A Tough Nut, A Growing Business

 Pecan trees cover an estimated 200 acres in Camp Verde and according to Town of Camp Verde Economic Development Director Christian Green, Camp Verde produces roughly 300,000 pounds of pecans annually. “From my research, I’ve found that for every pound of pecans (in-shell) there are approximately 45 nuts. So, based on that number, we produce approximately 13.5 million pecans annually. “

 Residents with pecan trees have come to one conclusion: pecans are one nut that’s hard to crack. But thanks to Verde Valley Pecans owner Jerry Furman, a sustainable solution is available. “My life partner, Kelly, and I moved here last October and purchased property with 138 pecan trees. We then purchased new and used equipment for processing pecans. Our equipment can shake the trees, clean, crack and weigh the nuts. We can box as well,” he said.

 Shaking a pecan tree is also called mechanical harvesting, whereby Furman uses a tractor with a mounted device with specialized pads that shakes the tree for a few seconds to dislodge the ripe nuts.

 Along with selling pecans and pecan products, the mission of Verde Valley Pecans is to help other local growers keep productive and bring high-quality Arizona-grown pecans to market.  

“Our goal is to support small and independent pecan orchard owners across the Verde Valley,” said Furman. “We want to support small and independent orchard owners to provide affordable fertilizing, harvesting, cleaning and cracking services. We also want to be a connection between pecan growers to convey a sense of regional pride and to reinforce the deep-rooted agricultural tradition here.”

 Family also helps on the farm. Forman’s step-daughter, Jordyn, helps with cleaning, cracking, roasting and packaging the nuts and his two younger children help at farmers markets. “Kelly is a senior business director in the West Region and handles all our finances, website and so much more. She is my partner in the business, and I couldn’t do this without her.”

 Selling raw and roasted pecans by the package, Verde Valley Pecans also offers different flavors such as salted, jalapeño, sweet or spicy cinnamon and buttery golden praline.

“What started as a vision is now something we can hold in our hands,” said Furman.

“We also have a dream to turn this into an education experience for people with disabilities and local schools so others can see how a pecan farm is run and all it entails,” said Kelly. 

“We want to set the machines up so we can run some nuts and show them the whole process,” said Furman.

 “This is my first time using Jerry’s services and he and his team worked hard and did an excellent job,” said Julie Walker of Camp Verde, who has about 40 pecan trees of her own. “He is a fantastic person. You can tell he really likes living in Camp Verde.” 

Who I Admire  

I admire my wife, Kelly, the most. Growing up, I never had anyone teach me financial literacy or discipline, and she’s the very best at that. She’s also very kindhearted and my best friend.

My Favorite Season

Spring. I love to watch things grow. The flowers and trees all come alive and the smells are amazing. 

Where I go to Unwind

There’s a little spot by the river on our property. There’s a hammock and a bench there beside a sycamore tree. We like to go down there to relax and listen to the river. We enjoy the solitude of our farm.

Hobby I Hope to Pursue

Eventually, I want to learn how to sail and use a catamaran. I’d like to go explore anywhere that has calm water. That’s my 10-year plan. FBN

By V. Ronnie Tierney, FBN

Photo by V. Ronnie Tierney, Fresh Focuses Photography: Jerry and Kelly Furman brought modern equipment like this pecan shaker to Camp Verde.