Pecan South Magazine: History, Texas Pecan Growers Association, Content and Editors
Profile updated November 2026
Pecan South magazine calls itself the pecan industry's leading publication, and it is published every month for growers, processors and everyone else in the pecan supply chain. It belongs to the Texas Pecan Growers Association, a century-old grower group based in Bryan, Texas, and it reaches readers in the U.S. and several international markets.
| Publisher | Texas Pecan Growers Association (TPGA), founded 1921 |
|---|---|
| Office | 4348 Carter Creek Parkway, Suite 101, Bryan, Texas |
| Frequency | Monthly, full color |
| Predecessor | The Pecan Quarterly (1967), merged with Pecan South in the 1980s |
| Companion titles | Pecan Newsletter, Nuez Surena, Pieces of Pecan |
| Managing editor | Sarah Dieringer |
| Official website | PecanSouthMagazine.com |
History of Pecan South
The Texas Pecan Growers Association grew out of a 1906 meeting in Austin, where friends of former Governor James Hogg gathered to choose a pecan variety for his grave. They formed the Texas Nut Growers Association, which later merged into the Texas State Horticulture Society. When that group dissolved under the pressures of World War I, its members encouraged a new statewide pecan organization, and TPGA held its first meeting at San Saba in 1921.
TPGA has published for its members for decades. It issued the bimonthly Texas Pecan News in 1951, then launched The Pecan Quarterly, whose first edition appeared in May 1967 at the suggestion of TPGA president John B. Harris. The association later bought Pecan South, and The Pecan Quarterly merged into it in the 1980s. When Volume 53 began in March 2020, publisher Blair Krebs, also TPGA's executive director, noted she had worked with the magazine for more than 15 years.
Catherine Clark served as managing editor from 2017 to 2024, working on 90 issues before leaving the pecan industry in December 2024. Sarah Dieringer, a University of Texas at San Antonio communication graduate, now writes the magazine's editor's letters as managing editor.
Pecan South Today
Pecan South publishes monthly in print and online, and a subscription comes with TPGA membership. The association also runs the annual Texas Pecan Growers Conference each July, with an educational program, orchard tour and mini short course, along with a field day, the Texas Pecan Show and a research and extension grant program.
The magazine's November 2025 issue looked at the global calendar of the crop, with Southern Hemisphere growers preparing for spring while Northern Hemisphere growers harvested, and promoted a reader harvest photo contest. TPGA held its 100th conference in San Marcos in July 2021, and Pecan South covered the centennial.
What Pecan South Is Publishing Now
Orchard management
Research-based articles on pest control, nutrition, irrigation, grafting and harvest, with contributions from university researchers and extension specialists.
Markets and the industry
Crop conditions, prices and international trade; the weekly Pecan Newsletter adds harvest and price news from September through January.
International and consumer editions
Nuez Surena serves Spanish-speaking growers in Central and South America, and Pieces of Pecan is a free consumer magazine businesses can order in print.
Pecan South Editors and Staff
Pecan South's editor's and publisher's letters name:
- Sarah Dieringer - Managing Editor
- Blair Krebs - Publisher and TPGA Executive Director (as of 2020)
- Catherine Clark - Former Managing Editor (2017-2024)
- John B. Harris - Former TPGA President who proposed The Pecan Quarterly
TPGA's office in Bryan lists pecans@tpga.org as its general contact address.
Who Reads Pecan South
Readers are pecan growers, shellers, processors, accumulators and suppliers in Texas, the Southeast, the Southwest and abroad. TPGA notes that the U.S. and Mexico are the world's leading pecan suppliers and that the U.S. crop typically reaches about 300 million pounds. Texas made the pecan its state tree in 1919, and USDA tree nut data from the Economic Research Service track the market these readers depend on.
Pecan growers plant trees their grandchildren will harvest, so they understand a long setup for a good punchline. farm.FM serves farm satire and farm humor for anyone who has shaken a tree and waited, with ranch humor for the cattle running under the orchard canopy. Its farm jokes go nicely with a slice of pecan pie.
For context, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site and the home of Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers. Its contributors each keep an archive, and this one is a good sampler of ranch humor and farm jokes.
Pecan South Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Pecan South: About - frequency, audience and companion publications.
- Pecan South: TPGA celebrates 100 years - the association's history and the magazine's origins.
- Texas Pecan Growers Association: FAQ - membership, programs and Texas pecan facts.
- USDA ERS: Fruit and tree nuts data - federal data on tree nut production and trade.
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - pecan production and price statistics by state.
Pecan South FAQ
Who publishes Pecan South magazine?
The Texas Pecan Growers Association, based in Bryan, Texas.
How often is Pecan South published?
Monthly, in full color, with a weekly newsletter during harvest season.
Who edits Pecan South?
Sarah Dieringer is managing editor; Catherine Clark held the role from 2017 to 2024.
How do I get Pecan South?
A subscription is included with Texas Pecan Growers Association membership.
From a 1906 meeting about a governor's grave to a monthly read around the world, Pecan South magazine carries more than a century of pecan grower history.