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Cooperative Farming News
IN THIS ISSUE:
Editor-in-Chief: Samantha Carpenter Editor: Jessie Shook Contributing Editor: Jade Randolph Associate Editor: Mary Delph
pg. 28
CO-OP MATTERS 23 Store Spotlight: AFC Feed LLC: Feeding the Future! LIFE ON THE HOMEPLACE AND IN THE COMMUNITY 39 Hog Wars 41 Red Land Cotton: Alabama Grown, American Made 46 Homemade Cookie Exchange 48 A Heart for Christmas
pg. 39
pg. 48
YOUTH MATTERS 24 4-H Extension Corner: Right In Our Own Backyard 26 PALS: Small Hands Change the World 28 FFA Sentinel: 2020 FFA State Star Farmer Highlight: Dyllan Lee On the Cover: Red Land Cotton uses their homegrown cotton from Alabama to create beautiful home linens. Story on page 41. (Photo Credit: Stacie Kinney Photography)
OUR REGULARS Letter from the Editor................ 4
The Herb Lady........................... 60
Ag Insight.................................... 10
Simple Times.............................. 61
Business of Farming................... 14
The Magic of Gardening........... 64
Feeding Facts ............................. 17
Food Safety................................. 66
On the Edge of Common Sense... 20
Grazing Grace............................ 69
From the State Vet’s Office......... 21
The Co-op Pantry....................... 71
Busy Bee Activities..................... 30
What’s Happening in Alabama... 74
Outdoor Logic with BioLogic.... 32 Cooking with Stacy Lyn............. 35 How’s Your Garden?................... 53 Howle’s Hints.............................. 55 www.alafarm.com
Advertising, Editorial, Subscription and Publication Offices 121 Somerville Road NE Decatur, AL 35601-2659 P.O. Box 2227 Decatur, AL 35609-2227 256-308-1618
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AFC Board of Directors Rickey Cornutt, Brooks Hayes, Ben Haynes, Rick Hendricks, Jimmy Newby, Bill Sanders, Jeff Sims, Mike Tate Subscription $15 per year For subscription inquiries or change of address: P.O. Box 2227, Decatur, AL 35609-2227 or call 256-308-1623 Subscribe online at https://www.alafarm.com/magazine
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Wendy McFarland 334-652-9080 or email McFarlandAdVantage@gmail.com Cooperative Farming News is published monthly by Alabama Farmers Cooperative, Inc. 121 Somerville Road NE, Decatur, AL 35601-2659 P.O. Box 2227, Decatur, AL 35609-2227 Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising and will not be responsible for copy errors or misprints in advertising or editorial material, other than to publish corrections of errors in fact. Feature articles, news items and columns are published for the information of our readers from qualified, reputable sources; however, the editors and publisher make no guarantees and assume no liability for any reader’s decision to implement any procedure, recommendation or advice printed in this publication. Photos are credited to author unless otherwise noted. Advertised sale items may not be stocked by every Quality Co-op store and prices may vary.
www.alafarm.com Postmaster: Please send notice of address change (enclosing latest address label) to publication office: Cooperative Farming News P.O. Box 2227 Decatur, AL 35609-2227
December 2020
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Letter from the Editor I can’t be the only one stuck between, “How is it already December?” and “Bring on the new year!” This year has been a roller-coaster ride for everyone, and while I am thankful for the things that I’ve learned, I’m ready for a fresh start in 2021. This month, we are highlighting Red Land Cotton located right here in our home state. Their new line of blankets is outstanding – not that we expected anything less from their locally grown Alabama cotton. Red Land Cotton’s line of products has something for everyone, so keep that in mind while Christmas shopping. While we are on the subject of Christmas shopping, AFC’s local Co-ops are the perfect place to find gifts, including the 2020 FFA Knives, which should be in stores mid-December. If you are not comfortable getting out in the crowds, you can purchase magazine subscriptions (the gift that keeps on giving), Co-op caps and past FFA knives on our website. Our regular contributors are sharing winter and holiday information, including a cookie swap idea that is sure to bring joy to you and yours! We’re beginning 2021 with HOPE, specifically Hope Horses, so stay tuned for that next month. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a very, Merry Christmas. Thank you for being a loyal reader, customer and part of the AFC family.
Samantha Carpenter Editor-in-Chief 4
Cooperative Farming News
Photo Credit: Mae Stier
December 2020
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DIRECTORY OF MEMBER COOPERATIVES ALBERTVILLE FARMERS COOPERATIVE Branch of DeKalb Farmers Cooperative Mark Searels, Mgr. Phone 256-878-3261
FARMERS CO-OP OF ASHFORD Timothy Tolar, Mgr. Jerome Hinson, Asst. Mgr. Phone 334-899-3263
ALTHA FARMERS COOPERATIVE Blountstown - James Lynn, Mgr. Phone 850-674-8194
FARMERS COOPERATIVE, INC. Todd Lawrence, Gen. Mgr. Live Oak, FL - Barry Long, Ag Div. Mgr. Phone 386-362-1459 Madison, FL - Jerry Owens, Operations Mgr. Phone 850-973-2269
ANDALUSIA FARMERS COOPERATIVE Russell Lassiter, Mgr. Phone 334-222-1851 ATMORE TRUCKERS ASSOCIATION Todd Booker, Mgr. Phone 251-368-2191 BLOUNT COUNTY FARMERS COOPERATIVE Eric Sanders, Mgr. Phone 205-274-2185 CALHOUN FARMERS COOPERATIVE Branch of Cherokee Farmers Cooperative Jacksonville - Tommy Thomas, Mgr. Phone 256-435-3430 Piedmont - Kevin Bobbitt, Mgr. Phone 256-447-6560 CENTRAL ALABAMA FARMERS COOPERATIVE Tim Wood, Gen. Mgr. Selma - Thomas Reeves, Mgr. Phone 334-874-9083 Faunsdale - Bryan Monk, Mgr. Phone 334-628-2681 Demopolis - Tom Eunice, Mgr. Phone 334-289-0155 CHEROKEE FARMERS COOPERATIVE Andrew Dempsey, Gen. Mgr. Seth Eubanks, Mgr. / Phone 256-927-3135 CLAY COUNTY EXCHANGE Jeff Kinder, Mgr. Phone 256-396-2097 COFFEE COUNTY FARMERS COOPERATIVE Enterprise - Ricky Wilks, Gen. Mgr. Phone 334-347-9007 Elba - Colin Morris, Mgr. Phone 334-897-6972 COLBERT FARMERS COOPERATIVE Daniel Waldrep, Gen. Mgr. Leighton - Tommy Sockwell, Mgr. Phone 256-446-8328 Tuscumbia - Chuck Hellums, Mgr. Phone 256-383-6462 DEKALB FARMERS COOPERATIVE Lance Ezelle, Gen. Mgr. Rainsville - Andrea Crain, Mgr. Phone 256-638-2569 Crossville - David Tierce, Mgr. Phone 256-528-7188 ELBERTA FARMERS COOPERATIVE William D. Carlew, Mgr. Phone 251-986-8103 ELMORE COUNTY COOPERATIVE Branch of Taleecon Farmers Cooperative Timothy Richardson, Mgr. Phone 334-567-4321
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Cooperative Farming News
FARMERS COOPERATIVE MARKET Doug Smith, Gen. Mgr. Frisco City - William Womack, Mgr. Phone 251-267-3175 Fertilizer / Phone 251-267-3173 Leroy - Jeff Hughston, Mgr. Phone 251-246-3512 FAYETTE FARMERS CO-OP Branch of Marion County Cooperative Kellie Trull, Mgr. / Phone 205-932-5901 FLORALA FARMERS AND BUILDERS CO-OP Branch of Andalusia Famers Cooperative Pete Blackwell, Mgr. / Phone 334-858-6142 GENEVA COUNTY COOPERATIVE Hartford - Todd Smith, Gen. Mgr. Phone 334-588-2992 GOSHEN FARMERS COOPERATIVE Danny Dewrell, Mgr. / Phone 334-484-3441 HEADLAND PEANUT WAREHOUSE CO-OP Jay Jones, Mgr. Chris Hix, Store Mgr. / Phone 334-693-3313 JACKSON FARMERS COOPERATIVE Branch of Madison County Cooperative Ramsey Prince, Mgr. Scottsboro - Phone 256-574-1688 Patricia Rorex, Mgr. Stevenson - Phone 256-437-8829 JAY PEANUT FARMERS COOPERATIVE Ryan Williams, Mgr. / Phone 850-675-4597 LAUDERDALE COUNTY COOPERATIVE Reggie Shook, Gen. Mgr. Florence - Robbie Neal, Mgr. Phone 256-764-8441 Elgin - Wendell Walker, Mgr. Phone 256-247-3453 LAWRENCE COUNTY EXCHANGE John Holley, Gen Mgr. Moulton - Greg McCannon, Mgr. Phone 256-974-9213 Courtland - Phone 256-637-2939 LIMESTONE FARMERS COOPERATIVE John Curtis, Gen. Mgr. / Phone 256-232-5500 Britt Christopher, Location Mgr. Giles County Co-op - Celena Williams, Mgr. Lynnville, TN - Kyle Doggett, Mgr. Phone 931-527-3923 Pulaski, TN / Phone 931-363-2563 LUVERNE COOPERATIVE SERVICES Perry Catrett, Mgr. / Phone 334-335-5082
MADISON COUNTY COOPERATIVE Keith Griffin, Gen. Mgr. Hazel Green - Phone 256-828-2010 Meridianville - Matt Dunbar, Mgr. Phone 256-828-5360 MARION COUNTY COOPERATIVE Steve Lann, Gen. Mgr. Hamilton - Phone 205-921-2631 MARSHALL FARMERS COOPERATIVE Brian Keith, Gen. Mgr. Holly Pond - Phone 256-796-5337 Arab - Phone 256-586-5515 MID-STATE FARMERS COOPERATIVE Branch of Talladega County Exchange Columbiana - Barry Keller, Mgr. Phone 205-669-7082 MORGAN FARMERS COOPERATIVE Bradley Hopkins, Gen. Mgr. Hartselle Phone 256-773-6832 Decatur Phone 256-353-4663 NEW MARKET AG SUPPLY Branch of Madison County Cooperative Phone 256-379-2553 OPP’S CO-OP Branch of Andalusia Farmers Cooperative Brandon Bledsoe, Mgr. Phone 334-493-7715 PIKE FARMERS COOPERATIVE Troy - Wayne Ward, Mgr. Phone 334-566-3882 QUALITY COOPERATIVE, INC. Greenville - Daniel Salter, Mgr. Phone 334-382-6548 RANDOLPH FARMERS COOPERATIVE Tim Brown, Mgr. / Phone 256-357-4743 ST. CLAIR FARMERS COOPERATIVE Branch of Talladega County Exchange Ashville - Allen Bice, Mgr. Phone 205-594-7042 Pell City - Joseph Taylor, Mgr. Phone 205-338-2821 TALEECON FARMERS COOPERATIVE Scott Hartley, Gen. Mgr. Phone 334-257-3930 TALLADEGA COUNTY EXCHANGE Chris Elliott, Gen. Mgr. Phone 256-362-2716 TUSCALOOSA FARMERS COOPERATIVE Wayne Gilliam, Mgr. / Phone 205-339-8181 WALKER FARMERS COOPERATIVE Cody King, Mgr. / Phone 205-387-1142 WEST GENEVA COUNTY COOPERATIVE Branch of Geneva County Cooperative Robert Pittman, Mgr. / Phone 334-898-7932 WINSTON FARMERS COOPERATIVE Branch of Marion County Cooperative Haleyville - Jessica Steward, Mgr. Phone 205-486-3794
Quality Co-op: Specialty Products & Services For more information, contact your local Quality Co-op Catfish Fillets All Year Albertville Farmers Co-op Altha Farmers Co-op - Blountstown Andalusia Farmers Co-op Atmore Truckers Association Blount County Farmers Co-op Calhoun Farmers Co-op - Piedmont Calhoun Farmers Co-op - Jacksonville Central AL Farmers Co-op - Selma Central AL Farmers Co-op - Faunsdale Central AL Farmers Co-op - Demopolis Cherokee Farmers Co-op Clay County Exchange Coffee County Farmers Co-op - Enterprise Coffee County Farmers Co-op - Elba Colbert Farmers Co-op - Tuscumbia DeKalb Farmers Co-op - Rainsville DeKalb Farmers Co-op - Crossville Elberta Farmers Co-op Elmore County Co-op Farmers Co-op Inc. - Live Oak, FL Farmers Co-op Inc. - Madison, FL Farmers Co-op Market - Frisco City Farmers Co-op Market - Leroy Fayette Co-op Florala Farmers & Builders Co-op Goshen Farmers Co-op
Pea Shelling Seasonal
Pecan Cracking
Seasonal
Propane All Year E&R
Seed Drills All Year
R
B B B B
R&E R&E R&E
B B B B B
R R S, E & R R&E R S&R S&R S&R
B B B B
S&R E S&R
B
Geneva County Co-op - Hartford Headland Peanut Warehouse Co-op Jackson Farmers Co-op - Scottsboro Jackson Farmers Co-op - Stevenson Jay Peanut Farmers Co-op Lauderdale County Co-op - Florence Lauderdale County Co-op - Elgin Lawrence Co. Exchange - Moulton Lawrence Co. Exchange - Courtland Limestone Farmers Co-op Giles County Co-op - Pulaski Giles County Co-op - Lynnville Luverne Cooperative Services Madison County Co-op Marion County Co-op Marshall Farmers Co-op - Arab Marshall Farmers Co-op - Holly Pond Mid-State Farmers Co-op Morgan Farmers Co-op - Decatur Morgan Farmers Co-op - Hartselle Opp’s Co-op Pike Farmers Co-op Quality Co-op Inc. St. Clair Farmers Co-op - Ashville St. Clair Farmers Co-op - Pell City Taleecon Farmers Co-op Talladega County Exchange Tuscaloosa Farmers Co-op Walker Farmers Co-op Winston Farmers Co-op www.alafarm.com
Peanuts All Year B B B
S&R B
B R R
B
S&R E S&R B S&R B B B B B
S, E & R S&R R S S&R
Thanksgiving & Christmas season
All Year E B *Alligator also sold
Peanuts: Raw B: Raw & Roasted
Propane: R = Recharge
S = Sell E = Exchange
December 2020
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College Scholarships available through Alabama Farmers Cooperative:
AFC & Auburn University & the John H. Mathews Scholarship Deadline for Scholarships: December 31, 2020
Visit our website at www.alafarm.com/scholarships for more information. 8
Cooperative Farming News
Timber Land
Farm Land
Pasture Land
Competitive Structures
Long term fixed rates
UP TO
30 YEARS*
For more information contact: Rachel Holland 251.446.6022 - Terri Metts 251.267.3161 - John Winters 251.743.3161 Current as of 10/30/2020 *Subject to credit approval. Rates and terms may vary based on credit history of the borrower. Down payment can be as low as 20% depending on credit credentials. Payments can be structured as monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual. Annual Percentage Rate as low as 4.85% fixed up to 30 years. Sample payment for a $100,000 loan for 30 years at 4.85% the monthly payment is $527.69. Payment amounts do not include taxes and insurance, actual payment obligation will be greater. Rates are subject to change daily.
December 2020
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AG INSIGHT A look at food costs, availability As part of the recent observance of World Food Day, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS) measured how much food consumers in countries around the world consume and how much of their household spending goes for those goods. The findings, as displayed in the chart, show considerable disparities in how much consumers spend on food at home as a share of their overall consumption expenditures. (Consumption expenditures includes all household spending, but not savings.) In high-income countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, the shares of spending allocated to food at home are low because food cost is smaller relative to income and people eat out more often. In 2018, these two countries spent less than 10% of their consumption expenditure on food at home – food bought from supermarkets, supercenters and other food stores. In Kenya and other low-income countries, at-home foods’ share of consumption expenditure can exceed 50%. Per capita calorie availability follows the reverse pattern. According to the most recent available data, U.S. per capita calorie availability was among the highest at 3,682 calories per day, while Kenya’s was estimated at only 2,206 calories per day, reflecting differences
between the countries’ supplies of food available for people to eat. Data for the research predate the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on food supply chains and food demand.
USDA extends free meal program for students
The USDA has announced it is extending flexibilities to allow free meals to continue to be available to all children throughout the entire 2020-2021 school year. The move is part of USDA’s commitment to ensuring all children across America have access to nutritious food as the nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. USDA previously extended child nutrition waivers through December 2020 based upon available funding at the time. The new flexibilities will allow schools and other local program operators to continue to leverage the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) to provide no-cost meals to all children, available at over 90,000 sites across the country, through June 30, 2021. The extensions apply to students served in-person and to virtual students through curbside pickup. 10
Cooperative Farming News
BY JIM ERICKSON
year earlier. In recent years, 80-85% of Thailand’s shipments to the United States has been its jasmine rice, a premium aromatic variety. Combined U.S. imports from India and Pakistan increased 24% in 2019/20 to a record 262,000 tons, with most of this rice being basmati rice, also a premium aromatic. Imports of nonaromatic rice have increased as well. China has recently been shipping 66,000-86,000 tons of rice annually, with the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico buying almost all this amount. This market was previously supplied with U.S. rice. The government of China has been selling its stocks of older rice at substantially discounted prices. Finally, Brazil’s exports have increased considerably since 2017/18, shipping both regular long-grain milled rice for food use and broken kernel rice for use in processed products. Rice imports in 2020/21 are expected to continue at a strong clip, falling only slightly from the 2019/20 record high with the United States remaining the largest importer in the Western Hemisphere.
Rice imports hit record high
Alabama hurricane victims may qualify for disaster food aid
U.S. rice imports hit record highs in the second quarter of calendar year 2020, driving up total U.S. rice imports to a record high in marketing year 2019/20 and up 29% from the previous year. Imports now account for more than one-quarter of all rice used domestically. Growing consumer demand for Asian aromatic varieties of rice drives this development. Although the United States itself produces several aromatic varieties of rice, the consumer qualities are not the same as those in the Asian varieties. The bulk of the increase in U.S. rice imports in 2019/20 came from Thailand, up almost 29% from a
Low-income Alabama residents recovering from Hurricane Sally could be eligible for a helping hand from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP). Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue recently announced that households that may not normally be eligible under regular Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) rules may qualify for D-SNAP if they meet the disaster income limits and have qualifying disaster-related expenses. To be eligible for D-SNAP, a household must live in one of the counties designated by the president for fed-
Imports now account for more than one-quarter of all rice used domestically. Growing consumer demand for Asian aromatic varieties of rice drives this development. December 2020
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Although current SNAP households are not eligible for D-SNAP, USDA has already approved emergency allotments for Alabama under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020. eral individual assistance, have been affected by the disaster, and meet certain D-SNAP eligibility criteria. Eligible households will receive one month of benefits – equal to the maximum amount for a SNAP household of their size – to meet their temporary food needs as they settle back home following the disaster. The timing of D-SNAP varies with the unique circumstances of each disaster, Perdue said, but always begins after commercial channels of food distribution have been restored and families are able to purchase and prepare food at home. Before operating a D-SNAP, a state must ensure that the proper public information, staffing and resources are in place. Although current SNAP households are not eligible for D-SNAP, USDA has already approved emergency allotments for Alabama under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020. In a related move, USDA will award $10 million in grants to strengthen SNAP’s Employment and Training programs (E&T), that help participants gain skills, training or work experience they need to move toward and into employment. USDA is providing more than $6.7 million in SNAP E&T National Partnership Grants to help four national nonprofit organizations expand program capacity and more than $3.2 million in SNAP E&T Data and Technical Assistance grants to support improved data collection and reporting across five SNAP state agencies. The nonprofits receiving grants are the National Association of Workforce Boards, Goodwill Industries International, American Public Human Services Association and Roberts Enterprise Development Fund.
Brazil’s ag exports rank third worldwide
Brazil has emerged as a major competitor for the United States in global agricultural markets and is now the world’s third largest exporter of agricultural prod12
Cooperative Farming News
ucts behind the European Union (EU) and the United States. According to economists, Brazil’s macroeconomic policies – currency devaluation, in particular – have played an important role in its position as one of the top exporters of agricultural products, including soybeans, corn, cotton, sugar, coffee, orange juice and meat. Because exported Brazilian commodities are priced in dollars, depreciation of Brazil’s local currency, the real (BRL), has meant that Brazilian farmers have received more BRL for each dollar of export revenues. Export sales therefore have become more profitable, thus encouraging expansion of cropland and adoption of techniques to increase productivity. Brazilian agricultural production and exports, which are poised to continue flourishing over the next decade, according to the USDA Agricultural Projections to 2029 report, could grow even faster under accelerated currency depreciation. Simulations show that if the BRL weakens more than previously expected, exports of major commodities could be an aggregate 5.6% greater than previously projected, with Brazil’s exports increasing for each major commodity except beef and soybean meal.
Brazil has emerged as a major competitor for the United States in global agricultural markets and is now the world’s third largest exporter of agricultural products behind the European Union and the United States.
December 2020
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BUSINESS OF FARMING
How Lumber Affects the Chicken Sandwich Currently, the negative effects of COVID-19 can be felt in every industry in every corner of the country. The connections between seemingly disconnected industries are becoming more and more noticeable. One such tie noticed lately is between lumber and commercial poultry. If you ask yourself, “What does wood and chickens have to do with each other?” con-
14 14 Cooperative Cooperative Farming Farming News News
sider this: The chicken sandwich you had for lunch was processed from a bird that was raised in a chicken house, or “barn,” almost exclusively constructed using wood as the primary framing material, and it takes a LOT of wood to build a modern chicken house (see figure 1). Now, under the current effects of COVID-19 in the U.S., the lumber market has been
BY DENNIS BROTHERS & ADAM MAGGARD
under extreme strain and prices have risen to all-time highs. If you have been one of the many people who have taken the opportunity to catch up on some home improvement projects during the recent stay-at-home orders, you may have noticed the shortage. It has become a common sight at your local hardware/lumber store to see empty shelves and lumber racks combined with rising prices. The causes of this situation are multifaceted and have severely hampered new housing efforts in commercial poultry. This has the potential to result in a future chicken supply restriction causing price inflation for poultry – in other words, your chicken sandwich could cost a little more next year if the current situation lingers.
Figure 1
pacity across the Southern U.S. Lumber mill managers had to follow COVID-19 operating guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, such as social distancing and maximum persons in an area at one time. Many mills transitioned from the typical three shifts per day to two shifts. It was expected that the housing market would weaken and the demand for lumber would decrease as a result of a slowed economy. During the month of March, lumber prices steadily declined and bottomed out in the beginning of April at approximately $264 MBF before starting to slowly rise in price through May and the first part of June, reaching approximately $350 MBF before increasing exponentially through the summer months. The recent increase in lumber prices is due to several short-term factors merging at the same time: • Strong reductions in lumber production and capacity as a result of COVID-19 and the resulting safety guidelines. • The real-time demand growth from home renovations. • Market speculation from the producers, wholesalers and retailers.
Fig 1: The typical poultry house utilizes 60% more board feet of lumber than the typical dwelling house. The percentage of lumber to final structure cost is also higher, averaging 35-45% for the poultry house and 17% for the average dwelling house. Thus, changes in lumber price have greater impact on poultry house cost.
The Lumber Situation Going Into Spring of 2020 Going into the spring of 2020, the strong housing market of 2019 was continuing its pace and pulling on the supply of lumber. The strength of the housing market was driven by high demand for new housing starts, low mortgage interest rates and low unemployment. Interest rates for home mortgages on average ranged between 3.2 and 3.5%. Average U.S. lumber prices were approximately $402 per thousand board feet (MBF) to start the year and increasing to approximately $457 MBF toward the latter half of February. Initially, COVID-19 affected lumber production and overall ca-
The combination of these factors ultimately paved the way to a shortage in lumber and an increase in its price. During the second quarter of 2020, home renovation projects soared as more people were stuck at home following quarantine orders. Further, housing starts accelerated. Wholesalers and retailers were not expecting such an increase in the demand for lumber and inventories were planned accordingly. Due to the unexpected demand, market speculation ensued and many wholesalers, retailers and consumers started “panic” buying lumber. As a result, softwood lumber inventories were depleted and the reduction in lumber production and capacity of mills magnified the situation, and the price for lumber continued to increase. All these factors were the perfect storm to bring about an extremely stressed supply chain and extremely high prices. The combination of these factors resulted in a tremendous supply gap in the lumber market. By the second week of September, lumber prices were nearing a new record high at approximately $989 per MBF. The issue appeared to be more a result of a restraint on the supply of lumber rather than an expanding market. Lumber production and consumption are still behind 2019 values, as is the pace of new home builds. December 2020
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The Lumber Situation Going Into Spring of 2020 As illustrated in figure 2, a modern poultry house uses a tremendous amount of lumber and wood products in its construction. The lumber shortage situation caused several new poultry farm builds to be stopped midconstruction. Now, many new farm builds are simply delayed indefinitely because of the explosion in material costs of upward of 150%, by many accounts. Treated lumber, which makes up as much as a quarter of the lumber in a poultry house, has taken an especially hard hit in supply and price. The total effect of these price increases caused a typical commercial poultry house to rise in cost as much as $25-30,000, or 20%+, in just a few months. Some areas have seen even steeper increases. This means a typical four house poultry farm could see an increase of $100,000 plus in construction cost alone. The financial reality here is growers, nor integrators, nor builders can afford to absorb such cost increases with any expectation of profitability on these new farms. This has resulted in many bids being canceled, leaving growers, builders and integrators with an uncertain future. Currently, one major poultry company estimates the construction of at least 250 new houses is being delayed across four of their business complexes, which could hinder the future placement of over six million birds. Other companies have put their normal building programs on hold in all but the most desperate situations. The stalled housing is also causing management headaches. In some cases, pullets are in place with no hen house to go to once they reach maturity.
Figure 2
Fig 2: Lumber prices made a turn upward in April ’20, and made exponential gains from early July to mid-September, where they have begun to return to a more normal level.
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Cooperative Farming News
Just What Does the Future Hold? On the positive side, there is plenty of raw material (trees) ready to be cut and processed in the U.S. By most accounts, lumber mills are set to return to 100% capacity very quickly, once allowed. In a matter of days following the peak in price in the second week of September, lumber prices decreased steeply as lumber production began closing the supply gap. Lumber prices will likely remain volatile for the remainder of 2020 from uncertainties with the pandemic and uncertainties with the housing market and economy. However, if production can continue and the economy stays healthy, lumber prices will likely stabilize and trend back down to price levels similar to the start of 2020 over the next six to eight months. In the short to midterm, poultry growers, builders and integrators may consider possible alternatives to dimensional lumber where possible. Some available alternatives could prove less expensive than traditional choices in the short term and could allow stalled builds to go forward without losing overall farm profitability. Every integrator, builder and grower must look at their situation to decide whether alternatives are economically feasible today or simply delay their projects in the understanding that, historically, sharp changes in lumber supply and price are short-lived.
If production can continue and the economy stays healthy, lumber prices will likely stabilize and trend back down to price levels similar to the start of 2020 over the next six to eight months.
The tight margins of the modern poultry farm demand continued innovation. Alternative designs utilizing new and innovative construction materials, such as cross-laminated timber (CLT), a form of mass timber product, should be explored for future poultry house construction in the U.S. The economic benefits could include increased building speeds, better structural consistency across the farm and increased structural longevity with decreased maintenance costs. All could potentially add to long-term profitability on the farm and help secure the future of the affordable chicken sandwich!
FEEDING FACTS
B Y J I M M Y PA R K E R
Winter Grazing Winter grazing should be an integral part of livestock production in the Southeast, especially in years that have normal or above-normal fall rains. This year has had abundant fall rains all across the state and if you had your perennial winter forages fertilized or your winter annuals planted in a timely manner, a good nutrient-rich food source should be ready to graze very soon. Most of the winter grasses will run in the high teens on protein and in the mid-60s where TDN is concerned. Keep in mind that those numbers will vary a good bit depending on maturity of the plant, soil fertility and the species that you are grazing.
We have several options: fescue in the Northern half of the state; ryegrass, wheat, oats and small grain rye for anywhere in the state. Some start faster and some stay with you later into the following spring. There is no one perfect answer for every farm, but each of them will add a great deal of value to your grazing plan. One thing that is consistent across those options is that all of those will do a great deal for your animal and its ability to meet its nutritional needs. If you have young nutritious forages, what is the best way to utilize them? Generally speaking, these lush forages are high in moisture and fairly low in
December 2020 17 December 2020 17
fiber. I do not think it would surprise anyone that when those two factors are combined you have food that will pass through the animal very quickly. So quickly that often there are things that the animal needs which pass on through and are wasted. One thing to consider is if the animals have been on drier, mature summer grasses or on hay, it would help if they were full before being turned into lush winter grazing. Making sure that hay is available when the grass is young and tender will slow passage rate down, and help the animal get more nutrition from every bite of grass. The hay that you provide now could be some of your more marginal hay. You should not feed the best that you have as it makes more sense to feed the better hay when the nutritious grass is not available and the weather is colder. Any dry feed that you add can be higher in fiber to help that process as well, though that is often the more expensive and less effective option. Winter forages are often in limited supply and if so, what animals need it the most? The younger, growing animals and those that are lactating fit the bill best. It is much easier to meet a dry cow’s needs with hay and very limited supplemental feed, whereas it is almost impossible to meet the needs of a cow that is milking heavily with just hay. So, when possible, you let the cow-calf pairs use the more nutritious forages and keep the dry cows on hay. You would also consider using winter forages for weaned steers and replacement heifers. Calves will
grow at a good, healthy rate on winter grazing. In most situations, winter annual plants are as cheap as any option for making calves gain weight. Hay should still be provided for all the reasons mentioned before and if you do need more weight gain than the forages can provide, then the CPC Grower or Developer could be offered alongside the winter grasses to get the most out of the calves’ genetics for growth. Minerals and vitamins are also crucial for all classes of livestock, and a good mineral package should be provided. Tubs such as the Stimu-lyx tubs will help get the most out of any forage, and any loose mineral choices at your local Co-op that contain Rumensin or Bovatec will add efficient weight gain and increase overall animal health in most cases. In the perfect scenario, you would have plenty of winter grazing to get all your animals through the winter and well into early summer. However, that is rarely the case and some hay will have to be fed. The nutritional value of the hay will almost never be as good as the green forages that the animals can graze. It will vary widely and to make an informed feeding decision, you really need to know what is in the hay that you are feeding. So, I will get back on my soapbox and point out that hay testing is cheap and effective. It will answer questions about what hay to use in different situations and is worth so much more than it costs. Hay samples tend to cost around $20 and if the knowledge saves you three or four bags of feed it would essentially be free.
Winter forages are often in limited supply and if so, what animals need it the most? The younger, growing animals and those that are lactating fit the bill best.
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Cooperative Farming News
December 2020
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ON THE EDGE OF COMMON SENSE
B Y B A X T E R B L A C K , DV M
Never underestimate the value of your words! They were just words. “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” - Reagan to Gorbachev at the Brandenburg Gate, 1987 “Chance of rain.” - Weatherman in Louisiana before Hurricane Katrina, 2005 “Give me liberty or give me death.” - Patrick Henry, 1775 “I wish I’d never read this book ... so I could read it again for the first time.” - Dan Trimble about Hemingway’s “Old Man and the Sea,” 1992 “The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank.” - Erma Bombeck, 1976 We often underestimate the value of words. “Good job, son.” “Best cobbler I ever ate.” “Did you paint that yourself?” “I’m really proud of you.” “Thank ya, Love.” We underestimate their power. “You shouldn’t a let that kid beat ya.” “Maybe you should lose some weight, Hon.” “You should’a tried harder.” “Not again, they’ve heard those stories before.” “You do that every time!” There are people whose opinions we truly value. There are people whose praise we’d die for. They are often two different things. Sometimes we genuinely would like to improve ourselves. “Yer lettin’ your rope go too soon.” “Give him his head.” “Always check the hind feet when you set him up.” 20
Cooperative Farming News
Sometimes we just need encouragement. “You did the best you could.” “You looked like you won from where I sat.” “It sure runs better after you worked on it.” Most everyone is the most important person in someone’s life. It is no small responsibility. It should be a crime if we don’t realize and recognize that importance because what you say can have such long-lasting effect. “I believe you got the makin’s of a world champion.” - Kaycee Field’s dad “I know you can do it, but be careful.” - Gus Grissom’s wife, Apollo I crew “Believe in yourself.” - Martin Luther King’s Sunday School teacher “ Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country ...” - JFK “Write about what you know.” - My college English professor after giving me an F on a poem I wrote for a class assignment. “You’ll never amount to anything.” - Too many of us, too many times Words ... like burrs under a blanket, like nails in a coffin. Like a single match in a sea of gasoline. www.baxterblack.com
FROM THE STATE VET’S OFFICE
BY DR. TONY FRAZIER
A Race Well Ran In Honor of Ben Mullins
Most of you never knew Ben Mullins. He was the Director of Emergency Programs here at the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. He was a man who took his job seriously. He was one of those people who remained mostly behind the scenes, quietly doing his job and moving his programs forward in a way that benefited the state of Alabama and surrounding states as well. Ben passed away this past Sept. 14 after a fairly brief bout with cancer. Ben was only 37 years old and had a wonderful wife and two sons. I just want to pay some small tribute to what Ben meant to the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, to Alabama agriculture and to me. When I became State Veterinarian back in 2001, our country began to experience the threats and some
actual events that could have adversely affected agriculture and even threatened the food supply. The events of 9/11 came on the heels of the United Kingdom experiencing the devastation associated with BSE or “mad cow” disease followed by an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease that resulted in the deaths or euthanization of four to six million food animals. Seeing the challenges that our friends across the Atlantic had experienced in carcass disposal, testing and monitoring the spread of disease, and bringing several different government agencies together, the United States began to take emergency preparedness more seriously than ever before. So, with the focus on being prepared for disasters, both natural and human-made, which included bioterrorism, my office December 2020
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was tasked with initiating an emergency programs door, people like Ben Mullins allowed people like me section. to do our day-to-day activities, knowing that someone In early 2004, President George W. Bush came out was dedicated to being prepared for when the next diwith Presidential Directive 9 that declared food and saster shows up. There are things that keep me awake agriculture part of the United States’ critical infrastruc- at night concerning animal disease and my responsiture. It would seem that someone would have declared bilities. Ben Mullins allowed me to sleep much better that part of our critical infrastructure before 2004; how- knowing how seriously he took his responsibilities. ever, that declaration allowed the federal government Ben was known by and liked by all the regional to provide some significant money to states so we State Veterinarians. He communicated with agriculcould dedicate needed resources to taking care of the ture officials from other states around the Southeast, food supply during disasters. And a couple of events sometimes organizing exercises that included our occurred in 2005 that punctuated the importance of neighboring states. In all emergency events that I having emergency plans to deal with disasters. was involved with as State Veterinarian, Ben was right First, there were several there in the bunker with me cases of avian influenza or bird making sure our field personnel flu that were occurring in Asia. had everything they need for Ben was right there in the With the particular strain of humane animal depopulation, bunker with me making avian influenza, some humans carcass disposal and other aswere becoming infected from pects that are involved when sure our field personnel their chickens. It was hypothwe deal with a disease outhad everything they need esized that if the virus mutatbreak. Ben never panicked, but for humane animal depoped such that it could be transquietly and efficiently handled ferred from human to human, the problem. So long as Ben ulation, carcass disposal it could cause the death of 150 was in the bunker with us, we and other aspects that are million people worldwide in a knew he would make sure we involved when we deal with pandemic. Then in September, had whatever we needed. Hurricane Katrina hit only a Ben was our coordinator a disease outbreak. year after Hurricane Ivan devwith the state and federal emerastated the Southeast. gency agencies. He worked In the summer of 2005, we continually to assure that other hired Dr. Brad Fields to actually head up the emergency state agencies were aware of the unique challenges programs section under my umbrella. It soon became that agriculture presented during disasters. It was evident that emergency programs dealt with every as- important that he established relationships and conpect of agriculture, not just animal agriculture. Under tacts during times other than working during disasCommissioner Ron Sparks, the Emergency Programs ters. I have always thought that no matter how much became a stand-alone section to support every aspect you prepare, there is often some level of chaos that of agriculture. Soon after, Dr. Fields was involved in comes along with disasters. I can say that Ben kept hiring Ben Mullins to assist him with emergency pro- the chaos to a minimum. As he always conducted an grams, particularly in developing a mapping database “after action review� at the end of each disease outusing GIS coordinating systems. break, hurricane or even an overturned cattle truck on In 2015, Dr. Fields moved on from the Department the interstate, he learned from those experiences to of Agriculture and Industries, leaving Ben Mullins make the next one go smoother. there to take the baton and continue the race. I would When we lost Ben, we lost someone with a world imagine that Dr. Fields would agree that one of his of knowledge and experience. I suppose that is just most significant accomplishments was bringing Ben how it goes when you have someone who excels in to the department. their field. We were fortunate to have Ben working From the time that Ben became the Director of for the state of Alabama while he did. Ben was my Emergency Programs, and right up until the very week friend and I will miss him. I am honored that our paths he passed away, he did what we all would like to be crossed. And as I said earlier, most of you never knew able to do. He made a positive difference that will last Ben Mullins, but you benefited from the work he has even beyond the time that the last of his co-workers at done. We will continue to benefit from his work for the department have retired and moved on. years to come. Ben took the baton that was handed When the sun is shining and the wind is not blow- to him and ran the race well. Ben, rest in peace. You ing and there is no disease outbreak knocking at the made a difference. 22
Cooperative Farming News
STORE SPOTLIGHT BY J O H N S I M S
AFC Feed LLC – Feeding the Future!
Since its beginnings in 1945, the feed department at Alabama Farmers Cooperative has continued to grow and expand to provide quality feeds in a timely manner to the member Co-op stores and their customers. In January of this year, the AFC Feed department and Purina Animal Nutrition created a joint venture called AFC Feed LLC. The current expansion project consists of making improvements and additions to the existing feed mill, and the construction of a new feed blending and warehouse facility. The goal of the new feed ingredient storage facility is to handle larger volumes of feed ingredients to increase feed manufacturing capacity. This will benefit the Co-op stores by continuing to grow their bag/ bulk feed market share in Alabama. The new facility is designed to manufacture bulk textured feeds and unloading of ingredients can occur 24/7. The goal is to manage ingredient inventories so members can continue to receive the high level of service they have come to expect from AFC Feed LLC.
The goal of the new feed ingredient storage facility is to handle larger volumes of feed ingredients to increase feed manufacturing capacity. AFC Feed LLC is increasing their bagged feed capacity to better service customers. This will allow AFC Feed LLC to continue to grow bag business and offer more feed brands. The feed mill will also start manufacturing some Purina bagged feeds.
Another benefit that AFC Feed LLC brings to Co-op members is the partnership with Purina. Co-op stores now have access to quality Purina feeds, tubs, minerals, etc. This will help increase their customer base and increase feed sales in the future. AFC Feed will stock Purina products in the new warehouse that can be shipped along with Co-op brands on their feed truck. The Co-op stores are already seeing the benefits, according to Lance Ezelle, general manager of Dekalb Farmer Cooperative. “I believe this joint venture between Purina and AFC Feed will have our local Co-op stores strategically positioned to capture increased market share with the new product offerings provided by Purina.” Feeding the Future – that is what AFC Feed LLC is all about. Improved bulk and bag feed manufacturing capacity, increased warehouse space to better live load trucks, expanded product lines to satisfy the needs of Co-op customers, and total dedication to great products and great service to Co-op members. December 2020
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4-H EXTENSION CORNER
Right In Our Own Backyard As one of the most biologically diverse states in the U.S., Alabama is home to 64 types of terrestrial ecosystems. Many of these are found in Cherokee County in sites such as Weiss Lake, Cherokee Rock Village, Little River Canyon National Preserve and many more. Each year, thousands of visitors come to experience and enjoy these natural wonders. “It is important that the youth of Cherokee County learn to appreciate and protect our natural resources for generations to come,” explained Mirandi Reese Watson, the Cherokee County 4-H Foundation Regional Extension Agent. With this in mind, Watson developed a novel program that used fun, hands-on activities to take students into their own backyards to uncover some of the amazing things living there. In a five-week science discovery mission, called “Backyard and Beyond,” Cherokee County 4-H’ers were introduced to some of Alabama’s amazing plants and animals living right in their own area. Students from ages 9-18 joined in educational discoveries that fea-
Abby Chesnut creates her own nature journal to record her nature observations and things she learns while completing the remaining activities in the packets..
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“Backyard and Beyond” packets were prepared by members of the Cherokee County Extension Office. Students used the information to complete five different activities that introduced birds, trees and insects found in their own backyards.
tured birds, trees, insects and much more. They learned about the natural resources of this area, as well as how they could help to save the environment through the respect they show to all living things. The Cherokee County 4-H Extension staff prepared packets that were easy to understand and even easier to use, since the five projects required common things that students already had at home. Each week, on the Cherokee County 4-H Facebook page and the Alabama 4-H YouTube channel, the Extension staff provided more information by posting videos and educational resources related to each one of the activities. Once students completed an activity, they uploaded pictures of their creations and commented on what they had discovered and learned. The first week, 4-H members gained experience in observing and recording things they saw by keeping their own nature journals. “They created their very own journal and learned what a naturalist is and does,” Watson said. “This way the 4-H’ers would have a way to record all of the findings from the other activities in the booklet, just like a naturalist.” The second activity introduced native birds, while identifying and describing the advantages and importance of bird adaptations. In the third activity, 4-H’ers
B Y C A R O LY N D R I N K A R D
Miranda Reese Watson, 4-H agent for Cherokee County, stands at the display for “Backyard and Beyond.” Parents stopped by the Extension Office to pick up packets for 4-H members.
Gracie Murray learned the names of trees in her own backyard, using the tree identification lesson. She created her own nature journal to write about the leaves she had found and then made a leaf rubbing.
discovered the different trees in their backyards and learned how to correctly match a leaf with another leaf of a given shape. In the fourth activity, students identified the three body parts common to all insects, as well as learning to ask questions, plan investigations, make observations and predictions, and offer explanations about the natural world. The final week, students made a terrarium to observe life in a closed system and learn about the water cycle. The monthlong activities were eye opening for students. Gracie Murray summed it up best: “Who would have thought that I would actually want to learn during the summer?” Gracie and her mother, Michelle, enjoyed the fun activities together. For Kailey Gardner, the activities allowed her to express herself through artwork. “I loved doing the leaf art!” Gardner stated. “I used a crayon to do leaf rubbings.” These activities also got many parents involved. Keisha Gardner, mother of Kailey (10) and Briella (5), played games with the leaves she and her girls collected. “Kailey and Briella really enjoyed matching the types of leaves and then doing leaf rubbings,” she explained. Some 4-H students even recognized native plants and animals that they may not have noticed before. “I also liked learning that we have sweet gum trees at our house!” Kailey added. Watson’s unique program underscored the need for students to become aware of and uncover what is in their own backyards. “If we want our students to grow up to be good environmental stewards and help protect the earth and its inhabitants, we first need to make them understand why that is important,” she added. “It all begins with
teaching them the names of things in the outdoors … right where they live.” This program started as a way to get 4-H’ers outside to look at native birds, insects and trees found in their own backyards. The activities ended with not only a deeper appreciation for the various natural resources that are abundant in Cherokee County, but also an awareness that everyone must work together to preserve them. “We are truly blessed here,” Watson said. “We have all of this literally right in our own backyards.”
Kailey & Briella Gardner made leaf rubbings with crayons of the leaves they found. The leaves that were gathered will wither away, but these leaf rubbings are a good way for naturalists to record their observations.
December 2020
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PALS
BY JAMIE MITCHELL
Small Hands Change the World West Blocton Elementary School (WBES) is gearing up for the 2020-2021 school year by creating and implementing their schoolwide plan for helping the environment and taking pride in their school. WBES and their afterschool program, CUBS, are implementing a lot of exciting things this year and completing their plan from last year, despite the challenges of COVID-19. The slogan for the CUBS Program is “Small Hands Change the World.” They are teaching students that just one person, one hand and one idea, can make a huge impact on helping others and the environment. Last year, the students were able to participate and help with school improvements such as painting benches and handrails, cleaning up trash and cleaning out flower beds. A few of the things they have planned for this year will be to make Christmas ornaments out of recycled materials and conduct a book and blanket 26
Cooperative Farming News
drive to give back to their local community. They are even planning West Blocton Elementary’s first Earth Day Celebration in many years! The Earth Day celebration will have the following activities: creating flower beds, planting trees and hosting a few wildlife presenters. COVID-19 will not keep the students at WBES from lending a hand to help others. Small hands can change the world one hand at a time! Way to go, WBES! It is so nice to see that even in this unusual school year, we can still make an impact on our campuses and in our communities! If a school near you would like to learn more about the Clean Campus Program, please give me a call or email at 334-2637737 or jamie@alpals.org. Schools may also find more information at www.alpals.org. As always, the Clean Campus Program is available at no cost to schools thanks to our wonderful corporate sponsors.
Contact us for your seed needs!
(806) 258 - 7394 carson@gaylandwardseed.com www.gaylandwardseed.com
Sorghum Sudangrass • BMR Dwarf Varieties • Grain Sorghum Forage Sorghum • Pearl Millet December 2020
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FFA SENTINEL
Dyllan Lee along with his parents at the 91st State FFA Convention where he celebrated his achievements in the Fiber and Oil Crop Proficiency Award area.
2020 FFA State Star Farmer Highlight:
Dyllan Lee
Dyllan Lee of the Enterprise FFA Chapter is the 2020 Alabama FFA State Star Farmer. Dyllan grew up near Enterprise, Alabama, home of the boll weevil monument. The city that erected a monument to show their appreciation to an insect that profoundly influenced the area’s agriculture and economy. Dyllan was born into four generations of farmers and is a rising senior at Enterprise High School. He has a passion for agriculture and has been blessed to live out each day of his life working at something that he loves. Just like most kids born and raised on a farm, he started working at an early age. He worked with his parents and grandparents feeding and caring for their cattle. He transported hay and completed other chores that had to be done daily on a 150-acre farm. When Dyllan enrolled in Agriculture Education and started exploring his Supervised Agriculture Experience options, he decided to expand 28
Cooperative Farming News
his work from his own farm experience to a more diversified work experience. Dyllan began working for Walt Walden, a local farmer. Dyllan began working for Walden Farms producing 1,600 acres of peanuts and 1,500 acres of cotton. Dyllan also worked with Walden to produce soybeans, oats, corn, and worked with 300 head of cattle. He operated tractors, disc harrows, field cultivators and box blades. He learned to operate a 6-row peanut inverter and a KMC peanut dump cart. Dyllan also learned to set up and operate the Tremble GPS system, making plowing up peanuts much easier. His confidence in plowing up peanuts was greatly improved when he learned to use this technology. He learned to rake and wrap peanut hay. His duties required him to perform routine maintenance on farm equipment including tractors, peanut pickers, inverters and cotton combines. Dyllan mixed pre-emergence herbicide and used a
J OY A N N A L OV E
Dyllan’s FFA journey toward becoming the State Star Farmer began in 9th grade when he was named his chapter’s Star Greenhand Award recipient.
Technology plays a huge role in agriculture today. Dyllan has extensive experience with GPS systems.
field conditioner to incorporate the chemicals into the soil. He worked with seven different chemicals used in peanut production and five different chemicals used to produce cotton. Dyllan understands the importance of wearing protective equipment including long sleeves, safety glasses and rubber gloves when mixing chemicals. In 2019, he became more involved in the 1,500-acre cotton production phase of the operation. Dyllan’s SAE working with Walden allowed him to begin growing his own business from the money he earned and saved. Dyllan has also been an active member of the Enterprise FFA chapter, serving on the leadership and officer teams for the past four years. He has competed in livestock judging, meat judging, dairy judg-
ing, poultry judging and the safe tractor driving contest. This FFA participation taught Dyllan lessons that he will use for a lifetime and garnered numerous banners for his chapter. Dyllan has also been instrumental in the Crime Prevention/Rural Property Protection Program. This program assists in the recovery of farm equipment in the event of theft. He also organized the Inaugural Enterprise FFA Car Show, where over 100 participants came to show off their cars. Dyllan Lee displays the qualities of leadership which all FFA members should possess and is honored to hold the prestigious title of State Star Farmer. He plans to continue furthering the agriculture industry long after graduation.
Checking fluid levels in equipment is a critical part of a proper maintenance schedule. December 2020
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Busy Bee Activities
Did You Know? The Alabama Agri-Tourism Trail currently lists more than 120 sites and links to agri-tourism opportunities. encyclopediaofalabama.org
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Cooperative Farming News
December 2020
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OUTDOOR LOGIC WITH BIOLOGIC
Barometric Pressure’s Influence on Whitetail Movement When the Pressure Is On In the author’s opinion, no other aspect of the weather has as big an influence on deer movement as the atmospheric pressure, also known as the barometric pressure. (Photo Credit: Paul Tessier)
Many hunters want to know, “What are the triggers that make mature bucks get up and move during legal hunting hours?” This way we can maximize our hunting time and we don’t need to burn our pristine hunting locations when the odds aren’t in our favor. The problem is there are many influences dictating whitetail movement – however, some are more important than others. Back in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, I was involved in a study we called the “W.M.W.M. Study” (What Makes Whitetails Move). While the findings of the study were to be used in a book and video, I really had a more 32 Cooperative Farming News
jealous motive … I wanted to know what conditions proved to give the best potential for seeing more deer and harvesting mature bucks. There is the possibility of having a successful hunt just about any day, but I wanted to maximize my time. Keep in mind, this was before smartphones and trail cameras made it MUCH easier to gather said information. We documented numerous statistics such as temperature, wind direction and speed, lunar phase and position, cloud cover, precipitation, relative humidity and barometer, among several others. We took these readings when we began our observations, and then
BY TODD AMENRUD again when we finished to record if there were any sig- definitely experience a lull caused by this. Then all of nificant changes during the period. We recorded how a sudden deer appear as if God opened up the “drain many whitetails we saw, what activity they were en- plug” on a sink full of whitetails! Unfortunately, they gaged in (feeding, chasing, traveling, breeding, etc.), can mysteriously vanish again just as abruptly. when the activity happened and how long it lasted. It’s not “hocus pocus” – it’s “atmospheric air denWe also had two unmolested, private, captive, “con- sity” that triggers this activity. More to the point, it’s trol herds” in large enclosures that could be watched the rapidly rising or falling barometric pressure that any time to give us something to weigh against our precedes or follows a weather front that seems to “wild findings.” We hoped that we would find the mys- show the biggest impacts. Anytime the barometer is terious combination of factors that would give us an moving, is a time you want to be in the woods. edge in the whitetail-woods. You may have heard your news weather-person Without newer technology – we wrote our notes mention the terms “low-pressure” or “high-pressure.” on paper in pencil. We collected data for seven years; This terminology simply refers to increased or dehowever, I have continued gathering this creased barometric pressure within a information for my own benefit and weather system. If the air molecules since the introduction of new above the earth’s surface are not technology it’s so much easier. as dense, the result will be a Nowadays it’s simple to coldecrease in barometric preslect data and record it, but sure. The resulting low-presthe findings are the same. sure system is known to While there is a “comusher in clouds, rain and/ fort zone” within each or snow. High pressure, of the influences we on the other hand, tends recorded (for example; to be clear or very few the amount of light the clouds, low humidity moon puts off combined and fair weather. with the amount of cloud A whitetail’s inner cover, or they don’t like to ear works very much the move as much when it’s same way a barometer too hot or too cold, or too does. In fact, it’s said that windy or raining/snowing, ancient man also had the etc.), the barometric pressure ability to better sense these had more influence than any othchanges. My Lab, Annabell, er natural stimulus. heads to the basement whenever In my view, no other aspect of the we have low pressure. Believe it or weather has as big an influence on not, I can also sense the change. The key to using the barometric pressure deer movement as the atmospheric Our modern problem is, if you’re to your advantage is to anticipate when pressure, also known as the barowatching your barometer at home … the weather fronts will enter and exit your metric pressure. Whitetails have you’re too late. Instead, you must anhunting area. (Photo Credit: Richard Griffin) the ability to sense these changes. ticipate the movement by predicting A barometer is the instrument we when weather fronts will arrive and measure this with and it refers to leave your hunting area. On the leadthe amount of air pressure exerted by air molecules ing edge and tail edge of the front, the barometer will against the earth’s surface. It’s the increase, decrease fall or rise – that’s when you want to “be in the tree.” or stabilization of this pressure that affects deer beA high, stable barometer is also good hunting. havior, sometimes significantly. After compiling our results, whitetails seem to move Many of you may have witnessed this escalation best when the pressure is between 29.90 and 30.30 or decline in deer movement and not known why it inches with the best movement occurring at the highwas happening. We’ve all had days, even a week or er end of that range, around 30.10 to 30.30 inches. I’ve more, when you have to admit it was tough and deer also seen this with mule deer and pronghorn, and it’s sightings were rare. If you hunt long enough you’ll likely true with many other animals. December 2020
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A lot of the “high-pressure” fronts will come with wind. Numerous trophies are shot immediately after sustained high winds have died down. I’m not sure. Are the whitetails just avoiding the gale or sensing the barometric change that ushered it in? Probably both. Keep in mind you must also have other factors in your favor or, more so, “your deer herd’s favor,” if you wish to see the barometric pressure’s influence. If the temperature is outside their comfort range or maybe hunting pressure keeps them bedded, the impact won’t be as significant. Molested whitetails aren’t going to want to move during legal hunting light no matter what the barometer tells them. “Whitetails being able to sense the change in barometric pressure” is likely Mother Nature’s way of protecting the herd. The pressure change tells the animals they may have to bed down for a period so they better “put on the feed bag” (or finish whatever activity they’re involved in) before the coming weather front arrives. In my opinion, the biggest impression can be seen just before and just after major snow storms or blizzards. If you can’t predict when this will happen before the front hits, make certain to be in your treestand when the storm breaks – activity is all but guaranteed. Remember that barometric pressure is only one
This buck cut a scent trail of Special Golden Estrus and followed it past the author’s blind just after a system of heavy winds and snow broke into a high pressure system. (Photo Credit: Todd Amenrud)
contributing factor to deer movement. In my view, it is one of the most important elements and should not be overlooked. However, it’s really a combination of factors that all contribute to deer movement. Keep an eye on the barometer, but don’t use it as your only way to predict your herd’s activity.
When a low-pressure system arrives, whitetails can stay bedded for long periods, sometimes a day or more, until the weather breaks. (Photo Credit: Bruce MacQueen)
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Cooperative Farming News
Southern Glazed Ham
Hams are a huge part of almost every holiday tradition, but I remember having them all year long growing up. They are pretty simple to prepare, not to mention they go a long way. I like to have them with fresh vegetables for the first meal, sandwiches for the second and soup for the third, then I save the ham hock and freeze it for later to bring out to use for stocks for soup. Having a ham hock in your stock doubles the flavor, in my opinion. My dad was a lineman for the power company and had to work in Virginia after a horrible storm. He knew that I loved tasting everything regional. Dad brought me back a – ham. It was so salty! It was a cured ham, which I love because it’s preserved, like forever! But to eat them, you must soak them. I didn’t know that then. Most people grace their holiday tables with the spiraled ham, sometimes called the city ham. They
are precooked, but you can put your own glaze on the ham, and that makes all the difference in the world in flavor. I love serving ham for large groups. I can focus on the other parts of the gathering while the ham is cooking. It’s just so little trouble. Tips for Buying a Ham: 1. Always buy bone-in ham. (The flavor will be much better.) 2. Don’t buy the salt injected hams. (Label should say, “Ham in its own juices.”) 3. Make your own glaze. 4. Score the fat on the ham to add more flavor. 5. Bring the temperature of a fresh ham up to 145 to 160 F. The higher it gets after 145 F, the drier it will be. December 2020
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Ingredients 1 7-8-pound bone-in smoked ham, rinsed and patted dry 1/2 cup signature dry rub 1 cup Alaga syrup 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup brown mustard 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger root, crushed 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper Rub dry rub into the ham and place in the refrigerator overnight. When you are ready to cook the ham, heat the oven to 325 F. Remove the ham from the refrigerator and place ham in a roasting pan fat side up. Bake for 1 hour, or until it is warm. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, combine syrup, brown sugar, mustard, vanilla, ginger root and cayenne pepper. Allow the glaze to bubble and simmer for about 10 minutes or until it begins to thicken. Allow the mixture to cool. After 30 minutes, remove the ham from the oven and brush liberally with the glaze. Allow the ham to cook
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Cooperative Farming News
another 15 minutes and brush with glaze. Cook ham for another 15 minutes and remove from oven. Allow it to rest for 20 minutes and drizzle some of the remaining glaze over the top of the ham.
About Stacy Lyn Harris Stacy Lyn Harris is a best-selling cookbook author, blogger, TV personality, public speaker, wife and mother of seven children. She currently lives in Pike Road, Alabama, with her husband Scott and their children. Stacy Lyn regularly appears on cable and broadcast television as a guest chef and sustainable living expert. Her critically-acclaimed “Harvest Cookbook” was published in 2017 and contains many of her family’s favorite recipes, along with stories from her life growing up in the Black Belt and tips she’s learned along the way.
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Cooperative Farming News
EASY TO USE 24/7 REMOTE TRAPPING INCLUDES LIVE-VIDEO SYSTEM
HogWars USDA Implements Cost Share Program to Help Alabama Farmers Battle Feral Hogs BY RAY “TOONEY� HILL
There’s a war taking place across America between feral hogs and land managers. Feral hogs are an invasive species that cause economic, health and habitat destruction. There are currently nine million feral hogs in the United States, and that number is growing fast. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), land managers are fighting this war that has now spread from 17 to 39 states. Texas is ground zero with the largest population of feral hogs, but the problem is concentrated largely throughout the Southeastern United States. In 2018, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources reported feral hogs in all 67 counties. Feral hogs are a real threat to all agriculture, and we deal with it every day. Experts at the University of Georgia estimated feral hogs annually caused land managers $2.5 billion worth of damages mostly by destroying crops, affecting livestock, and destroying native plants and habitats. Feral hogs not only de-
stroy, they carry diseases. Feral hogs host more than 40 diseases affecting domesticated livestock, wildlife and humans. The feral hog invasion is a real economic problem for land managers everywhere. The feral hog problem has grown so much that the government has intervened across parts of the U.S. to help land managers stop the invasion and reduce their impact. The federal government, in partnerships with states and local agencies, has recently spent more than $30 million annually to fight the feral hog invasion. But without the right strategy, land managers will continue to lose the war, and the invasion and its destruction will continue to escalate. The question is: How can the feral hog invasion be stopped? According to Webster, an invasion or invading means to enter as the enemy and nothing could be truer about feral hog invasions. To stop the invasion, the experts agree that land managers need two critical tools. December 2020
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Tool #1:
Effective, Easy-to-Use Hog Traps The first tool needed is an easy-to-move hog trap. Trapping is the most effective method used for sounder removal, so the right hog trap makes all the difference. The two most important characteristics are for it to be easy to move from one location to another, and it has to be effective at catching a sounder instead of a few hogs. Here’s why: If the trap isn’t easy to move, land managers typically stop using it. An easy-to-move hog trap keeps land managers on the offense to catch feral hogs. Being able to assemble or disassemble your trap in less than 30 minutes is an important attribute to consider when choosing a trap. However, not all traps are created equal, so land managers need to choose a hog trap that’s durable, too. With a durable, easy-to-move trap, land managers have a serious weapon to stop feral hogs and the damage they cause. An easy-to-use, durable and effective hog trapping system land managers should consider using is a Big Pig Trap. “I used a Big Pig Trap on a property and caught 22 pigs on the second night and caught another 11 pigs a week later, so a total of 33 in less than three weeks. Big Pig Traps are effective and easy to assemble and move.” – Mitt Wardlaw, Owner - MidSouth Resource Management
Tool #2:
Live-Video Camera System Having a durable, easy-to-use trap isn’t enough. Land managers also need another tool. This time they need technology in the form of a real-time live-video camera that works on their trap. Here’s why: Removing sounders instead of a few feral hogs should be the goal. Live video makes this much easier. Being able to watch the hogs in real time and trigger the trap gate remotely is another key to successful hog trapping. Land managers should consider using HogEye, a live-video camera that works with any style hog trap. Simply watch the live-video feed of the trap on your mobile device after receiving a notification from the HogEye mobile app. When all the hogs are in the trap, press a button in the app to drop the trap gate. Real-time, live-video trapping technology gives land managers the second tool they desperately 40
Cooperative Farming News
need to catch entire sounders instead of a few feral hogs. HogEye makes hog trapping simple and effective. HogEye’s sole purpose is to help land managers with trapping situations. HogEye helps thousands of land managers protect millions of acres of land from feral hog destruction. “I’ve used many different types of cameras assisting private landowners with trapping all across the Mississippi Delta. I can say, without a doubt, HogEye is the best on the market.” — Jody Acosta, Delta Wildlife
A New Program, A New Approach New USDA programs are on the way to provide more support for land managers to stop the feral hog invasion. The Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program was developed and instituted by the USDA to educate and help states and landowners stop the spread of feral hogs. A critical component of the pilot program is the trapping of feral swine. This pilot includes a combination of trapping efforts by the USDA and a cost share component for landowners. Alabama landowners can receive cost share opportunities of 70% toward the cost of trap and camera combination purchases. The trapping system chosen by the USDA in the initial pilot trapping areas in Alabama (and many other states) is the Big Pig Trap System which includes a HogEye Camera. The Big Pig Trap gives land managers exactly what they need to stop the feral hog invasion – an effective, durable and easy-to-move trap that has a powerful live-video camera system to enable pig trapping 24/7 from anywhere. If you are ready to take a serious step to stop feral hog damage and want to take advantage of the cost share in Alabama, we’ve made it easy in three simple steps: (1) Call 888-PIG-TRAP. (2) Work with knowledgeable staff to find the best trapping system. (3) Learn how to easily enroll in the Alabama Feral Swine Cost Share Program to save 70% of the cost of a new hog trapping system. We understand feral hogs destroy your property and that costs you thousands of dollars. We get it. Don’t wait to take back control of your land from feral hogs. Call 888-PIG-TRAP or visit www.bigpigtrap. com. We are here to help.
Red Land Cotton
Alabama Grown, American Made. B Y
J E S S I E
Red Land Cotton is bringing cotton from the red dirt of North Alabama right into your homes. This family-run business is taking hand-selected bales of cotton and turning them into beautiful textile products. In 2016, Anna Brakefield was approached by her father, Mark Yeager, to make a product from the cotton they grow, that is 100% American made. “I thought that it would be
S H O O K
a great idea, not only for the farm, but also for me to be able to use my creative ability to benefit the farm,” Brakefield said. Brakefield graduated from Auburn with a degree in graphic design. After working in advertising for a couple of years in New York City and then a couple more in Nashville, she quit her job to start Red Land Cotton with her father. Yeager has been farming in Lawrence County, Alabama, since the early 80s. “In 1993, he built his own cotton gin,” Brakefield said. “That has been a critical part
Photo Credit: Stacie Kinney
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to our process because we are able to control the quality of cotton we are putting out.” The name Red Land Cotton comes from the soil their cotton grows from. “We farm the red clay soil of North Alabama that will inevitably stain any item of clothing you are wearing,” Brakefield laughed. Red Land Cotton has been fortunate to continue to grow steadily year after year since their start in 2016. “This year was particularly unique in that there was this overwhelming effort to buy and support American businesses,” Brakefield said. “The searches on Google for ‘American-made’ were up almost 200%.” In 2016, Red Land Cotton released their first collection of bed sheets. Their product line has now grown to towels, loungewear, quilts and their newest edition of blankets. The work for this blanket collection began in late 2019 when they connected with a family-owned mill in Maine. “They make beautiful blankets and have been for years,” Brakefield said. “We also found a spinning mill that could spin a thicker yarn at a more custom level.” They decided to make a very traditional-looking, long-lasting, woven blanket, ranging in sizes from infant to king, and available in natural color or white. “I really think our customers are going to love them because they are extremely soft,” Brakefield said. Every time Red Land Cotton expands their line of products, they are also putting together a new supply
From their land to your linen closet, Red Land Cotton also serves to educate the public on where their cotton products come from. (Photo Credit: Stacie Kinney)
chain, finding manufactures in the United States and growing their base. “It’s hard and the process is hard,” Brakefield said. “There’s a lot of risk involved in taking a raw fiber and making it into a product.” She said that the textile industry is very limited in the United States, but beyond that, the fact that Red Land Cotton has control from the ground up is what makes them so unique. “We have control over how it is ginned, control over where it’s going to be spun into yarn, woven, finished and then sent to you,” Brakefield said. Red Land Cotton also provides all of its customer service in-house with no use of an outside fulfillment
Mark Yeager’s farm is called Red Land Farm and he has been farming since the early 80s. Yeager grows corn in rotation with cotton and raises cattle. (Photo Credit: Stacie Kinney)
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service. “If you have an issue with your product, there is someone in Moulton, Alabama, picking up the phone and talking to you about it,” Brakefield said. “When you enter our brand and become a customer, we take care of you all the way through.” In addition to the new blanket line this year, Red Land Cotton has undergone the process of building a new distribution and fulfillment center in Moulton, Alabama. “It is going to allow us to hire more people, house more product and continue to better serve our customers,” Brakefield said. Besides being high-quality products that come straight from the farm and are 100% American-made, Red Land Cotton serves a deeper purpose in agriculture. “We serve to normalize agriculture a little bit because not only are people out of touch with how their products are grown, they are also out of touch with how they are made,” Brakefield said. “I hope that not only are we creating a product, but we are serving to educate as well.” Brakefield added that this year has been about setting Red Land Cotton up for the foundation for more growth. “We are actively taking the steps to continue to create more great products and serve the customer better both in-person and online,” Brakefield said. “We’re in it for the long haul.”
The 2019 collection of Red Land Cotton blankets are Alabama cotton, spun in North Carolina and woven in Maine. (Photo Credit: Mae Stier)
Anna Brakefield (R) and her father, Mark Yeager (L) have set out to make a 100% American-made product from the cotton produced at Red Land Farm. Together they have reached that goal and continue to grow. Red Land Cotton provides all of its own customer service in-house, directly from Moulton, Alabama. (Photo Credit: Peter Taylor)
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If the year 2020 has given us anything, I believe it’s cultivated a spirit in the American people to think more creatively, shift gears quickly and turn lessthan-ideal situations into ones that are positive, even though things may look a little different along the way. As we head into the holiday season, we’re all being tasked with getting creative and finding new ways to celebrate the season, spread Christmas cheer and keep our favorite holiday traditions alive with friends and family in a safe manner. And if ever there was a time when Christmas cheer needed to be spread across our communities, it’s certainly now. One way my family is keeping the Christmas spirit alive this season is by hosting a holiday cookie exchange to keep our friends and family close at heart, even though we may technically be more than 6 feet apart. In years past, cookie exchanges looked a little bit different as friends would gather in one common area with their homemade cookies and treats to “swap” with other families. Instead of gathering in one place this season, we are picking our top three favorite holiday cookies, packaging them up and delivering them to others. Each box will have a recipe card for one or more of the cookies featured in the box, plus a challenge for the recipient to create their own cookie box to share with their loved ones this holiday season. 46
Cooperative Farming News
Homemade Cookie Exchange L A U R A
T U C K E R
While many other activities may be canceled, baking treats in your own kitchen, getting a little crafty and sharing those gifts with others is certainly not off the table. So gather up your baking supplies, break out the ribbon and twine, and turn up the Christmas carols on the radio, because I’m going to show you how I put together these simple boxes with very little effort, all while creating a chain of holiday cheer that will ignite a light of hope throughout our communities during a time when we truly need it the most. To start off our holiday cookie exchange, I selected 3 of our favorite cookies to make this time of year. My white chocolate cranberry cookies are a certified Santa favorite in my house, so those were a top choice to pack in our cookie boxes. Our other two choices were a classic gingerbread cookie and jam-filled linzer cookies. I packed a total of 4 of each variety into our
boxes, so recipients would receive a full dozen cookies to enjoy with their families. As much as I love baking, assembling these boxes with particular families in mind was perhaps the best part of all. I found these paper lunch boxes in the party supply aisle as my local craft/hobby store. These are not a seasonal item, so you should be able to find them year-round and often in multiple colors. I also picked up some wired holiday ribbon, crinkled paper gift box filler, an inexpensive pack of flat Christmas ornaments with “Merry Christmas” written on them, and a flocked fir pick from the floral department to attach to each box. Once the cookies were baked, cooled and ready to pack, I filled each box with a handful of crinkled box filler and arranged the cookies on top. Inside the box, I added a printed-out recipe card for the cookies, along with a personalized card for the family and the challenge for them to continue the cookie exchange. I then closed the box, wrapped the ribbon around it and put a dab of hot glue on a small fir branch. I trimmed off the pick, and placed it right in the center. I then glued the Christmas ornament on top for a completed look and loaded up the boxes and delivered them safely to my friends and family.
Soft & Chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup salted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1 Tablespoon vanilla flavoring 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries 1 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
1. In a large mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer, combine butter, white sugar and brown sugar. 2. Add in vanilla and egg, and mix until incorporated. 3. S lowly add in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt, and mix until a soft, thick dough forms. 4. Add in dried cranberries and white chocolate chips, and stir until just combined. 5. R efrigerate for 1 hour or longer. (Don’t skip this step!) 6. Heat oven to 350 F and spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or use a nonstick silicone baking mat. 7. Once dough is thoroughly chilled, roll or scoop into 2-inch balls and place about an inch or more apart on the cookie sheet. 8. Bake for 10-11 minutes. *Cookies will appear undercooked when first removed from the oven. Do not cook any longer – the cookies will continue to set while left to cool on the cookie sheet. 9. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
As much as we all long to be comfortably reunited with our loved ones during this season, there are many creative ways we can still be with them in spirit until we’re all able to safely be together again. Starting a cookie exchange in your own community or circle of friends is a great way to keep our favorite holiday traditions like cookie baking and gift giving alive, all while spreading love, care and holiday cheer to others who could really use a pick-me-up during these times. 2020 may not have been the best year for many of us, but we’re given an opportunity every day to bring a smile to others’ faces. Sharing homemade cookies is a wonderful and simple way to do that, as each bite is sure to bring a smile over and over again! Are you ready to begin your own cookie exchange? Here’s my recipe for these scrumptious White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies to get you started! December 2020
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A Heart for
Christmas B Y C A R O LY N D R I N K A R D
By September, Susan Perkins has her lovely home decorated for Christmas. While she is decorating, she does not allow anyone inside, except her husband, Butch. She never reveals what she has chosen to do each year until the transformation is completed. Then, she opens her home to share the true meaning of Christmas.
4848 Cooperative CooperativeFarming FarmingNews News
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ight before the “ber� months arrive, Susan Perkins feels a slight tug on her heartstrings. It is time: Time to bring down her boxes; time to pull out her trees; time to decorate for Christmas. Now, some might think that August is just too early! For Susan, however, no time is too early for Christmas! At her house, Christmas is always in the air! When September rolls around, Susan has already worked her magic and completely transformed her home. She never tells anyone what she has in mind, but when she finishes, she opens her doors to reveal a dazzling Christmas delight!
Susan’s decorating is all about filling hearts with joy. Each year, family, friends and neighbors wait anxiously to see what she has created. “My six grandkids still love it!” she said. “When they were younger, they couldn’t wait to get here. They love Christmas as much as I do, and they look for specific things that they love!” (Last year, the grands counted 27 different trees among Susan’s decorations.) Susan started collecting Christmas decor after her children were grown, shopping for things that touched her heart. “I didn’t have anything really in mind when I started,” she laughed, “but when I saw things, I knew that was what I wanted. “ Susan and Butch Perkins live in the small farming community of Perry’s Chapel, Alabama, near Jackson. An avid outdoorsman and hunter, Butch believes that “a happy wife leads to a happy life!” “Her thing is Christmas decorations,” he chuckled, with a twinkle in his eye! “Whatever she likes, I like, too!” Butch especially likes Susan’s 2020 theme, because Susan has turned their den into a winter’s wonderland! Snow-covered branches on the oversized, flocked tree hold treasured wildlife ornaments the couple lovingly collected while on their hunting trips. Owls, squirrels, bears, wolves, rabbits, armadillos, red foxes, quail and deer happily harbor memories of bear hunting in Canada, fishing in Alaska or mountain lion hunting in Idaho. On the huge fireplace and atop the sideboard, preening reindeer prance among glowing trees, sleepy owls doze among cherished antlers and vibrantly colored birds swing on metal tree limbs. Sparkling ribbons in hues of brown, chocolate and caramel weave throughout the rustic woodland decor. It’s the most wonderful time of the year for Susan,
so she leaves no space undecorated. Every nook and cranny seems to hold something interesting and special to Susan. This year, she has artfully placed her wide array of collections throughout her home. Santas, snowmen, deer and birds smile from shelves; colorful
Susan leaves no spaces undecorated. Even Butch’s prized deer mounts become part of the Christmas display. Susan has combined deer, red cardinals and trees to create this festive woodland scene.
These red, resin cardinals are very special to Susan because they belonged to her mother. She displayed them in her bedroom this year to remind her that “when a cardinal appears, you have a visitor from Heaven.”
Susan and Butch Perkins stand in their breakfast nook with some of the many collections Susan displays throughout their home.
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cookie jars sparkle atop kitchen cabinets; treasured wooden ornaments spin amid green branches; and sacred nativity scenes showcase the greatest gift of all. Cardinals have a very special place in Susan’s heart because she believes that “angels are near when cardinals appear.” She keeps her mother’s red-resin birds atop a chest in the master bedroom as constant reminders of her mother’s presence. “These birds are so special to me,” she stated. “We never had a lot of money to spend on decorations, but Mother found them at Al’s 5 & 10, and she loved them. I look at them and see her!” Susan also brings her mother’s collection of Christmas cacti from the greenhouse to bloom among the many other treasures. These beauties never disappoint,
Sandy Walker (l) helps her sister, Susan Perkins (r) cook for the “Princess Party” and her friendmas celebrations. Like others, Sandy is amazed at how Susan decorates her home so differently each year.
Susan Perkins used a woodland theme in her den this year. These ornaments were collected when she and Butch traveled to Alaska, Canada and Idaho on hunting trips. Each one carries a special story and memory for the couple.
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Cooperative Farming News
This is just one of the gorgeous fireplace scapes Susan has created, featuring flocked greenery with red ornaments. The beautifully lit trees are just some of the 27 found throughout her beautiful home.
as their flowers seem to get more vibrant each year. Susan has discovered that opening her heart and home to holiday merriment and laughter makes everyone’s spirits bright, especially her own! She welcomes friends and neighbors to “friendsmas” gatherings for festive food and friendly fellowship. One “friendsmas” tradition started years ago when a group of Jackson High School ladies, from the classes of ‘66 and ‘68, invited Susan to their annual “get together.” “It was so much fun that I asked them to my house the next year,” she laughed. “Last year, we had 28 to come!” Now, she has even added the “JHS Ladies of ‘72,” creating still another “friendsmas” tradition. Making others happy makes Susan happy, too! Her “Princess Party” is one of the most highly anticipated events in the Perry’s Chapel Community. (This annual event has become so popular that one invitee called in July to see if Susan had her decorations up yet.) An accomplished cook, Susan prepares a traditional holiday feast for 17 very special widows. She wraps each moment in togetherness and then sends the princesses off with gifts of home-baked goodies and treats. “These ladies were mentors to me and so many others,” she explained. “That’s why I just want to do something special for them.” Some say that those who decorate early are happi-
The “Ladies of ‘68” gather at Susan’s house for fun and fellowship during the holidays. They play games and eat together, enjoying Susan’s good cooking and excellent baking. Pictured are a few of her guests: Shirley Hicks Robinson, Diane Manchester Carter, Beth Milstead Manchester and Elaine Bumpers Lavender.
er. Susan couldn’t agree more! You see, Susan knows that Christmas is so much more than decorations and gifts. Long ago, she discovered that wherever you find Christmas, you really find LOVE. That’s why Susan Perkins fills her heart and home with Christmas ... all year long.
Susan invites senior ladies, who have mentored her and played a special role in her life, to come to her house for all the fixin’s and more. These special “Princess Parties” are highly anticipated events. The ladies leave with baked treats and a lot of love. Pictured (l to r) are Nettie Mae Marshall, Ella Mae Jones, Mavis Overstreet, Susan Perkins and Helen Sanborn.
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Cooperative Farming News
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Footrest may vary by model
HOW’S YOUR GARDEN BY LOIS TRIGG CHAPLIN
Change the Routine The routine for Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus is to let them run dry and water only occasionally while they are growing throughout the year. However, once they start budding, the plants like more water than usual. Keep the soil moist (but not soggy) while the plant is loaded with flowers and opening flower buds to prolong the show.
SIMPLE TIMES
THE CO-OP PANTRY
White sycamore bark gleams in the winter.
Use the Delicate Cycle
Holiday cactus
Sycamores Have a Special Place One of the most massive trees of our region, a white-trunked sycamore, stands out in a forest like a bride among her attendants. The gleaming white underbark is easy to spot from far away and often indicates a stream or moist, rich bottomland. Too big for a small landscape, sycamore is a wonderful choice where there is acreage for the 75-100-foot-tall tree with almost equal spread. And, it needs a place where its big leaves can just rest on the ground without raking and its dry, round fruits are not a hazard underfoot. Sycamore can make a great, fast-growing shade tree in a deep, moist soil along a water’s edge where the complex root system can help to stabilize a bank. Finches, juncos and other songbirds will eat the seeds and aged trees provide hollow limbs and trunk for cavity-nesting birds. Fall is the best season to plant one.
I had heard of using a washing machine to wash collard greens, but never tried it. When pressed for time last Christmas season, it worked like a charm. I checked that the leaves weren’t too sandy and then simply laid them in the washer tub, set the machine to cold water, large load and delicate cycle. The leaves emerged ready for the stovetop. It took a load off of me and the crowded sink area. I’m a convert.
Collard washing during the Christmas crunch.
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Flagging in the Woods We’ve been cleaning out Japanese honeysuckle, privet and other invasive plants from our church grounds to restore the woods to more of the native species. In doing so, I discovered how helpful flags can be to mark the location of new plants so they are not accidentally harmed. The flags are also great for writing names or a note with a weatherproof marker. We also use the flags to mark the location of native plants naturally sprouting now that the ground isn’t choked out with honeysuckle. The flags make it so easy to know what we’ve done, places to be careful, and avoid confusion when working over many months and with many volunteers.
ty companion in containers with other winter plants such as parsley and pansies. In the vegetable garden, we cover all the lettuce with frost cloth when the lows dip into the 20s just to keep it warm enough under the cover so that the plants are producing new leaves; this way we harvest throughout winter. Two varieties with foliage that is totally red are Rouxai and Lolla Rosa.
Amaryllis Bulbs Need Weight Once in bloom, amaryllis bulbs become top heavy and the lightweight plastic pots in which they are sold will tip over. Put amaryllis in a heavier container to help prevent toppling. If plant gets too tall, it may need a bamboo stake to secure the bloom stalk. Bright light helps keep the stalk shorter, as does a cooler temperature. If you can put it on a sunny porch or sun room to grow during the day, it will be much happier. Once in bloom, move it wherever you’d like.
Flags mark new plantings in the woods.
Red Leaf Lettuces The red lettuces are at their peak right now, so pretty and so cold hardy. My observation has been that the deep red lettuces in general seem to tolerate the cold better than green varieties. Dark red leaves are a pret-
The color of red lettuce is deepest in cold weather.
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Cooperative Farming News
A heavy container helps steady tall amaryllis.
HOWLE’S HINTS B Y J O H N H OW L E
THE HERB FARMER Round Bales and Rotational Grazing
HOW’S YOUR GARDEN “I met the surgeon general – he offered me a cigarette.”
- Rodney Dangerfield
when raising livestock. Sometimes, we can use the cattle and creatures of nature to help us do our work.
Increase Your Soil Health This Winter Instead of simply dropping your round bales of hay into feeders this winter, roll out your round bales onto poor soil and hillsides when you are feeding cat-
SIMPLE TIMES
Every December gives us a chance to reflect on the past year, and boy was this one a doozy. It was a year of fires, floods, politics and a pandemic. We found ourselves quarantined and confused from all the mixed messages being sent out from the media and the medical community. The events of 2020 remind us that our hope and the real truth come from God – not in the things of this world. Hopefully, you are able to focus on the positive things that happened in 2020. The main thing I’ve learned in 2020 is that I’m glad I live in a rural area. Staying close to the farm and enjoying family and nature has been a balm to relieve the uncertainness of the year 2020. Since you are reading the Cooperative Farming News, you are the type of person who likes to work smarter not harder. This mindset comes in handy
THE CO-OP PANTRY These cattle are eating hay, but if these round bales were rolled out, organic matter can be better spread around bare spots in the pasture.
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tle. Pick spots where the soil is poor and roll out the round bales just like you would a giant roll of toilet paper. As the cows eat the hay, the dry grass seeds will be dispersed into the soil, and the uneaten hay, manure and urine will break down over the winter resulting in rich organic matter being added to the soil. Places where erosion has taken place or barren rocky areas are great places to begin building soil. Once the organic matter breaks down, there are millions of microbes, fungus, earthworms and dung beetles that will help you with soil health. Earthworms and dung beetles are nature’s natural soil aerators. They drill the organic matter and manure down into the soil, and they do all this work without you having to lift a finger.
Any portions of your pasture you can save for winter grazing reduces the need for hay. Avoid grazing below 4 inches so the root systems remain strong.
is not utilized effectively. Simply dividing your pasture into a few paddocks can increase your pasture health tremendously, and many producers find that this allows them to run more cattle on their property.
Rotational Grazing with Portable Fencing
Dung beetles can be a pasture’s best friend because they bore manure down into the soil as organic matter and free fertilizer.
The easiest way to rotational graze cattle is with portable, solar-powered fencing. With a small fence
Forage Well into the Winter In addition to spreading more organic matter around your fields by rolling out round bales, the more forage you have covering soil, the better your soil and grass health will be. In the winter, the extra forage serves as insulation, which allows winter forage to continue to slowly grow even in the winter months. One of the easiest ways to preserve grazing for later is through stockpiling. If you can exclude certain portions of your pasture, you can put the cows on these areas later in the winter. Even if it’s ungrazed summer forage that is dormant, the cattle can still get nutritional grazing from these excluded portions. Continuous grazing is when cattle graze a pasture for extended amounts of time with very little rest for the plants to recover from grazing. For generations, this has been common practice in pastures, but the plants stay stressed, root systems become weaker, fewer weeds are consumed, and the natural nitrogen of cattle manure 56
Cooperative Farming News
Hang the fence energizer on a T-post facing the sun. The S16 is portable, lightweight and easy to set up at multiple locations.
charger, a few step-in posts and some turbo wire, you can intensive graze or mob graze your grass allowing plenty of rest and regrowth for the plants between grazing. Your local Co-op has Gallagher fence products on hand to help. Put these items on your Gallagher fencing Santa wish list at the Co-op: 1. S16 Solar Energizer 2. Gallagher geared reel for rolling out turbo wire 3. 20 ring top electric fence posts 4. One roll of Gallagher turbo wire 5. T-post for mounting S16 solar energizer Set one S16 solar-powered Gallagher fence charger on top of a T-post facing the sun. Step a steel, Gallagher step-in post in the ground beside the charger and clip the green ground wire to the step-in post. Roll out your turbo wire on a geared reel and hook the reel to a perimeter fence or other fence border. Finally, step in your posts around 50 feet apart, clip the red power supply line to the turbo wire, and you now have a “hot� fence.
Planting winter oats and white clover can provide good ground cover, and often, the clover will come back year after year if cared for.
er for the soil. Finally, move the cattle regularly, keeping them from grazing the plants below 4 inches to preserve the root systems and regenerative properties of the forage. Finally, in areas where you have bare ground, get a soil sample, make amendments to the soil and add cover crops for wintertime such as oats and white clover. The white clover often comes back year after year, and this adds natural nitrogen to the soil making the fertilizer available to adjoining plants in organic form. This December, look back on the year 2020 knowing that God has your back now and in the future. After all, that’s where the real truth can be found.
A geared reel full of turbo wire and a handful of ring top posts makes rotational grazing an efficient proposition.
This condensed grazing keeps cattle closer together and concentrates urine and manure in their grazing area. After the first clipping during grazing, a lot of grass will be trampled, but that is a good thing because this will contribute to organic growth and covDecember 2020
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Christmas at the Co-op 3 QT. Hopper Bird Feeder with Suet Holders
School House Bird Feeder
Barn Bird Feeder
Church Bird Feeder
Hybrid Bluebird House with Recycled Green Plastic Roof
John Deere® Green and Pink Stake 36” Wagon Wagons are heavy-duty steel body with pneumatic tires. Get one while supplies last!
Schrade Camo Mini Machete This Machete is a lightweight fixed blade knife designed for easy carry while hunting or camping.
Schrade 3-Piece Knife Set
Barn with Animals & Accessories Detachable roof, doors open, and fence can be connected any way. Farmer’s arms move. Get one while supplies last!
1:16 John Deere 62610R Tractor with Frontier Grain Cart
Lights and sound requires 3 AAA batteries. Steerable front axle. Tractor windshield opens for access to steering wheel. Cart features working auger and unloading door. 58 Cooperative Farming News
This set features a folder, fixed blade, and axe. These will be useful for hunting, camping or just general outdoor use.
Uncle Henry Limited Edition Gift Set
Old Timer Limited Edition Gift Set
3 Traditional pocket knives that are ideal for camping, everyday carry, as well as most outdoor activity.
3 Traditional pocket knives that are ideal for camping, everyday carry, as well as most outdoor activity.
Old Timer 1520T Sharpfinger and 720T Dog Leg Jack Knife Set
Pet In-Ground Fence for Stubborn Dogs
For dogs 8 lbs. and up. 5 adjustable, higher-intensity levels of static correction. Tone-only mode alerts your pet with a beep. Waterproof receiver collar. Expandable up to 10 acres with additional wire.
AS105 Dog Trainer
Range up to 100 yards. Waterproof receiver. Water-resistant transmitter. Replacement batteries. Operating guide included.
ALAFARM DOG FOOD Premium Adult Dog Food 26-18 26% Protein - 18% Crude Fat - 50 lb. bag
High Energy Dog Food 24-20
24% Protein - 20% Crude Fat - 50 lb. bag
Maintenance Dog Food 21-8
21% Protein - 8% Crude Fat - 50 lb. bag
Puppy Food 30-20
30% Protein - 20% Crude Fat - 25 lb. bag
Wireless Pet Containment System This system is simple, yet an effective alternative to traditional outdoor fencing or buried wire fencing. Instead of using spools of boundary wire around your yard, it uses radio frequency to guard your pet against straying. This system is also portable.
WG Shadow 18 MP Adaptive illumination and exposure control automatically adjust for incredible image quality so you never miss a tine or a tail. Easily mounts to any tree or fence post.
Ameristep Chair Blind Simplify your load with this chair blind. No assembly required, and only one piece of gear to keep track of. Includes a convenient carrying case and a shoulder strap for easy transport.
22 gun. Electronic 2-way locking system with 1� live action locking bolts. Adjustable shelves. Fully carpeted interior. Black textured finish. Patented barrel rest and standoffs.
Big Foot Hang On Floating seat made from durable Tartuffe mesh to provide hours of comfort. Larger platform and footrest. This tree stand will give you plenty of space and added comfort.
WG Vision 14 MP
Perform better than ever this hunting season with Wildgame Innovations Vision 14 Lightsout 14MP Infrared Game Camera. Features .5 second trigger speed, 70 ft. range and black infrared flash capture.
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THE HERB LADY
BY NADINE JOHNSON
Frankincense & Myrrh Frankincense and myrrh – it is the time of the year for us to hear these two words which we have always heard in connection with the Christmas story. We are all familiar with the fact that these products were among the gifts when Jesus was born. Frankincense is a fragrant gum resin obtained principally, in our modern age, from a small tree called Birdwood. These trees grow primarily in the tropical region of Africa and Asia. Frankincense is mentioned in herbals, which date back to 2800 B.C. In the Bible, it is mentioned 16 times as an item of worship, three times as a product of Solomon’s garden, twice as a tribute of honor and only once as an item of merchandise. It continues to be used in some religious services today. Early Egyptians highly valued this aromatic product for their religious services, embalming and fumigating. Early people of the Bible region (Africa and Asia) used it as a medication for treating a large number of health problems. It is still used today for many of the same ailments. Myrrh is another gum resin. It is harvested primarily from the Commiphora tree. It is harvested in the same manner and essentially the same area as frankincense. I imagine that the harvesting process is very much like harvesting maple sap for syrup. Records state that myrrh was one of the ingredients of the holy oil used in the embalming of Christ. Modern society finds many ways to use myrrh just as early people did. It is used in medicine, incense, perfume, soaps, lotions, creams, detergents, mouthwash, gargles and other useful products. It seems to have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration 60
Cooperative Farming News
for use in food, so you’ll probably find it in puddings, gelatins, baked goods, alcoholic beverages and others. In West Africa, it is used as an insecticide to control termites. Ghanians fumigate their clothes with the fragrant smoke from the burning wood. The story goes that during the reign of Thutmose 111 (1475 B.C.) many plant specimens were imported from other lands. Myrrh, which didn’t grow in Egypt, was among those collected plants. In a series of paintings, this story was depicted on the walls of an Egyptian tomb. The collected and dried resin of frankincense and myrrh are called ‘”tears” and “pearls.” ‘It’s doubtful that I’ll ever see the plants from which we collect these herbs. However, I do have “tears” and “pearls.” They are displayed in glass bottles for “show and tell.” My great grandson says, “Where else, but in Grandma’s house would you expect to find frankincense and myrrh?” I wish all my readers a merry Christmas and a happy new year.
The Herb Lady Nadine Johnson
For Information on herbs or to order Nature’s Sunshine Products: P.O. Box 7425 Spanish Fort, AL 35677 or njherbal@gmail.com
Accepts Checks and Money Orders
SIMPLE TIMES B Y S U Z Y M c C R AY
THE CO-OP PANTRY
A Special Christmas Tree
I sat in my little truck and was amazed at what I saw all around me. Red, green and silver balloons glittered in what little of the sun peeked through the clouds, their ribbon-strings pulled tight in the winter wind. A wooden reindeer, almost full size, complete with a red nose, pulled a red sleigh filled with what appeared to be presents topped with sparkling bows. Even a teddy bear dressed in a green sweater and sporting a red scarf around its neck stood a silent vigil while wearing a lopsided grin.
But the Christmas trees! Trees of almost every size and every description sparkled, glittered and shone with ornaments, flocked snow and even twinkling lights that had to be battery-powered. Was I in one of the area malls, where the stores were decked out? Or possibly in the nearby suburb where the neighbors each year competed for the Best of Show ribbon for their Christmas decorations? No, I was sitting in my little truck atop the hill where my daddy (and now my mama) is buried, and I was totally amazed at how folks had decorated the December 2020
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graves for Christmas. I felt more than a little sad. Daddy had died suddenly and unexpectedly that summer while picking green beans in his garden. That was going to be my first Christmas without my daddy here on earth. Although it was 1988, my heart still feels that loss 32 years later. Would placing a big Christmas decoration on his grave make me feel better? Was that what I was supposed to do? I often went and just sat on the hill to think, but my mind was whirring that morning. I couldn’t sit and think for long. The three kids at home and my busy church practice schedule meant I had to keep moving. That night I loaded up the car with kids and traveled to our church for Christmas practice. Uncle Claude liked to look out the big picture window of his modest rented house and watch the folk in Murphree’s Valley go about their Blount County business. He was looking out that window when we traveled by and we beep-beep-beeped the car horn as usual. It was getting near to the day of the program, so we had many night practices. Every night, Uncle Claude would be standing in that window waiting to wave as we came noisily by. Uncle Claude had never married. Living with his mother until her death and then living in a series of rented homes in three counties before settling near us in what was to be his last residence. He never had kids of his own and he’d watch our noisy bunch with a slight grin on his face, a grin he was well-known for. I often wondered just what he could be thinking! That night when I should have been sleeping, I kept thinking of Uncle Claude AND all the decorations I’d seen in that cemetery. I could almost hear Daddy’s words to me if I spent good hard-earned money on something like a tree to put on his grave! But I also knew he had been really fond of Uncle Claude, even though there was no actual blood relation. He admired Uncle Claude for his work ethic and how he just quietly went about living his life. So I bought a tiny tree, just about two feet high! Folks said they’d never seen Uncle Claude with any type of Christmas decoration, certainly not a tree! But the kids and I wrapped two strands of twinkling Christmas lights around it and dug into our box of decorations for several that were small, but had plenty of sparkle! 62
Cooperative Farming News
We tromped into his house and situated that tiny tree in the middle of the window (where it wouldn’t block his view) and the little lights began to twinkle … and Uncle Claude’s eyes began to twinkle, too!
So that night we left a little early for practice after I had loaded the kids and one small, happy-looking tree into my vehicle. And of course, Uncle Claude was looking out his big window as we pulled up! We tromped into his house and situated that tiny tree in the middle of the window (where it wouldn’t block his view) and the little lights began to twinkle … and Uncle Claude’s eyes began to twinkle, too! Folks said that was probably it, that he’d probably never plug it in again.But the next night, and every other night, when we drove by the little tree WAS plugged in and glowing as we drove by … and Uncle Claude’s wave seemed just a little bit more energetic. We couldn’t see his face clearly, but the kids and I JUST KNEW he had that little grin! So the kids and I felt like we HAD bought Daddy a Christmas tree that year, although we didn’t carry it to the grave where only his shell lies. I still love to look at Christmas decorations every year, driving up and down the highways to see the businesses and houses glittering to displace this world’s gloom. But I don’t think there will ever be another Christmas tree as beautiful as that tiny one in Uncle Claude’s front window! “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” (John 12:46 ESV) Merry Christmas from Mack and Suzy at McCray’s Old Field Farm!
(Suzy and Mack live on a small homestead in Blount County and can be reached on Facebook or at suzy.mccray@yahoo.com.)
MID STATE STOCKYARDS LLP.
8415 State Highway 97 South, Letohatchee, AL 36047 - Interstate 65 Exit 151
Sale Day: Tuesdays 10:00 a.m. 1-877-334-5229 | 334-227-8000 www.midstatestockyards.com
“Serving the Southeast since our beginning in 2003”
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Drop-Off Locations:
ClantonAllen Wyatt 205-288-6298
WetumpkaHarold Levins 334-313-3695
East ALMike Boswell 706-577-1900
Covington Co. Matthew Hammett 334-488-0934
SW AL Harry Bryant 251-989-3992
LIVESTOCK AUCTIONS SUPPORT THE AUCTION. WE WORK FOR YOU.
CLAY COUNTY STOCKYARD
VALLEY STOCKYARD
1050 Airport Road - Ashland, AL Sale Every Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. Tad and Kim Eason, Owners
Check us out on Facebook!
13130 AL HWY 157 - Moulton, AL Cattle Auction - Wed. at 11:00 a.m. Billy Wallace (C) 256-303-7097 Phone: 256-974-5900 Fax: 256-974-5899 Your Full Service Stockyard
SAND MOUNTAIN STOCKYARD, LLC
TOP RANKED MARKET RECEIPTS SINCE 2006
Barn: 256-354-2276 Tad: 397-4428
Hauling available
19509 AL Hwy 68 - Crossville, AL 256-561-3434 Cattle Auction - Every Wed. & Sat. at 11:30 a.m. Call for any hauling & catching needs
MID STATE STOCKYARDS 8415 State HWY 97 South Letohatchee, AL 36047 Sale Day: Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. 1-877-334-5229 or 334-227-8000 www.midstatestockyards.com
If you would like to advertise your stockyard, please contact Wendy McFarland at mcfarlandadvantage@gmail.com
Ison’s Nursery SINCE 1934
Grow Half-Dollar Sized Muscadines and Blackberries!
PO Box 190 Brooks, GA 30205 | 1-800-733-0324 www.isons.com
Meadows Creek 15th Annual It’s All Black and White Bull Sale Friday, December 4, 2020 | 12 p.m. Montgomery Stockyards- Montgomery, AL Richard Meadows - 334-797-4870 Jerry Etheridge - 334-422-1306 Jim Collins - 478-957-6572 Thomas Ellis -334-657-3222
130 Two-year-old Bulls Angus, Charolais, Sim Angus & Chi-Angus
+ 75 Commercial & Purebred Females
www.cowbuyer.com or www.meadowscreekfarm.com
December 2020
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THE MAGIC OF GARDENING
How to Select a
Christmas Tree When searching for the “perfect” tree, it’s good to bring along a little help. My grandchildren were more than happy to come to the aid of their grandfather.
Going to a local Christmas tree farm has been a tradition in my family for many years. My kids always enjoyed our trip and the thrill of cutting the tree down all by themselves. I have noticed that those same kids with families of their own either buy a precut tree or have an artificial tree but each year they expect me to continue the tradition by taking my grandkids to help choose and 64
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cut our tree. This does not seem quite fair to me, but I have to admit I still enjoy it and they do as well. I think a time will come when I will see them take up the tradition themselves. If you have never had that experience with your kids or grandkids, I would encourage you to give them that gift while simultaneously supporting a local farmer.
B Y T O N Y G L OV E R
The grandkids have learned that selecting the right tree is only part of the process. Cutting it down and hauling it to the car requires extra muscle!
A question I often hear from those still wanting a real tree is, “I would love to have a real tree, but the needles are always a mess. What type tree has the least problem with needle shedding?” The quick answer is, “The fresher the tree, the better it will hold its needles.” The only way to know exactly how fresh the tree is would be to do like I do and cut it yourself, or in my case, I just point to the tree and tell one of my grandkids to cut it for me. If you buy a tree from a local “choose and cut farm,” it probably does not matter what species you purchase, so just pick out the tree you like best. The key to keeping the needles attached is to get the fresh cut tree stump into water as quickly as possible. Choosing a precut tree from a sales lot can be a little riskier than cutting the tree yourself, but if you follow these tips, your chance of getting a good tree will improve greatly. Purchase a tree as soon as trees are available even if you do not plan to decorate it for several days. The sooner you can get the tree in water the longer it will last. Most of the trees on sales lots were cut at the same time, so the longer they stay on the sales lot without water, the less likely they will even take water up when they are placed in home tree stands with water reservoirs. Check out the tree trunk near the base and look for splitting. If you see splitting, the tree most likely has dried so severely it will not absorb water at all; so do not purchase it no matter how cheap. Look for a tree with a healthy, green appearance and few dead or browning needles. However, you cannot go just by color because most trees have had a green colorant added. It is more telling to run your hand along a branch to see if needles seem fresh and flexible. Nee-
dles should definitely not pull free easily. If possible, bump the base of the tree on the ground. You should expect some of the old dead needles to fall off, but if green needles also fall off, the tree is not very fresh. Once you have chosen that perfect tree and have arrived back home safely, you should make a fresh cut a couple inches above the original cut. This removes any clogged vascular wood that would prevent water uptake. If you are not ready to place the tree indoors, you may store it in a shady area outdoors or in an unheated room or basement. Regardless of where you put the tree, make sure to check the water reservoir frequently and keep it filled a couple inches or more above the tree’s base. Your tree should be taking up a quart of water per inch of trunk diameter per day. I have not seen any research that proves any concoction added to the water works significantly better than plain tap water. Even if you cut the tree yourself, you should expect a few dry needles to fall off within a few weeks. A tree disposal bag is a good idea and can help you with cleanup after Christmas. Another tip to consider involves tree location in the home. Keeping the tree away from heat sources such as air ducts, wood stoves and fireplaces will prolong the freshness and reduce the risk of fire. Make certain all lights and extension cords are in good working order and turn lights off when you are not in the room for any extended period. Because our homes are much drier in the winter when the heating system is operating, a small room humidifier can be good for you, your houseplants and the cut Christmas tree. Some trees are just naturally better at retaining their needles. Douglas fir, Eastern white pine, Fraser fir, Leyland cypress, Scotch pine and Virginia pine all have excellent needle retention. Freshness is still the most important factor involved with needle retention. The ultimate in freshness is to purchase a living tree not detached from its roots. I have used everything from hollies to Arizona cypress as a living Christmas tree. They do cost more but you can plant them in your yard rather than pitching them to the curb. Many nurseries will stock container plants suitable for Christmas tree usage. Even though these trees have a root system, they still need regular watering. The environment inside your home is much hotter and drier than the conditions were at the nursery. Water them a little every day to keep the plant medium moist at all times. The shorter their time indoors the greater success you will have with them once planted after Christmas. Do not forget to keep them watered in the landscape after planting as well. To find a local Christmas tree farm visit this website: www.southernchristmastrees.org/AL-Farms.html. December 2020
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FOOD SAFETY
Christmas Gifts of Homemade Convenience Mixes With Christmas just around the corner, doing these mixes would be a great way to save some money and possibly get your family involved with preparing them to give as Christmas gifts. Families are more concerned than ever with what their family consumes. By preparing your own home-
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made convenience foods, this allows you to control the final product, the nutritional value, and the quality and quantity of the ingredients. You can limit fat, sodium, sugar and additives in your convenience foods – you could even do gluten-free mixes for those with gluten problems.
B Y A N G E L A T R E A D AWAY When you compare the costs of home-prepared foods with those of commercial convenience foods, remember that cost per serving is only one consideration. There are other factors to consider when deciding whether to prepare a mix at home or to buy it at the local store.
Ways for making “convenience mixes” more nutritious
Flour-Based Mixes Using a favorite recipe, combine all of the dry ingredients with margarine or oil. Blend well and refrigerate in an airtight container, labeled with directions for preparing. Date it and use within three months. When you are ready to use the mix, empty it into a bowl and add liquid ingredients such as eggs, milk, water and vanilla, as given in the original recipe.
1. Substitute whole wheat flour for all or part of the bleached white flour. 2. Use vegetable oil instead of solid shortening. 3. Use fat-free milk instead of whole milk. 4. Add more nonfat dry milk than the recipe calls for. When you reduce fat, please keep in mind that fat adds moisture, flavor and tender texture to cookies, cakes, quick breads and muffins. Using fruit puree, such as banana, prune or apple and nonfat dairy products, like nonfat yogurt or sour cream helps to give some fat-like flavor and texture characteristics to homemade baked goods without adding fat. Adding fruit to your recipes will also increase the nutritive value of the food. People often ask if oil can be substituted for margarine or shortening when making cookies. All three ingredients are fats, but they are not all interchangeable. Oil is 100% fat. Margarine is a mixture of fat and water (light margarine or spreads have a higher percentage of water). Substituting one cup of oil for one cup of margarine adds more fat than the original recipe. The cookies will have a greasy taste and feel. Creaming shortening or margarine with sugar helps produce a cookie with a tender texture. Substituting oil in a cookie recipe may change the texture and volume. Most recipes will not work if you eliminate all of the fat, but reducing fat is a good choice. Flavor does not have to be lost when reducing fat in recipes to make them healthier. When you modify a recipe using fruit purees, replace the amount of fat called for in the recipe with half as much puree. You can easily make your own mixes at home for many flour-based foods (cakes, quick breads, pie crusts, cookies), as well as foods containing a variety of spices such as spaghetti sauce, chili sauce and meatloaf.
All-Purpose Convenience Mix 9 cups flour 2 cups nonfat dry milk 1/4 cup baking powder 1 Tablespoon salt 3/4 cup canola oil Combine flour, dry milk, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and stir together. Mix oil into dry mixture until smooth. Store in an airtight container. Refrigerate and use within a month, or put into containers suitable for freezing and freeze. December 2020
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Cornbread Convenience Mix Makes: 11 cups
4 cups flour 1/2 cup sugar 4 cups cornmeal 1/4 cup baking powder 1 1/2 cups instant dry milk 1 Tablespoon salt 1 cup margarine Stir dry ingredients together until well mixed. Cut in margarine with a pastry blender. Store in tightly covered container in the refrigerator or freezer. Use within a month.
Salt-Free Seasoning Mix 1 teaspoon dried thyme 2 teaspoons dry mustard 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon dill weed 2 teaspoons paprika Combine and place in an airtight container, store in a cool place. Use in place of salt to season food.
Ways to use your convenience mixes Mocha Mix Recipe Combine 1/3 cup Hot Cocoa Convenience Mix and 1/4 cup instant coffee. Store in an airtight container. To serve, measure 1 1/2 tablespoons mix into a cup. Add boiling water and stir well.
Bran Muffins from All-Purpose Mix 1 egg 1/4 cup sugar 2/3 cup water 2 Tablespoons canola oil 1 cup whole bran cereal 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Convenience Mix Heat oven to 400 F. Place egg in a bowl and beat. Add sugar, water and oil to beaten egg. Continue beating. Blend in whole bran cereal, add convenience mix; stir quickly and vigorously until just mixed – batter will look lumpy. Spray or rub muffin pans lightly with oil, fill greased muffin tins about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
Yeast Rolls from All-Purpose Mix Makes: 16 rolls
Hot Cocoa Convenience Mix Makes: 4 1/2 cups 2/3 cup sugar 1 1/2 cups dry nonfat milk powder 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa 1 1/2 cups nondairy powdered creamer, light (optional) Sift cocoa. Mix ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight container. To use, bring 4 cups of water to boil in saucepan, mix in 3/4 cup Convenience Mix and stir well. 68
Cooperative Farming News
1 package dry active yeast 2/3 cup warm water 1 Tablespoon sugar 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Convenience Mix Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in sugar, oil and convenience mix – beat vigorously. Turn dough onto floured surface. Knead until smooth – about 20 times. Cut off small sections of dough and shape into rolls. Arrange in a lightly greased baking pan so that the rolls are packed tightly and touching each other. Cover with a damp cloth and let them rise in a warm place until double in size – about 30 minutes. Heat oven to 400 F. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Many more recipes can be found for convenience mixes. Just keep in mind to keep these mixes in airtight containers so they will stay fresher longer. Some may even be kept in the freezer and/or refrigerator.
CHEERS! My family and I were sitting around the dinner table on Christmas Eve 2017, about to partake of the Christmas feast my wife had prepared, complete with prime rib and all the trimmings. In appreciation for all of my wife’s hard work, I stood and raised my glass of ice water in a toast to honor her. Those around the table also lifted their own glasses of beverage. Some had ice water, some sweet tea and some a glass of wine. We clinked our glasses together in honor of my wife as I spoke words of love and appreciation for her. My wife was grateful for the special recognition, but curiosity caused her to ask a question about proper etiquette. “Can you make a toast when everyone’s glasses aren’t filled with the same beverage?”
Now, those of you who are a little bit older might remember a famous newspaper columnist named Emily Post. Though she died in 1960, her books and newspaper columns on proper etiquette are still used as a reference for all etiquette questions today. Well ... I’m no Emily Post. When it comes to proper etiquette, the only thing Emily and I have in common is that I’m dumb as a “POST.” So, upon hearing my wife’s question, I took a moment’s pause to reflect: “Is it proper? Is it good form? Can you make a toast when everyone’s glasses aren’t filled with the same beverage?” Suddenly, as if a light bulb turned on inside my head, I exclaimed, “Well, of course you can! That’s the beauty of the toast. It is diversity coming together in unity to bring honor to the one being toasted!” Those words were not spoken in reference to any book of etiquette I’ve read, or any personal insights I have in the realms of proper etiquette. No. I believe those words came from the very heart of God.
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You see, revelation from God doesn’t have to come to us like lightning bolts from Heaven. It doesn’t have to come with “whistles and bells.” Sometimes it can come to us through simple, friendly, dinner table conversation. The words I spoke that evening would be further illustrated the next morning at my home church on Christmas morning. During the song service, I looked out across the congregation of the small, interdenom-
We were of different ethnicities and cultures and even different denominational backgrounds. Yet, we were all gathered around a central, unifying theme – an appreciation for the Savior who was born into the world on the very first Christmas morning. Together, we “raised our glasses” filled with praise and adoration to the Savior and toasted Him.
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inational church I attended. There was such rich diversity among the people gathered there. We were all of different ages, from babies to great-grandparents. We were all of different social status; there were rich people, middle class and even poor people in attendance that day. We were of different ethnicities and cultures and even different denominational backgrounds. Yet, we were all gathered around a central, unifying theme – an appreciation for the Savior who was born into the world on the very first Christmas morning. Together, we “raised our glasses” filled with praise and adoration to the Savior and toasted Him. Though each cup lifted in worship contained different and varying life experiences and backgrounds, each individual worshiper came together in a unified effort to glorify our Savior. He was honored by our diversity coming together in unity to bring Him worship. God reminded me that morning that it is not when a choir sings in unison that they sound the most beautiful, but it is when they sing harmony. When altos, sopranos, tenors and basses blend their different vocal ranges together, beautiful harmony is achieved. So, this Christmas, take time to appreciate the diversity of the people God has put in your life. Instead of accentuating our differences, let us come together in unity to raise a toast of praise to the One who came to bring “Peace on Earth, good will to men.”
THE CO-OP PANTRY B Y M A RY D E L P H
Cheese Ball Bites 8 slices bacon 12- ounces cream cheese, softened 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon paprika Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1/3 cup fresh chives, chopped 1/3 cup pecans, diced 18 pretzel sticks In a large nonstick skillet, cook bacon until crispy, 8 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate, then finely chop. Set aside. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic powder and paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Use a cookie scoop to form mixture into 18 small balls and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until firm. In a shallow bowl, stir together bacon, chives and pecans. Roll balls in bacon mixture, insert a pretzel stick into each, and let come to room temperature 15 minutes before serving. (If not serving right away, loosely cover with plastic wrap and return to the fridge.)
Bacon Parmesan Crackers
1 package bacon strips, cut in half 32 club crackers 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese Freshly ground black pepper Ranch dressing, for dipping Heat oven to 350 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange crackers on baking sheet and sprinkle with Parmesan. Tightly wrap each cracker with bacon and place seam-side down, then top with more Parmesan. Bake until bacon is cooked through and bites are crispy, 45 to 48 minutes. Season with pepper and serve with ranch for dipping.
Christmas Queso 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup heavy cream, divided December 2020
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Red gel food coloring 3 chocolate wafer cookies Cornstarch, for work surface White fondant Gold food coloring spray Black fondant
3 cups shredded pepper jack, divided Red jalapeño, sliced, for garnish (optional) Fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional) Tortilla chips, preferably red and green, for serving In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Add flour and whisk until golden. Add 1/2 cup cream and half the cheese and stir until melted and creamy. Continue adding cheese, stirring well and adding more cream as necessary to preserve creamy texture. When ready to serve, pour queso into serving bowl and garnish with jalapeño and cilantro (if using). Serve with chips.
Santa Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting 1 box vanilla cake mix 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 (8- ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature 1 pound confectioners’ sugar 72
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Make the cake: Prepare cake mix and bake in a 9-by-13-inch pan according to the package directions. Once cool, transfer to a serving platter. Make the frosting and decorate: Beat butter and cream cheese on low speed with an electric mixer until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Increase mixer speed to medium and gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer 1 cup frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large flat tip. Tint remaining frosting red and use to frost sides and top of cake. Refrigerate cake until no longer tacky, 5 to 10 minutes. Pipe a 3-inch wide strip, lengthwise, down the center of the cake with white frosting. Place 2 wafer cookies on top half and 1 on bottom for buttons. Lightly dust a work surface with cornstarch and roll out white fondant. Cut into a 3-inch square. Using a small square cookie cutter or paring knife, cut out center to make a belt buckle. Transfer to a sheet of parchment paper and spray with gold spray; let dry, 8 to 10 minutes. Roll black fondant into a 9-by-3 rectangle and place on cake between buttons. Top with belt buckle.
Candy Cane Pie
24 large marshmallows 1/2 cup whole milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon salt 6 drops peppermint extract 6 drops red food coloring 2 T ablespoons plus 1 teaspoon crushed peppermint candy, divided 1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped 1 chocolate crumb crust (8 inches) In a heavy saucepan, combine marshmallows and milk over low heat. Cook and stir until marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, salt, peppermint extract and food coloring. Cool 30 minutes, stirring several times. Stir in 2 tablespoons crushed candies; fold in whipped cream. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate, covered, for eight hours or overnight. Just before serving, sprinkle with remaining candy.
Topping: 1 1/3 cups very hot or boiling water 3/4 cup packed brown sugar In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar (to remove any lumps), baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt. Whisk until combined. Add milk, pumpkin and melted butter. Using a wooden spoon, mix until just combined. Spread batter into the bottom of a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker. Top with pecans, pressing firmly into the batter. Add brown sugar and water into a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until simmering and sugar dissolves. Carefully pour into slow cooker over the batter. Cook on low for 2 hours (slow cooker times may vary). Serve warm, spooning sauce from bottom of pan over cake and with a scoop of ice cream, if desired.
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pecan Pudding Cake 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 2 te aspoons pumpkin pie spice, homemade or store bought 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup milk, can use almond milk for vegan 2/3 cup canned pure pumpkin or pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling 1/4 cup butter, melted 25 whole or chopped pecans December 2020
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What’s happening in U S A
2020 RESCUE RAPPEL CLASS December 3, 2020 Fort Payne - True Adventure Sports Admission Call 256-997-9577
CHRISTMAS ART MARKET December 5, 2020 Gulf Shores - 309 E 21st Ave. 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Call 251-948-2627
DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW December 3-6, 2020 Union Springs - Red Door Theater Admission - 7:30 p.m. nightly Sunday: 2:30 p.m. Call 334-735-3125
YULE Y'ALL: HOLIDAY MARKET AND WHISKEY TASTING December 5, 2020 Huntsville - Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment - 2:00 - 8:00 p.m. Call 256-533-0399
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS FESTIVAL December 3-25, 2020 Montgomery - Montgomery Zoo Admission - 5:30 - 9:00 p.m. Call 334-240-4900
MILLBROOK CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL December 5, 2020 Millbrook - Village Green Park 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 334-285-6428
2020 RAPPEL BASICS CLASS December 1, 2020 Fort Payne - True Adventure Sports Admission Call 256-997-9577
CHILI COUNTRY CHRISTMAS December 4, 2020 Brundidge - We Piddle Around Theater - Admission Call 334-685-5524
BRAGG-MITCHELL MANSION CHRISTMAS SEASON December 1-19, 2020 Bragg-Mitchell Mansion Admission - 7:00 p.m. - Midnight Call 251-471-6364
THE TREES OF CHRISTMAS December 4-24, 2020 Tuscumbia - Tennessee Valley Museum of Art - Admission Monday - Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Sunday: 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Call 256-383-0533
NORTH POLE STROLL December 1-31, 2020 Athens - 100 N Beaty St. Call 256-232-5411 ARDMORE TINSEL TRAIL December 1-31, 2020 Ardmore - 26461 1st St. Call 256-423-6177 CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AT PALISADES PARK December 1-31, 2020 Oneonta - Palisades Park 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.; except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Call 205-274-0017 2020 ADVANCED RAPPEL CLASS December 2, 2020 Fort Payne - True Adventure Sports Admission Call 256-997-9577 CHRISTMAS ON THE RIVER December 2-5, 2020 Demopolis - Downtown Call 334-289-0270 74
Cooperative Farming News
CAMELLIA AND WINTER BLOOMING AZALEA SHOW December 4-27, 2020 Wetumpka - Jasmine Hill Gardens and Outdoor Museum Call 334-263-5713 ARTIST MARKET December 5, 2020 Columbiana - 104 Mildred St. 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Call 205-669-0044 DOWNTOWN CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL December 5, 2020 Dothan - Downtown 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Call 334-793-3097 EUFAULA CHRISTMAS TOUR OF HOMES December 5, 2020 Eufaula - Downtown - Admission 1:00 - 6:00 p.m. Call 334-687-3793
LIVING HISTORY CREW DRILL December 5, 2020 Mobile - USS ALABAMA and Submarine USS DRUM - Admission 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Call 1-800-GANGWAY MERRY MARKET UNIQUE GIFTS AND ARTS & CRAFTS EXPO December 5, 2020 Orange Beach - The Wharf Call 251-968-6091 SPORTSMAN'S WONDERLAND December 5-24, 2020 Cullman - Sportsman Lake Park Admission - 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. Call 256-734-0454 HISTORIC HOMES TOUR December 6, 2020 Marion - 204 West Monroe St. Admission - 12:30 - 5:00 p.m. Call 334-292-0319 BELLE MONT PLANTATION CHRISTMAS December 6, 2020 Tuscumbia - 1569 Cook Lane Admission - 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Call 256-381-5052 49TH ANNUAL MONTGOMERY GEM, MINERAL & JEWELRY SHOW December 6-8, 2020 Montgomery - Garrett Coliseum Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Sunday: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 334-356-6866
ADVANCED RIGGING CLASS December 7-8, 2020 Fort Payne - True Adventure Sports Admission Call 256-997-9577 OLE-TIME CHRISTMAS December 7-19, 2020 Troy - Pioneer Museum of Alabama Admission - 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Call 334-566-3597 GOVERNOR’S MANSION CHRISTMAS CANDLELIGHT TOURS December 7-21, 2020 Montgomery - Alabama Governor’s Mansion - 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Call 334-834-3022 BASICS CLIMBING CLASS December 9, 2020 Fort Payne - True Adventure Sports Admission Call 256-997-9577 REINDEER EXPRESS December 11-13, 2020 Opelika - Municipal Park Call 334-705-5564 HOLIDAY ART SALE December 12, 2020 Auburn - Jan Dempsy Community Arts Center Call 334-501-2930 ANNUAL CHRISTMAS FEST December 12, 2020 Bay Minette - Courthouse Square 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Call 251-937-5665
CHRISTMAS LIGHTED BOAT PARADE December 12, 2020 Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Intercoastal Waterway - Admission 5:00 - 8:30 p.m. Call 251-968-5349 DICKENS CHRISTMAS Y'ALL December 12, 2020 Tuscumbia - Downtown 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 256-383-9797 CHRISTMAS ON THE COOSA December 12, 2020 Wetumpka - Gold Star Park & Riverwalk - 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Call 334-567-5147 VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS December 13, 2020 Dothan - Landmark Park 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Call 334-794-3452 SWIFT WATER RESCUE CLASS December 21-23, 2020 Fort Payne - True Adventure Sports Admission Call 256-997-9577 COUNTDOWN TO NOON December 31, 2020 Gadsden - Mary C. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts Call 256-543-2787
DUD PARADE December 31, 2020 Livingston - Downtown 5:50 p.m. "CHRISTMAS THROUGH THE AGES" Call 205-652-1580 AT FORT GAINES NEW YEARS’ DOWNTOWN December 12, 2020 Dauphin Island - Historic Fort Gaines COUNTDOWN December 31 - January 1, 2021 Admission - 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Dothan - Downtown Call 251-861-6992 7:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. CHRISTMAS TOUR OF HOMES Call 334-793-3097 December 12, 2020 MOONPIE OVER MOBILE NEW Decatur - Old Decatur and Albany YEAR’S CELEBRATION Historic District December 31 - January 1, 2021 Call 256-350-2028 Mobile - Downtown BILLY CLAUS COMES TO LULU'S 8:00 p.m. - Midnight December 12, 2020 Call 251-208-1550 Gulf Shores - LuLu’s 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Call 251-967-5858
HANK WILLIAMS 68TH MEMORIAL January 1, 2021 Montgomery - Hank Williams Museum - Oakwood Cemetery Annex Call 334-262-3600 POLAR BEAR DIP January 1, 2021 Orange Beach - Flora-Bama Noon - 3:00 p.m. Call 850-492-0611 WINTER WEDNESDAYS January 6 - February 24, 2021 Theodore - Bellingrath Gardens and Home - Admission Call 251-459-8868
***Please note that some of these events may be postponed or canceled due to COVID-19. Please contact the event directly in order to find out more information about the event.***
“What’s Happening in Alabama” Policy The AFC Cooperative Farming News publishes event listings as space allows, giving preference to agricultural events of regional or statewide interest and those that are annual or one-time events. The magazine assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of information submitted for publication and advises calling ahead to confirm dates, locations, times and possible admission fees. To be included in the calendar, send listings to: Cooperative Farming News Calendar of Events P.O. Box 2227 Decatur, AL 35609 -oremail to Calendar of Events at subscribe@alafarm.com *Please include name of event, where it will be held (both town and physical location), a phone number for more information, and an email or website.* *Event Listings must be received at least two months in advance and will be accepted up to a year in advance.*
December 2020
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Our heritage is in protecting yours COUNTRY Financial® was founded by a group of farmers in 1925. Our roots lie in the values born of hard work, integrity, and compassion, and we’ve been protecting farms like yours since the beginning. From cars and homes, to farm vehicles and buildings, we’ve got you covered. We know that farming isn’t a business, it’s a way of life.
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Don Warnke Cullman
256-734-1211
David Turner
Madison/Limestone
Vic Porter Florence
Tony James Russellville
Frank Scott Boaz
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256-233-3310
256-764-3002
256-332-6161
256-593-7756
334-794-4295
Ken Morrison
John Snellgrove
Adam Saucer
334-382-2663
Melissa Parish
Robert Young
334-863-2135
Jimmy Holderfield
334-493-6730
334-671-5081
Roanoke
Greenville
Jasper
205-717-3166
Troy
Opp
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334-465-7005
Call today for more information. Policies issued by COUNTRY Mutual Insurance Company®, Bloomington, IL. This entity is an equal opportunity provider.
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Cooperative Farming News
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