Tassels, Shows & Friends

The trees are filled with tassels, festivals and events are in full swing, and we are making friends!

Just as friends and family are graduating from different institutions and moving their tassels from left to right (turning the tassel), our pecan trees are "turning a tassel" as well. These tassels are actually the male part of the flower and form at the base of the terminal bud. The nutlets (female part) form on the end of the terminal bud with the bud developing into the actual nut. Soon, our trees will start filling out these buds and develop into the nuts we will harvest in the fall. Will it be a good harvest this year? Hard to tell. From rainfall to pests to temperature, there are still many factors throughout the growth cycle which will determine production. Unfortunately, while I can always sit and daydream about pecan harvest, there are many other tasks keeping me occupied.

So far in May we have had the pleasure of attending the First Annual Old West Fest in downtown Minco, OK (but missed our nephew's college graduation - Congrats Boone!) It was fun to see some old friends and make some new while enjoying the community spirit of this Oklahoma town. We have a pretty busy week ahead with local graduation (we have a nephew and niece both graduating from high school on Friday - Congrats Blaine and Stormy), a fundraiser for my county Oklahoma Home Community Education (OHCE) group, and a large two-day show in Tulsa. Saturday and Sunday (May 21st & 22nd) we will be roasting at the Tulsa Exchange Center in Tulsa, OK at the 2 Hip Chicks Roadshow. This event will be open from 9:00 - 5:00 on Saturday, and 10:00 - 5:00 on Sunday. There will be 100's of vendors with multiple door prizes. One lucky attendee will win two tickets to see Carrie Underwood in concert. If you're like us, you will make new friends and have a great time!

Speaking of new friends, we are so very pleased to have Jerel and Hope Jalbert as friends and colleagues. Jerel and Hope are the proud owners of Papa J's BBQ sauce; a small family business from Edmond, OK. Their original sauce was born in the Jalbert Family kitchen over 30 years ago. Jerel and Hope kept tweaking the base recipe over the years until they had the perfect blend for the original sauce. They were then encouraged to come up with a spicy and hot BBQ sauce. In 2014, with the support friends, family, and co-workers, they decided to follow the American dream and took their sauces to the commercial market. Today you can find three flavors of Papa J's sauce; Original, Spicy, and "Smokin" Hot here at Deep Fork Pecans, on their website: papajsbbq.com, and at festivals and shows all over the Oklahoma area. Like them on Facebook and follow them on twitter@papajsbbq.