Spring 2024 Georgia Neighbors

FRESH FIXINS BEEF + BASS

OVER EASY EGGCELLENT IDEAS

AGRICULTURE + LIFESTYLE

Stephanie Stuckey

LEADING HER FAMILY’S COMPANY INTO THE FUTURE

BEEKEEPING 101 A PEEK INSIDE

Lucky, Australian Shepherd

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Okra

CONT CONT

04

VIEW FROM THE FIELD

We can all start new in spring

ORCHESTRATING GROWTH

Levity Farms gets close to nature

PRODUCTS WE LOVE

Looks like springtime in the South

OVER EASY

Fresh spring toppers for fried eggs

SWEET DREAMS

The future of Stuckey’s is in good hands

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

Trip Interruption Coverage just may save the day

A BUDDING BUSINESS

UGA grad student starts flower farm

CHEF SHULAR

Growing the hospitality industry

FRESH FIXINS

Elevate dinner with braised beef recipe

BEEKEEPING 101

Peek inside the beekeeping process

ENTS ENTS

GEORGIA FARM BUREAU

Georgia Farm Bureau is the premier voice for agriculture in Georgia. We work earnestly to support a safe and abundant food supply that not only feeds Georgians, but the growing world as well. Georgia Neighbors Magazine is a nod to that genuine sentiment – it’s an opportunity to discover the people, the places and the impact of ag in our great state.

Want to subscribe? Become a Georgia Farm Bureau member to receive Georgia Neighbors twice a year. Membership means supporting farmers and agriculture while having access to more than 300,000 discount offers. Visit gfb.ag/join.

For content inquiries or comments, please contact Information/Public Relations Director Kenny Burgamy at 478-474-0679, extension 5285, or email kdburgamy@gfb.org.

ON THE COVER

Stephanie Stuckey, chairwoman of Stuckey’s, at Jeb Barrow’s farm in Wrens, Ga.

VIEW FROM THE FIELD

Tom McCall, GFB President

pring is absolutely my favorite time of the year.

In the agriculture community, it’s a time when we think about regeneration and new beginnings. The longer days of the season, and the ability to plant seeds for summer, always gives me hope and an optimistic spirit that we as farmers need to keep going.

A few months ago, Stephanie Stuckey was a guest speaker at our annual convention on Jekyll Island. Stephanie is the granddaughter of W.S. “Sylvester” Stuckey Sr. He founded Stuckey’s roadside stand in 1937. In the years that followed, the Stuckey’s brand became a household name across much of America.

Stephanie’s comments were of special interest to me for a few reasons. One, her grandfather’s first roadside stand opened the same year that a group of 50 farmers in Bartow County kick-started the organization known today as Georgia Farm Bureau.

In both cases, W.S. Stuckey and those determined dirt farmers saw a need they wanted to satisfy, and

were untiring in accomplishing their early goals.

Two, Stephanie’s speech focused on how she’s in the process of reimagining the family business. It made me think about the excitement of a fresh start in springtime.

Just as those who hear the Stuckey’s story can sense the excitement about renewal, spring’s arrival on the farm makes me optimistic for another year of farming. I believe the future of Georgia Farm Bureau is bright, too.

If you aren’t a member now, please consider joining. For only $35 a year, you can support our grassroot efforts to protect our Georgia farmers and the food, clothing, and shelter they provide.

As always, it’s important that we focus on making certain that farmers across Georgia have a voice representing them in Atlanta and in Washington, D.C.

You can help us be that strong voice by investing in what we do every season, every day and every year.

OFFICERS

President & CEO

TOM MCCALL, Elbert Co.

1st Vice President

and South Georgia Vice President

DANIEL JOHNSON, Pierce Co.

North Georgia Vice President

BERNARD SIMS, Catoosa Co.

Middle Georgia Vice President

RALPH CALDWELL, Heard Co.

General Counsel

DUKE GROOVER

Chief Financial Officer, Corp. Treasurer & GFBMIC Exec. VP

DAVID JOLLEY

Chief Administrative Officer

JEFFREY HARVEY

Corp. Secretary & Senior Counsel

JEANNA FENNELL

Asst. Corp. Treasurer & Sr. Director of Accounting

RACHEL MOSELY

DIRECTORS

FIRST DISTRICT: Bill Bryan, Chattooga Co.; Wesley Hall, Forsyth, Co.; SECOND DISTRICT: Gilbert Barrett, Habersham Co.; Russ Moon, Madison Co.;

THIRD DISTRICT: Brad Marks, Newton Co.

FOURTH DISTRICT: Skeetter McCorkle, McDuffie Co.; Russ Wilburn, Barrow Co.; FIFTH DISTRICT: Leighton Cooley, Crawford Co.; Matt Bottoms, Pike Co.; SIXTH DISTRICT: James Malone, Laurens Co.; James Emory Tate, Jeff Davis Co.; SEVENTH DISTRICT: Gary Bell, Evans Co.; Ben Boyd, Screven Co.; EIGHTH DISTRICT: Scotty Raines, Turner Co.; Don Wood, Wilcox Co.; NINTH DISTRICT: Lucius Adkins, Baker Co.; Paul Shirah, Mitchell Co.; TENTH DISTRICT: David Lee, Bacon Co.; Lamar Vickers, Berrien Co.

YOUNG FARMER CHAIRMAN: Cleve Jackson, Floyd Co.

WOMEN’S COMMITTEE CHAIR: Stephanie Branch, Rabun Co.

GEORGIA NEIGHBORS

Director: Kenny Burgamy

Art Director: Nicollette Boydstun

Photographer: Logan Thomas

Consulting Copy Editor: Renee Corwine

ADVERTISING POLICY

All advertising accepted subject to publisher’s approval. Advertisers must assume liability for content of their advertising. Publisher maintains right to cancel advertising for non-payment or reader complaint about advertiser service or products. Publisher does not accept per-order, political or alcoholic beverage ads, nor does publisher prescreen or guarantee advertiser service or products. Publisher assumes no liability for products or services advertised in the Georgia Farm Bureau Neighbors. For advertising rates and information, contact Wendy McFarland at 334-652-9080 or mcfarlandadvantage@ gmail.com. Georgia Farm Bureau Neighbors was established in 1996. Copyright 2024 by the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation. Printed by Panaprint, Macon, Georgia.

Bristol & Katie McCall Archer with daughter McCall Archer; Tom & Jane McCall; Rachel & Al McCall with sons, Wilkes & Winn |

Photo by: Dana Nunnery

Survive Just About Anything for Under $20

On any outdoor adventure, Mother Nature’s job is to present you with challenges. Some days she’s more demanding than others. And on those days, you’d better come prepared. The Stauer Survival Box is a near-guarantee you’ll be up to the challenge. The stainless steel multitool offers wire cutters, knife, bottle opener, file, a set of screwdrivers, a pair of pliers and much more. The powerful flashlight has three different settings, and the tactical loop watch is a reliable, water-resistant timepiece that clips to your hip and never leaves your side. All told, opening the Survival Box gives you instant access to nine different tools for JUST $19.50.

Regularly sold for $99, we’re offering this collection of survival essentials to you for A FIFTH OF THE NORMAL PRICE! Why? Because we’ve had an incredible year and we feel like giving back to our valued customers. As this kit has proven to be one of our all-time best sellers, we can only extend this offer while supplies last. Of our initial run of 1,737, more than half have already sold. Your move, Mother Nature.

Survival Box Specifications:

• Multitool: 3 1/4" x 1" folded

• Flashlight: 3 1/2" x 1", 260 lumens, takes AA batteries (not included), three LED light modes: strong, medium and caution flashing

• Watch: 2 3/4" x 1", battery type SR626SW (included)

Survival Box $99 $19.50* + S+P Save $79.50

*You must use Insider Offer Code: SVB204-01 to get this price. California residents please call regarding Proposition 65 regulations before purchasing this product.

1-800-333-2045

Your Insider Offer Code: SVB204-01

Regularly priced at $99, take advantage of this special offer while supplies last!

Praise for Stauer’s Survival Box 

“[It] has everything!”

— Carol T., Anaheim, CA

Box includes flashlight, watch and multitool with wire cutters, knife, bottle opener, file, screwdrivers, pliers and more!

Orchestrating Growth

Levity Farms brings customers closer to their food source

ach and Ilana Richards of Levity Farms believe that farming is like a symphony. Mastering the rhythm of the seasons and orchestrating growth can lead to a beautiful harmony when all the elements are perfectly in tune.

“It’s up to us to conduct the symphony of growing food — from caring for the soil to harvesting the crops. Levity is the inverse of gravity. It’s interesting and magical how a tiny seed can grow, through sunlight and photosynthesis, into something that will help our bodies be stronger and heal,” Zach said.

The couple’s love for farming took root in 2015 when Zach interned at a permaculture farm after being inspired by the book, “The Secret Life of Plants.” With a $10,000 investment, they took a leap in 2016 and became first-generation farmers in Milton. After a few years there, learning and growing their business, they purchased a farm in Madison in 2020.

“We fell in love with farming and its lifestyle. We wanted to start a family and feed them fresh, local food grown by us, and we’ve continued to do that,” he said. “Once we started, it just kept going and it took off.”

In Madison, they launched their Fresh Box program. The Fresh Box is a subscription box that contains a curated assortment of seasonal produce. In addition to the half-dozen items in the box, customers receive information about how to cook the produce. Typical springtime box selections have included salad mix, turnips, carrots, radishes, kale, kohlrabi, fennel, parsley, dill and even bonus flower bouquets.

“Our Fresh Box sales have been steady, probably 25-30 per week, in addition to market sales and chef sales. This is a way for us to get closer to the community and educate them about where their food is grown and who’s handling it. We’re closing the loop,” Zach said. “We encourage customers to come to the farm to get their boxes and see our growing practices and get closer to the food.”

The Fresh Boxes are a practice Levity Farms is continuing with at their newest farm location in Blairsville. In 2023, the couple sold their Madison farm to a new farming collective and purchased Hugh Lovel’s former farm and the former Union Agricultural Institute.

Their plans for Blairsville include implementing a program for children to get involved with growing food and life on the farm, all while having fun. It’s something their two children, Harlyn and Doran, have grown up with.

“In tandem with that, we will implement a full holistic approach to growing vegetables,” he said. “We are going to be learning a lot along the way, researching and implementing many of those practices, in accord with my permaculture background, to create a design for the property that’s a whole systems approach. Cultivating abundance is our process.”

“ We encourage customers to come to the farm to get their boxes and see our growing practices and get closer to the food.

GEORGIA NEIGHBORS /

ROSE BODY OIL

Red Oak Lavender Farm Dahlonega, GA 706-974-8230

redoaklavender.com

PEACH COBBLER KIT

The Peach Truck Nashville, TN 615-434-9049 thepeachtruck.com

P roducts We L ove

Nothing signals spring’s sweet shift into summer like fragrant flowers, fresh peaches and Southern barbecue. These Georgia-grown and produced items are all American crowd pleasers.

BAR-B-QUE SAUCE

Joe Kem’s Moultrie, GA 229-985-2888

joekemsbbq.com

PECAN LOG ROLL

Stuckey’s Wrens, GA 800-423-6171 stuckeys.com

COTTON BADGE DAD CAP Brims Macon, GA brimscompany@gmail.com brimscompany.com

PRALINE TREAT BOX

River Street Sweets Savannah, GA 800-793-3876

riverstreetsweets.com

O ver Easy

If you’re looking for ways to spice up your morning breakfast, or add a fun and creative proteinpacked snack to your afternoon, look no further than farm-fresh eggs. We’re not yolking around! A little creativity is served over easy in these springinspired fried egg garnishes. We guarantee you’ll like it, or the yolks on us! To locate fresh topping ingredients and discover more, visit gfb.ag/cfm.

Eggs provided by Greenway Farm Market at 678-231-7257.

SWEET DREAMS

Stephanie Stuckey revitalizes her family’s 87-year-old pecan candy business

t the height of its success in the 1960s, Stuckey’s was an empire of roadside respite. Nearly 370 stores were scattered across more than 30 states, offering motorists clean bathrooms, souvenirs and pecan log rolls all under their famous blue roofs.

But this roadside mecca wasn’t born of convenience or even consumerism. It all started in agriculture.

With a $35 loan from his grandmother, W.S. “Sylvester” Stuckey Sr. founded Stuckey’s as a roadside pecan stand along Highway 23 in Eastman in 1937. He prided himself as being a pecan buyer and thought of Stuckey’s as a pecan

shop. To source his pecans, Sylvester purchased pecans from different farmers and neighbors, took them to a sheller and then sold them to motorists. He made $4,500 his first year.

One day, he got the idea that if he sold pecan candy, he might make more money. He ran home to his wife, Ethel, who was playing bridge. The bridge club headed to the kitchen and started experimenting with pecan candy recipes, finally landing on Stuckey’s soon-to-be famous pecan log roll. The bridge club became the candy club, and for many years it was those women who made the brand’s pecan candies.

Things were going so well that by 1948, Sylvester built his own candy plant and distribution center in Eastman. By the 1960s, Stuckey’s became synonymous with the great American road trip and the company reached the height of its success.

So, whatever happened to Stuckey’s?

That’s the question that prompted Stephanie Stuckey in 2019 to make a complete career change and take over what was once her family’s thriving business.

“This was my grandfather’s company and I didn’t want it to become an afterthought. When I Googled Stuckey’s, the

top hit was, ‘Whatever happened to Stuckey’s?’ and there were so many stories asking where our company went,” said Stephanie. “It was sad.”

What did happen? In brief, Stuckey’s merged with Pet Milk Company in 1964 to add capital for expansion. Sylvester remained in charge of the Stuckey’s division of the company. However, Sylvester died in 1977 and the company was sold. What followed was decades of outside ownership and mismanagement.

Stephanie’s father, W.S. “Billy” Stuckey Jr., acquired part ownership in the company in 1984 but changing times and the great recession of 2009 hit the company hard.

Meanwhile, Stephanie had graduated with a law degree from the University of Georgia and by 2015 was working for the City of Atlanta as its director of sustainability. She was at her desk when she got a call that her grandfather’s company was once again for sale.

“I thought, ‘I have a chance to change this.’ I realized that this doesn’t have to be how our story ends. So, I did. I invested my life savings because no one would give me a loan. The company was six figures in the red,” she said.

Within six months of her acquisition, the company became modestly profitable and she brought on a key business partner with decades of experience in pecans.

R.G. Lamar is a third-generation pecan farmer with a few thousand acres near Hawkinsville. In 2015, he started Front Porch Pecans, a consumer packaging brand, but found it difficult to pioneer a new brand no one had heard of. He was ready to go in a new direction. That’s when he and Stephanie realized they both could bring something great to the table.

WE LIKE BEING IN A RURAL COMMUNITY, AND WE THINK THAT BIG THINGS HAPPEN IN SMALL TOWNS. WE’RE CLOSE TO THE FARMERS WHO ARE GROWING OUR PECANS, AND WE LIKE THAT CONNECTIVITY. -STEPHANIE STUCKEY

“I knew I needed to do something to grow the Stuckey’s brand and I had to pivot. My family owns about 100 acres of pecan orchards and I was thinking about focusing on pecan production. I realized that R.G. and his family have been managing our family’s orchard for decades. I called him and asked if he’d be open to having a business partner,” Stephanie said. “I feel like I won the lottery when I got him as a business partner. He’s very strong in areas where I am not. He’s good at everything.”

Stephanie and R.G. had a shared vision of what Stuckey’s could turn into as a pecan snack brand.

“We agreed immediately on the vision of the company moving forward, and we continue to agree on the importance of sourcing things locally, manufacturing in America and that farmers are at the center of our brand identity,” said R.G., now CEO of Stuckey’s.

One of the first things they did in 2021 was acquire a facility in Wrens that shells pecans and has a value-added production facility to make candies and snacks.

“We made the decision later to get out of the shelling business and focus on the value-added part and have moved forward with know-how, creativity and innovation,” R.G. said. “That focus changed Stuckey’s from previously being a distributor with a wide assortment of offerings, to now being the go-to company for adding value to pecans. Anything between the sheller and consumer, we want to do that for people and be the brand people think about.”

The company now has five core pecan snack flavors, and sales are climbing.

“We want to be the go-to snack brand for pecans anywhere in the world,” said Stephanie, now chairwoman of Stuckey’s. “We think it’s doable because we live in the state that, since the 1950s, has made more pecans than anywhere else on the globe. There’s no better place to have a pecan company than the great state of Georgia. It’s pecan central and our company has been around since the Great Depression making pecan snacks. We can make pecan snacks better than anyone else, and we want to occupy that space on snack aisles.”

While Stuckey’s still has a few roadside stands, primarily the blue-roofed buildings remain a nostalgic bit of Stuckey’s history. Stephanie said the brand’s future lies in selling their snacks to third-party retailers such as gas stations, grocery stores and specialty outlets. R.G. said he believes that in five years, the company could top $50 million in sales. That’s not too bad for what’s still a small-town business.

Stephanie Stuckey and RG Lamar are pictured with Ted Wright, a key Stuckey’s investor, board member and marketing strategist.

“We really pride ourselves in being located in Wrens, Georgia, population 2,500. We like being in a rural community, and we think that big things happen in small towns. We’re close to the farmers who are growing our pecans, and we like that connectivity,” Stephanie said. “Pecans are a good tasting, healthy, sustainable nut. And there’s nothing more sustainable than getting your food from the land and knowing your farmer, and that’s what we’re doing.”

As R.G. and Stephanie continue to navigate growing the brand, R.G. watches over the day-to-day operations from his home in Augusta, and strategizes on where to take Stuckey’s next.

From her home in Atlanta, Stephanie spends time connecting with others in the community, going to trade shows and telling the story of a once-famous brand and its recent-day renaissance.

“I love telling the Stuckey’s comeback story to others,” Stephanie said. “It’s my goal to bring hope and inspiration to others who are figuring out how to revive their businesses, their farms or even their lives. Comebacks come in many different forms, and this is just our story.”

Saturdays: 8 a.m.

Sundays: 6 a.m.

Thursdays: 6:30 p.m.

Sundays: 11:30 p.m.

Ray D’Alessio

Kenny Burgamy

Expect the Unexpected

magine this: It’s a warm spring day and your family’s car is packed to the brim with sunscreen, bathing suits, towels, beach toys and even the family dog. You’re about to make the nearly 300-mile drive to 30A for spring break.

You’re halfway there and the drive is going great. The kids are getting along and you’re enjoying the time together.

Suddenly, your car starts to make a strange noise that makes your heart sink. Before you know it, you and your family are stranded on the side of the road with a vehicle that isn’t going anywhere.

You call your local Georgia Farm Bureau agent, Beau, to ask him about roadside assistance. He reminds you that you purchased Trip Interruption Coverage. It was an add-on to your auto insurance policy, but it wasn’t an expensive addition.

In that moment, you’re glad Beau told you about the added coverage a few months back. Your Trip Interruption Coverage paid for your car to be towed, the hotel you had to stay in, meals for you and your family, and even your rental car to make the rest of the drive to the beach.

Even though it was after hours when you called Beau, he answered the phone and helped you through a stressful situation. The limit on your Trip Interruption Coverage was about $600. That’s a lot of money to have to come up with unexpectedly, especially at the beginning of a vacation away from home.

You’re glad your agent helped cover what matters most to you. He not only made sure that your vehicle was covered, but that the trip along the way was, too. If you haven’t already added it to your auto insurance policy, ask your agent about Trip Interruption Coverage. It pays for those unplanned expenses you may incur if your vehicle breaks down and offers you peace of mind when the unexpected happens.

Interrupted family trip is saved by a great auto policy

A BUDDING BUSINESS

niversity of Georgia graduate program student Bailey Rayfield believes there’s no better way to connect the average consumer to agriculture than through flowers and dirt. Her love of reaching people through ag is what prompted her to open her own flower farm, all while completing her degree at UGA.

“I love flowers and I now own a flower farm that’s rooted in my passion for agriculture. I got a degree in Agriscience and Environmental Systems while working at a flower farm, and I found a way to hands-on apply the degree,” said Rayfield.

Bailey’s Buds and Blooms began in 2020 on about 4 acres of family land in Adel. She starts everything from seed and hand plants everything except for the sunflowers. Initially, she sold flowers strictly at markets, then started a highly successful summertime subscription service.

“I also sell directly from my farm, and love for people to come here and see the flowers blooming in the fields. I love interacting with people and answering their questions. I enjoy helping people solve their flower problems, because I do kind of have a green thumb,” she said.

Rayfield started her PhD program last summer in horticulture with a focus on pecans. The busy 23-year-old also serves as a UGA College of Agriculture ambassador and former Georgia Farm Bureau Federation ambassador, where she advocates for agriculture across the state.

“I encourage young people to find a degree they are passionate about, a job they are passionate about, and pursue it,” she said.

Passion for ag led this UGA student to start a flower farm

WORK HARD EVERY DAY, SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO WILL LOVE YOU WHEN TIMES GET TOUGH, AND YOU’LL SEE YOUR DREAMS BECOME REALITY. I DIDN’T THINK I’D BE A BUSINESS OWNER AT 23, BUT HERE I AM AND I LOVE IT.

CHEF SHULAR

I’VE ALWAYS UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT’S IN SEASON AND BEING ABLE TO PREPARE IT AT ITS PEAK.

t was the test of a lifetime. Nearly 130 cooking exams over eight days with a less than 20 percent success rate. And yet, it became one of the defining moments of Chef Daryl Shular’s career.

Achieving the designation of Certified Master Chef by the American Culinary Federation (ACF) in 2014, and being the first minority in history to do so, capped what was already a successful career and laid the groundwork for his future endeavors.

But to truly understand Shular, you have to dig to his roots.

“My love for cooking started at home watching my mom cook — dumplings, pear preserves, pecan candy — recipes she learned and shared with me in the kitchen,” said 50-year-old Shular of his Central Florida upbringing. “From the very beginning, seasonal was always the mantra in my home. My family were sharecroppers. They understood seasonality. I remember picking strawberries, bushels of pears and beans and pecans. I’ve always understood the

importance of what’s in season and being able to prepare it at its peak.”

Shular grew his culinary interests by taking a cooking class in high school. That was when he realized a career in hospitality could be a viable future.

“However, I really thought I wanted to play sports. But I saw a commercial for a culinary program in Atlanta while I was visiting my sister, and that commercial solidified my choice of hospitality as a career path. I enrolled in school and everything else is history,” he said.

Once he set his sights on a career as a chef, there was no stopping him. He graduated from the Art Institute of Atlanta in 1994. As a member of the ACF since 1993, he has received more than 12 gold medals and eight “Best in Shows” in local and national and competitions. Shular’s induction into American historical archives “The History Makers” in 2005 made him one of the youngest ever and one of only a few AfricanAmerican chefs elected for inclusion.

SHULAR

Chef Daryl Shular grows the future of youth in the hospitality industry

In 2008, Shular was a member of the internationally recognized ACF United States Culinary Olympic Team, the official culinary regional team representing the United States in international culinary competitions.

In recent years, Shular has been sharing his gifts with Georgians through the Atlantabased Shular Hospitality Group, which focuses on professional development through culinary course programming. Under this umbrella, Shular operates The Shular Institute, which is designed to educate high school graduates who are interested in a career in the hospitality industry.

“We teach them to be global citizens. We have high level technical standards when it comes to cooking, but students are also learning the business and the science associated with the hospitality industry,” he said.

To reach the younger generation, Shular founded the Brigade Jr. Academy, a collaborative, citywide initiative providing culinary and hospitality education to Atlanta and Milwaukee youth ages 1418. The goal of Brigade is to change lives and support the local workforce by ensuring that young people have the skills they need to establish successful careers in high-demand industries such as hospitality.

It’s his work with young people that Shular finds most impactful, as he’s able to share his knowledge of agriculture while cooking seasonally with a global flair.

“If you want to develop the best flavors, start with seasonal ingredients. That’s when you must have an understanding of local farmers and local crops. You have to do research and know what’s coming into season, communicate with farmers and learn their best practices,” Shular said. “We teach the young people that. We take field trips to local farms and learn the history of what they do and how it’s passed down. Young people need to understand the respect chefs must have for farmers. We aren’t able to make creative food ideas happen without our farmers getting up every day and harvesting the ripest peaches and apples to put on our dinner plates. That partnership is essential.”

It’s his focus on seasonality and education that led him to open FarmED Kitchen and Bar in Tucker in 2021.

The 7,000-square-foot space offers a firstclass dining experience that places guests in the heart of the operation, with a view into the open kitchen and culinary test lab.

“Farmed literally means the process of food being grown and harvested. We emphasize the ‘ED’ to have a correlation to our service to the community and the education component that we offer students. I love that we are farming fruits and vegetables, but also farming youth and their future, planting that seed within them to one day receive their harvest as well,” Shular said.

In the spring, guests can find Shular serving up fresh Georgia peaches, kohlrabi, sweet potatoes and root vegetables such as parsnips and broccolini.

“Georgia is such a unique state for farming. The combination of cooler weather in the north and tropical weather in the south produces a great variety of crops,” he said. “I’m proud of what we created at FarmED and that it’s farm-to-table, fresh seasonal food. It’s also my style of cooking, which has an international feel to it.”

As if Shular wasn’t busy enough between the Shular Institute and FarmEd, he’s also the creative director and community partner at The Connector, Microsoft’s on-campus restaurant at its Atlantic Yards location in Atlanta. In addition, he’s filmed one season of his AspireTV show, “Twisted Dish.” This year, he’ll begin writing a cook book and has plans to roll out two more restaurant concepts.

All this while continuing to expand his reach to the next generation through growing the Shular Institute in other cities across the United States, and helping young chefs understand the importance of fresh, seasonal agriculture in their cooking.

“I built my career on working with local farmers. It’s a way of connecting to my heritage. It’s important for young chefs interested in the hospitality industry to visit farmers, study their process and have a better understanding for preventing food waste,” he said. “There are a world of people who work hard every day to make sure we have all our favorite dishes on the table every night. We need to do all we can to embrace local farmers.”

FRESH FIXINS

CREATED BY CHEF DARYL SHULAR

With help from our Certified Farm Markets, elevate your spring dinners with these recipes from Certified Master Chef Daryl Shular, owner-operator of the Shular Institute in Atlanta and FarmED Kitchen and Bar in Tucker.

pound beef short ribs

teaspoons course kosher salt

teaspoon ground black pepper

ounce olive oil ounces tomato paste

yellow onion, quartered

celery stalks, chopped carrot, chopped cup red wine cups beef stock bay leaves thyme sprigs rosemary sprigs teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Preheat a medium size pot over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, season the beef short ribs with kosher salt and black pepper. Once the pan is hot, add olive oil and carefully place seasoned beef into pan and sear on both sides until golden brown. Once the beef is seared, carefully remove from hot pan and place onto a cold plate.

Next, add tomato paste to the hot oil and carefully stir until evenly incorporated. Add onion, celery and carrot and cook until slightly tender. Once vegetables are cooked, add red wine and allow to cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beef stock, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary and crushed red pepper flakes. Once mixture is combined, carefully place the pre-seared beef short ribs into the broth, cover with a lid or aluminum foil and place in the oven at 325 degrees and allow to cook for 2 to 3 hours, or until fork tender. Once meat is cooked, carefully remove from the pan. Strain the liquid from the vegetables and reduce until it reaches sauce consistency. To serve, carefully pull the beef and use it to top the precooked Mac-n-Cheese and serve with Yellow Pepper-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce, chives and grated aged cheddar.

BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS

For the Yellow-Pepper Bourbon Barbecue Sauce recipe and the Roasted Georgia Black Bass recipe pictured on page 25, visit gfb.ag/Neighbors.

RIBS

Beekeeping 101

For 15 years, Mary Lacksen has lovingly tended the hives at BeeCo Apiaries, the apiary she owns in Hancock County. A degree in agriculture and friends who are “bee nuts” initially sparked her interest in beekeeping, which led to attending the University of Georgia Bee College at Young Harris Institute. Lacksen says that she finds working with bees fascinating and that she continues to learn more every year. Lacksen shares with us some of the steps involved in maintaining all 100 of her happy, healthy hives.

A hive tool is used to scrape propolis from the lid of the box. Propolis is a natural resinous mixture the bees produce and use to seal any parts of the box where light comes in. Bees like the hives dark, and the propolis is also a good insulator for the hives over winter. However, if the propolis gets in the way of opening the hive, it must be scraped off so that everything is level and flat when the lid is replaced.

02

Inside a standard hive, there are eight to ten frames in a box. Several boxes make up a hive. The bees will go on a frame and produce their own wax in a hexagon shape so that when they bring in nectar and pollen, that’s where they store those recourses. They make all of the wax themselves. Younger bees make the wax and older bees collect the pollen, which is the hive’s protein, and nectar, which is a carbohydrate.

The most important thing to check for is that the hive of 50,000 bees has a queen. I look for evidence of her, like eggs or larvae. I also make sure the hive has enough resources, like pollen and nectar. I look at the overall condition of the bees themselves. The workers in the hive should appear healthy, active, relatively fat and preoccupied. If I open the hive and they come after me, it’s an indication that something’s not right with the hive. They shouldn’t be aggressive.

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From March to October, we check the boxes at least every three weeks. I keep notes on the top so when I come back, I’ll know what was happening in the hive the last time I checked. It’s like a note-keeping system for me, although every beekeeper does it differently. Most hives produce 40-50 pounds of honey per year, which we usually harvest in June. When the honey reaches an ideal humidity, the bees put a wax coating on top so it doesn’t spoil. We wait to see that wax coating before we harvest.

To learn more about BeeCo Apiaries or purchase their products, visit beecoapiaries.com. To foster an interest in beekeeping, visit the Georgia Beekeepers Association online at gabeekeeping.com.

One of the biggest tools that we don’t utilize as producers is our neighbors.

A recent study done at the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center at Mercer University with assistance from the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture quantifies what many in agriculture have known — farming comes with extraordinary stress. Georgia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities wants you to know resources are available when the stress becomes overwhelming.

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