Sahuarita's Pecan Orchards Have a Buyer, and November Has One Less Reason to Visit Them

"It has been a privilege to share the orchard with you." That line closes the note Farmers Investment Co. posted to its race page this fall to announce that the Pecan Classic, scheduled for Nov. 7, 2026, will not happen. The note explains that FICO is in the process of selling the orchards and that, because of the transition, the company cannot go ahead with this year's race. Anyone who registered early is getting a refund.

The sale itself, announced on September 17, 2026, promises continuity. The trees stay. The pecans keep growing. The cancellation shows what the sale leaves open. For the past several years, the race series was the one regular, scheduled way for the public to walk into the orchards along the Santa Cruz River. Whether that kind of access comes back is now up to a buyer whose name has not been released.

What the Sale Actually Says

FICO's media release says it has agreed to sell its assets, including its pecan orchards in Sahuarita, Continental and San Simon, to "a consortium of pecan growers." According to the company, the deal "ensures the FICO orchards will remain in pecan production for the foreseeable future." KVOA's report on the sale puts the size at more than 7,000 acres of Southern Arizona orchard changing hands.

FICO President and CEO Brian Driscoll said in the release that the buyers "will continue to be outstanding stewards of the land resources and will continue to grow high-quality pecans." A spokesperson for the purchasing group called FICO "a pillar of Sahuarita, Green Valley, and San Simon for decades" and said the group is proud to join these communities "as growers, neighbors, and caretakers of this land."

A few points in the release matter to anyone who drives past the orchards every week:

• The deal has not closed. FICO expects closing "in the coming months" and says more details, including who the purchaser is, will come out then.
• It is an asset sale. The orchards and other assets are transferring, not the company. For that reason, employees' formal employment with FICO ends at closing. FICO has offered severance to employees who stay through the transition and says the purchaser expects to keep a majority of the current workforce.
• The land stays agricultural, at least for now. The release talks about pecan production for "the foreseeable future." It doesn't describe any other use.

Green Valley News also covered the announcement and reported that the buyer was unnamed.

The Race Was the Last Open Gate

The Pecan Classic matters more than one canceled 10K would suggest because the other public ways into FICO's world had already shrunk.

The Green Valley Pecan Co. Pecan Store, which FICO opened in 1981, was set to close on December 31, 2021, according to KGUN's coverage at the time. FICO's tours page now says regular public orchard tours are not offered, although groups can still ask for one. The company's contact page lists a Sahuarita post office box, weekday office hours of 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and public access by appointment only.

With no storefront listed on FICO's site and tours available only by request, the orchard run series was the only thing still on a regular public schedule. It ran three times a year, and each race came at a different point in the trees' growing season:

FICO reported 328 participants at the 14th annual Nut Run, held this spring. The 16th annual Pecan Classic ran on November 8, 2025, and FICO's recap described it as the end of a successful 2025 series.

FICO's page says that for 17 years the Pecan Orchard Run Series gave more than $100,000 to local nonprofits and community organizations. The company's thank-you note credits the volunteers at the finish line, the Green Valley firefighters who cooked the post-race pancakes, and the 4-H kids with their small petting zoo. Those groups are the ones who stood to benefit from a November race.

The wording about what comes next needs a careful read. FICO's page cancels "this year's race." KVOA said the sale brings "an end to a popular local race." FICO's note reads like a farewell, but nothing published so far says whether the new owner will bring back the Nut Run in spring 2027 or any other part of the series. That is still unknown.

The Harvest Doesn't Need a Race Bib

The canceled race does not change the season. A November without the Pecan Classic is still the month the orchards get ready for harvest.

FICO's Path to Harvest page describes harvest as fall work that starts once the pecans have matured and their husks have dried and split. Mechanical equipment then shakes the trees and gathers the nuts. The page doesn't give a 2026 start date. Historically, the Sahuarita harvest has started right after Thanksgiving and run through January, with mechanical tree shaking as the first step, as the Tucson Sentinel described in 2011.

That window is a long-standing pattern, not a published 2026 schedule. A pending sale and an ownership change set to close "in the coming months" could also overlap with this year's harvest. FICO has said the orchards will stay in pecan production and that the purchaser expects to keep a majority of the current workforce. Those two statements cover the people and the trees that would normally do the harvest work.

Where Arizona Pecans Come From This Holiday Season

Anyone who still thinks of a holiday pecan run as a quick stop at the store near the orchards should know that KGUN reported the Pecan Store's closing date as December 31, 2021, and FICO's current site lists no retail storefront. FICO's current site has no retail sales listing, and its "Store" page is an image post from September 2022, not a storefront.

Two Southern Arizona growers sell their own pecans directly:

1. Lee's Pecan Farm in Willcox, at 2890 Marguerite Road, sells halves, pieces, and whole in-shell nuts. Orders go through 520-404-3335. The farm asks customers to call ahead because hours and availability vary.
2. Arizona Pecans, LLC has its orchard in Cochise, Arizona. Its online shop lists raw pecan halves, chopped pecans, and raw pieces. The pages we reviewed don't give a walk-in address, so it works as an online option unless the company confirms in-person pickup.

Neither grower has published what it will have in stock for the 2026 holidays, so it makes sense to check before planning a drive to Willcox around a pie recipe. We also couldn't confirm a Green Valley or Sahuarita shop, or a vendor at the local farmers markets, that carries Arizona-grown pecans right now. That doesn't mean none exists, only that we couldn't verify one.

What We'll Know at Closing

FICO has said more details, including who the purchaser is, will be shared when the sale closes. When the purchaser is named, a few questions will finally have answers:

• Will the Nut Run, Breeze in the Trees or the Pecan Classic come back under the new owner?
• Will groups still be able to request orchard tours?
• Will the new owner sell pecans grown in Sahuarita to local customers?
• Will the nonprofits that depended on race proceeds, including the school cross-country and drama programs, the 4-H club and the firefighters' association, find another way to raise that money?

Until then, the trees along the river are expected to go through another harvest, the gate stays closed to casual visitors, and November 7 is open on the calendar.

At Tanya Marie Willey, we're watching the FICO sale closely, because the orchards are part of how Sahuarita and Green Valley look and feel day to day. If you have questions about how changes like this affect the area you call home, or you'd simply like to talk through what's happening nearby, please Contact Us. We're always glad to hear from neighbors.