Four generations of the Voss family put the rubber to the road each fall to harvest the 160 acres of pecan trees that will yield a yearlong inventory for them to sell. Ralph and Karen Voss began their pecan journey when a simple notion struck while taking a walk on their Carlyle property.
“We always had the pecan trees,” says Ralph. “It was in 1985 … we had so many [pecans], we thought we could try to sell them. And everything just started to blossom from there.”
The longtime Clinton County Electric Cooperative members say that in southern Illinois, native pecan trees can be found everywhere. “Everyone’s got one in their yard,” he says. “We cleaned up property that we had that we weren’t doing anything with — it was just timber and brush … we left the pecan trees and just started harvesting.”
Although growing pecans requires specific equipment, the family was fortunate to already have the basics, like a tractor, mower and bush hog, to maintain the groves. However, they also needed a shaker and a harvester.
“Our shaker mounts in the back of the tractor … it’s just an arm that extends out,” says Ralph. “You back up to the tree [and] clamp that arm to the tree. It’s got great big, thick rubber pads on it. And you clamp that thing tight, and you turn it on.” A mechanism inside makes the shaker vibrate. “[It] takes about one second, and all the nuts are on the ground,” he adds.
Harvesting the trees also requires a lot of labor. “Through the year, I can pretty well take care of most stuff myself,” says Ralph. “But when you start shaking the trees and you get sticks on the ground, all this stuff has got to get picked up. You can’t find enough volunteers.”
Harvest usually begins early November and lasts to mid-December, depending on the weather. “The whole family’s here every night, every weekend, whoever can make it,” says Karen. “They all have day jobs, so they’re here every night. We work in the shed, cleaning, sorting, sizing [on] a moving conveyor table. It’s definitely a bonding time.”
“Whatever we keep here and crack … has to be washed and dried, and we can crack it, but we do not do the finished product [for stores and restaurants],” Ralph explains. “If we want to have them ready to use, we truck them into Oklahoma to a custom shelling plant.” The finished pecans come back to the farm, where the family freezes them.
Their product can be purchased from a storefront on their farm (seasonally), online and at farmers markets. Voss Pecans can also be found in stores, restaurants, bakeries and fundraisers. “We try to educate people … to look at the color of pecans,” Karen says. “The nice golden color is the freshest. [If] you look at them in the store, a lot of times they’re real dark because they’ve been sitting on the shelves forever.”
The crop’s yield is measured in pounds per acre. They expect somewhere between 800 and 1,100 pounds per acre from the native trees. The goal for select grafted trees is higher — about 1,500 pounds.
Ralph says the operation is now big enough to stand on its own and make money. “All of our kids and grandkids are interested in the business, which is good, because with trees, you kind of need the next generation interested,” Karen laughs.
Voss Pecans
10101 Slant Road
Carlyle, IL 62231
618-594-4122
VossPecans@hotmail.com
vosspecans.com
Store open daily Nov. 15-Dec. 31
Order year-round online
