“I'll “ I ' l l never n e v e r plant p l a n t another a n o t h e r variety variety of o f pinkeye p i n k e y e peas p e a s ifi f I can't c a n ' t have have Mississippi M i s s i s s i p p i Pinkeye P i n k e y e 2 .”. ” W RELEASE! NE Mississippi Pinkeye 2
UTILITY PATENT PROTECTED
Purplehull Purplehull
Mississippi Pinkeye 2 retains the most desirable characteristics of superior yield and disease resistance of Mississippi Pinkeye, with the additional benefit of improved emergence and survivability in cool, wet soils typical of early spring weather. “I'll never plant another variety of pinkeye peas if I can't have Mississippi Pinkeye 2. I don't want any other variety. I have tried other pinkeyes, but they don't yield, cook or taste like Mississippi Pinkeye 2. I like the size of this big pea and it shells out easy. It freezes pretty and tastes like you just shelled them. We planted late and it was a dry year, but the plants still got knee high loaded down with peas. Mississippi Pinkeye 2 - that's my pea.” - Lisa Holmes “Planted two varieties of pinkeye peas this year: Texas and Mississippi Pinkeye 2. I planted the second week of March. Mississippi Pinkeye 2 was the best pea by far. The plant was larger, had longer pods and more pods per plant than the Texas, and was taller and also grew off faster. The pods had a good purple color and shelled out better. They also freeze well. Again, there were more peas per bush than the Texas plant, plus you can pick all season long.” - Michael Anderson
“Our Mississippi Pinkeye 2 Purplehull peas were really good producers and our customers liked them. They made long pods and the peas were larger than the other varieties we planted. They mature more evenly which makes picking easier and more profitable. The new Mississippi Pinkeye 2 Purplehull will be a big part of my operation again next year.” - Bob Compton
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Cooperative Farming News
Seeds for Southern Soils
IN THIS ISSUE:
Editor-in-Chief: Samantha Carpenter Editor: Jessie Shook Contributing Editor: Jade Randolph Associate Editor: Mary Delph
pg. 20
CO-OP MATTERS 20 Store Spotlight: Goshen-Troy Merger
pg. 35
pg. 40
30 FFA Sentinel: Trapping Your Way To a Bright Future
Rivers Myres, President David Womack, Chairman of the Board
AFC Board of Directors Rickey Cornutt, Brooks Hayes, Ben Haynes, Rick Hendricks, Jimmy Newby, Bill Sanders, Jeff Sims, Mike Tate Subscription $15 per year For subscription inquiries or change of address: P.O. Box 2227, Decatur, AL 35609-2227 or call 256-308-1623 Subscribe online at https://www.alafarm.com/magazine
On the Cover: March is National Peanut Month! Celebrate with Laura Tucker’s peanut themed snack board. Story on page 36. (Photo Credit: Laura Tucker)
OUR REGULARS Letter from the Editor................ 4
How’s Your Garden?................... 45
Ag Insight.................................... 8
Simple Times.............................. 47
Business of Farming................... 12
Howle’s Hints.............................. 51
Feeding Facts ............................. 14
The Magic of Gardening........... 54
From the State Vet’s Office......... 16
Food Safety................................. 56
What’s the Point.......................... 18
Grazing Grace............................ 58
On the Edge of Common Sense... 22
The Co-op Pantry....................... 60
Outdoor Logic with BioLogic.... 32
What’s Happening in Alabama... 64
Cooking with Stacy Lyn............. 35 www.alafarm.com
121 Somerville Road NE Decatur, AL 35601-2659 P.O. Box 2227 Decatur, AL 35609-2227 256-308-1618
AFC Officers
LIFE ON THE HOMEPLACE AND IN THE COMMUNITY 36 Celebrating National Peanut Month with a Peanut Snack Board 40 The Greensboro Depot YOUTH MATTERS 24 PALS: “Litter is Done in 2021!” 26 4-H Extension Corner: Full Speed Ahead
Advertising, Editorial, Subscription and Publication Offices
To advertise:
Wendy McFarland 334-652-9080 or email McFarlandAdVantage@gmail.com Cooperative Farming News is published monthly by Alabama Farmers Cooperative, Inc. 121 Somerville Road NE, Decatur, AL 35601-2659 P.O. Box 2227, Decatur, AL 35609-2227 Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising and will not be responsible for copy errors or misprints in advertising or editorial material, other than to publish corrections of errors in fact. Feature articles, news items and columns are published for the information of our readers from qualified, reputable sources; however, the editors and publisher make no guarantees and assume no liability for any reader’s decision to implement any procedure, recommendation or advice printed in this publication. Photos are credited to author unless otherwise noted. Advertised sale items may not be stocked by every Quality Co-op store and prices may vary.
www.alafarm.com Postmaster: Please send notice of address change (enclosing latest address label) to publication office: Cooperative Farming News P.O. Box 2227 Decatur, AL 35609-2227
March 2021
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Letter from the Editor We’re on the countdown to Spring and looking forward to warm weather, gardening and busy season at the Co-op! Our Annual Spring Plant Sale is set for April 1-10, 2021, so get your garden plan ready and check in with your local Co-op to learn more about vegetables, herbs and flowers! Our March issue celebrates National Peanut Month. Our contributors are sharing fantastic cooking and entertaining ideas that showcase the different ways you can use peanuts in your kitchen. Did you know that approximately half of the peanuts grown in the United States are grown within a 100-mile radius of Dothan, Alabama? Be sure to use our directory to find peanuts for purchase at your local Co-op. We are excited to announce information on a new Co-op merger between our Goshen and Troy locations. We are growing together so we can serve you better! Don’t forget that you can subscribe to our magazine online. It’s the perfect gift for a friend and a great opportunity to share local news with your friends and family. Thank you for being a loyal reader, customer, and part of the AFC family.
Samantha Carpenter Editor-in-Chief
4 Cooperative Farming News
March 2021
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Serving gardeners, farmers and everyone in between
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Cooperative Farming News
DIRECTORY OF MEMBER COOPERATIVES ALTHA FARMERS COOPERATIVE James Lynn, Mgr. Phone 850-674-8194
FARMERS COOPERATIVE MARKET Doug Smith, Gen. Mgr. FRISCO CITY - William Womack, Mgr. Phone 251-267-3175 Fertilizer / Phone 251-267-3173 LEROY - Jeff Hughston, Mgr. Phone 251-246-3512
ANDALUSIA FARMERS COOPERATIVE Russell Lassiter, Gen. Mgr. Phone 334-222-1851 FLORALA - Pete Blackwell, Mgr. Phone 334-858-6142 OPP - Brandon Bledsoe, Mgr. Phone 334-493-7715
FARMERS CO-OP OF ASHFORD Timothy Tolar, Mgr. Jerome Hinson, Asst. Mgr. Phone 334-899-3263
ATMORE TRUCKERS ASSOCIATION Todd Booker, Mgr. Phone 251-368-2191 BLOUNT COUNTY FARMERS COOPERATIVE Eric Sanders, Mgr. Phone 205-274-2185
FARMERS COOPERATIVE, INC. Todd Lawrence, Gen. Mgr. LIVE OAK, FL - Barry Long, Ag Div. Mgr. Phone 386-362-1459 MADISON, FL - Jerry Owens, Operations Mgr. Phone 850-973-2269
CENTRAL ALABAMA FARMERS COOPERATIVE Tim Wood, Gen. Mgr. SELMA - Thomas Reeves, Mgr. Phone 334-874-9083 FAUNSDALE - Bryan Monk, Mgr. Phone 334-628-2681 DEMOPOLIS - Tom Eunice, Mgr. Phone 334-289-0155
GEN CO. COOPERATIVE Ricky Wilks, Gen. Mgr. HARTFORD - Todd Smith, Mgr. Phone 334-588-2992 WEST GENEVA - Robert Pittman, Mgr. Phone 334-898-7932 ENTERPRISE Phone 334-347-9007 ELBA - Colin Morris, Mgr. Phone 334-897-6972
CHEROKEE FARMERS COOPERATIVE Andrew Dempsey, Gen. Mgr. CENTRE - Seth Eubanks, Mgr. Phone 256-927-3135 JACKSONVILLE - Tommy Thomas, Mgr. Phone 256-435-3430 PIEDMONT - Kevin Bobbitt, Mgr. Phone 256-447-6560
HEADLAND PEANUT WAREHOUSE CO-OP Jay Jones, Mgr. Chris Hix, Store Mgr. Phone 334-693-3313 JAY PEANUT FARMERS COOPERATIVE Ryan Williams, Mgr. Phone 850-675-4597
CLAY COUNTY EXCHANGE Jeff Kinder, Mgr. Phone 256-396-2097
LUVERNE COOPERATIVE SERVICES Perry Catrett, Mgr. Phone 334-335-5082
COLBERT FARMERS COOPERATIVE Daniel Waldrep, Gen. Mgr. LEIGHTON - Tommy Sockwell, Mgr. Phone 256-446-8328 TUSCUMBIA - Chuck Hellums, Mgr. Phone 256-383-6462
MADISON COUNTY COOPERATIVE Keith Griffin, Gen. Mgr. HAZEL GREEN - Phone 256-828-2010 MERIDIANVILLE - Matt Dunbar, Mgr. Phone 256-828-5360 NEW MARKET - Phone 256-379-2553 Ramsey Prince, Mgr. SCOTTSBORO - Phone 256-574-1688 Patricia Rorex, Mgr. STEVENSON - Phone 256-437-8829
DEKALB FARMERS COOPERATIVE Lance Ezelle, Gen. Mgr. RAINSVILLE - Andrea Crain, Mgr. Phone 256-638-2569 CROSSVILLE - David Tierce, Mgr. Phone 256-528-7188 ALBERTVILLE Phone 256-878-3261
MARION COUNTY COOPERATIVE Steve Lann, Gen. Mgr. HAMILTON - Phone 205-921-2631 FAYETTE - Kellie Trull, Mgr. Phone 205-932-5901 HALEYVILLE - Jessica Steward, Mgr. Phone 205-486-3794
ELBERTA FARMERS COOPERATIVE William D. Carlew, Mgr. Phone 251-986-8103
MARSHALL FARMERS COOPERATIVE Brian Keith, Gen. Mgr. HOLLY POND - Phone 256-796-5337 ARAB - Mark Upton Phone 256-586-5515 MORGAN FARMERS COOPERATIVE Bradley Hopkins, Gen. Mgr. HARTSELLE - Phone 256-773-6832 DECATUR - Phone 256-353-4663 PIKE FARMERS COOPERATIVE Danny Dewrell, Gen. Mgr. GOSHEN - Phone 334-484-3441 TROY - Jeff Baron, Mgr. Phone 334-566-3882 QUALITY COOPERATIVE, INC. Daniel Salter, Mgr. Phone 334-382-6548 TALEECON FARMERS COOPERATIVE Scott Hartley, Gen. Mgr. Phone 334-257-3930 WETUMPKA - Timothy Richardson, Mgr. Phone 334-567-4321 TALLADEGA COUNTY EXCHANGE Chris Elliott, Gen. Mgr. Phone 256-362-2716 ASHVILLE - Allen Bice, Mgr. Phone 205-594-7042 PELL CITY - Joseph Taylor, Mgr. Phone 205-338-2821 COLUMBIANA - Barry Keller, Mgr. Phone 205-669-7082 RANDOLPH Phone 256-357-4743 TENNESSEE VALLEY COOPERATIVE, INC. John Curtis, President ATHENS – Britt Christopher, Mgr. Phone 256-232-5500 LYNNVILLE, TN - Kyle Doggett, Mgr. Phone 931-527-3923 PULASKI, TN – Celena Williams, Mgr. Phone 931-363-2563 Reggie Shook, Vice Pres. FLORENCE - Robbie Neal, Mgr. Phone 256-764-8441 ELGIN - Wendell Walker, Mgr. Phone 256-247-3453 John Holley, Vice Pres. MOULTON - Greg McCannon, Mgr. Phone 256-974-9213 COURTLAND Phone 256-637-2939 TUSCALOOSA FARMERS COOPERATIVE Wayne Gilliam, Mgr. Phone 205-339-8181 WALKER FARMERS COOPERATIVE Cody King, Mgr. Phone 205-387-1142
*PLEASE CONTACT EACH STORE DIRECTLY FOR ALL OF THE SERVICES THEY OFFER* PEANUTS
PECANS
PROPANE
PEA SHELLING
CATFISH
March 2021
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AG INSIGHT Final H-2A visa rule adopted In the waning days of his tenure and the Trump Administration, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued a statement applauding the Department of Labor’s final rule modernizing the H-2A visa program: “This final rule ... will go a long way in ensuring American farmers have access to a stable and skilled workforce, all while removing unnecessary bureaucratic processes,” Perdue said. USDA’s goal is to help farmers navigate the complex H-2A program administered by Department of Labor, Department of Homeland Security and the State Department so hiring is an easier process. The final rule streamlines the H-2A application process by mandating electronic filing of job orders and applications. The new application process will share information with other federal agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and with State Workforce systems and domestic farmworkers. To reduce burdens on agricultural employers, new flexibilities include being able to stagger the entry of workers into the country over a 120-day period and allowing employers to file a single application for different dates of need instead of multiple applications.
Disabilities contribute to food insecurity The Americans with Disabilities Act, signed into law in July 1990, was intended to provide equal opportunities to thrive for those with and without disabilities. But for some people with disabilities, barriers still exist to being able to afford adequate food. Results from several USDA, Economic Research Service studies reveal that adults with disabilities face a higher risk of household food insecurity than do adults without disabilities. Employment appears to play a role in this increased risk. Adults who report being unable to work because of disability have a high prevalence of food insecurity – struggling to put enough food on the table for all their household members. But employment alone does not explain the relationship between disabilities and food insecurity: Adults who have a disability, but do not report being unable to work because of the disability, also have a higher rate of food insecurity. 8
Cooperative Farming News
Other factors may contribute to the increased prevalence such as mobility or cognitive limitations that make it hard to acquire food or access food assistance programs. Higher health care costs and expenses for adaptive equipment or services could also reduce funds available for purchasing food. In 2019, 10.5% of all U.S. households were food insecure. Among U.S. households with an adult out of the labor force because of disability, 31.6% were food insecure. Among U.S. households that included an adult who reported a disability but was not out of the labor force because of the disability, 22.6% were food insecure. In contrast, 7.6% of households without adults with disabilities were food insecure in 2019. In addition, food insecurity tends to be relatively severe for households that include adults with dis-
In 2019, households with adults out of the labor force because of disabilities were almost four times as likely to experience very low food security compared with U.S. households as a whole.
BY JIM ERICKSON
abilities. In 2019, households with adults out of the labor force because of disabilities were almost four times as likely to experience very low food security compared with U.S. households as a whole (15.7% compared with 4.1%).
Additional CFAP assistance available to producers The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide additional assistance through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), expanding eligibility for some agricultural producers and commodities as well as updating payments to accurately compensate some producers who already applied for the program. Producers now eligible and those who needed to modify existing applications due to these updates were asked to contact USDA’s Farm Service Agency by Feb. 26. Some of the changes were made to align with the recently enacted Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 while others are discretionary changes made in response to ongoing evaluation of CFAP. Contract producers of swine, broilers, laying hens, chicken eggs and turkeys who suffered a drop in revenue in 2020 as compared to their 2019 revenue because of the pandemic were made eligible for assistance. Producers could receive up to 80% of their revenue loss, subject to the availability of funds. Producers of pullets and turfgrass sod also now are eligible for CFAP payments. The commodities were not explicitly included in the initial CFAP 2 rule.
Study looks at sales of cow’s milk versus plant-based options According to USDA’s Economic Research Service’s (ERS), Americans have been drinking less and less fluid cow’s milk on a per person basis since the mid-1940s, with the decline becoming greater in more recent years. At the same time, the number of plant-based alternatives appearing in grocery stores has been on the rise. Almond-based products are the most popular but
cashew, pea, soy and rice options also are available and, collectively, sales of those items are increasing. However, an ERS study has found that while sales of the plant-based options are contributing to declining purchases of cow’s milk, they are not the primary driver of the trend. Among other things, the research showed: • Between 2010 and 2017, the per person U.S. supply of cow’s milk available for consumption fell at an average annual rate of almost 2.5% a year. • The increase in sales of plant-based options from 2013 to 2017 was one-fifth the size of the decrease in Americans’ purchase of cow’s milk. • Although its sales are declining, cow’s milk remains a staple food item, with 92% of American households purchasing it during one period of the study. Among those buying plant-based alternatives, 90% still bought cow’s milk.
New edition of dietary guidelines published USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services recently announced the publication of Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. Jointly published by the two agencies every five years, the guidelines provide science-based recommendations designed to foster healthy dietary patterns for Americans of all ages – from birth through older adults. March 2021
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The latest edition also expands the guidance, for the first time including recommended healthy dietary patterns for infants and toddlers. The publication provides the public with the most up-to-date evidence on dietary behaviors that promote health and may help prevent chronic disease. Detailed with scientific evidence, the key recommendations are similar to those of the past, but address in more detail two topics that garnered much attention throughout the development of the guidelines – added sugars and alcoholic beverages. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 carried forward the committee’s emphasis on limiting these dietary components but did not include changes to quantitative recommendations, as there was not a preponderance of evidence in the material the committee reviewed to support specific changes, as required by law. USDA offers the “Start Simple with MyPlate” campaign and a new MyPlate website to help individuals, families and communities make healthy food choices that are easy, accessible and affordable, in addition to helping prevent chronic disease. For more information, visit www.myplate.gov.
Irrigation organizations do variety of tasks The latest Survey of Irrigation Organizations (SIO), jointly conducted by USDA’s Economic Research Service and National Agricultural Statistics Service, reported there were an estimated 2,677 irrigation organizations in the 24 states where most U.S. irrigation occurs. The survey collected information about different types of organizations involved in the local management of water supplies for irrigated farms and ranches. Irrigation organizations directly influence on-farm
water use through delivery of irrigation supplies and management of groundwater withdrawals. A c c o r d ing to the survey’s data, about 95% of these organizations — such as irrigation districts and ditch companies — had a primary function of delivering water directly to farms, typically through a system of irrigation storage facilities, canals, pipelines and irrigation ditches. About 27% of organizations were involved in at least some aspect of groundwater management as a primary function, with 23% of organizations engaging in both water delivery and groundwater management. Groundwater management may include monitoring aquifer conditions, collecting pumping data, charging pumping fees, issuing permits for new wells or overseeing aquifer recharge efforts. Some irrigation organizations perform secondary functions such as delivering water to municipal and residential users (14% of organizations), managing agricultural water drainage (11%) and generating electricity (3%).
There were an estimated 2,677 irrigation organizations in the 24 states where most U.S. irrigation occurs. 10
Cooperative Farming News
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March 2021
11
BUSINESS OF FARMING
CULLS NEED LOVING TOO Most cattle producers spend a lot of time studying and contemplating the price of calves, which is understandable. Feeder calves account for the largest percentage of income for cow-calf operations and as such, the prices received for those calves weigh heavily on the profit potential of those operations. However, most of the time we don’t consider the fact that every year we will (or should) cull somewhere between 10 and 20%
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of our cow herd. This will happen over time whether planned or not, either through sales or backhoes. So, it makes sense for us to develop a strategy about when we are going to market our cull cows (and we will mention cull bulls) and what (if anything) needs to be done to make those animals more desirable to buyers. The first thing to consider is that there is a grading system for cull animals just like
BY KEN KELLEY
there is for feeder animals. Cull cattle are (usually) broken down into four different categories of breaker, boner, lights and leans. Breakers and boners will be the heavier-fleshed cull cattle. Breakers are usually north of a body condition score 7 and boners will be somewhere in the body condition score of 5-7. These would be considered the more premium of the cull cow grades, much akin to medium and large number one feeder animals. The reason they are more desirable is that they have more marketable product – in other words, they will yield more retail pounds of meat than the other two classes (much like medium and large No. 1 feeder animals will). There is often a slight difference in price for these animals, but the big price difference is when you drop down to the light or lean category. As you can see in Chart 1, there is a significant difference in price of the upper two classifications of breaker and boner versus the lower grading leans. Producers should give consideration to a little extra feed for some of the cattle that are on the line between breaker/boner and lean/lights … in theory, we would shoot for having zero leans and lights every year but that isn’t always possible.
Chart 1
Chart 2
Medium and small producers will probably not sell bulls every year, but when they do, maximizing price is paramount. Chart 3 shows the auction prices per month for slaughter bulls. There is a definite seasonality trend, and it is fairly similar to the trend for the cull cows. Producers are normally (there are always exceptions) better off from a price perspective (there are other perspectives) to sell bulls in late spring to early summer.
Chart 3
Chart 1 also shows that there is a definite difference in pricing for all grades based on the time of the year cattle are marketed. This is referred to as seasonality. You will note in Chart 2 that these price differences aren’t always as significant, nor do they necessarily hit at exactly the same time every year. However, producers in the Southeast will tend to get higher prices for their cull cows in the spring to summer timeframe and the lowest prices in the fall and winter.
There isn’t a perfect time to sell widgets, gadgets or cattle. However, producers will over time benefit from developing a strategy for timing sales of cull animals to hit at the normal average peaks every year. Likewise, producers will also normally benefit from a little bit of nutritional help for some of the skinny folk in their herd. Little things and little choices can make big differences over time. March 2021
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FEEDING FACTS
Creep Feeding Here in the Southeast, we tend to have a wide variety of management practices that involve calving at all times of year. Some producers prefer spring calving, some fall and some year-round. No matter what your preference for calving season, or even the lack of one, creep feeding is a management tool that you should consider. I would like to tell you that it pays tremendous benefits every year, but that is not the case and the economics should be considered annually. Creep feeding has paid its way nine of the last 10 years in the obvious way and all of the last 10 years when some other benefits are considered. One economist that I saw had a chart that showed return on investment for the last 10 years averaging $25.92 per calf per year, with the lone loss year being -$3.6 and the best year being $84.60 per calf. There are many factors that are involved, but the main two are cost of gain and the value of the calf when sold. A few of the things to be considered are cost of feed, feed conversion and selling price of the calf. The
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most basic way to decide if creep feeding is for you is by simply comparing the cost of the feed to the value added to the animal in its most basic terms. Generally speaking, for every 6 pounds of a quality creep feed that a calf eats, it will add 1 pound of weight to the animal. When feed costs $.10 per pound, then the cost of a pound of gain should be $.60, and I hope we don’t ever see a year where that does not pencil. If the cost of feed is $.15 per pound, then the cost of gain would be $.90, and that should also work most years. If the cost of creep is $.20 per pound, then the cost of gain would be $1.20, and that is getting closer to breakeven and would have to be looked at a bit more closely. You can also do the math in reverse and say that you expect $1.35 per pound on your calf crop. Divide that
B Y J I M M Y PA R K E R
Another benefit that is often overlooked is the fact that creep feeding will make weaning easier and less stressful. by 6 (pounds of feed per pound of gain) and know that you can pay $.225 for each pound of feed (450/ton) to break even or anything less than that should be profitable. That is the most obvious way to decide whether to creep feed. There are other factors to consider because creep feeding does add value in other ways. One of the most obvious and beneficial is that it takes pressure off the cows. It does reduce their nutritional needs slightly and allows them to maintain a better body condition which in turn should increase the number of cows that breed back and calve again the following year. There is no accurate way to measure this in a normal operation, but even one extra calf every couple of years would add a significant number of dollars to your farm’s bottom line. Another benefit that is often overlooked is the fact that creep feeding will make weaning easier and less stressful. Calves that have been creep fed will go to feed much easier, maintain better health and wean with less stress than those that were totally dependent on their mother. There are other things to consider as well. The better your calves are, the more creep feeding will pay. Calves with good frame and genetics to grow will do better than those that don’t posses those attributes. Producers also need to realize that all creep feeds are not created equal. Some are far better than others and some won’t work well no matter how good your calves are. Generally speaking, commodity-type byproducts and whole grains tend to be cheaper than complete feeds, but they tend to convert to pounds less efficiently. Some studies have shown that it takes eight or 9 pounds of these byproducts or whole grains to add a pound of gain instead of the 6 pounds we consider when we discuss a quality, balanced creep feed. When that is the case, those grains or byproducts have to be considerably cheaper to make any kind of sense. I have seen producers use many things as creep feeds, from soyhull pellets to shelled corn and many
of those have had issues of one kind or the other. The best option is to use a good-quality feed and be confident that it will more than pay for the added cost. Simply speaking, you tend to get what you pay for and there are very few secrets in the feed business. CPC Grower is a safe and cost-effective option. CPC Developer is also a great option, though it only has enough calories to get calves fat if they are to be weaned later in life and feed for a longer time period. Stocker 13 is another option that many of the producers in the state use as a creep feed. It is also economical and an effective option if you prefer to creep feed with a pelleted feed instead of a textured one. All things considered, creep feeding has more than paid for itself for the last decade and should for the foreseeable future. The better feed you use and the better genetics your cattle have, the better results you can expect. The decision on which feed to use and when to use it is not as complex as you might think. This is one of those places that you should not try to save your way to a profit. Buy the best creep feed that you can justify and wean a more valuable calf crop that adds to your bottom line and to the joy you get in marketing a higher quality set of calves.
March 2021
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FROM THE STATE VET’S OFFICE
The Eighth Wonder of the World Feeding the Population
I probably learned this in school and have just forgotten, but I am not sure how the original Seven Wonders of the World were decided. I guess it’s not that important, but when only seven things made the list worldwide, I think that is very impressive. Then around 2007, some group established the new Seven Wonders of the World. The new Seven Wonders include the Great Wall of China, the Roman Colosseum and some other amazing structures, but the Eighth Wonder of the world has, so far as I can gather, always been pretty much a figure of speech assigned to inventions, events or modern-day feats. I suppose that if you asked the person on the street what would be the Eighth Wonder of the World, you would get a variety of answers. The candidates would probably range from microwave popcorn to the microwave oven itself, from 16
Cooperative Farming News
the smartphone to the smartwatch to the remote control for our TV sets. So today in my unofficial capacity, I am naming Feeding the Population as the Eighth Wonder of the World. I am one of those people who still believes it is a miracle every time a large airplane leaves the ground and goes up into the sky. I realize that, while it may not be miraculous, the science that some people tend to take for granted is at least amazing. I look at modern agriculture as being near miraculous. The agricultural science is, as I see in aviation, at least amazing. The efficiency of modern production agriculture allows our producers to continue to feed more people using less land and resources than ever before. I have a friend who used to be a veterinarian for a large poultry company. He says that every time a semi-truck load
BY DR. TONY FRAZIER
of poultry leaves the processing plant headed to the of our beef producers to market their cattle locally. It grocery stores, it is nothing short of a miracle. supports the local economy. Our facilities offer the Recently, I read a magazine article entitled, “The producer the opportunity to raise and sell or consume Quest for Better Beef.” If I was giving a review on this grass-fed beef, organic beef or grain-fed beef. For at article (which I am about to do), I believe the author least the past year, our state slaughter facilities have was trying to be neutral and unbiased. The article been booked up for months ahead. gave a reasonably less than superficial discussion on Our total of 11,380 beef carcasses that were profeeding out cattle in feedlots. The author also gave a cessed in state-inspected plants last year is an impresperspective on the virtues of raising cattle much like sive number. Suppose we double that number of cattle buffalo that used to roam the Great Plains. As the arti- processed (which we do not have the infrastructure to cle continued to unfold, the writer did venture into an do) and that every animal slaughtered weighed 1,400 area that seemed to cast feedlots in a dim light. Feed- pounds (which they will not weigh, but that is the high lots were described as facilities where cattle were fed end of feedlot cattle going to process), we would still prophylactic antibiotics in their daily diets and stood not make a dent in consumer demand in our state. in manure that was two to 3 feet deep. Those two The University of Nebraska put out a good article statements are not true. Nevertheless, those type of back in August 2020 about how many pounds of meat statements continue to be put to expect from a beef. The artiout for public consumption. And cle showed that a 1,400-pound to the person who is foreign to steer on the hoof would produce I guess I will always agriculture, it makes them skepabout 550 pounds of beef. So, if tical. we double the number of cattle feel compelled to Please don’t get me wrong. that we processed in 2020 and defend animal agriIf a person wants to raise or eat they all weighed 1,400 pounds, beef as buffalo were before the we will produce a respectable culture. While it is not West was settled, that is certainly 12.5 million pounds of beef. Our perfect, it is doing fine with me. The article referred state population is 4.9 million. to ground beef costing $8.99 per Therefore, under optimum condisomething to feed the pound. Again, if that is what you tions, we could provide less than choose to consume or raise, I say 3 pounds of beef per person. Now world population. To go for it. However, we cannot feed I will grant you that a good numme, it is the Eighth the world this way. In fact, I am ber of our population is toddlers not sure we can feed the United and below. But when the annual Wonder of the World. States or Alabama families this per capita consumption of beef is way. almost 80 pounds, we still can’t This article is not necessarily from the in-state perspective prounlike a lot of other articles that appear occasionally. vide more than maybe a hamburger a month per perIt brings out things like 14.5% of the carbon footprint son. caused by man is from livestock production. I don’t I believe it is good that our modern agriculture know if that is a fact or not, but it is a conclusion listed practices continue to look at tweaking certain things by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organiza- such as water use and methane production. But as we tion. The article did not list the present percentage of look toward the future with an increasing population, man’s carbon footprint that was produced by enter- our beef supply will continue to go to processing by tainment such as people driving or flying to sporting way of the feedlot. events or making movies. If the 14.5% figure is corI think back over the last 17 years I have been writrect, I figure there are worse ways to produce carbon ing for this publication and realize a few of my artifootprints than producing food. cles have been responses to some magazine article I I am very happy that Alabama is one of 27 states read somewhere. Well, I suppose that is what this is. that has a state meat and poultry inspection program. I guess I will always feel compelled to defend animal We have 42 inspected establishments and 29 cus- agriculture. While it is not perfect, it is doing sometom facilities. Not all of them perform slaughter op- thing to feed the world population. To me, it is the erations; however, many of them do. It allows some Eighth Wonder of the World. March 2021
17
WHAT’S THE POINT WITH GREENPOINT AG
Precision Ag Plays a Vital Role in Peanut Production
Photo credit: GreenPoint Ag
Peanut production has been a staple of southeastern agriculture for generations. With today’s market conditions, peanuts can no longer be looked at as a rotational crop to get by until the next cotton year. Every peanut acre counts, every year. That’s why, ever since we introduced the AccuField program about a decade ago, we’ve made it a priority to help peanut producers integrate precision ag technology into their operation to increase production and maximize profitability. Using AccuField’s suite of technology, which includes soil sampling, variable rate fertility prescriptions, satellite imagery and moisture sensors to help guide in-season crop management practices, GreenPoint Ag has set itself apart from the rest of the pack with the way it’s applied precision ag technology on 18
Cooperative Farming News
peanut acres. Here’s a closer look at how we leverage our farm-customization capabilities and outstanding customer service skills to help optimize yield potential on your farm. Soil Samples and Fertility Scripts Soil sampling has long been one of the most impactful components of our precision program. Our agronomy team performs grid and zone soil sampling in the winter and spring prior to the crop, pulling samples from a depth of 6 inches to measure site-specific soil test levels and evaluate the pH, calcium (Ca), potassium (K), phosphorous (P) and micronutrients available in your peanut fields. If any deficiencies are noted, we help you correct them by using the data to prescribe accurate fertility treatments.
BY TREY COLLEY
Variable rate lime application is usually a recommended practice for peanut acres. At extremely low or high pH, major and minor soil elements can become tied up and are unavailable to the plant. By properly managing pH, the ensuing peanut crop is set up for success. Our growers have also invested in customized peanut fertility plans, with some choosing to do variable rate prescriptions for both phosphorus and potassium. For others, we make a fertilizer blend inhouse that can be custom-tailored to your farm’s soil test levels. Any lime or fertilizer recommendations are prescribed to your farm’s budget and yield goals to make them as effective as possible for your operation. Adequate calcium is a crucial part of our peanut soil sampling program, because deficiencies can result in shell degradation or “pops,” resulting in decreased yield and/or loss on peanut grades. Gypsum is often recommended as a Ca source for peanuts, and since the Ca is readily available, gypsum is applied just before the peanuts start pegging instead of preplant. This gives the plant a boost of plant-available calcium at just the right time to ensure they have the levels they need to minimize pops. Some growers choose to apply a flat rate of gypsum, but others pull grid-pegging zone samples so they can make a variable rate application. As much as our soil sample and fertility program helps optimize yield potential on a seasonal basis, it also provides cumulative value. A number of our customers have reported that the amount of variability across their fields has decreased since they began using AccuField’s suite of technologies as well as our grid-sampling program. As a result, some have seen yields improve in the lesser-producing areas of their fields. Plus, their lime inputs have dropped dramatically after 2 or 3 years, and that cost savings has paid for the soil sampling in some cases.
your operation as a whole. AccuField is a precision ag program with an easy-to-use, web-based interface providing access to farm data from anywhere, anytime via the internet. With AccuField, growers can store information on soil sample results, variable rate applications, crop protection treatments, yield maps, field boundary mapping and reporting, site-specific variety selection and other data management services all in one place. AccuField also communicates seamlessly with third party vendor platforms like MyJohnDeere™ and Climate FieldView™ (commonly used to store spray maps on peanut acres).
Knowing exactly when to irrigate peanuts has traditionally been a challenge, but we can help you streamline the process by installing soil moisture probes in your fields.
Soil Moisture Sensors Knowing exactly when to irrigate peanuts has traditionally been a challenge, but we can help you streamline the process by installing soil moisture probes in your fields. These are placed under the pivot and the readings link to an app on your smartphone, allowing you to see how much moisture has infiltrated your soil at any point in time, down to depths of 48 inches. This helps you make an informed decision as to when to turn the water on and off.
An excellent recordkeeping tool was recently added that growers can use to document their sustainability efforts. Many of our AccuField growers participate in GreenPoint Ag Sustain, our sustainable farming program that utilizes the Truterra Insights Engine to help identify which fields may qualify for costshare assistance from organizations like the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and local watershed districts. If you’re ready to take advantage of precision ag technologies and sustainability opportunities on your peanut acres, reach out to your local GreenPoint Ag specialist. They’ll help you start optimizing your operation’s profitability on day one.
All Under the AccuField Umbrella AccuField’s suite of technologies can impact peanut production positively, but also help you manage
This article was written by Trey Colley, Regional Manager of Ag Technology for the Gulf Coast. You can reach him at Trey.Colley@greenpointag.com. March 2021
19
STORE SPOTLIGHT BY C O R E Y E S P Y
Goshen-Troy Merger
Goshen Farmers Cooperative
Pike Farmers Cooperative
Goshen Farmers Cooperative and Pike Farmers Cooperative will merge in March 2021 to form Pike County Cooperative. This merger came about because of the proximity of the two stores, about 15 miles, and the close working relationship that the stores have shared over the years. Goshen Farmers Cooperative Manager Danny Dewrell and Pike Farmers Cooperative Manager Wayne Ward with their respective boards of directors have been working hard to make the transition a success. This merger will help put the stores in a better position economically to hopefully outcompete other companies in the area. The ability to buy in larger bulk quantities, share equipment and share employees will help to better serve the customers by means of better prices and speedy service for on-farm products such as fertilizer and chemicals. Danny said he believes that these combined benefits will also allow the business at both locations to grow in the future.
The Goshen location is in a pocket of row crop country; therefore most of their business comprises agronomic products such as fertilizer and ag chemicals, while the Troy location deals mainly in cattle products and walk-in retail. One benefit that Danny is excited about for the locations is the ability to crossover their business. Goshen can carry more cattle products and Troy can carry more agronomic products which would make it easier for customers to pop in and get what they need without traveling from Goshen to Troy or vice versa. Once merged, Danny Dewrell will become the general manager and oversee daily operations at Goshen while current Troy Location Manager Wayne Ward plans to retire and let 27-year Pike County Cooperative employee Jeff Baron take the reins. Both managers expressed their excitement for the future of the Co-op and the new opportunities that this merger will afford them. The managers also noted how helpful it has been to
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Cooperative Farming News
see the success of other member Co-ops merging, as well as the support from people like Alabama Farmers Cooperative District Manager Mitchell Cooper. Danny said, “There is no way that we could have done this without AFC and Mitchell’s help. We can’t thank them enough.”
AFC wishes Pike County Cooperative the best of luck in their new endeavor and are excited to see what the future holds.
Goshen Farmers Cooperative Manager Danny Dewrell
(L to R) Pike Farmers Cooperative Manager Wayne Ward and Jeff Baron
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March 2021
21
ON THE EDGE OF COMMON SENSE
B Y B A X T E R B L A C K , DV M
An Embarrassing Column
Embarrassing moments – nobody likes to talk about them. Oh, they’ll talk about slipping on the ice on their first date or getting bucked off a gentle horse. Other folks empathize and usually they laugh. But it makes people uneasy when it’s really embarrassing. They might titter nervously, but if it’s really awful it makes us uncomfortable. It could happen to me! Like the time I leaned into a car window and asked a new acquaintance to dance and she didn’t have any legs. It was shattering to a high school boy, not to mention the girl. Or introducing an old friend and his wife to my family and calling his wife by his ex-wife’s name. Faux pas are always exaggerated when you are in the company of someone other than your family. Cocktail or dinner parties with guests are fertile ground for embarrassment: Halfway through dinner you glance in the mirror and discover you should have blown your nose an hour ago; finding gravy (dried, of course) on your black dress; sneaking off to powder your nose, quietly closing the door, gently running the water – then you flush and it sounds like a dump truck unloading 9 yards of gravel into an empty grain bin. In veterinary work, there is an association of vets 22
Cooperative Farming News
who have spayed tomcats. Cowboys take a great delight in runnin’ a rangy ol’ steer in with a bunch of cows at cow workin’ time. I’ve preg-checked a thousand steers – but at least I’ve never called one bred. Then there was poor ol’ Fred (an alias) who was worried about climbing on his roof to shovel off the snow. So he took his rope and tied it to the back bumper of his pickup in the front yard. Looping it around his waist he went up on the roof and over the peak. His wife left for town … in his pickup. Broke both his legs, his pelvis and one wrist. During recovery, he was sitting around the house in a cumbersome body cast. His wife had the habit of filling her cigarette lighter with fluid over the commode. Later that afternoon ol’ Fred creaked his way into the bathroom like a NASA moonwalker. He maneuvered himself into position and lowered himself, cast and all, down on the seat. Exhausted, but smugly satisfied with his achievement, he lit a cigarette and dropped the match into the lurking lighter fluid. It blew him into the tub and broke his other wrist! We’re talkin’ hot cross buns! If you ever wondered where the word “embarrass” came from… www.baxterblack.com
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March 2021
23
PALS
BY JAMIE MITCHELL
Litter is
DONE in 2021!
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Cooperative Farming News
S
pring is one of our favorite times of the year at Alabama PALS! Many schools focus on environmental science and Earth Day activities, and most Clean Campus Program member schools participate in our annual Poster and Recycled Art Contests. The PALS organization also holds one of our largest events in spring, the “Don’t Drop It On Alabama Spring Cleanup.” It is a busy and exciting season for our organization! The 2021 Clean Campus Poster and Recycled Art Contest entries will be due April 23. The theme of the Poster Contest is “Litter is DONE in 2021!” The Recycled Art Contest has no specific theme, but all entries must be creative, original and made entirely out of materials that are eligible for recycling or would be considered trash (except for a small amount of fastening materials.) All details for the contests can be found in the PALS Spring Newsletter on our website at www.alpals.org. And remember, the winners of our contests can win up to $200 in prizes! Spring is also a great time for schools to plant flowers and gardens, install birdhouses and plan campus cleanup activities. Your local school may also schedule a Zoom meeting with me to learn more about how they can help keep their community and the state of Alabama litter-free! The “Don’t DropIt On Alabama Spring Cleanup” will also be held over the entire month of April. If you would like to join a larger cleanup near you or if you would like to plan a cleanup yourself, please contact us as we also provide bags and other materials to aid your efforts. You may call us at 334-263-7737 or email jamie@alpals.org for more information on the school contests or how to get involved with the cleanup. Happy spring!! We look forward to hearing from you!
our latest listings and more!
www.selandgroup.com | 866-751-LAND SEARCH FOR OVER 800 MORE PROPERTIES ON OUR WEBSITE!
Clay County #2973
84+/- AC - This rural country home is located on Prospect Road near Goodwater in Clay County, AL. The 84+/- acre property is highlighted by the stunning 3 bedroom 3 bathroom 2650 sq ft log cabin home. This log cabin is made from Cypress wood from the floors to ceilings and features a picturesque wrap around porch with a door on all four sides. $499,000
randolph County #3084
707+/- AC - Just outside of the Rock Mills community in Randolph County, only two miles from the Georgia line. Features include: quality soils and gentle topography, mixed timber stands, Big Wehadkee Creek runs through this tract for over a mile, old farm pond and beaver ponds, wildlife food plots, abundant game, old farm structures like barns and silos are still standing. $1,302,060
talladega County #3124
174+/- AC - Cattle Farm located in Talladega County in Central Alabama. The farm is currently running beef cattle, but several acres have been row cropped in the past. The farm features gently rolling pasture, hay barn, cattle working pens, stream fed lake, cross fenced pastures, two rental houses, and mature hardwood timber. The farm can currently easily maintain 50 cow units with the capacity for more. $549,000
dallas County #3071
640+/- AC - 640ac cattle farm on the Cahaba River in Dallas County, Alabama. 3 bedroom home, 18 acre lake, and over 1 mile of river front. $1,472,000
chambers County #2947
595+/- AC - This tract is setup for hunting/recreation and has all the components to provide excellent recreational opportunities with a diversified timber investment. MUST SEE! $1,175,125
220+/- AC - This tract has it all! Approximately 1500 feet along the scenic Tallapoosa River, huge hardwoods and a well-managed pine plantation. This tract also has a 3 acre lake that is fully stocked and a landing on the river for canoe put in where the fish are plentiful along the shoals. Great turkey and deer hunting can also be had on the 220 acres of gentle rolling timberland. $550,000
perry County #2982
sumter County #2836
lamar County #3032
209+/- AC - The camp house has 4 bedrooms, a renovated bathroom, and a living room. A garage with an electric roll-up door is used for storing atv’s and equipment. The Sprott area is well known for good deer and turkey hunting. There are 6-8 food plots on the property for hunting, and miles of internal roads and four wheeler trails take you throughout the tract. $420,000
baldwin County #2980
143+/- AC - 100 ft of frontage on Stucki Road that goes back 525 ft opening up to the larger tract and access to the side/back of the property from Fell Rd. All utilities are available. Suitable use – residential development or country retreat. Property is conveniently located: Beach Express(6 miles), Orange Beach & Gulf Shores(17 miles), Foley(9 miles), Mobile(47 miles), Pensacola(25 miles) Covenants and Restrictions can be provided by request. $629,000
174+/- AC - The topography on the tract is primarily flat with a gentle slope on the acreage to the south. There is also a lake site on the property that is close to an acre in size, but could be made larger. Tifallili Creek crosses the southwestern corner of the property. Timber on the tract consist of hardwoods, cedar thickets, hackberry, and some pine stands, which when all combined make great wildlife habitat. $346,260
Lauderdale County #3083
227+/- AC - This tract is as versatile as it is beautiful, with multiple homesites perched on top of hills with spectacular views. Threet Creek runs through the mixed hardwood stand providing year-round water and multiple springs can be found throughout the tract. $726,173
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FARMS CLOSED IN 2020
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PROCESS AT
WWW.POULTRYSOUTH.COM
RANDALL UPCHURCH PoultrySouth Co-Founder 256-239-5379 randall@selandgroup.com
ROBERT KING
PoultrySouth Co-Founder 844-855-0680 robert@selandgroup.com
March 2021
25
4-H EXTENSION CORNER
Full Speed Ahead
Hands-on activities helped students gain confidence, independence, resilience and compassion. Morgan Miller of Tuscaloosa County shows her Citizenship poster.
A virtual fishing contest was very popular with many 4-H’ers. Students fished in Alabama’s waters, snapped pictures of themselves with their catch and then uploaded the pictures to compete for prizes. Ethan Durham, an Etowah County 4-H’er, scored his big catch.
In August 2019, 4-H programs began as usual, and they were fully operational until March 2020 when Alabama’s governor issued a “State of Emergency” because of the COVID-19 virus. This shut down schools, sending children home to learn virtually. Extension offices closed, leaving the staff wondering what to do. Extension service employees quickly realized that this novel virus had changed 4-H as they once knew it. “We had to step back and find new ways to make connections and engage with our members,” said Molly Gregg, assistant director of 4-H, “but everyone stepped forward to support one another!” The ultimate goal was to maintain relationships with the kids and their families. “We didn’t want to just disappear,” said Nancy Alexander, Extension Specialist,
4-H Youth Development. “We wanted to keep kids involved with 4-H, while keeping things fun and positive. We looked for things that our members could do on their own or with their families.” For the first eight weeks, agents put together videos demonstrating activities that kids could do, using simple materials they already had at home. Each Saturday, the staff sent out a weekly promo and supply list for an activity lasting that week. Monday through Thursday, members participated in daily, themed lessons. Then on Friday, groups used Zoom to hold their virtual weekly celebrations. 4-H offered something for everybody, with an assortment of creative themes and fun activities. For example, starting in April, members could choose STEM
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Cooperative Farming News
B Y C A R O LY N D R I N K A R D
Gardens kept growing during the pandemic, as 4-H’ers moved outside with their families to enjoy planting and harvesting while staying at home. Tatum Abel, from Blount County, grew this huge cabbage!
activities that dealt with rocketry or outdoor activities that involved birds, insects and trees. Other challenges promoted healthy living, citizenship, cooking, agriculture and getting outside. In June, a 4-H virtual fishing contest challenged members to catch a big fish, then take a picture and submit it to the competition. Winners were awarded prizes. In late June, Alabama hosted a virtual Quiz Bowl with kids from 35 other states participating. Photo challenges proved to be very popular. Using the theme, “Alabama the Beautiful,” 4-H’ers snapped things of beauty in their home state, spotlighting “our communities” and “our people.” They captured sunrises/sunsets, favorite buildings, something made from wood, favorite outdoor spaces and favorite pieces of artwork in their communities. The next week, they showcased community leaders, including first responders, essential workers, someone they admired and their own family members. During the summer months, 4-H’ers enjoyed a virtual camp right in their own backyards. Leaders started their “bag projects,” sending out over 30,000 bags filled with exciting things for kids to do. Virtual talent shows
showcased some amazingly talented Alabama kids, while virtual art sessions with Sharon Sellers Owens uncovered many budding artists. Popular weatherman James Spann chatted with 4-H’ers in July, discussing forecasting, radar, tornadoes, hurricanes, winter storms and much more. 4-H saddled up for a virtual horse show to reward many dedicated equestrians! In the fall, leaders challenged kids to join others across the state in a pumpkin carving or decorating contest. One of the most unusual contests, however, involved the scarecrow photo challenge. The “scarecrows” ran the gamut from traditional to whimsical to otherworldly, but creativity flowed and fun overflowed! From September to December, Alabama’s 4-H Ambassadors presented videos of people with diverse career backgrounds. The goal was to assist 4-H members in developing leadership skills, life skills, entrepreneurship skills, as well as college and career readiness skills. Animal projects never ended! County offices introduced “curbside pickup” of chickens, rabbits and even pigs. Gardens grew all year, with more and more 4-H’ers and their families getting outside to plant and harvest all kinds of good food – together. Life-skills videos, teaching things that everybody needs to know such as changing a tire, sewing on a button and much more not only got rave reviews from
The 4-H Chick Chain Project helps 4-H’ers learn about feeding and caring for chickens. This popular animal program was ideal for students who had to stay at home. Gregory Pollard of Blount County shows the chicks he raised during the pandemic.
March 2021
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parents but also garnered acclaim from other states, which quickly mimicked Alabama’s ideas in their own videos. Even more exciting was how each county determined what was best for their own kids! Leaders created unique and unusual ways to celebrate their kids’ successes and reward their yearly accomplishments. “Staffers may have had to reinvent how they did things,” Gregg stated, “but they have also learned so much during these trying times.” 4-H has always been a hands-on experience with a staff member present, but COVID-19 forced leaders to find ways that kids could belong, even if they could not get together. Through technology, leaders discovered they could constantly be connected to their kids. Even more exciting was the fact that leaders could reach more kids, some they had never reached before. They also received greater feedback through social media, making it possible to measure the impact of each activity much better. Alabama’s 4-H organization has moved from reaction to recovery and now, rebuilding. Through it all, 4-H has found a way not only to stay connected but also to move full speed ahead. “It’s been a learning experience for all of us,” said Molly Gregg, “but 4-H has not stopped!”
The animal programs continued, but agents had to find new ways to get the animals to the children. Kristen Roberson and Audrey Jones, members of the Marshall County staff, used curbside pickup for everyone to stay six feet apart.
Cooking was another favorite activity. When planning this challenge, agents chose foods that anyone could prepare, and everyone would enjoy. Madisyn King of Dallas County treated her family to grilled cheese sandwiches.
Vivian Padgett of Clarke County decorated her grilled cheese with fruit. Cooking activities were popular challenges, giving students many things to do while confined to home.
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Cooperative Farming News
Visit our website to subscribe to our magazine, read online and order our signature Co-op Cap!
www.alafarm.com/caps
www.alafarm.com/magazine
March 2021
29
FFA SENTINEL
Trapping Your Way To a Bright Future Reece along with several other youth of all ages enjoy learning at a trapping camp offered in Red Bay.
FFA members across Alabama are doing some pretty amazing things in regard to work-based learning through their supervised agricultural experience program. This program allows students to take the skills they learn in their agriscience classes and apply them to real world experiences. Reece Kirkpatrick, an 11th grade student at Winfield City High School, has developed a unique project that joins his personal interests with a community need. Several years ago, Reece along with his brother and a close friend attended a youth trapping school in Red Bay. He learned about the types of traps used, how to properly set traps, characteristics and habits of different species, as well as safe removal of wildlife that you catch. From then on, Reece was hooked. He has always enjoyed the outdoors and greatly appreciates the rich history of trapping. “When is the last time you heard someone say, ‘Look at this nice coyote I caught,’ as opposed to someone saying, ‘Look at this buck I shot or at this bass I caught,’” Reese said. “Even though trapping may not be as recognized as hunting or fishing, it still plays a big role in wildlife management.” Trapping is much more than just a hobby or sport for Reece. He has had several members of the community reach out to him to help trap nuisance animals on their property. Through this project, he is learning 30
Cooperative Farming News
Beavers can be a serious nuisance to landowners who have ponds on their property.
J OY A N N A L OV E essential career skills. He invests in traps, supplies, baits and lures, and spends significant time working on traps to get them ready for use. He also must maintain a strict schedule with setting and checking traps. Reece says all the work is worth it when he gets that unmistakable feeling of pure joy, amazement and shock when he is able to successfully trap a desired animal. Through offering this service and through selling furs, Reece is able to bring in income to grow his project. Reece is excited to share his experiences about trapping in hopes that other young people might explore it as well. “If you want to get started trapping, I would say, from personal experience, to first educate yourself about trapping,” Reese said. “Reading books or watching DVDs about the animal you want to trap is a great place to start. Even on YouTube you can find very good videos on how to get started trapping.” One thing Reece values most is how education impacts his growth in this project. He constantly strives to grow in his knowledge and learn from other trappers. Reece currently serves as the president of the Winfield FFA Chapter and competes as part of the FFA Forestry Evaluation team and the Winfield Student Anglers fishing team. Through these experiences, he is learning every day the critical role we all play in wildlife management while growing his leadership skills.
Bobcats certainly pose a threat to livestock. Local farmers hire Reece to help with this issue.
Being able to properly set and camouflage traps is critical to being successful.
March 2021
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OUTDOOR LOGIC WITH BIOLOGIC
Antlers or Attraction, Mass or Magnet Food Plot Nutrition vs Attraction
Food plots not only help to grow healthy big-antlered bucks, but they make harvesting them much easier also. Here, the author poses with a buck attracted to brassicas. (Photo Credit: Todd Amenrud)
The most asked question people have regarding food plots is, “What should I plant?” Most folks don’t give enough information to answer it properly without a few follow-ups, but an easy way to view it is – should you plant for nutrition and antler growth, or strive to attract and hold? That question really needs to be answered based upon the management goals of the property owner. Do you want to enhance the health of your whitetail herd and grow big antlers? Alternatively, do you want to simply attract deer during the hunting season? Because how you go about implementing a plan and the plants that you choose to plant would vary depending on the goal. What you should select to plant may also depend upon your existing conditions, the location of your property and how much available acreage you have to plant. For instance, have you been experiencing a drought? Geographically, what you plant in Minnesota will often be different from the food plot menu in Texas. In addition to those details, small acreage situations cannot support a multitude of goals. With small 32
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acreage, you have to be specific with your goals and your plantings. Maybe you see several mature bucks during the summer months, but they all seem to disappear when the season rolls around. If that’s the case, my main goal would be for attraction during the hunting season. Maybe last season you harvested a 120-inch 5x5 and had it aged only to find out it was a five-year-old. Some of that could be due to genetics, but in this case, my main goal would be geared toward antler growth and nutrition. Property location and how much acreage you’re devoting to food plots must also be considered. In agricultural areas where there is a lot of cash-crop farming of things like corn, soybeans or alfalfa, it may be wise to concentrate on attraction if farming is already supplying a good portion of their diet. Likewise, if you only have a couple acres or less to devote to planting, let’s face it – most managers want to use it for attraction during the hunting season. What you plant in each plot should vary for each end goal. More than likely the size, location and de-
BY TODD AMENRUD
sign of your plots would also be different for attraction as opposed to nutrition. Typically, the larger plots further away from the bedding areas are designated as “feeding plots,” where the smaller plots closer to the bedding areas are used for “hunting plots.” It’s simply common sense at work here – your chances for a shot during legal hunting hours are better at a smaller plot closer to their bedding area. Since your chance of killing a deer further away from the bedding areas is less, that acreage is usually designated for “feeding as many mouths as possible.” You have to consider in what part of the country you reside. For instance, for a nutrition plot in the North it’s hard to beat a perennial clover plot. However, in the South, some areas have a tough time getting perennials to come back because of the dry, hot summertime conditions so they have to rely on annuals like lablab or deep-rooted perennials like alfalfa or chicory. It is possible to do both, supply nutrition to help with overall health and antler growth, and have attraction in other areas to help with your harvest goals, viewing opportunities and holding them in the area. In
Food plot goals, soil quality and the amount of acreage you are able to devote are the three most important factors in deciding what you should plant. With enough acreage to devote the author wants to “do it all” and provide the ultimate variety. (Photo Credit: Todd Amenrud)
fact, with every property that I oversee I will try to “do it all.” Granted, I have enough acreage to play with so I’m not “handcuffed” by limited acreage, but I feel that a versatile, all-around approach will show the biggest payout. If your goal is attraction, you want to have a nutritious, palatable food choice for your herd for the entire period that you wish to draw them. No one planting will attract whitetails all the way through the season. Variety is necessary for that. Actually, I would suggest that you provide good choices that will start attracting before you want to hunt the location so that you get the animals conditioned to showing up in the areas. If your goal is nutrition, in that case, you want to have a nutritious, palatable food choice for them ALL YEAR LONG. Here again, available acreage must be considered. Do you have enough ground to provide food all year long with your density? If you don’t, it doesn’t mean you can’t strive towards antler growth and nutrition; it just means you have to make the best out of what you have and plant wisely. For antler growth, so many managers feel that it is most important to have the best food source available for the early stages of antler genesis during spring and summer. Although this is an important time, for a buck to really show you what he is capable of producing, good nutrition must be made available all year long. For instance, if during the fall or winter their diet is lacking, when ample nutritious forage does become available during the spring and summer months, they end up playing “catch-up” rather than reaping the rewards. Most whitetail biologists agree that for a buck to really show you their maximum set of antlers they will need a consistent food source of at least 16% protein. In fact, I would argue that if you want to see a noticeable difference in antler growth the stress periods are one of the most important periods on which to concentrate. In the North, wintertime is the most stressful and an important time on which to concentrate. And in the South, summertime is likely the most restrictive stretch, so emphasis should be put there. Certain plants do a good job at both attraction and nutrition. Brassicas, clover, various beans and peas all do a good job at both attraction and nutrition. Timing and placement would dictate how the cultivars would be used. Good examples of the types of plants that you would find in a typical nutrition plot are red and white clovers, chicory, alfalfa, lablab, soybeans and cowpeas. March 2021
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Whether your goal is attraction, holding whitetail on your property, providing nutrition for antler growth, helping recoup from rut-related stress, herd health or fawn rearing, variety in a food plot program is a definite key. (Photo Credit: Todd Amenrud)
Good cool-season choices are brassicas like rape, radishes, kale and turnips, which produce both good energy and protein. Corn, sorghum and milo are not good protein sources, but they will provide needed carbohydrates (energy) and fat. Whitetails are good at
breaking down protein and turning it into energy, so many of the same warm-season choices will remain beneficial most of the year. Many of the same plants will work well for attraction. Timing is everything when it comes to attraction. Certain annual plants like cereal grains and annual legumes are the most palatable during certain stages of their growth. Therefore, you want to time the planting to reach its peak of attraction when you want to hunt over it. Good early-season choices are perennials like clovers, alfalfa and chicory switching slowly over to midseason attraction basics like oats, wheat, triticale, rye and certain brassicas. Throughout the season, you’ll see a switch over to later season magnets like brassicas, corn and the dried soybeans that may be left. Regardless of your goals, variety is a definite key. During the year, the climate is changing, plants are changing and a whitetail’s needs are changing. You want to make sure that you have a food to supply them what they need regardless of the conditions or time of year. You can put equal emphasis on both attraction and nutrition. A good management program will stress the importance of both good nutrition and attraction to grow and harvest big, healthy whitetails.
Timing is everything when it comes to attraction. Certain annual plants like cereal grains and annual clovers are the most palatable during certain stages of growth. So you want to time the planting so as to reach the peak of its attraction when you want to hunt the site. (Photo Credit: Todd Amenrud)
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Cooperative Farming News
Alabama Peanut Pie
1 9-inch pie shell, baked 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed 1 vanilla bean 2 1/2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 3 large eggs 1 cup Light Alaga Syrup (Yellow Label Golden Syrup) 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 2 cups dry-roasted peanuts
Heat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, add brown sugar. Scrape seeds from the vanilla bean; add the flour, cinnamon, salt and cayenne pepper into the brown sugar and whisk all ingredients until well incorporated. In a small bowl, add eggs and whisk until frothy. Add eggs to the brown sugar mixture. Add syrup, vinegar and butter to eggs and brown sugar mixture, and incorporate until well blended. Pour peanuts into the fully baked pie crust. Pour filling over the peanuts and shake just a bit to get rid of any air bubbles in the mixture. Bake pie for about 40 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve with ice cream or vanilla whipped cream.
About Stacy Lyn Harris Stacy Lyn Harris is a best-selling cookbook author, blogger, TV personality, public speaker, wife and mother of seven children. She currently lives in Pike Road, Alabama, with her husband Scott and their children. Stacy Lyn regularly appears on cable and broadcast television as a guest chef and sustainable living expert. Her critically-acclaimed “Harvest Cookbook” was published in 2017 and contains many of her family’s favorite recipes, along with stories from her life growing up in the Black Belt and tips she’s learned along the way. March 2021
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Celebrating National a Peanut Growing up right next door to the peanut capital of the world in the wiregrass region of Alabama, I’m no stranger to the importance of peanuts and the impact they have had in our great state. I am the proud granddaughter of a peanut farmer who farmed peanuts in Dale County for over 65 years, starting at the young age of 13. My hometown of Enterprise, Alabama has a statue in the center of downtown dedicated to the boll weevil, which crippled the cotton industry, and forced farmers to turn to peanuts in order to 36
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keep their farms and families alive. The growth of peanut production had a profound impact on the economy, and now approximately half of all peanuts produced in the United States are grown right here in Alabama. March 1 kicks off National Peanut Month, and what better way to celebrate the crop that turned our state around than with a peanut-themed snack board filled to the brim with all sorts of peanut concoctions and confections! My family loves to make snack boards on the weekend and graze on them
Peanut Month with Snack Board
BY LAURA TUCKER
all throughout the day. Making a peanut-themed snack board is perfect for getting a good dose of protein and many other nutrients. Peanuts are actually considered a superfood as they deliver superior health benefits in a very small serving. In fact, studies have shown that small amounts of peanut consumption have been associated with a reduced risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Grabbing a handful of lightly salted peanuts to snack on is an excellent choice for your health and indulging in the goodness of a creamy peanut butter
cup or peanut butter cookie is certainly good for the soul! Included in my peanut-themed snack board are peanuts served four ways: boiled, roasted, sugar roasted and parched. Each way is deliciously different from the next, and it offers a little something for everybody to accommodate their taste preferences. Boiled peanuts are certainly the way to my heart and will always take first prize in my book, but sugar-roasted peanuts come in at a respectable second. March 2021
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Also included in my peanut-themed snack board is an assortment of peanut goodies such as peanut butter cookies, peanut butter cups, peanut butter flavored cereal, various peanut candies and a small bowl of peanut butter to spread on graham crackers. Adding a small bowl of jelly to the board is also a fun idea and allows snackers to make their own mini PB&J crackers! I’ve always felt that peanuts are a part of my DNA. There’s just something so euphoric about pulling fresh peanuts off the vine, cracking open a parched peanut at a ballgame or dropping a batch of green peanuts into a pot to boil. I’ll always remember the amazing smell of the peanut mills driving through my hometown growing up, and I’ll always be grateful for the impact they had on my grandfather’s family as the years went on. Throughout the month of March, I encourage you to intentionally incorporate peanuts into your diet and to scope out ways to support local farmers and purchase peanuts grown right here in Alabama. It may not be harvest season, but you can still shop local and benefit Alabama farmers by visiting your local Co-op to find a variety of peanuts to stock your own peanut-themed snack board! 38
Cooperative Farming News
Spr g
PLANT
S e
4.5” Pots & 6 pack flowers
4 for $10 th April 1 - 10 at participating co-ops
Assorted veggies, herbs, and flowers. Selections may vary..
www.BonniePlants.com www.Alafarm.com March 2021
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The Greensboro Depot, located at 2350 Jones Street in Greensboro, Alabama. Marla and Laird Cole opened the old cotton warehouse in 2017. It opens every Friday and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Photo credit: Jeff E. Newman
The Greensboro BY CA R O LY N D R I N KA R D
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Depot
Marla and Laird Cole
I
n 2013, Marla and Laird Cole bought the Johnson-Torbert House, a bed-and-breakfast in Greensboro. Marla loved antiques, so she immediately started “picking” furniture for the home. Soon, Laird joined her on these trips, and before long, both realized that they needed a place to store all their treasures. Marla and Laird Cole live in Newbern, Alabama. A realtor in Tuscaloosa, Laird is also an auctioneer. He, too, was searching for a location to hold his sales. In 2017, Marla and Laird looked at the old Greensboro Depot, a 33,000-square-foot brick warehouse, built in 1901 to store cotton bales.
“I was overwhelmed when I first saw the Depot,” Marla explained. “It had no electrical lines, no phone lines. It was just a huge old building.” Vacant for 30 years, the building needed major repairs. Fortunately, the Coles envisioned this warehouse becoming a community hub where Marla could sell her antiques, Laird could hold his auctions and farmers, artisans and craftsmen could display their wares. The Greensboro Depot was originally used to store bales of cotton until the railroad could load them onto rail cars and ship them across the country. After a major fire extensively damaged the building, James A. Blunt, a local banker, rebuilt the cotton warehouse in 1907. Blunt improved the overall functionality of the building by adding architectural features. For the next 75 years, the warehouse was used to store cotton, peanuts, feed, grain and oil products. During this time, it became a major economic center for Greensboro, as the community depended on the mass amounts of commodities, equipment and food products that the railroad loaded and unloaded at the Depot. In the ‘80s, the local cotton gin closed, and the railroad canceled services to Greensboro. After this, the cotton warehouse sat vacant, deteriorating from a lack of use. In 2017, Laird and Marla Cole purchased the warehouse. Their desire was to renovate the building, while keeping it as close to the original as possible. The Coles have now completed three of the four inside bays with Laird doing all the electrical and plumbing work himself.
The vendor market offers fine shopping year round. Many customers make a day trip to the Greensboro Depot to look at antiques, browse the historical artifacts, participate in the auction and enjoy fine foods served by area food trucks and food vendors on site. (Photo credit: Pam Hamilton)
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Laird Cole holds auctions the first Saturday of each month. Customers bring antiques, tools, furniture and collectibles to sell. He also holds estate sales here. (Photo credit: Pam Hamilton)
Each Fall on the second Saturday in November, the Coles host the “Falling of the Leaves.” They hold antiques and crafts shows, along with an antique car and tractor show.
While working inside the Depot, the Coles discovered a treasure trove of historical artifacts and memorabilia. Some such as cotton dollies and scales are now on display in the newly refurbished building. The Coles also found antique cotton bales, believed to be from the pre-1930s. These bales are now displayed inside the Depot, along with cotton bags donated by a family member. Another interesting discovery was a set of massive doors that once stood at Southern University. Founded in Greensboro in 1856, Southern was one of the oldest universities in Alabama. It was destroyed by a tornado in 1973. Many of the recovered artifacts were stored in the Greensboro Depot. The Coles found the doors, as well as other architectural details. The Southern University doors now stand in the front bay welcome center for all to see. Marla and Cole also found old ledgers and receipt tickets showing names of various Hale County families, who had once sold cotton there. The Coles hope to collect as many pictures and stories from these times as possible to preserve the history of the Depot. In the auction bay, the Coles chose to restore the original wood plank flooring. Here, Laird holds an auction on the first Saturday of each month, as well as numerous estate sales. Customers bring antiques, tools, furniture and collectibles to sell. The third bay is the vendor market, which opens every Friday and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Coles kept the concrete floors in this area, filling it
with antique and historical period pieces to delight shoppers. After purchasing the Greensboro Farmers Market, Marla and Laird moved it to the warehouse. Farmers now rent booths and sell local vegetables, meats, cheeses and honey. The bay holds 40 regular vendors, including popular area artisans, like Miller’s Pottery, Jamie Plaxo and the Reclaimed Handyman.
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Customers come for the variety of activities available at the Greensboro Depot. Numerous food vendors are on site and some bring their food trucks. Hot catfish is often served on site.
Since the complex opened, Marla has held special events aimed at bringing the community together at the Depot. Her goal is to have three major shows each year. In November, the Coles hosted “Falling of the Leaves.” Besides various crafts people, the event featured an antique car and tractor show. In February, they held a Mardi Gras-themed celebration before Fat Tuesday, with music, king cakes and crawfish to spice up the festivities. Around May Day, Marla is planning a spring garden event. “The Coles have done a great job restoring this beautiful old building and making it a local business and fun place to go,” said Pam Hamilton of Eutaw. A regular visitor, Hamilton and friends make day trips to the Depot to attend the auction and shop in the vintage market. In 2021, Marla and Laird hope to restore the fourth bay, as well as the cotton gin house, which they recently acquired and added back to the original property. Both have agricultural backgrounds, and they want the Greensboro Depot to be instrumental in helping others understand what farmers really do. They also want visitors to appreciate West Alabama’s history, architecture and charm. “There are so many treasures in West Alabama,” Marla explained. “We have beautiful farms, good people, good food and so much more! Laird and I wanted to work on things unique to West Alabama and bring them to the Greensboro Depot for everyone to enjoy!” The Greensboro Depot opens each Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., offering antiques, archi-
tectural salvage and a vendor market. Located at 2350 Jones Street in Greensboro, the Greensboro Depot is also on Facebook and online at www.greensborodepot.com. Call 335-352-5271 for more information.
The doors from the Southern University are on display in the Welcome Center at The Greensboro Depot. (Photo credit: Jeff E. Newman)
Customers can find antiques, architectural salvage, pottery and boutique clothing at the 1901 cotton warehouse. Vendor Market has 40 vendors showing their wares. (Photo credit: Jeff E. Newman)
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. e g a r e v o c r u o p u d e f e e b e v We’
AlfaInsurance.com 44
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HOW’S YOUR GARDEN BY LOIS TRIGG CHAPLIN
Downy Woodpecker Entertains
A Blue-Eyed Perennial
Winter is the prime time to watch the nation’s smallest woodpecker perching vertically on a tree trunk or at the backyard feeders. In almost constant motion, the handsome bird flies back and forth from feeder to trees and brush, where it may also eat seeds, acorns and a few berries. Males are distinguished by a red spot on the head; females do not have the red marking. In spring, the downy nests in the soft wood of diseased or dead trees, which is a good reason to leave these trees standing (or at least a portion of the trunk and core limbs) if they don’t pose a danger to life or property. In winter, it may even take shelter in a nest box. The downy feeds primarily on insects, but is a frequent visitor to suet and seed feeders in the winter where it joins loose flocks of chickadees, white-breasted nuthatches and titmice as they band together to gather food. Woodpeckers are said to be “faithful” to feeders, coming back each year; a downy typically lives three to four years if it can avoid a hawk or other predator.
Although it looks like a grass, blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium) is a flowering perennial named for its charming little bloom in early spring. Actually more closely related to an iris, there are several species and all but one has lovely blue flowers with yellow centers; the other is white. It’s a great plant for bees because of the early season blossoms which open in the morning and close in the evening. An Alabama native, it occurs naturally in damp, open woodlands throughout the state. The stiff, evergreen, grasslike leaves grow in clumps about a foot high. In the garden, plants need sun to part shade and moist but well drained soil that is not too rich. It is best planted in cottage gardens and open woods along a walk or place where the flowers really shine by looking down on them. Like iris, plant clumps need to be divided every three years to keep the planting vigorous. If leaves look ragged after winter, shear the plant back right after it blooms to make way for new foliage.
Downy woodpecker is the smallest of all woodpeckers.
The early blooms of blue-eyed grass welcome spring.
SIMPLE TIMES
THE CO-OP PANTRY
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Loropetalum – Big or Small?
faded or browned foliage and clear the way for new. To clean up the plant, simply remove the ugly leaves by cutting their stem at the base near the ground. Aspidistra is also called cast-iron plant, so named because it is so tough. A garden designer once told me that it was the only plant he found that would grow in the deep shade of southern magnolia and also hide the big magnolia leaves when they dropped. It also makes a good houseplant that tolerates the low light and humidity indoors.
A Good Wall of Water
Chinese loropetalum is a large shrub.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that loropetalum is a small shrub. Although low-growing selections exist, the original, common loropetalum (Loropetalum chinense) is a very large shrub that reaches 10 to 15 feet in height and almost equal width. Selections are chosen for their fragrant, witch hazel-like flowers and sometimes for the red color of the leaves. Often this plant is unknowingly put in a space that is too small and ends up requiring constant pruning to keep it constrained. That just makes for more maintenance while ruining the natural form of the plant. When shopping for loropetalum, read the tag and match the plant to the width and height that the garden space allows. Old plants able to be reclaimed may be left to grow tall and shaped as they grow by limbing up (pruning from the bottom to expose the trunks) and shaping the new growth into a tree-form as it grows.
Although the calendar gives us an average date of the last spring freeze, gardeners know that from year to year that can vary by a month or more. For gardeners who like to bet on an early start, these water-filled frost protectors do a great job of accumulating daytime heat and releasing it to protect tender plants at night. It works especially well for tomatoes which are a little more tolerant of cool conditions than peppers. Last year, I protected a couple of cherry tomatoes and was able to harvest the first fruit in late May, about a month earlier in my North-Central Alabama location. Look for these sold under names such as Wall-O’-Water, Season Starter, Kozy Koats or Tomato Teepees.
Grooming Aspidistra Aspidistra is a handsome, slow-growing ground cover for deep shade. This time of year its big, deep green leaves often need grooming to remove tattered,
Now is the time to remove damaged aspidistra leaves.
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Cooperative Farming News
A protected tomato growing among cool season crops gives an early start to the season.
SIMPLE TIMES B Y S U Z Y M c C R AY
THE CO-OP PANTRY Miracles on the Farm Stormie, left, was the first large livestock born on our farm.
I’m writing this article in January, for publication in March, but I just HAVE TO start out with a miracle that occurred here on the farm in December, at 4:02 a.m. Dec. 21 to be exact! You might not think of it as a miracle, but hopefully you’ll read to the end and see how these miracles are occurring here on the farm just about every day! I used to have about 500 free-range hens and an assortment of roosters. During the past three or four years, we’ve sold some of the older girls, natural death claimed many and we’ve replaced them with all Sex-Link Golden Comet girls, just like the late Blount County Co-op Manager Jerry Sterling advised me to get more than two decades ago. Jerry said those girls would be perfect for me at that time because I didn’t know what I was doing, but those chickens sure did! And he was right! So, the majority of our replacement hens are now Golden Comets, known for laying huge brown eggs and laying them abundantly! But this fall after the days started getting even shorter and there was more dark than daylight, my hens took their natural “rest.” Out of 100 laying hens,
we were averaging SIX eggs a day! I kept telling Mack it was just nature and they would begin laying more as soon as the days got longer again! But we still installed a light on a timer in the chicken area of the barn, so that “daylight” came a couple of hours earlier for them. We fed high protein feeds and waited. But they still “rested” just as nature planned. Then December 22, the day after the winter Solstice, even though the daylight was only about a minute longer in the morning and a minute longer in the afternoon, those same hens laid 18 eggs. The next day they laid 36. And the egg production continued to increase! So, what happened? Many call it “nature.” We call it God’s plan. No matter what chaos is going on in the world around us, life on the farm continues to go on just as God intended. Although many of our homesteader friends spent the days around Christmas helping their goats bring new kids into the world, springtime is usually thought of as the time for new babies, whether lambs, goats, calves, chicks or more! And with each birth or each hatching, another true miracle occurs! March 2021
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Tadpole had two litters of half lop, half Angora bunnies which made beautiful hair to spin on my spinning wheel. She’s pictured with her friend, DJ!
We have an old, old, old Boer-Nubian cross, Stormie, who is about 18 years old. He was the first ever large livestock born on this farm. I didn’t know much about goats at that time. Book-learning is a lot different from hands on, blood on your arms, work in the barn! One morning I heard Jodie nickering constantly as if she were “talking” to someone. As I rushed to her stall, I saw the object of her conversation, a big brown and white kid already cleaned and fed, lying warmly and contentedly at her feet as she nuzzled him! She had never kidded before. She was about a year and a half old. But she KNEW just what needed to be done and she did it! As I stood in the sweet-smelling hay watching her carry out God’s plan, I knew I was observing another of God’s miracles right there! We have had many rabbit kits born in the decade before that time, as I had 35 English Angora rabbits I was breeding for different color fur to spin on my spinning wheel. But each of those also was a miracle. I’d once again read how it all was to go, but the reality was just a bit different. I walked into the bunny barn one morning to see one of the solid white does with hay sticking out of both sides of her mouth as she raced around her cage! She was building a warm nest in the nesting box and lined it first with hay and 48
Cooperative Farming News
then with long, warm Angora fibers which she pulled from under her neck and chest! We had an unusually big snow during that time and I worried about the babies! But one trip into the bunny barn eased my mind. The tiny hairless kits were warm as could be “buried” in that comfy nest! Only God could make that plan!
Baby Angora bunny
Golden Comet hen sitting on several chicks with one little independent one exploring the pen.
(While the animals always seemed to know exactly what to do, many times I didn’t! All I had to do was turn to the good folks at the Blount County Co-op, the Ashville Co-op or any of the Co-ops in our neighboring counties, and they could advise me what type feed was best for that particular animal, what wormer was best for that animal in our Southern state, which cage was best for each certain type of bunny, which fence was best to keep our animals in and local predators OUT, and more!!!) “Santa” brought Mack a new incubator for Christmas! Not to hatch chicks but for the guineas he has so been enjoying hatching! Last summer, he hatched guinea keets under a duck and under a broody chicken hen! Yet, each time those “adopted” mamas knew exactly what to do even though the babies might not have been quite what they expected! A couple of years ago, someone gave me an Indian Runner Duck to waddle across the pasture with the mixture of Muscovy ducks (the ancestors of which I’d bought from a man at the local Co-op for 50 cents each in an old shoe box!) … the Indian Runner Duck somehow managed to sit on a clutch of eggs and hatch nine ducklings! All without our knowledge or help! She just knew what to do and did it! But in a tragic accident, she ran into a long piece of wire from a dilapidated fence in the corner. It stuck all the way through her neck and could have been deadly! Mack found her with her babies all still snuggled underneath her wings, although she was pinned in place. He carefully cut her free of the fence and then removed the wire from her neck. A little antibiotic
cream and a move of her and her ducklings to a safer pen, and she never missed a beat! When I had my first baby girl, I was just barely 19. There were no babies close in our family so I had never even changed a diaper (and this was back in the old cloth diaper days!)! But once I held that little dark-haired bundle in my arms I didn’t need an instruction book, love took over with what God had placed in my heart. I know that tragically there are some animal mamas (and some humans) who turn from nature and don’t really care for their young because of many factors such as young age, trauma or more, but the most births (and hatchings) work out just the way God intended. Having covered news for more than 35 years as a reporter, I’ve always been pretty much a news junkie. But lately I’ve been forgoing the chaos on the news on many days and concentrating on what is going on around us right here. No matter what the depth of the tragedy going on nationally, how horrid the health news seems to be going on across our county, the sun still comes up on this little farm every morning; the roosters still start crowing even before the sun shines out; the goats line the fence at daybreak awaiting their morning hay and feed; and the cats are stretching lazily still half asleep. All it takes is one look at a just-hatched chick or one cuddle from a just-born baby goat kid, and you have to realize that God is still in control and life is still good. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:7-10 (NIV) (Suzy and Mack live on a small homestead in Blount County and can be reached on Facebook or at suzy.mccray@yahoo.com.)
Mama goat nursing twins.
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It is never too early to get a jump start on scholarships!
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Clanton205-288-6298
Scott Garrett 334-303-1488
Dick Farrior 334-399-0170
Drop-Off Locations:
Wetumpka334-313-3695
East AL706-577-1900
Covington Co. 334-488-0934
SW AL 251-989-3992
HOWLE’S HINTS B Y J O H N H OW L E
THE HERB FARMER March
HOW’S YOUR GARDEN SIMPLE TIMES
“A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.”
- Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th president, and his face is on Mount Rushmore, but he faced incredible odds as a sickly child with debilitating asthma. By sheer determination, strength development and pushing himself beyond his limits, he was able to overcome these physical weaknesses as he entered adulthood. He was a naturalist his entire life and a prolific writer who entered politics as the leader of the reform faction of Republicans in the New York State Legislature.
After his mother and wife died within a short period of each other, he headed west to live on a cattle ranch in the Dakotas. After a rugged life as a cowboy, he served as assistant secretary of the Navy under William McKinley, but later resigned that position to lead the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War. Coming home a war hero, he ran for and was elected Governor of New York in 1898. Roosevelt was McKinley’s running mate in 1900, and after McKinley was assassinated, Roosevelt assumed the presidency at age 42, being the youngest president to ever serve. Some of his major accomplishments follow: established many national parks and forests, began construction of the Panama Canal, founded the Bull Moose Party and survived an assassination attempt when he was shot while campaigning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The bullet lodged in his chest after going through his steel eyeglass case and a 50-page, folded copy of his speech.
THE CO-OP PANTRY
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Soft calling with a few simple yelps and purrs and staying still and concealed can result in a gobbler harvest.
This rattlesnake posed a threat because of its proximity to the house and needed to be dispatched.
Supposedly, Roosevelt saved the shooter from being lynched by the surrounding crowd after the shot and went on to deliver the speech while blood was seeping out of his shirt. Since he was a skilled hunter who understood the intricacies of anatomy, he realized since he was not coughing blood that his lung had not been penetrated. After the speech, doctors realized the bullet lodged in his chest muscle and it would be better to leave the bullet in place. Roosevelt carried that bullet in his chest for the rest of his life.
call depending upon your preference. I’m not keen on using mouth calls because it makes me feel like I’m about to gag. If a tom has answered me with a gobble, I stay silent to see if he is going to come on in. If he doesn’t move or he decides to “hang up,” I hit a few soft purrs on a slate call. If he’s moving in, stop calling. Before the hunt, know the limitations of your shotgun ammunition, and don’t take a shot beyond your limit. Second, try to locate your hunting blind on a ridge higher than you expect to see turkeys. It’s easier to call a tom uphill than downhill. Finally, make sure you are well concealed and get comfortable so you can stay completely still.
Spring Toms March heralds the opening of turkey season in Alabama, so make sure you are ready to harvest some delicious wild bird this spring. Gobblers are wary birds, but it doesn’t take complicated calling to bring one into range. Usually, a few soft yelps, clucks and purrs will draw a lovesick tom into range. I prefer using a slate call, but you can use a box call or mouth 52
Cooperative Farming News
Warm-Weather Wisdom As the weather warms, there are some hazards to look for around the hunting camp or farm. The main concern is snakes. Most snakes pose no risk to hikers
and those walking through woods and fields. Even the poisonous copperhead snake is very low on the lethal poison scale. With their short fangs, it would be hard for these snakes to bite through jeans and socks. The rattlesnake, on the other hand, deserves special respect. You might find them coiled up absorbing the heat of the sun or in hot summer in the cool of the woods. Last September, I was going to set fire to a brush pile, and my hand came dangerously close to a large rattlesnake warming on the sunny side of a log. He gave no warning with his rattlers, and I dispatched the snake with a .22 caliber pistol to the head. I won’t shoot any snake that is non-poisonous because of their benefits to the ecosystem. The most accurate way to determine if a snake is poisonous is to look at the pupils. If they have catlike, vertical pupils, they are poisonous, and if they have round pupils, they are nonpoisonous.
The pine tree precisely centered the post and became a shish kabob.
Post Pounder In the aftermath of a recent storm, I witnessed a strange sight. A large pine tree was blown over in the storm and stripped all the wire and ties off of a T-post on the way to the ground. The odd thing was, the tree centered the top of the post, and the post went all the way through the tree without being bent. It was truly a physics oddity for the tree to hit the post at just the right angle to center the tree trunk. This March, get out and enjoy the outdoors as the weather warms, and keep your ears open for the joyful sounds of echoing gobbles in the early morning hours. It’s a true thrill.
Ison’s Nursery SINCE 1934
Grow Half-Dollar Sized Muscadines and Blackberries!
Poisonous snakes have vertical catlike pupils and nonpoisonous snakes have round pupils.
PO Box 190 Brooks, GA 30205 | 1-800-733-0324 www.isons.com
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THE MAGIC OF GARDENING
Arsh Taters or Red Taters If you are from the South, you may have heard white potatoes called “arsh taters” when you were growing up. When I was young, I had no idea that old timers were saying Irish potatoes until I heard someone pronounce it properly. Even then I was not sure why they were “Irish.” Irish potatoes did not originate in Ireland or for that matter, they did not come from anywhere in Europe. They originated in South America and only made it to Europe when earlier explorers took them back. Their connection to Ireland is a negative one. The poorer Irish people had become very dependent on this one crop for a large part of their diet. In the mid-19th century, a terrible disease, which we still deal with on potatoes, called late blight decimated the crop for several years in a row. In addition to the crop failures, there were tremendous political failures that exacerbated the depth of the disaster and led to massive starvation. It subsequently led to a mass migration of Irish people to the United States. Despite the crop failures, the Irish people loved potatoes and the name became associated with them; hence the name we use today. Some folks use the term even more broadly to include both white and red potatoes but the name is more closely associated with white potatoes. 54
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The disease that devastated Irish potatoes spread so quickly because there was practically no genetic diversity. Potatoes are grown from tubers that are saved to start the next crop and they are all genetically identical. They are referred to as “seed potatoes” but of course they are not seed. The people had selected the best-producing types which were distributed far and wide. This lack of genetic diversity made them particularly susceptible to a disease to which the potatoes had no or very little resistance. It is a warning to all of us that genetic diversity is important in the prevention of plant disease and other pests and not just in potatoes. We still grow potatoes from tubers rather than from seeds. This method of growing and later storing socalled “seed potatoes” for the next year still presents a logistical problem in many Third World countries that could greatly benefit from the dense nutrition found in potatoes. Fortunately, the major seed companies are working to develop true seed for potatoes that can be easily shipped, stored and grown. We have much more genetic diversity in potatoes now than we have had in the past but a true seed for potatoes could be a game changer in much of the world. It may be some time
B Y T O N Y G L OV E R
before potato seed are readily available to the general public, but adventurous gardeners could get some to try through mail order. There is a true seed variety called Clancy that has been available by mail order for a couple of years now and was named an All-American Selection in 2019. It is really more of a novelty for American gardeners because we have access to dozens of good varieties to choose from using the traditional tuber seed potatoes commonly available at your local Quality Co-op store. Irish and red potatoes have their yield influenced by season, variety, soil type, moisture availability and amount of nutrients available to the plant. Highest yields are obtained in years with cool temperatures and adequate moisture throughout the season. Potatoes are heavy feeders in terms of fertilizer usage. For good growth and production apply about one pound of complete fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) for each 100 feet of garden row before planting. Add about that much more about 45 days after planting. Plant potatoes three to four weeks before the last killing frost. Use only certified seed (tuber) stock. Seed (tuber) potatoes should be firm and unsprouted. Cut the seed potatoes into pieces weighing about 2 ounces or the size of a small egg. Each seed piece must have at least one good bud or eye. Plant the pieces about three inches deep, 10 to 12 inches apart. They also do excellent in raised beds and containers where they are much easier to harvest. I use large containers (old livestock mineral tubs with drain holes cut are
great) and simply dump them out to harvest the potatoes. After the plants emerge and begin to grow, mound soil around the plants. This simply means pulling soil around the plants several times during their early growth until the seed pieces are about 6 inches deep. If you use containers like I do, just fill them half to twothirds full when planting and continue to add more potting soil as they grow until the container is filled. Potatoes are ready to harvest when they are mature and the skin is set (does not slip off too easily). Depending on the season, this is usually 90 to 120 days after planting. Avoid bruising potatoes when digging. Store potatoes for a week at 65 to 70 degrees F in the dark to help heal wounds. Mine usually don’t last that long since I don’t grow enough to store for later use but I really love fresh boiled potatoes. My favorite meal is a good low country shrimp boil with new red or “arsh” taters, sweet corn, onion, Conecuh Sausage and fresh Alabama Gulf Shrimp. Get out there and plant some potatoes now because I am getting hungry.
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FOOD SAFETY
Out with the Old, In With the New Food Expiration Safety
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B Y A N G E L A T R E A D AWAY
Dating of foods can be confusing – it’s important to know when the timing is right. In this instance, I’m referring to food product dating, not courtship. “Sell by/use by/purchase by/best-if-used-by” – how do consumers know which to follow? To eliminate the guessing and confusion, the following are some practical guidelines outlined by USDA. Generally, dates such as “sell by” are voluntary, meaning they are not mandated by the federal government. Dates are provided by manufacturers as a quality guide. One exception on voluntary code date regulation is baby formula and some baby foods in which code requirements are linked to nutritional adequacy. Date markings on labels are often confusing to the average consumer. It just takes an actual reading of each these label markings to discern the difference. “Sell-By” dates tell the store how long to offer a product for sale. It is the store’s responsibility to pull these products off the shelf on the sell-by date, but in actual practice it may not always get done. Be diligent in noticing these marks to make sure you buy these products before the “sell-by” date, the longer before, the better, of course. “Best if Used By” dates recommend best flavor or quality and do not refer to food safety. These are primarily for the consumer’s use after the purchase. “Use-By” dates refer to the last date that the manufacturer suggests is best for the product to be consumed. So what about that chicken you plan to roast and serve? Think about timing when you’re in the store. Be sure that you buy fresh chicken before the “sell by” date on the package. After that, you can keep it in your refrigerator one to two days before cooking. Or, pop it in the freezer and extend its possibilities for up to one year. Remember that Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), a microorganism that can make you sick (a pathogen), can grow while refrigerated. Thus, USDA stresses quick use of these products, or freezing, to arrest growth of this pathogen. Maintaining the refrigerator below 40 F can slow the growth of microorganisms. When you purchase, as well as whenever you use milk or other dairy products, be sure to take a look at the date. Usually, dairy products keep seven days after the date listed on the carton if it has been refrigerated correctly at 40 F or below. The practice
of returning the carton to the refrigerator quickly every time you take it out will ensure prolonging milk’s freshness as well as other dairy products to their maximum.
When you purchase, as well as whenever you use milk or other dairy products, be sure to take a look at the date. Usually, dairy products keep seven days after the date listed on the carton if it has been refrigerated correctly at 40 F or below.
In the case of shelf life, or prolonging quality, we are talking about simple spoilage organisms, but pathogens such as the above-mentioned Listeria monocytogenes are a concern with milk as well as poultry. Baking a cake with fresh eggs? Check the date on the carton. Eggs in the shell and refrigerated can last a month. However, hard-cooked or boiled eggs only last one week in the refrigerator. When is it time to say goodbye to that package of unopened lunch meat? In two weeks, you should throw it out, but deli meats sliced at the store should be eaten within one week. When is it time to toss the package of opened lunch meat? Just three to five days. Food becomes unsafe if mishandled at home in situations such as when defrosting food at room temperature for several hours or letting raw meat juices contaminate vegetables. Bacteria can then grow, causing foodborne illness. Stay safe by following the food safety guidelines: Clean, separate, cook and chill. Keep your refrigerator temp set at 40 F or below for optimum freshness of refrigerated foods, only open door for a few minutes at a time, and return cold items quickly after getting out what you need. March 2021
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When You’re Quiet and Still I woke up early one fall morning before the sun had risen and in spite of the darkness outside, decided to go ahead and take my regular morning walk. The streetlights were still on in my neighborhood as I walked down the shadowed streets to a wooded area not too far from my home. The first light of morning was just beginning to illuminate the sky as I found a pathway through the woods to an open area. I sat down on a large log and began to spend time quietly meditating and praying in preparation for the day ahead. Because it was chilly that morning, I had put on a hooded jacket and pulled the hood over my head to keep warm. As I sat there, quiet and still, a very peculiar thing happened. A robin flew down out of a nearby tree and landed on my head. I suppose in the darkness my shadowy silhouette looked like a lifeless stump to the bird. I almost jumped out of my skin when I felt the creature land on my head, and I quickly rose to my feet. I wasn’t the only one who “freaked out” that morning. The startled robin chirped loudly and flew off, wondering what kind of strange stump she
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had just landed upon. After regaining my composure, I let out a laugh of embarrassed amusement, sat back down on the log and mused about what had just happened. I was reminded of an important fact about nature that morning ... when you’re quiet and still, things come to you. When my daughter was 3 years old, we were sitting in the grass in our backyard feeding bread crumbs to a small flock of sparrows. She was sitting in my lap. The sparrows were flying in and hopping closer and closer to us as we fed them. I cautioned my daughter, “If you’ll be really quiet and still they will come right up to us to be fed.” She giggled and got more and more excited the closer they came.
She finally couldn’t contain herself any longer. She stood to her feet, reached out her hands toward the birds and exclaimed, “Come here birdie birds!” They were startled by her sudden movement and flew off. With disappointment in her voice, she asked, “Daddy, why did the birds fly away?” I said, “Because you startled them. Birds are afraid of human beings.” To which she replied, “But I’m not a human being ... I’m just a little girl.” That was a precious moment in parenting that I will forever remember. Yes, nature teaches us that things will come to us when we’re quiet and still. Stray dogs and cats don’t come up close to people who are moving about and making noise ... they come to those who are quiet and still. Chipmunks and squirrels tend to be nervous little critters, but I’ve had them come up right next to me as I’ve been quiet and still. I’ve even had a beautiful red fox come within 15 feet of me when I was being extremely quiet and still. THINGS COME TO YOU WHEN YOU’RE QUIET AND STILL. Most people these days are looking for peace and tranquility, but it eludes them because they’re always in such a hurry. They’re always moving about, trying to make things happen. They’re constantly “on the go.” They don’t know how to be quiet and still. Their minds are racing continually. They’re always giving voice to the worry and cares within their hearts. But if we will take this lesson we’ve learned from nature and apply
With disappointment in her voice, she asked, “Daddy, why did the birds fly away?” I said, “Because you startled them. Birds are afraid of human beings.” To which she replied, “But I’m not a human being ... I’m just a little girl.” it to our everyday lives, there’s an important truth that can be discovered: peace comes to you when you’re quiet and still; ideas come to you when you’re quiet and still; inspiration comes to you when you’re quiet and still; and, most importantly ... God comes to you when you’re quiet and still. “Be still and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10 “ In quietness and trust is your strength” – Isaiah 30:15 (NAS) “ But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.” – Psalm 131:2 (NIV)
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THE CO-OP PANTRY B Y M A RY D E L P H
We are going to make it through the winter! However, I still want comfort food. I can’t think of anything that fits the bill better than a good pot of pasta. We still have cool evenings, so let’s break out the pasta in its varied shapes and sizes.
White Cheddar Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli 1/2 pound pasta, any short shape 1/2 pound frozen broccoli florets 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2/3 pound) 1 pinch salt and pepper 1 Tablespoon cooking oil 2 Tablespoons butter 1 cup evaporated milk 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon salt 8 ounces extra sharp white cheddar, shredded Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the pasta and continue to boil until tender. Add the frozen broccoli florets and cook for 2 more minutes. Drain the pasta and broccoli together in a strainer. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the chicken. Season both sides of the chicken breast with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add cooking oil to a large, deep skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, swirl the oil to coat the surface, add the chicken breast and cook on each side until golden brown and cooked through (5-7 minutes per side). Remove the cooked chicken to a clean cutting board and allow to rest for five minutes, then chop into small cubes. Turn the heat under the skillet used to cook the chicken down to medium-low, and add the butter. Allow the butter to melt, and use a whisk to scrape up the 60
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browned bits from the bottom. Pour in the evaporated milk and continue to whisk to dissolve the bits completely off the bottom. Whisk the garlic powder, smoked paprika and salt into the evaporated milk. Once the mix is hot, begin adding the shredded white cheddar, one handful at a time, whisking until it is fully melted before adding the next handful. After the cheese has been whisked into the hot sauce, turn the heat down to low. Add the cooked and drained pasta and broccoli and the chopped chicken to the skillet with the cheese sauce. Stir to combine and fully coat the pasta, broccoli and chicken in the sauce, then enjoy!
Chicken Enchilada Pasta 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil 1 medium yellow onion 2 cloves garlic 1 pound chicken breast 1 cup enchilada sauce 1/2 cup sour cream 12 ounces uncooked pasta 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded 2-3 whole green onions Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Cook both in a large skillet over medium heat with vegetable oil until soft and transparent (about 5 minutes). Meanwhile, slice the chicken into thin strips and add to the skillet; cook until no longer pink (5-7 minutes). Warm up your enchilada sauce. Whisk in the sour cream. Set aside. Shred the Monterey Jack cheese (if not shredded already) and slice the green onions. Cook the pasta according to the package directions and drain well in a strainer. Combine the pasta, sauce and chicken mixture either in the skillet (if it’s big enough) or in the pasta cooking pot. Taste to see if you want more salt or other seasonings. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and sliced green onions. Serve warm.
Roasted Vegetable Baked Penne Roasted Vegetables 1 red onion 1 zucchini 1 yellow squash 1 bell pepper 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper Simple Red Sauce 1 yellow onion 2 Tablespoons butter 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes 3 Tablespoons tomato paste 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup water Pasta & Cheese 1 pound penne 15 ounces ricotta 2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend, divided 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional garnish) March 2021 61
Heat the oven to 400 F. Dice the red onion, zucchini, yellow squash and bell pepper into 1-inch pieces. Spread the diced vegetables onto a large baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss until all the vegetables are coated. Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven, stirring once halfway through, for about 45 minutes or until they are soft and the edges are brown and caramelized. While the vegetables are roasting, begin the red sauce. Finely dice the yellow onion and add it to a saucepot with the butter. Sauté for a few minutes, or until the onion is soft. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt and water. Stir to combine. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are finished roasting (about 30 minutes). In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the shredded Italian cheese blend, and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the penne. Once boiling, add the penne and continue to boil. Drain the penne in a strainer, and return it to the pot with the heat turned off. Stir one cup of the red sauce into the drained pasta to coat the pasta in flavor. Add the roasted vegetables to the remaining red sauce and stir to combine. To layer the casserole, place half of the sauce-coated penne in the bottom of a 9-by-13 or 3-quart casserole dish. Add half of the cheese mixture on top in dollops, followed by half of the roasted vegetable and red sauce mixture. The ingredients do not need to create a sol62
Cooperative Farming News
id layer or completely cover the previous layer. Repeat with a second layer of pasta, cheese and vegetable red sauce. Finally, top the casserole with the second cup of shredded Italian cheese blend. Cover with foil, making sure it doesn’t touch the cheese on top. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 35 minutes. Then remove the foil and switch the oven from bake to broil. Broil the top of the casserole to brown the cheese for 3-5 minutes (watch closely as broilers can vary quite a bit from oven to oven). Top with chopped parsley if desired and serve!
MUSHROOM AND SPINACH PASTA WITH RICOTTA 8 ounces bow tie pasta 16 ounces baby bella mushrooms 2 Tablespoons olive oil 2 Tablespoons butter 2 cloves garlic 2 cups fresh spinach Salt and pepper, to taste 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta 1 pinch crushed red pepper (optional) Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta and add the bow tie pasta. Continue to boil until tender (about 7 minutes). Reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining in a strainer. While the pasta
ONE POT CREAMY SUN-DRIED TOMATO PASTA 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes 2 Tablespoons butter 2 cloves garlic, minced 8 ounces fettuccine 1/2 teaspoon dried basil Freshly cracked pepper 2 cups chicken broth 2 ounces cream cheese 1 cup whole milk 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
is cooking, prepare the rest of the dish. Wash and slice the mushrooms, and add to a large skillet along with the olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the mushrooms have released all their water, the water has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to brown (about 7 minutes). While the mushrooms are cooking, mince the garlic. Add the garlic and butter to the browned mushrooms, and continue to cook over medium for 1-2 minutes more, or just until the garlic softens. By this time the pasta should be finished cooking. Add about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet and stir to dissolve any browned bits on the bottom. The starchy pasta water and butter will make a slurry that will act as a light “sauce” that helps the salt and pepper adhere to the surface of the pasta. Add the fresh spinach to the skillet and stir just until wilted (1 minute). Add the drained pasta to the skillet and stir until everything is evenly combined. Turn the heat off and season liberally with salt and pepper. If the pasta is dry, you can add an additional splash of the reserved pasta water. Finally, spoon the ricotta on top of the pasta in 1 tablespoon dollops. Add a pinch of red pepper on top, if desired, and serve warm.
Chop the sun-dried tomatoes into small bite-sized pieces. Add the butter and garlic to a deep skillet or Dutch oven. Sauté the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, or until it is very fragrant. Add the fettuccine, sundried tomatoes, dried basil, some pepper and the chicken broth to the skillet. If needed, break the fettuccine in half to make sure it lays flat and is submerged in broth. Cover and turn the heat to high. As soon as it reaches a boil, give the pasta a good stir, replace the lid, and turn the heat down to the lowest setting that maintains a simmer. Let the pasta simmer in the broth for 7-10 minutes, or until most of the broth is absorbed and the pasta is tender, stirring every couple of minutes and always replacing the lid. Keeping the heat on low, cut the cream cheese into chunks and stir it into the pasta. Once the cream cheese has melted, add the milk and stir until a smooth sauce forms. Finally, add the grated Parmesan and stir until it has melted into the sauce. Serve with extra freshly cracked pepper, if desired.
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ACA CONVENTION AND TRADE SHOW March 5-6, 2021 Birmingham - Sheraton Birmingham Hotel - Admission Call 334-265-1867
WILD CAVE TOUR March 1, 2021 Fort Payne - True Adventure Sports Admission - Not open on Sundays Call 256-997-9577 SPRING BIRD MIGRATION March 1 - April 30, 2021 Mobile - Dauphin Island - Audubon Bird Sanctuary - Admission Call 251-861-3607 AZALEA BLOOM OUT March 2-31, 2021 Theodore - Bellingrath Gardens and Home - Admission 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Call 251-861-3607 ROCK CLIMBING / RAPPELLING ADVENTURE (COMBO) March 3, 2021 Fort Payne - True Adventure Sports Admission - Not open on Sundays Call 256-997-9577 MONROEVILLE LITERARY FESTIVAL March 4, 2021 Monroeville - Downtown Call 251-743-2879 BRIDGE CROSSING JUBILEE March 4-7, 2021 Selma - National Voting Rights Museum & Institute - Admission Call 256-765-4592 FIRST FRIDAYS FLORENCE March 5, 2021 Florence - Downtown Call 64 877-290-8880 Cooperative Farming News
Foley - Foley Heritage Park Admission 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Call 251-943-5550
RAINBOW RUN March 13, 2021 JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH JR. Foley - OWA - Admission Registration 8:00 a.m. March 5-7, 2021 Run starts at 9:00 a.m. Birmingham - Virginia Samford Call 251-923-2111 Theatre - Admission Thursday - Saturday: 7:30 p.m. BIRMINGHAM Sunday: 2:30 p.m. HAMMERFEST 2021 Call 334-265-1867 March 13-14, 2021 Birmingham - Downtown WETUMPKA IMPACT 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. CRATER TOURS Call 205-967-4745 March 6, 2021 Wetumpka - Wetumpka Civic Center ORANGE BEACH FESTIVAL OF ART & Crater Site March 13-14, 2021 Call 334-567-5145 Orange Beach - Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach JERRY BROWN ARTS FESTIVAL 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. March 6-7, 2021 Call 205-967-4745 Hamilton - 465 Airport Road Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. GEM & MINERAL SHOW Sunday: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. March 13-14, 2021 Call 251-223-3970 Dothan - Houston County Farm Center - Admission BALLYHOO FESTIVAL Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. March 6-7, 2021 Sunday: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Gulf Shores - Various Locations Call 251-223-3970 Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday: 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. MOBILE AZALEA TRAIL FESTIVAL Call 251-861-6992 March 15 - 27, 2021 Mobile - Royal Street and various FESTIVAL OF FLOWERS locations March 12-13, 2021 Call 251-479-9970 Mobile - Cathedral Square Admission HUNTSVILLE BLOOMS Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. March 15 - April 30, 2021 Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Huntsville - Huntsville Botanical Call 251-266-2050 Gardens - Admission Call 256-830-4447 NAC SPRING ARTS & CRAFTS SHOW ALABAMA WILDLIFE CENTER'S March 12-14, 2021 BABY BIRD SEASON Gardendale - Gardendale Civic March 15 - September 15, 2021 Center - Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Pelham - Oak Mountain State Park Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Call 205-681-8028 Call 205-663-7930 ORANGE BEACH INVASION SOUTHEASTERN LIVESTOCK March 12-14, 2021 EXPOSITION RODEO Orange Beach - The Wharf March 18-20, 2021 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Montgomery - Garrett Coliseum Call 251-967-4745 Admission Call 334-265-1867 BBQ & BLUES COOK-OFF March 13, 2021
HISTORIC SELMA PILGRIMAGE March 19-20, 2021 Selma - Various Locations Call 334-412-8550 49TH ANNUAL ARTS & CRAFTS FESTIVAL March 19-21, 2021 Fairhope - Downtown 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Call 251-229-1874 THE WHARF BOAT AND YACHT SHOW March 19-21, 2021 Orange Beach - The Wharf Marina Call 251-224-1000 SPRING FARM DAY March 20, 2021 Dothan - Landmark Park Admission - 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 334-794-3452 41ST ANNUAL GULF COAST REGIONAL MUSTANG & MEGA CAR SHOW March 20, 2021 Foley - OWA 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Call 251-923-2111 BIRD WALK FOR BEGINNERS (& HISTORY BUFFS) March 20, 2021 Orrville - Old Cahawba Archaeological Park Call 334-242-3184 EASTER BUNNY PHOTOS AT THE WHARF March 20 - April 3, 2021 Orange Beach - The Wharf Call 251-224-1000 ASA ARCHERY TOURNAMENT March 25-28, 2021 Fort Mitchell - Uchee Creek Campground Activity Center Friday: 6:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 334-298-6426 MCDONALD’S BIG BASS SPLASH March 25-28, 2021 Scottsboro - 417 Ed Hembree Drive 6:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 888-698-2591
WILCOX HISTORICAL SOCIETY TOUR OF HOMES March 26-27, 2021 Camden - Various Locations Call 256-975-7616 SOUTHERN MARKET DAYS VINTAGE MARKET March 26-28, 2021 Hartselle - Celebration Arena Friday: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 646-580-2840 NEACA SPRING CRAFT SHOW March 26-28, 2021 Huntsville - Von Braun Center Friday - Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. and Sunday: Noon - 5:00 p.m. Call 256-880-7987 2021 OPELIKA SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL March 26-28, 2021 Opelika - Various Locations Call 334-575-3477 EASTER IN THE PARK 2021 March 27, 2021 Atmore - Heritage Park Call 251-368-3305 ELBERTA GERMAN SAUSAGE FESTIVAL March 27, 2021 Elberta - Elberta Town Park 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Call 251-986-5805 BELLINGRATH EASTER EGG HUNT AND BREAKFAST WITH THE EASTER BUNNY March 27, 2021 Theodore - Bellinigrath Gardens Admission - 9:00 a.m. - Noon Call 251-973-2217 ALABAMA BASS TRAIL TOURNAMENT SERIES March 27, 2021 Eufaula - 104 Old Highway 165 6:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Call 855-934-7425 OPP RATTLESNAKE RODEO 2021 March 27-28, 2021 Opp - Channel-Lee Stadium Admission - 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Call 334-493-2122
MOBILE CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS TRACK MEET April 2-3, 2021 Mobile - Various Locations Admission Call 251-639-0303 CENTRAL ALABAMA CRAWFISH FESTIVAL April 6, 2021 Selma - Lion’s Fair Park Admission - 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Call 334-493-2122
***Please note that
some of these events may be postponed or canceled due to COVID-19. Please contact the event directly in order to find out more information about the event.***
“What’s Happening in Alabama” Policy The AFC Cooperative Farming News publishes event listings as space allows, giving preference to agricultural events of regional or statewide interest and those that are annual or one-time events. The magazine assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of information submitted for publication and advises calling ahead to confirm dates, locations, times and possible admission fees. To be included in the calendar, send listings to: Cooperative Farming News Calendar of Events P.O. Box 2227 Decatur, AL 35609 -oremail to Calendar of Events at subscribe@alafarm.com *Please include name of event, where it will be held (both town and physical location), a phone number for more information, and an email or website.* *Event Listings must be received at least two months in advance and will be accepted up to a year in advance.*
March 2021
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LIVESTOCK AUCTIONS SUPPORT THE AUCTION. WE WORK FOR YOU.
CLAY COUNTY STOCKYARD
VALLEY STOCKYARD
1050 Airport Road - Ashland, AL Sale Every Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. Tad and Kim Eason, Owners
Check us out on Facebook!
13130 AL HWY 157 - Moulton, AL Cattle Auction - Wed. at 11:00 a.m. Billy Wallace (C) 256-303-7097 Phone: 256-974-5900 Fax: 256-974-5899 Your Full Service Stockyard
SAND MOUNTAIN STOCKYARD, LLC
TOP RANKED MARKET RECEIPTS SINCE 2006
Barn: 256-354-2276 Tad: 397-4428
Hauling available
19509 AL Hwy 68 - Crossville, AL 256-561-3434 Cattle Auction - Every Wed. & Sat. at 11:30 a.m. Call for any hauling & catching needs
MID STATE STOCKYARDS 8415 State HWY 97 South Letohatchee, AL 36047 Sale Day: Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. 1-877-334-5229 or 334-227-8000 www.midstatestockyards.com
If you would like to advertise your stockyard, please contact Wendy McFarland at mcfarlandadvantage@gmail.com
We’re rooted in our farmers. Whether you grow cash crops, raise livestock, or farm as a hobby, TriGreen Equipment has the John Deere agricultural machinery you need, with local farming knowledge you can trust.
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LOW-RATE FINANCING AVAILABLE*
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40’ x 60’ x 12’ - Installed Roof only, closed gables or Roof only, open gables 30’ x 40’ x 10’ - Installed Roof Only, open gables
Office - 601-928-5309 and 601-928-5308 Jregister@registermetals.com Locations: 321 Madison Avenue, Wiggins, MS 39577
*Please call for pricing*
1Some restrictions apply. See dealer for details. †Manufacturer’s estimate of power (ISO) per 97/68/EC.
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Cooperative Farming News
RegisterBarns.com
“My Top Pick Pinkeye Peas just plain out-yield any other variety I have planted...”
k c i P p To UTILITY PATENT PROTECTED
Pinkeye Pinkeye P inkeye
Top Pick Peas gives you top yields plus pods on top of the plant.
Brown Brown B rown Crowder Crowder C rowder
Cream Cream C ream
“In the six plus years I have observed peas growing, the Top Pick Pinkeye’s and Top Pick Creams are two of the best peas. They have excellent germination; seedling vigor; high yielding and easy to pick. Plus their food quality is great. They are good for “U Pick” operations because the peas set on top and the outside of the plant making a real showy bush type plant, which makes it easy for picking by hand and by machine. They are also easy to shell by hand or by sheller and make a good shell out. There are also no problems with disease. If you have a market operations, you definitely need both types of peas – Top Pick Pinkeye’s and Top Pick Creams. These are by far the best peas on the market today. They are exceptional peas.” Jason Barkett - J.E.B. Agriculture Consultant “I grew up farming and I’m impressed with Top Pick Pinkeyed peas. We had early rains and the Top Pick peas loaded up. Some we planted late; some we no-tilled; plus we had more rain, but they really made peas. They pick great and shell out good and best of all they taste great.
Seeds for Southern Soils
We sold them at the Fresh Market, along with shelled peas. The customers came back asking for Top Pick peas. We will plant more Top Pick Pinkeyed peas next year and years to come.” Bo Levins - Planterville, Alabama “I first saw Top Pick Pinkeyed peas growing at the E. V. Smith Research Center and really liked the way they put out on top and around the outside of the plant. They were really loaded up with peas. I have been planting these pinkeyed for ten years now. They produce more than the old bush running pinkeyed purple hull peas. They just out produce any other pinkeyed on the market. They shell out great and taste great. Top Pick Pinkeyed peas work for me and there is no need to plant any other pinkeyed pea.” Rob Peacock - Pike Road, Alabama
March 2021
67
SPRAYING MADE EASY AND AFFORDABLE 12 VOLT SPOT SPRAYERS REPAIR PARTS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL CO-OP
BRONZE
15 Gallon 404799 - $117.89 25 Gallon 404803 - $124.97
GOOD
SILVER
15 Gallon 404800 - $149.97 25 Gallon 404804 - $159.97
BETTER
UTV & 3 POINT SPRAYERS
UTV SPRAYERS
12 Volt 45 Gallon - 454198 - $579.98* 12 Volt 65 Gallon - 454079 - $659.99*
*Boom Kits Sold Separately
GOLD
15 Gallon 404801 - $179.99 25 Gallon 404805 - $189.99
BEST
110, 150 & 200 GALLON
BOOMLESS, 6 & 8 ROW BOOMS IN STOCK
55 GALLON 3 POINT Hamilton - 36’ Swath 404798 - $1,199.97 BXT - 36’ Swath 404848 - $1,357.59 7-Nozzle - 140” Swath 480442 - $1,269.97
1635 DELUXE NURSE WAGON
LOW PROFILE PASTURE SPRAYERS TR300E-MBXT22PS 300 Gallon 416791 - $3,799.00
With BXT Boomless Nozzles - 36’ Broadcast Sprays Left Or Right Or Both
CALL FOR PRICING
• 5 Year Frame Warranty & Powder Coat Paint • 10,000lb Toro-Flex Axles – 8 Bolt Hub – 12.5LX16 Implement Tires on 10” Rims • 35 Gallon Mix & Fill Tank System with 16” Lid and Tank Rinse • 5.5HP Honda & 2” Poly Pump • Black Tank with Site Gauge • 2” Quick Fill • Hose Hangers, Safety Chains, Adjustable Hitch
Visit A Co-Op Store Near You Or Email Jerry.Ogg@faithwayalliance.com for Participating Stores (Prices Subject To Change Due To Freight Cost)
Spr g
PLANT
S e
4 for $10 | April 1 - 10th at participating co-ops 4.5” pots & 6 pack flowers
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Cooperative Farming News
