Snow slows Dona Ana County pecan harvest

Pecan farmers may be eager to rake in this year's crop, thanks to a forecast of high prices, but this week's snowfall put a crimp in their plans. North Valley pecan grower Dave Slagle said he now must wait for the 6 inches of snow covering his orchard floor to melt and then for the ground to dry out to launch the harvest. "Right now, we're dead in the water," said Slagle, who farms in Leasburg. "There's nothing we can do. I'm figuring it's going to be the rest of the week before things are no longer white." Farmers don't move heavy harvesting machinery through wet orchards because that creates ruts, which keep equipment from picking up all of the pecans. Some harvesting already had taken place in New Mexico prior to the storm. In all, 12 percent of the pecan crop had been gathered through the early part of last week, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Some 56 million in-shell pounds of pecans are expected from the 2011 crop, according to a U.S. Agriculture Department forecast from October...more