Early Pecan Harvest in Peach County | News

Georgia may be the Peach state, but pecans are the number one crop in the state and it's still going strong.   

The pecan crop is in its off-cycle and the little budding nuggets are blooming ahead of schedule.

"We believe we'll be in here harvesting this variety the end of next week," says Trent Mason of Mason Pecan Farms.

There are 12-hundred acres of pecan trees of many varieties on the farm. 

The pawnee pecans are ripe for the picking.

Harvest season begins at the end of September and into the first of October. An average harvest in Georgia is about 88 million pounds. 

"The shucks are beginning to split. When the shucks start to split, it's time to come in here and harvest your crop. So, it's been a long growing season, close to ten months," says Mason.

Georgia is the leading pecan producing state in the nation. Although small, these nuts are packed with health benefits that lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. 

"I have to say I enjoy the nutritional side of them, but I still enjoy a good old chocolate covered pecan," he says.

Whether coated in sugar or eaten plain, these trees sprinkled with pecans are the markings of a full crop.