Berry’s Picks

Merry Christmas

All of us at the Comanche County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and thank you for your support this past year. We are a stakeholder backed program and could not function without the support of not only our County Commissioners Court, but also our many volunteers and sponsors.

There are many program area committee members, research trial cooperators, volunteers and sponsors that help assist our programming efforts. We appreciate all the support we receive from the community for our 4-H, Family and Consumer Science and Agriculture programming.

We look forward to working with all the good folks in Comanche County in 2022.

It has been a really tough year for many if not all farmers in the county and area, from unprecedented weather extremes and insect outbreaks to poor prices the challenges have been and continue to be many. Despite all this it is the time of the year to be thankful for all we do have.

Try to forget your worries and enjoy your family and friends this Christmas season. You might also remember the reason for the season and give thanks to the Lord for all that He has done for us.

County Pecan Show

Comanche County is one of the top producers of pecans not only in Texas, but the world, currently ranked as the #2 county in Texas for pecan production.

Pecans are a major economic crop for our county. Producers had lots of management challenges to deal with this year, but we still had some excellent pecans at the county show. This year’s judge was Beth McMahon Horticulture Agent from Gillespie County.

Here is a list of all 1st place winners and division champions. Our #1 pecan “Best of Show” this year was a Cheyenne grown by Sorrels Farms. This Cheyenne averaged 46.14 nuts per pound with 54.02% kernel. It was our Grand Champion Commercial variety.

Other Commercial variety winners included: Sorrels Farms with the 1st place Kanza with 56.63 nuts per pound and 47.44% kernel, they also had the 1st place Kiowa at 37.96 nuts per pound and 55.82% kernel and the 1st place Wichita with 46.71 nuts per pound and 53.14 kernel. Mr. W.T. Harris had the 1st place Mohawk with 39.79 nuts per pound and 52.89% kernel. Womack Nursery had the 1st place Nocona with 50.51 nuts per pound and 51.12% kernel. Kline Jones had the 1st place Pawnee with 39.17 nuts per pound and 55.18% kernel. Don Alderman had the 1st place Sioux at 77.54 nuts per pound and 58.63% kernel.

We had limited varieties in the Classic and New division. Sorrells Farms had the 1st place Cape Fear with 44.17 nuts per pound and a 53.75% kernel. In the other varieties class Womack nursery had our top nut with a Lakota variety that had 48.05 nuts per pound and 56.67% kernel.

Don Alderman had the 1st place variety seedling with 77.01 nuts per pound and 56.37% kernel. In our Native division Sorrells Farms had the top native with 60.16 nuts per pound and 48.41% kernel.

Finally in our lightest pecan class Keaton Braim once again had the class winner with 420 nuts per pound, they would starve a squirrel. We appreciate everyone that entered pecans this year.