ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel SmarterEveryDay How to Harvest Pecans (In Slow Motion) – Smarter Every Day 248
Imagine standing on a front porch, surrounded by 18 majestic pecan trees. These trees hold a special place in the heart of one family, not just for their delicious nuts, but for the memories they evoke. The story begins with a young man who, after a speeding incident in his dad’s ’62 Ford, was given a choice: be grounded or face a unique punishment. He chose the latter, which led to a summer of planting pecan trees, a task that left a lasting impression.
These trees have been a part of the family since 1967, serving as a constant reminder of that summer. Pecans have since become a cherished part of their lives, enhancing everything from pies to ice cream. The buttery flavor of pecans, especially from a good harvest year like 1996, is unforgettable.
Fast forward to a visit to a local pecan farm owned by a farmer named Frank. Here, the process of harvesting pecans is revealed in all its mechanical glory. The key tool is a machine called the Savage Shaker, which gently grips the tree with rubber cushions and shakes it, causing the nuts to fall to the ground without damaging the tree.
Frank grows two main varieties: Pawnee and Kiowa. The Pawnee pecans, ripening in late September, are rich and buttery, perfect for pie fillings. The Kiowa, larger and ripening in November, are ideal for decorative toppings. Each variety offers a unique taste and texture, showcasing the diversity of pecans.
Using a high-speed camera, the shaking process is captured in slow motion, revealing the intricate dance of branches and nuts. The mechanical vibration is fascinating, and while shaking from different angles might seem beneficial, it turns out that a single shake is usually sufficient to release the nuts.
Once the nuts are on the ground, a harvester with rotating fingers sweeps them up, separating them from leaves and debris. The nuts are then cleaned and sorted, with bad ones removed by hand. A pecan weevil, the enemy of the harvest, is diligently checked for during this process.
The cracking machine, a Quantz Rotary Cracker, uses air pressure to gently crack the shells, ensuring the nuts remain intact. This method allows for a consistent force, accommodating various nut sizes without crushing them.
For Frank, the satisfaction comes from sharing these high-quality pecans with others. Although it’s not a highly profitable venture, the joy of hearing someone say, “These are the best pecans I’ve ever had,” makes it all worthwhile.
This educational journey is sponsored by KiwiCo, a company that provides engaging kits for kids. These kits, like the Eureka crate for engineering and the Maker crate for art, offer hands-on learning experiences. By supporting KiwiCo, you can inspire curiosity and creativity in young minds.
In conclusion, the process of harvesting pecans is not just about the nuts themselves but also about the memories, the science, and the joy of sharing something special with others. Whether you’re enjoying a pecan pie or learning about mechanical vibrations, there’s always something new to discover.
Research the history of pecan cultivation in the United States. Create a timeline that highlights key events and developments in the industry. Present your findings in a short presentation to your classmates, focusing on how these events have shaped modern pecan farming practices.
Study the mechanical design of the Savage Shaker used in pecan harvesting. Create a diagram that explains how the machine operates and discuss the physics behind its shaking mechanism. Share your insights in a group discussion, considering how this technology could be improved or adapted for other agricultural uses.
Organize a taste test featuring different varieties of pecans, such as Pawnee and Kiowa. Evaluate the flavor, texture, and suitability for various culinary uses. Write a report comparing the varieties and suggest recipes that would best highlight their unique characteristics.
Research the impact of pecan weevils on pecan harvests and explore methods used to control these pests. Prepare a poster presentation that outlines the lifecycle of the pecan weevil and effective pest management strategies, emphasizing the importance of maintaining healthy pecan crops.
Create a simple computer simulation or a physical model that demonstrates the pecan harvesting process, from shaking the trees to cracking the nuts. Use this simulation to teach your peers about the steps involved in harvesting pecans and the challenges faced by farmers during this process.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript, removing any inappropriate language or sensitive content while maintaining the essence of the conversation:
—
– Okay, this is good. I’m having a moment that tells me that it’s getting real. (ambient music) So this is my dad and this is his front porch. And what do you see from your front porch?
– 18 pecan trees.
– [Destin] And why are pecan trees important to our family?
– Because that was a consequence I had after I got caught driving my dad’s ’62 Ford too fast. He said, “What do you want? Do you want to be grounded or do you want a punishment?” I said, “I’d rather have the punishment.” He said, “Let me think about it, I’ll get back to you in a couple of days.” So he went to work and asked his friend what he should do…
– At NASA?
– At NASA. One of those guys said, “You’ve been wanting some pecan trees. I would take that boy in your truck, take him down to South Georgia, get some pecan seedlings, bring them back, and make that boy plant pecan trees in your yard.” It took me all summer to do it. A five-foot pecan tree has about a five-foot taproot, so you have to dig a deep hole.
– [Destin] So the idea was something that you wouldn’t forget.
– Yes. And it worked. Every day when I come out and see these pecan limbs laying on the ground, you have to have a burn pile to burn them. That consequence goes on after 1967.
– [Destin] And Granddaddy’s long gone and you’re still reminded of that experience.
– I am, there’s a pecan tree right there. (Destin chuckles) So, obviously, pecan trees have had a special place in the heart of my family for a while because pecans are wonderful.
– [Darryl] ’96 was a good year for pecans here.
– A pecan from 1996, here we go. (crunching) It’s a pecan. Tastes like butter pecan ice cream.
– The second one is better than the first one. (both laughing) Pecans make everything better from pies to cakes to breads to toppings. Seriously, if you haven’t tried it yet, your favorite flavor ice cream is Buttered Pecan. You just don’t know it yet. Yes, I grew up in the shade of those 18 trees my dad planted as a consequence, but I’ve never seen how a pecan farm goes about shaking hundreds of pounds of pecans out of these gigantic trees. So when I got a call from a local farmer named Frank saying he was going to be shaking some of his pecan trees on his 400-tree orchard, it was only appropriate that my dad should join me on this trip out to the pecan farm.
– How’s it going?
– [Frank] Hey, good.
– Nice to meet you.
– Good meeting you. I want to make sure I understand correctly. You literally grab the tree and shake it.
– Yes, exactly. We grab the tree… I’m going to show you the shaker over here.
– [Destin] Okay, yeah.
– This is a Savage Shaker. This arm slides out, you back up and then squeeze the tree.
– [Destin] Oh, look at that. So the tree goes…
– Right in between here, these rubber cushions.
– [Destin] Uh-huh. So it doesn’t damage the tree?
– It does not damage the tree. You tighten up on a tree, so it’s real tight, so it doesn’t come loose. And then when you engage the PTO, it shakes the tree and the nuts come tumbling down.
– [Destin] Really? Oh, my goodness. It’s a lobe. Is it offset just like the…
– [Frank] Yeah, just like the…
– [Destin] It looks like a motor on a cell phone. So I’m seeing a rotating shaft, just like a cell phone vibration motor.
– [Frank] Okay.
– [Destin] But why does the chain go that way? I don’t understand what happens that way.
– Well, it goes down to where the gearbox or the PTO is.
– [Destin] Okay. Oh, where’s the PTO?
– Seeds come in right down at the bottom here.
– [Destin] Oh, okay, so it’s driven here. It shakes there…
– Yeah, it’s driven down here, shakes up here.
– [Destin] And this whole thing is mechanically coupled. So this just shakes like that.
– Yes.
– Okay. That makes sense. I didn’t know this, but there are over 500 different varieties of pecans. Frank grows two different varieties on his farm.
– This is a Pawnee. Ripens usually the end of September, first week of October. And this is a Kiowa, and it ripens the first week of November, usually. The Pawnee is richer; it’s got more oil in it, so it’s a more buttery flavor. The Kiowa is bigger, so if you want to make a pie with big nuts on top, this is the one you want to put on top. But if you want in the meat of the pie, you want to put Pawnee because it’s rich. It’s like the butter you put in the crust.
– Can I try the buttery flavor?
– That’s not the buttery flavor, this is the buttery flavor.
– Okay, so this is a Kiowa.
– It’s a drier…
– And this is the Pawnee.
– Yes.
– Way higher quality. Yeah, the quality is way better.
– It is. Pecans are all so different. I mean, every pecan. So whether you have Elias, or Schley or Pawnee or Kiowas, there are so many different varieties.
– [Destin] Can I eat that?
– Yeah.
– It was really good.
– Yeah, of course! (Destin chuckles) You grow up knowing something and then you learn something and you get an understanding. So we’re moving from knowledge to understanding when it comes to pecans. This is awesome. So it was time to see this thing in action. Frank opened the jaws of the shaker wide so it would fit around the trunk of the tree. He backs in and then tightens the jaws snug around the tree so it won’t hurt the bark of the tree when he engages the shaker. (shaker rattling) (sticks and pecans falling all around)
– Oh, shoot! You were right. (Laughing) (shaker revving, leaves fluttering) (LOUD MECHANICAL VIBRATION) Okay, that’s amazing. Did a lot come out?
– A lot of leaves came out. I don’t know about pecans.
– [Destin] Well, one hit me right on the head. All right, so post-shake, let’s look at what we got. So one left that hull, I still got one in this one. So like right at the base of the pecan, where it goes into the hull, there’s a connection point,
– Right.
– [Destin] Does that have to dry out in order for this to work?
– The husk has to be open for them to fall out.
– [Destin] Okay. And this year they have not been acting as normal. The husks have not opened on time. I don’t know why. They were ripe. They just didn’t open up. And then I couldn’t shake them. Everything is about three weeks late.
– So dad’s going to be the tripod on the tractor today. We’re going to use the high-speed camera like this. And the idea is maybe we can get up in the tops of the trees and wherever we need to get. So I’m so excited about a high-speed camera mounted on a tractor. This was admittedly a creative move, but it worked like a charm. It was super convenient. What you’re about to see is without a doubt, one of the most chaotic and complicated mechanical systems I have ever seen; I was astounded at the complexity. (Sweet happy music by “A Shell In The Pit”) (Song name “Still Some Light Left”)
– So this is all about mechanical vibration.
– It is mechanical vibration.
– So I have another question then.
– Sure.
– So it seems to me that if you were to shake the tree in this axis, it would behave differently than if you were to turn 90 degrees and shake in this axis.
– We have never done that. Shaking them from different sides is not normal, but that’s an idea that might give you better results if you took the time to go to every tree from multiple directions.
– [Destin] But when you’re going, you’re just going; you don’t care about that.
– We want to get as many… We want to get nuts on the ground so I can harvest them. And then we’ve usually got a crew standing by to start processing it.
– [Destin] So what effect would shaking a tree from two different angles actually have? I wanted to see what would happen way up in the top of the tree, so I locked in on a branch way far up there, and then we vibrated it at 90 degrees out of phase, in two different shakes down at the trunk. Here, you can see the side-by-side motion of what happens at the top. It’s pretty obvious here. These two limbs are moving in a very similar pattern, even though they’re being shaken differently down at the trunk. This is fascinating. And I’m pretty sure a PhD student could easily write a thesis on simulating the complexity of a tree when modeled as a vibratory system. One thing I feel pretty confident in saying though, is that it’s probably not worth doing a second shake at 90 degrees, as it’s clear almost no additional nuts end up falling from the tree. One thing that surprised me is you can clearly see the weight being released from the tree during shaking. It’s almost like you can see the limbs climb up towards the sky as the burden is lifted from the branches and the nuts fall to the ground. It’s time to harvest. So this is the Harvester. Huh?
– This is the harvester.
– Okay.
– See those round fingers?
– Oh yeah.
– Those sit down and they roll; they’re a street sweeper kind of thing. And they sweep up the nuts. Fingers throw the leaves, throw the stuff up here. They get on this belt and they go out the back. And the nuts will go into a hopper and there’s a big screw feed in here that feeds them up into that hopper.
– [Destin] So, somehow the nuts end up here.
– Yeah, they will get… they get dropped off into this, see this,
– Oh the basket!
– In that basket. And then there’s a screw feed. They come across it into here and then they get scooped up. Farmers like augers, don’t they? So the first thing Frank seems to do is pick up all the sticks in front of the harvester because it’s my understanding that the harvester can be affected negatively by sticks rolling up into these rubber fingers right here. So the path has to be completely clear of sticks. (Rad music with fun vocals) (Waaaa…waaaaa…wa wa wa wa wa wa wa wa)
– Okay, what is this Frank? What are we doing?
– We are taking nuts that we collected in the field in this trailer that you saw us load into. And we’re moving them from there into the hopper of this Southern Nut and Tree pecan cleaner. And it cleans the debris, leaves, husks… off the nuts.
– [Destin] So Frank explained to me that the nuts are shoveled into a bin where they’re fed onto a conveyor belt that makes its way up and then drops them down into a machine. Inside this machine, there are bigger rubber fingers, which separate the leaves from the husk, from the nuts. And then everything passes through a massive blast of air. All the leaves and the bad nuts get blown up and out of the machine into a big pile of bad nuts. The bad nuts are lighter than the good nuts because they’ve already been cracked and they’ve started to dry out. The good ones drop down onto another conveyor belt where humans further identify and separate out the bad ones. They’re looking for mold or nuts with cracks in them, which means the inside could be compromised or have holes. What is this?
– A pecan weevil.
– So that’s the enemy.
– That’s the enemy. It bores holes in the husk, right into the husk, and then it’ll live in here as a little worm.
– [Destin] So you have to be very diligent about looking for those guys.
– You have to watch out for them.
– [Destin] So the final step is cracking the nut and I’ve got to say, this machine is impressive.
– So this is our cracker. It’s a Quantz Rotary Cracker. Nuts go into this hopper. They go up this belt into the machine where…
– [Destin] Is it grabbing one nut at a time?
– One nut goes into these little stations on the belt,
– Really?
– And what happens is they’ll get pushed off here. And then there’s a little wire that pushes them over so that they get kicked out. So there’s only one per stage…
– Oh it indexes, it’s just a single, single at one time. Okay.
– So then this pneumatic machine, we run compressed air into the machine here.
– [Destin] Oh, so you have to finely tune this thing.
– So what happens is nuts get picked up. They’ll be held mechanically by a stainless steel cylinder and it’s stressed, is under pressure. And then there is a pneumatic disc that is propelled against the end that shatters the shell and that shell is…
– [Destin] I figured something out. So the reason you’re using air pressure is you can have constant force instead of like a spring. You… like displacement. It’s a function of displacement, but with air pressure, you get constant force.
– And we can adjust for a variety of sizes of nuts because it just squeezes whatever size nut comes through. So if you go to a Meyer’s Cracker down at the co-op, those crackers are set for a fixed space of cracking. So if the nut is this big, and they’ve got a set for a nut this size, it will still smash it down to this small. And you will have a smashed half. That’s hardly worth…
– [Destin] This is force constant instead of displacement constant.
– Right.
– [Destin] That’s amazing. Okay. I would have never thought about that. Okay.
– So here’s the outside of the machine. You’ve seen the controls. This is what the inside looks like. I’m going to open it up here so you can see it.
– [Destin] Oh okay. And what happens is, and you see all the debris, the nuts get picked up right here.
– [Destin] No way, can you run it like this?
– Yeah, we can.
– Okay. This is good. I’m having a moment that tells me that it’s getting real. Okay, here we go.
– Yeah, it happens really fast. We’ll run it for just a minute, so you can see it…
– And then we’re cutting out. Some of these stations work better than others. We’ve had some problems and we do some major work with, here we go, you ready?
– [Destin] I’m ready. (MOTOR WHIRRING) BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG WHAT!? BANG-BANG-CRACK-BANG-POP-BANG-BANG THAT’S AMAZING! That’s awesome. (Machine Stops) Okay, and they come out here.
– The real product comes out on this station and discharge chute. And this person sorts that material out, looking for bad nuts and nuts that haven’t cracked. This is overflow where the machine is a bit out of tune. And so stuff comes out the back that shouldn’t.
– Got it. And these are all cracked. And then we take them from here and move them manually to her station where she does the final checks. Got it. (MACHINE WORKING LOUDLY) Look at the controls… you can see when we’re working – Crack changes. Stress. Feed is pretty constant, Eject pretty constant and then Reset. BANG BANG BANG And here it keeps picking up the nuts BANG BANG BANG Picking them up
– [Destin] And it’s kicking them out… If it’s two on there, [Frank] Yeah, there’s a wire that pushes them out and it indexes properly. BANG BANG BANG CLICK BANG
– [Destin] How are they going in there?
– It’s just gravity.
– Got it.
– Gravity just feeds them into the bottom.
– That’s a finely tuned mechanical device. Isn’t it?
– [Destin] So this is the final product here.
– Yes.
– [Destin] Okay. And what is the normal quantity that you sell these things in?
– Three-pound bags for $20.
– [Destin] Okay. So this isn’t like an industrial operation.
– No, this is a small farm operation. You’re not making tons of money. If the IRS ever comes and audits us, they’re going to say, “You’re doing this for what?” (both chuckling)
– [Destin] So why do you do it?
– You know, because satisfaction is when you take pecans to people and they say, “These are the best pecans I’ve ever had.” That makes it worthwhile.
– This episode of Smarter Every Day is sponsored by KiwiCo. And if you’ve been following Smarter Every Day for any length of time, you know that I originally reached out to KiwiCo because we love their products. When this little girl was a whole lot younger than she is now. In past episodes on Smarter Every Day, I’ve told you about the Tinker Crate and the Doodle Crate and all these other lines that KiwiCo has. But today we finally have access to the Eureka crate and the Maker crate. The Eureka crate has to do with engineering and design and the Maker crate is all about art and design. These are awesome. And they’re geared more towards older kids.
– I want to try this bottom one, macrame planters.
– So here’s the deal. If you want to support Smarter Every Day, you can do so by getting a really cool kit delivered to your house for your kid. And I have a new promo code this time because I wanted to include the Eureka crate and the Maker crate in the deal. They’re a little bit bigger. They’re a little bit more complicated. You can see you actually get tools with them. So if you would go to KiwiCo.com/smarter50, that gets you 50% off your first crate. You get to pick whatever you want. And I really wanted the Eureka crate and the Maker crate to be a part of this. So this is macrame. Did you know how to do that?
– I do now.
– If you have younger kids, by all means, that Tinker crate
Mechanical – Relating to the principles of mechanics and the forces acting on bodies – The mechanical properties of materials are crucial for understanding how they will perform under stress in engineering applications.
Vibrations – Oscillations or repetitive motions of particles or bodies – The study of vibrations is essential in designing buildings that can withstand earthquakes.
Harvesting – The process of gathering mature crops or resources from the environment – Solar energy harvesting is a sustainable method to generate electricity without harming the environment.
Process – A series of actions or steps taken to achieve a particular end – The process of nuclear fusion in stars is a fundamental concept in astrophysics.
Science – The systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment – Environmental science integrates various disciplines to address ecological challenges.
Trees – Perennial plants with an elongated stem or trunk, supporting branches and leaves – Trees play a vital role in carbon sequestration, helping to mitigate climate change.
Varieties – Different forms or versions of something, especially within a particular category – There are numerous varieties of photovoltaic cells, each with unique efficiencies and applications.
Education – The process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university – Education in renewable energy technologies is essential for developing sustainable solutions to environmental issues.
Environment – The natural world or ecosystem in which living organisms exist – Understanding the impact of human activities on the environment is crucial for developing conservation strategies.
Creativity – The use of imagination or original ideas to create something – Creativity in designing experiments can lead to groundbreaking discoveries in physics.
