March 2016 agriCULTURE Magazine

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How!are!we!this!close!to!springtime!already?!

March!1!heralds!with!it!the!month!of!green:!baby!shoots!of! kelly!grass!start!to!come!up;!Atlanta,!Augusta!and!especially!Savannah! are!taken!over!with!emerald!shamrocks;!spring!officially!starts.!This! issue,!we’re!celebrating!a!few!different!interpretations!of!“green.”!

Being!in!agriculture!means!you’re!at!the!behest!of!Mother!

Nature.!As!King!of!Pops!CEO!Steven!Carse!told!me,!you!can!plant!as! many!strawberries!as!you!please!and!take!care!of!them!the!best!way! you!know!how,!and!sometimes!that!isn’t!enough!to!combat!disease,! animals,!pests!or!unpredictable!weather.!So,!we’re!tackling!issues!of! the!green!dollar!bill!with!a!look!at!how!Georgia!farmers!handle! economic!losses!to!their!operations,!and!examining!the!relationship!of! the!cost!you!pay!for!food!at!the!supermarket!to!the!cost!of!its! production.!!

As!I!learned!in!elementary!school,!green!also!signifies!the!three!

Rs!of!reduce,!reuse!and!recycle.!In!the!modern!day!and!age,!we’re!surrounded!by!television!shows!and!social!media! sites!like!Pinterest!that!encourage!the!art!of!“upcycling,”!which!is!taking!something!and!giving!it!new!life.!Kind!of!like! a!combination!of!reusing!and!recycling,!really.!Examples!of!upcycling!include!turning!a!rusty!wheelbarrow!into!a! classy!container!garden!(for!more!info!on!that,!see!our!February!story),!taking!a!wooden!pallet!from!a!furniture! delivery!and!repurposing!it!into!a!coffee!table,!or,!in!the!case!of!agriCULTURE0Magazine,!reimagining!a!kitchen! cabinet!as!a!doSitSyourself!chicken!coop.!

And,!as!you!see!from!the!cover!photo,!one!thing!we!hear!a!lot!about!in!terms!of!“going!green”!is! sustainability.!Here!at!agriCULTURE,!we!define!sustainability!as!ensuring!that!generations!to!come!have!food!to!eat! that!comes!from!American!farms.!Another!term!that!gets!thrown!around!with!sustainability!is!carbon!footprint.!A! carbon!footprint!refers!to!the!amount!of!carbon!dioxide!that’s!emitted!during!the!creation!of!products!or!services! (there’s!also!a!broader!term!called!“GHG!footprint,”!which!measures!all!greenhouse!gases!emitted,!including!carbon! dioxide,!methane!and!others!that!can!be!dangerous!to!the!Earth’s!atmosphere!in!high!levels).!According!to!the!US! Environmental!Protection!Agency,!in!2013,!27!percent!of!greenhouse!gas!emissions!came!from!transportation,!so! one!way!many!restaurants!choose!to!assist!in!reducing!that!number!is!by!sourcing!ingredients!closer!to!them.!Some! choose!regional!sourcing!(all!across!the!South),!others!choose!to!shop!at!Georgia!farms!as!much!as!possible!and!for! three!we!talked!to!for!this!issue,!they!take!it!one!step!further!and!own!their!own!farms!!

I’m!also!excited!to!announce!that!in!this!issue!we’re!introducing!y’all!to!our!quarterly!mini!magazine,! agSPROUTS.!It’s!written!with!fourthS!through!ninthSgraders!in!mind,!showing!them!peers!and!role!models!involved!in! agriculture,!science!and!art.!In!addition!to!feature!stories,!each!issue!of!agSPROUTS!includes!a!page!of!activities!(no! judgment!if!you!don’t!have!kids!and!choose!to!do!them!yourself!)!and!a!tale!about!Skipper!and!Scooter,!two!fictional! south!Georgia!farm!boys.!The!first!installment!has!them!battling!a!—!well.!I!won’t!spoil!it,!but!let’s!just!say!I!hope!the! force!is!with!them.!

Before!I!let!you!turn!the!page,!I!want!to!challenge!y’all!to!help!us!grow!!We’re!steadily!rising!in!subscription! rates!which!is!wonderful!news,!but!in!this!first!month!of!spring,!how!great!would!it!be!to!TRIPLE!the!number!of! people!reading!about!Georgia!agriculture!and!Southern!culture!through!this!magazine?!!I!personally!challenge!each! of!you!to!go!to!our!website,!www.agriCULTUREmagazine.net,!click!“market,”!download!the!mailSin!subscriber!form! and!print!out!six!copies.!Distribute!those!to!your!friends,!colleagues!and!family.!Tell!them!what!you!like!about!this! magazine!and!show!them!how!easy!it!is!to!get!it!in!their!mailboxes,!and!help!our!subscribership!grow!just!like!those! daffodils!springing!up!at!Gibbs!Gardens!(story!on!page!12)!! !

Yours,!! !

Dallas Anne Duncan 2!! !

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With&Livestock,&Deadstock!by0Dallas0Duncan!…..!6! &

Georgia5Grown&Ginger!by0Lauren0Purcell!………….!8! !

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BLOOM! !

Pearl&Anniversary!by0Dallas0Duncan!……………….!11!

FOUNDER&&&EDITOR&IN&CHIEF& Dallas!Duncan! !

CONTRIBUTING&WRITERS& Katie!Thigpen!Chapman;!Carolyn!Crist;!Terri!Kaye!

Duncan;!Rebekah!B.!Greene;!Lauren!Purcell! !

CONTRIBUTING&ARTISTS& Jayson!Duncan!

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Spring&Blossoms&at&Gibbs&Gardens&& by0Katie0Thigpen0Chapman!…….………………!12& ! !

CHEW! !

Good&Menus&Grow&Here!by0Dallas0Duncan!…….!16!

& FOR&ADDITIONAL&ART,&THE&STAFF& WOULD&LIKE&TO&THANK& Philip!Schretter,!Armstrong!Atlantic!State!University;!

David!Akoubian,!Bear!Woods!Photography;!Rick!

Cannon;!Snorg!Tees;!Kruhu/Land!of!Thee;!Marin!

Lonnie;!Melea!Baldwin,!Tuff!Stuff!Club!Goats! !

DESIGN& Dallas!Duncan! !

SUBSCRIPTIONS& Please!visit!www.agriCULTUREmagazine.net!to! subscribe.!Subscription!rate,!$30!per!year.! !

QUESTIONS& contact.agriCULTUREmagazine@gmail.com! !

Y’ALL&STOP&ON&BY&

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Food&$!! by0Katie0Thigpen0Chapman!……………………..!18! ! ! !

MAKE! ! !

All&Cooped&Up!by0Rebekah0B.0Greene!…….………!22! !

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LIVE! ! !

Monthly&Calendar!…..………………………………….!26! !

Stamp&of&Approval!by0Dallas0Duncan!……………..!28! !

Been&There.&Done&That.&Bought&the&T5Shirt.!! by0Carolyn0Crist!………....!30!! !

! www.facebook.com/agriCULTUREmagazineUS! ! @agriCULTUREzine! ! @agriCULTUREzine! !

Published!by!Dallas!Anne!Duncan!LLC,!Atlanta!

PRINTED!IN!THE!USA!by!ModernLitho!

6009!Stetzer!Road!

Jefferson!City,!Missouri!65101! & Cover:&All!the!vegetable!ingredients!on!the!King!of!!

Crops!Salad!at!Atlanta’s!King!of!Pops!Bar!&!Good!

Grub,!plus!some!in!the!popsicle,!are!grown!on!the! company’s!farm!in!Winston.!

Photo0|0Dallas0Duncan!

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We’re&huggin’&kind&of&people,&so&y’all&get&a&big&one.&Meet&the& new&subscribers&starting&with&the&March&2016&issue!& !

Start&your&subscription&to&agriCULTURE+Magazine&today!&& !

Visit!www.agriCULTUREmagazine.net.!

Norman!R.!Brookins!Columbus0 J.!Dean!Daniels!Camilla0 Ross!Davies!Peachtree0Corners0 Dr.!Frank!B.!Flanders!Bogart0 Carol!Hassell!Suwanee0 Lynsey!Jackson!Athens0 Heather!Krupp!Chamblee0 John!Little!Chattanooga,0Tennessee0 Donald!McCorkle!Sr.!Dearing0 Beth!Mohler!Folkston0 Liz!Nace!Winterville!

Wilma!Nace!McDonough0 Elizabeth!Sabatino!Columbus!

Wanda!Sims!Warm0Springs!

Mo!Talley!Conyers0

MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS! Writer&|!Carolyn!Crist!

Carolyn!Crist!is!a!freelance!health!and!science! reporter!based!in!Athens.!She!writes!for!the!

Atlanta0JournalGConstitution,!Atlanta0 Magazine,!Flagpole!and!Georgia0Magazine.!When!she’s! not!visiting!Georgia’s!Golden!Isles,!she’s!exploring!new! cabin!getaways!and!mountain!towns.!

Writer&|&Terri!Kaye!Duncan!

Artist&|&Jayson!Duncan!

Terri!and!Jayson!Duncan!live!in!

Evans.!Terri!is!a!fullStime!high!school!administrator,! regular!Chicken0Soup!and0Not0Your0Mother’s0Book0On0…! contributor!and!published!author!and!songwriter.!Her! young!adult!novel!Camping0Reservations:0Body0of0Lies!is! available!in!print!and!ebook!format.!!

Jayson!is!both!a!manufacturing!safety!engineer!and! accomplished!artist,!known!in!the!Augusta!area!for!his! graphite!portraiture.!When!they’re!not!working!or! pursuing!their!creative!endeavors,!the!Duncans!can!be! found!enjoying!the!outdoors!and!dreaming!of!a! retirement!home!in!Anna!Maria!Island,!Florida.!

Want&to&join&our&herd?& agriCULTURE0Magazine!selects!freelance!artists,! writers!and!photographers!on!a!rolling!monthly! basis.!Visit!www.agriCULTUREmagazine.net!to!apply! for!an!upcoming!issue!today!!

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Writer&|!Katie!Thigpen!Chapman!

Katie!Thigpen!Chapman!is!a!program! coordinator!in!the!Poultry!Science!

Department!in!the!University!of!Georgia!

College!of!Agricultural!and!Environmental!Sciences.!

She!enjoys!exploring!local!shops!and!restaurants!in!

Athens!and!spends!her!spare!time!traveling.!

Writer&|!Lauren!Purcell!

Lauren!Purcell!is!a!freelance!writer!and! photographer.!She!holds!a!Bachelor’s!of!

Arts!degree!in!journalism!from!Berry!

College.!She!lives!in!Midway!with!her!two!spoiled! rotten!dogs.!Her!hobbies!include!taking!too!many! pictures!of!her!garden,!participating!in!theater!and! film!productions,!growing!unusual!plants,!reading!and! working!on!her!future!bestselling!novel.!

Writer&|&Rebekah!B.!Greene!

Rebekah!B.!Greene!is!the!Extension!4SH! agent!in!Burke!County.!She!holds!! agricultural!communication!degrees!from!

Abraham!Baldwin!Agricultural!College,!the!University! of!Georgia!and!University!of!Tennessee.!She!and!her! husband!Ross!have!a!small!herd!of!goats!and!are! starting!a!small!flock!of!chickens.!When!not!working! with!her!4SH!“kids,”!she!enjoys!gardening!and! writing.!

! ! ! ! ! Going&in&the&Ground&

SecondSyear!asparagus!|!Plant!between!Jan.!15!and!March!15,!six!! inches!down;!Spacing:!36!by!18!to!24!inches!

Bush!beans!(50!to!60!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!Mar.!25!! and!May!1,!one!to!1.5!inches;!Spacing:!36!by!two!to!four! inches!

Beets!(55!to!65!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!Feb.!15!and!!

April!1,!halfSinch!down;!Spacing:!18!to!36!by!two!inches!

Broccoli!(60!to!80!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!Feb.!15!and!!

March!15;!Spacing:!36!by!12!inches!

Cabbage!(65!to!80!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!Jan.!15!and!!

March!15;!Spacing:!36!by!12!inches!

Cantaloupe!(80!to!90!days!‘til!maturity)!|Plant!between!March!20!! and!June!20,!one!inch!down;!Spacing:!60!by!36!inches!

Carrots!(70!to!80!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!Jan.!20!and!!

March!20,!quarterSinch!down;!Spacing:!18!to!26!by!two!! to!three!inches!

Cauliflower!(60!to!75!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!March!1!! and!April!1;!Spacing:!36!by!12!inches!

Collards!(55!to!70!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!Feb.!1!and!!

March!15,!halfSinch!down;!Spacing:!36!by!eight!to!16!! inches!

Corn!(65!to!90!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!March!15!and!!

June!1,!one!to!1.5!inches;!Spacing:!36!by!12!to!18!inches!

Kale!(50!to!70!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!Feb.!1!and!March!!

10,!halfSinch!down;!Spacing:!36!by!eight!to!16!inches!

Mustard!(40!to!50!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!Jan.!15!and!!

April!1,!halfSinch!down;!Spacing:!18!to!36!by!two!inches!

DrySbulb!onion!(100!to!120!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!Jan.!!

1!and!March!15;!Spacing:!18!to!36!by!three!to!four!inches!

Irish!potatoes!(70!to!90!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!Jan.!15!! and!March!1,!four!to!five!inches;!Spacing:!36!by!12!inches! !

Lima!beans!(65!to!75!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!March!15!! and!June!1,!one!to!1.5!inches;!Spacing:!36!by!three!to!! four!inches!

Pole!beans!(65!to!75!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!March!15!! and!May!20,!one!to!1.5!inches;!Spacing:!36!by!four!to!12!! inches!

Pole!lima!beans!(80!to!85!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!! !

March!15!and!June!1,!one!to!1.5!inches;!Spacing:!36!by!six!! ! to!eight!inches!

Radishes!(25!to!30!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!Jan.!15!and!! !

April!1,!halfSinch!down;!Spacing:!24!by!one!inch!

Spinach!(40!to!45!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!Jan.!15!and!! !

March!15,!0.5!to!0.75!inches;!Spacing:!18!to!36!inches!by!! ! two!inches!

Tomatoes!(70!to!90!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!March!25!! ! and!May!1;!Spacing:!48!by!24!inches!

Turnips!(40!to!60!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!Jan.!15!and!! !

April!1,!halfSinch!down;!Spacing:!18!to!36!by!two!inches!

Watermelon!(80!to!90!days!‘til!maturity)!|!Plant!between!March!20!! ! and!May!1,!one!to!two!inches;!Spacing:!72!by!36!to!48!! ! inches!

Source:0University0of0Georgia0Cooperative0Extension0

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Ripe&for&the&Pickin’& Asparagus!!

Lettuce!

Cabbage!!!

Mustard!greens!

Carrots!! !

Tomatoes!

Collards!!!

Strawberries!(south!Georgia)!

English!peas!!

Turnips!

Green!onions!!

Turnip!greens!

Kale!

Sources:0Georgia0Grown0and0PickYourOwn.org0

YOU BUILT A CHICKEN COOP. NOW WHAT? !—0Compiled0by0Rebekah0B.0Greene0

Once!a!chicken!coop!has!been!built,!it!is!time!to!add!birds.!Chicks!can!be! purchased!in!the!spring!from!a!local!feed!and!seed!store,!a!chain!store!or!a!hatchery.!!

Choosing!a!breed!depends!on!what!a!flock!owner!wants!to!gain!from!his!birds.!

GreenishSblue!eggs!are!a!novelty!of!the!Auracana!breed,!which!makes!them!a!fun!egg!to! sell!and!share.!The!White!Leghorn!is!a!productive!egg!laying!breed!that!can!live!off!of!little! feed,!but!it!isn’t!worth!much!for!eating.!The!Cornish!is!a!meat!producer,!but!lacks!the!feed! efficiency!often!desired!in!an!egg!layer.!!

Many!backyard!flock!owners!end!up!choosing!a!multipurpose!breed!that!provides! a!decent!amount!of!meat!production!and!also!is!a!good!egg!layer.!Oes!commonly! available!in!the!Southeast!are!the!Rhode!Island!Red!(pictured),!Buff!Orpington,!Black!

Australorp,!Barred!Plymouth!Rock!(pictured),!Dominique!and!Brahma.!!

Turn0to0page0220for0ideas0on0how0to0upcycle0your0own0chicken0coop!0 !

DON’T FORGET TO …

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Got!a!question!for!our!grow!experts,!who!represent! farmers!and!Extension?!Submit!your!question!online!at! www.agriCULTUREmagazine.net,!or!email!it!to!us! directly!at!contact.agriculturemagazine@gmail.com! with!the!subject!line!“Ask!the!Experts:!grow.”!

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The! idyllic! scene! of! a! vibrant! red! barn,! a! 1960sSera! tractor,! perhaps! a! field! of! cotton! and! a! herd! of! cattle! grazing! represents! to! many! what! a! Georgia! farm! looks! like.! But! one! critical!thing!is!missing.!!

“Though! many! farmers! do! not! like! to! think! or! talk! about!livestock!death,!many!say,!‘if!you!have!livestock,!you!will! have! deadstock,’”! says! Whitney! Franks,! herd! health! and! reproduction!specialist!at!Southern!Swiss!Dairy!in!Waynesboro.!

“As! caregivers! of! animals! we! do! everything! in! our! power! to! keep!happy,!healthy!animals,!but!sometimes!it!is!not!just!in!the! cards.”!

Thankfully,! it’s! uncommon! for! cattle! to! die! on! the! farm,! says! Dr.! Christopher! Young,! a! US! Department! of!

Agriculture!veterinarian!in!the!Florida/Georgia!District.!!

“An! important! part! of! good! animal! husbandry! is! to! market! livestock! while! they! have! value! in! the! food! chain.! As! such,!we!would!expect!death!loss!on!the!farm!to!be!less!than!5! percent!of!cattle,”!Young!says.!

OnSfarm! causes! of! death! depend! on! the! species.! Dr.!

Lee! Jones,! Extension! veterinarian! at! the! University! of! Georgia!

Veterinary! Diagnostic! Lab! in! Tifton,! says! they! can! be! broken! down!into!disease,!environment!and!management!problems.!

“The!most!common!causes!of!loss!would!be!diseases,! and!preventable!diseases,”!Jones!says.!!

In! addition! to! farmers! having! a! good! herd! health! program! to! minimize! preventable! disease,! they! must! realize! the! most! critical! time! in! livestock’s! life! is! right! after! birth.!

Within! 24! hours,! lambs,! kids! and! calves! need! to! nurse! to! receive!colostrum.!

“Colostrum,! we! call! that! ‘first! milk,’”! Jones! says.! “It’s! got! a! lot! of! protein! [and]! low! volume! so! it! doesn’t! have! as! much! water.! It’s! really! thick,! honeySlike,! and! it’s! the! very! first! milk!that!comes!out!of!the!udder!at!the!time!of!birth.”!

Colostrum! is! full! of! antibodies,! which! get! absorbed! into! the! newborn’s! small! intestine.! Jones! says! it’s! best! the! animal!gets!that!in!their!system!within!12!hours.!

“That! becomes! the! babies’! immune! system! for! the!

first! 30! days! of! life,”! he! says.! “In! other! words,! its! immune! system!is!born!functioning,!but!it’s!not!at!protection!level!for! the! first! 30! days.! So! that! has! to! have! some! sort! of! substitution.”!

Young! calves! are! also! at! risk! for! scours.! Scours,! or! diarrhea,! is! caused! by! a! number! of! things:! viruses,! bacteria,! bodily! imbalances.! Just! like! babies! who! get! messy! diapers,! newborn!livestock!can!get!it,!too.!

“It’s!not!always!an!infection.!Sometimes!it’s!just!a!gut! that!doesn’t!function!right.!It!could!be!a!toxin,!could!be!some! type!of!indigestion,”!Jones!says.!!

But!regardless!of!the!cause,!diarrhea!means!fluid!loss! and!dehydration,!which!can!lead!to!an!animal’s!death.!

Though! Georgia! cattle! farmers! must! keep! an! eye! on! cattle! for! signs! of! scours,! goat! farmers! must! watch! out! for! symptoms! of! internal! parasites.! Young! says! the! humid! environment! in! the! Southeast! is! conducive! to! these! pests,! which!can!lead!to!disease.!

Other! causes! of! livestock! death! are! environmentS related,!such!as!natural!disasters,!being!struck!by!lightning!or! winter! conditions! leading! to! poorSquality! hay! to! eat,! Jones! says.! Young! adds! that! sometimes! dairy! cattle! die! due! to! onS farm!accidents,!such!as!slipping!and!falling.!!

The! veterinary! diagnostic! labs! that! Jones! works! for! play!a!crucial!role!in!helping!farmers!pinpoint!what!caused!an! animal’s! death.! Whether! a! farmer! discovers! a! cow! suddenly! dead! or! suspects! a! disease! is! spreading! between! her! sheep,! the!labs!help!determine!the!cause!of!death!and!the!next!step.!!

“I! think! that! every! sudden! death,! especially! something!that!is!not!obvious!reasons,!should!be!investigated! to!find!out!if!this!is!an!isolated!event!or!is!this!something!that’s! going!to!put!my!other!animals!at!risk,”!he!says.!

Just!as!on!the!television!crime!shows,!he!says!the!first! test! done! at! the! lab! is! necropsy,! which! is! an! autopsy! for! animals.!!

“Necropsy! will! help! us! to! identify! what! organs! are! affected,”!Jones!says.!“Sometimes!we!can!determine!whether! or!not!it!was!something!traumatic,!like!in!the!case!of!animals!

Disease is a major cause of death loss on farms, especially for young animals such as these calves and kids. Dr. Lee Jones, an Extension veterinarian at the University of Georgia Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Tifton, says it is recommended for livestock to receive colostrum, or “first milk,” within 12 to 24 hours of birth. The colostrum acts as the young animal’s immune system for its first 30 days of life until its own immune system, he says.

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Beef cattle graze at the Georgia Mountain Research & Education Center in Blairsville. According to Dr. Lee Jones, Extension veterinarian at the University of Georgia Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Tifton, one of the most important things farmers can do is observe their animals daily to familiarize themselves with normal behavior, so it is easier to identify odd behavior that could signify disease or injury.

that!died!of!gunshot.!We!were!able!to!prove!that.”!

The! animal’s! digestive! tract! is! examined! to! see! if! something! it! ate! or! drank! caused! its! death,! and! veterinarians! look!for!other!signs!of!infection.!

Even! with! a! necropsy,! sometimes! it’s! hard! to! single! out!whether!an!animal’s!death!is!natural!or!diseaseSrelated.!So! the! “witnesses”! are! interviewed,! asking! questions! about! weather,!farm!management!and!vaccination.!

When! animals! die! of! diseases! that! could! affect! the! industry!as!a!whole,!both!the!US!and!Georgia!departments!of! agriculture! are! alerted,! Jones! says.! If! the! farmer! or! farm! manager!are!at!risk!of!contracting!a!zoonotic!disease,!which!is! one!that!can!be!transferred!from!animals!to!humans,!they!will! be!advised!on!how!to!minimize!that!risk.!!

“One!of!the!most!important!things!is!to!observe!your! animals! every! day,”! Jones! says.! “That! way! you! can! see! if! an! animal!is!showing!any!type!of!odd!behavior!that!would!indicate! something!is!wrong.”!

Though! farmers! call! their! local! vets! or! the! nearest! diagnostic! lab! —! there’s! one! in! Athens! as! well! as! the! one! in!

Tifton! —! at! the! first! sign! of! animal! death,! sometimes! its! passerby!that!suspect!an!animal!in!a!pasture!is!dead.!!

“The! most! common! complaints! I! hear! is! an! animal! is! thin,!or!an!animal!is!dead.!They’re!driving!down!the!road!at!60! miles! an! hour! and! look! over! and! thing! this! animal! is! dead,”!

Jones! says.! “If! you! drive! by! and! see! this! horse! laid! sprawled! out,! that! would! be! in! the! same! posture! as! having! a! great,! sound!sleep.”!

But! if! Georgians! do! spy! something! awry! in! a! field,!

Jones! says! the! best! thing! to! do! first! is! to! pull! over! if! possible! and!observe!the!animal!for!a!little!while.!

“Sometimes! you! see! an! ear! twitch,! or! they! might! swish! their! tail.! Or! you! might! see! a! leg! move,! like! a! fly! bites! their!leg!or!something,”!Jones!says.!!

Those!are!signs!the!suspected!dead!animal!is!still!alive! and!kicking.!On!the!other!hand,!if!a!swollen!abdomen!is!visible,! that’s!an!indication!of!a!medical!emergency!or!death,!he!says.!

“Or! if! you! see! buzzards! approaching! an! animal,! that! could! be! a! sign.! A! live! animal! would! typically! avoid! those,”!

Jones! says.! “The! most! important! thing! is! for! people! to! try! to! familiarize!themselves!with!what!is!normal!behavior.”!

If! Georgians! do! spot! deadstock,! Jones! says! to! either! call!911!and!report!an!animal!emergency,!or!contact!the!owner!

!

of!the!farm.!

Deadstock! can! be! disposed! of! in! a! number! of! different! ways.! The! Tifton! diagnostic! lab! offers! disposal! services! in! the! form! of! cremation,! and! Jones! says! depending! on!the!county,!sometimes!services!can!be!provided!for!burial.!

“If!it’s!an!older!animal!that’s!a!geriatric!case![dying!of! old!age],!I!like!to!see!a!humane!euthanasia!and!make!sure!that! animal!has!a!quality!of!life,”!he!says.!“Then,!depending!on!the! form!of!euthanasia,!we!would!recommend!burial!or!taking!and! having!the!carcass!disposed.”!

Young! says! before! disposing! of! a! carcass,! farmers! should! check! Georgia! Department! of! Agriculture! and! Georgia!

Department!of!Natural!Resources!regulations.!

“There! are! rules! about! where! livestock! mortalities! may! be! buried! so! that! groundwater! resources! can! be! protected,”! he! says.! “OnSfarm! composting! is! a! safe! and! effective!means!of!carcass!disposal.!The!compost!pile!heats!to! a! temperature! that! kills! pathogens! that! cause! diseases! of! concern.”!

Farmers! then! turn! their! compost! pile,! allowing! it! to! heat! a! second! time.! Compost! results! in! a! “rich! soil! amendment”!that!can!be!put!back!on!the!land,!Young!says.!If! farmers! do! choose! to! cremate! an! animal,! the! ash! is! then! disposed! of! at! a! landfill.! Franks! says! burial! is! the! preferred! disposal!procedure!at!Southern!Swiss.!!

No! matter! what! the! cause,! though,! it’s! both! emotionally!and!financially!costly!to!lose!animals.!!

“Dairying! is! a! love! for! my! family,! but! it! is! also! a! business.! We! have! bills! to! pay! at! the! end! of! the! day,”! Franks! says.! “Initially! [when! a! cow! dies]! you’re! out! the! cost! of! an! animal,!anywhere!from!$800!to!$2,000!in!our!herd.!However,! most!people!do!not!realize!the!longSterm!lost!income.!It!is!not! uncommon!for!our!cows!to!produce!200,000!pounds!of!milk!in! their! lifetime.! That’s! roughly! $50,000! in! income! from! milk! sales!on!top!of!a!$20,000!loss!of!future!offspring.!If!you!lose!a! few!cows!a!year,!that!can!add!up!very!quickly.”!

Her! farm! experienced! this! in! 2013,! when! Southern!

Swiss!Dairy!was!hit!by!a!tornado!and!several!cows!were!killed.!

“We! care! about! our! cattle! and! their! wellSbeing.! We! are! committed! to! providing! a! safe! and! wholesome! product! with! nine!essential!nutrients!in!each!serving,”!Franks!says.!“Yes,!we! do! lose! animals,! but! it! is! in! our! best! interest! to! keep! cows! healthy,!above!all!else.”! !

7!

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There! are! roughly! 1,300! available! varieties! of! ginger.!

Some!are!prized!by!growers!for!vibrant!flowers,!and!others!are! grown!with!recipes!in!mind.!Although!it!is!a!tropical!plant,!there! are! a! number! of! gingers! that! can! be! grown! successfully! in! the!

South,!including!culinary!types.!

“We! are! growing! some! edible! species! that! are! not!

Zingiber0officinale,!which!is!the!ginger!root!you’ll!usually!find!in! the! grocery! store,”! says! Philip! Schretter,! who! works! at! the!

Armstrong! Atlantic! State! University’s! ginger! garden! in!

Savannah.!!

Some! of! these! edible! species! include! cardamom,!Elettaria0 cardamomum;! Thai! spice! ginger,! Alpinia0 galanga!and!turmeric,!Curcuma0longa.!!

Most!ginger!plants!tend!to!be!low!maintenance,!says!Joe! Masabni,! an! Extension! vegetable! specialist! at! Texas! A&M! University.! He! says! most! culinary! varieties! should! be! grown! in! shaded! places,! though! some! in! the! Hedychium! and! Alpinia! genera! can! grow! in! full! sun! as! long! as! they! have! enough! moisture.! Masabni! says! culinary! gingers! don’t! like! the! cold! at! all,! and! even! a! minor! frost! can! burn! the! foliage.! He! advises! growers!to!plant!edible!ginger!in!the!late!spring!when!the!soil!is!

60!to!65!degrees.!

Regular!watering!is!important,!but!having!good!drainage! is! crucial! for! growing! ginger,! Masabni! says.! Schretter! says! the! best!way!to!avoid!flooding!and!drying!out!is!to!plant!ginger!in! raised! beds! with! about! two! feet! of! pine! bark.! The! rhizome,! which! according! to! Georgia! gardening! expert! Walter! Reeves! is! the! thick! root! growing! horizontally! from! the! base! of! the! plant! underground,!can!be!put!directly!into!the!pine!bark.!

“This! strategy! provided! good! drainage! and! ample! organic!material!that!our!gingers!preferred,!Schretter!says.!!

Ginger!has!a!long!growing!period!of!six!to!seven!months,!

Masabni!says.!Regular!fertilization!is!also!important,!particularly!

8! !

Most ginger varieties, including the culinary one above, tend to be low maintenance, according to Texas A&M University Extension vegetable specialist Joe Masabni. Photo | Lauren Purcell

in! the! first! three! to! four! months.! High! phosphorus! levels! help! the! plants! develop!large!roots,!he!says.!

“Once! our! plants! become! established,! we! do! not! apply! any! additional!fertilizer,”!Schretter!says.!“We! have! found! the! plants! do! fine! without! it.”!

In!Texas!—!where!ginger!is!grown! commercially!—!the!plants!are!harvested! in! September.! Growers! eventually! harvest! the! entire! plant! and! sell! the! rhizome!after!they’ve!been!cleaned.!!

“The!easiest!gingers!for!beginners! to! grow! are! also! the! ones! most! readily! available,”! Schretter! says.! “Variegated! shell!ginger,!Alpinia0zerumbet!‘Variegata’! is!very!easy!to!grow!provided!it!receives! regular!water.”!

Though! A.0 zerumbet0 isn’t! edible,! growers! can! start! their! ginger! crop! by! saving! leftover! rhizomes! from! edible! varieties.! Masabni! says! to! cut! them! into! twoS! to! threeSinch! pieces,! and! recommends! using! fresh,! large,! plump! rhizomes.! If! they’re! not! fresh,! they! can! be!soaked!in!water!for!a!few!hours!to!a! few! days! to! rehydrate,! changing! water! regularly.!Once!the!eyes,!or!nodes!on!the!

!! ! !

“The easiest gingers for beginners to grow are also the ones most readily available. Variegated shell ginger, Alpinia zerumbet ‘Variegata,’ is very easy to grow provided it receives regular water.”

— Philip Schretter, Armstrong Atlantic State University

! end!of!a!rhizome,!start!growing!roots,!growers!can!put!them!in! the!raised!beds.!

Each!twoSinch!piece!a!grower!starts!with!can!yield!up!to! a!pound!of!edible!ginger,!Masabni!says.!

Once!harvested,!rhizomes!can!be!saved!for!consumption! during! the! winter! months.! Masabni! says! he! cleans! his! thoroughly! with! a! toothbrush,! then! stores! them! in! the! refrigerator! until! he’s! ready! to! cook! with! them.! After! they’ve! been! stored! in! the! fridge,! though,! they! won’t! grow! in! the! garden.!

For! the! plants! in! winter,! cold! tolerance! can! vary! by! ginger!species,!Schretter!says.!!

“We! do! not! do! anything! special! to! our! gingers! in! the! winter!months.!We!even!delay!cutting!back!dead!winter!foliage! until! early! spring! without! any! problems,”! he! says.! “That! being! said,!the!only!three!species!of!ginger!we!are!growing!to!remain! evergreen! consistently! yearSround! are! Alpinia0 galanga,0 Alpinia0 zerumbet0 and0 Elettaria0 cardamomum.! All! three! have! shown! little!damage!down!to!17!degrees!Fahrenheit.”!

Most! other! species! at! the! Armstrong! Atlantic! gardens! die!back!after!the!first!heavy!frost!and!remain!dormant!until!the! following!spring.!

“I! also! think! its! important! to! realize! that! many! ginger! species!are!very!slow!to!come!out!of!dormancy!in!the!spring,”!

Schretter! says.! “Some! species! are! not! out! of! the! ground! until!

April,!so!be!patient.”!

Schretter! recommends! that! gardeners! divide! the! most! overgrown! plants! so! that! clumps! don’t! start! dying! out! in! the! middle.!!

In!fact,!he!maintains!this!is!the!easiest!way!to!propagate! the!plants.!!

“In!the!spring,!use!a!shovel!to!dig!an!entire!clump,!or!if! the! clump! is! very! large,! use! a! shovel! to! dig! a! section! of! the! plant's!outer!edge.!Lift!the!clump!from!the!ground!and!pull!the! rhizomes!apart.!Plant!the!rhizomes!with!the!shoots!attached,!or! remove!the!shoots!and!plant!the!rhizomes,”!he!says.! !

Turn0 to0 page0 150 to0 learn0 how0 to0 make0 a0 cocktail0 featuring0 GeorgiaGgrown0ginger.0 ! ! !

Edible Alpinia galanga, or Thai spice ginger Photo | Philip Schretter, Armstrong Atlantic State University

Flowering ‘Milky Way’ ginger is known by its Latin name Zingiber niveum Photo | Philip Schretter, Armstrong Atlantic State University

Edible Curcuma australasica, or native turmeric Photo | Philip Schretter, Armstrong Atlantic State University

9!

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MARCH GARDEN CHECKLIST Sources:0University0of0Georgia0Extension;0Walter0Reeves,0the0Georgia0Gardener0

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Make!second!plantings!of!quickly!maturing! crops,!such!as!turnips,!mustard,!radishes!and! spring!onions!

Thin!plants!when!they!are!two!to!three! inches!tall!to!give!them!room!to!grow!

Treat!seed!before!planting,!or!buy!treated! seed!for!protection!against!diseases,!decay,! “damping!off”!and!soil!insects!

Apply!a!nitrogen!sideSdressing!to!earlyS planted!crops,!especially!if!the!soil!is!cool.!

Fertilizer!should!be!placed!several!inches!to! the!side!of!the!plants!and!watered!in.!

Place!transplants!in!their!containers!outdoors! in!a!sheltered!place!a!few!days!ahead!of! planting!to!help!them!harden!off.!

Get!rows!ready!for!warmSseason!vegetables! to!be!planted!later!this!month.!

Keep!an!eye!out!for!insects,!especially! cutworms,!aphis!and!red!spider!mites.!

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Examine!the!back!of!euonymus!and!camellia! leaves,!and!spray!with!horticultural!oil!if! pests!are!found.!

Put!mulch!between!rows!to!control!weeds.!

Fertilize!pansies!with!a!waterSsoluble! fertilizer,!and!pecan!trees!with!one!pound!of!

10S10S10!for!each!inch!of!trunk!thickness.!

Cut!green!foliage!off!of!tattered!liriope!and! handSprune!boxwood!and!holly.!

Spread!lime!on!your!lawn.!The!rate!should!be!

40!pounds!per!1,000!square!feet.!

Plant!bareSroot!roses!in!highly!tilled,!organic! soil.!Prune!rose!bushes!to!half!their!size.!

If!you!plan!to!use!tomatoes!and!annual! flowers!in!your!garden,!seed!them!indoors! for!six!weeks!to!grow!strong!transplants.!

Divide!overgrown!hosta!when!you!can!see! the!leaves!unfurling!aboveground.!

Remove!spent!camellia!blooms!from!the! plant!and!the!ground!to!prevent!petal!blight.!

Repot!houseplants!you!plan!to!move! outdoors!in!larger!pots.!

What’s&blooming&in&your&neck&of& the&woods?& & Tag&us&in&your&Instagram,&Twitter& and&Facebook&photos&with& #agriCULTUREmag&so&we&can& share!!

DON’T FORGET TO …

10! !

Got!a!question!for!our!bloom!experts,!who!are!passionate! about!their!plants?!Submit!your!question!online!at! www.agriCULTUREmagazine.net,!or!email!it!to!us!directly!at! contact.agriculturemagazine@gmail.com!with!the!subject! line!“Ask!the!Experts:!bloom.”!

! ! ! !

After! 30! years,! Callaway! Gardens’! annual!

Cookbook! and! coSowner! of! Maple! Valley! Nursery! in!

Birmingham,! Alabama,! recommends! novice! fruit! and!

Southern! Gardening! Symposium! has! come! to! an! end.! vegetable!gardeners!begin!with!raised!beds.!

“We’ve! tried! the! funky! ones,! the! crazyS Director! of! Gardens! Patricia! Collins! made! sure! that! it! sounding! ones.! We’ve! been! seduced! by! the! catalogs.! closed!out!with!style.!!

“It! was! just! great,”!

Then! there! are! some! old! says! Rick! Barnes! of! Tucker.! favorites!you’ve!probably!heard!

“I’m! blown! away! by! the! your! grandparents! talk! about,”! quality! of! the! speakers! that!

Shaddix!says.! are! here.! It’s! unbelievable.!

She! shared! many! of!

It’s! kind! of! like! a! who’s! these!with!an!audience!of!more! who.”! than! 100! Southern! gardeners!

In! addition! to! who! gathered! at! Callaway! in! lectures,! participants! could! late! January.! Shaddix! had! attend! classes! on! garden! recommendations! of! design! or! making! a! bog! cucumbers,! tomatoes,! berries,! garden.! Horticulture! and! beans! and! more! that! grow! gardening! experts,! including! successfully!in!this!area.!

Georgia’s! own! Michael! Dirr!

The! pinkSandSwhite! and! Coach! Vince! Dooley,! marbled!Italian!Rose!bean,!lady! were! headliners,! as! was! peas,! Cherokee! Trail! of! Tears!

TiftonSborn! Mary! Beth! and! Christmas! beans! all! grow!

Shaddix,! whose! work! folks! well! in! Georgia,! as! does! the! will! recognize! from! Cooking0 Rosa! Bianca! eggplant,! Blue!

Light! and! Southern0 Living!

Banana! squash! and! Sungold! magazines.! tomato,! Shaddix! says.! On! the!

Much! of! Shaddix’s! other! hand,! the! Indigo! Rose! garden! is! dedicated! to! tomato! doesn’t! always! turn! its! growing! food! used! in! these! promised! blue,! and! the!

Southern!magazines.!! beautiful,!fragrant!Tigger!melon!

“It! went! from! a! trial! Larry Mellichamp, director emeritus of the University of North Carolina-Charlotte Botanical doesn’t!taste!quite!as!good!as!it! garden,! where! it! was! really! Gardens, taught a class on creating bog gardens like this one as part of the 30th and final looks.!

Callaway Gardens Southern Gardening Symposium in Pine Mountain this January. hidden!and!you!didn’t!see!it!

She! reminded! in! the! pages! of! the! magazine.! You! saw! big,! bright,! beautiful!photos!of!the!fruit!and!the!harvest,!but!not! a!lot!about!how!to!grow!it,”!Shaddix!says.!“[Cooking0 Light]! thought,! ‘We! care! this! much! about! food.! We! want!people!to!care!this!much!about!gardening.’”!

The! author! of! The0 Cooking0 Light0 Pick0 Fresh0

!

attendees! that! even! in! edible! gardens,! flowers! are! an! important!part!of!the!ecosystem.!!

“We! have! a! trailing! nasturtium! planted! with! a! cucumber,”! Shaddix! says.! “That’s! wonderful,! in! my! opinion,! for! pollination.! …! Anything! you! can! do! to!

… Continued on page 14 11!

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Rolling! hills! in! vibrant! bloom! with! millions! of! daffodils! and! glassy! ponds! covered! in! exotic! water! lilies! are! just! a! few! reasons! Gibbs!

Gardens!attracts!visitors!each!year.!Nestled!in!the!Georgia!mountains!in!

Ball!Ground,!it!stands!as!one!of!the!nation’s!largest!residential!gardens.!

The! 16! gardens! are! the! manifestation! of! a! dream! meeting! a! hobby! for! horticulturist!Jim!Gibbs,!the!owner!and!designer!of!Gibbs!Gardens.!

“I!was!on!a!trip!studying!in!Japan!in!1980!when!I!really!decided! that!I!wanted!to!build!a!worldSclass!garden!and!I!knew!at!that!time!one! of! my! feature! gardens! would! be! a! Japanese! garden,”! Gibbs! says.! “In! garden!design!when!you!build!a!worldSclass!garden!you!have!to!form!a! triangle! and! at! each! point! they! serve! as! magnets! and! they! pull! the! people! from! one! place! to! the! other.! So! the! Japanese! garden! is! in! one! point,!the!manor!house!and!gardens!is!another!point!and!the!water!lily! gardens.”!

After! earning! a! Bachelor! of! Science! in! Agriculture! from! the!

University! of! Georgia! in! horticulture! and! landscape! architecture,! Gibbs! opened!a!landscape!company!in!Atlanta.!His!work!took!him!around!the! world!and!he!always!took!opportunities!to!tour!gardens!as!he!traveled.!!

Gibbs! Gardens! Marketing! Director! and! Horticulturalist! Erica!

Glasener! says! Gibbs! looked! for! three! things! when! he! was! searching! for! property! for! the! 292Sacre! gardens.! He! needed! the! proper! location! that! would!attract!visitors,!an!abundance!of!rolling!hills!and!a!natural!source! of!water.!The!mountain!springs!and!streams!that!surround!the!property,! nestled! between! Interstate! 575! and! State! Route! 400,! make! for! the! perfect!location!for!this!gardener’s!sanctuary.!!!

Gibbs!is!a!strong!believer!in!gardening!genes.!Generations!of!his! family!had!an!interest!in!horticulture.!

“My!mother!was!an!avid!gardener!and!she!had!four!sisters;!they! were! all! gardeners.! My! two! grandmothers! were! gardeners! and! their! mothers!and!grandmothers!were!avid!gardeners,”!he!says.!“When!I!was! a!little!boy!I!listened!to!them!talk!about!gardening!because!I!was!around! them.!So!naturally,!you!start!picking!up!on!it!and!you!ask!questions,!so! the!more!I!asked!the!more!interested!I!became.”!

Each! season! brings! new! wonders! in! the! gardens.! Though! springtime!is!a!beautiful!time!with!flowering!plants!and!trees,!the!activity! of!summer!and!colors!of!fall!give!spring!a!run!for!its!money.!The!garden! sees!its!biggest!rush!of!visitors!between!March!and!April!each!year.!Last! spring!the!facility!welcomed!3,000!visitors!on!one!single!weekend!day.!

“I!visited!Gibbs!Gardens!in!the!fall!and!the!colors!were!beautiful.!

The! reflection! of! the! Japanese! gardens! in! the! ponds! were! one! of! my! favorite!parts!of!the!garden,”!says!Gloria!Wall!of!Winder.!

Wall!and!her!friends!from!church!plan!to!visit!again!this!spring!to!

12! !

enjoy! the! daffodil! garden.! Though! she! only! dabbles! in! gardening! herself,! Wall! says! she! enjoyed! touring! the! estate! with! friends! and! hopes! to! experience! more! of! the! property! and! the!Arbor!Café!on!her!next!visit.!!

Gardeners! from! across! the! state! are! excited!to!tour!the!gardens!and!generally!bring!a! few! nonSgardening!friends!along,!Glasener!says.!

There! are! plenty! of! opportunities! for! experienced!and!novice!green!thumbs!to!visit.!

Throughout! the! year! the! gardens! hold! different! events! to! continue! to! entertain! and! amaze! guests.! The! Daffodil! Festival! each! spring! welcomes! guests! as! a! new! year! begins! in! the! gardens!and!20!million!daffodils!cover!the!hills!in! full!bloom.!!!

“I! usually! plant! a! hundredSthousand! new! daffodils! every! year! and! we! plant! new! varieties,”!Gibbs!says.!“It’s!the!largest!display!of! daffodils!in!the!nation.!We!are!one!of!25!display! gardens! that! the! American! Daffodil! Society! has! in!the!nation.”!

The!gardens!are!open!daily!from!March!

1! to! December.! Long! summer! days! provide! the! perfect! opportunity! for! guests! to! enjoy! the!

Gibbs Garden visitor Gloria Wall’s favorite place to stop is its Japanese gardens in the fall, when the red, orange and gold foliage on the trees reflect in the ponds. Photo | Rick Cannon

! ! ! !

Each fall, Gibbs Gardens in Ball Ground plays host to the Monet Water Lily Festival, just in time for its exotic lilies to bloom. Photo | Rick Cannon

twilight! music! series! where! they! can! relax! under! the! starts! surrounded! by! the! beauty! of! the! gardens! while! music! wafts! through! the! countryside.! During! the! Twilight! series! each! summer,! the! gardens! welcome! music! groups! that! include! classic,! Celtic! and! bluegrass,!

Glasener!says.!!

As! summer! fades! into! fall! in! early!

September,! Gibbs! Gardens! hosts! the! Monet!

Water!Lily!Festival.!Exotic!water!lilies!are!in!full!

The 292-acre Gibbs Gardens includes 16 areas nestled between Interstate 575 and State Route 400 in Ball Ground, giving visitors a view of the Smokies as well as flora. Photo | Rick Cannon

!

bloom!for!guests!to!enjoy,!and!a!classical!music!group!plays!while!artists! scattered!across!the!gardens!paint.!Another!fall!event!is!the!Japanese!art! and!culture!festival.!Performers,!martial!arts!demonstrations,!dance!and! music!are!a!draw!for!people!planning!a!fall!visit!to!the!gardens,!Glasener! says.!

“My! favorite! part! about! the! garden! is! how! Mr.! Gibbs! took! aspects!of!different!garden!styles!from!around!the!world!and!put!them!in! one! place.! As! you’re! walking! through! the! gardens! you! see! Monet’s! bridge!and!a!few!hundred!feet!down!the!path!you’ll!walk!into!a!Japanese! garden.! ! It’s! a! nice! transition! throughout! the! whole! area.! The! daffodil! season!is!incredible.!I!never!knew!so!many!daffodils!could!bloom!in!one! place,”!says!Pickens!County!Extension!agent!Rachel!Wigington.!

Gibbs!did!a!lot!of!the!work!clearing!the!land!and!beginning!the! gardens!alone.!The!manor!house!and!the!surrounding!gardens!were!built! around! 30! years! before! the! facility! opened! to! the! public.! The! estate! opened!to!the!public!in!2012.!

“A! gardener’s! garden! is! never! complete.! If! you! talk! to! any! gardener! you’ll! find! they! are! always! doing! something! even! if! they! are! changing! something! that! existed.! Mine! is! so! big! I! don’t! usually! change! anymore,!I!just!keep!moving!because!I!have!the!acreage!to!keep!adding.!

We!have!220!acres!of!completed!gardens!so!I!will!continue!to!just!keep! planting!the!gardens!and!expanding!the!gardens!year!after!year,”!Gibbs! says.!

Glasener! enjoys! the! ferns! located! at! the! back! of! the! property,! but! says! her! favorite! part! of! working! at! Gibbs! is! seeing! people! experience!the!gardens.!

“It! is! such! an! easy! thing! for! me! to! promote! because! my! whole! thing! is! to! inspire! people! to! garden! themselves.! I! love! the! subject! matter,”!she!says.!“The!gardens!sell!themselves.”! !

13!

! From page 11 | Pearl Anniversary !

An attendee at the Southern Gardening Symposium shops at the event’s marketplace. The symposium drew gardening gurus from across the Southeast to Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain in late January.

attract! pollinators! to! your! vegetable! garden! is! extremely! important.”!

Another! thing! Shaddix! says! to! attract! to! gardens! is! children.!

The!plants!she!puts!in!the!“fun!and! funky”! category! are! ones! that! not! only! add! visual! interest! to! recipes,! but!get!youngsters!more!interested! in!gardening.!

Growing!vegetables!allowed! her! to! learn! a! few! tricks! to! get! the! crop!she!wanted.!

“The! thing! about! spinach! that!we’ve!learned!is!through!trials! and! tribulations,”! Shaddix! says.!

“What!we!do!is!put!the!seeds!in!the! refrigerator,!like!you!learned!in!the! second! grade,! when! you! put! a! moist! paper! towel! in! there! for! a! few! days.! We! get! great! germination.”!

Sticking! the! spinach! seeds,! which!are!used!to!growing!in!cooler! weather,! in! the! fridge! tricks! them! into! growing! in! late! summer! and! early!fall.!!

Following! Shaddix’s! class,! garden! designer! June! Mays! demonstrated! that! it’s! possible! to! have! a! royal! garden! in! the! Peach!

State.!!

14! !

Though! nearly! a! 13Shour! flight! away,! many! of! the! plants! grown! on! the! grounds! of! Highclere!

Castle! could! be! cultivated! in!

Georgia’s! own! beds.! The! English! castle! in! Newbury,! Berkshire,! is! best! known! to! Georgians! as! the! setting! of! the! hit! television! show!

“Downton! Abbey,”! which! Mays! toured! and! studied! while! living! in! the!United!Kingdom.!

“The! gardens! at! Downton!

Abbey! were! designed! about! 150! years! ago,”! Mays! says.! “The! gardens!came!to!their!heyday!in!the!

Edwardian!era.”!

Edwardian! gardens! were! planned! to! show! the! “wealth! and! good! taste”! of! their! owners,! she! says.! The! layouts! were! influenced! by! Capability! Brown,! a! garden! designer! known! for! his! sweeping! landscapes.!

“If!it!were!150!years!later,!I! think! I’d! call! this! the! Augusta!

National! Golf! Course,”! Mays! says.! “[Brown]! would! actually! move! houses,! move! roads,! reSlocate! villages,! make! lakes! and! just! completely! make! places! that! used! to! be! very! decorated! into! a! parkland.”!

The! gardens! at! Highclere! include! the! Monk’s! Garden,! the!

White!Border,!the!Peach!House!and! the!Secret!Garden.!

A! key! component! of!

Edwardian! gardens! are! large! structures!called!follies,!such!as!the!

Temple! of! Diana! that! makes! an! appearance! in! an! early! “Downton!

Abbey”!episode.!!

Other! architectural! pieces! are!evident!in!the!White!Border,!an! area! of! the! Highclere! gardens! that! has! white! flowers! punctuated! with! sixSfoot! tall! turrets.! Creamy! white! sedum,! the! ‘Brocade’! white! daylily! and!White!David!phlox!are!some!of!

the!featured!plants!that!would!grow! as! well! around! a! Georgia! home,!

Mays!says.!

The! Peach! House! is! a! greenhouse! surrounded! by! perennials,!many!of!which!gardeners! can! purchase! and! grow! in! Georgia,! she!says.!They!include!the!Bishop!of!

Llandaff! dahlia,! which! has! red! flowers!and!black!foliage;!rich!purple! meadowsweet;! Salvia0 guaranitica!

‘Black! and! Blue,’! a! pestSfree! bloom! with! a! pungent! smell;! and!

Pincushion!flower.!

“Many! plants! were! taken! to!

England!from!North!America,”!Mays! says.! “They! were! just! overwhelmed! with!how!wonderful!they!were.!And! we!were!totally!ignoring!them!in!our! own!gardens!in!America!at!the!time.!

Now! we’re! seeing! the! value! of! our! native! plants! more! and! we! are! incorporating! them! into! our! flower! beds! just! as! the! gardeners! in! the!

UK.”!!

No! matter! where! they’re! located,! Shaddix! says! she! is! “constantly!amazed”!by!gardens.!

“Gardening! makes! me! a! child!all!over!again,!every!day.!I!think! it’s!just!infinite!curiosity!in!gardening! and! just! the! miracle! of! nature! is! pretty!dang!cool,”!she!says.!!

Garden designer June Mays shares the secrets of gardens at Highclere Castle in the United Kingdom.

Visitors to the Southern Gardening Symposium know Highclere as the setting for the show “Downton Abbey.”

! ! ! !

SOUTH GEORGIA SMASH &&

INGREDIENTS 1.5!ounces!Tito’s!vodka!

1.5!ounces!peach!purée!

GeorgiaSgrown!ginger,!sliced!

Ice! Ginger!beer! !

!

Cocktail!designed!by!

Michael!Macias,!bar! manager!at!Portofino!in!

Atlanta!!

INSTRUCTIONS

1.!Muddle!ginger!at!the!bottom!of! a!rocks!glass.!

2.!Add!vodka!and!peach!purée.!

3.!Stir!or!shake!as!desired!

4.!Top!with!ice!and!ginger!beer!

5.!Garnish!with!additional!slice!of! ginger,!if!desired! ! !

00000000000000Ready0to0grow00 00000000000000your0own0ginger00 000000000000000to0garnish0your00 000000000000000South0Georgia000 00000000000000Smash0cocktail?00 000000000000000Turn0to0page080 00000000000000for0growing0tips.0 !!

We&want&to&hear&from&YOU!& !

Where!are!your!favorite!places!to!eat!in!Georgia?!In!the!Southeast?!

What!are!your!goSto!quintessential!Southern!dishes?!

What!ingredients!do!you!want!to!know!how!to!use?!

What!restaurants!and!food!trends!do!you!want!to!read!about?! !

Send!your!ideas!to!us!at!contact.agriCULTUREmagazine@gmail.com,!or!through!our!website!contact!form,! and!they!may!be!part!of!a!future!issue!!

DON’T FORGET TO …

!

Got!a!question!for!our!chew!experts,!who!represent!Georgia’s! food!and!beverage!industry?!Submit!your!question!online!at! www.agriCULTUREmagazine.net,!or!email!it!to!us!directly!at! contact.agriculturemagazine@gmail.com!with!the!subject!line!

“Ask!the!Experts:!chew.”!

15!

! ! ! !

The! concept! of! farmStoStable! restaurant! is! not! new!to!Georgia.!Many!restaurants!today,!especially!in!the! larger! cities,! pride! themselves! on! sourcing! ingredients! fresh! from! Georgia! and! Southern! farms! as! much! as! possible.!But!a!few!in!the!Peach!State!—!and!one!just!over! the!state!line!—!take!that!sourcing!even!closer.!

They!bought!their!own!farms.! !

Manuel’s&Bread&Café&+&Manuel’s&Blue&Clay&Farm& Chef! Manuel! VerneySCarron,! owner! of! Manuel’s!

Bread!Café!in!North!Augusta,!South!Carolina,!was!born!and! raised! in! France.! He! moved! to! the! US! in! 1994,! getting! his! start! in! the! American! culinary! industry! at! La! Maison! on!

Telfair!in!Augusta.!After!traveling!for!a!bit,!he!settled!back! in!the!Central!Savannah!River!Area!and!opened!up!his!own! restaurant!in!the!Hammonds!Ferry!neighborhood.!!

“All! that! land! became! available.! The! developer! wanted!to!put!a!farm!in!the!middle!of!the!neighborhood,”!

VerneySCarron!says.!“They!hired!a!farmer!and!then!a!year! after!that!I!was!open.!…!They!built!a!barn!for!me,!we!built! a! greenhouse! and! then! most! important,! they! put! a! fence! around!the!little!oneSacre!plot!so!the!deer!were!not!able!to! get!in.”!

Manuel’s!Blue!Clay!Farm!is!named!for!the!clay!that! makes! up! much! of! the! soil! in! Hammonds! Ferry.! When! fired,! it! turned! blue.! Thanks! to! the! successful! composting! program!VerneySCarron!put!into!place,!the!farm’s!soil!was! completely!transformed!to!support!its!crops.!

“Everything! that! we! grow! on! the! farm,! we! use! in! the! restaurant,! 100! percent,”! VerneySCarron! says.! “Right! now,!we!have!Swiss!chard,!we!have!greens,!carrots,!beets.!

In! the! greenhouse! we! have! a! big! production! of! microgreens.”!

Every!day!new!vegetables!come!from!the!farm!and! every! night,! that’s! what! diners! find! on! their! plates.! Blue!

Clay! Farm! also! has! several! fruit! trees! and! 100! olive! trees,!

16! !

which! VerneySCarron! uses! to! make! house! special! olive! oils.! It! also! produces! an! abundance! of! peppers! that! he’s! molded! into! “Furious! Frenchman! Hot! Sauce.”!

“There’s!some!stuff!that!I!would!not!be!able! to!grow!in!there,”!VerneySCarron!says.!“Potatoes,!for! example.!We!sell!50,000!potatoes!a!day!because!we! do! our! own! French! fries.! Augusta! is! not! really! conducive!to!grow!Idaho!potatoes.”!

Just! about! all! other! produce! comes! from! a! block!away,!where!neighbors!gather!not!only!to!enjoy! garden! parties! and! cooking! demonstrations,! but! to! watch!the!Hammond’s!Ferry!goats!and!chickens.!

Next! up! for! Blue! Clay! Farm! is! a! venue! that! operates! as! a! grocery! store! during! the! day,! selling! eggs! and! vegetables,! and! at! night! transforms! into! a! tapas!bar.!!

VerneySCarron! advises! future! restaurantStoS farmer! converts! to! start! small,! then! invest.! He! says! it’s! also! important! to! familiarize! yourself! with! the! region’s!agriculture.!

“It! takes! a! lot! of! hard! work! to! get! a! farm! working,”!he!says.!“If!you!don’t!know!the!experience! of! the! region! and! the! area,! you! learn! a! lot! the! hard! way.”! !

King&of&Pops&+&King&of&Crops& King!of!Pops!CEO!Steven!Carse!started!King!of!

Pops! with! his! two! brothers! in! 2010.! They! were! inspired! by! the! paleta,! a! Mexican! popsicle! made! of! fresh! fruit! and! full! of! flavors.! At! first,! they! couldn’t! afford!a!brick!and!mortar,!so!the!pushcart!became!a! key!part!of!the!brothers’!model.!Now,!six!years!later,! they!not!only!have!carts!around!the!Southeast,!but!a! restaurant! called! King! of! Pops! Bar! &! Good! Grub! in!

Atlanta’s!Ponce!City!Market!and!King!of!Crops!farm!in!

Winston.!

“At! the! very! beginning,! we! could! buy! what! was!left!at!the!farmers!market.!Then!it!was!like,!‘Oh,! we!need!to!like,!check!out!these!other!farms!and!buy! more!and!more!product!and!seek!out!farmers.’!Then! that!just!led!to!people!grew!specifically!for!us,”!says!

Neil! Ringer,! general! manager! of! King! of! Pops! Bar! &!

Good! Grub.! “Our! next! thought! was! why! not! do! it! ourselves.”!

It! also! made! sense! to! grow! their! own! ingredients! because! many! of! the! farmers! they! work! with! supply! other! restaurants! and! businesses.! These! farms! also! want! to! stay! smallSscale! and! not! have! to! expand! to! fulfill! the! needs! of! more! than! just! a! few! regular!buyers,!Carse!says.!

King! of! Crops! consists! of! 68! acres! with!

King of Pops CEO Steven Carse and Neil Ringer, manager of King of Pops Bar & Good Grub at Ponce City Market in Atlanta, are proud that both ingredients for their popsicles and their restaurant menu come from their farm.

King of Crops is located in Winston. Opposite page Rows upon rows of leafy greens are under cultivation at Wrecking Barn Farm in Loganville, which supplies Atlanta’s Wrecking Bar Brewpub.

approximately!two!under!cultivation!today.!The!property! has! multiple! high! tunnels,! or! hoophouses,! which! are! similar!to!greenhouses,!just!without!electricity!and!heat.!

This! will! give! the! brothers! more! opportunity! for! yearS long!production.!

King!of!Crops!is!focused!on!fruits!and!herbs!that! can!be!used!in!its!popsicles!and!“popStails.”!

“Then! at! the! bar,! since! we! offer! a! pretty! small! food! menu,! we! have! the! ability! to! grow! some! fun! vegetables! at! the! farm.! We! do! lots! of! lettuce,! kale,! radishes.!So!when!we!were!developing!the!menu!for!this,! we!decided!why!not!do!a!small,!simple!salad!that!shows! off!everything!we!have!on!the!farm?”!!Ringer!says.!“It’s!a! good! lettuce! mix,! a! few! vegetables! and! a! really! easy! vinaigrette.!And!a!lot!of!herbs.”!

Planning! that! menu! was! a! big! challenge,! even! with!the!variety!of!crops!they!grow.!

“I! see! where! the! struggles! are! for! restaurants! that!are!trying!to!offer!dinner!and!lunch,”!Ringer!says.!“I! was!kind!of!planning!things!out!really!far!in!advance,!and! it!came!time!and!it!was!like,!‘Oh,!the!arugula!didn’t!really! turn! out! this! week,’! so! you! have! to! be! able! to! change! plans!and!do!something!different.”!

Having!the!farm!will!help!popsicle!lovers!become! more! connected! to! where! the! ingredients! come! from,!

!

Carse!says.!

“I! think! it’s! going! to! be! really! fun! and! a! really! good!visual!for!people!to!se!the!popsicle!cart!next!to!our! farm!stand!and!have!some!of!our!strawberries!that!we’re! selling!that!are!in!a!popsicle!right!next!to!it,”!he!says.!

Another!reason!the!Carses!chose!to!start!farming!was!to! ignite!a!movement.!

“These! farms! being! successful! is! the! only! way! we’re!going!to!breed!more!farms,”!he!says.!“Building!the! farm! takes! time,! but! the! more! people! that! are! buying! it,! the!more!demand!that!is!created,!the!more!farmers!that! will!be!able!to!have!a!living!wage.”!

Though!King!of!Pops!sources!from!Georgia!farms!

—!or!South!Carolina,!in!the!case!of!its!Charleston!branch,! for! example! —! Carse! says! they! try! not! to! be! stuff! about! every!ingredient!being!local.!

“If! something! is! really! good! and! we! can! make! a! great! product! out! of! it,! then! we’re! going! to! do! it.! Like! pineapples,! for! example,! are! never! going! to! grow! here,”! he! says.! “We! want! to! make! great! fun,! interesting! products! and! we! want! to! do! as! much! locally! as! we! can,! but! we’re! not! going! to! hold! back! from! doing! something! because!we!can’t!get!it!locally.”!

The! farm! has! come! a! long! way! in! the! last! 18!

… Continued on page 20 17!

! ! !

Making!

education.! “Lower! fuel! prices! used! to! frequent! trips! to! the! run! tractors! and! grocery! store! to! stock! equipment! impacts! up! on! favorite! foods! the! input! a! good! can!add!up!quickly.!!! bit.! ! Weather! is!

The! price! of! another! huge! food! is! determined! by! factor.”! input! costs! such! as!

Recently,! processing,! droughts! across! transportation,!

Texas! and! packaging! and!

Oklahoma! affected! commodity! pricing.! crops! used! to! feed!

Because! these! factors! livestock,!which!led! vary,!the!cost!of!food!is! to!Georgians!seeing! subject! to! change.! The! higher! beef! prices.!

US! Department! of!

The! USDA! predicts!

Agriculture! estimates! a! 0! to! 1! percent! that! foodSatShome,! or! increase! in! beef! supermarket,! prices! prices! in! the! next! rose! 1.2! percent! in! year! provided!

Despite recent drought issues, the drop in fuel prices during the past year meant that Georgia fruit and vegetable prices 2015.!! weather! conditions! stayed stable for the farmer and for the consumer. This is good news for those who enjoy Georgia’s new No. 1 fruit, the blueberry. Photo | Katie Thigpen Chapman Though! remain!stable.!It’s!a! predicting!food!cost!! cycle!of!sorts,!! ! ! trends! can! often! be! as! fickle! as! predicting! the! according! to! Chris! Campbell! of! C&M! Ranch! in! weather,! consumers! can! gauge! projected! costs! of! Buchanan.!The!price!and!demand!for!commodities! food!products!by!staying!alert!and!aware!of!what!is! affect! each! other! and! may! alter! consumer! price! happening!in!the!world.!!

Chris!said.!

“Input! costs! are! almost! always! fluctuating.!

“Cattle! eat! many! other! commodities! that!

Fuel! makes! a! huge! difference! in! production! we! produce.! Cattle! are! often! supplemented! with! agriculture,”! says! Jamison! Cruce,! former! Georgia! grain!that!contains!corn!and!soybean!meal.!Both!of!

Peanut! Commission! director! of! research! and! those!commodities!are!produced!here!in!Georgia,”!

18! !

This steam-rolled corn is used for some types of cattle feed. When feed costs go up, so does the cost of beef for farmers and for consumers. Photo | Dallas Duncan

Campbell! says.! “If! the! price! of! beef! is! down,! fewer!farmers!are!going!to!be!feeding!out!cattle;! therefore! we! will! see! a! reduction! in! the! consumption! of! feed,! resulting! in! a! drop! in! the! price!of!soybeans!and!corn.”!

Sometimes,! a! fortuitous! combination! of! input!price!changes!work!out!in!the!farmers’!and! shoppers’! favor.! For! example,! despite! the! drought! issues,! a! decrease! in! fuel! prices! meant! that!fruit!and!vegetable!prices!stayed!stable!last! year.! This! is! good! news! for! blueberry! farmers! like!Steve!Mullis,!who!owns!L&S!Mullis!Farms!in!

Alma.! Though! Mullis! does! use! machines! for! some!portions!of!his!harvest,!he!does!hire!about!

300! seasonal! workers! to! help! pick! blueberries,! corn,!soybeans,!peanuts!and!other!row!crops.!

“When!market!price!decreases,!labor!and! equipment!costs!become!a!big!issue,”!he!says.!!!

That’s!one!reason!he!has!such!a!diversified!crop! base:! diversifying! and! adapting! to! changes! is! a! good! choice! for! growers.! Just! in! case! the! weather!or!disease!affects!one!part!of!the!farm,! others!will!help!make!up!the!difference!in!farm! income.!

“What!is!rough!about!farming!is!that!it!is! the! most! risky! business! in! the! world.! Many! !

producers! rely! completely! on! the! weather! itself! to! sustain!their!operation,”!Campbell!says.!

Growers!of!certain!crops!and!livestock!do!get!some! support! from! agricultural! commodity! commissions.!

These! groups! provide! a! sort! of! safety! net,! promoting! Georgia! products! while! simultaneously! providing! public! education! and! working! toward! research!development,!Cruce!says.!!

This!helps!combat!something!else!that!affects!food! prices:!public!opinion!and!social!media.!

“In! today’s! market! we! are! seeing! a! shift! in! consumer! preferences! due! to! the! accessibility! of! propaganda.!For!example!one!of!the!hot!topics!in!all! food! animal! production! is! the! use! of! antibiotics,”!

Campbell! says.! “Now,! many! consumers! want! to! purchase! product! from! farms! that! do! not! use! any! antibiotics.! What! is! not! realized! is! that! this! drives! the!price!of!the!products!up!due!to!the!risk!farmers! run! when! not! using! antibiotics! to! treat! sick! animals.”!

Despite! the! risks! faced! by! farmers,! and! the! resulting! rise! or! fall! in! food! prices! at! the! grocery! store,! Americans! only! spend! 7! percent! of! their! income! on! food.! In! many! other! countries,! people! spend! at! least! 20! percent! of! their! household! incomes!on!food,!with!numbers!being!as!high!as!47! percent,!according!to!a!USDA!study.!

According! to! the! 2013! Congressional!

Research! Service’s! “FarmStoSFood! Price! Dynamics!

Report,”! the! price! Georgians! pay! at! the! grocery! store!will!go!up!faster!than!it!will!go!down,!even!if! the! farm! cost! decreases.! Even! if! consumers! are! paying! a! higher! price,! for! many! grocery! store! products,!the!farmer!does!not!see!even!half!of!each! dollar! spent.! The! report! states! that! the! average! farm!share!of!retail!price!ranges!from!16.8!cents!of! $1!for!a!gallon!of!ice!cream!to!52.7!cents!of!$1!for!a! dozen!large!eggs.!

When! inputs! such! as! fuel! and! feed! costs! change,! even! though! Georgians! may! see! a! slight! change! in! the! price! they! pay! in! the! store,! farmers! are! the! ones! who! must! deal! with! the! greatest! economic!impact.!

“Point! blank,! the! producer! is! going! to! see! a! major! loss! in! their! profit! margin.! This! can! cause! difficulties!for!any!producer,!but!the!farms!that!are! impacted! the! most,! are! those! that! do! not! have! a! large!enough!farm!to!balance!out!fluctuations!in!the!

19! market,”!Campbell!says.!

! From page 17 | Good Menus Grow Here months,!and!the!thought!of!what!it!will!be!in!five!or!10! years!is!what!keeps!them!going,!Carse!says.!!

“We!have!a!crop!plan!and!it’s!what!we’re!striving! to! do,! but! that! doesn’t! mean! on! May! 3! we’re! going! to! have!500!pounds!of!strawberries!just!because!we!wrote! it!on!the!crop!plan,”!Carse!says.!“But!the!flipside!of!that! is! like,! the! little! pieces! of! unexpected! magic! that! can! happen! when! you! look! at! an! ingredient! and! food! differently!because!of!the!closeness!you’ve!had!with!it.”! !

Wrecking&Bar&Brewpub&+&Wrecking&Barn&Farm!

“You! don’t! open! a! restaurant! and! think,! ‘OK! in! five!years!I’m!going!to!have!a!farm!and!open!a!brewery! out! there,’”! says! Stevenson! Rosslow,! coSowner! of!

Wrecking!Bar!Brewpub!in!Atlanta.!!

In!fact,!he!and!his!partners!opened!a!restaurant! because! they! wanted! to! be! a! top! five! brewpub! in!

America.!Once!the!initial!restaurant!debts!were!paid,!the!

Wrecking! Bar! team! found! their! farmland! and! enough! space! to! build! a! brewery! on! the! property.! Though!

Rosslow!cannot!own!both!a!brewery!and!a!brewpub!due! to!Georgia’s!laws,!there!are!other!members!of!the!team! who!feel!that’s!their!calling.!

“It’s! a! project! in! the! making.! It! may! never! be! don.!It!will!be!a!life!project!for!me,”!Rosslow!says!of!the! concept.!“What!better!at!the!end!of!the!day,!working!on! the!farm!—!because!farm!work’s!hard!work,!all!day!out! there!—!what!would!you!want!to!do!besides!walk!across! the!street!and!have!a!cold!beer?!You’re!making!beer!all! day!long,!what!do!you!want!more!than!a!good!meal!off! the!farm?!They!go!handSinShand.”!

With!a!future!brewery!next!door,!there!are!plans! for! Wrecking! Barn! Farm! in! Loganville! to! have! hops,! grains! and! orchard! trees! so! the! beer! is! literally! sourced! from!next!door.!

The! farm! is! composed! of! 63! acres,! seven! of! which!are!under!cultivation.!!

“There’s! some! changes! that! will! definitely! be! made.!Like!I!grew!too!much!eggplant![last!year].!I!could! never!sell!it!all,”!farm!manager!Rachel!Hennon!says.!“For! me,! the! challenge! was! wrapping! my! head! around! and! staying! on! top! of! planning! for! a! continuous! supply! of! food.!I!got!my!timing!off!last!year!so!instead!of!having!a! continuous!supply!of!turnips!and!radishes,!I’d!have!like!a! bunch! for! these! two! weeks! and! then! nothing! for! two! more!weeks!and!then!oh,!I!have!turnips!again.”!

The! farm! plan! is! based! on! climate! and! what! grows! well! in! Georgia,! in! addition! to! the! needs! of! the! restaurant! and! it’s! small! community! supported!

20! !

Rachel Hennon, farm manager at Wrecking Barn Farm in Loganville, checks on kale varieties in one of the hoop houses. Winter greens like this are used both on the menu at Wrecking Bar Brewpub in Atlanta as well as a small community supported agriculture program.

agriculture! program,! where! CSA! members! purchase! regular!baskets!of!produce!from!the!farm.!

“Luckily!with!the!restaurant,!they!have!an!idea!of! what! they! want! so! they! can! tell! me,! ‘Oh! we! are! super! excited! about! this! variety,’”! Hennon! says.! “In! the! spring! and!fall!you’ll!have!like!the!roots!and!greens,!all!kinds!of! cabbage,! kale,! broccoli,! carrots,! beets,! onions! …! all! that! good! stuff.! Then! in! the! summer! the! fruity! stuff! like! tomatoes,!eggplant,!peppers,!squash.”!

And! though! the! idea! of! knowing! precisely! what! square! inch! of! land! a! carrot! came! from! is! enough! to! tempt! many! restaurateurs! into! becoming! farmers,!

Rosslow! cautions! that! this! model! might! not! be! for! everyone.!!

It’s! hard! work! and! requires! passion! not! just! for! the!finished!product,!but!for!all!steps!in!production.!But! for! Rosslow,! who! has! an! agricultural! background,! the! farm!was!a!logical!foray!on!his!journey!to!give!Wrecking!

Bar! that! topSranked! status! of! great! brewpub,! which! will! come!from!a!combination!of!good!service,!good!beer!and! good!food.!

“Great! food! is! not! made! by! a! man.! It’s! grown.!

And!then!not!mishandled,”!he!says.!“A!chef’s!job!is!really! simple:!source!the!best!ingredients!possible.!Then!if!you! combine! them! carefully,! without! overdoing! it! or! overcooking! it,! it’s! going! to! be! delicious! because! you! have!the!best!ingredients!in!the!pan.”! ! !

! ! !

GET CRAFTY: Williams5Sonoma&Inspired&DIY&Outdoor&Bench& While!perusing!through!a!WilliamsSSonoma!catalog,!AtlantaSbased!craft!expert!Amy!Anderson!saw!an!outdoor!coffee! table!she!liked.!She!did!not,!however,!enjoy!the!$1,295!price!tag.!So,!she!and!her!husband!created!a!modified!version! into!a!bench!suitable!for!Southern!weather!for!a!whopping!$35.!!

What&You’ll&Need:& • Pine!2x4s!(see!step!two)!

• Construction!adhesive!for!wood!

• Bar!clamps,!TSsquare!and!sanding!blocks!(80S!and!120Sgrit)!

• Thompsons!water!seal!and!stain!

• Paintbrush,!rag!and!surface!protection!

• Power!tools:!HandSheld!belt!sander!and!table!saw! !

Steps&to&Success:& 1.!Before!cutting!your!pieces!to!size,!mill!the!twoSinch!edges!of!every!piece!of!wood!to!get!! !!!!a!square!edge!for!a!!modern!look.!

2.!Cut!the!pieces!to!length:!33.5!inches!(five),!40!inches!(four),!16!inches!(10)!and!12.75!! !!!!inches!(eight).!These!will!form!a!16x40x13.5Sinch!bench.!

3.!Organize!the!pieces!of!wood!without!gluing!first!so!you!understand!how!they!go!! !!!!together.!It!will!look!like!one!long!piece,!then!one!short!piece,!one!long,!etc.!(see!photo)!

4.!Use!the!wood!to!create!a!box!joint.!Place!a!40Sinch!piece!with!a!33.5Sinch!piece!in!the!! !!!!!center.!On!each!end!place!a!16Sinch!piece!perpendicular!to!the!other!two.!Using!a!TS! !!!!!square,!make!sure!everything!is!even!and!as!flush!as!possible.!Once!the!bench!is!laid!! !!!!!out,!glue!pieces!into!place!and!clamp.!Repeat!across!bench.!

5.!Keep!the!bench!clamped!and!dry!overnight.!

6.!Undo!the!clamps!and!sand!with!the!belt!sander!until!even,!sanding!in!the!direction!of!the!grain,!until!it!is!completely!smooth!! !!!!and!flat.!If!your!bench!is!really!uneven,!start!with!the!80Sgrit!and!finish!with!120Sgrit!sanding!blocks.!

7.!Stain!your!bench,!following!the!application!process!on!the!container.!Optional!—!add!a!coat!of!polyurethane!if!your!bench!will!! !!!!be!outside.!

8.!Optional:!If!you!want!your!bench!raised!off!the!ground!to!protect!it!from!bugs,!drill!holes!in!the!legs!and!insert!furniture!feet.!

Tutorial0courtesy0Amy0Anderson,0DIY0Candy0

Knitting:&Waiting!for!Rain!shawl!by!Sylvia!Bo! Bilvia!

Available!for!about!$5!($7!Canadian)!

Techniques:!yarn!over,!knit!into!front!and!back!of! stitch,!knit!two!together,!knitSyarn!overSknit! same!stitch,!slip!one!knit!two!pass!slipped!over!

Uses!US!6!circular!needles;!780!yards!fingering! weight!yarn!

!

Crochet:!Sophie’s!Universe!blanket!by!Dedri!Uys;!

Available!for!free!!

Techniques:!chain,!double!crochet,!halfSdouble,!slip! stitch,!treble!crochet,!back!and!front!post!single!and! double!crochet!

Large!uses!US!I!hook,!4,265!yards!worsted!weight;! medium!uses!US!G!and!3,600!yards!DK!weight;!small! uses!US!D!and!2,730!yards!fourSply!yarn!

21!

! ! !

Alex and Rachel McManus of Claxton upcycled a kitchen cabinet into a chicken coop by nailing it up on a post to create a nesting box. This allows their free-range poultry a place to roost and keeps them from having to search the entire property for eggs every morning.!

Backyard!chicken!flocks!have!been!a!centerpiece!of!the!Southern!landscape!since!colonial!times.!

Not!only!do!they!provide!a!daily!source!of!eggs,!but!also!a!nice!meat!source!for!the!Sunday!dinner!table.!

This!can,!however,!be!costSprohibitive!for!some!who!do!not!wish!to!buy!one!of!the!several!hundredSdollar! chicken!coops!sold!at!most!farm!supply!stores.!Thankfully,!there!are!lots!of!options!for!reSusing!old!recycled! building!materials,!pallets!and!even!old!furniture!for!creating!a!new!home!for!these!useful!birds.!

Pamela!Handy!of!Wadley!and!her!family!built!a!coop!for!their!sixSbird!flock!completely!from!recycled! materials,!such!as!old!tin!and!scrap!lumber.!! “With!upcycling!being!all!the!rage,!it!was!perfectly!acceptable!for![the!coop]!to!look!old!and!rusty,�!

Handy!says.!

22! !

! ! !

Chickens like this Rhode Island Red need fresh water and feed every day in their coops in order to keep them healthy and producing eggs.

Cost!was!also!a!large!factor!in!the!Handy!family’s!decision!to! build!with!recycled!materials.!

“The!practical!girl!inside!me!did!not!want!to!spend! oodles!of!money!on!a!coop!when!I!was!not!sure!how!long!this! venture!would!last.”!

Though!the!Handys!“new!venture”!did!not!grow!into!a! large!egg!producing!company,!they!say!they!enjoyed!having! fresh!eggs!to!share!with!their!community!and!having!the! companionship!of!their!new!flock!in!the!backyard.!

Another!south!Georgia!family!turned!to!pallets!as!a! source!of!building!materials!for!their!chicken!coop.!Burke!

County!resident!Patty!Southard!needed!a!home!for!her!colorful! flock!of!Barred!Rock,!Rhode!Island!Red,!White!Leghorn!and!

CornishScross!hens,!which!she!raises!for!eggs!and!meat.!Her! husband!used!pallets!to!make!a!small!house!for!the!birds.!

Other!than!having!to!replace!a!door!that!didn’t!work!properly,! the!coop!works!well!and!was!inexpensive!to!build.!!

After!recently!moving!to!Georgia!from!North!Dakota,!

Alex!and!Rachel!McManus!wanted!to!enjoy!having!a!small! backyard!flock!of!birds.!They!invested!in!a!few!Rhode!Island!

Red!hens!and!wanted!to!let!them!mainly!freeSrange!in!the! backyard.!They!did!not,!however,!want!to!spend!all!of!their! !

time!looking!for!eggs.!!

After!investigating!several! options,!an!old!kitchen!cabinet!became! the!solution!to!their!problems.!By!nailing! the!cabinet!up!on!a!post,!they!were!able! to!use!it!as!a!nesting!box!and!a!resting! place!for!their!hens.!A!hanging!lamp!kept! it!warm!on!cooler!days,!and!a!small!wire! enclosure!kept!the!hens!safe!from! predators!at!night.!

Whether!building!a!large!hen! house!or!small!roosting!box,!using! recycled!materials!can!have!a!lot!of! economic!benefits.!Handy!says!it!can!fit! right!in!with!the!rustic!look!that!is!now! so!popular!in!many!places.!When! building!your!own!coop,!it!is!important! to!always!keep!a!few!things!in!mind.!

First,!the!chickens!will!need!a!roof!to! keep!them!dry!on!especially!rainy!days.!

Also,!they!will!need!a!place!to!lay!eggs,! or!else!a!daily!Easter!egg!hunt!will!need! to!occur!before!breakfast.!The!chickens! will!need!a!source!of!fresh,!clean!water! and!feed!every!day.!Finally,!it!is! important!to!protect!the!birds!from! potential!predators!such!as!a!fox!or! other!small!carnivores,!according!to!the!

University!of!Georgia!Poultry!Science!

Department.!

Once!a!coop!has!been!built!and! birds!purchased,!most!other!supplies!are! readily!available!at!any!local!farm!supply! store.!After!a!period!of!brooding!—! meaning!keeping!the!chicks!warm!and! dry!—!they!will!be!big!enough!to!put!in! the!new!coop!that!was!built!for!them.!

Most!hens!do!not!start!laying!eggs!until! they!are!around!18!to!21!weeks!old.!

After!they!start!laying,!they!should!keep! the!refrigerator!wellSstocked!for!years!to! come.!! !

For0a0look0at0popular0poultry0breeds0to0 add0to0your0backyard0flock,0see0our0list0in0 the0grow0section0on0page05.! !

23!

Advertise&in&agriCULTURE !Magazine! !

At!agriCULTURE0Magazine,!we!love!this!industry!because!it’s!so!familySoriented.!No!matter!the!size!of!your! farm!or!garden,!it!won’t!succeed!without!the!whole!team’s!efforts.!We’re!committed!to!thanking!our!agS vertisers!for!their!support!with!reasonable,!competitive!rates,!free!listings!in!our!holiday!gift!guide!and!access! to!being!in!our!market.! !

In!addition!to!the!monthly!print!publication!–!advertising!options!include!inSmagazine!ads!and!back!covers!!–!we!also! offer!a!number!of!digital!ad!options.!agriCULTURE!is!active!on!Facebook!and!Twitter,!giving!advertisers!the!ability!to! advertise!through!those!pages.!Our!market!is!an!online!showcase!of!apparel!and!accessories!supporting!the!magazine;! products!we’ve!written!about;!Georgia!art!and!more.!Advertisers!can!purchase!a!market!stall!each!month!to!sell!items! that!fit!our!mission!of!engaging!readers!in!agriculture.! !

All!print!ads!are!fullScolor.!Membership!organizations!are!granted!a!perSad!discount!off!the!bat!for!all!inSmagazine!ads! and!for!certain!bundles!(please!contact!us!to!find!out!if!your!organization!qualifies!for!discounted!ad!rates).!! !

View&the&full&ad&kit&online&at&www.agriCULTUREmagazine.net!& ! !

2016 to 2017 PRINT AD RATES! Ad&Size&

Full!page! ½!page!horizontal! ¼!page!

Monthly!back!cover! agSprouts!back!cover!

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$1,000! $650! $400! $1,500! $1,000! $1,000!

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SSS! SSS! SSS!

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One&free&market&listing&is&available&to&Prime&and&Tenderloin&Bundle&advertisers& Pricing&for&paid&market&items:& • $150!per!listing!per!month!!!includes!one!“paid”!social!media!post!on!Facebook,!Twitter!and!Instagram!

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For0more0details,0including0costs0and0directions,0please0contact0each0individual0event0coordinator0at0the0email0or0phone0number0 provided.0Have0an0event0you’d0like0to0add?0Visit0www.agriCULTUREmagazine.net0and0submit0it0via0our0“holler0at0us”0feature.0 .!

March&1&–&April&30!

Atlanta0Blooms;0Atlanta!Botanical!

Garden;0404S876S58590 !

March&1& Southern0Women0in0Agriculture;0 Northwest!Georgia!Livestock!

Pavilion,!Calhoun;0706S657S41160 Food0Talk0Class;0Gilmer!County!

Extension!Office,!Ellijay;0706S635S 44260 Cotton/Soybean0Weed0Control0 Varner!4SH!Center,!Swainsboro!

478S237S1226!

Bleckley0County0Cotton0Production0 Meeting;0165!E.!Peacock!Street,!

Cochran;0478S934S32200 Foundations0of0Backyard0Flock0 Management0Workshop0 Carroll!County!Ag!Center,!

Carrollton;!770S836S8546! & March&2& Peanut0Production0Meeting;0Ag! Building,!Millen;!478S982S44080 !

March&3& Coffee,0Atkinson0and0Irwin0 Watermelon0and0Vegetable0 Update;0Broxton!Community!

Center,!Broxton;0912S384S14020 Summer0Veggie0Garden;0Atlanta!

Botanical!Garden;!404S876S58590 !

March&4&–&April&29&(Fridays)& Master0Naturalist0Program;0325!

Old!Jesup!Road,!Brunswick0 912S554S7577! !

March&4& Toombs,0Treutlen,0Montgomery0 Peanut0Production0Update;0 Captains!Corner,!Vidalia0 912S526S31010 National0Archery0Schools0State0 Tournament;0Georgia!National!

Fairgrounds,!Perry;0770S388S00450 !

March&5& Container0Gardening0Class;0Atlanta!

Botanical!Garden,!Gainesville0 404S591S1543!

Summer0Veggie0Seeds;0Atlanta!

Botanical!Garden,!Atlanta0 404S876S5859!

Cultivating0Shiitakes;0The! Homestead!Atlanta;0404S590S46180 !

March&5&–&6& The0Good0Horseman0Spring0 Dressage0&0CT0Show;0Georgia!

International!Horse!Park,!Conyers;0 Goodhorseman.org0 Peach0State0Classic0Boer0Goat0 Show;0Georgia!National!

Fairgrounds,!Perry;0912S359S31610 !

26! !

March&6& Chicken0Coop0Design;0The!Homestead!

Atlanta;0404S590S46180 !

March&7& Orchid0Care0Clinic;0Botanical!Garden,!

Atlanta;0404S876S58590 !

March&7&–&8& Orchid0Market0Weekend;0Atlanta!

Botanical!Garden,!404S876S58590 !

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Ag!Expo,!Moultrie;0706S542S15290 !

March&8!

Food0Talk0Class;0Gilmer!Extension!

Office,!Ellijay;0706S635S44260 Layers0and0Behavior:0Backyard0Poultry0 Workshop;0Carroll!County!Ag!Center,!

Carrollton770S836S85460 !

March&9& Washington,0Jefferson,0Johnson!Peanut0 Production0Meeting;!2529!US!1!North,!

Louisville;!478S625S3046!

Managing0Food0Budgets;0Emanuel!

County!PreSK,!Swainsboro;0912S685S 24080 Adventure0Cubs:0Safari0Africa;0Zoo! Atlanta;0404S624S58220 !

March&10& Ornamental0Establishment0and0 Maintenance;0835!Memorial!Drive,!

Griffin;0770S467S42250 Coffee/Atkinson0Pecan0Update0 Coffee!County!Extension!Office,!

Douglas;!912S384S1402!

Insect0Pest0Management0&0Vegetable0 Gardening;0The!Candy!Room,!Albany;0 229S436S72160 Crocheting0for0Beginners;0The!Candy!

Room,!Albany;0229S436S72160 !

March&11& Toombs,0Treutlen,0Montgomery0Cotton0 Update;0Captains!Corner,!Vidalia;0912S 526S31010 !

March&11&–&13!

Orchid0Society0Show;0Atlanta!Botanical!

Garden,!404S876S58590 !

March&12& Propagation0Class;0Atlanta!Botanical!

Garden,!Gainesville;0404S591S15430 Orchids0for0Beginners0II;0Atlanta!

Botanical!Garden,!404S876S58590 Adventure0Cubs:0Safari0Africa;0Zoo! Atlanta;0404S624S58220 Blacksmithing:0Campfire0Cookset,0TwoG Tine0Fork;0The!Homestead!Atlanta;0404S 590S46180 Bread0&0Jam;0The!Homestead!Atlanta;0

404S590S46180 !

March&12&–&13& Weekend0Immersion:0Basketmaking0 The!Homestead!Atlanta;!404S590S4618! !

March&13&–&15& Orchid0Society0Show;0Atlanta!Botanical!

Garden,!404S876S58590 !

March&14& Flavor0of0Georgia0Contest;0Georgia!

Freight!Depot,!Atlanta;0flavorofga.com0 !

March&15!

20160Farm,0Home0and0Ministers0 Conference;0Pettigrew!Center,!Fort!

Valley;0478S235S70910 Backyard0Flock0Diseases0&0Prevention0 Workshop;0Carroll!County!Ag!Center,!

Carrollton;0770S836S85460 Forage0School;0305!S!Hightower!Street,!

Thomaston;0706S647S89890 Vaccinating0and0Worming0Beef0Cattle0 Varner!4SH!Center,!Swainsboro!

478S237S1226!

Georgia0Agriculture0Appreciation0Day0 at0the0Capitol;0State!Capitol,!Atlanta0 !

March&16& Member0Spring0Evening;0Atlanta!

Botanical!Garden,!404S876S58590 Magic0&0Cow0Sh*t:0Cofessions0of0a0 Biodynamic0Farmer;0Eventide!Brewing,!

Atlanta;0404S590S46180 !

March&17!

Toombs,0Treutlen,0Montgomery0Pecan0 Update;0Captains!Corner,!Vidalia;0912S 526S31010 Pecan0Production0Meeting;0Captains!

Corner,!Vidalia;0912S568S71380 !

March&19!

Georgia04GH0State0Livestock0Judging0 Contest;0706S542S88920 Butterfly0Gardens,0Pollinators0and0 More;0835!Memorial!Drive,!Griffin;0770S 467S42250 Georgia0Master0Gardener0Day0 J.C.!Penney,!Albany;!229S436S7216!

Natural0Egg0Dyeing;0Atlanta!Botanical!

Garden,!404S876S58590 Peanut0Proud0Festival;0Town!Square,!

Blakely;0peanutproudfestival.com0 20160Farm0Scavenger0Hunt;0Gaia!

Gardens/Love!is!Love!Farm,!Decatur;0 678S702S04000 !

March&19&–&20!

Orchid0Market;0Atlanta!Botanical!

Garden,!Atlanta;0404S876S58590 FlyGFishing0School;0Callaway!Gardens,!

Pine!Mountain;01S800S852S38100 !

March&20&–&21&

Bonsai0Society0Show;0Atlanta!

Botanical!Garden,!404S876S58590 !

March&21& Atlanta0Science0Festival0 Georgia!Aquarium,!Atlanta! www.atlantasciencefestival.org! !

March&22& Backyard0Flock:0Meat0Chicken0&0 Food0Safety0Workshop;0Carroll!

County!Ag!Center,!Carrollton0 770S836S8546!

Dinner0in0the0Garden;0Atlanta!

Botanical!Garden,!404S585S20530 !

March&24& So0Easy0to0Preserve;0463!West!

Meadow!Lake!Parkway,;!

Swainsboro;0912S685S24080 Healthy0Easter0Dinner;0The!Candy!

Room,!Albany;0229S436S72160 !

March&25& Georgia04GH0State0Dairy0Judging0 Contest;0706S542S88920 Northeast0Georgia0Soybean0 Meeting;0Bowman!Community!

Center;01S800SASKSUGA10 !

March&26& Kori0Bustard0Day;0Zoo!Atlanta0 404S624SWILD! Blacksmithing:0Campfire0Cookset,0 Copper0Ladle;0The!Homestead!

Atlanta;0404S590S46180 !

March&30!

Georgia0Pecan0Growers0 Association0Meeting;0Georgia!

National!Fairgrounds,!Perry0 229S382S2187! !

March&30&–&April&2!

Georgia0Cattlemen’s0Association0 and0Beef0Board0Convention0 Georgia!National!Fairgrounds,!

Perry;!478S474S6560!

Pro0Am0Benefit0Classic0Saddlebred0 Horse0Show;0Georgia!National!

Fairgrounds,!Perry0478S788S68660 !

March&31&–&April&2!

Great0Southland0Stampede0Rodeo0 UGA!Livestock!Instructional!

Arena,!Athens! gssrodeo@gmail.com! !

March&31& Magic0with0Mixes;0The!Candy!

Room,!Albany;0229S436S72160 Annual0Plant0Fair0and0Sale0 Callaway!Gardens,!Pine!Mountain!

1S800S852S3810!

! ! !

MEET GEORGIA’S 2016 WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT!—!compiled0by0Dallas0Duncan0 0

Georgia!Women!of!Achievement!was!founded!in!the!1990s!by!a!group!that!wanted!to!honor!women!“who! have!done!amazing!things,!not!just!for!our!state,!but!for!mankind!in!general,”!says!Executive!Director!Betty!Hollan.!

“It’s!a!little!bit!of!a!history!lesson,!it’s!a!little!bit!of!a!celebration!…!but!it!makes!sure!the!legacy!of!those! women!doesn’t!go!unnoticed,”!Hollan!says.!!

This!year!marks!the!25th!annual!ceremony.!Thus!far,!83!women!have!been!honored!since!the!group’s! formation.!Eligible!nominees!are!woman!who!have!been!deceased!for!five!or!more!years,!and!who!during!life!had!a! strong!connection!to!the!Peach!State.!Nominations!can!be!made!online!or!through!email,!Hollan!says.!

Sarah&Harper&“Sallie”&Heard& Sallie!Heard!was!born!in!

Newton!County!in!1854.!She!married! and!moved!to!Elbert!County!at!19,!and! was!known!for!her!gardens!and! assistance!developing!the!Elberta! peach!at!Rose!Hill!Plantation.!In!1892,! she!formed!the!Elberton!Sorosis!Club,! the!oldest!women’s!club!in!Georgia.!!

After!her!son!Thomas!died,!

Heard!was!inspired!by!his!collection!of!

12!books!and!began!loaning!them!out! to!neighborhood!children.!After!the! demand!for!books!became!too!great,! she!partnered!with!the!Seaboard!Air! Line!and!Andrew!Carnegie!to!establish! the!Seaboard!Air!Line!Free!Traveling!

Library!System!in!Elbert!County.!Those!

12!books!became!part!of!a!collection! that!was!shipped!up!and!down!the!East! coast!by!train.!For!decades,!this!was! the!only!free!public!library!available.!!

After!Heard’s!death!in!1919,! he!work!of!the!traveling!library! continued!through!her!daughter,!sonS inSlaw!and!his!second!wife,!Elizabelle!

Langston,!until!1955.!

!

Ellamae&Ellis&League& !

Ellamae!Ellis!League!was!born! in!Macon!in!1899.!There!were!a! number!of!architects!already!in!her! family!and!League!wanted!to!become! one!too.!She!was!prohibited!from! attending!Georgia!Institute!of!

Technology!because!she!was!a!woman,! ,!so!she!got!a!job!at!an!architectural! firm!!and!began!taking!correspondence! courses!in!architecture!from!New!York.!

She!later!attended!school!in!France,! and!returned!to!Georgia!to!take!the! architectural!licensing!exam.! !

League!became!licensed!and! opened!her!own!firm!in!1934.!Her!firm! remained!open!until!1975.!Her!work! includes!13!different!types!of!buildings! and!has!two!structures!in!Jones!County! listed!on!the!National!Register!of!

Historic!Places.!In!addition!to!building,!

League!was!involved!in!preserving! historic!structures!in!the!Macon!area.! !

At!the!time!of!her!death!in!’91,!

League!was!the!only!woman!Fellow!of! the!American!Institute!of!Architects!in!

Georgia.!

Katie&Hall&Underwood& Katie!Hall!Underwood!was! born!in!1884,!the!daughter!of!former! slaves.!She!was!the!last!remaining! midwife!on!Sapelo!Island.!In!the! community!of!Hog!Hammock,!which! was!named!for!relative!Samson!Hogg,! nearly!two!generations!of!Sapelo! citizens!were!brought!into!the!world!by!

Underwood’s!hands.!

Though!her!name!isn’t!found! in!many!printed!works,!the!oral!history! of!Sapelo!Island!preserves!her! memory.!In!2006,!when!the!Georgia!

Department!of!Natural!Resources!was! searching!for!a!name!for!its!new!ferry,! the!name!Katie!Underwood!rose!as!a! single!uniting!memory!on!the!island.!It! was!a!unanimous!decision.!

The!ferry!that!now!bears!

Underwood’s!name!now!delivers! expectant!mothers!to!the!mainland,! returns!their!newborns!home!and!also! carries!those!former!citizens!returning! home!to!Sapelo!to!their!final!resting! place!on!the!island’s!Behavior!

Cemetery.!

!

Don’t&forget:!Subscribe&online&through&the&market!&A&one5year&subscription&is&just&$30.!

Announcing&the&MAY&aCm&photo&contest!—&Georgia&Gardens!!Send!us!your!photos!via!social!media! using!the!hashtag!#aCmPhotoContest.!Full!rules!are!on!back!porch!blog!on!our!website.! ! Deadline!for!entries!is!March!30;!voting!on!our!Facebook!and!Instagram!to!be!held!April!1!through!5!!! 27!

! ! !

Philatelists, or stamp collectors, from across the world gathered in Atlanta for the 2016 Ameristamp/Southeastern Stamp Expo. Following a First Day of Issue Ceremony for the Botanical Art Stamps, collectors scurried to dealer booths to find the perfect addition to their collection.

The! room! was! full! at! the! First! Day! of! Issue!

Ceremony!for!the!US!Postal!Service’s!new!Botanical!Art! Stamps!on!Jan.!29.!The!stamps!were!unveiled!in!Atlanta! as!part!of!the!Ameristamp/Southeastern!Stamp!Expo.!

The! new! collection! includes! 10! stamps! based! on! vintage! illustrations! from! 1800s! and! 1900s! seed! catalogs,! says! Kristin! Seaver,! vice! president! of! operations!for!the!USPS!Capital!Metro!area.!!

The! Botanical! Art! Stamps! were! designed! by! artist!Ethel!Kessler!and!continue!a!tradition!of!the!USPS! paying! homage! to! gardening! and! agriculture.! Other! stamps!in!those!themes!include!winter!flowers,!vintage! seed! packets,! floral! “love”! stamps! and! last! year’s! chef! and!farmers!market!collections.!

“They!truly!pay!tribute!to!an!important!part!of!

28! !

garden! history,”! says! Mildred! Fockele,! vice! president! of! horticulture! for! the! Atlanta! Botanical! Garden! in!

Gainesville.! “If! you! think! about! it,! that! process! really! hasn’t! changed! that! much! over! the! years.! I! know! my! mailbox!this!month!has!been!filled![with!seed!catalogs].!I! think! the! only! difference! is! when! these! beautiful! drawings! were! created,! PhotoShop! didn’t! exist! and!

PhotoShop! was! done! with! real! pen! and! ink! and! watercolor!rather!than!the!click!of!a!button!to!sell!you!a! plant.”!

The!connection!between!philately!—!pronounced! fillSatSehSlee,! or! the! hobby! of! stamp! collecting! —! and! gardening!goes!back!further!than!the!USPS.!

“Botanical! illustrations! have! a! rich! history,”!

Seaver! says.! “Beginning! in! the! late! 15th! century! as!

European!explorers!traveled!around!the!globe,!they!came! across! many! plants! completely! unknown! to! them.! They! brought! these! exotic! plants! back! home! for! study! and! cultivation.”!

Soon! botanical! illustrators! were! producing! detailed!works!of!art,!which!a!few!decades!later!became! the!inspiration!for!seed!catalogs,!Seaver!says.!!

“As!more!and!more!people!discovered!the!joys!of! gardening,!commercial!greenhouses!and!nurseries!began! to! create! colorful! catalogs.! These! catalogs! were! created! with! beautiful! blossoms! and! lush! foliage;! idealized,! romantic! versions! of! what! a! plant! could! look! like,”! she! says.!

Fockele! says! though! most! of! the! varieties! featured!on!this!stamp!collection!can!no!longer!be!found! in!cultivation,!new!and!improved!cultivars!are!available!in! garden!stores!each!spring.!

“One! of! our! favorite! tulips! is! a! tulip! called!

‘Dreamland,’!which!is!a!beautiful!pink!and!white.!It!looks! almost!exactly!like!the!pink!and!white!tulip!on!the![stamp! collection],”! she! says.! “In! May,! every! bride! wants! to! get! married!in!our!rose!garden!with!our!sumptuous!roses!—! again,! very! similar! to! the! same! flowers! that! you! see! in!

! ! ! !

From left: Dawn Hammon of the American Topical Association, Kristin Seaver of the US Postal Service, Scott English of the American Philatelic Society and Austin Foo, a Georgia Institute of Technology student and Young Philatelic Leadership fellow, unveil the 2016 Botanical Art Stamps series at the First Day of Issue Ceremony held in Atlanta on Jan. 29. The stamps were inspired by seed catalogs of the 1800s and 1900s.

these!drawings.”!

Like! flowers! no! longer! in! cultivation,! many! philatelists!prize!stamps!that!are!no!longer!in!circulation.!

The! first! US! postage! stamp! was! issued! in! 1847,! shortly! after!its!cousins!in!Great!Britain,!says!Daniel!Piazza,!chief! curator!of!philately!at!the!Smithsonian!National!Postage!

Museum!in!Washington,!DC.!

“In!that!first!decade!between!1840!and!1850!we! see! people! starting! to! collect! stamps! in! the! way! coins! were! collected,”! he! says.! “People! like! them! for! the! artistry,!they!like!them!for!the!designs,!the!history.”!

Most!stamp!collectors!have!always!been!middle! to!upperSmiddle!class!people!in!their!40s,!but!Piazza!says! there! may! be! a! resurgence! in! the! hobby! for! younger! collectors.!

“There’s!certainly!a!lot!of!interest!in!things!that! are!vintage!or!retro,!so!that!demographic!I!think!has!that! type!of!interest!in!it!whether!they’re!joining!stamp!clubs! or! actively! engaged! in! organized! stamp! collecting,”! he! says.!

One! of! the! younger! collectors! is! Casey! White,! whose! interest! in! the! hobby! began! as! a! stamp! researcher!for!a!private!collector!in!Shelbyville,!Indiana.!

She! came! to! the! Atlanta! expo! specifically! to! see! the!

Botanical!Art!Stamps.!

!

“I! love! these! floral! stamps.! They’re! just! gorgeous,”!she!says.!“I!think!one!of!the!more!fun!things! about!stamp!collecting!is!figuring!out!how!to!organize!it! and! display! it.! Each! stamp! is! a! piece! of! art.! …! You! can! find!sources!online!that’ll!have!pages,!templates!for!you! to! look! at! how! to! display! your! stamps.! But! you! can! get! creative!with!it:!have!a!picture!of!the!flower!next!to!the! stamp!of!the!flower.!That!kind!of!thing!is!just!making!like! a!scrapbook,!but!with!stamps!and!postal!history.”!

White! plans! to! utilize! the! website! Tumblr! to! create!more!awareness!about!philately.!!!

“It’s! something! that! you! either! like! it! or! you! don’t,”! she! says.! “It’s! not! something! I! would’ve! ever! expected!to!get!into,!but!the!more!you!get!into!it,!I!love! it.!There’s!so!much!history!in!it.”!

And! just! as! stamps! are! loved! for! their! histories,! so! are! individual! plants! a! Georgian! might! have! in! her! garden,!Fockele!says.!

“Flowers! are! enjoyed! from! everyone! 7! to! 70.!

Stamp!collections!and!gardening!are!similar!in!that!both! hobbies!can!be!small!or!large!in!size,!and!inexpensive!or! expensive! in! nature,”! she! says.! “I! think! those! stories,! whether!they!be!plants!or!stamps,!make!the!deeply!felt! personal! connection! for! all! of! us.! They! inspire! us! to! continue!collecting.!They!provide!the!joy!in!sharing!with! others.”! !

29!

!! ! !

Land of Thee’s T-shirts appeal to residents and visitors to its native Augusta. CEO Chris Rucker combines his staff’s branding mindset with an in-office press to create the apparel.08 .

Apart!from!being!an!iconic!souvenir,!the!TSshirt!is!a! symbol!of!a!generation!that!appreciates!comfort,!leisure!time! and!memories.!TSshirts!represent!a!common!culture,!a!shared! experience! and! a! way! to! identify! likeSminded! people.! As! they’ve! become! more! curated! in! recent! years,! TSshirts! are! wittier,! prettier! and! made! out! of! better! material.! Several!

Georgia! companies! embraced! the! high! quality! TSshirt! trend! and! create! designs! for! Southern! style,! family! reunions! and! nerds!who!wear!their!inside!jokes!on!their!hearts.! !

Rescuing&a&reputation& Land! of! Thee,! a! shirt! label! based! in! Augusta,! focuses! on! “The! Fabric! of! You”! by! connecting! designs! to! a! feeling! of! home! and! nostalgia.! Founded! a! year! ago! as! an! arm! of! the! brandScentric!design!firm!KRUHU,!the!label!started!as!a!way!to! both! serve! the! firm’s! clients! and! help! Georgians! take! pride! in! their!hometowns.!KRUHU!CEO!Chris!Rucker!first!thought!of!the! idea!while!driving!through!towns!such!as!Albany!and!Americus! on!his!way!to!Seaside,!Florida.!!

“The! pride! that! people! have! for! their! towns,! even! in! the!summertime,!is!crazy!awesome,”!he!says.!“They’re!already! promoting!the!next!high!school!football!season!coming!up.”!

Plus,! at! the! beach! and! on! the! road,! Rucker! usually! can’t! find! a! TSshirt! that! appeals! to! him.! Even! when! he! visits! large!cities!such!as!Denver!and!New!York!City,!he!rarely!finds!a!

30! !

shirt!that!he!knows!he’ll!wear!again.!!

“When!I!travel!…!my!kneeSjerk!reaction!is!to!grab!a!TS shirt,”!Rucker!says.!“But!I’m!a!TSshirt!snob.”!!

So,! he! thought,! why! not! combine! KRUHU’s! design! skills!with!a!small!garment!press!right!in!its!office!space?!

KRUHU! began! creating! shirts! that! would! appeal! to!

Augusta!residents!and!visitors!who!walked!by!their!downtown! storefront.! Playing! off! the! town’s! moniker! as! “Disgusta,”! they! created!a!shirt!that!says!“Don’t!Dis!Gusta.”!As!a!homage!to!the!

Masters!Golf!Tournament,!they!created!a!shirt!that!resembles! the! many! “Golf! Parking”! signs! that! pop! up! around! town! in!

March! and! April.! The! crew! also! used! old! documents! and! pictures! of! the! 1880s! Augusta! Brewing! Company! to! design! a! shirt!that!honors!the!brewery!that!no!longer!exists.!

The! company’s! shirt! design! process! is! similar! to! the! creative!process!used!when!devising!a!logo!or!idea!for!a!client.!

They!throw!out!ideas,!present!them!to!the!group!and!test!them! together.! They! schedule! a! time! to! intentionally! work! on! shirt! designs! to! stay! accountable! and! upStoSdate! with! ideas.! The! company’s! staff! members! meet! monthly! to! pitch! ideas! and! sketch!designs!on!a!whiteboard!in!the!middle!of!the!office.!!

“We! create! something! we’d! want! to! wear,”! Rucker! said.! “We! don’t! have! a! shortage! of! ideas,! and! the! great! part! about!a!directStoSgarment!press!is!you!can!print!one!at!a!time.”!

The!shirts!sell!around!Georgia!and!South!Carolina,!and! the! firm! hopes! to! expand! in! 2016.! Its! most! popular! are! “Y’all!

Ain’t!Right”!and!“Chubb!for!President.”!Rucker!created!a!“30A!

!!OK”!shirt!to!honor!the!highway!he!takes!to!the!beach!each! downtown!Atlanta.!They!enjoy!selling!shirts!in!California,!New!York! ! summer! —! and! the! route! he! was! on! when! he! came! up! and! Texas! while! living! near! their! parents,! working! with! skilled! ! with! the! idea.! Several! staff! members! developed! townS employees!and!renting!affordable!warehouse!space.!! specific! shirts! to! represent! their! hometowns! with! an! urban,! indie! vibe,! including! designs! for! Blue! Ridge,! southwest! Georgia! and! Sullivan’s! Island,! South! Carolina.!

The!company’s!“Seb!Moe!Six”!shirt,!for!example,!stands!for!

Augusta’s!area!code.!!

“It’s!a!nod!to!that!accent!our!fathers!or!the!corner! store! owner! has! when! he! calls! out! a! phone! number! —! sebenSohSseex,”!Rucker!said.!“When!people!can’t!figure!it! out,!we!tell!them!to!say!it!out!loud,!and!they!immediately! crack!up!when!they!get!it.”! !

Creating&a&business& Snorg! Tees,! an! InternetSfamous! TSshirt! brand! based! in! Roswell,! first! started! as! an! entrepreneurial! experiment!in!a!basement.!Matt!and!Bryan!Walls,!brothers! who! hail! from!

Marietta,! graduated! from! college! in! the! early!

2000s! and! decided! they! wanted! to! own! a! business! of! their! own! rather! than! work!for!someone!else.!

While! working! jobs! in! the! Atlanta! area,! the! two! created! a! funny! TS shirt! site! as! a! side! project! to! see! where! it! would!go.!!

Snorg Tees is a Roswell company that specializes in franchise shirts, witty jokes and ‘90s nostalgia. Though “We! thought! based in Georgia, its shirts are sold throughout the US. it! was! a! great! idea! and!

were!naïve!enough!to!do!it,”!says!Matt!Walls,!who!worked! as!a!consultant!while!launching!the!site.!“I!worked!on!the! website!on!nights!and!weekends!at!home.”!

The!duo!launched!the!website!in!August!2004!and! watched! the! sales! build! slowly! during! the! next! four! months.! About! a! year! and! a! half! after! starting! the! site,! they! decided! to! work! fullStime! for! the! company.! They! moved!through!warehouses!as!they!grew!in!2007!and!2008! and!landed!in!their!Roswell!space!in!2011.!The!wide!variety! of! shirts! feature! witty! jokes! about! franchises! such! as! Star!

Wars!and!Lord!of!the!Rings,!how!difficult!“adulting”!is!and!

1990s!nostalgia.!!

“We! were! computer! nerds! who! joked! around,! watched! movies! and! played! games! while! we! thought! of! ideas,”! Matt! Walls! says.! “We! still! have! a! laidback! culture! where! we! talk! about! movies,! TV! and! pop! culture,! joking! that! someone! needs! to! watch! Walking! Dead! so! we! can! come!up!with!ideas.”!

The! Walls! brothers! see! Georgia! as! home! and!

Snorg! Tees! as! a! family! business.! Matt! attended! the!

University! of! Georgia! and! now! lives! in! Milton! with! his! family,! and! Bryan! attended! Georgia! Tech! and! lives! in!

!

In! 2016,! the! company! plans! to! develop! more! locationS based!shirts!and!sell!at!local!stores!in!the!Atlanta!area.!As!part!of! its! gym! apparel! site,! GroundtoOverhead,! they! create! shirts! for! athletes! and! plan! to! launch! a! new! program! this! month! to! create! custom! apparel! for! gyms.! They’re! testing! the! prints! with! several! gyms! in! the! Atlanta! area,! particularly! the! Crossfit! Johns! Creek! location.!!

“It’s!great!to!create!something!and!see!it!succeed,”!Matt!

Walls! says.! “It’s! fun! and! interesting! to! try! so! many! things! during! the!course!of!your!day!and!have!the!freedom!to!experiment.”! !

Connecting&with&community& Crazy! Native,! a! screenSprinting! and! graphic! arts! studio,! anchored!itself!in!Douglas!and!Paulding!counties!for!more!than!25! years.! Known! by! its! logo! with! beach! islanders! and! tiki! huts,! the! company! is! staffed! with! personable! characters! who! take! design! seriously.!!

“You! don’t! come! here! and! see! a! corporate! atmosphere! with! polos! and! elevator! music,”! says! Corey! Tallent,! lead! artist.!

“We’re! playing! loud! music! in! the! back! and! always! trying! to! make! the!customer!feel!comfortable.”!

As! a! small! company! that! designs! and! sells! shirts,! it! can! focus! on! local! customers! and! ensure! they! don’t! leave! the! store! with! a! design! that! isn’t! satisfactory,! Tallent! says.! Plenty! of! online! companies! receive! business,! but! customers! are! often! left! with! generic! designs,! misprinted! text! or! poor! shirt! quality.! Tallent! has! seen! the! directStoSgarment! printing! industry! gain! popularity! and! attract! several! shirt! companies! to! the! Douglasville! area,! but! they! only!last!for!six!months.!!

“Everybody!was!excited!they!could!print!full!color!shirts,”! he!says.!“But!if!it!takes!15!minutes!to!print!one!shirt!and!nobody! places!300Sshirt!orders,!it!never!pays!off!for!the!time!involved.”!

Crazy! Native! takes! the! community! aspect! seriously.! The! company! prints! for! local! schools,! the! Douglas! County! Sheriff’s!

Office!and!the!Douglas!County!Special!Olympics!each!year.!It!also! helps!with!Bulldogs!Battling!Breast!Cancer,!which!has!raised!funds! for! digital! mammography! machines! for! St.! Mary’s! Hospital! in!

Athens.!!

“When! you! work! with! other! groups! in! the! state,! you’re! passing! down! that! generosity,”! he! said.! “It’s! important! to! work! directly!with!the!people!who!will!benefit.”! !

Crazy! Native! prints! family! reunion! shirts! for! large! celebrations.!It!offers!several!designs!that!can!be!customized!with! family! names! and! logos.! The! company! also! prints! family! reunion! banners,! tablecloths! and! tote! bags.! These! orders! have! grown! in! popularity! during! the! past! five! years,! particularly! during! the! peak! season! that! spans! from! the! last! weekend! of! May! to! the! first! weekend! of! September.! The! Atlanta! area! is! rich! for! reunion! shirt! business,! though! Crazy! Native! has! received! orders! from! Chicago,!

Wisconsin!and!Texas!in!recent!years.!! !

“It’s! fun! to! see! the! different! things! that! people! bring! for! us!to!print,”!Tallent!says.!“Sometimes!I!tell!them!that!I!wish!that!I! had!thought!of!those!designs.”! !

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“To make agriculture sustainable, the grower has got to be able to make a profit.”

— US Rep. Sam Farr !

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