Valley View Pecans to be stop on tour of innovative farms, food businesses

Shawnee’s Valley View Pecans will be one of the stops Aug. 5 on a day-long tour of innovative farms and food businesses in eastern Oklahoma.
The business, owned by John and Janice Grundmann, boasts a 6,000-square-foot plant for processing a variety of nuts. The Grundmanns sell pecans raw, roasted, salted or honey-roasted, and offer walnuts, cashews, almonds and peanuts in a variety of candy coatings.
The Grundmanns have operated the business for 30 years, and now shell pecans from a four-state area and ship candy and nuts nationwide. During the tour, they will explain the process, from cracking, shelling, floating and cleaning to the ready-to-eat pecan meat.
The tour is part of the “Future Farms 2008: Planning for Change” conference, which will be held Aug. 5 and 6 at the Bricktown Convention Center in Oklahoma City. Also included in the tour is Queen’s Ransom Farm in Newalla; Rocky Top Goat Ranch and the Tiger Mountain agritourism resort, both near Henryetta; and Okemah’s Grape Ranch winery.
Buses will leave the conference center and go to the northwest, central and eastern parts of the state, and each tour will visit four or more farms. Tour stops will explore on-farm food businesses such as Valley View Pecans.
“Each tour will be limited to 50 people,” said Alan Ware of the Kerr Center, sponsor of the event.
Ware encourages those interested in attending to register early. The registration deadline is July 21, and the cost of the tour is $40 per person. Those who register may attend one or both days. Registration includes lunch.
To register, visit www.kerrcenter.com or call (918) 647-9123.