Nuts About Pecans
Wednesday, June 11th, 2008
This is how far I have evolved since I bought my house two years ago. I chose this place based almost solely on conventional thinking: its location, its price, its curb appeal. Today, what I prize most about it are the two large pecan trees in the front yard. Those trees represent the heart of the food forest I am trying to create.
I didn’t realize what I had until last fall when it rained pecans every single day. The harvest was particularly bountiful because of all the rain we’d gotten in the spring. I collected five large paper grocery bags full of nuts and proceeded to start shelling them one by one. I had to stop when no more would fit inside my freezer. I have since made pecan pie, pecan clusters, even pasta with bits of pecan thrown in. I gave boxes full of pecan turtles to friends and family for Christmas. I’ve even tried feeding my chickens pecans (I also know of several dogs that love them). And I still haven’t even put a dent into my pecan stash!
Supposedly, my pecans are particularly large and tasty. More than one person has remarked upon the size of my nuts, a joke that never seems to get old (at least for the person telling it). One of my neighbors claims my pecans are so big because my trees were grafted, but I don’t know enough about the subject to offer an opinion. All I know is that I have been blessed by one of the greatest sources of protein in nature, and I don’t have to water it or worry about it. For anyone contemplating putting a food-producing tree in their yard in Austin, I highly recommend planting a pecan tree. (The only real negative is how brittle they are; a good wind storm will fill your yard with limbs.) You’d also be wise to contact the good people at Tree Folks, who have been known to give away saplings from time to time.
In the picture above is a pecan sapling that recently appeared in my front yard. It’s at least 15 to 20 years away from producing any nuts, but that’s fine by me. I’ve already got two mature trees and, even better, lots of patience.
Self-Sufficiency Meter: 30%