2 El Paso pecan farmers take top honors at state competition

EL PASO, Texas ( KTSM ) — Two El Paso pecan farmers gained statewide honors for their crops during a statewide competition.

El Paso County farmers Kevin Ivey and Jim Montes both gained top honors at the recent 2024 Texas State Pecan Show which was held on July 14 in San Marcos.

The event is put on by the Texas Pecan Grower’s Association to recognize the best pecans grown in 2023 across the state.

Ivey took home top honors in the Commercial Pecan division, by placing first in both the Western and Wichita categories.

“His success underscores the high quality of pecans being cultivated in the region and highlights the hard work and commitment of local farmers to their craft,” stated a news release sent out by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

Jim Montes took home top honors in the classic and new division, placing first in the San Saba Improved and Barton categories and earning second place in the Apache category.

The Texas State Pecan Show is highly competitive, with 187 entries divided into 42 variety classes judged by Dr. Warren Chatwin and Mr. Braden Tondre from the USDA-ARS Pecan Breeding & Genetics Program in College Station, Texas, the Extension Service said.

This year, 75 entities, including individual growers and commercial farms, representing 32 Texas counties, competed after previously placing at their respective regional competitions.

“Jim Montes and Kevin Ivey’s achievements at the Texas State Pecan Show exemplify the excellence in pecan farming in El Paso County. Their success serves as an inspiration to their fellow growers and reinforces the region’s reputation for producing some of the finest pecans in the state,” the Extension Service said.

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