My name is Linda Exum and my husbands name is James Exum.
Together we raised two sons on the farm and instilled in them a love of our South Georgia land, farming and growing pecans. They blessed us with four granddaughters and two grandsons, and we now have two great grandsons and have three more great grands on the way.
Farming, raising cattle and growing pecans is more than a job, it is our way of life and a heritage that our family hopes to carry on for generations to come. Our roots run deep in the rich South Georgia soil and it has been such a blessing to see children, grand children and great grands grow, walk, play and work in the same orchards their Daddys grew up working in.
Our son Chris and wife Myra are full time farmers growing cotton, peanuts, fresh vegetables and pecans. The two grandsons, Blake Exum and Lance Exum are fully involved in the farming, pecan production and shelling operation.
The granddaughters have worked in the pecan processing and sales through high school and college and even though they are pursuing careers off the farm are still involved in the pecan business as needed. Best of all any given day you can come by the pecan barn and find one of the precious great grands playing in the store front or my office helping Papa and Nana work.
Our dream is for them to continue this pecan business long after we are gone. Our prayer is the pecan industry will be strong and profitable for them so they can carry on this family tradition.
Our product name, Natures Gift came from a pecan tree in our first orchard. James could not determine the variety of this particular tree.
As it grew, the tree had exceptional qualities, was disease resistant and made good pecans every year. He felt like this particular tree was just a gift from God and he named it Natures Gift. Trees from this line have been and are a mainstay in our orchards, and we carry this name on our Shelled pecan product and candies.
We sell only high quality, new crop pecans each year. We grow the nuts, harvest them ourselves, bring them to our cracking and shelling facilty where we process the pecans. We sell the majority of our pecans in the shell. But we shell and package some of our highest quality nuts for your baking needs or just eating fresh from the package.
We are adding a line of candied pecans this year that we think are just some of the best you will ever eat. My orange glazed pecans are a recipe that my mother used every year when we made Christmas candy. My Mama , my three sisters and I , four sister in laws and a pot load of grandchildren gathered every Christmas to make all the decadent candies and pecan treats. We made chocolate balls with pecans of course, fudge with pecans, brittle, and pecans pies. Such sweet memories.
This is what we hope to share with your family. Just a simple taste of tradition, heritage, love and family.
Pecans are not only tasty, but possess some important benefits for your health.
We grow the nuts, harvest them ourselves, bring them to our cracking and shelling facilty where we process the pecans.
Our product name, Natures Gift came from a pecan tree in our first orchard.
Pecans – the only native American tree nut – have been a tasty favorite for centuries. The first known cultivated pecan tree plantings are thought to have taken place in the late 1600s or early 1700s in northern Mexico, whereas the first U.S. plantings took place in Long Island, NY in 1772.
By the 1800s, pecans were at the heart of a full-fledged North American industry. Pecans have a rich history that goes back hundreds of years, but recent history is redefining how people think about those delicious little tree nuts. Research conducted over the past decade has confirmed that pecans can be a healthy addition to your diet. Below are summaries of landmark research studies confirming the health benefits associated with eating a diet rich in pecans.
New research, published in the August 2006 issue of Nutrition Research, shows that adding just a handful of pecans to your diet each day may help inhibit unwanted oxidation of blood lipids, thus helping prevent coronary heart disease. The researchers suggest that this positive effect was in part due to the pecans’ significant content of vitamin E – a natural antioxidant. Pecans contain different forms of vitamin E, which protects blood lipids from oxidation. Oxidation of lipids in the body – a process akin to rusting – is detrimental to health. When the “bad” (LDL) cholesterol becomes oxidized, it is more likely to build up and result in clogged arteries.
In the laboratory analysis of blood samples from the research subjects, Dr. Haddad’s team found that the diets enriched with pecans significantly reduced lipid oxidation (by 7.4 percent) versus the Step I diet. Oxidation levels were evaluated using the TBARS test, which measures oxidation products. The researchers also found that blood levels of tocopherols were higher after participants were on the pecan diet. Cholesterol-adjusted plasma gamma-tocopherol in the study participants’ blood samples increased by 10.1 percent (P < .001) after eating the healthy pecan diet. The researchers concluded that these data provide some evidence for potential protective effects of pecan consumption in healthy individuals.
In addition, landmark research published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry (June 2004) found that pecans rank highest among all nuts and are among the top category of foods to contain the highest antioxidant capacity, meaning pecans may decrease the risk of cancer, coronary heart disease, and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Using a method that has proven to be a good indicator of the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of foods called ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), researchers measured the antioxidant capacity of nuts among 100 commonly consumed healthy foods and snacks, including different types of nuts, and determined pecans have more antioxidant capacity than walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds, peanuts and cashews. Numerous other studies have also shown that phytochemicals, like those found in pecans, act like natural antioxidants and may have a protective effect against certain diseases, such as various cancers and coronary heart disease.
Pecans also play a role in lowering cholesterol. Clinical research published in the Journal of Nutrition (September 2001) compared the Step I diet (28 percent fat), recommended by the American Heart Association for individuals with high cholesterol levels, to a pecan-enriched (40 percent fat) diet. The results showed the pecan-enriched diet lowered total cholesterol by 11.3 percent and LDL “bad” cholesterol levels by 16.5 percent – twice that of the Step I diet, without any associated weight gain.
Research conducted by Dr. Ronald Eitenmiller at the University of Georgia has also confirmed that pecans contain plant sterols, which are known for their cholesterol-lowering ability.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has acknowledged this and related research and approved the following qualified health claim: “Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, such as pecans, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.”
A review of pecan and other nut research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (September 2003), suggests that nuts like pecans may aid in weight loss and maintenance. The review cited studies indicating that nut consumption may increase metabolic rates and enhance satiety. When used in conjunction with a healthy low-fat diet, nuts also offer increased flavor, palatability and texture that can lead to greater dietary compliance, according to the review.
A one-ounce serving of pecans (approximately 20 halves) contains 196 calories, 20.4 grams total fat (1.8 saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 0 grams sodium, 2.7 grams dietary fiber and over 19 vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin E, calcium, potassium and zinc.
Pecans are also a good source of oleic acid, vitamin B1, thiamin, magnesium and protein.
Nearly 60 percent of the fats in pecans are monounsaturated and another 30 percent are polyunsaturated, leaving very little saturated fat in pecans. The unsaturated fat in pecans is heart-healthy fat meeting the new Dietary Guidelines that recommend Americans keep intake between 20 and 35 percent of calories, with most fats coming from heart-healthy sources like fish, nuts and vegetable oils. In addition, pecans contain no trans fat.
Pecans contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals – including vitamin A, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, several B vitamins and zinc. One ounce of pecans provides 10 percent of the recommended Daily Value for fiber. Pecans are also a natural, high-quality source of protein that contain very few carbohydrates and no cholesterol. Pecans are also naturally sodium-free, making them an excellent choice for those on a salt- or sodium-restricted diet.
