The Comanche Indian Proverb: "We don't own the land, the land owns us" forms a core value of the Yates Farms family businesses. Presently four generations farm and ranch in San Saba County, Texas.

Our family purchased it's first pecan orchard in San Saba County over 40 years ago. From this modest beginning, orchard operations have expanded to include pecan varieties that include Burkett, Western, Improved San Saba, Desirable, Kiowa, Pawnee and a few others we're not quite sure about. Nestled in the headwaters of creeks tributary to both the San Saba and Colorado Rivers, the fertile sandy loam pecan bottoms are sub-irrigated by clay layers that collect rain water falling on the hillsides. We think it's the Texas Hill Country at its best.

Just like the latest varieties of pecans, we've seen many theories come and go over the years about how to maximize yield with dense orchard plantings and intense fertilization, herbicide and chemical utilization. We've preferred to practice sustainable agriculture and let the land teach us what it can produce and how it can provide for our needs. We don't bulldoze out the older varieties, we adapt and use them where they excel. Just like native pecans, many of these varieties have higher oil and flavor content making them excellent for oils, snacking and bakery uses. We also don't practice bare ground agriculture with intensive use of herbicides and insecticides but live with some crop losses to wildlife and make only sparing use of chemicals when there is a severe problem. We enjoy working in the orchards ourselves and have found pecans grow best in the shade of the owners' shadows.

In recent years, we've found others that appreciate the goodness of our lifestyles and products. As a result, Yates Pecan Company provides pecan oils, in shell pecans, shelled pecans and baked goods. We have also come to recognize that many ingredients in today's processed foods contain gluten or wheat and have adverse health implications for some folks. Because our family members are gluten sensitive, we make and sell gluten-free products. Please look over our offerings and give us a try.