Thursday, November 20, 1997

Today is last day to enter nuts in Abilene pecan show

By J.T. Smith / Abilene Reporter-News

This is the final day to enter nuts in the Abilene Area Pecan Show which is slated for Monday and Tuesday at the Mall of Abilene.

Pecan entries will be accepted until 5 p.m. at the Extension Service office on the third floor of the Old County Courthouse in Abilene.

Gary Bomar, Taylor County ag agent, said one entry must include at least 42 nuts. Bomar added that if the variety is unknown, the pecan committee can identify it at the time of shelling.

Meanwhile, pecan food entries can be delivered directly to the mall in the J.C. Penney Courtyard between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday.

The show is open to residents of Taylor, Callahan, Coleman, Runnels, Nolan, Fisher, Jones, Shackelford and Coke counties. For more, call the Taylor County Extension Office at (915) 674-1321.

Shackelford County show is near

Speaking of a good crop of nuts this year, a large number of entries are expected for the upcoming 1997 Shackelford County Pecan and Food Show Dec. 6 at the historic courthouse in downtown Albany.

Rocky Vinson, Shackelford County Extension agent, will chair the show, while noted Texas A&M Entomologist Emory P. Boring III of Vernon coordinates the judging.

Vinson said entries must consist of a minimum of 40 nuts. The pecans must have been produced in Shackelford County by the person entering them. All nut entries will be received between 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Dec. 5 at the courthouse.

Entries should be indentified with the grower's name, address and also the variety of pecan -- if known.

The food division will be judged Dec. 6. All food entries should be in place by 10 a.m. that date. Judging will begin at 10:30 a.m. Food divisions are pies, cakes, candy, nut breads, cookiesc and micellaneous.

The age groups are pre-school through the eighth grade, grades nine through 12 and adults.

For more, contact Vinson at (915) 762-2232.

Swenson ranch operation returns to original name

Some times, older really is better.

In a board meeting of the Swen R. Swenson Cattle Co. a resolution was adopted to change the company name back to the original Swenson Land and Cattle Company, Inc.

"The purpose of this change is to enhance the company's identity by using the old, traditional name of Swenson Land and Cattle Co., Inc., which represented the SMS ranch operation established in the 1880s on lands acquired by S.M. Swenson," said ranch president Gary Mathis of Stamford.

The former Swenson Land and Cattle Co., Inc., with land located in nine counties of the Texas Rolling Plains, was dissolved into the four companies in 1978 under the names of SMS Ranch Co., Inc., Tongue River Ranch Corporation, Throckmorton Land and Cattle Company and Swen R. Swenson Cattle Co.

The original SMS brand (with backward S's) was adopted by Swen R. Swenson Cattle Company.