Many of us know that the pecan is our official Texas state tree. Although rows of stately old pecans grace many blocks in our North Loop neighborhood, they are actually native to creeks and riverbeds (so those in our yards may still need appropriate watering during droughts). Pecans are alternate or biennial bearing, so their harvest varies from low- to high-yield years. https://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/st-plains/nature/images/pecan.html The trees in our neighborhood have blessed us with a bumper crop this year, and it is a shame to let it go to waste. Gather up this local resource to eat, donate or plant for greater environmental stewardship.
The ubiquitousness of pecans on the ground should not blind us to their significant value as food. There are so many ways to use them, not only in pies but in any meal of the day: https://tpga.org/pecan-recipes/ If you crack your own pecans, you can use the shells as mulch in your garden. Those who do not want to shuck their own pecans can support the Lamar Senior Activity Center’s fundraising efforts by paying fifty cents per pound for them to use their pecan cracking machines for you. This service is available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am to 2pm through January 29. https://www.austintexas.gov/department/lamar-senior-activity-center Bags should not exceed twenty pounds, and they prefer that the pecans be brought in brown paper bags and sorted generally by size without needles or twigs. Central Texas Food Bank will accept donations of pecans in shell. One can drop off donations at 6500 Metropolis Drive Monday through Friday from 8am to 4:30pm. Behind the building there is a separate Burleson Road entrance where one should pull up in lots 8, 9 or 10. https://www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/donate-food
If you don’t want to eat or sort your pecans, there are injured and orphaned squirrels who will gladly take them off your hands. Austin Wildlife Rescue accepts pecan donations at both their Intake Center in East Austin or their Rehabilitation Center in Elgin. The closer Intake Center located at 5401 E. MLK Jr. Boulevard is open Monday through Sunday from 9am to 4pm. https://www.austinwildliferescue.org/ Broken and cracked pecans are acceptable, so pecans that are not intact for the food bank would still provide valuable nourishment for wildlife.
North Loop Neighborhood Association 