[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 48 (Thursday, April 25, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S3428]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          NATIONAL PECAN MONTH

 Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize 
National Pecan Month. Each April the nation celebrates the pecan. Used 
in recipes ranging from pies and candy to soups and salads, the pecan 
is an important part of New Mexico's diet and economy.
  New Mexico is the third largest pecan producing State following 
Georgia and Texas. The Pecan tree is uniquely native to North America. 
Pecans were first introduced to New Mexico in the early 1900's at the 
New Mexico State University and then in the Mesilla Valley. In 1932, 
the late Dean Stahmann Sr. planted the first commercial Pecan orchard, 
and pecans quickly became an important product of our State. In 2001, 
the State of New Mexico produced over 50 million pounds of pecans and 
had approximately 30,000 acres of pecan trees.
  I am proud of the 15 New Mexico counties which produce pecans. Seven 
of the leading counties in pecan production include Chavez, Dona Ana, 
Eddy, Lea, Luna, Otero, and Sierra. Dona Ana county has more than 
20,000 acres of pecan trees. Eight others including Bernalillo, Curry, 
De Baca, Grant, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Quay, and Roosevelt are all growing 
as valuable pecan producing counties.
  Pecans not only taste great, but also may provide a way to help 
American's live healthier lives. A recently released study printed in 
the Journal of Nutrition reported regular consumption of pecans lowers 
cholesterol in conjunction with a step I diet of the American Heart 
Association. I encourage all American's to celebrate National Pecan 
Month with the people of New Mexico.

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