FERRIDAY &8212; One look at Bill Beasley&8217;s orchard could make almost anyone want to explore a career in pecan farming. But it&8217;s just not that easy, the experts said.

Beasley&8217;s orchard played host Thursday to a group already in the business as part of a pecan farmer&8217;s convention.

A pecan convention and trade show, co-hosted by the Pecan Producers of Louisiana and the Mississippi Pecan Growers Association, offered orchard tours, lectures from university scientists and equipment demonstrations for those in attendance. The day&8217;s events began the two-day convention.

&8220;I&8217;m very excited about the number of people that attended to learn the latest on pecan products,&8221; Beasley said. &8220;A wealth of information is being exchanged today.&8221;

Establishing a Pecan Orchard, a free seminar given by Research Horticulturist Charlie Graham and John Pyzner from LSU, gave the basics to those interested in the summer crop.

&8220;There are so many things you need to do to prepare your site if you want a successful crop,&8221; Graham said. &8220;Before spending that much money to get started people need to understand the many fabrics involved.&8221;

Harvested in the fall, a good pecan tree requires six to 10 years of growth before it is expected to produce a healthy crop. The summer-long growth is one where the &8220;entire harvest is done for the Thanksgiving and Christmas market.&8221; The initial cost of starting a pecan orchard, Graham said, depends on the management practices you incorporate, how many trees per acre you put into place and the goals you have for that orchard.

Graham said 1,000 to 1,500 pounds of pecans can be expected per acre possibly yielding $3 to $3.50 a pound.

&8220;Initially you have no income. It&8217;s all spend, spend, spend for the first five years, but eventually you get it back,&8221; Graham said. &8220;The first few years it&8217;s a little difficult, and it helps to educate your banker by telling him what&8217;s going on.&8221;

The break-even point for pecan farmers, Graham said, comes around 12 years and then it picks up.

Although enjoyable and profitable, pecan farming does have its problems too, USDA Wildlife Services Biologist Supervisor Walter Cotton said.

&8220;Just about any animal can harm the operations,&8221; he said.

Crows, squirrels, raccoons and deer are prominent in destroying the crop, but armadillos, skunks and other &8220;nuisances&8221; are credited with troubling operations, he said.

Beavers, Cotton said, also pose a threat with the damming of creeks enabling orchards to become flooded, he said.

As for loyalty to the project if undertaken, Graham said turning back is not an option.

&8220;You must make people understand this is a long-term project,&8221; he said. &8220;It&8217;s not just doing this; it&8217;s probably the rest of your life.&8221;