Pebble Hill Grove

Frank and Teresa Bibin own a 27-acre organic pecan orchard in South Georgia. Georgia is the main pecan producing state in the U.S.A. Conventional pecans are heavily treated with pesticides; most orchards spray six times per year. But Frank and Teresa were determined to grow pecans without chemicals that harm the environment. This was a huge challenge, given the variety of insects that feed on pecans. In the mid-1990s the Bibins were losing over 30% of their crop to the hickory shuckworm, the most common pest in pecan orchards. By chance, they decided to try attracting bats to the orchard as a means of pest control. Since that time, the Bibins have created a refuge for over 1,700 batsmany of which are endangered in Georgia. The bat colony protects Pebble Hill Groves pecans by consuming as much as 22 pounds of insects in a single night. Using their bat colony, the Bibins also conduct pest control research on other crops, advancing organic agriculture and wildlife conservation in Georgia. Pebble Hill Grove provides delicious organic pecans---and a real resource for sustainable agriculture.