That goes back to 75 to 100 years ago, when 5-acre tracts in southwest Georgia were planted with pecan trees to entice Northerners to buy winter homes. Georgia will probably harvest 70 million to 80 million pounds of pecans this year. But the Carolinas are starting to be a force in the pecan world. To share knowledge, a dozen growers founded the N.C. Pecan Shellers Association in 1995, says president Bill Bunn, a pecan grower based in Bailey. S.C. growers are coming on board, too.
Trees are a long-term investment that can take up to six years to produce.
But once they start, they can last for 20 years. And although pecans can't replace the big row crops like tobacco, they can produce needed income for landowners. A lot of people are thinking about retirement and wanting to do something with their land. Estimating the size of the Carolinas' crop is a hard nut to crack, though. She guesses at anywhere from 2.5 to 5 million pounds in North Carolina.