209: Putt Wetherbee, Schermer Pecans (Albany, GA)

Talk about Southern holiday baking, and it’s hard to imagine it without pecans, an iconic Southern ingredient, and for many folks in the South, that specifically means Schermer Pecans, in operation since 1946. I first met Putt Weatherby of Schermer Pecans in the fall of 2016 on a trip to Thomasville, Ga., and although we tried to podcast then, he was so exhausted from harvest, it didn’t work out. We had plans to try again, but as you’ll hear, that was not meant to be. In the intervening years, I began to develop content for the brand’s site and got to know the company more and more, standing by while Putt overcame amazing obstacles to once again live the vibrant life he truly enjoys. So when it came time to talk about those triumphs and new chapters, it felt right to ask him to join me on the mic once again, despite my working relationship with the company. The pecan groves of South Georgia -- full of sturdy, strong trees -- possess a quiet beauty and a true anchoring of a community, and so it makes sense that they would raise a man like Putt.