For the most part, growing environmentally friendly pecans means growing organic pecans. And because organic food production is one of the most rapidly growing sectors in the United States food market, raising organic pecans just makes sense.
What is the Definition of an Environmentally Friendly Pecan?
So, what exactly does organic mean, and why does it matter? Organic food is produced through methods that emphasize the conservation of soil and water, and focus on using renewable resources. In addition, produce considered “organic” is grown without conventional pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, ensuring the food on your plate is as natural as it comes.
For a crop to be certified as “organic,” it needs to go through a three-year period of organic crop management without the use of synthetic chemicals within the growing process. For environmentally friendly pecan growers, this process focuses heavily on improving the soil quality. In order for the soil to be considered “organic,” farmers must monitor the organic matter level in the soil each year until it reaches 2 percent. So, making sure that the soil has the right nutrients in it to grow strong, healthy, pecan trees is the lynchpin for growing environmentally friendly pecans.
Benefits of Environmentally Friendly Pecans
Instead of focusing on the greater concern for our personal health and the environment in general, we should look at the sales figures for organic food:
Increased sales – Organic food sales have risen from $13 billion in 2005 to $35 billion in 2014. And according to some industry experts, organic pecans can bring in up to $1.50 extra per pound over those raised using “traditional” farming methods.
Reduced maintenance costs – Selecting and growing strong, disease-resistant varieties of pecan trees using organic methods also is helpful, because these trees resist diseases such as pecan scab that are costly to address once the crop has been infected. Being able to grow disease resistant pecan trees eliminates the need for using chemical fungicides.
Higher Quality – Organically raised pecans typically have a lighter, golden color that is the gold standard for pecan consumers. These high-quality pecans also appear fatter and taste better because of the higher pecan oil content.
Get Environmentally Friendly Pecans by the Case from Stahmanns
At Stahmanns, we are obsessed with our soil quality. We know that this is the key to growing our fresh mammoth pecans. We take excellent care of our pecan trees so we can provide high-quality pecans for commercial markets. For more information give us a call at 844-739-6887 or connect with us using our simple online form.