December/January 2023

CO-OP MATTERS

MATTERS

Le er from the Editor

Despite it happening every year, I am always shocked by how quickly the year goes by. But it seems time is ying by even quicker now that I have a li le one of my own. I am thrilled to celebrate my rst holiday season with my now 8-month-old son and our family. Historically, this time of year is all about spending time with family and let’s face it overindulging in delicious holiday meals.

e feature in this issue is about just that-history and family. Read through to learn more about the Priester’s Pecans family tree, how the 87-year-old business came to be and what’s in store for the next generation. We also spotlight another historical business that is keeping with the tradition of helping famers despite being in new hands.

Our regulars share their stories along with important lawn, garden and late season hunting tricks. You’ll also nd several delicious Winter recipes perfect for any crowded holiday potluck or casual night in.

If you have Christmas gi shopping on your mind, our local Co-op stores o er a variety of amazing options that anyone would be happy to nd under the tree.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season spending time with those who ma er most to you. ank you for being a loyal reader, customer, and part of the AFC family. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Tiffany Lester Editor-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief: Ti any Lester

Editor: Jessie Shook

Contributing Editor: Jade Randolph

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DIRECTORY OF MEMBER COOPERATIVES

ALTHA FARMERS COOPERATIVE

James Lynn, Gen. Mgr. Phone 850-674-8194

ANDALUSIA FARMERS COOPERATIVE

Russell Lassiter, Gen. Mgr. Phone 334-222-1851

FLORALA - Pete Blackwell, Mgr. Phone 334-858-6142

OPP - Brandon Bledsoe, Mgr. Phone 334-493-7715

ATMORE FARMERS COOPERATIVE

Todd Booker, Gen. Mgr. Phone 251-368-2191

BLOUNT COUNTY FARMERS COOPERATIVE

Eric Sanders, Gen. Mgr. Phone 205-274-2185

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

Seth Eubanks, Gen. Mgr. CENTRE Phone 256-927-3135

JACKSONVILLE - Tommy Thomas, Mgr. Phone 256-435-3430

PIEDMONT - Kevin Bobbitt, Mgr. Phone 256-447-6560

CLAY COUNTY EXCHANGE

Jeff Kinder, Gen. Mgr. Phone 256-396-2097

COLBERT FARMERS COOPERATIVE

Daniel Waldrep, Gen. Mgr.

LEIGHTON - Brad Valentine, Mgr. Phone 256-446-8328

TUSCUMBIA - Chuck Hellums, Mgr. Phone 256-383-6462

DEKALB FARMERS COOPERATIVE

Jason Plunkett, Gen. Mgr.

RAINSVILLE - Cody Etherton, Mgr. Phone 256-638-2569

CROSSVILLE - David Tierce, Mgr. Phone 256-528-7188

ALBERTVILLE - James Addison, Mgr. Phone 256-878-3261

ELBERTA FARMERS COOPERATIVE

Justin Brown, Gen. Mgr. Phone 251-986-8103

FARMERS COOPERATIVE MARKET

Doug Smith, Gen. Mgr.

FRISCO CITY - Tim Goldman, Mgr. Phone 251-267-3175

Fertilizer / Phone 251-267-3173

LEROY - Jeff Hughston, Mgr. Phone 251-246-3512

FARMERS CO-OP OF ASHFORD Timothy Tolar, Gen. Mgr. Phone 334-899-3263

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

GENCO FARMERS COOPERATIVE

Ricky Wilks, Gen. Mgr. HARTFORD - Todd Smith, Mgr. Phone 334-588-2992

WEST GENEVA - Robert Pittman, Mgr. Phone 334-898-7932

ENTERPRISE - Ricky Wilks, Mgr. Phone 334-347-9007

ELBA - Colin Morris, Mgr. Phone 334-897-6972

HEADLAND PEANUT WAREHOUSE CO-OP Jay Jones, Gen. Mgr. Chris Hix, Store Mgr. Phone 334-693-3313

JAY PEANUT FARMERS COOPERATIVE

Ryan Williams, Gen. Mgr. Phone 850-675-4597

LUVERNE COOPERATIVE SERVICES Perry Catrett, Gen. 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

NEW MARKET - Phone 256-379-2553 Ben Smith, Mgr.

SCOTTSBORO - Phone 256-574-1688 Ramsey Prince, Mgr.

MARION COUNTY COOPERATIVE

Steve Lann, Gen. Mgr.

HAMILTON - Phone 205-921-2631

FAYETTE - Kellie Trull, Mgr. Phone 205-932-5901

HALEYVILLE - Jessica Steward, Mgr. Phone 205-486-3794

MARSHALL FARMERS COOPERATIVE

Brian Keith, Gen. Mgr.

HOLLY POND - Phone 256-796-5337

ARAB - Mark Upton, Mgr. Phone 256-586-5515

MORGAN FARMERS COOPERATIVE

Bradley Hopkins, Gen. Mgr. HARTSELLE - Jason Pealor, Mgr. Phone 256-773-6832

PIKE COUNTY COOPERATIVE

Danny Dewrell, Gen. Mgr.

GOSHEN - Phone 334-484-3441

TROY - Jeff Baron, Mgr. Phone 334-566-3882

QUALITY COOPERATIVE, INC.

Daniel Salter, Gen. Mgr. Phone 334-382-6548

TALEECON FARMERS COOPERATIVE

Scott Hartley, Gen. Mgr. Phone 334-257-3930

WETUMPKA - Timothy Richardson, Mgr. Phone 334-567-4321

TALLADEGA COUNTY EXCHANGE

Chris Elliott, Gen. Mgr. Phone 256-362-2716

ASHVILLE Phone 205-594-7042

PELL CITY - Joseph Taylor, Mgr. Phone 205-338-2821

COLUMBIANA - Barry Keller, Mgr. Phone 205-669-7082

RANDOLPH - Tim Brown, Mgr. Phone 256-357-4743

TENNESSEE VALLEY COOPERATIVE, LLC

John Curtis, President

ATHENS – Britt Christopher, Mgr. Phone 256-232-5500

LYNNVILLE, TN - Kyle Doggett, Mgr. Phone 931-527-3923

PULASKI, TN - Jeff Wales, Mgr. Phone 931-363-2563

Reggie Shook, Vice Pres.

FLORENCE - Robbie Neal, Mgr. Phone 256-764-8441

ELGIN - Blair Shook, Mgr. Phone 256-247-3453

John Holley, Vice Pres.

MOULTON - Greg McCannon, Mgr. Phone 256-974-9213

COURTLAND Phone 256-637-2939

GRASSY - Adam Malone, Mgr. Phone 256-229-6664

TUSCALOOSA FARMERS COOPERATIVE Wayne Gilliam, Gen. Mgr. Phone 205-339-8181

WALKER FARMERS COOPERATIVE

Cody King, Gen. Mgr. Phone 205-387-1142

PEANUTS PECANS PROPANE PEA SHELLING CATFISH

AG INSIGHT

BY JIM ERICKSON

European Union Corn: Extreme High Temperatures and Drought Reduce Crop

Balkans – where conditions have been highly unfavor able. These areas have been under continuous pres sure from drought and extreme heat, particularly during the vegetatively sensitive mid-season period.

High temperatures during this period can lead to aborted kernels, while low precipitation and soil mois ture results in small grain weight.

Rainfall has been well below normal in these southern regions for several months. In western areas such as Spain and France, the corn crop is two to three weeks ahead of normal due to the heat. In areas of Italy, Spain, and France where corn is normally irrigat ed, there are water restrictions. Various measures of vegetation health show extensive deterioration in the corn regions.

The percentage of Average Seasonal Greenness (PASG) map vividly depicts summer crop area (corn and sunflowers) to be far below average during the critical month of July in the major producing areas of

European Union (EU) (MY) 2022/23 corn production is forecast at 60.0 million metric tons (mmt), down 12% from the most recent forecast, 15% below last year’s crop, and 10% below the 5-year average.

Area is estimated at 9.0 million hectares (mha), down 15% from last month and 3% from last year, but 3% above the 5-year average of 8.8 mha. Yield is esti mated at 6.67 tons per hectare, down 11% from recent estimates, 13% from last year, and 12% from the 5-year average.

Searing heat and widespread drought during polli nation and tasseling have significantly diminished the EU’s corn crop. The major producing areas in Europe are in the south – Spain, Southern France, Italy, and the

Drought conditions in the western United States also are occurring in prime crop growing areas in Europe, adversely impacting harvest projections.

Romania, Hungary, Italy, and France.

Estimated corn production is reduced in Romania by 3.0 mmt or 23% from last month to 10.0 mmt. This is 27% below last year and 23% below the 5-year average. Dryness intensified nationwide during July and now covers all of the country’s major growing regions.

Hungary’s corn production was reduced 1.5 mmt to 6.2 mmt as dryness devastated Hungary and the plains around it, causing significant damage to the area. European Space Agency satellite imagery depicts 2022 summer conditions in eastern Hungary to be much worse than in 2021.

The satellite-derived, Normalized Difference Vegeta tion Index (NDVI) seasonal chart from the NASA MODIS sensor shows a long decline in 2022 vegetation condi tions in Hungary due to unfavorable weather. This is a similar trajectory to other EU corn producers this year.

Additionally, France's production was reduced by 1.2 mmt, as heat and dryness have limited develop ment, particularly in the concentrated corn region of its southwest. France’s corn crop – the EU’s largest – is estimated at 12.0 mmt.

Tips for ensuring the safety of foods packed for school lunches

Consider the following for your shopping list:

Disinfecting materials for kitchen prep surfaces. Clean your prep area before you start that school lunch. A recent USDA study showed that cross-contamination often is prevalent in the kitch en during food prep. Therefore, be sure to wash your cutting boards, dishes, utensils and counter tops with soap before and after preparing each food item and before proceeding to the next item. A homemade bleach-based solution of one table spoon of unscented liquid chlorine bleach to one gallon of water can be used to sanitize surfaces and utensils in the kitchen.

Different colored cutting boards. Separate meat and poultry from ready-to-eat foods (such as fruits, vegetables, cheeses, etc.) to avoid cross-contamination during your food preparation.

Food thermometers for food prep. If you are cooking a frozen item for your child’s lunch, use a food thermometer to check whether a meal has reached a safe temperature to kill any harmful bacteria. Beware: some frozen foods are not fully cooked or not ready-to-eat, but have browned breading, grill marks or other signs that suggest that they are cooked. Make sure they are cooked to a safe internal temperature: meat (whole beef, pork and lamb) 145 degrees with a 3-minute rest; ground meats 160 degrees; poultry (ground and whole) 165 degrees; eggs 160 degrees; fish and shellfish 145 degrees; and leftovers and casse roles 165 degrees.

Insulated lunch boxes and gel packs. Per ishable food can be unsafe to eat by lunch time if packed in a paper bag. Keep your meal cool by storing it in an insulated bag. Put in a frozen gel pack, combined with a frozen juice box or bottle of water to keep food cold and to avoid the “danger zone,” temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees where bacteria can multiply quickly and cause illness.

On your next shopping trip, make sure to include items on your list that will keep any foods for school lunches and other outings, safe.

Because children are particularly at risk for serious foodborne illness, food safety must be at the top of the list when preparing lunches for school and related outings, according to Sandra Eskin, USDA's Deputy Undersecretary for food safety.

Insulated containers. If hot liquids such as soup, chili or stew are on the menu, use an insu lated container to keep items hot at 140 degrees and above. Fill the container with boiling water, let it stand for a few minutes, empty, and then pour in the hot food. Keep the insulated container closed until lunchtime.

Handwashing aides. Hand wipes and 60% al cohol-based hand sanitizers are ideal for children to clean their hands before they eat when water and soap are not available.

Peanut Skins: More than Meets the Eye

America's fondness for peanuts accounts for 65% of all U.S. nut consumption. Per person, that equates to nearly 8 pounds of goobers annually.

But what's to be done with the estimated 40-70 million pounds of peanut skins stripped from the nut in the process of turning it into peanut butter, snack food, candy ingredients, oil and other products?

Researchers with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Raleigh, North Carolina, suggest a range of food and livestock feed uses that could po tentially open the door to new, value-added markets for the skins.

Instead of landfill waste, there’s untapped nu tritional potential in the paper-thin skins, which are chock full of protein, carbohydrates, fats, fiber and minerals and vitamins. Peanut skins also contain bioactive compounds, including antioxidants that help neutralize cell-damaging molecules in the body called free radicals. On the livestock feed front, researchers are exploring the benefits of adding peanut skins to the diets of poultry with a view to determining the optimal amount that can be added.

Aware of peanut sensitivities in some consum ers, the researchers also checked for the presence of allergenic peanut proteins in egg and meat samples produced from birds fed peanut-containing diets. No traces of peanut allergens were detected.

On the functional food front, the researchers are comparing concentrations of bioactive compounds in different colored peanut skins, which range from red, tan and brown, to white, black and variegated. Profiling the nutritional chemistry and properties of peanut skins is a key step towards figuring out how

best to use them, with potential benefits to produc ers and consumers.

Poultry consumption growth expected to continue worldwide

Over the past two decades, poultry has become the most consumed livestock commodity in the world, especially in developing and emerging markets where production prospects have been relatively limited.

As demand for poultry products grew in these markets during the period from 2001 to 2021, global imports increased. Poultry is expected to remain the world’s largest imported livestock commodity by vol ume over the next 10 years.

To meet the rising demand, a number of coun tries increased domestic poultry production. Brazil, the United States, the European Union, and Thailand emerged as major poultry exporters. Brazil is the world’s leading poultry exporter and is projected to remain in the top position through 2031. The United States, however, is expected to lose market share throughout the coming decade.

In addition, global poultry imports are projected to reach 17.5 million metric tons in 2031, with sub-Saha ran Africa projected to remain the top global importer of poultry.

Brazil is projected to remain the top global ex porter of poultry, while the United States’ share of the world’s poultry exports is projected to decline from 26% in 2021 to 24% in 2031.

Possible uses for the skins from peanuts that go into a wide variety of consumer products now are being explored.

THINKING BEYOND THE FARM GATE

LIVING AND COMPETING IN A GLOBAL MARKET

BY ADAM N. RABINOWITZ, PH.D.

It’s difficult to think outside of what we encoun ter and experience every day, particularly where our farm is concerned. It is probably necessary to clarify this statement: I am referring to the small family farm. This includes the cattle producer with the day job, the retired offshore worker who grows some vegetables to sell with his or her grandchil dren on Saturday at the farmers market, the entre preneur with the small vineyard they are trying to

get off the ground….those type of producers. There are certainly large farms with consultants and economists on staff that prognosticate and pontifi cate and spend considerable time evaluating world events and making strategic trades to lock prices up or down, but they aren’t the farms that I am referring to. However, it is important for all producers, small and large, to know that we now live and compete in a global market influenced by factors far beyond

what we see locally. We have to look beyond the farm gate.

A prime example is the small cattle guy or gal. They are the salt of the earth, working a job all day and then coming home and working the farm every afternoon and most weekends. It is who they are and what they do. They toil all year hoping to raise a calf, take it to the local stockyard and sell that calf. That calf then goes through the food supply chain and ends up back with us as a healthy and tasty protein source. But who determines the price that producer receives that day when he markets that calf at the local stockyard? Is it the local stockyard? Is it the order buyers? Is it the producer? Is it something or someone else?

The short answer is yes – it is all of those. Cer tainly, the stockyard has a job to do advertising and building a good reputation to attract buyers – and yes, like in every business, some are better than others. The order buyers will buy based on orders they have, and the producer can influence the price received by the quality and condition of the animal he brings. But there are other factors in play. Let’s think about the factors that influence that calf price and why we should be aware of those things.

Feed is a major driver in the price you get for your feeder calves at the stockyard, and corn is the major driver in feed prices. Think about all of the things that influence the price of corn ... and most of those driving factors are nowhere near Alabama. Think about wars and rumors of war – in 2021 according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations1 either the Russian Federa tion or Ukraine, or both, ranked among the top three global exporters of wheat, barley, maize (corn), rapeseed and rapeseed oil, sunflower seed and sunflower oil. The Russian Federation also ranked as the world’s top exporter of nitrogen fertilizers, the second leading supplier of potassic fertiliz ers and the third largest exporter of phosphorous fertilizers. So, consider how much both the price of corn and the price of inputs needed for the grass you had to fertilize for grazing and hay may have been affected by circumstances across the world beyond our control.

So, let’s move a little closer to home. The cur rent drought monitor2 shows a few spots in Ala bama that need some rain (I realize that if you are in one of those spots it is painful and I don’t mean to trivialize that), but for the most part we are at adequate moisture. However, that’s not the case in the Midwest and West Coast. States from Texas to California are now in severe drought, and many of them have been for quite some time. What does

that mean to us? The latest cattle inventory numbers showed cattle down 2% from last year. So, there are less cattle out there. Current cattle on feed shows heifers and heifer calves up 3% from 2021 – so that means a lot of guys in those states affected by drought are selling not only their feeder steers and cull heifers, but also some of those heifers that would normally be kept back for replacements. Why does that matter? Well, normally when inventory gets low, then prices get higher. Will it this time? Possibly.

So, will the producer make more money? On one hand we are seeing drought in the US driving down inventory, but we are also seeing scenarios around the world affecting feed and fertilizer prices….and I haven’t even mentioned inflation to this point.

So, what is the answer? Keep an eye on things. Do your homework and know your cost of produc tion. Look beyond the farm gate at events taking place around you both domestically and abroad be cause they all affect us. We are in a time of some of the greatest access to information and the greatest access to wrong information so vet your sources and have a plan.

1 https://www.fao.org/3/cb9013en/cb9013en.pdf

2 https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/

WHEN FORAGES ARE LIMITED

MANAGING DURING THE WINTER MONTHS

BY JIMMY PARKER

Hopefully as we approach the heart of winter, the late summer and fall weather has your pastures overgrown and your hay barns full. This means your livestock is in good body condition and winter will be easy. We know that will not be the case in many places across the coun

try and hay will likely be in short supply nationally if not locally and there will be a higher than normal percentage of live stock that are a bit thin going into winter.

If you are in one of those unfortunate spots that did not get enough rain, or if you made the management decision not

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to apply as much of the record-high fertilizer as you usually would have and forages are a bit limited, how do you manage around that through the winter?

There are options, maybe not great options given that supplemental feed looks to be as expensive as ever. One of the options that has proven to be effec tive in many parts of the country is to sell cattle. At least cut back to a point that you have enough forage to carry the animals that you have to springtime. Given that many producers across the West have already done this and breeding cattle look to be in short supply for the next couple of years, this looks like a questionable option at best and one that might prove particularly costly when you look to rebuild your herd next spring or summer.

There are other options like using feed and tubs to stretch what forage you actually have. Most horses and ruminants need at least one percent of their body weight in forage every day. So, a thou sand-pound cow needs at least ten pounds of hay or grass every day at a bare minimum even if her nutri tional needs are being met with feed. More forage is better if it is available and keep in mind that if you severely limit the forages for most livestock, they will test fences and get good at visiting other people around the neighborhood.

Obviously in most cases good quality forage would be preferred and will help mitigate additional feed costs somewhat but some years, and this year in particular, buying feed or tubs may make more sense than buying hay. The forages provided can be poor quality grass or hay as long as the supplemen tal feeds that are offered are good enough to meet the animals' nutritional needs.

If forages are decent in quality and quantity, things like Stimu-lyx tubs will help your animals get more out of the grass or hay available and are usu ally a reasonably economical way to provide some help. If the animals are thin and need some extra help then options like the Purina High Fat tub might be a better fit since animals eat a bit more of that product and would get extra calories which will likely be needed as the weather turns colder.

If forage is severely limited and you have a way to limit your animals' consumption to one or two percent of body weight then conventional feed will almost certainly be needed to get your livestock through the winter. One to two percent of the an imals' body weight could be needed to meet your animals' nutritional requirements. There is no doubt that such a program will be costly, but it can be effective and make sense for short periods after times of drought which may be the case this year. Depending on what class of livestock you are dealing with, the feeds that are recommended could change. Medium protein supplements with a higher energy content would likely be the better options. Co-op Brood Cow or CPC Developer would be good options for textured feeds. Stocker 13 or 14% Allstock would be good pelleted options if a pellet is required for some reason.

Keep in mind that any time feeding changes are made, they should be made gradually and that be comes even more important during times of restricted forage availability. During times of particularly cold weather, additional feed or forage may be needed and feeding your highest quality fodder during times of severe weather would be advisable. There are ways to get around hay and forage shortages. They are typi cally fairly expensive and should be studied on a case by case basis for economic viability before you decide the best course of action.

THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS LIKE USING FEED AND TUBS TO STRETCH WHAT FORAGES YOU ACTUALLY HAVE.

FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE REMAINING VIGILANT

BY DR. TONY FRAZIER

I included most of this article in a recent Al abama Cattlemen’s article, but I wanted to share with the readers of the Alabama Farmers Co-op. This is one of the livestock diseases that really scares us. The last outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) to occur in the United States was in California in 1929. The most severe outbreak was in 1914. That outbreak originated in Mich igan and made its way into the Chicago stock yards, eventually infecting 3,500 livestock herds. The result was the eradication of over 170,000

cattle, sheep, and swine. The estimated cost in 2021 dollars for the eradication was about $122 million.

Those outbreaks were a little over and almost a century ago respectively. In the past century, both animal and people movement have changed drastically. There are still many countries in the world where FMD is just another disease that they deal with on a regular basis. (Those are generally countries where just find ing enough to eat every day is a challenge for

many of their citizens.) Almost any day people who have travelled from those countries come into the United States, after possibly having been exposed to the virus.

It has probably been about twenty years since I was having a conversation with the director of our Plum Island Foreign Animal Disease Laboratory. We were talking about the possible threat of FMD in the United States. His opinion was that people may be tracking the disease in through our airports, but since we are not so much of an agrarian society, the virus dies harmlessly on city streets. If that is indeed the case, we are always just rolling dice and hoping they don’t turn up snake eyes.

Another concern brought up at a recent cattle men’s convention out West, is that some estimates see the potential losses in the cattle industry over ten years of $130 billion. There is no real way of knowing, but I suspect that we would be a long time getting over a FMD outbreak.

Another concern that we have is that, if the animals are examined after the blisters appear on the muzzle, mouth, lips, tongue, udders, genital mucosa, and feet, it could be mistaken for common domestic diseases. Bovine viral diarrhea mucosal disease, as well as a severe case of bluetongue virus, can cause lesions on mucous membranes of cattle. Pair that with the fact that the FMD virus is one of the most contagious viruses out there and we have a seri ous problem. To add to the problem, the virus caus es less severe signs in sheep, goats and pigs which could allow the virus to spread somewhat under the radar.

That could take a sizeable workforce to accomplish.

Over the past couple of decades, the number of state and federal animal health workers has been dramatically reduced. In Alabama, right before I went to work for the State Department of Agriculture, the state was divided into 8 sections with a veterinarian in each section. Today Alabama is divided into six an imal health sections that are staffed with field veter inarians. Four of them are USDA Veterinary Services veterinarians and two are State of Alabama Depart ment of Agriculture and Industries veterinarians.

Foot and mouth disease is a foreign animal disease as well as a reportable disease.

The loss of state and federal animal health tech nicians is also a concern. As I mentioned, there were eight sections about the time I started working with the state as a field veterinarian. Sometime before that, the state was divided into sixteen sections during the height of the Brucellosis Eradication Program and most of those sections had a couple of animal health technicians. Back then if any kind of disease task force needed to be pulled together, we had the personnel. Today, excluding our two ani mal health technicians dedicat ed to poultry diseases, we have a total of 6 technicians to cover the state.

As the USDA has continued to reduce their workforce over the years, they just deploy their workers from all over the country to the area where a disease outbreak may be occurring. That tends to work well if there are not too many hot spots at the same time. It is not a stretch of the imagination to believe that if we have a FMD outbreak, there could be disease hot spots popping up quickly all over a multi-state region. That would further dilute our workforce.

Foot and mouth disease is a foreign animal disease as well as a reportable disease. And since the USDA laboratories will have to make the diagnosis, any con firmed case of foot and mouth will be reported to the State Veterinarian and our colleagues at USDA Veter inary Services, the producer must be our boots on the ground that reports to your veterinarian any signs that may be consistent with the disease such as lameness, drooping, reluctance to allow calves to nurse, and reluc tance to walk, to name a few.

We have always exercised our FMD plan with a plan that includes early detection. However, that may not be the case. We could be several days into the outbreak before we realize that the virus has been spread far and wide. And that brings on the concern as to where will the personnel come from to work the outbreak. There are plans in place to stop animal movement within 72 hours of FMD being diagnosed.

And by the way, I haven’t even mentioned that FMD can affect and be carried by deer, elk, feral hogs and anything else out there with cloven hooves (two toes). There is an old saying that says ... well I won’t quote the old saying, but it generally means that if you get a domestic disease into your wild life population, you are behind the eight ball.

Because of those considerations I have men tioned, it is extremely important that you have your animals that leave the farm identified for traceability and that you keep good records. We always encour age that you exercise strict biosecurity, which will be beneficial in controlling any contagious disease. And always have a good relationship with your local veterinarian who will be able to alert the State Veterinarian and the USDA Veterinarians. If you have questions about FMD, please do not hesitate to call me at 334240-7253.

CORNERCo-op

TENNESSEE VALLEY COOPERATIVE GRASSY

CONTINUING TO MAKE HISTORY

BY JESSIE SHOOK

In March 2022, Tennessee Valley Cooperative (TVC) acquired Hammond Farm Supply, located in Grassy (Lexington, Alabama). This location fo cuses on fertilizer and feed, serving seven coun ties in Alabama and Tennessee. More importantly, this location has a long history in the community and serving farmers.

Hammond Farm Supply (now, TVC – Grassy) made its start in 1959 by Glen Hammond, also known as Tuffy Hammond, as a grocery store. In 1967 bulk fertilizer became the focus and the rest is history –

the store transitioned into a farm supply store. Tuffy’s sons Mark and Randy took over the business from their father in 1996 and now continue to help run the location with Adam Malone, the TVC-Grassy Location Manager.

Adam began his career with the Co-op as an outside sales representative for Lauderdale County Cooperative. After trying out a couple other positions, Adam returned to the Co-op to run the Grassy loca tion. “I really enjoy the agronomy side of this business and that was something I missed in previous posi tions,” Adam said.

While the business has switched hands, the Ham mond family continues to be a part of the legacy. As Mark and Randy mentor Adam on the ins and outs of their family business, Cam Hammond, Randy’s son, is

Randy Hammond with his son, Cam.

Mark Hammond

the primary applicator with a vast knowledge of the business and cliental.

The store still operates out of the original building with the original warehouse. You can feel the history when you walk through the doors and imagine it as a grocery store. “This location is important because it has always been a staple in the community,” Mark said. “We knew the Co-op would be a good match for our customer base.”

You can feel the history when you walk through the doors and imagine it as a grocery store.

Likewise, TVC also felt this was a perfect fit. “Hammond Farm Supply is a well-known name in North Alabama, and we felt this transition was a winwin for everyone involved,” said Reggie Shook, Vice President of Tennessee Valley Cooperative. “Their customer base suited us well and we are excited to continue serving farmers in their community.”

Although there have been changes over the years, the service remains the same with a bright future ahead with the Co-op. Stop by and see Adam, Mark and Randy – we are happy to have them as part of the Co-op family!

(L to R) Adam Malone and Mark Hammond.

ALLELUIA

HERITAGE FARM

SOIL SAMPLING CUSTOMIZATION REMAINS THE KEY FOR HIGH YIELDS

BY PAUL HOLLIS

While fertilizer prices have trended lower in recent months, they remain historically high and a cause for concern as growers close the books on the 2022 crop year.

“Farmers are crunching their numbers, but they can’t forget that when they harvest a crop, they’re taking nutrients off the acre, and those nutrients have to be re placed for the next crop,” says Nathan Barnett, Regional Manager, Ag Technologies, for GreenPoint Ag.

“In years past, we might have sampled using a 2.5acre grid approach on the whole farm. Some growers sample on a rotation, and while we may be in an off year, we need to be addressing our fertility issues with some form of sampling,” Barnett said. “At the end of the day,

good yields are what’s making us money, and if we’re not putting fertilizer back in our soils, we’re hurting ourselves in the long run.”

Typically, Southeast growers start pulling soil sam ples as soon as crops are harvested or cotton stalks are mowed, with peak sampling occurring at the first of the year, in January.

“It really boils down to a timing issue. If we can sample as soon as crops come off and finish earlier in the season, it makes our spring more manageable,” he said. “We can get lime ordered earlier and spread earli er. We’re not running around in late February or March before we begin planting corn, worried about putting out lime in addition to everything else that is going on. Not to mention, lime needs several months to fully break down and neutralize soil pH. Likewise,

earlier sampling gives us longer to strategize a fertility plan and budget with our growers through AccuField’s suite of customized tools.”

If soil moisture is too dry or too wet, it will skew soil sample results. Also, if a grower is on a sampling rota tion, it is important to sample at about the same time each year to avoid seasonal variability in soil tests.

While the necessity of fertilizing hasn’t lessened over the years, the methods have improved significant ly, Barnett said.“ About 20 or 30 years ago, a compos ite sample was the simplest way to pull a soil sample, and we still pull a composite sample in certain situa tions, but we’ve found that with grid and maybe zone sampling, you’re identifying potential problem areas, and you’re able to address vari ability in the soil,” he said.

While sampling on a 2.5- to 5-acre grid might not always save money, growers can be as sured that they’re placing lime and fertilizer where it is needed as opposed to applying a maintenance or blanket rate as you would with a composite sample, Barnett said.

ing to management zones by utilizing yield and other data. This form of sampling is being utilized mostly by growers who have been grid sampling for years and have a better understanding of their soil profile and/ or have made strides in reducing field variability in seasons past.”

“AccuField® is a one-stop shop for all of our cus tomer’s needs,” Barnett said. “Our growers can view their data in one spot. We have different capabilities inside this software, and we can create customized fertilizing recommendations, planting prescriptions, in-season imagery, and many other options.

“While the necessity of fertilizing hasn’t lessened over the years, the methods have improved significantly.”

“For example, return on investment metrics are an important service focus for our customers; Ac cuField® offers soil trend analyses which show how your soil fertility is trending. If we’ve been pulling samples for multiple years, we can track that and produce a chart that shows how your soil is trend ing with respect to each element tested.”

GreenPoint Ag’s AccuField®—a full-service ag tech nology and information platform—offers a premiere soil fertility tool in a precision agriculture platform.“Through this platform, we can help a grower with grid sam pling their field on a resolute basis—in 2.5- or 5-acre grids—or through zone sampling their fields using historic yield data or some data-driven approach,” he said. “This gives us an accurate assessment of what’s happening in that field in terms of soil fertility.”

Experience and research have taught, Barnett said, that sampling a 2.5- to 5-acre grid gives a more accu rate assessment of what is going on in a field.“In some areas of the South, growers are doing more zone sampling,” he said. “Rather than going out every year to every third year with a grid sample, they’re transition

The more data that is available for a farm, the more opportunities a grower has within AccuField® “Each year’s farm data collection adds to a grower’s database,” Barnett said. “We have so many options within AccuField®; the more years of quality farm data a grower accrues, the greater advantage he or she has in leveraging tools within AccuField®. Each year presents its own set of challenges. In today’s markets, we can use these datasets to ensure our fertility program is stellar and adhering to current budget demands. Next year a grower may need to pivot and use the data to make decisions regarding something different. With a strong dataset, he or she can rest assured that Ac cuField® has the tools and analyses needed to assess fertility, monitor yield trends or aid in any farm-related decision."

LIVING TO SERVE CHAMBERS COUNTY FFA

BY JOSHUA BRYAN

Chambers County, Alabama is home to Valley High School, LaFayette High School, W.F. Burns Middle School and John P. Powell Middle School. These schools send students to Inspire Acade my, the county's career technical center, to take courses in many career fields, one of the most popular being agriscience.

The Chambers County FFA Chapter at Inspire Academy has grown into the county's largest career technical program. The program was restarted under the leadership of Jordan Harris and Joshua Bryan in the 2016-2017 school year.

The first year back in action the FFA Chapter only had 35 members. Throughout the past six years, the FFA Chapter has grown to over 130 members. During this time, the Chapter has won over 24 awards and maintained a 3-star National Chapter designation.

Students enrolled in the agricultural courses may take classes in Horticulture, Greenhouse Management, Intermediate Agriscience, Funda mentals of Agriscience, Advanced Agriscience, Aquaculture, Animal Science, and Small Engines. The Chambers County FFA students manage a

Students enjoy the hands-on aspect of agriscience class. It doesn’t get much more hands-on than handling bees!

1,500-square-foot greenhouse, a three-acre livestock facility, a 2,500-gallon aquaculture system, a ten-hive apiary, along with an agriscience shop facility. The FFA members raise most of the funds that they use for events and trips through plant, goat, and honey sales.

The Chambers County FFA Chapter puts the FFA motto “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve," into action by actively caring for ani mals, producing greenhouse crops, promoting agricul tural literacy by holding farm days for fourth-graders, and serving the community through a food drive called “Thanksgiving in a Bag."

For the annual farm day, FFA members interact with fourth-graders from across the county to educate them about the wide variety of agricultural topics and career opportunities.

For the Thanksgiving in a Bag service project, FFA members decide what the typical Chambers County Thanksgiving dinner includes and fill bags with the nec essary ingredients to prepare the meal. The Chambers County Young Farmers partner with the FFA to provide hams and turkeys to complete the meal. All together the FFA and Young Farmers fed a total of fifty families a complete dinner during the 2021 holiday season.

Promoting agriculture and creating successful leaders after high school is one of the main driving fac tors of the program. The Chambers County FFA strives to embody the Mission and Vision of National FFA of “making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, per sonal growth and career success through agricultural education."

The Chambers County FFA Chapter hopes to contin ue to create a legacy of promoting agricultural educa tion, while creating leaders of tomorrow.

Seeing a product from start to finish is very rewarding. Our honey operation offers a “sweet” opportunity for our students to witness from farm to plate.

Having livestock on campus gives students a unique learning experience. As you can see, our goats are very photogenic.

Students also participate in less traditional agricultural skills such as ag construction where they learn basic building skills. Here is a beautiful picnic table the students built and finished.

Our students get multiple opportunities to learn about business during our an nual plant sale. These are just a few of the beautiful plants our students grow.

THE FACES OF 4-H 4-H

AMBASSADORS

BY CAROLYN DRINKARD

Serving as the faces of 4-H statewide for the 2023 school year is an amazing group of 30 State Ambassadors!  Leading these 4-H'ers is Luke Stephens, of Clarke County, whose life has been dramatically changed by participating in 4-H.  “4-H has made me the person I am to

day,” Luke stated. “I have learned more about the world through 4-H than I would have ever dreamed when I joined at nine years old.”

The Ambassadors come from 19 different counties. They lead and assist with 4-H clubs and youth council meetings statewide through out the year, gaining hands-on experience in

Luke Stephens, President: Clarke County

Gavin Yocom, Vice-President: Shelby County

Abbeigh Jo Gibson, Secretary: Washington County Breanna Black, Assistant Secretary: Marshall County

leadership, citizenship, public relations and team building. They also provide leadership for the Mid winter Teen Leadership Retreat and Alabama 4-H State Competitive Events Day.

The advisors for Alabama’s State Ambassa dors are Dr. Joy Scott, an Extension Specialist for 4-H and Youth Development at Auburn University; Deborah Stewart, 4-H Foundation Regional Exten sion Agent at Auburn University; and Lakisha King, 4-H Foundation Regional Extension Agent at Auburn University.

Rachel Webb Barbour County

Sarah Sloughfy Calhoun County

Lauren Clardy Elmore County

Rachel Allen Elmore County

Alana New

Etowah County

Karlee Kirkland Houston County

Cooper Naylor Lawrence County

Corey Naylor Lawrence County

Aiden MacKenzie

Limestone County

Nash Gilbert Limestone County

Jalon Hunt  Clarke County

Ashley McCollum Clay County

Delaney Dixon

Marengo County

AnaKatherine Whisnant Marion County

Katie Rasbury Tallapoosa County

Rebecca Rasbury Tallapoosa County

Blakeney Rice Tuscaloosa County

Olevia Rice Tuscaloosa County

Kalen Alexander Russell County

Madeleine Yocom Shelby County

Stanley Stoutamire, Jr.  Shelby County

Witt Bell  Shelby County

Audrey Perry

Walker County

Jade Gartman Washington County

Jeremy Speros Pike County

Abbi Kate Ogilvie Randolph County

TALLAPOOSA COUNTY

LITTER CURRICULUM ADDED TO WATER FESTIVAL

BY JAMIE MITCHELL

Every spring, several counties throughout the state welcome fourth-grade students to participate in their local water festivals. I have had the opportunity to work with many of these counties to incorporate litter prevention and removal as a part of their curriculum. We discuss how pollution and litter travels along ditches and streams, eventually ending up in our beau tiful lakes, bays, and gulf.

This year, Tallapoosa County added the litter curriculum to their water festival and invited me to come speak to the participating students. I was able to speak to two large groups on two different days at the Wind Creek State Park on Lake Martin. We had two beautiful days that were just perfect to be outside learning about water and being surrounded by the beauty of Lake Martin. The students gathered around and listened while John Thompson with the Lake Martin Resource Association described various types

of litter that typically are found around the lake. My presentation came after Mr. Thompson’s introduction where the students learned all about pollution and lit ter in water. We even had student helpers to conduct experiments showing the movement of pollution from one body of water to another by using food coloring and cups of water.

Water festivals are a great way to get students involved in litter prevention and cleanup! If you would like to add the anti-litter message to your local water festival or add anti-litter curriculum at your school, please visit www.alpals.org to learn more! You may also call or email to schedule a speaking session at (334) 263-7737 or jamie@alpals.org. Schools are always a great place to start with litter prevention and education through the Clean Campus Program. Alabama PALS programs are free to schools thanks to our state partnerships and corporate sponsors.

Trinity Presbyterian School

LATE SEASON BAG OF TRICKS THE

LAST HURRAH

BY TODD AMENRUD

When using any kind of stimuli like scent, calling or decoys, think about what that specific deer wants at that particular time of the year. You must give the animal a reason to close the distance. (Photo Credit: Jim Cumming)

Most hunters carry one or more deer calls, a bottle of deer scent, maybe a rattle-bag or antlers, and often other gadgets in their hunting pack. However, many of them don’t understand fully when or how to use each. I love using scent, calling, decoys and other some times “off the wall” tactics from time to time. It keeps hunting exciting and once a tactic is learned you can add it to your “bag of tricks.” Well, at the end of the season, sometimes as a “last hurrah,” I like to open that bag.

Does, fawns and young bucks will often ramble straight into a well-placed decoy, scent placed out properly or a vocalization that sounds authentic, but a mature buck often needs confirmation from more than one sense before they enter into the unknown. They do trust their sense of smell entirely, but if they see or hear something and aren’t sure, they’ll almost always wait for confirmation before proceeding deeper.

I love using these “tools of the trade,” especially scent. My view is, if you’ve set up the correct decep tion and if you can confirm to their number one de fense (sense of smell) that it is real, you’re most of the time going to get the buck to close the distance for a shot opportunity.

What makes a situation seem real to you? For hu mans, our most reliable confirmation comes from our sight – after all, “You’ve got to see it to believe it.” For whitetails, as you may have guessed, it’s their “sense of smell” that is trusted the most. However, for any species, “the more senses you satisfy, the faster the circumstances become reality.”

I believe in calling and rattling, using decoys and other visual tricks, the use of commercial deer scent, and all while at the same time reducing foreign odor to miniscule, trace levels so even mature bucks will tolerate my presence in close proximity.

Each of the tactics mentioned above will work when used individually; however, used together each can “feed” the scenario. Let’s say a buck hears your rattling and pops out of cover across a large food plot. But when he gets there, he sees your (small buck) decoy so he lays his ears back and begins doing an aggressive, stiff-legged walk across the plot towards your decoy. The decoy was definite motivation for the buck to close the distance, but when he gets close he becomes unsure. So he swings downwind to scentcheck the situation, but when he does he smells the scent you placed out crosswind from you. Obviously you must use a scent that confirms the specific sce nario you’re trying to portray, but each element adds another level of confirmation.

You must learn a bit about whitetail behavior and use a little common sense. I see hunters purchase calls but they often don’t take the time to use them

properly or learn what whitetails making the vocaliza tion actually sound like. Nowadays, with information at your fingertips, there is probably an audio recording or video of actual animals making the sound available on your smartphone. Practice!

I mentioned “off the wall tactics.” I’ve had success with “flagging” in the past. When it gets cold I often wear wool gloves (not mitts) that have a light color that’s pretty close to a deer’s tail. Once I harvested a doe that I, for lack of a better term, “flagged” to me by hiding my body behind a tree and swishing my wool gloves like one of their tails. A tail wag means so much more in the whitetail world than most hunters realize.

The above was fun, but the “closer” for my “glove’s highlight reel” would be a time approaching my tree stand and a doe and fawn busted me about 75 yards out – they were directly under my treestand. I tried to sneak closer to no avail. Once they sounded the alarm, I saw the buck I was after (a perfect 154-inch 5x5 with less than 2 inches of deductions) stand up about 200 yards away. Cautiously ducking behind a tree, I began to loudly make a snort back at the doe. Then, several times, I would flick my hand out from behind the tree, swish it three times and pull it back. It calmed the other deer back down so the doe and fawn resumed feeding and the buck looked like he walked

No matter what type of deception you try to pull off, it should all start by reducing foreign odors. For late season hunting, you obviously wouldn’t want to spray your clothes right before you go out because wet equals cold. Scent killer works just as well, if not better, once it’s dried into your clothing.

. (Photo Credit: Paul Marion)

a small circle and bedded back down close to where he had been. They must have thought I was another deer that made the noise or movement that originally alerted them. I waited for the doe and fawn to move off, snuck into my treestand and right about sundown, arrowed the buck at 28 yards.

What time of year is it? Are you after a buck, doe, or will any deer do? What age-class buck are you after? The best advice is to think about what “that specific deer” wants at “that particular time of year” and give them a reason to close the distance.

When choosing lures and scents, again, think about what the specific deer you’re after wants at that specific time of the season. For instance, early sea son I might use plain buck or doe urine…just some thing to add realism to the scenario.

Closer to the rut, with a buck decoy, and trying to portray a competition set-up, sometimes I'll use a combo of Active Scrape and Mega-Tarsal Plus. One gives a full spectrum scrape aroma and the other is a territorial intrusion scent. Trying to create the illusion my fake buck is moving into his turf.

When portraying a breeding scenario, my go-to scent is Special Golden Estrus. Along with the scent, I may use sounds that would commonly be heard in a breeding scenario, or maybe a doe decoy – it’s some thing else to confirm to his senses, it’s real! Think about "how" and "why" a buck might interact with your set-up. Make it seem as natural as possible and give them a reason to close the distance.

Let me add, sometimes you don’t want to intro duce anything to your set-up. If you’ve done your homework and scouting you may only need to wait him out in the right ambush location. Let’s say you’ve got mature bucks coming to your food plot during legal hunting light. In this case…let them come. Don’t do anything; just position yourself to make the shot.

Scent reduction is always a priority whether you open your bag of tricks or not. I rely heavily on the Scent Killer Gold system. If a buck’s patterns are known, sometimes the information is all you need to create a shot opportunity. It’s when a buck is skirting you out of range or when they aren’t getting up during legal hunting light when I rely more heavily on com mercial calls, scent or visual stimuli.

than just

Some hunters believe by trying to appeal to more senses you’re leaving yourself open to making more mistakes. Details are important whenever you hunt whitetails, but if you use common sense, keep human scent out of the picture and present things as natural as possible results will follow. Answer the questions of “why" a specific deer would interact with your setup, and when he does, “how” he might interact with the scenario you've presented. Maybe to be social or maybe it's for competition. The more realistic you can make it seem the better it will work for you.

Rather

ripping your call out of the package and loading into your hunting pack, take the time to learn how to use it. Listen to the animals when you’re afield and try to duplicate the sounds you hear.

(Photo Credit: Todd Amenrud)

Sometimes you don’t want to introduce anything extra, if they’re already com ing…let them. If you’ve done your homework you may only need to wait him out in the right ambush location. Here’s the author with a Minnesota buck taken from a properly placed ground blind, where no additional stimuli were used. (Photo Credit: Sophia Amenrud)

APPLEWOOD BACON WRAPPED VENISON STEAKS

with Brown Butter Herb Sauce Serves 6

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Liberally salt and pepper all sides of the steak. Wrap the steak with applewood bacon and secure with a tooth pick.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter, and 2 steaks to the skillet. Allow each steak to cook on one side for about 3 minutes over medium-high heat, then flip the steak and cook for an other 4 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches around 120°F. Remove to a cutting board and tent the steaks with foil and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining steaks. Ladle Brown Butter Herb Sauce over each steak, then top with shaved Parmi giano Reggiano.

For the Brown Butter Herb Sauce

In a cast-iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat, whisking constantly. Continue to cook and whisk for about 3 minutes, or until you see brown bits on the bot tom of the pan and the butter turning a light brown col or. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the herbs, lemon juice, and zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ingredients:

2-pound venison loin, cut into 6 steaks 2 inches thick

1/2 pound applewood bacon Kosher salt, plus more to taste

Freshly ground pepper

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons butter

Brown Butter Herb Sauce

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons chopped basil

2 teaspoons chopped parsley

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves

Juice and zest of one lemon

2 ounces shaved Parmigiano Reggiano

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

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 sustaina ble living expert. Her crit ically-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.

WHAT’S MY TIMBER WORTH? UNDERSTANDING THE VARIABLES THAT AFFECT TIMBER PRICES

BY BILLY RYE

Many global, regional, and local forces affect the price that landowners receive for their standing tim ber. To keep things simple, we will only discuss local factors that normally fall into one of three catego ries: local market factors, property factors, and meth od of payment. Regardless of which variables apply, landowners should obtain a written contract, a copy of the timber buyer’s certificate of insurance, and a performance bond prior to permitting the timber buyer to move equipment onto their land.

LOCAL MARKET FACTORS

Competition. The number of timber buyers avail able in the same area can have a significant impact on how much a landowner receives for their standing timber. More competition between buyers generally results in higher prices. Therefore, it is important for landowners to solicit offers from as many reputable buyers as possible to obtain the best price for their standing timber. Unfortunately, landowners have

Competition between prospective buyers is the key to obtaining the best price for standing timber. This map provided by the Alabama Forest Industry Directory shows the location of pine sawmills in our state. The more that purchase in an area, the higher the prices for standing pine saw timber.

little control over the competition in their area and therefore prices for the same product can vary great ly within our state.

Inventory of competing purchasers. The prices paid for standing timber may vary by season and are closely tied to the inventory of wood at area mills. Mills may pay more for wood when their inventory is low, when they have an increased production capac ity, when they have a large order for their finished product, or when the future demand for their product is forecast to increase. This is why forestry consul tants remain in constant contact with area mills to obtain the optimum prices for their client’s timber.

Distance from the market. Transportation of timber after it is harvested to a mill or woodyard can have a large impact on the amount the landowner receives for standing timber. The farther away the timber harvest is from a mill, the more it costs the timber buyers to transport the wood. This increase in transportation cost is often passed along to the landowner in the form of lower prices paid for stand ing timber.

PROPERTY FACTORS

Quantity/quality of existing timber. The quantity and quality of the wood present on a property has the greatest impact on its value. Timber sales with high quality wood and large volumes will yield the highest prices for standing timber.

Size of tract. In general, larger timber sales yield higher prices for landowners than do smaller sales with the same type of wood. Moving loggers is ex pensive so the reduced logging costs on larger tracts may be passed along to the landowner in the form of higher prices. However, landowners and consultants will sometimes break up very large sale areas into multiple smaller sales to increase competition and price.

Topography. It generally costs more for loggers to operate in steep or excessively wet terrain. This increase in operating cost is usually passed along to the landowner in the form of lower prices for standing timber. While landowners cannot change the topography of their land, they can receive more interest from buyers by extending the harvest period for wet areas.

Access. Timber harvest areas that lack direct access to a public road can result in a lack of in terest from timber buyers. On high value sales, the timber buyer may be willing to obtain access through an adjoining property on their own. However, some landowners have found it advantageous to secure permission themselves prior to marketing their timber. Landowners who secure access through the adjoining property should seek legal advice when drafting the agreement and require their timber buyer to adhere to the written easement agreement.

The quantity and quality of the wood present has the highest impact on value for standing timber. This timber sale in Marshall County has a dense stand of high-quality white oak. The prices offered for this timber far exceeded the average for timber sales in Alabama.

METHOD OF PAYMENT

Another factor that can determine how much a landowner receives for their timber is the method of how they are paid. While there are many methods of payment for standing timber, the three most used include lump sum, pay-as-cut, and pay-on-shares. Any of these methods may be used to sell timber by negotiating with individual buyers or through a formal bid process.

Lump Sum. A lump sum bid sale usually con sists of determining the estimated volumes and value by conducting a timber cruise (sample) of the sale area and then soliciting bids from prospective buyers. After a winning bid is accepted by the land owner, he or she is paid in full by the timber pur chaser before any timber is harvested. The benefits of this type of sale include full payment up front, knowledge of exactly how much will be received, and knowledge of exactly what the commission for the consultant will be. Lump sum sales are also simple to administer and often yield higher prices for land owners when compared to other methods of pay ment. However, there are times when a pay-as-cut sale is acceptable or perhaps even preferrable.

Pay-as-cut. A pay-as-cut agreement may be necessary for areas where there is little competi tion between buyers, when there is a short-term uptick in the market, where the timber is of poor quantity/quality wood, for times when buyers are concerned over future markets, or when the buyers have stretched their line of credit thin. While this type of a sale is more difficult to administer, it may

Sometimes, a pay-as-cut method of payment may be the only practical method of selling timber. Most all pine thinning sales are negotiated on a pay-as-cut payment method.

The method of payment can impact how much the landowner receives for standing timber. Using the pay-as-cut prices secured by the landowner on their own, a consultant estimated the total value for this sale to be approxi mately $200,000.00. However, the offers obtained by the consultant using a lump-sum bid process were much higher.

be the only method of obtaining acceptable prices for these situations. If this method of payment is used, the following steps should be incorporated: 1) The landowner should have the timber cruised by a professional with their best interest in mind to have an idea of expected volumes and values, 2) a reputable buyer should be selected, 3) prices to be paid per unit should be agreed upon, 4) logging operations should be closely monitored, and 5) the buyer should provide either the landowner or his/ her consultant a weekly summary, copies of scale tickets from the mills, and a copy of the log book kept at the loader. Some consultants use their own ticket system and mount cameras to validate the proper number of loads removed. Stumpage checks are generally mailed to either the landowner or his / her consultant by the purchaser on a weekly basis as the timber is harvested. The risks to the landown er include not being paid until the timber is harvest ed, under-reporting of the wood that was removed by the buyer, and the timber purchaser may not harvest all the merchantable timber within the sale area as the buyer does not have money invested in the standing timber. Regardless of these risks, this

method of payment is preferrable to the traditional pay-on-shares method.

Pay-on-shares. This method of payment was widely used in times past. It consists of an agree ment, usually verbal, between the landowner and the timber purchaser on what percentage of the gate value each will receive. The gate value is the value of the timber once it has been harvested and trans ported to a mill or woodyard. Under this method, the landowner usually receives 50 percent of the gate value for sawtimber products. Of all the methods of payment, this is the least desirable for the landown er. On most lump-sum bid sales, the landowner will receive somewhere between 60-70 percent of the gate value for sawtimber products. The only place where the pay-on-shares method may be justified is on timber harvests that are very small, for storm salvage, for beetle control, or where timber income is not a primary objective.

GET PROFESSIONAL HELP

The average landowner will sell timber only a handful of times. However, they are typically selling to buyers who purchase timber every day and are

at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to under standing the value of their timber. While most timber purchasers are honest, hard-working people, both the Alabama Forestry Commission and the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service recommend that landowners employ consulting foresters to act as their agent when selling timber. A forestry consultant is an independent professional who manages forests and markets forest products for private woodland owners (Association of Consulting Foresters). These professionals assist landowners with receiving the most for their timber, protecting them and their prop erty with a written contract, inspecting harvesting operations for contract compliance, providing valuable information on the tax treatment of timber-related income, and providing overall peace of mind. Below are a few websites which provide lists of forestry consultants that operate in Alabama. Using profes sional help and understanding the many variables that affect the prices for standing timber will help landowners successfully market this valuable com modity.

Landowners should seek professional assistance when selling timber. Con sultant foresters like Clint Wilks of M&W Forestry Consultants, LLC in Ozark make sure that their clients have successful timber sales.

CHRISTMAS PARADES

BY WALT MERRELL

I was never asked to drive the firetruck in the Centreville Christmas Parade … and, perhaps, for good reason.

Hannah and I had not been married but a few weeks when Mickey Barton came knocking on our door. At the time, I had never met him, but looking through the glass in the front door, I summed up pretty quickly that, “He ain’t a Jehovah’s Witness.”

“Who is it?” Hannah yelled from the kitchen sink. She was washing dishes left over from Saturday lunch, and she was trying to decide whether to dry her hands to welcome a guest or keep washing because I was going to "shoo" whoever it was away.

“Don’t know yet,” I said, cracking open the door. Mickey was wearing a Centreville VFD shirt. I was not in the FBI, but even I recognized that as a “clue.”

“Afternoon, Sir,” I offered as I stepped out on the porch. I had yet to determine if I was going to invite him in or not… after all, we’d only lived there for a few weeks, and we didn’t know anyone except the Murphy family up the street and the next-door neighbors with all of the dogs. Mickey smiled and stuck out his hand to introduce himself. We shook and exchanged pleas antries, and he welcomed us to town.

Not big on small talk, Mickey got down to business quicker than a Pentecostal Evangelist at a tent reviv al. “You ever been a volunteer firefighter?” he asked, leaning in with an expression of curiosity on his face. The question caught me off guard… my words fell over each other as my mind searched for the very simple response. I expected an invitation to the church two blocks away or a complaint about my dog… I never ex pected to be asked if I was a firefighter. Some seconds later, I finally managed to chuckle through a “noooo.” Perhaps uncertain as to why I was giggling, Mickey laughed a little, too.

“Well, have you ever thought about joining the fire department?” Mickey smiled all the way through the question. What kid has not daydreamed about being a firefighter? I couldn’t possibly deny that I had thought about it… but thinking about it in some fantastical fash ion and actually being asked to do it are two entirely different things.

“Do what?” Hannah’s voice echoed down the hall and jumped over my shoulder. I could tell from the tone that she was completely opposed to the idea of me running into any burning house… and who could blame her? We were newlyweds, and she had not signed up to be the wife of a firefighter. I was in law school at the time, and, outside of the time I spent working on a small farm in Shelby County, my life did not involve much risk. “Oh, no! You aren’t playing hero and leaving me a widow!”

Hannah was still down the hall and had yet to come and properly welcome our guest, and I could see that the conversation was going to digress quickly. So, I

Hannah and I had not been married but a few weeks when Mickey Bar ton came knocking on our door. (Photo of our first house as a married couple).

gestured up the hall to Hannah and pulled the door shut so that “us men folk” could finish our conversa tion. Looking back through the glass, I saw Hannah stop her march down the hall, put both of her hands onto her hips, throw the dish towel over her shoulder, and turn and sashay back into the kitchen.

“Something tells me she doesn’t like the idea very much,” Mickey said with a grin on his face. “I reckon she doesn’t,” I agreed, “but tell me more.”

For the next twenty minutes, we sat on the front porch steps and then migrated into the living room. Of course, Hannah was hospitably Southern, as her mama raised her to be, welcoming him into our home with a wide smile and a pitcher of lemonade. The more Mickey talked about what being a volunteer firefighter meant to him, the more it meant to me, too… and the more Hannah softened to the idea.

“You’d be the closest firefighter to the station if you joined us,” Mickey offered. “The station is right there…” he pointed through the window and down the street. “You’re only a few houses away.” I looked, knowing his effort was simply for demonstration, but I knew where the station was.

“That’s one of the reasons we decided on this house,” I offered, “because it was so close to the fire station. Figured it would mean we’d be better protect ed.”

Without missing a beat, Mickey chirped up, “You’d sure be protected if you were driving the firetruck.”

Another fifteen minutes or so, and Mickey left as pleasantly as he’d come. I assured him we would pray and talk about it, and I invited Mickey to give me a call in a few days. And Hannah and I did… talk and pray about it, that is. Then we rented the movie, "Backdraft," a 1991 blockbuster about life as a Chicago firefighter. The movie did it for me… “Those guys were heroes… who wouldn’t want to serve like that?!?!” The movie did it for Hannah, too… “Those guys were nuts! Who would want to die like that?!?!”

So, we prayed about it… discussed it some more… and ultimately, I won a two-out-of-three game of "rock, paper, scissors"... so, the decision was made.

I called Mickey and shared my excitement. Mickey, celebrating with me, suggested we do some training as soon as possible. I was eager to oblige, so the next Saturday, I spent most of the day at the Fire Station learning how to run the pumps for Centerville Engine No. 1. It was not an overly complicated process, but very important, nonetheless. And, given the fact that Engine No. 1 may have actually seen service time in World War II, knowing her subtle finesses was a deli cate matter, indeed.

Perhaps I exaggerate… she was a mid '50s or early '60s one-ton Chevrolet truck with dual rear wheels and a three-speed manual transmission. Engine No. 1 had definitely been surpassed by the department’s other trucks when it came to modern conveniences, but she made up for it in consistent reliability. She had a big round Cagney-and-Lacey-type rotating red light smack dab in the middle of the dulled red cab. She carried several hundred gallons of water, and could pump out multiple hoses, including a brush fire hose on the front of the truck. On the back of the truck were rails for men to hold on to, and a platform where they could stand as sentries—though our department policy forbade any rear riders—and atop each sentry’s post was another rotating red light.

By the end of the day, I could not only drive the truck, but I thoroughly understood the pumps and all of the mechanisms. I knew how to attach a hydrant hose to flow water into the truck from the nearest hydrant, and I knew how to pull and attach hoses—no more than two, for that was all the pump could handle—to the outflow valves for the men to fight fires with. “I think you pretty well got it,” Mickey offered as he patted my sweat-soaked shoulder. “Next hot call we get, she’s all yours.” Nervous, but brimming with machismo, I

Hannah sitting on the front porch of our first home.

grinned and said, “I got it, L-T.”

A few weeks went by, and all was quiet. Thankfully, Centreville was not a hot bed for arsonists, errant fire works, or nuclear explosions. But unfortunately, with each quiet day that passed, I feared my muscle memo ry was fading, too… “What if I forget something?” Days passed still, and rust began to set in, so I went down to the Station a few afternoons and went back over all of the truck’s working… but never cranked it or pulled it out of the bay.

The following week, I was in the middle of my Saturday projects when my pager sounded three tones. “That’s us!” Adrenaline raced through my veins, and instantly sweat beaded on my forehead. I consciously talked to my self about staying relaxed as I grabbed my gear, gave Hannah a hug and kiss, and raced for my truck. In hindsight, I recognize how frightful that mo ment was for Hannah, but in the heat of the moment… I neglected her. I do regret that.

Of course, I was the first one to the station! I threw my gear bag down on the concrete floor and unzipped it. Inside sat my turn-out trousers, already pre-posi tioned over my boots. About two seconds later, I was fully suited up. I unplugged the “ole Girl” from the battery charger, threw open the big rolling bay door, and, in one swift swoop, pulled the cab door open and launched into the seat! A second later, her big, noisy engine roared to life… like the fat lady at the end of a long buffet line, her growl echoed out of the block build ing and into the street. My mind was racing through the checklist… two switches flipped to the “on” position and the sirens started screaming too. I revved the engine... “Help is on the way!” I screamed out loud as I let off the clutch and the truck pierced the veil of the bay door and blared out into the street. Goose bumps covered my entire body… I felt alive!

Alive that is, until I heard metal crashing against metal and felt the truck struggle and grunt… “What the…” I searched both the right and left fenders. “I didn’t run over anything.” Then the sound of more crashing filled the confines of the cab. In my side view

mirror, I saw the subject of my calamity… the bay door dangled from the tall red light that was mounted atop the sentry post at the rear of the engine. I immediately realized that, in my haste, I failed to raise the door all the way, and now I was dragging it down Highway 82. But only for a moment… for about 50 feet down the highway, the door dislodged and came to rest smack dab in the middle of the road.

“Centerville Engine 1 to dispatch.”

“Dispatch, go ahead.”

“Uhhh, yes ma’am. Would you ask a City Police Officer to report to the Fire Station? There is debris blocking the road.”

“Chief to Centerville Engine 1.”

“Go ahead, Chief.”

“Engine 1, did you say, ‘debris’?”

Like I said, they never asked me to drive the fire truck in the Christmas Parade… and I guess they never will.

Walt Merrell writes about life, family and faith.  An avid hunter and outdoorsman, he enjoys time “in the woods or on the water” with his wife Hannah, and their three girls, Bay, Cape and Banks. They also manage an outdoors-based ministry called Shepherding Outdoors.  Follow their adventures on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube at Shepherding Outdoors.  You can email him at shepherdingoutdoors@gmail.com.

I immediately realized that, in my haste, I failed to raise the door all the way, and now I was dragging it down Highway 82.

PRIESTER’S PECANS

RICH HISTORY AND DEEP ROOTS

BY JESSIE SHOOK

Priester’s Pecans’ history dates back to 1935 when Lee C. Priester (L.C.) of Fort Deposit, Al abama, planted the first seed of success when he began shelling pecans for travelers who passed through his Texaco station. “No one is exactly sure when ‘special order number one’ was placed, but a salesman who stopped to buy gasoline asked L.C. for a special favor,” said Thomas Ellis, president and owner of Priester’s Pecans. “He wanted the pecans cracked and shelled, to be picked up on his return from

a business trip and L.C., being a good businessman, promised it would be done. He arranged for local la dies to work for him on a contract basis, cracking and shelling pecans – Priester’s Pecan Company started with that first customer’s request!”

Thomas Ellis is the third generation of Priester’s Pecans. It is easy to hear the passion and importance of the Priester’s Pecans’ history as he tells the story of the company. He explained how the pecan business grew for L.C. Priester. As it grew, L.C. realized the need for a financial partner. “He approached his lifelong friend and business associate, Hense Reynolds Ellis, my grandfather,” Thomas added. “Hense owned the oil distributorship that supplied L.C.’s service station and a sawmill, and yes, Hense was delighted to join his friend L.C.” With a simple handshake and an initial loan of $200, Hense became a silent partner in Priester’s Pecan Company.

As the company continued to grow, more of the El lis family pitched in. Hense continued his involvement in the business until his death in 1965. L.C. also stayed active in making Priester’s a success until illness forced him into retirement. “The Ellises brought a criti cal increase in manpower, especially during the Christ mas season rush,” Thomas said. “My dad’s brother John and he ran the business as partners until Ned Ellis, my father, eventually bought the entire company

The Ellis Family (Photo Credit: Kaleigh Grace Photography)

and of course kept the recogniz able name, Priester’s Pecans.”

The company has now been in business for 87 years. Thomas works alongside his wife Melis sa, who serves as not only as co-owner of Priester’s Pecans, but as the secretary, treasurer and office manager. The branches of the family business even extend to their three sons – Tyler, Stinson and Taber. Tyler is the production manager, while his wife Sarah Ellis is the marketing and product devel opment director. Stinson is the vice president and chief operations of ficer. Grace Ellis, who is the wife of Taber, is the social media director. All play a vital role in the company’s success.

Thomas’ grandchildren can often be found playing in various locations around Priester’s. As the older grandchildren reach their teenage years, they will help with tasks such as filing, sweeping and stacking. “There have been four generations of the Ellis family working in the business,” Thomas said. “And the fifth generation is quickly gearing up to help!”

Thomas began his career at Priester’s the same way as his grandchildren. “Before I became full time in the 1980s, I had already learned most of the jobs around the production areas and particularly enjoyed finding ways to improve production by using the equip ment to its fullest,” Thomas added. “I was there even as an eight-year-old sweeping the floors or following the guidance of many long-term employees to learn the business.”

The Priester’s Pecans employees and Lowndes County are also an essential part of the business. “We love this area, and we love the folks who live here –their willingness to work in our business means the world to us,” Thomas said. “We are thrilled to be able

to provide nearly 100 jobs to the capable and faithful folks in this area.”

Like the Ellis family, Priester’s employees have generations of family members that have worked for the company. There are em ployees that have been with Priester’s for over 40 and even 50 years. “These people have built our business, and I hope they will be honored by the younger generations with the respect they deserve,” Thomas said.

The Priester’s Pecans oper ation has different components that make the company success ful. “The original production for Priester’s is the pecan shelling plant located at the site where the first pecans were cracked by Priester’s in the early 1900s,” Thomas said. “This facility has grown to house the main offices, cold storage and shipping departments, including pecan shelling and processing. The only cooking in this facility is the roasting opera tion where not only pecans are cooked, but other nuts such as Alabama-grown peanuts, cashews, macada mias and almonds.”

Most travelers of I-65 will recognize the second building located at Exit 142. This building was original ly built in 1978 to improve production and meet grow ing demand. “The front of the building was the start of the retail store and has become an Alabama hallmark, for which we are grateful. The retail store is owned and operated by my sister, Ellen Burkett,” Thomas add ed. “The back of this facility is what we call the ‘Candy Kitchen,’ and is where all of our candies and baked goods are made.”

While it took the retail store a while to get going, the additional production space allowed Priester’s to grow and begin to wholesale its gourmet pecan

Candy Kitchen employees working on a favorite summer flavor, Key Lime Pecan Halves.

Chocolate pecans being prepared for a lucky customer.

Thomas Ellis and his wife Melissa, owners of Priester’s Pecans. (Photo Credit: Angela Moore Photography)

candies and baked goods. “In 1996, this building burned completely and afterward the current building was constructed and the retail store was off to the races,” Thomas said. “That facility has been great for Priester’s and its brand, and the additional production capacity in this state-of-the-art facility has allowed Priester’s to maintain the high food safety standards while again keeping up with the demand for our top-quality products.”

If the history and deep roots haven’t caught your attention, the products speak for themselves. With a list too long to name, Priester’s Pecans has anything from sweet to salty and crunchy to creamy. “Our natural pecans and other nuts offer something for everyone’s diet, while our baked goods and sweets cover everyone’s taste for old-fashioned goodness,” Thomas added.

Priester’s products can not only be purchased in the retail store, but also online and shipped nation wide, to Canada and even to APO addresses for our servicemen and -women. Priester’s also has a fund raising aspect of the business, a corporate gifting program and several gift shops around the state that carry Priester’s products. In short, there is no excuse not to try Priester’s Pecans for yourself – especially

now that the holiday season is upon us.

The holidays are a special time at Priester’s. “In the Southeast, pecans are a staple in homes for holiday recipes and the products we make from pecans cover everyone’s favorite holiday flavors,” Thomas said. Not only is it the busiest time of year but it is also when they feature their Holiday Tins. These beautiful tins are great for gift giving and corporate gifting, and house delicious holiday treats from Priester’s.

When the Ellis family is not at Priester’s, you can find them farming and ranching. Their agriculture resume ranges anywhere from poultry houses and stocker cattle to quarter horse training and production. “As is the case with Priester’s, our affinity for agricul ture has been passed down for generations,” Thomas said. “While we do not produce pecans ourselves, Priester’s is an extension of farming as we get to work in production of pecans, an important Southern crop.”

The story of Priester’s Pecans is much more than what can be summed up in an article. The rich history and deep roots in family and Lowndes County is some thing that Thomas Ellis hopes will continue for generations to come. “My hope is that the fourth generation will be very successful taking care of their families, while always finding themselves doing the work that our God has planned for them and the business,” Thomas said. “I am thankful for the example that was set for my family and me by the two generations before us in this business and in life. My wife Melissa and I have tried to set an example of the priorities in our life being that of our Christian faith, family and our community; work comes afterward. We have four fam ily members who are guiding the business directions every day now and we are very thankful to be able to continue to work with them as we see them take the business to the next generation.”

For more information and to try Priester’s Pecans for yourself, visit www.priesters.com.

The Ellis family with two long-time employees and pecan divinity experts. Employees packaging product from the Candy Kitchen.

Holiday Tins are perfect for giftgiving during the holiday season.

MAVIS THE PUGGLE

DRINKARD

Life is just better with a dog! Dogs give companionship and affection, making life happier and reminding us of all the things that are good in this world. Dogs are even able to sense our emotions and offer empathy and healing. Most of all, dogs offer unconditional love that can change our lives forever.

taught first grade at Thomasville Elementary School. Her husband, William “Bill” Kim brough, served as the District Court Judge. In 2001, the couple lost their only child in a tragic automobile accident. Mellie Kimbrough was the light in her parents’ lives. A senior in high school, this beautiful child had a bright future ahead of her.

CAROLYN

One little dog has changed her owners in a way that no one could ever have imagined. This adorable, wrinkle-browed pup, with big brown Bambi eyes, lives in Tuscaloosa with her owners, Lynne and Will Kimbrough. The lovable pooch has not only become a social media darling, but she has also touched the lives of thousands, bringing good news at a time when everybody really needed it.

This story began years ago in the City of Thomasville. For 25 years, Lynne Kimbrough

There are no words to describe the loss of a child. Lynne and Bill were drowning in in describable darkness and despair, when they were blessed with an unbelievable miracle: a baby boy born one year after losing Mellie. They named the child Will, after his father.  When Bill Kimbrough retired in 2011, the

BY

Before the LSU game in 2013, Lynne posted a picture of Mavis with a toy tiger on her head. The caption read, “Ma vis is not too concerned about the Tigers…Roll Tide!” Hundreds “liked” and shared the picture, asking for more.

family moved to Tuscaloosa. One of the first things they did was find a puppy for Will, one that could be a good friend to a nine-year-old boy.

Searching online, Bill found the perfect pup, a fe male puggle (pug and beagle mix). Bill suggested they name the fawn-colored little bundle of joy “Mavis,” after Lynne’s mother, who had sadly passed away in 2005. Much to Lynne’s delight, hearing her mother’s name called each day became a source of comfort.

In 2012, Bill Kimbrough passed away. Once again, as Lynne and Will struggled through unbelievable dark ness, Mavis seemed to truly understand. She quietly filled the holes in her family’s hearts with unconditional love and laughter, and she was always there to snuggle and comfort.

Before Alabama played LSU in 2013, Lynne posted a snapshot of Mavis with a toy tiger on her head. The caption read, “Mavis is not too concerned about the Tigers…Roll Tide!” Hundreds “liked” and shared the picture. After that, friends urged Lynne to let Mavis com ment on other games. Thus began the media reign of

Mavis belongs to both Will and Lynne Kimbrough. When the two worked to gether to help others, they discovered that Mavis had healed their own hearts.

the Crimson Tide’s most loyal four-legged fan, “Mavis, the Puggle.”

Each Saturday, before an Alabama game, Mavis shared a “wisp of wisdom” about her beloved Crim son Tide. The posts became so popular that if Lynne clicked a little later than usual, she got texts asking,

“Where is Mavis?” For some, the moments with Ma vis became a much-anticipated event. In one nursing home, a group of Tide fans gathered every Saturday morning to hear what Mavis had to say before watch ing the game. The popularity of “Mavis, the Puggle,” grew with each post.

After medical authorities asked Americans to stay home in March 2020, Lynne Kimbrough had a brilliant idea!“Since people had loved Mavis so much for her Crimson Tide tidbits, I thought she might could enter tain them and bring them a few moments of joy during the quarantine,” Lynne explained. Thus began daily posts with Mavis putting forth practical ideas for coping with social isolation. For ex ample, on Day 1, Mavis encouraged everyone to “Take a bubble bath," as she herself basked in bubbles. In her most popular post, Mavis asked her followers to “Stay in Touch," while she face-timed her cousin, LuLu, a pup owned by Lynne’s brother, Joe Barnes. Lynne’s personal favorite was “Start Every Day with a Prayer,”

When the Tide squared off against Ohio State, Mavis had the winning line: “The Buckeyes think they can win, but they’re nuts! RTR!”

Things to do in quarantine: Wear a mask.

showing Mavis with her head between her paws, praying.

For 70 days, loyal followers scrolled through Facebook to spend a few moments with “Mavis, the Puggle.” Whether chuckling at the portly pooch or thanking her for “making their day," thousands found comfort and hope from a little dog that seemed wise beyond her years.

Lynne’s desire to entertain others during their days of darkness had some unexpected results, however. Strangers connected to Mavis, who, without saying a word, taught them to be more kind and compassion ate. Most important, Mavis made her followers feel that they weren’t alone.

Behind the pampered pooch were Lynne and Will Kimbrough. Using her artistic flair and unconventional creativity, Lynne fashioned costumes and props that added to the “tidbits of wisdom” mouthed by Mavis. Will organized the “shoots” and worked closely with Mavis and his mother. The threesome became a team, always staying about two weeks ahead of schedule so that they would never disappoint their followers.

Needless to say, “Mavis, the Puggle” emerged as a social media star with a vast wardrobe, which her personal assistant (Lynne) kept in Mavis’s own closet. The easy-going pup was the picture of patience and composure, which endeared her even more to Lynne and Will.

“Even though I dressed her up in all those cos tumes, she didn’t hold it against me!” Lynne laughed. “Mavis jumped up on the chair and even raised her paw to put her shirt on. She loved to have her picture made!”

Mavis, the Puggle, gained new followers with each “like” and “share”. As the 2022 football season moved along, Mavis’s views soared! The good-natured little

Things to do in quarantine: Thank a veteran.

puppy brought out the best in everyone she touched.  Lynne and Will Kimbrough plan to continue shar ing Mavis with the world. “I don’t see us stopping this,” Lynne said. “People would be so disappointed. Be sides, the way the world is today, we need a little good news!”

Mavis, the Puggle, made life better for thousands of people as she reminded everyone that there is good in the world. Along the way, Mavis also healed her grieving owners, without ever saying a word.  Life is so much better with a dog!

Things to do in quarantine: Get plenty of exercise.

SUGARED CRANBERRIES

BY LAURA TUCKER

Icannot imagine what holiday baking in my house would look like without beautiful, crisp and perfectly tart cranberries. In fact, I’ve been known to stock my freezer with them the mo ment I see them being stocked in the produce stands at my local grocery store during this time of year. I honestly feel that they’re vastly underrated considering how vibrant they can make a holiday dish look – plus they’re loaded with nutrients and antioxidants to boot!

I’m always looking for ways to add cranberries to my Thanksgiving and Christmas cooking, and perhaps my favorite way to incorporate them into my dishes, especially desserts, is to “candy” them by dusting them with sugar.

They’re stunningly gorgeous when they’re sug ared – almost giving them a “winter ice” effect, and they make a beautiful embellishment to all sorts of holiday desserts. Frankly I find them so irresistible, I keep a few handfuls reserved to snack on as a special treat!

Making sugared cranberries is very simple, but it can be a little bit time-consuming as there are two

different times that you have to let them sit and “dry.” The first step to making them is to heat a medium saucepan with 1/2 cup water and 3/4 cup sugar and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add in the cranberries and stir them long enough to coat them in the syrup that you’ve created. Remove from heat quickly – they should not be on the heat long enough to hear them pop.

Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the cran berries onto a cooling rack with foil or parchment paper underneath to catch the drippings. Allow them to sit for roughly an hour to dry.

In a small bowl, pour about 1/4 cup of white granulated sugar and toss the cranberries in – just a few at a time. The cranberries will be dry, but will have a sticky film around them from the syrup. I recommend doing just a few at a time so that the cranberries don’t all clump together. You’re looking for a nice, even sugar coating over all of the cran berries. Once they’ve been sugared, move back to a drying rack and allow to sit for another 1-2 hours. Store them in a loosely covered container and keep for a few days.

SUGARED CRANBERRIES

Ingredients

3/4 cup white granulated sugar + additional for dusting 1/2 cup water 8 oz bag fresh cranberries

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, heat water and sugar and stir until all sugar has dissolved

2. Add in cranberries and stir for just a few seconds until completely coated

3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cranberries onto a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and allow to dry for an hour or so

4. Once cranberries are dried, pour a small amount of sugar into a bowl and toss around to coat

5. Place cranberries back onto drying rack and allow to dry for one more hour

6. Store cranberries in a loosely sealed container so the sugar will stay intact and not dissolve

7. Enjoy!

Sugared cranberries are such a simple little holiday treat to make, so make sure you pick up a few bags at your local grocery store to utilize in your baking this season! They truly make any holiday dessert stand out, but I also love to add them on top of pancakes, yogurt, freshly baked banana bread and even a piping-hot sweet potato with cinnamon-sugar butter!!

BY LOIS TRIGG CHAPLIN

LEMON JUICE AT HOME

'Tis the season to enjoy citrus. Fortunately, South Alabama is warm enough for satsuma oranges, one of the most cold-hardy citrus trees. However, less hardy citrus such as lemons and limes are typically grown in pots and brought indoors or into a greenhouse for win ter protection. Elsewhere in the state even satsumas need a greenhouse or winter protection. After two to three years, a potted lemon tree will bear enough fruit to make its care rewarding. Meyer lemon is a good one to start with because it not always available in the produce section of the store, and it is expensive. Meyer is a milder lemon believed to be a natural cross between an orange and a lemon, so it makes a nice lemonade, too. Our two potted trees yield 40 to 60 lemons, enough to use fresh, freeze a gallon of juice, and make marmalade from the rinds. That’s a sweet deal.

which make a great soil amendment as they decom pose. Freshly chopped, they are also a great mulch. Chopping them with a mulching mower or leaf shred der is optional, but it certainly speeds their breakdown.

Using welded wire, make a circular collection bin at least three feet in diameter. Alternate chopped leaves in foot-deep layers with a shovelful of soil to speed their breakdown by immediately introducing soil bac teria and insects to help decomposition. You can even add a little nitrogen to speed the process; do this with a sprinkle of bagged organic fertilizer or cottonseed meal on each layer along with the shovelful of soil, or green grass clippings from fescue or winter rye lawn. Con tinue making layers until the pile is about four feet tall. Water each layer to introduce moisture. Use the pile as a base for adding coffee grounds or green kitchen scraps and cover with a few leaves each time. The leaves will keep the pile neater looking as well as bal ance the green nitrogenous materials with carbon-rich materials.

In addition to adding organic matter, a study by Rut gers University, “Plant Nutrients in Municipal Leaves,” indicated that leaves add major and minor elements over time as they break down.

GATHER LEAVES FOR THE SOIL

If your garden soil is less than perfect, now is the time to gather leaves and get out a roll of welded wire to make into bin. Chopped leaves turn into leaf mold,

A big citrus harvest means lemon juice in the freezer for future use.

A veggie garden welcomes any leaves, but especially composted ones.

A BLANKET

FOR PRIZED PLANTS

Rolls of frost cloth come in handy for protecting or namentals such as camellias in bloom, tropical potted plants, and winter vegetables from cold snaps. Our onand-off winters can be hard on plants because one day it may feel like Orlando, and by the next morning it feels like Chicago. Plants that are in bloom, or those in active growth such as vegetables and herbs, can be hurt when the temperature drops 40, 50, 60, or even 70 degrees overnight. Frost cloth doesn’t work all the time---we lost all of our blueberry blooms in the sudden drop last Feb ruary even though we desperately covered the plants. However, the cool-season crops such as broccoli, lettuce, lamb’s lettuce, spinach, kale, and arugula did fine under a low tunnel covered with two layers of frost cloth. Also called row cover, this spun fabric is easy to find in small pieces, but lengths of 50 feet or more generally come in rolls that range from 3 to 13 feet wide and hundreds of feet long. These are used to blanket over high-value crops such as strawberries in a late freeze, but cutting a length for the garden in mid-win ter sure is a lifesaver. Agribon makes several weights that offer from 4 to 8 degrees of protection. Mine lasts several years if I can avoid accidentally ripping it on a stake or other sharp object in the garden. I use bricks or boards to weigh down the edges instead of pins or stakes to avoid puncturing the material. If it’s very dirty by the end of the cold season, it gets laundered on the

gentle cycle before folding and storing in a box till next winter.

GARDEN HOLLIES FOR DECORATIONS

The Christmas holidays often send us out into the landscape with clippers in hand for snipping pieces of holly and other evergreens for decoration. To be sure that the garden is a steady source of greenery, add a few key shrubs to cut on for future boughs. Those with classic berries include shrub hollies such as Burford, Mary Nell, Nellie Stevens, and Needlepoint; also tree hollies such as Foster, Savannah, and East Palatka. Burford hollies produce the largest berries. Whichever holly you choose, be sure to give it the space that it needs to grow to maturing without con stant pruning. Plants that are always being pruned will not produce berries because since pruning happens during the growing season, all the fruit will be re moved. Read the labels, as holly plants vary greatly in size depending the species or hybrid. Some are very dwarf shrubs, which aren’t typically suited to the kind of cutting needed for holiday decorations. Variegat ed hollies are not as common; a good one is Golden Oakland from the Southern Living Plant Collection. Beware that English holly is very slow growing, so may test your patience, and many are not well suited to the South.

Lettuce protected during cold spells means harvests all winter.

This sprig of variegated holly brightens a green bough.

BY JOHN HOWLE

CONNECTING FARMERS WITH CONSUMERS

In 1920, there were 256,099 farms in Alabama with an aver age size of 76 acres. In 2019, there were 39,700 farms with an average size of 214 acres. Basically that means there are 216,399 fewer farms in Alabama than there were in 1920.

What’s more, in our consum er-driven society, we’ve lost touch with the people who actually

grow the food we eat and the products we use. You now can simply tap on an item at Amazon, swipe right, and have that prod uct on your doorstep in a day or two. You can even order prepped meals to be delivered to your doorstep as well.

As the number of farms de crease, so does our connection to the land and our relationships

“Comfort and prosperity have never enriched the world as much as adversity has."

- Billy Graham

to our food producers. As farmers, we realize how im portant this relationship to our neighbors truly is. If we lose that connection and simply sell our products to an invisible corporation, we will see farms and farm ers decline even faster.

Encourage your neighbors to grow gardens or raise livestock if they have available land. If you have your own beef processed, trade that beef with a neigh bor who raises hogs for pork. Get involved with your local farmer’s market for fresh, locally-grown food. If you don’t have a farmer’s market, start one. We can rebuild those relationships that were once so import ant to Alabama farmers.

Prescribed Burn

December and January are ideal months to con duct a prescribed burn on your property. Once the summer and fall growing season is over for weeds, a prescribed burn is a low-cost way to eliminate woody plant growth while making way for future spring growth of grasses. In addition to clearing the forest floor, the ashes from the prescribed burn acts as a natural lime and nutrient additive to the soil adding calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorous.

Pine forests benefit greatly from prescribed burns. The prescribed burn reduces forest floor fuel prevent ing out-of-control wildfires, and it clears paths for wildlife to travel. Make sure to follow all recommen dations for the Alabama Forestry Commission before conducting a prescribed burn.

https://forestry.alabama.gov/

December and January are ideal months to conduct a prescribed burn on your property.

Chain lube from any auto parts store will give your gun long-term lubrication and smooth operation.

Chain Lube

Chain lube is an ideal product to keep your guns lubricated through hunting season. Chain lube is de signed to adhere to fast moving chains, so it will keep your firearm protected and working smoothly through out the winter hunting season. At the end of the sea son when you clean your gun, spray a light coating of chain lube on all moving parts of your firearm so it will be in smooth shape for the following season. You can purchase chain lube in any major auto parts store.

Frost Seed

January is a perfect time to frost seed clover into your pastures or food plots. This requires very little labor to spread the tiny seeds on the ground. I typically use an ATV spreader that would be used on food plots. It’s easier to dial down the opening for the smaller clover seeds. The frosting and heaving of the soil along with cattle hoof traffic help work the seeds

An ATV seed sower is ideal for sowing clover seeds for winter frost seeding.

into the ground. With a bit of moisture, you should have a good stand of clover in the late spring or early summer. My favorite white clover is Durana by Pen nington (www.pennington.com). It makes a slightly smaller leaf, but this clover spreads quickly and stands up quite well to grazing. Stands can last over 10 years if cared for properly.

Seed Drill

If you have invested in expensive seed such as a fescue, it is well worth the extra trouble to use a seed drill to get your seeds into the ground. Top sowing fes cue is not recommended because birds will eat an inor dinate amount of the exposed seeds. On new ground, you can pull a drag to cover the seeds, but you have to worry about rains washing your entire investment into the gullies. It’s a truly satisfying feeling to watch the drilled seeds come up in perfectly spaced parallel rows knowing you got the most out of your seed investment. Most drills will also allow you to plant clover simultane ously with the larger seeds.

Roll out your round bales to get the most of the reseeding seeds and organic residue. Your soil, grass, and cattle will thank you.

you’ve added to soil will increase existing forage quality.

This winter, build relationships with your neigh bors and farmers. In an age of digitally-created isola tion, meeting with folks face to face is a much-needed improvement.

Roll Out the Round Bales

An effective way to establish forage on new ground or supplement forage for the coming season is by rolling out round bales of hay for your cattle instead of dumping it in a hay ring. The cows will waste some hay but once they clean up most of the straw, many of the seed heads will settle into the soil creating positive for age growth in the warmer months to follow. In addition, the hoof traffic of the cattle will help to set the seeds into the soil for future growth.

We seeded an entire new ground with bahaia hay that was rich with seeds. The following summer, enough of these seeds germinated to create a fair stand for summer pasture grazing. Fescue hay with seed heads will do the same thing. Even if you roll out bales with no seed heads, the organic matter

A seed drill preserves your investment of seeds preventing birds from clean ing the ground of top sowed seeds.

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR

BY BETHANY O’REAR

The holidays always put me in a great mood. Everything is amplified: sunrise seems more golden, crisp air is fresher, frost doesn’t just lay on the garden, Jack Frost put it there. That being said, this happy gar dener has lots of thoughts about how to celebrate time with family and friends, the Christmas season and the start of a new year.

Even novice gardeners will appreciate some of the fun stocking stuffers which abound. Some of my favorites include brightly colored Sharpie pens, waxed twine, or gardening gloves. If you’re looking for a gift project to make with kids, pick up a small can of chalkboard paint to make reusable plant labels—make

sure to include chalk. You can also buy wildflower seed in bulk and make “seed planting bombs” as gifts. If bombs are too messy a project, just divide the seed into smaller hand-decorated envelopes to give to dot ing grandparents and patient teachers.

Gardeners appreciate gadgets and tools which make their work easier and more effective. Many hand tools come with “fist” grip ergonomic handles which place less strain on hands and wrists. Tools with brightly colored handles are easy to spot in the bed or lawn and are particularly helpful for individuals with low vision. Water faucets are easier to turn on and off when equipped with rubber grips. Wheelbarrows designed

for low vision gardeners are designed with two wheels, a resting bar and a single handle — and this design is widely appreciated by all gardeners who navigate uneven terrain or simply want to keep one hand free. Self-watering containers and waist-high beds come in a variety of attractive materials and finishes as well.

Handmade wreaths make a nice alternative to store-bought. Many evergreen cuttings can be at tached to a grape vine or wire frame or glued onto a foam circle. Common choices are holly, boxwood, magnolia, cedar or juniper. If you want to glam it up, you can dust with a fine spray of white or gold spray paint. Red holly berries, golden pyracantha berries or even orange bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) pods can make striking additions to wreaths or decorative sprays.

And once Christmas is past, holiday plants such as poinsettia and amaryllis are set out to pasture, but that need not be the case. With a little time and pa tience, you can rejuvenate the plant and even start new ones. As soon as the plant has finished its bright show, remove dead bracts and place in indirect light and keep

Handmade wreaths make a nice alternative to the store-bought variety.

the soil barely moist until April. In April, cut the stems back to 6 inches, water deeply and move to a bright warm place. This will encourage new shoots and a reju venated plant; at this time, you can take cuttings to root in a peat and sand combination using a rooting hor mone. The mother plant and any rooted cuttings should receive regular watering and fertilization until fall. In October, reduce the fertilization and bring outdoor plants inside. To get that bright red color, the plants need to be placed in total darkness at night for at least twelve hours for six weeks. Make room in the hallway closet and your hard work will be rewarded. Amaryllis plants can be made to rebloom by planting outside after frost has passed. Plant them in an area with morning sun and afternoon shade and water and fertilize regularly until August. Lift from the garden back into a pot in ear ly September and move to a cool dark place and leave it alone (no watering or fertilizing) until mid-November. Resume watering and a week later, bring it out to a cool growing area with bright, indirect light. Flowers should follow five to seven weeks later.

Many people make resolutions for the new year with

good intentions but fail to follow through. For the home gardener, this may mean getting the vegetable garden soil tested or digging a new bed so that crops can be properly rotated to reduce pests and diseases. Don’t put off these important tasks. Do your future self a favor and follow through now. After all, a healthy harvest is a gift to yourself and your family. Soil test kits are available through County Extension offices and many public libraries. Instructions are also available at Extension’s website, www.aces.edu. Specific instructions on crop rotation are available as well. Another good project for the new year is to be deliberate in your seed and plant choices. Botanists are in the business of developing disease-resistant and heat-tolerant plants for the Deep South. Take advantage of their efforts and give your garden a head start to success.

Let me wish you all a joyous holiday season and happy and healthy gardening in 2023.

Instead of throwing out your poinsettia after Christmas is over, you can rejuvenate it and even start new plants with cuttings from the mother plant.

TO GET THAT BRIGHT RED COLOR, THE PLANTS NEED TO BE PLACED IN TOTAL DARKNESS AT NIGHT FOR AT LEAST TWELVE HOURS FOR SIX WEEKS.

LAWN & GARDEN CHECKLIST

December Garden Checklist

Fruits and Nuts

• Plant young pecan and other deciduous fruit trees and grapes.

• Select budwood.

• Start dormant pruning of established fruits.

• Protect all young trees from rabbit dam age by placing wire around the base of the tree.

• Put on dormant oil sprays for scale.

Annuals and Perennials

• Plant hardy annual seed without delay. Have you thought about violas?

Bulbs

• Continue spring bulb planting.

Miscellaneous

• Shrubs, trees, and indoor plants make excellent gifts.

January Garden Checklist

Fruits and Nuts

• Set out apples, peaches, pears, and grapes.

• Start grafting pecans. Prune dormant trees.

Shrubs

• Plant shrubs and trees, including broad leaf, narrow leaf, and deciduous.

• Graft camellias in South Alabama.

• Apply an ultrafine horticultural oil spray to all deciduous shrubs to help with control of insects and diseases.

• Spray when weather is on warming trend.

Lawns

• Soil test and add limestone as recom mended.

• Plant lilies of all types, except Madonna.

• Check stored bulbs and discard rotten ones.

• Make indoor plantings of amaryllis, cal las, and gloxinias.

Miscellaneous

• Prune winter-damaged limbs.

• Give houseplants a bath in lukewarm water to remove dust.

• To keep poinsettias that have finished flowering, turn pots on their sides and let them dry completely.

• Cut them back lightly.

• Keep in a temperature of 55 to 60 de grees.

Vegetables

• South: Plant hardy vegetables and root crops (garden peas, radishes, mustard, spinach, turnips). Start cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, and Swiss chard seeds in cold frames.

Vegetable Transplants

• South: Plant broccoli, celery, collards, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce transplants, and onion sets.

• South and Central: Plant asparagus in late January.

• Central: Plant cabbage and cauliflower transplants. Wait until the end of January to plant Swiss chard, mustard, trans plants, and onion sets.

Questions?

Shrubs

• Planting is still the main activity but delay in case of freezing weather.

• Get your soil tested and be prepared for spring gardening.

Lawns

• Perform a soil test to determine if lime stone is recommended and apply it any time this month.

• Dig out wild garlic, chickweed, Poa annua, dandelion, and other winter weeds.

Roses

• Add plants to rose garden.

• Mulch all plantings.

• Apply preemergent herbicides if forgot ten in September and if spring weeds were a concern last year.

Roses

• Visit nurseries and garden centers to select varieties.

• Plant roses. Consider old-fashioned, disease-tolerant cultivars.

Annuals and Perennials

• Plant hardy annuals

Bulbs

• Late plantings of Dutch bulbs will flower if planted now.

Call the Master Gardener Helpline at (877) 252-4769. A Master Gardener Extension volunteer is waiting to answer your call.

See other months from Alabama Garden er’s Calendar at www.aces.edu.

The Lawn and Garden Checklist is provided by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

Winterberry Holly

BY SUZY M c CRAY

MY CHRISTMAS ANIMAL

Once again I don’t quite fit the ideals of the Christ mas or even the New Year’s Season. While others are decorating with lowing cattle, snow-white lambs, and docile-looking camels in their manger scenes, or bouncing (or flying) reindeer and sparkling polar bears surrounding Santa and Mrs. Claus around outdoor tin sel-draped trees, I’m thinking of a critter who hangs by his furry brown arms and legs in dense rain forests far south of our Alabama home.

While a visit to our barn on Christmas Eve always makes me think of the Nativity with its sweet-smelling hay and gentle hums and murmurings of the goats, chickens, ducks, turkeys, guineas, and years-ago rab bits, this year my Christmas animals have lengthy claws

that sometimes make them almost look fierce. But they’re usually not.

As I reflect over the happenings of the past couple of years throughout the world and even closer in our rural Alabama home, I identify with an animal I don’t think I’ve ever seen in person unless it was long ago at the Birmingham Zoo. But I’ve seen them on videos and TV enough to understand what writer Xochitl Dixon was explaining in his July 14, 2022 devotion in the Our Daily Bread devotional books that we give away in our farm’s tiny general store.

He talked of sitting to rest near a zoo’s sloth exhibit where he observed a sloth hanging upside down and completely still.

While mulling over his own limitations caused by many months of health problems, he struggled with sitting still when he wished to be up and moving about as before his illnesses. But then he more closely started watching the slow-moving sloths.

An individual sloth stretched one arm and reached for a nearby branch. Stopped again and just hung there between the two limbs in his enclosure. It seemed almost an eternity till he stretched his other arm moving his body closer to the nearby limb.

Dixon then realized that being still required the utmost strength. To be content with moving ev er-so-slowly required more than muscle-power. There had to be unusual strength to be at peace and content in the small enclosure as he moved deliberately from branch to branch. I thought about Dixon’s description of that slow-moving sloth many times since I read and reread that devotion last summer.

Readers of this column rejoiced with me five years ago as I entered a new season of my life when I turned 65. Not only had I faced and seemingly over come drastic health challenges, but God also blessed me with a marriage to my eighth-grade sweetheart, more than 50 years later. I turned 70 in May and I’m not ashamed of my age at all! As a matter of fact, I’m quite proud of it!

Like so many others, during the past two years I have fought many additional health issues, some of which we had not even thought of and which had not even been discovered a little more than two years ago! Yet here I am!

There were times I couldn’t walk the approximate 60 feet from my home’s side door to our small general store/farm stand. And the 100-foot hike from the back of our house to our barn was out of the question.

Chicks were hatched, Turkey Tom moved into the pasture, and three unexpected ducklings moved in with the goats and other ducks. But I couldn’t feed or water them.

Not only did I have to depend on my husband Mack for my personal care, but also for the care of everything on this farm. For someone who had always boasted of their preparedness and self-reliance, this was all a hard pill for me to swallow.

For a while I didn’t realize that my kids and Mack were almost hand carrying 18-year-old Stormie-goat from the pasture into the safety of the barn every night. When he got down, he couldn’t get back up. He could go out in the mornings but his energy and strength failed him as the day wore on, I learned a little later. And oh how I could identify with Stormie’s feelings!

As time moved on, I was able finally to walk to

the barn, visit with the barn cats and my beloved chickens and Turkey Tom, and was able to sit awhile inside with Stormie. I hand fed him a Pop Tart. Then held his head while he got a good drink of cool water. I rubbed between his rough horns and scratched all his usual itchy favorite spots. I told him I loved him and I understood he had to leave us. His wise old brown eyes looked directly into my blue ones.

The next morning when Mack went to the barn to feed, he said Stormie didn’t want anything to eat and lay comfortably in a bed of straw. By lunch time he had left us.

I began walking and moving about a little more each day and was soon making the goat milk soap and jellies my store required. But even now I can’t run to the pasture if I hear coyotes howling in the distance. I can’t bounce down the steps and hurry to my store when I hear the beeping in the house letting me know somebody has come for a baby quilt, or just to talk. But I CAN walk out there slowly with a big smile on my face knowing I’ve made good prog ress.

And that’s why a sloth is my favorite Christmas animal this year. I sometimes jokingly tell folks I’m moving at “sloth speed” this year. But it goes way farther than that!

I’ve realized that if I’m going to move at sloth speed, or even be as content as a sloth hanging still there from the branches, I had to depend on much more than muscle power. I needed God’s supernatu ral power to get me through!

When I have the physical and emotional strength to go through my days, I praise God for my health. But when there are days when I remember that I am each one of those 70 years old, I remember how God has always promised to watch over me. How in Psalm 91 it says “He shall cover thee with His feath ers, and under His wings, shalt thou trust!”

As I often struggle and want to do things “my way right now!” I remember the faithful sloth and how he measures each movement in peace and contentment.

So while you are celebrating Christmas and the optimism of the New Year, I’ll be over here resting under God’s wings and then contentedly moving at my sloth like pace!

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:14.

(Suzy and husband Mack live on a homestead in Blount County, Alabama and can be reached on Face book or by email at suzy.mccray@yahoo.com)

FOUR BASICS OF HOLIDAY FOOD SAFETY

TAKING PRECAUTIONS AGAINST FOODBORNE ILLNESS

BY ANGELA TREADAWAY

You are about to pull off a miracle, balancing your fulltime job with all the demands of holiday entertain ing — or so it seems.

You’ve carefully laid all the plans for a lavish hol iday party for out-of-town family and guests, replete with all of those things that make the holidays so special — baked turkey, ham and finger foods.

Congratulations. But before you get too carried away commending yourself on this awesome feat,

answer this question: Have you taken adequate pre caution against foodborne illness?

Millions of other Americans, in their haste to keep pace with all the demands of the holiday season, are likely to overlook basic hygienic practices around the kitchen.   The fact that only one drop of juice from a contaminated turkey or chicken is enough to cause food poisoning is a strong incentive to follow these basic practices carefully.

WASH YOUR HANDS

Mom’s constant admonishment to wash your hands is the cornerstone of safe food handling and preparation.  Hands should be washed a full 20 sec onds before and after handling raw products.

Kitchen sinks should be used only for hand washing associated with food preparation.  Hand washing related to other household chores, such as gardening, should be confined to bathroom sinks.

Bar soaps should be kept clean and left on a soap dish that allows water to drain.  Otherwise, the soap is liable to become contaminated with germs like any other kitchen item.  Pump-action liquid soap dispensers provide strong protection against contamination.

COOK SAFELY

The first rule of thumb when cooking a turkey is to allow sufficient time – up to four days, in some cases – for it to defrost in the refrigerator.  Be sure to place the bird on a dish or tray on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator to ensure none of the drippings come in contact with other foods while it defrosts.

The bird should be cooked within a day of defrosting.  Before cooking, insert a meat ther mometer into the turkey’s inner thigh closest to the breast to monitor its internal temperature.  Whole turkeys should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Stuffing typically should be cooked sepa rately from the turkey.

Never use recipes that call for raw eggs. All egg dishes should be cooked until they reach 155 degrees Fahrenheit.

During microwaving, make sure there are no cold spots in foods.  For best results, cover, stir and rotate food for even cooking.

Sauces, soups and gravies should be brought to a boil before serving.  Leftovers should be heated to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit before serving.

FOLLOW THE TWO-HOUR RULE

AVOID CROSS-CONTAMINATION

Cross-contamination occurs when germs from one food are passed to another.  This most often occurs when raw meat, poultry or seafood touch un cooked foods such as salads and fruits.  Cross-contamination also can occur when these foods come in contact with unwashed hands, utensils or countertops that have previously been used with raw meat products.  This is why raw meat products should be stored on a plate or tray to prevent juices from dripping onto other foods.

Cutting boards for raw meat products should not be used for salads and other uncooked foods unless they have first been thoroughly sanitized.  As an added precaution, finish preparing raw meat products and return them to the refrigerator or place them in the oven.  Then, clean and sanitize your kitchen before starting work on other foods.

Dirty sponges, dishcloths and towels are breed ing grounds for legions of harmful pathogens.  Always use paper towels or freshly cleaned cloths with soap and hot water to wipe kitchen surfaces.

Potluck dinners are especially popular during the holidays, but they are fraught with risk if the food is left out for more than a couple of hours.  All perishables should be returned to the refrig erator after two hours.  Be sure to divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator.  Also, avoid stuff ing the refrigerator.  Cold air must circulate for the food to remain safe.

As an added precaution, make sure the refrigerator tem perature is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below and zero degrees Fahr enheit or below in the freezer.  Occasionally verify these tempera tures with an appliance thermometer.

If you have further questions please contact Angela Treadaway your Regional Extension Agent in Food Safety with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System either by cell 205-410-3696 or the Walker County Extension Office at 205-221-3392.

THEY LOST JESUS

BY GREG A. LANE

Last Christmas, I decided to read the account of the birth of Jesus found in the Bible in the book of Luke. Since Christmas is supposed to be all about the birth of Christ, I thought I should at least take the time and re-familiarize myself with the story. You know, there are always little nuggets of truth that you overlook in Bible stories once you’ve become overly familiar with them.

So, the beginning of Chapter Two starts off with the information surrounding the birth of Jesus. It tells us that Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem to take part in the census decreed by Caesar Augustus. While they were in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus, wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, be cause there was no room for them at the inn.

You know the story, right? You’ve heard it before.

Chapter Two continues on with the announcement of the birth of Jesus by the angels to the shepherds who were out watching over their flocks that night. The angels sang a glorious hymn of praise, “Glory to God in the Highest. Peace on Earth and good will to men!” The shepherds went to Bethlehem to see this baby whom the angels proclaimed was the Savior of the world.

Nothing new there. You know the story, and I do too. We’ve heard it for years.

But, the end of Chapter Two gets really interesting. I don’t guess I ever put it all together until I read the story for the hundredth time last year. At the end of Chapter Two, we find the only recorded information of

the childhood years of Jesus found in the Bible. When Jesus was 12 years old, his family went to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. When the Passover celebration was over, they returned to Nazareth but realized that 12-year-old Jesus was not with their group. To put it plainly THEY LOST JESUS!

I never thought about it like this before, but Luke Chapter Two starts off with the most beautiful story in the Bible … the awesome birth of our Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ … THE CHRISTMAS STORY. It’s the story the whole world celebrates each year during the Christ mas season. It’s the story that brings the whole world together in a spirit of unity and harmony … when our thoughts lean toward giving and “peace on Earth.” Yet,

to find Him. Jesus told us the answer … YOU’LL FIND HIM IN HIS FATHER’S HOUSE.

Some folks take down their Christmas decorations the day after Christmas. Some wait until New Year’s Day. Some, who are really die-hard Christmas enthusi

BY JESSIE SHOOK

WINTER COMFORT FOODS

The cold weather is here and it’s the perfect time to try out some new winter recipes. Warm up with these delicious recipes that will make you feel good on the inside and out.

Best-ever Beef Stew

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

2 pounds beef chuck stew meat, cubed into 1" pieces

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1/4 cup tomato paste

6 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 cup red wine

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme leaves

2 bay leaves

1 pound baby potatoes, halved

1 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add beef and cook until seared on all sides, 10 minutes, working in batches if neces sary. Transfer beef to a plate. In the same pot, cook on ion, carrots and celery until soft, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook until garlic is fragrant and tomato paste has dark ened, 2 minutes. Add beef back to Dutch oven; then add broth, wine, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and let simmer until beef is tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Add potatoes and sim mer, covered, until potatoes are tender, 15 minutes. Re move bay leaves. Stir in peas and cook until warmed through, 2 minutes. Season stew to taste with salt and pepper, then ladle into serving bowls and garnish with parsley.

Cheeseburger Soup

6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 small carrot, grated

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

2 Tablespoons chopped seeded jalapeno pepper

3 cups water

2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules

2 garlic cloves, minced 1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 pounds ground beef 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms

2 Tablespoons butter 5 cups 2% milk, divided

6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 package (16 ounces) Velveeta, cubed Crumbled cooked bacon

In a Dutch oven, bring the first 9 ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 min utes or until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and mushrooms in butter over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add to soup. Stir in 4 cups milk: heat through. In a small bowl, combine flour and remaining milk until smooth; gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in cheese until melted. Garnish with bacon.

Chicken Biscuit Potpie

1-2/3 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed 1-1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 cup biscuit/baking mix

1/2 cup 2% milk

1 large egg

Heat oven to 400 F. In a large bowl, combine the vegetables, chicken, soup and thyme. Pour into an ungreased deep-dish 9-in. pie plate. Com bine the biscuit mix, milk and egg, spoon over chicken mixture. Bake until topping is golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes.

Best Shepherd's

Pie

2-1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cooked

1 cup sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

2 pounds ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 can (10-1/2 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted 1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained 1/2 cup 2% milk

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

Chopped fresh parsley, optional

Heat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, mash potatoes with sour cream. Add salt and pepper; set aside. In a large skillet, cook beef with onion and red pepper until meat is no longer pink and

vegetables are tender; drain. Stir garlic salt into meat mixture. Stir in soup, corn and milk. Spread meat mixture into a 13x9-in. baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes; drizzle with butter. Bake, uncovered, until heated through, 30-35 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with parsley.

Everything Mashed Potato Casserole

3 pounds potatoes (about 9 medium), peeled and quartered

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed

1/2 cup butter, cubed

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups sour cream

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

1 Tablespoon minced chives

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain. In a large bowl, mash potatoes. Beat in the cream cheese, butter, milk, salt and pepper until fluffy. Transfer to a greased 3-quart baking dish. Spread sour cream over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 F for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese, bacon and chives. Bake 5 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted.

AHSAA SUPER 7

November 30 - December 2, 2020

Auburn - Jordan-Hare Stadium Visit website for event schedule Call 334-263-6994

BRAGG-MITCHELL MANSION

CHRISTMAS SEASON

December 1-17, 2022

Mobile - Bragg-Mitchell Mansion Admission

Tuesday-Friday: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - on the hour last tour at 3:00 p.m. Call 251-471-6364

CHRISTMAS IN CANDYLAND

December 1-22, 2022

Andalusia - 503 East 3 Notch Street

Fridays: 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. Saturdays: 1:00 - 9:00 p.m. Sundays: 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Call 334-222-2030

ATHENS NORTH POLL STROLL December 1-31, 2022

Athens - 100 North Beaty Street 8:00 a.m. - Midnight Call 334-222-2030

CITY OF CENTRE

CHRISTMAS PARADE

December 1, 2022

Centre - Main Street 5:00 p.m. Call 256-927-5222

IT’S ALL BLACK & WHITE BULL AND FEMALE SALE

December 2, 2022

Letohatchee - Mid State Stockyards Noon Call 334-797-4870

CHRISTMAS IN THE PARK

December 2, 2022

Foley - 104 North McKenzie Street 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Call 251-943-1300

OPP CHRISTMAS PARADE 2022 December 2, 2022

Opp - 101 North Main Street 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Call 334-493-3070

BOAZ ALABAMA ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARADE December 2, 2022

Boaz - 100 East Highway 5:30 p.m. Call 256-593-8154

HEART OF ALABAMA BRANGUS BULL SALE December 3, 2022

Brundidge - South Alabama Stockyard - 1:00 p.m. Call 336-998-8125

LET IT SNOW

December 3, 2022

Foley - 125 East Laurel Avenue 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Call 251-943-1300

CHRISTMAS, CRAFTS AND COOKIES AT OLD CAHAWBA

December 3, 2022

Orrville - Old Cahawba Archaeological Park - Admission 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Call 334-872-8058

52ND ANNUAL MONTGOMERY GEM, MINERAL & JEWELRY SHOW December 2-4, 2022

Montgomery - Garrett Coliseum Admission

Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Sunday: 11:00 - 4:00 p.m. Call 334-872-8058

A COLONIAL CHRISTMAS AT THE AMERICAN VILLAGE

December 5-9, 2022

Montevallo - American Village Admission - 10:30 a.m. - Noon Call 205-665-3535

CHRISTMAS PARADE

December 6, 2022

Greenville - 119 East Commerce Street - 6:30 p.m. Call 334-382-3251

DESIGN MAKER WORKSHOP –ANIMAL INVENTIONS

December 7, 2022

Tuscaloosa - Alabama Museum of Natural History 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Call 205-348-6383

HUNTSVILLE CHRISTMAS PARADE

December 8, 2022

Huntsville - Downtown 6:00 p.m. Call 256-489-4969

THE GREAT CHRISTMAS COOKIE BAKE-OFF

December 8-18, 2022

Tuscaloosa - Shelton State Community College - Martin Campus Admission - Various times Call 205-391-2277

CHRISTMAS IN A RAILROAD TOWN

December 9, 2022

Opelika - Main Street

6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Call 334-745-0466

FLORA-BAMA SANTA DROP

December 10, 2022

Orange Beach - Flora-Bama 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Call 251-980-5118

2022 CHRISTMAS AT IVY GREEN

December 10, 2022

Tuscumbia - Historic Birthplace of Helen Keller - Admission

8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 256-383-4066

2022 CHRISTMAS AT IVY GREEN

December 10, 2022

Tuscumbia - Historic Birthplace of Helen Keller - Admission 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 256-383-4066

IT’S A DICKENS CHRISTMAS YALL 2022

December 10, 2022

Tuscumbia - 116 East 6th Street

Admission - All day Call 256-383-9797

OLE TIME CHRISTMAS 2022

December 9-10, 2022

Troy - Pioneer Museum Admission - 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Call 334-566-3597

HOLLY DAYS ON MAIN

December 10-11, 2022

Orange Beach - The Wharf Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Call 251-224-1000

CONECUH SAUSAGE DROP

December 31, 2022

Evergreen - Liberty Hill Place Festivities and music start at 10:00 p.m.

Countdown starts at 11:59 p.m. Call 251-224-1000

POLAR BEAR DIP 2023

January 1, 2023

Pensacola - 17401 Perdido Key Drive

Noon - until Call 850-492-0611

JUBILEE

January 5-29, 2023

Montgomery - Alabama Shakespeare Festival - Admission Various times Call 334-271-5353

FOLEY SNOWBIRD WELCOME COFFEE

January 10, 2023

Foley - Foley Civic Center 8:30 a.m. - Noon Call 251-943-1300

GCAA ART MARKET

January 14, 2023

Gulf Shores - Gulf Shores First Presbyterian Church 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Call 251-943-1300

DANCE ACROSS BIRMINGHAM

January 14, 2023

Birmingham - BJCC - Admission Various times - No experience necessary Call 205-602-3599

CRENSHAW COUNTY BELT BUCKLE CLASSIC STEER & HEIFER SHOW

January 14, 2023

Luverne - Tom Harbin Farm Center Call 334-335-6568

AN EVENING WITH FRED HERSCH AND ESPERANZA SPALDING

January 18, 2023

Birmingham - UAB Alys Stephens Center - Admission 7:00 p.m. Call 205-975-0278

ALABAMA DANCE FESTIVAL

January 20-22, 2023

Birmingham - 1800 Reverend Abraham Woods Junior Boulevard Admission - Various times Call 205-602-3599

VON BREWSKI BEER FESTIVAL

January 28, 2023

Huntsville - Von Braun Center Admission Call 256-533-1953

OWA ARTS & CRAFTS FESTIVAL

January 28, 2023

Foley - OWA Call 251-923-2111

DISNEY’S WINNIE THE POOH:

THE NEW AGE MUSICAL STAGE ADAPTATION

January 29, 2023

Birmingham - UAB Alys Stephens Center - Admission 5:00 p.m. Call 205-975-2787

ANNUAL EAGLE AWARENESS

EVENT AT LAKE GUNTERSVILLE STATE PARK

January 20- February 5, 2023

Guntersville - Lake Guntersville State Lodge & Convention Center Admission - Various Times Call 256-571-5444

MARDI GRAS IN MOBILE

January 21- February 21, 2023

Mobile - Various Locations and Various Times Call 251-208-2000

“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 -or-

email 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.*

CLAY COUNTY STOCKYARD

1050 Airport Road - Ashland, AL

Sale Every Tuesday at 12:30 p.m.

Tad and Kim Eason, Owners Barn: 256-354-2276 Tad: 397-4428

Hauling available Check us out on Facebook!

SAND MOUNTAIN STOCKYARD, LLC

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

VALLEY STOCKYARD

13130 AL HWY 157 - Moulton, AL

Cattle Auction - Wed. at 11:00 a.m.

Benjy McCafferty (C) 256-740-9648 Phone: 256-974-5900 Fax: 256-974-5899 Your Full Service Stockyard

MID STATE STOCKYARDS

TOP

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

Wells farm has been raising Simmental and Simangus bulls for over 30 years. We have the largest selection of homozygous black bwf bulls in the southeast for sale at the farm. We have recently moved to Brownsboro Al (Huntsville) and want to be your destination in north Alabama and south Tennessee for quality docile bulls.

Heifers also available.