http://money.cnn.com/2013/01/31/news/economy/china-pecan-exports/index.html?iid=SF_BN_River
Jake made news today on CNN Money talking about the role the Chinese consumer has been playing in the pecan industry.
Click on the link above to see what all is going on with local pecans...an ocean away!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Just Named to the Class of 2012 "20 Under 40"
http://www.timesrecordnews.com/photos/2013/jan/23/77721/
Thanks to everyone for all the “congratulations” calls, texts, emails, FB messages, and to those customers who came into the Pecan Shed to wish me a “congrats!” Y’all really know how to make a girl feel special!
Last night I sat down to show Dotty the picture in the newspaper and read the article to her. When I was done Dotty said, “So why are you in the paper?”
I said simply (she is only 5 after all), “I try really hard to do a good job at the Pecan Shed and I help others who need my help.”
Dotty paused for a minute with a look of confusion on her face then she shrugged her shoulders and said, “So what?”
A bit surprised I said, “What do you mean ‘so what’?”
Dotty said “I help my friends when they need my help and I try hard to do good at school too. I get a gold star every day…well almost every day. My picture has never been in the paper. Why is yours?”
Dotty has a great way of bringing things down into black and white for me (she is only 5 after all).
Dotty helped me to remember what I already knew. Lots of people in the community and many other communities do great things. Lots of people deserve to have their picture in the paper and their story told. Unfortunately most don’t. They don’t because they do things anonymously or because they like to work behind the scenes or because they just simply get overlooked in today’s busy world.
I know there are a lot of deserving people out there…just like I know the 19 others who were honored along with me yesterday are all really deserving people too.
We don’t all get to be recognized in such a public way but we can all recognize each other. So the next time you see someone doing something great give them a “gold star”…like Dotty gets at school…or simply give them a “thank you”.
I really am VERY proud to be part of the class of 2012 “20 Under 40” and I am part of a great group of people. I know how much this honor means and I feel truly blessed.
I did end my talk with Dotty last night by saying this, “If you keep working really hard and you keep doing good things some day you could be named 20 Under 40 and have your picture in the paper too.”
Dotty (in her best “duh Mom” voice) said, “Mom…I am A LOT younger than 40!”
Well…she is only 5 after all!
Thanks to everyone for all the “congratulations” calls, texts, emails, FB messages, and to those customers who came into the Pecan Shed to wish me a “congrats!” Y’all really know how to make a girl feel special!
Last night I sat down to show Dotty the picture in the newspaper and read the article to her. When I was done Dotty said, “So why are you in the paper?”
I said simply (she is only 5 after all), “I try really hard to do a good job at the Pecan Shed and I help others who need my help.”
Dotty paused for a minute with a look of confusion on her face then she shrugged her shoulders and said, “So what?”
A bit surprised I said, “What do you mean ‘so what’?”
Dotty said “I help my friends when they need my help and I try hard to do good at school too. I get a gold star every day…well almost every day. My picture has never been in the paper. Why is yours?”
Dotty has a great way of bringing things down into black and white for me (she is only 5 after all).
Dotty helped me to remember what I already knew. Lots of people in the community and many other communities do great things. Lots of people deserve to have their picture in the paper and their story told. Unfortunately most don’t. They don’t because they do things anonymously or because they like to work behind the scenes or because they just simply get overlooked in today’s busy world.
I know there are a lot of deserving people out there…just like I know the 19 others who were honored along with me yesterday are all really deserving people too.
We don’t all get to be recognized in such a public way but we can all recognize each other. So the next time you see someone doing something great give them a “gold star”…like Dotty gets at school…or simply give them a “thank you”.
I really am VERY proud to be part of the class of 2012 “20 Under 40” and I am part of a great group of people. I know how much this honor means and I feel truly blessed.
I did end my talk with Dotty last night by saying this, “If you keep working really hard and you keep doing good things some day you could be named 20 Under 40 and have your picture in the paper too.”
Dotty (in her best “duh Mom” voice) said, “Mom…I am A LOT younger than 40!”
Well…she is only 5 after all!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Kenny's All Purpose Seasonings Now Available
The Pecan Shed is happy to announce that we are now carrying Kenny's All Purpose Seasonings. We have the Original and the Cajun flavors available in either the 8oz or the 15oz cans.
There are many uses for this great product but one of them is in making some tasty chili...
KENNY’S CHAMPION CHILI
4lbs lean chili meat
1 large onion
Fresh garlic
2 cans of Rotel or 3 cups of Pace picante sauce
7 tablespoons chili powder
5 chicken bullion cubes
2 qts water to cover meat
Kenny’s All Purpose Seasoning to taste
Brown meat, onion, and garlic (don’t drain meat). Add the rest of the ingredients, heat to boil, and then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for one hour. Skim off fat during cooking.
Some of you might remember Kenny Humpert was the 2011 winner for IdeaWF context! This family business is local to our area (his production facility is out in the Scotland/Windthorst neck of the woods) and produces a top quality product that cooks love to use!
You don't have to be a master of the kitchen or the grill to use Kenny's All Purpose Seasoning...which is a good thing since I am surely not a master of either!
Pick up a can today and start to see your food's flavor come alive with great taste!
There are many uses for this great product but one of them is in making some tasty chili...
KENNY’S CHAMPION CHILI
4lbs lean chili meat
1 large onion
Fresh garlic
2 cans of Rotel or 3 cups of Pace picante sauce
7 tablespoons chili powder
5 chicken bullion cubes
2 qts water to cover meat
Kenny’s All Purpose Seasoning to taste
Brown meat, onion, and garlic (don’t drain meat). Add the rest of the ingredients, heat to boil, and then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for one hour. Skim off fat during cooking.
Some of you might remember Kenny Humpert was the 2011 winner for IdeaWF context! This family business is local to our area (his production facility is out in the Scotland/Windthorst neck of the woods) and produces a top quality product that cooks love to use!
You don't have to be a master of the kitchen or the grill to use Kenny's All Purpose Seasoning...which is a good thing since I am surely not a master of either!
Pick up a can today and start to see your food's flavor come alive with great taste!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Welcome 2013!
I am not sure that 2013 could get much better than 2012...but I have a feeling it just might!
The Pecan Shed has big plans for this year...the main one being we will be opening a second location on Hwy 287 in Henrietta, TX hopefully by September (at the latest October). I am really excited about this new store and hope it will allow us to reach those who never even knew we existed!
The new Pecan Shed will be a lot like our current store but we will offer more homemade goodies as well as fountain drinks, coffee, gas, and more. The current Pecan Shed (located in Wichita Falls) will remain open to help serve our existing customer base. We will also use the current location to do all of our custom cracking and buying of pecans from the public because these two services will not be available at the Henrietta store.
I hope you all have a blessed, healthy, and happy 2013!!!
The Pecan Shed has big plans for this year...the main one being we will be opening a second location on Hwy 287 in Henrietta, TX hopefully by September (at the latest October). I am really excited about this new store and hope it will allow us to reach those who never even knew we existed!
The new Pecan Shed will be a lot like our current store but we will offer more homemade goodies as well as fountain drinks, coffee, gas, and more. The current Pecan Shed (located in Wichita Falls) will remain open to help serve our existing customer base. We will also use the current location to do all of our custom cracking and buying of pecans from the public because these two services will not be available at the Henrietta store.
I hope you all have a blessed, healthy, and happy 2013!!!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Happy Birthday to Mom...
December 31st is a date celebrated around the world by almost everyone. It is New Year's Eve which means one big party! This is a time when people celebrate another year over and a new one beginning.
For my family it has also always meant another kind of celebration...my mom's birthday! Mom always joked that everyone celebrated her birthday since she is a New Year's Eve baby. Today my mom celebrates another year of her life officially in the books and a new one beginning. She has double reason to celebrate on this day!
My mom, Molly Montz, has been a great many things in her lifetime. Not only is she the "original" Pecan Shed manager but she helped my dad get our family business off and running. Mom was hardly ever on harvesting equipment but she was the face of our retail store. Even when I took over after Mom "semi-retired" I still had people who wanted to see my mom and do business with her.
Luckily Mom taught me everything she knows about running a pecan store. I learned how to work hard, how to treat people fairly, how to handle adversity (like droughts, late freezes, and unhappy customers), and how to make a business grow. Many nights growing up I saw my mom come home after a full day of work to cook us dinner (yes...some nights she did cook) and start working again...paying bills, labeling bags, or doing whatever else it took that there wasn't enough time to do between 9am-5pm. Mom was a great boss...not just to me but to many others. I know this because so many people still tell me that the Pecan Shed was one of their best jobs...and a lot of that has to do with Mom.
While I did learn so much about our business from my mom...the best thing she taught me was how to BE a mom myself.
My parents worked very hard but they didn't miss the important stuff that Jake and I did. In fact, I don't think Mom missed ANYTHING that Jake or I did.
Mom was a room mother for our grade school classes, she made all the school programs, she was at every ball game, pep rally, track meet, One Act play, UIL event, band performance (yes...Jake and I were in the band for a short period of time)...Mom made ALL of it!
My mom was one of those parents that got to games early. She braided my hair and half the team's hair. She not only brought us bubble gum balls but she knew which color each girl preferred. She was at every track meet and packed enough food to feed an army (which ensured I didn't have to eat concession stand food). My mom was in the bleachers when it was freezing cold, steaming hot, blowing 100 mph, and even on those rare pretty days. She was at basketball games when we had tournaments and our games were at 10am. She might be one of the few people in the gym but she yelled like she was 20+ (granted half the time she was yelling at the refs and sometimes not even the right thing...but hey...she was supporting the Lady Pirates always!).
My mom was simply there.
She was there for me...and for anyone else who needed her. She made enough Rice Krispie treats to feed all the girls who went with me to a week long basketball camp one summer. She probably cooked 100 sock-it-to-me cakes while I was in school. Tammy Williams practically lived with us for a few months (and if I was on a date Mom and Tammy would go out to eat and to a movie). She feed about 20 people a night the summer we got our pool (I thought I would never eat another cheeseburger ever again). She was my mom by blood...but she was a mom to many because she has such a big, loving heart.
If my mom can do anything really well...it is mother (you thought I was going to smother didn't you??). I always said if I ever went on a talk show to complain about my parents my only real complaint was I was loved TOO much.
Even off at college my freshman year Mom sent me at least one and sometimes two cards each week. She talked to me every day. And on the days I cried because I was homesick...I have no doubt she had to control herself not to hop in her car and come get me.
Of course Mom has let me do things on my own a time or two. She may have objected to what I wore or how I did my hair (I cannot for the life of me figure out why I still try to perm my hair about once every decade)...she may not have always liked who I dated...she may not have agreed with my choice of friends (but Tammy finally won her over :)...) and she may have wanted to step in to heal a broken heart or hurt feelings a time or two but like all good mothers...she knew I had to learn some things on my own.
My mom is my biggest fan. She loves me more than I could ever be loved by anyone. She is one amazing Memaw to her grandgirls. She is not perfect but she is my mom...and I think God knew what He was doing when He put us together.
Now I know Jake has stories of his own...as do many others who know my mom...but this is how I see her.
I take great pride when people tell me I look like my mom (after all she was Miss Weatherford back in the day) but I take even more pride when I find myself doing for Dotty the things that my mom used to do for me.
Happy Birthday Mom! I love you!!!
For my family it has also always meant another kind of celebration...my mom's birthday! Mom always joked that everyone celebrated her birthday since she is a New Year's Eve baby. Today my mom celebrates another year of her life officially in the books and a new one beginning. She has double reason to celebrate on this day!
My mom, Molly Montz, has been a great many things in her lifetime. Not only is she the "original" Pecan Shed manager but she helped my dad get our family business off and running. Mom was hardly ever on harvesting equipment but she was the face of our retail store. Even when I took over after Mom "semi-retired" I still had people who wanted to see my mom and do business with her.
Luckily Mom taught me everything she knows about running a pecan store. I learned how to work hard, how to treat people fairly, how to handle adversity (like droughts, late freezes, and unhappy customers), and how to make a business grow. Many nights growing up I saw my mom come home after a full day of work to cook us dinner (yes...some nights she did cook) and start working again...paying bills, labeling bags, or doing whatever else it took that there wasn't enough time to do between 9am-5pm. Mom was a great boss...not just to me but to many others. I know this because so many people still tell me that the Pecan Shed was one of their best jobs...and a lot of that has to do with Mom.
While I did learn so much about our business from my mom...the best thing she taught me was how to BE a mom myself.
My parents worked very hard but they didn't miss the important stuff that Jake and I did. In fact, I don't think Mom missed ANYTHING that Jake or I did.
Mom was a room mother for our grade school classes, she made all the school programs, she was at every ball game, pep rally, track meet, One Act play, UIL event, band performance (yes...Jake and I were in the band for a short period of time)...Mom made ALL of it!
My mom was one of those parents that got to games early. She braided my hair and half the team's hair. She not only brought us bubble gum balls but she knew which color each girl preferred. She was at every track meet and packed enough food to feed an army (which ensured I didn't have to eat concession stand food). My mom was in the bleachers when it was freezing cold, steaming hot, blowing 100 mph, and even on those rare pretty days. She was at basketball games when we had tournaments and our games were at 10am. She might be one of the few people in the gym but she yelled like she was 20+ (granted half the time she was yelling at the refs and sometimes not even the right thing...but hey...she was supporting the Lady Pirates always!).
My mom was simply there.
She was there for me...and for anyone else who needed her. She made enough Rice Krispie treats to feed all the girls who went with me to a week long basketball camp one summer. She probably cooked 100 sock-it-to-me cakes while I was in school. Tammy Williams practically lived with us for a few months (and if I was on a date Mom and Tammy would go out to eat and to a movie). She feed about 20 people a night the summer we got our pool (I thought I would never eat another cheeseburger ever again). She was my mom by blood...but she was a mom to many because she has such a big, loving heart.
If my mom can do anything really well...it is mother (you thought I was going to smother didn't you??). I always said if I ever went on a talk show to complain about my parents my only real complaint was I was loved TOO much.
Even off at college my freshman year Mom sent me at least one and sometimes two cards each week. She talked to me every day. And on the days I cried because I was homesick...I have no doubt she had to control herself not to hop in her car and come get me.
Of course Mom has let me do things on my own a time or two. She may have objected to what I wore or how I did my hair (I cannot for the life of me figure out why I still try to perm my hair about once every decade)...she may not have always liked who I dated...she may not have agreed with my choice of friends (but Tammy finally won her over :)...) and she may have wanted to step in to heal a broken heart or hurt feelings a time or two but like all good mothers...she knew I had to learn some things on my own.
My mom is my biggest fan. She loves me more than I could ever be loved by anyone. She is one amazing Memaw to her grandgirls. She is not perfect but she is my mom...and I think God knew what He was doing when He put us together.
Now I know Jake has stories of his own...as do many others who know my mom...but this is how I see her.
I take great pride when people tell me I look like my mom (after all she was Miss Weatherford back in the day) but I take even more pride when I find myself doing for Dotty the things that my mom used to do for me.
Happy Birthday Mom! I love you!!!
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Blue Ribbon Kind of Day...
Jake recently submitted some of our Mohawk and Kanza pecans to our local Wichita County Pecan Show and both varieties won blue ribbons! We have had the Mohawk pecan for several years now, but the Kanza pecan is new to our orchards.
In fact, I have not even had any Kanzas in my retail store yet. These trees are still so new they have not yet begun to "commercially produce" in order for us to use them at the Pecan Shed. However, I do feel in a few years we will have the Kanza pecan on our shelves and available to customers and I think they will be a huge hit!
So proud of Jake and Dad and all the guys who work out in our orchards! They put in a lot of hard, long hours to make sure we have some of (what I think are) the best pecans in Texas!!!
Friday, December 14, 2012
Wow What a Year!!!
This past year has been full of truly wonderful things for the Pecan Shed!
Not only have we survived two rough summers in severe drought conditions, but we have acually grown our orchards and our business! Dad and Jake planted a couple thousand more trees this past summer in our orchards out in Charlie, TX and we started working on a second Pecan Shed location to be open Fall 2013 in Henrietta, TX on Hwy 287 (right beside the Best Western Hotel). Now if that is not growth I don't know what is!!!
In addition to continued growth, we have also been awarded with some really nice top honors this year! In May, the Pecan Shed won the "2012 Family Business of Year" award which was presented by the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce. Just this past month I was also named "Top 20 Under 40" which is an honor given by the Times Record News. Trust me when I say both awards were a total surprise (especially my personal one)!
On top of all this great news, I found earlier this week the Pecan Shed has also been nominated for the Henrietta & Clay County Chamber of Commerce "2012 Outstanding Business of the Year"! A big "Woo Hoo!" followed up by one of Dotty's happy dances does not even begin to express my emotions!!! This is just all so great!!! What an honor to be nominated with other such great businesses!
We at the Pecan Shed are truly blessed! I have a wonderful family I get to work with and my staff members are more than just employees...they are extended family too! Without such a great staff the Pecan Shed would not be able to do all the unique things we get to do for our customers. And speaking of customers...thanks to everyone who does business with the Pecan Shed. Without all of you I would not have such a wonderful business to manage!
I know it will be hard to top 2012 but I have big plans for 2013!!!!
Not only have we survived two rough summers in severe drought conditions, but we have acually grown our orchards and our business! Dad and Jake planted a couple thousand more trees this past summer in our orchards out in Charlie, TX and we started working on a second Pecan Shed location to be open Fall 2013 in Henrietta, TX on Hwy 287 (right beside the Best Western Hotel). Now if that is not growth I don't know what is!!!
In addition to continued growth, we have also been awarded with some really nice top honors this year! In May, the Pecan Shed won the "2012 Family Business of Year" award which was presented by the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce. Just this past month I was also named "Top 20 Under 40" which is an honor given by the Times Record News. Trust me when I say both awards were a total surprise (especially my personal one)!
On top of all this great news, I found earlier this week the Pecan Shed has also been nominated for the Henrietta & Clay County Chamber of Commerce "2012 Outstanding Business of the Year"! A big "Woo Hoo!" followed up by one of Dotty's happy dances does not even begin to express my emotions!!! This is just all so great!!! What an honor to be nominated with other such great businesses!
We at the Pecan Shed are truly blessed! I have a wonderful family I get to work with and my staff members are more than just employees...they are extended family too! Without such a great staff the Pecan Shed would not be able to do all the unique things we get to do for our customers. And speaking of customers...thanks to everyone who does business with the Pecan Shed. Without all of you I would not have such a wonderful business to manage!
I know it will be hard to top 2012 but I have big plans for 2013!!!!
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