During the late
1800's landowners began to recognize the potential profit of pecans
in the southeastern United States . By the late 1800's several individuals
near Savannah , Georgia had produced and marketed 
pecans
on a small scale. By 1889 there were only 97 acres of pecans planted
in Georgia .
Thousands of acres
of pecan trees were planted in Southwest Georgia between 1910 and
1925. Most of these trees were initially planted as real estate investments
rather than for nut production. Thousands of acres were sold in five
and ten acre units, primarily in Dougherty and Mitchell Counties ,
which are still today the hub of Georgia'a pecan producing counties.
By 1920, Georgia was producing 2.5 million pounds of pecans.
By the 1950's Georgia
was ranked as the top state in the nation for pecan production.
Today, Georgia pecan
orchards may range in size from just a few trees to several thousand
acres. The state continues to be regarded as the top pecan producing
state in the U.S. , with over 140,000 acres planted to pecans. An
early harvest date compared to other areas of the nation which produce
pecans, often results in good prices for Georgia pecan growers, who
produced $128,499,337 in farm gate value during 2007.
