Breaking new ground - Our CO-OP

July 2014
Breaking new
ground
Growers work with Co-op
to put WinField’s R7 Tool
to the test
Also inside
Father-son duo craft quality
handmade brooms together - p. 18
Co-op formulates supplement to boost
nutrition of distillers’ grains - p. 20
Cover crops help protect soil health and
productivity between seasons - p. 22
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contents
July 2014
Cover Story
8
Breaking
new ground
Precision agriculture is reaching new levels on farms across Tennessee with help
from innovative programs like WinField’s R7 Tool, a robust online platform that offers
a vast database of satellite imagery and crop data to assist growers in making strategic
production decisions. Agronomist Gilbert Martin of Rutherford Farmers Cooperative,
left, is among the Co-op personnel working with WinField representatives like Master
Agronomy Advisor Jack Christian to help their customers implement this technology.
News and features
5
12 18
20
22
26
ON THE COVER: Matthew Herndon, left, who farms 2,000 acres with father Jimmy in DeKalb County, and
WinField’s Jack Christian review a management zone map of this cornfield using the R7 Tool’s new iPad app. — Photos by Allison Morgan
‘From grass to glass’
Annual luncheon in Nashville kicks off Tennessee’s June Dairy Month celebration.
18
‘Sum of Us’ wins it all
TFC’s unusual annual report/promotion booklet is CCA’s top publication.
A sweep deal
Kenton’s Matthew Pitts and father Randy craft quality handmade brooms together.
Good spirits
22
Co-op Stillage Booster turns wet distillers’ grains into a balanced ration for cattle.
Asset protection
Between seasons, growers turn to cover crops to maximize soil quality and productivity.
Blue-ribbon reputation
Trenton’s Farrow and Brenda Ward are known for quality lambs and service after the sale.
TenneScene
In every issue
4 As I Was Saying
Salt shaker inspires Jerry Kirk to recall
memorable advertising slogans.
4 Our Country Churches
Nance Church of Christ in Crockett County.
14 New at Co-op
Learn about seven new products available
at your hometown store.
Cristy Dunn is proud of her Appalachian heritage and not afraid to paint about it. Folks driving
through downtown Mountain City couldn’t be happier, either. Cristy, a lifelong resident of the
area and the art teacher at Johnson County High School, used her artistic talents to create a
colorful mural of local legend Clarence “Tom” Ashley, a clawhammer banjo player who played
with the likes of Roy Acuff and Doc Watson. The mural, unveiled this past November, hangs on
the corner of South Church and Donnelly streets and is the first of three in a series that Cristy
will paint called the “Mountain Heritage Music Project.”
— Photo by Chris Villines
16 Neighborly Advice
Tomato production, summer pastures.
30 What’s cookin’?
Recipes are bursting with blueberries.
34 Every Farmer Has A Story
Meet Hancock County’s Tom Visser, who is
living the American dream with his family.
July 2014
3
As I Was Saying
Filling a salt shaker started all this!
I
must’ve been more alert than I realized on a recent morning when, without
even thinking, I grabbed a box of table salt from our kitchen pantry to fill a
shaker. For some reason, when I set the familiar dark blue container on the
counter, the colorful, wrap-around image that immediately identifies the famous
brand caught my eye.
So did the simple but ingenious retractable spout that makes pouring salt from
the box so easy. There’s no way of knowing how many times I’ve used that little
metal spout in my lifetime, but I’d never even considered its actual worth. While
thinking to myself something like, “This is a handy little thing,” I lifted the spout
Jerry Kirk
and filled the shaker without spilling even a grain.
Contributing Editor
The product I was pouring was Morton Salt, a brand that I — and zillions of
others — grew up with. For 100 years now, on each of those dark blue boxes of Morton Salt is a drawing of a little girl who’s protected by an oversized umbrella as she walks with a box of salt — its pouring
spout obviously open — tilted backward under her left arm. The real message of the illustration is the
fact that salt is pouring from the box, even when it’s raining! And the slogan the company adopted a
century ago to accompany the illustration proved to be a real winner: “When It Rains It Pours®.”
(Personally, though, I think the slogan needs a comma so it would read, “When It Rains, It Pours.”
Maybe that’s merely my penchant for editing things!)
Regardless, the Morton campaign has had real staying power, and for good reason: Nobody likes to
deal with soggy salt in their shaker or anywhere else. After the original 1914 illustration, the subject’s
hair, dress, and shoe styles were updated in spiffed-up versions released in 1921, 1933, 1941, 1956,
1968, and earlier this year. From my calculations, we had that ’68 version for 46 years!
When Advertising Age Magazine named its “Top 10 Famous Advertising Slogans of the Century”
several years ago, Morton Salt’s “When It Rains It Pours” finished in the top 10 at No. 9.
Tennessee gained some noteriety, too, when “Good to the Last Drop” finished at No. 6 on Ad Age’s
elite list. That, of course, is the slogan for Maxwell House coffee, which was served at and named
after a landmark hotel in downtown Nashville. Theodore Roosevelt was said to have commented that
a cup of coffee he enjoyed at the hotel was “good to the last drop.” Other celebrities and dignitaries listed among former guests of the famous hostelry are Sarah Bernhardt, William Jennings Bryan,
Buffalo Bill Cody, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Annie Oakley, and six U.S. presidents besides Teddy
Roosevelt. The Maxwell House Hotel was destroyed by fire on Christmas night 1961.
Capturing the No. 10 spot on the “century’s best” list was a three-word slogan that brought instant
fame to 81-year-old actress and retired Chicago manicurist Clara Pellerago. Who could forget Clara’s
bellowings of “Where’s the Beef?” in a wildly popular campaign for Wendy’s chain of fast-food restaurants? The point of Clara’s rantings was that, unlike Wendy’s, some competitors served much more
bun than beef with their burgers.
Now, just for fun, try to name the product or service provided by the other top 10 and honorable
mention (HM) slogan winners in the Ad Age rankings (answers are at the bottom of the page):
No. 1, “Diamonds Are Forever”; No. 2, “Just Do It”; No. 3, “The Pause that Refreshes”; No. 4,
“Tastes Great, Less Filling”; No. 5, “We Try Harder”; No. 7, “Breakfast of Champions”; No. 8, “Does
She ... or Doesn’t She?”; HM1, “Look, Ma, No Cavities!”; HM2, “Let Your Fingers Do the Walking,”;
HM3, “...Melt in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hand”; HM4, “We Bring Good Things to Life.”
Our Country Churches
Nance Church of Christ in Crockett County
The first religious services at Nance Church of Christ in the Nance community of Crockett
County at Highway 152 and Nance Road were held in a school building around 1890. Two years
after the school burned in 1905, Bible classes began once again. The first elders and deacons
were appointed in 1913, and just three years later Claude Laman donated the land across the
street where the current structure stands today. The church
was damaged by wind and a
tornado in 1951 and 1963, respectively, but was rebuilt. Now,
with 150 members, the congregation continues to grow and
warmly welcomes visitors.
230th in a series to show where our rural Co-op friends worship
— Submitted by Notre Brown
The answers: 1. DeBeers (If you missed this one, join the club. Wikipedia says it’s a cartel of companies that pretty much dominates the diamond industry); 2. Nike; 3. Coca-Cola; 4. Miller Lite; 5. Avis;
7. Wheaties; 8. Clairol; HM1. Crest; HM2. Yellow Pages; HM3. M&Ms; HM4. General Electric.
4
July 2014
July 2014
Volume 55, Number 7
Published by Tennessee Farmers
Cooperative in the interest of better
farming through cooperation and improved
technology, and to connect the Co-op
community through shared experiences,
common values, and rural heritage.
Editor: Allison Morgan
[email protected]
Communications Specialist: Chris Villines
[email protected]
Communications Specialist: Sarah Geyer
[email protected]
Contributing Editor: Jerry Kirk
[email protected]
Senior Graphic Designer: Shane Read
[email protected]
Graphic Designer: Jason Barns
[email protected]
Layout & Production Coordinator:
Travis Merriman
[email protected]
Editorial Assistant: Polly Campbell
[email protected]
Advertising Information: Keith Harrison
615-793-8585, [email protected]
The Tennessee Cooperator is distributed
free to patrons of member Co-ops. Since
each Co-op maintains its own mailing list,
requests for subscriptions must be made
through the local Co-op. When
reporting an address change, please
include the mailing label from a past
issue and send to the following address:
Tennessee Cooperator
P.O. Box 3003
LaVergne, TN 37086
Phone: (615) 793-8339
E-mail: [email protected]
Guest Subscriptions:
Guest subscriptions are available for
$12.95 per year by sending a check
or money order to Tennessee Farmers
Cooperative at the above address.
TFC’s website: www.ourcoop.com
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TnFarmersCooperative
TFC Board of Directors:
Chairman — Kenneth Nixon,
Carthage, Zone 2
Vice Chairman — Johnny Brady,
Riceville, Zone 3
Larry Paul Harris, Wildersville, Zone 1
Amos Huey, Kenton, Zone 1
Richard Jameson, Brownsville, Zone 1
Clint Callicott, Only, Zone 2
Stephen Philpott, Shelbyville, Zone 2
David Sarten, Sevierville, Zone 3
George Smartt, McMinnville, Zone 3
Chief Executive Officer —
­­ Bart Krisle
NOTICE: This publication is for
informational purposes only. Tennessee
Farmers Cooperative, its affiliates,
subsidiaries, and member Co-ops are not
responsible for any damages or claims
that may result from a reader’s use of this
information, including but not limited to
actual, punitive, consequential, or economic
damages. Tennessee Farmers Cooperative
makes no warranties or representations, either
express or implied, including warranties of
merchantability or fitness of any product/
material for a particular purpose. Each
article, document, advertisement, or other
information is provided “AS IS” and without
warranty of any kind. Tennessee Farmers
Cooperative reserves the right to alter,
correct, or otherwise change any part or
portion of this publication, including articles
and advertisements, without detriment to
Tennessee Farmers Cooperative, its affiliates,
subsidiaries, or member cooperatives.
®
‘From grass to glass’
Annual luncheon kicks off June Dairy Month celebration
Story and photos by Gina Locke
W
ith milk still one of
the most nutritious
products on the
market today, industry leaders
had plenty to celebrate with the
“Dairy Packs Power”-themed
luncheon May 30 at Ellington
Agricultural Center in Nashville.
More than 100 farmers,
students, and industry supporters gathered for the annual event
that kicks off June Dairy Month
festivities in Tennessee. Among
special guests were Tennessee
Commissioner of Agriculture
Julius Johnson and Cheryl Hayn,
chief executive officer of the
Southeast United Dairy Industry
Association (SUDIA).
Master of Ceremonies Tony
White, a veteran dairyman in
Chapel Hill who’s also vicepresident of the American Dairy
Association of Tennessee, quickly
set the tone for the luncheon by
stressing that “milk is nature’s
most perfect food, so it does
pack power.”
Nolensville’s John Sanford, a
customer of Rutherford Farmers
Cooperative’s Eagleville branch,
was recognized as the 2014
Outstanding Dairy Promoter of
the Year at the luncheon. Shortly after the dispersal of his dairy
herd in 1976, Sanford went to
work for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture where he
put in 35 years of service.
“It is so pleasant to stand
up here and see all of these
young people,” John said. “I
can’t tell you how much that
means to me.”
He stressed that with the
current consumer more than
three generations removed
from the farm, it is more important than ever to educate
the general public on milk
production — what it takes to
go “from grass to glass” — and
thanked everyone involved in
the process along the way.
One young man
heavily involved in that
process is Ben Jordan
of Marshall County, an
incoming freshman at
the University of Tennessee at Martin and the
2013 4-H dairy project
state winner. Ben, son
of Ken Jordan, manager
of Marshall Farmers Cooperative’s Chapel Hill
branch, and wife Melanie, has been showing
Jersey cows since he was Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture Julius
Johnson welcomes industry leaders to Ellington
a youngster.
Agricultural Center in Nashville to celebrate
“When I first started, Tennessee’s annual June Dairy Month kick-off
I was leasing the Jersey luncheon. At left is special guest Lacy Upchurch,
Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation president.
calves I was showing,”
learned how to judge so I would
said Ben. “With the Jersey
know which animals to select.”
breed, you have to be good if
Ben’s hard work paid off with
you’re going to be competitive.
a
second-place
finish in his class
Once we got our own cows,
last year at the North American
I learned how to be a better
International Livestock Exposishowman, more about the genetics so I could help pick bulls, tion (NAILE) in Louisville, Ky.,
and more about nutrition so we
could feed them better. I even
(See Glass, page 6)
News briefs
Summer Celebration returns July 10
The Summer Celebration Lawn and Garden Show will
return for its 25th year on Thursday, July 10, at the University
of Tennessee Gardens, located on the grounds of the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson.
The popular annual event features a full day of garden talks,
tours, sales, and demonstrations. Activities kick off at 9 a.m.
and include the Master Gardeners’ Plant Sale, gardening advice
from UT horticulture experts, elaborate garden displays, and
shopping with plant vendors and craftsmen. The 4-H All-Stars
will also be selling hamburgers hot off the grill.
Admission is $5 for adults and free for children 17 and
under. Activities conclude at 6 p.m. For more information,
including directions to the event, visit west.tennessee.edu.
Value-added dairy workshop is Aug. 5
An upcoming five-hour University of Tennessee Extension
workshop, “Taking a Look at Value-Added Dairy Opportunities,”
will help cow, goat, and sheep farmers learn about calculating
milk production costs and assessing the costs and opportunities
associated with on-farm milk processing.
The workshop will be held Tuesday, Aug. 5, in Knoxville,
beginning at 10 a.m. and ending by 3 p.m. Eastern time. There
is no fee to attend, but pre-registration is required by July 29 as
space is limited. A meal is included.
Pre-registration information is available on the UT Center for
Profitable Agriculture’s website at ag.tennessee.edu/cpa or by
contacting Nancy Austin at the UT Department of Food Science and Technology at 865-974-7717 or [email protected].
July 2014
5
Glass
competition. Winning first
place in the Junior Division was
(continued from page 5)
the Williamson County team:
Kendall Warpool, Jayme Ozwhere he showed a heifer he
burn, Sydney Lamb, and Isaiah
and his brother raised. Ben isn’t Osborne. Second place in this
just successful in the ring, how- division were Marshall County
ever. He also attended the 2013 team members Elizabeth WorNational Dairy Conference in
ley, Dalton Colvin, Jacob Johns,
Madison, Wis., where he said
and Jacob Gillespie.
he discovered his passion to one
The Senior High Division
day become a genetic evaluator. winning team from Henry
Warren County’s Ellen Woods County will represent Tennessee
was recognized at the luncheon
at NAILE this November. Team
as a state winner in the 4-H
members are Brooke Williams,
food science project. Ellen, who
Haily Goldman, Kasey Pickle,
opened her own restaurant —
and Emily Rose.
Ellie Michellie’s Eatery — April
In a popular competitive
14 in Morrison, stressed to the
event, winners of the annual
audience that “there is nothing
June Dairy Month poster conmore rewarding than helping
test were recognized for their
supply the world’s dinner table.”
creativity in incorporating the
Also recognized at the event
theme “Dairy Packs Power” in
were other young dairy advotheir entries. Winning first place
cates, including June Dairy
and $500 for herself and $200
Month chairmen from 43 coun- for her county’s Extension proties and the 2013 4-H dairy
gram was Holly Shaw of Cumpromotion state winners. Diviberland County. Second-place
sion winners in the promotion
honors went to Kayli Gunter of
competition, listed with total
Rhea County, $300, and placing
cash awards for each, were:
third was Lydia Ferguson, ClaiTallen Gooch, White County,
borne County, $200.
Division I, $500; Austin Barry,
The program segment that
Warren County, Division II and
packed the most power at the
the Media Award, $750; and
luncheon, though, was the keyKelly Hunt, Sumner County,
note address by Inquoris “Inky”
Division III and the Best-Use
Johnson, former star cornerback
of-Theme award, $750. Each
on the University of Tennessee
division winner’s county Extenfootball team.
sion program was also awarded
Stressing the benefits of
$200 for future programing.
drinking milk, Inky challenged
Top honors were also handed the attentive audience: “Every
out for the Dairy Quiz Bowl
day, think of yourself as a gallon
of milk. Something
so perfect, something so powerful
that changes lives all
across the nation.”
Inky knows all
about the power of
changing lives. As
a kid growing up in
a poverty-stricken
After demonstrating their knowledge of the dairy industry
neighborhood of
prior to the May 30 luncheon, Quiz Bowl winners are
inner-city Atlanta,
honored in the senior and junior divisions. Junior
champions from Williamson County are, from left, Kendall he said he shared a
Warpool, Jayme Ozburn, and Sydney Lamb. Not pictured
two-bedroom home
are team member Isaiah Osborne and Coach Julie Ozburn.
with 13 other family
members and dealt
with gang members
and drug dealers
every day. But, he
stressed, he never let
that discourage him.
Instead, he drew on
his relentless deterReserve champion junior Quiz Bowl team members from
mination and GodMarshall County are, from left, Elizabeth Worley, Dalton
given athletic talent
Colvin, Jacob Johns, and Jacob Gillespie. Coach Rob
to follow his dream
Augustin is not pictured.
6
July 2014
LEFT: Former University of Tennessee star cornerback Inquoris “Inky” Johnson,
Tennessee’s 2014 June Dairy Month luncheon keynote speaker, discusses the
importance of pursuing dreams and overcoming adversity. RIGHT: After 35 years with
the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Nolensville’s John Sanford is recognized as
the 2014 Dairy Promoter of the Year.
LEFT: Creative use of this year’s “Dairy Packs Power” theme earned second place for
Kayli Gunter, left, of Rhea County, and third place for Lydia Ferguson of Claiborne
County in the poster contest. First-place winner Holly Shaw of Cumberland County
is not pictured. RIGHT: Senior high Quiz Bowl champion team members from Henry
County are, from left, Brooke Williams, Haily Goldman, Kasey Pickle, and Emily Rose.
Not pictured is Coach Laura Moss.
of one day playing Division I
college football and making it to
the National Football League.
“You can’t look at your circumstances,” said Inky. “You
have to look at your destination.”
And that is exactly what he
did. Despite attending a school
he said some called “Crime
High” and others deemed the
lowest-performing school in
Georgia, Inky persevered. After
injuries prevented him from
playing his junior year of high
school, he managed to keep his
spirits up until he finally met
the man who would give him
the break he had been waiting
for — Big Orange head coach
Phillip Fulmer.
“He looked me dead square in
the eyes and told me, ‘I want to
offer you a full scholarship to the
University of Tennessee,’” said
Inky with pride, as he described
the moment that his dreams
became a reality. “I said, ‘Coach,
you know my situation, right?’
He said, ‘Yes, I know your situation, but I believe in you.’”
Inky said he considers himself blessed to be one of the few
young people from his neigh-
borhood who made it off the
streets and earned a “full ride”
scholarship to UT. He added
that he never intended for his
upbringing to be an excuse for
not achieving success.
“I don’t believe that you’re a
product of your environment,”
Inky said. “You’re a product of
your decisions and your choices.”
While he had earned the
right to play Southeastern
Conference football, the challenges that Inky was to face
were only beginning. It was just
an “ordinary tackle” in Neyland
Stadium against Air Force on
Sept. 9, 2006, that led to tragedy as far as his football future
was concerned. With a paralyzed right arm, Inky’s football
career was over. But he refused
to wallow in self-pity.
“When I encountered my
injury, I was back in class three
days later and went on to get my
master’s [degree],” he said. “The
only reason I have been successful is because I just kept going.
At the end of the day, we are all
really in the business of leaving
a legacy and leaving a mark on
this world that can’t be erased.”
Expo is right around the corner for exhibitors
trophies, and scholarships in
competition with some of the
best exhibitors and livestock that
Tennessee has to offer. For others, especially those making their
Expo debuts, it will be a valuable
learning experience, one they’ll
build on year after year.
Beef events will be held Monday, July 7, through Wednesday,
July 9, at the Tennessee Livestock Center on the campus of
Middle Tennessee State Uni-
Hundreds of 4-H and FFA
members from across the state
will be packing up their boots
and show attire and hauling
their prize beef cattle and sheep
to Murfreesboro and Cookeville this month to compete in
the Tennessee Junior Livestock
Exposition, one of the nation’s
premier shows of its kind.
For many participants and
their families, Expo is an annual
journey in pursuit of plaques,
versity in Murfreesboro. Sheep
competition will follow the
next week — Monday, July 14,
through Wednesday, July 16 —
at Hyder-Burks Pavilion on the
campus of Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville.
Co-op is a longtime supporter
of Expo, which featured 564
exhibitors from 61 counties in
last year’s events. Those youth
showed 1,203 animals and
participated in a wide variety
Master Meat Goat
meetings in August
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of activities to showcase their
knowledge and skills developed
by participating in 4-H livestock
projects, including skillathon
and showmanship competitions.
For more information, visit
the University of Tennessee’s
Animal Science website at
http://animalscience.ag.utk.
edu/4-HLivestock.html.
Look for 2014 Expo coverage
and a complete list of winners
in the September Cooperator.
Tennessee State University
and the University of Tennessee
will be holding three different
Advanced Master Meat Goat
Producer meetings in August in
all regions of the state.
These classes are the next
level of the Master Meat Goat
Producer program, which is designed as an educational tool to
broaden management skills and
improve the competitiveness in
the marketplace for goat producers. For those who already hold
the certification, the advanced
course allows eligible producers
to continue receiving 50-percent
cost-share instead of the standard 35 percent in the state’s
Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program.
Cost of the three-day course
is $100 to producers who
already have a farm premises
identification number and $200
to those who do not. All checks
can be made to the University of
Tennessee. Here are the dates
and locations:
l Monday through Wednesday, Aug. 4-6, Middle Tennessee
Research and Education Center
in Spring Hill. For more information, contact An Peischel at
615-963-5539 or apeischel@
tnstate.edu.
l Wednesday through Friday,
Aug. 6-8, West Tennessee Research and Education Center in
Jackson. For more information,
call Ron Blair at 731-968-5266
or email at [email protected].
l Thursday through Saturday, Aug. 21-23, Roane State
Community College in Harriman. For more information,
contact Grant Palmer at 865376-5558 or [email protected].
July 2014
7
By Allison Morgan, photos by Allison Morgan and Gina Locke
DeKalb County grower Matthew Herndon, left, and WinField Master Agronomy Advisor Jack Christian look at a zone management map of this field of Croplan 6926 corn
using the WinField R7 Tool’s new iPad app, which makes this innovative decision-making resource mobile for convenient, on-the-go crop production insights.
Growers work with Co-op to put WinField’s R7 Tool to the test
W
hen new technology
hits the market, someone has to put it to the
test so others can benefit from
that experience.
Four farms served by Rutherford Farmers Cooperative
— Herndon Farms in DeKalb
County, HH&R Farms in Cannon County, and Hutch Four
Farms and Batey Farms in
Rutherford County — are doing just that. They are among
the first growers in Tennessee to try a new field data
management solution based
on in-season satellite imagery
through WinField’s R7 Tool.
The farmers are working with
their local Co-op to utilize
cutting-edge practices such as
field-mapping, tissue-sampling,
and prescriptions for variablerate planting and fertilizing.
Ultimately, these innovative
growers are hoping the program can take their precision
agriculture capabilities to a
whole new level, says Gilbert
Martin, Rutherford Farmers
Cooperative agronomist.
“These guys are willing to try
8
July 2014
it and see if it makes sense for
them,” says Gilbert. “If we can
show that it has value to our
farmers, then it’s something we
need to be putting our resources into.”
At the heart of this effort is
the R7 Tool, a comprehensive
online resource that is breaking
new ground in the precision ag
industry. This exclusive WinField tool is powered by a vast
database of more than 20 years
of satellite images measuring
plant biomass, which indicates
the health of a particular crop.
These images, combined with
soil-type maps, weather history,
and data and photos collected
at WinField’s Answer Plots and
on-farm field trials, allow the
R7 Tool to use sophisticated
calculations to estimate crop
yields, map field variability,
set up different management
zones, and generate variablerate prescriptions for seeding and nutrient applications
among other features.
Nationally, more than
16.1 million acres have been
mapped using the R7 Tool
since it debuted in 2012, according to Scott Buchli, director of WinField’s R7 team.
“R7 is truly a decision support tool that allows growers to
access imagery, data, and advisors to help them manage their
crops for improved profitability,” says Scott. “With the push
for higher yields, growers have
to manage their crops more
intensely. The R7 Tool can help
them do that.”
Until now, the R7 Tool has
mainly been used for seed
placement strategies, says
Scott, but as new features and
information have been added,
the program is being more
widely integrated with preci-
The Herndon family, from left, Matthew and his parents, Fran and Jimmy, work
together to raise 2,000 acres of row crops in DeKalb County. The Rutherford
Farmers Cooperative members upgraded their John Deere planting equipment a few
years ago to this 16-row model with precision seeding capabilities.
sion ag technology on the farm.
New features for 2014 include
an iPad app and enhanced
in-season imagery resources. A
300-percent increase in satellite coverage is generating eight
times as much data versus last
year, he adds.
“The iPad app is driving
more adoption of the R7 Tool
from a simplicity standpoint,
giving sellers and their customers access to the imagery, maps,
and Answer Plot data in the
field,” says Scott. “And we’re
really pushing the in-season
images right now because of
their ability to help the grower
protect their investment by
addressing pest and nutrient
deficiency challenges. Altogether, we have the largest
in-season imagery program in
the country.”
Though precision agriculture
has been a focus of the Co-op
system since the early days of
GPS guidance on the farm, the
R7 Tool is allowing growers to
take advantage of this technology like never before, says Alan
Sparkman, Tennessee Farmers
Cooperative agronomy marketing manager.
“TFC has been involved in
precision ag for nearly 20 years
now, but we’ve never used
satellite imagery like we are
now,” says Alan. “The R7 Tool
is a new platform, something
that no one else in our region
offers, and WinField is continually adding functionality and
resources to make it an even
more valuable data management tool. It’s important that
our people get involved early so
they can take full advantage of
it now and in the future.”
DeKalb l
County
Growers Jimmy Herndon
and son Matthew, who raise
2,000 acres of corn, soybeans,
and wheat in DeKalb County,
are hoping to find out firsthand
just how much the R7 Tool can
benefit their operation.
“We’ve owned variable-rate
technology for several years and
haven’t used it to its full potential,” says Jimmy. “Now, with
the help of the Co-op, we’ve
been able to put our precision
planting equipment to use, and
we’re going to variable-rate our
nutrients as well. Basically, we
LEFT: Brandon Whitt, with daughter Mary Corinne, is working with Rutherford Farmers Cooperative to implement the R7 Tool’s
crop production insights with the precision-guided equipment that he and father-in-law John L. Batey use on their 1,800-acre
diversified farm. RIGHT: Rutherford County-based growers Glen Hutchinson, left, and son Will have been using precision
agriculture equipment for several years but say they hope the R7 Tool will allow them to take full advantage of the technology.
want to improve our yields and
make smarter decisions about
our inputs.”
The Herndons enrolled 90
acres of corn in the Advanced
Acre program for 2014, selecting one of the more challenging
fields that they farm, says Jimmy.
Based on satellite imagery and
soil-type maps, the R7 Tool
helped them identify four distinct zones within the field and
generated prescriptions for four
different plant populations based
on the potential of each zone.
“We picked this field on
purpose because it has a lot of
variability,” he says. “We’ve got
high red ridges and low fertile
settlement basins. On the backside we’ve got a lot of erodedtype property. It’s going to be
a real test for these different
populations.”
During the growing season,
updated satellite imagery can
be used to narrow down problem areas and use NutriSolutions tissue analysis to identify
the need for crop protection or
nutrient applications, says WinField Master Agronomy Advisor
Jack Christian, who works in
conjunction with the Co-op to
put the R7 Tool in action for
area growers like the Herndons.
“If we start seeing problem
areas, we can go to that particular spot in the field and pull
some samples,” he explains. “In
a 90-acre field, you’re never going to be able to walk every inch
of it. But with this program, you
can pinpoint the exact spot and
see what’s going on.”
Though the outcome of
these practices won’t be
known until harvest, Jimmy
says he’s “excited” about
the R7 Tool’s possibilities.
“With practice, it’s going
to become easier, and we’ll
gain more knowledge of
how to use the variable-rate
technology,” says Jimmy.
“I’ve been wanting to get
this going for a while, and
it’s good that the Co-op is
offering this for us.”
In neighboring Cannon
County, HH&R Farms’
Danny Powell is also trying
the R7 Tool with 115 acres
of corn in hopes of taking
full advantage of existing
precision agriculture technology in his family’s 2,800acre row-crop operation.
With the variability in his Cannon County fields,
Woodbury’s Danny Powell says he believes the
R7 Tool will help make best use of farm inputs.
Cannon County
l
“After we looked into the
program and the cost, we
felt like it was worth giving it
a shot,” says Danny, who is
joined in the operation by wife
Darlene and their children,
Ryan, Heather, and Holly.
“We’ve got a lot of variability in
our fields — from high rolling
hills to good bottom grounds.
Our equipment has the capability to do the variable rate, and
so does the Co-op’s equipment,
so all I have to do is overlay
their guidance with mine.”
For the 2014 season, the
Powells used the R7 Tool to
generate variable-rate prescrip-
tions for both seeding and
fertilizing.
“We’re putting the plants and
the plant food, as needed by
zones,” says Danny. “We’re hoping to gain a little more yield in
the better parts of the field by
having a higher population, and
in the less productive areas we
can do better with a lower population because it doesn’t have
the capability to utilize as many
plants. We’re doing the same
thing with our fertilizer — not
putting as much input cost into
the ground that may only make
150 bushels, if we’re lucky, and
run that up into the 200-bushel
range in good areas.”
(See R7 Tool, page 10)
July 2014
9
R7 Tool
(continued from page 9)
Rutherford County-based
growers Will Hutchinson and
his father, Glen, who raise
3,300 acres of corn, soybeans,
wheat, and alfalfa, are also
eager to see the results of using
precision planting prescriptions
with the 50-acre field they enrolled in the R7 Tool program
this year.
Rutherford County
l
“We tapped into several
years’ worth of history on this
50 acres, and we were able to
be a lot more educated on the
front end,” says Will. “It takes
a lot of the guesswork out
of the decision-making. I’m
anxious to get the combine in
the field, compare yield maps,
and then make an evaluation
for next year.”
Although the Hutchinsons
have been using precision-capable equipment for several years,
Will calls the R7 Tool “the missing piece of the puzzle.”
“This technology is going
to be really important moving
forward and may be a real opportunity to save money and
make money,” he adds. “The
quicker we can get it under
our belt and get rolling with
it, the better off we’ll be moving forward.”
Taking full advantage of
precision technology is what
led Rutherford County’s Brandon Whitt, who farms with his
father-in-law, John L. Batey,
to use the R7 Tool’s features
on three fields of corn totaling
130 acres. Brandon says GPS-
The R7 Tool can generate prescriptions that allow growers to take advantage of variable-rate fertilizer applications, like this
nitrogen being spread by Rutherford Farmers Cooperative in DeKalb County. This practice allows plant nutrients to be varied
according to the yield potential in different management zones of the field as identified by the R7 Tool.
guided equipment is used in
every aspect of Batey Farms’
crop production, which consists of 1,800 acres of corn,
soybeans, wheat, and milo
along with hay and a pickyour-own strawberry patch.
“Profit opportunities in agriculture are good with prices
the way they are, but at the
same time, the opportunity for
loss is much greater than it
used to be,” says Brandon. “I
want to equip our farm with
technology that helps us take
advantage of every acre. Why
waste money on land that’s
not going to produce and take
away from land that will?
That’s the biggest reason we
decided to go this route.”
Brandon says precision
technology and resources
like the R7 Tool are allowing
him and other farmers to be
smarter about how they use
their crop inputs, which not
only protects their investment
and improves potential for
The R7 Tool iPad app debuted for the 2014 season and makes the program more
convenient for agronomists and their growers. Here, WinField’s Jack Christian
shows how the app allows the zone maps to be imported into the Google earth
satellite imagery website for pinpointing a GPS location within the field.
10
July 2014
profitability but also promotes
more environmentally friendly
farming practices. That’s
especially important, he says,
in the highly populated area
where his family farms near
Murfreesboro.
“I believe that it’s important
to put our fertilizer and chemicals where they need to be and
at the rate we need to apply,”
says Brandon. “It is really a
compliment to the Co-op system for being on the forefront
of technology and providing
this opportunity to individual
farmers. It can make all of us
more efficient and better stewards of the land.”
For more information on the
R7 Tool, visit with the agronomy experts at your local Co-op.
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July 2014
11
‘Sum of US’ wins it all
TFC’s annual report/promotion booklet is CCA’s top publication
“Sum of US,” a colorful,
multipurpose booklet that was
distributed at Tennessee Farmers Cooperative’s 2013 annual meeting, has been named
“Publication of the Year” by the
Cooperative Communicators
Association (CCA), an organization of professional communicators who work for various
types of co-ops in the U.S. and
Canada.
Awards were presented at
CCA’s 2014 Institute May 31June 3 in Pittsburgh, Pa.
The top publication award
was one of 10 given to members
of TFC’s communications staff
in the competition that attracted 678 entries.
“Sum of US,” an effort of
the entire TFC Communications Department, drew high
praise from the judge, who said,
“The color graphics and photos
are fabulous … [publication]
showed great font choice and
usage and featured a nice paper
choice.” Senior graphic designer Shane Read led the design
effort for the winning project.
On its way to capturing the
top honor, “Sum of US” first
won its class for brochures,
pamphlets, and one-time publications that had budgets of
more than $5,000.
This marks the fourth time
in five years that the yearly
booklet, which doubles as TFC’s
annual report and an informational/promotional piece for the
entire Co-op system, has won
CCA’s top award for publications. The 2010, 2011, and
2012 versions were also top
winners in the competition.
Communications specialist
Chris Villines, who was elected
to the CCA board of directors at the Pittsburgh institute,
came home with a total of four
awards, including two first-place
finishes in writing competition.
The first was in the featurette
category for “Thank You, Mr.
Jernigan,” a moving tribute to
Donald Jernigan as he completed his term on the TFC’s
board of directors and his year
as board chairman. The short
feature ran in the January 2014
Tennessee Cooperator.
12
July 2014
Chris also took top honors in
the corporate public relations
competition for his March 2014
story, “Ultimate Complement,”
which detailed how forage and
feed work together in Landon
and Cindy Backus’ highly successful equine operation in
Blount County.
“New life,” a dramatic photo
of a just-born lamb being intro-
No
No
No
duced to its mother by Clinton
farmer Joe Hall, earned Chris a
second-place award in the photo
feature category. It ran in the
April 2013 Cooperator.
Chris had another winner in
that April issue of the publication, too — a third-place finish
in technical writing for “Perfecting Their Graft,” a detailed
account of an unusual work-
shop that focused on pruning
and grafting apple trees.
The versatility of Allison
Morgan as a communicator was
reflected in three awards the
Communications Department
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manager and Cooperator editor
received, including first place in
headline writing. “Gray Heirs”
was the fitting title she gave to
her April 2013 Cooperator feature centered around Matthew
Gray’s happy — and welcome
— return to the family farm in
Obion County.
Allison’s “Kid & Lamb,” a
shot of 5-year-old Milly Koop
petting a sheep on the family’s Cornersville farm won
third-place honors in the photo
feature competition. She also
teamed with Mark Johnson,
a member of the Cooperator
staff at the time, to capture
second-place honors in the
photo illustration category for
“Chicken Feta Pasta,” which
accompanied the April 2013
“What’s Cookin’?” column.
Rounding out TFC’s list of
CCA awards, the Communications Department placed
second in the social media
category with TFC’s Facebook,
Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest
sites.
On hand
to accept
Tennessee
Farmers
Cooperative’s
award for
“Publication
of the Year”
at the 2014
Cooperative
Communicators
Association
Institute on
June 2 in
Pittsburgh, Pa.,
are, from left,
Sarah Geyer,
Allison Morgan,
and Chris
Villines.
Milan No-Till
returns July 24
Established in 1938
Experience the All New i Series Energizer System
i Series Fence Energizers carry a powerful shock, but they also monitor your fence performance, informing
you of any voltage drops or issues so immediate action can be taken. These energizers come packaged
with a controller that allows fence information to been seen in a convenient location up to 160’ away from
the energizer.
An i Series Energizer and Controller when coupled with add-on products like the
i Series Fence Monitor and Fence Remote offer unmatched
performance, productivity and peace of mind. The
optional SMS Controller will even send text alerts
to your phone notifying you of an issue with your fence.
Want to know more? Visit our web site at:
www.GallagherUSA.com/i-series for
specifications and product details.
Available at select local
www.GallagherUSA.com/AM
Miraco Automatic
Livestock Waterers
for Every Tennessee Producer
Think clean, fresh water at the right temperature all year long
- and you can have all this without electricity in select models!
Miraco waterers meet TN NRCS cost share standards. Most models now
available to all Tennessee Farmer Co-op locations. Visit your nearest Co-op
location to learn more.
As has been the case each
year since its inception more
than three decades ago, the
2014 Milan No-Till Field Day
on Thursday, July 24, in West
Tennessee is expected to attract hundreds of farmers who
are interested in learning the
latest research results on current agricultural topics — from
row crops and beef cattle to
unmanned aerial systems and
natural resources management.
Sixteen tours are on the
agenda for this year’s event,
billed by promoters as “one of
the most far-ranging agricultural field days in the nation.”
The first tour departs at 7 a.m.
and the final at 1 p.m. Topics
include cover crops, soil management, and no-till production
of corn, cotton, and soybeans.
Visitors can see crop variety
demonstrations, learn how
to plan for the future of their
farms, and even assemble meals
for local food banks.
The field day also features
a huge trade show, which will
include Tennessee Farmers
Cooperative among the exhibitors. Co-op livestock handling
equipment will also be featured
in beef cattle demonstrations.
Field day visitors can also
browse the West Tennessee
Agricultural Museum, which
features an extensive collection
of agricultural artifacts.
For more information,
including directions to the
field day site at the University
of Tennessee AgResearch and
Education Center at Milan, visit
http://milan.tennessee.edu, call
731-686-7362, or check out the
Milan No-Till Facebook page.
July 2014
13
New at Co-op
®
Winged Weeder WW100
#6804859
Bayou Classic
Dual-Burner Cooker
Use this Bayou Classic 14-inch Dual-Burner High-Pressure
Cooker with Extension Legs to prepare delicious and memorable meals outdoors. The cooker features dual cast-iron burners,
each accommodating a large stockpot. Extension legs will raise
the cooktop surface to a height of 25 inches, eliminating bending
and stooping while you cook.
Features:
• 15 psi for efficient outdoor cooking
• Cast-iron burners for strength and durability
• Dual brass control valves for flame adjustment
• Extension legs slide on without bolts or screws
• Includes UL-listed 29-inch hose, regulator, and valve assembly
The Winged Weeder WW100 (#6801028)
can help you manage large jobs in less
time and with less effort. Use it to
weed vegetable gardens, flower
beds, lawns, and shrubbery beds.
The handle is riveted to the blade
shank for extra strength and durability. This
garden weeder features a hardened-spring steel
blade that is sharpened on all edges, allowing
you to cut quickly. Its rubber-covered handle
provides comfort while you work.
Sanco Industries Pond Booster
Boost the health, appearance, and ecology of
your pond by using Pond Booster in the spring
and fall. Pond Booster is a combination of blue
pond dye and specialized beneficial bacteria
designed to work in colder water.
• 100% safe for humans, fish, livestock, pets,
birds, swimming, potable water, and irrigation
• Maintains color and clarity all year long
• Helps settle out dissolved solids
• Helps break down dead leaves
and weeds on the pond floor
• 1 gallon treats 1 surface acre, 4 to 6 feet deep
#6801963
You’ve taken
care of the farm.
Can Cooker Jr.
The Can Cooker Jr. (#6804811) is a unique outdoor cooking device that allows you to cook a lot of food without a lot of work.
Best of all, Can Cooker Jr. works on any heat source: campfire,
camp or propane stove, charcoal or gas grill, turkey fryer, stove
top, etc., and it’s easy to clean up. All this makes Can Cooker
Jr. ideal for camping, hunting, fishing, tailgating, family gatherings,
picnics, or any outdoor get-together. Because Can Cooker Jr.
cooks with steam, it’s also healthy. The unit’s revolutionary onepiece “shouldered” design creates convection, which circulates
the steam for faster cooking. The circulating steam also helps
keep food from sticking to the inside of the Can Cooker Jr.,
making clean-up remarkably easy. Food that comes out of Can
Cooker Jr. is fresh, flavorful, and maintains its natural flavor
better than that from other forms of cooking because the steam
does not leach away the flavors and nutrients. Everything comes
out tender and tasty, never dry. Because Can Cooker Jr. is so
easy to use (load it, place it on the heat source, and wait about
an hour) you can play or socialize instead of cooking the meal.
Can Cooker Jr. has all the features of the original Can Cooker,
with its smaller 2-gallon capacity.
14
July 2014
Now, let it
take care of you.
An auction isn’t your last resort. It’s the best
way to get market value or more for the land,
equipment and property you’ve worked so hard
to cultivate over the years. Let our seasoned
professionals bring the buyers to you and handle
all of the logistics, advertising and heavy lifting
from the moment you lift the phone.
Call us today for a free consultation.
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New at Co-op
®
DynaZap
Extendable Insect Zapper
The DynaZap (#6804813) is different from other
fly swatters and racket zappers due to its extendable handle and telescopic head. The head bends
in multiple directions, making it easy to kill bugs in
hard-to-reach areas like walls and ceilings. Lightweight and easy to use, the DynaZap has a safety
switch that electrifies the grid only when turned
on. It is effective against mosquitoes, flies, wasps,
and other insects on contact without leaving a
smudge or smear to clean up. It also folds compactly, making it easily portable for everyday use.
Winntec 420300
3-Ton Garage Jack
Winntec 420300 3-ton Garage
Jack (#68143) is equipped with
the TURBO LIFTER system,
rubber saddle, and handle
bumper. The pump pistons
(protected with a jacket to prevent
intrusion of dirt) are placed at a 45-degree
angle, so a complete pumping stroke will always be utilized. The jack has a chrome main ram.
Henke/Buffalo
Model 5540 Feedyard Scraper
The Model 5540 Feedyard Scraper is designed for the needs of
those feeders utilizing medium-horsepower tractors but who still
require tough, versatile equipment capable of getting the job done.
Available in 10-, 12-, and 14-foot widths, each comes standard
with a curved cutting blade and replaceable, rugged side blades.
Features:
• Strong, rectangular-tube steel construction
• Tilt axle and side blades allow the operator to precisely
control the cutting pattern
• Full, 20-inch dump height clearance
• Versatile and easily maneuverable in enclosed feedyards
• Two double-beveled, curved blades per scraper allow
effective cutting in all soil conditions
• Designed to be pulled with 125-225-h.p. tractors
• Great for cleaning feedyards, removing snow,
maintaining driveways, and many other uses
July 2014
15
Garden
Neighborly Advice
Time to harvest, enjoy garden tomatoes
T
omatoes
are
consistently
considered
the most
popular
vegetable in
American
Dawn Matlock
gardens. EvHome, Lawn, Specialty
eryone has
Product Manager
a different
idea about which variety is best.
Some people like them yellow,
orange, or even purple. Some
like them as big as a softball
or as small as a dime. Luckily,
there are more than 700 different varieties in cultivation today.
After weeks of fertilizing, watering, and watching for insects
and disease, July is the time
when everyone is competing to
have the first ripe tomato. Will
you have bragging rights this
year? It is time to harvest when
the tomato turns red, pink, or
yellow, depending on the variety.
16
July 2014
The color should be even. Ripe
red tomatoes do not have green
on one side. If it is a little soft
when squeezed or in between
firm and soft, it’s time to pick.
Tomatoes ripen from the
inside out. If it looks ripe on
the outside, it will be ripe on the
inside. Tomatoes need warmth
to ripen, not light, so they will
continue to ripen even on cloudy
days. Never refrigerate fresh
tomatoes. This can spoil the
flavor and texture that make up
the garden tomato taste.
The two major categories of
tomato varieties are heirloom
and hybrid. Heirloom vegetables
refer to any type of seed that
has been grown for a number
of years and passed down from
gardener to gardener. Heirloom
plants are “open-pollinated,”
which means the plants are pollinated naturally. Plants grown
from heirloom seeds may not be
as predictable as hybrid plants,
but many gardeners prefer the
flavor and appreciate that it is
preserving a vegetable’s heritage.
Hybrid plants are created
when breeders cross-pollinate
different plants to maximize their
best features, such as yield, size,
resistance to disease, and taste.
Hybrid plants are not likely to
produce a new generation with
the same qualities. The majority
of the time, the second generation may look something like one
of the parent plants used to
create the hybrid. Hybrids tend
to be reliable and produce more
uniform vegetables in abundance
without losing flavor.
If you have grown an heirloom tomato, you can save seeds
for next season. First, wash an
heirloom tomato and then cut in
half across the middle. Gently
squeeze tomato seeds and juice
into a labeled glass or plastic
container. Fill them half full and
set out of direct sun in an area
where you will not be bothered
by the odor or fruit flies. Allow
the seed mixture to sit until the
surface is partially covered in
whitish mold. Scrape it off, being
careful not to remove the seeds.
Fill the container with water,
and the good seeds will sink to
the bottom. Discard the floating
seeds and pulp. Repeat until the
good seeds are clean. Pour them
into a strainer, rinse, and drain.
Lay the seeds on a plate for a few
days to dry.
Now that your tomatoes are
ripening, consider how you want
to use them. Besides enjoying
them straight from the garden,
there are ways to preserve that
goodness year-round. Whole
cherry tomatoes or slices of large
tomatoes can be dried in a dehydrator machine. Freezing and
canning are also popular uses for
fresh tomatoes. Check with your
local Co-op or Extension office
for advice on canning.
And, of course, don’t forget to
share your tomatoes with friends
and family! Happy harvesting.
Neighborly Advice Beef
Help summer pastures produce more beef
S
o far
this
year,
we have
experienced
varied
growing
conditions
for pasDr. Paul Davis
ture and
Director, TFC
hay. With
Feed and Animal
spring-calving herds, the season’s higherquality forage often coincides
with peak milk production and
the beginning of grazing for
young calves. As we transition
into summer and our weather
changes, so does the nutrient
content of most forages. While
lush, green grass may require no
supplementation beyond highmagnesium mineral, summer
grass often needs some nutritional help.
Though nutritional requirements of beef cattle are well
established, they do vary with
age, weight, sex, rate of weight
gain, milking ability, and stage
of production. However, forage quality varies with species,
season of the year, fertilization
program, and rainfall. The
value of growing forages as
feed for livestock is constantly
changing. Thus, sampling and
subsequent testing to determine
nutritional content become necessary. A basic forage test that
defines crude protein, fiber, and
estimated energy value, usually as total digestible nutrients
(TDN), is relatively inexpensive
and may be facilitated through
Co-op, Extension, or other
trusted source. More sophisticated tests can also determine
the concentration of vitamins,
minerals, nitrates, and even
certain toxins.
There are times when growing forages will meet or exceed
the nutritional requirements of
cattle. Unfortunately, during
the summer, this may not be the
case, especially for 2-year-old
and 3-year-old cows, mature
cows in peak lactation, and
calves with excellent genetic
potential for growth. While dry,
pregnant cows on summer pasture may not require additional
nutrition for maintenance, it
may be necessary to supplement
to improve body condition for
breeding or calving. In times of
drought, supplementation may
prove invaluable, not only by
maintaining body condition and
performance, but also by serving
to extend forage supply.
Often, cows enter winter in
less-than-optimum body condition because summer pasture
alone was inadequate to maintain body weight and produce
milk for a nursing calf. It is
much less expensive to maintain
cows in optimum body condition than to improve that condition during late fall and winter.
To assure that the nutritional
needs of your cattle are met
during summer grazing, foragetest to discover your nutritional
“base.” Then, use available
resources to determine the
nutritional requirements of your
cows and/or calves. Consider
your personal feeding style and
design an appropriate supplementation program. Foragebased diets almost always require supplemental phosphorus,
and most forages are deficient
in copper, zinc, and selenium. A
salt-based vitamin-mineral supplement such as Co-op Supreme
Cattle Mineral (#678) provides
a nutritional cornerstone.
Rewards for monitoring
forage quality and managing
to get the most from summer
grass should come in the form
of increased weaning weights of
calves and improved body condition of your cow herd. Rely on
the livestock experts at your
local Co-op for help with a grazing and supplement program for
your herd this summer.
July 2014
17
Story and photos by Sarah Geyer
Every one of his handmade brooms has a hole in the handle for a reason,
says Matthew Pitts — to remind the owner to hang it up between uses.
Keeping the bristles off the ground when stored extends the life of the broom.
A sweep deal
For nearly 30 years, Kenton’s Matthew Pitts and his father, Randy,
have been crafting handmade brooms together
W
hen Randy Pitts
joined his family for
dinner one summer
evening in 1986, he knew he
had the perfect part-time job for
his and wife Mary’s 13-year-old
son, Matthew.
Randy, principal of Kenton
Elementary School at the time,
had been asked by his secretary
if he and Matthew, who had an
affinity for antique tools and
equipment, would be interested
in the machines that her late
uncle used to make brooms.
She said no one in her family
knew what to do with them.
“And, honestly, neither did
we,” says Randy. “But with
Matthew’s appreciation for antique tools, I wasn’t surprised
when he responded, ‘Well,
you get the equipment, and
we’ll figure out how to make a
broom.’”
And they did. Now, 28 years
later, the father-son duo has
made more than 15,000 oldfashioned, Shaker-style utility brooms. Matthew actually
learned the craft from broommakers at Shaker Village in
Pleasant Hill, Ky., where he
spent a day watching and practicing.
“They explained the process
and were very patient with
him,” says Randy. “He even got
to make three brooms. It was
a first-class lesson in broommaking.”
With a work area built onto
the backyard chicken coop
18
July 2014
at the Pitts family’s Kenton
home, Matthew set up shop
and taught his father part of
the process. Almost immediately, the two were selling all
the brooms they could make to
family, friends, and neighbors.
l
Kenton
Though the brooms were
lovingly made by hand with the
highest-quality broomcorn and
antique equipment, Matthew
sold them for the very reasonable price of $10 each until a
few years ago when he upped
the price to $12.
“I wanted to make the best
broom out there for use, not
for decoration,” stresses Matthew, acknowledging that many
brooms just like his sell for
much more. “You could price
this broom at $40, but it’s going to hang on a wall. When
our customers buy a broom for
$12, they’re going to use it, fall
in love with it, and hopefully
come back and buy another
one.”
Kenton resident Jo Ann Reed
has bought several dozen from
Matthew over the years.
“One year I bought a bunch
to give as Christmas presents,”
says Jo Ann. “When Matthew
asked me what I was going to
do with so many brooms, I answered, ‘Well, these I’m giving
as gifts, and this one I’m going
to fly around on!’
“All kidding aside, there’s
really nothing like Matthew’s
brooms. They’re the best.”
After perfecting his skills and
getting the business rolling during his teenage years, Matthew
continued to make brooms on
weekends and holidays while
attending the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
“Matthew would come home
from school and wind as many
brooms as he could,” says Randy, who recently retired after
LEFT: One of the final steps in the broom-making process is to comb out
imagine someone using that on a dog?” laughs Randy. ABOVE: Matthew
they bought 30 years ago. On the far wall of the broom shop, pictures fro
newspaper articles, are displayed behind hanging finished brooms.
42 years as principal of Kenton
and Ridgemont Elementary
Schools. “Then I would sew
them after school and on the
weekends.”
After graduating in 1995
with a forestry degree, Matthew
moved back to Obion County
to work for Tyson Foods, where
he serves as a quality assurance
manager for the plant in Union
City. He and his wife, Laura,
also an educator, live in Troy
with their two children, Mary,
10, and Daniel, 8.
“Once I got married and
started my career and family,
the broom-making slowed down
some,” says Matthew. “But now
that the kids are older, I’ve gotten back into it.”
Over the years, Matthew and
Randy sold their handmade
wares at specialty shops and
various events — including
Collierville Arts on the Square,
Paris Landing State Park Festival, and Davy Crockett Days in
the town of Rutherford. At these
festivals, the pair would often
make brooms on site using an
extra set of antique equipment
they purchased to avoid moving
their original set from the shop.
t any remaining broomcorn seeds. “Can you
w, left, and Randy still use the antique equipment
om Matthew’s first lesson, along with framed
“Matthew would
bring a bunch of
brooms, and then
we’d make them as
fast as we could all
day long,” explains
Randy. “At most festivals we’d leave with
an empty truck and a
list of orders.”
Nowadays, the
Pittses, customers
of Obion Farmers
Cooperative’s Kenton Randy, seated left, and Matthew, seated right, are flanked by family on the porch of their
workshop. Just behind Randy stands his wife, Mary, and behind Matthew is his wife, Laura. On
branch, mainly make
either end are Matthew and Laura’s two children: Mary, 10, left, and Daniel, 8, right.
brooms by special
order and can be
found at one festival
each year, the West
Tennessee Agricultural Museum’s Fall
Folklore Jamboree in
Milan, where they’ve
participated nearly
every October since
the event’s inception
in the late 1990s.
The supplies needed for making this
old-fashioned type of
broom are simple —
broomcorn, wooden
handles, wire, and
broom nails — but
also scarce.
LEFT: Making brooms is a team approach. Matthew uses the wrapping table and pedal to wrap
wire, attaching the broomcorn securely to the handle. RIGHT: Randy steadies the broom in the
“Broom-making is
press as he sews three rows, weaving waxed yarn carefully to create seven stiches per row.
a dying skill, so finding supplies has become more
plates, and Matthew’s first
and son. Matthew operates
and more difficult,” says Matbrooms, the broom shop holds
the wrapping table, attaching
thew, explaining that he and his broomcorn with wire while
many memories for both
father now order from the R. E. spinning the handle and securfather and son. Often working
Caddy Co. in North Carolina.
together in silence, Matthew
ing the wire with nails. Then
Equipment needed to make
and Randy have a unique bond
Randy places the broom in a
the broom is also simple — a
built on nearly three decades
press and stitches three rows,
wrapping table or winder, press, interweaving seven stitches for
of their beloved hobby.
cutter, and comb. The Pittses
“We always had an affinity
each row and combing out the
still use the machines they acfor the old crafts, old tools,
bristles between each step.
quired from Randy’s secretary
and the old way of doing
With sewing complete, the
years ago, but they’ve added
things, so when the broombroom’s end is trimmed, and
to their collection through the
making opportunity came
the final step is to stand the
years, often discovering parts in broom upright. This test, Mat- along, we had to try it,” Matold barns and sheds.
thew explains. “We just conthew explains, is the sign of a
“Most people have no idea
tinue to do it all these years
good broom.
what the equipment is,” laughs
because we enjoy creating
“Quality means everything
Randy. “We found a broom
something useful.”
to me,” says Matthew. “I take
comb a few years back being
For more information on
pride in creating the best
used on a dog.”
the Pitts family’s brooms, call
broom you’ll ever own.”
The broom-making process
Matthew at 731-536-6148 or
Filled with a collection of
is a team effort between father
Randy at 731-749-5287.
antique corn shellers, license
July 2014
19
Cattle at Ray Farms love the wet
stillage, which is topdressed in the
feeding trough with hay or straw and
Co-op Stillage Booster pellets.
Wet stillage from a local whiskey distillery and a special Co-op supplement are key components of the feeding program for
Chris Ray, above, and his father, Jerry, on their Lynchburg farm, where they background some 400 head of cattle.
Co-op Stillage Booster turns wet distillers’ grains
into balanced ration for cattle
Story and photo by Allison Morgan
I
n the age-old process of
making Tennessee whiskey,
the amber alcohol that goes
into distinctively labeled bottles
is the prized product of the
distillery as well as spirit-lovers
around the world.
But Lynchburg livestock
producer Jerry Ray prefers what
doesn’t go into those bottles.
He’d rather have the leftovers.
The Bedford Moore Farmers
Cooperative member uses wet
stillage — the residual material
that remains after the whiskey
fermentation and distillation
processes have been completed
— as a key ingredient in the
ration for the 400 or so steers
he’s backgrounding at any given
time. This liquid form of stillage is mostly water with a small
percentage of nutrient-dense
solids from the sour mash mix
of corn, rye, and malted barley
used in whiskey production.
20
July 2014
Jerry and son Chris transport one or two loads of stillage
daily from the local distillery
on their 4,000-gallon tandem
tanker truck and keep their feed
troughs filled with the liquid,
which has no alcohol content
but does provide a reasonable
amount of protein and some
fat. What would normally be
considered a waste product for
the distillery is an important and
economical feed source for his
cattle, says Jerry.
Lynchburg
l
“It’s a good thing for us,”
he says. “The cattle love it. It
puts gain on them quick. And
the cost is practically nothing.
The expense is really only in the
transportation since we’re hauling mostly water.”
Just like the whiskey-making
tradition, there’s nothing new
about feeding cattle the byprod-
uct of grain alcohol production.
Farmers have been doing that
for generations. At the same
time, livestock experts have long
cautioned producers that because of its nutritional deficiencies stillage shouldn’t be used as
the sole ration.
That’s why Co-op recently
began offering a feed that works
hand-in-hand with wet or dry
stillage to replace the nutrition that has been removed
at the distillery. This pelleted
product, Co-op Stillage Booster
(#94510), is specifically formulated with essential nutrients
that stillage does not provide,
explains Dr. Paul Davis, director
of Tennessee Farmers Cooperative’s Feed and Animal Health
Department.
“This is a classic case of
taking what producers have on
the farm and using our knowledge and ingredients to create a
Co-op supplement that complements their feeding program,”
says Paul. “Our emphasis is
on what’s not there. Important
nutrients are lost in the distilling process, so we put them
back in to give the animal a total
package.”
When distillers extract the
alcohol from the grain mash,
they remove a key source of
energy, explains Rick Syler, TFC
feed specialist who has worked
closely with Jerry and other area
producers to incorporate Co-op
Stillage Booster into their operations.
“What’s left in the distillers’
grains are just protein and fat,
so this feed provides a source
of energy along with a vitaminmineral package and an additive
to improve feed efficiency,” says
Rick. “It basically turns an ingredient into a balanced ration.”
Before Jerry began using the
Co-op Stillage Booster nearly
three years ago, his biggest
concern with the wet stillage
was bloat, likely caused by the
amount of liquid the cattle
were consuming — averaging
10 gallons per head per day. He
was experiencing as much as 1
percent death loss from bloating, which would usually strike
cattle after they’d reached 800
pounds and were almost ready
to go to market. Replacing some
of that liquid with the dry feed
appears to have alleviated this
problem, he says.
“It’s not a gas bloat; it’s
more of a liquid bloat, and the
cattle don’t make it far when
that happens,” Jerry explains.
“When Co-op came up with this
supplement, we pretty much
eliminated the problem. I probably only have one or two cases
of bloating a year now.”
Besides solving this issue, Jerry says adding the Co-op Stillage
Booster has also improved the
performance of his cattle and
increased the profitability of
his operation. Each week, he
brings in a new load of calves —
mostly steers weighing 550 to
600 pounds — purchased from
the Tennessee Livestock Producers (TLP) market in Fayetteville. The incoming calves get
Co-op 15% Pelleted Low-Stress
Beef Starter A+B (#94284) and
Co-op Balancer IGR Cattle
Mineral-RUM (#96501) for
about a week, and then they are
introduced to the Co-op booster
pellets at a rate of 3 pounds per
head per day top-dressed with
hay or straw over an unlimited
supply of stillage.
“The big thing about this beef
supplement is the gain I’m seeing,” says Jerry, who also raises
1,500 acres of corn, soybeans,
and wheat and 200 acres of hay.
“I was getting 1.8 to 2 pounds
on my average daily gain before,
and this has bumped it up to 2.5
to 3. So I’m rotating cattle a lot
faster. I can turn three groups a
year now, where I was just turning two. The bloating was the
No. 1 concern, but the added
gain is a huge plus.”
The calves remain on the farm
about four months, and Jerry’s
goal is to add 300 pounds of gain
before they are sold. He markets
his cattle in tractor-trailerload
lots through the TLP video auction in Columbia once a month.
“One of the first things Jerry
said when I showed him how
much more they should gain on
this feed was, ‘Wow! I can run
more cattle through here, and I
can run them through quicker,’”
says Rick.
LEFT: Ray Farms employee Shawn Adams pours Co-op Stillage Booster pellets on top of the wet stillage and hay mixture,
completing the ration. The Rays say that hand-feeding helps keep the cattle gentle. RIGHT: Jerry, left, and Chris say their
cattle have had fewer health problems and make better gains since they added Co-op Stillage Booster to their feeding program.
During fly season, Jerry also
has the convenient option of
adding ClariFly® feed-through
larvacide to the Co-op Stillage
Booster. Targeting horn flies,
the most economically damaging pest for beef and dairy
farms, the active ingredient in
ClariFly kills the larvae before
they can mature and breed,
explains Rick.
“The cattle ingest ClariFly in
their feed, and it comes out in
the manure,” he says. “There,
the fly larvae consume the
ClariFly, and they never make
it to the adult stage. When the
cattle aren’t irritated by flies, it
helps their average daily gain
because they’re eating better
and are under less stress.”
The stillage is especially prone
to attract flies, says Jerry, but the
ClariFly has virtually eliminated
these blood-sucking pests.
“Before, there would just be
swarms of flies around the feed
troughs and all over the cattle,”
he says. “Now, you hardly see
any flies. I can tell a big difference.”
With the Co-op supplement taking care of both the
nutritional deficiencies and fly
control problems, Jerry says the
advantages of low cost and high
rate of gain outweigh any other
drawbacks of using wet stillage. While the product may be
considered an afterthought to
the whiskey-makers, Jerry says
it will stay at the forefront of his
operation and help keep him
and his cattle in good spirits.
“People ask me if the cattle
get drunk from the stillage,
but no,” says Jerry. “There’s no
alcohol. The distillery gets ALL
of the alcohol out. But once the
cattle get on it, they love it. It’s
like they’re addicted to it. Now
that we’ve added the Co-op pellets, I don’t have to worry about
bloating, it’s cut down on the
hay and mineral they eat, and
I’m getting better gain. It’s just a
good deal all the way around.”
For more information on
Co-op Stillage Booster, beef
feeds, or cattle minerals, visit
with your Co-op livestock experts.
DID YOU
KNOW
that we help provide quality beef for consumers?
“We’ve been involved with the checkoff-funded Beef Quality
Assurance (BQA) program for a long time. And as order
buyers who evaluate thousands of cattle each year, it’s
exciting to see the implementation of BQA practices on
the farms we visit. As an industry, we are continuing
improve our final product — beef.”
to
While you and the Kings are managing your
operations, your checkoff is providing the
tools you need to help you produce
quality beef.
MyBeefCheckoff.com
Funded by the Beef Checkoff.
Jerry, left, incorporated Co-op Stillage Booster into his feeding program three
years ago at the recommendation of Rick Syler, center, Tennessee Farmers
Cooperative feed specialist, and Mark Shelton, manager of Bedford Moore Farmers
Cooperative’s Lynchburg store, where the Rays purchase their farm supplies.
Dell & Nancy King
2014 BQA Marketer of the Year
July 2014
21
By Chris Villines
A cover crop blend that includes ryegrass, wheat, Jerry oats, and crimson clover grows thick at the farm of Gerald and Wayne Stephens in Henderson County. They planted
this mix of cover crops behind soybeans to help conserve moisture, keep the soil protected over the winter into spring, and provide residue for the next row-crop season.
Producers turn to cover crops to maximize soil quality, productivity
B
uy the seed. Plant the
crop. Nurture it along the
way. Harvest it. And then
start the whole procedure again
a year later.
Crop production is a pretty
straightforward process, right?
Not so fast.
What about the months between harvesting and planting,
when the field lies dormant?
Crop experts and an increasing number of producers are
realizing it’s important to keep
soil activity going through late
fall and winter in preparation
for the next round of cash
crops. And the way to keep the
ground working, they agree,
is by planting a mix of cover
crops.
“Cover crops have so many
benefits,” says Bryan Johnson,
product manager in Tennessee
Farmers Cooperative’s Seed
Department. “Not only do they
improve the nutrients in the
soil and reduce soil compaction, but they also help lessen
water runoff and nitrogen
leaching, provide early-season
weed control, add organic matter to the soil, and help limit
pests and diseases.”
22
July 2014
Cover crops are nothing new, Chester, Hardin, and McNairy
historically used to increase soil counties, is one example of the
increasing number of Tenhealth and productivity. With
nessee operations discovering
advances in commercial fertil— or, in this case, rediscoverizer technology in the 1960s,
ing — the advantages of cover
coupled with the investment
crops.
of time and money that cover
crops entail, their use fell by
the wayside.
Milledgeville
l
However, recent agricultural
challenges such as drought, de“Back in the mid-’80s, we
layed seeding, high input costs,
had a field full of Austrian
longer growing seasons, and
peas and wheat with a few oats
leaching concerns have more
mixed in,” says Ricky Essary,
and more growers taking an
who is partners on the farm
interest in improving their soil
quality through
cover crops. According to U.S.
Department of
Agriculture statistics, an estimated
1.5 million to 2
million acres of
such crops were
planted nationwide in 2012.
Essary and
Cherry Farms, a
3,500-acre corn
and soybean
ABOVE: This is one of many purple top turnips that made
up part of the cover crop mix at Essary and Cherry Farms in
operation in
Milledgeville. RIGHT: From left, Kevin Essary, Ricky Essary,
Milledgeville at
Jason Cherry, and Perry Hearn say they’ve seen poor crop
ground make marked improvements with cover crop usage.
the junction of
with son Kevin and son-in-law
Jason Cherry. “We cut that
for hay. My uncle, who had a
bunch of cattle, gave that hay
to them and said it was as good
as he had ever fed. That’s the
first notice that I took of cover
crops, and I should have been
more observant. I let it slip for
several years.”
Four years ago, Ricky, Kevin,
and Jason began introducing
cover crops to their soil. Starting out with an experimental
20 acres of wheat and radishes
in their first year, the First
Farmers Cooperative members
were encouraged enough by the
benefits that they have steadily
increased their cover crop
acreage and mix in each of the
succeeding years. They primarily use Conservation Science
Genetics products from Allied
Seed, a forage production company partly owned by Tennessee Farmers Cooperative.
“We’ve been planting a fiveway blend of crimson clover,
Austrian winter peas, cereal rye
or oats, Eco-Till radishes, and
purple top turnips,” says Ricky.
“The cover crops have helped
put a lot of nutrients back in
the soil, and with the majority
of our ground being creekbottom land, they’ve helped a
whole lot with erosion, too.
“We’ve also noticed that the
cover crops make the ground
more mellow. When you’ve
got something like radishes
that grow 6 to 8 inches in the
ground, it’s going to break up
that soil. That makes it a lot
easier on your equipment as
opposed to hard ground.”
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) grazing
specialist Greg Brann says that
another way cover crops help
the cause at Essary and Cherry
Farms is by providing food for
earthworms, which, in turn,
further benefit the soil profile.
“Earthworm castings, or
waste, are up to five times more
fertile than the surrounding
soil,” explains Greg. “And they
improve water filtration rates
and absorption rates, helping
the soil to drain better. Less
runoff means less watering and
less erosion. Earthworms are a
good sign of soil health.”
l
Oakland
Another West Tennessean,
Oakland’s John Sullivan, raises
some 6,000 acres of corn,
beans, wheat, and purple hull
peas on his Fayette County
farm. He also says he’s seeing
an improvement in soil quality
through his cover crops program, which currently encompasses “between 800 and 1,000
acres” of cropland. A recent
dig into the soil of one of his
fields planted with cover crops
revealed a thriving earthworm
population.
LEFT: Gadsden corn, wheat, soybeans, and cotton grower Matt Griggs says his “big experiment” with cover crops holds
great potential. RIGHT: John Sullivan, left, followed corn with Eco-Till radishes and Purple Bounty hairy vetch on this field at
his Oakland farm. Here, he discusses his cover crops program with, from left, Mid-South Farmers Cooperative precision ag
specialist Matt Sanders, Mid-South Farmers agronomist Davis Cocke, and Allied Seed Southern sales representative Greg Aston.
LEFT: Photographed in March, the Purple Bounty hairy vetch at John Sullivan’s farm starts to form a canopy on the ground, proof of
its winter hardiness. RIGHT: Fast forwarding to May, John’s same vetch crop experienced rapid growth to further penetrate the soil.
“I put a mix of 10 pounds
[per acre] of Eco-Till radishes
and 20 pounds of Purple Bounty hairy vetch behind my corn,
with the vetch doing well and
the radishes going away properly,” says John, a Mid-South
Farmers Cooperative member.
“We’ve really concentrated on
putting out more cover crops
the past three years. The first
year we put
out a mix of
crimson clover, Austrian
winter peas,
and vetch,
but the vetch
seemed to
have better
coverage and
survivability, so we’ve
stuck with it
and added the radishes.”
Eco-Till radish is specifically
designed for fall/winter cover
crop applications. They are a
popular choice for producers because of their deep penetrating
taproot and other benefits such
as reduced soil compaction,
improved nutrient recycling,
and increased organic matter in
the soil.
Purple Bounty hairy vetch is
a winterhardy, early-maturing
variety developed for high
nitrogen fixation — up to 200
pounds of nitrogen per acre
by spring when planted in late
summer. It forms ground cover
slowly in the fall, but root development continues through the
winter with
substantial
growth in
the spring.
“It’s
amazing
how vetch
goes along
with a crop
that winter
kills,” says
Allied Seed
Southern
sales representative Greg Aston.
“With winter-kill, the vetch
takes over and provides ground
cover and subsequent growth in
the spring.”
One of the main advantages
that John says he’s seen from
the vetch is its ability to overpower weeds.
“One of our fields was really
bad with pigweeds, and the
vetch provided the canopy and
mat to suppress them,” he says.
“It’s worked well. The first year
we planted the vetch we didn’t
think we were going to have
much of a crop. But once it
got warm and time to go to the
field and plant, that vetch really
took off.”
John, like Essary and Cherry
Farms, is taking part in NRCS
funding opportunities — such
as the Environmental Quality
Incentives Program (EQIP) and
the Conservation Stewardship
Program (CSP) — available to
eligible landowners who establish cover crops on their land.
He believes the combination
of the incentives and the many
benefits cover crops provide
makes growing them well worth
the effort.
“It literally pays for itself
over time,” John says. “In my
opinion, it’s just about ridiculous not to do it.”
At his family’s Century
Farm in Gadsden, Matt Griggs
(See Asset, page 24)
July 2014
23
Asset
(continued from page 23)
admits that he’s “still learning”
a lot about cover crops. The
Crockett County grower mainly
experimented with Eco-Till
radishes on select acreage for
two years before planting a mix
of cover crops this past year on
600 of the 1,600 acres where
he produces corn, soybeans,
wheat, and cotton.
l
Gadsden
“If you’re going to no-till
them, then you need to make
sure that field is burned down
and weed-free,” he stresses.
“Crops don’t like competition.”
Adding that his cover crops
program is a work in progress,
Matt says he’s committed to
sticking with it for the long
haul.
“You hear about things that
are supposed to be great for
your crops like irrigation, these
magic foliar fertilizers, and
everything else,” he says. “But
I think cover crops are the way
to go. I don’t have a single acre
that is suitable for irrigation. If
I can improve my field’s waterholding capacity, that’s an extra
inch of water in the soil that
comes in really big around August when it’s dry. The benefits
of cover crops are not something you can put a pencil to
and figure out how much more
you’ll be making, but you know
it’s there.
“I expect it’s going to take
at least 10 years of successful
cover crop growing to really
see a consistent improvement
year in and year out. That’s my
goal.”
For more information about
Allied Seed’s cover crop varieties, visit www.alliedseed.com.
To learn more about the EQIP
and CSP financial programs for
cover crop producers, visit your
local NRCS office or online at
www.nrcs.usda.gov.
“Every acre that I grew corn
on last year got a cover crop
after it,” says Matt, a member
of First Farmers Cooperative.
“And then I planted a cover
crop on one field of full-season
beans that didn’t go into wheat,
and it got a lot of residual
nitrogen.”
Matt incorporated several
different mixes in his fields to
gauge the results, using some
combination of Eco-Till radishes, cereal rye, crimson clover,
Austrian winter peas, Purple
Bounty hairy vetch, and Jerry
oats.
“I sowed one field with
winter peas in November,” he
says. “As soon as they started
to sprout, I pulled a couple of
plants up, and they already had
nodules where they were producing nitrogen. What I’ve seen
out of the winter
peas, I like. With
the clover, I like
the root system.
I’ve learned that
with the radishes,
you don’t want to
plant them any
later than the
first of October.
There just isn’t
enough time to get
good growth. And
where I planted a
mixture of rye and
oats at 50 pounds
per acre, it looked
like a golf course.”
As part of his
continuing education on cover
crops, Matt says
he’s discovered
that they need
to be treated
“just like regular Earthworms populate the soil at John Sullivan’s vetch/
crops.”
radish field, a surefire sign that the ground is healthy.
24
July 2014
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Story and photos by Sarah Geyer and Gina Locke
Samantha Wilkerson, kneeling left, and her ag teacher, Amber Harcrow, kneeling right, feed registered Cheviots at Willow Oak Farms in Trenton, while, from left in back,
Savannah and Karen Allen, Ashley Johnstone, Taylor Barker, Michael Allen, and farm owners Farrow and Brenda Ward watch the feast.
Trenton’s Farrow and Brenda Ward are known
for quality lambs and service after the sale
F
or 15 years, 4-H and FFA
members in Gibson and
surrounding counties have
been winning blue ribbons with
the lambs they purchase from
Farrow and Brenda Ward at
Willow Oak Farms in Trenton.
And they have a border collie to thank for it.
In the early 1970s, the
Wards, who were raising Angus cattle on their 105-acre
farm, read an article about
how helpful a dog could be
on the farm. So they bought a
border collie.
When he and Brenda had
difficulty finding a trainer,
Farrow convinced a friend who
had border collies to work with
their pup for about a month.
When he returned the dog to
the farm, the friend suggested
that Farrow get a flock of cull
sheep to use while continuing
the training process. That recommendation sparked a new
calling for the Ward family.
“They just fascinated me,”
26
July 2014
said Farrow. “I got so interested in learning about the
sheep that I got rid of the cull
flock and got some registered
Suffolks instead.”
The Wards’ son, Lucas, also
grew to love the sheep and began showing Suffolks in open
competitions alongside adults
before he was old enough for
junior shows.
l
Trenton
“He was so young that he
couldn’t see over the sheep,”
laughs Brenda. “He had to get
their legs set up and everything by working underneath
the sheep because he couldn’t
reach over them.”
After noticing the Wards’
dedication to their sheep,
Mark Gregory, a neighbor and
local high school agriculture
teacher, stopped by to borrow
Farrow’s grooming stand and
clippers. Soon, Mark was asking
his new friend
for a big favor:
to raise club
lambs for his
FFA students.
“He said
he was having
a hard time
finding sheep
around here
and had to go
out of state
to get market
lambs,” says
Married in 1971, Farrow and Brenda have been raising lambs
Farrow. “So I
for 4-H and FFA members in their region for more than 15
agreed, and
years. Since Farrow retired from his 45-year career with
Gibson Electric Membership Corporation, he has been able to
since Lucas
was almost the fulfill his passion as a full-time shepherd.
age to start showing in 4-H, it
schools soon wanted to buy
worked out nicely.”
from the Wards, Farrow started
The Wards started out on a
holding silent auctions, fashsmall scale, raising just enough ioned after the Angus bull sales
lambs for Mark’s students.
he’d attended. Over the years,
“I’d set a price, and he’d
the Wards have heard a lot of
come out and buy the whole lot “thanks” from grateful students
of them, letting the kids that
and their families, but the bigshowed at the most fairs pick
gest show of appreciation is
out theirs first,” says Farrow.
their return business.
When students from other
“We’ve never had a customer
LEFT: Savannah Allen, right, who has attended Farrow’s auctions since she was a toddler, looks forward to being old enough to show in junior competition next year.
RIGHT: Four freshly sheared commercial ewes graze on a 40-acre portion of the 105-acre Willow Oak Farms, for which the Wards buy supplies from Gibson Farmers Co-op.
go anywhere else once they’ve
bought one of our lambs,” a
proud Farrow says.
Part of that loyalty undoubtedly comes from the success
their customers have had in the
show ring.
“Every year since we started
selling show lambs, we’ve had
someone win a grand champion,” Farrow says.
One of his former customers, Taylor Barker, manager
of Crown Vineyards in nearby
Humboldt, still attends every
auction with his fiancee, Katelyn Watt, also a former customer. Both are grand champion
titleholders.
“When you look around
the Gibson County Fair, you
can tell which lambs are Ward
lambs,” says Taylor. “They just
look that good.”
Farrow, who recently retired
after 45 years with Gibson
Electric Membership Corporation, prides himself on his
selective breeding, buying his
rams from the Midwest Stud
Ram Sale in Sedalia, Mo., the
largest sheep sale in the U.S.
He also buys back his ewes
after each show season to be
used as replacement ewes.
“Actually, Taylor is the
reason I decided to buy them
back,” Farrow says with a
grin. “Taylor didn’t understand
what was going to happen to
his lamb, that it was going to
market. So after his first show,
when he went back to the holding area and held his lamb, he
had every woman in the room
crying. And in that instant, I
made a decision I’ve stuck with
ever since — to buy back the
ewes at market price.”
Ashley Johnstone, a classmate of Taylor, who started
showing club lambs in ninth
grade, bought one every year
from Willow Oak and won
grand champion her junior
year at Peabody High School in
Trenton.
“I would still show if I
weren’t too old,” she says.
These students have more in
common than just their place
of purchase. They were all part
of an agricultural education
program that helped them get
involved in showing club lambs.
Michael Allen, Mark Gregory’s
successor as FFA advisor at
Peabody High School, is a longtime supporter of Willow Oak
Farms.
“The Wards do have greatlooking lambs, but they are
also great people who help the
kids through the entire show
process,” says Michael, who
has been bringing his daughters
Karen, 16, and Savannah, 9, to
the Wards’ auctions since they
were toddlers. He has firsthand
experience with the couple’s
award-winning sheep — six
of them, actually. Karen has
been showing lambs since fifth
grade, and Savannah will soon
follow in her footsteps.
“Last year, I got reserve
grand champion at the Gibson
County Fair with the lamb that
I bought here,” says Karen.
“Mr. Ward is so nice. He talks
to you about each lamb and
helps you pick out the one
most suited for you.”
Farrow adds that Savannah
couldn’t wait until she could
show lambs, too.
(See Blue-ribbon, page 28)
LEFT: The Wards, in rebuilding their registered flock, have begun raising Cheviots
alongside their market lambs and commercial ewes, giving them some 30 head
of sheep. RIGHT: Gary Lawson and wife Dannye are the “dynamic duo” of sheepshearing. For Gary, who began shearing sheep in the late 1970s, this commercial ewe
was the 18th he’d sheared on this particular day at Willow Oak Farms in Trenton.
July 2014
27
Blue-ribbon
(continued from page 27)
“Each year she’d tell me how
many years until she got to
show,” he says. “Now, it’s ‘Next
year!’”
Samantha Wilkerson, a
freshman at South Gibson
County High School and the
FFA chapter secretary, recently
bought her first lamb and, as a
nervous newcomer, credits Farrow with making the experience
a positive one.
“Mr. Ward was very helpful,” she says. “He picked out
a couple of really good lambs
and showed me what to look
for when picking out the one
I wanted. He even gave me
a free halter because I didn’t
have anything to take her home
with. That’s the one I’m still
using.”
Her FFA advisor, first-year
teacher Amber Harcrow, looks
forward to help from Farrow
when Samantha shows at the
Gibson County Fair. Helping
the students out during the
show time is an annual ritual
for the Wards.
“I go up there on Sunday
afternoon when they weigh
in and help them get situated
and trimmed up,” Farrow says.
“Then I go up the next day and
help them make final touches
on the sheep and then get lined
up. I go to all the fairs and support them.”
Farrow credits Gibson Farmers Cooperative in Trenton with
his sheep success for two reasons: one, Co-op Show Lamb
Feed with Bovatec (#93531),
and two, employing Brenda for
30 years!
“The Co-op has been really good to me,” says Farrow.
“Each year they give me five
bags of feed — some of the
best ration I’ve ever used — to
give away at my auction, and
they provide me with enough
halters for every lamb.”
Unfortunately, the number
of kids showing lambs is dwindling because many students
are choosing goats instead, according to Farrow and Michael.
In fact, the demand was so
small this year that the Wards
decided not to hold an auction
but to sell the lambs individually.
28
July 2014
However, as long as students
are showing his lambs at the
fair, Farrow says he’ll be there
to provide help and support.
“I’m as proud of each of
them as I was when my own
child was competing,” he says.
“I just love to see the pride on
their faces as they walk out of
the show ring with an award.”
For more information on
Co-op’s sheep and lamb feeds,
visit with your local Co-op
professionals or visit online at
www.ourcoop.com and click
on “Product Catalog.”
After losing nearly a third of their herd to coyote attacks this year, Farrow and
Brenda bought a pair of llamas, a species touted by ranchers in the West as highly
effective guard animals, especially against wolves and coyotes.
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Setup – made easy
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Hard work Made easy
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800-874-8494
July 2014
29
What’s Cookin’?
Red, white, &
blueberries
Embrace your patriotic spirit with
this North American native fruit
T
hough small in size, the blueberry is
deeply rooted in our country’s history.
In fact, the Blueberry Council says that
when Europeans arrived on the continent, Native Americans were already enjoying blueberries
year-round. And legend has it that the Indians
graciously gave blueberries to the pilgrims to help
them survive their first winter.
Folks in present-day America grow blueberries in 35 of our 50
states, supplying more than 90 percent of the world’s crop. High
in nutritional value, blueberries are often included by experts in
the top 10 list of healthiest foods. It’s no surprise, then, that July
is proclaimed National Blueberry Month by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture.
With Independence Day right around the corner, try Red,
White, and Blue Trifle from Andrea Bolden, our Cook-of-theMonth for July. This artistic and colorful dish is both tasty and
patriotically appropriate for the occasion.
Other recipes featured are Blueberry Cream Cheese Pound
Cake, Bonnie Blue-barb Pie, Blueberry-Kiwi Flan, Coffee Break
Blueberry Bread, Grilled Chicken Thighs with Blueberry Salsa,
Chocolate Blueberry Turnovers, and Blueberry Ice Cream.
Enjoy!
With its patriotically colored layers, Red, White, and Blue Trifle is the perfect dessert for
summer celebrations. The recipe was submitted by Andrea Bolden of Unionville, our
Cook-of-the-Month for July. — Photo and food styling by Allison Morgan
Clip, save, and serve
Red, White, and Blue Trifle
July 2014 winning recipe
What you will need:
Directions:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Combine whipped topping, cream cheese,
marshmallow creme, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Beat at medium speed with mixer until smooth.
Gradually beat in confectioner’s sugar. Combine
strawberries with 1⁄2 jar of melted jelly.
Combine blueberries with remaining jelly.
To assemble, layer 1⁄2 cream mixture in
a large trifle or punch bowl. Top with 1⁄2
of cake cubes and all of blueberries. Top
with remaining cream, cake, and all of the
strawberries. If desired, top with dollops
of whipped cream and a few berries.
16 ounces whipped topping, thawed
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
7 ounces marshmallow creme
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1
⁄2 cup confectioner’s sugar
4 cups sliced strawberries
1 (18-ounce) jar strawberry
jelly, heated until melted and
slightly cooled
• 4 cups blueberries
• 1 angel food cake, cut in cubes
Andrea Bolden, Unionville, Marshall Farmers Cooperative
30
July 2014
Blueberry
Cream Cheese
Pound Cake
1 (8-ounce) package cream
cheese, softened
1
⁄2 cup vegetable oil
1 (18-ounce) package yellow
butter cake mix
1 (3-ounce) package instant
vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blueberries
Powdered sugar, optional
Preheat oven to 325º. Lightly
spray a 9-inch tube or Bundt pan
with non-stick cooking spray and
dust with flour.
Combine cream cheese and
oil in a medium bowl; beat with a
mixer at high speed until smooth
and creamy. Add cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla. Beat on
medium speed until blended. Fold
in berries (batter will be thick).
Spoon batter into prepared
pan. Bake 60 minutes or until
a wooden toothpick inserted in
center comes out clean. Cool
cake in pan on a wire rack for 20
minutes. Remove from pan and
cool completely on a wire rack.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar
before serving.
Yield: 6 servings.
Martha Jean Burris
Unionville
Rutherford Farmers Cooperative
T
Bonnie Blue-barb Pie
11⁄2 cup fresh or frozen
rhubarb, cut into 1⁄2-inch
pieces
11⁄2 cups fresh or frozen
blueberries
1 cup sugar
1
⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
1
⁄4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter or
margarine
Pastry for 9-inch doublecrust pie
In a large bowl, combine
rhubarb and blueberries. (If using frozen fruit, thaw and drain.)
Combine sugar, flour, and salt.
Sprinkle over fruit; toss lightly.
Line a 9-inch pie plate with
pastry; add filling. Dot with
butter. Top with a lattice crust.
Bake at 450º for 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to 350º. Bake 35
minutes longer or until golden
brown.
Ester Stoltzfus
Pembroke, Ky.
Montgomery Farmers Cooperative
T
Blueberry-Kiwi Flan
Crust (makes two):
1
⁄2 cup granulated sugar
1
⁄2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1
⁄2 cup butter or margarine
1
⁄2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons
flour
1
⁄2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1
⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1
⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
Cream cheese filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream
cheese
1
⁄3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Fruit layer:
3 cups blueberries, washed
and drained
2 kiwi fruit, peeled and
thinly sliced
Citrus glaze:
1
⁄2 cup water
1
⁄2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1
⁄4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Mix crust ingredients together
until well blended. (If desired,
substitute store-bought refrigerated sugar cookie dough).
Grease two 12-inch pizza
pans or tart pans with removable
bottoms. Divide dough in pans;
flatten with hands, dusting with
flour if needed. Build up a slight
rim around edges. Bake at 350º
for 10-12 minutes or until crust
is golden brown; cool. Carefully
remove one crust to a round platter; freeze the other for later use.
Cream together cheese filling
ingredients; spread on crust.
Arrange blueberries and kiwi in
decorative pattern.
Combine glaze ingredients in
saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook
one minute; cool. Spread over
fruit; refrigerate until serving.
Yield: 16-20 servings.
Barbara Troxler
Normandy
Bedford Moore
Farmers Cooperative
T
Coffee Break
Blueberry Bread
1 loaf frozen bread dough,
thawed
1 egg
1
⁄2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 ounces cream cheese,
softened
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Crumble mixture:
1 cup flour
1
⁄2 cup butter or margarine
1
⁄2 cup sugar
Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
Roll out dough on a lightly
greased 13-x-18-inch jelly roll
pan. Beat egg and add sugar,
vanilla, and cream cheese. Beat
together; spread on dough.
Sprinkle blueberries over cream
cheese mixture.
Combine crumble mixture
ingredients; mix together until
crumbly. Sprinkle on top of the
blueberries. Bake at 350º for
30-40 minutes or until edges are
lightly golden. Cool 10 minutes,
then top with glaze.
Combine glaze ingredients.
Drizzle over top. Serve warm.
Refrigerate leftovers.
Yield: 20-24 servings.
Ester Hostetler
Bradford
Gibson Farmers Cooperative
T
Grilled Chicken Thighs
with Blueberry Salsa
10-12 boneless, skinless
chicken thighs
1
⁄2 cup vinaigrette dressing
2 cups blueberries, washed
and coarsely chopped
1
⁄3 cup green onions, chopped
1
⁄2 red pepper, chopped fine
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1
⁄2 cup chopped cilantro
1
⁄3 cup lime juice
1
⁄3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Rinse chicken and place in
a zip-close bag. Add vinaigrette
dressing and marinate 1-2 hours
in refrigerator.
Combine remaining ingredients
in a medium bowl; refrigerate.
Grill chicken until well done.
Top with blueberry salsa.
Yield: 4-6 servings.
Mildred H. Edwards
Lebanon
Wilson Farmers Cooperative
T
Chocolate Blueberry
Turnovers
1 (8-ounce) package crescent dinner roll dough
⁄4 cup semisweet chocolate
chips, divided
1
⁄2 cup canned blueberry pie
filling
Preheat oven to 375º. Line
a baking sheet with parchment
paper. Unroll dough; separate into
four rectangles. Cut off corners to
form ovals. Top each with 2 tablespoons pie filling and 1 tablespoon
chocolate chips. Fold dough over
filling. Press edges to seal. Bake
15 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool. Melt additional chocolate
and drizzle on top.
Linda Bain
Bethel Springs
Mid-South Farmers Cooperative
3
T
Blueberry Ice
Cream
3 cups mashed blueberries
1
⁄2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
22⁄3 cups sugar
4 eggs
7 cups half & half
2 teaspoons vanilla
Mash blueberries; sweeten
with 1⁄2 cup sugar. Add lemon
juice. Refrigerate overnight.
In a large saucepan, combine
22⁄3 cups sugar and eggs. Add
half & half and heat slowly for
12-15 minutes over medium heat
until hot, but not boiling, stirring
constantly. Cool. Add vanilla
and the blueberries. Freeze in a
1-gallon ice cream freezer.
Mabel Yoder
Guthrie, Ky.
Montgomery Farmers Cooperative
September is sweet
with honey
Becoming more popular as a local agriculture commodity, honey has been recognized for
years as a versatile ingredient and pantry staple
that adds a touch of sweet, natural flavor.
That’s why we’re asking for honey recipes
for our September “What’s cookin’?” column. The person submitting the
recipe judged best will be named Cook-of-the-Month for August and receive $10. Others sending recipes chosen for publication will receive $5.
Each winner will also receive a special “What’s cookin’?” certificate.
Monday, Aug. 4, is the deadline for your honey recipes.
Don’t forget: Only recipes with complete, easy-to-follow instructions
will be considered for publication. Several recipes are disqualified each
month because they do not contain all the information needed to prepare
the dishes successfully. Recipes featured in “What’s cookin’?” are not independently tested, so we must depend on the accuracy of the cooks sending
them. Always use safe food-handling, preparation, and cooking procedures.
Send entries to: Recipes, Tennessee Cooperator, P.O. Box 3003,
LaVergne, TN 37086. You can submit more than one recipe in the same
envelope. You can also e-mail them to: [email protected]. Be sure
to include your name, address, telephone number, and the Co-op with
which you do business. Recipes that appear in the “What’s cookin’?” column will also be published on our website at www.ourcoop.com.
July 2014
31
32
July 2014
July 2014
33
Every Farmer Has A Story Tom Visser
Story and photos by Chris Villines
American dream
South African native Tom Visser enjoys the challenge of making
his family’s diversified Hancock County farm more productive
G
uiding his farm Jeep
down a precariously
narrow stretch of Hancock County backroad, Tom
Visser points to a field full of
fruit trees grown at his Circle V
Farms.
“There’s an assortment over
there,” he says as a neighbor
carefully eases his truck by
on the other side of the road.
“Some have worked, and some
haven’t. Apples and peaches are
doing good.”
It was fruit, specifically citrus, that led Tom to uproot from
his native South Africa for the
U.S. in 1990.
Sneedville
July 2014
with a smile. “They’re very proud
that they have learned a second
language. It’s an achievement for
them.”
From its modest beginnings,
the operation has grown to 650
acres and includes 180 head of
Angus and Charolais beef cattle,
a flock of Katahdin sheep, turkeys, chickens, corn, wheat, soybeans, hay, and fruit trees. The
Vissers are members of Hancock
l
“Everybody back home
thought I had lost my mind,” he
says. “My father was a farmer,
and I was his only son. My
ancestors came to South Africa
in 1674. I could see no future
and no security there, however.
I wanted to be in the U.S.A.”
Schooled in agricultural
engineering, Tom was active
in the citrus industry in Africa,
so Florida is where he and his
family settled when they moved
to America. He worked closely
with growers and even developed a mechanical harvester
that “can remove two tons of
oranges per minute.”
But he longed for an agricultural lifestyle that took him
beyond the orange groves and
allowed for the establishment of
a farming operation for himself,
wife Estie, and their six children
(three of whom were born in the
U.S.). Tom’s search for a place
to build this family farm led him
in 1998 to an unkempt, 20-acre
tract just north of Sneedville at
the Tennessee-Virginia border.
“I found the cheapest land
in the United States,” Tom says
matter-of-factly as he sits on
the deck of the neatly appointed
farmhouse he and his family
built. “It had been farmed in
34
the past, but it was completely
neglected and overgrown with
weeds. I couldn’t afford anything
else at the time, so I just figured,
‘Well, I like to be outside.’ And
I liked Tennessee from the start
because it wasn’t like Florida,
where it stays hot most of the
time, or up North where it gets
too cold. It’s somewhere in the
middle. You get all four seasons
here.”
Agricultural engineer Tom Visser, left, points out features of the combination
soybean roaster/corn cracker he created for his multi-faceted Sneedville farming
operation, Circle V Farms, to Hancock Farmers Cooperative Manager Joe McDaniel.
Though Tom still maintains a
Florida address and has a stake
in the citrus industry through
his mechanical harvesting business, Circle V Harvesting, he
and his family now devote the
bulk of their attention to Circle
V Farms.
Sons Riaan, 29, and Richardt,
25, both of whom are married,
and Rebekah, 19, work full time
with their father while Ronel,
27, is a stay-at-home mom to her
and her husband’s six children.
Reuben, 17, and Rachel, 15, like
their siblings before them, are
homeschooled, juggling their assignments with farm work.
Each of the Vissers is fluent
in Afrikaans, a language spoken
in South Africa that’s akin to
Dutch. When working on the
farm, they often communicate
with each other in their native
language.
“Even my two daughters-inlaw, both Tennessee natives, can
speak Afrikaans now,” Tom says
Farmers Cooperative, where they
purchase feed, farm inputs, crop
protectants, and other supplies.
“If the citrus industry in Florida keeps going into decline like
it is, we’ll have to abandon the
orange-harvesting business altogether,” says Tom. “I don’t have a
problem with that. I always knew
that I would want to be here full
time one day anyway.”
Admitting that the “wheels
are always turning” on ways to
optimize the farm’s productivity,
the innovative farmer says he’s
is taking a vertical approach to
what’s ahead for Circle V.
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes,
but I’ve also made a lot of
progress,” says Tom, who has
put his ag engineering smarts
to use on the farm by creating
machines such as a combination
soybean roaster/corn cracker
and converting school buses into
silage transport trucks. “We’re
to a point where we aren’t going
to expand anymore because
we’re landlocked. So instead of
expanding in width and length,
we have to grow in a vertical
plane and come up with something new to market. To me, the
answer is in processing.”
There’s already high demand for the farm’s processed
meats. Stores such as Knoxville’s Three Rivers Market, a
community food co-op, stock
Circle V heritage breed turkeys
before Thanksgiving. And Tom
has discovered that ethnic communities in larger metropolitan
areas are good places to sell
sheep. He’s trucked trailerloads
of his flock to urban markets like
Nashville and New York City.
Tom asserts that this approach is all part of going the
extra mile, adding value to Circle
V’s farm products, and being
creative in marketing.
“We have to be smarter as
farmers,” he says. “The moment we can start processing
and take our commodities to a
finished product, that’s where
the money’s at. If you crunch
your numbers, that’s the only option we have. Instead of trying to
rake in $200 an acre off of corn
or beans, we’ve got to do something so we can make $2,000 an
acre.”
As Tom passionately shares
this philosophy, he looks over
at two of his grandsons busy
at play. In all, the Vissers are
blessed with 12 grandchildren,
between the ages of 1 and 8.
Appropriately, those old enough
to talk speak both English and
Afrikaans.
“We’re growing our own crew
for the future of this farm,” Tom
says. “We need the infrastructure. I don’t want my children
and grandchildren to go flip
hamburgers — I want them to
be here. And if you teach them
to have a backbone and a desire
to work, there are absolutely no
limits as to how successful they
can be.
“That’s one of the things I like
so much about this country.”
Tom, at right standing in front of one of Circle
V’s silage trucks (all of which in a prior life
were school buses), doesn’t need to look
around to find good help on the farm. He
says he’s proud of the contributions made
each day by sons, from left, Reuben, Riaan,
and Richardt and daughters Rebekah and
Rachel (not pictured). Another daughter,
Ronel, completes the lineup of the all-R firstname Visser siblings and stays busy tending
to her six children.
July 2014
35