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2
Cooperative Farming News
1119-534HO_0520
IN THIS ISSUE:
Editor-in-Chief: Samantha Hendricks Editor: Jessie Shook Contributing Editor: Jade Randolph Associate Editor: Mary Delph
pg. 38
LIFE ON THE HOMEPLACE AND IN THE COMMUNITY 35 A Mother’s Day Spotlight: All in a Day’s Work 38 Livin’ the Smackdown Catfishing Lifestyle YOUTH MATTERS 23 4-H Extension Corner: Thinking Big! Going Beyond ... 26 PALS: Bessemer City Middle School Joins Clean Campus Program
pg. 34
pg. 58
28 FFA Sentinel: Making Lemonade: Making the Best of a Difficult Situation
AFC Officers
AFC Board of Directors Rickey Cornutt, Matt Haney, Brooks Hayes, Rick Hendricks, Bill Sanders, Jeff Sims, Mike Tate, David Womack 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
To advertise:
On the Cover:
OUR REGULARS Letter from the Editor................ 4
How’s Your Garden?................... 43
Ag Insight.................................... 8
Simple Times.............................. 45
Business of Farming................... 12
Howle’s Hints.............................. 49
Feeding Facts ............................. 14
The Magic of Gardening........... 52
From the State Vet’s Office......... 16
Food Safety................................. 54
What’s the Point.......................... 18
Grazing Grace............................ 58
On the Edge of Common Sense... 20
The Co-op Pantry....................... 60
Outdoor Logic with BioLogic.... 30
What’s Happening in Alabama... 64
www.alafarm.com
121 Somerville Road NE Decatur, AL 35601-2659 P.O. Box 2227 Decatur, AL 35609-2227 256-308-1618
Rivers Myres, President Ben Haynes, Chairman of the Board
Jordyn Upchurch has many roles, but mother is her favorite. Story on page 35. (Photo Credit: AFC Publication Staff)
Cooking with Stacy Lyn............. 34
Advertising, Editorial, Subscription and Publication Offices
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
May 2021
3
April showers bring May flowers, and we are so excited to see the blooms as everything cheers up with warmer weather. There is still plenty of time to plant a garden full of vegetables, herbs and flowers so stop in at your local Co-op for their friendly, knowledgeable advice! Pictured on the cover of this issue is a dear friend and successful mother, farmer, business owner and entrepreneur, Jordyn Upchurch. I met Jordyn and her family through agriculture, and I am so proud to highlight her and the hard work she puts into her family and farm this month as we celebrate Mother’s Day. As AFC celebrates our 85th anniversary as a company, I am blessed to celebrate my new marriage into a multigenerational farming family (hence the new last name). I am excited to live with my husband on his family’s cattle, cotton and peanut farm. Agriculture has become a passion of mine and I feel so fortunate to not only work in this industry, but to live it every day. We are full-swing into spring and that means there are more tractors and farm equipment on the road, so please be patient when encountering them – they are doing the best they can to travel safely. Thank you for being a loyal reader, customer and part of the AFC family.
Samantha Hendricks Editor-in-Chief
4
Cooperative Farming News
Grand Prize Winner Karen Hulbert One ton of Purina horse feed, one ton of Triple Crown horse feed and a Priefert round pen.
Runner Up Prize Winners Justin Middleton and Geoffrey Schaff
Robert Samuel and Mark Hall
One ton of Purina horse feed.
One ton of Triple Crown horse feed.
May 2021
5
Serving gardeners, farmers and everyone in between
®
6
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 - Nicholas Byars, Mgr. 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
May 2021
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AG INSIGHT Vilsack returns to USDA leadership To say the Biden Administration’s secretary of agriculture has been able to hit the ground running would be an understatement. Confirmed for that position by the U.S. Senate on a 92-7 vote scarcely more than a month after the new administration took office, Tom Vilsack also led USDA for eight years under formerPresident Barack Obama. But Vilsack is under no illusion the job he is stepping back into will be a repeat of his earlier tenure. “I am a different person. And it is a different department,” he said at his confirmation hearing. Among other things, Vilsack noted the nation faces numerous challenges in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis, including rebuilding the U.S. economy from the pandemic-induced recession, getting food to hungry Americans and protecting frontline meatpacking and farmworkers. He also faces the seemingly conflicting goals of farmers and others who strongly support the use of ethanol and biodiesel and President Biden, who already has voiced his plan to shift the nation to electric vehicles to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Iowa, where Vilsack served as governor from 19992007 after earlier service as a state senator and Mayor of Mount Pleasant in the far southeastern part of the state, is the nation’s top producer of ethanol. As the longest-serving member of Obama’s cabinet, Vilsack also ranks second historically in his length of tenure in that position. Fellow Iowan James Wilson, a farmer and a professor of agriculture at what is now Iowa State University, holds the top spot. He served just under 16 years as secretary of agriculture from 1897-1913. Born at a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, orphanage, Vilsack was adopted in 1951. After graduating from law school, he moved to Mount Pleasant, his wife Christie’s hometown. The couple have two adult sons and five grandchildren. Before his return to USDA, he served as President and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council from 2017-21 where he led that trade group’s global marketing, research and regulatory affairs activities. He also served as a strategic adviser to Colorado State University’s food and water efforts.
Input sought on climate-smart ag, forestry strategy USDA has asked for public input on developing a climate-smart agriculture and forestry strategy. Printed in the Federal Register, the request is considered a key step in implementing President Biden’s executive order on “Tackling the climate crisis at home and abroad.” The order states that, “America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners have an im-
“America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners have an important role to play in combating the climate crisis and reducing greenhouse gas emissions ....” 8
Cooperative Farming News
BY JIM ERICKSON
portant role to play in combating the climate crisis and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, by sequestering carbon in soils, grasses, trees, and other vegetation and sourcing sustainable bioproducts and fuels.” The order directed Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to solicit input from stakeholders as USDA develops the strategy. The notice sought information on four topics: climate-smart agriculture and forestry; biofuels, bioproducts and renewable energy; catastrophic wildfire; and meeting the needs of disadvantaged communities through USDA’s climate strategy. Deadline for public input was April 30.
Drop in farm liquidity forecast USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) expects a decline in farm sector liquidity in 2021, following forecast general improvement in 2020. Liquidity is the ability to convert assets to cash quickly to satisfy short-term obligations when due, without the assets losing material value. It is one tool for measuring the financial performance of the U.S. farm sector over time. USDA uses several different financial metrics to evaluate farm sector liquidity, including: • Working capital. • The times-interest-earned ratio. • The current ratio. • The debt service ratio. • The ratio of working capital to gross revenues.
ERS focused on working capital and the times-interest-earned ratio because they provide different perspectives. Working capital is an absolute measure of cash available to fund operating expenses after paying off debt owed to creditors within 12 months (current debt). It is calculated as the amount of cash and cash-convertible assets (current assets) minus current debt on the farm sector balance sheet. ERS forecasts working capital in 2021 at $74.3 billion, a 13.6-percent decrease from 2020 when values are adjusted for inflation. This reflects an expected decline in current assets with current debt remaining relatively unchanged from 2020. If realized, this would be the largest decline since 2016. The times-interest-earned ratio measures the farm sector’s ability to service debt out of net farm income. It is calculated as net farm income, excluding interest expenses, divided by interest expenses. A value less than 1 implies there is not enough cash coming from farm operations to meet interest payments. The weakening of this ratio in 2021 reflects the forecast decline in net farm income as well as the expected increase in interest expenses. Still, the timesinterest-earned ratio is forecast to remain above 201419 levels.
Winners named in aquaculture problem-solving contest USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and HeroX have announced the winners of a competition that invited the public to submit innovative solutions to preserve the flavor of catfish and prevent the bluegreen algae that delays U.S. catfish harvesting. Catfish exposure to certain varieties of blue-green pond algae, also known as cyanobacteria, can cause taste and odor problems, and a delay in harvest for roughly 50% of catfish ponds each year. Removing those problems prior to processing also can prevent $15-20 million in lost revenue and extra expenses for catfish farmers. The contest attracted 86 entries from the United States and 24 other countries. The next step is to connect the winners with ARS scientists and develop partnerships to advance the prize-winning ideas into solutions that reduce or elimMay 2021
9
inate off-flavor in commercial catfish aquaculture. Winner of the $20,000 first prize was Laura Arroyo Miniel of the United States, whose entry was entitled “Preventing Winter Off-Flavor with Solar Heating.” HeroX is a social network for crowdsourcing innovation and human ingenuity, co-founded in 2013 by entrepreneur Christian Cotichini and XPRIZE founder and futurist Peter Diamandis.
Food prices jump; pandemic blamed The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had wide-ranging effects on U.S. consumers in 2020, including on the prices they encountered at the grocery store. Grocery store food prices increased by 3.5%, on average, from 2019 to 2020. For context, the 20-year historical level of retail food price inflation is 2% per year – meaning the 2020 increase was 75% above average. This level of retail food price inflation was last realized in 2011 when poor weather, low commodity harvests, high fuel prices and international trade disruptions increased global food prices. Prices for every major food-at-home category except fresh fruits increased in 2020. Fresh fruit prices dropped 0.8% from 2019 because of domestic and international shifts in supply and demand. For example, stay-at-home orders in India, China and Taiwan created port delays and staffing issues in the produce supply chain, decreasing the capacity to import U.S. fruit – particularly apples, grapes and cherries. In the United States, the market for fruit shifted from foodservice outlets such as restaurants and caterers to retailers during the pandemic, contributing to an increased supply and reduced prices at grocery stores. Consumers also purchased fewer perishable products during quarantine. “Fats and oils” was the only other food category to experience lower inflation than
its historical value – likely as the result of high soybean yields and decreased demand for frying oils because of COVID-19. Meat prices showed the largest annual increases in 2020. Beef and veal prices jumped 9.6%, pork rose 6.3%, poultry was up 5.6% and “other meat” showed a 4.4% jump. The spike in meat prices was due to reduced supply because of COVID-19-related processing plant closures. Meat had not experienced this level of inflation since 2014, when drought and high feed costs combined to drive up retail prices. Stay-at-home mandates in 2020 increased demand for several food products in retail stores, rather than at restaurants and schools. Supply chains struggled to adapt to this transition, which put upward pressure on retail prices. Commodities particularly affected by this transition include meats, dairy, eggs and nonalcoholic beverages. Dairy prices rose 4.4%, eggs were up 4.3% and nonalcoholic beverage prices increased 3.6% during the year.
Grocery store food prices increased by 3.5%, on average, from 2019 to 2020. For context, the 20-year historical level of retail food price inflation is 2% per year – meaning the 2020 increase was 75% above average. 10
Cooperative Farming News
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May 2021
11
BUSINESS OF FARMING
Mahalah Farms “Using What You Have to Make What You Need”
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES), the primary outreach organization for the land-grant mission of Alabama A&M University and Auburn University, delivers research-based educational programs that enable people to improve their quality of life and economic well-being. Because of the ACES mission, Yawah Awolowo’s success story is an inspirational highlight for farmers of today and tomorrow. If you ever find yourself traveling through Cuba, Alabama, you may notice signs that lead you to Mahalah Farms. Anyone who has had the privilege to have conversations with farm owners know that they can share many stories of survival, resiliency and triumph. One of those farmers is Yawah Awolowo. “Let your food be your medicine and let your medicine be your food.” This is the belief of Yawah Awolowo, a native of Cuba, Alabama, who has been a vegan/vegetarian chef for over 30 years. Today, she is the owner of Mahala Farm, named after her late aunt who raised her until she was 12. In 1965, Yawah moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, but every summer 12
Cooperative Farming News
she would return to her beloved family farm. Eventually Yawah started a catering service, Harambee, with a European friend. Harambee is Swahili meaning working and pulling together. Her vegan/ vegetarian catering service led to backstage catering events for several celebrities including India Arie, Bonnie Raitt, BB King, Kenny G and The Neville Brothers. In 2003, her catering service gained her the opportunity to travel to Brazil to participate in a World Social Forum expo/workshop. At this workshop, she learned about the benefits of growing foods organically. After traveling abroad, she was inspired to begin farming. She believed that the Mahalah Farm would be the best place to start. Therefore, she decided to grow and produce her own crops, remembering as a child that her aunt would grow cotton, corn and peanuts on this same soil. Yawah’s first attempt at farming took place one spring before leaving to work with the Children Defense Fund as a vegan consultant and chef. Before leaving, she planted different seeds on several acres of the farm. When Yawah returned, she
BY DOUG FULGHUM
was amazed to see that the seeds had grown without any maintenance. This sparked her interest even more in farming. Yawah’s desire for farming led her to search for opportunities to assist with farming. Research and assistance from local Extension agents allowed her to gain knowledge about available resources and programs. In addition, she began attending various farm-related conferences that were held at Alabama A&M, Auburn University and Tuskegee University. At these conferences, participants received vital information relevant for minority women in agriculture. Some of Yawah’s accomplishments were applying and receiving funding from Natural Resources Conservation Service to construct a hoop house and drip irrigation system. With the development of this project, she was able to produce an abundance of cabbages. When, to her surprise, 999 of the 1,000 cabbages she planted made a crop that year, she had to get creative with value-added ways to market her crop. A value-added product is the production of a particular product in a way that enhances its value. This led to her creation of Country Caviar, a customer favorite that is a savory blend of organic vegetables. Yawah has spent the last few years working with Auburn University staff to develop innovative ways to continue moving her farm forward. She has also collaborated with many influential organizations such as Black Belt Citizens Fighting for Health and
Injustice, Children Defense Fund, and she is a member of the Alabama Medicinal Herb Association. She also serves as community outreach coordinator with Alabama A&M University. Currently, Yawah is actively managing Mahalah Farm to produce a wide variety of crops such as fruit trees, rice, corn, potatoes, carrots, herbs, watermelons, collard greens, turnip greens, cabbages, snap beans, squash, gourds, peanuts, bamboo and hemp. She continually searches for ways to make her farm more organic. Despite being affected by COVID-19, she can testify to the goodness that has come out of this pandemic. She was able to open her home and farm as an educational tool for youth and adults ranging from 3-40 years old. For those who had never experienced farming, Yawah used her knowledge to teach them some farming basics. This was a joyous and rewarding occasion for Yawah as she expands her vision for Mahalah Farm to become a teaching farm embodying her motto of “using what you have to make what you need.” Therefore, if you ever find yourself in Cuba, Alabama, visit Mahalah Farm. ACES offices are located in all 67 Alabama counties, supported by Regional Extension Agents across the state, and Specialists at both partner universities. If you are interested in becoming a farmer, you can visit your local Extension office or www.aces. edu for more information.
May 2021
13
FEEDING FACTS
Marketing Fall-Born Calves As we get on into May, a good number of those fallborn calves will be weaned and decisions will have to be made on how they will be marketed. While many will be sold at weaning, a growing number of producers are seeing value in backgrounding those calves and taking advantage of marketing heavier calves in the fall. Most years this makes sense and will add dollars to the producer’s bottom line. There are many factors involved in making this type of decision including lightweight calf prices, feeder calf futures and feed costs. Other factors that tend to vary less are space or pasture, cash flow issues and time constraints. If these are all considered and the choice to hold the calves until fall is made, then the decision of what feed option is best comes up. Usually when making the choice of which feed to go with, a producer’s first question is how much does this cost per ton and while that is an important factor, it is generally not the most important factor. The absolute most important factor is what will this feed
14
Cooperative Farming News
cost to add a pound of gain to the calf. That more than anything else will determine if backgrounding your calf crop makes sense and will be profitable. One of the cheapest ways to add pounds is simply having really good forages for them to graze. Calves grazing superior forages without any supplementation would likely gain from a half pound to 1.25 pounds per day if the weather is relatively mild and if they have access to high-quality tubs such as the Co-op Stimu-lyx. It is important to remember that good forages can be cheaper than some feeds but are not free. Seed and fertilizer are needed for high-quality forages and both seem to be at a premium this year. Another, more common option would be to feed by-products, commodities or the cheapest feed you can find. There are times and places where that makes some sense, though generally you will find that they are not efficient in many ways and will end up being the most expensive when the cost per pound of gain is
B Y J I M M Y PA R K E R
[Cheaper feed] generally takes more pounds of feed to add a pound of weight. Multiple studies have shown that many commodities will require 10 to 11 pounds of feed to generate a pound of gain. considered. There are many factors that go into that. Even though the cost per ton is usually favorable, it generally takes more pounds of feed to add a pound of weight. Multiple studies have shown that many commodities will require 10 to 11 pounds of feed to generate a pound of gain. Given that the capacity of a calf’s stomach is limited, this will limit how much they can gain. So, when going this route, the feed cost needs to be a great deal cheaper than the complete feeds that are out there. The next option would be to feed a complete feed in the medium price range. Some of these feeds, such as the CPC Grower and CPC Developer get far more efficient gains than commodities alone. Instead of the 10 to 11 pounds of feed to generate a pound of gain, studies have shown that some feeds in this category will add a pound of weight with 6 to 8 pounds of feed. When that is figured in, these type feeds can cost almost twice as much per ton and still be a better choice. Usually feeds in this category are formulated
Feed Options
with a better vitamin and mineral package and often are medicated with either Rumensin or Bovatec. This combination will add to better overall health, less sickness and gains that add to the bottom line aside from simple feed cost. The final category of feeds is those that tend to be viewed as expensive. For these higher-end feeds to work, and some of them will, they must produce very efficient weight gain. In situations where forage quality is high, these feeds tend to work well. Most often, they will encourage cattle to graze more and get a pound of gain with 4 to 6 pounds of feed. These feeds can cost two to three times more than a normal commodity and still produce cheaper weight gain. They tend to have more attributes such as probiotics, superior vitamin and mineral packages and many things that will add to improved health and weight gain. As with the other type feeds, there are times and places that these are the best option. How does a person decide which is the best route? That can be complicated but with a bit of thought and planning a good decision can be reached. The first factor is forage availability and quality. Ironically, the better forages you have the higher quality feed you can afford. Generally, with most forages in an Alabama summer, the medium-priced feeds tend to fit most places more efficiently. Studies have also shown that providing tubs and hay alongside the feed that is offered will more than pay for themselves in both weight gain and general health. When all things are considered, weaning calves pays dividends most years and as long as the cost per pound of gain is less than the price of the weight gained, it sure warrants a close look.
Cost Per Ton
Lbs. of Feed Needed for One Pound Gain
Cheap feed
10-11
Medium-priced feed
6-8
Expensive feed
4-6
(By-products, commodities)
(Incl. CPC Grower & Developer)
(Supplement w/ high forage quality)
May 2021
15
FROM THE STATE VET’S OFFICE
The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System
Several years ago, I wrote in an article that I believe that the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is the crown jewel of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. I mean no disrespect for any of the other divisions or sections of the Department, but the state-of-the-art equipment, the variety of testing and the broad support to animal agriculture, and the veterinary community certainly, in my mind, give it crown jewel status. Recently, our Auburn lab made the list of Level 1 NAHLN (National Animal Health Laboratory Network) Laboratories. There are 26 NAHLN Level 1 Labs in 19 states; six are regional labs in a state with a NAHLN Level 1 Lab. To earn the Level 1 designation is not easy. It requires performing complex testing, performing proficiency testing for the staff, having a quality assurance system and upholding other strict requirements set 16
Cooperative Farming News
forth by NAHLN. The NAHLN, in partnership with the USDA reference lab, perform specific tests for diseases of concern that could have a negative impact on our livestock and poultry. This speeds our early detection, response and recovery from animal health diseases like low pathogenic avian influenza, CWD in deer and even the bad ones like foot-and-mouth disease. This network of labs nationwide allows us to test large numbers of samples for these diseases that would likely overwhelm a lab trying to go it on their own. I am truly proud of the Veterinary Diagnostic Lab system and how it supports animal agriculture in the state of Alabama. The system consists of the Auburn Laboratory, the “mother ship,” that I mentioned above, along with three branch labs located in Boaz, Elba and Hanceville. Over the years, the laboratory system has played a significant role in the success of both the cat-
BY DR. TONY FRAZIER tle and poultry industries. Most of us remember the key role that the lab played in the Brucellosis Eradication Program which was extremely beneficial to the cattle industry. It is also worth noting that having adequate laboratory support has played a role in bringing more of the poultry industry to Alabama. I am still surprised when producers tell me that they were not even aware that access to laboratory support is available. Recently, someone called the Commissioner’s office looking for help because he had lost seven or eight calves. The commissioner suggested he take the next one that died to the lab closest to him. He said he wasn’t even aware that he had access to that kind of resource. He was very appreciative when the branch lab with support from the Auburn lab was able to diagnose his problem, provide him with the antibiotic that was best to treat with and provide the report to his veterinarian so they could develop a plan to stop the loss of calves in his herd. Sometimes the diagnoses are simple and are obtained quickly. Other times, the diagnoses are more difficult and require histology, virology, toxicology and PCR testing; those diagnoses may take awhile. Our laboratory system utilizes an online system that allows our case coordinators the ability to access parts of the report when the complete report is not ready to be finalized. That is important because, for example, a toxicology report may find that the cause of death in a handful of cattle was lead or ammonia. This report may precede the rest of the report by a few days; but allows the producer to try to find the source of the lead or ammonia or arsenic or any of a number of other toxins and remove it from access by the herd. Back when I was in practice, we would send samples to the lab and generally wouldn’t hear anything until the whole report was complete and finalized. Until about mid-2011, the lab system did testing on food animals free of charge because we have felt that
it was important to know what diseases that could affect animal agriculture are out across the state. After dramatic budget cuts to the Department of Agriculture in 2011, we decided to try to keep charges low to be able to continue to provide service to our clients. Our charges are still probably the best value a producer can invest in, though. I have mentioned various tests we can perform and the fact that the Auburn lab is a Level 1 NAHLN Lab. But the most valuable asset that our lab offers is the people who work in the system. They are dedicated, hardworking people who are focused on getting proper diagnoses and getting that reported back to the producers and veterinarians as quickly as possible. We have about 40 workers at the Auburn lab and about 55 systemwide. And while we have seen people come and go, especially during the times of severe budget cuts, we have only had three laboratory system directors and one interim director since 1987. Dr. Fred Hoerr was director from 1987 until 2012. He was followed by interim director Dr. Sara Rowe who was followed by director Dr. David Pugh. Our present and, hopefully, for a long time into the future director is Dr. Heather Walz. My working relationship with our directors has been both exceptional and invaluable. Many of my state veterinarian colleagues would love to have the kind of relationship that I have with our laboratory system. Our laboratories accept direct submissions from producers and veterinarians. If you are a poultry producer, work through your service person to determine if birds should be submitted to the lab. If you are a producer who submits to the lab directly, we strongly recommend that you work with your local veterinarian to interpret results and develop a plan of action, if needed. If you have questions about how the lab could be a tool in the toolbox of your cattle operation, don’t hesitate to talk to me or your local veterinarian.
Sometimes the diagnoses are simple and are obtained quickly. Other times, the diagnoses are more difficult and require histology, virology, toxicology and PCR testing; those diagnoses may take awhile. May 2021
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WHAT’S THE POINT WITH GREENPOINT AG
Safety Starts With Me
This planting season, make safe farming a priority This month launches one of the busiest times of the year as, weather permitting, farmers begin the 2021 planting season. This means long hours and hard days for growers as they work to get seed in the ground for this year’s crop. As the demands of this busy season begin, safety should be at the forefront of everyone’s mind. At GreenPoint Ag, safety is a topic of daily
18 Cooperative Cooperative Farming Farming News News 18
TIM BOGY
Tim Bogy is the GreenPoint Ag Interim Environment, Health & Safety Director .
discussion. It’s not something we only do in the offseason, or focus on this week, but not the next. Every GreenPoint Ag employee takes the pledge, “Safety starts with me.” We recommend you and your farm employees focus on safety as well. Throughout the harried pace of the season, it’s easy to focus more on just getting the job done. But a bit of preparation and consideration can help everyone stay safe. Make sure your equipment is adequately maintained and in good working condition. Ensure safety equipment and features are in place and operating properly. Follow all laws concerning travel on roads and ensure proper lighting and safety placards are in place. Maintain your focus on the task at hand. Be aware of your surroundings and watch for children. (They are often attracted to the machinery and want to be around parents and friends.) If you are in a leadership position on the farm, communicate the importance of safety to all workers. A brief meeting to discuss safety and the chores ahead can help everyone focus. Do this daily to ensure proper procedures are so ingrained they become habit. You or your employees shouldn’t have to think about the safest way to do something — you want it to just come naturally. Follow label directions on any crop-protection products. Be sure adequate safety equipment is available.
Choose the right tool for the job. I remember when I was growing up on my family’s farm in Wabbaseka, Arkansas, my uncle kept on an old, worn-out monkey wrench handy on the farm. He would use that tool like a hammer or a prybar, but rarely for its intended purpose. His approach was certainly one I would advise against. Instead of using an adjustable wrench as a hammer, take a few extra moments and get the proper tool. Farmers have an admirable “get it done” attitude — that’s our nature — but we should always slow down and do things properly. Often, the safest method is not the quickest alternative but it is always the best choice. Taking a little extra time to do things properly will save you money and frustration in the long run. Planting season can be hard on both body and mind. Growers may spend 16 to 18 hours in the tractor seat, and fatigue can cause us to take shortcuts and be unsafe. It’s a good idea to take breaks often, get adequate sleep and don’t skip meals. If you are getting tired and starting to work unsafely, you may not recognize when it’s time to call it a day. Be mindful of the dangers of fatigue and watch out for one another. Let’s get through this challenging time safely.
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ON THE EDGE OF COMMON SENSE
B Y B A X T E R B L A C K , DV M
Progress
Imagine you were a livestock man in medieval England a thousand years ago. It’s early spring. Snow on the ground, mud in the cow lot. You walk the small pasture where the heavy heifers are kept. It’s hard to see much with just the moonlight. But you spot one that’s down in a swale. She’s on her side in the process of calving. One foot is showing. You check the rest of the cows the best you can and go back to the heifer. No progress. You wait a little longer, then resigned to your duty, you walk back to the cow lot and set the gates. On your way back to get the heifer, the wind blows down your neck and you shiver. Using a long stick you get the heifer up and drive her into the cow lot. There’s some straw scattered behind the windbreak. She finds it and lays down. You walk to the earthen-roofed shed to collect your tools. You manage to ease up on her and drop a homemade halter over her head and tie her loosely to a post on the windbreak. There is tepid water in your oaken bucket. After takin’ off your tunic you wash yer arms and kneel down behind her. Taking a three-foot leather thong, you slip a noose around the protruding foot. Following yer father’s advice, you next slip a hand inside and search for the other foot. You attach a second thong to it, take a wrap 20
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around each hand and begin to pull. By pulling when she pushes, resting when she rests, you and she finally deliver the calf two hours later. You rub him down, get him under the flank to suck and get to bed at daybreak. Sound familiar? However, we have made some progress in a thousand years. We’ve traded the moonlight for a flashlight, a (grass-hemp) rope for a nylon, wool underwear for goose down, leather shoes for rubber boots, leather thongs for chrome-plated O.B. chains and we’ve traded patience for a ratchet calf puller. But for the most part much of the process remains the same. Cold feet, bare arms, sweat in your eyes, small heifers and big calves, manual labor and dogged determination. Progress has mechanized, modernized and computerized much of our world from farming to pharmacy, from coal mining to dentistry, from astronomy to architecture. But those of us who practice the ancient art of birthing livestock could trade places with our counterparts a thousand years ago, or even two thousand years ago, and we’d be interchangeable almost immediately. Sorta like horseshoers, acupuncturists, dog trainers and herbal medicine salesmen. Makes ya think, doesn’t it? www.baxterblack.com
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May 2021
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IMPROVING LIFE ON YOUR LAND SINCE 1945
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Clanton205-288-6298
Scott Garrett 334-303-1488
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Drop-Off Locations:
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4-H EXTENSION CORNER
B Y C A R O LY N D R I N K A R D
Thinking BIG!
Going Beyond ...
Virtual Midwinter Retreat 2021 was unlike any other Retreat! The Retreat ended with an appearance by Destin Sandlin (top left), a Huntsville engineer and science communicator who has become a YouTube sensation with his video series, “Smarter Every Day.”
The Midwinter Leadership Retreat is usually held at the 4-H Center in Columbiana. This meeting gives 4-H’ers another chance to improve their leadership skills, explore new and exciting opportunities in 4-H, reach out to other young people, help others through community service, motivate senior 4-H’ers to stay active in the local level and make the best better. With the pandemic, however, Alabama’s 31 State Ambassadors could neither meet to plan this event nor gather together at the 4-H Center. This did not stop 31 enthusiastic Ambassadors, however. Even though they had never met face to face, these amazing young people used Zoom and conference calls to plan and implement one of the most memorable Midwinter Retreats ever! The Ambassadors chose a space theme, “Think Big. Go Beyond!,” and this is just what they did! They planned virtual workshops focused on team building, managing a budget, exploring new 4-H projects and handling difficult conversations. Seth Tuttle secured a $4,000 grant, so that each participant could receive a Midwinter Retreat box, filled with a water
bottle, snacks, notebook, pen, T-shirt, sunglasses with a cord, cellphone holder and space-themed cutouts to color and decorate their own rooms for the
William McCollum, of Fayette County, shows the water bottle and cellphone holder that he received in his box.
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Seth Tuttle, Alabama 4-H Foundation Fund Development Officer, spoke about his first job and how it taught him to work hard, communicate better with customers and be on time.
virtual conference. Special surprises were the “Happy Grams,” special hand-written notes from the State Ambassadors. The Midwinter Virtual Leadership Retreat opened online on Feb. 5 with 131 senior 4-H’ers (ages 1418) from 39 counties. On Saturday, Feb. 6, the virtual workshops began, with each session rotating hourly. The Retreat ended with an appearance by Destin Sandlin, a Huntsville engineer and science communicator who has become a YouTube sensation with his video series, “Smarter Every Day.” During breaks, Warren Williams, from Barbour County, entertained the 4-H’ers by playing their requested music and inviting everyone to get up and dance. Members bonded as they sang and danced together, right in their own homes! 4-H Leadership and Citizenship Specialist Joy Scott thanked Rusty Presley, who handled all the technical issues for the Retreat. “To pull off this conference virtually was amazing,” Joy said. “It was a youth-adult partnership, but it was all youth-led by our 31 State Ambassadors!” “Midwinter was all virtual, yet it had the same energy as in-person 4-H events,” observed Marion Bell, president of the State Ambassadors. “Although each of us were in a room alone, it was easy to forget, because it felt like we were in a room with 131 of our closest friends!” First-year Ambassador Luke Stephens from Clarke County added another perspective: “I had never been to the ‘in-person’ Midwinter events, but Virtual Midwinter lived up to the hype! I cannot wait for the hopefully ‘in-person’ event next year!” Colton Cook, Vice President of the State Ambassadors, was proud of the positive feedback from the Retreat. “COVID has done everything but stop the 24
Cooperative Farming News
Alabama 4-H State Ambassadors from putting on a spectacular Midwinter 2021!” he said proudly. 2021 Virtual Midwinter Retreat went beyond all expectations to become not only a “virtual first” for 4-H’ers, but also one Retreat they will never forget!
Kylee Dunn participated in the Retreat from her bedroom in Fayette County. She took notes at each workshop.
Jessica Duck, State Ambassador, shows the Midwinter Retreat box she received. Each box was packed full of “goodies” for the members to enjoy during the Retreat.
Dr. Gary Lemme, Extension Director, welcomed students and told them how proud he was of all their hard work and how well each one represented Alabama.
Dr. Molly Gregg, Assistant Director of 4-H, provided words of encouragement to the youth on Friday night.
Luke Stephens, a first-year Ambassador from Clarke County, joined in to Midwinter 2021 from Mayor Mike Norris’s office in Fulton, where he often Zooms for 4-H. Luke thought Midwinter was a very unique event, thanks to the pandemic, but he still found it to be amazing!
Aisha Nasser holds a notebook that was part of her box. The Ambassadors had filled the boxes with gifts that were practical and could be used during the Retreat.
May 2021
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PALS
BY JAMIE MITCHELL
Bessemer City Middle School Joins Clean Campus Progam
A
labama PALS is pleased to welcome Bessemer City Middle School to the Clean Campus Program. The seventh-grade students at Bessemer City Middle recently had the opportunity to meet with me for a virtual lesson on the environment. The presentation included information about the negative effects of pollution, and the students also learned about how much time it takes for items that we normally throw away in the trash to biodegrade. Many students do not realize that once the “garbage truck” picks up their trash, it goes to a landfill to be buried. After our Zoom call, the students brainstormed using all the information they had been given. Some of the ideas the students decided to pursue were as follows: starting a Clean Campus Group at the school with the supplies provided by Alabama PALS and starting a recycling program on campus. In fact, they have already contacted their local waste vendor about starting the recycling program! As soon as they get the necessary approval from their school district, they 26
Cooperative Farming News
will begin by collecting aluminum cans and plastic drink containers. The students also discussed the long-term goal of applying for the Adopt-a-Mile program so they can have more outreach in the community. The Adopt-aMile signs are a great way for local residents to be reminded of the importance of good environmental stewardship and that people of all ages can make a difference. The students at BCMS also plan to reach out to local businesses to help make some of their ideas come to fruition systemwide! These students are reimagining Bessemer to become a truly litter-free community! Litter prevention is key, and it is so important to instill good habits at a young age. If a school near you would like to learn more about the Clean Campus Program, please have them give me a call at 334-2637737 or email at jamie@alpals.org. We would love to work with your local schools to create an even more beautiful Alabama!!
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
May 2021
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FFA SENTINEL
Making Lemonade
Making the Best of a Difficult Situation
Brianna Payne teaching a lesson to a pre-K class before COVID-19.
W
hen life gives you lemons what do you do with them? 2020 was full of lemons and we are still getting them in 2021. The fact is, it was a crazy year for everyone, from virtual competitions and conventions to canceled events and quarantine. The way FFA works may have been altered but our mission is still the same: To promote the agriculture industry. Lincoln FFA has been striving to make a difference in the lives of members in hopes that we would soon get back to a sense of normalcy. Our chapter has held a membership drive, helped run a horse show through COHA, run in-person meetings, and held a voter registration drive all during the first semester. Last year, I created an ag literacy program at Lincoln Elementary school for preschool to fifth-grade students where I create lessons and activities to teach the kids. This year the program has worked a little differently, so instead of teaching the lesson myself, I began sending the lesson plan complete with all the materials to the teachers for them to show to their kids since I wasn’t able to go to the school myself due to COVID-19 regulations. Before school let out for Christmas break, I decided I wanted to move 28
Cooperative Farming News
Brianna conducting a chapter visit with Spring Garden FFA.
B R I A N N A PA Y N E
Brianna’s chapter knows how to keep members involved, even amongst a pandemic. Here members participated in a Turkey Toss.
the program to a virtual platform so that students would be able to access them, even at home. This idea transformed into the Facebook page “Rooted in Ag.” On this page, I create mini-lessons that are agriculturally related and film them. From there, I edit the videos to make them appealing to younger kids and then post the finished product on Facebook. The chapter officer team has helped me to film these videos and taught me different editing techniques. A few members have been featured in the videos participating in the activity that goes along with my lesson. This project is a part of my SAE in Agriscience education and started out as just a project, but now it has developed into a part of my purpose. My purpose is to educate others and let them know that they are important through friendships and communication. This project has helped me expand my purpose far beyond what I had ever imagined. “Rooted in Ag” has enabled my chapter to stay involved in the lives of our members and bring awareness to agriculture, even through these difficult times. Lincoln FFA has pushed through to create an educational and memorable year for their members, but has also done the same for the community. Our chapter has been working towards a farm day, competing in CDEs and LDEs through FFA and completing community service hours. COVID-19 has given obstacle after obstacle, but my chapter has learned to face the challenges head on to accomplish our purpose as FFA members, to promote the agriculture industry and be an ally to those involved in the industry. Now when life gives you lemons, what do you do with them? Well as for the Lincoln FFA, we made lemonade!
Preparing an activity for the virtual “Rooted In Ag” lesson.
Brianna conducting a middle school leadership team workshop.
Brianna and fellow members celebrating their achievements after last year’s virtual contests.
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OUTDOOR LOGIC WITH BIOLOGIC
Managing Small Parcels for Trophy Bucks The Dilemma Next Door
Most people who own small parcels will use their available acreage to plant food plots to attract deer during hunting season. This may be the easiest tactic, but will probably also give you the most bang for your buck (pun intended). (Photo Credit: Charlie Alsheimer)
With a small property (< 80 acres), can you influence whitetail management or make hunting better? I have received many communications from beginner whitetail managers who have small properties – some maybe 20 acres or less. Is it worth it to manage these small tracts? Can you have an influence over buck size, herd dynamics and hunting opportunities? Absolutely! In this article, learn why and how.
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With a much larger parcel, it is easier to control many aspects of your management efforts and better influence others, especially the “harvest” portion of the management equation. Even if you aren’t practicing other Quality Deer Management principles, “selective harvest” will have a huge influence. Killing the right deer and removing the correct amount of animals are both essential for numerous reasons.
BY TODD AMENRUD
Since whitetails jump fences and we have no control over our fellow citizens, if you aren’t working together with your neighbors, you can imagine “herd management” could compound into what seems a wearisome, unachievable task. However, you should always strive to attain a balance in the local herd. The premise of most herd management scenarios is simple – let small bucks live to maturity (5 years old) and harvest an acceptable number of female deer to keep the density at healthy, stress-free levels. However, if your neighbors are killing the small bucks and they aren’t helping with the doe harvest, it can become very frustrating. I often hear the jealous justification of, “I shot the buck because he was going to jump the fence. If he hops the fence, my neighbor is just going to shoot him anyhow.” I promise you if you have that rationalization, of “having to kill a buck before your neighbor does,” you will NEVER make hunting any better for ANYONE, including yourself. You must set your goals, stick to them and not worry about what your neighbors do. Create a plan and lead by experience! This is how big buck hot spots come to be; look at what the Drurys or Dr. Grant Woods have done in Missouri, or what the Lakoskys and Kiskys have done in Iowa. I know they own farms larger than we’re talking about, but even with a small parcel, if you stick to this aspiration you will in all likelihood see noticeable results in only a year or two!
herd and your hunting. Whitetails are “homebodies.” What you do “here” has an influence over every animal whose home range encompasses “here.” Once an adult whitetail chooses the spot where they will reside (after their first year spent with their mother), hardly ever will they roam too far from that spot. Males will typically take up a home range a fair distance from where they were born, not always, but most often, they will. Their journey to find an adult home range may be only a mile or two or up to possibly 50 or 60 miles away from where they were born. This depends upon many factors such as the type of terrain and habitat, densities at various locations, age structure, buck-to-doe ratios and other factors. Females will establish an adult home range very near to, and usually intertwined with their mothers. This is why doe harvest is so important. A given
Once an adult whitetail chooses the spot where they will reside (after their first year spent with their mother), hardly ever will they roam too far from that spot. In most cases if your neighbor is a hunter, unless they are incredibly stupid, by watching you they will catch on to the fact that a sound management philosophy pays huge dividends. Talk to your neighbors, and again, lead by example! By employing sound management philosophies, you can have a titanic influence over your whitetail
Creating thick cover adjacent to a food plot is a great use of some of a limited acreage plan. Whether you create the cover with a chain saw by removing the canopy, by planting native warm-season grasses or some other means, it doesn’t have to be a big patch, just thick. (Photo Credit: Dolmar)
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that spot. If their home range happens to consist of your property, you have an effect on that animal’s health, growth possibilities and how often it frequents your parcel. The further they move away from your property, the less influence your management decisions have. Basic management strategy tells us to let bucks live to maturity and harvest enough does so that the territorial tendencies of whitetails don’t make it virtually impossible for other bucks to move into your area to take up residence. Let’s put the two concerns in layman’s terms – “Dead deer don’t grow” and “If all of the rooms are all full, he’s got to live somewhere else.” Making smart harvest decisions are vital to small acreage success. Serious hunters know about the “Food, Water, Cover, Sanctuary” formula. All parts of the “recipe” are very important, so which should you start with? It depends upon what you already have. What are your property’s strong suits and what do your neighbors’ have to offer? With small parcels, it can be difficult to impossible to provide all the elements needed to consistently produce trophy bucks. Since you know that whitetails are using your properWith limited acreage to devote to food plots, small property managers may want to double-crop and plant a legume like clover, beans, peas, etc, in the spring, and then disk it under during the late summer ty for at least a portion of their needs, you must take into consideration the to plant “hunting time attraction” like cereal grains and brassicas. (Photo Credit: Todd Amenrud) entire surrounding area. Learn your piece of land will hold “X amount of deer.” If you re- property’s strong suits and weaknesses. You have to move one doe, there’s a 50-50 chance the space will do the best with what you have and the herd will unbe filled by another doe. Therefore, you need to re- doubtedly have to “borrow” or “share” some of your move more does than you may think for the chance neighbor’s resources. You need to manage your propthat a buck might move in to fill that spot. erty to mesh with the surrounding area. Bucks may wander for a longer period before they On larger properties, you don’t want your herd to find a spot where they will become established and hop the fence for anything, but with small acreage you spend the rest of their life. Typically, this happens need to bet on the fact that they most definitely will be between the age of 12 and 18 months, but it can crossing your border. You need to have at least some take longer. If they have their basic needs met and part of the formula on your side of the fence to keep aren’t molested, they will likely reside on the same them coming back, but be imaginative and let your home range the rest of their life. Core areas within herd “use” your neighbor’s resources to your benefit. their home range will change seasonally to meet Managers of small properties will most often be their needs, but to a whitetail it’s “home sweet home,” lacking the space necessary to “house” many whitethey’re there to stay. tails. Because of both biological and social carrying Since whitetails live in a defined home range, capacities, you just can’t fit that many animals into what you do even in a small area has influence over a small area without putting major stress upon them all of the whitetails whose home territories include or having degradation of the habitat. 32
Cooperative Farming News
Densities vary widely throughout the Midwest – anywhere from five or six, on up to over 50 animals per square mile. As an example, we’ll use the generous estimate of 30 deer per square mile. That means with 640 acres in a square mile, and 30 deer in that square mile, your 80 acres is likely to hold 4 whitetails. If you do things right, you most certainly can hold more, but you can see my point. Are you better off devoting ground to bedding or to feeding? It’s also a fact that all small properties are not created equally. Because of certain characteristics, or combination of features, there’s no doubt that particular small parcels are much more appealing to whitetails than surrounding acreage – a property that holds something uniquely appealing that whitetails love, crave, have to have or have to use. Recognize these unique features and get the most out of them. More than likely, on small parcels the one part of the formula that’s easiest for a property owner to
deal with is the “food.” It’s also where you will likely see the biggest impact. “Attraction during hunting season” is the “food plot goal” of most, but on small parcels, you probably don’t have enough acreage to attract deer all season long. You may have to be very selective about what you plant. You want your food plot crop to reach its peak attraction when you want to hunt the site. With small parcels, your neighbors can be a key as to how good your hunting will be. People working together can accomplish so much more than those who “butt heads.” “Whitetail management cooperatives” are becoming more and more popular. If you get five to 10 property owners with 20-to-40-acre parcels, you can have your own whitetail Mecca if you do things right. Even with larger properties, the best option is to always work with your neighbors rather than competing against them. It is amazing what a group of “like-minded” land managers can do.
Here’s the author pictured with a buck that came off a property only 20 acres in size. He believes that whether you have 10 acres or 10,000, you can have a huge influence over the whitetail herd and your hunting. (Photo Credit: Todd Amenrud)
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Fresh Herb Frittata Ingredients: 8 large eggs 2 teaspoons Kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped 2 Tablespoons sage leaves, chopped 1/2 cup Italian parsley leaves, chopped 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped 1 shallot, diced 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded 4 Tablespoons butter 1/2 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped Goat cheese, for serving Fresh mint, for serving 1. Place rack in oven close to the broiler and set broiler on high. 2. In a large bowl, blend eggs with salt and pepper until frothy. 3. Add thyme, sage, parsley, basil, shallots and cheese to egg mixture and blend. 4. In an 8- to 10-inch sauté pan, heat butter until it begins to bubble. Add the egg mixture and cook over low heat for up to 15 minutes or until it is set on the bottom and sides of pan. Transfer pan to the oven and broil for about 3 minutes or until the eggs are puffed and lightly browned. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Now, if your mother/wife likes something sweet for brunch, here is the perfect dish!!! The first time I made this dish, I was in love! I remember walking in my herb garden one sunny Sunday afternoon looking at the light hitting the juicy fresh strawberries.
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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.
All in a Day’s Work
A MOTHER’S DAY SPOTLIGHT
BY J E S S I E S H O O K
Jordyn Upchurch has many job titles, including cattle rancher, chicken farmer, bookkeeper and social media manager, but her favorite of all is Mother. Mothers in agriculture are some of the hardest working people – from raising children, to raising livestock and crops, these women have a far-reaching impact on feeding the world and raising the future of agriculture. If you ask Jordyn Upchurch, motherhood and farming go hand in hand. Jordyn works alongside her husband Chris while raising their two-year-old son Charlie at Rockin’ U Farm, in Lineville, Alabama. At Rockin’ U Farm, the Upchurch family raise commercial poultry broilers for Koch Foods, along with a SimAngus cow/calf operation. The farm recently added a direct-to-consumer freezer beef business, while also being involved in a trucking and poultry clean-out
Charlie Upchurch loves to help when working cows, including pushing cows up the alley. (Photo Credit: Jordyn Upchurch)
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You can always find Charlie in the buddy seat of the tractor with Jordyn or Chris. (Photo credit: Jordyn Upchurch)
business with Jordyn’s father. If motherhood doesn’t impress you alone, Jordyn is active in the day-to-day operations of the farm. “I’m exclusively in charge of the care of our freezer beef calves, feeding and checking our other cow/calf herds daily, keeping records of the cattle and the bookkeeping of the trucking/cleanout business,” Jordyn explained. From experience, Jordyn knows the value of growing up on a farm. “My father had commercial poultry houses growing up and I always helped him with set up and checking chickens,” Jordyn said. “That was our quality time together.” Jordyn’s mother worked as a nurse, but anytime
she wasn’t at work, she was helping Jordyn’s father at the poultry houses. “I saw her love of agriculture grow through her relationship with my father and that was something I always wanted,” Jordyn said. Jordyn found exactly that when she married her husband Chris. Chris started Rockin’ U Farm in 2011 when he built the poultry houses. Chris and Jordyn married in 2015 and have been farming together ever since. “I knew I wanted a future in agriculture, I just wasn’t sure of what that would look like until I met my husband,” Jordyn added. Jordyn is grateful that their son Charlie will get to grow up with some of the same experiences and lessons she had on the farm. “Chris and I actually tend to call our parenting philosophy ‘free-range parenting,’ but within reason, with safety as a priority, we tend to let him have free range of wherever we are at the farm,” Jordyn said. These experiences have taught Charlie independence and the value of working hard. “He has the best imagination that comes from growing up outside and learning to entertain himself,” Jordyn added. “He is also learning about where his food comes from on a firsthand basis and has learned the responsibility that comes with that.” Charlie comes to work with Jordyn almost every single day and already has his own chores. He feeds the barn cats and has learned to brush his pony. He even helps Jordyn scoop feed for their direct-to-consumer beef calves. “You’ll always find him riding in the buddy seat of the tractor, whether it’s while we’re baling hay or feeding hay,” Jordyn said. “He loves to ride through and
Jordyn is able to balance the farm and motherhood by having a supportive partner. Chris always helps fill in the gaps.
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Charlie has the best imagination from growing up outside and learning to entertain himself. (Photo Credit: Jordyn Upchurch)
These passions within Jordyn for agriculture and motherhood are important traits for someone in this industry to have. “We take responsibility of feeding the world and caring for our animals very seriously,” Jordyn assured. “Agriculture has given so much to us – our lifestyle, our home, our friends and community; having a small part in something big isn’t lost on us.” Jordyn also uses their farm to be an active advocate for agriculture. From their local community to outreach online via their Instagram account, Jordyn shares their story to put a face with agriculture. “So many people don’t trust real food because farmers have been made into villains by the media,” Jordyn said. “Our social media account allows me to talk directly with consumers and they can see how deeply we care for our animals and our land.” By connecting with consumers on social media and sharing their lives, Jordyn hopes consumers will see that Rockin’ U Farm is a family affair and not a corporate farm. “Social media just helps people realize that farmers are real people, too,” Jordyn added. The Rockin’ U Farms Instagram page is a great place to witness Jordyn and Charlie’s adventures around the farm and what everyday life looks like for them. Jordyn speaks fondly of some of her favorite memories so far with Charlie on the farm. “A special memory I have of Charlie is when he was almost two years old and he realized that he could call the cows up and they would come to his cow call/voice,” Jordyn said. “The elated look on his face when he realized that the cows were coming up for him was just so special and his cow call was hilarious!”
check the cows, and whenever we are working cows or calves through the chute, you’ll find him in the alley pushing cows up.” This mother-son duo usually starts the day by caring for their cattle herds. This includes feeding, checking water, assessing health and putting hay out. By the time Jordyn and Charlie finish checking the cattle, it’s about time for Charlie’s midday nap. This gives Jordyn the opportunity to work on the books for their trucking/ cleanout business. “After nap time, we usually head out to the farm to do any catching up that needs to be done,” Jordyn said. “Every day starts with the same goals, but no day is the same and I think that is why I love this life that we live on the farm.” By experiencing day-to-day life on the “Children thrive when they are raised farm, Jordyn and Chris are teaching Charoutdoors, with responsibilities and seelie knowledge through agriculture he may not have the opportunity to learn othering their parents work hard.” wise. “I want him to learn the kindness – Jordyn Upchurch and empathy that caring for animals bring, the responsibility and hard work, and how rewarding that can be,” Jordyn explained. While Jordyn, Chris and Charlie have many more “Children thrive when they are raised outdoors, with rememories to make on the farm, Jordyn said that her sponsibilities and seeing their parents work hard.” Motherhood and farming have many similarities. biggest hope for the future is that Charlie has a place Mothers and farmers are ushering new life into the in agriculture. She also hopes they are able to preserve world, whether that be from seed or egg and then caring this way of life for her son and future generations. “I for it the best they can – hoping it grows to its full po- hope that we can continue to raise quality food for our tential, be it vegetable, animal or human. Jordyn takes country and that future generations can enjoy it the on motherhood and farming sharing the same care and same way we have,” Jordyn said. “And I also hope that passion. “The joy of seeing a newborn calf walk for the Charlie, if he chooses, can continue to operate our farm first time or nursing a sick animal back to health, bring and be a proud fifth-generation farmer.” To see more of Jordyn, Chris and Charlie, follow @ out the same feelings in me as when my son took his RockinUFarm on Instagram. first steps,” Jordyn said. May 2021 37
Stacey Gaston caught this flathead on the Alabama River. It weighed 65 pounds.
BY CA R O LY N D R I N KA R D
S
tacey Gaston has been catfishing all his life, just like his daddy and granddaddy did before him. “I have always loved to fish,” he said. “I grew up hunting and fishing. It was just part of my heritage. “ About 12 years ago, he set his sights on using rods and reels to catch trophy catfish. The challenge was first to find the big cats and then bring them into his boat. Many thought this couldn’t be done. When he started to catch 40-50-pound cats, he took pictures of these trophies, but some skeptics still did not believe him. To prove that he could use a rod and reel to catch these big cats, he used his cellphone to record his catches, and then he posted the videos to YouTube. That’s when viewers started to take notice. While fishing on the Tennessee River, Stacey learned about going live on Facebook. Each time he snagged a big fish, he went live and yelled, “Smackdown!” His exclamation caught on and soon became his signature!
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“I’m just a redneck with a cellphone,” he laughed, “but people started watching and ‘smackdown’ caught on!” Now, most of his thousands of fans even call him “SmackDown.” With his fishing partner, Joey Kirby, Stacey started a weekly Facebook live show, called “SmackDown Catfishing.” His goal was to help anyone else getting into this sport. The show airs each Tuesday night at 7 p.m. on Facebook and YouTube. Thousands follow to comment, ask questions and even win prizes, of-
fered throughout the show. Stacey often has guests join him virtually to share their success stories and offer advice. He passes along tips on catching the big cats on rods and reels, using the best equipment and choosing the right bait to bring them in. Stacey has become a social media sensation with thousands of followers from all over the U.S. and Canada. He has even created his own line of fishing products, which he sells on SmackDownCatfishing.net. One of his inventions has redefined this growing sport, giving sportsmen the ability to work with more rods and bring in more fish. Stacey uses Meat Hunter rods, made in Arkansas, but developed in the rivers and lakes of the South for heavy-duty fishing. Needing a holder for the rods, Stacey used his welding and fabricating skills to design something that would grasp when a 100-pound catfish struck the line. It took him three years of designing, fabricating and then fishing with the holder to get it just like he wanted. He mounted the holders on his own Tracker Targa 20 boat and demonstrates their value to serious big cat fishermen. He now offers seven different colors and a choice of bases that fit nearly every boat.
magazines, and has been a popular guest on “Gettin’ Outdoors with Big Daddy Lawler.” Stacey Gaston is a busy family man. He lives in Greenville, Alabama, with Dawn, his wife of 28 years. He has three children, two grandchildren and one on the way. He teaches welding at Reid State Technical College in Evergreen and serves as the pastor of Goodland Baptist Church. Every weekend, Stacey Gaston can be found on the Alabama River between Camden and Montgom-
Stacey has become a social media sensation with thousands of followers from all over the U.S. and Canada. He has even created his own line of fishing products, which he sells on SmackDownCatfishing.net.
Stacey Gaston is passionate about fishing for the big cats, and he has enjoyed great success. This love of the sport, along with his infectious enthusiasm, makes him an entertaining and knowledgeable speaker. He often headlines Fishing Expos and Conferences, and he is a crowd favorite at wild game dinners and fundraisers. He has appeared in numerous fishing and outdoor
Stacey Gaston can find the big ones everywhere. These two big cats were caught on Lake Guntersville.
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Joey Kirby (l) caught this 91 lb. blue catfish. Stacey Gaston holds a 99 lb. beauty.
ery, looking for the illusive big flatheads and blue cats. In the last two years, he has put the “SmackDown” on six fish, all weighing over 80 pounds. One was over 100 pounds. The Alabama blue cat record is 120 pounds, and he once caught a big blue that weighed 103. While fishing one night, he and his buddy caught a 99 pounder and a 91 pounder back-to-back. For Stacey, the Holy Grail of big cat catching is the illusive 100-pound club. “The thought of catching a monster catfish appeals to me,” he laughed. “The adrenaline rush of 80-100 pounds of fish ‘done got the best of me’!” Stacey practices only “catch and release,” putting anything over 15 pounds back into the water. He protects the environment and all the creatures that live therein, so that future generations can enjoy these things as much as he has. “I do a lot of fishing,” he explained. “Whenever I catch these big fish, I put them back in the reservoir. It’s up to you and me to protect that which we love to do. I like to look after what I love to do!” Stacey Gaston fishes with energy, enthusiasm and excitement. He enjoys competing in fishing contests all over the South. Another great pleasure is carrying others out in the waters to catch the big cats. Some of his favorite guests are veterans and children. About 50% of the time, however, Stacey is on the water by himself. 40
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Cayden Wise is living that Smackdown Catfishing lifestyle. He is one of Stacey Gaston’s biggest fans. He caught two big cats on a fishing trip with his Pawpaw, Scott Childres. Cayden and his family use many of the SmackDown products such as the rod holders in the background.
“I just love gettin’ out on the water,” he said. “I could sit there hours on end. When you get on the water, your mind goes to another place. It’s very relaxing and fun, and the peacefulness there is unbelievable!” In addition to his busy schedule, Stacey does a live video each Sunday morning, encouraging everyone and offering support for those in need. Stacey Gaston loves the Lord, his family and catfishing! He’s living that SmackDown lifestyle, and he’s lovin’ every minute of it! “I’m really a blessed man to have caught so many,” he said. “All of this is just the favor of the Lord!”
Troy Smith holds up two large cats caught while on a Smackdown excursion with Stacey.
Stacey shows off a large catfish caught from his boat. He has a “catch and release” policy and puts anything over 15 pounds back into the water.
Stacey said that the rough water did not affect the catfish. He caught a number of big ones on this outing. (Photo Credit: James Lawler)
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HOW’S YOUR GARDEN BY L OIS T R IG G C H A P L I N
Pickleworm Gardeners who love homegrown cucumbers don’t like pickleworms. This sneaky caterpillar gets into the vines and carves through the interior of the fruit. To salvage what is left, gardeners have learned to “cut around” the damage, but if the goal is to make whole pickles, this pest is a spoiler. The adult moth flies in from Florida during late spring or early summer, working its way northward while laying eggs on the leaves of cucumbers, melons and squash. A trick for avoiding the pests on pickling cucumbers is to get in a good harvest before they arrive. This means starting plants ahead of time in a cold frame or greenhouse then transplanting them into the garden as early as the weather allows. At this point in the season, gardeners can protect plants with regular sprays of Bt (Bacillus
thuringiensis) to kill the caterpillar larvae before they enter the vines or fruit because once inside, they are impossible to control. However, they don’t seem to like butternut and Hubbard squashes. Another trick is to plant a self-pollinating cucumber such as Diva and cover it with insect netting; excluding the bees won’t be an issue with a self-pollinating type.
SIMPLE TIMES
Tomatoes Need Extra Potassium As tomato plants grow and begin blooming, their need for potassium increases. A lack of needed potassium makes leaves even more susceptible to the many diseases that plague tomatoes in our warm, humid climate. Spraying the foliage with a soluble potassium fertilizer such as kelp extract or a liquid tomato food with adequate potassium provides plants with a quick, easily-available source. Adequate potassium is necessary for overall health of the plant and good tomato flavor.
THE CO-OP PANTRY Young pickleworm
Older pickleworm
Tomato
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Cool-Season Volunteers By now the leafy, cool-season crops such as arugula, endive, collards, lettuce, cilantro and mustard that overwintered are producing seed if they are still in the garden. Leave them and see what happens. Often, these plants will reseed next cool season if the seeds aren’t covered too deeply in mulch. Mulch with your favorite organic material now and don’t mulch again. Look for volunteer seedlings to sprout in the fall.
Penstemon is a Tough Perennial Flowers are an essential part of a complete garden – they are pretty, often smell good and many attract beneficial insects. Perennial flowers are especially nice because they come back year after year and may be shared with others when the plants need dividing. A new one in our garden is a white penstemon that bears upright stems of bell-shaped blooms in late spring. The many species of penstemon native to the U.S. support native insects and hummingbirds. Look for penstemon Dahlias in a vase
The giant types, over 10 inches in diameter, are most impressive, but truly all dahlias impress with their perfect form and unlimited colors. Most are sold in bags of one or more tubers with a picture of the flower as a shopping guide. Tubers planted now will sprout quickly and bloom in late summer. Plants form a main central stalk four feet tall or more, so they need a stake or tomato cage for future support when planting. Dahlia tubers don’t overwinter well. They’ll need digging to save for next year. By the time frost arrives, the tuber will have multiplied to yield three to six tubers for planting next year.
Some Herbs Don’t Like Summer
Penstemon is a tough perennial for late spring.
in white and various shades of pink. In a sunny spot with good drainage and not-too-rich soil, penstemon will grow and provide seedlings and clumps to share with other gardeners. It is also drought tolerant.
Dahlias Make the Cut When I was a first-grader, my aunt cut a giant dinnerplate dahlia blossom for me to take to my teacher. It was bigger than my face. I’ve loved them ever since. 44
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Heat and humidity often ruin herbs from the hot, sunny, but dry Mediterranean climate, especially those with pubescent leaves such as lavender and sage. The slightly fuzzy leaves trap moisture that makes them more susceptible to fungal diseases causing the leaves to turn brown and die. Gardeners call this “melting out.” Now is the time to practice prevention by thinning lavender and sage plants that have been growing well all winter. Now through September are the hardest months on these plants. Shape the plant by pruning away enough stems so that the center of the plant is open to allow good air circulation and sunshine to reach the leaves. Growing them in a container also helps by getting them away from the moist ground.
SIMPLE TIMES BY SU Z Y Mc C RAY
Technology Improving Big and Small Farms
THE CO-OP PANTRY
I have never physically met my editors at this magazine and met previous editor Jim only twice, even though I have written for this magazine since 2007! When I first started reporting for newspapers in 1980, I wrote my articles on a manual typewriter and then hand-delivered or mailed them to my editors through the U.S. Postal Service! Photos were made with a 35 mm camera with then-black-and-white film developed in-house at the newspapers in a darkroom filled with smelly chemicals and clanging pans. I can remember how excited we were to get our first fax machines giving us “instant” access to our editors and those in other cities! When I started plinking out my articles on a “word processor,” we again rejoiced! A more technically adept co-reporter began sending his articles to the Gadsden Times with an old Radio Shack laptop and
modem he rigged up to send information over phone lines in the early 1990s, but it was a couple of years later before technology allowed us all to just send articles, as well as digital photos, over the internet! Technology has changed so quickly through the years most of us sometimes yearn for those simple times of years gone by. But even on our simple farm we can see ways in which technology enjoyed by the bigger farmers trickles down to us in ways so
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that even some of us with just backyard gardens or a few goats and chickens can benefit from their actions. Jeff Maze, who along with his father Dennis, own and run Maze Farms southwest of Snead, with eight chicken houses totaling more than 100,000 square feet, explains that one primary thing technology gives them is “peace of mind.” Even those of us who only raise 25 or 50 baby chicks each spring realize how crucial temperature is to those tiny birds. Since Jeff and his crews had just placed 180,000 chicks in the houses when we interviewed for this article, crucial temperatures throughout each house were vital. “There are six sensors in each house,” Jeff explained, “with the computer monitoring temperatures in each of those areas in each house. Dad would say with setting manual thermostats I couldn’t hire a helper to stand in each house in each area 24 hours a day to do what these sensors and computers do. We’ve come a long way! “It’s amazing how constant the temperature stays throughout a 500-foot building! There are alarms that go off if it does get too warm or too cool and that gives you peace of mind.” Another program, made in Israel, monitors feed bins and will shut down and notify the Mazes if a feed bin is empty or there are other problems. Jeff noted, “I can monitor all eight houses on my phone. It’s amazing the technology that has trickled down to us farmers.” Lance Miller and his Uncle Jimmy raise 900 acres of cotton and peanuts in an area of Blount County known as “old Snead.” While farmers have been using tractors and other equipment with GPS positioning for several years now, even that has grown remarkably higher in technology. While in the beginning there was a 3-foot margin of error for spreading chicken litter and other fertilizers, that window has lessened to a margin of error as little as 18 inches! And Lance explained, especially with peanuts, “once you plant that field, you can go back year after year using that same information.” With the approximate 100 acres of peanuts planted, going back in the fall and utilizing the same programs to dig for the peanuts is extremely helpful and lets farmers get the maximum from what they’ve planted. “Of course, we still count rows, in cotton and peanuts, but with peanuts it’s kind of like looking for rows in a hay field once they’re up!” Other programs help with precise planting. One will put 100 pounds of pressure to make sure the seeds are planted accurately. If the ground is too wet, it will back off some. If the ground is too hard, it can 46
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apply up to 400 pounds of pressure! Lance explained he can control or monitor everything from an iPad in his tractor or other equipment. “You can even view the entire field that you’ve just planted and how it was done,” he said. Lance has partnered with his Uncle Jimmy since 2006. He feels it was probably easier for him to learn the newest in technology quicker just because of how younger people have grown up around computers and constantly changing technology, but even many of the longest-farming folks can see the advantages of providing more crops with higher percentages. You may be reading this thinking this has nothing to do with your backyard garden, or the few vegetables you plant amongst your flower beds. But even those of us striving to live simpler lives can reap some benefits from this knowledge. Your local Extension service has not let COVID restrictions slow them down because they’ve been hosting all sorts of educational meetings on the internet and/or Zoom meetings on everything from beginning beekeeping to timber markets to wild game pressure cooking! Before we had a chance to buy a book to hold in our hands this spring, we were able to print out planting charts for our area from almanacs and from the Extension service.
Your local Extension service has not let COVID restrictions slow them down because they’ve been hosting all sorts of educational meetings on the internet and/or Zoom meetings on everything from beginning beekeeping to timber markets to wild game pressure cooking!
Instead of listening to the market reports and the weather on local radio each morning like our ancestors did, we grab our cell phones each morning and check them out online. While I am foraging in our wooded areas for herbs for the herbal and medicinal dried teas I make, if I come upon an unusual plant, I can take a photo of it,
download it to a free app on my phone, and almost instantly have other photos, complete identification and uses (and non-uses!) for that plant! Livestock has also benefited in many ways. So many folks in the past had to have a vet come out and take fecal samples to determine the parasite count or other problems with their goats. This year I’ve seen an increasing number of my “goat buddies” who have set up minilabs in their barns complete with microscopes to do their own fecal. Of course, a vet is still the best bottom-line bet, BUT if you’re in a rural area with a sick goat and need to treat before a vet can get to you or you can get that animal transported to a vet, this seems like a viable option. And oh, my goodness, don’t forget the YouTube channels! Of course, you don’t want to diagnose a sick animal based on what you learn on the internet or by watching YouTube programs BUT you can learn a great deal of things that ARE beneficial. Instead of watching brain-dulling sitcoms, my husband and I often watch YouTube videos on our big screen TV. We’ve learned how to propagate elderberry bushes, how to root forsythia (yellow bell) bushes, unique ways to stake climbing plants in the garden, how to properly trim grape vines and fruit trees, and even the pros and cons of regular canning lids versus the newer reusable versions! Of course, we still refer to our canning books from the Extension service, and our wealth of other homesteading books and magazines collected over the past 40 years, but a fresh perspective and some people actually demonstrating the chore in front of us sure does help! When I first started with goats back in the early 1990s, I even watched enough births on YouTube so that when I had to go in and assist a young pygmy mama having trouble with twins I didn’t panic (until it was over and all was well!). I love living a simpler life without regular TV and with a slower pace of living, but I also don’t think (especially at our age) that we want to go back to gardening with Old Pete the Mule pulling the plow (like he did for my dad, grandparents and uncle), or with no forecast of the weather except what we saw the night before in the sky. Like everything else, technology is good if you use it WISELY, to best use the natural and learned resources that God has blessed us with! “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 ESV (Suzy and Mack live on a small homestead in Blount County and can be reached on Facebook or at suzy.mccray@yahoo.com.) May 2021
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t ’ n o d s e s s o l t n e Equipm oil the harvest. p s o t e v ha
AlfaInsurance.com 48
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HOWLE’S HINTS BY JOH N HOW L E
THE HERB FARMER May HOW’S YOUR GARDEN
“Don’t ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up.”
- Robert Frost Fencing around the farm serves many purposes. It marks your property boundaries, separates grazing paddocks and it contains your livestock. Once you have perimeter fencing in good shape around your property, you can subdivide easily and inexpensively with solar-powered electric fencing. For the purpose of this article, I will focus on a divider fence. For permanent fencing, using barbed wire and a mixture of T-posts and wooden posts are the most inexpensive options. We put up a divider fence to keep heifers isolated from the rest of the herd until they are mature enough to be bred. Most barbed wire fencing consists of four or five strands of barbed wire attached to T-posts spaced every 12 feet. Since we are dividing groups of cattle, we opted to go with six strands of barbed wire. That sixth strand results in smaller spacing between the wires and helps prevent fence sagging and bending from cattle pushing their heads through the fence to graze on the other side.
SIMPLE TIMES
THE CO-OP PANTRY This photo shows the completed divider fence with “H” braces, gate, T-posts and six strands of barbed wire.
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Lay the Line Once you know where your fence will be, the closer you can get to a straight line, the better it is for fence strength. First, put a post in at each end of the fence. Attach that first strand of barbed wire and run the length of the fence to the other end. Stretch this first strand reasonably tight and nail it in place to the wooden posts.
Construct the “H” Braces Using the first strand as a straight edge keeps you from having to run a string the length of the fence and marking post spots. Once this strand is in place, create your “H” braces at each end of the fence. An “H” brace consists of two posts vertically in the ground supported by a horizontal post attached at the top of each vertical post.
A short section of rebar can be used to tighten the tension wire by twisting the wire tight. The rebar can then be attached to the horizonal “H” brace post with a fence staple.
Hang and Install the Gate Once the first-strand straight edge is in place with “H” braces at each end, you can now install your gate on the first-strand line. Drill your holes in the gate post allowing the gate hinge bolts to be secured. You can tighten the gate hinge bolts easiest with the open hole on a crescent wrench. Make sure the gate
This diagonal section of barbed wire serves to keep your “H” brace tight and allows for the direction of pull to be held on the high side of the tension wire.
Once the “H” is constructed, attach a diagonal section of barbed wire from the bottom of the support post with the higher end being attached to the post of the tension pulling side of the “H” brace. Stretch this diagonal wire tight and tie it together. Then, take a short section of rebar and twist it around the wire until it is extremely tight. After the wire is tight, attach the top of the rebar twisting rod to the horizontal post in the “H” brace with a fence staple 50
Cooperative Farming News
The open hole on a crescent wrench makes an ideal hinge bolt wrench.
swings around making full contact with the post that the gate is chained to when shut.
Drive in the T-Posts While the first strand is still being used as your straight edge, drop a T-post at every 12-foot mark you step off while walking back down your first-strand lay out line. Come back and drive these posts into the ground using your first strand as your guide. At this point, you can begin rolling out the remaining five strands of barbed wire, attaching the wire to the T-posts with fence clips and the wooden posts with staples.
Tips for Fence Construction 1) Use the spaces on the T-posts as your markers on where each strand of wire goes. On a six strand fence, I have three open spaces between each strand on the T-post. 2) Put in a couple of wooden posts on long sections of fencing. This gives you a halfway point for stretching your wire tight without so much tension on each end of the fence. The standard-size wooden posts make it easy to attach your wire stretchers for pulling tension on the wire.
Stretch post: On long stretches of fence, put in a couple of wooden posts or an extra “H” brace for stretching wire at the halfway point. This also gives the fence more strength.
3) Make sure your gate posts and vertical “H” brace posts are deep in the ground and tamped tight. I make these postholes 3 feet deep and tamp the posts tight using creek gravel or any rocks available. 4) When you are on difficult terrain with steep hills and valleys, fencing can be a challenge. You may have to weave a bit between trees. If you have to nail your wire to trees, you can attach a piece of treated lumber to the tree first, then staple the wire to this treated piece of lumber. This prevents the tree from eating the wire or rusting it out. 5) If you have a long, straight run of fence, instead of running T-posts for the entirety, install an “H” brace at the halfway point for strength. This also gives you a halfway point for attaching your wire stretchers.
Use the T-post spaces as your guide for placing wire. On six strands, I leave three open spaces.
This May, use these tips for fast, problem-free fencing. The more time you spend on properly installing your fence means less time spent rounding up cattle when they get out. May 2021
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THE MAGIC OF GARDENING
Growing Okra:
How do I stop this itching?
Alabama Red Okra pictured
I have only met one person in my life who said he actually enjoys picking okra. This strange man is the retired superintendent of the Cullman Research Station, Arnold Caylor. Arnold is a good friend but a strange person. Most true Southerners love okra, but hate picking it and I count myself among this majority. When we moved to the home where I currently reside, the landscape was completely bare, and I decided it was too late to start landscaping but just the right time to plant okra. I planted the entire front yard in okra. My young children were not happy with my crop choice, but it kept them busy for the summer, which was my goal. Some may call this child abuse, or a violation of the child labor laws, but I called it a good life lesson. I hope the statute of limitations has passed. Despite its historical connection to the South, okra is not native to America but is a very well-adapted species that likely originated in East Africa. Okra belongs to the same plant family as cotton (Mallow or Hibiscus family) and like this other distinctively Southern crop, it requires a long growing season and a very warm soil for seed germination. If you plant okra seed before the soil has properly warmed it will often rot in the cool wet soil. Therefore, the wise gardener will patiently 52
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wait for the soil to warm to 75 degrees. You can start a little earlier if you grow or purchase transplants. The impatient gardener may wisely help the garden soil to warm faster to get a jump on their neighbor. Who doesn’t want to be the first in the area to have fresh okra? Raised beds with lots of dark organic matter will warm faster by absorbing heat better. In addition, covering the soil with black plastic mulch will increase the soil temperature considerably. Apply the mulch to the loosened soil about a week before planting and hope for sunny days. As mentioned earlier you can even get a greater jump on the season by starting the seedlings indoors about three weeks ahead of transplanting or by buying the transplants ready to set in the garden. Just remember the warm soil is still a must and a full sun location is a necessity for good okra production. You may use a light application of liquid fertilizer at about half the recommended rate once the seedlings have sprouted. Regardless of whether you start seed indoors or not, it is a good idea to soak the seed overnight before planting. In the absence of a soil test before planting in the garden, mix in about 2 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer (or equivalent) per 100 square feet. Excessive nitrogen
B Y T O N Y G L OV E R
results in excess vegetative growth at the expense of fruit production. You may need very small amounts of extra nitrogen but don’t use more than 1 ounce of 330-0 (diluted in warm water) per 10 feet of row at a time. This can be done every month as needed to maintain good plant color and new growth. There are several good varieties available but the most common and most popular is Clemson Spineless. You may also see Annie Oakley, Emerald, Lee, Spike or even a red pod form such as the heirloom variety called “Alabama Red.” Most okra are not hybrids which means you can save your own seed from year to year very easily and expect the same kind of okra to come back each year. They are starting to come out with hybrids such as Jambalaya, which is a good producer and several days earlier than the standard varieties. You will not be able to save the seed and expect them to come back the same from hybrid varieties. Okra plants get quite large, and they should be allowed some space to expand. Plant individual plants about 1 foot apart in the row or plant seed about 4 inches apart and thin to 1 foot after the seedlings emerge. If you are planting in a raised bed at least 4 feet wide, plant two rows on the bed 2 feet apart. In late summer when the plants are crowding each other, cut every other plant down to about 1 foot high and add a little fertilizer. Thin the regrowth to one or two stalks per plant and once they start to bloom, repeat the process on the remaining plants. This method will greatly increase your production and keep the plants at a reasonable size for harvesting. Okra does not have too many serious pests, but you should be on the lookout for fire ants, aphids, Japanese beetles (in North Alabama) and stink bugs. There are very few materials for controlling fire ants in the garden but the materials available are very safe. Visit www.aces.edu and search the fire ant information to get a list of products you can safely use. Ants will often be associated with aphids because they take care and protect them to harvest the honeydew they se-
Okra Bloom
crete while feeding. An application of mild insecticidal soap or even a strong stream of water may do the trick. Although Japanese beetles can do significant damage in a short time, the plants would likely recover without treatment. Picking them off and placing them in a container of soapy water works fairly well. Stinkbugs and their relatives can become a problem late in the season so learn to identify the eggs and nymph stage so you can crush and pick them off before they build up large numbers. Okra disease problems are mostly below ground, which means rotation is crucial to avoid a buildup of nematodes and pathogens in the soil. Avoid planting in the same bed or area more often than once every four years and learn how to rotate all your vegetable crops. Visit www.aces.edu and search “Vegetable Crop Rotation” in the publication search area for a garden rotation plan found in our nematode publication. Unless you are as weird as my friend Arnold Caylor is, I suggest you wear long sleeves and gloves when you pick your crop in a couple of months. May 2021
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FOOD SAFETY
Food Safety
And Your Garden Produce
Increasingly, foodborne illness outbreaks are being traced to lettuce, tomatoes, cantaloupe and other raw fruits and vegetables. Most foodborne illness is caused by the bacteria, viruses, molds and parasites (or pathogens) found on raw produce that is not carefully washed or prepared. Many of these can make you sick. These microorganisms are a natural part of the environment and can be a problem whether you choose to use organic or conventional gardening methods. It is also possible to get sick from contamination of produce with chemicals such as cleaning solutions, fertilizers, pesticides and heavy metals (lead) and other chemicals that may be found in garden soil or well water. 54
Cooperative Farming News
Five Steps to Food Safe Gardening Follow the five simple steps listed here and reduce the risk of someone suffering a foodborne illness after eating produce from your home garden.
STEP 1:
PREPARE THE GARDEN FOR PLANTING • Locate vegetable gardens away from manure piles, well caps, garbage cans, septic systems and areas where wildlife, farm animals or the family pets roam.
B Y A N G E L A T R E A D AWAY
Use compost safely. Compost must reach a temperature of at least 130ºF.
Keep cats, dogs and other pets out of the garden.
• Use compost safely. Compost is the natural breakdown product of leaves, stems, manures and other organic materials – and also a source of pathogens. To be safe for gardening, your compost must reach a temperature of at least 130°F. Check the temperature with a compost thermometer. Do not use any animal waste, including pet waste, meat scraps or dairy product waste in your compost bin.
• During the gardening season, keep cats, dogs and other pets out of the garden. • Curtail nesting and hiding places for rats and mice by minimizing vegetation at the edges of your fruit and vegetable garden. • Do not feed wild animals, even birds, near your garden. Fencing or noise deterrents may help discourage other wild animals.
STEP 2:
STEP 3:
MAINTAIN THE GARDEN
HARVEST GARDEN PRODUCE
Water source: Be familiar with the quality and safety of the water source(s) you use in your garden.
• Use clean, food-grade containers. Food-grade containers are made from materials designed specifically to safely hold food. Garbage bags, trash cans, and any containers that originally held chemicals such as household cleaners or pesticides are not food-grade.
• If you get your water from a municipal or public water system, you can be sure that it is safe and potable (drinkable). • Surface water (lakes, ponds, rivers and streams) can be polluted by human sewage or animal waste, fertilizers and pesticides from lawns and farm fields, or chemicals from industry. • Ground water (which is the source for well water) is less likely to have microbial contaminants than surface water. If a well is your water source, you need to take a little more care to be sure that it is providing you with safe, clean water. • Conduct a standard water test at least once a year to determine if your well water meets the standards of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Animals: Animal waste can be a source of bacteria, parasites and viruses.
Use clean gloves when picking produce.
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• Use clean gloves (that have not been used to stir compost or pull weeds) or clean hands when picking produce. • Brush, shake or rub off any excess garden soil or debris before bringing produce into the kitchen.
STEP 4:
STORE GARDEN PRODUCE • If you choose to wash fruits and vegetables before storing, be sure to dry them thoroughly with a clean paper towel. (NEVER wash berries until you are ready to eat them.) • If you choose to store without washing, shake, rub or brush off any garden dirt with a paper towel or soft brush while still outside. Store unwashed produce in plastic bags or containers. • Keep fruit and vegetable bins clean. • When washing produce fresh from the warm outdoors, the rinse water should not be more than 10 degrees colder than the produce. If you are washing refrigerated produce, use cold water. • Fruits and vegetables needing refrigeration can be stored at 40° F or less. • Fruits and vegetables stored at room temperature (onions, potatoes, tomatoes) should be in a cool, dry, pest-free, well-ventilated area separate from household chemicals.
When washing produce fresh from the warm outdoors, the rinse water should not be more than 10 degrees colder than the produce.
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STEP 5:
PREPARING AND SERVING FRESH GARDEN PRODUCE More often than not, we eat fresh fruit and vegetables raw, so we cannot rely on the heat of cooking to destroy pathogens that might be on our lettuce or tomatoes. It is important to prepare raw produce with food safety in mind.
Be sure to wash your hands (as well as the knife and cutting surface) before preparing any ready-to-eat foods such as salad, fresh fruit or a sandwich.
• Always wash your hands first. • Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under cool, running, clean water even if you do not plan to eat the skin or rind. • Never use soap, detergent, or bleach solution to wash fresh fruits or vegetables. These solutions can affect flavor and may not be safe to ingest. • Avoid cross-contamination when preparing fruits and vegetables. Cross-contamination occurs when a clean work surface such as a cutting board or utensil (paring knife) or uncontaminated food is contaminated by dirty work surfaces, utensils,
Store leftover produce in clean, airtight containers in the refrigerator at 40°F or less.
hands or food. Be sure to wash your hands (as well as the knife and cutting surface) before preparing any ready-to-eat foods such as salad, fresh fruit or a sandwich. • If you have leftover produce that has been cut, sliced or cooked, store it in clean, airtight containers in the refrigerator at 40°F or less. PRESERVING FRESH GARDEN PRODUCE Canning, freezing or drying fruits and vegetables allows you to enjoy the fruits (or vegetables) of your labor all winter long. Choose and follow recipes and methods that are tested by a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) endorsed source such as cooperative Extension. Contact your local county Extension office and ask to speak to a Regional Agent in Food Safety for more preserving questions or go online to the National Center for Home Food Preservation that is operated by the Georgia Extension Service.
February 2- Alabama Cottage Food Law March 2- Egg Safety April 6- Spring Cleaning in Your Kitchen May 4- Water Bath and Pressure Canning June 1- Tips for Summer BBQs July 6- Drying, Pickling, and Fermentation August 3- Starting a Food Business September 7- Food Safety for Groups October 5- Alabama Cottage Food Law
Scan the QR Code or submit your questions at www.aces.edu/go/TableTalkTuesdays Our panel will answer them live on Facebook: @acesfoodsafety
November 2- Holiday Food Safety May 2021
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BLOOM
WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED It’s not that the daffodil in the photo below is the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, but there’s something pretty special about it, nonetheless. On one of my morning walks, I was on a trail next to a creek. I could see something yellow off in the distance beside the creek, so I walked over to see what it was. It was the double daffodil shown in the photo. I looked all around to see if there were any other daffodil plants nearby. I couldn’t find another one anywhere. There was just this one plant, standing beside the creek, isolated and completely by itself. I kind of scratched my head, wondering how this could have happened. How did a daffodil spring up in the “middle of nowhere” where there’s not another daffodil in sight? I could only come to one conclusion. The bulb of this plant had to have been transported down the creek by way of floodwaters. The flow of the creek’s current transported it to this small bend in the creek. Then silt and debris covered it, basically planting it in its place. I know you’ve heard the old saying “Bloom where you’re planted,” but here’s the best illustration of this saying I’ve ever seen. Just think about it. More than likely, the bulb of this plant went through tremendous upheaval when the rainstorm that uprooted it washed it downstream. It endured the rushing rapids. It overcame being pounded against rocks and tree limbs as the rushing current carried it further from its original home. When it finally came to its resting place, it was completely exposed to the elements – the cold of winter and the scorching afternoons of summer. 58
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But, little by little, silt and debris began to cover the bulb. Each time the creek overflowed its banks, the bulb was being covered with nutrient-rich soil. And, because it was right next to the creek, it had a constant supply of fresh water – the life’s blood of a flower. Yes, the creek that had flooded and created such a traumatic experience for the daffodil had now become its life source. All of the potential of the bulb remained intact inside its hull. With the rich soil covering it, and the creek water feeding it, it sent out its roots to establish itself upon its new foundation at
the bend in the creek. Once its roots were stabilized, it shot up out of the ground and sprouted, reaching toward the sun. One warm day, a bud emerged from the sprouts and a blossom began to develop. Then, with a final burst of energy, the vibrant yellow petals unfolded to display the beauty that was cleverly concealed by the Maker, inside the hull of the once-dormant bulb. Now, the beauty of its petals and its vibrant colors beckon all who pass by, “Come and see me! Let me tell you my story.” I heard it call out to me that morning as I walked by, and I listened to the story it told – the same story I’ve just shared with you. If we’d be completely honest, we’ve all gone through a couple of traumatic storms during our lifetime. It’s an inescapable fact – the storms of life come to us all. Some of life’s storms have been so traumatic that they uprooted us. We didn’t think we’d ever bloom again. They moved us to places we didn’t want to be. Some left us feeling lonely and isolated, just like the lone daffodil. But God has put incredible potential inside each of us, both to grow and to thrive, in spite of the adversity we’ve experienced. And, when we take a closer look at our lives, we discover that the storms we thought would destroy us have actually made us stronger and more vibrant. Now, we can tell
our story to others who themselves are going through the storms of life. We can testify to the fact that God can take our negative circumstances and turn them around for good. That’s what Joseph discovered. After being sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, and enduring much adversity in his life, he was used by God to save both his family and the entire nation of Egypt when a severe famine struck the land. Had he not gone through the storms of his life he would not have been in “the right place at the right time.” Joseph testified to his brothers, many years after they sold him into slavery, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20). I don’t deny that we humans have an evil enemy who wants to destroy us. Jesus told us about this enemy in John 10:10 when He said, “The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I have come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” Even though our enemy sends storms our way to try and destroy us, God has the incredible ability to turn those struggles and hardships into something beautiful as a testimony to His grace at work in our lives. Yes, God gets great glory from our lives when we learn how to “bloom where we’ve been planted.”
Jeff Register Building & Truss
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*
RegisterBarns.com May 2021
59
THE CO-OP PANTRY BY M A RY DE L P H
“Freedom lies in BBQ.” I believe this is a play on words as written by Robert Frost, “Freedom lies in being bold.” However, it is appropriate this time of the year, when the grills come out and our yards are green again and flowers are blooming. I hope that you will find that freedom this year and be able to enjoy being outside, eating good food and chatting with your friends and neighbors.
Sweet Red Chili Popcorn Chicken 2 pounds chicken, cut into small pieces 1 cup flour 3 cups breadcrumbs Salt and pepper, to taste 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 2 eggs 1/4 cup milk
Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet Red Chili Sauce & Marinade Cilantro, for garnish Scallions, for garnish Oil, for frying Coat the chicken pieces in flour. In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Dredge each chicken bite in the egg and milk mixture, then toss in the dry mixture and mix until coated. Heat pan 1/3 full over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 F. Cook chicken in batches, turning to brown both sides for about 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Place on a paper towel to drain. Place the baked chicken bites into a bowl and toss with Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet Red Chili Sauce & Marinade to coat. Plate and garnish with cilantro and scallions.
BBQ Chicken and Apple Bread Pudding 1 package (8-1/2 ounces) cornbread/muffin mix 6 Tablespoons butter, divided 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced 2/3 cup barbecue sauce, divided 2 cups diced cooked chicken 2 large eggs, beaten 1 cup half-and-half cream 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1- 1/4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1 small green apple, peeled and diced Minced chives Prepare cornbread according to package directions and bake using a greased and floured 8-in. square baking pan. Cool. Reduce oven setting
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to 375 F. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until softened. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until deep golden brown and caramelized, 30-40 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Pour 1/4 cup barbecue sauce over chicken; toss to coat. Cube cornbread. Microwave remaining butter, covered, on high until melted, about 30 seconds. Whisk in eggs, cream, salt and pepper. Add caramelized onions. Pour egg mixture over cornbread cubes. Add chicken, cheese and apple. Toss gently to combine. Pour mixture into a greased 8-in. square or 1-1/2-quart baking dish; bake until bubbly and top is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Drizzle remaining barbecue sauce over bread pudding. Sprinkle with chives.
BBQ Pineapple
Glazed Pork Chops 1/2 cup ketchup 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup orange juice 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed 8 bone-in pork loin chops (3/4 inch thick and 7 ounces each) In a small bowl, mix the first seven ingredients. Pour 3/4 cup marinade into a large bowl. Add pork chops; turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade. Drain pork, discarding marinade in bowl. Lightly grease the grill rack. Grill pork, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 inches from heat until a thermometer reads 145 F 4-6 minutes on each side; brush generously with remaining marinade during the last 3 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
1 fresh pineapple 1/4 cup rum 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves Peel the pineapple and, leaving it whole, cut out the center core. Slice into 8 rings, and place them in a shallow glass dish or resealable plastic bag. In a small bowl, mix the rum, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Pour marinade over the pineapple, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight. Heat grill for high heat. Lightly oil grate. Grill pineapple rings 15 minutes, turning once, or until outside is dry and char marked. Serve with remaining marinade. May 2021
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21st Century Coleslaw 1 green cabbage shredded (about 6 cups) 1 large or 2 small carrots, grated 1 apple, thinly sliced 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 cup plain Greek yogurt or mayonnaise 2-1/2 Tablespoons honey 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper Combine cabbage and carrot in a large bowl. In a small bowl, toss the apple slices with the lemon juice. Set aside. In another small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt or mayonnaise, honey, apple cider vinegar, Dijon, salt and pepper until well combined. Pour the dressing over the cabbage and carrots. Mix until the vegetables are evenly coated. Drain the apple slices, add them to the coleslaw and toss gently to mix. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Coleslaw is best the first and second day.
Quick & Easy BBQ Sauce
3/4 cup ketchup 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons paprika 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) Whisk together all ingredients.
LIVESTOCK AUCTIONS SUPPORT THE AUCTION. WE WORK FOR YOU.
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VALLEY STOCKYARD
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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
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our latest listings and more!
www.selandgroup.com | 866-751-LAND SEARCH FOR OVER 800 MORE PROPERTIES ON OUR WEBSITE!
marengo County #3285
384+/- AC - This is one of those rare properties that offers quality fishing opportunities, great deer hunting, and good turkey hunting. You might even be able to catch some ducks using the flooded timber in the back of the large lake. I do not know of a hunting property in the Black Belt currently on the market with newer and nicer amenities and improvements than this place. $1,200,000
Tallapoosa County #2773
533+/- AC - This high-fenced property is an outstanding turn-key hunting operation, spanning 533 acres. Approximately 7,920 feet of the Tallapoosa River flows across the property. Deer and turkey enjoy a varying habitat, including mature timber, agricultural fields, and ample bedding areas. A cultivated field includes a faux power line offering an excellent opportunity for dove hunting. This property comes complete with a cabin, several storage buildings, equipment sheds, and a grain storage bin for feed. $2,300,000
lamar County #3032
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
perry County #2982
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
lownes County #3324
255+/- AC - This property has been managed to produce big deer, turkey, and ducks. There is a well established road system throughout the property making all areas easily accessible. $561,000
RAINS Farm
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
932+/- AC - Large timber investment opportunity! The tract is comprised of different age classes of planted pine and mature hardwood stands. There is also an 8+/- acre pond and Little Chatahospee Creek flows through the property giving water access for the wildlife year-round. Scattered throughout the property are small food plots and there is a good road system that traverses the rolling topography allowing for ease of access. $1,958,040
sumter County #2836
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
NEW LISTING
5 MEGA-HOUSE BROILER FARM IN CHEROKEE COUNTY, AL
Rains Poultry is a 5 Mega-House Broiler Poultry Farm For Sale in Cherokee County, Alabama. 2 of the 66×600 houses were built in 2015 and 3 were built in 2010. The farm is contracted with Koch’s Foods Gadsden. The farm sits on approximately 43 acres +/- where there is room to build or place a mobile home. There is an RV camper currently located on the farm. The farm has well and city water, Choretronics 2 controllers, on-site water storage, and uses freezers for mortality. Rains Poultry is a biosecure facility. Absolutely no visitors without an appointment with the Listing Agents. All potential purchasers must be prequalified prior to visiting the farm. Contact the listing agents to find out how to get prequalified. This farm will require a down payment of $450,000 or more. Historical gross annual income has averaged about $525,000. All farm visitors must abide by PoultrySouth’s and Koch’s Food’s visitor policies.
RANDALL UPCHURCH PoultrySouth Co-Founder 256-239-5379 randall@selandgroup.com
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PROCESS AT WWW.POULTRYSOUTH.COM
ROBERT KING
PoultrySouth Co-Founder 844-855-0680 robert@selandgroup.com
SOUTH.COM
May 2021
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LEGACY'S SPRING MARKET May 1, 2021 Killen - Legacy Christian Academy Admission - 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Call 256-740-4141 UNFRAMED: OFF TO THE RACES May 1, 2021 Huntsville - Huntsville Museum of Art - 5:00 - 7:30 p.m. Call 256-535-4350 FIDO FEST 2021 May 1, 2021 Huntsville - Bridge Street 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Call 256-482-2022 YATTA ABBA DAY May 1, 2021 Abbeville - Downtown 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Call 334-585-2273 MAYFEST 2021 May 1, 2021 Atmore - Old Marengo Co. High School - 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Call 334-627-3388 STRAWBERRYFEST May 1, 2021 Cullman - Festhalle Market Platz 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Call 256-734-9157 TOUCH A TRUCK May 1, 2021 Dothan - Landmark Park 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Call 334-794-3452 CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL IN THE PARK May 1, 2021 Enterprise - Enterprise Recreational Complex - 3:00 - 8:00 p.m. Call 334-347-1211 WILD CAVE TOUR May 1, 2021 Fort Payne - True Adventure Sports Not open on Sunday Call 256-997-9577 WILDFLOWER SATURDAY May 1, 2021 DeSoto St. Park 7:00 a.m. - 7:15 p.m. Call 64 256-997-5025 Cooperative Farming News
GARDEN IN THE PARK May 1, 2021 Opelika - Opelika Municipal Park 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Call 334-749-4970 FLIMP FESTIVAL May 1, 2021 Montgomery - Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts & Blount Cultural Park 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Call 334-240-4333 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP WITH AMY R. PETERSON May 1, 2021 Tuscumbia - Tennessee Valley Museum of Art - Admission 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 256-383-0533
RUSSIAN CLASSICS May 1-2, 2021 Mobile - Saenger Theatre Admission Saturday: 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. Sunday: 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Call 251-432-2010 REGIONS TRADITION GOLF TOURNAMENT May 5-9, 2021 Birmingham - Greystone Golf & Country Club Call 205-967-4745 GMCMA HOME AND GARDEN SHOW May 7-8, 2021 Decatur - Ingalls Harbor Pavilion Friday: 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Call 256-318-9161 MAYFEST May 7-8, 2021 Guin - 7500 US Hwy 43 Friday: 5:00 - 10:00 p.m. Saturday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Call 205-468-2242 PRATTVILLE CITYFEST May 7-8, 2021 Prattville - Main Street Friday: 7:00 - 11:00 p.m. Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Call 334-365-7392 SPRING PLANTIN' 2021 May 7-8, 2021 Troy - Pioneer Museum - Admission 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 334-566-3597
GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER COMMEMORATIVE FESTIVAL May 1, 2021 Tuskegee - Downtown on the Square NATIONAL COLLEGIATE BEACH VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. May 7-9, 2021 Call 334-727-7798 Gulf Shores - On the Beach ANNUAL BLESSING OF THE FLEET Admission May 1-2, 2021 Call 1-800-745-SAND Bayou La Batre - St. Margaret’s GULF COAST HOT AIR Catholic Church BALLOON FESTIVAL Admission May 7-9, 2021 Call 251-824-2415 Foley - Foley Sports Park HUNTSVILLE ALABAMA Admission is free - tickets available EXOTIC PET EXPO for attractions May 1-2, 2021 Call 251-943-3291 Huntsville - Huntsville Jaycees Building - Admission Call 256-883-3728
EXTREME NIGHT HIKE May 8, 2021 Fort Payne - True Adventure Sports Admission Call 256-997-9577 ALABAMA WILDLIFE CENTER'S BABY BIRD SHOWER May 8, 2021 Pelham - Alabama Wildlife Center 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Call 205-663-7930 BIRMINGHAM ROSE SHOW May 8, 2021 Birmingham - Birmingham Botanical Gardens - Admission 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Call 205-585-9687 ART IN THE PARK May 8, 2021 Foley - John B. Foley Park 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Call 251-943-4381 HOMESTEAD HOLLOW ARTS AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL May 14-16, 2021 Springville - Various Locations 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Call 205-467-2002 POKE SALAT FESTIVAL 2021 May 15-16, 2021 Arab - Downtown Friday: 2:00 - 9:00 p.m. Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Call 256-586-3138 LIMESTONE COUNTY SHERIFF’S RODEO May 15-16, 2021 Athens - Sheriff’s Rodeo Arena Admission - 8:00 p.m. Call 256-232-0111 ARLEY DAY FESTIVAL May 15, 2021 Arley - Hamner Park 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Call 205-489-1445 CREEK BANK FESTIVAL May 15, 2021 Leeds - Leeds Memorial Park 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 205-699-5001
ALABAMA’S 16TH ANNUAL BLUE STAR SALUTE & ARMED FORCES DAY EVENT May 15, 2021 Mobile - USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park - Admission 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 251-471-4322 PALOOZA IN THE PARK May 15, 2021 Pelham - Pelham Recreation Center 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 205-620-6403 34TH ANNUAL JURIED FINE ARTS & CRAFT FESTIVAL May 15-16, 2021 Florence - 217 E Tuscaloosa Street Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Call 256-760-6379 THE FESTIVAL AT THE WELL May 15-16, 2021 Glenwood - Downtown at the Well Admission - 9:00 a.m. Call 334-335-3426
ROCK THE SOUTH June - 4-5, 2021 Cullman - 1709 Lee Ave. SW Various Times Call 205-388-3029
***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.***
25TH ORANGE BEACH BILLFISH CLASSIC May 18-23, 2021 Orange Beach - The Wharf Call 251-402-8198 BARBER HISTORICS RACING EVENT May 21-23, 2021 Leeds - Barber Motorsports Park Admission - 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 205-699-7275 COALFEST May 28-29, 2021 Brillant - Downtown Friday night and all-day Saturday Call 205-465-2281 ALABAMA JUBILEE HOT AIR BALLOON CLASSIC May 29-30, 2021 Decatur - Point Mallard Park Friday: Noon - 9:00 p.m. Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Sunday: Noon - 5:00 p.m. Call 256-353-5312
“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.*
May 2021
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Dear Moms, Thank you for holding our hand throu all.
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Cooperative Farming News
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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
SILVER
GOOD
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)
FUTURE LEADERS PROGRAM Alabama Farmers Cooperative, Inc.
AFC’s Future Leaders Program is designed to provide our cooperative system the next generation of key employees, equipped to handle the challenges of agribusiness management. FLPs will be exposed to all aspects of the Co-op, as well as the opportunity to attend organized training sessions. Through a variety of store experience and continued education, the FLPs will gain the tools needed to be successful in the agribusiness sector. Continuing Education
For more information on this program please contact Samantha Hendricks at samanc@alafarm.com
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Cooperative Farming News
Customer Service Crop Nutrients and Feed Team Building Merchandising Sales and Finance
Benefits
Health/Vision/Dental Insurance Vacation and Sick Leave Competitive Salaries 401k Matching Life Insurance
