Spring 2011 Tennessee Home and Farm

Home & Farm Tenne sse e

tnhomeandfarm.com Spring 2011

Iron-Clad Success Lodge Cast Iron cooks up an American icon See video online

Mother’s Day Menu Treat mom to the homemade meal she deserves

Growing for

Generations Tennessee century farm families are deeply rooted in agriculture

tnfarmbureau.org

Published for the 655,633 family members of the Tennessee Farm Bureau

Home & Farm Ten n e ssee

An official publication of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation © 2011 TFBF Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation tnfarmbureau.org

Editor Pettus Read circulation manager Stacey Warner Board of directors President Lacy Upchurch, Vice President Danny Rochelle Directors at large Jeff Aiken, Charles Hancock, Catherine Via district directors Malcolm Burchfiel, James Haskew, Eric Mayberry, Dan Hancock, David Mitchell state fb women’s chairman Jane May Advisory directors Buddy Mitchell, Jamie Weaver Chief administrative officer Joe Pearson treasurer Wayne Harris Comptroller Tim Dodd

Managing Editor Jessy Yancey Audience Development Director Lisa Battles

Editor’s note

Agriculture Is Life After an especially snowy winter, we welcome signs of spring here in Tennessee. Nowhere is that more evident than out in rural areas, where many farmers are beginning their planting season and enjoying the warmer weather and a couple extra hours of daylight.

In this issue, we feature several farming operations, from designated century farms (page 8) to a comparitively young second-generation farm (page 16). For each of these families, agriculture is a way of life.

Inspired by our farmers’ tireless efforts to feed the world, we chose this slogan, Agriculture Is Life, as one of the categories for the 16th annual Tennessee Farm Bureau Photo Contest. We look forward to seeing the ways our readers interpret this concept. Our other categories – Tennessee Gardens and the Animal Kingdom – also give a nod to farms, though photo subjects may include off-the-farm flora and fauna, too. For more details on the photo contest, turn to page 47 or visit tnhomeandfarm.com to enter online.

Copy Editor Jill Wyatt

Jessy Yancey, managing editor thaf@jnlcom.com

Content Coordinator Blair Thomas Contributing Writers Lori Boyd, Melissa Burniston, Susan Hamilton, Laura Hill, Tiffany Howard, Anthony Kimbrough, Jessica Mozo, Ronda Robinson, Karen Schwartzman, Julie Vaughn, Jessica Walker Creative Director Keith Harris Photography Director Jeffrey S. Otto Media Technology Director Christina Carden Senior Photographers Jeff Adkins, Brian McCord Staff Photographers Todd Bennett, Antony Boshier Senior Graphic Designers Laura Gallagher, Vikki Williams

At a Glance/A sampling of destinations in this issue 2/Portland 1/Cookeville

Proofreading Manager Raven Petty Ad Production Manager Katie Middendorf

4/Jackson

Ad Traffic Assistant Krystin Lemmon, Patricia Moisan

3/Normandy

Web Content Manager John Hood Web Design Director Franco Scaramuzza Media Technology Analysts Chandra Bradshaw, Yamel Hall, Alison Hunter, Marcus Snyder Integrated Media Manager Robin Robertson Chairman Greg Thurman President/Publisher Bob Schwartzman Executive Vice President Ray Langen Sr. V.P./SALES Todd Potter, Carla Thurman sr. V.P./operations Casey Hester V.P./Visual Content Mark Forester V.p./external communications Teree Caruthers V.P./custom publishing Kim Newsom Holmberg v.p./content operations Natasha Lorens controller Chris Dudley Advertising sales Manager, Custom division Tori Hughes

5/South Pittsburg

1/ See how Cookeville is cooking up Cajun cuisine at Crawdaddy’s West Side Grill. page 29 2/ Pick strawberries in Portland this spring at Bradley Kountry Acres. page 7 3 / Get the girls together for a weekend retreat at Petticoat Junction in Normandy. page 6 4 / Teach the kids about life on the farm at Donnell Century Farm Adventure in Jackson. page 8 5 / Tour the Lodge Cast Iron Foundry in South Pittsburg during the Cornbread Festival in April. page 12

Distribution DIRECTOR Gary Smith Custom/Travel Sales Support Rachael Goldsberry office manager Shelly Grissom receptionist Linda Bishop Tennessee Home & Farm is produced for the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation by Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080.

All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reprduced in whole or in part without written consent.

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Tennessee Home & Farm (USPS No. 022-305) Issued quarterly by the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, 147 Bear Creek Pike, Columbia, TN 38401, (931) 388-7872. Periodical permit paid at Columbia, TN, and additional entry offices.

Postmaster Send address corrections to: Tennessee Home & Farm Executive Offices, P.O. Box 313, Columbia, TN 38402-0313.

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Table of Contents Features 8 / Growing for Generations Tennessee century farm families are deeply rooted in agriculture

12 / Iron-Clad Success

Lodge foundry in South Pittsburg cooks up an American icon

16 / Twister of Fate

Eagleville farmer recounts Good Friday tornado experience

22 / Mother’s Day Menu

Treat mom to a homemade meal she deserves with our simple menu

38 / Life in the Slow Lane

The back road of Highway 411 opens up charming, peaceful vistas

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Departments 5 / Read All About It

Farmers will feed 9 billion by 2050

6 / Short Rows

How to prune peach trees

27/ Country Classics

Sour Cream Pound Cake

29 / Restaurant Review Crawdaddy’s in Cookeville

30 / Gardening

Space-efficient gardening guide

33 / Farmside Chat

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Humphreys County farmer raises corn, soybeans, wheat and cattle

35/ To Good Health

TRH helps navigate health-care reform confusion

36 / Farm Bureau Almanac Support FFA and 4-H programs

42/ Events & Festivals

Things to do, places to see

48 / View From the Back Porch Without change, there would be no butterflies

On the Cover Photo by Jeffrey S. Otto Rocky Glade Farm in Rutherford County tnhomeandfarm.com

Home&Farm 3

tnhomeandfarm.com FOOD

Tr avel

Home & Garden

Agriculture

TN Living

From Our Readers In Ice Is Nice

Jimmy Ramsey

My husband and I were married in 1995 when I was working with Matt [Simonds, “Artistry in Ice,” Winter 2011] at the Crowne Plaza. As a wedding gift, Matt offered to carve a bus in ice to surprise my husband, who owned a bus company at that time. It was beautifully displayed as you walked in the door of our reception, and my husband was thrilled when he saw it. He still tells the story today of what a great surprise that was and how beautiful the bus looked in ice. Thanks, Matt, for great memories!

Photo Contest Online Visit tnhomeandfarm.com to enter our annual photo contest. Online entrants are also eligible for special web-exclusive readers’ choice contest.

Online Library Read past issues and new online-only magazines simply

Summer A COLLECTION OF REFRESHING SUMMER RECIPES

TENNESSEE RESTAURANTS

Sponsored by Tennessee Farm Fresh

Connect with us online!

Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/tnhomeandfarm Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/tnhomeandfarm

vol. 1

Hilary Spellings via tnhomeandfarm.com

Missing Recipes What happened to the recipe archive?

There used to be a salad recipe that included maple ginger walnuts for garnish. I found it as recently as a month ago, and now it’s gone.

Jennifer Goode Stevens via Facebook Editor’s note: Don’t worry – we have big plans for our recipes! Not all of them made it onto our new website yet, but recipes are being added seasonally.

Stay tuned for a big announcement about our recipes soon.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for a specific recipe, let us know by posting on our Facebook page as Jennifer did, or by e-mailing us at thaf@jnlcom.com, and we’ll send it your way.

Correction We made an error in the Turkey Pot Pie recipe on page 27 of our Winter 2011 issue. The recipe calls for 6 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons heavy cream. View the correct version of the recipe in its entirety at tnhomeandfarm.com/turkey-pot-pie.

Visit us on YouTube at youtube.com/tnhomeandfarm Share with us on Flickr at flickr.com/groups/scenictn Sign up for the e-mail newsletter at tnhomeandfarm.com

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Questions, comments and story ideas can be sent to: Jessy Yancey, 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, or e-mail us at thaf@jnlcom.com. tnfarmbureau.org

Read All About It

9 Billion Folks to Feed This earth day, celebrate the farmers who feed the world

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hen one starts fending for himself, it is amazing what food source a single man can retrieve from today’s modern food outlets. While shopping recently for my staples of oatmeal, lite-bread, green salad makings and chicken thighs (which if you’re smart can make a lot of meals once baked by the gross in a Pyrex dish), I discovered the aisle made for us single guys who expound to be self-sufficient, but really are not. There to my amazement were all sorts of boxed goods containing ingredients, mostly noodles, to make full meals by just adding milk and meat from any animal you feel compelled to eat. Each item’s box label professed that in a matter of minutes you could be cooking like the man that hollers “Bam!” on TV with just about the same results.

Being pretty gullible and really hungry, I choose the store brand Hamburger Hinder and drooled all the way to the checkout, picking up a pound of ground meat on the way. The car wouldn’t go fast enough so I could get my gourmet meal started and on the table.

Carefully following the instructions, I poured, mixed and simmered all of the ingredients of the Hamburger Hinder in a covered skillet, which I discovered was almost too small, but worked all the same to achieve my final results. Those results were enough Hamburger Hinder to feed all of the children of Israel after crossing the Red Sea. And, speaking of the children of Israel, being a person of only one eating this meal, I determined that the manna they ate in the wilderness must have been Hamburger Hinder because even after I had all I could eat, the leftovers seemed to grow each time I ate it for the next five days. tnhomeandfarm.com

One night as I ate my Hamburger Hinder for the umpteenth time, I got to thinking about how many folks I could have fed with the beginning dish of this magical concoction. Just the amount that had spilled onto the electric range eyes and into the lower area beneath the elements, which I must remember to clean out someday, could have made a difference for a small army. I read somewhere the other day that by the year 2050 there are going to be 9 billion people to feed instead of the current 6.8 billion. That means 40 years from now there will still be a place for Hamburger Hinder.

In fact, I think what I’ve got in plastic bowls in my refrigerator right now will still be around, because I’m sure it grows every night when I close the door and the little light goes out.

Maybe I can work Hamburger Hinder into this year’s Earth Day celebration. It has got to be environmentally safe because it has so many uses, and it got its start about the same time Earth Day came about. This year marks the 41st anniversary of Earth Day, which began way back in 1970 when I was a senior in college. Today the call is to make the planet greener. They don’t mean literally green like the color, but more environmentally green. It all sounds good to me because I have been working in green jobs since I was large enough to help with the chores around our family farm.

Agriculture has always been green, and if you want to go green, agriculture is the way to go.

It is good to have an Earth Day to talk about what is needed to save our environment, but it is more important to be doing something about it. If you want to go green, support our Earth’s first green industry: agriculture, which will be much more important than Hamburger Hinder to feed those extra folks in 2050.

About the Author Pettus L. Read is editor of the Tennessee Farm Bureau News and director of communications for the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation.

Read More About It Read has collected his favorite columns into a book titled Read All About It. Part of the proceeds of the book sales go to Tennessee 4-H and Tennessee FFA programs.

Buy a copy online at tnhomeandfarm.com/ store.

Home&Farm 5

Short Rows

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1/ Just Peachy Peach tree pruning rules got you puzzled? Learn how to prune your fruit trees by following these simple tips.

• Don’t prune before February, and do your best not to prune within several days of cold weather.

• Before pruning, prepare the tree by cutting off any dead or damaged limbs, and remove any suckers growing off the roots.

• When you’re ready, prune the shoots – the new, red branches – and remove any branches growing toward the center of the tree, as well as any small or thin shoots and downward hanging or horizontally growing branches.

• After the tree has bloomed, prune some of the buds; ensure that the peaches grow about six inches apart

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by pinching off buds by hand.

If all of that pruning talk made you hungry for peaches, here’s some good news – you don’t have to wait until they ripen. The folks at Flippens Fruit Farm are known for cooking up fabulous fried pies made with peaches grown on their farm. Browse their online store at www.flippenhillbillybarn.com.

2 / Stately Flowers Did you know that Tennessee’s state flower is the iris? The green-thumbed group at Iris City Gardens certainly does.

Located in Primm Springs, about 40 miles southwest of Nashville, Iris City Gardens grows a variety of species of irises, and they open their gardens to the public on Wednesdays through Sundays from April 13 to June 26.

Potted daylilies, peonies, water lilies and other perennial plants grown at the gardens’ nursery are also available.

The plants may be purchased at the garden, as well as online. Visit www.iriscitygardens.com for details.

3 / Scrapbooking and Spa Service Ladies, if you’re looking to get away from the hustle and bustle, and hunker down with your scrapbooking supplies, listen up. A women’s retreat at Petticoat Junction may be the place for you.

Bonnie Esslinger created Petticoat Junction, located in a recently renovated historic home in Normandy (outside of Manchester), where women are invited to enjoy delicious meals, decadent desserts and pampering. tnfarmbureau.org

TN FARM FRESH

Scrapbooking is but one activity that guests may partake in. Kayaking trips on the Duck River will be offered this summer, along with the year-round sightseeing, relaxing and spa services, including massages.

Learn more about Petticoat Junction, which also hosts church retreats and family reunions, at www.pjretreat.com.

4 / History Comes Alive Located in Athens, the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum collects, preserves and displays the artifacts, documents and other items that represent the history of the county.

Although some exhibits rotate, the museum’s textile collection is on permanent display and showcases more than 2,100 examples of textiles, including quilts and hooked rugs.

In addition, the museum is home to more than 7,000 artifacts that represent and tell the histories of McMinn County and East Tennessee.

Workshops and special events are also offered and open to the public.

For additional information, visit www.livingheritagemuseum.com.

5/ Gorgeous Gardens According to many scholars, the first botanic gardens were actually herb gardens. Visitors to Memphis Botanic Garden can explore the three areas of the attraction’s newly expanded herb garden opening in March.

The formal garden, a traditional European-style herb garden, features around-the-world herbs such as thymes, germander, rosemary, sages and lavender. The meadow is home to more robust plants such as shrub roses, comfrey and indigos. The woodland, sectioned by continents, contains an array of herbs from around the world, including medicinal, dye, cosmetic and utilitarian plants.

More than 20 specialty gardens are located on the 96-acre Memphis Botanic Garden. Find out more at www.memphisbotanicgarden.com. tnhomeandfarm.com

TN FARM FRESH

Springtime Means Strawberries If you are in search of fresh fruits and vegetables this spring, look no further than Bradley Kountry Acres. Located about 30 miles north of Nashville in Sumner County, the farm will begin their season offering pickyour-own strawberries, along with tomatoes and a variety of other produce, flowers and herbs.

After milking cows at a Grade A dairy operation in Cottontown for more than 30 years, the family decided to sell the herd and transition into a new venture. For Mike and Cathy Bradley, that meant growing and selling 6 acres of fruits, vegetables and an assortment of flowers.

Today, Bradley Kountry Acres produces four different varieties of strawberries, which they grow in raised beds using plastic mulch and drip irrigation, a process known as plasticulture. According to the Bradleys, this method promotes better watering and fertilization as well as cleaner and healthier strawberry fields – and also makes them easier to pick. Visitors are welcome to come out and pick their own berries, though they offer prepicked berries for customers too.

Each year on the first Sunday in May, the Bradleys host their Spring Open House, which is filled with all things strawberries to kick off the pick-yourown season. While visitors are shopping for their long-awaited fruit or flowers, they can also taste-test plenty of strawberry cakes, pies and other delicious dishes.

In addition to the strawberries, the Bradleys also have three greenhouses filled with bedding plants, herbs, ferns, hanging baskets and potted flower arrangements, as well as tomatoes, blackberries, peaches, broccoli, squash, peppers and various other vegetable crops. Come autumn, they also have sweet potatoes, pumpkins, gourds and fall decor.

Visitors are welcome at Bradley Kountry Acres almost anytime, especially during strawberry season. For more information on the farm’s pricing, the availability of their products or to schedule a group outing, please contact them at (615) 325-2836. You can also find them online at www.bradleykountryacres.com.

– Tiffany Howard,

Tennessee Farm Fresh coordinator

Home&Farm 7

Agriculture

100

Years and

Counting

Century farm families are deeply rooted in agriculture

Story by Jessica Mozo Photography by jeff adkins

I

f you visit Donnell Century Farm near Jackson on Easter weekend, you’ll see children gathering colorful eggs in baskets, holding baby chicks, posing for pictures with the Easter bunny, and discovering the ins and outs of farm life. The 175-year-old farm hosts an annual Easter egg hunt and spring field trips as part of its agritourism program, which also includes a fall season complete with barnyard animals, a pumpkin patch and a corn maze.

Donnell Century Farm has come a long way since founder John Donnell settled on the original 500-acre tract of land in Madison County in 1835. John is now buried in the family cemetery, and his sixth-generation descendents are farming the land he loved.

“We celebrated our 175th birthday in 2010 by creating a corn maze in the shape of a birthday cake,” says

Rose Ann Donnell, whose husband, Billy, is a descendent of John Donnell. “Our main business is farming, but in 2005, we started an agritourism business that’s very educational and grows each year.”

A Donnell Family Tradition Though much has changed, much has stayed the same on the Donnells’ farm over the last 175 years. It’s still a family operation – Billy and Rose Ann live on the land with their son Andrew, his wife, Jessica, and their three children. Together they produce registered Angus cattle, cotton, soybeans, corn, wheat and hay.

“We sell all-natural, dry-aged Angus beef to restaurants and at farmers markets, and we sell our white corn to Martha White to be used for cornmeal,” Rose Ann says.

“We raise cotton, which we have

found people love to see grow – they are just fascinated by it.”

Like more than 1,300 historic farms across Tennessee, the Donnells applied for designation as a century farm through the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

“It was my mother-in-law’s desire to fill out the application. She really wanted to obtain the century farm designation,” Rose Ann says. “I helped her with it, and it really was pretty easy. We went to the library to look up the record of deeds.”

Bacon Farm In East Tennessee, Bacon Farm is another century farm, established in 1891. The Washington County farm near Jonesborough is home to Bruce Bacon Jr., a fourth-generation descendent of founder Robert Bacon.

Bruce and his wife, Debbie, live in a brick home they built on the property

Donnell Century Farm in Jackson farms cotton, cattle, soybeans, corn, wheat, hay and an agritourism venture where kids have hands-on interactions with real animals. Top center: Bruce Bacon Jr. represents the fourth generation of his Jonesborough farm.

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Tennessee Living

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Home&Farm 9

What Qualifies a Tennessee Century Farm?

Established by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture in 1975 as part of our nation’s bicentennial celebration, the Tennessee Century Farms program honors the dedication of families who have owned and farmed the same land for at least 100 years. The statewide program has more than 1,300 certified century farms, 603 of which are more than 150 years old, and 136 have reached the 200-year mark (as of January 2010). More than 40 farmers are in an even more exclusive club, Pioneer Century Farms, those established before or in 1796, the year of Tennessee’s statehood.

The eligibility requirements to register as a Tennessee century farm are as follows: • The farm must have been in your family continuously for at least 100 years.

• The farm must include at least 10 acres of the original founders’ land.

• The farm must produce at least $1,000 in farm income annually.

• At least one of the farm’s owners must be a Tennessee resident.

If your farm qualifies, you can find an application at www.tncenturyfarms.org or by calling (615) 898-2947. If you’re curious about century farms in your neck of the woods, the website also provides a list of century farms by county.

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in the 1970s along with their 23-yearold son, Benjamin. Their older son, Bruce III, lives in the farm’s 110-yearold farmhouse with his wife, Amber, and their two daughters.

“The farm has changed completely since 1891,” Bruce says.

“The farm itself will always be our old home-place, but it’s hard to make a living today milking cows and growing tobacco like my daddy and mommy did.”

Bacon is retired from Eastman Chemical Co. and spends his days raising hay and steers and “keeping the farm clean.” Bruce III works for Eastman Chemical Co. like his father did, and Benjamin works for UPS. “We grow a garden that we eat out of, and several years ago I tnfarmbureau.org

Brian McCord

remodeled our old barn,” he says.

“We’re sort of proud of it. We keep it decorated with flowers, and we use it for family picnics. The cattle get their feed there, and we have some peacocks and guineas.”

Bacon Farm is part of the Appalachian Quilt Trail and has a replica of the LeMoyne Star quilt pattern (popular in the early 1800s) hanging on the restored 1891 barn.

Ozburn Hollow Farm In Middle Tennessee, Ozburn Hollow Farm has been rooted in Williamson County near Arrington for more than two centuries.

Revolutionary War veteran Robert Ozburn established the 500-acre homestead in 1804, and his tnhomeandfarm.com

The quilt block on the 1891 barn at Bacon Farm is modeled after the quilt made by Bruce Bacon Jr.’s grandmother that hangs behind him, his wife, Debbie, and their granddaughters.

Top left: Billy Donnell harvests corn. Bottom left: Arrington’s Ozburn Hollow Farm is part of the Land Trust for Tennessee.

descendent (a successful Nashville businessman) Frank Perry Ozburn acquired the property in 1976.

Ozburn Hollow Farm is now home to the eighth generation of Ozburns as well as a restored log house, smokehouse, springhouse and log barn from the 19th century. In 2006, Perry and his wife, Elaine, donated a conservation easement on the farm to the Land Trust for Tennessee to protect it from being divided and developed in rapidly growing Williamson County.

Carrying the Torch Meanwhile, back in West Tennessee, the Donnells are doing their best to help people understand the importance of farming, whether

100 years ago or today.

“Our agritourism venue shows visitors how John Donnell got bacon from his pigs, eggs from his chickens and picked cotton by hand. He had everything he needed right here on the farm,” Rose Ann says. “People see on the tour how farm life was a century ago, and then they see the cotton picker we use today and our modern-day tractors. We hope to add a farm museum so we can display artifacts we have, like a butter churn, cotton sacks and an old plow.”

Of his family agricultural heritage in Jonesborough, Bacon says he loves “being in the middle of it all.”

“I’ve been on this land 61 years,” he continues. “I just like it out here.”

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tnfarmbureau.org

Tennessee Living

Iron-Clad Success

Lodge foundry cooks up an American icon

Story by laura Hill Photography by jeffrey s. otto

W

hat do a high-end gourmet kitchen shop, a sporting goods store, your local hardware emporium, a big-box discounter in Georgia and an upscale Manhattan department store have in common? A Tennessee product that is both an American icon and one of the hottest trends in the food world: Lodge Cast Iron cookware.

Manufactured as it has been for more than 112 years in tiny South Pittsburg (population 3,300), the company’s skillets, Dutch ovens, griddles and more have been kitchen fixtures for generations, much-loved and passed down from one cook to another. Once relegated to the shadows by non-stick aluminum and stainless steel pots and pans, cast iron has again emerged into the culinary limelight, thanks to smart thinking and an unexpected boost from television cooking shows.

“We’re doing extremely well in today’s marketplace,” says Mark Kelly, public relations and advertising manager for Lodge.

“More people are cooking at home than traditionally have. And the emergence of the Food Network, where people see great chefs

cooking a wide variety of foods in cast iron, has really helped. It’s hilarious, but people come into our factory stores and say ‘I saw so-and-so on the Food Network – where’s that pan?’ It’s like that all over the country.”

What keeps cooks coming back for more, Kelly says, is a combination of manageable prices, ease of use and extreme durability.

Cast iron cookware heats evenly, retains heat beautifully, and is virtually indestructible.

He himself uses his grandmother’s skillet and Dutch oven, not an uncommon story. Many Lodge items produced 100 years ago are still in daily use by devoted cooks.

“I can pick up a cast iron skillet or a Dutch oven, and I know that I hold in my hands a quality instrument that, barring great clumsiness on my part, will certainly outlast me,” says collector Rick Mansfield on his website www.cookingincastiron.com. “Cast iron is solid, and its weight when I hold it in my hand says to me that it will still be with me when I come to the end of my days, waiting to be passed on to the next generation.”

Cast iron enthusiasts like Mansfield, a professor and doctoral candidate in Kentucky,

More Online Go inside the Lodge foundry in a quick video at tnhomeandfarm.com/ lodge-cast-iron.

Lodge will be giving away a cast iron skillet to one of our e-mail subscribers. Find out more by signing up for our e-newsletter at tnhomeandfarm.com.

On our website you can also find cast iron skillet recipes and tips from Lodge on how to clean cast iron skillets.

Jerry Don King is a third-generation employee at Lodge, which has made cast iron cookware since 1896. tnhomeandfarm.com

Home&Farm 13

Cookin’ Up a Fun Festival Nearly all year, the Lodge Cast Iron foundry is closed to the public. But on two special days each spring, you can tour the state-of-the-art facility and have a grand time before and after.

The National Cornbread Festival, which celebrates its 15th anniversary April 30 and May 1, 2011, is fun, but it’s also a celebration with a mission.

Worried about a local economy dampened by big shopping centers and a busy highway that bypassed the town, community leaders came up with the idea of an event to promote South Pittsburg and benefit charitable, civic, church and youth organizations from the proceeds in return for volunteering.

Besides saluting all things cornbread, the festival has helped scouts, athletics programs, building projects, education and the arts. South Pittsburg’s now-thriving storefronts are a testament to how the festival has put the community on the map.

Besides Lodge factory tours, the festival offers great music, Miss Cornbread pageants, cook-offs, arts and crafts, a historic tour, a carnival, exhibits and a classic car show. No wonder 45,000 people attend each year. “It’s hokey fun,” says Mark Kelly of Lodge Cast Iron. “And hokey is a good thing.”

Learn more at www.nationalcornbread.com.

are legion, and growing. Websites abound, and scrounging for cast iron cookware at garage sales and flea markets has gotten tighter and tighter.

Mansfield admits to a passion for cast iron, praising its versatility and low-tech reliability. His 40-piece collection, including a wok and his grandmother’s treasured skillet, holds pride of place on a baker’s rack in his kitchen. But his emphasis is on using his collection every day.

“If you enjoy cooking, you want great tools to cook with, and that naturally leads to cast iron,” he says.

As the last cast-iron cookware foundry in the United States, Lodge is especially proud of its history and commitment to quality. The company was founded by Joseph Lodge, an Englishman who came to this country in the late 1800s and worked for various foundries before starting Blacklock Foundries in South Pittsburg. In 1910, when that foundry burned, he moved his business down the road to its current location and reincorporated as Lodge Cast Iron. tnhomeandfarm.com

The company is still family-owned and -operated – a great-grandson, Bob Kellerman, is chairman and CEO, Henry Lodge is president and COO, and a fifth-generation family member is special projects manager.

The family tradition also extends to employees, some of whom are thirdand fourth-generation workers.

Changes have certainly been made over 112 years – Lodge today also sells two highly successful lines of colorful enameled cookware, has improved the melting process and pursues a vigorous pro-environment policy. But the basics behind Lodge’s cast iron cookware remain much the same. Pig iron and stamped steel are melted down at 2,800 degrees and poured into specially crafted sand molds, tooled to create impressions of individual pieces. The iron cools in the molds as they go down the production line, molds split open and the red-hot cookware cools and is cleaned and seasoned before packaging. Total time elapsed from melting to packaging: 90 minutes. On

average the foundry produces 800 pieces an hour. “If all the cast iron gods are aligned,” says Kelly, it can turn out 1,600 pieces an hour.

Factory seasoning has been critical to Lodge’s success. An unseasoned gray iron pan, as many cooks can attest, takes a long time to become that trusty blackened heirloom, the result of much cooking, gentle cleaning and a lot of oil. Eight years ago the company decided to give customers a head start on the process by spraying its cookware with a soy-based vegetable oil and then baking it. The result was a much more user-friendly product that appealed to contemporary cooks.

“It rocked our world,” says Kelly.

“We got a lot of instant press. We had a huge article about seasoning in the Washington Post, and a Good Housekeeping Good Buy award, and we’ve been on a roll ever since. We had been primarily a regional brand, but now we’re a national brand. If I go to Seattle or New York or wherever, people in the food business know exactly who we are.”

Home&Farm 15

Home & Garden

Twister of Fate

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tnfarmbureau.org

Tennessee Living

Eagleville farmer recounts Good Friday tornado experience and aftermath

Story by Julie Vaughn

O

Jeffrey S. Otto

n April 10, 2009, Good Friday became known as “tornado Friday” in our family’s history as a twister touched down on our farm in Eagleville. This same tornado minutes later struck nearby Murfreesboro as a class F5, destroying homes, businesses and taking the life of a young mother and baby.

It was a crazy day anyway, much more chaotic than our “normal” crazy farm life. We each had our assignments. My husband, Jim, would take his parents to the doctor in Nashville. Along with my two boys (then ages 4 and 1), our part-time employee Kelley and I finished harvesting vegetables and packing half-bushel boxes for our local CSA distribution.

Of course, when you are shorthanded, things are always a bit more stressful. The wind that Friday was making our work nearly impossible, as our spinach was flying

tnhomeandfarm.com

The tornado destroyed greenhouses, mangled trees and caused other damage to Rocky Glade Farm.

Home&Farm 17

Photos by Jeffrey S. Otto

away faster than we could harvest it. My 1-year-old son simply would not take a nap at his normally scheduled time, and one of our expectant ewes was going into labor and seemed to want to do it her way (out in the field) instead of my way (in the barn). It was about as much as this farm wife could handle. I had no idea how much more I was about to be called on to manage.

When the harvest was finally complete, we decided to take a break for lunch. The 1-yearold finally was napping peacefully, and the day was feeling a bit more manageable when I heard a screaming noise coming from the west side of the farm. I ran to the kitchen door and tried to open it, but it would not budge. At the exact same moment my ears and Kelley’s ears popped, our eyes met and I knew something big was going on outside. tnhomeandfarm.com

You might wonder what was going through my mind? One word sums it up: BATHTUB. Yes, bathtub. That is what I said, and that is where we all went. All FOUR of us! In our more than 100-year-old farmhouse, the bathtub is indeed as safe as any other location.

The screaming sound continued, followed by strong wind and hail that seemed to last a long time, but in reality it was over in a few seconds. Seconds indeed, but that was all it took to remove the roof and sides from our hay barn, completely collapse our hen house, damage countless stretches of fences, twist off and mangle massive trees and completely destroy all four of our greenhouses.

You might think I would have cried seeing all that damage, but I did not. Instead, I looked at my two boys and my friend Kelley, still in the bathtub, which was still located in my house, which was still standing, completely untouched by the wind. I was so very thankful to God. The damage was painful and would set us back in finances and time, but everything that was destroyed could be replaced, and I knew it was the hand of God that protected my home and family.

As crazy as that Friday began, so it ended with neighbors bringing food and promises of help. A few chickens found their way home from their windy trip to who knows where, and that stubborn, uncooperative ewe safely delivered twins that we aptly named Tornado and Twister.

Tornado Tips From Rocky Glade Farm

1.

Tornado watches and warnings are given for a reason. Don’t ignore them (like I did!).

2.

Tornadoes happen in seconds. Decide right now where you would go if a tornado were to take place.

3.

Remain calm (if possible). Think through what needs to be done afterward. Once you know your family is safe and taken care of, think about the rest of your farm. Does anything need to be unplugged?

Are power lines down?

Are your fences damaged so badly that your livestock needs to be moved to keep them off roads?

4.

Remember to be thankful. It could be, and most likely is, worse for someone else somewhere else.

Bottom: Julie, Jim, Caleb and Dylem Vaughn’s Eagleville farm is thriving today, despite setbacks caused by the storm. Top left: Kelley Gallagher was working at the farm the day of the tornado.

Home&Farm 19

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*36 month monitoring agreement required at $29.95 per month ($1078.20). Additional charges for water system installation and monitoring. Form of payment must be by credit card or electronic charge to your checking or savings account. Offer applies to homeowners only. Local permit fees may apply. Certain restrictions may apply. Offer valid for new customers only. Other rate plans available. Pinpoint Plus, LLC is NOT affiliated with ADT Security Services.

Cannot be combined with any other offer. Pinpoint Plus, LLC Tn. Cert. #. C-0332

20 Home&Farm |Spring 2011

ADT Security

FREE security system

• Included with your Tennessee Farm Bureau membership

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• Consultation and restoration services

Plus homeowners insurance savings and savings on monthly monitoring. Available only by calling:

• If you have been a victim of ID theft, call (877) 329-3911

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*You must be an active member of the Tennessee Farm Bureau for a minimum of 60 days to be eligible. Membership eligibility and offer subject to change without notice.

*36-month monitoring agreement required at $31.99 per month ($1,151.64). $99 customer installation charge.

Form of payment must be by credit card or electronic charge to your checking or savings account. Offer applies to homeowners only. Local permit fees may apply. Certain restrictions may apply. Offer valid for new customers only.

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Farm Bureau Bank Auto Loan Refinancing

Prescription Discount Program

Prescription Discounts Refinance your automobile loan and save!

• Save up to $1,365 in interest on a 60-month vehicle loan** • Special Farm Bureau member rates* • Up to 100% financing • Call (866) 645-8123 or visit farmbureaubank.com/tfbf to apply today

TFBF members are eligible to receive prescription discounts with up to 60% savings at over 56,000 chain and independent pharmacies on over 12,000 FDA approved drugs, including both name-brand and generic drugs.

Simply present your membership card at a participating pharmacy to receive your discount (information on back of card).

Don’t have a membership card? Visit our website to reprint your card or to check for participating pharmacies and drug pricing.

For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.tnfarmbureau.org/ memberbenefits or visit the TN Farm Bureau Member Benefits Facebook page.

By visiting our page you will be able to stay informed on new benefits, hear what other members have to say about these products and services, and will be eligible for give-a-ways from our affiliate partners. Prizes will include Choice Hotels vouchers, Enterprise car rentals, Farm Bureau apparel and much more.

Been hesitant to join the world of Facebook? There is no better time than now!

Looking for information on these benefits? *Some restrictions apply based on the make and model of vehicle offered as collateral. Loans are subject to credit approval. Rates and financing options are limited to certain model years and are subject to change without notice. Finance charges accrue from origination date of the loan. **Savings comparison based on a financed 60-month new vehicle loan as of June 24, 2010. Rates are subject to change without notice. To qualify for Farm Bureau Bank’s lowest loan annual percentage rates, members must have excellent credit and sign up for automatic payments. Additional discounts also apply when purchasing one or more vehicle protection plans. National average for 60-month new auto loans is 6.92% APR as quoted by Bankrate.com. Banking services provided by Farm Bureau Bank, FSB. Farm Bureau Bank, FSB is a service to member institution that provides banking services to Farm Bureau members. Services are not available in AL, IL, MI, MO, MS, OH or WY and may not be available in some counties or parishes. Farm Bureau, FB and the FB National Logo are registered service marks owned by the American Farm Bureau Federation and are used under license by FB BanCorp and its subsidiaries, including Farm Bureau Bank FSB. FB BanCorp is an independent entity and the AFBF does not own, is not owned by, and is not under common ownership with FB BanCorp or its affiliated entities.

tnhomeandfarm.com

*This card is not an insurance benefit and will not offer additional savings on pharmacy discounts offered through insurance plans.

Toll-Free: (877) 363-9100 Visit us online at www.tnfarmbureau.org/ memberbenefits *Offers subject to change without notice.

Home&Farm 21

Tennessee Living

22 Home&Farm |Spring 2011

tnfarmbureau.org

Food

Mother’s Day

menu Treat mom to a homemade meal she deserves with our simple menu

Story by Karen Schwartzman Photography by jeffrey s. otto food styling by kristen winston catering

A

dd a little originality to Mother’s Day by trying your hand at something homemade. Even if concocting something special in the kitchen isn’t exactly your style, we’ve got a few recipes on hand to make the process go smoothly.

Designed with novice cooks in mind, these recipes are sure to satisfy mom on her signature day and keep things simple for dad with a few easy-to-follow steps. The best part? There’s plenty to do to accommodate a few extra hands from little helpers.

The centerpiece is a marinated steak, easily flavored with soy sauce, Worcestershire and ground mustard, and forgotten about overnight as it marinates. tnhomeandfarm.com

Our green bean, tomato and Vidalia onion salad with Dijon vinaigrette dressing adds a delicious spin to the requisite veggie portion.

Since mom’s only chore for the day is relaxing, help ease her into the job with a little comfort food. Twice-baked potatoes should do the trick. This take on the loaded potato combines all the classics – sour cream, cheese, scallions and butter – into the mix, so it’s ready and loaded when it comes out of the oven.

To satisfy a sweet tooth, finish the meal with a blueberry dump cake. This deceptively simple dessert requires little preparation and delivers big flavor.

So there you have it – a simple and satisfying meal tailor-made just for mom.

Find a Tennessee Restaurant Don’t feel like cooking on Mother’s Day? We’ve compiled an online-only collection of some of our favorite restaurants across the state. You can flip through the pages of Tennessee Restaurants, Vol. 1 at tnhomeandfarm.com/ online-library.

Home&Farm 23

Food

Marinated and Grilled Steak 2 New York strip steaks (1-1/2 inches thick, about 14 to 16 ounces each; the thickness is more important than the weight)

Green Bean, Tomato and Vidalia Onion Salad 1½ pounds fresh green beans ½ large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced

Marinade:

1 large beefsteak tomato, cut into thin wedges

¼ cup vegetable oil

Dijon Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons soy sauce ¼ cup lemon juice 2 teaspoons course ground mustard 1 tablespoon Worcestershire 1 teaspoon minced garlic ½ teaspoon pepper Mix together marinade ingredients and pour over defrosted steaks. Marinate 4 hours or overnight.

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator about 30 to 40 minutes before cooking. Heat grill to medium high, about 450 degrees.

Place the meat on the hottest part of the grill. If at any time the grill flares up, move the steaks to the outside edge, returning them to the center when the flame dies down. Do not slide the steaks across the grill; gently pick them up with tongs. Grill steaks cooking each side twice for 3 minutes at a time (for a total cooking time of 12 minutes).

24 Home&Farm |Spring 2011

¼ cup white wine vinegar 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper ½ cup light olive oil Blanch green beans in a pot of boiling water until crisp tender, about 2-3 minutes. Drain and let cool.

Whisk together first 5 vinaigrette ingredients in bowl. Slowly whisk in oil until emulsified.

Toss green beans, onion, tomato and dressing.

Add salt and pepper if necessary.

tnfarmbureau.org

Twice-Baked Potatoes

Blueberry Dump Cake

4 Russet potatoes, about 8 ounces each

4 cups frozen blueberries

½ cup sour cream

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1 box yellow cake mix

½ cup milk

1½ sticks butter

½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

4 ounces cream cheese ½ cup chopped scallions 1½ teaspoons kosher salt ¼ teaspoon pepper Adjust oven rack to upper middle position, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake potatoes on foil-lined baking sheet until skin is crisp and deep brown and fork easily pierces flesh, about 1 hour. Transfer potatoes to wire rack and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.

Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Using a small dinner spoon, scoop flesh from each half into medium bowl, leaving a 1/4-inch thickness of flesh in each skin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, mash potato flesh with fork until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients, including salt and pepper to taste, until well-combined.

Spoon mixture into skins, mounding slightly at the center, and return to oven. Broil until spotty brown and crisp on top, 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with additional chives, if desired.

Serve warm.

tnhomeandfarm.com

Dump blueberries and sugar into baking dish.

Stir together.

Sprinkle cake mix over the fruit. Slice butter and distribute over the surface of the cake mix.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Home&Farm 25

Country Classics

Taking the Cake Versatile pound cake can be dressed up many ways

tnhomeandfarm.com

Sour Cream Pound Cake 2 sticks butter or margarine 3 cups plain flour, sifted 1 (8-ounce) package sour cream 3 cups sugar 5 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla Cream sugar and butter well. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

Add flour and sour cream alternately.

Beat well, and bake in greased tube pan at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Top with fresh or frozen strawberries or other fruit if desired.

Hungry for More?

Each issue of Tennessee Home & Farm highlights recipes like those featured in Country Classics Volume II. Copies of the cookbook are available for $17 each, including shipping and handling, from county Farm Bureau offices, or by calling the Tennessee Farm Bureau home office at (931) 388-7872, ext. 2217.

Jeffrey S. Otto

W

hen it comes to baking, Kay Upchurch’s recipe for Sour Cream Pound Cake proves simple is best.

It uses only six ingredients, most of which are staples you probably already have in your fridge and pantry.

“It’s a really simple, easy recipe for plain pound cake, and you can dress it up a lot of different ways,” says Upchurch, wife of Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation President Lacy Upchurch. “We enjoy the cake a lot in the spring and summer with fresh or frozen strawberries or fresh peaches.”

Upchurch discovered the Sour Cream Pound Cake recipe in a cookbook compiled by ladies from the Cumberland Homesteads area. A Jamestown native, she is a self-taught cook who learned by trial and error, with lots of “flops” along the way.

“My mother was a beautician who didn’t really like to cook, but my mother-in-law was a great cook and a real inspiration to me in the kitchen,” Upchurch says. “The best compliment she ever gave me was when she told me I turned out to be a better cook than she was.”

The Upchurches have three grown children and seven grandchildren, and they gather at holidays for “lots of home cooking,” Upchurch says. Her oldest daughter also loves to cook and is a big help in the kitchen.

Their permanent home is in Crossville, and they have a second home in Columbia while her husband is serving as Farm Bureau president. He is an avid gardener and grows potatoes, green beans, corn, peppers, cabbage, onions, apples, blueberries and blackberries at their Crossville home, where they spend most weekends.

“We do a lot of our own canning and freezing of fruits and vegetables,” Upchurch says. “In the summer we love to make barbecue chicken on the grill, and I do homemade potato salad and coleslaw. I also like to make coconut and chocolate cream pies, fried pies, and homemade cookies and brownies.”

– Jessica Mozo

Home&Farm 27

Photos by Antony Boshier

Restaurant Review

The Bayou and Beyond Cookeville cooks up Cajun cuisine and more at Crawdaddy’s

C

rawdaddy’s West Side Grill is like a slice of New Orleans right in the middle of Cookeville. A local favorite, Crawdaddy’s offers a diverse menu and lots of outdoor seating in the courtyard and on the balcony of its 100-year-old brick building.

“Our patio and courtyard are a big draw, and our building has a lot of character,” says Drew Blalock, who owns Crawdaddy’s with business partner Blue Hensley. “We play a lot of up-tempo ’60s music, and we’re known for some of the best food, service and atmosphere in the area.”

Though many entrées are Cajun-inspired, Crawdaddy’s doesn’t limit itself to Cajun fare.

“Our menu has several high-end items right down to chicken wings,” Blalock says. “It may look upscale, but we’re anything but stuffy. We do our best to build relationships with customers.”

Menu favorites include appetizers such as Gator Bites (Cajun-battered and fried bits of alligator tail), steamed mussels, fried oysters and several dips, from the Pesto Goat Cheese Dip to the Bayou Shrimp Dip. Popular entrees include the Carpet Bagger Filet, an 8-ounce, center-cut tenderloin topped with lump crab cream sauce, and the French Cut Pork Chop.

“We get so many compliments on our pork tnhomeandfarm.com

chop,” Blalock says. “Our best-selling seafood dish is our Citrus Glazed Salmon, which is panseared with orange-ginger sauce and topped with goat cheese. Another great dish is the California Sea Bass, which has a lemon basil cream sauce on top of rice.”

Of course, no meal is complete without dessert, and Crawdaddy’s does dessert in true New Orleans fashion.

“We make our own creme brulee and bread pudding, and they are best-sellers on our dessert menu,” Blalock says.

Blalock and Hensley bought the restaurant in 2007. “We’ve been able to increase our sales every year, which surprised me considering the state of the economy,” Blalock says.

In 2009, Crawdaddy’s was voted the Best Local Restaurant by readers of the Cumberland Business Journal.

The key to their success? A slew of loyal customers who keep coming back over and over again. “A lot of people say the toughest part of running a restaurant is dealing with the public, but I’ve found that to be 180 degrees from the truth,” Blalock says. “The public is the reason I love what I do. We don’t see them as customers – we see them as friends.”

– Jessica Mozo

The Dish on Crawdaddy’s West Side Grill In each issue, we feature one of Tennessee’s tasty eateries, and you can find some of our favorite restaurants at tnhomeandfarm.com/ food/restaurants. As always, please call ahead before traveling long distances.

Crawdaddy’s West Side Grill is located at 53 W. Broad St. in Cookeville.

They serve food Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., with Sunday Jazz Brunch from noon until 2 p.m.

Contact them at (931) 526-4660 or www.crawdaddys grill.com.

Home&Farm 29

Gardening

Lost in Space?

How to Grow a space-efficient backyard veggie garden

V

About the Author Dr. Sue Hamilton is an associate professor in the University of Tennessee Department of Plant Sciences and director of the UT Gardens. The gardens are a project of the University of Tennessee AgResearch program, with locations in Knoxville and Jackson: http://utgardens. tennessee.edu.

30 Home&Farm |Spring 2011

egetable gardening has never been so popular. Whether it’s for economic reasons or because of awareness of the local slow food movements, growing your own tomatoes is in.

So is space-efficient gardening. It goes by a variety of names (raised-bed gardening, intensive gardening, square foot gardening, block style gardening, close-row gardening, wide-row gardening, and vertical gardening); but whatever the name, the trick is to eliminate unnecessary walkways by planting vegetables in rectangular-shaped beds or blocks instead of long single rows.

Don’t think you have enough space to grow your own veggies? Think again. Raised-bed gardening allows you to concentrate soil preparation in a small area, resulting in the efficient use of soil amendments and an ideal environment for vegetable growth. Construct the frames out of wood, stone, brick or concrete block to give your raised beds a border and to hold an organically rich soil in place. You can also create free-standing mounded beds to your desired width and length. Such space-efficient gardening can increase yields five-fold compared to the traditional row-style garden and 15-fold for smaller kitchen garden vegetables.

Raised beds provide many advantages. They look neat and tidy (fewer weeds!) and make it easy to add drip irrigation and protective features. An ideal width of a framed raised bed is 4 feet if it is free-standing and accessible from all sides. If you locate your bed up against a wall, such as the side of your house, and can only access it from one side, don’t make beds any wider than 2 feet for easy access to all the plants. The height of a raised bed should be at least 6 inches. Deep-root crops such as carrots, potatoes and leeks do well when they have a growing depth of 12 inches.

Soil preparation is the key to successful intensive gardening. Plants compete for

available water and nutrients, and adequate supplies must be provided. I like using a commercial-grade, composted growing media used by the greenhouse and nursery industry.

These growing media are great at holding water, and they contain all the nutrients your plants need (no fertilizing!). You also don’t have to dig, till, shovel or wheelbarrow soil.

You typically can buy such media bagged from a garden center, nursery, co-op, or nursery and greenhouse supply company. If you prefer to use soil, have your soil tested (contact your county’s UT Extension office) so you know its pH, organic matter and nutritional status, and which amendments it might need.

Space-efficient gardening uses an equidistant spacing pattern – the center of one plant is the same distance from the centers of all surrounding plants. The recommended distance from one plant to the next should be listed on the seed packet under row-spacing recommendations. The close spacing tends to create a nearly solid leaf canopy, acting as a living mulch, decreasing water loss and keeping weed problems down. However, plants should not be crowded to the point where diseases arise or competition causes stunting.

Growing plants vertically is another intensive gardening technique and a great way to adapt gardening for those with physical challenges. Using trellises, nets, strings, cages or poles to support growing plants upward constitutes vertical gardening. Vining and sprawling plants, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, melons and pole beans are obvious candidates for this type of gardening. Some plants entwine themselves onto the support, while others may need to be tied. Remember that a vertical planting will cast a shadow.

Plant shade-tolerant crops near the trellises so your sun-lovers will not be shadowed. Plants grown vertically may have lower yields (but not always). Still, the yield per square foot of garden space is high. Because vertically growing plants are more exposed than tnfarmbureau.org

non-staked plants, they dry out faster and may need to be watered frequently. Fast drying is an advantage for those plants susceptible to fungus diseases.

To use raised beds efficiently, keep them filled. When a spring vegetable is harvested, plant a summer vegetable in its place. Follow summer vegetables with fall vegetables. Small vegetables such as radish and lettuce can be interplanted between tomatoes and other large vegetables. They will mature and can be removed before the tomatoes need the space.

Peppers can be interplanted between lettuce plants in the same way. Relaying is another tnhomeandfarm.com

common practice, consisting of multiple plantings of one crop to provide a continuous harvest. Sweet corn and bush beans are usually recommended for relaying, but cucumbers or other crops that yield for two weeks or less are also good prospects.

A space-efficient garden requires detailed planning, but the time saved in working the garden and the increased yields make it well worthwhile.

For more information about space-efficient gardening, lots of resources are available to help you. Books, articles, and UT Extension publications abound.

Read More Square Foot Gardening

by Mel Bartholomew How to Grow More Vegetables: And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains and Other Crops Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine by John Jeavons Find additional links at tnhomeandfarm.com/ space-efficient-garden.

Home&Farm 31

32 Home&Farm |Spring 2011

tnfarmbureau.org

Farmside Chat

Meet Eric Mayberry W

hen Eric Mayberry graduated from high school, he had a decision to make. Go to college and get a job behind a desk, or return to the farm. Following his heart, Mayberry went straight to work on the family farm, and he never looked back.

“My first love was always farming – being close to the land, being your own boss, not having the daily grind with someone else looking over your shoulder,” Mayberry says.

“That’s a big plus, just staying close to farm and family. Raising my kids in the rural area on the farm was a huge factor in my decision to stay.”

Mayberry and his father are partners in a family farm in Humphreys County, where he and his wife, three kids and parents all live.

They raise corn, soybeans, wheat and cattle.

Does a love of farming run in your family?

The land has been in the family for around 60 years now. Both my parents’ moms and dads and all of their ancestors were all farmers as far back as we can think. My children also have an interest in agriculture. My son looks like he’s going to be a farmer one of these days, and my daughters were in FFA and 4-H. One concern we have is whether there’s going to be room for one or more of them to come back to the farm.

Why do you raise cattle on your land?

The land we have is very suited for cattle – a lot of hillside ground that isn’t conducive for row crops [corn, soybeans and wheat]. A lot of people think that we’re wasting grain and resources on beef production in this country, when the truth is there’s just a tremendous amount of land that’s only suited for cattle and sheep grazing. We can get a tremendous amount of food products, protein – some pretty good, healthy stuff – off the land that’s tnhomeandfarm.com

Antony Boshier

Humphreys County farmer raises soybeans, corn, wheat and cattle

really most suited for animals. I think people have a perception that livestock is all cooped up in a building, and we raise corn and haul it to them, but that’s just not the case.

How do you care for your animals?

It’s just natural for me; it’s a part of who I am to care of my animals. But to relate that to the general public, who have one cat or dog, and here I have 200 big ol’ cows out here in the pasture – they may not be able to understand that. The point I struggle to make people understand is that the better that animal is cared for and the happier it is, the better it is going to be not only for that animal but also for me and my pocketbook. That animal’s welfare and well-being has a direct effect on how it provides for my family’s well-being.

More Online To learn more about how farmers care for their animals, visit www.conversations oncare.com.

Find fun farm facts on soybeans, Tennessee’s top farm commodity, at tnhomeandfarm.com/ farm-facts-soybeans.

How do you stay positive despite constant struggles with weather, cost and other issues?

It’s something every year, so after you’ve been in it a while you realize it’s just part of the job. Nothing is ever going to go perfectly; it’s just the nature of the business. Farmers are accused of being eternal optimists, and I guess that’s probably true because if you were a natural pessimist, when that hiccup comes along, you’d give up pretty quick. Any occupation is going to have its struggles and trials. It’s just the love for the land and what you do that helps you overcome a lot.

– Melissa Burniston Home&Farm 33

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Pettus collected some of his favorite Read All About It columns into a book, perfect for anyone who remembers tobacco stick horses, grapevine swings and the second table.

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For more information or to order, visit

tnhomeandfarm.com/store. tnfarmbureau.org

To Good Health

Fear of the Unknown TRH helps navigate health-care reform confusion

T

hank goodness our organization’s president was standing in the office lobby and quickly greeted me, or I might simply have just slumped down in the corner, pulled into the fetal position and sobbed. But with Farm Bureau President Lacy Upchurch distracting me with conversation, I was able to remain composed as my oldest and, as of that very morning, 16-year-old daughter dropped me off at the front doors and for the first time ever drove away by herself.

By the time I reached my third-floor office, the diminutive blonde in the little blue car had disappeared down the hill and out of sight.

An anxious 13 minutes later, at 9:02 a.m., her Daddy received this text, still preserved today on my phone: I got here. Love you. :) And at that point I was able to concentrate once again on the day’s work.

I know I’m not the first parent who’s stood at that particular threshold of life, but this was my daughter. It was just that I thought this day would come later for me, especially since there was a real hope – with her having my family’s genes and all – she would not be able to even reach the pedals and steering wheel.

Unfortunately, the modern-day convenience of adjustable everything took away that hope.

So as McKayla drove off to school that day, it also struck me that this teenage passage represents far less one-on-one time for Daddy to spend with his daughter. All those hurriedbut-special journeys to practice and back are gone – ‘Daddy, remember, I can drive myself now. You can stay home.’ (Back to that fetal position again.)

And finally, I found myself confronting head-on – and there’s no airbag for this collision – one of life’s most challenging fears: fear of the unknown. Would McKayla even get to school safely that morning, not to mention all the mornings to come? Dad or Mom won’t be there, either to help avert an accident or simply to comfort their little girl if one occurs.

But okay, enough, you say. Quit your tnhomeandfarm.com

whining. So I will (and pray a lot). After all, we all deal with this and various unknowns every hour, every day. And doing what I do, working in the health-insurance industry, I have seen individuals and companies alike over the past year struggle through the unknowns of healthcare reform. After passage last March of a massive federal health-care reform law, everyone has tried to put the pieces together and understand the implications. One segment of our population especially concerned about any changes is senior citizens, that group that has already navigated the travails of teen driving. Now they are trying to best determine how to navigate our health-care system.

Through TRH Health Plans, the health-care arm of the Tennessee Farm Bureau, more than 56,000 seniors have a Medicare Supplement plan to help fill the gaps in their Medicare coverage. They, along with 12 million baby boomers who will turn 65 this year, no doubt have wondered about all the ‘unknowns’ associated with health-care reform. I wish we could put their minds at ease, even while they know that $500 billion is to be cut from the Medicare program to help finance health-care reform. At least for supplement holders, we do remind them that most of that money, we are told, will come from changes in Medicare Advantage plans.

The truth, as best we can tell, is that Medicare Supplement plans, which we’ve provided Farm Bureau members since supplements were first offered, are the products least affected by the health-care overhaul.

No, we can’t erase the fear associated with the unknown. But we can remind our members, those with Medicare Supplement plans today, and those who will soon find their way to a Farm Bureau office to inquire about one, that we intend to be here for a long time. We hope it’s a simple but comforting message – kind of like a text from daughter to father that says, I got here. Love you. :)

About the Author Anthony Kimbrough is vice president of marketing and government relations for TRH Health Plans. His e-mail is akimbrough@trh.com.

For more information about TRH Health Plans, call (877) 874-8323 or visit www.trh.com.

Home&Farm 35

Æ

ß Farm Bureau almanac How does the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation work for you? By offering a variety of programs and services exclusively benefiting you, its members. Learn about even more Farm Bureau programs at www.tnfarmbureau.org.

∑

Every day across the state of Tennessee hundreds of youth are involved in two very special agriculture-related programs that have made an important difference in their lives, as well as returning back to the state a group of outstanding citizens that has impacted every community in every county. Over the years, 4-H and FFA have touched millions of lives not only in our rural communities, but also in the urban areas of the state by teaching life skills that are never forgotten.

groups, after-school programs, camps and many other activities.

“Learning by doing” through hands-on activities and community involvement empowers 4-Hers to develop and strengthen life skills.

To help fund many of its programs, the Tennessee 4-H Club Foundation Inc. was organized in 1953 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose sole purpose is to create and sustain positive youth development opportunities for 4-H members in Tennessee. The Foundation accomplishes its mission with the help of donors who make gifts in support of annual needs and to perpetual endowments. Learn more at http://4hfoundation.tennessee.edu or by calling (865) 974-7436.

almanac

4-H 4-H encourages diverse groups of youth to develop their unique skills and talents to the fullest potential.

Young people participate in 4-H through clubs, special interest 36 Home&Farm |Spring 2011

FFA The National FFA Organization prepares members for careers and leadership in the science, business and technology of agriculture.

Local, state and national activities and award programs provide ways to apply knowledge and skills through ag education. The blue and gold jackets are worn proudly by its members as they compete in contests as well as get involved in helping their communities.

They, too, are supported by their state foundation that allows alumni, supporters and businesses to have a positive impact on the success of FFA in our state. To help in the efforts to support FFA, visit www.tnffa.org/foundation. tnfarmbureau.org

Æ

Add Years to Your Life The biggest killer in Tennessee is cardiovascular disease; in fact, one out of four Tennesseans die of stroke or heart attack each year.

Putting that figure into perspective, let’s take a look at the seating capacity of LP Field, where the Tennessee Titans play. The seating capacity of LP Field is around 69,000 people, which means about 17,000 people in attendance at any given game will eventually die of cardiovascular disease.

It’s common knowledge that a good diet and exercise are a good start toward avoiding cardiovascular disease, but I can safely say that you are not likely to hear about me running the Music City Marathon in

the near future. To compound the problem even more, I love good food. My mother didn’t raise me on unseasoned steamed vegetables and white rice. She raised me on fried food cooked in a cast iron skillet. In fact, the mere thought of her fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, homemade biscuits, fried okra and sweet tea brings a smile to my face.

Now maybe there are a few more people like me out there who haven’t worn out a pair of running shoes in a while and who might have had a few too many meals out of the iron skillet. If that’s the case, and maybe you’re a bit concerned about your cardiovascular health, you might

want to stop by a Stroke Detection Plus event to get checked out.

Stroke Detection Plus screens for the likelihood of cardiovascular disease. Since April 2010, SDP has screened more than 8,000 Farm Bureau members across Tennessee with great success.

Almost every day a Farm Bureau member learns that they are on the verge of a stroke or a heart attack because of blockage in their arteries, and in many cases, no symptoms were present.

I went through the screenings myself, and I’m happy to report that I’m in pretty fair shape for a man my age despite all of the good food I’ve consumed. The screenings are quick, painless, and noninvasive, and as a bonus, Farm Bureau members can participate for only $99, a savings of $27 off of the normal price offered to the general public. To find out when the Stroke Detection Plus team will be in your area give them a call at 1-877-732-8258. The price is right, and a few minutes of time might add years to your life.

– Bryan Wright

Æ tnhomeandfarm.com

Home&Farm 37

Travel

38 Home&Farm |Spring 2011

tnfarmbureau.org

Travel

Life in the

Slow Lane RuRal Highway 411 opens up charming, peaceful vistas

Story by Ronda Robinson Photography by antony boshier

W

hat do Dee’s Roadkill Café, the Curl Up and Dye Salon, sailplanes and Mennonite horse-drawn buggies have in common? They’re some of the charming sites that drivers find when traveling off the beaten path on U.S. Highway 411, the back road between Georgia and East Tennessee.

With no major metropolitan areas along the way, this country route offers a peaceful, fun alternative to interstate travel.

I take 411 every chance I get. The drive is a vacation in itself, a respite from computers, e-mail, deadlines and a sense of busyness and urgency in general. Unlike the interstate, where speed seems the ultimate objective, 411 provides a meditative retreat and captures my imagination with one-of-a-kind wonders.

Rural Road Food Soon after picking up 411 after exiting the interstate north of Atlanta, I enjoy a stretch of road that passes Dee’s Roadkill Café in White, Ga. Although the logo features a cartoon

critter fearfully peeking out of a boiling kettle, Dee’s doesn’t actually have roadkill on the menu. The fare runs more toward homemade biscuits and gravy, country ham, barbecue, coleslaw and fried pies, along with house specialty burgers like The Big Nasty – a half-pound of black Angus beef with cheese, chili, grilled onions and condiments.

“We do homemade everything,” owner Dee Huskins, wearing a red apron, says cheerily one morning, as her husband, Mike, a pastor, chats with the regulars in their eatery – site of the town’s old post office.

Cross over the state line, and just before Benton is Lottie’s Diner, home of the cathead biscuit. As with Dee’s Roadkill, Lottie’s made-from-scratch biscuits don’t contain any disconcerting ingredients; the name comes from how big and fluffy they are.

The rural highway even lends its name to another eatery up the road in Maryville, Tenn. Miles Family 411 Restaurant serves up home-cooked meals, including hearty breakfasts, fried chicken and barbecue.

If You Go: Dee’s Roadkill Café, (770) 386-5443 Lottie’s Diner, (423) 338-8513 Miles Family 411 Restaurant, www.fourelevenrestaurant.com Chilhowee Gliderport, www.chilhowee.com Delano Community Farm Market, 283 Needle Eye Lane in Delano Etowah L&N Depot & Railroad Museum, (423) 263-7840 Curl Up & Dye Salon, Ranger, Georgia (706) 334-3313 Curl Up & Dye Salon, Maryville, Tennessee (865) 681-8122

U.S. Highway 411 in East Tennessee sends drivers past, clockwise from top, scenic pastures outside of Prospect, Miles Family 411 Restaurant in Maryville and the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Dellwood. tnhomeandfarm.com

Home&Farm 39

Soaring With the Birds The rural highway ribboning into Tennessee features a magical countryside of mountains, pastures, horses, goats, cows, antique shops and barns painted with “See Rock City” signs. The beauty, perhaps, is best seen from the air, and that’s where the Chilhowee Gliderport on 411 north of Benton comes in.

Owner/operator Sarah Kelly offers rides in engineless gliders, also known as sailplanes, near the Cherokee National Forest. “Soaring

40 Home&Farm |Spring 2011

birds use the same type of air we use. A lot of times on the thermals there will be hawks, eagles and black vultures. It’s always a special day when I see a bald eagle from the glider,” she says.

The “ridge lift” when the wind strikes the mountain provides an upward force to help gliders – and birds – stay airborne.

Hovering around 3,000 to 4,000 feet high, gliders also provide a glimpse of the Ocoee and Hiwassee rivers. We pass over what may be old V-shaped

Indian fishing traps of piled stone in the water below. Around the bend, Mennonite farmland creates beautiful patchwork designs.

Discovering Treasures The element of discovery continues in Delano, where Savannah Oaks Winery grows muscadines and scuppernong grapes, and sells wines, jellies, cheese and gifts.

Further up Delano Road, a mile off 411, Mennonite families run the Delano Community Farm Market, tnfarmbureau.org

offering locally grown produce from asparagus to winter squash, as well as apple butter, honey, sorghum molasses, canned corn relish, cantaloupe preserves, cookies, breads and more.

Thirty families have a total of 470 acres on which they farm. “It’s the main source of income,” says Joseph Martin, manager of the market.

“A lot of things are picked every day fresh,” he adds.

Visitors to the Mennonite market are encouraged to dress modestly, as a sign says, “We greatly appreciate your business. Please respect us by being properly clothed.” For women, that means no low necklines or strap tops.

A sense of old-fashioned values permeates the area, where often I see Mennonite horse-drawn buggies clopping down 411.

Whistling Dixie A few miles north in Etowah, the L&N Depot & Railroad Museum celebrates train travel. Located in a restored 1906 depot listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the museum tells stories of life in a Southern railroad town. Admission is free year round.

I’m most familiar with the middle part of 411, even though the highway stretches about 340 miles from Leeds, Ala., to Greeneville, Tenn. Believe it or not, two hair salons called Curl Up & Dye are located on this short strip of Americana: one in Ranger, Ga., and one in Maryville, Tenn. The name alone has lots of style – as does U.S. Highway 411, with its patchwork of quaint diners, shops and roadside attractions. As the saying goes, it’s all about the journey, not the destination. A great drive like this is an end unto itself.

More Highway 411 attractions include, clockwise from top, Chilhowee Gliderport, Lottie’s Diner near Benton and the L&N Depot & Railroad Museum in Etowah. tnhomeandfarm.com

When you buy from local farmers you: support local economy, enjoy a fresh product and keep local agriculture viable!

(931) 388-7872 ext. 2763 www.tnfarmfresh.com Home&Farm 41

Events & Festivals

Smoky Mountain Orchid Society Show & Sale takes place March 5-6 at West Town Mall in Knoxville.

Tennessee Events & Festivals

Smoky Mountain Orchid Society Show & Sale – March 5-6, Knoxville

This listing includes a selection of events of statewide interest scheduled in March, April and May as provided to Tennessee Home & Farm by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.

To include your local events in our listing, please contact them at (615) 741-7994 or jamielynn.thompson@tn.gov. Due to space constraints, we are unable to include all of the events provided, but additional information and events can be found online through the department’s website, www.tnvacation.com.

Events are subject to date change or cancellation; please call the contact listed before traveling long distances to attend.

Cousin Jake Memorial Bluegrass Festival – March 12, Historic Gem

See the beauty and variety of the orchids exhibited by various orchid societies from the southeast. Orchid growers will be present to give tips on growing orchids in your home and orchid vendors will offer plants for sale. Orchids on exhibit will be judged by the American Orchid Society.

CONTACT: 865-828-8055, smokymtnorchidsociety.com

Theater, Etowah

March Titanic’s First Annual Irish Celebration – March 1-31, Pigeon Forge

Everybody is Irish in March, and Titanic’s the place to be for the wearin’ of the green and high-spirited shenanigans. Come, enjoy the music, song and stories that honor the memory of the Irish men and women who built and sailed history’s most famous ship.

CONTACT: 800-381-7670, titanicpigeonforge.com

22nd Annual Lawn and Garden Show – March 3-6, Nashville 42 Home&Farm |Spring 2011

Tennessee’s premier horticultural event, the Nashville Lawn & Garden Show features more than 20 outstanding live gardens created by professional landscape designers, a series of 20 free lectures and 250 exhibit booths of horticultural products, services, and equipment for show and sale.

CONTACT: 615-876-7680, nashvillelawnandgardenshow.com

Maple Syrup Festival & Exhibit Open House – March 5, Johnson City

A family-oriented event showing the process of making syrup from the sap of maple trees and open house for the new permanent exhibit, “O Beautiful Land of the Mountains.” CONTACT: 423-926-3631, tipton-haynes.org

This festival of bluegrass music is named in honor of Cousin Jake Tullock, who grew up in Etowah. After leaving home to make a career as a musician he landed a job with Flatt and Scruggs, playing bass and telling jokes. After 20 years, Jake retired from the music scene and moved back to Etowah, where he served as a police dispatcher until his death. Come hear the music that Jake loved played, and bring your instrument along. Between sets, pick up bargains at the many antique shops and outlets located in the downtown. CONTACT: 423-263-2228, etowahcoc.org

Knoxville Symphony Orchestra – March 12, Knoxville

Join the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and acclaimed performer Jim Curry for this tribute to John Denver. Curry, whose voice was heard in the CBS-TV movie Take Me tnfarmbureau.org

Home: The John Denver Story, will be performing with Knoxville Symphony Orchestra using the original orchestrations written for John Denver by Grammy-award winning composer Lee Holdridge. Jim’s uncanny ability to mirror John’s voice and clean-cut look takes you back to the time when “Rocky Mountain High” “Sunshine” “Calypso” and “Annie’s Song” topped the charts, and his popular music had the heartfelt message of caring for the earth and caring for each other. CONTACT: 865-291-3310, knoxvillesymphony.com

Overmountain Weavers Guild Fibers Show and Sale – March 12,

Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area, Elizabethton

Some of the best weavers of our region will be demonstrating on a variety of looms & spinning wheels, and offering handmade items for sale. CONTACT: 423-543-5808

Blooming Arts Festival – March 19,

Downtown Linden

Developed to honor and promote natural and cultural art and history of Perry County, the art show also features music and food.

CONTACT: 931-589-2736

Food City 500 – March 20, Bristol

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to Bristol action in the Food City 500 for the first short track racin’ of the 2011 season. In 2010, Jimmie Johnson captured his first Bristol win as a dominant Kurt Busch faded in the waning laps of the race. CONTACT: 423-989-6900, bristolmotorspeedway.com

Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival – March 25 –April 1, Nashville America’s largest festival dedicated to songs and songwriters. The festival covers all genres of music such as country, rock, folk and more. CONTACT: 800-321-6008, tinpansouth.com

Dollywood’s Festival of Nations – March 26 –May 2, Pigeon Forge

Enjoy the most captivating entertainment from around the world during this month long celebration of music, dance, food and art. CONTACT: 800-DOLLYWOOD, dollywood.com

Mule Day – March 31-April 3,

Columbia

One of the world’s biggest mule celebrations. Events include mule sale, mule pulling, mule shows, pancake breakfast, flea market, and parade. CONTACT: 931-381-9557, muleday.com tnhomeandfarm.com

Opry Country Classics – March 31-May 26 (Thursdays only), Nashville

The new addition to the Opry’s schedule will shine a spotlight on the classic country songs that have defined country music for generations of fans. Opry Country Classics will share country music’s colorful story through a live performance featuring country favorites performed by legends of the genre as well as talented new artists, a rousing live band, square dancing, and more. CONTACT: 800-SEE-OPRY, opry.com

APRIL 51st Annual Dogwood Arts Festival – April 1-30, Knoxville More than 60 miles of trails feature some of the most spectacular dogwood trees of all kinds and colors. CONTACT: 865-637-4561, dogwoodarts.com

Herb and Wildflower Day – April 2,

Townsend

Naturalist-led walks in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, illustrated talks about wildflowers and herbs, birds, cooking with herbs, and sales of plants, fresh baked goods, herbal teas, and pottery. CONTACT: 854-448-6138

23rd Annual Spring Mile-Long Yard Sale – April 9, Watertown

Join the City of Watertown as they host their annual Spring Mile-Long Yard Sale on the public square. Don’t miss out on the great bargains and one-of-a-kind items at this HUGE yard sale! CONTACT: 615-237-1777

Africa In April Cultural Awareness Festival – April 14-17, Memphis

Celebration featuring education, economics, fashion, arts & crafts, music, and cuisine.

CONTACT: 901-947-2133, africainapril.org

Nashville Film Festival – April 14-21, Nashville

With films crossing all genres from drama to comedy to foreign documentaries, the Festival has something for everyone. CONTACT: 615-742-2500, nashvillefilmfestival.org

Vally Fest – April 16-17, Dunlap

This festival is the first of what the committee hopes to be many. The theme is celebration of our community and its diversity. There will be food, music, arts, crafts and dance from as many of our represented cultures as possible, along with at least two stages for major entertainers as well as roving groups with designated areas for children activities. CONTACT: 423-949-7608, sequatchie.com

10th Annual Tennessee Governors One-Shot Turkey Hunt – April 9, Pulaski

The annual Jeanette Rudy Invitational will again be held in beautiful southern Middle Tennessee and benefit sportsmen and women and the outdoors. The hunt coincides with the annual Gobbler’s Gala Festival on the Square, which is the location of the official TWRF check-in station for the hunt. Throughout the day there will be food, crafts, and activities for everyone to enjoy!

CONTACT: 931-424-4044, www.tngovernorsoneshot.com

Rossini Festival Italian Street Fair – April 9, Knoxville

Presented by Knoxville Opera, the Rossini Festival features opera performances and stage productions as well as music and dance. Italian and Mediterranean food specialties are offered in addition to fine art, crafts, designer goods, and handcrafted originals. Continuous entertainment takes place on four stages throughout the afternoon and evening. Admission is free.

CONTACT: 865-524-0795, knoxvilleopera.com

Rivers & Spires Festival – April 14-16, Clarksville

This festival includes over 100 entertainers, a kids’ and teen area, exhibits, car shows, food, jazz n’ wine and more. CONTACT: 931-245-4344, riversandspires.com Home&Farm 43

National Cornbread Festival – April 30-May 1, South Pittsburg

This festival honors cornbread and features cornbread alley, live entertainment, juried arts and National Cornbread Cook-Off. CONTACT: 423-837-0022, nationalcornbread.com

Trenton Teapot Festival – April

24-30, Trenton

This week long festival kicks-off with a ceremonial Lighting of the Teapots and culminates in the annual Grand Parade.

Luncheons, block parties, carnivals, tractor pulls, fireworks are also enjoyed by all!

CONTACT: 731-855-2013

World’s Biggest Fish Fry – April

25-May 1, Paris

Over five tons of catfish on order to serve thousands of visitors. Includes IPRA rodeo, parade, catfish races, and more. CONTACT: 731-644-1143, worldsbiggestfishfry.com

Memphis In May International Festival – April 29 - May 1, Memphis

Events at this monthlong celebration include the Beale Street Music Festival, International Salute to Belgium, World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, and Sunset Symphony. CONTACT: 901-525-4611, memphisinmay.org

Dumplin’ Days – April 30, Fiddlers

Grove, Lebanon

Come and experience storytelling, fun for the kids, old time games, corn hole contest, dumplin’ cook-off, live music, an antique car exhibit and much more. There’s something for every member of the family at this free event. CONTACT: 615-444-5503

Franklin Main Street Festival –

April 30-May 1, Franklin

Free street festival with 220 arts/crafts booths, four stages, two carnivals and three food courts. CONTACT: 615-591-8500, historicfranklin.com

MAY West Tennessee Strawberry Festival – May 1-7, Humboldt

In its 74th year, this festival includes parades, live entertainment, barbecue cookoff, concerts, fireworks, and more.

CONTACT: 731-784-1842, wtsf.org

Storytelling Live! – May 3-October

29, Jonesborough

Storytellers from across the United States will share stories and entertain guests.

CONTACT: International Storytelling Center, 800-952-8392, storytellingcenter.net

44 Home&Farm |Spring 2011

tnfarmbureau.org

Meet the Newly Designed

The original premium residential rider.

Starting at $3,199

It is a precisely engineered, zero turn rider, crafted to satisfy the lawn enthusiast’s need for perfection. It has a 22-24HP Kawasaki engine and is available in a 42” and 50” cutting width. A three-year consumer warranty is included.

For more information or a FREE DEMO, visit our dealer locator at: www.exmark.com/blalock/magazine or call toll-free (800) 955-4655 ext. 112.

tnhomeandfarm.com

Home&Farm 45

Elvis Presley Car Show at Graceland – May 27-29, Memphis

The special three-day event, which will be free to the public, will be filled with a festival atmosphere complete with music, food and an impressive display of classic cars for visitors to see and enjoy. Hundreds of classic automobiles from car clubs across North America will be on display throughout the 70 acres that surround Elvis Presley’s Graceland. CONTACT: 800-238-2010, elvis.com

Townsend Spring Festival and Old Timers Day – May 6-7, Townsend A fun celebration of bluegrass music, arts and crafts, BBQ, Appalachian skills and the beauty of the Smokies in the springtime. CONTACT: 865-448-6134, smokymountains.org

Winchester’s International Dogwood Festival – May 6-8, Winchester

Features two stages of entertainment featuring the Burning Las Vegas Show, Arron Tippin and the Road Hammers, gigantic kidz zone, evening parade, dog show, Youthfest Battle of the Bands, cruise in, car show, and more.

CONTACT: 866-967-2532, winchesterdogwoodfestival.com

Spring on the Mountain Dogwood Festival – May 7, Monterey

Serving All of Middle Tennessee

An excursion train arrives from the Tennessee Central Railway Museum out of Nashville. Train Rides from Downtown Monterey to the Crawford Branch and back will be on sale. Craft and Food vendors and a car show will line downtown’s Commercial Ave. CONTACT: 931-239-3318, montereytn.com

Blooms Days – May 7-8, UT Gardens, Knoxville

Storm Damage Restoration Toll-free: (877) 288-9977 www.willowworkstn.com

OFFICIAL NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETINGS TENNESSEE FARMERS INSURANCE COMPANIES

Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Company, Tennessee Farmers Life Insurance Company and Tennessee Farmers Assurance Company will hold their annual meetings on Friday, March 25, 2011, at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs in Franklin, Tennessee, beginning at 10:00 a.m. (Central Time).

The meetings are for policyholders of Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Company and stockholders of Tennessee Farmers Life Insurance Company and Tennessee Farmers Assurance Company.

46 Home&Farm |Spring 2011

Unique garden goods, dozens of workshops, live musical performances, children’s activities and more make Blooms Days a great destination for more than just gardeners. The event will run Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults, free for children 12 and under. CONTACT: 865-974-8265, http:// utgardens.tennessee.edu

70th Annual Running Of The Iroquois Steeplechase – May 14,

Nashville

This is the nation’s oldest continuously run, weight-for-age steeplechase. Picnicking and tailgating. CONTACT: 800-619-4802, iroquoissteeplechase.org

Tennessee Polk Salad Festival –

May 14, Riverfront Park, Harriman Enjoy a day filled with bluegrass music, antique cars, crafts vendors, Miss Polk Salad Pageant and other contests. And of course plenty of poke salet to taste.

CONTACT: 865-882-8867 tnfarmbureau.org

37th Annual Festival of British & Appalachian Culture – May 14-15,

7th Annual Gatlinburg Fine Arts Festival – May 14-15, Gatlinburg

This outdoor family event features quality artists from around the country along with Appalachian music from the area. Free admission. CONTACT: 865-436-7484, gfaf.net

Sevierville’s Bloomin’ BBQ & Bluegrass – May 20-21, Sevierville

The largest event in Sevierville! Tennessee State Championship Barbeque Cook-Off, FREE bluegrass concerts from rising stars and bluegrass legends, kids games, great food and authentic mountain crafts.

Admission is free. CONTACT: 888-889-7415, BloominBBQ.com

Samuel Hobbs

Join us in celebration of our British Isles and Appalachian Heritage. Music & dancing, traditional arts and crafts, artisan demonstrations and selling their wares.

Storytelling, historic building tours and delicious food. CONTACT: 888-214-3400, historicrugby.org

Shannon Cherry

Rugby

It’s Time to Enter the 16th Annual Tennessee Farm Bureau Photo Contest Pull out your camera and start snapping! Submit your best photos in our annual contest, and you could be named the grand-prize winner.

To enter, fill out the form below and mail your prints to us. Or, visit tnhomeandfarm.com to upload your digital photos and enter online.

Winners will be announced in the winter issue of Tennessee Home & Farm. First-place winners in each of three categories will be awarded $100 cash prizes; the grand-prize winner receives $200. Entries must be postmarked (or submitted online) by Aug. 1.

Name_ ___________________________________________________ Highway 52 Yard Sale –

May 20-21, Highway 52 from Portland to Celina

Starting at Highway 52 from Interstate 65 in Portland and going all the way to Celina, this is one huge multi-county yard sale!

CONTACT: 615-666-5585

70th Annual Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival – May 21,

Portland

Starting May 15 and going all week long, the festival’s main event on May 21 includes a parade, strawberry-eating contest, kids’ activities and more. CONTACT: 615-325-9032

Sheriff Buford Pusser Memorial Festival – May 25-28, Adamsville,

This annual festival honors “Walking Tall’s” famous sheriff and features good music, food, and family fun. CONTACT: 731-632-4080, bufordpussermuseum.com

Granville Heritage Day – May 28,

Granville

Antique car, tractor and engine show; bluegrass festival; civil war re-enactment, storytelling; arts festival; craftsmen demonstrations; crafts; children’s rides and great food. CONTACT: 931-653-4151, granvillemuseum.com tnhomeandfarm.com

Address___________________________________________________ City ___________________________ State ________ Zip _________ Phone ____________________________________________________ County of FB Membership __________________________________ Category: ❒ Agriculture Is Life

❒ Tennessee Gardens

❒ The Animal Kingdom

Mail entry to:

Tennessee Farm Bureau Photo Contest P.O. Box 313, Columbia, TN 38402-0313 OFFICIAL RULES: Only original photos or high-quality reprints will be accepted via mailed entries. Color or black-and-white photos are acceptable in any size. Attach this entry form to the back of the photo (copies may be made of entry form if more than one is needed). No digital media storage devices will be accepted via the mailed entry option. To submit a digital photo, visit tnhomeandfarm.com and click on the photo contest entry form. Digital files must be high resolution – minimum of 5x7 inches at 300 dpi. To avoid legal entanglements, make sure permission has been given for use of photos. Online entrants are automatically entered in a webonly readers’ choice contest, which has no monetary prize.

We offer three categories: Agriculture Is Life, Tennessee Gardens and The Animal Kingdom.

Only one entry per category per person. Only Tennessee Farm Bureau members and their immediate family (parents, children, siblings) are eligible to enter. Employees of Tennessee Farm Bureau, Tennessee Farmers Insurance Cos., county Farm Bureaus or their families are not eligible to win. This is an amateur photo contest. Professional photographers are not eligible. Entries must be postmarked by Aug. 1, 2011. Photos will not be returned and will become property of Tennessee Farm Bureau and Journal. Images may be used in TFBF publications with photo credit given. For additional information, call Tennessee Farm Bureau, (931) 388-7872, Misty McNeese, ext. 2211. For questions about the online entry form, call Jessy Yancey at (800) 333-8842, ext. 217, or e-mail thaf@jnlcom.com.

Home&Farm 47

View From the Back Porch

Metamorphosis Without change, there would be no butterflies About the Author Lori Boyd is a freelance writer and enjoys working part time as a registered nurse at Middle Tennessee Medical Center. Lori loved growing up in the Air Force but is happy to now consider Tennessee her official home. She lives in Murfreesboro with her husband, Sam, three children, ages 8, 6 and 4, and Murray, the family’s “change-aphobic” golden retriever.

48 Home&Farm |Spring 2011

I

am not always thankful for change. I’ve grown up with her my entire life and you’d think by now we’d be friends, but honestly, she gets on my nerves. Growing up in the Air Force, I learned the art of adaptation early on: the ability to blend into new surroundings, relate to different people and assume life in various cultures. Still, although she’s not a stranger, I wish change would check in with me first before she decides to drop by.

Now that I’m settled into life with my husband and children I feel comfortable with my new friend, routine, and I find I don’t really have the energy or interest in spending time with change at all anymore. Then I remember that although her timing for me is not always the best, change is the one who brings me the most wonderful gifts. Meanwhile, as if reinforcing this very fact, I notice a butterfly outside my window and remember something I recently read: “Without change there would be no butterflies.”

I could learn from the butterfly’s relationship with change. Maya Angelou once said, “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” How true! A butterfly is in the fourth and final stage of its life. Throughout the previous egg, larva and pupa stages, change has been the butterfly’s only constant. I think the larva stage would be the most enjoyable and also the most likely pitfall for complacency. Life there is about staying full and happy and getting new clothes every now and then, or what would be considered “molting” by the caterpillar.

This is where, if change were to come knocking, as the caterpillar I might want to throw my voice from the underside of the leaf and say, “Sorry, no one is home right now!”

But the caterpillar rather welcomes change and begins the arduous process of cellular breakdown. This is not merely an express facial; it is the mind-boggling transformation

into another shape entirely. What is so admirable about metamorphosis is that some species of butterfly only live a few days after emerging from the chrysalis. Others undertake a long migration to warmer climates and live six to eight more months before starting a new life cycle. Whether the butterfly will enjoy being a butterfly for two days or whether it will flutter happily through a couple of seasons, it accepts change for who she is regardless of her timing.

I think of my grandmother, who chose to fight lymphoma at the age of 85. Change brought chemotherapy and radiation treatments, but it also gave my children the chance to build memories with one of the most beautiful women I have ever known. I am thankful that she, like the butterfly outside my window, embraced change.

While having an unpredictable friend like change can be a challenge, imagine what could be missed if you only spend time with routine.

When change comes calling today, tomorrow, or years down the road, remember that she has a great deal to offer, not only for you, but for the others she will affect through you. I am sure life is better for the caterpillar as a colorful winged work of art, and I can tell you I feel happier myself just having seen one.

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