THIRSTY FARMER

WINE NOT

Savannah and Michael Ray knew the value of wine even before they thought about producing it, and their wish to make it, to share it, and bring that joy to other people near and dear to them shows their spirit of loving life and signifies embracing the essence of giving.

Edward Gibbon wrote that “the winds and waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators.” This quote beautifully and aptly illustrates the blend that luck and ability create to produce triumph. Certainly, while good fortune is wished for and hard work is admirable, when combined, they can result in the discoveries of meaningful purpose and joyful satisfaction. However, attaining even one, never mind both, may feel impossible for many. Sometimes you have to scale the highest mountains, scrambling over shifting rocks and placing yourself in danger, simply for a glimpse of the opportunity for success. Sometimes, that opportunity seemingly flits in the wind, spiraling about like a twisting leaf or a spinning wisp of dandelion, passing in front of our faces so obvious yet often unnoticed. Then it is gone, lost to that moment passed. This is the fragility of each; one may work hard yet foolishly, wasting energy and time fruitlessly, and be wholly ignorant of that fact, while another may have incredible and rare chances fall into his lap time and again but obliviously lets them slip through his fingers, lacking the vision to see what could be if only he clutched them tightly.

Opportunity can be a wonderful gift, and if we get it and we take a chance to see it through, we may reap benefits often only dreamed of. That opportunity may be a job offering far from home where you have no friends or family, but is the once in a lifetime opening you’ll never see again. It may be knocking on the door of someone you just can’t get out of your head to ask, “Would you like to grab a cup of coffee?” Or, as in the case of Michael and Savannah Ray, the proprietors behind the Thirsty Farmer winery, it may be taking a work trip to the West Coast in the heart of California wine country when Fortune plants the seeds of inspiration. Fortunately, for the Rays as well as for wine enthusiasts in Northeast Louisiana, and hopefully beyond, those seeds were scooped up and carried home to be sown. Through hard work, trying times, and smiles and tears alike, Thirsty Farmer stands to reap success and fellowship, friendships and laughter, spirits consumed and lifted.

Nearly seven years ago, Savannah Ray, a nurse practitioner who lives in Calhoun with her husband, Michael, and their two children, left for Sonoma, California, partly to attain Continuing Education Units for her work and partly to enjoy a getaway with her husband who agreed to accompany her, even though he initially felt that he may be quite bored during the time there. After

having traveled along to similar locations, he stated that he was no stranger to seeing the bleak faces of husbands sitting in tasting room corners, saying nothing and staring blankly into glasses of tepid water. A wine lover himself, though, Michael thought the trip would be fun, and he refused to play the role of despondent spouse being dragged about from winery to winery. Not only was the trip fun for the couple, a number of aspects of the experience made an indelible impression, and before they had even made the return journey home, Savannah expressed a desire to plant grapes in order to start making their own wine. Michael jumped on board with the idea, and though they both bubbled over with excitement, they also knew that a tremendous amount of hard work lay in store. Little did they know at that point how much of a demand those little plants would place on their time, energy, and wallets.

The original idea for the vineyard and winemaking only focused on being able to produce enough wine for themselves, family, and friends. Prior to pursuing this goal, Michael had some experience with crafting spirits, having made beer utilizing a starter kit. The result was christened the “Snow Day IPA,” and it was a hit with those who gave it a trial run. The process of brewing struck a chord with Michael, so the challenge of making wine was met with welcome arms. The California trip piqued his and Savannah’s interest further, especially when he realized that an enormous amount of the task involved farming. Being able to meet Sonoma farmers and view their acres of grapes, the intricacies of row placement and vertical trellis construction, the fragility of the plants, and the constant care required truly drew him in and cemented his aspiration to help make Savannah’s dream a reality. Knowing local farmers, and having undertaken farming work himself, and recognizing that the hard work and attention to detail required to produce quality crops could be highly rewarding made the vision one worth pursuing. The big question was where to start. A s the couple already owned 30 acres in Calhoun, finding the space for the initial planting was not a problem. They first ordered 150 vines of assorted varietals that they and their family members enjoyed, including pinot noir, chardonnay, and Riesling grapes. Although uncertain about the most efficient way to plant the vines, Michael believed the best idea was “to get them in the ground” and pay a great deal of attention to them while also researching grape harvesting, which involves many facets, such as fighting against plant disease and destructive insects as well as irrigation and soil enhancement. Though there were some early growing pains regarding their own crops, they were able to begin dabbling with the actual winemaking process by ordering local fruits and grapes from California. As they learned more about growing grapes in Louisiana, tragedy, unfortunately, occurred, and three years into planting, their crops died. The entirety of their original investment withered away, and the Rays were understandably devastated. Nevertheless, the Rays reflected on the important details of that first crop; they had learned a tremendous amount over the past 1,000 days. Their knowledge about vertical shoot positioning, the life of grapes from seedling to ripe fruit, and the manipulation of soil had multiplied immensely. Leaning on their experience thus far, they decided to push forward and replant. They also thought, “Let’s go bigger.”

Go bigger they did. To further bolster the hands-on education they received over the past three years, the couple chose to enroll in the Enology certification program at Grayson College in Denison, Texas, in 2019. Attaining that certification required trips to Texas over several weekends for many months, taking winemaking classes that focused not only on the actual physical or chemistry process but also the business component of producing and selling wine, should

that be something they would pursue later. Just as fortuitous as the California trip had been in sparking the interest of making personal wines, the Grayson experience created a curiosity in the potential for producing wine to sell in a region of Louisiana where only a few wineries exist for a population who love gathering for food, conversation, and drinks. The culture of enjoying family and friends for holidays, celebrations, or for no real reason at all has been and remains an integral part of Louisiana living, and the Rays thought that if they created something special, they may be able to be a part of such get-togethers, helping people assemble and enjoy each other’s company.

The entire process of growing grapes and making wine has proven to be a highly delicate and detailed enterprise, as not only do heat, humidity, rain, and soil conditions need to be considered and countered, but there are also the constant threats of vineyard diseases brought about by various insects. Perhaps none is more detrimental to grapevines than Pierce’s disease, a bacterial sickness introduced by a particular insect, one identified by Michael as the glassy-winged sharpshooter. As those bugs are pervasive all over the country, northern Louisiana farmers must remain vigilant regarding their presence. Aware that Pierce’s disease likely caused their first 150 vines to perish, the Rays set out to defend their new crop from the same fate. Luckily, in 2019, a prestigious professor of viticulture and enology at the University of California-Davis, Dr. Andrew Walker, and a team of researchers and geneticists made public that they had developed five varieties of grapes highly resistant to the threat of the sharpshooter, and in 2020, the strains were released for propagation. Fortunately, over the years the Rays have been growing grapes, they forged friendships with many other driven farmers, many of whom are from California, so they were able to keep up-to-date on such fantastic news. Understanding the value of the improvement of the plants, the Rays immediately ordered the so-called Andy Walker varietals in 2020, and in doing so, they became the first grape-growers in the state to procure and plant the innovative vines. Having such an incredible fruit parentage should increase the future vineyard yields in terms of healthy, vibrant harvests.

After enhancing their overall knowledge of the aspects of winemaking and selling, the second iteration of planting involved 300 vines, and the new crop’s grapes were the breeds more resistant to disease. As the plan included doubling the vines, the Rays recognized that expansion was necessary, so they added 10 acres to their farm property in 2019. In addition, the idea of making wines solely for immediate friends and family began to be overtaken by the idea of making wine for anybody. Certainly, undertaking

TIME FOR A VISIT

As of now, so early in its existence, Thirsty Farmer is only open on Saturdays from 12-8, with local bands playing in the middle hours. Soon enough, the hours and days available to partake in the ambience and tastes will expand, but until then, visitors need to make plans to open up their Saturdays and travel over to Calhoun to enjoy a sunny afternoon with the Rays and their family.

such an endeavor requires a great deal of planning and anticipation. Fortunately, Savannah possesses such foresight. Beyond spending the past five years collecting machinery and information, the couple learned that they needed to get ahead to stay ahead of potential issues. Also, Michael pointed out that an enormous amount of their success is directly attributable to Savannah’s research into the operations of others. In particular, she presented questions to winemakers they had met over the years. The common answer to one of her questions turned out to reveal a valuable standard to put into practice. When she asked them what they would do differently between the first couple years of production, the advice was to “prepare for what you want it to be like rather than what it is.” Considering a five-year plan rather than only thinking about next week allowed the Rays to enlarge their vision for what Thirsty Farmer could be for them and for the community.

With the scope of what could be widening by the week, the Rays continued to expand their production, which included adding 600 more vines to the property. Utilizing their ripening grapes, they also began truly producing larger and larger quantities of wines, a process requiring more equipment and, perhaps most importantly, more space. With that in mind, and after initially using any available room in and near their home, they knew that considering a larger facility to house the winemaking machinery as well as a true tasting room was likely a necessity. Thus began the process, as the Rays like to say, of “migrating from the laundry room” into a full-scale building, a construction project that began in the Spring of 2020, which involved pouring the slab, and took nearly two years to fully complete, ending in March of 2022. During the process, Good Fortune smiled down again, and a blessing in disguise came to fruition for the Rays. As the original plan for the family was to have the structure completed and opened in late 2020, a number of factors occurred to slow the process, most notably the pandemic. This frustrated the Rays at first, but then COVID hit with its full force, and so many people lost jobs while the economy froze. With friends and family members needing activities to take up some time and stored energy, Michael and Savannah called for help with building and harvesting work, and their calls were answered and then some. People arrived in droves, showing how much they care about the Rays and what they were trying to accomplish. Wanting to be a part of the Thirsty Farmer and displaying their love prompted them to come and get their hands dirty with planting, pulling, and plotting. And the Rays could not be more thankful.

All of the preparation, dedication, learning, making mistakes, and making alterations has paid off. The business is growing by the day. A website has been built and is being added-to (thirstyfarmerwines.com) and their Facebook page (@ThirstyFarmerWines) is thriving as well. On May 14th, 2022, the “soft opening” of the Thirsty Farmer tasting room occurred. While the thought was the event would be a nice, small gathering of friends and family, over 200 people showed up to hear Danny and Dave from Four on the Floor play, eat from charcuterie trays, and sample the abundant varieties of delectable wine. In addition to the wine, Michael wanted to include something a little different, and while beer was his first choice to brew, the option to create diverse flavors of hard cider proved too inviting to pass up, so the tasting room also includes three types of cider on tap. A few weeks later, on June 4th, the grand opening proved an amazing event as over 1000 people showed up to partake. As of now, so early in its existence, Thirsty Farmer is only open on Saturdays from 12-8, with local bands playing in the middle hours. Soon enough, the hours and days available to partake in the ambience and tastes will expand, but until then, visitors need to make plans to open up their Saturdays and travel over to Calhoun to enjoy a sunny afternoon with the Rays and their family. For centuries, wine has proven to be an integral piece of large-scale gatherings and intimate meetings alike, helping to elevate celebrations or even simply adding a soothing flair to an otherwise uneventful Thursday night. People use it to wind down after work, toast a new bride and groom, or just enjoy a leisurely afternoon. Savannah and Michael Ray knew the value of wine even before they thought to try producing it, and their wish to make it, to share it, and bring that joy to other people near and dear to them shows their spirit of loving life and signifies embracing the essence of giving. Writer and thinker Clifton Fadiman stated that “a bottle of wine begs to be shared; I have never met a miserly wine lover.” Wine calls to be opened, to be poured in multiple glasses, and to be relished. The Rays could not agree with Fadiman more, and now, with Thirsty Farmer, they have opened their doors for the shared loves of wine and fellowship.

WHAT’S ON TAP

Along with the wine, the tasting room provides visitors a chance to sample three hard ciders on tap. There are also locally-sourced products available for purchase, and a great selection of food.

Meredith’s Musings

NOT MY MONKEYS article by MEREDITH MCKINNIE

Our preschooler revels in social situations. She admits nervousness while on the way to school, but shortly after we slow down in the reduced speed zone, she plasters a smile across her face that charms strangers. I’m similar in that personal interactions don’t induce anxiety, but exuding charm is nonetheless work. Each afternoon, I pick up an equally exuberant little girl, hair askew, shirt stained, with a beaming expression on her tiny frame. I’m learning the ways of Pre-K. Students receive green or red slips of paper in their folders each day, designating good behavior (green) or poor behavior (red). Likewise, she will judge her little sister’s actions as red or green choices. My preschooler has yet to bring home a red slip. I have no doubt she has found some way of conjuring the remnants of good behavior. Last Thursday afternoon, after bouncing into her car seat, said Preschooler produces three little monkeys from her bag, the type that come in barrels and connect via elbows. I inquired the source of the monkeys, as children are forbidden from bringing toys to school and I’d never seen one brought home without an explanation from Teacher. She quickly explained that Teacher had given her the monkeys, which sounded odd, but the subject faded. A few hours later, Preschooler and Little Sister are taking turns burying the monkeys in the backyard when their father asks the monkeys’ origin. After a brief pause, Preschooler casually claims to have discovered them in the yard. I snapped a picture of the monkeys, texted the teacher, and asked “Do these belong to you?” The conversation that ensued changed everything for my beaming child.

Apparently, this had become a problem at school. Preschooler started nonchalantly moving toys from one play station to the next, followed soon by taking toys out during recess and passing them off as her own, even though the action had been strictly forbidden. This was news to me, as I had rested easily on those daily green slips. Teacher thought the action minor until she progressed to outright thievery. I marched into the bathroom where the culprit and Little Sister were covered in bubbles, stared intently until I caught her eye, and insisted, “Wilder, tell me about the monkeys.” A look of panic spread on that normally cheery face. She proceeded to “um...um” for a few seconds, and then said, “So Mom, what happened was I think I put the monkeys in my pocket and accidentally brought them home.” I squinted my eyes, conveying my displeasure and disbelief. “So, they weren’t a gift from Teacher, and they weren’t found in the backyard. You stole them from school, and then you lied to me and your dad about it.” Silence ensued until Little Sister piped in, “Wildey bad.”

Our bandit was sent straight to bed after her bath, no cuddle time in the parent’s bed, no cartoon, no bedtime story. She was distraught. Any interruption in routine sends this one over the edge. As I tucked her in, I laid on the terms of compensation. “Tomorrow, you are going to return those monkeys. You are going to apologize to Teacher for stealing. Then, you are going to stand up in front of the entire class and tell them you’re sorry for taking the class toys home without permission. Do you understand me?” She lost it. It would be too embarrassing. Everyone would think she was a bad person. And to make it all worse, the next day was Book Character Day. We had been assembling her Fern (from Charlotte’s Web) costume all week.

The next morning, we dressed in silence. I rolled up the baggy jeans, laced the sneakers, braided the pigtails, and situated Fluffy Oink Oink (her beloved stuff pig) in the crook of her elbow. I told her she looked cute, but she still had a duty to perform that morning, and I would be texting Teacher an hour after drop off to make sure. My normally boisterous preschooler sat in silence. She denied hunger and refused to reiterate morning affirmations. She dreaded going to school that day. It’s hard watching your kid suffer, especially when you can eliminate the madness, but she had to learn. The silence continued until we entered the reduced speed zone. Then Wilder made her last stand. “So Mom, I’ve been thinking. I should apologize tomorrow, not today, because today I’m Fern, not Wilder.” I almost choked, suppressing my laughter. Though genuinely impressed by the mental acumen to summon such an excuse, I held strong. “Regardless of whether you are Fern or Wilder today, YOU stole the monkeys. And YOU will apologize today. I suggest getting it over with first thing so you can enjoy Book Character Day.” She calmly gathered her bookbag, emoted half a grin as her school escort opened the door, and slumbered inside the building. Less than five minutes later, or two miles down the road, I received a text message from Teacher: “Apologies extended and accepted.” Fern/ Wilder made amends, and hopefully gained some moral clarity.

NAFA Supports Tiger Success

Neville High School is Known for Academic Success, and NAFA Supports That Success

IF YOU’VE BEEN AROUND NEVILLE HIGH SCHOOL for any amount of time, you’ve likely heard the name, “NAFA” but you may not be sure what NAFA stands for, what it does, or how you can be a part of it! NAFA is The Neville Alumni & Friends Association and is made up of NHS alumni as well as friends of the school. NAFA was organized to enhance the success of Neville High School. We are focused on the continued optimum achievement of our Tigers. We promote academics principally, but do not overlook the importance of related activities. NAFA promotes success through our annual Excellence Banquet when we honor the Top 20 Tigers of each graduating class and their teachers. The Top 20 places are coveted honors for our graduating seniors. The banquet also honors our educators as each of the top students choose “the teacher” who has impacted their education the most. An award is presented each year to a nominated educator at Neville who gives the extra effort for his/her students. The Ouida McGee Educator Excellence Award is presented each year in the cash amount of $5,000 donated by our gracious benefactors and NAFA. The year’s winner, Coach Jeff Gregory, as well as our Top 20 Tigers, are pictured on the following page. They are (in alphabetical order) Zoe Catherine Allen, Julie Brianne Alligood, Ethan Jet Dela Cruz Bondad, Katherine Adele Burch, Margaret L Burrell, Caroline Louise Garrett, Lela Kathryn Hansen, Anna Elizabeth Harris, Wesley Breard Inabnett, Elizabeth Coley Loftin, Nicklaus Brian Mercer, Addison Grace Nickelson, Hanlon Elizabeth Parker, Hannah Virginia Parker, Marc Victor Peters, Harneet Kaur Randhawa, Camille Mackenzie Taylor, Marah Elizabeth Trim, Benjamin Kasey Williams and Renee Laine Young. Academic achievement and exemplary citizenship are also recognized by NAFA through the presentation of scholarships and awards each May. The recipients of the 2022 scholarships are pictured on the following page. They are: The 1976 Memorial Award - Jacob William Baham, Trey Altick Award - Brayden Gage Terra, Charlotte Bolton Scholarship - Anna Belle Bolton, Dawson/Qualls Scholarship - Gabrielle Grace Kelley and Akira Keaira Johnson, A. Scott Daniel Scholarship - George Daniel Breard and John Benjamin Landry, Davidson Family Award - Annabelle Rosalie Slusher, Brian Gregory Award - Lillian Claire Booth, Carrick Richard Inabnett Scholarship - Lennon Hundshamer and Jonas Gilmore, Zach Inabnett Scholarship - Madelynn Connor Hodge, James Machine Works Scholarship - Madalyn Marie Jones, Courtney Kenney Award - Madelene Grace Stewart, Hershal McConathy Scholarship - Patrick De’Vaughn McCraney, Jr. and MacKenzil Jayteavous Jones, Wally and Andrea McMakin Award - Harland Zeb Ruddell and Ebony Monae Morgan, Joyce Mehl Scholarship - Nicklaus Brian Mercer, Neville Men’s Soccer Scholarship - Richard Landon Sorrell, Roosevelt Rankins Award - Wesley Breard Inabnett, Ruple-Brown Scholarship – Addie Mignonne Bagwell and Maurion Deshun Eleam, Scott Scholarship - Logan Monroe Smith, Thomas Stephens Scholarship - Brett Montana Batteford, Jane Whittington Memorial Award Contest - 1st Place – Camille Mackenzie Taylor and 2nd Place – Julie Brianne Alligood, NAFA Scholarship - Katherine Adele Burch, Lela Kathryn Hansen, Anna Elizabeth Harris, Patrick Brady King, William Cameron King, Griffin Page McGee, Tristen Brian Osborn and Hanlon Elizabeth Parker, and Thomas King Landry Eye of the Tiger Award - Thomas King Landry.

NAFA hosted the 27th annual Tiger Scramble Golf Tournament at Bayou DeSiard County Club on June 3, 2022. This fabulous event supports the Ruple/Brown Scholarship Fund. The tournament is a wonderful occasion for Neville alumni and friends to come together to have a great time while also supporting this awesome cause!

In addition to all of this, NAFA is also responsible for the landscaping and sidewalks that have enhanced the traditional beauty of our school. Neville High School was designated, “the most beautiful public school in Louisiana by Architectural Digest in 2017.

And, as our name implies, NAFA keeps the records of the alumni of Neville High School and aids the classes in planning and hosting their reunions each year. Tigers love to come together and reminisce about their time spent in school at Neville.

To join NAFA, please call the NAFA office at 318-387-5700, or visit our new alumni website, www.nevillealumni.org. See all the good things we do at our alma mater! Our goal is to have all Tiger supporters - Alumni and Friends - join the Neville Alumni and Friends Association. With your support, NAFA can continue to support Tiger success for years to come. Go Tigers!

The 2022-23 Officers are President - Richard Paylor, Class of 1975; President Elect – Erin Weaver, Class of 1999; Past President- Dwayne Ludley, Class of 1991; Recording Secretary - Caron McPherson, Friend; Treasurer – Jeffery Laudenheimer, Class of 1998; Parliamentarian – Bill Willson, Class of 1981; and Executive Directory – Dana Jefferson, Class of 1966.

ZENWTR

Cleaning Coastlines with Every Bottle

BY DELIA SIMPSON, CRAFT BRAND MANAGER, CHOICE BRANDS, INC.

STAYING HYDRATED IS ESSENTIAL, PARTICULARLY IN the Louisiana heat. ZenWTR, a vapor distilled alkaline water that is ultra-pure and refreshing, is just the beverage to help. But beyond keeping us hydrated, ZenWTR is on a mission to rescue 50 million pounds of ocean-bound plastic by 2025. Can buying plastic water bottles actually help the environment? ZenWTR Alkaline Water is working to break new ground in sustainability by taking one of the earth’s major, long-lasting polluters and turning it into a resource for good. ZenWTR is making use of discarded, ocean-bound plastic (plastic rescued from at-risk coastal environments in countries that don’t have formal recycling systems) and recycling it to make their bottles before filling them with their ionized alkaline water that offers a pH of 9.5 and a refreshingly crisp taste. ZenWTR is the first and only beverage in the world to be bottled in 100% recycled, certified ocean-bound plastic. In fact, every ZenWTR bottle is made from up to five recycled ocean-bound plastic bottles, and people are getting behind the cause. That means Every ZenWTR purchased prevents up to 5 bottles from reaching and polluting the ocean. Even though this brand is relatively new, it already boasts a social community of 225k followers and features in Forbes and Fortune magazine, alongside a healthy backing of celebrity investors like Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Zoe Saldana and Khloé Kardashian. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Just search ZenWTR. Lance Collins launched this revolutionary brand in early 2020 in Southern California, but his history with innovative beverages didn’t start there. Collins was the face behind several other high-profile brands, and that means he’s been highly tuned into the highs, the lows and the trends in the beverage industry over the last 20 years. One of the biggest trends is sustainability. And the question he set out to answer was how do we keep convenience while not causing harm to the planet? Collins sought to answer that with his creation of ZenWTR. Delivering a feel-good product that helps contribute a solution to the issue of plastic pollution, especially in our oceans. He spent almost 3 years creating the supply chain that allowed ZenWTR to be the first in the beverage business to use recycled ocean-bound plastic to make their bottles, and he didn’t stop there.

ZenWTR is also the world’s first beverage brand to be certified plastic negative, meaning they support programs that recover and recycle 200% of their annual plastic footprint. Preventing this plastic from ever getting into our oceans, ZenWTR puts it to use, turning it into a new 100% recyclable vessel. Also, by using recycled plastic to make their bottles, they cut energy use by 84% and produce 71% fewer greenhouse gasses that normally result from creating plastic bottles from new plastic.

The ZenWTR bottle comes in 33.8 oz, 23.7 oz, and 16.9 oz sizes and holds the brand’s crisp and refreshing, vapor-distilled alkaline water with a pH of 9.5. With a wide mouth opening, it’s easy to drink from and helps get you hydrated fast. When you buy ZenWTR 1% of each sale is donated to help organizations committed to ocean conservation and recycling programs.

To create the final product, ZenWTR goes through an 8-step process. From filtering to UV treatments to vapor distillation (the gold standard in water purification) the water you taste will be crisp, refreshing and incredibly pure. Vapor Distillation is the process of high-heat water treatment that removes toxic metals, minerals, and contaminants and it has nothing to do with alkalinity.

Technically, ZenWTR could have just stopped there, but after the vapor distillation process, they ionize the water by way of electrolysis which helps the water reach its pH of 9.5. Finally, minerals and electrolytes are added for taste. Some brands do one or the other (vapor distillation or alkaline), but ZenWTR combines the two for a clean, pure, and delicious tasting water with heart.

Be sure to like Choice Brands on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with new product releases. Feel free to message us for information on where to find your favorite brands. Find us at facebook. com/thechoicebrands, twitter.com/choicebrandsinc, and instagram.com/ choicebrands