Trip from Texas

Friday, Dec. 26 - rose at 4:30am, was at airport at 5:50, flight to Atlanta then after sitting on the tarmac, left 2 hours late for Austin.
Arrived in Austin about 1:30pm, picked up at airport by Mrs. Lisa Berdoll who graciously fed our hungry tummies before giving us a tour of both their retail store as well as the orchard and some of the harvesting buildings. The Berdolls are some of the nicest people ever, and we got to meet their daughter (Jennifer) and son-in-law who are buying the store on Monday, as well as their son (Brandon) and his wife who works at the retail store.
After seeing the orchard and Hal's new sorting machine (which he designed himself to re-sort pecans to his own more stringent specifications), we stocked up on some fantastic pecan products at their store and got a few pointers from Hal about planting the trees. They had already loaded up our order (85 Desirable and 235 Pawnee trees that are 2 year-old grafted onto 2 year rootstock, as well as 12 young Pawnees that have been budded but not yet forced, and one large Pawnee that will go at the entrance to the farm).
We drove to the closest Home Depot, bought a padlock to help protect our lifetime savings packed in that truck!, and hit the road just before dark. We drove down to Houston, and on into Iowa before stopping for the night. (Yes, Iowa! - Iowa, Louisiana, that is :) !). Saturday morning we fueled up at Waffle House and got gas for the truck, and hit the road. We crossed Louisiana amidst scattered light showers, marveled at the acres and acres of rice fields, drove across the southern edge of Mississippi, and on into Alabama. From Mobile we headed up to Montgomery, then on to Atlanta by about 8:30pm Saturday night.
Derwin was feeling very achy and feverish by late afternoon and by the time we reached Atlanta was into a full-blown flu. I had thought I would trade off driving with him when needed but a 16' truck loaded with everything it had taken us 30 years of marriage to save, and our two lives at stake if I made a mistake on a rainy, foggy interstate was more than either of us wanted to risk. So we stopped for the night and although D got very little sleep between coughing and headaches, he hung in there to drive us the rest of the way home on Sunday evening (he's amazing!).

Plan for planting:
1 - Unload trees under garden shed cover where can be wrapped/covered if freezes below 15 degrees or so before planting
2 - Subsoil the tree holes where they've been dug with 3' auger in at least 4 places (2 times across each hole)
3 - Level off each hole if sunken
4 - Dig 9" hole for each tree
5 - Remove from pot and plant in hole, packing in well, and then watering
6 - Berm about 3' from trunk around each tree (to hold in irrigation during dry spells before irrigation system is put in); mulch inside the bermed area
7 - Put up electric fence to keep deer out
8 - Wrap tree protectors around each trunk and put up bamboo supports & tie them
9 - Get sprayers, insecticides, etc. ready for spring
10 - Mark varieities with more permanent markings at each row
11 - Log varieties and planting info (weather, etc.) in computer database
12 - Water as needed
13 - Determine/file tax information
14 - Continue to monitor and log weather and soil conditions throughout winter and in preparation for spring fertilizers, etc.

Disgust with wholesalers

Well, my plans to have lots of "Desirables" waiting for Thanksgiving pecan pies (see previous post) backfired! These nuts were so good we ate all of them - yes, all of them!!! - raw as snacks before Thanksgiving ever arrived. Two days before the big meal I did what thousands of Americans do - I went to the grocers and bought pecans. I even had to get a stocker to go in the back and find me some because they were sold out on the shelves. Was I ever disgusted when I got home with my bag of Diamond brand pecan halves, opened it up and popped one in my mouth. I almost spewed it back out it was so disgusting compared to what we had been eating for the previous week. In tiny print on the bag it was noted that the contents were pecans and - AND????!!!! Yes, AND Corn Oil "to preserve freshness". Probably beacuse they are last year's (or year before kept in cold storage) crop from Mexico picked up cheap and resold to you in the grocery at premium price! If you have only ever tasted pecans like these I am very ashamed to tell you that we are pecan growers. You have not tasted a true pecan until you shelled an improved variety like "Pawnee" or "Desirable" and popped it straight in your mouth - no toasting, sugar, or CORN OIL needed! I guess in a way I should thank these purveyors of junk nuts because it has made me fully confident that our fresh nuts will blow them away once people have a chance to taste the difference. So, thanks, Diamond and Food Lion :) !
You're ensuring our success!

Shelling Pecans

Saturday I was finally over the flu, so when D returned from a local pecan cracker with 10 pounds of cracked beautiful Desirables (that's a pecan variety :) !) we all sat on the back porch, spread them on the plastic tablecloth and shelled them. After weighing them into 1-pound bags, we delivered our first "prize" to friends and neighbors, reserving some in our fridge for soon-to-come Thanksgiving pies! The nuts were grown in an irrigated orchard in northern Georgia and make us even more excited about getting our trees in the ground and growing.

We pick up our first tree order next Saturday from Lake View Pecans in Bailey. D is taking Friday through the whole next week off to dig 3' wide, 4' deep holes at each tree spot with a rented bobcat with a 3' auger attachment. We will then hand mix lime into the soil (just a small amount) before refilling the hole, then he will subsoil both across and down each row which should break up any "glazing" done by the auger. After the subsoiling is done, we will use the tractor to smooth out the rows and will then replace each measured marker for the exact center of the hole. Our plan is to then be able to simply use manual post hole diggers for the hole and planting of each pot. We will probably try to get all of the NC trees (85 of them, 4 different varieties) in the ground before Christmas, but definitely by New Years. I will hand water and tend to the trees in the pots between this Saturday and the day they go into the ground. After New Years we will be going to Texas to get the rest of the trees (385 total but just two varieties). That's the plan. We will see what reality brings :) !

Fruit and Berry Order

This past week I ordered a few more fruit and berry trees/plants for our fruit orchard (just to the Northwest side of the pecan orchard). We currently have plums, pears, peaches, apples, figs, blueberries and grapes for our personal consumption. The new order will add two more varieties of apples (Winesap and Granny Smith) to cross-pollinate with the Red and Yellow Delicious trees we have. The one Arkansas Black tree we have has never done well and we are going to attempt to dig it up and replant it when we rent the auger during Thanksgiving week. We will also dig the holes for the new fruit/berries that will arrive Dec. 12th. In addition to the two apple varieties we order one each of four kinds of muscadine grapes, more Arapaho and Navaho thornless blackberries (these are fantastic tasting, easy to pick - thornless!!!! - and grew extremely well both last year during the record-breaking drought as well as the almost wet summer this year. ) I sure am hoping to be able to make lots and lots of blackberry pies and jam soon (we ate all of this year's crop fresh except for one pie). I decided not to order any more blueberry or fig plants but try to really prune and carefully tend the ones we have already. I also opted out of more pear or plum trees since we had very ample crops of both this year, even though the trees are still very young. If I decide to make for gifts or sales more preserves from these we can add a tree or two in a few years.

Layout finished (hopefully!)

Saturday we finished (hopefully!) the exact layout of the orchard, hand placing 362 flags in rows and columns up and down the hills to be ready for digging holes for the trees on the main portion of the farm. We still need to measure and flag the areas that will flank the drive, but that is a very easy task comparatively speaking. I was scheduled to take the two new soil samples we have (from the two areas where the millet didn't grow very well) to the CoOp Extension office in Smithfield today but Ethan has the flu, so we will hopefully go tomorrow or Wed., and take the tractor's radiator and fan to a "specialist" in Garner who will tell us whether it can be resurrected or we will have to buy a new one (over $400!).

The layout now includes:
235 Pawnee
12 Oconee
85 Desirable
15 Cape Fear
25 Stuart
9 Nacano
15 Sumner

(Shoshoni wasn't available from our suppliers so I have just left it out since we had more than sufficient of other varieties.) Here are my notes for choice of varieties and their location on the farm:
1 - Have enough varieties to withstand our "northern" conditions, including possibility of both drought and humid summers, early warm periods followed by potential late frosts, soil conditions, comparatively low wind speeds in spring when pollination is needed, potential for high damaging hurricane winds, rolling topography, minimum amount of topsoil, and natural pH and pests. We have set a minimum of 4 and maximum of 10 varieties, with the maximum due to the desire to have as consistent size, shape and color as possible between varieties.
2 - Have enough varieties to have some nuts maturing over several weeks, rather than all at once, in order to spread out the ability to utilize human resources and minimum amount of harvesting equipment, as well as spread out the availability of new product direct to the public for the longest amount of time, but preferably all before Thanksgiving.
3 - Have some temporary rows with varieties that are quicker (5-7 years as opposed to 8-12 years old) to come into production.
4 - Have mostly varieties that are at least moderately resistant to pecan scab, but balance the need for resistance to scab with propensity to break limbs, alternate bear, shell thickness, and tolerance to drought.
As you can see, the variables are almost endless and at the end of the day, we had to also consider the availability of the variety from a reliable resource. Their is no "perfect" choice because their is no perfect soil, or perfect weather pattern, or perfect world! But we have tried to consider as many factors as possible, and weigh each according to its value or distraction from what we want to accomplish with limited financial and labor resources. I'm sure in years to come we might play the "if only" game about varieties and layout, but we've done our best with as much information as we could get and with as much discussion with growers and between ourselves as we could. So for now,I have updated the spreadsheet, kept notes, and re-confirmed that our order this spring will give us more than sufficient of each variety. Actually, I really will miss this part, because it's like a big jigsaw puzzle and anyone who knows me knows I LOVE puzzles!!

First deep freeze of the season

Last night was the first real freeze/frost of the fall. We have had three other nights in the past week and a half with very light "dustings" of frost but noooo doubt this morning. We've watched the parade of leaves floating down onto the front yard all day and tomorrow I will pull all the "burnt" flowers and herbs out of the beds. Pecan picking time is here!!!!

Easter Eggs and Pecans???

I ran across a funny observation on a blog the other day that I really enjoyed -

The pecans are beginning to fall from the trees and I've been collecting them as I find the time. I'm beginning to believe that the Easter tradition of searching for hidden Easter eggs was created by southerners wanting to condition their children to find and gather pecans in the fall.

I think maybe his thought about Easter eggs and Pecans might just be right :) !

Fall is Here!

Suddenly the summer is gone and fall is here, which means - IIIIIIIIIYYYYAAAAAAHHHHHH! We have just a few short weeks to get everything done before we go to pick up the trees!!
Needed:
* Finish remarking each tree hole accurately (now that millet has been bushhogged)
* Put up fence (may wait on this until next summer unless we have problems with the deer in late Jan/early Feb)
* Dig almost 400 holes at least 4' deep and 4' wide ("ripping") and then mixing dolomitic lime with the soil, refilling the holes and leveling off
* Dig the actual tree hole (with auger attached to tractor - see next note!)
* Plant clover in the "alleys" between tree rows
* Get new radiator and water pump for old (very old!) tractor which of course has a very rare-type of radiator that has to be ordered from (are you ready to hear this??!!) - IRELAND! We've researched and called and talked to everyone we could find and evidently this type of radiator is now only made by one company in the world, so you can guess that it is not easy to get and of course not cheap! Since this is our only tractor, we don't have a choice (well, the only other choice is a new tractor and that's not really a choice!)
So right now we are "dead in the water" until the tractor is fixed or we decide to pay someone to do some of the holes. One supplier is ready for us to come get our trees in the next two weeks and then I will be the mother of 85 "babies" that I will have to tend to carefully until the spring. That brood will grow to over 400 after our January trip to Texas, so talking about being an expectant "parent" :) !

Other than the new trees, the other happenings are:
* Pick up, sort and collect nuts from a few local trees to try to grow rootstock from in the next two years (especially one very prolific old tree at the old homeplace where Derwin's Dad was born)
* Pick up, sort, and shell pecans for personal use and possible sale
* Develop website
* Finalize tax and other paperwork
* Prune and tend to certain berry and fruit trees that need fall attention
* Continue watering and tending cabbage and collards in the garden
* Gather and dry black walnuts from MIL's farm
* Cut/split more firewood for the winter

And try to keep the house and yard in order, do school with the children, teach Awanas, and all of the "normal" things to do on a farm and with a family! I am just so very thankful for our health and the opportunity to do so much together as a family. That's what makes it all worthwhile!

Journal

In the past two weeks:
1 - D bushhogged the millet; still some patches where neither millet nor centipede grew and could erode later so we will be doing "spot" soil tests
2 - Confirmed the tree orders with suppliers; Mr. Bunn may not have all of the varieties grown to his satisfaction but we will adjust the layout when/where needed if necessary; Mr. Berdoll has more than sufficient to cover our Pawnee/Desirable order with him
3 - Re-laid three full rows just east of the fruit orchard, more accurate now that the millet has been cut. Ethan has been especially helpful pulling the measuring tape and driving the four-wheeler to get tools for us!
4 - Reconfirmed monies available. With recent economic crisis/market crashes/job layoffs/etc. it has been good to know we had made early arrangements and have the funds available thanks to D's good foresight.
5 - Had some dove hunters come on opening day but very little luck. A couple of weeks later doves are in large flocks all over the field !
6 - Will allow deer hunting this fall/winter with several neighbors and friends. Lots and lots of does and fawns roam over the field daily but very little sign of bucks. However, we know that when runt starts....
7 - Planned layout of some extra trees along the path and at the old sawmill site.

Quote

Old Chinese Proverb:
"The best fertilizer is the gardener's shadow"

Old Southern Pecan Grower saying:
"The best fertilizer is the footprint of the farmer"

Pretty much saying the same thing. Maybe that's why my farm shoes are splitting apart at the soles.... maybe some of these would come in handy (hint, hint!!)

Things may come to those who wait...

but only the things left by those who hustle.

-Abe Lincoln

Misc happenings

Planted 10 pecans in large pots yesterday, from Pawnee nuts. Just experimenting with them. D finished bush hogging the fields and realized that he had run over about a half dozen volunteer trees from near Coy's old house. Next spring we will check around before he bush hogs to see if any of them would make good root stock. Got the disc tire replaced today, ready for D to use next week (he is off all week and we hope to get the rest of the sections cleared and planted in millet). The centipede in the back yard is amazing - it is not quite 2 weeks since we planted and it is looking like a golf course already. We've watered every day but it has been well worth it. Two corners of the yard have "leaked" seeds out in the orchard area so we already have some centipede started there (which is fine since that's what we want in the whole orchard eventually). One pound of centipede is almost $30 so the more it spreads naturally, the better.

Twilight Orchard Tour 2008

Tonight hubby and I went on a "Twilight Orchard Tour" put on by NC Pecan Growers Association. What a great time we had, starting with the good food and fellowship at Lakeview Pecan Orchard and then lots of wonderful information shared by 3 different Co-Op extension agents and several long-time growers. We learned lots, confirmed lots and enjoyed it a great deal. Mr. Bill Bunn of Lake View Pecans has been such a tremendous help and source of great information for us as we make decisions that we feel we can never repay him for his time and trouble. We are really excited about getting some trees in the ground this winter!!

May Rain Data

Since I do "weird times" rain data, I am actually finished with the data for May. [Basically I take my reading each day between noon and 1pm when we are taking a lunch break from school, rather than midnight to midnight (although I reluctantly admit that I am awake at midnight more often than I should be and then pay for it with a slow start the next morning)].

Anyway, here's my data so far:
May - 2.1 inches
March, April, May cumulative - 12.8 inches
(I only began in March)
Average rainfall March - May for RTP - 10.3 inches
Rainfall March - May 2008 for RTP - not yet available from USGS

Tractor Woes

The tractor engine is still running after several repairs. Unfortunately the wheels just aren't moving :) ! Right now it is in my front yard with the wheel broken off and the axle propped up on a chunk of wood (I feel a redneck joke coming on here!). I am just very, very, very thankful that it broke off when my dear hubby was watching carefully and near the house. He slowed down as he saw it start to wobble and was stopped and dismounted by the time it came off. The evening before he had been in the far corner gigging until long after dark, and on a slope at that. I can only imagine what might have happened with him pinned under it. Thank you, Lord for protecting him. Today I will do my best to find a new (used) tire rim to fit so we can try to get it (safely) running again.

Ground cover - part 2

Since we still do not have ground cover planted yet D spoke with a landscaper about what to plant this late in the spring that will be good for erosion control through the hot summer. We have now decided that we will supplement the clover and centipede (yes, we decided centipede over Bermuda grass) with millet. It will come up almost immediately, is great to hold the soil in place and cheaper than most other options. We are hopeful with the Memorial Day weekend coming up we can finally get things in place to sow the seed.

Rainfall Data

April total = 6.41 inches!! Woohooo!!
March and April cummulative = 10.71 inches
Since the average annual rainfall for our area is about 43 inches, that means we have received 1/4 of our average in only two months. The drought effects will continue to be seen for years to come but for now we really need to be thankful for what we have received recently.

D is still working on clearing the stumps, smoothing bumps and hills and gullies to smooth out the farm getting it ready for ground cover planting. We are trying to determine whether to use bermuda or centipede grass along with the summer clover. So far there does not seem to be much difference between the two (we found a great website comparing warm season grass characteristics) so price may be the determining factor.

Just plodding along....

Now that the order for next fall has been placed with both of our suppliers, we are just working to get the land smoothed, cleared of as many rocks and limbs as possible, and get groundcover planted. Saturday D worked with the box blade most of the day smoothing out the rough spots and trying to spread out and work in the ashes from the burn piles so that the concentration of ash won't be too great in one spot. We have continued to get rain, although definitely not too much, so that is a real praise. I have researched ground cover and we have decided on a combination of Durana clover and bermuda grass, although the exact brand/variety of bermuda is still not firmed up. If the weather cooperates we hope to plant cover by mid-May which is the ideal time for the bermuda, although a tad later than ideal for the clover. Once the ground cover is established, we can begin laying off the rows. The deer are very thick still (we have seen two sets of twins already, along with numerous adults), so we will allow hunting when the season opens back up and will have to fence off the trees with electric fencing after we get them planted.

There seem to be but three ways for a nation to acquire wealth. The first is by war, as the Romans did, in plundering their conquered neighbors. This is robbery. The second by commerce, which is generally cheating. The third by agriculture, the only honest way, wherein man receives a real increase of the seed thrown into the ground, in a kind of continual miracle, wrought by the hand of God in his favor, as a reward for his innocent life and his virtuous industry.

-- Franklin, Benjamin

Rainfall Data

I have set up a spreadsheet to collect our rainfall data for the farm. From it I can track rainfall for each day, the monthly cumulative and (eventually) annual cumulative. I will use the spreadsheet to record when/how much/where we irrigate and can graph any of the information from there as well. Sometimes you just gotta love technology!!
Total for month of March: 4.3 inches - Praise the Lord!!
April - 2.8 inches so far - another real Praise to the Lord!