Natural Pecan Halves
in three 1-lb Bags

Chocolate Pecan Halves
Gift Tin

2 way Gift Tin

Become a Fan on Facebook!

My Father always told me, “Son, if you’re ever going to make any money, you’re going to make it off of a tree.” I guess he was right. I’ve spent my life working peach trees and pecan trees, and, if I’ve made money, it has come from those two enterprises. I can only hope there is a good economic future for peaches and pecans because my son, Lawton, and I are heavily committed to trees as the focus of our business for years to come. Lawton is the fifth generation Pearson to farm the orchard land around Zenith and Lee Pope in Crawford County, Georgia. Pearson Farm, Orchard Division, is the new organization we have formed to operate the farming partnership, Big 6 Farm, that I have managed for myself and my two sisters since 1973. After graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in Horticulture, I returned to the farm and worked with my Father for a short while until Big 6 Farm was started.  Pearson Farm consists of  900 acres of bearing trees and 450 acres of young trees that will begin to bear fruit when they reach 3 years of age. They are off to a great start, so our expectations are high for better varieties of  young and vigorous trees. We work to keep the weeds, grass, insects, wild hogs and deer from stunting their growth. We even use scarecrows, rock music, and pepper spray to repel deer, but human presence works best. Pruning in January and February, thinning off peaches in April and May, and a hopeful harvest in June and July keep us busy. Virtually all work is done by hand, so we employ up to 200 workers in the peak season. We have housing facilities for the migrant H2A workers. Sometimes we feel like we’re operating the “Lee Pope Hotel”. Not five star, but inspected, approved, and maintained to government standards. These are mostly young men, 20 to 35 years old, good workers who return year after year and help us with both crops before returning to their homes in Mexico. Organic peaches in the humid Southeast are commercially impossible at this time, but we do all we can to limit the amount of pesticides we must apply to deliver quality products to our customers. We scout our orchards weekly, control drift by monitoring droplet size and wind, respect re-entry and pre-harvest intervals required by labels, utilize personal protection equipment for employee safety, and continually monitor application conditions and equipment. We also encourage beneficial insects and ground covers to generate a vibrant growing environment which we irrigate with efficient drip irrigation. When I started farming, my office was a checkbook on the seat of my truck. Those were the days! Distant memories, completely irrelevant to what is required today. We are certified under the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Primus programs which require particular procedures and monitoring to insure the safety and security of our products. We were one of the first three farms in Georgia to attain GAP status in 2002. Click here to view peach varieties  and start dates My Father’s advice was  right, so far, but not complete. He left out the equally important requirement for a successful peach and pecan farm—dependable, talented, dedicated employees. Pearson Farm is blessed to inherit a staff that is unequalled; from David, our farm foreman since 1982; to Vicki, a superwoman office manager;   to Israel and Maribel, children of our first Hispanic crew leader who now occupy the crew leader and accountant seats; to Frank, manager of the “Hotel”. I can grow enough peaches and pecans for my family and any need I might have to get my horticulture fix, but  it takes 200 special people to produce a marketable crop to support an enterprise such as Pearson Farm. We all make our money from trees. Al Pearson We grow several varieties of pecans, including Cape Fear, Davis, Dependable, Desirable, Elliot, Farley, Gloria Grande, Schley, Stuart, Sumner, and Wichita. Our most popular varieties are: Desirable- A "semi paper-shell" with a high yield and attractive color and shape. The most popular pecan for all- round use. Elliot- Always our personal favorite. Small, almost round nut with a hard shell. We like to say they're hard to get into, but well worth it. With a high oil content and sweet buttery flavor, it's the best for roasting or eating, plain by the handful. Schley- The "paper-shell" pecan; Thin easy to crack shell which produces a greater percentage of meat to shell than any other variety. Cultivating Life Video: Video courtesy of: Brian Birch on Vimeo.<

Testimonials: