Sugar Fried pecans are the specialty that they've had as a family recipe for generations. They don’t really remember the origin of it, most likely from a family friend, or possibly an old edition of Southern Living? But it’s been tweaked and perfected and taken on a life of its own. Their fresh pecans are coated in sugar, deep fried in canola oil and lightly salted, creating a decadent treat. They’re a great snack, dessert filling, or topping for salads, sweet potatoes, you name it. These pecans come from Georgia natives and twin brothers David and Donald Johnson, who are passionate about pecans. After a few decades in the farm equipment business, they've settled into their roles as permanent caretakers of a small pecan orchard in middle Georgia. Some of these trees were planted by their father in the early ‘80’s, while some were planted several decades earlier, and prior to that thier grandfather farmed corn, cattle, pigs, and the like upon the same land. Along with the orchard, they tend a small menagerie of goats, pups, and poultry that is a constant source of entertainment. All of this is on their farm, bordered by their namesake river that traces the perimeter. The Ocmulgee, pronounced “oak-mull-ghee”, is named from the Okmulgee tribe, meaning “where water bubbles up.” The Ocmulgee river has always served as a life source for middle Georgia, first for the Native Americans who came before us, the 19th century inhabitants of Hawkinsville who built upon it a thriving steamboat trade, and for all the farmers whose land has been traced by it. With all it’s different trades, there’s a clear continuity of use, a heritage built upon a connection to the land they inhabit.
