Pecans tradition in region

Scattered figures walk under the trees, their eyes on the ground oblivious to the lines of commuters passing on the two-lane roads.

Often, a lone man or woman holds a bag, stooping and searching.

At times, you might see a pair or maybe a small family, but almost never a crowd.

For generations in the South, autumn days have meant pecan time. Some people might call it harvesting or gathering, but for most of the individuals walking under the trees, the process is just picking up pecans.

To some, it can seem slow, tedious and monotonous. Without one of those collector devices on a handle, the process means a lot of bending over.

For others, however, it's an annual ritual; part of the process that will end with holiday meals that will include sweet potato casseroles topped with nuts and conclude with pecan pies.

Pecans have been one of Baldwin's better-known crops over the decades. Outside of Foley, Robertsdale or Belforest, you drive past rows of trees arranged years ago in ordered lines.

The trees might not be as prominent as they once were. With wide spreads of leaves and branches combined with relatively shallow root systems, pecan trees often don't do well in hurricanes.

The crops aren't as big a part of an economy that now includes tourism and development. Still, they're part of the county's tradition.

The citrus groves and potato sheds may be gone, but I still hear people from other areas comment on Baldwin County pecans.

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