row seat to a year that was exciting, confusing, rewarding, hard, hilarious, and absolutely packed with acronyms I still get mixed up.  But I wouldn't trade it for anything.  The miles, the early mornings, the late nights...they were all worth it for the banners, buckles, and memories...and especially the community we found in blue and gold.  

From there, she went all in.  Dotty added goats to her SAE and launched a fundraiser she calls "Nuts About FFA" selling our family's pecans to local chapters to use as a fall fundraiser for their school FFA program.  She has been a State Qualifier in LDE, SDE, and CDE events...placing in the top 10 in Texas twice.  She's served as her chapter's Vice President and now enters her second year as Chapter President.  She's also a former District Officer and currently serves as the First Vice President for Area Officers.  

Now a senior, Dotty shows no signs of slowing down.  Her love for FFA and the people who make it so special has inspired her to pursue a degree in Ag Communications.  Her dream is to spend her life "Agvocating for Agriculture" and the values it represents. 

And what a blessing it's been to watch the village surround her.  Incredible ag teachers, mentors, and folks from our community have poured into Dotty with wisdom, encouragement, and and their most precious asset...time.  I don't know exactly what her future holds, but I know Who holds it and I know FFA has shaped her heart, her character, and her calling.

Dotty has often said that FFA is her happy place...and I believe her.  Watching her grow in leadership and purpose has changed me too.  I believe in the future of agriculture and I believe in our future...period.  It's in good hands. 

At the Pecan Shed we believe in strong roots and we've seen firsthand how FFA helps grow the next generation of agricultural leaders.  We couldn't be more proud to support the young men and women who are living out the FFA motto every day:

Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve.

Why Rainy Days Are a Blessing for Pecan Farmers

Puddles aren't something we usually see around Texas in late June...but when they do show up, they are a welcomed sight at the Pecan Shed.

The recent rains have done more than just cool things off.  They have brought a much needed boost to our pecan orchards right when our trees are hard at work growing this year's crop.  Mature pecan trees need about two inches of water each week during the hot summer months of June through August.  This consistent moisture keeps the trees healthy, reduces stress, and...most importantly...helps the pecans develop full, flavorful kernels.

Because let's be honest, no one wants a shriveled or dried out pecan in their holiday pies or snack bowls. Full, plump pecan meats start with good hydration.  

When rain is not an option we rely on irrigation to get the job done.  But irrigation isn't cheap.  Between the high electricity costs of running the system and the hours our team spends checking and making repairs to it, the price adds up quickly.  So when the skies open up and give us some rain, it's not just good for the trees...it's good for the whole operation.

Sure, rainy days might slow down outdoor plans, get our trucks a little muddy, and stir up a few extra thousand or so mosquitoes.  But to us, the sound of rain on the roof is the sound of provision.  It's the sound of God watering the land.  It means stronger trees, better pecans, and a healthier harvest to share with all of you.

So from all of us here at the Pecan Shed, thank you for celebrating the rain with us!  It truly is a blessing in every drop!  

Quality Matters

 

Earlier this week while I was shopping at a local grocery store, I noticed a display with pecans in it.  I will be honest, at first I thought they were roasted or toasted.

Sadly, they were not.  

They were labeled as "Jr. Mammoth Halves" which means they are plain pecans...no seasoning...no baking...just raw pecans.  (Jr. Mammoth is a size qualification used in the pecan industry.)

 I decided to buy a few ounces to show the comparison between those grocery store pecans and ours.  

Pecan Shed Pawnee Halves are on the left and the grocery store pecans are on the right.  

Our Pawnee Halves are also classified as Jr. Mammoth Halves based on their size.  The Pawnee pecan is a variety within that category of pecans. 

I am sure you can see the difference and no doubt you can almost taste the difference from this picture as well!

Natural pecan halves, if stored properly, should be "golden" in color year round.  Proper storage also ensures the pecans will retain their fresh quality and flavor.  

Our pecans are harvest October through February each year.  During these cooler months, newly harvested pecans can be stored at room temperature.  However, when our part of Texas starts to heat up in mid to late March, we begin keeping all our pecans in refrigerated commercial coolers.  In the retail stores, we only bring out a few bags to keep on our shelves at a time and the rest stay refrigerated until we need to restock.  If we still have pecans left over when the next harvest begins, we will freeze those pecans (but often we run out close to the end of September).  

While I am not certain where the grocery store pecans came from, many grocery stores and big box stores buy pecans from large shelling companies.  These facilities can have up to two years worth of pecans in stock.  So pecans you might be buying today could potentially already be two years old.  And many retailers don't keep the stock refrigerated once they arrive at their facilities, which is why the pecans turn darker in color and begin to lose their fresh taste.

This time of year, even in your own home, if you don't plan to use the pecans within a day or two of your purchase it is best to keep them refrigerated or you can always freeze them.  Pecans can be stored in airtight containers and frozen for up to 2 years (although my mom has kept them much longer than that!)  They key is the airtight container.  Pecans do absorb odors, thus if the container is not airtight pecans can taste like freezer burn. 

Another way we at the Pecan Shed try to ensure our pecans retain their quality, is to only ship pecans Monday through Wednesday during the warmer days of the year.  We don't want our pecans to be in transit too long while temperatures are high.  And remember, when you get them, it is best to either consume the pecans or store them in the refrigerator or freezer.  Don't leave them in your car, on your counter or in your cabinets! Pecans are a perishable food item.     

Here are the general rules for storing pecans...

Happy Father's Day 2025

 Father's Day 2025

Happy Father's Day to all the dads and dad-like guys out there!!!

And big hugs for my own dad, Tim Montz, and my brother, Jake Montz.

These two guys work together daily in Charlie, TX where our pecan orchards are primarily located.  Thanks to them we have the yummy pecans we sell year round in our stores and online!  They know how to grow great pecans and great kids (and of course I am totally biased!

Our family opened the Pecan Shed in 1981.  A few years later we began planting our "Home Orchard" around our house.  Now, almost 40 years later, Dad and Jake are still planting trees in the Charlie, TX area!  Currently, we have over 25,000 trees on  roughly 1,000 acres...with more planned for the future!  

Working in a family agriculture business it is inevitable that some literal and metaphorical storms will blow up from time to time.  Our family has endured tornadoes, freezes, droughts, pest infestation, wild hog invasions, market crashes, and more than one occasion where we didn't see eye to eye on the best way to move forward.  But we weathered them all...and are better for it! 

Tim and Jake have both served as President of the Texas Pecan Growers Association and both have traveled internationally promoting pecans in efforts to open up foreign markets.  These two have served on many other state and national boards and are definitely considered to be leaders in their field.  They have won numerous awards over the years and I am so proud of the work they do not only for our family business but for the pecan industry as a whole. 

Dad is inching his way slowly to retirement (although he is of the generation that will never fully retire...and that is quite okay with us!)  He loves to travel and fish any day he can!  Jake is decades away from retirement!  He and I have lots of plans for the future of this business and we are still young at heart (even if our backs are not what they used to be!)  Jake is the proud dad of three beautiful girls and they keep him on his toes and very busy when he is not on a tractor!

To say I am blessed with the best is an understatement!  These two guys right here might drive me nuts on occasion but when you are in the pecan business it is fairly standard practice.  

From our family to yours we hope you all have a blessed Father's Day Weekend!  

And may the love of our Heavenly Father be with you always!   

Mother Nature Has an Attitude...

Just after we survived a spring freeze a few weeks ago, last weekend our trees were being whipped by 20+ mph winds.  We barely had time to check all the orchards for possible limb loss before the forecasters were saying possible hail is now headed our way.

Mother Nature seems to have a bad attitude lately!

Farming is not for the faint of heart.  You have to have big shoulders to carry the worries of things beyond your control and you have to have tough knees to constantly be in prayer to God for Him to watch over your entire livelihood.

And it isn't just pecan farmers.  Everyone in the farming industry faces similar challenges on a daily basis.  We are all at the mercy of things we simply have no control over.  Most farmers I know put in well over 40 hours per week only to at times see all their hard work destroyed in the minutes and hours it takes a single storm to sweep through their area.

But when the storm has passed, these men and women who have dedicated their lives to growing crops for the world to eat do what they know to do.  They work.  And they work hard.  Sometimes to salvage what is left.  Sometimes to start again.  And sometimes to merely clean up the aftermath so the next crop might stand a chance.  

Farming is not like other industries.  We can't just crank up the motor on the factory to produce more of a crop.  We can't add night shifts and weekend shifts to increase productivity.

We plant the seeds.  We water.  We cultivate.  We wait.  And we pray.  And when the time comes we harvest all we can of what we have grown.

And then we do it all again the next season.

For some of us, like pecan farmers, we only get one harvest a year.  If that harvest is destroyed by a freeze or a hail storm or bugs or some other type of natural disaster then we are finished for the year. There is no replanting.  There is no other crop.  It is only the one and done.

So tonight as you park your car inside the garage and while you are bringing in the delicate flowers and the breakable porch decorations please say a prayer for the farmers who are sitting by the window...watching the skies and their weather apps...and praying for God to have mercy on their fields and future.  

Hello Again...

Hey Folks,

It has been a while since I last blogged but I am making it my goal to revive it!  We post a lot of product pictures on Facebook...

(https://www.facebook.com/pecanshed/  AND https://www.facebook.com/PecanShedHenrietta/)

...but this gives me an opportunity to tell you a few more details about the nutty stuff that goes on at the Pecan Shed and out in the orchards.  So I hope you enjoy!

It is hard to believe February has already come to an end.  It feels like just last week we were preparing for Strawbageddon or as some of you loving refer to it...Valentine's Day!  We broke a record this year dipping a few hundred dozen Fudge Dipped Strawberries between the two stores from February 1st through the weekend after Vday.  If you got a dozen or two we sure hope you enjoyed them!!

They will be back for Mother's Day week. (We all need a few months to regain our sanity and lose a few pounds!  One perk for working at the Pecan Shed is you get to eat the "oopsies"!)  But in the meantime if you need a fix remember we have our Fudge Dipping Cups available year round in both Milk Chocolate and Vanilla Fudge.  Same great fudge we use at the stores you can use at home.  And as a bonus you can dip whatever you want!!!  At my house our favorite treat is to dip Oreo cookies into the vanilla fudge cup.  If you can eat more than one you better check your blood sugar levels!  

As we say goodbye to February and look forward to March we have some fun new ideas we are looking forward to sharing with all of you!  Angela B. and Linda who make our fudge at the Wichita Falls store have a great new fudge flavor coming out tomorrow.  All I can say is it has caramel, divinity fudge, and pecans and smells so good when they are making it!  Like makes you want to lick the air it is so good!!!  (Caramel is my kryptonite!)

But if fudge is too sweet for you stop by the Henrietta store.  Jill N, Sara Jo, and Angela B are always whipping up fun new ideas in that kitchen!  It is hard to work over there most days because I keep hearing...Try this! or Taste that!  Those girls are hard on a keto diet let me tell you!

Well the sun is shining.  The air is getting just a bit warmer outside.  And apparently Dad needs me to call him back so I better wrap this up!  Y'all stop by and see us soon!  We are looking forward to your visit!

We Want the Rain But Not the Hail...

This time of year, as the pecan trees begin to put on those tiny buds which will turn out to be the upcoming crop, pecan farmers pray for the spring rains but they dread the thought of hail, high winds, tornadoes, or late freezes.  Many mornings after a spring storm you will find a pecan farmer driving through their orchards checking rain gauges and/or the damage Mother Nature can bring. 

Growing up I watched my dad stay up until the 10pm weather forecast was over then he went to bed (how he slept or if he slept depended on the forecast).  Nowadays, thanks to technology, most farmers can check the apps on their phones to see the forecast any time of day (but I bet the majority still watch the nightly news to see what the local weatherman has to say at that time of night).  I also watched both my parents worry about the weather on numerous occasions.  Some things we can control, or at the very least minimize the damage, but some things are beyond our control.

Farmers can prepare for the lack of rain by irrigating crops from well water.  However there are very few ways to stop a flood.

When it comes to a freeze, farmers can water the trees (a wet freeze is better than a dry one) or they can try to burn hay to create smoke to keep the heat in.  Unfortunately some freezes are just too cold for too long and no amount of water or smoke will save the crop.

Hail, high winds, and tornadoes can only be dealt with in prayer.  In just a few minutes a severe hail storm can strip a tree bare or a high winds can break off limbs.  Of course we all know tornadoes can twist or uproot full grown trees or even snap them in half.

This time of year it always makes me think of our own walk through life.  We want the blessings God has to give us but we dread the hardships and trials we must sometimes face.  We try to prepare for the worst but some things we just cannot prepare ourselves for.  We make every effort to do things on our own but sometimes the only thing we can do is pray. 

Life has a funny way of offering us blessings like rain and sometimes we even feel overrun by those blessings to the point of a burden similar to a flood.  Other times life withholds blessings and we feel as if we are going through a drought.

Sometimes we can see the trouble coming and we can get ourselves ready for it like farmers do to their trees during a light freeze, but sometimes the trouble is just too much for us to withstand like it is for the trees during a hard freeze.

And then life comes at us with things we have no control over...cancer, death, accidents, hate crimes, etc...and like a tree in a storm with hail, high winds or a tornado we must just endure until the storm passes.  But unlike the tree, while we endure the storm we can turn to God to find shelter for our spiritual self in the storm. 

While a storm may rage all around us, thanks to God, it does not have to rage within us.  With God's love, joy, and peace we can find refuge in any storm. 

Just as pecan farmers take inventory of the damage and as they do what needs to be done to salvage any kind of crop for the current year or future years, we too must pick up the pieces and move on after a storm in life. 

The Pruning Season

     This weekend I attended church and our pastor talked about fruitfulness.  As Christians we are told to be "fruitful".  While the pastor was referencing John Chapter 15 in which the author is talking about a vine and it's branches I kept thinking about pecan trees and their branches. 

     Just like the "gardener" prunes branches that do not bear fruit so do pecan farmers.  We cut back limbs that have died or those who have been broken by the storm and will soon die.  We hedge, thin and prune our trees in order for each tree to produce its largest amount of quality pecans possible. 

    Sometimes we prune and hedge the trees to allow more light to shine in on the remaining branches because without light the branches cannot bear fruit.  Sometimes we prune trees so they will grow in a way that will make the stronger and better able to withstand storms.  Sometimes we prune trees to make sure they don't overproduce one year and thus get so stressed they can't make a good quality crop.

     Pruning is not meant to hurt the tree.  It is meant to make the tree better and more fruitful.  The same is true with us in life.  The "gardener" (God) prunes us to make us better and more fruitful.  He might cut away branches that no longer serve us. He might cut branches that cause us to grow in a way that is not beneficial to us or that will produce unpleasing fruit.  He might cut out branches in order to make us stronger so we can endure during the storms of life. 

    While pruning is necessary it is never fun.  Pruning leaves scars both on trees and on people. 

     Just because a branch is gone does not mean it is forgotten.  Scars on trees and scars on and inside of people remind us of what we lost; of what we had to give up for the sake of growing stronger and producing better fruit. 
   Pecan farmers tend to prune and hedge at the end of winter; generally around February when the crop has been all harvested and spring is still a few months away.  In Texas spring can come early so we make sure as soon as harvest is over we start working on the trees to get them ready for the next season.  It is actually kind of sad to drive through the orchard in February/March and see all the trees with the blunt cuts from the blades of the machines.  The trees are bare of leaves and the tops and sides look like the agriculture version of Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  They look like they are in pain but what they really are is they are healing.
     The trees are healing from producing and harvesting the crop.  The pruning was done to aid in that healing.  It helps them from getting too big and out of shape.  The hedged parts will usually sprout new growth which is healthier and stronger than the older part of the tree.  The process that looks so ugly and painful is actually very beneficial to the trees.
     The same holds true for us.  Sometimes when we have just come off a very successful time in life (harvest) that is when God decides to prune us.  It may not seem logical at the time but He is really trying to help us.  Other times we are at our lowest points.  We are drained and physically exhausted and that is when God takes out His pruning knife and hacks away at our limbs.  These times can also be confusing because we are already at such a low point the idea of losing a part of us seems almost too much to bear, but God knows what we need.
     Just like with pecan trees, when the time is right, when spring once again returns to our lives, we see our growth take shape as God intended it.  We see our bodies, minds, and souls get stronger.  As the winds blow and the rains come we are able to bend but not break.  Before long the "fruits" of our lives begin to show and we prepare for another bountiful harvest time once again. 
   Unfortunately, just as pecan farmers must prune trees almost every year so too must God prune us more than once.  This process of pruning and growing happens over and over again.  We just need to be patient and trust the "gardener".   

2016 Crop Harvest Underway

The 2016 Pecan Harvest is underway.  Even with the recent rains slowing things down a bit we are still harvesting almost daily out in our orchards located in Charlie, TX.

While this video was actually shot last year it still gives you a good idea of how we getting things moving and "shaking" this time of the year.  Click on the link below to see our pecan shaker in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSUKwqple_o


If left up to Mother Nature, we would need a good frost or even a freeze in order for the pecans to start falling.  However, with machines like this pecan shaker, we are able to get fresh pecans to you faster!

Make sure you stop by, call, or visit our website to get your order in for pecans!  The holidays are just around the corner and it is never too early to start thinking about and shopping for all those festive treats and sweets! 

Elephants Don't Make Good House Guests

I am bad at communicating. 

My whole family is bad at communication.

The whole world needs to work on communicating better.

That being said one of the worst parts of bad communication is when no one wants to talk about the "elephant" in the room.  We all see it.  The elephant sees us.  Just no one talks about it.

We have all walked into a room and seen an 8,000 pound "elephant" just hanging out holding a vase with flowers and perhaps even decked out in some animal print sheet thrown over him so it drapes casually to the floor.  The entire time you stand there staring with your mouth wide open at the elephant all the ladies in the room are talking about how lovely the flowers are and how animal print never seems to go out of style.  Meanwhile the men remark how sturdy the floor must be.   However no one even mentions the fact that a giant "elephant" is standing right next to them making the whole room look and smell like a circus just passed through and forgot something! 

At first all you can think is...Do you not SEE that???  Do you not SMELL that???  Is it just ME???

But before you can get on the phone to call your eye doctor and your shrink you start to get interested in the conversations all dancing around the "elephant".  Next thing you know you too are amazed at how sturdy the floor actually is and that animal print really never does go out of style!

I am a firm believer that not talking about the "elephant" in the room is the cause for many business failures, divorces, and broken relationships of all kinds.  None of us want to have those difficult adult conversations to address the "elephants" who hang out with us daily making both our boardrooms and our bedrooms overcrowded and quite frankly pretty stinky.

From personal experience, I know some of the reasons why I am divorced were due to the fact my ex-husband and I could not and/or would not talk about our "elephants".  We just let more and more elephants walk into our living room and our lives until there was no room left for each of us.  Our marriage became a circus and not the fun kind you want to buy a ticket to watch.  We tried to dress our elephants up so no one saw how messy and stinky they were but when the lights went out in our "big top" only the elephants remained.  My ex-husband and I fought about several things.  We argued over where the elephant was standing...what the elephant was holding...what color grey the elephant was...if it was Asian or African...but we never addressed why we had a freaking elephant hanging out with us in the first place.  We fought about the superficial things and not the big one causing all the mess. 

Same is true in my family business.  When we talk with each other there is always an elephant...or a whole herd of them...sitting in the office with us.  Because we have the family dynamic as well as the boss/employee/coworker element we simply won't say or discuss certain things.  We don't want to hurt the other person's feelings...yet in the end we end up doing just that most of the time. 

Things left unsaid are not unknown, unfelt, or even unheard.  Some of my "loudest" arguments were fought in silence.  Some of the most hurtful things ever done by me or to me were issues that never got addressed...feelings that never got expressed...and words that were never spoken. 

Just like an elephant, the things we try to avoid don't just disappear.  They sit there...staring at us...making a mess of our lives...until we finally get up the courage to face the elephant nose to trunk.  We must deal with the elephant...get it out of our home, head, heart, workplace, and world!  Then and only then can we start dealing with cleaning up the mess it left behind.  We must grab our biggest pooper scooper and get to shoveling and sanitizing until things are as they should be again.

It is hard to deal with elephants.  By nature they are big and not easily moved.  I am still working on dealing with all the elephants in my life.  It is a constant struggle to stop avoiding things and just deal with them...but it is a struggle worth fighting through.  I have found luring them with yummy treats helps most of all...in that I have found that by approaching my elephants with kindness, warmth, and showing them an out that is mutually beneficial to both of us the elephants are easier to move. 

My life is still a circus sometimes.  There are days I feel like I have a huge herd of elephants and I am trying to balance on a tightrope with them all and no safety is below to catch us if we make a mistake.  It is one scary act let me tell you!  But deep down I know that I always have a safety net in my faith and ultimately in my family and close friends.  We might have to scoop some poop but at least we don't have to keep walking in it anymore! 

What's In a Name???

I have always believed words have power.  I have sticky notes all around my house posted to mirrors, doors, light switch plates, furniture, appliances, etc. reminding me, my child, and any visitors of such things like....

I am fearfully and wonderfully made. - my bathroom mirror
Only love today. - living room light switch plate cover
Best is good, but better is best. - hall closet door
I do not procrastinate. - washing machine
I am organized. - dinning room table (that doubles as my office table)
I am loved - her bathroom mirror
I am happy. - Her dresser drawer
I am smart. - Another dresser drawer
I am funny. - Another dresser drawer (she has a big dresser)
I control me and no one else. - back door (to remind me I can't even control my two lovable but oh so infuriating dogs)
Today is going to be a great day. - garage door
I am what I eat - just take a guess on that one

Because I believe words have power I recently edited the caller ID in my cell phone for some of those who call me most.  I figured I read my phone more often than I read anything else in this world so why not use it to make me calm, inspired, at peace, or even laugh almost every time I hear my ringtone!

Not everyone in my phone has a extra "tag line" but here are a few examples...

My brother used to just say - Jake Cell
Now it says - Don't Take It Personally Jake Cell

This is because my brother has quite possibly the worst phone etiquette of anyone on the planet.  He is always a little hateful when he answers and (while I know he is a busy man) he always seems to be hacked off that I called him regardless of the reason.  I used to get upset by this but now I know it is just him.  He talks to practically everyone like this.  I think even if Mother Teresa herself called to tell him he won the lottery she might get a "What do you want?"...followed by a "Well I don't have time for that right now...Call your father!  He isn't doing anything!"  And by father he does not mean the Pope. 

Speaking of fathers.

My dad's ID used to say - Dad Cell
Now it says - Patience...Just Breathe...Dad Cell

You see Dad is a lot like Jake.  (Hence why they get along so well...insert sarcastic tone here.)  Dad is usually a little short, always busy, always needing to answer another call, and can from time to time ask me to do things that not only frustrate me but in some cases are just not possible but he still expects to get it done...and do it now...because really I have nothing better to do (again insert sarcastic tone here).  For instance, one day Dad told me he did not like how the GPS on people's phone would direct them to our barns so Dad told me to call Google (like they have one phone line going in to some brick and mortar building in Ohio) and talk to whoever it was that did Google Maps (I am guessing his name is Bob...again insert...well you get the idea) and straighten out ol' Bob as to how to get people to Charlie, TX without sending them to Burkburnett!  Let me get right on that Dad.  To date I am still waiting on Bob to call me back.  But in reality I know my dad has had patience with me over the years.  Like when I was 4 or 6 years old...or 14 or 16...or 34 or well...yesterday when I had no clue what "red beans" were (pinto).  So I can have a little patience with him now that he is 64.  Just as he did for me when I babbled on as a baby, I will just nod and agree to whatever he says or asks.  To be honest I owe him at least that much for those teen years of mine. 

I have a certain guy on my phone (who will remain nameless) and his caller ID now just says - Don't Answer
No need to explain this one.  I will let you all use your imagination.  But I keep his number in there so I don't accidently pick up when he calls about once every three or four months. 

One of my very best friend's Caller ID now says - God Knew You Needed This
And boy did He ever know I needed that call or text!!!

My daughter's after school caregiver now says - What a Blessing
Because she and her family have been such a blessing to us in more ways than one and I thank God every time her name pops up.

I have a dear friend whom I adore but I know we are nothing more than friends. 
Before his name it says - Wrong Tree
As in don't go barking up the wrong tree because I would never want to lose him as a friend. 

My mom's says - Dotty's Favorite Memaw Cell
That is the whole truth and nothing but the truth right there.  None of us can compete with Memaw. 

Now even when I am stressed or worried or just have so much in my head I feel like it might burst some of these numbers appear and they remind me to take life a little less serious...appreciate the people I have in my life...stay away from those God has already shown me are not good for me...and just enjoy the moment, the conversation, the time...because who knows what tomorrow might bring. 

Words have power.  They can change your mind, your mood, and your facial makeup for sure.  I know this little trick won't solve the violence in the world but if it helps me to be a little kinder to those I talk to on a regular basis or if it reminds me to say a prayer of gratitude to God then perhaps my own world has become a little better for it. 

As a side note...both my stores say "Nuts About This Place"...but once in a while I change it to "I Must Be Nuts to Still Work Here"....hee hee hee!!! 

Laundry and Two AM Talks

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night...toss and turn...but just can't go back to sleep?  I do.  Between the hours of two and three AM tend to be my usual time where I find myself awake...exhausted...but still chasing sleep.

After a while I usually try watching some television, reading, or checking Facebook, but after about an hour of this I tend to get up and do laundry.  I don't know about all of you but at my house there is always laundry that needs to be done.  So with this always on my brain I swing out of bed and head to my washer and dryer. 

I usually pull the clothes out of the dryer (there are always clothes in my dryer) and start a new load going.  As I drop the basket at my feet and sit on the couch I begin folding clothes...and I talk to God. 

My first question is always "Ok.  I am up.  What do You need me to hear at this time of night?"

God gets my sarcasm.  He is also patient with my grumpiness at all times but especially in the middle of the night. 

Then I just fold in silence.

And I wait. 

And I listen. 

I let my mind begin to clear away the haze of sleep and I open up both it and my heart to what God has to say to me. 

Now I have never actually "heard" God speak to me like in a Morgan Freeman kind of voice but I have "heard" God talk to my soul...if that makes sense.  Some of my best talks with God happen in the middle of the night.  Some of my hardest talks have happened with God in the middle of the night.  Some of my soul shattering, soul cleansing, soul searching talks have happened with God as I folded socks and tshirts in the middle of the night.

I rarely go back to sleep on nights like this and I often look like a zombie the next morning due to not enough sleep.  While there may be dark circles under my eyes though my soul has brightened a little.  While I may be exhausted and tired all day, my mind is at peace and can rest easier now.  While I may yawn with a wide open mouth for most of the day, my heart is now wide open to experience all God has to offer me. 

I used to hate rolling over and checking the time on my phone just to see two-something AM lit up in bright numbers.  Now I don't hate it so much.  I give God the opening.  If He wants to chat me up for a while then two-something AM is as good a time as any.  However, if He doesn't really have much to say then I don't mind rolling back over and going to sleep too.  I just let the Big Guy make the call.

So if you see me today and I look a little tired or a little rough around the edges just know I am lacking sleep...but what I lost in sleep I gained in insight, wisdom and love from one of those two AM talks with God.  Give me some room to be grumpy today...after all I am no saint...I still need my sleep!!! 

Brighten a Room

I have heard it said...

Winners brighten a room by entering it.
Whiners brighten a room by leaving it.

Which way do you brighten a room? 
I know I probably do it both ways depending on the day and the situation, but I definitely hope I brighten it more when I enter than when I leave.

Social Media

Holy Hashtag!  Social media is a blessing and a curse.

In today's world, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and whatever else I am not cool enough to know about are the way in which many people communicate with friends, family, customers, business owners, celebrities, political nominees, and sometimes even the people who are sitting right beside them in the same room.  It truly is a necessary evil.

I have a love/hate relationship with social media.  I love seeing my friends kiddos, their vacations, their successes, and even their "real world" moments done with love and humor, but I get tired of all the negativity, drama, hate, and stupid stuff that often makes me want to delete all my accounts right that instant. 

As a business owner you can live and die by social media.  (Heck...I am posting this message on my FB pages as I type!)  The truth is someone could have one bad experience at my store or get one bad batch of pecans and rip me, my team, my family, and my business to shreds on social media without even letting me know about it or giving me the chance to make it right.  They could also sing my praises and give me five stars in the same manner as well.  All is fair (and unfair) in love, war, and the internet. 

To me social media is like being in high school all over again.  I get to hear a lot of things that I find vitally important, awesome, and totally cool (I graduated in the 90s...give me a break).  I also get to hear a lot of things I don't care about, don't believe to be completely true, and basically just ignore. 

But just like I kept going to class day in and day out for four years of my high school life, I continue to pop in to my social media sites on a daily basis (and sometimes several times a day).  The truth is many schools, children's sports teams, volunteer groups, special events, churches, businesses, and others use social media as a way to communicate and if you are not there to listen then you are often missing out.

The trick is to tune out the stuff that doesn't matter to YOU and tune in to the content that does.  If you love political debates by all means let me hook you up with my uncle Donny.  As a matter of fact if you love pugs he is your man too!  But if that isn't your thing and you are more into seeing some breathtaking Texas morning sunrises then my friend Jerry from Henrietta takes some of the best pictures I have ever seen.  I have friends who are into fitness, fashion, faces, and fur balls of all kinds.  I have friends who love the Cowboys, the Packers, the Rangers, and the Angels.  I have friends who read awesome books, live in amazing places, and have kids that are so stinking cute you would swear they aren't real!  Some of my friends are so hilariously funny I truly believe they should get their own reality tv show!  And some of my friends are fighting battles I could never imagine waging war against...they deal with so much pain and hurt and uncertainty that I think people should line up daily to just hug them.  Some of my friends post pictures of food that make me want to show up at their front doorstep with Tupperware in hand and some of my friends make me feel okay about my cooking skills because they too set off the smoke alarms every time they turn on the stove.

Whatever you want to find on social media the fact is it is out there.  You just have to get through all the other stuff to find it.  But isn't that life in general?  To get what we really want we have to get through all the stuff we don't want.  Of course sometimes the truly amazing happens while we are looking for one thing in particular.  We stumble upon something totally unexpected we never knew existed and it changes our lives forever.  I am always thankful for those friends, pages, groups, and events that I found while scrolling through and who made a huge a difference in my life. 

Whether you like it, love it, laugh at it, or hate it social media is what it is.  Just like most things you have to take the good with the bad.  So keep scrolling...keep hashtagging your heart out...keep liking up a storm.  Then get off the stinking phone, computer or tablet and go live your real life!!! 

Bitter or Better...

"Jill...A customer wants to talk to the manager."

Translation. 

"Jill...A customer is really mad and they plan on telling you about it."

Ughh. 

I used to want to run and hide when I heard that first line.  I do not like confrontations at all but I especially don't like them when it involves my family business.  My entire family puts our blood, sweat, and tears into producing and selling wonderful goods to consumers so when I get to listen to someone say how terrible my family, staff, or products are I am less than thrilled. 

In the last twelve years since I "officially" became the manager of the Pecan Shed I have been called just about every name in the book.  I have been cussed out, accused of being a thief, threatened to be sued, threatened to be harmed, and even almost run over by a customer's car in the parking lot one night. 

When people tell me how lucky I am to be the "boss" at the Pecan Shed I often want to tell them the truth...but I just smile and nod.  The truth is I am very lucky.

For every mean and nasty customer, vendor, or random person I have had to deal with over the years there are at least one hundred wonderful, amazing, sweet, and loyal customers who make my job a joy to go to every day.  The difficult part is remembering where to focus. 

So often we let ourselves focus on the little bit of bad that happens to us and we let it overshadow all the good.  If I am not careful I can let the small percentage of negativity I deal with at work make my job seem hard when it reality it isn't.  The truth is I am told many more times how good my products and team members are than I am ever told anything negative. 

I believe many times in life God will give us opportunities to face difficult events, situations, and people in an effort to mold us.  We can either allow these challenges to make us bitter or make us better. 

Now when I get the pleasure of talking to someone who is unhappy with a product or service we provide I take it as an chance to see if there really is room for improvement or at the very least I use the moment to educate the person who is upset as well as let them know that they have been heard.  Sometimes that is all people want in life is to be heard. 

When the truly hateful individuals show up, as they still do on rare occasions, I simply encourage them to shop elsewhere and remind my team we should all be glad we don't have to sit by that particular person at holiday meals.  Some people in life will never be happy and that is okay.  However I will not let them turn me bitter.  I will be better for having learned how to show them the door with grace, kindness, and possibly a little bit of humor thrown in for good measure. 

Leaders Are Readers...

If you listen to Dave Ramsey much when he talks about leadership in any type of organization you will often hear him say "Leaders are readers."  With that in mind here are a few of the most recent books I just LOVE and would highly recommend anyone read whether you are the CEO running a multibillion dollar business on Wall street or the MOM running a family from home.

EntreLeadership - Dave Ramsey - This book made me believe in great businesses again and made me want to become the leader of such a business. 

QBQ! The Question Behind the Question - John G. Miller - Wow!  You will never look at things the same after you read this book.  Personal accountability is severely lacking in today's world but this little quick read helps to shed light on how we all can make the shift to ask the be better question.

The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant - Terry Feblber - Great story about how making money can be your calling and how you can use your skills in the marketplace to be part of your ministry. 

Who Moved My Cheese - Spencer Johnson M.D. - I could only find this book on audio cd and I am actually glad I did.  I found myself laughing out loud not only at the story but at how I was exactly like the characters at different points in my life.  Everyone can get something out of this book whether your cheese got moved at work, with your spouse, with your kids, in your circle of friends, at your church...I promise you at some point your cheese has moved and now you need to go find new cheese. 

Basic Black - Catherine Black - If you are a woman I highly recommend you read this.  If you have a wife, daughter, or mother who is working in today's work force buy it for her.  If you work with women you might want to read it too! 

The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho - I loved this book when I read it.  I loved it so much I bought five more copies and handed them out to friends.  You should get it too. 

You Are a Badass:  How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life - Jen Sincero - Okay...if you can get past the curse words which I will say is hard for me at times this is a really amazing book!  I have read it and listened to it on audio at least ten times.  I use almost every principle she talks about and I promise you...THEY WORK!!!  Just ignore the F bombs. 

Books I have not read yet but are sitting on my nightstand or on loan to friends...

The Search for God and Guinness:  A Biography of the Beer that Changed the World - Stephen Mansfield

The Power of the Other:  The Startling Effect Other People Have on You, from the Boardroom to the Bedroom and Beyond-and What to Do About It - Dr. Henry Cloud

Rhinoceros Success: The Secret to Charging Full Speed Toward Every Opportunity - Scott Alexander

These are just a few but I hope if you are looking for something to read that is not your typical romance novel or summer thriller you will check out one of these I have mentioned.  No doubt many of you have heard of some of these or perhaps all of them.  They are good books and well worth the cost to add to your personal libraries. 

Happy Reading!!