Sarah Ferdico shakes pecans off of trees in the Twin Springs Pecan orchard located in Firth, Nebraska on Monday, Nov. 4, 2019. Twin Springs Pecans also has an orchard in Bennet.
Leaves vibrate as the pecan tree is shaken by a tractor to harvest the pecans in Firth, Nebraska. Pecans fall to the ground and are harvested by a tractor that sweeps the nuts up from the grass.
A pair of fallen pecans wait to be swept up by a harvesting tractor. After they are picked up they go through a variety of machines before they are packed and ready for delivery.
Sarah Ferdico watches as pecans make their way onto a conveyor belt to be separated from rocks and other debris before they can be cracked and sorted for packaging. Ferdico works with her dad, Charlie Willnerd, who started the pecan operation as a way to diversify his corn and soybean farm.
Three-generations of the family, from left, Charlie Willnerd, Julie Ganzel Willnerd, Sarah Ferdico and Dawson Ferdico sort debris out of harvested pecans.
Sarah Ferdico and her son Dawson work to grab rocks and other debris as it passes by on the conveyor belt. Dawson helped for a little while, but then played with toy cars and his tricycle as the adults continued to work.
Dawson Ferdico, right, uses an upside down crate to stand tall enough to help his mom, Sarah, sort harvested pecans.
Dawson Ferdico rides his tricycle in the background as his grandparents Charlie Willnerd, left, and Julie Ganzel Willnerd sort rocks, leaves and other debris from harvested pecans on Tuesday, November 19, 2019, in Bennet, Nebraska.
Sunlight illuminates pecans that haven fallen to the ground as they were transferred from the hopper to the sorting bin. The pecans go through a few rounds of sanitation as they make their way through processing.
Sarah Ferdico delivers pecans to Pepe Fierro on Thursday, December 6, 2019, at his restaurant, Pepe’s Bistro.
Pepe Fierro shows Sarah Ferdico, center, and Dawson Ferdico a picture of an event that Pepe’s restaurant, Pepe’s Bistro, held for the community following a deliver that Ferdico made on Thursday, December 6, 2019.
Many businesses use pecans from Twin Springs Pecans including Sweet Minou, which uses the pecans in their milk chocolate pecan bar. Tasty Good Toffee, a Lincoln based company, and Omaha based companies, The Pie Whole bakery and Snowshoe & Company are among other businesses that use Twin Springs Pecans.
Charlie Willnerd drives a tractor around the Twin Springs Orchard in Firth, Nebraska to pick up all of the pecans that have fallen to the ground during harvest.