17 4-H Extension Corner: Monroeville 4:H Commuity Art
20 FFA Sentinel: Spotlighting Weaver FFA
CO-OP MATTERS
Co-op Corner:
22 Farm Fresh Beef
25 2024 AFC Future Leader Program
28 Livestock Production Specialist Katie Parkin
54 2024 Co-op Service Awards
55 2024 AFC Division & JV Awards
63 2024 Co-op Cattle-Log
LIFE ON THE HOMEPLACE AND IN THE
COMMUNITY
57 Dancing with Liquid Glass
72 Susie Q's Sawmill Cafe
Letter from the Editor
After what seems like the quickest year yet, fall is here. We welcome the cooler temperatures as farmers and producers still have much work to do for the harvest season. There’s an excitement in the air as we also plan for the holidays. They provide the chance to spend time with family, eat good food and remember those no longer with us.
This issue’s Co-op Corner spotlights a local farm fresh beef business deeply connected to the Co-op family, AFC’s Future Leaders Program and our final Livestock Production Specialist article of the year. We hope you enjoy learning how our Future Leaders and LPSs are enjoying working at our Co-ops and with their customers.
In our final jam-packed issue of 2024, we feature many reasons to celebrate the Co-op including more than 160 Years of Service milestones for store employees, AFC’s Division & JV awards and the Eli Moore Triple A Award recipient who is known for Always having an Awesome Attitude even when life has gotten pretty tough for her. We also get an inside look at a hot shop nestled in North Alabama rural farmland where glass artists are making delicate works of art. Many of their pieces would make unique Christmas gifts for loved ones.
As we close out 2024, we are looking forward to celebrating 88 great years at AFC. Thank you for being a loyal reader, customer and part of the AFC family.
Tiffany Lester Editor-in-Chief
Stewardship
Perseverance
Integrity
Family
Cultivating
meaningful life on and off
the farm.
Editor-in-Chief:
Tiffany Lester
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AG INSIGHT
AL, MS receive half of Discrimination Financial Assistance Program funds
The Biden-Harris Administration has issued $2.2 billion in payments to eligible applicants under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP), which aims to provide financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination prior to January 2021.
The funds are spread to 43,000 farmers, ranchers and forest owners across all 50 states and territories. However, more than 24,000 people in Alabama and Mississippi are receiving payments, according to a USDA website tracking payments by state.
The recipients include over 23,000 individuals who have or had a farming or ranching operation, who are receiving between $10,000 and $500,000 of assistance, with an average of nearly $82,000. Recipients also include over 20,000 individuals who planned to have a farming or ranching operation, but reported they were unable to do so because they couldn’t get a USDA loan. These individuals are receiving between $3,500 and $6,000 of assistance, with an average of $5000.
USDA Proposes New Policy to Reduce Salmonella in Raw Poultry Products
The USDA has proposed a rule that would stop poultry producers from selling chicken and turkey contaminated with high levels of certain types of Salmonella.
The rule would make it illegal to sell chicken, chicken parts or ground chicken and turkey if it is found to be contaminated with certain types of Salmonella. It is to be applied by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. The proposed rule was more than three years in the making. An enforcement date has not yet been set.
Once the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register the public and entities including industry organizations, individual producers and consumer groups will have 60 days to comment. When the comment period ends, the USDA will begin writing the final rule.
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service estimates the proposed rule would result in benefits to society of $20.5 million per year, ranging from $4.4 million to $39 million. The majority of the benefits would be derived from prevented illnesses of $12.9 million per year, ranging from $0.3 million to $28.7 million. FSIS also estimated avoided costs from a reduction in the risk of outbreak-related recalls for industry.
The proposal would establish final product standards to prevent raw chicken carcasses, chicken parts, ground chicken and ground turkey products that contain any type of Salmonella at or above 10 colony forming units (CFU) per gram/ml and any detectable level of at least one of the Salmonella serotypes of public health significance from entering commerce. The proposed Salmonella serotypes of public health significance identified for raw chicken carcasses, chicken parts, and comminuted chicken are Enteritidis, Typhimurium and I,4,[5],12:I:- ; and for raw comminuted turkey are Hadar, Typhimurium and Muenchen. The proposal would also require poultry establishments to develop a microbial monitoring program to prevent pathogen contamination throughout the slaughter system.
USDA makes recordbreaking $14.3 Million investment in Farm to School Grants
The USDA is awarding a record-breaking $14.3 million in Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants to 154 projects in 43 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. These investments will help 1.9 million children eat more tasty, nutritious foods in school, while supporting farmers and producers in their local and regional communities.
The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program helps child nutrition program operators incorporate local foods into meals served through USDA’s National School Lunch Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program and SUN Programs: USDA’s Summer Nutrition Programs for Kids.
• Fifty-four percent of students served by these projects are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.
• More than one-third of awarded projects serve rural areas.
• Members of communities of color lead 40 percent of the awarded organizations, all with projects serving those same communities.
• Eight projects are led by and serve American Indian or Alaska Native communities.
Producers can receive the grants for their Farm to School projects, too. Three agricultural producers are among this year’s grantees.
More than 67,000 schools currently participate in Farm to School.
Africanized Honeybees Detected in Alabama
The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) has confirmed the presence of Africanized Honeybees (AHB) in Jackson and St. Clair Counties. Both finds were feral swarms collected by local beekeepers and have been euthanized to protect Alabama’s honeybees.
ADAI is taking swift action to mitigate any risks associated with these invasive bees. Traps have been set up within a five-mile radius of the detection sites to capture and identify any further presence of AHB. This proactive measure aims to assess the extent of AHB infiltration and prevent future attacks. Additionally, ADAI is reaching out to all beekeepers in the vicinity of the positive finds. Beekeepers are being advised on the identification and management of AHB and are encouraged to report any suspicious bee activity. ADAI will be collecting samples as needed to ensure the thorough monitoring of the situation.
Africanized Honeybees differ from European Honeybees (EHB) in behavior not appearance. Neither type of honeybee will indiscriminately attack
humans or animals. Stinging is a defensive behavior employed by the colony to protect their brood (young bees) and food supply.
Differences in AHB and EHB are:
• AHB are more defensive than EHB.
• AHB are more easily disturbed and respond in greater numbers than EHB.
• AHB may swarm as often as every six weeks, while EHB generally only swarm once a year.
• AHB will nest in any available cavity or in the open. Nest sites include: water meter boxes, metal utility poles, cement blocks, junk piles, and house eaves. Other potential nesting sites include overturned flowerpots, old tires, mobile home skirts and abandoned structures. Holes in the ground and tree limbs, mailboxes, even an empty soda pop could be viewed as "home" to the AHB.
• EHB nest in larger cavities above ground and sometimes in the open. EHB do not nest in holes in the ground. Nest sites include: a beekeeper’s hive, hollow trees, cavities in walls and occasionally on a tree limb.
• AHB will pursue a threat for over a mile where EHB will only pursue a threat for a few hundred yards.
The public is urged to stay vigilant and report any unusually aggressive bee behavior to ADAI. Africanized Honeybees can be highly defensive and pose a risk to humans and animals. It is important to avoid provoking any swarms and to seek professional assistance for bee removal.
FACT SHEET: Celebrating Two Years of the Inflation Reduction Act
Two years ago, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate action and clean energy in world history. Key to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, this transformative law is lowering energy costs, creating new income streams and tackling the climate crisis. The Inflation Reduction Act has given the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) historic resources to better serve communities nationwide.
Across USDA programs, the Inflation Reduction Act increases access to lower-cost clean energy and climate-smart agriculture and conservation while creating good-paying jobs. The legislation also protects communities from the increasing risks of wildfires and extreme heat.
These investments are contributing to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 initiative which aims to ensure 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
Investing in Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry
The Inflation Reduction Act takes aggressive action to address the climate crisis by making unprecedented funding available for USDA conservation, forestry and climate-smart agriculture programs.
The Act made $19.5 billion available for NRCS to address the demand for popular conservation programs that provide financial assistance to farmers and ranchers to help them both protect natural resources and enhance production. For Fiscal Year 2024, which began October 1, 2023, the Inflation Reduction Act provided $1.65 billion for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), $754 million for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), and $472 million for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). In Fiscal Year 2023 and so far in Fiscal Year 2024, NRCS has partnered with over 18,000 landowners to conserve 6.2 million acres through EQIP; and more than 5,800 to conserve nearly 7 million acres through CSP.
FEELING LIKE FALL
STARTING A FARM
BY KEN KELLEY
A lot of folks have a dream of growing some of their own food, having their own farm and/or maybe even quitting their “day-job” to farm for a living. These are all possibilities (even farming for a living), but all require some level of planning, work, dedication, sacrifice and money. There is also some level of management and resources necessary. Common sense would tell us that the amount of management and resources required to grow some veggies for the supper table is nowhere near that of having our entire family income dependent upon the farm, but they both do require some amount of management, resources and planning. There are a few of these resources that will be common across our farming needs, independent of the size or scope of our operation. Land is the first resource to consider in most of our farming needs. How much land needed is largely dependent on what we are growing and how much of it we plan to grow. The 2022 Census of Agriculture reported that there
were 37,362 farms in Alabama that averaged 231 acres. However, when you dig a little bit deeper into the numbers you realize that this average is a little bit overstated for most folks. There are literally farms of all sizes in Alabama, but by and away the largest group as ranked by farm size were those farms in the 10-49-acre range. This is plenty of land for some enterprises, such as vegetables, but can be somewhat limiting for other enterprises, such as beef cattle. Ten acres of vegetables would be enough to make a living from potentially (or not), but if your dream is to be a cattle rancher, then with a recommended stocking rate of around two acres of pasture for every cow unit, you could only have five cows (and no bull) on your 10 acres. Even with historically high prices currently on beef cattle, the income from four or five calves a year isn’t enough to provide for a family trip to Disneyworld – let alone be the sole income for a family. The prospects for a year with normal pricing would be consider-
ably less. That means that for a producer with a small acreage who wants to produce cattle they would either have to find some type of niche market or be content with having fewer cattle and knowing that the cattle were their hobby. This doesn’t mean you couldn’t farm, or even farm for a living, with smaller acreage. However, it does mean that your end goals for your farming operation will be affected by your ability to access enough land for your enterprise.
The next consideration for any farming operation is how much labor you need and how much is available. In the example of the 10-acre farmer, we said that we didn’t have enough land with only 10 acres to have a functional and self-sustaining farm if we were doing traditional beef cattle farming, but we would potentially have enough to accomplish that with vegetables (potentially is a key word). However, while we could probably handle managing five head of cattle (or even a hundred head of cattle) on our own, it would be extremely difficult to plant, manage, harvest and market acres of vegetables on your own. So, what we can grow can be limited by the number of available labor sources we have. It can also be limited by the knowledge, skills and abilities of those labor sources. For example, retired extension agents might be available to pick peas for your farmers market pea enterprise ... but the amount they would pick before they were exhausted would not be enough to be profitable. Labor must not only be available but must also
be able to accomplish what you need for it to in order to sustain an operation.
The other major resource to consider is finances. Most people don’t have the expendable capital to begin a farming operation without an outside funding source. There are lenders who specialize in agricultural loans and if you have good credit and a plan, there is a probability you could be funded as a startup. However, it is also worthwhile to remember that not only do you owe back the principal but also a robust interest rate currently. It is also worthwhile to consider the concept of depreciation. Not tax depreciation, but the very real concept that the day you bought your equipment to start your farming enterprise it was no longer worth what it was the day before. It has a limited lifetime of functionality and usefulness, and you must take that into consideration when you consider whether you will be making money long term.
These are just some of the considerations and resources that need to be secured before one begins a farming enterprise. These can be significant roadblocks, but you can obtain your goal of farm ownership and operation if you have a reasonable plan and a whole lot of work ethic. Reach out to your Auburn Extension Agent for assistance with your farm and agribusiness enterprise and they will be glad to help!
The 2022 Census of Agriculture reported that there were 37,362 farms in Alabama that averaged 231 acres.
OUR ROLE IN SUSTAINING ANIMAL AGRICULTURE
BY DR. TONY FRAZIER
I would guess that many of you who are reading this column have owned an eight-track tape player sometime in the past, but no longer have a use for it. The same could be said for black and white television sets and rotary phones. It is not that we no longer listen to music or watch TV or make phone calls. The fact is that those items have been replaced by much more efficient devices. On the other hand, there are certain industries that no longer exist because, for one reason or another, they could not be sustained. It may be that demand for the product was lost or that
regulations and economic considerations either overwhelmed the industry or it moved to another country because it became more economically feasible for certain industries. I always hate to see industries become extinct or move to another country because it means the loss of jobs here in America. Maybe society hasn’t lost much when the “pet rock” industry no longer exists, but recently I have become very interested in making sure that American agriculture is a sustainable industry. Specifically, my role as State Veterinarian is directly related to sustaining American
Animal Agriculture.
Over the past few years, a recurrent message at many meetings I attend is that between the years of 2024 and 2050, the amount of protein to meet the world's requirements will roughly double. The projected increase has to do with both the growing population and the improvement in the standard of living in many parts of the world. Countries that have mostly had a diet of rice and plant protein will gradually be able to add some animal protein to their diet or to increase the amount of protein presently available. Today about one percent of the U. S. population is directly involved in production agriculture. Yet that small fraction of our population feeds our country and a good deal of the rest of the world. Meeting the challenge of filling the plates of the 2050 population will take a combination of new technologies, prudent regulations, and the heart of American Agriculture. The small part I play is to ensure the regulations affecting animal agriculture do not hinder our producers but allows them to produce as much as they possibly can while keeping the products safe without adversely affecting the environment.
Many of our regulations are in place to prevent significant losses in production in animal agriculture. Regulations that involve brucellosis, tuberculosis, pseudorabies, and certain poultry diseases are in place, not to impede production, but to ensure that certain diseases are not allowed to erode animal production. While I understand the frustration that an individual producer experiences due to having to test or retest animals or to have the farm quarantined, those practices are necessary to protect the livestock and poultry industries.
medicine increasing production. Before efforts by the government began in 1934, brucellosis was a reasonably common disease that caused abortions, weak calves, and infertility, not to mention a few thousand cases of human brucellosis each year. Without the efforts to eradicate brucellosis, there is no way the beef and dairy efficiency could have achieved the above-mentioned increases.
In 1960 the American farmer fed about 26 people worldwide. Today that figure approaches 155 people. To dramatically increase that number by 2050, we will need to use every tool in the toolbox, as well as some tools that haven’t even been developed yet.
In addition to regulations that aid in increasing production efficiency, we have been and continue to be involved in disease reduction programs and efforts that ultimately help the producer continue to move toward the genetic potential in the United States herds and flocks. While we do not have specific regulations in Alabama that regulate Johne’s disease in cattle, we have participated in a program that was aimed at finding and removing diseased animals in a herd. Johne’s disease, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the disease, is an incurable disease that affects the digestive tract of cattle. The obvious signs of the disease are chronic diarrhea that doesn’t respond to treatment and severe weight loss. Those animals are not difficult to identify and are also just the tip of the iceberg. The huge problem with Johne’s disease is the large number of animals that are subclinical, meaning that they have no obvious signs of disease. However, those animals, that otherwise look healthy, experience a tremendous loss in production. By working with the local veterinarian and our diagnostic laboratories, a producer can identify and remove those subclinical animals, making the rest of the herd more efficient.
I recently found some interesting facts put out several years ago by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. It seems that if we produced beef using 1955 practices, we would need to increase the amount of land used in production by 165 million acres. That is roughly the size of the state of Texas, and we would still not be able to equal today’s beef production. According to USDA research, it takes 65 percent less water and 90 percent less land to produce a gallon of milk than it did in 1944. The impressive increase in efficiency is due to several factors such as genetic advances and better health care of the animals which has been aided by regulatory veterinary medicine. The brucellosis eradication program is an example of regulatory
In 1960 the American farmer fed about 26 people worldwide. Today that figure approaches 155 people. To dramatically increase that number by 2050, we will need to use every tool in the toolbox, as well as some tools that haven’t even been developed yet. The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries and your State Veterinarian and my staff are engaged in the challenge to not only sustain, but to improve production animal agriculture. In a day and time when the word “regulation” is somehow equated to a four-letter word, I want you to know that all regulations are not negative or bad. I will, however, agree that it may sometimes be like taking a good dose of castor oil (do they even make that stuff anymore?). It may be unpleasant going down, but as my dear old grandmother would have told you, “It may taste bad, but it will do you a world of good.”
LEARNING EVENTS MONTGOMERY AND AUTAUGA COUNTIES
BY JAMIE MITCHELL
There is nothing quite like fall in Alabama when the hot days begin to yield to cooler nights and football becomes everyone’s favorite topic of conversation! We certainly love fall here at Alabama PALS when the Clean Campus Program kicks into full swing and the Coastal Cleanup means thousands of residents and visitors will help pick up those last pieces of debris left over from summer fun. We hope as you enjoy the cooler weather to come, you will make some time in your calendar to join a local cleanup or consider signing up for the Adopt-A-Mile program. It is also our hope that as schools get back into their routines, they will join the Clean Campus Program and be more mindful of litter on their campus and in the community.
Over the summer, we had a chance to participate in some learning events to spread the anti-litter message to students in Montgomery and Autauga Counties. In
Montgomery County, we were happy to partner with the Alabama River Foundation to speak at the 2nd Annual Riverfront Rendezvous. This event brought in 160 students from Montgomery Community Centers and Boys & Girls Clubs to give them an opportunity to learn more about keeping our rivers clean, river safety and river wildlife. Each child also had the opportunity to ride on the “Sip and Cycle” Pedal Cruise, which was the first time many of these children had ever been on a boat!
We were also honored to partner with Autauga County 4H to speak at a special “Under the Sea” summer camp held at Daniel Pratt Elementary School. This was another opportunity to speak about keeping our Alabama waters clean and how our trash affects Alabama wildlife. The students were given pencils made from recycled newspaper as well as Clean Campus coloring books to help reinforce our message.
As we look to close out 2024, please contact us if we can help with cleanups in your community or to sign up for any of our programs. We can be reached at (334) 263-7737 or at info@alpals.org. You may also find us online at www.alpals.org.
MONROEVILLE 4-H
COMMUNITY ART NURTURES YOUNG TALENT
BY CAROLYN DRINKARD
It has been said that artists bring meaning to forgotten elements. That’s what 4-H art students in Monroe County did when they joined with Monroeville Main Street to beautify public spaces in the downtown area. They took a blank space on a shipping container and transformed it into a colorful point of interest, which tells the unique stories of 4-H and its impact on the children of Monroe County. The youngsters’ creation is now part of a mural trail for visitors to enjoy.
Becky Brooks, the 4-H Art leader, and 16 students worked for eight days with local artists, Katie Watson and Tee Stallworth, to produce a unique
and colorful mural on the Small Box Shop, a business located on the Square in downtown Monroeville. After Becky and Alan Brooks created a design and projected it onto the wall of the container, the students painted the mural, which depicts several familiar 4-H projects like Chick Chain, RiverKids and Art.
In the mural project, 4-H students discovered that they could use colors and shapes to make others see things they had never seen before.
“It was amazing to see each of our parts come together to make a larger, even more beautiful creation,” said Mackenzie Peeples (14).
Project participants (L-R) Rory Papenfuss, Mackenzie Peeples, Beckham Papenfuss, Reese Hickson, River Hickson, Annie Jean Norris, James Kelley, John Blake Kelley, Arden Pharr, Rachel Hickson, Julianna Norris, Bella Bradley and Baylor Hudson. Not pictured: Hadley Pharr, Lauren Smith, Liam Dykes, Declan Salter and Alyssa Hayes
Being a part of creating something so special fostered a sense of ownership and pride among the young people.
"We wanted to provide a platform for our club members to express themselves creatively while contributing to the aesthetic appeal of our town," remarked Misty Powell, Monroe County 4-H Youth Development Coordinator. "This mural embodies the spirit of community engagement and artistic expression that we strive to cultivate in 4-H.”
Creating public art helps youngsters connect to their community's cultural heritage while developing a strong sense of civic responsibility.
“Our 4-H Art program has continued to grow over the past few years,” Powell added. “Our art club members are constantly trying new things and pushing themselves and their artistic abilities through
individual and group projects.”
The mural project gave Monroe County 4-H'ers the opportunity to showcase their talents on a much larger scale, as Monroeville has become a literary hub, attracting thousands of visitors each year.
“I love to see people taking pictures of our mural,” stated River Hickson (7). “It makes me feel proud and happy.”
Powell emphasized the satisfaction youngsters felt in their work. “I feel like this is something that they and many others will get to see on a daily basis and know that they each had a special part in its completion,” Powell stated. “They can take pride in knowing that they were a part of not only promoting the 4-H program, but promoting everything our community has to offer and adding to its beauty in the process.”
Art club members Hadley Pharr, Arden Pharr, Misty Powell (Monroe Co. 4-H YDC), Reese Hickson and Rachel Hickson
Several Monroeville 4-H students work on the fine details of the mural.
Art club members Mackenzie Peeples and Baylor Hudson Monroe County 4-H Art leader Becky Brooks with art club members.
Through the ForestHER Program, I was able to learn to do things that I didn’t know before. It was very beneficial for me to know that I can do this, and if I don’t know something, I have resources and contacts to help me figure out what I need to do.”
Jackie Meggison, Alabama Forestland Owner
ALABAMA EXTENSI0N
“ “ “
Alabama 4-H is the best starting tool where everyone is welcome and great people are leading the programs. There is always a different challenge. It’s my getaway thing and second home.”
Caymen Barron, Talladega County 4-H Member
I feel fortunate to have been introduced to Extension at an early age through the 4-H Club. We met with the county assistant for lessons on farm life. Later I used the Choctaw and Colbert County offices for gardening help and assistance with other projects and problems. Extension has served my needs for over 75 years, and it is FREE.”
Bob McIlwain, Colbert County Resident
aces.edu/discover
I always knew I wanted to farm but wasn’t sure if I would be able to do it full-time. As a new full-time farmer, I’ve relied heavily on Extension expertise. Agents and specialists have continued to be sounding boards and strong supporters as my farm has grown.”
Garrett Dixon, AU College of Agriculture Graduate & Lee County Row Crop Farmer
SPOTLIGHTING WEAVER FFA
BY MADELYN CONE AND JACKSON CLEARY
The Weaver FFA Chapter has been up to some amazing things this year. Our chapter has grown the livestock program from eight to 20 hardworking and dedicated exhibitors. We established a member’s breeding operation and had a successful first litter, as well as had members that exhibited the Supreme Grand Champion Breeding Gilt and the Reserve Grand Champion Market Hog at the Alabama National Fair. In terms of contests this year, we have won the state dairy competition this October with a group of three seniors and one junior. Our Land Evaluation team will be advancing to the state competition in June.
Our members have participated in countless community service projects including our current Christmas
Toy Drive for foster kids in our community. We are also very involved in our communities' activities, including attendance at the Weaver Heritage Day on September 9, 2023, hosting the Calhoun County Special Needs Rodeo in conjunction with the Calhoun County Annual Rodeo on September 19, 2023, attending the Fall County Fair from October 18 to October 21, 2023 and more. It is safe to say the members of the Weaver FFA Chapter have strived to make a positive impact in their homes and communities this year through living to serve.
In addition to our accomplishments, our chapter has implemented programs to extend the impact of agriculture education in our schools. Our officers have established a Peer Mentor Program for first-year
Some of the Weaver FFA Chapter students working one of our various booths at the Calhoun County Special Needs Rodeo.
Weaver FFA Chapter Student Advisor, Jackson Cleary, with the Supreme Champion Breeding Gilt at the Alabama National Fair.
members to learn the ins and outs of our chapter from a well-equipped senior mentor. As a chapter, we participated in National Teach Ag! Day on September 21, 2023, by creating a lesson on the importance of ag education. Later in 2024, we plan to take agriscience education to the elementary school with our “Little Cats Learn Ag” event and teach our elementary school students and staff a little bit about agriculture and how it provides for them.
Along with all of these events, we have had
monthly chapter-wide meetings where we have fun activities and grow friendships between our members, our officers and everyone in between. Each monthly meeting relies solely on our officers who plan them. They do everything from plan our activities, to organizing announcements and informing the members, to even planning what food we will have at each meeting. At every meeting, we average about 75-80+ members that show up, so our ag shop is packed. We have many more meetings planned in the future and we cannot wait to have them!
Last but not least, one big thing that has happened and will continue to happen is our “Monday Momentums.” Each Monday, two of our officers, Madelyn Cone and Jackson Cleary, plan a lesson on everything ag. They teach these lessons in their respective classes with one class they're both in. Each lesson teaches upon the different values the National FFA Organization instills in each member. They teach about Premier Leadership, Personal Growth, Career Success, and general agricultural information. These “Monday Momentums” are very beneficial to not only the students but these two officers as well. Both Cone and Cleary plan to attend Auburn University following high school to acquire their degrees in Agriculture Education. The lessons that they create and teach every Monday are able to help them with skills that will follow them throughout their careers. Cleary is one of the 20232024 Central District officers; this aids him in his chapter visits. Whenever he has chapter visits, he can test out some of his lessons on his own peers and use that knowledge to give other members the best experience possible.
Our senior members around their pumpkin at our October Monthly Meeting. Weaver FFA Chapter President Madelyn Cone gives her presentation during National Teach Ag! Day.
Our President Madelyn Cone and our Student Advisor Jackson Cleary give their first “Monday Momentum.”
CORNERCo-op
FARM FRESH BEEF
BY TIFFANY LESTER
What started with a cookout turned into a new business venture for Paul Thompson and his family.
“We had friends over for a cookout in the spring of 2021 and several commented on how good the meat was.” After explaining that it was beef from the Thompsons' farm,
they had soon sold almost everything in their personal freezer. “We knew our beef was high-quality and now had proof of concept.”
Thompson grew up on a cow/calf operation and corn silage row crop farm just outside of Oneonta. In the 2000s, it was converted to stocker calves and the row crop
to corn for grain production and soybeans.
His family is no stranger to the Co-op system. They have a close connection to the Co-op, not just as customers but also as employees.
After graduating from Auburn University, Paul began his career with Alabama Farmers Cooperative in January 2007 working at Taleecon Farmers Cooperative in Notasulga through what’s now called the Future Leaders Program. By that summer, he became manager of the Blount County Cooperative in Oneonta. Four years later, he took a role in the Crop Nutrients division of Agri-AFC in Decatur, and now Greenpoint Ag. His wife, Joy-Catheryn, currently works at Morgan Farmers Cooperative in Hartselle where their son Bryan has also been employed.
“We rely on the Co-op for all our agronomic needs, both product and application as well as feed. We believe AFC Feed produces some of the best feeds on the market,” Thompson said.
“For me, the Co-op represents great people with great purpose using our wonderful products to bless their families and those around them,” said JoyCatheryn.
The couple actually met through their careers with the Co-op. “I worked as an Administrative Assistant position in Agri-AFC’s Seed Department for 10 wonderful years,” said Joy-Catheryn. “I was later promoted to the Product Manager of Seeds & Coatings where I was buying and selling seed to our Co-op stores all over the Southeast. One of my sweetest customers was Paul! That business relationship turned to a respected friendship as Paul taught me about the 'Co-op side' of things all while introducing this city girl to the first rule of his farm, 'SHUT THE GATE.' I was hooked when he let me name my first cow, #42 appropriately named Flo,” she laughed.
Thompson's Farm Fresh Beef officially opened up in May of 2021. Since then, Paul and Joy-Catheryn have spent the majority of their weekends selling meat. Their entire family plays a huge part in the business's success. Paul’s parents, Gary and Billie Sue Thompson, work on the farm daily and oversee the meat calves. Joy-Catheryn and their daughter, Adeline, and son Bryan all help in various aspects with sales, marketing, meat pick up, and extra hands around the farm.
Paul Thompson and his wife, Joy-Catheryn, have been packing and selling various cuts of farm fresh beef since May of 2021.
“The farm is to be respected as it brings as many highs as it does lows. There are good years and bad but working alongside Paul in life and Thompson’s Farm Fresh beef are two of my proudest accomplishments,” Joy-Catheryn said.
The demand for farm fresh products is huge. It's
a trend we hope sticks around! People want fresh, better-tasting, higher-quality agricultural products and they want to know how it’s produced and where it comes from. There’s also an incredible sense of pride knowing you are supporting a farmer in your area and in turn, supporting the local economy.
According to the USDA, in 2020, U.S. farms sold almost $10.7 billion of edible food commodities directly to consumer outlets and intermediary supply chains such as restaurant/grocery stores, regional distributors and local institutions.
In fact, almost 148,000 U.S. farms and ranches sold commodities directly to consumers.
“We believe buying local provides peace of mind. Our customers know their beef was born, raised, and processed in North Alabama. Many consumers are highly-focused on the quality of beef they provide to their families and comment to us routinely about the differences between farm direct vs store bought. A large percentage of our customer base is repeat business and it is gratifying getting to meet new people who enjoy our products,” Paul said.
Paul Thompson serves another happy customer from his mobile meat trailer.
Bryan, Paul, Adeline and Joy-Catheryn Thompson
2024 AFC FUTURE LEADERS PROGRAM
CULTIVATING MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES
BY TIFFANY LESTER
COREY BARNES
Corey Barnes grew up in Monroeville, Alabama. He recently graduated from Auburn University. His interest in agriculture started early as he lived in a rural area surrounded by it. He enjoys the down-to-earth people who work in the ag field. His interest is wide-ranging as he enjoys the many different facets that make the industry important.
“As an AFC Future Leader, I most enjoy working with local experts at the Co-op and learning from the manager. They are providing hands-on experience and knowledge on ways to best serve farmers and producers,” said Barnes. He is currently a Future Leader at Jay Peanut Farmers Cooperative.
HUNTER BRAZEAL
Hunter Brazeal is no stranger to farming. He grew up in Elkmont, Alabama, later attending Mississippi State University. He has been interested in agriculture since he was a young boy watching the progress of livestock and plants alike. Brazeal is working at Tennessee Valley Cooperative-Athens. “I love the relationships that can be built within agriculture, and the use of precision technologies,” Brazeal explained. Brazeal most enjoys the people he gets to work with every day as a Future Leader, including the fantastic mentors who give him the tools to be successful inside the walls of the Co-op, out on a farm and in life.
Corey Barnes Hunter Brazeal
HUDSON HINES
Hudson Hines calls Monroeville, Alabama home. He became interested in agriculture while attending Auburn University. It means a lot to him to contribute to a field that is incredibly essential to our daily lives. “Without the farmers, people would not eat,” said Hines. He spends the majority of his time as a Future Leader working the retail side of business at Elberta Farmers Cooperative. “I have really enjoyed it,” said Hines. “I hope to match that with growing agronomy knowledge as I continue. The best part is the hands-on experience, from the front to the back of the store. It’s also been a pleasure watching how everyone works together for the common goal of helping the customers get the results they want.”
CALEB CRABTREE
Caleb Crabtree of Fayetteville, Tennessee is currently a Future Leader working at Madison County Cooperative. The love of agriculture started as a seed in Crabtree’s youth that is now growing into a hefty crop as a career. He is currently attending Tennessee State with a focus in agronomy. “The best part of working in agriculture at the Co-op level is that I get to use my knowledge as well as learn from local experts to help farmers get higher yields. I really enjoy building those relationships between the store and its customers,” said Crabtree.
EMILY GRIFFIN
Emily Griffin, who is from New Market, Alabama, became interested in agriculture through visits to Madison County Cooperative with her father. “I love that agriculture is always changing. There are also so many routes you can take in the field! Seeing how farming impacts our lives is very interesting and it shows how vital it is to us,” said Griffin. She graduated from Auburn University and is skilled at scouting for pests and identifying weeds in crops. “Having multiple stores under the main business of the Madison County Cooperative has allowed me to learn different strategies and functions that each manager uses in ensuring the success of their stores. The Madison County Cooperative already feels like a second home, and I look forward to expanding my knowledge in the future,” said Griffin.
Emily Griffin
Caleb Crabtree
Hudson Hines
EMMALEIGH RAY
Emmaleigh Ray hails from Andalusia, Alabama. She recently graduated from Auburn University with a major in Agriculture Economics and minor in Animal Science with an Influence in large animals. Ray grew up around livestock through her family’s cow-calf operation. She loves that agriculture plays a crucial role in keeping society sustainable. Ray most enjoys the countless amount of networking opportunities presented to her as a Future Leader at Andalusia Farmers Cooperative. “Meeting customers that come in from all over the county or attending meetings with corporate, the opportunities are endless. Being a part of the Future Leaders Program after participating in the Summer Internship Program in 2023 has allowed me to further my education on animal health, feed and agronomy,” Ray said.
ETHAN SAMMONS
Ethan Sammons is a native of Monticello, Florida. He attended Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College. He became interested in agriculture at 13 when he began helping a local hay and cattle farmer near his home during the summer. He learned good management practices, how to be a good steward of the land and how to remain sustainable in an ever-changing world. "Being able to watch and learn from industry experts such as the general and store managers, to see how they are always trying to stay ahead of the market curve to provide the best prices to our producers is a million-dollar education. We were taught the business basics in college but here we are seeing those accounts come to life and watching the future of the Co-op operation flourish,” Sammons explained. He is currently working at the Farmers Cooperative, Inc.-Live Oak, Florida location.
Ethan Sammons
Emmaleigh Ray
KATIE PARKIN LPS SPECIALIST
BY KAYDEN BLAND
Throughout 2024, Cooperative Farming News will be spotlighting the newest positions at your local quality Co-op stores, AFC Feed, LLC and Purina Animal Nutrition’s Livestock Production Specialists (LPS). LPSs are responsible for selling feed and all related products to optimize market share and savings, improve efficiency and help achieve their mission and goals all while demonstrating outstanding customer service.
Katie Parkin is a Livestock Production Specialist working at the Dekalb County Farmers Cooperative working in the regions of Dekalb County and Marshall County.
Parkin worked to earn a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology from the University of South Alabama while working at a local veterinary clinic. After college, she went on to get her license as a Veterinary Technician from Jefferson State. She worked in that field for 15 years before becoming an LPS at Dekalb County Farmers Cooperative.
“The atmosphere is marked by a sincere concern for everyone’s well-being, creating a close-knit community vibe. It's not just a workplace; it feels like a welcoming, small-town family, fostering a sense of camaraderie that adds an extra layer of fulfillment to my professional experience,” she added.
In her role as an LPS, she focuses on addressing the specific needs of local livestock producers and equine enthusiasts. She works hard to tackle issues surrounding nutrition and management by developing feed programs that not only align with the animals’ nutrition requirements but also to assist the producers’ operational goals.
Parkin is readily available to the local livestock producers, offering hands-on support going past their regular in-store interactions. She contributes to the success of the Co-op by recommending the store for other needs producers may have including agronomy expertise and farm supplies.
She says she feels fortunate to be a part of the Co-op where the customers are consistently welcoming and gracious. “The genuine warmth of the customers motivates me to go the extra mile in serving them and contributing to the success of their individual operations. The real joy comes from seeing customers reach their own goals. That is what makes this position truly rewarding,” said Parkin.
Parkin firmly believes in elevating customer service for overall satisfaction for producers, and having a knowledgeable Livestock Production Specialist available allows the Co-op to do so.
LPSs like Parkin ensure producers receive tailored and effective support as well as a deeper understanding of how Co-op products can accommodate their unique needs. By bringing in an LPS’ expertise into the Co-op's operational fabric, they cultivate an environment where producers thrive and feel robust support from their local Co-op.
THE TRADITION CONTINUES
BONNIE PLANTS 3RD GRADE CABBAGE PROGRAM
BY SAVANNAH BURGESS
In 1996, Bonnie Plants initiated the 3rd Grade Cabbage Program in and around Union Springs, Alabama, with a mission to inspire a love of vegetable gardening in young people, teach kids where their food comes from, and grow the next generation of gardeners. By 2002 the program grew to become a national endeavor, including the 48 contiguous states.
The Cabbage Program has changed through the years…while sales representatives are no longer dropping plants off at schools, it’s easier than ever to get registered for the Program. Visit www.
bonniecabbageprogram.com to learn more and get registered.
Each year, Bonnie sends cabbage plants to homes and classrooms across the country free of charge. Students grow out their colossal cabbages and compete for a prize. If properly nurtured, kids can cultivate and grow cabbages that may tip the scale at more than 40 pounds! The student who grows the best cabbage in each state receives a $1000 scholarship.
At the end of the season, teachers from each third grade participating class select the student
Graham, 2022-2023
Florida State Winner
who has grown the “best” cabbage in their class, based on size and appearance. Parents and teachers can submit on behalf of their third grader here: https://www.bonniecabbageprogram.com/submitto-win/official-submission-form/.
"Learning how to grow healthy food at an early age teaches kids to value the fun and hard work that goes into gardening. We’re always thrilled to share the appreciation and excitement of a bountiful harvest with our students and believe the joy of gardening is something you never outgrow.”
-Mike Sutterer, President & CEO of Bonnie Plants
Why cabbage? Cabbages were the first profitable crop sold by Bonnie in 1918. The cabbages utilized for the program are O.S. Cross variety, which is known for producing giant, oversized heads, making the process even more exciting for kids. To date, the largest cabbage grown tipped the scales at 75 pounds! This is an impressive old variety that was an All-America Selections Winner in 1951.
Green thumbs and perseverance can pay off, providing participating children with a great sense of pride and accomplishment, a humongous cabbage, and for the lucky state winner ... the beginning of an educational fund for college.
A great way to get kids started in the garden is the National Bonnie Plants 3rd Grade Cabbage Program. It’s free to any third-grade classroom in the 48 contiguous states and teachers can register starting September 1, 2024 for the 2024-2025 school year by visiting www.bonniecabbageprogram.com. Bonnie Plants will ship cabbage plants to every registered third grade classroom in the country.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
Cabbage Program registration for hardiness zones 8 through 11 opens September 1, 2024! Register your child or class by visiting: www.bonniecabbageprogram.com!
If you have issues when ordering or have questions, please email cabbageprogram@bonnieplants.com.
Brinley, 2022-2023 Alabama State Winner
Connor, 2022-2023 Georgia State Winner
Cooper, 2022-2023 Mississippi State Winner
Hazel, 2022-2023 Mississippi State Winner
SMARTER SOIL
From the ancient Mesopotamians three millennia ago to the 19th century German scientist, Justus von Leibig, to the introduction of the U.S. Cooperative Extension Service in 1914, the science and technology of soil sampling has continued to evolve. The ancients recognized the role of fertile ground in successful harvests, Leibig developed the groundwork for modern soil science, and the Extension Service made the process available to any U.S. farmer.
But just over the past few years, the science of soil sampling has taken even a greater leap forward. With today’s tools, such as geographic information systems (GIS) mapping and software programs like GreenPoint Ag’s AccuField, precision ag technology is allowing farmers of all sizes and crops to make informed decisions about how and where to apply soil nutrients. For more than a decade, AccuField has combined precision soil sampling, variable rate application, agronomics, yield data, site-specific hybrid selection and data management to provide farmers with once-unimaginable decision-making tools.
Trey Colley, GreenPoint Ag Senior Manager for Innovation and Equipment Technology, says there is no longer a “barrier to entry” as it relates to precision agriculture and in particular, soil sampling.
“I think that there’s a bit of misconception out there that [a farmer] must have the newest, top-of-the-line fertilizer equipment to be able to benefit from these precision sampling and variable rate technologies,” says Colley. “But the simple fact is that whether you’re a 5,000-acre row-cropper or a 50-acre hay producer —
A GreenPoint Ag technician soil-samples a field with an automated probe that allows for more consistency and precision than sampling by hand.
and everywhere in between — there is an element of AccuField that can fit your farm. For those 50 acres, no matter what you have on it, the goal should be quality samples, quality interpretation from the soils lab, and a quality plan to address the issues.”
Colley says deficiencies in the soil nutrition of a field can present in several ways most notably by visual inconsistencies in the biomass (plant materials) that are growing there.
“Not including obvious areas of poor drainage or limited sunlight, you often see a variety of growth patterns of the biomass in a field with poor soil nutrition,”
he says. “This may not always be easy to see from the ground but can be plainly obvious when looking at a geospatial sampling map. If the field had a perfect pH, fertility, and uniform water throughout, then that crop should be uniform, which is the ultimate goal of soil sampling.”
In today’s precision agriculture, there are generally three soil-sampling techniques: composite, grid, and zone. Colley says that composite sampling is the “entry level” technique and can be effective for even a small farm.
“With composite sampling, we’re usually only pulling one, maybe two, samples per field,” he explains. “We process those results through AccuField and are able to then recommend an optimized fertilizer blend to meet the specific economic and productivity goals for that farm. We are basically adding refined technology and data processing techniques to what has traditionally been a fairly basic system of sampling.”
Grid and zone sampling, Colley points out, create an even more detailed view of the soil qualities of a particular field.
“Grid sampling is normally based on two anda-half acre or five-acre grids,” he says. “For example, if you have a 25-acre field and you elect to use five-acre grids, five samples will be pulled from that field. Then, a map of the lab results will come back to the customer and their Co-op along with a detailed fertilizer recommendation.”
Zone sampling uses historical yield data and plant health indicators to segregate a field into areas of low, medium, and high productivity areas, and addresses the fertility needs of each zone accordingly.
“With zone sampling, we may know that our low-producing areas in a particular field are in a wet bottom or have a sandy vein that runs through them,” Colley says. “In that case, it’s clear that this area will likely never have the yield potential to make a good crop, so we’re not going to fertilize it as if it will. Those fertilizer dollars can then be shifted to the medium-producing areas to see if we can push it into being a high-producing zone. On the already high-producing areas, we’re looking at that and saying, ‘That’s all this ground is capable of, and we can’t push the yield any further,’ and we would recommend only applying the amount of fertilizer that the crop will remove over the growing season in order to maintain soil test levels. All said and done, you’re basically spending the same amount of money as you would if you just spread a traditional blend of fertilizer everywhere, but you’re getting the benefit of a spatial allotment of those nutrients to address these various productivity zones and optimizing your budget.”
This map displays the difference in resolution between standard composite sampling and 2.5-acre grid sampling. Notice the areas where the producer would have been over-applying lime if only using the data from composite samples.
Colley says that the traditional “sample every three years” works in certain areas, but advises customers and Co-op staff to do the math and make sure crop removal is accounted for in between sampling intervals. In recent years Colley has seen benefits from sampling annually.
“Modern hybrids are removing more fertility from our soils than ever before as yields increase every year,” he says. “By sampling annually, that customer gets the opportunity to check and make sure they didn’t remove more fertility with the crop than the yield goal we fertilized for in the previous year. In an annual sampling cycle, often we are spending essentially the same amount of money on lime as we would every third year, but spreading it out and making it more digestible by having that as an annual part of the budget instead of a big hit every fourth year.”
He adds that AccuField now is integrated with Winfield United’s tissue sampling recommendation set, NutriSolutions, and a detailed crop assessment can become even more comprehensive.
“The NutriSolutions recommendation within the AccuField app allows customers to analyze tissue samples and supplement nutrition during the growing season,” says Colley. “By integrating that data with post-season soil sampling, we’re really painting a clear picture of what that crop needs and what the producer can do to take his production to the next level.”
For more information on soil sampling and GreenPoint Ag’s AccuField, visit with the agronomists at your local Co-op.
SUPPLEMENTS
BY JIMMY PARKER
How do you decide when to supplement your cow herd? I think this is a question that plagues many producers and there are several factors to consider. I think the most common strategy is to feed them a heavy dose of grain or feed when it is really cold or cold and raining and while this is a common strategy, it is not likely the best practice and actually can be counterproductive long term. One thing cattle need is consistency and that means feeding the same things every day or at least with a gradual adaptation period. Feeding high amounts of grain on rare occasions is detrimental to rumen
function and subsequently forage digestion. I have often heard that a cow that doesn’t lose a little weight during lactation is not working hard enough and while that is usually true, it is problematic if they are thin when the lactation period begins. Having your cow herd at a healthy body condition
Range cubes have been the traditional go to for decades and can be fed without a trough.
score is essential for that to work properly. Occasionally we run into situations where producers actually need to add body condition to cattle that are lactating and eating poor quality forages. While this is sometimes necessary, it is an expensive fix.
First and foremost it is almost always better economically and production wise to have the cow herd in good shape when they calve. However, if that is not the case and supplementation seems to be needed, how do we decide when and how much to give? One thing to always consider is how will it change the bottom line or maybe is it profitable to do so and often that is a very complex question and all the benefits hard to pinpoint and evaluate. For instance, will a small amount of supplement during the winter increase the percentage of cows that breed back next spring or maybe shorten the calving season? That is one of those things that can only truly be evaluated by
looking backwards, although projecting the benefits is most commonly how we decide to feed or not to feed. More often than not we see supplementation used as a rescue measure in older cattle, trying to keep the cold winter from claiming them.
HOW TO DECIDE HOW MUCH TO GIVE, WHEN TO START AND HOW OFTEN TO SUPPLEMENT.
I would always start with a hay test if hay is being fed. It will normally provide the bulk of the nutrition and is the largest limiting factor. It is generally one of the biggest costs of production and knowing how well it will meet your cattle’s needs is crucial. Testing various cuttings will also allow you to decide which hay to feed at different times of production and make changes as the weather changes.
What type supplement to give is also an important decision to make. I have rarely seen instances where low moisture tubs such as Stimu-lyx did not make sense. There are other tub options such as the Purina high fat tubs that are an excellent source of energy for those cold months where cattle need to gain or at least maintain body condition on poor-quality forages.
What type supplement to give is also an important decision to make. I have rarely seen instances where low moisture tubs such as Stimu-lyx did not make sense.
As far as feed goes, the options are almost unlimited. Range cubes have been the traditional go to for decades and can be fed without a trough. They work well but are somewhat pricey at times and the higher energy cubes, which cost more, are most often the best option. Other feeds will work in most situations and in this case energy levels are more important than protein levels almost always. Finding that information is a bit more difficult and may require you to ask some questions but generally speaking if you have access to AFC Brood Cow or CPC Developer, you will be satisfied with the results. If you have questions about how to make these decisions, talk to your local Cooperative staff or reach out to me. Supplementation is often needed but overlooked when it makes the most sense and feeding the right amount at that correct time will save you money, increase your calf crop, your weaning weights and your bottom line.
WHAT IS THE EQUINE BIOME?
THESE DAYS IT’S HARD TO TALK ABOUT NUTRITION AND NOT MENTION THE TERM “MICROBIOME.” BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS THE MICROBIOME?
KAREN E. DAVISON, PH.D.
The term microbiome refers to the combined population of all the bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses that inhabit a specific area. At Purina, we are most interested in the microbiome of the equine gastrointestinal tract, but every part of your horse has its own unique microbiome. Each individual “bug” in a microbiome plays a specific role and it is because of their combined efforts that the horse can survive and thrive.
The gastrointestinal microbiome of the horse is dictated by a variety of factors including diet, age, metabolic status, activity level, pregnancy status, and disease state. Interestingly, we have also learned that the development of the microbiome occurs early in the life of a foal. Quickly following foaling, the microbial foundation is built along a specific blueprint that is influenced by its environment and its mother. As the foal ages, more
pieces of the blueprint are filled in. Research from the Purina Animal Nutrition Center has shown that early in the life of the foal, the fecal microbiome is drastically different from that of its mother, but in a very short time, the microbial profiles are similar between mare and foal pairs.
MICROBES TURN FEED INTO FUEL FOR HORSES
It is well established that a horse’s diet provides the nutrients necessary to support maintenance of essential bodily functions along with growth and performance. While the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is uniquely designed to harvest essential nutrients from the diet, without the microbiome, indispensable nutrients would fail to be extracted and certain feedstuffs would pass through unused. While each segment of the horse’s GI tract (from mouth to anus) maintains a specific microbial ecology, the workhorses of the microbiome reside in the large intestine (cecum and large colon) of the horse. The microbes present there are primarily tasked with the fermentation of fiber or structural carbohydrates (cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and lignin) into short-chain fatty acids (acetate, propionate, and butyrate), sometimes referred to as volatile fatty acids or VFAs. These fatty acids are utilized by the horse
as an energy source and supply up to 60-70% of their basal energy requirements.
NOT JUST ABOUT DIGESTION
Research has shown that every part of the horse’s GI tract has a microbiome characterized by a specific population of microorganisms. As more research has been conducted, the link between the microbiome and health has become increasingly apparent. Changes in the microbiome have been linked to health issues like laminitis, equine metabolic syndrome, colitis, colic and inflammatory bowel disease. Even more surprising has been the identification of elaborate communication pathways between the host (your horse) and the microbes in its gut. This communication is evident by the role that the microbiome plays in immune function, inflammation, and even cognitive function and behavior. The gastrointestinal microbiome of every horse is unique to them. The microbiome is as unique as a fingerprint, or the whorl on your horse’s head. While unique, it is also dynamic, as the factors that drive the development of the microbiome (diet, age, metabolic status, activity level, pregnancy status and disease state) change, so too does the relative population of the microbes that make up this diverse ecosystem. It makes sense, then, that the ideal microbiome for one horse may be inappropriate for another horse. That’s why it is so important to learn as much as we can about what is normal (and abnormal) before we can expect to influence the microbiome in a meaningful way through nutrition.
Each individual “bug” in a microbiome plays a specific role and it is because of their combined efforts that the horse can survive and thrive.
MOCK SCRAPES TO FOOL MATURE BUCKS
THE DRIPPER OF THEIR DEMISE
BY TODD AMENRUD
As many of you know, during the fall when the amount of sunlight starts to decrease, male whitetails begin to produce considerably increased amounts of the hormone “testosterone.” This influx of testosterone causes their antlers to harden, but what some don’t know, from this time on a whitetail buck is ready to breed. Contrary to what some believe, the actual rut is triggered by the does, not the bucks. A buck doesn't just "go into rut," it's the does coming into heat that cause the bucks to do the vulnerable feats that you typically see during the fall.
During this period bucks will begin to make scrapes. These scrapes can give you clues to get closer to a mature buck, but they can also be used to attract bucks to a location. In fact, fake scrapes made by you can do the same thing.
The origin of a buck’s scrape is almost always going to be a branch (most often referred to as a “licking branch”) that will usually be about 5½ feet off of the ground. A buck will frequently grab the branch with its mouth, often chewing on it and rubbing its forehead and periorbital glands on it. (Photo Credit: Tom Reichner)
THE BIG PICTURE ON SCRAPES
During this period bucks begin to make “scrapes.” Scrapes are multi-stimuli posts that convey numerous messages to the other whitetails in the area. The majority of scrapes are made underneath an overhanging branch which is usually about 5½ feet off of the ground, commonly known as a “licking branch.” Most of the time when a scrape is made, the buck will start by interacting with this branch by licking or chewing on it and scent-marking it with his forehead and preorbital glands. The actual scrape is made by the buck pawing the ground and whisking the leaves and ground debris away. Then, the majority of the time a buck will move ahead a step or two to urinate down his hocks and over his tarsal glands into it. The steps don’t have to be in that order, but most often they will occur in exactly that order.
Some call a scrape “a buck's calling card to the does.” I disagree somewhat. I feel a scrape's primary function is to be a buck's "territory marker and breeding readiness indicator." AND, it's left for ALL of the deer in the area, possibly more so for the other bucks. When a buck is actually breeding does, he may literally be miles away from his "scrape-claimed" territory. It's really not like some used to think — a doe comes along, maybe pees near a buck's scrape and then waits for him. While does may from time to time urinate near or even in a scrape, and they may also pay attention to the licking branch, when breeding gets underway, little attention is actually focused on any scrape.
Are you having problems seeing mature bucks during legal hunting hours? You may want to give mock scrapes a try. They can condition bucks into showing up earlier in the day and hanging around the area longer.
It can also be explained away by the lack of scrapes in areas with an extremely skewed buck to doe ratio. In spots where there is an abundance of does and fewer bucks, there is usually less scrape activity. There is less competition amongst the bucks and they are less territorial. Obviously, there are fewer bucks in an area if there are too many does, but with the bucks that are present, there is less scrape activity than normal because they don't need to continually define territory or dominance.
There is a definite correlation between the size and amount of scrapes in an area and the buck to doe ratio and the age class structure in that specific herd. Larger scrapes typically do mean bigger deer; however, that's not always the case.
Sometimes smaller bucks will work over larger scrapes originally made by more mature, "breeding-class" bucks, and sometimes you may have a dozen bucks or more work over the same scrape. A greater majority of the scrapes made by one-yearold bucks are conceived and then never freshened again. The older bucks that get to do the majority of the breeding in an area will much more often create scrapes that are freshened again and again. And as said, many times these scrapes may be frequented by multiple bucks.
The scrape is a phenomenal scouting aid for the hunter. Yet, too many times hunters have similar claims, "The scrape was freshened every time I scouted, but I hunted it for days and never saw a buck." First of all, you possibly over-hunted the site. Secondly, in
(Photo Credit: Paul Marion)
Heat-activated drippers are a key to getting bucks to show up earlier during legal hunting light and hang around the area longer. Under normal conditions four ounces of scent should last two to three weeks in the dripper. (Photo Credit: Paul Marion)
most areas with a little hunting pressure, the greater majority of pre-rut scrapes are made nocturnally. Thirdly, you may be concentrating on scrapes too far away from the buck’s bedding area.
Instead of hunting one scrape, try to look at the big picture of the whole area. Look at the correlation between his scrapes and the rest of his domain. Where is he currently bedding? Where are the does in his area bedding and feeding? What time is he going to be there to freshen it up? A big point to keep in mind for choosing a stand site is: mature whitetail bucks, especially in areas with hunting pressure, usually "scent-check" an area from down-wind before approaching the scrape.
FAKE SCRAPES TO FOOL MATURE BUCKS
Using a buck’s scrapes as a focal point to get close enough for a shot is a proven tactic from late September through the end of the season. However, it’s very difficult to know which scrape area a buck will visit, or when he’ll be there without the use of a scouting camera…or one of the coolest, most effective tools I’ve now been using for over 30 years — the
Targeting the right area is important. Just because there is a branch at the right height doesn’t mean there should necessarily be a scrape under it. Typically, the closer you are to a buck’s bedding area the better your chances will be for an encounter during legal hunting light.
(Photo Credit: WRC)
Magnum Scrape Dripper... and I would also include the newer high-output Super-Charged Scrape Dripper. These drippers are both heat-activated so they drip during daylight hours. This conditions bucks into showing up during legal shooting light and staying in the area longer. Hunting with Wildlife Research Center’s Drippers has produced again and again for me.
The Magnum Dripper can operate for up to three weeks on four ounces of scent depending upon temperature swings. Both drippers are activated by the daytime temperature increase so they drip daytime only, again conditioning bucks to show up before dark and hang around in the area longer. With bad weather, temperatures usually drop because of a cold front or cloud cover, so it saves your valuable scent from being washed away. The Super-Charged Scrape Dripper dispenses a higher output to simulate more intense deer traffic. That same four ounces of scent will typically last 7 to 12 days in this unit.
Both units have their place. You can’t beat the consistency and simplicity of the Magnum Dripper. It’s a constant reminder to the bucks in the area, training them to show up and hang around. On the other hand, let’s say you’re taking a weeklong hunt to another state. In this case, the Super-Charged Dripper can fire things up quickly, often within a day or two to take advantage of the limited time you have.
The drippers are most often best hung in a shaded area. Absorption of thermal heat from the sunlight can cause the dripper to run through all of the scent prematurely. With that said, during late season, when cold temperatures may freeze the dripper, I may purposefully hang it in a sunny spot to extend the usefulness of these cool tools. As long as the daytime highs break above freezing and hold for the day, it can still remain effective even if nighttime temps drop below freezing.
By using data collected from trail cameras that have been set up both at mock scrapes and existing scrapes without drippers, there’s no question that your odds are significantly better at scrapes, or scrape areas, that have drippers. However…
WHERE AND HOW
Targeting the right area is important. You can't just go out to any branch that is 5½ feet off of the ground and expect to create a successful mock scrape. I tend to pay less attention to actual scrapes made on field perimeters and concentrate on ones closer to bedding areas.
Seek out an area that your target buck is already claiming. Move in and make it look and smell like there's a rival buck moving in on his turf. Look for the areas with the largest scrapes, spots that contain
The author likes to make multiple mock scrapes for a single set-up. If you don’t have enough drippers to cover all the scrapes, just doctor the others with some scent and use a felt wick above the licking branch. The scent obviously won’t last as long as with a dripper, but it may help to draw a response to the area.
numerous scrapes or clusters of scrapes, and scrapes that you know have been freshened again and again.
Wind directions obviously change, but I use the prevailing wind for that area at that time of year as my guide, and I prefer to make at least one, if not “the primary” mock scrape location a short distance upwind of the buck’s natural existing scrape. I also believe it's best to be within fifty yards of the buck's real scrapes, but it can work at any distance. Much depends upon the type of area (habitat and topography), timing, herd density and dynamics and the demeanor of that specific buck.
Once you find the area, search out the same type of tree with the same height licking branch of which the buck originally approved. As mentioned, the interaction branch is almost always about 5 to 5½ feet off of the ground, but can be anywhere from about 3½ feet high, to so high they have to stand on their hind legs to get to it. Try to duplicate the variables that the specific buck that you're after preferred.
As a matter of fact, you can actually use the buck’s existing scrapes. In the whitetails’ world, the same scrape may be utilized by many different bucks. However, more often than not, I’ll make my own, trying to copy the specifics found with the buck’s existing scrapes.
The actual mock scrape is best created with a sturdy stick found in the area. Try to make the scrape
on flat ground if possible and make sure it is free from all debris. Remove all grass-roots or saplings. If you go back and check the site before you hunt it, go to the scrape and carefully rake over the scrape again with a stick. I believe that the fresh earth smell created from disturbing the forest floor also helps to attract deer to the site.
This is an important point at which to mention something about “scent-transfer.” It doesn’t matter whether you’re setting up a mock scrape, or using a buck's already existing scrape, you must be cautious of scent-transfer. What smells are you leaving behind? We obviously want to protect from leaving behind any smells that wouldn’t naturally appear at the site. When you hang the dripper, rubber gloves should be used to reduce the possibility that foreign odors, especially human scent, is left at the scene. At the very least, a clean pair of hunting gloves that have been washed in Scent Killer Clothing Wash should be used — anything but your bare L-serine (human scent) saturated skin. Wearing rubber gloves, rubber-bottomed boots and clothing washed in Scent Killer Clothing Wash will help to avoid leaving foreign smells at the site.
To further keep unnatural odor to a minimum, I like to hang my drippers on a higher branch, above the licking branch. This keeps them from getting a good whiff of any foreign odors that may have permeated the dripper's cloth cover.
On the same note, the actual scrape doesn’t have to be made with a sturdy stick found in the area –I’ve used rakes, shovels, machetes, axes and other things at hand, but you must make sure that it’s NOT the rake that’s been hanging near your car’s exhaust in your garage, or the axe you used to prop up your chainsaw when you filled it with gas…get the idea?
I may use numerous drippers and possibly vary the scent used in each. I believe with more than one "mock" you’re increasing your chances that something's going to be right with at least one of them that will draw a response. Multiple scrapes is the way a real rival buck would announce his presence. With several mock scrapes usually there's something right with at least one of them that will draw a response.
How many? Two will increase your odds, but I've made as many as a dozen in an area of about one acre with success. Most hunters do not own multiple drippers, so use as many as you can afford on the scrapes that you feel the most confident in drawing a response and just "doctor-up" the others with fresh scent each time you physically enter the area. Felt wicks can also be used near the licking branch, but they don’t last nearly as long as the scent in a dripper and no scent is dripped down to the actual scrape itself.
My two favorite scents have always been Active Scrape, and Trail's End #307 used in the dripper, but I would add Golden Scrape to that list. Actually, any liquid scent can be used in the dripper. In fact, these “dripper twins” make great tools for dispensing scent at other scent set-ups; it doesn’t have to be used only at mock scrapes. If you have a chance to check on
your mocks before you hunt them, and preference is shown towards one scent, I might change all of the drippers over to that one scent.
Consistent with just about every successful mock scrape set-up I have are the “mock rubs” that I also produce. With a pruner or wood rasp, I rake up some two- to six-inch saplings in the area. A real intruder buck would typically also mark the area in this way. On the rubs, and in various other places around the set-up, I use a scent called Mega Tarsal Plus. It's a territorial intrusion scent. The illusion I want to create is that a foreign buck has moved in on his marked area.
Timing is also important for mock scrapes to work. In the Midwest I seem to have my best luck from the first or second week of October through the first week of November. And, then again after Thanksgiving and into the first part of December. When the bucks are actively chasing and breeding, mock scrapes are probably not your best tactic. You want the bucks to be in “claiming and protecting territory mode.” Although whitetails don’t define and protect a territory per se, you want to leave him a message that someone else is moving in on his action.
NO LICKING BRANCH, NO PROBLEM
There has been some research in recent years that has found that licking branches transported from a buck’s real existing scrape to different locations will work, hemp rope in place of a licking branch will work, but the coolest tool to make it easy is the new Active Branch. With it you can erect a perfect height licking branch on trees, fence posts or anywhere you can attach the Active Branch at the magic 5½-foot mark. It even has an extra position so you can insert a branch above the actual licking branch to hang your dripper.
Don't expect your mock scrape(s) to necessarily get hit, remember that’s not the objective. Sometimes they may actually cream your fake scrape, but the goal is simply to “draw them to the area during legal shooting light and hold them there for a longer period of time.” However, sometimes they do hit your mock scrapes, and sometimes you’ll have multiple bucks interact with them.
A hunter should use all other aids and information in conjunction with scrapes found in their hunting area. Know where the does are bedding, what the preferred food sources are at that time, where your target buck is bedding, and where he may have other hot scrape areas. Take in the "big picture" of the area and use the buck’s entire range in relationship with other factors before making your mock scrape setup.
If there isn’t a licking branch where you’d like to place a mock scrape, simply install an Active Branch. Then you’ll have an interaction branch at the perfect height and a second branch above on which to mount your dripper.
(Photo Credit: Paul Marion)
Dear valued readers of Cooperative Farming News,
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Starting in 2025, Cooperative Farming News will transition from a quarterly magazine to a Special Edition Annual Report issue in the Spring. This decision was not made lightly as each issue means so much to us and our readers.
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WILD BOAR RAGU OVER PAPPARDELLE PASTA
Wild boar meat is absolutely delicious when made into a velvety ragu and served over pappardelle pasta. I use a pressure cooker to create the most fall-apart, buttery boar meat in less than 45 minutes. It’s as if the boar had been cooking all day. Adding the wine at the end is a must! The depth of flavor the wine adds will certainly be missed if you leave it out. If you don’t have any wine, you can substitute a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
1¾ pounds wild boar meat in 2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 sprigs rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped leaves for garnish
1 Vidalia or sweet onion, peeled and cut in chunks
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and thickly cut
2 celery stalks, thickly cut
1 cup Merlot, other red wine, or beef stock
1 cup beef stock
1 28-ounce can peeled whole tomatoes
1 pound pappardelle pasta
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
Stacy Lyn's New Book!
Stacy Lyn Harris is a best-selling cookbook author, blogger, TV personality, public speaker, wife and mother. She currently lives in Pike Road, Alabama, with her husband Scott and their seven children. Stacy Lyn regularly appears on cable and broadcast television as a guest chef and sustainable living expert. Her new book "Love Language of the South” is available now for purchase. It contains memories of her favorite places, celebrations and memories that have sparked imagination in the kitchen.
1. Liberally season boar with salt and pepper. In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat, pressure cooker, or Instapot, add olive oil and bring to almost smoking.
2. Put the boar chunks into the cooker and brown on all sides for about 5 minutes. Do this in batches so the meat browns and doesn’t steam.
3. Once all the meat is brown, put the meat back into the pot or pressure cooker and add the rosemary, onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until all the vegetables are soft.
4. Add the Merlot and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the beef stock, tomatoes and their juices.
5. If using an Instapot or pressure cooker, secure the lid and follow manufacturer’s instructions to bring the pot to a simmer. Reduce to low, and simmer for 45 minutes until the pork is tender. If using a Dutch oven, simmer covered on the stove top on low heat for about 3 ½ hours, or until the meat is falling apart. Stir occasionally. You can also place the Dutch oven in the oven as a baking pan: cook the meat covered at 300°F for 3 ½ hours.
6. Serve wild boar ragú over pappardelle pasta.
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Much of Alabama is currently amid the most severe bark beetle outbreak in the past quarter century. Like the events recorded in the book written by Sebastian Junger titled The Perfect Storm, 1 this outbreak is the result of the convergence of multiple factors. In this article, we will discuss the pests responsible for the destruction of pine timber, how to identify the damage from each pest, the conditions that led to the current outbreak, and how to prevent and control infestations.
There are four species of pests that are responsible for this current outbreak. Three of these species are classified as southern pine bark beetles and one is a weevil. Below is a brief description of each
species and their biology. They are ranked in order of their level of destruction to pine timber value.
Southern pine beetle. 2 This is the most destructive forest pest in Alabama. The mortality and loss in value to pine timber can reach in the millions of dollars during a severe epidemic. This pest will typically become established in the weakest trees and then spread to all the surrounding trees. The infestation generally grows in the direction of the prevailing winds, and they have been known to kill an entire stand of pine.
During the initial stages of attack by this pest, pine needles will typically turn yellow and then fade to a more bronze color. If enough water is present, the trees will form small pitch tubes to flush out the boring pest. These small clumps of resin found on the outside of the bark are about the size of a wad of chewing gum. However, trees are often unable to
Southern pine beetle is the most destructive pest in southern forests. This species has caused mortality in 60 of the 117 acres of the pine plantation pictured here.
produce pitch during times of drought and the only sign of infestation may be a reddish-brown boring dust on the bark and at the base of the tree. Once the tree has died and the bark is loose, the tunnels or galleries where the beetles have eaten may be observed. Southern pine beetle form distinctive serpentine or “S” shaped galleries.
Ips engraver beetle 3 In a normal year, this species will only attack and kill the weakest trees and does not warrant control efforts. However, the past two years in Alabama have seen some extreme weather that has contributed to their epidemic population levels. Instead of killing single scattered trees, Ips engraver beetles can kill multiple groups of trees within the same pine stand during a drought. These multiple infestations or “spots” may occur in a single stand which can merge into large areas of infestation. These large spots are often misidentified as southern pine beetle. The scattered occurrence of these infestations makes control difficult. Foresters observed more infestations of Ips engraver beetle at the onset of this current outbreak. However, southern pine beetle has now been identified in most counties.
Unlike southern pine beetle, the needles in the tops of trees will typically change color first and then spread to the remainder of the crown. If pitch tubes are present, the ones caused by Ips engraver beetle are about the same size as those of southern pine beetle. The galleries made by this species are typically “H” or “Y” shaped.
Deodar weevil. 4 As if bark beetles weren’t enough to contend with, there is also a weevil that can cause significant levels of mortality to pine stands. This pest causes negligible damage to pine stands in a normal year. However, their populations can reach epidemic numbers during a drought which can cause significant mortality and loss of value in pine stands. The method of attack for this species is like that of the southern pine beetle. However, the rate of spread is much slower.
The signs and symptoms of deodar weevil are like those of the bark beetles and trees killed by this species may be difficult to diagnose. The most definitive sign of a deodar weevil infestation is the presence of a chip cocoon. This cocoon is created by larvae in preparation for their pupation. They resemble a tiny bird’s nest in their appearance.
Black turpentine beetle 5 The populations of this pest species can become elevated during times of drought like other species of bark beetle. However, black turpentine beetle prefers to attack trees that were damaged by machinery, lightning, or windstorms. Control efforts are rarely needed for this spe-
cies unless they are attacking a pine stand in conjunction with other forest pests. The most distinguishing sign of black turpentine beetle is the large pitch tubes near the base of the tree. In addition, there is usually the presence of a wound which attracted the infestation.
PERFECT STORM CONDITIONS
All the pests responsible for the current outbreak are native to Alabama and cyclical outbreaks are considered normal. However, multiple factors have converged to create ideal conditions for the "perfect storm" of this outbreak. Some of these factors include:
Wind events. The wind events in North and Central Alabama during March and April 2023 broke pine limbs, treetops, and uprooted pines throughout much of the state. This resulted in an elevated number of Ips engraver beetles and deodar weevil during the summer of 2023.
Dry Weather. The drought from June 2023-January 2024 reduced the ability of pine trees to protect themselves from the already elevated population levels of pests and resulted in a severe outbreak. An even more severe drought has occurred during the summer of 2024. This coupled with the extremely high temperatures have combined to increase the rate of spread as all pines are in a weakened state and un-
If water is available, pine trees will produce pitch tubes in an attempt to flush out the pests attacking the tree. These pitch tubes are about the size of a wad of gum and are a result of the attack of Ips engraver beetles.
During drought conditions, pine trees may not be able to absorb enough water to produce pitch tubes. In this case, boring dust on the ground may be observed to confirm the presence of bark beetles.
able to produce enough pitch to defend themselves. Dense pine stands. The primary method of reducing the hazard for bark beetles is thinning stands of pine. Many of the pine stands in Alabama are excessively dense because of the inability of forest landowners to secure a timber buyer to thin their pine. The closure of multiple pulpwood mills, mill outages,
and the reduction in the logging force have created an over-supply of pine relative to the current market capacity. This over-supply of wood results in low prices and restrictive quotas at pine mills which makes pine thinning unattractive to most timber buyers.
PREVENTION
The best method of preventing beetle infestations is to maintain healthy pine trees. This is primarily achieved by thinning dense stands of pine so that the growing resources can be focused on fewer trees. Proper thinning increases the amount of available water which helps the trees to produce pitch to expel the beetles from their bark. In addition, air flows more freely in thinned pine stands and disrupts the ability of beetles to find mating partners. Practices such as regular prescribed burning and mid-rotation chemical applications reduce competition from other plants and may improve the ability of trees to defend themselves against attack. Planting pine trees on better sites also helps to reduce their susceptibility to infestations. Finally, harvesting stands at high risk of infestation such as those that are older, denser, and that are on poor soils will help reduce the opportunities for future infestations.
CONTROL
During outbreaks it is important to monitor pine stands regularly and initiate control efforts once an
Chip cocoons look like tiny little bird nests and are a sign of deodar weevil infestation. They are made by larvae as they prepare to pupate.
infestation is observed. The traditional method of controlling southern pine beetle is to harvest a buffer of un-infested trees on the outside of the beetle spot. To implement this technique, a forestry professional will identify the most recently infested trees and will mark a buffer that is at least as wide as the timber is tall. Professionals familiar with this technique will not mark the boundary until the logger is on-site. Harvesting will start on the outside and the cutter will work their way to the center of the infestation. This will reduce the likelihood that the spot grows beyond the marked buffer. The focus will be on removing green trees as the beetles have already exited those that are dead. In extreme cases of infestation where landowners cannot sell their salvaged timber, they may consider hiring a logger to drop and pile the trees in the center of the beetle spot where they are burned to kill the beetle larvae.
Unfortunately, the buffer method may not be ef-
fective for outbreaks of Ips engraver beetle or deodar weevil. For these two pests, experts recommend that infested trees be felled and either piled and burned or sprayed with an effective insecticide. Felling, burning, and applying insecticide are all inherently dangerous and extreme caution should be exercised when applying these techniques. Landowners should implement control measures as soon as a logger is available. However, control measures are especially valuable during the winter as beetle larvae are more concentrated and it is estimated that every tree with larvae that is removed will save at least 10 trees from future infestation.
LEADERSHIP
Alabama has some of the best forest management leadership of any state in the nation. The Alabama Forestry Commission and the Alabama Forest Owners Association do an excellent job of working with landowners to provide information on how to identify their pests and protect their pines. The Alabama Forestry Association serves as the “Voice of Forestry in Alabama” and is already working with the Governor and elected officials on providing relief to forest landowners.
By practicing sound forest management, conducting regular monitoring, and implementing effective control measures, landowners can help protect their valuable pine timber resources.
REFERENCES
1 Redd, Wyatt (2024, March 16). What Really Happened to the Andrea Gail, The Doomed Ship That inspired ‘The Perfect Storm?’. All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/andrea-gail. Accessed on 8/24/2024.
2 AFC-Southern Pine Bark Beetle. Alabama Forestry Commission. https://forestry.alabama.gov/ Pages/Informational/insects/Southern_Pine_Bark. aspx. Accessed on 8/24/2024.
4 Self, A. Brady (2020). Publication 3057 (POD05-20). Mississippi State University Extension. What is Attacking My Pine? The Case of the Deodar Weevil.
Pictured above are pitch tubes formed as a result of an attack of black turpentine beetle. These pitch tubes are much larger than the pitch tubes formed for other bark beetles and are almost always found near the base of the infested tree.
GEORGE'S LAST FALL
BY WALT MERRELL
Hannah laughs when she tells the story now … about the first time she looked across the quad at Montevallo and saw my middle-of-my-back, long hair and my cut-off shorts. “The first time I ever saw Walt, I knew right then, he’d make my momma and daddy mad,” she recalled. So, I turned to my girlfriends and declared, ‘I am gonna take that boy home to meet my parents!’” And she did.
Little did she know, though, despite her mischievous intentions, we would fall in love … and we did. And, soon enough, I met her parents, too. The first time I met her dad face-to-face, I was a nervous wreck. A big, barrel-chested man with a voice as large as his personality, George Gantt was not a man that any suitor wanted to see standing in the threshold of the door. He wrapped his massive arms around Hannah, nearly enveloping her
into his fold, and stared at me over her shoulder. I promise, had I had the car keys in my hand, I would have left right then and there. That stare … a thousand-yard, cold sniper’s stare that pierced me to my soul … I knew, in that moment, he could “see” me. And I was scared to death.
“Do I have lipstick on my collar? Do I have a booger? Why are my palms so sweaty? What if he smells that I smoke cigarettes?” (I’ve since quit!) My mind raced into a frenzy … and then he stepped forward out of the doorway and shook my hand like a 100-ton hydraulic press.
“Waaalt Mer-rell, sir. Nice to meeeet you.” My voice cracked under the pressure of the moment, and the bones in my hand cracked under the pressure of his grip. I tried not to flinch. “Gruuunnhh-unnhh,” I cleared the frog from my throat. “Thank you for having me.”
“Come on in the house, son.” He then pulled me up into the doorway and patted me on the shoulder. Hannah began introducing me to everyone in the room and, that day, George began planting seeds in me.
Years later, perhaps while Hannah and I were engaged to be married, I recall sitting around the dinner table with Hannah and her parents. Brenda had made meatloaf and creamed potatoes with English peas. “My favorite,” and she knew it. I knew she had made the meal just for me.
“We’ve been praying for you since before we knew you,” George offered in between bites of cornbread. “We’ve prayed that the Lord would bring a strong, healthy, Christian man to Hannah as her husband.” He paused for a minute before cracking a smile … “and we got you instead!” He teased as he burst into laughter. I laughed, too … but I honestly felt that I couldn’t be the answer to that prayer. I loved Hannah, and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, no doubt … but “a strong, healthy, Christian man”? I wasn’t sure I could measure up to that standard. But George … well, before he even knew what seeds he was going to plant … he started preparing the soil.
Years went by, and not only did Hannah and I get married, but we also had three beautiful girls along the way. As a young man, I didn’t know how to be a husband or a father. For all practical purposes, I was estranged from my dad at an early age, and I often
found myself scratching my head at how to handle a problem in my marriage or as a father. But the soil George had prepared and the seeds he planted all grew along with me … and within my relationship with him. He’d give me advice along the way, encourage me to pray and remind me of what a “man” looks like in word and deed. And I followed his example … for he was a strong, healthy, Christian man.
And then came the winter of his life. This picture of George driving his old John Deere ahead of me on my Massey Fergussen … this was the last time George and I ever planted together. Fitting, isn’t it, that one of the last times he and I spent together as “men” was him planting seeds?
Frustrating at the time, I look back at his antics and laugh today. We had planted several green fields that morning in anticipation of deer season. He had not actually hunted in a few years, but he loved to work with the tractor, so I invited him to help. And, as luck would have it, about two hours in, I blew a hydraulic hose on my lift. We tried to remove the old hose with an old, rusty, adjustable wrench, but the hose would have none of it. So, George drove his tractor back to the house to get a few tools. An hour later, he still had not returned. Frustrated, but perhaps suspiciously understanding, I walked a mile back to the house. When I walked through the very same door he first shook my hand in, I found him kicked up in his recliner drinking a big glass of sweet tea! I shook my head, but I couldn’t help but smile.
“What you been doing?” his voice boomed as I came inside and shut the door. From the time he left me in the field until he got home, he forgot what
he was doing and where I was at. I shook my head and said, “The tractor is broke down, and I need your help.” Without hesitation, he got up, and we got a few tools and went back out to fix it.
It’s okay that sometimes in life, we forget where we are going and what we are supposed to do … I see that every day in my profession. What I look for in people is their core … and George, at his core, never hesitated to help anyone who was in need. He may have forgotten, but that didn’t change who he was, and it certainly didn’t change the fact that he taught me most everything I know about being a father and a husband. He planted those seeds …
The fact was, George didn’t know a lick about being a mechanic—not that I knew much more than he did. He was a “hold this” helper, and he was good at it. Together, we got the hose off and ran to town to have a new one built. We did get the tractor back up and running, and, though we were a little late for supper, we finished planting that same day.
Regrettably, this was the last fall that he and I ever planted together. He died of complications from dementia the following year. He was a giant among
men … and even though he never planted a single row crop, he was the greatest farmer I ever knew. He didn’t know much about cotton or peanuts, but he knew a lot about life and family and faith. And he was better at those things, for sure. So that’s where he planted seeds … in life, in faith, and in family … and in me, too. And I’m not much of a crop, but I’m a might bit better than what I was when he found me.
Sometimes, just hold something … sometimes, just be eager to help … sometimes, be forgiving. But always … love people where they are. And, even if you wander off the path a little, just come back.
God bless.
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.
2023 & 2024 Years of Service Awards
The following AFC Member Cooperative Employees were recognized at the 2024 Summer Managers Meeting for their Years of Service to their local Co-op.
5 YEARS
Leah Allen
Samantha Anderson
Kevin Bailey
James Balentine
Timothy Barnes
Lorriann Blowers
Brittany Boone
Darian Bowman
Eric Bynum
Susan Carpenter
Ronald Clement Jr.
Virginia Cline
Rodney Davidson
Jeffery Davis
Michael Dulaney
Corey Espy
Carson Eubank
Steve Farness
Riley Goforth
Jeffery Hadaway
David Hardric
Terry Harrison
Karen Hayes
Amanda Henegar
Wanda Henson
Ronald Hewiett
Dakota Hogue
Christopher Hughes
William Hurst
Anthony Isbell
Samuel Jackson
Yvette Jackson
Justin Johnson
Justin Kelsoe
James Lastinger
Ricky Lee
Carlie Mann
Benjamin Martin
Seth Matheny
Earl Morgan
Jesse Nesbitt
Jason Pealor
Carrie Pitts
Mark Searels
Kathleen Shertzer
Rachel Stansell
Alex Simmons
Barrett Simmons
Douglas Smith
Tanner Smith
Cole Spurlin
Albion Taylor
Joseph Taylor
Justin Taylor
Rodney Terry
Barry Thomas
Sara Thomas
Hunter Thrasher
Howard Uhlman
Wilburn Underwood
Andrew Valcore
Mark Vingers
5 YEARS cont.
Ralph Waldrep
Timothy Waldrep
Jacob White
Amy Wright
10 YEARS
Karen Artis
Justin Ballard
Melissa Bailey
Ben Calhoun
Selman Caton II
John Landon Curtis
David Davis
Jeffrey Hendrix
Russell Hobbs
Nina Holley
Bradley Hopkins
Harry Huntoon
Lisa Joiner
Lois Johnson
Lisa Lane
Phillip Limbaugh
Ronnie Louallen
Heather Madewell
Doyle Mclin
Danny McCormack
Ray McNiel
William Monk Jr.
Lester Renfroe
Jason Roberts
Eric Sanders
Samuel Stewart
Samantha Sykes
Emily Tolar
John Tolar
Joseph Trull
Guy Turner
Patricia Vickery
John Wade
Jeffrey Wales
15 YEARS
Larry Byrd
Cheryl Cornman
Christopher Elliott
Robert Golden
Andrew Hall
Christopher Hankins
Joshua Haygens
Joseph Hinton
Claude LaMastus II
Justin Pace
William Ring
James Russell
James Sides
Carl Simmons
Amanda Taylor
Kellie Trull
Jeremy Williams
20 YEARS
Cynthia Alexander
Joseph Cameron Jr.
Steven Caraway
Glean Colwell
William Davis
Brett Dollar
Charles Edwards
Mary Friday
Sherry Harrelson
Debra Kynard
Jan Lambard
Ricky Love
James Lynn
Murray Mccrummen
Leslie Peden
Nathan Silvey
Alfred Temple
Mark Upton
Tonya Westmoreland
25 YEARS
Richard Burgans
Jonathan Courson
Gowan Embry
Kelli Hall
Steven Lipscomb
Robbie Neal
Maudena Payne
Paul Peden
Della Putman
Thomas Thomas
John Tolar
Roger Turk
30 YEARS
Jerry Hartley
Christopher Hix
Jeffrey Hughston
Danny Murdock
Marsha Terry
Contina Watkins Preuit
Rance Welborn
40 YEARS
Lisa Holmes
Lester Williams
Timothy Wood
45 YEARS
John Holley
Reggie Shook
50 YEARS
Fines Bates
Faye Shumate
2024 AFC Division &JV Awards
BONNIE PLANT SALE: TENNESSEE VALLEY CO-OP - ATHENS (PICTURED WITH TIM TRUSSELL)
LARGEST DOLLAR GROWTH: CENTRAL ALABAMA FARMERS CO-OP LARGEST PERCENT GROWTH: FARMERS COOPERATIVE, INC.LIVE OAK PARTNERSHIP AWARD: MADISON COUNTY CO-OPSCOTTSBORO
CO-OP CATFISH SALES: PIKE COUNTY CO-OP
FEED VOLUME: ANDALUSIA FARMERS CO-OP - FLORALA (PICTURED WITH JIMMY HUGHES) HIGHEST GROWTH PERCENTAGE: CHEROKEE FARMERS CO-OP
LOAN VOLUME: ANDALUSIA FARMERS CO-OP (PICTURED WITH KYLE HOLT & RONNIE HELZER)
Eli Moore Triple A Award Eli Moore Triple A Award
AFC Training and Development Manager and 2008 E.P. Garrett Manager of the Year, Karen Linker, was honored with the Eli Moore Triple A Award at the 2024 Summer Managers Meeting. This prestigious award recognizes employees who go above and beyond while Always having an Awesome Attitude.
With 22 years of dedicated service to AFC, Karen has consistently delivered the highest quality service to AFC, its member cooperatives, and employees, regardless of any personal challenges she has faced. Her nomination stated: “It would be hard to replace this person who works at AFC. I truly believe that her heart, soul and spirit are in the right place with the job Karen continues to do and the services that she provides for our members. Despite many challenges in her life, Karen maintains an awesome attitude every day.”
AFC President and CEO, Rivers Myres, summed up Karen’s strong character, stating, “She lives life with grace.”
After receiving the award, Karen addressed the audience, saying, “I work with the best company in the entire universe. Life can throw really tough things at you. Take it, be stronger than the storm, and you can survive anything surrounded by a good work family, a home family, and Jesus Christ.”
Karen was surprised on stage by her grandson, Logan Wright, his mother, Liz Kastburg, and his sister, Lilly Kastburg.
Thank you to our Platinum Sponsors
Congratulations Karen Linker
DANCING WITH LIQUID GLASS
BY TIFFANY LESTER
Apotentially dangerous combination of sand, lime, soda and extremely high heat can actually be quite beautiful as it is the recipe for glass art.
A single image in a book lit the flame that has led to a 30-year career in glass blowing for Cal Breed, co-owner of Orbix Hot Glass in Fort Payne, Alabama. From his very first gather from a furnace, Breed had fallen in love with the ever-fickle art of glass blowing.
"Temperamental is a good way to say it because it has a range that you can shape it and enjoy its plasticity. But there's the space outside of that range where you're toying with allowing it to crack or heat too much, where it wants to go back to a soft form, where if you had details, you might lose. It can burn you. It can be sharp and crack or something you really love might fall off of the rod that you're using and smash on the floor,” said Cal.
Orbix Hot Glass co-owner Cal Breed works on a glowing ball of liquid glass with plans to morph it into a beautiful pitcher.
But if at first, you don’t succeed, blow, blow again. For Cal, his wife and Orbix co-owner Christy and their team, the temperamentality of the craft is all part of the process.
"It makes it way more epic when you get the piece in the oven, and it is a good one. Having the failures provide a place to learn, but they're also a good balance to the successful ones,” explained Cal.
The dance with liquid glass is as complex as it is beautiful. It starts with an idea. Then there’s the plan and the choreography of gathering liquid glass on either a solid rod or a blow pipe to inflate, the application of color, if needed, and then the shaping of the molten glass with centrifugal force and gravity. Those doing the dance include the gaffer, who is the main glass blower, then a first, second and third assistant.
It’s called the hot shop for a reason. They keep the molten glass at around 2050 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat can be felt throughout the hot shop thanks to the glory holes in the furnace.
But Cal and his team bask in the glow of molten glass. They enjoy sculpting sand and flame into beautiful crystal creations.
“The joy of exploring the material and sharing that joy with the public is so fun because there's lots of curious people, especially for young people. To see their eyes as they watch us transform the molten material into something is magical. It's just unlike
any other thing,” Cal added.
"My favorite part of working in the blown glass world is when we have large pieces that Cal has designed, and he needs a large team of people to make
Glassblowing takes a massive amount of teamwork from the lead gaffer and the assistants. As pictured, the gaffer shapes the piece of art while the assistant blows into the blowpipe as they work together to create its final shape and size.
Cal Breed uses what’s called “jacks” to stretch and shape the top of a pitcher.
it when the team is anywhere from four to seven people. That whole choreography in the finishing of a large piece is one of the most exciting times,” said Christy Breed.
With a location bordering Little River Canyon National Preserve and with a strong agricultural community in the area, the pieces the Breeds create are often inspired by the nature around them.
“Our business is always about people, too. With where we are located on a given Saturday, we might have a farmer that's a neighbor of ours come in to bring his grandchildren to blow standing next to an engineer at NASA who's working on some project related to space exploration. Then we've had Ray Charles' daughter come and sing “Amazing Grace” a cappella in the middle of the hot shop. Gathering people from all different areas, occupations and interests is huge for us,” explained Christy.
Orbix Hot Glass hosts several classes for people to get hands-on experience glassblowing ornaments and pumpkins, but they typically fill up quickly. Learn more or shop these fragile creations by visiting orbixhotglass.com.
After 24 hours of cooling in the annealer, the finished piece of art can be put on display and/or purchased.
A hot piece of glass is added and stretched as the pitcher handle.
Various tools are used to shape the glass during the glassblowing process including pads, paddles, blocks and puntie.
The Orbix Hot Glass team L-R: Jill Bitner, Eric Harper, Cal Breed, Christy Breed, Lori Cummings and Odie.
KNOWING YOUR COW HERD: PRODUCTION = REPRODUCTION
MICHELLE F. ELMORE
How well do you know your cow herd? It seems like a peculiar question, but it is a worthy one. Overall, “How well are your cows and heifers doing to produce a marketable product?” The success of a beef cowcalf operation depends upon the number of calves produced and marketed each year. Fewer calves produced reduces the number of calves to market. Production equals reproduction. Reproductive performance can increase or decrease overall profitability. Proper management of nutrition, herd health, and accurate record keeping are all crucial components impacting reproduction. Not meeting the nutritional requirements of cows and replacement heifers can
remarkably undermine reproductive success. Setting goals and prior planning is very important.
WHAT SHOULD MY REPRODUCTIVE GOALS BE?
• Target a defined calving season of 60 to 90 days or less.
• Reach high pregnancy and calving percentages and an optimal herd average calf weaning weight.
• Maintain cows who consistently produce a calf each year and strive for a high percentage of calves born in the first half of the calving season.
WHY A DEFINED CALVING SEASON?
A defined calving season of 60 to 90 days can best utilize time, labor and resources. A more uniform calf crop in age, development and weight is produced. This allows for better focus on nutrition, herd health, management practices and marketing when calves and cows are in a similar stage of production. With accurate record keeping, a defined calving season also identifies cows who routinely calve outside the desired calving season or do not calve at all.
HOW CAN I DETERMINE REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS?
Pregnancy diagnosis is a key practice to evaluate the results of the breeding season. Pregnancy in cattle can be determined by rectal palpation, reproductive ultrasound or blood testing. Rectal palpation is the most common method and is best done at least 45 days after the end of the breeding season by a veterinarian. Evaluating pregnancy status is an important management tool to lower production costs, as it allows you to cull non-productive cows from your herd. Why keep an open cow or heifer that will not produce a calf to market?
After pregnancy status has been determined, a pregnancy percentage can be calculated as another indication of reproductive success. Calculate the pregnancy percentage by dividing the total number of bred cows and heifers by the total number of cows and heifers exposed to a bull during the breeding season. Then, after the calving season, a calving percentage can be calculated by dividing the number of calves born by the number of cows and heifers exposed during the breeding season. The calving percentage provides an assessment of any loss due to calving or reproductive health problems. Moving forward to weaning, a weaning percentage can be calculated by dividing the total number of calves weaned by the number of cows and heifers exposed. The weaning percentage is an assessment of any loss between calving and weaning. Looking further, a cow herd’s production level can be evaluated by herd’s average weaning weight. What is an optimum herd average weaning weight? This is determined by an operation’s goals, resources, and marketing plan. The Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Association (BCIA) Commercial Record Keeping Program has reported an average 205 day adjusted weaning weight of 581 lbs. over the last five years.
HOW CAN I MEASURE REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE?
A calving distribution is a very useful way to evaluate a cow herd to see when calves were born in a defined calving season. To do so, record the date when the first calf was born. At the end of the first 21 days of the calving season, count and record the number of calves born. Continue this for each additional 21-day calving period. Determine your calving distribution by reviewing the number of calves born in each 21-day period of the calving season. It is ideal for a high percentage of calves to be born in the first half of the calving season to be more efficient.
Over time, an average calving interval is a key method to evaluate individual cow performance. An average calving interval is the average number of days from one calving date to the next. An ideal average calving interval is 370 days or less, and a higher calving interval indicates a cow is later calving or has missed a year in producing a calf. Why keep cows that do not successfully produce a calf each year?
HOW DO I BEST SELECT A REPLACEMENT HEIFER?
After you have evaluated your mature cow herd, how do you best add to the herd in selecting replacement heifers? To begin, what do we ultimately want in a replacement heifer? A well-developed heifer to calve unassisted at two years of age in the early part of the calving season. Then, wean a good (maybe great) calf and REBREED early or on time for her second calving season. Long-term, become a reliable cow who maintains a good calving interval and produces calves that perform. So, what should I look for in a replacement heifer? Evaluate structural soundness in conformation, hooves, muscling, weight and body condition score. Note the birth date and age, as older replacement heifers have had more time to develop to breed more successfully. Review the heifer’s adjusted weaning weight and ratio, if available, and any dam production history, such as average calving interval and calf adjusted weaning weights. Evaluate frame score and certainly disposition. Sire information is absolutely an asset, and for bred heifers, service sire information and projected calving dates are essential.
TAKE HOME MESSAGE
Get to know your cow herd to best answer the question, “How well are your cows and heifers doing to produce a marketable product?” Production equals reproduction. Reproductive performance can increase or decrease overall profitability. Set production goals and develop a management plan to meet your targets.
November 2nd, 2024 12:00 Noon CST
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AW SHUCKS!
ALABAMA’S OYSTER INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTES
$3.2 MILLION TO STATE’S ECONOMY
BY KATIE NICHOLS
Alabama’s oyster industry is a growing business. The state is home to 13 commercial oyster aquaculture operations, with an estimated market value of $3.2 million.
Of more than 100 oyster species found worldwide, the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is the only one commercially grown in Alabama. Rusty Grice, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System outreach programs administrator at the Auburn University Shellfish Lab, said oyster production in Alabama has managed to grow over the years.
In 2023, more than 45 acres were used for commercial oyster production, with the number of off-bottom farmed oysters harvested reaching 5.2 million. However, this growth has not come without significant challenges, such as storms and other industry disruptions.
MANAGEMENT FOR HEALTH AND CONSERVATION
Oyster farmers face two management concerns: public health and conservation. The Alabama De-
partment of Public Health (Seafood Division) and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (Marine Resources Division) monitor the waters around oyster reefs. Reefs are closed to harvesting when bacterial counts indicate that disease-causing organisms are above acceptable levels. Closures generally coincide when high river flow in winter and early spring carries increased pollution into the lower portion of Mobile Bay.
Oysters are bound to one spot after they settle, which means they are at the mercy of the water brought to them by currents and tides. When the water is too fresh (less than 10 parts per thousand salinity) for long periods, oysters die. On the other hand, when salinity is high, oysters are likely to be devastated by oyster drills (snails), crabs and a tiny parasite called a dermo.
P.J. Waters, an associate Extension professor in the Auburn University School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, said because oysters are filter feeders and can concentrate harmful substances in their body tissues, bacteria and other pollutants can
cause problems for oyster consumers.
“Generally, these pollutants do not harm the oysters but make them unfit to eat, especially raw,” said Waters, who conducts research at the Auburn Marine Extension and Research Center.
Waters said oyster abundance is another factor that regulatory officials consider when opening or closing a particular area.
The Marine Resources Division manages oyster populations primarily by requiring licenses, enforcing a size limit of 3 inches (wild caught) and limiting harvests to hand- or oyster-tong harvest on public reefs. The Marine Resources Division also plants oyster shells or other cultch material to provide new substrate for oyster larvae to settle on, attach and grow.
Opportunities for additional shell plantings are still prevalent as resources become available through the Alabama Oyster Shell Recycling Program and similar efforts.
HARVESTING OYSTERS
Wild-caught oysters are harvested, processed and sold based on volume rather than weight. Oyster harvesters catch tubs, sacks and barrels of oysters. Oyster shuckers are paid by the gallon for meat shucked. Consumers buy sacks of whole oysters and gallons, half gallons or pints of oyster meat.
For farm-raised oysters, Waters describes three categories of Alabama oyster culture:
• Commercial (including under piers)
• Oyster gardening (involves florets intended for restoration purposes)
• Personal consumption (typically under a private pier)
Grice said commercial oyster culture entails oyster production with the intent to sell to the premium half-shell market. Oyster gardening, however, is the nonconsumptive culture of oysters for educational, habitat enhancement and general ecological benefit.
Oysters grown for personal consumption are strictly for the benefit of the individual grower.
“Each category carries specific production and regulatory requirements related to oyster culture and harvest,” Grice said. “It is important for you to know what these are prior to beginning any oyster production.
OYSTERS BENEFIT ALABAMA
Oysters are a valuable natural resource in Alabama. Waters said oyster reefs are becoming widely recognized for their ecological as well as economic value.
“Healthy reefs filter large volumes of water (approximately 2 gallons per hour for adults), contribute to a reduction in excess nutrients and provide food and shelter for an estimated 300 species of marine organisms,” Waters said. “Highly valued game fish are also often associated with oyster reefs. Reefs also serve as wave breaks, reducing shoreline erosion by dissipating energy rather than reflecting it, as is found with bulkheads.”
The oyster industry also provides jobs and has a sizeable economic impact. Waters said, like all marine resources, oysters depend on good water quality for continued success.
“Good water quality can be maintained by preserving wetlands, careful planning of dredging activities and controlling pollution, both in Mobile Bay and in the watersheds that feed the bay,” Waters said.
LEARN MORE
For more information about oyster culture in Alabama, read the Alabama Extension publications “Oysters in Alabama” and “Alabama Shellfish Aquaculture Situation & Outlook Report: Production Year 2023.” Both are available at www.aces.edu.
BIG BUCKS Aw shucks!
Alabama’s oyster industry is a growing business. Commercial oyster operations contribute $3.2 million to the state’s economy.
More than forty-five acres were used for commercial oyster production in 2023, with the number of off-bottom farmed oysters harvested reaching 5.2 million.
Oyster reefs have significant ecological economic value, filtering water, reducing shoreline erosion, and providing food and shelter for other organisms.
Discover more about Alabama’s oyster industry at aces.edu.
BY CAROLYN DRINKARD
It seems that small family-owned restaurants are being replaced by fast-food or chain eateries, which have the same menus in every location. However, in Fulton, Alabama, one family restaurant has defied the odds and continues to serve great food with gracious hospitality.
Susie Q’s Sawmill Cafe opened in 2015. Owners Henry and Sue Mozingo both love to cook, so they stepped out in faith to open Susie Q’s. Their daughters, Cassandra Powell and Savannah Martin, joined them. Like their parents, both are excellent cooks and bakers. In 2021, the girls took over the business. There’s something really special about this family restaurant in a small, nondescript building on the edge of Bassett’s Creek, in Fulton. It sits directly across the road from two large wood
SAWMILL CAFE SUSIE Q’S
product mills: Canfor and Scotch Plywood. The restaurant is a part of Fulton’s downtown business area, which includes a post office, a grocery store, two beauty parlors, a craft shop and a rural health clinic.
Susie Q’s serves honest-to-goodness family-style meals. Martin mans the kitchen, while Powell and helper, Nicole Henson, cover the front serving area. Open five days a week from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m., they offer a “meat and two” lunch menu that comes with bread, drink and dessert for $9.98 with tax. Patrons can also order from the regular menu or take advantage of weekly specials. On Facebook, the sisters publish both their daily lunch menus and the available sweet treats. On Friday nights, they serve from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., offering their full menu with Alabama seafood favorites, like
Susie Q’s Sawmill Cafe sits on the edge of Bassett’s Creek, across the road from two wood products mills.
fish, shrimp and oysters. Once a month, they offer mouth-watering steaks, grilled by Powell’s husband, Thomas, with help from Henson.
Susie Q’s is a step back in time to a refreshing example of small-town America. Their menu changes daily, with crowd favorites like “Pork Chop Monday,” offering grilled as well as fried pork chops, or Taco Tuesday, with half or full salads. Fried and baked chicken are always staples, but the sisters spice things up with chicken spaghetti, Greek wings, country fried steak and good old southern catfish with all the trimmings.
Susie Q’s backs up their tasty, mouth-watering food with casual convenience and quick service, which begins at 8 a.m. Meals are line-served by Powell and Henson, who greet many of their customers by name and usually know what each one might want. After making their choices, guests can dine in or carry out. There are only five booths and five tables here, but they are usually full of folks, enjoying the good food in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere.
Darlene and Max Crim are regulars who highly recommend this restaurant. “Susie Q’s is such a good place to eat,” Darlene said. “Cassandra and Savannah are hard-working girls who always try to please us. Their prices can’t be beat. Fulton is so fortunate to have them.”
Susie Q’s may be a community gathering place,
but it also attracts many others from surrounding counties and towns. Henry Mozingo also delivers plates to shut-ins in local rural areas surrounding Fulton.
Customers also flock to Susie Q’s for some of the best made-to-order cakes and pies in Southwest Alabama. Martin and Powell run a thriving side business, called “Two Sisters Baking,” which specializes in custom cakes, ranging from intricately decorated wedding cakes to melt-in-your-mouth cupcakes, cookies and brownies. Powell's daughter, Breanna, heads “Cheesecakes by Breanna,” serving up all kinds of specialty cheesecakes. Both businesses are on Facebook, and orders can be placed online and picked up at Susie Q’s. Each day, the girls offer customers a large selection of individual slices of their many treats.
On holidays, Susie Q’s prepares meals, appetizers and treats, which customers order for their families. Their casseroles and sides, along with family desserts, make holiday meals very special for many. Their southern dressing is some of the best, and the girls stay busy around Thanksgiving and Christmas preparing this crowd pleaser.
Giving back to others has always been the nature of this family. They support community activities and provide food services for different events in Fulton.
Savannah Martin (L) and Cassandra Powell (R) took over Susie Q’s Sawmill Cafe in Fulton, AL, in 2021. The family restaurant is like a step back in time when good food, good service and good prices were the norm in the food service industry.
Mia Martin (Savannah’s daughter) follows in the footsteps of her mother and aunt, learning the secrets behind good food.
One is the annual Clarke County 4-H Pig Squeal, which draws a huge crowd each year. They also support events in Grove Hill and Thomasville.
“They are great supporters of our Fire Department,” said Fulton Fire Chief Danny Bedwell. “They
make 10-12 cakes every year for our cake auction at our Singing fundraiser. They are just great down-toearth people.”
Susie Q’s has had some setbacks in the time they have been in Fulton, but the greatest had to be when Bassett’s Creek overflowed its banks on April 14, 2018, devastating the small town.
“There were people that we had never even met who came to help us clean up and repair things,” Martin explained. “We promised them all that we would be back and better than before, and we are working every day towards that.”
The Susie Q’s family believes that consistency has been the key to their success. They prepare what their customers like, and they serve it with huge helpings of neighborliness and kindness.
“Our food is prepared the same way Mama taught us,” said Martin. “We offer meals cooked with our home touch, and we use only fresh, quality ingredients.”
Even at their lowest moments, this close-knit family has held tightly to their faith, to each other and to their customers.
“Our customers are what keep us here,” Martin said, “and they are number one in our books!”
If you get hungry while traveling down Highway 43 in Southwest Alabama, turn on Highway 178 and drive in to Fulton, Alabama. You’ll find friendly folks and some good country cooking that can’t be beat.
Braden Miller enjoys a cupcake made by his mother. The sisters offer all kinds of daily treats to their customers.
The restaurant is small with only five tables and five booths. Still, customers enjoy eating and visiting with neighbors.
Breanna Miller owns “Cheesecakes by Breanna.” Her customers order online and then pick up at the restaurant. She also sells individual portions at Susie Q’s.
BY JOHN HOWLE
LOOK DEEP INTO NATURE
“Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better.”
Albert Einstein
Folks like farmers are good at looking deep into nature for a better understanding of things. Whether it is walking through pasture grass to determine when it’s the right time to cut hay or looking at a heifer to estimate when she might have a calf, a close observation of nature can answer a lot of questions.
Looking deep into nature can also show us any trees that may need to be harvested or cut away from the fence lines, and it
can show us untapped water sources for livestock on the farm and better configurations for temporary fencing. It helps answer questions such as, “Will there be any shade for the cattle that graze in this paddock, or should I move the portable fencing to include shade, a water source and adequate grazing?”
Sometimes, it’s good to get out into nature with no other motive than to be present in God’s outdoor beauty. We don’t have to
be working to enjoy nature. It’s good on occasion to leave the farm and visit the outdoor beauty of other areas.
One way to enjoy nature is hiking. We are blessed in Alabama to have many public trails with easy
access to scenic spots all across our state. One of my favorite places to hike is the Pinhoti trail. The trails are marked clearly, and the signage indicates how many miles to the next destination.
The section I like to hike is in Cleburne Coun-
There are some sturdy, permanent shelters to camp along the Pinhoti Trail.
Plenty of signage along the trail prevents getting lost.
Great scenes from mountaintops are all along the trail.
Plenty of scenes like this as you hike across hollows.
ty, Alabama, simply because it is close to home. These winding trails offer a great opportunity to unplug and refresh as you cross cool, rocky creeks and scale around the sides of mountains offering breathtaking scenery. In addition, if you want to hike for more than a day and stay overnight in the woods, there are quite a few places to camp along the way such as Pine Glen, Coleman Lake and the lower Shoal Shelter, which is a permanent covered wooden structure for sleeping, and there is a picnic table and fire pit.
If you decide to try your hand at hiking, there are some important considerations. First, be sure to wear comfortable hiking shoes and clothes. Nothing ruins a good hike like having a blister form on your foot or having clothing that doesn’t move and breathe well. Finally, make sure your health is good, and it wouldn’t hurt to have a checkup with a doctor before heading out for a long hike.
You’ll need some essentials on your hiking trip. These can easily be carried with a backpack or daypack. You should pack essentials such as a first aid kit, bug spray, snacks and plenty of water. Also, make sure you have a flashlight, knife or multi-tool and extra clothing items. Finally, always let someone know your itinerary in case you get
injured, lost or in some tight where you might need rescue. Remember, most of these areas will lack a cell phone signal so it’s good to leave your hike plan with someone you can depend on.
This fall would be a great time to enjoy the beauty of Alabama’s national forests. In addition to hiking, you can also hunt, ride horses and stay at the horse camp and fish. For more information on this area of Alabama outdoors, visit fs.usda.gov/ detailfull/Alabama/about-forest/districts/?cid=stelprdb5155297
After you finish your hiking, get back to the farm to make sure you have plenty of fall food growing in your garden or raised beds. This is the time of year to plant your winter greens such as turnip greens, kale and rape. Other fall crops you can raise are broccoli and spinach. These will continue to grow until you begin getting hard frosts.
This fall is also a good time to plant seeds in your pasture. If you need more fescue growing in your patches, fall is the perfect time to drill fescue seeds into the ground. The late fall rains should sprout and create germination and growth before the first few frosts hit.
If you are planting annuals such as ryegrass and wheat, these can be sowed on lightly tilled pastures for a good stand. If moisture levels are adequate, seeds like ryegrass can be broadcast across the pasture with no tilling or drilling and create a fair level of germination. As with all seed and fertilizer plans, be sure to get soil test to make sure you are getting the right fertilizer and nutrients that your soil needs. Your local Co-op is your best source for lime, fertilizer and seeds for fall planting.
This fall, take time to look deep into nature so you can have a deeper understanding of God’s creation. Be sure to bring a friend or family member with you to share the joy.
Be sure to have your fall greens planted for extended season eating.
Make sure you are healthy enough for a full day of hiking by getting a checkup by your doctor.
BY SUZY M c CRAY
I MET SUPERWOMAN THAT DAY
I met super woman that day. And I admit it was quite a shock!
For months, my oldest daughter had talked almost incessantly about her. How she cared for her five boys, including one with special needs. How she was always available to go to any event each of them participated in whether at school, church or out in the community. She seemed to have unlimited time!
Her meals were always delicious! Fluffy biscuits! Smooth gravy and sauces. Perfectly crisp vegetables! Desserts that fairly floated to your mouth!
There was always enough food to go around whether it was just her family or whether each boy had invited friends.
Her floors were cleaner, her furniture was more comfortable and her ears always seemed to be attuned to whatever the latest teen topic.
While my oldest daughter casually dated one of her sons, I was bombarded with continual chatter about what “she” had “said,” “done” or “planned.” I needed to know her secret! How did she cram extra hours into each day? How did anything she
touch come out perfect? How did she keep up with the schedules of five teenage boys without losing or forgetting someone or something!
This was shortly before my family began homeschooling. It seemed I literally met myself driving my little blue car as I traveled our county’s highways and byways delivering and picking up kids from band practice, art lessons, drum major lessons, Scholar’s Bowl practice and meets, ballgames, soccer games, scouts, church activities and so much more.
I had only three kids but I was usually delivering several others from each event because I was a writer who worked at home so I was “available.” And believe me, I loved almost every minute of it!
But I stressed whenever talk of super mom began! I seemed to fall so short! Wasn’t I grouchy the day before when I had to deliver five kids from band practice while I was on deadline for an article for that week’s newspaper. Didn’t I respond shockingly when I learned how much art supplies for the next month were going to cost! Some days, wasn’t I just plain old TIRED by the time supper was finished and kids were all readying for bed???
My kids attended a different school out in the county from super mom’s, whose all attended in town, and they also attended a church in town instead of ours out in the country. So, it was a while before our paths finally crossed.
I remember that day so well! There was a special choir event that my two girls were attending at her church, and I ran into her there.
We were introduced and I hope I didn’t gawk!
Her hair was pulled back into a hasty ponytail held in place, not by a fancy hairbow, but a well-worn-looking red rubber band. She was wearing a tee shirt from a Vacation Bible School from many years past, frazzled-looking jeans, and sneakers that had seen better days. As she wiped the sweat from her forehead along with some straggling wisps of hair, her left hand still bore a trace of flour from the cookies she’d just baked for refreshments!
As we stood talking by her muddy truck, with three boys still bouncing around and roughhousing inside, we compared notes of our activities that day. And I came to a startling conclusion: she was just like me!
As I lay awake that night pondering our meeting, I realized something that has stuck with me all the years since then. Just because someone appears to “have it all together,” they may be facing battles we can’t ever know about! And just because she appeared so perfect through my daughter’s puppy-love-
struck-eyes, she was no more perfect than the rest of us!
Sometimes I forget when I’m looking at a quilt someone has on display at our county’s local quilting cottage or has pictured on display for sale on Facebook, and it looks so pristine and perfect. Compared to the small baby quilts and lap quilts I make, it looks “so professional.” But I have to remember that I don’t really know how many times they had to rip out a seam over and over to get a point to meet just so, or to make a seam not pucker!
When I walk into someone else’s greenhouse and see neat rows of plants all labeled with identifying markers, I think of how my Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes are all growing in between the Cherokee Purples and how we have to move almost everything to find the ones we need, even though we had the best of intentions when we planted them in the spring! But I may not see that they have two full time farm hands that actually do all the work while they just enjoy the results! That might be nice, but to me that really wouldn’t be any fun!
I’ve always been one to compare when I really shouldn’t and God has taught me many lessons about that as I’ve aged. I used to be so envious, even jealous, of folks who could play the piano and other instruments by ear. I have cousins who it seems can play anything by just hearing the tune while I struggled through years of lessons and practices that became even more tedious in college. But now, God has replaced that jealousy with pure joy as I can sit and enjoy hearing beautiful music come from the fingertips of anyone who has that gift! I know that at age 72, I play about as well as I ever will and I’m just thankful my fingers still work!
I remember how shocked I was when I saw my husband’s workshop when we were first together. To hear his words, I imagined a neat building with rows of tools hanging neatly in order atop work benches filled with in completed projects. What I saw then and what I see now in his large workshop in our barn looks to be utter chaos, but he knows where things are (usually) and manages to keep this farm and all its projects, buildings, animal enclosures and more in top working order!
The Bible says we are to gain wisdom along with our gray hairs and in some ways, I am thankful that I have.
I don’t have to measure my actions, my life, my projects and my “success” as a wife, mother, farmer, general store owner and more by what others have accomplished or seem to have done.
In the Old Testament, in Amos 7:7-8, God talks about measuring the lives of the children of Israel with a Plumb Line and a 12-8-18 Disciples Blog from someone named “Suzie” on the internet notes how “God and His Word re our Plumb Line.”
For those of your who did not grow up a carpenter’s daughter like me, Plumb Line is a weight suspended from a string that is used to form an “exact vertical.” The devotion notes that the Plumb Line does not change with the whim of the carpenter, but is a standard that never changes.
I don’t have to worry about being like Super Mom, the professional quilters, the agronomist whose plants always seem to be perfect or even that thin, well-coiffed wife in all the TV ads.
Instead, I can just be plump, gray-haired, messy me, knowing I’ll never live completely up to God’s standards but because of His grace, knowing He’ll bless me as I try!
(Mack and Suzy McCray live on a small homestead in Blount County Alabama where they are constantly surrounded with the wonders of God’s creation. You can reach them on Facebook or by email at suzy. mccray@yahoo.com)
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 RANKED MARKET RECEIPTS SINCE 2006
8415 State HWY 97 South Letohatchee, AL 36047
Sale Day: Tuesday at 10:00 a.m.
1-877-334-5229 or 334-227-8000
www.midstatestockyards.com
If you would like to advertise your stockyard, please contact Wendy McFarland at mcfarlandadvantage@gmail.com
PURPLE FINGERS
BY GREG A. LANE
When I was four years old, my brother and I stayed with our grandparents for almost a year after our mother passed away. After retiring from the L&N Railroad, my grandfather had relocated from Louisville, Kentucky to his hometown in Decatur, Alabama … more specifically, to the Basham community just outside the Decatur city limits. He and my grandmother lived in a single-wide trailer on a few acres that were left to him by his father. When my brother and I came to live with them space was tight, but we made the best of the situation.
My grandparents were simple, unassuming people, with very little worldly goods to speak of. So, my brother and I learned how to do without many of the modern conveniences and luxuries that our cousins and friends enjoyed. But, to be honest, I didn’t know I was missing out on anything, so the simple life we lived was the only life I knew about.
Now, on those few acres that were left to my grandfather, he planted several summer crops. The watermelons were my favorites, but there
were also black-eyed peas, butterbeans, cantaloupes and purple hull peas. Even at my very young age, I was required to earn my keep when it came to harvesting the crops. After my grandmother and I harvested all the peas and beans, she taught me how to shell them. I became rather good at it.
There was one setback, however, to the pea-shelling experience. After shelling the purple-hull peas, I was shocked to discover that my fingers had turned purple. I was quite upset. I cried out to my grand-
mother, “Grandma, something’s wrong with me … my fingers have turned purple!” She snickered and replied, “Greggy, that’s just stain from the purple-hull peas that’s rubbed off on your fingers. It’ll wash off.” My grandma got a kick out of it, even though I was practically mortified, thinking I had contracted some kind of skin disease.
Purple fingers … if you’ve ever shelled purple-hull peas by hand, you know what it’s like to have purple fingers. It’s kind of a “rite of passage” if you grew up out in the country or on a farm. If I close my eyes and think back, I can still see my grandma sitting under the shade tree in front of Grandpa’s trailer with a bowl of purple hull peas in her lap, empty hulls being tossed into a brown grocery bag at her feet, shelled peas in a larger bowl by her side. If I look closely, I can see her purple fingers. What a wonderful memory from my childhood … a memory of a much simpler time in my life. Yes, that simple country life was probably just the cure I needed after going through the trauma of losing my mother at such a young age.
shell the peas. I recalled how my brother and I used to catch lightning bugs and put them in a mason jar while my grandmother looked on as she shelled those peas under the shade tree in front of the trailer.
Purple fingers … if you’ve ever shelled purple-hull peas by hand, you know what it’s like to have purple fingers. It’s kind of a “rite of passage” if you grew up out in the country or on a farm.
Fast forward now to the summer of 2024. My wife planted a small vegetable garden next to our house this year. Included in the crops she planted were two rows of purple hull peas. We got a pretty good harvest from them. My wife had already picked and shelled two bowls-full by herself. One evening while I was sitting in the backyard, relaxing under a shade tree, my wife handed me a large bowl of unshelled purple hull peas. It was just before sundown. “Would you shell these peas for me?” she asked. She was surprised by how agreeable I was to her request, “Sure, that sounds like fun!” I replied. I grabbed that bowl of peas and began shelling and she went into the house. As I sat there under the shade tree shelling those peas, I was taken back in time to my childhood … to a simpler time … to a place under the shade tree out in front of my grandpa’s trailer. In my mind’s eye, I could see my grandma in her purple gingham dress and white apron with a bowl of peas in her lap, joining me. It was therapeutic. Each pea that plopped from those hulls into the bowl in my lap were like drops of stress leaving my body. I felt the cares of the world leaving me. I felt peace come over me.
The sun was going down, and I began to see lightning bugs flicker in the darkness as I continued to
About 30 minutes later, I finished shelling the last purple hull. It was completely dark outside. I had been shelling for almost an hour. My wife was in the house in her pajamas watching the television. I entered the back door with the bowl full of freshly-shelled peas. “You’re already finished?” she asked in astonishment. “Yes, I just now got finished,” I replied. “Wow! That was fast!” she said. I grinned with satisfaction and replied, “Well, that’s because my grandma taught me how to shell purple hulls back when I was a little boy … I know a few ‘tricks of the trade,’” I replied. My wife responded, “I’ve never heard you talk about that before.” How interesting. I was almost sure I had mentioned that part of my childhood to my wife in the past, but after 35 years of marriage, there was still a little mystery to my life that hadn’t surfaced yet. So, I think I got a little bit of newfound respect from my wife that night because of my pea-shelling prowess.
I looked down at my fingers after our conversation. Because it had been dark outside while I was shelling, I didn’t notice it, but now that I was in the lighted dining room I could see the tell-tale signs of my pea shelling endeavors … PURPLE FINGERS. Unlike the first time I saw those purple fingers decades ago, when I practically became unhinged as I cried out to my grandmother, I was able to look down at those purple-stained fingers and smile. I just know Grandma would have been proud of me … purple fingers and all!
AN AWESOME AUTUMN
GARDENING IN THE FALL SEASON
BY BETHANY O’REAR
Fall is upon us with festivals, holidays and cooler weather just around the corner! As we take a much-needed rest from all of the summer activity, now is a great time to peruse our gardens and landscapes. What do we like? What would we like to change? Are there areas that could use a new plant (or 10)? This time of year provides the perfect opportunity to plan and plant, giving a new look to a familiar space.
First, let’s look at ornamental grasses, a very popular addition to many landscapes. They can be used as accents, borders, or in mass to fill in areas. These plants are generally low maintenance and offer more than just attractive foliage and flowers. Enjoy the movement and sound that grasses bring to your landscape. Even in the winter when the foliage is dead and brown, they offer character and interest.
Raised beds provide the ideal site because welldrained soils are preferred by most of the ornamental grass species. However, in-ground plantings work just fine as long as drainage requirements are met. Placement should be in full sun, although light shade is tolerated by some species. Space plants to give each an area as wide as the expected height. Pink Muhly Grass
is my preferred selection, but several others such as Maiden Grass and Fountain Grass are great additions as well.
The main cultural requirements involve cutting back to near ground level when unsightly or at winter’s end, lightly fertilizing in spring and late summer, and dividing every three to four years. Annual varieties will benefit from monthly grooming to promote maximum flowering. You can prune anytime in the winter but why not enjoy them as long as possible and time your pruning just prior to new growth emerging. Be careful to not prune too close to the ground. Leave about three to four inches of dormant grass exposed. They can be pruned easily with electric shears or even a small chainsaw.
This time of year is also ideal for adding edibles to your landscape, and blueberries just happen to be one of my favorite plants. Blueberries are one of the easiest fruit crops for Alabama gardeners to grow. They thrive in our normally acidic soils and perform best when planted in full sun.
The most commonly grown type of blueberry in our region is the rabbiteye. This type is native to the Southeastern United States and is tolerant of the heat and drought that typically plague our region.
Not only are blueberries easy to grow (and packed with health benefits), but they make a great landscape plant. The blooms are pretty, bell-shaped white flowers. Also, the foliage displays great fall color, and the exfoliating bark creates interest in the winter. The abundant edible fruit are just a bonus.
Before you purchase your plants, you must consider one of the most important growing requirements of blueberries – cross-pollination. Choose at least two varieties with overlapping bloom periods to ensure good pollination. By selecting several varieties, you can spread out the length of your harvest time. One other
consideration – as mentioned above, blueberries require acidic soils to ensure peak performance. To know that your soil pH is just right, it is best to conduct a soil test. Soil test kits are available at your local Co-op store and Extension office. Once your sample is analyzed, you will receive results and recommendations for creating just the right growing environment.
Now you are ready to plant! High quantities of organic matter are necessary for happy blueberries. When planting, you should incorporate significant amounts of peat moss, compost or finely ground pine bark into the entire planting area. After planting, it is a good idea to spread two to three inches of mulch around the plant. Don’t forget to water. Water is one of the most important needs in establishing and maintaining productive blueberries, particularly during their first year of growth. Water plants thoroughly at planting and twice weekly for the first year until they are established. After the first year, provide supplemental water as needed.
Once your planting tasks are done, and you have decided to put your garden or landscape to bed for the winter, there is still one garden chore that needs to be completed. Now is the perfect time to get all of your
garden tools ready for a winter break. A little preventative maintenance now can prevent frustration and expensive repair in the future. Properly maintained tools and equipment are easier to work with and will last longer.
First, let’s discuss hand tools. It is essential to remove all caked-on soil or vegetation. This can be done with a wire brush, scraper or a strong stream of water. Grill brushes are a great option because they typically include a scraper. All pivot points and springs should be lubricated. Sharpen hoes, spades, pruners, loppers and saws.
Inspect tools thoroughly for loose screws and bent or broken parts and repair accordingly. To prevent rust, it is helpful to spray all exposed metal components and cutting edges with penetrating oil. It is also important to protect the wooden handles of your favorite garden tools. Wipe handles with boiled linseed oil to protect against cracking and drying.
Don’t forget your sprayer. All parts should be washed thoroughly and rinsed. Most pesticide labels recommend triple rinsing of sprayers. Apply oil to all moving parts. When storing your sprayer, hang upside down so that it can drain and dry completely.
Wheelbarrows, carts and wagons may also need some attention before winter. Don’t put them away dirty. Clean them thoroughly and touch up paint chips with spray paint to prevent exposed steel from rusting. Grease wheels to prevent squeaking.
Power equipment, such as lawn mowers, tillers, trimmers and edgers, require additional winter preparations. Consult your owner’s manual or lawn equipment dealer for specific information.
Whether you are breaking a new garden tool in on a fall planting project, or hanging your gardening gloves up for the season, this is a great time of year to enjoy the outdoors. Remember – Old Man Winter is just around the corner!
LAWN & GARDEN CHECKLIST
Learn—month by month—the necessary gardening activities for lawns and shrubs, annuals and perennials, fruit and nut trees, and bulbs, roots, and tubers. Included is a timeline for activities such as soil testing, planting, pruning, fertilizing, mulching, indoor plantings—from cauliflower to okra, from camellias to dahlias to heirloom roses.
October Garden Checklist
Fruits and Nuts
• Planting season for strawberries starts in South Alabama.
• Clean up orchard area.
• Remove broken limbs, old fruit, and debris from orchard floor.
Shrubs
• Plant new trees and shrubs in the landscape.
• Water when needed.
• Note varieties of camellias and other landscape plants in bloom.
• Start mulching all shrubs that do not have a mulch.
Lawns
• Perform a soil test to determine if limestone is recommended and apply anytime this fall.
• If winter or spring weeds were a concern this year, apply preemergent herbicides.
• Fertilize fescue lawns at 1 pound slow-release nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.
• As fall rain returns, monitor for fungal disease in fescue.
Roses
• Continue insect and disease control practices.
• New rose catalogs will be coming in.
• Study closely; add some new varieties to your list.
Annuals and Perennials
• Visit flower shows and gardens.
• List desirable varieties of mums.
• Clean up flower beds immediately after first killing frost. Plant half-hardy annuals, such as snapdragons.
• Watch planting depth. Dig caladiums; clean and store in a warm place.
Miscellaneous
• Renew mulch around shrubs and rose beds.
• Loosen mulches that have packed down.
• Spray with oils before freezing weather to kill scale, mites, etc.
• Remove all dead stems and trash from flower beds.
• Transplant into small pots any cuttings taken earlier.
Vegetable Seeds
• South: This is the last fall month to plant the winter garden. Plant carrots, collards, kale, mustard, onion seeds, radishes, spinach, and turnips. Plant Swiss chard in early October.
• Central and South: Continue planting winter-hardy crops such as beets, carrots, collards, kale, parsley, and spinach.
• North: Plant onion seeds and radishes in early October.
• Soil test garden soil and apply limestone as recommended anytime this fall.
November Garden Checklist
Fruits and Nuts
• Select sites for plantings.
• Start mulching strawberries, blackberries, and grapes.
Shrubs
• Plant shrubs, trees, and vines.
Lawns
• Perform a soil test to determine if limestone is recommended and apply anytime this fall.
• Fertilize fescue lawns at 1 pound slow-release nitrogen per 1,000
square feet.
• As fall rain returns, monitor for fungal disease in fescue.
Roses
• Get rose planting underway.
• Use a soil test as a basis for fertilization.
• Look for new varieties.
Annuals and Perennials
• Plant hardy annuals such as larkspur, poppies, pansies, bugloss, candytuft, and ornamental cabbage and kale.
• Get sweet peas into the ground.
Bulbs
• Continue spring bulb planting.
• Put lilies of the valley in a shady place.
Miscellaneous
• Plant screen plantings for privacy on the patio.
Vegetables
• Use cold frames for tender, cool-season vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Swiss chard, lettuce, mustard, onions, radishes, and turnips.
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 damage by placing wire around the base of the tree.
• Put on dormant oil sprays for scale.
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 limestone 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.
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.
Questions?
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 Gardener’s Calendar at www.aces.edu.
The Lawn and Garden Checklist is provided by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
KIDS AND FOOD PRESERVATION
FOR HOLIDAY GIFTS
BY ANGELA TREADAWAY
As the holidays approach, spend some time in the kitchen with your children and make some jams and jellies or other items for them to give as gifts. You will be giving your kids a gift that will last a lifetime, too, with great memories.
Food preservation is a science allowing kids to explore and understand the science of safe food preservation, so lifetime skills are being learned and experienced in the kitchen. Starting with jams and jellies is a great way to begin preserving with youth. Jam’s high acidity, large amount of sugar and lack of available water slow the growth rate of microorganisms like mold, but freezing or boiling water canning is needed to fully stop spoilage.
There are a wide variety of recipes available allow-
ing you and your children to select favorite flavors to prepare for homemade gifts. You want to make sure to follow recipes that you get from a trusted source like the Extension Service and the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Other websites like Pinterest or Facebook might not be USDA-tested recipes and they may not recommend for you to water bath can your jams and jellies after filling your jars. A safe jellied product is one that is water bath canned which creates a vacuum seal that allows your jellied products to set on self and not mold or create yeast which will spoil your product.
It is also critical to remember when teaching youth to use current, research-based methods for preserving food at home. Paraffin or wax sealing of jars is no lon-
ger considered an acceptable method for preserving any jellies. Any pinholes or cracks in the wax paraffin can allow airborne molds to contaminate and grow on the product.
For proper texture, jellied fruit products require the correct combinations of fruit, pectin, acid and sugar. The fruit gives each spread its unique flavor and color. It also supplies the water to dissolve the rest of the necessary ingredients and furnishes some or all the pectin and acid. Good-quality, flavorful fruits make the best jellied products.
These are a few of my favorite recipes for giving at Christmas time for gifts:
GINGER PEAR PRESERVES
Pears with lime and gingerroot combine to make a delicately flavored preserve with an exotic island taste.
7 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands
Yield: About 7 (8 oz) half pint jars
Directions:
1) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
2) COMBINE pears, lime zest and juice, sugar and gingerroot in a large stainless-steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens,
about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and test gel. If preserves break from spoon in a sheet or flake, it is at the gel stage. Skim off foam. If your mixture has not reached the gel stage, return the pan to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, for an additional 5 minutes. Repeat gel stage test and cooking as needed.
3) LADLE hot preserves into hot jars leaving 1/4inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
4) PROCESS jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
APPLE PRESERVES
You will need:
6 cups peeled, cored, sliced apples
1 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 package powdered pectin
½ lemon, thinly sliced (optional)
4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg or cinnamon or allspice
Yield: About 6 half-pint jars
Procedure:
Combine apples, water and lemon juice in a large saucepot. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir in pectin and bring to a full rolling boil, stirring frequently. Add lemon slices (optional) and sugar. Return to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; add nutmeg. Pour hot preserves into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; adjust twopiece metal canning lids. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.
BY TIFFANY LESTER
Bacon Cheeseburger Pinwheels
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon Dijon or yellow mustard
1 pound ground beef
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup cheese, shredded, your favorite variety
1 tube refrigerated pizza dough
1/2 - 1 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 425 F. Prepare a muffin pan with either 6 or 12 holes. Coat with cooking spray and set aside. In a large skillet, over medium to medium-high heat, place oil and wait for it to shimmer or until a drop of water flicked in it dances. Add beef, salt and pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon, breaking up the meat as you go into small pieces. Continue until brown, around seven minutes. Add onion and cook for roughly 2 minutes until tender. Remove skillet from heat and add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Set aside until cooled down, about 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of shredded cheese. Stir until incorporated. Add bacon. Open tube of dough according to package directions. Unroll dough and grab your rolling pin. Roll out into a large rectangle.
Spread hamburger mixture evenly over top of the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border. Roll, starting at the longer sides, into a tight log. Slice into 6 or 10-12 1-inch-thick pinwheels depending on your pan. Place each one into a hole in your prepared muffin pan. Bake until they are a nice golden-brown color, around 20 minutes. Allow pinwheels to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before serving.
Stuffed Banana Peppers
10 banana peppers or more as needed, depending on the size
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces ground beef or steak finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces shredded Gouda cheese or use your favorite melty cheese
Heat oven to 400 F. Slice the banana peppers in half lengthwise and core them out. Set them onto a large baking sheet. Heat the oil in a medium pan and add the ground beef. Season with garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, or until the beef is cooked to your liking. Spoon the seasoned beef mixture into the peppers, then top each with shredded cheese. Bake for 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can grill the stuffed banana peppers for 15 minutes, or broil them for 6-7 minutes, until the cheeses are nice and melty. Remove from heat and set onto serving plates.
Braised Short Ribs
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 carrots, chopped
8 whole beef short ribs
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry red wine (such as Pinot Noir)
2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot with a lid, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Remove veggies to a plate. Season the ribs with salt and pepper and coat on all sides with flour. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the pot and turn heat to high. Add ribs and brown on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove to a plate. Add the wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits of flavor. Bring to a boil and cook two minutes. Add beef broth, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in tomato paste. Taste broth and add additional seasonings, if needed. Add ribs, veggies, and whole sprigs of thyme and rosemary to the pot. Cover with the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 F for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 F and cook for an
additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be very tender, nearly falling off the bone. Remove the pan from oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes, with the lid on, before serving. Skim off any fat that has risen to the top of the liquid, before serving.
Ultimate Juicy Smoked
Beef Chuck Roast
4 pounds chuck roast
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Onion powder
Garlic powder
1 cup apple juice, in a spray bottle 2 cups barbecue sauce for serving
Remove chuck roast from the package. If you are going to do an overnight dry brine, sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and wrap in saran wrap, or place in a dish tented with foil. Dry brine for 12-24 hours. After the dry brine, remove and pat dry. For the rub, sprinkle the chuck roast liberally with salt and pepper first, then coat with onion powder and garlic powder. No measuring is needed just sprinkle directly from the shaker. Seasonings should be generous but meat should be able to peek through. Prepare your smoker and set it to 225 F for a pellet smoker, or maintain heat from 225-250 F for a standard wood-burning smoker. Place the chuck roast in the smoker and probe the meat in its thickest part. Close the chamber and smoke to 170 F internal temperature, spritzing with apple juice every 30-40 minutes. At 170 F, remove the chuck roast and wrap well in pink butcher paper. Place back into the smoker at 225 F, until the internal temperature hits
195 F. Remove the chuck roast and place in the oven at 170-180 degrees for 1 hour, or rest in a cooler (still inside the butcher paper). The fat will continue to break down during this time giving you a very juicy chuck roast. Remove from the oven (or cooler) and rest an additional hour if you like, or slice it up immediately. NOTE: If you get a smaller chuck roast than 4 pounds your time will be more than the listed 6 hours, plus resting. This is because the small chuck roast dehydrates and there is no water left to conduct heat. The stall begins earlier and we need to wrap it earlier to prevent drying out. Always cook to internal temperature, not a mandatory time frame.
Quick and Easy Peppery Mashed Turnips
4 medium turnips (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-1/4-in pieces
1 large potato (about 3/4 pound), peeled and cut into 1-1/4-in pieces
2 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
Place turnips, potato and enough water to cover in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, until tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain; return to pan. Mash vegetables to desired consistency. Stir in remaining ingredients. Serve immediately.
Zesty Lima Beans
1 pound dried lima beans
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Additional chopped fresh parsley
Rinse and sort beans; soak according to package directions. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. Place beans in a large saucepan; add bay leaves and water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until beans are tender, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. Drain; discard bay leaves. In a large skillet, heat 1tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add next 6 ingredients. Stir in drained beans and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; toss to combine. Sprinkle with additional parsley.
Buttery Apple Cake
1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling over cake
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons dark rum
2 baking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I like Honeycrisp, Fuji or Granny Smith) (3 1/2- 4 cups chopped)
Confectioners' sugar (optional), for decorating cake
Preheat the oven to 350 F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-inch springform or regular cake pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. If using a regular cake pan, line the bottom of
the pan with parchment paper and grease again. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Using a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and rum. Don't worry if the batter looks grainy at this point; that's okay. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chopped apples. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and even the top. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool on a rack in the pan. Once cool, run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake. If using a springform pan, remove the sides. If using a regular cake pan, carefully invert the cake onto the rack, remove the parchment paper, then gently flip the cake over and place right-side-up on a platter. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if using. Cake can be served warm or room temperature, plain or with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. NOTE: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it tightly with aluminum foil or freezer wrap. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
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