hoops & hooves - tennessee farmers cooperative€¦ · tennessee cooperator december 2008 1...

Tennessee Cooperator December 2008 1

Polled Hereford group makes a comeback — p. 10

Co-op Kids Calendar winners revealed – p. 23

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDAtlanta, GAPermit 1235

Hoops &hoovesBasketball and cattle are keeping 75-year-old Wanda Shanks young at heart

2 December 2008 Tennessee Cooperator


T e n n e S c e n e

Museum of Appalachia Executive Director Elaine Meyer leads the Anderson United Methodist Choir in a medley of holiday songs during the museum’s “Christmas in Old Appalachia” festivities, featuring traditional trees, homemade decorations, and sounds of the season from now through Dec. 24. Visitors can also tour the picturesque village-farm complex, shop for unique gifts, and enjoy country-style lunches served daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. December hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (closed Christmas Day) at the Norris museum, located 16 miles north of Knoxville, one mile east of I-75 off exit 122. For more information, call 865-494-7680 or visit online at www.museumofappalachia.org.

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]

Editor Allison Morgan

Assistant Editor Mark E. Johnson

Communications Specialist Chris Villines

Contributing Editor Jerry Kirk

Advertising Manager Mack Barrett

Art Director Bob Gillespie

Graphic Designer Shane Read

Editorial Assistant Polly Campbell

Circulation Beth Phillips

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 3Chief Executive Officer — Bart Krisle

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.

Departments4 As I Was Saying 15 Neighborly Advice 24 Tack Room Talk

27 Our Country Churches26 What’s Cookin’? 29 New at Co-op

Wanda Shanks, a bubbly 75-year-old grandmother of seven, not only took over responsibility of her 370-acre family beef cattle farm when her hus-band, Walter, died suddenly 11 years ago, but she’s since added “senior ath-lete” to her resume. Wanda and her McMinnville Bulldogs senior women’s basketball team will be representing Tennessee in the 2009 U.S. Senior Olympic Games in San Francisco next summer.

Cover story12 Hoops and hooves

5 Farmers help break ground for new biofuel refinery Pilot plant in Vonore will turn switchgrass grown by local producers into cellulosic ethanol.

8 Something for everyone Sevier Farmers Cooperative celebrates its 60th anniversary with an eventful open house.

10 Rising in the East Regional chapter of the Tennessee Polled Hereford Association is making a comeback.

16 Santa’s workshop McNairy County’s Craig Howell has carved a niche for his Christmas-themed crafts.

19 In the wake of Abe To celebrate his 200th birthday, a replica flatboat re-creates Lincoln’s river trip.

22 Tailor-made president Tennessee’s Andrew Johnson also has a bicentennial birthday this month.

30 Every farmer has a story Cap and Annie Laura Hunt have seen many seasons of change on their Hickman County farm.

COVER SHOT: Farming and basketball keep Putnam Countian Wanda Shanks young at heart. The activity, Wanda says, will “keep you out of a wheelchair and the rest home.” — Photos by Mark E. Johnson

Also in this issue

Visit TFC’s Web site: www.ourcoop.com®�


By Jerry Kirk, contributing editorS I Wa S Sa y I n gaJerry Kirk has been on the Tennessee Cooperator staff for more than 35 years, serving as editor from November 1972 until his retirement in April 2001. He continues as a contributing editor today.

toes, one of Daddy’s favorites. I can see one of Ma Kirk’s apple stack cakes for dessert.

By the time Wayne and I came along, in 1937 and ’39, respectively, Mama and Daddy and Ma Kirk had not only survived the De-pression but were adjusting to a new lifestyle that included in-town living, electricity, and even a radio! Times were still tough, but after working for several years with the Hamblen County Road Department, Daddy got a job as a truck driver for Mason-Dixon Lines. He stayed there until he retired in 1968.

I have to think that those Depression-era Christmases helped set the tone for sensible yet joyous celebrations our family shared through the years. Mama and Daddy believed in sharing outside the family, too — with the elderly, shut-ins, others less fortunate — giving “treat” bags, groceries, homemade goodies, or a little cash if any could be spared.

The sentiment of helping others was powerfully proclaimed by Vernon Glover a few years ago when he was president and chief executive officer of Tennessee Farmers Cooperative. Vernon, speaking at a homecoming gathering in his hometown of Bodenham in Giles County, titled his re-marks “Heroes Amongst Us.”

Mentioning his Bodenham heroes, Vernon said, “They taught me les-sons that I’ve tried to not only put into action but to instill in my children as well. I want them to experience the joy of helping other people — deliver-ing Christmas baskets to elderly residents or making sure that a neighbor has plenty of firewood on the coldest night of the winter.”

Mama and Daddy would certainly have agreed with Vernon.Let’s take a caring Christmas cue from the three of them this year. And

may it be the best, most blessed any of us has ever had.

Today’s economic turmoil is putting a crimp in the holiday styles of many of us as we look for ways to ease the financial strain without taking away from the joy and wonder of the Christmas season.

Can we cut back on the number (and price) of gifts we’ll be buying each other? How about giving more of ourselves to brighten the Christ-mas of friends, family, and even strangers?

I wish Mama and Daddy were here to give some pointers. I wish they could tell me how it was back in 1932 when, as America was in the throes of the Great Depression, they decided to get married on Christmas Eve.

When they wed — Mama as a slim and trim teenager and Daddy as a tall and thin tenant farmer nine years her senior — they undoubtedly faced an uncertainty that none of us can even imagine today. They were married at Pressmen’s Home near Rogersville. It was a union that would mean just over a half century of wedded happiness. Daddy died Dec. 27, 1984, two years after they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.

Without pressing the issue, I tried several times through the years to get their take on the Depression. Daddy, responding softly, would say some-thing like: “I don’t ever want to go through it again, and I hope and pray you and Wayne [my older brother] never have to go through anything like it.” Mama, being more direct: “Your Daddy worked hard. He farmed on the shares. We had wheat and corn for flour and meal ... We raised a big garden, had chickens, and killed a couple of hogs ... God provided for us ... We made it through.”

As I contemplate “making it through” our current and predicted eco-nomic challenges, I can’t help but wonder what Mom and Dad’s early Christmases were like. Dad’s mother — our beloved grandmother, Ma Kirk — always lived with them. Looking back, I’m sure that Mama and Ma Kirk, both wonderful cooks, went all out in preparing a bountiful and tasty Christmas dinner, sacrificing a plump hen and making their light and fluffy dumplings to go with it. They probably candied white sweet pota-

Joy of helping others costs nothing


(See Biofuel, page 6)

news briefs

Farmers help break ground for new biofuel refineryStory and photos by Allison Morgan

As the University of Tennes-see broke ground for its new pilot ethanol refinery

in Monroe County on Oct. 14, all of the usual dignitaries were there: the governor, elected officials, univer-sity leaders, and business partners.

But the spotlight belonged to the farmers who will not only supply the facility with its switchgrass feedstock but also benefit from this new income-producing crop. All 16 of the local producers who have contracted with UT to grow switch-grass for the biofuel plant were on hand for the event, and one of those farmers, David Richesin of Lou-don County, shared the stage with Gov. Phil Bredesen, UT President John Peterson, Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, and other key players in this innovative project.

Richesin also did the honors of ceremoniously “breaking ground” for the site at the Niles Ferry Indus-trial Park in Vonore, using a John Deere tractor and Foothills Farmers Cooperative’s no-till drill. It was the same drill used by most of the contract growers when they planted some 723 acres of switchgrass last spring. Richesin, a director for

Foothills Farmers, is growing 39 acres on his farm and told the crowd he had been looking for an oppor-tunity like this for additional farm revenue since discontinuing his dairy operation a year ago.

“The fact that agriculture has a chance to play a major role in alternative energy production could be one of the biggest opportunities farmers and rural landowners have ever seen,” said Richesin. “Just imagine what our economy might be if we were reinvesting the bil-lions of dollars that we are sending overseas for foreign oil right here in our community and in our state.”

Indeed, the dual-purpose need to reduce dependency on foreign oil and boost rural economies was the reason for state support of this biofuel refinery, Bredesen said. Tennessee is investing $70.5 million into the project, including $40.7 million for construction. The pilot-scale refinery is the first of its kind and is expected to be a catalyst for a new biofuel industry for the state.

“The reasons to develop clean energy technologies vary from en-

vironmental concerns to economic ones,” said Bredesen. “We need to look for innovative ways to sup-ply our energy demand and at the same time do things to help support agriculture and rural communities across our state. Today, we are tak-ing a big step toward that future.”

The biorefinery’s construction and switchgrass production are the first major components of the UT Biofuels Initiative, a farm-to-fuel business plan developed by UT Institute of Agriculture research-ers. The initiative models a biofu-els industry capable of replacing 30 percent of Tennessee’s current petroleum consumption.

“I am convinced that this is a landmark occasion in moving the nation toward energy indepen-dence,” said UT’s Peterson. “This project will contribute immensely to a better rural economy for Tennes-see and move our state forward as a leader in bioenergy.”

UT chose DuPont Danisco Cel-lulosic Ethanol and Genera Energy as partners in constructing the pilot plant, which is expected to begin producing 250,000 gallons of cel-lulosic ethanol, made from nongrain sources such as switchgrass and corn cobs, by the end of 2009.

With media cameras rolling, Loudon County farmer David Richesin “breaks ground” for the University of Tennessee’s new pilot-scale cellulosic ethanol refinery in Vonore. The no-till drill he’s using was supplied by Foothills Farmers Cooperative.

lVonore

In January, your Tennessee Cooperator will have a new design, new content, and new organization to provide our readers with more value, helpful information, and insight into their Co-op system.

The most notable changes are an expanded “Neighborly Advice” sec-tion offering more timely advice and information for producers, and the addition of extra photos on the cover to “tease” the stories within. The “New at Co-op” section will also move closer to the front of the magazine to give readers a more prominent look at new items of interest at their local Co-ops.

Popular features such as recipes, Jerry Kirk’s “As I was saying” column, and the “Every Farmer Has a Story” feature will remain in the magazine, which will also maintain its balanced mix of product testimoni-als, agriculture and Co-op news, human-interest stories, and production advice. The only deletion is Kim Smith’s “Tack Room Talk” column, although the equine specialist will continue to write articles for the new Neighborly Advice section.

The Cooperator will also be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2009, kicking off the milestone year with special features in May, which is when the first issue debuted in 1959.

Tennessee Cooperator to debut new look in January

The Obion County FFA Alumni Association will host its seventh an-nual Club Calf Sale on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Smith Livestock Center on the University of Tennessee at Martin campus.

The sale, to begin at 2 p.m., will feature some 25 show steers and heifers. Last year’s sale produced several grand, reserve, and first-place champions.

For more information, call Allan Stephens, Obion Farmers Cooperative outside salesman, at 731-749-0351 or 731-446-7626.

Obion FFA Alumni hosts calf sale Dec. 6

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“Nowhere else has a state put all of the pieces together like Tennes-see,” said Joe Skurla, president of DuPont Danisco. “You have bipar-tisan commitment, political leader-ship, and a team of energy experts and scientists along with the support of the farming community.”

Supporting the grower system is critical to the project’s success, Skurla added, expressing his de-light that area farmers already had switchgrass production under way.

“One of the biggest challenges to dedicated energy crops is developing the planting, harvesting, storage, and transport systems,” he said. “With the help of these local farmers, we now have a fully workable package. I don’t think any other cellulosic company can say that today.”

Among the growers in this sup-ply chain are Randall Peters and his father, Dwaine, who planted 70 acres of switchgrass last spring to complement the soybeans, corn, hay, and dairy heifers they raise on their 1,100-acre Ran-Jill Acres farm between Vonore and Madisonville. They harvested just enough of the forage earlier this fall to supply the ground-breaking ceremony with a few bales to display.

“We were looking for other things to do on our farm,” said Ran-dall, who is vice president of Foot-hills Farmers Cooperative’s board. “This is not only helping us find new fuel sources, but we also hope it will give us and other farmers a way to supplement our income. It’s been a learning experience so far, but we’re proud to be part of it.”

Growing switchgrass has its advantages and disadvantages, just like any other crop, said Richesin. The perennial forage doesn’t have to be replanted every year and can be

produced on marginal land. But it is also hard to establish and can be difficult to harvest, especially when it reaches maximum growth.

Until the venture becomes com-mercially viable, it will be hard for farmers to truly gauge the profit potential of switchgrass produc-tion, UT officials emphasized. But Richesin said the philosophical rewards are already worth the work.

“The idea of producing a renew-able fuel source and reducing our dependence on foreign oil out-weighs the challenges,” Richesin said. “I’m proud to be a Tennessee farmer producing an alternative fuel source for all of you.”

Biofuel(continued from page 5)

Speaking at the groundbreaking, Gov. Phil Bredesen stresses his commitment to developing Tennessee’s biofuel future.

Leaning on one of the round bales of switchgrass they harvested from their farm, Dwaine Peters, left, and his son, Randall, are among the refinery’s contract growers.

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lRogersville

Governor visits Hawkins Co-opBredesen accompanies agriculture commissioner to see how ag enhancement funds are usedBy Chris Villines

Gov. Phil Bredesen wanted to get an up-close, hands-on look at the impact the

Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) is having on farm-ers utilizing it.

State Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens knew just the place.

Givens, who is from Hawkins County, brought Bredesen to Hawk-ins Farmers Cooperative in Rog-ersville on Oct. 13 so the governor could visit with TAEP recipients and learn about some of the equipment being purchased through these funds. During the hour-long visit, Bredesen also toured the Co-op and spoke with Hawkins Farmers Manager Brian Julian and other employees.

“He had general knowledge about the ag enhancement program but wanted more specifics,” said Julian. “We went over how the program works from beginning to end and how the Co-op participates by working closely with farmers to get the equipment they need. He was genuinely interested in all facets of the process.”

The political contingent — which also included State Representatives Mike Harrison of Sneedville and Dale Ford of Jonesborough and

State Senator Mike Williams of Maynard-ville — drew the attention of area farmers and residents and coverage by local media. A large crowd gathered on the Co-op’s prop-erty to watch a demonstration of a headgate and chute setup used in vaccinating cattle.

“We wanted the governor to see the practical applications of the enhance-ment program,” said Julian. “We had some calves brought in and had all the equipment set up to show him the handling of cattle and why it’s important to have this equipment.

“Some of the governor’s staff tried to get him to move on, but he said, ‘No, no, I want to stay here and learn some more.’ It was really impressive to see him so interested and involved.”

Givens told the crowd that during the four years of the TAEP, $58 mil-

lion has been spent to assist Ten-nessee farmers, $1 million of which has gone to producers in Hawkins County. The commissioner also said that projections are by June 2009 the program will have generat-ed more than $173 million for local economies and will be responsible for 2,000 jobs across the state.

As a token of appreciation for his visit, Julian presented Bredesen

with a Co-op 4-H/FFA knife, three Co-op caps, and a Co-op “Neigh-bor to Neighbor” cookbook.

“Gov. Bredesen was well re-ceived by everyone,” said Julian. “He could have made a quick visit, but he spent enough time to answer questions and discuss the program. He’s more than willing to do what he can legislatively to support farmers, and that showed.”

Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, right, visits with Brian Julian, left, manager of Hawkins Farmers Cooperative in Rogersville, and local farmer Neil Miller during the governor’s visit to the Co-op Oct. 13. Bredesen accompanied state Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens and area politicians to the Co-op to learn more about how farmers are benefitting from the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program.


Large turnout boosts Sevier Co-op’s 60th anniversary celebration

LEFT: Vintage tractors of all colors and sizes were on display during Sevier Farmers Cooperative’s 60th anniversary celebration and Sawdust Days event on Oct. 11. An estimated 600 people came to the Co-op in Sevierville for free food and entertainment, store specials, vendor displays, and door prizes. ABOVE: Princess Sugar Pie, a 5-year-old cat rescued by Jim Barbee as a kitten, entertains Co-op visitors. She is a “registered therapy and show cat.”

Story and photos by Chris Villines

Under a cloudless, Indian summer sky custom-made for a gathering like this,

more than 600 people filled the grounds of Sevier Farmers Coopera-tive for its 60th anniversary cel-ebration and annual Sawdust Days customer appreciation event Oct. 11.

“This was a good opportunity for members and patrons alike to be here on a relaxed basis and see what they own,” said manager An-thony Hastings. “I couldn’t believe how many people came out. It was really impressive.”

Folks lined up for free hot dogs and soft drinks as they registered for door prizes, perused the store’s aisles, and took advantage of celebration-day specials like $1.99 chainsaw chains. The chains were among many sale-priced items synonymous with Sawdust Days, a cleverly staged event for promoting the Co-op’s small engine shop.

“Not long after last year’s Sawdust Days ended, we started planning for this year because we knew it would be our 60th anniver-sary and wanted to do something special,” said Robert Meadows, the Co-op’s advertising/promo-tion manager and outside sales-

man. “We wanted to cover all the bases and put on an event that the entire community would come out and support and people could see what we’re all about. We’re very pleased with the turnout.”

Outside, numerous activities piqued visitors’ interest. People sat on hay bales to enjoy com-plimentary homemade ice cream as local bluegrass and Southern gospel band Answered Prayers entertained. Consistent with the “sawdust” theme, a chainsaw artist carved oak stumps into intricate wooden collectibles, and nearby in the lawn and garden center, product experts set up shop, answered ques-tions, and offered helpful advice.

Taking in the music as she shopped for plants with her hus-band, Horace, Jean Dean said the Co-op has been a mainstay for them since they relocated to Sevierville from Meridian, Miss., during the past year.

“We love coming here,” Jean said, picking up a mum for a closer inspection. “They have a lot of dif-ferent products, their prices are rea-sonable, and the service is always friendly. I plan on doing some of my Christmas shopping here.”

At the front end of the property, kids lined up to take their turns zipping down an inflatable slide while their parents cheered them on. A few yards away, a row of antique tractors lined the front of

Robert Meadows, right, Sevier Farmers Co-op’s advertising/promotion manager and outside salesman, visits with customers Buddy Smith, left, and Don Reagan at the event.

the parking lot. Denton Glaspie of Seymour had his 1952 Ford 8N on display, and as he leaned against the spit-shined machine, he spoke about his loyalty to the Co-op.

“I’ve been buying from the Co-op for 40 years,” said Denton, who participates in tractor shows throughout East Tennessee. “I remember going with my father when I was just a little boy. I only have a garden today, but I still come to the Co-op to get what I need. They’re good people.”

Sevier Farm-ers Cooperative was incorporated on March 3, 1948, with 11 original direc-tors: Edward Latham, John R. Burchfield, C.H. Tarwater, Carl K. Rambo, Walter P. Webb, Frank J. Catlett, Dewey E. Large, Francis Morehouse, Joe Burns, Rex O. Andes, and Jack Sharp. The board hired local farmer McKin-ley Ballard to

serve as the first manager as the Co-op set up shop on Main Street some 300 yards from the current location.

“I remember when the board first talked to [McKinley] about becoming manager,” said James Sartin, a six-time director who has been a member of the Co-op since its inception, never missing an an-nual meeting in the process. “They asked him to manage the Co-op, lSevierville

Something for everyone


and his question back to them was ‘What’s a Co-op?’”

In the early days of the Co-op, Sevier County was predominantly an agrarian area, with rolling cropland in plentiful supply. James said that local farmers could rely on Sevier Farmers back then for “the common necessities around the farm.”

As its membership grew, an-other natural occurrence took place — expansion. In 1971, the Co-op opened a second building, a 6,700-square-foot showroom to better serve farmers and a growing number of nonfarm customers.

“We carried everything from appliances to ammunition to fine china,” said Robin Keck, a 30-year employee at Sevier Farmers.

But change was coming.With hundreds of thousands of

visitors converging on the Great Smoky Mountains, Sevier County experienced a tourism boom unlike anything it had seen before. More and more people discovered the clean mountain air, recreation, shopping, and dining that the area had to offer. As the tourist traf-fic mounted, so did the number of developers intent on building hotels, restaurants, and entertain-ment venues to meet the demand. The agricultural landscape changed dramatically as several farms were sold. What once was rural became increasingly urban. To streamline its operations amid mounting com-petition, the Co-op moved to its current location in 1984 and now rents out the original building to other businesses.

“There are very few full-time farmers left in Sevier County,” said James. “As directors, we’ve had to make a lot of important decisions to help diversify the Co-op.”

The foresight of a strong direc-torship and the continuing support of people in Sevierville and the surrounding communities have allowed the Co-op to effectively serve a new generation of farmers, homeowners, and everyday con-sumers. And those who have wit-nessed the development of Sevier Farmers for all of its 60 years will quickly say that it continues to be a place where neighbors help neigh-bors.

“The Co-op has meant a lot to me as a farmer,” said C.H. Tarwater Jr., who was named to the Co-op board when his father died in 1954. “It’s been the source of all my needs, and I’ve been able to build relationships with other farmers in the area. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the people who have worked for the Co-op across the years.

“I can’t imagine not having it.”

ABOVE: Local Boy Scouts Brandon Mullhall, left, and Charlie McGaha serve up free hot dogs and soft drinks for people attending the event. Popcorn and homemade ice cream were also available at no charge. RIGHT: Sevier Farmers customer Denton Glaspie of Seymour hops aboard his 1952 Ford 8N tractor that he brought to show. In the background, a colorful inflatable slide and bounce keeps youngsters entertained.


Larry Kerr admits he felt a twinge of envy each time he read through the latest copy

of the Tennessee Polled Hereford Association newsletter.

The Friendsville producer, who tends 45 head of the breed on more than 100 acres, couldn’t help but notice a void in each issue.

“They would have news from West Tennessee and news from Middle Tennessee, but there wasn’t anything going on in East Tennes-see,” says Larry, a retired veterinar-ian with the University of Tennes-see Animal Science Department. “I was a bit envious.”

Since then, envy has turned to elation as the East Tennessee Polled Hereford Association (ETPHA) is making a comeback after a nearly eight-year absence. And members like Larry will read-ily convey that the sky is the limit for its future prospects.

“Our main goal is just to pro-mote the breed as much as pos-sible,” says Madisonville’s Mitch Ingram, president of the ETPHA and a board member for the state association. “In the back of our mind, one of our goals is to have an East Tennessee sale the way it used to be.”

The last sale for the previous incarnation of the ETPHA was in

2000, says Mitch, even though there are an abundance of polled Hereford cattle and producers in East Tennessee.

“Middle Tennessee has a sale, West Tennessee has a sale, and we have the state sale at Agribition [in Murfreesboro],” says Mitch. “But we wanted to get back to having our own sale for East Tennessee, and we were fortunate enough to be able to do that in October.”

Mitch is referring to the ETPHA’s Fall Classic, which was hosted by Johnny Dagley’s Mud Creek Farms in Wartburg on Oct. 11. The highly successful sale featured 47.5 lots from 15 different consigners and grossed $71,905, an overall average of $1,514.

“We had 28 buyers from five states, which is a tribute to the excellent facilities the Dagleys provided and the hard work and dedication of our members,” says Mitch’s wife, Kathryn, who is the ETPHA secretary. “There were buyers from as far away as Okla-homa. It was a big success, and we are looking for it to grow even bigger in the future.”

Originally, the Dagleys — truly a family operation with Johnny, wife Tanuja, sons Jonathan and Justin, and Tanuja’s father, Ellis Heidel, all involved — had planned on having their own produc-tion sale. But when the idea was hatched to make it a debut event for the reinvigorated ETPHA, they

were excited about the chance to help their fellow members.

“It worked out good for all of us,” says Johnny, who, along with his family, looks after the farm’s herd of 175 polled Hereford mama cows, heifers, and bulls at three different properties. “The associa-tion was just getting off the ground and wanted to have a sale, and we

had already set everything with the auctioneer, sale ring, and every-thing. We got a dry run more or less for when we have another sale, and everyone was pleased with the way it turned out.”

In 2004, newlyweds Mitch and Kathryn put their collective heads together and devised a plan to get the ETPHA active again as a

Eastin theRising

Active again, Tennessee region’s Polled Hereford Association looks

to a bright future


A polled Hereford mama cow keeps close watch over her calf at Larry Kerr’s farm in Friendsville. Larry is an active member of the East Tennessee Polled Hereford Association.

The Dagley family of Wartburg hosted the highly successful East Tennessee Polled Hereford Association Fall Classic sale in October. Pictured along with their 3-month-old bottle-fed calf, Little Bit, are, standing from right, Johnny Dagley; Tanuja Dagley; and Tanuja’s father, Ellis Heidel. In front are Justin Dagley, left, and Jonathan Dagley.

Wartburg l

lFriendsville l

Madisonville


chapter of the Tennessee Polled Hereford Association.

“A lot of people who were in the business had either retired or passed away during the period when the association was dor-mant,” notes Dean Littreal, vice president of the ETPHA who runs a 55-head operation at his Madi-sonville farm. “The farms ceased to be. We had to get back that interest.”

“Another factor was the An-gus market,” adds Mitch. “In the 1990s, the Angus market was so high that a lot of people, espe-cially commercial breeders, really latched on because that was what was bringing good money at the stockyards.”

The Ingrams, both agricul-ture teachers at Sweetwater High School who have a herd of 25 polled Hereford mama cows plus show and replacement heifers, did their homework and launched a specific course of action.

“The first thing we did was ob-tain a mailing list from the Ameri-can Hereford Association of people in East Tennessee who were mem-bers of that organization,” says Mitch. “We sent a letter to those people inviting them to a meeting at a restaurant in Maryville. That’s how it all started. We just kept having meetings, and by the next year we had elected officers and kept growing and expanding from there.”

Ask ETPHA members what attracts them to the large, mus-cular, red-and-white breed, and one word will inevitably enter the conversa-tion — tempera-ment.

“As a vet-erinarian who’s worked with a lot of cows, I really like the disposition of the polled Hereford,” says Larry Kerr. “They’re very fertile, and most of the cows will raise a good-sized calf. I’ve been very partial to them since I was big enough to know what a cow was.”

Jonathan, who helps run the Dagley

family farm and their main busi-ness, Wartburg Tool and Die, says without hesitation that polled Her-efords are “the best breed, hands down.”

“They’re docile, so they’re easy to work with,” Jonathan says. “Everybody is experimenting with black breeds, but the Hereford has been around for years, and it’s making a comeback. The market is really good.”

Mitch points to feed efficiency as another plus of polled Herefords.

“It doesn’t take as much feed to feed Hereford cattle as it does some other breeds,” says Mitch, who uses Co-op Beef Select (#94169) he purchases from Foothills Farmers Cooperative. “Yet you can still put the same amount of pounds of fat on them in the same amount of time. We had several polled Herefords from Monroe County that graded choice and sold in the 2007 Hereford Influence sale to an Iowa feedlot. Most people wouldn’t think that from a Hereford.”

As Tanuja Dagley observed at Mud Creek Farms in October, there’s a whole other side benefit to being a member of the ETPHA.

“You meet a lot of really great people from different walks of life and make a lot of new friends,” she says. “Everybody wants to help each other out. You meet people who are Hereford breeders like you, and you always learn some-thing.”

Sidebar on State Polled Hereford AssociationDaylight had long since given way to a chilly evening, and Sel-

mer cattleman Bill Ashe was lamenting the sun’s early disappearing act.

“When you’re a one-man operation like I am most of the time, there just aren’t enough hours of light to do everything you’d like to get done,” says the spunky 71-year-old, who has 140 head of polled Hereford cattle and hay on his 300-acre farm in McNairy County. “We’ll just get up tomorrow and go at it again, I guess.”

Bill’s positive, forward-thinking approach serves him well in his other position, as president of the Tennessee Polled Hereford Asso-ciation (TPHA). During his tenure, which is now in its fourth year, the TPHA has experienced unprecedented growth as more and more producers come on board.

“The association is as strong as it’s ever been,” says Bill, who is in his 54th year of breeding Hereford cattle. “We’re at around 120 members right now, and we think with the declining farm popula-tion that number is exceptional. When I took over as president, the banquet room at our annual meeting was only half full. The last two years, we’ve had to bring in extra tables because we’ve had wall-to-wall people.”

The uptick in interest in the 63-year-old organization, Bill believes, is a direct result of the membership’s proactive approach to marketing the polled Hereford breed.

“We’re one of the really unique polled Hereford associations in the country because we have several programs that aren’t available in a lot of other state associations,” he says. “We have a state show, a very strong junior polled Hereford show, the an-

During Bill Ashe’s four-year tenure as president of the Tennessee Polled Hereford Association (TPHA), the organization has expe-rienced unprecedented growth with membership climbing to 120. Those numbers should climb even higher, the Selmer farmer says he believes, with the re-emergence of the East Tennessee Polled Her-eford Association (ETPHA).

“From a state association perspective, the greater the number of regional associations being active helps build an overall stronger state association,” Bill says. “It’s been very encouraging to observe what’s going on in East Tennessee. To have the type of success they did with their first sale is just outstanding.”

Bill adds that with the leadership it has in place, the ETPHA will only get better with time.

“I have the utmost confidence in Mitch [Ingram], the officers, and the board because they have a very good perspective on the current trends of the industry,” he says. “Mitch is very focused and can work with people in an amicable manner. The East Tennessee association couldn’t be in better hands.”

This past month, Bill got the oppor-tunity to share the TPHA’s accomplish-ments with a national audience when he spoke at the American Hereford Asso-ciation annual meeting in Kansas City.

“I talked about how we’re marketing polled Hereford cattle here in Tennes-see,” says Bill. “And I told them we have a successful association because of an interested, progressive, proactive board and membership. I’m glad to be a part of it.”

Tennessee president says ETPHA’s resurgence helps entire state

At their Madisonville farm, Mitch Ingram, second from right, and wife Kathryn talk nutrition with fellow producer Dean Littreal, left, and Foothills Farmers Cooperative feed specialist Jim Hull.

Larry Kerr grew up on a West Virginia Hereford farm and started his Tennessee polled Hereford operation in 1992.

This polled Hereford bull owned by Larry Kerr of Friendsville is an example of the top genetics producers are trying to breed into their herds.


Buffalo Valleyl

The orange-and-white Spald-ing basketball sails over hostile hands and toward the

basket in a lazy arc as players jockey for rebound position, their sneakers squeaking on the hardwood floor of the McMinnville Civic Center. When the ball short-hops off the rim and backboard, number 77 of the McMinnville Bulldogs snatches it out of the air, elbows flared menac-ingly outward, and whirls on a pivot foot for an outlet pass.

“Over here, Wanda!” cries Jo An Cantrell.

Only two years younger than her jersey number, Wanda Shanks fires the ball to 75-year-old teammate Jo

An, waiting at the top of the key, who then feeds a bounce

pass to 74-year-old Carolyn Lance, posted up

“down low.” Covered tightly by defender Frances Bouldin — at 67, the youngster on the court — Carolyn passes the ball back to Jo An, who had used a timely pick by Blanche Cook, 79, to break free near

the three-point line. Jo An launches a one-handed set shot with a perfect follow-through.

Swish!“Whoo, hoo!” calls Wanda with a

giggle. “Jo An’s on fire today!”It’s mid-October and the Bulldogs

are practicing for the upcoming season of an area senior basketball league. Wanda, a Buffalo Valley beef cattle farmer and longtime member of Putnam Farmers Coop-erative, is excited about the Bulldogs’ prospects.

“I think we’re going to do great this year,” she says, adding a little

smack-talk. “You’d better watch out for us at the nationals next summer in San Francisco! We might just go all the way!”

The bubbly grandmother of seven is nothing if not confident. After all, she can single-handedly attach a ro-tary mower to the three-point hitch of her John Deere tractor, pull a breech calf and then “doctor” the mother and baby, and load a trailer of polled Hereford/black Angus “black baldy” yearlings — all without tousling her perfectly coifed hairdo or smudging her eyeliner.

So why should she worry about some stingy man-to-man defense?

“If you believe in yourself, you can always figure out a way to get things done,” she says. “Especially if there is no one around but you.”

Eleven years ago, Wanda was sud-denly faced with that prospect when her beloved husband of more than 48 years, Walter, died of a heart attack after falling ill during Sunday school. Walter and Wanda had worked for years in the Putnam County school system and raised cattle on their 370-acre farm that had been in the Shanks family for several genera-tions. After Walter’s untimely death, Wanda was faced with a difficult life decision: keep farming or not.

She didn’t hesitate.“In my own mind, I had already

decided that if anything ever hap-pened to Walter, I would carry on the farm,” she says. “He had fixed his retirement in such a way that I could survive financially, and we didn’t owe anybody anything. I had always loved working with the cattle and was in good physical shape. Why shouldn’t I keep it?”

After the funeral, she stated as much to her three sons — Walter Jr., Morgan, and Stanley — and listened as they debated the future of the farm and their family matriarch.

“I just let them talk,” she recalls.

Basketball and cattle keep 75-year-old Wanda Shanks young at heart

&hoovesHoops

Story and photos by Mark E. Johnson

Wanda guards hook shot artist Frances Bouldin, who plays in a younger age bracket but often practices with the Bulldogs.

Putnam County beef cattle farmer and former school bookkeeper Wanda Shanks takes pride in her farm’s 200-year-old stone fences and barn, both originally built by slaves. While she receives help from her sons and friends for particularly difficult tasks, Wanda handles most of the farming herself.


“They were worried that it was too much, that I couldn’t handle it, and so on. Finally, Stanley said, ‘OK, Mama, we’re going to let you try it. I’ll come back every other weekend to help.’”

For several months, Stanley, a nuclear specialist in Huntsville, Ala., made the trip to help Wanda mend fences, castrate bull calves, and do other farm chores. But after he fell asleep driving and nearly crashed his car one night on the way home, Wanda put her foot down.

“I told him, ‘No more trips from Huntsville,’” she says. “He argued with me, but I wouldn’t hear it. I worked out a system where I could castrate the bull calves before they were 2 days old, while I could still handle them, and figured out other ways to adapt. At Christmas, the boys all came home and could see how well I was managing things, so they said, ‘OK, Mama, you just go have a good time. Don’t worry about making money, just go have fun.’ And that’s what I’ve been do-ing these 11 years.”

For the first six of those years, the former bookkeeper threw herself into farming 100 percent, finding enjoyment in nursing sick calves, putting up hay, mending the farm’s 200-year-old rock walls, and gather-ing firewood.

By 2003, though, Wanda began to feel like something was missing.

“As much as I love working with these animals and being out on the land, I knew I needed another out-let,” Wanda explains. “I missed be-ing around other people and having something to do besides farming.”

At a friend’s suggestion, Wanda, an avid sports fan and former high school basketball standout at Baxter Seminary in 1947-48, joined a group of retirees who had organized a weekly hoops game at First Baptist Church in Cookeville. The follow-ing year, those Tuesday morning sessions led Wanda to a “tryout” with the McMinnville Bulldogs, a women’s team in the 70s age bracket.

The team, which at the time included Carolyn, Jo An, Blanche Cook, and Jo Dean Ward, drove to Cookeville to scrimmage with Wanda, who admits she was nervous about playing for the first time with the “girls,” none of whom she had met.

“But I was handling that ball pret-ty good, dribbling it from one side to the other,” she says. “I thought it was important that I could show them I could move with the ball. Then, I came around and turned loose a great big long [shot] and hit nothing but the bottom of the net. I haven’t hit one like that since!”

Nonetheless, Wanda’s perfor-mance earned her a spot on the team.

“Oh, she was enthusiastic from the get-go,” says Jo An, whose hus-band, Dewey, coaches the squad. “She’s got so much energy, she keeps all of us on our toes.”

Jo An, a former cattle farmer herself, adds that Wanda’s enthu-siasm about her farm sometimes seeps into ball practice.

“Oh, we have to shush her down about those cows,” Jo An laughs. “But we’re like a family, so we can do that!”

Wanda says the experience has proven to be more than she hoped for.

“The girls are just wonderful people,” she says. “One of the best things that’s ever happened to me has been getting to know them. We visit and go to each other’s homes to eat after events, and so on. It’s just been great.”

The team plays in a league governed by the National Senior Games Association, and last year, the Bulldogs — winners of the Tennessee state senior’s tournament — placed fourth at the 2007 Senior Olympics in Louisville, Ky., behind teams from California, North Caro-lina, and Louisiana. The Bulldogs, formed in 2001, have also qualified for two previous Senior Olympics. Wanda expects a good showing at the 2009 games in San Francisco.

“We have committed ourselves — if we are all still up and go-ing — to making it to California and playing well,” she says. “By then, we will all be at least 75, so we can move into the 75-to-80 age bracket.”

She notes that, for her, basket-ball and farming complement each other perfectly.

“I was already in pretty good shape when I started playing [with the team] because of my activity here on the farm,” she says. “You know, it’s all about having fun with what you are doing. We play for

more than two hours some-times, but it doesn’t feel like a workout, like going to a gym and doing push-ups or treadmill or something. You get out here and walk the fields and mend fences and do the things you love, and it never really feels like a job.”

Wanda says that interacting with her 58 head of cattle on a daily ba-sis has made working alone much more manageable.

“They’re so accustomed to seeing me every day, they’d be lost without me,” she explains. “I get up every morning and get ready like I’m going to church before I head to the barn. If I were to show up without makeup, they wouldn’t know me. When I load them for the sale barn, I have to do it by myself because they’re not used to anyone else.”

She credits this constant farm ac-tivity and basketball — along with good genetics — with keeping her fit, energetic, and “young.”

“In life, you’ve got to keep mov-ing and keep active,” she says. “It doesn’t matter if it’s basketball, vol-leyball, horseshoe-pitching, or get-ting out with your cows or in your garden. You know, when I started, some people said I’d fall apart if I tried to get out there and play bas-

ketball, but these are the things that keep us out of a wheelchair and the rest home. It’s really amazing.”

More about senior sports in TennesseeAccording to the National Senior Games Association, Tennessee enjoys a thriving over-50 athlete population. At the 2007 U.S. Senior Olympics in Louisville, Ky., some 800 athletes from Tennessee competed, more than any other state. Last May, 1,760 participated in the 2008 Tennessee Senior Olympic Games in Chattanooga.

To locate a sports program for seniors in your area, contact your county senior center or visit the Web site of the Tennessee Senior Olympics at www.tnseniorolympics.com and click on the “District info” button.

The McMinnville Bulldogs are, from left: Jo Dean Ward, Wanda, Carolyn Lance, Blanche Cook, Jo An Cantrell, and coach Dewey Cantrell. The team has been together since 2001 and has qualified for the Senior Olympics three times.

LEFT: Wanda helps guide a blind calf away from a barbed-wire fence. She says she takes particular pride in working with and developing animals that might otherwise be “written off.” RIGHT: Wanda brings in the herd with her all-terrain vehicle.

Wanda takes a break from working in the unique stone barn on her farm. The former Baxter Seminary basketball standout says that on the farm, she most enjoys being around her cattle.


The Tennessee Cattlemen’s Asso-ciation’s (TCA) annual convention and trade show is set for Jan. 22-24 at the Music Road Inn and Conven-tion Center in Pigeon Forge.

“We always have a good time and learn something, too,” said Dick Daugherty, TCA president. “This is the best event for cattle-men to get together and catch up on what is happening in our industry.”

The convention will once again include a large trade show with vendors representing marketing, animal health, equipment, and feed companies, along with the popular cattle colleges featuring experts from all segments of the industry.

“The cattle colleges this year should be some of our best,” said Dr. Jim Neel, University of Ten-nessee Extension beef specialist. “We are bringing in speakers from across the country to help our pro-ducers remain profitable in these challenging times.”

The convention also features a tour of The Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge and Gamble Angus in Clinton, one of the premier producers of quality Angus genetics in the nation. Ten-nessee Cattlewomen activities will include a reception and tour of the Walters State Institute for Culinary Arts in Sevierville.

TCA is an organization that al-lows the state’s cattle producers to collectively protect their interests and work together toward the solu-tion of industry problems. For more information, call 615-896-2333 or visit www.tncattle.org.

Cattlemen’s Association to meet Jan. 22-24

After years of debate and devel-opment, Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) is now mandatory for cattle producers as of Sept. 30, 2008.

This federal law requires all pro-ducers who market cattle on a com-mercial level to declare the origin of their livestock by affidavit or by individually identifying U.S.-origin cattle with a National Animal Identi-fication System (NAIS)-compliant ear tag.

Retailers are the ultimate target of the COOL stipulations, which are meant to provide additional in-formation to consumers at the time of purchase. In addition to beef, the COOL law applies to lamb, pork, goat, chicken, and farm-raised fish and shellfish.

The regulations were originally part of the 2002 Farm Bill but were delayed twice because of challenges in how to make the law work. Parts were changed, and modifications to the original COOL law were passed in the 2008 Farm Bill. Although compliance is now required, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has indicated that the first six months of COOL will be devoted to education and imple-mentation before the focus shifts to enforcement.

Livestock marketing facilities are now expected to collect signed affidavits in order to comply with the law. The affidavit is a simple document — signed by the produc-er, owner, or farm manager — that declares the animals were born and raised in the U.S. A continuous af-fidavit can be kept on file with the market so a new document doesn’t have to be signed with each load of cattle. Any animal known to be in the U.S. prior to July 2008 is considered to be of U.S. origin.

An affidavit recommended by industry leadership can be down-loaded and printed from the Ten-nessee Farm Bureau Federation Web site at www.tnfarmbureau.org. Click on “Commodities” from the home page. The form can be used by producers of any size operation, from truckload to single-calf sales.

For details on COOL, visit the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service’s Web site at www.ams.usda.gov for producer information and frequently asked questions.

Producers must comply with COOL rules now in effect

At least 10 bags of any Co-op mineral and receive a $5 discount per 500 pounds or $20 per ton.

See your local Co-op Feed Specialist for details.

Invest in Co-op minerals before December 31, 2008.

YEAR-END MINERAL

SALE

PURCHASE


e I g h b o r l y ad v I c en By Keith Harrison

Winter supplementation strategy on our farmLike many Co-op employees, I am involved in our family farm in ad-

dition to my day job. My father, Therman Harrison, and I have a 55-cow commercial beef operation in Wilson County. For us, winter supplementa-tion is essential to our feeding program, and I wanted to share a few ideas and considerations that I hope fellow beef producers can use on their farms.

This time of the year, producers provide the majority of the feed their cattle consume. Due to the second straight year of drought, many of us have not been able to take advantage of stockpiling forages for winter feed-ing and will have to provide hay or feed to our cattle. The good news is that Tennessee farmers had a good early hay crop in 2008, and most may not need to purchase as much hay or manufactured feed as last year.

In a recent presentation, Mike Murphy from Cattle-Fax said the main thing on farmers’ minds today is high production costs and how to cut them. But he warned cattle producers not to make cuts in three areas — genetics, health, and nutrition — if they want to be profitable long-term. Personally, I am not cutting corners in these areas. I hope you don’t either, which is one reason winter supplementation is so important.

Instead of cutting back, to me the question is, “How do we make the most of our situation?” The place to start is hay storage and feeding. Round-baled hay is an expensive feed product when you consider the inputs necessary to produce it. Many farmers have taken advantage of the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program’s (TAEP) cost-share and built hay barns to store this valuable commodity. These structures can save up to 35 percent of round bales versus outside storage, according to the University of Tennessee. Many producers also use hay tarps to protect hay from the elements. When tarps are managed correctly, studies have shown up to a 30-percent savings in hay.

It is also critical to feed round bales properly to realize the full benefit of storage savings. Simply using hay rings is a big advantage. Recent UT studies indicate that products like the Co-op Hay Saver cone-style feeder can provide additional savings over traditional hay rings. Ultimately, pro-

ducers can save up to 40 percent to 50 percent of hay just by managing its storage and feeding. In-cidentally, hay feeders are part of the TAEP, too.

UT encourages producers to test their hay each year, a practice more beef producers need to fol-low. If you don’t know the quality of your hay, it’s pretty safe to assume that additional protein supplementation will be necessary for cows to raise their calves, maintain proper body condi-tion, and breed back during the winter months. UT recommends supple-menting beef cattle to maintain a Body Condition Score of 4 to 6 — what my neighbors would call a “just right” cow, not too thin or too fat.

To achieve “just right” status, producers first need to evaluate their herds. Consider culling marginal cows and sorting cattle by production stage, particularly first-calf heifers. These animals have higher nutritional re-quirements than mature cows and may need more intense supplementation. Daily hand-feeding is necessary if cattle are thin. If cattle are already in good condition, daily hand-feeding is not as critical but still an option. Be careful not to overfeed “just right” cattle because they can become too fat.

Convenience protein supplementation products like liquid feeds, tubs, and pressed blocks help to meet your herd’s winter nutritional needs. All of these product labels show similar profiles and claims, so your choice de-pends on your individual situation, considering product availability, desired consumption, past experience, and price. Personally, I have used Co-op’s Supreme Repro Blocks for the past four winters and have seen great results at a very competitive price. I feed them in plastic, three-compartment, low-profile mineral feeders along with Co-op Supreme Cattle Mineral, all on a free-choice basis. High-magnesium versions of both of these products are available for grass tetany protection. Consult your local Co-op feed sales-person for a supplementation program to meet your operation’s needs.

Keith Harrison is market-ing manager for Tennessee Farmers Cooperative’s Animal Nutrition Division.


Story and photos by Allison Morgan

Craig Howell never knows what will appear when he sits down to carve one of

his unique cypress knee Santas.This time, Santa is exhausted,

yawning widely as he heads to bed after a long night of Christmas Eve travels. Or he might be mischie-vous, daring the others to a snowball fight with a pile of frozen ammuni-tion behind his back. The jolly old elf could be holding a hobbyhorse

McNairy County’s Craig Howell has carved a niche for his Christmas-themed crafts

for one of the “nice” children on his list or carrying a bucket of corn to feed his trusty reindeer.

Each one-of-a-kind piece has its own personality and its own story, chiseled with care by an unlikely artist who has an abundance of rough-hewn, self-taught talent.

“When I start carving, I just decide on the design as I go,” says Craig. “Sometimes I’m surprised, and sometimes I’m not satisfied, but everything I do is different. I don’t do that cookie-cutter stuff.”

Humble and soft-spoken, Craig started carving about 10 years ago on a whim. The Ramer railroad worker knew nothing about wood-working and had actually never attempted to craft anything until something told him he should give it a try.

“I just started carving one day,” shrugs Craig. “My wife, Sheila, and I like to go to a lot of festivals, and I was watching some people carve in Gatlinburg when something clicked. I thought, ‘I could probably do

that.’ I tried it and kind of surprised myself, so I just kept on. Now, I can’t quit.”

Although a walking cane was the first thing he carved, Craig quickly moved on to Santa and now spe-cializes in Old-World figures made from cypress knees, which grow above ground from the roots of cy-press trees in swampy areas all over West Tennessee. Craig says the material is readily available around his McNairy County home, and the natural cone shape of the knees lends itself perfectly to carving whimsical Santas, each with a round body, long face, and tall cap.

“You see a lot of cypress knees up and down the railroad and in the swamps around here, and one day I looked at them and thought they’d be neat to carve,” says Craig, a customer of Mid-South Farmers Cooperative in Selmer. “Once you get the bark off, you have a nice, smooth surface to work with, and you can almost see a face starting to take shape.”

Craig will spend six to eight hours just on one Santa, carving and painting each detail with patient, painstaking care. At first, the mod-est artist had no intentions of selling them, but as his time investment and inventory began to build, he decided he needed to market his creations.

“It was a long time before I ever tried to sell anything,” says Craig. “I didn’t think they were good enough. But after a while, you’ve got so much time in them and they start collecting, so you’ve got to do something. When I finally took some to sell at a festival, people seemed to like them.”

He now sets up a booth at two craft fairs each year — Selmer’s Broomcorn Festival in September and Ames Plantation’s Heritage Fes-tival in October — and sells some of his pieces at L&L Emporium and Gifts in nearby Corinth, Miss.

“Craig does wonderful work, and we’ve gotten nothing but praise from our customers who see his pieces in our store,” says Brenda Lancaster, who owns the Corinth shop with her husband, Kenneth. “We’ve sold quite a few of his walking canes, Santas, and other carvings. The naturalness of what he does fits right in with our goal of showcasing local artists and unique items from this region.”

Craig prices his Santas any-where from $40 to $100, depend-ing on size and detail. He has also branched out into smaller pieces like Christmas ornaments, carved from

workshopSanta’s

l Ramer

Humble about his artistic talent, Craig Howell of Ramer is nevertheless proud to show off a selection of his whimsical Santa Claus carvings. A 20-year employee of Norfolk Southern Railroad, Craig started carving about 10 years ago without any training.


birch limbs, that he makes in about 45 minutes and sells for less.

“I thought some people may not want to spend a lot of money but would still like to take something home, so I started doing these little ornaments,” says Craig. “I think they will last a long time, and I’d like to think they may end up as an heirloom or something. I try to put my initials on everything and the date when I finish it so people can look back and remember when and where they bought them.”

Now a versatile carver, Craig doesn’t limit his repertoire to just Christmas crafts. Nature themes thrive in his carvings, with the fig-ures of fish, raccoons, rabbits, and bears sculpted out of all shapes and sizes of wood. His favorite thing to carve is a walking cane with an intricate snake design that’s so life-like it has actually frightened some customers. He meticulously marks out each scale one-by-one, adds fangs fashioned from deer antlers, attaches a coiled-up tongue made out of deer hide, and completes the effect with replica reptile eyes.

“I like to see people’s reaction to it,” chuckles Craig. “Some people won’t even touch it because it looks so real. I have actually had people ask me how I got that snake hide stretched over that stick. Some of the guys get a real kick out of scar-ing people with them. There was a lady over at the local cafe who has a real phobia of snakes. Some-one stuck one of my snake canes around the corner to show her, and she came unglued — and she had a butcher knife in her hand!”

Although he seldom does custom orders, Craig has made the snake cane by request. Occasionally, he will also carve faces and figures into rustic handles for local broom-maker Jack Martin at the Hockaday Handmade Brooms shop in Selmer. And for his dental hygienist daugh-ter, Ashley Sparks, Craig crafted a

special Santa, complete with teeth, a toothbrush, and some toothpaste. She returned the favor by giving her father a book on chainsaw-carving, which is next on his list of skills to perfect. He’s started with small bears and plans to work his way up to an eagle.

Most of the wood material Craig uses comes from trees and branches that are cleared from the right-of-way alongside the railroad tracks, where he has worked for the past 20 years on a B&B (bridges and build-ing) gang for the Norfolk Southern Railroad. His job is to help main-tain the railroad structures along a 260-mile stretch between Memphis and Stevenson, Ala.

A fallen sycamore tree Craig found across the tracks has now been transformed into his larg-est sculpture so far — a life-sized, solemn-faced Indian in full regalia.

“I loaded up that tree and brought it home because I had always wanted to do an Indian,” says Craig. “He stays out in my shop, and I come out here and chip away on him every once in a while. I’ve been working on him for two or three years.”

That’s the beauty of woodcarv-ing, Craig points out. He can work whenever he’s inspired, with no rhyme or reason. With his rail-road job, Craig has Fridays and the weekends free, so he often does his woodworking on his days off. Sometimes he works in the cramped quarters of his backyard shop, which doubles as a storage building, or he’ll carve and paint outdoors when the weather is nice.

“I just work on it as I can,” says Craig. “I like to sit down by myself and get into it and not be inter-rupted. The problem is, I have a lot of other hobbies, like deer-hunting and fishing. It depends on how the mood strikes, I reckon, and what the weather is doing.”

Looking around at the clear blue fall skies and then grinning slyly, Craig adds, “Today looks like a pretty good day to fish.”

As much as he loves hunting and fishing, however, Craig says noth-ing compares to the satisfaction in taking an ordinary piece of wood and turning it into an extraordinary piece of art that someone else will treasure — even if he doesn’t under-stand why.

“People call this folk art, but I don’t really consider myself an artist,” says Craig. “It’s more like therapy for me, I guess you’d say. But when people appreciate how much work you put into it and you know they’re going to enjoy looking at it and setting it out year after year, there’s some pride involved, too. I can’t explain it, but I just enjoy it.”

Finding Craig’s carvingsFor more information about

Craig Howell’s carvings, e-mail him at [email protected] or visit him at next year’s Broom-corn Festival on Sept. 19, 2009, in Selmer, or the Heritage Festival on Oct. 10, 2009, at Ames Planta-tion in Grand Junction. Some of his pieces are also for sale at L&L Emporium and Gifts, 115 North Fillmore Street in Corinth, Miss. Call 662-286-5008 or e-mail [email protected].

LEFT: Craig says he spends six to eight hours on each cypress knee Santa, with painting being the most difficult task. He works outdoors when the weather is nice or in the workshop behind his McNairy County home. RIGHT: His finished Santas start in the rough form of a cypress knee, cut from the above-ground roots of cypress trees found in swampy areas around Craig’s home.

LEFT: Along with Christmas themes, Craig specializes in carving scenes from nature, like this raccoon “treed” by a hound. This piece is fashioned from driftwood he found on the banks of the Tennessee River. CENTER: Craig transforms a piece of birch branch into a Santa ornament, which he can finish in about 45 minutes. RIGHT: Native Amerian faces and figures are also favorite subjects for Craig. Besides these busts, he is carving a life-sized Indian that’s still a work in progress.


“It just makes feeding time a lot easier and quicker,” says George as he dumps bags of Co-op beef feed into the bright red, yellow-wheeled implement. “I wish we’d have gotten one years ago.”

As owners of 125 acres of mostly pasture and 40 head of Angus cattle, the Taylors were looking for ways to streamline their operation when Gail spotted the 20-foot-long trailer-style feeder last December at DeKalb Farmers Cooperative, where they’ve been members for many years. When manager Gilbert Martin confirmed that the feeder quali-fied for Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program cost-share funds, Gail says she was sold.

“I love the fact that it works equally well for hay and dry feeds,” says Gail, an energetic 29-year employee of DeKalb County Farm Bureau. “The cattle can get in there and eat their fill without being shoved out by their neighbors. Plus, when the ground around it gets muddy, we just hook up to it and move it somewhere else.”

Both Gail and George point out that they are impressed with the sturdy craftsmanship of the feeder, which is American-made in Pennsylva-nia’s Amish country. Named for a creek that flows through Lancaster County, the company was founded in 1970 by an Amish farmer who built an innovative fluffer tedder to dry his hay faster. The company has since expanded into chippers, trailers, and turf equipment in addition to its agricultural line.

“This feeder is obviously well-built,” says George. “We’ve been very satisfied with how it’s held up since we bought it. It handles abuse from the cattle with no problem. I expect we’ll be using it for years to come.”

For more information about Pequea feeders, visit the company’s Web site at www.pequea.com or talk to the professionals at your local Co-op.

TOP RIGHT:

Longtime DeKalb Farmers Cooperative members George and Gail Taylor have been feeding their 40 head of black

Angus cattle from a 20-foot Pequea feeder since December 2007. George says he’s most impressed with the versatility

of the implement, which handles hay and dry feeds equally well.

BOTTOM LEFT:

The Taylors discuss their feeding program and Pequea feeder with Brett Nanney, senior product manager with Ag

Equipment U.S.A., a division of Tennessee Farmers Cooperative. Pequea feeders are available at Co-ops statewide.

10-ft. modelavailable.

Tennessee Cooperator December 2008 19Tennessee Cooperator December 2008 3


Although it’s likely been more than a century since the last “work-ing” flatboat plied these waters, the Mississippi River rolls across the vessel’s oak and poplar planks with the ease of old friends remi-niscing about past times. There is something familiar and comfort-able about the way the weathered-gray, floating lumberyard rides the muddy current.

“I’m basically pushing a box through the water, but she handles like a dream,” says Capt. Bob Cherry as he works a decidedly 21st-century throttle with his right hand, his left on the wheel. “With these big ol’ motors, I can put her anywhere I want her. Makes you appreciate the old-timers who had to pole these boats along with the current. They were at the mercy of the river. Half the time, front was back and back was front, and they were probably bouncing off of stuff continuously.”

But Cherry, a ponytailed 59-year-old who carries a master’s captain license for every major tributary in the U.S., keeps this vessel flat, level, and perfectly between the red and green buoys that guide river pilots along safe channels of the tricky waterway. Christened “Voyage of Remembrance,” the flatboat was built specifically for the mighty Mississip’ as was a similar but larger craft piloted by 19-year-old Abraham Lincoln in 1828, back when flatboats loaded with drygoods, livestock, and frontier merchandise traded and bartered their way down the massive river. They usually ended up in rowdy New Orleans where their cargo was dispersed to seagoing vessels.

Today, the “Voyage’s” destina-tion is the same, but its purpose is much different. The 60-foot-long vessel is owned by Hoosier Ron Drake, a lawyer and amateur histo-rian who is partnering with officials of Spencer County, Ind., to re-enact the flatboat trip about which Lin-coln so often spoke and wrote.

Lincoln historians say this trip was a notable piece of the puzzle that created the American icon we revere today. Legend has it that the impressionable farm boy witnessed a slave auction during his voyage, watching a mother being torn from her child somewhere north of New Orleans. The experience, they say, helped mold his opinion of freedom — or the lack thereof — in Amer-ica, though there’s dispute about whether the encounter happened on the ’28 trip or one he made a few years later.

“Regardless, this was a pivotal moment in Lincoln’s develop-ment,” says Drake of the trip that inspired the 2008 excursion, part of a two-year nationwide celebra-tion marking the president’s 200th birthday. “I’m happy to be able to shed light on this extraordinary yet little-known event.”

The 50,000-pound flatboat replica is manned by six full-time crewmen, followed by a ground crew carrying fuel and supplies, and powered by state-of-the-art, twin 150-horsepower outboard engines donated by Mercury Ma-rine. Abe’s boat, on the other hand, was propelled by wind, current, and the muscle of two wide-eyed young men out to explore a world beyond the narrow boundaries of their home in Rockport, Ind., a tiny Spencer County village across from Owensboro, Ky., on the Ohio River.

“A trading neighbor [James Gentry] applied him to take charge of a flat-boat and its cargo, and, in company with his own son, to take it to the sugar planta-tions near New Orleans,” recalled Lincoln, referring to himself in the third-person in the 1896-published “Abraham Lincoln’s Stories and Speeches.” “The entire business of the trip was placed in Abraham’s hands.”

The motives for Lincoln’s trip seem clear: sheer adventure and, at $8 per month, a decent wage for a man of his youth and inexperience. The motives of the six crewmen in 2008 are more varied.

For Drake, the journey is a fam-ily pilgrimage of sorts, a way to reconnect to his Primitive Baptist heritage and explore his pedi-gree. This is the second such trip for 76-year-old Bob Grose, who made a similar excursion in 1958 with a Jaycees group from Grand-view, Ind., and simply “wanted to go again.” Gallatin resident

and longtime Sumner Farm-ers Cooperative customer John Cooper is the boat’s builder, trip master, and the coun-try’s foremost authority on flatboats. He’s made 13 such trips over the past 20 years. Bob Bleemel, a producer from WBDC Radio in Huntingburg, Ind., is broadcast-ing once daily from the boat (via cell phone) to several groups of elementary school children back home.

The motivation of Cherry and his longtime buddy and first mate, Sterling Edwards, is perhaps most similar to Abe’s: a little money and a good time.

“I don’t know any more about Lincoln than what I learned in el-ementary school,” says Cherry. “They needed a certified river

captain, and it sounded like a hoot to me.”

“We thought, ‘What better way to spend a month?’” adds 62-year-old Edwards — also named boat cook — as he stirs a bubbling pot of corned beef and cabbage over a camp stove. (Tomorrow, it’s frog legs.) “And look at us now. We’re floating down the Mississippi River with not a care in the world!”

In 1828, though, young Lincoln would have most certainly had “cares.” By his own admission, he probably had no business ramrod-ding such an ambitious undertak-ing. His slim resume would have only featured a few months (at best) of crude schooling, a kick in the head by a mule at age 8 that “prostrated him and left him

insensible,” and hard field labor on neighboring farms. But the strapping youngster was already developing an unstoppable work ethic and what would later become a renowned sense of honesty and integrity.

“He had never made the trip, knew nothing of the journey, was unaccustomed to business trans-actions, had never been much upon the river,” Lincoln wrote of himself. “But his tact, ability, and honesty were so trusted that the trader was willing to risk his cargo and his son in Lincoln’s care.”

The mere fact that Gentry en-trusted his son, Allen — let alone his merchandise — to the care of a local teenager spoke volumes; the trip to New Orleans was not for the faint of heart. In his 1900 memoir “Evolution of a State,” frontiers-man and one-time Tennessean Noah Smithwick described some of the perils of floating a “Mississippi broadhorn” — as long-distance flatboats were often called — down the well-traveled river during Lin-coln’s time.

“The crew consisted of three men, whose principal duty was to look out for ‘sawyers,’ sunken trees, and to keep clear of eddies, for a boat once drawn into the swirl would go floating around indefi-nitely, in danger of colliding with the ever-accumulating drift and be-ing sunk,” wrote Smithwick. “The flatboat having served its purpose, it was broken up and sold for lumber and fuel, while the owner

“He had never

made the trip, knew

nothing of the journey,

was unaccustomed to

business transactions,

had never been much

upon the river.”

— Abraham Lincoln

The flatboat crew includes, from left, Bob Bleemel, Capt. Bob Cherry, builder John Cooper, Adolfo Santizo, Sterling Edwards, Perry McArthur, Bob Grose, and owner Ron Drake.

The 50,000-pound vessel is built of ash and poplar harvested from Drake’s Spencer County, Ind., farm. The engraved beam comes from his family church, where the Lincolns attended.

Lincoln(continued from page 19)


pocketed his cash and wended his way home, generally on foot up through Mississippi, where he was liable to be interviewed by [ban-dits] and relieved of his money if not his life.”

As the 2008 “broadhorn” pro-ceeds at a leisurely 10 miles per hour, the early-morning haze, a faint, pungent smell of river mud, and the occasional bump of drift-wood passing underneath the hull make it easy to imagine what Lincoln was experiencing as he and Allen Gentry shoved off into the current of the Ohio River, bound toward Cairo, Ill., where the Ohio and Mississippi collided. In many cases, the landscape that glides past is nearly identical to how it would have appeared 180 years ago, although the swells of the constant barge traffic have slowly eroded the banks and widened the river.

“Aside from barges, buoys, mile markers, and occasional factories of one type or another, we’re see-ing basically the same sights that Abe saw,” says Cooper. “The river hasn’t changed all that much. The main difference [in the two trips] is we have all the modern convenienc-es of powerful engines, cell phones, and various safety procedures. Abe and Allen had nothing but their spunk, strength, and ingenuity. It was a dangerous journey back then.”

It may have been even more dangerous than Lincoln and Gentry had bargained for, as they discov-ered when they tied up one evening somewhere between Natchez, Miss., and New Orleans.

“Night had fallen, and the two voyagers had lain down on their hard bed for sleep,” Lincoln wrote. “Hearing a noise on shore, Abraham shouted: ‘Who’s there?’ The noise continued, and no voice replying, he sprang to his feet, and saw seven Negroes, evidently bent on plun-der. Abraham guessed the errand

at once, and seizing a hand-spike, rushed towards them, and knocked one into the water the moment he touched the boat.”

Despite the fact that he and Gentry were slightly injured dur-ing the fight, Lincoln reported that they dealt their assailants “a severe pounding.” He also noted the irony that, in future years, he would become the “liberator of the race,” and “it is not impossible that some of [the attackers] have lived to be emancipated by his proclamation.”

On the 2008 trip, aside from the remnants of Hurricane Ike that nearly swamped the flatboat near Elizabethtown, Ill., on Sept. 14, the only assailants are ankle-biting mosquitoes and local media at nearly all of the 23 towns and cities visited by the “Voyage of Remem-brance.”

But unlike the mosquitoes, the news coverage is welcome. After all, the ultimate purpose of the trip is to raise awareness of the life and legacy of one of our greatest Americans. Specifically, Drake aims to shed light on the fact that Lincoln spent his formative years a few miles north of Rockport, an often-overlooked footnote to his adult years in Illinois. During an

impromptu discussion around the large plank table in the boat’s cabin, Drake explains some of his motiva-tion for putting the project together.

“My dad preached at the Little Pigeon Primitive Baptist Church, and I’ve always known that the Lincolns had attended there,” says Drake. “About 15 years ago, I began researching the Lincoln fam-ily’s history in the church and com-munity and became fascinated with how my family’s past may have connected with theirs. I often say that I went searching for Lincoln and found my own family.”

Drake had originally commis-sioned construction of the replica vessel in 2006 to re-enact a trip made by his ancestors in 1810. Af-ter that trip, a Spencer County, Ind., official contacted him with the idea of the Lincoln voyage.

“I felt that this would enhance the history of this boat, what we have done, and [my] family as well,” says Drake, who points out that writings from his church’s re-cord books during the years the Lin-colns attended seem to mirror many of the future president’s well-known philosophies. “I found this juxtapo-sition of what my people had said in 1815 and laid it side-by-side with Lincoln’s second inaugural address. It’s amazing how the two families adhered to one philosophy. He ar-rived at that over a journey through life with all the struggles and do-mestic unhappiness he had, children he lost, all the men whose lives he was responsible for and who died as a result of his decisions. Yet at the end of his life, for him, it was freedom, freedom, freedom. That’s what my people had said in 1815.”

The discussion breaks up as the boat approaches the San Soucci Landing at Osceola, Ark., where lo-cal publicity has resulted in a grow-ing crowd of onlookers lining the shore. Capt. Cherry lets the mas-sive craft drift slightly downstream before turning toward the west bank

and applying power to the outboard engines. Despite his expert efforts, though, a swirling eddy and an aluminum-hulled boat containing three shirtless and overly curious fishermen prompt Cherry to abort the initial landing and try again.

“Can you imagine trying to ac-complish this without engines?” asks Bleemel rhetorically as he dons his 19th-century period garb to “play the part” for the local crowd. “You’d only have one shot at it. Lincoln and Gentry probably landed wherever they could find a snag to tie onto.”

There is a vague irony in the vessel’s landing here. In the town of Wilson, Ark., just a mile or two from the landing, the federal govern-ment investigated plantation owners for slavery as recently as the 1960s. Rumors have it that hobos from pass-ing trains were “hired” to work the cotton fields and processing plants but were forced into labor for fear of their lives. Today, the town is a quaint but somewhat sad-looking vil-lage with the dilapidated, abandoned towers of the Wilson Cotton plant still casting long afternoon shadows over Main Street.

But, Cooper points out, the rawboned 19-year-old who poled his flatboat past these riverbanks in 1828 casts a much longer and broader shadow. The wake Lincoln left in the muddy water is still traveling today.

“It’s an honor to be associated with Abraham Lincoln,” says Cooper as he ties the vessel’s lines to riprap boulders alongside the boat launch. “I can’t imagine where we would be today had Lincoln not had the integ-rity and tenacity to see our country through its darkest times. He wasn’t a perfect man, but he was exactly who we needed at that time.”

“And,” he adds, “if it takes a bunch of us to build and float an old flatboat down the Mississippi River to remind people of Lincoln’s legacy, well then, I’m glad to do it!”

LEFT: Casey McCoy, a student at Southern Indiana University, portrays the young Lincoln during part of the trip. RIGHT: Inside the boat’s cabin, Bleemel discusses the trip with David Pierce, a reporter with the Osceola (Ark.) Times.

LEFT: The sun rises over the Mississippi River as Drake readies the flatboat for departure from the San Soucci Landing at Osceola, Ark. After the craft arrived the previous evening, the crew was treated to a meal by local dignitaries and chamber of commerce. RIGHT: Capt. Cherry, certified on every major U.S. tributary, says this trip was a “one-in-a-million” opportunity.


Greeneville l

TailormadePRESIDENTFrom humble beginnings, Tennessee’s Andrew Johnson — whose bicentennial birthday is this month — bettered himself and rose to the nation’s highest office

ABOVE: A life-sized statue of Andrew Johnson greets visitors to the late president’s National Historic Site in Greeneville. The site honors his life and work and preserves two of his homes, his tailor shop, and his gravesite. RIGHT: Johnson’s homestead, which he moved into with his family in 1851, was valued between $150,000-$175,000 upon his death in 1875, that would be more than $15 million today.


hen seemingly all the cards were stacked against him at

a very young age, Andrew Johnson stared adversity in the face and never blinked. His steely resolve made him Greeneville’s mayor and its most famous resident, a Tennes-see governor and U.S. senator, vice president to Abraham Lincoln, and, ultimately, the 17th president of the United States in 1865 following Lincoln’s tragic assassination.

In 2008, historians have been celebrating the bicentennial birthdays of both Johnson and Lincoln (see related story, pages 19-21) and this month is the 200th anniversary of Johnson’s birth. To culminate the community-wide activities that have occurred in Greeneville throughout the year, the official Andrew Johnson Bicentennial Celebration will take

place on the night of his birthday, Dec. 29. The free public event will include a wreath-laying ceremony and fireworks at Monument Hill, the National Cemetery high above Greeneville where the late president and his family are buried, and a “birthday party” — complete with a giant birthday cake — downtown near the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site.

“One of the great results coming out of the bicentennial events we’ve had is that people are rediscovering Andrew Johnson, who could have made a successful life just running his tailor shop here in Greeneville but chose to do something else to move his life forward,” says Jim Small, chief of operations at the An-drew Johnson National Historic Site, which is run by the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior.

When he was born in Raleigh, N.C., in 1808, all the classic signs pointing to a life of struggle appeared to be in place during Johnson’s

formative years. At the tender age of three he lost his father, Jacob, to pneumonia. Enduring abject poverty, Mary Johnson was forced to appren-tice Andrew and brother William to a local tailor. And, most dishearten-ing, the boys had nowhere to turn for public education.

“Most people are not aware that Andrew Johnson had no formal schooling,” Small says. “He taught himself how to read and write. He is the only U.S. president who never went to school a day in his life, yet he realized how important it was to be educated, and he was the first governor in Tennessee to appropriate serious money to public education.”

Five years into his apprenticeship contract in 1824, at age 15, Johnson became disenchanted and ran away, heading over the mountains into parts of Alabama and Tennessee. He eventually settled in Greeneville.

He returned to North Carolina for his family, convincing his mother — who had remarried — as well as his brother and their stepfather to make the perilous journey by horse and wagon to relocate in Greeneville. Shortly thereafter, the president-to-be put the skills he learned during his apprenticeship to use by opening a tailor shop in 1826. It was also

during this time that he met a local woman, Eliza McCardle, who would become his wife a year later and give birth to their five children.

“The tailor shop was known for being a center for political debate,” says Small. “There were some lively discussions, and Andrew was known as being a very strong defender of the United States Constitution. It was in this intimate setting where his political career found merit.”

In 1829, Johnson, by then a father himself, organized his own “working man’s” party, which elected him to his first public office: alderman for the city of Greeneville. Four years later, he became the town’s mayor and climbed upward in Tennessee politics from there, serving in the Democratic Party as a state represen-tative, state senator, and U.S. repre-sentative before capturing the state’s top office of governor in 1853.

During his political ascension, Johnson established a reputation as a champion for the common man’s interests. As a state senator and representative, he led the charge for a “free farm for the poor” bill under which land would be given to farmers who had none. As governor,

W

(See Johnson, page 25)


Enjoy ‘Co-op Kids’ all year long2009 Feeds Calendar photo contest winners announced

The 2009 edition of Co-op’s popular feed calendar is now available and once again

features photos of children sport-ing their Co-op colors, displaying Co-op feed products, or showing off their animals.

Our sixth annual photo con-test has again produced an eye-catching calendar featuring “Co-op Kids.” The 13 photos (12 months plus the cover) were chosen from more than 240 entries submitted by

Co-op customers and employees across the state.

“The quality and creativity of these photos get better every year,” says Keith Harrison, Tennessee Farmers Cooperative animal nutri-tion marketing manager. “Because there were so many wonderful entries, narrowing those to only 13 was a difficult task.”

The winning entries are reprint-ed here. Most of the photos not chosen for the calendar were fea-

tured in a slide show at TFC’s annual meeting on Dec. 1 and may be used in future advertise-ments or other publicity pieces.

The calendar also includes timely and useful beef recom-mendations for each month along with quarterly manage-ment tips from University of Tennessee Extension beef special-ist Clyde Lane for fall and spring calving herds.

Because of its continued popu-

larity, we’re repeating the calendar contest for next year. Contest guidelines and an entry form are printed on the following page.

Perched atop a hay bale, Ben Smelcer of Jefferson County is featured on the cover of the 2009 “Co-op Kids” Calendar.

January: Ali Christopher, Williamson Farmers Co-op February: Jay Moore, Hawkins Farmers Co-op March: Lyza Smith , Brady Evans, and Bailey Evans, Fentress Farmers Co-op

April: Lainey Hutchison, Mid-South Farmers Co-op May: Dare Collins and dog Belle, DeKalb Farmers Co-op June: Carter Lee Major, Wilson Farmers Co-op

July: Madison Baird, Scott Morgan Farmers Co-op August: Hailey and Carter Simpson, Warren Farmers Co-op

September: Cameron Batey, Dickson Farmers Co-op

October: Shelby and Sawyer Wales with horse Elmo, Giles Farmers Co-op

November: Mason, Ike, Ida, and Miles Bernard, Robertson Cheatham Farmers Co-op

December: Faith Dickerson, White County Farmers Co-op


By Kim Smith, equine specialista c k ro o m Ta l k

A lifelong equine enthusiast, Kim Smith has a master’s degree in animal science from West Texas A&M, where her academic research focused on horse nutrition. In 1999, she joined Tennessee Farmers Cooperative as a statewide equine specialist.

TNew timothy cubes offer forage feeding option

Insulin resistance in equine seems to be a growing problem. Over the last several years, more horse-owners have called and asked me advice about feeding horses that have been diagnosed with this problem. Insulin resistance is an endocrine system disease that can lead to equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), which, along with equine Cushing’s disease, is one of the most common endocrine disorders in horses. Technically, these diseases are different, but they share some of the same symptoms. In addition, both diseases require horses to be managed nutritionally with low-starch diets. This month, I will introduce you to a new feeding option for these horses.

Many of you may know that Tennessee Farmers Cooperative has al-falfa and alfalfa/timothy hay cubes available from a company called On-tario Dehy Inc. in Ontario, Canada. For many years, I have recommended using these cubes in diets for senior horses and in times of hay shortage. Today, the alfalfa cubes are also utilized in our “complete” feeds. We now offer another product — Timothy Balance™ Cubes (#1110) — from the same manufacturer.

Timothy Balance Cubes are a consistent, convenient, low-protein forage replacement or supplement made with the very best, premium-grade Timothy hay, beet pulp, and specific minerals. These hay cubes are formulated for horses with equine Cushing’s disease, insulin resistance, laminitis, and other related conditions where a diet low in nonstructural carbohydrates (sugar + starch) is recommended.

According to Aurelio Henriques at Ontario Dehy Inc., the company rig-orously tests the timothy hay and beet pulp ingredients used in the cubes to make sure they are low in nonstructural carbohydrates. At the request of Dr. Eleanor Kellon, one of the most respected research veterinarians in metabolic disorders, Ontario Dehy also fortifies the Timothy cubes with additional minerals to balance the two ingredients. Each batch of cubes is tested to make sure nutrient specifications are met.

These cubes are recommended to be fed at a rate of 1.5 to 2 percent of total body weight per day. Feeding in a bucket or tub at ground level is preferred. If you are feeding a horse with poor teeth, you should soak the cubes in warm water to break them apart for easier ingestion. These cubes are processed un-der thorough quality assurance policies and procedures.

If you have been looking for an alternative feeding program for your metabolically chal-lenged horse, give Timothy Balance Cubes (#1110) a try. I think you will be pleased with the quality, and your horse will love them, too.

If you have any questions, contact me at 615-714-3202 or e-mail me at [email protected].

Would you like to see your favorite “Co-op Kid” featured on the 2010 Co-op Feed Calendar? Send us a photo! Here are the guidelines:

l Submit horizontal photos and a completed entry form. High-quality digital entries will be accepted, too. Send only duplicates because entries will not be returned.

l The child or children must be pictured with a favorite pet, farm animal, Co-op feed product, and/or Co-op cap.

l Entries may be either portraits or candid shots of special events or everyday farm activities.

l Identify each person in the photo from left to right and the pho-tographer.

l Co-op customers, members, and employees are eligible to enter.l Deadline for entries is June 15, 2009. l All entries become the property of Tennessee Farmers Coopera-

tive and may be used in future publicity or ads. l Decisions of the judges are final.Send photos and entry form to: Co-op Kids Calendar, Animal Nutrition

Division, Tennessee Farmers Cooperative, P.O. Box 3003, LaVergne, TN 37086, or use the online form at www.ourcoop.com. For details, call Keith Harrison at (615) 793-8585 or e-mail [email protected].

Name

Address

Phone

E-mail (optional)

Your local Co-op

Photographer

Names of people in the photo, listed left to right:

Explain what’s taking place in the photo

Co-op Kids calendar photo contest

Seeking ‘Co-op Kids’ for 2010


the complete feed

www.ourcoop.com

EQUI LITE

Simply a superior technology for the life of your horse.

Equi Lite 1300, Co-op’s complete horse feed, is formulated to meet all the nutritional requirements of your trusted companion. It contains high-quality forage to complement a healthy digestive system. If your horse is in need of a low-starch diet for metabolic reasons, you will find this feed beyond compare.

W inner’s

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Co-op

The homestead’s parlor, with its ornate furnishings, is where the Johnsons welcomed guests. Andrew liked to read here, and oldest daughter Martha played the piano. The pictures on the wall are of Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson, Jr.

he founded what is now the Depart-ment of Agriculture. Johnson was outspoken, too, for the rights of small farmers against the wealthier sect that wielded its power on state and national issues.

Satisfied with the progress he had made in his home state, Johnson set his sights on a larger stage — Wash-ington, D.C. After his term as gov-ernor ended in 1857, he successfully captured a seat in the U.S. Senate at a time when the country was entering a period of unrest that led to the Civil War. It was in the senate that John-son made a daring stance by refusing to join the secession movement, an act that won him friends among the pro-Union North and enemies in the pro-Confederate South.

As the war raged, President Lincoln sent Johnson back to Ten-nessee in March 1862 to be military governor of the state. During this time, Johnson saw the need to eman-cipate slaves to preserve the Union. Though a slave-owner himself before the beginning of the war, he freed his slaves, paid them for their work, and then proclaimed freedom for all Ten-nessee slaves the following year.

Even though he was a Democrat by choice, Johnson was nonethe-less nominated by Republicans to become Lincoln’s vice president during his second term. Following their inauguration in March 1865, the working relationship between Lincoln and Johnson would be sadly short-lived. Just one month later, on April 15, 1865, Lincoln was fatally shot by John Wilkes Booth.

Johnson was sworn in as president on the morning after Lincoln’s death, making him the first vice president to hold the office upon the assas-sination of the sitting president. His term in office was a tumultuous one, as he attempted to reconstruct the Confederate states and faced stiff opposition from radical Republicans

who refused to seat any Confederate senator or representative.

Two years into Johnson’s term, Congress decided to again defy the president by passing the Military Reconstruction Act — which put the Southern states back under military rule — and enacted other legislation constricting his authority. When Johnson removed Secretary of War Edward Stanton from office, Con-gress declared he had committed an impeachable offense.

The Senate held an impeachment trial in the spring of 1868, and by one slim vote, Johnson was acquitted, his political life saved by the Constitu-tion he held in such high regard. He

served out the rest of his term and returned with his family to Greeneville in 1869.

Six years later, Johnson again won a U.S. Sen-ate seat. But only months into his tenure, he suf-fered a massive stroke and died while visiting his daughter, Mary, in Carter County in upper East Tennessee. His body was sent back to Greeneville where he

The Andrew Johnson Nation-al Historic Site in Greeneville is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free and includes the Visitor Center (which houses his tailor shop, exhibits, and a 13-minute film); the homestead he lived in from 1851-1875; and the National Cemetery. Guided tours of the homestead are avail-able by reservation.

For directions and more in-formation, call 423-638-3551 or visit online at www.nps.gov/anjo.

More about Andrew Johnson

Johnson(continued from page 22)

was buried, fittingly, wrapped in the American flag with the Constitution resting under his head.


By Allison Morgan, editorhaT’S cookIn’?

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.

When he stops by your house on Christmas Eve, Santa won’t be able to resist “Kris Kringles.” The recipe from Marie Delffs, our Cook-of-the-Month for December, is a holiday tradition for her family. — Photo by Mark E. Johnson, food styling by Allison Morgan

WCookies for SantaIt’s a tradition as old as hanging

stockings by the fire and singing carols in the snow. Wide-eyed

youngsters leave cookies out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve with the hopes that the sweet bribe will lead to better gifts under the tree.

This month’s “What’s cookin’?” column has wrapped up a nice package of recipes to help you satisfy Santa’s sweet tooth. Marie Delffs of Normandy says her fam-ily’s “Kris Kringles” have been a favorite treat for years.

“This was Santa’s favorite cookie at our house when our girls were young,” says Marie, our Cook-of-the-Month for December. “They always expected him to clean up a plate of Kris Kringles and a glass of cold milk from our Jersey cows.”

Other featured recipes are Ultimate Oatmeal Cookies, Cow-boy Cookies, Chewy Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies, Potato Chip Cookies, and Stained Glass Win-dow Cookies.

Enjoy.

Kris Kringles

1 cup butter-flavored shortening

1 cup sugar1 cup packed light brown sugar2 eggs3⁄4 teaspoon almond extract21⁄2 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon salt21⁄2 cups flaked coconut3⁄4 cup chopped almonds or

pecans, optional1 (16-ounce) jar maraschino

cherries, drained and halvedIn a mixing bowl, cream shorten-

ing and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addi-tion. Beat in almond extract. Com-bine flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in coconut and nuts, if desired.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls two inches apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. Place a cherry half in the center of each. Bake at 350° for 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Yield: Seven dozen cookies.Marie Delffs

NormandyFranklin Farmers Cooperative

v

Ultimate Oatmeal Cookies

11⁄4 cups unbleached all-pur-pose, flour

1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda1⁄2 teaspoon table salt11⁄4 cups rolled oats1 cup toasted pecans, chopped

(walnuts or skinned hazel-nuts could be substituted)

1 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

11⁄2 cups chocolate chips (I prefer combination of semi-sweet, white, and dark chocolate chips)

12 tablespoons (11⁄2 sticks) un-salted butter, softened but still cool

11⁄2 cups packed brown sugar, preferably dark

1 large egg1 teaspoon vanilla extractHeat oven to 350°. Toast pecans

or other nuts lightly in oven or on range top; cool. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. In another medium bowl, stir together oats, pecans, cranberries, and chocolate chips.

In a stand mixer fitted with flat beater (or large mixing bowl), beat butter and sugar at medium speed until no sugar lumps remain, about

one minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Add egg and vanilla; beat on medium-low speed until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. With mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture; mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running on low, gradually add oat-nut mixture; mix until just incorporated. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.

Form cookie dough into 1-inch balls and place on parchment-cov-ered cookie sheet, about 12 balls per sheet. Bake cookies on middle oven rack for approximately 12 minutes. Edges should be set and centers should be soft. Do not overbake. Cool on baking sheets on wire rack for five minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Leela RobinsonMorrison

Warren Farmers Cooperative

v

Cowboy Cookies

1 cup sugar1 cup brown sugar1 cup shortening

2 eggs1 teaspoon vanilla2 cups self-rising flour1 teaspoon baking soda2 cups oats1 cup chocolate chipsPreheat oven to 325°. Cream to-

gether sugar, brown sugar, shorten-ing, eggs, and vanilla. Sift together flour and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture, and beat well. Add oats and chocolate chips and mix by hand. Drop by teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 325° for 12 to 14 minutes.

Yields: Six dozen cookies.Vonnie Walker

MaryvilleFoothills Farmers Cooperative

v

Chewy Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

13⁄4 cups flour1⁄2 cup cocoa1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda1⁄2 teaspoon salt


As a pungent yet palatable spice, garlic adds flavor and flair to a variety of recipes. Whether you choose to chop, roast, crush, mince, or sauté it, garlic’s role in cuisine ranges from a main ingredient to a simple seasoning.

We’re featuring garlic recipes for our February “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, Jan. 5, is the deadline for submitting your garlic recipes.Don’t forget: Only recipes that include complete, easy-to-follow in-

structions will be considered for publication. Several recipes are disquali-fied 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 pub-lished on our Web site at www.ourcoop.com.

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

168th in a series of photographs to show where our rural Co-op friends worship

Warwick’s Chapel Baptist Church in Union County

Warwick’s Chapel Baptist Church, established in 1869 on Warwick’s Chapel Road in Luttrell, is located 35 miles north of Knoxville in Union County. The church has been renovated both inside and out over the years. Throughout the history of the church, there have been 41 pastors with the Rev. Ray Headrick now serving as pastor. Sunday School begins at 10 a.m. with worship following at 11. — Information submitted by Jean Skeen

ou r co u n T r y ch u r c h e S

Gather garlic recipes for February

1⁄2 cup shortening1 cup sugar1⁄2 cup milk1 egg1 teaspoon vanilla1⁄2 cup nuts36 large marshmallows, halved72 pecan halvesSift flour with cocoa, baking

soda, and salt. Cream shortening; add sugar gradually. Add egg; beat well. Add flour-cocoa mixture and milk alternately, beating after each addition. Add nuts and vanilla.

Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, on a well-greased cookie sheet. Cookies will spread. Bake at 350° for eight minutes.

Top with marshmallow half, cut-side down. Return to oven; bake two minutes until marshmallow softens and cooks.

Cocoa Frosting:2 cups powdered sugarDash of salt1 tablespoon cream1 tablespoon cocoa3 tablespoons melted butter1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla Beat until smooth and creamy

and frost each cookie. Top each with a pecan half.

Yield: Six dozen cookies.Miram Wengerd

ParisHenry Farmers Cooperative

v

Potato Chip Cookies

1 pound soft butter1 cup sugar1 overflowing tablespoon

vanilla

3 cups flour2 cups coarsely crushed potato

chips11⁄2 cups chopped pecansPreheat oven to 350°. Cream

together thoroughly butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add flour, potato chips, and pecans. Roll into balls the size of a walnut. Place on but-tered cookie sheet. Flatten with hands or fork, allowing room for them to spread in baking. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool slightly and then loosen with spatula but do not remove until frosted.

Frosting:3 tablespoons soft butterJuice of 1⁄2 orange2 tablespoons lemon extract3 cups powdered sugar, siftedMix all ingredients together until

frosting is spreadable. Add a touch of water if necessary. Frost each cookie with 1⁄2 teaspoon frosting.

Patsy LansfordCastalian SpringsMacon Trousdale

Farmers Cooperativev

Stained Glass Window Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine1 cup sugar2 tablespoons milk1 teaspoon vanilla21⁄2 cups flourCrushed hard candies, sorted

by colorsIn a large bowl, beat butter or

margarine with a hand mixer until softened. Then add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add milk and vanilla, then flour a little at a time until all is mixed. Roll dough into a

ball, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for one hour. Roll out chilled dough on a slightly floured surface. Use a lightly floured cookie cutter to cut shapes and a small round cookie cutter to make the holes. Place the shapes on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Add about 1⁄2 tea-

spoon of crushed candy to the hole. Bake cookies at 375° for eight minutes.

Cool on foil for about 10 min-utes. Peel off foil before serving.

Carolyn DeversSouthside

Montgomery Farmers Cooperative


Aspiring or established agri-tourism farmers will find plenty of inspiration and information at the 2009 Tennessee Agritourism Conference on Monday, Jan. 26, and Tuesday, Jan. 27, at the Chat-tanooga Marriott and Convention Center.

“This conference has become a ‘must attend’ event for many of the state’s most serious agritourism farmers, who continually upgrade their professional skills and their farms’ attractions,” says Pamela Bartholomew, agritourism coordi-nator for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

The term agritourism refers to the increasingly popular part of the agriculture industry that involves inviting the public directly onto the farm for activities or farm products. Bartholomew says the January conference will address important issues for agritourism operations such as retail business practices, advertising, marketing, educational programs, and insurance.

“Those who really succeed in agritourism operations enjoy being around other people, sharing their lives and farms,” says Bartholom-ew. “They also have to stand with one foot in the retail world and one foot in the field, which can be quite a stretch.”

New for the 2009 conference is a pre-conference tour on Sunday, Jan. 25, to local farms in the Chat-tanooga area, including an orchard, a “fall fun” farm, and a winery. The tour will leave at 1 p.m. from the Marriott lobby. Attendees must provide their own transportation or carpool with others.

Participants can also enter contests for the best Web site, bro-chure, and T-shirt. Awards will be presented at the banquet on Mon-day evening.

“These contests give participants the opportunity to show off their best efforts for an audience who can really appreciate the work,” says Bartholomew. “Seeing the variety, creativity and quality that’s already being put to use is a great tool to help other farmers get inspi-ration and know-how to make their own promotional efforts better.”

The conference will feature break-out sessions with industry experts, a trade show with repre-sentatives of businesses useful to agritourism operators, and plenty of opportunities to interact with other farm entrepreneurs.

The annual membership meeting of the Tennessee Agritourism As-

sociation will also be held during the conference.

Organized for the purpose of helping to build farm income in the state, the conference is sponsored by the Tennessee Agritourism Ini-tiative partners, including the state departments of agriculture, tourist development, and economic and community development; the Ten-nessee Farm Bureau Federation; USDA Rural Development; the University of Tennessee Center for Profitable Agriculture; UT Exten-

sion; and the Tennessee Agritour-ism Association.

Conference attendees can register online by visiting www.picktnproducts.org or by phone at 865-974-0280. For those who register by Jan. 15, the cost is $100; after that date, registration is $150. Rooms must be reserved directly with Mar-riott Chattanooga at 800-841-1674 or online at www.marriott.com/chadt. Ask for a special conference rate of $89 plus tax per night.

For more information, e-mail Pamela Bartholomew at [email protected] or call her at 615-837-5348. Details on speak-ers and topics will be posted soon at www.picktnproducts.org/activities/AgriTourismConf2009.htm.

Conference explores agritourism options


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.

e W aT co-opn ®�

Farm Light with ArmThe Designers Edge one-light

downward farm light fixture comes with a 12-inch metal reflector and a wall-mount arm. It has a durable, powder-coated finish and is covered by a limited one-year warranty.

Motion-Activated Flood Light

The Design-ers Edge security flood light includes a 15-watt halogen bulb powered by a solar panel and rechargeable battery and has a 180-degree motion detector. Comes complete with a 20-foot ex-tension cord for remotely locating it in direct sunlight. The light will stay on for 160 30-second cycles on a full charge.

#712370

#712371

Duke Nut HarvesterThe push-pull action of the

Duke Nut Harvester picks up all sizes of nuts and works quickly and easily. No more straining your back or bend-ing over. Empties automati-cally when the catch spring is hooked onto the rim of a bucket. Harvester’s pick-up basket is 5 inches by 4 inches.

#17697

Duke Easy Pecan Nut CrackerThe Duke Easy Pecan Nut

Cracker is adjustable to the correct size so the pecan is cracked perfectly each time with the meat intact. Designed to last a lifetime, the nutcracker is precision-machined, made of all-steel construction, and mounted on an 8-inch-by-21⁄2-inch base.

#17699

Duke Walnut CrackerThe Duke Walnut Cracker’s

lever action easily cracks all hard-, medium-, and soft-shell nuts. Made with a cast aluminum frame. All working parts are hardened machine tool steel, with a gear lever design.

#17698

Ozark Leather Platinum Turnout Blanket

The Ozark Leather platinum turn-out blanket features a waterproof, breathable, 1,680-denier nylon outer shell with a seamless back, gusseted shoulders, contoured rump, and tail flap for comfort and mobility. Fleece on the withers prevents rub-bing. Blanket has D rings for hood attachment, a double-buckle front, criss-cross belly straps, 300 grams of fiberfill insulation, and 70-denier coat-polishing inner lining. Avail-able in silver and blue, silver and black, and silver and purple in sizes 72 inches through 82 inches.

Ozark Leather Canvas Turnout Blanket

An essential source of protec-tion from wind, sleet, and snow, the Ozark Leather canvas turnout blanket is water-resistant with an 18-ounce, heavy-duty, canvas duck shell. Inner lining is a coat-polishing nylon. Outer shell and liner offer warmth and durability while effectively dispensing body heat to avoid excessive sweating. A gusseted shoulder and a tail flap are included. Available in hunter green, navy, or burgundy in sizes from 72 inches to 82 inches.

Ozark Leather Nylon Turnout Blanket

Made of 600-denier Steeltex rip-stop nylon with 300 grams of fiberfill insulation, this Ozark Leather turnout blanket is de-signed with a waterproof coating to stand up to wind and rain. The blanket design enables freedom of motion and features a contoured rump with a tail flap and a soft nylon coat-polishing liner with criss-cross belly straps and hidden rear leg straps. Available in bur-gundy, hunter green, and navy in sizes 72 inches through 82 inches.

#710889-710907 (hood not included)#710931-710942 #710911-710930

Boot Scrubber The Boot

Scrubber’s four-brush system tackles the bottom and sides of the boot in one quick pass. Built-in sole and edge scraper cleans those tough-to-get-at places. Unit will not rot or ruin from the elements. Welded metal frame is rugged to take abuse.

#712862

Croplan Genetics® 851VT3 CornThis later, taller, and higher-yielding version of Croplan Genetics 6831

corn hybrid has the same Southern male and features improved roots and heat tolerance. Yield is driven by ear size and nitrogen, not population.

Croplan Genetics® 6150VT3 CornCombining the female of Croplan Genetics 591, 6818, and 7505 with a

new, high-yielding Southern/Northern/unrelated male, the 6150VT3 corn has improved plant health, stalks, roots, and yield over 631 or 721. Male adds staygreen and plant health.

Timothy Balance CubesOntario Dehy’s Timothy Balance

Cubes (#1110) are processed under rigorous quality assurance policies and procedures using premium-grade timothy hay, beet pulp (no molasses), and specific minerals and amino acids.

The product is a consistent, convenient feed that is low in nonstructural carbohydrates and provides a feed solution for horses suffering from equine Cushing’s disease, insulin resistance, lamini-tis, and other related conditions where a nutritious diet low in non-structural carbohydrates is recom-mended or essential.


By Allison Morgan

Cattleman Cap Hunt counts the passing seasons on his Hickman County farm by

calf crops, hay harvests, and vac-cination schedules.

His wife of 63 years, Annie Laura, prefers to mark time in her own special way — by decorat-ing a Christmas tree for special occasions throughout the year. In a corner of the couple’s sunroom, she keeps an artificial, pre-lit pine adorned in a perpetual state of holiday cheer, decorated with a creative collection of ornaments, trinkets, and keepsakes appropri-ately chosen for each event.

“I decorated the tree for Christ-mas about three years ago, and after the holiday was over I just didn’t want to put it away,” says Annie Laura. “So it sat out here for a little while, and then I finally thought I’d just decorate it for something else besides Christmas. Now, it’s just a lot of fun to think of new ways to decorate it all year long.”

Since then, the tree has become somewhat of a conversation piece in their Anderson Bend community just outside Centerville, and An-

nie Laura says friends and family seem to enjoy seeing what theme she’s chosen for the tree each time they visit. She has all the major holidays covered — Christmas, of course; red lights, lace, and love notes for Valentine’s Day; eggs, bunnies, and baskets for Easter; cards, crocheted pieces, and costume jewelry for Mother’s Day; and pumpkins, fall leaves, and scarecrows for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

In between, she commemorates other occasions. January is a spe-cial month because Annie Laura, the Hunts’ daughter, Marsha, and Marsha’s daughter, Heather, were all born Jan. 12. So right after Christmas the tree is covered in greeting cards to celebrate three generations of birthdays. April is special, too, when Annie Laura and Cap celebrate their anniversary. Decorations that month include the handbag, shoes, and hat from her wedding day in 1945.

In August, she designed a “back-to-school” tree, complete with a toy school bus, class photos, and an American flag on top. Once, she used her cream pitcher collection to

decorate the tree, and another time she created an “agriculture tree” with toy tractors, animal ornaments, fruits, and vegetables in honor of the family’s long legacy of farming.

While the holiday tree has become a tradition in its own right for the Hunts, their agricultural heritage goes back much further. Cap was raised on this farm and in the 150-year-old white farmhouse where he and Annie Laura have lived since they wed when she was 17 and he was 20.

“He was born here in the house, and I have been here ever since we married,” says Annie Laura, who was raised “just down the road” in the Little Lot community. “And we’ve been farming all our married life.”

The untimely death of his father, Elton, a little over a year after Cap and Annie Laura married left the young couple with the entire farm to run practically on their own. Cap’s mother, Addie, continued to live with them until her death some 25 years later.

“It was hard for me, at first, because I didn’t know what to do,” says Cap of his father’s death. “I

would start doing something and wind up on something else. I was used to having my daddy there to guide me.”

“We were just so young when we married, our education in farm-ing was really limited,” adds Annie Laura. “But I worked right along-side Cap from day one, drove the tractor and did just about every-thing that needed to be done around the farm. His mother was here to babysit the kids, and that made it pretty convenient.”

Through the years, the Hunts’ farm has evolved from the diverse, sustainable agriculture typical of the mid-20th century to a much larger operation focused mainly on livestock. Cap and Annie Laura say they’ve raised everything from corn and tobacco to potatoes and hogs on their farm, and they fed their family with eggs from their chickens, milk from their dairy cow, and produce from their garden.

Today, the farm’s 600 acres of serene, rolling pastureland, bor-dered by the Duck River, supports nearly 300 head of beef cattle that 84-year-old Cap cares for, sometimes with help from son Roger, Marsha’s husband, Rodger Douglass, and Jim Miller, outside salesman for Humphreys Farmers Cooperative who recently spent a day helping vaccinate their herd. Cap is a longtime member of the

lAnderson Bend

For Cap and Annie Laura Hunt, each year brings new reasons to

celebrate life on the farm

of changeSeASonS

Married for 63 years, Cap and Annie Laura Hunt have seen many seasons come and go on their Hickman County farm, where they raise 300 head of beef cattle. Cap, now 84, was raised in the 150-year-old farmhouse where the couple has lived since they wed in 1945. Annie Laura has become known for decorating a Christmas tree in their sunroom for holidays and occasions throughout the year, including, clockwise from bottom left, three family birthdays in January, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Halloween.


Co-op in Centerville, serving several terms on the board of what was Hickman Farmers Cooperative before it merged with Humphreys Farmers last year.

The Hunts say they’ve always believed in being involved in agri-cultural organizations like Co-op. As young newlyweds, they imme-diately became active in what was then Farm Bureau’s Young Farm-ers and Homemakers (now Young Farmers and Ranchers) and still regularly get together with lifelong friends from that group for card games and parties.

“That was just a big part of our young life,” says Annie Laura. “We

had all kinds of cookouts and square dances and things, and we loved it.”

Annie Laura was on the state Farm Bureau Women’s Committee for 16 years, retiring last Decem-ber, and both she and Cap are currently on the Hickman County Farm Bureau Board of Directors.

Belonging to groups with a mission to improve agriculture fits right in with Cap’s farming phi-losophy. He says he believes in “making things better” and has put that principle into practice on the farm by adding adjoining property, clearing brush, and building barns, roads, and ponds. Features like cattle guards instead of gates, bulk

feed bins in remote pastures, and quality cattle-working equipment instead of homemade systems are time- and labor-saving conve-niences that allow Cap to continue farming full force at his age.

Cap credits Roger, who lives on the property and owns a heavy equipment business, with helping him “keep up” the farm with such tasks as mending fences, spraying weeds and brush, putting up hay, and maintaining the roads. Marsha and Rodger also built a house adja-cent to the original farm, so they’re nearby to help out when needed.

The Hunts’ other daughter, Tam-my Franklin, and her husband, Ed,

live in Dandridge. Cap and Annie Laura also have four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

“I’m able to do all this because of my family and the way we’ve got things set up here on the farm,” says Cap. “My goal is to always try to improve and find easier ways to do things. Farming today is a whole lot different than it used to be. We’ve come a long way.”

Even though they’re both in their 80s, Cap and Annie Laura show no signs of slowing down any time soon. Always the hostess, Annie Laura is busy planning holiday parties and gathering decorations to trim her tree. Cap, on the other hand, says he’s “happy as a lark” to be out on the farm, driving his tractor or his all-terrain Club Car to feed, observe, or work with his cattle.

They’ve both seen many seasons of change on the farm, but it’s a life neither of them regrets.

“If I had to do it all over,” says Cap, “I would do the same thing again.”

Tennessee landowners who qualify for the Farm Bill’s Environ-mental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) are seeing a 25-percent cost-share increase in fiscal year 2009.

The Natural Resources Conser-vation Service (NRCS) administers the program, which allows eligible applicants to receive help for proj-ects such as converting croplands to grasslands; reducing erosion; applying water-saving measures; containing animal waste; improv-ing forest and aquatic habitat; and meeting resource needs of organic and/or specialty crop growers. The new pay rate is based on 75 percent of the typical cost of applying these practices and is well above the previous rate of 50 percent.

“Now is the best time for Ten-nessee farmers and landowners to take advantage of this conservation program,” said Kevin Brown, state conservationist. “We are increasing our cost-share rate by a significant margin, and if you are a beginning farmer or member of a socially dis-advantaged population, you may be eligible for even higher cost share.”

Interested producers and land-owners should check with their local NRCS district conservationist now to find out if they are eligible for EQIP cost-share assistance. Contact your local NRCS office at the nearest U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center or visit online at www.tn.nrcs.usda.gov.

Conservation cost-share rate increases for 2009


We would like to wish you and your familya Merry Christmas and happy holidayseason. We have enjoyed working for youthis year and look forward to serving you inthe future.

hoops & hooves - tennessee farmers cooperative€¦ · tennessee cooperator december 2008 1...

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