Bankin` on Boers - Our CO-OP

Transcription

Bankin’ on
Boers
Lowell and Linda Walker are counting on
good things from the meat goat industry
First-ever Farm Fest
attracts large crowd of
Co-op members – p. 5
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Atlanta, GA
Permit 1235
Tennessee Cooperator
Youth exhibit showtopping animals at this
year’s Expo – p. 20
September 2008
1
2
September 2008
TenneScene
The geological marvel known as the Sewanee Natural Bridge is a scenic destination for hikers and
nature-lovers. The 25-foot-high natural sandstone arch has a span of 50 feet and provides an overlook
of the Lost Cove below. A wet-weather spring associated with a rock house behind the bridge likely
contributed to the formation of the arch. The site, which is part of the South Cumberland Recreation
Area, is easily accessible off Highway 56 just south of Sewanee.
— Photo by Allison Morgan
Cover story
8 Bankin’ on Boers
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 Assistant Editor Communications Specialist
Communications Intern
Contributing Editor
Advertising Manager
Art Director Graphic Designer Editorial Assistant Circulation Allison Morgan
Mark E. Johnson
Chris Villines
Chelsea Doss
Jerry Kirk
Mack Barrett
Bob Gillespie
Shane Read
Polly Campbell
Beth Phillips
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. Guest
subscriptions are available for $12.95 per year by contacting
Tennessee Farmers Cooperative at the address below.
Mailing address: Tennessee Cooperator, Tennessee
Farmers Cooperative, P.O. Box 3003, LaVergne, TN 37086
Phone: (615) 793-8339; E-mail: [email protected]
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.
Board of Directors:
Stephen Philpott, Shelbyville, Zone 2, Chairman
Bill Mayo, Tennessee Ridge, Zone 2, Vice Chairman
Larry Paul Harris, Wildersville, Zone 1
Amos Huey, Kenton, Zone 1
Larry Rice, Covington, Zone 1
Donald Jernigan, Christiana, Zone 2
Wayne Brown, Chuckey, Zone 3
Lowry “Whitey” Dougherty, Madisonville, Zone 3
George Smartt, McMinnville, Zone 3
Chief Executive Officer —
Bart Krisle
Visit TFC’s Web site: www.ourcoop.com
®
As a diverse ethnic population in America continues to increase and youth
livestock competitions remain as popular as ever, farmers like Lowell and
Linda Walker of Winchester are tapping into a strong goat meat market
by producing high-quality Boer breeding and show stock. The Walkers,
members of Franklin Farmers Cooperative, are strong proponents of Co-op
goat feeds and minerals.
COVER SHOT: Lowell, Linda, and their grandson, Eli Morgan, show off two champion
does they’ve raised on their Little Mountain Farm.
— Photos by Mark E. Johnson
Also in this issue
12 Takes a village
New Co-op-branded creep feeder is a case study in cooperation.
16 Not just no-till anymore
Milan field day’s 25th incarnation showcases much more than crops.
18 Mail and a meal
Good food and friendly service are in store for customers at Laconia restaurant and post office.
24 Rare care
Horses receive five-star treatment at an East Tennessee luxury community’s equestrian center.
26 Take a ride on the wild side
Visitors can see more than 50 species of animals at Briarwood Ranch Safari Park in Bybee.
32 Mighty Ducks
Vintage amphibious vehicles give Chattanooga visitors a tour of the city by land and by water.
35 Every farmer has a story
Lafayette’s Bart Jones may have been raised in town, but his destiny returned him to farming.
Departments
4 As I Was Saying 15 Neighborly Advice
23 Tack Room Talk
30 What’s Cookin’? 31 Our Country Churches 35 New at Co-op
September 2008
3
A
s
I Wa s S a y i n g
By Jerry Kirk, contributing editor
2008 Team USA boosts Olympic spirit
I
had made up my mind: I absolutely was not going to get caught up in
all the international hoopla of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. In
fact, I didn’t even watch the opening ceremonies on TV.
Frankly, I still remembered what, to me, was a ho-hum, entirely uninspired effort by the U.S. men’s basketball team at the 2004 Olympics
in Athens, Greece. They did manage to win the bronze medal, but, hey,
folks, nobody in the world — literally — should ever be able to beat the
U.S. out of the gold medal in basketball. It’s OUR game, for crying out
loud! I just wasn’t excited about seeing the 2008 edition of Team USA.
But then along came Michael Phelps, the phenomenal Baltimore swimmer who would win eight gold medals in this Olympics to set a record
that most folks believe will never be broken. He’s the most focused,
determined competitor I’ve ever seen, grinding it out in individual events
and leaning heavily on teammates to help him win relays. Not only is he
perhaps the best swimmer in history, but Michael appears to be down-toearth enough to value the contributions of his teammates, express his love
for his family, and appear honored by the chance to represent his country.
And after deciding to sit down and watch Michael swim in his first
preliminary heat, I was back in the Olympics fold. Actually, it was a
comfortable place for me to be.
I was in high school when we got our first television set at home — a
huge, square Philco table model encased in plastic. It sat in our living
room on a specially made table that had a rotating top so you could adjust
the viewing angles (I always thought that was a pretty neat concept).
Anyway, the first Olympics I saw on TV were from Melbourne, Australia, in 1956. I recall the snowy, grainy, black-and-white images of Bill
Russell, K.C. Jones, and other amateur basketball players dominating
games as no other team had in Olympic history. They beat each opponent by at least 30 points on their way to the gold medal. American Pat
McCormick was a star of the ’56 Olympics, too, by taking two golds in
diving, just as she did four years earlier in Helsinki, Finland.
Men’s basketball has always been one of my favorite Olympic events.
I still recoil at the thought of the out-and-out rip-off in the 1972 Games in
Munich when officials literally gave the Soviet Union a win over the U.S.
in the gold medal game. The U.S. filed a protest, but by a 3-2 decision
(described as divided along ideological lines between Communist and
non-Communist countries), the gold medal was awarded to the Soviets.
4
September 2008
America’s players refused to accept the silver
medal, and it is said that several team members have directed in their wills that their
Jerry Kirk has been on the
heirs are never to accept the medals.
Tennessee Cooperator staff for
The Munich debacle is considered the
more than 35 years, serving
most controversial call in Olympic history,
as editor from November
1972 until his retirement in
and I’m glad nothing close to that occurred
April 2001. He continues as a
this year in Beijing. Between you and me,
contributing editor today.
though, I did think there was some homecookin’ served by judges in various competitions, paticularly gymnastics.
And once Michael Phelps and other Team USA members got me back
in the swim of the Olympics, I paid close attention to the dedication and
love our athletes showed for their sports and our country. I was absolutely floored by the passion our men’s basketball players showed in their
gold medal quest. You could tell that this team — dubbed the “Redeem
Team” — was on a mission, and the excitement of such stars as LeBron
James and Kobe Bryant over reclaiming the gold medal made me proud.
It was just as exciting to see our women’s basketball team bring home
the gold again. As an avid Lady Vols fan, it thrilled me to see Tamika
Cathings, Kara Lawson, and Candace Parker help lead the U.S. to the
gold medal stand.
And thank goodness a couple of our relay teams in the track and field
events got the knack of handing off a baton in time to win gold medal
races at the end of the Games.
All in all, it was a fruitful Olympics for Team USA. Of the 110 medals
our athletes won, 36 were gold, 38 silver, and 36 bronze. While China
had 10 fewer medals than the U.S., 51 of theirs were gold. Just a random
thought here, but don’t their divers ever make mistakes?
Besides swimming and track and field, gold medals were garnered by
the U.S. in sports like volleyball (both beach and indoor), rowing, sailing, soccer, tennis, wrestling, and fencing. And of the impressive medal
haul we made from Beijing, not a single one was in rythmic gymnastics,
badminton, table tennis, or synchronized swimming.
Before we know it, another Team USA will be heading to London to
participate in the 2012 Olympics. I plan to be in my easy chair to take it
all in, even the opening ceremony.
First-ever Farm Fest offers behind-the-scenes look at TFC
More than 1,000 farmers, employees, and guests
attend huge event Aug. 13-14 at LaVergne
By Allison Morgan
I
n one of the largest events ever
held by Tennessee Farmers
Cooperative, more than 1,000
farmers, member Co-op managers
and employees, vendors, and special
guests attended the first-ever Farm
Fest on Wednesday, Aug. 13, and
Thursday, Aug. 14, at TFC’s LaVergne headquarters.
Member Co-ops
across the state
brought many of
their customers to
Farm Fest, giving them
a chance to see the assets they own as cooperative members and learn more about
Co-op products, equipment, and the
latest agricultural practices.
“From the original discussion
until the last guest left the property,
the purpose of Farm Fest was to
show the benefits of the cooperative
system and let the farmer owners
see their investment in action,” said
Bart Krisle, TFC’s chief executive
officer. “We set a goal to have 600
guests attend the event, and we
exceeded that number. TFC em-
ployees across the company worked
extremely hard planning and preparing for the event, and based on
the positive response we received
from guests, their hard work was
appreciated and our objective was
achieved. We plan to do this again.”
TFC had never held an event of
this size and scope, and no one was
more delighted with its success than
TFC Board Chairman
Stephen Philpott.
“I’m simply
giddy,” said Philpott, a Bedford
County dairyman.
“I’m as pleased
with this place as I can be and proud
of what the people here have pulled
off. This is something we should
have done a long time ago. There’s
no doubt that there are all kinds of
farmers across the state who have
no idea what they have here at TFC,
and they own this!”
The Farm Fest schedule included
tours of TFC’s feed mill, metal
fabrication plant, and distribution
center along with equipment demonstrations on the grounds. More
than 110 vendors participated in
Tennessee Farmers Cooperative LaVergne Distribution Center employee Chris
Tucker, right, leads farmers on a tour of the facility as part of Farm Fest activities.
Similar tours were given at the gate plant and feed mill during the Aug. 13-14 event.
an accompanying trade show, and
educational sessions featured the
Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) along with
cooperative education and crop
production topics.
“Anytime we can do something
that will benefit and educate farmers, it’s a good thing,” said Tommy
Townsend, manager of Gibson
Farmers Cooperative, which had
26 representatives in attendance.
“Farm Fest is all about the farmers
of Tennessee. It’s giving them the
opportunity to come together and
see exactly what their business is all
about. I like the hands-on approach
because it allows them to experience the process all the way from
manufacturing to the final products
they use in their operations.”
Although some Farm Fest guests
had visited TFC’s LaVergne campus
before, this was the first opportunity
for many to tour the state-of-theart facilities and learn about the
feed and hardware products manufactured on site. Encompassing
147 acres, the LaVergne property
includes TFC’s central offices; bulk
(See Farm Fest, page 6)
news briefs
TFC adds new associate member
Alcorn County Co-op in Corinth, Miss., has become the third associate
member to join the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative system in an agreement finalized at the end of June.
The Co-op, which has been in operation since 1936, has been doing
business with TFC for about four years but wanted an opportunity to take
that partnership to the next level, says Alcorn’s manager Don Sims. Associate membership gives the Co-op access to TFC products, services, and
patronage without voting rights.
“We’re looking forward to our new relationship with TFC,” says Sims,
who has been with the Co-op for 15 years and manager for two years.
“We feel like we’ll be able to get products more quickly when we need
them and have more resources available to us.”
Alcorn County Co-op has 11 employees and serves some 500 members
in an area with row-crop and cattle farms. The store’s location in Corinth
also attracts ample walk-in traffic, says Sims. The Co-op will be served by
TFC’s Jackson Distribution Center, which is about 50 miles away.
TFC’s other associate members are in Arkansas — Farmers Association in North Little Rock and Benton and North Arkansas Farm Supply in
Batesville and Mountain View — and joined the system in July 2007.
KikoFest planned Sept. 18-20 in Gray
The International Kiko Goat Association (IKGA) is sponsoring
KikoFest 2008 Sept. 18-20 at the Appalachian Fairgrounds in Gray. The
theme for the event is “Meat Goats: Getting the Right Start!”
The annual event will feature university and industry experts, including
Tennessee Farmers Cooperative representatives, who will present information on rotational grazing, permanent fencing, goat equipment, nutrition,
herd performance goals, meat production economics, and forage grasses.
All meat goat producers and other interested individuals are invited to attend. Lunch will be available on the grounds, and the IKGA member dinner
will be Friday evening, Sept. 18. A goat sale will be held on Saturday.
For more information, visit www.theikga.org or call 1-888-538-4279.
September 2008
5
Farm Fest
(continued from page 5)
and bag feed mills, distribution
center, and fertilizer plant that serve
Middle Tennessee; a metal fabrication plant where Co-op gates, corral
panels, hay rings, hay movers, bunk
feeders, and other quality equipment
are made; and Ag Equipment, which
sells and services farm implements,
feed truck bodies, and large spray
and fertilizer equipment.
“I had never been here before,
and it was really enjoyable,” said
Giles County farmer John Bryan.
“Going through the feed mill gives
you a better idea of what kind of
quality goes into the product, and
to see how the gates and corrals are
made was really interesting.”
Among the special guests at
Farm Fest was Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens, who took the opportunity to
visit with farmers and vendors and
spread the word about the TAEP.
Out of the 6,300 or so applications
received so far in this year’s program, he said, more than 4,000 have
been approved and the others may
receive approval as funding allows.
“We felt it was important to be
here to see all the products and
make sure everyone knows that the
Ag Enhancement program is alive
and healthy,” said Givens. “We’ve
already touched thousands of
producers through this program and
want to touch thousands more.”
Givens added that University of
Tennessee studies show the TAEP
A bird’s-eye view from the top of the feed mill shows the arrangement of activities and exhibits during the Farm Fest event.
dollars have a five-time rollover effect, turning the $58 million that has
been given to farmers into a more
than quarter-billion-dollar boost to
the rural economy. Those figures
have a direct impact on the Co-op
system and many of the vendors at
Farm Fest, he pointed out.
“When a farmer buys something,
someone has to sell it, and that’s
been the Co-op in many cases,” said
Givens. “And the Co-op had to buy
that product somewhere, so it’s also
benefiting the manufacturers —
many right here in Tennessee.”
Representatives of one of those
companies, WW Manufacturing,
which has a plant in Livingston, said
Farm Fest gave them a valuable opportunity to display their livestock
equipment for customers to see and
experience first hand.
“The crowd has been great, and
they’ve had a lot of interest in our
products,” said Brian West, WW
territorial manager. “The customers are able to get their hands on
the equipment and get a feel for it
before they consider making a purchase. It’s definitely been worth our
time and effort to participate.”
Jeff Wilkerson, TFC Hardware
Department product manager,
agreed that Farm Fest was worthwhile, not just for farmers and
vendors, but also for him and other
TFC personnel. A former gate plant
employee, Wilkerson led some of
the facility’s tours and took advantage of the other tours offered the
week prior to Farm Fest as a “trial
run” for employees.
“I’ve worked here for 24 years
and had never toured the feed mill,”
said Wilkerson. “If nothing else
comes out of Farm Fest, it’s been
good to let our own people learn
about what we have. I think we’ll
all take more pride in our jobs, our
company, and our farmer owners.”
Farm Fest was also a source of
pride for longtime Co-op supporters
like Dan Smith, a former TFC director who says the event gave him a
fresh perspective on the system he’s
been part of for more than 58 years
as a Wilson Farmers Co-op member.
“This is one of the most wonderful experiences farmers could have,
to see what they own as Co-op
members,” said Smith. “TFC is
a great organization, and we have
a lot to be proud of. I wish every
farmer in Tennessee could come
here and realize what a valuable asset they have in the Co-op system.”
LEFT: At the Ag Equipment demonstration area, Belltech representatives, from right, Brian Tabit and Craig
Digby explain to producer John Neal of Claiborne County how the TM48 post-hole digger can drill right through
rock. RIGHT: TFC Hardware Department product manager Jeff Wilkerson leads a tour at the gate plant.
ABOVE: Four-Star Manufacturing representative Phillip
Bowden, left, dicusses his company’s Lewisburg-made
creep feeder with Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner
Ken Givens, center, and TFC Animal Nutrition marketing
manager Keith Harrison. RIGHT: Under the vendor tent,
University of Tennessee at Martin’s Richard Shadden
demonstrates the biodiesel-making process for, from
left, Weakley Farmers Co-op’s Terry Hankins, David Clark,
and John Lane McConnell. FAR RIGHT: Gibson Farmers
Co-op members Graham Bates left, and his father,
Wayne, inspect a WW livestock equipment display.
6
September 2008
Looking sharp!
Co-op releases 2008 edition of its
popular 4-H/FFA Case knife series
Collectors of Co-op’s commemo- 4-H and FFA programs
rative 4-H/FFA pocketknives will
in Tennessee. Proceeds
notice a new feature on the 2008
from the knife sales are
edition, which hits the shelves of
divided equally between
participating Co-ops this month.
the state 4-H and FFA
For the first time, the year will be foundations, which
engraved on the bolster and suruse the funds to
rounded by elegant scrollwork. The develop and expand
Co-op and Case logos will continue their youth developto be laser-etched on one blade with ment programs. More
the banner “Support 4-H and FFA”
than $100,000 has been awarded
on the second blade.
over the past seven years, including
This is the eighth knife in the
$15,000 given in 2007.
RBO728_TennesseeCoopRv2 9/5/07 8:51 AM Page 1
unique series, which began in 2001
“Being able to help the rural
as a way to provide extra funds for
young people of Tennessee to this
extent is a
point of
pride for
all of us
in the Co-op
system,” says Paul
Arnette, product manager in Tennessee Farmers
Cooperative’s Home, Lawn, Specialty Department. “It’s an important part of what Co-op is all about.”
Produced in partnership with WR
Case & Sons Cutlery Co. of Bradford, Pa., the 2008 4-H/FFA knife
is a two-bladed Autumn Barnboard
bone handle in a Moose pattern.
The knife, packaged in an attractive
Co-op imprinted gift tin, retails for
$54.99.
“People look forward to the
new knife each year,” says Arnette.
“The popularity of these knives as
collectibles shows just how supportive so many customers are of
Co-op’s commitment to help 4-H
and FFA, both outstanding youth
organizations.”
He urges collectors and others interested in buying the 2008 knife to
check right away with their Co-ops
for availability. Demand for each
4-H/FFA knife continues to grow,
and the earlier editions sold out
quickly and are no longer available,
says Arnette.
“TFC commissioned Case to a
one-time run of a controlled number of knives for our ’08 release,”
he says. “Once the inventory is
depleted, there will be no more.”
Ames Plantation
hosts Heritage
Festival Oct. 11
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The 11th annual Heritage Festival and Antique Auction will be
held on Saturday, Oct. 11, at the
Ames Plantation near Grand Junction.
Activities include entertaining
and educational exhibits by more
than 125 folk artists, craftsmen,
and musicians. Demonstrations
will feature 19th-century skills
such as blacksmithing, quilting, soap- and candle-making,
basket-weaving, fireplace-cooking,
pottery-making, chair-bottoming,
and much more. Visitors can pick
cotton in the heirloom garden,
milk a goat, watch history in action
at the Civil War encampment, or
listen to bands playing bluegrass,
folk, and gospel music.
The antique auction will offer
items from several local estates,
including early Tennessee furniture, pottery, art glass, original oil
paintings, antebellum and Victorian furnishings, and antique toys.
The auction will be held on the
festival grounds, and a portion of
the proceeds will go to the historic
preservation program at the Ames
Plantation.
Events begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m. Admission is $4
for adults, $2 for ages 5 to 16, and
free for ages 4 and under. Food
will be available for purchase on
site. For directions or more information, call (901) 878-1067 or visit
online at www.amesplantation.org.
September 2008
7
Bankin’ON
BOERS
With their show-ring success, Lowell and Linda Walker
are counting on good things from the meat goat industry
Winchester Boer goat producers Lowell and Linda Walker, here with their 21⁄2-year-old grandson, Eli Morgan, were hooked on the breed seven years ago when they attended
a competition in Mississippi. They have since built a successful business raising Boer goats for breeding and showing purposes.
Story and photos by
Mark E. Johnson
F
or 21⁄2-year-old Eli Morgan, his
grandparents’ Boer goat farm
is an amusement park.
Appropriately dressed in a brandnew pair of work boots, jeans, a
shirt proclaiming him a “Little
Farmer,” and a bright red Co-op
cap, Eli wiggles under a steel gate
leading into the pasture and runs
headlong toward a group of some 30
does and kids, scattering them like
pigeons in a park.
“C’mere, goat!” he shouts exuberantly.
Winchester
l
The animals in front scamper
away while others approach from
behind, curious about the little boy.
Soon, a dappled-gray kitten in the
nearby barn diverts Eli’s attention,
and the goats return to browsing,
tossing an occasional suspicious
glance his way.
This scene, repeated several
times daily, is one reason why Lowell and Linda Walker began producing Boer goats on their Winchester
farm seven years ago.
“They are very social animals,
and they love people,” says Linda,
a longtime employee of the Franklin County Farm Service Agency.
“They are small enough that our
grandkids can get in there with
8
September 2008
them, and we don’t have to worry.
They might accidentally bump
somebody over, but they’re not out
to hurt anyone. Boer goats are just
great fun to be around.”
So much fun that since 2001, the
Walkers have become successful
breeding and show stock producers
and are perennial favorites in goat
competitions within a wide radius of
Winchester. Their winning animals
— the vast majority of which are
born on their Little Mountain Farm
— have won dozens of American
Boer Goat Association and International Boer Goat Association
grand championships in Tennessee,
Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi,
and Georgia. The Walkers are
presently grazing around 40 head of
registered, full-blooded Boers, and
goats originating from their farm are
racking up ribbons as far away as
Oklahoma.
Although these credentials seem
amazing given the relatively short
time that the Franklin Farmers
Cooperative members have been
“foolin’” with Boers, the Walkers
are no strangers to goats, having
owned some steadily since they
were married 32 years ago.
“We’ve had just about every kind
of livestock over the years — sheep,
horses, cattle, you name it,” says
Lowell, an HVAC (heating, ventilating, air conditioning) technician
at The University of the South in
Sewanee. “The goats we used to
own were a mixed breed, mostly
Spanish. We had them to keep the
farm cleaned up and make a little
side money selling them here and
there, but we never saw much of an
income potential in goats until the
Boers.”
Linda says that in the mid-1990s,
the couple began hearing about
Boers, a South African breed of goat
that was short, stocky, and had superior carcass characteristics, much
like an Angus cow. These goats
— whose name is derived from the
Dutch word for “farmer” — had
been bred selectively for meat
production for 100 years but were
first imported into North American
in 1993 to help satisfy the demand
of an ever-increasing ethnic population.
“We were curious, so we went
to a national show in Tunica, Miss.,
and just fell in love with them,” says
Linda.
“We came back, sold every goat
we currently owned, went to Oklahoma, and bought four Boers and
a trailer,” Lowell adds with a grin.
“We were in the goat business.”
As the Walkers began to find limited success in the show ring, they
studied Boer goat management and
attended workshops and seminars.
“As we learned more about why
people were beating us in shows, we
began to figure out what it took to
‘make’ a good goat,” says Lowell.
“Then, we would go out and buy
breeding stock that would produce
the kind of offspring we wanted.
Offspring of the Walkers’ 51⁄2-year-old
Boer buck, “Ike,” have won numerous
grand championships.
We’ve learned that you need to put
your money in your buck. If you
breed a decent buck to a decent doe,
they’re going to produce better kids.
You always want to move forward
with the next generation.”
With this breeding philosophy,
the Walkers began developing a
reputation for producing quality
show and breeding stock. Although
they do sell “culls” — animals with
conformation flaws — at area livestock markets and off the farm, the
majority of their income is derived
from sales to commercial herdsmen
for breeding stock or to families
interested in showing. Linda says
nutrition is key to showing well and
subsequently attracting prospective
buyers.
“We are sold on Co-op feeds and
had been even before we owned
Boers,” she points out. “We only
feed Co-op Goat Grower with
Rumensin, and we’ve never had a
feed-related health problem. We’re
so devoted to it that we even have a
separate page on our farm Web site
just about the feed.”
Lowell says it’s important to
provide the Co-op Goat Grower
with Rumensin (#93461) free
choice during the first several
months of a kid’s life.
“Not only does it allow them to
develop their bones, growth, and
structure, it also helps you avoid
culling a more laid-back, timid animal that might not have gotten his
fair share in a different feeding program,” says Lowell. “That’s important because you want to keep
the timid animals in the herd, as
opposed to an aggressive one that
might have put on more growth
simply because it was dominating
the feed. You don’t want to give up
a well-tempered goat that wasn’t
given a chance to realize his physical potential.”
Kids that learn to eat early from
a creep feeder will benefit at weaning time, Lowell adds.
“We’ve never had any problem
with kids falling off [in weight]
after we weaned them,” he says.
“They might cry and carry on, but
when that belly gets empty, they go
over to the feeder and eat.”
The Co-op Grower in combination with Co-op Goat Mineral
with Zinpro (#96554) provides the
animals with everything they need
nutritionally, Lowell says.
“We’ve got friends who, when
they go to feed, go into their feed
room and get a scoop of this and a
dash of that, and before you know
it, they’re messing with their calcium-to-phosphorus ratio and get
into health problems,” he explains.
“We keep it simple. We have one
feed and one hay: mixed grass.
Goats don’t like pure hay. It’s their
nature to browse on a variety of
things, so mixed-grass hay keeps
them interested.”
The Walkers are interested, too,
in building their business into an
enterprise that will help bankroll
their retirement years, although
Lowell enjoys telling a well-worn
joke at his own expense.
“You know how to make a small
fortune in the goat business? Start
with a large one!” he deadpans to
giggles from Linda. “Seriously,
with the demand of the American
goat meat market, the potential
is there as long as we stay with it
and keep doing what we’re doing.
When we retire, we plan on focus-
From left, Linda, Franklin Farmers Cooperative manager Doug Swann, Eli, and Lowell
examine some of the curious animals in the herd.
ing on Boer goat production full
time.”
“And it’s not a burden at all,”
adds Linda, “when you love what
you’re doing!”
For more information about
Little Mountain Farm Boer goats,
call the Walkers at 931-967-6097
or visit their Web site at
www.littlemountainfarm.com.
Boer goats were developed in South
Africa specifically for meat production.
They are well-suited to the hot, dry
climate of Tennessee.
September 2008
9
10
September 2008
‘Faint and Fall Over’ for goat,
music festival in Lewisburg
Organizers of the Goats, Music, and More Festival set for Friday and
Saturday, Oct. 10 and 11 at Rock Creek Park in Lewisburg, are urging
folks to “Faint and Fall Over” for what’s being offered.
“Fainting” — or “nervous” — goats, for which there are records in
Marshall County dating to the 1880s, will share the festival spotlight
with Boer goats during the popular October event. There’ll be shows
featuring both fainting goats and Boers, and visitors will enjoy plenty of
music, food, and special activities, including a barbecue cook-off.
Admission to the festival is free, and visitors are urged to bring their
own lawn chairs. They’ll find both days filled with activities for the
whole family — from children’s games to a Fun Run. There’ll also be
arts and crafts, food, and acoustic, bluegrass, country, and rock-and-roll
music. Evening musical programs will conclude each day’s events.
For directions and a schedule, visit www.goatsmusicandmore.com.
For information about the barbecue cook-off, contact Jeff Jordan
at 931-703-8243 or [email protected] or Richard Finley at
931-224-9169 or [email protected].
Fall Folklore Jamboree is Oct. 18 in Milan
From antique tools and handcrafted musical instruments to sorghummaking and traditional folk music, there’ll be plenty to interest any
visitor to the 10th Annual Fall Folklore Jamboree on Saturday, Oct. 18,
at the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum at Milan.
More than 100 demonstrators with 45 different skills will be on hand
for the event, which starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. Admission is $4
for adults and $2 for children 3-12 with those 2 and under admitted free.
Among demonstrations and attractions are spinning and weaving,
grist mill, milk goats, pottery, crochet, soaps, Dutch oven cooking, baskets, blacksmiths, chair-bottoming, wood-carving, and much more.
For details, call 731-686-7362, e-mail [email protected], or visit
online at http://milan.tennessee.edu/FFJ/.
Vintage tractors like this 1935 John Deere owned by Bill Wendt of Lynnville will be
part of the annual Antique Tractor Show and Plowing event at Rippavilla next month.
Antique tractor show, plowing event
planned Oct. 11 at Rippavilla Plantation
For those interested in antique
tractors and old-fashioned farming
methods, the Tennessee Museum of
Early Farm Life at Rippavilla Plantation near Spring Hill is the place
to be on Saturday, Oct. 11.
This is the fifth year for the
Antique Tractor Show and Plowing
event that includes a power parade,
plowing demonstrations, tractor
barrel-rolling and egg-carrying contest, and a skillet-throwing contest
for women. Wagon rides will be
held for children throughout the day,
and food will be available on site.
The gates open at 8 a.m. Friday,
Oct. 10, for tractor exhibitors only,
with entries being received throughout the day. A tractor “drivearound” and wagon ride for exhibitors’ families will be held at 5 p.m.
On Saturday, gates open at 8 a.m.
and tractors will be received all day.
The in-state tractor entry that comes
the farthest will receive a $25 prize.
Admission is $5 per person and
includes the tractor show and museum tour. Children 12 and under
are free with a paying adult, and
there is no charge for tractor exhibitors. Craft vendors are welcome for
a $5 fee.
For more information, contact
Joe Roberson at (931) 381-3686.
September 2008
11
Takes a
VILLAGE
New 170-bushel Co-op creep feeder is a
case study in Tennessee’s cooperative spirit
Story and photos by Mark E. Johnson
ABOVE: Major players in the development of the Co-op CF170 Creep Feeder are, from left, Marshall Farmers Cooperative
equipment manager Ed Hillard, Four Star Manufacturing Vice President Roy Cook, and the company’s sales manager, Phillip
Bowden. ABOVE RIGHT: Area dairy producer Kevin Vanhooser operates a stirring rod on the feeder. RIGHT: Among the feeder’s
many features is a handle that easily raises or lowers the gate to adjust feed flow even when the hopper is full.
W
hat do you get when
you mix equal parts of
cutting-edge ingenuity,
dogged determination, and Tennessee cooperative spirit?
Easy. You get what is arguably
the best new creep feeder on the
market today.
In April, Co-op’s CF170 Creep
Feeder debuted to glowing reviews
and is quickly creating a “buzz” in
the cattle industry. The 170-bushel-capacity feeder is loaded with
common-sense, why-didn’t-Ithink-of-that features based on
exhaustive real-world testing and
research.
Lewisburg
l
But here’s the good part:
Not only is the feeder a Co-opbranded product — ensuring a
high level of quality — but it was
conceived, designed, studied, and
manufactured right here in Tennessee. Co-op livestock experts
and feed truck drivers, Marshall
County cattlemen, and Tennessee
Technological University engineers
all put their heads together with
12
September 2008
Lewisburg’s Four Star Manufacturing, Inc., to produce a feeder that
addresses nearly every challenge
farmers face when creep-feeding
livestock.
“To me, this feeder represents
what the Co-op system is all
about,” says Roy Cook, vice president of Four Star Manufacturing.
“It was literally created with the
input of Tennessee farmers for the
benefit of Tennessee farmers.”
The idea for the feeder arose in
February 2007 when one of Cook’s
friends offhandedly remarked that
Four Star should consider building a creep feeder. The company
is well known for its Grain-o-vator
— an augered, pull-behind feed
wagon — and was already set up to
manufacture similar products, so a
creep feeder wasn’t a “stretch” for
the company, says Cook.
“I studied the marketplace a little and realized it was a good idea,”
he says. “But I was concerned
with whether or not we could bring
something new, different, and
improved to the table. There are
already good creep feeders on the
market, so I wasn’t interested in
re-creating the wheel.”
Cook and Four Star sales
manager Phillip Bowden arranged
a meeting with Maury Farmers
Cooperative manager Keith Farmer
and Marshall Farmers Co-op manager Andy Woodard and equipment
manager Ed Hillard to discuss the
possibilities.
“Everybody agreed that there
was potential there, so we borrowed a standard creep feeder from
Ed and sort of reverse-engineered
it,” explains Cook. “When we
finished the first prototype, it pretty
much looked and operated like
everybody else’s, and nobody was
impressed. I told my guys, ‘I don’t
think we have a business here.
What’s the incentive to buy our
feeder over an established brand
that is basically the same thing?’”
Not to be defeated, Cook contacted the University of Tennessee
Extension’s Center for Industrial
Services and its Tennessee Manufacturing Extension Program, designed to help area manufacturers
build their businesses.
“They put us in touch with
the Engineering Department at
Tennessee Tech in Cookeville,”
Cook recalls. “Tech assigned us a
professor and some advanced-level
students who came and worked
with us on a totally new design.
Instead of copying something that
is already out there, we decided to
start from scratch, use input and
research from people in the local
cattle industry, and address every
issue as it came up.”
Of the initial design decisions,
Bowden says two big considerations were feed capacity and the
assembly method of the panels.
“We concluded that the feeder
should be bolted together instead
of welded,” he says. “That way,
the farmer can simply replace any
panels that are damaged over time
as opposed to having to cut out the
panel and weld a new one back,
which is expensive and time-consuming.”
Also, he says, parts can be painted before assembly, decreasing the
chances of rust and lengthening the
life span of the product. Hillard
adds that the increased capacity
also offered some practical advantages over many other feeders.
“In response to requests and
suggestions of area producers,
we wanted to create a larger feed
capacity than the usual 135- and
150-bushel carts,” says Hillard.
“This allows for a typical, minimum bulk feed delivery of three
tons to fit, even if there’s some feed
left from the previous load. Farmers love this because it eliminates
haul-back issues and the need for
alternative storage.”
Lewisburg dairyman Kevin
Vanhooser, one of the farmers who
originally tested the feeder, says
the added capacity makes a big
difference.
“It’s important because it helps
us to not run out of feed,” says
Vanhooser, who milks 200 Holsteins. “It gives us a few more
days to get our feed ordered and
makes the process much more efficient.”
Vanhooser says he also likes the
bolted construction.
“With welded brands, if they begin rusting out, you may as well get
rid of them,” he says. “With the
Co-op feeder, you can just replace
the panel and go on.”
Vanhooser’s tests inspired other
features, too. To accommodate the
feeding height of cattle of various
ages, he suggested a reversible axle
that raises or lowers the feeding
trough up to six inches. He says
this results in a more comfortable
position for the animals, leading to
better consumption and less feed
on the ground.
As subsequent prototypes were
tested relentlessly at Vanhooser’s
and other area livestock farms during 2007 — including a 300-head
feed-stock operation neighboring
For his calves, Vanhooser uses the reversible axle to lower the feeding height to a
comfortable level, an option that was inspired by tests at his farm.
LEFT: Four Star employees Terry Fuller, right, and Brandon Adams assemble a new
feeder. RIGHT: Adams paints crib-pen rails to match Co-op’s distinctive color scheme.
Bowden’s property — the improvements and modifications just kept
coming. For example, based on
a recommendation from Maury
Farmers Co-op fertilizer and feed
delivery driver James Cannon,
designers widened to top opening
to better accommodate the truck’s
auger system.
“He told us, ‘This thing doesn’t
open wide enough, and I’m going to miss it if you don’t make it
bigger,’” recalls Cook with a laugh.
“So we went back to the drawing
board and made the opening larger
with an easy-opening, pivoting lid.
Back in the shop, we now refer to it
as ‘The Jamie Lid.’”
In response to a recent survey
noting 56 as the average age of
Tennessee cattlemen, a sturdy,
easy-to-reach handle was engineered to operate the lid. Designers also installed a six-rung exterior
ladder and two-rung interior ladder
to make the inside easily accessible
for cleaning and maintenance.
“In addition, we developed a
system that would easily raise or
lower gates, depending on the desired flow of feed,” Bowden points
out. “On many other models, it’s
nearly impossible to raise the gates
on a fully loaded feeder without a
pry bar or something.”
Cook says that as the final version of the feeder began to take
shape last spring, he became convinced that it should be branded as
a Co-op product.
“The Co-op philosophy fits perfectly with the development of this
feeder,” he explains. “As a New
Jersey transplant, I didn’t know a
whole lot about the Co-op system
before we started this process.
But the more I learned, the more I
realized that it sort of embodies the
reason I moved my family to Tennessee in the first place. There is a
much stronger sense of community
here, and it was community that
made this product a reality.”
Bowden adds that it was never
Four Star’s intention to compete
with other manufacturers but rather
create a new, high-quality product
that incorporates a “wish list” of
features and construction attractive
to Tennessee producers, much like
other Co-op-branded items developed for the system’s memberowners.
“It’s Tennessee’s feeder,” he
says. “It was designed by Tennessee students, refined by Tennessee
farmers, manufactured by a Tennessee company, and distributed by
Tennessee cooperatives.”
Cook says the resulting push in
production has even created opportunities at Four Star’s facilities.
“We are a part of this community, too,” he stresses. “There are
new employees here who have jobs
specifically because of the creep
feeder, and I suspect some of them
are Co-op members. I don’t think
it’s overly idealistic to say we’ve
achieved something great through
this process — a result that a lot of
folks can be proud of.”
“The bottom line is, a bunch of
people got together to redesign an
item that’s been in the field forever.
We concluded it could be changed
for the better, and we did it together. That’s a success, in my book.”
Co-op’s CF170 Creep Feeder, visit
with the livestock professionals at
your local Co-op.
September 2008
13
UT partners with DuPont for pilot cellulosic ethanol plant
The University of Tennessee has
added DuPont Danisco as its partner in a new cellulosic ethanol pilot
plant and research facility planned
in East Tennessee.
The plant, which will be located
about 30 minutes from the UT
campus in Knoxville, could be one
of the first steps in shifting ethanol production from corn to less
demand-intensive feedstocks such
as corn cobs and switchgrass.
The pilot-scale biorefinery will
develop the commercial package
for DuPont Danisco’s leading cellulosic ethanol technology and will
utilize UT’s world-class expertise
in cellulosic feedstock production and research. These efforts
are part of the Tennessee Biofuels
Initiative, a farm-to-fuel business
plan developed by UT Institute of
Agriculture researchers to model a
biofuels industry capable of supplementing 30 percent of Tennessee’s
current petroleum consumption.
“We are extremely pleased
with this collaboration,” said UT
President John Petersen in the
announcement on July 23. “The
technical breadth and execution capabilities of DuPont Danisco, along
with the backing of their parent
companies, raise the national and
international profile of the Tennessee Biofuels Initiative and confirm
our state as a leader in the development of cellulosic ethanol.”
DuPont Danisco Cellulosic
Ethanol is an LLC dedicated to the
development and commercialization of cellulosic ethanol. In its
arrangement with UT, the company
brings more than $140 million of
investment and over 10 years of research and development to provide
global, integrated cellulosic ethanol
technology packages that utilize
various non-food feedstocks.
UT has already contracted with
16 local farms to grow switchgrass
that will be part of the first dedicated energy crop supply chain for
cellulosic biorefineries. The first
switchgrass plots for the project
were planted by area farmers this
spring, and more are planned for
the spring of 2009. These crops
will fully mature in three years, and
demonstration of switchgrass-toethanol conversion could begin as
early as 2010.
The high cellulosic content of
switchgrass makes it an optimal
feedstock for ethanol production,
and yields today make it more than
competitive with other biomass
sources, said John Pierce, DuPont
Danisco technology leader. He
added that switchgrass has the potential to produce more than 1,000
14
September 2008
gallons of ethanol per acre in the
future.
The UT-DuPont facility design
will also incorporate the flexibility
to operate on corn stover, cobs, and
fiber. The pilot plant will initially
process West Tennessee corn cobs
to ethanol and then will optimize
its technology for switchgrass.
“Our technology is ready to
pilot, and we are eager to get the
steel in the ground,” said Pierce.
“The joint venture is now targeting
the two optimal biomass feedstocks
in the United States, and we are
ready to take our technology to the
next level of commercial viability.”
The pilot facilities will be located at the Niles Ferry Industrial
Park in Vonore and will have a
capacity to produce 250,000 gallons of cellulosic ethanol annually.
Site preparations are scheduled to
begin this fall, and ethanol should
be available from the pilot plant by
December 2009.
In 2007, Gov. Phil Bredesen
proposed and the legislature set
aside $40.7 million toward the
construction of a pilot biorefinery.
Those funds will be combined
with a substantial investment from
DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol
to construct the high-tech research
facility.
“I’m extremely pleased to see
UT partner with a company like
DuPont Danisco,” Bredesen said.
“This announcement marks an
important step forward in our goal
to leverage the best of Tennessee’s
agricultural and academic resources in a way that will maximize
our potential as a farm-based fuels
leader.”
N
eighborly
Advice
By Gary Bates
Preparation key to no-till forage planting
Research has shown that most forage crops can be planted no-till.
Regardless of the species, the principles for no-till establishment are the
same for all forage crops. Here are a few important guidelines to follow
in obtaining a successful stand using no-till.
1. Fertilize according to soil test. Conditions in the field need to be
manipulated so that the environment favors the forage to be planted.
The first step in creating a favorable environment is to provide nutrients
needed for seed germination and growth.
2. Plant at the proper time. All forages have specific environmental
conditions that result in peak production. The response a plant has to environmental conditions will be even more dramatic when it is a seedling.
For cool-season grasses, it is best to plant in September and early October
when temperature and moisture are adequate.
3. Plant the proper amount of seed. If only half a stand of tall fescue
is present, no amount of fertilizer can be added to produce the maximum
yield. It is important to check the seed flow from drills to be sure the
proper amount of seed is planted. Calibration charts are usually correct
when drills are new, but seed flow rates will change as the drill ages.
Checking the flow rate before planting can prevent all of the seed being
placed on a small portion of the field or having to run over the field twice
because not enough seed was drilled.
4. Plant when moisture is available. Water is the most critical nutrient
for plant survival. Adequate soil moisture must be available for success.
You are depending on the drill to slice open a furrow in the soil, drop the
seed, and then press the soil together for good soil-to-seed contact. If the
soil is dry, it may be hard for the discs to get into the soil. Moisture is
also needed in germination. If the soil is dry, seed will not germinate until
rain comes. Often there is just enough moisture
for the seed to germinate and begin to grow, but
before the root system can get established, the
seedling dries up and dies. Don’t be lulled into
Gary Bates is an associate
thinking that just because the drill is getting into professor of plant sciences
and landscape systems
the ground that all problems are solved.
5. Plant at the proper depth. A common error with the University of
Tennessee.
with no-till planting is placing seed too deep.
The first few weeks of a seedling’s life are the
most difficult. When a seed germinates, it must push through the soil to
the surface so it can receive sunlight. Until that happens, it must depend
on energy stored in the seed to grow. Most cool-season grasses should be
planted ¼ to ½ inch deep. Spend a few minutes prior to planting adjusting the planting depth of the drill. It is a good idea to pull the drill around
the field a round or two, then check the depth of seed placement.
6. Control weeds at planting. The purpose of no-till is to maintain
cover on the area and decrease soil loss because of seedbed preparation.
Successful no-till depends on killing all vegetation at planting, which will
decrease competition for young seedlings. For recommendations concerning the specific herbicide to use as well as rates and dates to spray,
check with your local Extension office or Co-op personnel. It is important to do a good job with the burndown before planting. Competition
from weeds can result in a partial or total failure of a no-till stand.
No-till forage plantings can be successful as long as proper procedures
are followed. It is critical to plan ahead for soil-testing, drill calibration, and
weed control and then be patient and wait for rain. If a no-till seeding fails,
one of these points is usually the reason. Remember: Preparation is the key.
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outside of these dates receive the standard 2 year warranty.
Available at most Tennessee Farmers Co-op Stores.
Or, call Tru-Test at 800-874-8494 to find the nearest store.
September 2008
15
Not just
no-till
anymore
Milan field day’s
25th incarnation
showcases much more
than crop production
Larry Steckel, right, University of Tennessee assistant professor of plant sciences, explains research into new herbicideresistant traits in soybeans during the 25th annual Milan No-Till Field Day on July 24. Listening in are, from left, Maury Farmers
Cooperative employee Dale Craig, manager Keith Farmer, and outside salesman James Earl Heatherly.
Story and photos by Allison Morgan
W
hen the Milan No-Till
Field Day began in
1980, the entire event
was designed to showcase the latest
technology and promote the benefits
of what was then still a fairly new
crop production practice.
In the 28 years since, no-till
has become the norm for most of
today’s growers, and widely diversified topics have been added to the
field day program. The 2008 event
on July 24 featured agritourism,
biofuels, beef cattle, hunting opportunities, and forestry among the
traditional sessions on no-till corn,
cotton, and soybean production.
With such diversity, Milan
remains one of the premier agricultural events. More than 3,300
people from 66 Tennessee counties,
16 states, and one foreign country
attended the 25th edition of Milan
No-Till Field Day, which was an
annual event until 2002 and is now
held every other year at the University of Tennessee’s Research and
Education Center at Milan.
“This is still the nation’s largest
field day devoted to no-tillage crop
production techniques,” says Blake
Brown, the center’s director. “The
popularity of the field day allows us
to reach a large group of interested
farmers and present many other
types of agricultural research and
information.”
Three of this year’s 19 tours were
focused on alternative fuels and the
opportunities this emerging industry offers farmers. Milan visitors
learned about the center’s studies on
16
September 2008
switchgrass, which is being hailed
as a promising feedstock for cellulosic ethanol production. Researchers shared details about experiments
on variety performance, optimal
seeding, nitrogen fertilization rates,
weed control, harvest, storage, and
estimated production costs.
l Milan
“It is very important to situate biofuels within the context of
what is happening in agriculture,”
said Daniel De La Torre Ugarte,
associate professor of UT agricultural economics, in his tour report.
“Second-generation biofuels and the
utilization of switchgrass and other
cellulosic materials will reduce
the pressure that current ethanol
production is exerting into a single
feedstock — corn.”
Dr. Kelly Tiller, director of external operations for UT’s Office of
Bioenergy Programs, also gave an
update on the UT Biofuels Initiative. She reported that last spring
UT contracted with East Tennessee farmers to plant 723 acres of
switchgrass to feed a proposed pilot
ethanol plant, and an additional
2,000 to 3,000 will be planted in
spring 2009. Coinciding with the
field day was an announcement that
DuPont Danisco is now partnering
with UT on the cellulosic ethanol
pilot facility planned near Vonore
(see related story, page 14).
While growing feedstock for the
biofuel industry may be a future
way for producers to supplement
traditional farm income, other op-
portunities in agritourism, valueadded ventures, and direct marketing are available today. The Milan
field day offered guests a chance
to hear firsthand experiences from
agritourism entrepreneur Rose Ann
Donnell, who operates Donnell
Century Farm Adventure in Jackson, and learn tips for direct marketing from Megan Bruch of UT’s
Center for Profitable Agriculture.
“Trends right now are favorable
for direct marketing,” said Bruch.
“Consumers are showing that they
value fresh, and what is fresher than
a product at the farmers market that
was picked that morning? There’s
also a lot in the press about buying local and supporting the local
economy, and a great way to do that
is to support local farmers.”
Success in direct farm marketing
takes a combination of resources
and skills, Bruch emphasized.
Some of her tips included producing
a quality product consistently, learning and following the necessary
regulations, assessing and managing
risk, identifying the farm’s competitive advantage, merchandizing
effectively, and providing excellent
customer service.
“You must consistently exceed
the expectations of your customers,”
said Bruch. “If you can add value
and create a positive experience,
customers will come back to you in
the future and hopefully bring their
kids, grandkids, and friends.”
Offer ducks some dinner
Hunting opportunities on agricultural land are another untapped
resource for many producers, said
Matthew Gray, assistant professor in
the UT Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries Department, who presented
ideas on managing crop fields for
the thousands of ducks and other
waterfowl that migrate through and
winter in Tennessee each year.
The best way to provide agricultural food for ducks and attract them
to land for hunting is leaving unharvested crops and flooding the fields,
Gray explained. He recommended
doing so from mid-November
through February when waterfowl
numbers are greatest in Tennessee.
An unharvested, one-acre patch of
corn can support some 41,000 ducks
over a 90-day wintering period, he
said, stressing that soybeans are not
an ideal food source for waterfowl
and can, in fact, cause deadly impaction problems in ducks.
But ducks cannot survive on
agricultural grains alone, Gray said.
Farmers must also manage these
fields for native wetland plants such
as barnyard and sedge grasses.
“Research done almost 20 years
ago at Mississippi State University
showed that if you just fed ducks
agricultural grains, their body mass
declined very rapidly to the point that
they could die,” said Gray. “Agricultural grains alone don’t have all the
protein and nutrients found in natural
foods such as moist-soil plants, their
seeds, and the aquatic invertebrates
that flourish around them.”
Figuring out the Farm Bill
For many growers, the field day
was perhaps their first chance to
hear some of the details of the 2008
Farm Bill, which finally became law
in June. During a tour covering several risk management topics, W.T.
Hime, Obion/Lake County Farm
Service Agency executive director,
provided a look at the bill’s changes
and challenges for producers.
While many of the provisions are
either the same or very similar to
those in the 2002 Farm Bill, Hime
pointed out some marked differences. For instance, the “three-entity”
rule, which allowed farmers to draw
payments as an individual and as
part of two other collaborations, has
been eliminated starting in 2009.
All payments will now be traced to
an individual’s Social Security number, and when that number reaches
the limit, payments will be stopped.
“This could drastically impact
producers farming both as an individual and as a member of a corporation or LLC,” Hime said. “But
the husband-and-wife rule remains
intact. If you brought your wife
in as a partner, you will have two
limits that way.”
Hime also spent some time going
over the bill’s Average Crop RevTennessee Cooperator
enue Election (ACRE), a new payment program that goes into effect
for 2009 through 2012. While Hime
said he is still sorting out the details
of this new program, he emphasized
that signing up for ACRE means
each producer involved in the farm
must agree to it, all crops on the
farm must be enrolled, and the farm
must remain in the program through
2012.
“I’ve dug this out of the Farm
Bill, which is about 1,085 pages
long, and don’t have many details
about this program yet,” said Hime.
“But it’s important to know that
once you are in, you can’t get out.”
New traits, technology on the way
Milan visitors also got a sneak
peek at new biotechnology traits,
such as Liberty Link and dicamba
soybeans, that offer tolerance to
herbicides with different modes
of action than glyphosate. This
new technology shows promise in
managing the glyphosate resistance
seen as a result of the abundant use
of Roundup Ready soybeans, said
Larry Steckel of UT’s Plant Sciences Department. The Liberty Link
trait will be offered in soybeans
for the first time next year, and the
dicamba tolerance trait that will be
offered in 2013.
“The widespread use of Roundup
Ready soybeans has simplified weed
control, but relying on one herbicide
has also led to the development of
several glyphosate-resistant weeds,”
said Steckel. “New herbicide-resistant traits are one answer to managing this problem.”
Of course, the field day wouldn’t
be complete without no-till production tours. The cotton session also
featured strategies for controlling
glyphosate-resistant weeds and
evaluated the performance and economics of onboard module-building
cotton pickers. The soybean tour
discussed the extent of Dectes stem
borer infestation in West Tennessee
and Missouri, and corn discussions
included tips for optimizing fertilizer use such as maintaining proper
pH, fertilizing according to soil test,
and using legume cover crops to
improve nitrogen efficiency.
The always popular exhibit tents
were also busy, with agricultural
companies like Co-op offering attendees a chance to visit and learn
about new products and programs.
Milan No-Till Field Day will
return on Thursday, July 22, 2010.
Those who weren’t able to attend
this year or want more detailed
information about the research
presented can download the tour reports from the Milan station’s Web
site at http://milan.tennessee.edu or
call 731-686-7362.
ABOVE: Matthew Gray of UT’s Forestry,
Wildlife, and Fisheries Department
shows field day visitors types of
moist-soil plants that are suitable for
waterfowl. RIGHT: At the field day’s
agritourism session, Megan Bruch of
UT’s Center for Profitable Agriculture
shares tips for direct farm marketing.
BEEF PRODUCING
And Now the
Gloves Are Off!
What are Fellow Tennesseans Saying about the Champ?
“Marshall Ryegrass has been a top, consistent yielding variety in the
testing program here at The University of Tennessee. With its cold
tolerance never being in question, Marshall’s late maturity advantage
brings increased yield and beef gains. That’s why it is the standard in
Tennessee.”
Dr. Gary Bates
Forage Extension Specialist
University of Tennessee
This year Marshall is priced even
lower compared to Gulf than ever
before, and compared to branded
ryegrasses, Marshall may even be
the lowest price!
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as an annual ryegrass for hay and livestock production.
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Lawrence County Co-Op
Lawrenceburg, TN
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It also out-performs other improved ryegrasses available today.”
“We plant Marshall Ryegrass to complement our TMR in the fall and
spring. When our cows are on Marshall, we get a boost in the milk
production and their health improves along with reducing our feed
cost. Being an aggressive ryegrass, it reduces our weed population
greatly. Marshall is our mainstay, that is why we plant it every year.”
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Madisonville, TN
Tennessee Farmers Cooperative
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September 2008
17
Mail
meal
and a
LEFT: The restaurant can seat up to 40 guests, who dine from a colorful
artifacts from the store’s history. RIGHT: Local farmer and Mid-South Far
of his soybean fields nearby. The Dowdys’ hospitality, quality food, and lo
LEFT: Built in 1888, the Laconia Store and Post Office is continuing its role as the community gathering place now that the Dowdy family has turned it into a popular
restaurant. Owners Valerie and William Dowdy, left, receive help in the restaurant from their sister-in-law, Joanne Dowdy, center, and their daughter, Debra Keyser, right.
Even their 5-year-old great-granddaughter, Paige Tomlinson, lends a hand occasionally. ABOVE: Regular customer Odell Bowers fills his “to-go” box at the buffet.
Good food, friendly service are in store for customers at Laconia restaurant, post office
Story and photos by Allison Morgan
T
he unassuming, weathered
white clapboard exterior of the
Laconia Store and Post Office would be easy to mistake for a
forgotten relic of a bygone era.
But here in this spot-in-the-road
town just outside Somerville, the
120-year-old general store building
is bustling with business. Repurposed as a restaurant, this community icon has become popular with
local residents and travelers alike.
Every weekday, from 11 a.m.
until 1:30 p.m., owners William
and Valerie Dowdy and their family serve up good country cooking
in a setting reminiscent of a time
when such stores were the center
of a community’s commerce and
camaraderie.
18
September 2008
“We’ve never advertised the
restaurant; people just come by
word-of-mouth,” says Valerie. “I
think they like the cooking and the
down-to-earth atmosphere. If they
want to sit and talk for a while, they
can just sit and talk. Everyone can
be themselves here.”
l Laconia
The Dowdys, who have owned
the store since 1980, turned it
into a restaurant a little over three
years ago. They started innocently
enough, supplementing dwindling
sales of general merchandise and
groceries with plate lunches that
Valerie cooked at home and carried to the store for the midday
crowd. When those meals became
so popular that Valerie was preparing 35 to 40 a day, she and William
decided to convert office space into
a kitchen so they could cook on site.
“A general store alone can’t make
it anymore,” says Valerie. “I was
cooking for some of the regulars,
just as a service to them, and we
said we may as well make some
money out of it.”
These days, the Dowdys only
stock a smattering of grocery items
like canned goods, milk, cold cuts,
candy, and soft drinks in the store.
The restaurant is the bread-and-butter of their business. They average
about 90 customers a day and have
fed as many as 170.
“We’ve had a line all the way
around the buffet and out the door,”
says Valerie. “I don’t know what
we were serving that day. Probably
catfish. The catfish and the chickenand-dumplings are the most popular.
And the fried chicken, too.”
Other menu favorites are ribs,
roast, meatloaf, baked ham, and
chicken-and-dressing, just to name a
few. For a meager $4.75, guests get
a buffet meal with a choice of two
or three meats, several types of vegetables, bread, desserts, and a drink.
Valerie says they keep the cost low
to appeal to local farmers, laborers,
and fixed-income senior citizens,
many of whom make the Laconia
store a daily lunchtime habit.
“It’s cheap, close to home, and has
great food,” says regular customer
Odell Bowers. “I get my lunch here
every day. I think they’re some of
the best cooks in the country!”
The Dowdys and their crew
— which normally includes their
from farming a few years back what has been lost in rural
ago to help with the resAmerica. People like to reflect, and
taurant business.
that’s what this is all about.”
Heart surgery last year
“Anybody can go to a chain resslowed Valerie down, and taurant,” adds Sam, “but you can’t
William is now doing
get this anywhere else. Everyone
most of the cooking. He
I bring here always wants to come
usually gets to the resback. It’s just a classic place.”
taurant around 5 a.m. to
Comments like that are what
start preparing the day’s
keep the Dowdys cooking and servmenu. It’s often well into ing lunch day after day, despite the
the afternoon before the
hard work and long hours. They
Dowdys go home.
say they plan to keep the restaurant
“I got stuck in the
open as long as their health allows
kitchen and haven’t gotand the customers keep coming.
ten out yet!” says Wil“I imagine we’ll keep doing this
liam. “But seriously, I’d
for a while,” says Valerie. “It’s hard
rather be here cooking a
to quit. People are disappointed
meal than sitting at the
now when we close for a week’s
house in the rocking chair. vacation.”
An old store like this, if
In keeping the old store open,
we didn’t keep it open,
the Dowdys are preserving its
collection of tables and chairs set among the original wooden shelves filled with antiques for sale and
rmers Cooperative customer Ed Karcher stops by for a glass of sweet tea on a break from spraying one
what would happen to it?
more-than-a-century-old role as the
ow prices make the restaurant a favorite among workers, senior citizens, and businesspeople alike.
It would just fall down.”
community gathering place, where
The
store,
which
sold
everything
daughter, Debra Keyser, and sisterOn Mondays, Wednesdays, and
neighbors congregate to share the
from tools and farm supplies to
in-law, Joanne Dowdy — know
Fridays, the Dowdys prepare bigger local news, talk politics, and catch
clothing and groceries, was purjust about everyone who walks in
buffets, with three meats and more
up on the latest gossip as they lunch
chased in 1904 by Bailey K. Morthe door and usually remember the
vegetables. Tuesdays and Thursat a leisurely pace. Such opporturison
and
continued
to
be
owned
customer’s drink preference.
days offer “lighter” fares. Some
nities are rare these days, but all it
and operated by Morrison family
“We know when a stranger
of the sides, like fresh watermelon,
takes is turning off the main road,
comes in,” says Debra. “They stand members until 1980. That’s when
fried squash, and sliced tomatoes,
swinging open the screen door, and
by the door and don’t know what to William and Howard, who farmed
come from their own garden.
stepping inside the past at Laconia.
together
and
had
been
managing
do, or they’ll wait for one of us to
“We want to provide a decent
“Many of the people who come
the cotton gin since 1965, literally
seat them. The regulars know we
meal at an economical price,” says
here now have been coming to this
bought the whole town of Laconia
don’t have any rules here. You just
William. “We buy top-quality food
store for a long time,” says William.
— the store, the gin, and 17 acres.
come in, fill your plate, find a seat,
and keep a pretty varied menu.”
“They’re our friends and neighbors.
For
a
while,
the
Dowdys
made
and pay when you leave.”
Though just barely off the heavBut I’m also pleased to see the new
Restaurant patrons eat, relax, and few changes, keeping the store
ily traveled, four-lane Highway 64,
faces coming through our doors. I
much the way it was when they
swap stories from a motley mix of
the Laconia store is still somewhat
enjoy being with them, listening to
were youngsters stopping by for a
tables and chairs among wooden
hidden from the world. But busitheir stories, and offering them a
cold
drink
and
candy.
They
didn’t
shelves and walls filled with anness continues to grow as contented good meal while they’re here.”
even officially change the name, and customers spread the word about the
tiques, old photos, and relics from
locals still often refer to it as Morthe store’s heyday. Many locals
restaurant’s friendly service, charmHave lunch in Laconia
stop by to have a meal after picking rison Store.
ing atmosphere, down-home cookLocated about seven miles east
William and Howard did, howup their mail at the Laconia post
ing, and almost ridiculously affordof Somerville in Fayette County,
ever, add a wood-burning stove they able price. The Dowdys say they’ve
office, which is situated in a small
the Laconia Store and Post Offashioned from an old oil drum,
corner room with a window that
even served people from several
fice is just off Highway 64 on
which continues to provide the only other states and foreign countries.
opens to the restaurant. Once the
Laconia Road. Lunch is served
heat in the winter. They also reroutnorm for rural towns, this tiny U.S.
“There’s so much character and
Monday through Friday from 11
ed customers from the rickety front
Postal Service branch is one of the
nostalgia here,” says Steve Abeyta
a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and the post
porch — which still has a screen
few that still operate from within a
from Tucson, Ariz., who was visitoffice is open from 10 a.m. until
door sporting a 1950s-era “Colonial ing his brother-in-law, Sam Sandgeneral store. Aleen Dowdy, wife
2 p.m. For more information, call
is Good Bread” advertisement — to ers of Eads, when they ate at the
of William’s brother, Howard, has
the store at 901-465-2529.
the side entrance.
been postmaster here for 28 years.
restaurant this spring. “This brings
Valerie, who
“We serve about 40 families who
worked for 13 years
come here to pick up their mail,”
at what was then
says Aleen, who also helps in the
restaurant when she’s not busy with Fayette Farmers
Cooperative in
postal customers. “I don’t have a
mail route. It’s a lot different from a Somerville, came to
big post office, but we still go by all the store full time
in 1985. She and
the same rules and regulations.”
Through the years, the post office Aleen, minding the
business while their
has been a permanent fixture in the
husbands farmed
store, dating back to the building’s
and ginned, also
original owner, J.W. Sanders, who
began collecting
was also the town’s postmaster. He
built the store and an adjacent cotton and selling antiques. The Dowdy
gin in 1888, strategically locating
brothers stopped
the businesses near a new railroad
operating the gin
depot that eventually attracted the
LEFT: Postmaster Aleen Dowdy greets Robert Pegram at the window of the Laconia post office, which
small settlement that would become in the mid-1990s,
is situated in the corner of the store. RIGHT: William Dowdy slices his homegrown tomatoes for the
and William retired restaurant’s buffet, which usually includes two or three meats and a selection of vegetables.
known as Laconia.
September 2008
19
Show
toppers
458 exhibitors from
66 counties battle for
Expo honors
Justin Cross of Knox County shows his Suffolk lamb during the Market Lamb Show
of the 2008 Tennessee Junior Livestock Exposition.
— Photo by Chelsea Doss
W
hether it’s showing a
stubborn steer, a highstrung heifer, or a loveable lamb, youngsters who opt to
participate in the Tennessee Junior
Livestock Exposition have their
work cut out for them. Not only
are they pitting their own animals
against the best that other Tennessee
4-H and FFA members have to offer,
but they’re putting their showmanship skills on the line, too.
The result is a history-rich Expo
that, in its 37th edition in July,
attracted 458 exhibitors from 66
counties showing 1,440 beef cattle
and sheep in 120 different events.
Expo’s beef competitions were held
July 7-9 at the Tennessee Livestock
Center in Murfreesboro, the sheep
competition came July 14-17 at the
Hyder-Burks arena in Cookeville.
Besides honors, top winners who
were willing to sell their animals at
auction went home a little richer.
Just ask Williamson County exhibitors Houston Herbert and Sarah
Norman whose entries were named
grand and reserve champions, respectively, of the Market Steer Show.
Sarah’s 1,350-pound steer brought $3
a pound, yielding a $4,050 payday
for its young owner. Houston, meanwhile, was made $1,905 richer when
his 1,270-pound grand champion
sold for $1.50 a pound.
20
September 2008
The 13 steers sold at auction following the show brought a total of
$21,883. Average price was $1.34
per pound, and average weight of
the steers was just 1,154 pounds.
Here are the top winners, listed
with their home counties, in Expo
beef events in Murfreesboro:
Market Steer Show
On its march to the grand championship of the highly regarded
Market Steer Show — which attracted 54 entries from 41 exhibitors
— Houston Herbert’s steer was also
named grand champion of Division III. Sarah Norman’s reserve
champion had been named earlier as
grand champion of Division IV.
Other division winners were:
Division I — Katie Crisp,
McMinn County, champion; Brad
Tollett, Rhea, reserve.
Division II — Gina Locke, Williamson, champion; Katie Crisp,
McMinn, reserve.
Division III — John Edwards,
Campbell, reserve.
Division IV — Courtney Harvey,
Claiborne, reserve.
Best county group of five — Williamson
Top 10 Market Steer Carcass
Awards, listed in order of finish —
Kaley Lee, Franklin (first and fifth);
Ethan Gossett, Wiliamson; Kelly
Brackett, McMinn; Hannah Forbes,
Wilson; Abbye Durr, Ethan Springer,
Sarah Norman, Collin Stanley, and
Blake Bowman, all of Williamson.
Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association Market Steer Roundup Scholarship winners, listed in order of finish
— Kaley Lee, Franklin (first and
fourth), Ethan Gossett, Williamson;
Kelli Brackett, McMinn.
Premier Exhibitor — Kara
Wilson, Williamson, Senior Level
II; Johnna Davis, Blount, Senior
Level I; Kaley Lee, Franklin, Junior
High; Houston Herbert, Williamson,
Junior; Collin Stanley, Williamson,
Explorer.
Showmanship — Katie Crisp,
McMinn, Senior Level II; Gina
Locke, Williamson, Senior Level I;
Kaley Lee, Franklin, Junior High;
Houston Herbert, Williamson,
Junior; Collin Stanley, Williamson,
Explorer.
Registered Beef Heifer Show
Eleven breeds were exhibited in
the Registered Beef Heifer Show,
which attracted 295 heifers in 75
classes. The 155 exhibitors came
from 41 counties. Taking top honors in the breed shows were:
Angus — Destyn Hyatt, Giles,
champion; Meredith Mayfield,
Giles, reserve; Joshua Rollins, Bed-
ford, champion bred-by-exhibitor;
Amy Ann McCormick, Lincoln,
reserve bred-by-exhibitor.
Charolais — Regan Morton,
Bedford, champion; Monica
Wilmore, Smith, reserve and reserve
bred-by-exhibitor.
Chi-influenced — John Daughtery, McMinn, champion; Allison
Higgins, Cannon, reserve; Blythe
Graham, Cumberland, champion
bred-by-exhibitor; Megan Bradford,
Blount, reserve bred-by-exhibitor.
Gelbvieh — Colby James,
Wilson, champion, reserve, and
champion bred-by-exhibitor; Robert
Crowell, Humphreys, reserve bredby-exhibitor.
Hereford — Brett Singleton,
Carroll, champion; Kendra Howard,
Fentress, reserve and champion and
Limousin — Adam Gothard,
Putnam, champion; Eric Green,
Cumberland, reserve champion and
reserve bred-by-exhibitor; Taylor
Green, Cumberland, champion
bred-by-exhibitor.
Other breeds — Amy Ann McCormick, Lincoln, champion; Megan Moore, Franklin, reserve; Thea
Larson, White, champion bred-byexhibitor; Tygr Taylor, Marshall,
Polled Hereford — Sarah Lee,
Williamson, champion; Shawn Ragan, Madison, reserve; Matt Woolfolk, Maury, champion bred-byexhibitor; Elizabeth Wylie, Gibson,
Red Angus — Ethan Jennings,
Lincoln, champion, reserve, and
reserve bred-by-exhibitor; Kendra
Howard, Fentress, champion bredby-exhibitor.
Shorthorn — Destyn Hyatt,
Giles, champion; Melinda Perkins,
Henry, reserve; Shanta Hedgepeth,
Lawrence, champion bred-by-exhibitor; John Robert Lovelace, Fayette,
Simmental — Megan Moore,
Franklin, champion; Mackenzie
Watson, Lincoln, reserve; Em-
Williamson County had a strong showing at this year’s Expo, with both the Grand Champion Market Lamb and Market Steer
exhibited by county 4-H’ers. LEFT: Market lamb champion exhibitor Gina Locke is pictured with buyer Angie Glassock. RIGHT: The
champion market steer was exhibited by Houston Herbert, who is pictured with buyer Jim Ligon of Tennessee Tech University.
ily Hatmaker, Meigs, champion
bred-by-exhibitor; Ashton Martin,
Monroe, reserve bred-by-exhibitor.
Kelly Jarrell Memorial Award
(county group of five), listed in
order of finish — Lincoln (first and
second), Giles, White, Bedford.
Premier exhibitor — Katie Crisp,
McMinn, Senior Level II; Katie
Dickson, Wilson, Senior Level I;
Sarah Ramsey, Hancock, Junior
High; Morgan Maxwell, Wilson,
Junior; Kristen Brown, White,
Explorer.
Showmanship — Hunter Watson,
Lincoln, Senior Level II; Taylor
Graham, Cumberland, Senior Level
I; Megan Moore, Franklin, Junior
High; Brandon Bradford, Humphreys, Junior; Kristen Brown,
White, Explorer.
Beef Skillathon — Katie Crisp,
McMinn, Senior Level II; Jonathan
Summitt, Monroe, Senior Level I;
Rosa Haynes, Bradley, Junior High;
Morgan Maxwell, Wilson, Junior;
Abigayle Pollock, Lincoln, Explorer.
Commercial Heifer Show
Sarah Ramsey of Hancock County
took grand champion honors in the
117-head show, which attracted 88
exhibitors from 22 counties. Other
top winners were Sarah Edwards,
Campbell, reserve; Kendra Howard,
Fentress, champion bred-by-exhibitor; and Hannah Snyder, McMinn,
Quite a show of sheep
Nearly 1,000 pampered animals
were “herded” by 247 youth from
46 Tennessee counties to Cookeville
to vie for top placings in Expo’s
large and prestigious sheep competitions. Headlined by the Market
Lamb Show, the sheep events also
included a Registered Breeding Ewe
Show, and Commercial Ewe Show.
Market Lamb Show
This year’s Market Lamb Show
lived up to its billing as a highlight
event at Expo with 416 animals
shown by 197 exhibitors from 39
counties. Here are the winners:
Dorset — Connor Saum, McNairy County, champion and champion bred-by-exhibitor; Alex Smith,
Trousdale, reserve and reserve bredby-exhibitor.
Hampshire — Gina Locke, Williamson, champion and champion
bred-by-exhibitor; Sarah Edwards,
Campbell, reserve; John Edwards,
Campbell, reserve bred-by-exhibitor.
Shropshire — Tyler Bruhin,
Sevier, champion; Kayla Jackson,
Wilson, reserve; Elizabeth Sanders,
DeKalb, champion bred-by-exhibitor; Luke Willoughby, DeKalb,
Southdown — Sara Garmezy,
Williamson, champion; Tyler
Cheatham, Polk, reserve and champion bred-by-exhibitor; Hannah
Wolters, Maury, reserve bred-byexhibitor.
Suffolk — Taylor Edwards,
Campbell, champion; Chad Worthington, Anderson, reserve and
champion bred-by-exhibitor; Magen
Shedden, Knox, reserve bred-byexhibitor.
Crossbred black-face — Gina
Locke, Wiliamson, champion and
champion bred-by-exhibitor; Sarah
Edwards, Campbell, reserve and
Crossbred white-face — Tyler
Bruhin, Sevier, champion; Taylor
White, Clay, reserve and champion
bred-by-exhibitor; Craig Wininger,
Hawkins, reserve bred-by-exhibitor.
Other breeds (mutton) — Emily
Hatmaker, Meigs, champion and
reserve; Jared Bruhin, Sevier, champion bred-by-exhibitor; Nate Long,
Loudon, reserve bred-by-exhibitor.
Other breeds (wool) — Michael Cornett, Rhea, champion and
champion bred-by-exhibitor; David
Bruce Doan, Sullivan, reserve and
County group of five, listed in
order of finish — Campbell, Williamson, Macon, Knox, Trousdale.
Showmanship — Matthew Blankenship, Williamson, Senior Level
II; Gina Locke, Williamson, Senior
Level I; Jared Bruhin, Sevier, Junior
High; Macy Kemp, Macon, Junior;
Tyler Hayley, Williamson, Explorer.
Premium exhibitor — Emily
Upchurch, Cumberland, Senior
Level II; Kayla Kimes, Clay, Senior
Level I; Jared Bruhin, Sevier, Junior
High; Savannah Knight, Macon,
Junior; Emily Sanders, Williamson,
Explorer.
Overall Skillaton — Emily
Upchurch, Cumberland, Senior
Level II; Hannah Wolters, Maury,
Senior Level I; Rachel Wolters,
Maury, Junior High; Mary Morgan,
Knox, Junior; Justin Cross, Knox,
Explorer.
Top Five Market Lambs — New
at this year was the designation of
the Top Five Market Lambs, which
included the grand and reserve
champions of the Market Lamb
Show and three other high-ranking
animals. Winning exhibitors, listed
in order of finish, were Gina Locke,
Williamson, first and third; Sara Edwards, Campbell; Taylor Edwards,
Campbell; Tyler Bruhin, Sevier.
Breeding Ewe Show
Twenty-five counties were represented by 83 exhibitors and 279
animals in the Breeding Ewe Show.
Winners were:
Border Leicester — Ashley
Jones, Claiborne, champion,
champion and
reserve bredby-exhibitor,
and champion
flock; Cheyenne West,
Claiborne,
reserve.
Chevoit —
Rachel Wolters, Maury,
champion;
Bethany Wolters, Maury,
reserve,
champion and
reserve bredHunter and Mackenzie Watson of Fayetteville groom their
by-exhibitor;
show calf just before they exhibit at the Market Steer Show in
Aaron WoltMurfreesboro at this year’s Expo.
— Photo by Chelsea Doss
ers, Maury,
champion flock.
Reserve supreme champion bredDorset — Michelle Smith, Trous- by-exhibitor — Tyler Cheatham,
dale, champion; Cheyenne Hatfield, Polk.
Scott, reserve; Savannah Knight,
Flock of three ewes, listed in order
Macon, champion and reserve bred- of finish: Suffolk — Holly Dickens,
by-exhibitor and champion flock.
Smith; Jerry Greenlee, Grainger;
Hampshire — Emily Hatmaker,
Trenton Melhorn. Dorset — SaMeigs, champion, reserve, chamvannah Knight, Macon; Cheyenne
pion and reserve bred-by-exhibitor,
Hatfield, Scott; Jacob Wood, Henderchampion flock.
son. Southdown — Tyler Cheatham,
Montadale — Joanna BuxkemPolk; Joanna Buxkemper, Loudon;
per, Loudon, champion, champion
Anna Morgan, Knox.
bred-by-exhibitor, champion flock;
County group of five, listed in
Jared Bruhin, Sevier, reserve and
order of finish — Polk, Claiborne,
Monroe, Washington, Knox, LouNatural color — Emily Hatmakdon, Maury.
er, Meigs, champion, reserve, chamShowmanship — Emily Hatpion and reserve bred-by-exhibitor,
maker, Meigs, Senior Level II; Tyler
champion flock.
Cheatham, Polk, Senior Level I;
Other breeds (hair) — Dalton
Jared Bruhin, Sevier, Junior High;
Cheatham, Polk, champion, reserve, Riley Peak, Polk, Junior; Justin
champion and reserve bred-byCross, Knox, Explorer.
exhibitor, champion flock.
Premier exhibitor — Joanna
Oxford — Magen Shedden,
Buxkemper, Loudon, Senior Level
Knox, champion, champion and
II; Ashley Jones, Claiborne, Senior
reserve bred-by-exhibitor, champion Level I; Sarah Morgan, Knox,
flock; Matthew Larkins, WashingJunior High; Leah Piper, Smith, Juton, reserve.
nior; Justin Cross, Knox, Explorer.
Shropshire — Caleb Fritz, Rutherford, champion and champion
Commercial Ewe Show
bred-by-exhibitor; Tyler Bruhin,
The Commercial Ewe Show atSevier, reserve and champion flock; tracted 279 animals shown by 145
Tara Austin, Monroe, reserve bredexhibitors from 36 counties. Entries
by-exhibitor.
were classified as either black-face
Southdown — Tyler Cheatham,
or white-face and then placed in
Polk, champion, champion and
lamb or yearling categories. Caroreserve bred-by-exhibitor, chamline Meadows of Lincoln County
pion flock; Kristin Walker, Blount,
captured supreme champion honors
reserve.
with a black-face lamb. Reserve
Suffolk — Holly Dickens, Smith, was Williamson’s Gina Locke, who
champion, champion bred-by-exhib- also showed a black-face lamb.
itor, champion flock; Jerry Greenlee, Supreme champion farm-bred was a
Grainger, reserve and reserve bredblack-face yearling entered by John
by-exhibitor.
Edwards, Claiborne County, and the
Tunis — Shannon Palko, Knox,
reserve was shown by Claiborne’s
champion, champion and reserve
Taylor Edwards.
bred-by-exhibitor, champion flock;
Here’s the complete list of winMegan Long, Loudon, reserve
ners:
grand champion.
Black-Face Lamb — Caroline
Supreme champion bred-byMeadows, Lincoln, champion; Gina
exhibitor, supreme champion flock,
Locke, Williamson, reserve.
Robert Powell Memorial Award —
Emily Hatmaker.
(See Expo, page 22)
September 2008
21
Expo
(continued from page 21)
Black-Face Farm-Bred — Katlyn
Currie, Cannon, champion; Daysie
Rick, Clay, reserve.
Black-Face Yearling — John Edwards, Campbell, champion; Taylor
Edwards, Campbell, reserve.
Black-Face Yearling Farm-Bred
— John Edwards, champion; Taylor
Edwards, reserve.
Champion black-face, Caroline
Meadows; reserve champion blackface, Gina Locke; champion farmbred black-face, John Edwards; and
reserve champion farm-bred blackface, Taylor Edwards.
White-Face Lamb — Craig
Wininger, Hawkins, champion; Tori
Bryant, Lawrence, reserve.
White-Face Lamb Farm-Bred —
Craig Wininger, Hawkins, champion;
Michelle Smith, Trousdale, reserve.
White-Face Yearling — Lucas
Mendl, Williamson, champion;
Holly Dickens, Smith, reserve.
White-Face Yearling Farm-Bred
— Holly Dickens, champion; Patricia Howe, Roane, reserve.
Champion white-face, Craig
Wininger; reserve white-face,
Tori Bryant; champion farm-bred
white-face, Craig Wininger; reserve
champion farm-bred white-face,
Holly Dickens.
County group of five, listed in order of finish — Campbell, Williamson, McNairy, Macon, Trousdale.
Showmanship — Magen Shedden, Knox, Senior Level II; Gina
Locke, Williamson, Senior Level
I; John Edwards, Campbell, Junior
High; Gage Goddard, Loudon, Junior; John Calvin Bryant, Lawrence,
Explorer.
Premier exhibitor — Caleb
James, Wilson, Senior Level II;
Gina Locke, Williamson, Senior
Level I; Craig Wininger, Hawkins,
Junior High; Gage Goddard, Loudon, Junior; Dylan Belcher, Trousdale, Explorer.
Sheep Public Speaking Contest
This Expo activity allows youth
to participate without necessar-
ily having an animal in the shows.
Contestants write and present a
short speech on a subject about the
sheep industry or the sheep project.
Taking the top spots in this year’s
public speaking competition were:
Seventh grade — Rachael Wolters, Maury County, first; Tori Bryant, Lawrence, second.
Ninth grade — Katlyn Currie,
Cannon, first.
10th grade — Hanna Wolters,
Maury, first.
11th grade — David Doan, Sullivan, first.
12th grade — Bethany Wolters,
Maury, first; Anna Morgan, Knox,
second.
Quail seminar
set for Oct. 1-3
Those interested in learning
more about bobwhite quail will
have an opportunity to attend an
upcoming workshop with some of
the top quail researchers and land
managers in the country.
Three similar, intensive bobwhite quail management workshops have been planned in a
tri-state area, with the first scheduled in Tennessee Oct. 1-3 at the
Manchester/Coffee County Conference Center. The three-day
workshop will consist of indoor
presentations, informal evening
sessions, and a field trip to a local
private farm that has successfully
incorporated many types of land
management practices to benefit
quail. Similar workshops will be
held in Alabama and Mississippi.
Noted quail researchers and managers from the Southeast will cover
a broad array of subjects related
to bobwhite management, including practices for cropland, pasture,
and woodlands; establishment and
management of native grasses and
forbs; plant identification; use of
herbicides; predator control; using
pen-reared quail; supplemental
feeding; and much more.
The workshop is limited to 50
participants, and organizers suggest
interested individuals make reservations soon. Cost is $425 per
person, which includes all meals,
workshop materials, and field trip
transportation.
To register for the workshop or
for more information, contact Mirian Wright at the University of Tennessee Extension at 865-974-7346
or by e-mail at [email protected].
The workshop agenda can be downloaded from http://fwf.ag.utk.edu.
22
September 2008
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T
ack
Room Talk
By Kim Smith, equine specialist
How to read a commercial horse feed label
Each spring Todd Steen, Tennessee Farmers Cooperative nutritionist,
and I are invited to the University of Tennessee at Martin to speak to a
livestock nutrition class. One of the subjects that Todd covers is “How
to Read a Feed Label,” and I think that’s an appropriate topic for this
column, too.
When I was young, I thought the protein level was the most important
information on the feed label. However, a feed label contains much more
information than the guaranteed analysis. The Association of American
Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) provides a mechanism for developing
and implementing uniform and equitable laws, standards, and enforcement policies among the states for regulating the manufacture, distribution, and sale of animal feeds. AAFCO establishes the labeling guidelines, and each state, generally through its department of agriculture, is
responsible for enforcing the laws, all designed to result in safer, more
effective, and useful feeds. Or put more simply, this helps assure that
feed customers get what they pay for.
Certain information is required to be included on a feed label for any
commercial horse feed. The first is the product name or brand name. The
name must be appropriate for the intended use of the feed and cannot be
misleading. For example, when you read the name Golden Years 1300, it
is obvious that this feed is suited for older animals.
Next, a purpose statement must be included to identify the species and
animal class(es) for which the feed is intended. An example would be
the feed label for an 11% Sweet Feed, which might read “For the maintenance of mature horses.”
The guaranteed analysis is probably the information most of us pay
attention to on a feed label. The label of a commercial horse feed sold
in Tennessee is required to guarantee a minimum percentage of crude
protein and crude fat, maximum percentage of crude fiber, minimum and
maximum percentages of calcium, minimum
percentage of phosphorus, minimum copper,
selenium, and zinc in parts per million (ppm),
and minimum vitamin A in international units
A lifelong equine enthusiast,
(IU) per pound.
Kim Smith has a master’s
The label must also list the feed ingredegree in animal science
from West Texas A&M,
dients. When comparing labels, you might
where her academic research
find that one uses a specific term like “whole
focused on horse nutrition.
oats,” while another uses a collective term
In 1999, she joined Tennessee
such as “grain products.” Both are legal
Farmers Cooperative as a
ways of expressing ingredients; however,
statewide equine specialist.
specific and collective terms may not be used
on the same feed label.
Comparing the feed ingredients and the guaranteed analysis are good
ways to determine the value of the feed. For example, if vitamin A is
guaranteed but levels seem low, refer to the ingredients to see if vitamin A
is included. This will help you decide if the manufacturer has added levels
to the feed. In another example, a competitor advertises that a certain horse
feed contains a complete mineral package. The feed label guarantees the
minerals calcium, phosphorus, copper, selenium, and zinc, but no minerals
are listed in the feed ingredients. In this example, the guaranteed numbers
for the minerals are obviously derived from only the grains found in the feed.
Lastly, a commercial horse feed label must also include directions for
use, name and principal mailing address of the manufacturer, and a quantity
statement. It is very important to fully read the feeding directions. Never
offer feeds to horses without a full understanding of the intended purpose.
I hope this article has helped you to better understand feed labels and
how they may help you compare certain feeds. If you have any questions,
contact me at 615-714-3202 or e-mail me at [email protected].
HELPFULNESS
“My family and I are not big farmers. My husband is a building contractor and I teach school. We just
like shopping at the Co-op. The kids
love it, too.”
for
— Chandra Elliot of Morrison, with her children,
Wesley and Anna, and Warren Farmers Co-op
employee Josh Chandler.
Value • Convenience • Helpfulness
There’s No Place Like
CO -OP
www.ourcoop.com
September 2008
23
ÀiÊ
,>
V>Ài
2ARITY"AY%QUESTRIAN#ENTER
GIVESHORSESFIVESTARTREATMENT
Isabella Forese, 3, is full of glee as she’s led on “Taco,” a 12-year-old Paso Fino horse, by her mother, Maria, front, and her aunt, Franchesca Gordon. Isabella’s
grandparents, Roy and Mary Cesaretti, live in Vonore’s Rarity Bay and keep both of their horses at the equestrian center located inside the luxury home community.
Story and photos by Chris Villines
I
sabella Forese was up from Atlanta to visit her grandparents,
Roy and Mary Cesaretti, and
the 3-year-old was about to experience one of the highlights of her
young life — a solo horse ride.
After the youngster climbed
aboard Taco, one of the Cesarettis’
Paso Fino horses, nothing could
wipe the smile from her face as
her mother, Maria, and her aunt,
Franchesca Gordon, led her around
the track for the next 10 minutes.
Vonore
l
Experiences like this are precisely what the Cesarettis had in
mind when they relocated to Tennessee from New York City almost
three years ago and chose to live at
Rarity Bay in Vonore, a gated home
and golf community on Lake Tellico with the Great Smoky Mountains as its backdrop. Neither Roy
nor Mary plays golf, but when they
first visited the community and saw
that Rarity Bay has its own equestrian center where they could board
their horses full time, that was all
it took.
24
September 2008
“There were a lot of different
places we looked at, but the equestrian center at Rarity Bay really
sold us,” says Mary. “We knew our
horses would be well taken care of,
and we’re very picky about the care
they get. Within days of moving
here and getting the horses settled
into their stalls, it was like they had
lived here their whole life. We feel
very fortunate.”
Others have echoed Mary’s sentiments in the equestrian center’s
12 years of existence, and not just
those who live inside the gates of
this luxury community.
“It’s a joy to be able to serve
people from all levels of the
area’s horse community,” says
Tim Thomas, director of Rarity
Bay Equestrian Center. “You can
be as intense as a showman or as
laid-back as a trail-rider and be
comfortable here. We are open to
Tellico Village horses, and we have
people from as far away as West
Knoxville and Farragut who board
their horses here.”
The 149-acre center features
fenced paddocks, 12-by-12-foot
stalls with 14-foot ceilings, 15
miles of riding trails, a lighted show
arena, training pen, and round-theclock vet care. Some 40 horses are
currently on the property.
“We’ve experienced a tremendous amount
of growth in the
last 18 months,”
says Tim. “We
have gone from
having seven
barn horses to
19, and we’ve
gone from having 12 horses
boarding with
Barn-boarding at Rarity Bay equestrian center is “full care,”
according to director Tim Thomas. “We feed twice a day, and
us to more than
we turn out mares with mares, geldings with geldings.”
20.”
This unique amenity was the
something clicked. I knew the time
brainchild of Fred McArthur, the
was right and the location was right
executive vice president of Rarity
to have an equestrian center be a
Communities. Rarity Bay was the
focal point of the community. It’s
company’s first venture, and since
certainly lived up to those expectathat time eight more Rarity develtions.”
opments have been built across
There may be many different
East Tennessee, including Rarity
horses at Rarity Bay, but there’s only
Mountain, which is nearing comone source for their feed — the
pletion in Campbell County and
will feature an equestrian center of Co-op. A member of Foothills
Farmers Cooperative in Sweetwaits own.
ter, Tim works closely with equine
“All of my life, I had this
specialist Mandy Poe and manager
thought that an equestrian-based
Andy Burchfield to find the right
community would be just phefeed for each horse’s individual
nomenal,” says Fred, who keeps
needs. Tim feeds Advantage 1400
his Appaloosa, Boots, a 37-year(#321), Endurance 1010 (#303),
old former saddle seat world
Equi Lite 1300 (#93504), and Goldchampion, at Rarity Bay. “When
en Years 1300 (#323) twice a day.
we were developing Rarity Bay,
“I use Co-op feed not just
because of the quality, which is excellent, but also because of the customer service and convenience,”
says Tim, who keeps his three Appaloosas at the equestrian center.
“Mandy and Andy have bent over
backward to get everything I’ve
needed. In the past, when I needed
diet supplements for the horses, I
would have to order them, and it
was like pulling teeth. Now, I can
call Mandy, and she’ll order it and
even bring it right out to me if I’m
in a pinch.”
“A lot of Rarity Bay customers
who keep horses with Tim have
high expectations,” adds Mandy.
“If they have high expectations of
Tim and his crew, then Tim’s going
to have high expectations from us
as well. So we try to take care of
him the best we can.”
Andy adds that Tim relies on the
Co-op not only for feed, but also
for other items.
“A lot of his needs are met
here,” Andy says. “He buys animal
health products like fly sprays,
insect repellants, and deworming
products, and he buys his whole
realm of minerals and supplement
blocks from us, too. Tim’s one
of our biggest fans, and he’s been
really gracious in recommending
us and talking us up to people. It’s
helped us out a lot.”
Exciting growth plans are in
the works for the equestrian center
over “the next five to 10 years,”
Tim says. An additional barn,
clubhouse, and grill will be built.
“It will make the equestrian
center like a community in itself,”
Tim says with excitement. “The
grill and clubhouse will be just
like what you would find at a
golf course. We are growing and
improving to become a world-class
center.”
Watching as Isabella’s ride on
Taco ends, Tim heads over to help
the little girl, who is still smiling
from ear to ear, off the horse. He
gets a hug in return. Moments like
these are why Tim says he loves his
job.
“I wouldn’t trade it for anything
in the world,” he says. “For the
first time in my life, I actually look
forward to getting up and going
to work. A lot of these folks have
become like an extended family to
me.
“I know this is a [Winston]
Churchill quote, but it is so true:
‘There is nothing better for the inside of a person than the outside of
a horse.’ They are unique, special
animals.”
Rarity Bay Equestrian Center,
call 423-884-6013 or visit online
at www.rarityequestrian.com. To
learn more about Co-op feeds,
visit the professionals at your local
Co-op.
Mandy Poe, equine specialist at Foothills Farmers Cooperative in Sweetwater,
discusses with Tim ways the Co-op can assist with the health and nutrition
program he has in place for the horses at the Rarity Bay Equestrian Center.
Tim Thomas, a native of McMinn County,
is in his fifth year as Rarity Bay’s
equestrian center director. The former
engineer also raises Simmental cross
cattle at his home farm.
September 2008
25
Take a
ride on the
side
Visitors can see more than 50 species of animals
at Briarwood Ranch Safari Park near Morristown
Vehicles stop along the four-mile route inside Briarwood Ranch Safari Park in Bybee to get an up-close look at water buffalo, left, and Watusi cattle from Africa, which
have very large, distinctive horns. Briarwood owner Ron Nease began collecting exotic animals 20 years ago when he traded a car for five Rocky Mountain elk.
he deal was unlike anything
Ron Nease had ever experienced in his 19 years in the
automotive sales business: an offer
to trade five Rocky Mountain elk for
a used car on his Morristown lot.
Now, a typical car salesman
wouldn’t likely consider such an
unusual trade, but Ron and his wife,
Deborah, just happened to have recently purchased some 200 acres of
land at the edge of Cocke County in
Bybee. An avid outdoorsman, Ron
had intended the land to be his own
personal hunting grounds, but with
this unexpected proposition he felt
like the property, which they had
named Briarwood Ranch, would be
the perfect place for some elk.
T
Bybee l
“I knew I had the land, so I took
the guy up on the offer,” says Ron.
“I’ve been collecting exotic animals
ever since.”
That was 20 years ago, and Ron
has long since quit selling cars in
favor of gathering an ever-growing
menagerie of animals. When the
collection had expanded to more
than 30 species, the Neases decided
they wanted others to experience the
joy and wonder of being close to so
many exotic animals. In November 2006, they created Briarwood
Ranch Safari Park, a drive-through
adventure that takes visitors through
26
September 2008
the woods along more than four
miles of gravel road where they can
see 55 species native to six continents.
Years in the making
“I had been thinking about doing
this for well over a decade,” admits
Ron, who frequents both Cocke
Farmers Cooperative locations in
Newport and Morristown as well as
Jefferson Farmers Cooperative at
Dandridge. “When I started collecting animals, people would stop out
here all the time and ask questions
about them. You realized that they
wanted more. I kept thinking, ‘I’ve
spent a fortune, but I haven’t made
any money.’ I had to figure out a
way to turn a profit.”
The Neases seem to be well on
their way to reaching that goal. In
just two short years, the park has
seen a steady increase in attendance,
doubling each month’s totals from
2007 so far in 2008, and Deborah
says a recent viewer’s poll conducted by Knoxville’s WBIR-TV
rated Briarwood Ranch as the No. 2
attraction in East Tennessee, behind
Dollywood in Pigeon Forge.
But getting to this point wasn’t
easy.
“Every time I would try to get
financing for the park, people just
couldn’t understand my vision,”
Ron shrugs. “It was tough. I had
a lot of people who laughed when
I told them what I wanted to do, a
lot of skeptics. But it eventually
worked out.”
On this particular day, Ron
tells this story in bits and spurts,
which, for business reasons, is a
good thing. It’s picture-perfect
weather-wise, and a steady stream
of families and tour groups trickles
in. While Deborah, holding Grayson, an 8-week-old African pygmy
goat, checks in each party, Ron fills
quart-sized buckets with scoopfuls
of corn so each visitor can feed the
animals.
In reality, the unique park is a
kind of reverse zoo where the animals wander freely on the fenced-in
property and their visitors are the
ones confined, either to their own
vehicles or by a tractor-pulled wagon, which is reserved in advance
by large groups. There are more
than 400 total animals to see along
the route — including Watusi cattle
from Africa, sika deer from Japan,
and Nilgai antelope from India as
well as water buffalo, bison, zebras,
ostriches, and, of course, elk.
“It’s different from any other
animal experience,” he says. “You
can go to a zoo, and the animals are
LEFT: A Nilgai antelope, native to India, feeds on corn offered by Tayan Harris of Greeneville as Jessie Ramage, left, and Alyssa
Woods, both of Knoxville, look on. RIGHT: A baby black buck antelope feeds. Black bucks can run at speeds up to 50 miles per hour.
behind a cage; you may see them, or
you may not. You can’t pet them.
Here, the animals are free to go
where they want, and they’re close
to people enough that they develop
personal relationships with them.”
Making return visits
Visitors are enjoying their experience at Briarwood Ranch so much
that Ron says he’s seeing more and
more repeat customers. One such
group is a Sunday School class from
Valley Grove Baptist Church in
Knoxville, who scheduled a second
wagon ride at the safari park on a
recent Saturday morning.
“We had such an amazing
experience the first time we were
here that we couldn’t wait to come
back,” says Kim Spangler, who
brought a group of 11-year-old girls
from Valley Grove. “There’s so
many different types of animals, and
they’re all friendly. They’ll come
right up to you and let you feed
them.”
The other passengers on the
wagon with the Valley Grove group
were first-time visitors who vowed
afterward that they, too, would be
back. Lisa Lahut of Greeneville
brought her 3-year-old nephew, Ty
Harris, and his sister, 6-year-old
Tayan, while Tommie and Rita
McDonald of Morristown treated
their granddaughter, Lily Sturm, 3,
and Rita’s mother, Bessie Lakins, to
an unforgettable afternoon.
“I’ve never seen anything like
that in my 81 years,” says Bessie.
“I don’t know which was more fun,
watching the animals or watching
little Lily. She had a ball.”
Ron says that with so many
animals to see, it can be overwhelming to try to take them all in on one
trip around the trail. That’s why the
price of admission comes with a
bonus.
“People can go through the safari
park as many times as they want
at no extra charge,” he explains.
“We’ve had folks who have gone
through as many as three times in a
day. We want people to feel comfortable spending their whole day
here.”
To that end, Briarwood Ranch is
“constantly expanding” to offer more
attractions and amenities for guests.
There are two covered pavilions, a
100-seater and a 30-seater, each of
which has grills. Other offerings include a playground, petting zoo, and
gift shop, and Ron says a restaurant
is also a possibility in the future.
“Every month we’re trying to
add more and more things,” he says.
“Our goal is to become the No. 1 attraction that people will come to time
and time again.
Expansion requires upkeep, and
for that Ron says he relies on the
Co-op, where he buys his fencing
products, fuel, and feed.
“I’ve shopped at the Co-op
for more than 25 years,” he says.
“There’s no place like it. They
have what you need, they know
what you need, and they give great
service. You can’t beat that combination.”
There’s a break in the activity,
but not for long. A group from
Michigan with phones in to let
Ron know they are in close range.
He hops up from his short respite,
clearly excited and loving every
minute of his work.
“We are in the business to make
people happy,” says Ron. “It’s not
about the money. We have a motto
that we lean toward, and it’s ‘Life
isn’t measured by the number of
breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.’
That’s what we’re all about.”
Getting there
Briarwood Ranch Safari Park is
located at 255 Briar Thicket Road
in Bybee. Take I-40 East, then
merge onto I-81 North toward Bristol at Exit 421. Take Exit 12 off
I-81, turn right on Enka Highway
and go 5.5 miles, then turn left on
Briar Thicket Road and go .2 miles.
In the summer, the park is open
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday
through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m
Sunday. Winter hours are 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday
and Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. The park is
closed on weekdays in January and
February but open on weekends,
weather permitting.
A tour by car is $12 for adults,
$10 for seniors 65 and over, and $8
for children 2-11. Wagon tours are
$17 for adults, $14 for seniors, and
$10 for children. For more information, visit the park’s Web site at
www.briarwoodsafari.com or call
865-919-5072.
Ron Nease, center, owner of Briarwood
Ranch, listens as Cocke Farmers
Cooperative Manager Jimmy Hensley,
left, shares how the Co-op can meet
his needs. Ron’s father-in-law, J.R. Carr,
right, also works at the park.
September 2008
27
New Trousdale County Ag Pavilion will
support agricultural education
Presenting checks to assist in the construction and development of the new
Trousdale County Ag Pavilion are, front from left, Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner
Ken Givens, Gov. Phil Bredesen, USDA Rural Development state director Ruth Tackett,
and state Rep. Stratton Bone Jr. They were joined by Trousdale County FFA members
in the dedication ceremony held at the facility on Aug. 13.
The Tennessee Agricultural
Enhancement Program (TAEP) has
helped to build another facility that
will support agricultural education.
The new Trousdale County Agricultural Pavilion was dedicated
Aug. 13 at Trousdale County High
School in Hartsville in a ceremony
that included Gov. Phil Bredesen,
state Rep. Stratton Bone Jr., Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner
Ken Givens, USDA Rural Development state director Ruth Tackett,
and school and county officials.
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September 2008
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of how we’re working with local
governments to invest in agricultural education and rural economic
development,” said Bredesen.
“This multipurpose facility will
be especially important in serving
area youth and adult agricultural
education programs and improving
livestock production in the county.”
Hartsville
l
As part of the dedication ceremony, Bredesen presented county
and school officials with a grant for
$150,000, which was used to construct the agricultural pavilion and
education center. The grant was
funded through the TAEP, a farm
and rural development program
established by Bredesen in 2005
and administered by the Tennessee
Department of Agriculture. Funds
for the multi-million-dollar costshare program were appropriated
by the Tennessee General Assembly with the support of Bone,
who also serves as chairman of the
House Agriculture Committee.
“I’m pleased we were able to
find the funds we needed for this
important project,” said Bone.
“This agricultural center will not
only be a resource for the high
school, but for all the folks in
Trousdale County. Our agricultural
traditions can be passed on to a
new generation of farmers.”
Tackett joined Bredesen in supporting the project and presented a
check for $50,000 to the Trousdale
County Board of Education.
“The business of agriculture is
an important part of our heritage
and of the local economy,” said
Tackett. “The Governor’s rural development programs work hand in
hand with federal programs and our
federal-state partnership is having a
real impact on the economic health
and vitality of communities like
Hartsville and Trousdale County.”
The pavilion is an 80-by-150foot covered, open-sided structure
with an adjoining meeting room and
restrooms. The facility will double
as a classroom for youth and adult
education and as a livestock demonstration and exhibition center.
The goal is to increase interest in agriculture and to improve
farm and livestock production in
the county, and the facility will be
available to 4-H, FFA, Extension,
and the agricultural community
at large. Additionally, the facility
will be used to support the annual
Trousdale County Youth Fair and
similar events for students.
ABOVE: Macon Trousdale Farmers Cooperative salesman
Jim Coley, left, looks on as Gov. Phil Bredesen pets one of
Coley’s Hereford calves at the dedication event. RIGHT: The
new Trousdale County facility will be used for agriculture
education classes and available for community use.
Jim Coley, salesman at Macon
Trousdale Farmers Cooperative
in Hartsville, says the perimeter
fencing for the facility came from
the Co-op, and he is working with
school officials on plans to purchase pens, corral panels, and other
livestock equipment.
“I’m tickled that we’re going
to have a building like this in the
county,” says Coley, who loaned
some of his family’s Hereford
cattle for the dedication ceremony.
“It’s a real asset for the community
and for the kids. We even hope to
use it for some Co-op educational
meetings.”
The total cost of the project is
estimated at $202,000 with about
$62,000 in local support and inkind contributions. The facility will
be maintained and managed by the
Hartsville/Trousdale County Board
of Education.
Pumpkin festival
Oct. 4-5 in Allardt
The town of Allardt in Fentress
County will host the 17th Annual
Pumpkin Festival and Weigh-Off
on Saturday, Oct. 4, and Sunday,
Oct. 5.
Registration for entries is Saturday from 8 to 9:45 a.m. at the
Allardt Express Market, and the
weigh-off will begin at 10. Last
year’s winner at 1,112 pounds was
a record-breaker for the festival.
In addition to pumpkins, watermelon, squash, gourds, sunflower
heads, cornstalks, and other
vegetables will be weighed and
measured.
Events going on throughout the
festival include the Pumpkin Run,
an antique car and tractor show,
quilt show, parade, and fireworks.
There will also be craft and food
vendors at Bruno Gernt Park.
Admission is free. For more
details, call 931-879-7125 or visit
www.AllardtPumpkinFestival.com.
September 2008
29
W
hat’s
Cookin’?
By Allison Morgan, editor
Cooking with cabbage
A
staple in many Southern
gardens, cabbage is one of
those vegetables that people
either love or hate.
Many of our “What’s cookin’?”
readers obviously are among the
cabbage-lovers, judging by the
number of submissions with recipes featuring creative ways to use
this cool-season comfort food.
Karen Frazier of Adamsville
combines cooked cabbage with
pork sausage and then stuffs the
mixture into a pita for a hearty
meal that can be good at home or
on the go.
“This is a quick, very simple
meal,” says Karen, our Cook-ofthe-Month for September. “My
husband and I take the leftovers to
work the next day for lunch. Just
heat the cabbage mixture up in the
microwave and stuff it in the pitas.”
Other recipes featured are Calico
Cabbage, Cabbage Rolls, Jim’s
Coleslaw, Cabbage-Ham Soup,
Spicy Swamp Cabbage, World’s Best
Braised Green Cabbage, Cabbage
Patch Stew, Cabbage Won Tons, and
Slow Cooker Cabbage Supper.
Enjoy!
Calico Cabbage
3 pounds shredded cabbage
¼ cup chopped carrots
¼ cup sliced celery
¼ cup chopped onions
¼ cup butter
1½ tablespoons sugar
Dash of salt and pepper
Sauté cabbage, carrots, celery,
and onions in butter for 10 minutes
or until tender. Add salt, pepper,
and sugar.
Betty Brown
Granville
Putnam Farmers Cooperative
v
Cabbage Rolls
1 medium cabbage head
1½ pounds ground chuck
⁄3 cup chopped onion
¾ cup oats
1 egg
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
½ cup milk
Sauce:
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
½ cup water
Separate cabbage into 12 leaves.
Drop into boiling water. Cover and
cook for three minutes. Drain and
dry.
Combine beef, onion, oats, egg,
salt, pepper, and milk. Divide into
12 parts and place on center of each
cabbage leaf. Roll and fasten with
toothpick. Place in a baking pan.
Combine sauce ingredients and
pour over cabbage rolls. Bake,
covered, for 1½ hours at 300°. Re2
Cabbage and Pork Sausage Pitas
1½ pounds ground pork sausage
1 medium cabbage head,
shredded
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon crushed red
pepper flakes (or to taste)
1 tablespoon sugar
1
⁄4 teaspoon salt
½ cup water
1
⁄3 cup sour cream
1 (8-ounce) package pita
rounds, halved
In a wok or skillet over mediumhigh heat, brown sausage; drain
and set aside.
Combine shredded cabbage, onion, red pepper flakes, sugar, salt,
and water in a skillet. Cover and
steam for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until
cabbage is tender.
Return sausage to skillet with
cabbage mixture and add sour
cream; mix well. Serve stuffed
inside pita halves.
Karen Frazier
Adamsville
Mid-South Farmers Cooperative
v
30
September 2008
Co-op cooks have a long
tradition of sharing recipes in
the “What’s cookin’?” column,
which has been a regular
feature of the Tennessee
Cooperator since June 1978.
move rolls and remove toothpicks.
Combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch
and ¼ cup water. Slowly stir into
sauce. Bring to a boil and cook
until thickened. Pour over cabbage
rolls to serve.
Ruth Whittenburg
Oneida
Scott Morgan Farmers Cooperative
v
Jim’s Coleslaw
3 cups shredded white
cabbage
2 cups shredded red cabbage
1 cup dried cranberries
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup pine nuts
½ cup chopped bell pepper
¼ cup chopped green onions
Dressing:
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
2 tablespoons honey mustard
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Combine cabbage, cranberries,
raisins, celery, pine nuts, bell pepper, and onions and mix well.
Combine dressing ingredients
in a separate bowl. Blend dressing
with slaw mixture and chill for one
hour.
Note: Also good with chopped
fresh pineapple, strawberries, and/
or peaches.
Jim Buck
Pall Mall
Fentress Farmers Cooperative
v
Cabbage-Ham Soup
For a quick, simple, and hearty meal, try Karen Frazier’s “Cabbage and Pork Sausage
Pitas.” Leftovers are even great the next day, says Karen, our Cook-of-the-Month for
September.
— Photo by Mark E. Johnson, food styling by Allison Morgan
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup minced onion
¼ cup chopped celery
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1
⁄8 teaspoon pepper
3 cups water
2 cups chopped or shredded
cabbage
2 cups cooked, diced ham
¾ cup sour cream
In a large pot, melt butter and
sauté onion and celery until tender.
Add flour, salt, and pepper, blending until smooth.
Add water and cook until
mixture comes to a boil, stirring
constantly. Add cabbage; cover
and simmer until tender, about 10
minutes. Stir in ham and cook until
thoroughly heated. Blend in sour
cream; heat, but do not boil.
Note: This soup is very good
served with cornbread.
Patsy Cross
Greenback
Foothills Farmers Cooperative
v
Spicy Swamp Cabbage
1 large cabbage head
3 (1-pound) packages Li’l
Smokies
6 pounds hamburger meat
3 large green peppers, diced
2 large onions, diced
4 (10-ounce) cans hot or mild
Rotel tomatoes
1 (48-ounce) can V-8 juice
Celery seed, black pepper, and
salt to taste
Cut up cabbage into bite-sized
pieces and put in a large cooker.
Cover with water and add Li’l
Smokies. Add salt and bring to a
full boil. Cover, turn off heat, and
keep it on burner while preparing
other ingredients.
Fry hamburger, onions, and
green peppers until done. Drain;
add to cabbage mixture. Add
tomatoes, V-8 juice, and seasonings. Add more water if necessary.
Bring to a boil and turn off heat.
Add more seasonings if desired.
Debbie Wright
Alpine
v
World’s Best Braised
Green Cabbage
1 medium cabbage head
(about 2 pounds)
1 large onion, peeled and
thickly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and cut
into ½-inch slices
¼ cup chicken stock or water
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground
pepper to taste
1
⁄8 teaspoon crushed red
pepper flakes
Heat oven to 325°. Lighly oil
a large baking dish. Peel off and
discard any bruised or ragged outer
leaves from the cabbage. Cut cabTennessee Cooperator
bage into eight wedges, without
trimming away the heart.
Arrange wedges on their sides in
the baking dish, trying for a single
layer. Scatter onion and carrot
slices over cabbage. Drizzle with
stock or water and then oil. Season
with salt, pepper, and red pepper
flakes. Cover tightly with foil and
put in oven.
Braise for one hour. Uncover
and gently turn the wedges with
tongs, keeping them as intact as
possible. Add a little water if pan
is drying out. Cover pan and return
to oven. Bake one hour longer.
Remove foil, increase heat to
400°, and roast until vegetables
begin to brown, about 15 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield: Six servings.
Kay Williams
Savannah
Hardin Farmers Cooperative
v
balls. Place one ball in each won
ton wrapper and fold. Fry in hot
oil until brown.
Maudean Williams
Jamestown
v
Slow Cooker Cabbage Supper
8-10 cups shredded cabbage
4 medium potatoes, cut into
1-inch cubes
2 carrots, shredded
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
3 pounds Polish sausage or
kielbasa, cooked and cut in
serving-size pieces
Combine vegetables, salt, and
pepper in a five-quart slow cooker.
Pour in broth and place sausage on
top. Cover and cook on low for
eight to 10 hours or until vegetables
are cooked and sausage is heated.
Charlene Burt
Clinton
Anderson Farmers Cooperative
Our Country Churches
Cabbage Patch Stew
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups water
½ medium cabbage head,
thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 can chili beans (hot or mild)
1 (16-ounce) can tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Sauté ground beef in oil; drain.
In a large pan or Dutch oven, combine water, cabbage, onion, and
celery. Simmer 15 minutes.
Add ground beef, beans, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cook slowly
for 30 minutes. Serve with crackers or cornbread. Leftovers can be
frozen.
Dee Anna Carter
Greeneville
Greene Farmers Cooperative
v
Cabbage Won Tons
2 pounds pork sausage,
unseasoned
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
½ small cabbage head
1 carrot
½ onion
¼ cup water
3 packages won ton wrappers
Fry sausage with ginger, garlic,
soy sauce, and sugar. Cool; drain
well.
Shred cabbage, carrot, and onion
very fine. Mix with sausage and ¼
cup water. Form into almond-size
166th in a series of photographs to show where our rural Co-op friends worship
Boma First Church of God in Putnam County
Located in the Boma Community on Old Baxter Road just north of I-40, the
Boma First Church of God was organized following a brush arbor meeting in
that community in the fall of 1938. The congregation moved into its present
location in 1964. Since that time it has continued to grow, requiring two
major remodeling projects including the construction of a parsonage and
family life center. The pastor of the congregation is Tim Sharp.
— Photo by Mark E. Johnson; information submitted by Tom and Connie Banker
Editor’s note: If there’s a “Country Church” you’d like us to feature, send us a recent,
good-quality picture along with pertinent facts and history about the church, to:
Country Churches, Tennessee Cooperator, P.O. Box 3003, LaVergne, TN 37086
Cookies for Santa in December
It’s a time-honored tradition we loved as youngsters — leaving cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve.
But even St. Nick gets tired of the same-old sweets,
so we’re looking for interesting cookie
recipes for our December “What’s
cookin’?” column.
The person submitting the best recipe
will be named Cook-of-the-Month and
receive $10. Others sending recipes chosen for publication will receive $5.
Monday, Nov. 3, is the deadline for submitting your cookie recipes.
Don’t forget: Only recipes that include 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. It’s important that your Co-op be
included because we want to give it recognition if your recipe is printed.
Recipes that appear in the “What’s cookin’?” column will also be published on our Web site at www.ourcoop.com.
September 2008
31
Mighty
Ducks
Amphibious military craft
is one of Chattanooga’s
unique attractions
Splash! In an instant, a Chattanooga Duck amphibious truck transforms from a street machine to a water-navigating vessel as it enters the Tennessee River at Ross’
Landing. As it makes its way along the river, those onboard will hear a fun, entertaining narrative about the history and ecology of the Chattanooga waterfront. Known in
military terms as DUKWs, these vehicles were first manufactured in 1942 for use by U.S. troops during World War II to transport goods and cross beaches during attacks.
W
hen visiting downtown
Chattanooga, be alert
— there are giant Ducks
patrolling the streets. Not the waddling, web-footed kind, mind you,
but a quack attack of a decidedly
different sort.
For starters, these Ducks are
more than 60 years old, weigh a
whopping 14,320 pounds apiece,
and stand 8 feet, 10 inches tall.
With those dimensions, no wonder
these out-of-the-ordinary birds have
to get around on six wheels instead
of two!
Chattanooga
l
Lest this be dismissed as sensationalized supermarket tabloid
fodder, the Ducks in question are
the World War II-era amphibious
trucks that make up the Chattanooga Ducks fleet, and they’re making
quite a splash — literally — with
thousands of visitors each year.
The official name for these vehicles
is DUKW, a military acronym: D
for a vehicle designed in 1942, U
for “utility (amphibious),” K for
all-wheel drive, and W for two powered wheel axles.
“Ducks were originally designed
by General Motors for U.S. troops
to use during World War II and
for the D day invasion,” says Alex
Moyers, part owner and lead captain
of the Chattanooga Ducks, which
began operation in 1997. “They
32
September 2008
were made to operate on land or on
water. There’s nothing quite like
the experience of being in a truck
and riding down the street with all
the other vehicles, then heading
down a ramp and driving right into
the water. People get quite a rush
out of it.”
Not a boat
As Alex talks, he is preparing
to lead an excursion for a capacity
crowd of 28 excited passengers,
ranging from toddlers to grandparents, who are waiting onboard one
of the company’s three Ducks. After greeting them in a fun, laid-back
manner, Alex gives the passengers a
brief history lesson about the Ducks
and tells them that the next 75 to
80 minutes will be an unforgettable
blend of sightseeing, history, and
thrills.
“This is not a boat ride,” he tells
the audience. “It’s a Duck ride!
We’re going to have a lot of fun,
and you’re going to learn a lot about
the history of Chattanooga, too.”
As the vessel exits the station
and makes its way up Broad Street,
pedestrians unaccustomed to the
sight of a giant boat on wheels stop
and gaze. Alex greets the curious
onlookers at each intersection with
a wave and a hardy “quack, quack,
quack!” he voices over the loudspeakers.
While many attractions in the
revitalized downtown/riverfront
district compete for a Chattanooga
tourist’s dollars, Alex feels the
gives Alex — a virtual encyclopeDucks have a niche all their own.
dia on the history and ecology of
“After people have been in
the Chattanooga riverfront — time
town a couple of days and walked
to share many interesting facts
through the aquarium, the children’s about the area. The breathtaking
museum, and the tow truck musescenery along the route includes an
um, they come to us and don’t have array of historic homes, other wato walk anymore,” he says. “All
tercraft, all four downtown bridges,
they have to do is get on, sit down,
Mclellan Island, and the Bluff
and relax. Sure, there are other
View Art District.
boats out there where you can do
“We try to make it educational
the same thing, and people always
and fun,” says Alex, who is in his
ask me if I worry about that. I tell
sixth year at Chattanooga Ducks.
them that when those boats start
“The part of my job I enjoy most is
driving down Broad Street, then I’ll seeing all the people having a great
be worried.”
time. Then, hopefully, they’ll go
The street-legal Ducks can reach back and tell their friends about us.”
a top speed of
50 miles per
hour on land,
though Alex
says he seldom
goes faster than
30. Once he or
one of the other
captains, Barry
Cole and Jack
Myers, steers
the big contraption down the
ramp and into
the Tennessee
River, though,
it’s a different story. On
water, the Duck
meanders along
at no more than
Captain Alex Moyers welcomes a new group of passengers
6 miles per
aboard a Chattanooga Ducks tour. A Duck can accomodate
hour, which
up to 28 riders.
ABOVE: A Duck leaves the station and merges into Broad Street traffic with a full
load of tour-goers. There are three different vehicles in the Chattanooga Ducks
fleet, all of which have been fully restored. RIGHT: Shawn Jennings, 9, is clearly
excited about getting a turn behind the wheel as he listens to pointers from
Captain Alex Moyers. At the latter part of each water excursion, passengers are
invited to come forward and pilot the vessel.
Duck drivers wanted
One of the highlights of the tour
occurs as the craft turns around
and heads back toward land. Alex
leaves his captain’s seat, announces
he’s taking a break, and invites others to come forward and pilot the
Duck as he plops down in a folding chair nearby. It’s not too long
before he has some takers, many of
whom are bright-eyed youngsters
barely big enough to see over the
steering wheel but thrilled to be at
the controls.
“That was awesome!” exclaims
Shawn Jennings, a 9-year-old from
Huntsville, Ala., as he relinquishes
the seat to the next guest captain.
“I think it would be a cool job to
have.”
This begs the question: Just how
do you become a DUKW captain?
“To drive a Duck, you have to
have a minimum of a 25-ton in-thewater license,” says Alex. “I have a
100-ton ocean license. Sailing has
always been a hobby of mine.
“Then, you have to take and pass
the Coast Guard exam and have 720
days of documented on-the-water
experience. So if you left shore
and stayed out for two years before
coming back, you would have
enough experience to get an inland
waters license.”
According to Alex, there are
close to 25 different Duck tour
operators around the country in
places such as Boston, Chicago, the
Wisconsin Dells, and Branson, Mo.
Chattanooga’s fleet is small by comparison, but Alex points out that it’s
“quality, not quantity” that matters.
As the duck draws closer to land,
Alex answers another frequently
asked question: Where are these
Ducks acquired?
“We get them in different places,” he relays. “The one we are on
right now just got certified and put
into service this year. It came down
from South Pittsburg, and when we
first saw it, it had a tree growing out
of the middle of it. We restored and
rebuilt it, and here we are on the
river with it today.”
Like it first did during wartime,
the amphibious rig emerges from
the water with its wheels churning.
It has morphed back to a road machine, making one last pass through
downtown and causing more heads
to turn on its way back to the station.
“The Ducks are a part of Chattanooga now,” Alex says. “When
people think of the Choo-Choo, we
want them to think ‘quack, quack,’
too.”
For more information
The Chattanooga Ducks station,
also home to the Southeast Veterans Museum (see sidebar), is open
seven days a week and is located at
201 West Fifth Street in downtown
Chattanooga, three blocks from the
Tennessee Aquarium.
Tickets are $20 for adults; $15
for seniors, active military, teenagers, and students; $10 for ages
3-12; and $1 for children under
3. Only group reservations are
accepted in advance. For more
information and up-to-date tour
times, call Chattanooga Ducks at
423-756-3825.
For a map to the station, visit
www.chattanoogafun.com.
Museum honors wartime heroes
Housed inside the Chattanooga
Ducks building is the Southeast Veterans Museum, a collection which,
as its mission statement declares,
“seeks to honor the veterans of
America’s wars, with a special emphasis on those of Chattanooga and
the surrounding areas.”
Louis Varnell, the curator/education director of the museum, turned
what were once empty rooms into
individual specialized exhibits honoring those who served in World
War I, World War II, Vietnam, and
Operation Desert Storm. These
fascinating displays chronicle the
sacrifices and struggles of American
troops through photos, archived
newspaper stories, uniforms,
medals, and more. There are even
military vehicles that are housed in
the same area where riders board
the Ducks.
Varnell says as the 2-year-old
museum continues to expand, other
U.S. military initiatives will be
added for public viewing.
“I’ve got a lot of items from the
Korean War, the Civil War, and
the Spanish-American War,” he
says. “We’ll also be adding items
from the current operations in Iraq
and Afghanistan. We’re passionate about educating visitors on the
cost of freedom and the responsibility of citizens inherent in a
democracy.”
The Southeast Veterans Museum is free and open during operating hours for the Chattanooga
Ducks. For more information,
call 423-756-3825.
The Gulf War exhibit is one of several
at the Southeast Veterans Museum
inside the Chattanooga Ducks building.
September 2008
33
N
e w at co-op
®
In an effort to better serve our diverse mix of customers, Co-ops are continually offering new products and informative publications. This special
section is designed to keep our readers informed about what’s going on “down at the Co-op.” Here are a few new items that can be found at your
participating Co-op. Always check with your Co-op for availability and price. Some products may require a short delivery time.
Onset 5 IN Vaccine
Onset 5 IN from Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health
is the first intranasally administered, five-way modified-live
virus vaccine for healthy cattle 3 to 8 days and older. Onset
5 is designed to stimulate an immune response to the costliest diseases impacting beef and dairy herds — bovine virus
diarrhea (BVD) types 1 and 2, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), parainfluenza 3 (PI3), and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV). It is available in a five-dose (#712264),
10-dose (#712174), and 50-dose (#712183) package.
TM
#712183
Auero 7000 + Bov 4000 Crumbles
Give freshly weaned and/or newly
arrived beef calves an advantage with a
control level of chlortetracycline from
Aureomycin® and increased rate of weight gain from Bovatec®
together in the new Auero 7000 + Bov 4000 (A+B) Crumbles
(#90074). Co-op A+B feeds have already produced phenomenal
results across the state with their convenient feed-through form.
This product is intended for mixing with appropriate feedstuffs
and is available in 50-pound bags.
ETQ generators
These portable, gaspowered
generators
from Eastern Tools
and Equipment
#118276
deliver dependable service on the job, at the campsite, on hunting trips, and at home.
They offer emergency stand-by
power when and where you need it.
The TG1200 generator (#118276)
has a maximum output of 1,200
watts and has a 5.5-hour run time at
full load. It has a two-stroke, 63-cc
engine and weighs only 55 pounds.
If you need more power, try the
TG4000 (#118281) 4,000-watt
generator. This unit has a 6.5-horsepower, 196-cc engine with a fourgallon fuel tank that delivers up to
101⁄2 hours of run time. It’s one of
the quietest generators in its class,
producing a mere 68 decibels at 21
feet. It has four 110-volt and one
220-volt outlets with a non-fused
breaker that protects against AC
overloads.
It
weighs
113
pounds.
#118281
ETQ 2,500-psi Pressure Washer
This versatile pressure washer
from Eastern Tools and Equipment
is great for degreasing vehicles and
equipment and cleaning driveways,
decks, fences, and house siding. It’s
powered by a Locin 6.5-horsepower, air-cooled, four-stroke gasoline
engine. Engineered for heavy-duty
use, the unit comes with five spray
tips, 20-inch wand,
and 33
feet of
highpressure
#118284
hose.
34
September 2008
Natural
progression
Macon County’s Bart Jones may
have been raised in a town,
but destiny and DNA have
returned him to farming
Story and photo by
Mark E. Johnson
Bart and Sarah Jones, here with their 17-month-old son, Ty, have built one of the Southeast’s most respected swine breedingstock operations. They also produce Red Angus and Simmental cattle and burley tobacoo.
T
ake a look around his
highly efficient, spit-andpolish farming operation,
and you’d never figure Bart Jones
for a city boy — but it’s true.
Well … kind of.
Although Bart was raised on
a half-acre, neighborhood lot in
residential Bowling Green, Ky., he
spent most weekends as a kid either
showing lambs and hogs in 4-H
competition or helping out on his
grandfather’s Lafayette swine farm,
roughly 50 miles away.
“Many times, my parents would
meet my grandparents halfway in
Scottsville [Ky.] on Fridays after
school and drop me off for the
weekend,” says Bart, 34. “Then,
they’d pick me up at the same place
on Sunday night. It’s what I chose
to do. I’ve just always wanted to be
on the farm or around farming.”
Lafayette
l
Now, as owner of Red Hill Farms
with Sarah, his wife of five years,
Bart’s natural love for agriculture
has translated into a thriving, diversified enterprise. Since taking over
his family’s farm in 2001, Bart has
built upon the Joneses’ already-stellar reputation to create one of the
Southeast’s most respected Duroc,
Landrace, and Yorkshire swine
breeding-stock operations.
Also on the farm’s 1,500 owned
and rented acres are 200 head of
Red Angus and Simmental cattle
and 120 acres of burley tobacco, an
aspect of the family’s operation that
was discontinued in the late ’70s
but resurrected by Bart 20 years
later.
“It’s the diversification that makes
it work,” says the Macon Trousdale
Farmers Cooperative member. “If
one enterprise is down, one or both
of the others will likely be up. Each
presents a different set of challenges,
and we enjoy them all.”
Enjoyment and education are recurring themes in Bart’s explanation
of how he became a farmer. When
he was young, the Joneses “thrived”
on showing livestock and traveled
throughout the southeastern U.S. to
compete. Bart says he’s always had
fun working with and being around
livestock.
“My dad, Gordon Jones, is an
ag professor at Western Kentucky
University and judged a lot of shows
across the country when I was a kid,”
says Bart while bouncing his and
Sarah’s 17-month-old son, Ty, on his
knee. “Dad also traveled extensively
as a swine consultant, and when
school wasn’t in, I tagged along.”
It was after his first experience
showing lambs and hogs at the
Kentucky State Fair that the 9-yearold discovered he had a competitive
streak.
“I won the hog show, but I placed
dead last in the lamb competition,”
he recalls. “I remember coming
home mad and telling Dad, ‘If we
can’t do any better than that, I may
as well quit.’ But I just resolved to
improve myself, and now, we want
to breed the best hogs and cattle, and
we’re going to make that field of tobacco look good as you drive past.”
Although high-quality farming
was always part of Bart’s DNA —
Joneses have cultivated a crop on
the Lafayette farm since 1892 — the
family’s focus on education allowed
for a world of career possibilities for
Bart.
“With a Ph.D. father and a mother
with a master’s degree from Vanderbilt, my family obviously believes in
the value of education,” says Bart,
pointing out that Sarah is a certified
public accountant who helps with the
farm’s finances. “Not going to college and farming directly out of high
school wasn’t an option for me, and
that was a good thing. I went to one
of the best agriculture schools in the
country — Oklahoma State University — and earned a degree in animal
science with a minor in ag economics. When I graduated in 1996, I was
ready to put that education into practice. I drove straight from Oklahoma
to Lafayette and went to work.”
For five years, Bart farmed in
partnership with his grandparents —
J.C. and Durene Jones — until their
deaths in 2001.
“I was blessed to have been given
a jumpstart in agriculture,” says Bart.
“When I came home from college,
my grandfather said, ‘Here is the
farm; do what you want with it. Just
don’t put a mortgage on it!’ I honestly don’t see how a young person
could start farming from scratch
these days, what with land, fuel, and
equipment prices the way they are.
You’ve got to have some help.”
Bart also credits Macon County
Extension agent Steve Walker and
the staff of Macon Trousdale Farmers Co-op for helping him develop
his operation, particularly the tobacco crops.
“I know I’m biased, but I think we
have the best county agent around
in Steve Walker,” Bart says. “When
I started out, I didn’t know much
about growing tobacco, and Steve’s
educational meetings and advice —
especially on greenhouse topics —
have been vital to our business.”
Bart says he relies on the Co-op
for a “laundry list” of supplies as
well as sound advice.
“[Manager] Reid Brown and the
folks at the Co-op have been invaluable to us,” he says. “They are
really knowledgeable about tobacco
herbicides and insecticides, and Reid
has done a great job of getting the
fertilizer bought and then passing
the prices on to us. He does a lot of
things like that to help the farmers
around here, and we appreciate it.”
Bart adds that he hopes his son,
Ty, will someday benefit from similar
family and professional support and
educational opportunities.
“Growing up around livestock and
agriculture is a great way of life,”
he says. “If Ty wants to do that, I
will try to provide him with those
opportunities. And he’ll have to be
prepared for the good and the bad.
There have always been rocky times
in farming, and there will be again,
but if you’re determined, you’ll
succeed. It’s not always easy, but I
wouldn’t trade my life for anyone’s.”
For more information about Red
Hill Farms and the Joneses’ upcoming Red Angus bull and heifer sales,
call them at 615-666-3098 or visit
online at www.redhillfarms.net.
September 2008
35
Anyone can
shop here.
36
September 2008
Think you know what the typical Co-op customer
looks like? Think again. Sure, farmers are an
important part of our business. After all, they are the
reason our Co-ops exist in the first place. But you
don’t have to be a farmer or even a Co-op member to
shop at any of our nearly 150 stores across the state.
These days, Co-op offers quality products and
services for all types of people — pet owners, horse
enthusiasts, gardeners, homeowners, hunters, and
anyone else who lives the rural lifestyle. So come on
in! You’ll always be welcome at Co-op.

Bankin` on Boers - Our CO-OP

Transcription

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