Summer 2010, Tennessee Home and Farm

Home & Farm Tenne sse e

tnhomeandfarm.com Summer 2010

midway

magic

Tennessee fairs provide an irresistible combination of education and fun

A Day in the (Farm) Life Kids learn firsthand about the agricultural way of living

See Tennessee Win a trip to the Grand Ole Opry!

tnfarmbureau.org

Published for the 652,374 family members of the Tennessee Farm Bureau

Home & Farm Ten n e ssee

An official publication of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation © 2010 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 Dr. Joseph DiPietro, State YF&R Chairman John Chester Chief administrative officer Julius Johnson treasurer Wayne Harris Comptroller Tim Dodd

Managing Editor Jessy Yancey Copy Editors Lisa Battles, Joyce Caruthers, Jill Wyatt

Editor’s note

Readers’ Choice All you shutterbugs out there sure have been busy – we’ve already received hundreds of your snapshots for our 15th annual photo contest, which lasts through Aug. 1. This year we thought we’d add something new: online voting. This is not voting for the overall winners, but rather a gallery of readers’ choice honorable mentions that we’ll feature along with our other online galleries at tnhomeandfarm.com.

Unfortunately, we can’t open up the readers’ choice voting to include the mail-in entries, but come August our judges will pore over every single one of the photos received by mail and online to narrow down the prizewinning images that will appear in our Winter issue, which comes out in November. However, if you have already submitted an online entry, your photo will be eligible for the readers’ choice contest.

To vote, go online to www.bit.ly/tnphotos and follow the links. There you’ll need to register, if you haven’t already, and then you’re allowed to vote once a day from Aug. 2-31. E-mail us with any questions!

Proofreading Manager Raven Petty

Jessy Yancey, managing editor thaf@jnlcom.com

Content Coordinators Jennifer Graves, Erica Hines Contributing Writers Melissa Burniston, Carol Cowan, Catherine Darnell, Susan Hamilton, Anthony Kimbrough, Jessica Mozo, Cassandra M. Vanhooser, Jessica Walker Media Technology Director Christina Carden Senior Graphic Designer Laura Gallagher Media Technology Analysts Chandra Bradshaw, Yamel Hall, Alison Hunter, Marcus Snyder Photography Director Jeffrey S. Otto

At a Glance/A sampling of destinations in this issue

Senior Photographers Jeff Adkins, Brian McCord Staff Photographers Todd Bennett, Antony Boshier

4/Nashville

Web Designer Leigh Guarin Ad Production Manager Katie Middendorf Ad Traffic Assistants Marcia Millar, Patricia Moisan INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR Yancey Bond I.T. Service technician Ryan Sweeney

2/Spring Hill 3/Millington

5/McMinnville 1/Reliance

Accounting Diana Guzman, Maria McFarland, Lisa Owens Sales support manager Cindy Hall Sales Support, custom division Rachael Goldsberry

1/ Cool off by floating down the Hiwassee River in Reliance page 8

office manager Shelly Miller executive secretary Kristy Duncan receptionist Linda Bishop

2/ Learn about small fruit production at Fruits of the Backyard in Spring Hill page 6

Chairman Greg Thurman President/Publisher Bob Schwartzman Executive Vice President Ray Langen

3 / Pick your own produce at Jones Orchard in Millington page 7

Sr. V.P./SALES Todd Potter, Carla Thurman sr. V.P./operations Casey Hester V.P./custom publishing Kim Newsom V.P./Visual Content Mark Forester V.p./Content development Teree Caruthers v.p./content operations Natasha Lorens controller Chris Dudley

4 / Celebrate 85 years of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville page 36 5 / Experience a concert in a cave during Bluegrass Underground at Cumberland Caverns in McMinnville page 40

Marketing creative director Keith Harris Distribution DIRECTOR Gary Smith Custom Advertising sales Manager Tori Hughes Integrated Media Manager Robin Robertson 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.

Member

Magazine Publishers of America Member

Custom Publishing Council Please recycle this magazine

2 Home&Farm |Summer 2010

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.

Subscribe or change address Contact your county Farm Bureau office. TH&F is included in your $25 Farm Bureau annual dues; no other purchase necessary.

Advertising Policy For advertising information, contact Robin Robertson, (800) 333-8842, ext. 227, or by e-mail at rrobertson@jnlcom.com.

All advertising accepted is subject to publisher’s approval. Advertisers must assume all liability for their advertising content. Publisher and sponsor maintain the right to cancel advertising for nonpayment or reader complaint about service or product. Publisher does not accept political or alcoholic beverage ads, nor does publisher prescreen or guarantee advertiser service or products. Publisher assumes no liability for products or services advertised in Tennessee Home & Farm.

tnfarmbureau.org

Table of Contents Features 8 / Down a Lazy River

The Webb family operates a float service on the Hiwassee River

12 / A Day in the (Farm) Life

Elementary school students learn firsthand about agricultural living

18 / Midway Magic

Tennessee fairs provide an irresistible combination of education and fun

20 / Fair Fare at Home

Indulge in fair-inspired treats made in the comfort of your kitchen

36 / What a Show

After 85 years, the legendary Grand Ole Opry plays on

36

8 27

Departments 5 / Read All About It

How to make a ’mater saminch

6 / Short Rows

Learn how to grow fruits in your backyard

27/ Country Classics

Arlene’s Japanese Chicken Salad is a family favorite

28 / Gardening

18

Rain barrels rescue gardeners from summer droughts

31/ Farmside Chat

Meet John Mitchell, sixth-generation farmer

33 / To Good Health

Do you have a health-care power of attorney?

34/ Farm Bureau Almanac

“Farmer Charlie” continues to gain fans

40 / Events & Festivals

Things to do, places to see

48 / View From the Back Porch Suburban gardening satisfies taste buds and hearts

On the Cover Wilson County Fair Photo by J. Kyle Keener tnhomeandfarm.com

Home&Farm 3

From Our Readers

online

Tenne sse e

TRAVEL

HOME & GARDEN

TENNESSEE LIVING Photo Courtesy of Grand Ole Opry/Chris Hollo, Photographer

FOOD & Recipes

tnhomeandfarm.com > see tennessee

What a Show!

Win a trip to the Grand Ole Opry! Log on at www.bit.ly/oprytrip.

Moo-ving Dates I am co-chair of the marketing committee for National Moofest, an annual event held in Athens, Tenn. In the Spring issue, the calendar of events has the event listed for May 29. The event is actually June 5-6, the weekend after Memorial Day. We are thankful you decided to include us in your wonderful publication but wanted to see what needed to be done about correcting the date error.

Blake McCaslin, Athens Editor’s note: We’ve corrected the Moofest date in this issue. The state provides us with event listings; please submit your event to them at (615) 741-7994.

Rustic Reviews I absolutely LOVED The Rustic Barn and have recommended it to many many of my friends coming into the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area. We heard about this place from someone at Walmart and went just for the experience. When we arrived I was like, “What?”… but it didn’t take but just a moment to fall in love with the quaint little restaurant. Barbara Hatmaker was the most gracious host EVER, even offering up fresh slices of tomato and onions to go with our food (and the food was crazy delicious!).

Sharyn Kay Graham

Food & Recipes

Travel

Go to our recipe section for some “berry” delicious summer treats, such as Blueberry Gingerbread Waffles and Peach-Blackberry Shortcakes.

Do you know where you’re watching fireworks on Independence Day? Check out our guide to Fourth of July celebrations in our travel section.

Home & Garden

Tennessee Living

Visit our gardening section to find out which bulbs are best planted in the summertime.

Read about a summer camp where kids get up close and personal with black Clydesdale horses.

Only Online Watch videos, find recipes, enter contests and more.

Grilled Corn on the Cob Fresh corn is left in the husk for this webexclusive recipe for Grilled Corn on the Cob, another fair-inspired treat. Find this and other corn recipes by visiting www.bit.ly/tnrecipes and searching for “corn”.

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

4 Home&Farm |Summer 2010

We always look so forward to your magazine, and we drove 60 miles to The Rustic Barn. What a disappointment! The cornbread and biscuits were cold, and the chicken and dumplings were watery and lukewarm. I could only eat one bite of the chocolate pie. I never do this sort of thing, but I wanted to make you aware of our horrible experience.

Annette Grimble, LaFollette Editor’s note: We are sorry to hear reports like this, so we called Barbara Hatmaker. She says they have been overwhelmed by the response from our readers, apologizes for any bad experiences and asks that visitors call ahead for reservations. We want to remain a trusted source for our readers, so we have plans to revisit featured restaurants again closer to the time of publication.

Correction Cup A Doodle Brew [Spring 2010, page 29] is closed. We apologize for any inconvenience.

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

Making a ‘Mater Saminch There’s a big difference between tomato sandwiches and ’mater saminches

J

ust the other day, I was looking through one of those “country Wanda be” magazines. You know the ones, those that have pictures of old furniture out in the yard with ankle-high grass under a tree like a “Little House on the Prairie” show set. They take rustic to a high level and attempt to suggest there are people who actually live that way out under the trees. I don’t think so in our state due to the fact that if they did, there is not enough Backwoods Off available to keep the chiggers and ticks away while sitting in our tall grass around a table eating little cucumber sandwiches.

The thing that caught my attention in the magazine was a recipe for a tomato sandwich. ’Mater saminches are my specialty, so I was real interested in what trendy folks do to make one. Right off the bat I knew who ever wrote that recipe never grew a homegrown tomato in Tennessee.

In the first line, they suggested using slices of challah or brioche bread with butter and a sprinkle of sea salt. First of all, I really don’t know what those breads are, and second, sea salt was not a staple in my mama’s kitchen cabinet – and she’s whom I learned to make ’mater saminches from at an early age.

And everyone knows it is Miracle Whip – not butter – on lite bread that makes a real ’mater saminch.

So, I guess it is up to me once again to repeat the true art of making a Tennessee ’mater saminch so the influence of the trendy people will not corrupt the ’mater-saminchmaking process. To those who are not schooled on the correct terminology of what to call those beautiful red fruits, there is a difference between a tomato and a ’mater. A tomato by some standards is a fruit grown hundreds of tnhomeandfarm.com

miles away. A ’mater is a bright red, juicy fruit that has had our love and care for several months and is most certainly what you would call a real “homebody.” Homegrown ’maters are what summer is all about.

A country ’mater sandwich has to be made in an orderly routine using mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, white bread (or lite bread as it is called in the country), and a fresh ripe ’mater from the garden.

You place two slices of fresh lite bread on a plate. Next, take a kitchen knife and spread a good amount of mayonnaise on both slices of bread. Make sure the knife hits the sides of the mayonnaise jar so a clink can be heard sounding from inside the jar. This doesn’t help the taste of the sandwich, but it reminds you to buy more mayonnaise the next time you are at the store. We are all hoping for a good ’mater season this year, and we wouldn’t want to run low on mayonnaise.

Next, slice your homegrown ’mater, avoiding the temptation to swipe a slice to eat now, into several thick slices. You should not be able to read a newspaper through any of the slices.

This helps hold in the juice, and besides, if you wanted thin slices you could have gotten a tomato at a restaurant in town.

Add pepper and salt as desired. Place the slices on the lite bread, and gently put the pieces of bread together. Ladies may want to cut the sandwich in a triangle, but real Tennessee ’mater-eaters like their sandwiches whole to avoid the losing of any juice. Bite into your sandwich, and enjoy what summer is all about.

Happy ’mater-saminch eating, and I hope none of it drips down your arm. Of course, if you are eating outside at one of those dining room sets in the yard that really won’t matter.

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. You can buy a copy of the book online at tnhomeandfarm.com.

Home&Farm 5

Short Rows

1

3

Photo courtesty of Doug Barnette

5

1/ Fruit for Thought Growing your own groceries is undeniably rewarding; just read our writer’s experience on page 48. But how do you get your small plot of land to produce something edible?

Get small fruit production tips from the experts at the third annual Fruits of the Backyard in Spring Hill on June 15.

The home-gardening workshops, led by University of Tennessee researchers and specialists, drew more than 300 to the Middle Tennessee Research and Education Center last year.

“We have definitely seen an increased interest in backyard gardening,” says Ginger Trice of the UT Institute of Agriculture. “There is a huge cost savings if you can successfully grow your own fruits and vegetables. People are realizing they can grow their own fruits,

6 Home&Farm |Summer 2010

even though they don’t live on a farm.”

Many small-farm owners also attend to learn how to market their crops.

The event features presentations, demos, orchard tours and discussions with experts. For more info, call (731) 425-4768 or visit http:// middletennessee.tennessee.edu.

2/ Get Your Home & Farm Fix Our magazine comes out just four times a year, but if you have an e-mail address, you can now get your Tennessee Home & Farm fix in between our seasonal print issues.

In February, we started a monthly e-newsletter that features recipes, travel ideas, gardening tips and all the Tennessee content you know and love – as well as exclusive giveaways.

Sign up at www.kl.am/enewsletter.

We promise not to flood your inbox – just one e-mail each month to tide you over til your next issue arrives in the mail. Enjoy!

3 / Saddle Up! No horsing around here – if you want a handcrafted saddle, look no further than Saddles by STEELE made by Custom Tree and Saddle Inc. in Chapmansboro.

The family-owned company, located near Ashland City, keeps the dying trade alive by carefully crafting their products by hand, producing a variety of quality, detailed saddles and trees (the frame of a saddle that fits on a horse). What’s more, potential customers can request a demo saddle to try out before they buy one, just tnfarmbureau.org

TN FARM FRESH

paying shipping costs.

To learn more about the demo program, see their product line or contact them, call (615) 792-3884 or visit www.steelesaddle.com.

4 / Once Bitten, Twice Shy Here’s a scary statistic: Dog bites occur every 40 seconds, and 3.5 million U.S. children are bitten by dogs each year.

“Nothing is more seemingly harmless than a child and a dog,” explains Dr. Michael Sims, a professor at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. “Yet, before you can blink, that image can go from something warm and fuzzy to tragedy and change a child’s life forever.”

To combat this problem, Sims helped create the college’s dog bite prevention initiative, which began in 2000. In 2009, the program distributed educational DVDs, which are centered around a friendly spokesdog named RUFUS, to all first-graders in Knox County. These measures and more help teach kids how to act safely around man’s best friend.

For additional information about the dog bite prevention program, visit www.vet.utk.edu/dogbiteprevention.

5/ Rapt With Raptors If you live in Tennessee, you probably know about Rock City, thanks to the attraction’s barns-turnedbillboards all across the state. But have you ever heard of Rock City Raptors?

Through a partnership with S.O.A.R. (Save Our American Raptors), Rock City Birds of Prey shows allow visitors to see bald eagles, hawks, owls and vultures both up close and soaring above the attraction’s Critter Classroom.

The fun and educational shows, now in their sixth year, take place at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. every Thursday through Sunday from Memorial Day to Labor Day, with an additional Saturday show at 4:30 p.m. Learn more at www.seerockcity.com. tnhomeandfarm.com

TN FARM FRESH

Keeping Up With the Joneses In 1938, H.L. Jones, known as Peach Orchard Jones, planted a peach orchard. His first crop was harvested 70 years ago, and he sold the fruit door to door. His peaches quickly garnered a tasty reputation, one that continues today as the second and third generations carry on the family fruit business.

Located about 15 miles north of Memphis in Millington, Jones Orchard has blossomed into a multi-location enterprise, with their fruit sold at two farm markets, three farmers markets and a pick-your-own operation with a whopping 11,000 peach trees, along with strawberries in the spring and pumpkins in the fall.

Peach Orchard’s son, Lee, guides the fruit production. Lee’s wife, Juanita, runs the Jones Orchard Kitchen at the farm market on Highway 51 North, where she makes small batches of preserves – jelly, relish, salsa, chow-chow and more – from fruit grown on the farm, along with made-from-scratch baked goods, sandwiches and soups. Their son, Henry, and his wife, Dayna, are also involved with the operation, along with raising their four young children, who may one day continue the family tradition started by their great-grandfather.

The pick-your-own operation on Big Creek Church Road is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the summer while the crops last. Visitors can also pick their own strawberries from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 20 to May 31, while peach season lasts from June to August. The Joneses grow both new and old kinds of peaches, including the Elberta, Georgia Belle and Redskin varieties they’ve offered for decades. “The older varieties are the most popular,” Henry says. “The original is always best.”

Enjoy a bite of peach cobbler or homemade ice cream at The Kitchen, which is open for lunch Monday through Friday and for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights, or stop by the other farm market at 6850 Singleton Parkway for more baked goods, preserves and fresh produce.

You can also find Jones Orchard products in Memphis at the Agricenter Farmers Market from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday; the Memphis Farmers Market from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays; and the Botanic Garden Farmers Market from 2-6 p.m. on Wednesdays. Find out what’s ripe at www.jonesorchard.com or by calling (901) 873-3150.

See More online

Home&Farm 7

8 Home&Farm |Summer 2010

tnfarmbureau.org

Travel

Down a

Lazy

River

For more than 40 years, the Webb family has operated a float service on the Hiwassee River

Story by Cassandra M. Vanhooser Photography by j. kyle keener

D

“

o it,” she says, a glimmer of devilment dancing in her eyes.

“I dare you.”

Never one to ignore a challenge, especially from a sassy teenager, I saunter to the edge of the Hiwassee River and plunge my sandaled feet ankle-deep in the rushing water. Before I can edit my response, I jump back and squeal: “Brrrrr! That’s frigid!”

My friends laugh as I hop about trying to warm my blue toes. So does our driver, Jamie, as he unloads the rafts we rented at Webb Brothers Float Service & General Store. “I can’t tell you why,” he says, “but the water here seems to be colder somehow. It’s clearer, too. Y’all have a good trip.”

With that, he waves goodbye. We stand forlornly by our rafts, trying to figure out how to launch our watercraft without getting wet.

Even on the hottest days of the summer,

the Hiwassee’s chilly temperature comes as a bit of a shock. The water makes an 8.3-mile trek through a pipeline at the base of Appalachia Dam in North Carolina to a powerhouse just above Reliance, in the southeast corner of Tennessee. From here, the Tennessee Valley Authority releases the water back into the river after using it to generate hydroelectric power.

Most days, TVA irrigates this natural playground from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., delighting legions of rafters, kayakers and fishermen. In drought years, the flow can be less, but with normal rainfall, recreational floaters can count on having water. The boat launch at the base of the powerhouse enjoys a steady stream of traffic from Memorial Day to Labor Day. “My friends over on the Ocoee say, ‘Why do you fool with that second-class river over there?’” says Harold Webb, whose family

What To Know Before You Go Webb Brothers Float Service & General Store Rates: One-person duckies rent for $25; 2-person duckies, $50.

Rafts cost $20 per person. Shuttle prices vary.

3708 Highway 30, Reliance, TN 37369 1-877-932-7238, (423) 338-2373 www.webbbros.com Please call ahead before traveling long distances.

Customers of Webb Brothers Float Service bravely wade into the chilly water of the Hiwassee River. tnhomeandfarm.com

Home&Farm 9

Always a Farmer If you ask Harold Webb his occupation, he’ll reply that he’s a farmer.

The Webb Brothers Float Service & General Store sits at the edge of a 690-acre farm that has been in the Webb family since the 1800s. Harold still raises corn and cattle on the banks of the Hiwassee River, but he has placed the family farm in a conservation easement with the Land Trust for Tennessee (www.landtrusttn.org).

He’s worked tirelessly to preserve many of the historic structures in the tiny community of Reliance, including the Hiwassee Union Baptist Church and the Watchman’s House, which he rents to visitors. Future plans include restoration of the Higdon Hotel.

started the river’s first rafting service.

“But they don’t know what they’re talking about. They’ve got the whitewater, but we’ve got a great outdoor experience here. It’s an easy paddling experience, great for families, church groups and beginning kayakers.”

Few people know this river valley better than Harold. He grew up in the back rooms of the old country store his father and uncle founded during the Depression. For generations, it was a post office, supply center and gathering spot for the community.

While his parents tended the store, Harold got to know the river.

After his first year at college, Harold came home to find that he no longer had a boat – his dad was renting it to strangers. His Uncle Oscar had even absconded with Harold’s old inner tubes and was renting those out too. The brothers would load folks up in the farm’s cattle truck, haul them up the

winding Forest Service Road and drop them off upriver.

Harold recalls how the Hiwassee has become more regulated over the years, since becoming a State Scenic River in 1972. “Alcohol was banned in 1975,” he says, “and life jackets became mandatory in 1976.”

The Webb Brothers General Store still sits at the intersection of State Roads 30 and 315. Though the rafting experience has changed some, the store still serves as the launching point for many a trip down the river.

In addition to gasoline, Harold sells cold drinks, snacks, sunscreen and basic supplies. Lots of people sport T-shirts they buy here after their trip.

Yet, it’s the Hiwassee River Valley’s natural beauty that continues to draw visitors. The peaks of the Blue Ridge press against the sky. Black-eyed Susans, Queen Anne’s lace and wild touch-me-nots flower the river’s banks, while brown and rainbow

trout swim through deep pools.

Along the way, gentle Class I and II rapids punctuate wide stretches of placid water. “Every rapid on the river has a pool afterwards,” Harold says. “If you turn your boat over, you are not crashing into another rapid.”

The Hiwassee turns out to be the perfect hostess for my day of fun and family. It takes only minutes for our party to adjust to the water’s chill.

Later in the day, when the sun chases the clouds away, a dip in the river becomes a welcome relief.

We swim, play and embrace the splashing rapids as we steadily tumble toward our journey’s end.

When at last we cross Devils Shoals, a series of rapids we hear long before we reach them, the bridge marking the end of our trip comes into view. We approach the takeout point with laughter and smiles, knowing we’ve already finalized plans for our next trip.

In addition to the float service, Harold Webb, bottom left, also runs Webb Brother’s General Store, which opened in May 1936. tnhomeandfarm.com

Home&Farm 11

Tennessee Living

12 Home&Farm |Summer 2010

tnfarmbureau.org

Tennessee Living

A Day in the

(Farm) Life students learn firsthand about the agricultural Way of Living

Story by Jessica Walker Photography by j. kyle keener

E

ach year, thousands of elementary school students across Tennessee are given the opportunity to learn a little more about agriculture.

No, they aren’t in a classroom – they are learning by digging in and getting their hands dirty at Farm Day events.

“The Farm Day program gives students hands-on agricultural experience where they can see, touch, feel and do,” says Kristy Chastine, state coordinator of special programs for Farm Bureau Women.

The program began in the mid-1980s at Jackson State Community College as a three-day event with about 1,000 students participating. “It was so well received,” says Charles Curtis, director of special programs for the Tennessee Farm Bureau. “It’s the best thing we have put together and started.”

Today, Farm Day events are held in approximately 65 counties across the state.

“It’s an educational process, putting the students in touch with where their food and

fiber comes from,” Curtis says. “It’s amazing how little they know. You show them cotton, and they think it’s wool off a sheep.”

But they learn quickly. At the Farm Day event in Cookeville, attended by 1,100 firstgraders from Putnam and Jackson counties, students rotated through 26 agriculturerelated stations at Tennessee Technological University’s Hyder-Burks Agriculture Pavilion.

“The children are exposed to everything from beekeeping to horticulture to dairy,” says Don McCaslin, agency manager at Putnam County Farm Bureau. “It’s an all-day affair.”

Over in the east side of the state, more than 800 people participated in last year’s Sullivan County’s Farm Day, held at the Charles Newland Farm in Kingsport. “It was wonderful,” says Sheila Earhart, Sullivan County Farm Bureau Women Chair. “We had some new, innovative ideas.” This particular event, targeting second-grade students, included folks from Sullivan County, Bristol City and Kingsport City school systems and

by the numbers

65

counties across the state hold Farm Day events

1,000

kids attended the first Farm Day in the mid-1980s

40,000

students participate in annual Farm Day events today

2,000

volunteers donate their time and energy to Farm Day events

During Cookeville’s Farm Day, Putnam County first-graders meet a llama from Maynard & Sons Petting Zoo, learn about egg varieties from Thelma Cunningham’s farm and get a lesson on horsemanship. tnhomeandfarm.com

Home&Farm 13

Tennessee Living students from local private schools.

“We have a special need in East Tennessee because we are becoming more urban,” Earhart says. “Farming has declined. People need to know how important agriculture is and how it touches our lives every day.”

One of West Tennessee’s Farm Day events offered all fourth-graders in Weakley County the opportunity to tour two separate farms as well as enjoy lunch and games at UT Martin’s Agricultural Pavilion. “We like for the kids to smell and hear what really takes place on a farm,” says Andy Holt, Weakley County chair of the state’s Young Farmers & Ranchers. “We’re trying our very best to show them there is a wide, diverse range of careers in agriculture they can pursue. There’s a lot of opportunity for students.”

While Farm Day events primarily focus on teaching students where their food and fiber come from, they are also intended to be fun. “When they’re young, you can’t educate unless you entertain,” Holt says.

This goal is accomplished through hands-on activities, allowing students to truly get a feel for agriculture.

“In Williamson County, there is a plastic cow the kids can actually milk,” Curtis says. “Other counties have live cows they can milk.”

Across the state, the events require several volunteers and organizations in order to keep them running smoothly. FFA students, the Farm Service Agency, Rural Development, retired teachers, nutritionists and a variety of additional supporters operated Sullivan County’s Farm Day. “We had several groups working together to pull it off,” Earhart says. Hundreds of volunteers assisted with Cookeville’s Farm Day, with the university also offering support. “If it wasn’t for Tennessee Tech, we’d never be able to do what we’re doing,” McCaslin says. “They have been excellent partners.”

And partnerships are important tnhomeandfarm.com

Tennessee 4-H Turns 100 In addition to Farm Day events, thousands of kids throughout the state learn about agriculture through 4-H programs, which begin in fourth grade.

According to the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, our state’s 4-H program dates back to 1910, a few years before Congress passed a national act to create the USDA’s Cooperative Extension Service, which included the boys’ and girls’ clubs that would become 4-H. Today, Tennessee has 4-H agents in all 95 counties, and with 320,000 members statewide, it’s one of the largest 4-H memberships in the nation. Along with school and local outreach, the state offers three 4-H summer camps, located in Columbia, Crossville and Greeneville. For more information, visit www.4-h.org or www.utextension.utk.edu/4H.

when more than 40,000 students are participating in Farm Days each year. “It takes everyone in agriculture working together,” Curtis says.

Some teachers are even incorporating farm-friendly education into their lesson plans, using the Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom to prepare students for Farm Day events.

“Agriculture includes science, technology, math, language arts and reading,” Curtis explains.

Many Farm Day coordinators and supporters are passionate about the effort because of the opportunity it gives, enabling them to educate children about a misunderstood industry. “You’d think everyone

would know about agriculture in Tennessee, but it’s not so,” McCaslin says. “We don’t put these events on just for fun. We want people to know where things actually come from.”

Others simply want students to experience what life on a farm is truly like. “I think going out to a farm does something for the soul,” Holt says. “It’s almost an archaic lifestyle, as organic as you can get.

It’s good for kids to see.”

With enthusiastic organizers, volunteers and supporters chipping in, Farm Days take place in counties across the state, with dates varying by location. To learn more or to get involved, contact your county Farm Bureau office.

Home&Farm 15

18 Home&Farm |Summer 2010

tnfarmbureau.org

20 Home&Farm |Summer 2010

tnfarmbureau.org

Food

Fair Fare at Home Indulge in Fair treats made in the comfort of your kitchen

Story by Jessica Walker food styling by kristen winston catering

Brian McCord

I

t’s summertime – the perfect season for enjoying all things outdoors, letting loose and having fun. It’s also a season that brings on nostalgia, longing for the carefree, lighthearted summers once enjoyed as kids.

One of my favorite memories takes me back to my hometown, where I spent many balmy evenings at the county fair. I enjoyed the rides and attractions, but I must admit, I found the food to be the best part of the event. Tasty fair indulgences hit the spot just right on toasty summer nights.

Unfortunately, fairs only come around once a year, but my hankerings live on, regardless of the season. Luckily, there is a way to recreate fair fare without leaving home – tnhomeandfarm.com

and it doesn’t involve buying in bulk when the fair comes to town.

With a kitchen, a few ingredients, a little time and our fair-inspired recipes, it’s easy to get a taste of the midway from the comfort of your home. Some of the recipes, such as Oreo Lollipops, are great culinary projects to make with your kids. On the other hand, we’ve given corn dogs a grown-up twist by including a recipe for a sweet and savory condiment, Vidalia Relish. And there’s really nothing like the oh-so-satisfying homemade caramel corn.

Whether appealing to your inner kid or getting a helping hand from your own children, these recipes invoke fond summer memories. Enjoy!

We’re All Ears Visit us online for a Web-exclusive fairinspired recipe, Grilled Corn on the Cob. Find this and other corny summer recipes by searching for “corn” in our Recipe Center at www.bit.ly/tnrecipes.

Made tweaks to these or other recipes? Let us know in the comments!

Home&Farm 21

Food

Corn Dogs

Vidalia Relish

1 gallon peanut or vegetable oil

½ cup water

1 cup yellow cornmeal

¼ cup cider vinegar

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

4 Vidalia onions, peeled and diced

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped

1 8.5-ounce can cream-style corn

1 teaspoon celery salt

½ cup buttermilk

½ teaspoon coarse salt

8 beef hot dogs

¼ teaspoon white pepper

4 tablespoons cornstarch, for dredging

8 sets chopsticks, not separated Pour oil into a large, heavy pot or countertop fryer and heat to 375 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix corn and buttermilk together. Add dry to wet all at once just until batter comes together; there will be lumps.

Set aside for 10 minutes.

Using a chopstick as a skewer, stick it into bottom of hot dog. Spread cornstarch in a shallow pan and roll the hot dog in it (to help the batter stick).

Tap well to remove any excess. Put the batter in a tall glass and quickly dip the hot dog in and out of the batter.

Cook the corn dogs two at a time in the hot oil until the coating is golden brown, about 4-5 minutes.

Drain and let cool on paper towel.

22 Home&Farm |Summer 2010

Juice of half a lemon

Bring water, vinegar and sugar to a boil. Boil for two minutes.

Pour vinegar mixture over the diced Vidalia onions in a glass or ceramic bowl. Stir well.

Marinate overnight at room temperature.

Drain thoroughly. Mix remaining ingredients well and mix with the onions.

Refrigerate in covered glass jar.

Vidalia relish also makes a great topping for grilled hot dogs or bratwurst!

tnfarmbureau.org

Photos by Antony Boshier

Caramel Corn

Oreo Lollipops

6 cups popped corn

1 16-ounce package Oreo cookies

½ cup brown sugar

8 ounces cream cheese

¼ cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons corn syrup

Melted chocolate, optional

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon vanilla ¼ teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine sugar, butter, salt and corn syrup in a pan and melt. Stir in vanilla and baking soda.

Pour over popped corn and bake for 10 minutes.

Allow time to cool and harden before serving.

tnhomeandfarm.com

Paper lollipop sticks

Pulse Oreos in food processor. Once they are crumbly, add cream cheese and pulse to incorporate.

The mixture should have a shiny-looking sheen.

Roll the mixture into balls and place a stick in each. They can be dipped in melted chocolate or eaten as is. Store in the freezer for best results.

Home&Farm 23

Identity Theft Restoration & Consultation Services

Farm Bureau Bank Auto Loans

KEEP YOUR CAR

– Trade the monthly payment • Now included with your Tennessee Farm Bureau membership • Consultation and restoration services

Nashville Superspeedway

Save $10 off your race

• Special Farm Bureau member rates*

ticket and also receive an All Access pass when you mention your membership with the Tennessee Farm Bureau*

• Up to 100% financing

Call 1-866-RACE-TIX

• No application fee

• Effective April 1, 2010

• Flexible terms and payment plans

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

• Call (866) 645-8123 or visit farmbureaubank.com/tfbf to apply today

R ace Dates 6/5 Federated Auto Parts 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series Race 8/7 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race

®

*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.

*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.

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.

*Tickets must be purchased by Thursday of race week.

American Cellular ADT Security

Tennessee Farm Bureau Where Membership Means …

Exclusive Farm Bureau Member Savings Did you know that your membership with the Tennessee Farm Bureau offers you exclusive savings with each of the products and services listed here Activate a new line of service with American Cellular to receive your one time credit of $25 on your monthly bill • This offer is in addition to any current in-store promotions FREE security system

$850 savings

Plus homeowners insurance savings and savings on monthly monitoring (877) 832-6701 www.powerlinkllc.com

•

Offer available only by calling (888) 653-8323 or visiting an American Cellular retail location

• Find the store nearest you by visiting www.americancellular.net • No location near you? Phones shipped directly to your door for FREE

at no additional charge?

It is our goal to save our members more than the cost of their annual membership by taking advantage of just one of these special discounts.

Farm Bureau values your membership and hopes these benefits will prove to be of value to you!

Looking for information on these benefits? *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.

Other rate plans available. Cannot be combined with any other offer. PowerLink, LLC TN. Cert. #C-0332.

*Offer applies to new activations only. $10 credit on upgrades. See store for details.

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

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

w! e N

High-Speed Internet

50X Than Faster Dial-Up!

up to

with HughesNet® – High-Speed Internet

Available EVERYWHERE!† • Faster Speed – Same Great Price!

• Professional Installation Included • No Phone Line Required Give us a call today and ask about special offers:

(888) 795-5346 A local business with local installers

Broadband Unbound.

*Speeds based on the ElitePlus service plan and compared to dial-up speeds of 53k. Actual speeds may vary and are not guaranteed. Speed and uninterrupted use of service are not guaranteed. Usage is subject to Fair Access Policy. †HughesNet is available anywhere in the contiguous US with a clear view of the southern sky. Alaska and Hawaii excluded. Minimum term required. Monthly service and termination fees apply. Visit www.legal.HughesNet.com for details. ©2008 Hughes Network Systems LLC. HughesNet and Broadband Unbound are trademarks of Hughes Network Systems LLC.

26 Home&Farm |Summer 2010

tnfarmbureau.org

Country Classics

Family Favorite Unique chicken salad is easy to make and to share

tnhomeandfarm.com

Jeff Adkins

A

geless is the way Dianne Sanders describes her closest aunt, Arlene Beam, as well as Arlene’s Japanese Chicken Salad, which Dianne included in Country Classics II, published by the Tennessee Farm Bureau Women. Up until her death three years ago, Aunt Arlene was so young at heart she still went to the beach with her girlfriends.

The recipe she passed along to her niece has traveled as much as she did.

“I’ve had that recipe for at least 20 years,” says Dianne. “It’s good for when you want to take food to somebody to help out,” she says.

“You can take the individual components, and they can mix it together on their schedule. It’s always good, and you can’t mess it up.”

Dianne and her husband, Jack, live in rural Bradley County between Charleston and Cleveland, just north of Chattanooga. They farm, as they have the 40 years they’ve been married. Up until recently they had a dairy, but now it’s beef cattle and hay, about 400 acres counting what they own and what they rent.

“I love where I live – on top of the hill, no neighbors,” she says. From their perch they see the Ocoee Region, the Smokies and the Chatata Valley below. “Some people say it looks like I live on a postcard,” she says.

“It’s very picturesque.”

The Sanders’ two sons, Ben and Josh, now reside in Columbia, Tenn., and Connecticut, but plenty of family is around to cook for in the classic Southern way – Sunday dinner.

Dianne’s small slice of the world in the Chatata Valley is a close-knit community, she says, but growing. “Our valley is like all rural areas, you used to know everybody in the area, but now I wave regardless,” she says.

A tradition in her church and community, she says, is giving kindness with food. “It’s important that you make it and you get it there,” she explains. “Here, the philosophy is the fact that you can’t say a whole lot with words, but you can give something tangible like comfort food, to let people know you care about them.”

– Catherine Darnell

Arlene’s Japanese Chicken Salad 3-4 cooked chicken breasts, chopped 1 head lettuce, torn into bite sizes 3 green onions, sliced 1 3-ounce can chow mein noodles 4 ounces sliced almonds ¼ cup poppy seeds

Dressing: 4 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons salt ½ teaspoon pepper 4 tablespoons vinegar ½ cup salad oil Mix chicken, lettuce and onions in large bowl. Add noodles, nuts and poppy seeds just before tossing with dressing.

Combine dressing ingredients in blender or container that can be shaken to blend.

Want More?

Each issue of Tennessee Home & Farm highlights a selected recipe from 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.

Home&Farm 27

28 Home&Farm |Summer 2010

tnfarmbureau.org

Gardening

Rain barrels rescue gardeners from summer droughts

©iStockphoto.com/wyndy25

W

ould it surprise you that lawn and garden watering make up nearly 40 percent of total household water use during the summer? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans use copious amounts of water to keep our gardens and landscapes productive, lush and beautiful. But treated water from civic water districts comes with an environmental and monetary price!

The national trend is to be more “green” and conservative, so rain barrels or cisterns have become quite popular and readily available.

I’ve even seen them for sale at my local grocery store. They are also easy to construct if you’d like to make your own. Plenty of educational workshops, literature and Internet sources are available to guide you through the process of constructing rain barrels.

Basically, rain barrels collect and store rainwater from your roof, via gutter downspouts. Their purpose is to save the water for later use, especially during periods of dry weather. A single rain barrel can save an estimated 1,300 gallons of water during peak summer months. Because rain barrels can provide a ready supply of free “soft water” – water containing no chlorine, lime or calcium – they are ideal for watering gardens and lawns or for washing cars or windows. A gigantic plus in my book is the collected water is prevented from becoming runoff diverted to storm drains and therefore no benefit to my garden.

A typical rain barrel is a plastic drum or container. Sizes range from 50 to 80 gallons, although some can go up to 300 gallons or more. A variety of designs and colors are commercially available, with many that serve as a decorative accent for your home and garden. No matter the system you choose, it is important to have a secure lid on the barrel for child safety and to prevent the growth of mosquitoes and algae.

Rain gardens are a great way to capture tnhomeandfarm.com

and soak up rainfall and stormwater runoff from your property. A rain garden is ideally located in close proximity to your roof gutter downspouts or other impermeable areas around your home like driveways, walkways and patios. They should not be within 10 feet of a foundation or building or built over a septic system.

The garden can be a natural or shallowdug depression, no more than 8-10 inches deep, which is designed with plants to withstand the extremes of moisture and concentrations of nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, that are found in stormwater runoff. Through the design and plant selection, the garden can add beauty to your home landscape and at the same time protect the environment by giving stormwater time to filter into the ground and help to reduce potential water quality problems.

Numerous resources are available to help you with your rain garden design and with selecting the ideal plants for your region.

Visit the online version of this story at tnhomeandfarm.com for links to EPA resources on rain gardens.

Rain gardens are typically designed to be drained within four hours after a one-inch rain event, but some designs allow the soil to be saturated for longer periods. Plants with deep fibrous roots tend to have a competitive advantage in a rain garden and provide the most cleaning and filtration benefits to the environment.

I have joined the crowd with respect to water conservation and installed both a rain barrel for my garden and a separate rain garden. My rain garden is located at the bottom of my sloping front yard and driveway right at the curb of the street. I personally think it is a beautiful combination of trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses, perennials and annuals, and it adds to the beauty of my home while helping me to conserve water, provide wildlife habitat and protect the environment.

About the Author Dr. Sue Hamilton is Director of the University of Tennessee Gardens. The gardens are a project of the University of Tennessee AgResearch program, with locations in Knoxville and Jackson: http://utgardens. tennessee.edu.

Home&Farm 29

Farmside Chat

Meet John Mitchell Sixth-generation East Tennessee dairy farmer

What led you to continue the tradition of farming on your family’s land?

I knew I wanted to stay in agriculture, so when I started college at the University of Tennessee, I majored in Food Technology and Science. After graduation, I worked for Mayfield Dairy as a production supervisor for eight years. One day I got a call from my dad where he basically said, “We’re getting older and don’t want to work this hard all our lives, but if you are interested in coming home at some point to continue farming just let me know.” My kids were small and hadn’t started school, so my wife, Lorie, and I thought about it and decided being able to raise our children on the farm was a great idea.

So, in 1998, we moved back and I started farming again. My kids are the seventh generation, and I hope one of them wants to farm, but it remains to be seen if they will want to or not. My dad still helps on the farm as well, and I rely on his many years of experience every day.

Your family has been involved in Farm Bureau for a long time. Is it important to be involved in organizations that support agriculture?

Absolutely. Farm Bureau is one of the loudest voices that makes sure agriculture is tnhomeandfarm.com

Jeffrey S. Otto

F

or the Mitchell family, farming isn’t only a way of life; it is a tradition that spans generations, dating back to before the Civil War. John Mitchell, a sixth-generation farmer in East Tennessee’s Grainger County, is part of a family that has farmed the same land since the 19th century, a tradition he hopes the seventh generation (his kids, Harlan, 15, and Hilary, 13) will want to continue.

The family farms about 400 acres, where they raise grain for their Holstein dairy cows.

The dairy is a fairly new venture, extending only one generation back to John’s father, David. The Mitchells milk 100 cows twice a day and keep a few steers each year to sell directly to the public as whole cow ground beef at farmers markets in Knoxville.

not forgotten, especially in the legislature.

Personally, I don’t know any better organization nation or statewide that does a better job telling the story of agriculture.

Politicians are probably an extra generation removed from the farm, and if Farm Bureau didn’t educate them there’s no telling what kind of laws they would pass.

Do you think it’s important to share what you do on the farm with non-farmers?

It’s extremely important; we need to be spokesmen not just for animals, but on all aspects of agriculture. People need to know where their food really comes from and understand why we do what we do.

I think speaking engagements in your local community is the key to spreading the message. Go talk to your chamber or Rotary – talk to one person, they tell one person and it spreads out from there. A grassroots movement is going to be key: the local approach of talking to your neighbors to spread the message.

– Melissa Burniston

See More Online Mitchell supplements his dairy income by selling what many Knoxvillians consider the best hamburger they’ve ever tasted.

Read about his farmers market venture and more in our webexclusive story at tnhomeandfarm.com.

Learn more about animal care and well-being by visiting www.conversations oncare.com.

Home&Farm 31

Willie Dills

stay the day.

Sarah Beane

Visit a Tennessee Farm Stay an hour or

It’s Time to Enter the 15th Annual Tennessee Farm Bureau Photo Contest

www.visittnfarms.com

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_ ___________________________________________________ Address___________________________________________________ City ___________________________ State ________ Zip _________ Phone ____________________________________________________ County of FB Membership __________________________________ Category: ❒ Tennessee Barns

❒ Rural Living

❒ Childhood Memories

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 CD-ROMS (or other digital media storage) 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 quality – minimum of 5x7 size at 300 dpi resolution. An online tutorial for testing file size can be found at tnhomeandfarm.com. To avoid legal entanglements, make sure permission has been given for use of photos.

We offer three categories: Tennessee Barns, Rural Living and Childhood Memories. Only one entry per person per category. 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, 2010. 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.

32 Home&Farm |Summer 2010

tnfarmbureau.org

To Good Health

Cause for Concern Do you have a health-care power of attorney?

A

n apology probably should be offered here at the outset, because some of you may not have given any thought to what I’m about to mention. And you would prefer, especially if you have even a hint of an obsessive-compulsive nature, not to have thought about this at all.

So with advance apology, here’s my recounting of a bothersome and frequent dilemma. The latest occurrence was on a Wednesday evening on my way to church when I pulled into a convenience store for a soft drink. As I walked in, I said a friendly hello to the employee behind the counter, who I noticed was counting out change from the cash register.

As I headed toward the cooler, it struck me what was about to happen. And that probably gives you a tremendous clue to my compulsiveness, that I was already anticipating what was about to happen. Unfortunately, I was right. With a 20-ounce Diet Coke bottle in hand, I walked to the front counter just as the cashier finished dumping a roll of change into the register.

And then she did it. She reached across the counter and – with those same little fingers that had been counting out no-telling-howmany germ-infested pennies, nickels and dimes – grabbed and wrapped her fist around the top of the Coke bottle. She swiped it in front of the electronic scanner, pushed the bottle back toward me and smiled as she told me what I owed.

At that point, I didn’t even hear her. I just pushed two dollar bills her way, retrieved my change and walked to the car, all the while calculating the thousands of little invisible germs now swirling around the top of that bottle. I could imagine them doing little rainlike dances, just waiting for a pair of lips to come their way so they could pounce with glee.

Thanks to technology’s ability to help us do things more swiftly and efficiently, buying a soft drink has taken on a new twist. I’ve tried all kind of tricks – trying to scan the bottle myself, or holding the top to force the tnhomeandfarm.com

employee to grab only the bottom part. I usually end up in some type of awkward tugof-war and begrudgingly give in. Still, although I’ll never convince you now, I’m not a germaphobe, just picky about certain things.

Which brings me to a completely different – and, finally, important – subject. There are things about which we should be very careful.

Germs on a soft drink bottle probably don’t fit that category, but health care and health-care decisions do. And occasionally, folks find themselves in situations where those decisions are taken out of their own hands. We at TRH Health Plans, providing health-care coverage to nearly 190,000 Tennesseans, unfortunately see situations daily where someone becomes incapacitated and is no longer able (or temporarily unable) to make decisions.

Whether a middle-aged man following a horrific injury or an elderly person whose body has outlived her mind, each is difficult.

As the arm of the Tennessee Farm Bureau charged with helping our members with health-care issues and coverage, we encourage you to consider what might happen if your family encounters such a tragic situation. Do you have a Health-care Power of Attorney to allow someone to make health-care decisions for you if you cannot? Or if you have a General Durable Power of Attorney enabling someone to handle your personal affairs, does it incorporate health-care provisions?

I’m not an attorney (if I was I’d sue someone for transmitting germs to me via soft drink), but I would encourage you to think about this issue. A Health-care Power of Attorney can protect you when you can’t make decisions, and can grant authority for someone to access protected health-care information on your behalf. Talk to your personal attorney because individual situations can be varied – one size does not fit all. See what you need to be prepared, just in case.

As for phobias about germs on a bottle, we’ll just have to work through that on our own.

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 33

Photo courtesy of David Cannings-Bushell / istockphoto.com

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.

∑

Conversations on Animal Care Did you know that farmers have reduced the erosion rate by water on U.S. croplands by more than 40 percent since 1982? Did you know that all U.S. eggs are antibiotic free? If you would like to know even more about what happens on farms these days, visit the Conversations On Animal Care website and see what farmers are doing to take care of their animals and farms.

feed anything less than the safest food to their family and to yours.

They care because without healthy and content animals, farmers and ranchers wouldn’t be in business.

Simply put, they care because healthy animals mean healthy food for you and your family.

“Farmer Charlie” Continues to Gain Fans

almanac

He’s a secret agent, rocket scientist, foreign diplomat, answer man for your hardware store questions and above all, a Tennessee farmer.

Tennessee Farm Bureau Insurance’s “Farmer Charlie” is a folk hero these days.

Today’s farmers and ranchers care about the health of their animals.

They care because they wouldn’t

For more sage advice from Charlie, go to www.fbitn.com and learn things like how to make your bacon fry up larger, how to avoid a flood and even how to fix your fishing line. You can always trust a farmer for common sense advice.

34 Home&Farm |Summer 2010

That’s why they have created www.

ConversationsOnCare.com, to show you, the consumer, why healthy animals are so important to them.

Please take a look around the site to learn more about the steps every American farmer and rancher takes to ensure that their animals receive the best possible care.

tnfarmbureau.org

Æ

Beware of Identity Theft During my tenure as a Tennessee Farm Bureau Insurance agent, I learned that there were only a few things that made Farm Bureau members more upset than having their home burglarized. It wasn’t just the loss of personal property that made the members upset; it was the fact that a thief had invaded their home. While the loss of grandpa’s pocket knife or mom’s

Æ tnhomeandfarm.com

silver collection are traumatic, today there is a different type of thief out there that can cause a completely different type of pain and frustration. It’s the thief who steals our identity.

You might be thinking, “I don’t use a credit card, and I don’t buy items online; this could never happen to me.” I hate to break it to you, but this line of thinking

couldn’t be farther from the truth.

If your name, address and social security number are on file anywhere, you could be a victim.

The Federal Trade Commission estimates that 10 million people will be victims of identity theft this year. Identity theft isn’t limited to credit related issues. People experience identity theft in many forms including driver’s license theft and medical insurance.

Imagine for a minute that you go through a routine road block only to learn that you have an outstanding warrant against you, or maybe you enter the hospital to have your appendix removed only to learn that your medical records show that you had that procedure last year. Now you’re getting the idea – it can happen to all of us, and there’s no way to guarantee that it won’t happen.

Ready for some good news?

Your membership with Tennessee Farm Bureau now includes identity theft consultation and restoration services at no additional charge.

For members who have experienced an identity theft event, a personal investigator is assigned to work with the member until the issue is resolved. What’s this coverage worth? Statistics indicate that the average out of pocket cost for an identity theft restoration is $1,500, and it takes approximately 175 hours to correct the problem.

This service is just one more way your membership with Tennessee Farm Bureau means value!

– Bryan Wright

If you suspect that someone has stolen your identity, call (877) 329-3911.

Home&Farm 35

Tennessee Living

36 Home&Farm |Summer 2010

tnfarmbureau.org

See Tennessee

What a

Show After 85 years, the Grand Ole Opry plays on

Story by Carol Cowan

Photos courtesy of Grand Ole Opry/Chris Hollo, Photographer

I

t’s the longest-running live radio show in history. It’s what made country music famous. It’s the Grand Ole Opry, and it’s celebrating its 85th birthday in 2010.

The iconic country music show draws folks from all over the world to the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday night (plus Wednesdays to be added this summer), while millions more tune in to its live radio and television broadcasts.

Featuring country, bluegrass and gospel music, clogging and comedy, rising stars and revered legends, a Grand Ole Opry show provides reason enough to venture to Music City, and in fact, is a must-see for any visitor to Nashville. But to do the Grand Ole Opry right, visitors should also make plans to experience all the attractions that put the significance of the star-studded show in context. Once you’ve toured the backstage hallways, stood in the Opry “circle,” visited the historic Ryman Auditorium and heard the stories behind the music, you’ll understand why country music’s mega stars regard the Opry stage as holy ground and Opry membership as the pinnacle of success. tnhomeandfarm.com

Beginnings The Grand Ole Opry, originally known as the WSM Barn Dance, hit the airwaves in November 1925 with the fiddling of 80-yearold Uncle Jimmy Thompson. When announcer George D. Hay contrasted the weekly broadcast of down-home string music to the grand opera that had aired just before, he said, “And now we will present the Grand Ole Opry.” That was 1927, and the name stuck.

The radio show proved so popular that people crowded the halls of the station to watch the musicians perform. After several moves to accommodate the growing live audience, the Opry took up residence at the 3,000-seat Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville in 1943, where it remained for three decades.

l

l

ave eltr trav

ave eltr trav

SEE TENNESSEE TEN S

Win an Opry Trip!

Enter to win a trip to the Grand Ole Opry online at www.bit.ly/oprytrip or in the print entry form on page 38, which also has the prize package details and official rules.

The Ryman Auditorium As its popularity grew, the Opry was defined by artists such as Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb and Hank Williams. During the Ryman years, the Opry launched careers, welcomed stars and helped make Nashville Music City, with the likes of Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, the Carter Family, Johnny Cash, Bill Monroe Home&Farm 37

The Tennessee Farm Bureau and Tennessee Home & Farm want to send one lucky reader and three guests of their choice to the Grand Ole Opry. avel eltr trav

avel eltr trav

Prize package includes four persons’ admission to: • The Grand Ole Opry during its 85th Anniversary Celebration S • A Grand Ole Opry House Tour • The Grand Ole Opry Museum featuring three new 85th Anniversary exhibits • Pickin’ & Grinnin’: A Grand Ole Comedy Revue • Always… Patsy Cline at the historic Ryman Auditorium • Two-night Gaylord Opryland Resort accommodations • Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman • A lunch cruise aboard the General Jackson Showboat

SEE SEE TENNESSEE TENNESSEE NEIGHBORS S

Entry Form: Name: Address: City:

Daytime phone number: (

State: )

E-mail address: County of Farm Bureau membership:

Mail to: See Tennessee Giveaway c/o Tennessee Home & Farm 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400 Franklin, TN 37067

38 Home&Farm |Summer 2010

ZIP:

Enter online at www.bit.ly/oprytrip or complete the entry form and mail. Must be received by Aug. 15, 2010. One entry per household – open to Tennessee Farm Bureau members only.

Official Rules: No purchase necessary. Contest is open to all members of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation age 18 or older. Entrants must use the official entry form printed in the magazine or submitted online at tnhomeandfarm.com. The winner will be selected by random drawing at Journal Communications, and all decisions are final. Winners are responsible for their own transportation to/from the Grand Ole Opry.

Sponsors are not liable for any incidents (including injury/death or lost, stolen or damaged property) that may occur at any time during the trip.

Employees and immediate family members of Journal Communications Inc., Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, the Grand Ole Opry sponsors, or their subsidiaries, affiliates or agencies are not eligible to enter.

tnfarmbureau.org

and Chet Atkins gracing the Ryman stage.

Take a tour of the restored Ryman, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and see the Carter-Cash, Hank Williams and Women of Country Music dressing rooms.

Hear favorite memories of Opry members in a video history presentation. Check out exhibits featuring costumes worn by the stars and the instruments they played.

The Johnny & June at the Ryman exhibit runs through June 2011 and tells the enduring love story of Johnny Cash and June Carter, who met at the Ryman and shared many performances there.

The Grand Ole Opry returns to the Ryman stage during the winter months, and the internationally renowned venue hosts concerts by a diverse lineup of artists throughout the year. Visit www.ryman.com for tour and ticket information.

The Opry House In 1974, the Opry moved to its current and most enduring home – the Grand Ole Opry House, located in the Gaylord Opryland entertainment resort complex nine miles northeast of downtown Nashville. The opulent theater features 4,400 comfortable seats, state-of-the-art sound and giant video monitors.

Inset into the center of the Opry stage is an 8-foot circle of worn oak flooring cut from the stage of the Ryman. Opry performers hallow the circle, which singer Brad Paisley once said still contains dust from Hank Williams’ boots.

When you tour the Grand Ole Opry House, you will stand in that circle, enter the dressing rooms – and possibly catch a glimpse of the stars – and learn more of the Opry’s history from knowledgeable tour guides.

Of course, the show itself is the highlight of the Opry experience. From the moment the Opry Square Dancers thunder onto the stage until the final number’s closing notes, the Grand Ole Opry is a one-of-a-kind entertainment event. You’ll see Opry legends like Little Jimmy Dickens, who often introduces himself as Willie Nelson after taxes; relative newcomers such as Rodney Atkins and Miranda Lambert; bluegrass icons including Ricky Skaggs and Ralph tnhomeandfarm.com

Photos courtesy of Grand Ole Opry/Chris Hollo, Photographer

See Tennessee

Stanley; and the stars that have been lighting up the country music scene from years past through today – Marty Stuart, Connie Smith, Alison Krauss, George Jones, Hal Ketchum, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Josh Turner, Sugarland, Rascal Flatts, Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Trace Adkins, Martina McBride and many, many more.

Each Opry performance consistently delivers two exciting hours of diverse entertainment.

Editor’s Note The Nashville flooding occurred just prior to publication of our Summer issue. For more information on the Opry’s recovery efforts, please visit www.opry.com. To donate to flood relief efforts, visit www. nashvilleredcross.org or www.cfmt.org.

Added Attractions It’s easy to make your visit to the Grand Ole Opry the centerpiece of an all-inclusive vacation with luxurious accommodations and world-class dining at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. Enjoy megashopping destination Opry Mills. Hit the links at Gaylord Springs Golf Course. Kick up your heels at the Wildhorse Saloon. And visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and other Nashville highlights.

Finally, here’s a tip from Opry Dan, marketing manager for the Grand Ole Opry: If you want to bump into a country music singer, eat dinner at the Cracker Barrel on Music Valley Drive on a Friday or Saturday evening. Often, musicians performing on the Opry will be grabbing their dinner there too.

Go to www.opry.com to plan your trip.

Home&Farm 39

Events & Festivals

Photo Courtesy of Sarah B. Gilliam

During Bluegrass Underground Celebration on July 4, artists such as John Cowan perform in McMinnville’s Cumberland Caverns.

Tennessee Events & Festivals This listing includes a selection of events of statewide interest scheduled in June, July and August 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 Web site, www.tnvacation.com.

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

June

giveaways. CONTACT: (423) 775-9847, www.mainstreetdayton.org

JUNE 3-17

BLUE PLUM ART & MUSIC FESTIVAL

OPRY COUNTRY CLASSICS Ryman Auditorium, Nashville The new addition to the Opry’s schedule features a live performance of country favorites performed by the genre’s legends as well as talented new artists, a rousing live band, square dancing and more.

CONTACT: (800) SEE-OPRY, www.opry.com

JUNE 4-6

Johnson City Outdoor music and art festival in downtown Johnson City features children’s entertainment, music and more. CONTACT: (423) 928-3479, www.blueplum.org JUNE 4-5

FIRST FRIDAYS

SMOKY MOUNTAIN POTTERY FESTIVAL

Dayton Food and vendor booths, entertainment groups performing, sales and promotions in the downtown retail shops, drawings and

Townsend Features a wide variety of fine pottery in beautiful styles and exciting techniques.

Juried potters’ booths, Raku firings, wheel-

JUNE 4, JULY 2 & AUGUST 6

40 Home&Farm |Summer 2010

throwing and hand-building demos and a children’s tent. Admission is free.

CONTACT: (800) 525-6834, www.smokymountainfestivals.org JUNE 4-5

4TH ANNUAL ART FUSION The Factory, Franklin The Arts Council of Williamson County will be hosting a Fine Arts & Craft Festival with live musical entertainment, hors d’oeuvres and great art! CONTACT: (615) 428-3845, www.artscouncilwc.org JUNE 4-5

COKE OVENS BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL Coke Ovens Park, Dunlap Features local and regional bluegrass bands including Valley Grass, The Coalition Band, The Cumberland Band and the Cumberland Gap Connection. Fun, food, and entertainment. CONTACT: (423) 949-3483, www.cokeovens.com JUNE 5

10th ANNUAL PROMISE LAND FESTIVAL Dickson A 50-voice choral group made up of 5th-8th grade students from throughout Dickson County will be directed by Syd Smith, an Emmy-nominated songwriter, recording artist, vocal coach and background vocalist for American Idol. There will also be more varieties of music to be enjoyed. CONTACT: (615) 446-2349, www.dicksoncountychamber.com tnfarmbureau.org

JUNE 5-6

20th SYCAMORE SHOALS NATIVE AMERICAN FESTIVAL Elizabethton Discover the arts, music, dance, crafts and stories of Native Americans. CONTACT: (423) 543-5808, www.sycamoreshoals.org JUNE 5-6

48th ANNUAL LENOIR CITY ARTS & CRAFTS FESTIVAL Lenoir City More than 220 craftspeople and artisans, food and a beautiful setting along Fort Loudoun Lake. CONTACT: (888) 568-3662, www.visitloudoncounty.com

visitors attend to listen to beautiful a cappella singing. CONTACT: Jack Parks, (931) 363-3204 JUNE 12

CHUCK COPELAND MEMORIAL KID’S FISHING RODEO Spring City The Town of Spring City and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) join forces to introduce kids ages 12 and under to the wonderful sport of fishing. Kids must be accompanied by an adult. This event will take place rain or shine. CONTACT: (800) 262-6704, www.tnwildlife.org

JUNE 12

LOUIE BLUIE MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL Caryville All-day festival at Cove Lake State Park features a wide variety of music, crafts and storytelling traditions, as well as student art, food and beverages. Old-time musicians and string bands in the region play on three stages throughout the day, along with musicians and actors influenced by Campbell County native Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong. CONTACT: (423) 566-3641, www.louiebluie.org

JUNE 5-6

8th ANNUAL CRAFT FAIR ON THE PLATEAU Crossville The Knights of Columbus host a vintage car show and craft fair open to all crafters of original handmade items. CONTACT: (931) 707-7291, www.crossville-chamber.com JUNE 5-6

NATIONAL MOOFEST Athens Two-day celebration of the dairy and farming industry. Fun-filled days of music, food, crafts, along with historical and educational activities. CONTACT: (423) 506-9301, www.nationalmoofest.com JUNE 5-12

CLAY COUNTY FAIR Celina Fun rides! Good food! Games and prizes!

Entertainment! CONTACT: (931) 258-3338, www.dalehollowlake.org JUNE 10

SYMPHONY ON THE LAWN Lebanon The Nashville Symphony will head to Lebanon for their annual Symphony on the Lawn concert highlighting a range of pop and classical favorites. CONTACT: (800) 789-1327, www.visitwilsoncounty.com JUNE 10-12

19th ANNUAL SMOKY MOUNTAINS STORYTELLING FESTIVAL Pigeon Forge Features storytelling concerts, National Youth Storytelling Showcase and Haunts ‘n’ Haints Tales. CONTACT: (800) 251-9100, www.mypigeonforge.com JUNE 11-12

DIANA SINGING Diana This event began in 1969; now over 5,000 Events are subject to date change or cancellation. Please call ahead.

Home&Farm 41

JUNE 12

JUNE 12

TOUR DE WAYNE

ED FEST 2010 CSAD MUSIC FESTIVAL

Collinwood Seventh annual bicycle ride includes Natchez Trace Parkway and route along the Tennessee Riverfront. CONTACT: (931) 724-4337, www.waynecountychamber.org JUNE 12

4th ANNUAL HOGEYE FEST Livingston Downtown celebration with 5K run, music, cook-off, ice cream contest, crafts, cruise-in and more. CONTACT: (931) 823-6421

Tellico Plains The best East Tennessee music as well as fun, family entertainment and food. facepainting, balloon artist, dunking booth, rock climbing wall, kids’ games and much more.

Free admission. CONTACT: (423) 420-3199 JUNE 10-13

CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL Nashville

“Country Music’s Biggest Party” brings country fans and artists together for four days and nights of live music. CONTACT: (800) CMA-FEST, www.cmafest.com JUNE 15

FRUITS OF THE BACKYARD Middle Tennessee Research & Education Center in Spring Hill Free event on growing small fruits like grapes and blueberries. Also covers maintaining beautiful shrubs and lawns.

Begins at 8:30 a.m. CONTACT: (731) 425-4768, http://middletennessee.tennessee.edu JUNE 17-19

MACON COUNTY HILLBILLY DAYS Lafayette Bluegrass music and crafts festival sponsored by the Lafayette Lions and Lioness Lions Club. CONTACT: (615) 699-2495 JUNE 18-19

SECRET CITY FESTIVAL Oak Ridge Features the largest multi-battle of the 65th anniversary ending of WWII as well as tours of Manhattan Project sites, children’s festival, Euro Bungy, arts and crafts, antique dealers and exhibitors. CONTACT: (865) 425-3610, www.secretcityfestival.com JUNE 18-19

BELL BUCKLE RC & MOON PIE FESTIVAL Bell Buckle Celebrate a Southern tradition with music, Moon Pie games, crafts and the cutting of the world’s largest Moon Pie. CONTACT: (931) 389-9663, www.bellbucklechamber.com JUNE 18-19

ROSE MONT FESTIVAL Gallatin Antique, craft, jewelry and furniture booths on the grounds of Rose Mont. You can also tour the mansion. CONTACT: (888) 301-7866, www.sumnercvb.com JUNE 18-19

CLAY COUNTY 47TH ANNUAL WALKING HORSE SHOW Celina Walking Horse Show at the Celina Lion’s Club with 24 judged classes. CONTACT: (931) 243-3741 JUNE 18-JULY 25

ALWAYS … PATSY CLINE Ryman Auditorium, Nashville Bio-musical performed on the same stage where Patsy was inducted into the Opry 50 years ago. Based on the friendship between Patsy and Louise Seger. Shows every

42 Home&Farm |Summer 2010

tnfarmbureau.org

Friday, Saturday and Sunday; no show on July 4. CONTACT: www.ryman.com JUNE 19-20

61st ANNUAL RHODODENDRON FESTIVAL Roan Mountain Celebrating blooming of rhododendron gardens, crafters, folkways, musicians and food. CONTACT: (800) 250-8620, www.roanmountain.com JUNE 19-20

CIVIL WAR LIVING HISTORY WEEKEND Ramsey House Plantation, Knoxville Stroll through Civil War encampment as re-enactors portray life as it was during the war.

Battle each day. CONTACT: Sandra Gammon, (865) 546-0745, www.ramseyhouse.org

JUNE 27

JULY 2-3

SIXTH ANNUAL LANCASTER INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE

LIBERTYFEST

Lancaster Parade begins at 4 p.m. followed by bluegrass music, food, fun and fellowship.

All patriots bring your lawn chairs!

CONTACT: (615) 735-9343

Lawrenceburg Each year the community salutes a different state from the Southeast. CONTACT: Anne Morrow, (931) 762-7617, www.cityoflawrenceburgtn.com JULY 2-3

JULY For a complete listing of Fourth of July events, visit tnhomeandfarm.com.

JUNE 24

TOBACCO, BEEF & MORE Highland Rim Research & Education Center, Springfield Beef and tobacco producers should attend this free event which features experts on topics such as animal health, forage, burley and dark-fired tobacco production. Begins at 7 a.m. CONTACT: (731) 425-4768

40th ANNUAL FIDDLER’S JAMBOREE & CRAFTS FESTIVAL Smithville Features state and national championships in 26 categories, seven beginner categories, jam sessions and 240 juried craft exhibitors.

CONTACT: (615) 597-8500, www.smithvillejamboree.com JULY 2-3

31st ANNUAL SAVANNAH BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL Savannah Two nights of the best bluegrass music in the region at Wayne Jerrolds Park.

CONTACT: (800) 552-3866, www.tourhardincounty.org

JUNE 24-26

FRONTIER DAYS RODEO AND CARNIVAL Lynchburg Rodeo, carnival, rides and games, street dance and much more! CONTACT: (931) 759-4111, www.lynchburgtn.com JUNE 24-JULY 29

17th ANNUAL BLUEGRASS NIGHTS Thursdays at the Ryman Auditorium, Nashville The weekly series will feature Earl Scruggs, Vince Gill, Dailey & Vincent and the Del McCoury Band.

CONTACT: www.ryman.com JUNE 26

GENERATION 1000 Lexington Businesses, individuals, and churches come together for a family-oriented day. All bands, food, and giveaways are free. Everything is done on a volunteer basis.

CONTACT: (731) 614-2715 JUNE 26-27

BLOOMS DAYS 2010 UT Gardens, Knoxville Garden festival and market place featuring garden goods, dozens of workshops, kid’s activities, food and fun. CONTACT: (865) 974-8265, http://utgardens.tennessee.edu Events are subject to date change or cancellation. Please call ahead.

Home&Farm 43

JULY 3

SPRING CITY INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION Spring City All day event which includes: live music, food, contests, crafts, annual duck race and concludes with the fireworks display.

CONTACT: (423) 365-6441, www.springcitytennessee.com JULY 3

MCKENZIE FREEDOM FESTIVAL McKenzie A hometown celebration complete with flag waving parade, entertainment, music, historic characters, homemade ice cream contest (public chooses the winners), great food, crafts and spectacular fireworks.

CONTACT: (731) 352-2292 JULY 3-4

FESTIVAL OF THE LAKES Lexington Festival of the Lake features a BBQ Cook-off, Kayak, Canoe and Cardboard Boat Race, a Beach Baby and Miss Festival of the Lakes Pageant, live entertainment, lots of food and Accidents and Injuries Disability and Insurance Disputes Condemnation and Eminent Domain

fun and, of course, a fireworks extravaganza grand finale! CONTACT: (731) 968-2126, www.hctn.org JULY 3-4

40th ANNUAL JONESBOROUGH DAYS Jonesborough Patriotic celebration of the region’s heritage in agriculture and storytelling. Visit villages from different periods in time, see traditional handmade crafts, enjoy free concerts and children’s activities. CONTACT: (800) 401-4223, www.historicjonesborough.com JULY 4

ANVIL SHOOT AND CELEBRATION Museum of Appalachia, Norris Old-fashioned celebration with musicians, craftspeople and demonstrations of old-time activities such as sassafras tea brewing, shepherding, rail splitting and more. CONTACT: (865) 494-7680, www.museumofappalachia.org JULY 4

BLUEGRASS UNDERGROUND CELEBRATION Real Estate and Tax Business and Transactions Wills, Trusts and Probate

Our law firm has been delivering peace of mind to our clients since 1962.

Please contact us for a free consultation.

Cumberland Caverns, McMinnville Live bluegrass, underground in the volcano room of the cave. CONTACT: (931) 668-4396, www.bluegrassunderground.com JULY 8

SUMMER CELEBRATION LAWN & GARDEN SHOW UT Gardens, Jackson University of Tennessee experts spark creative ideas in visiting gardeners and offer lessons in horticulture management that can save you time and money. Tour the beautiful gardens, and purchase top-performing plants at the Master Gardener Plant Sale. CONTACT: (731) 425-4768 JULY 8-10

18th ANNUAL GREAT CELEBRATION MULE & DONKEY SHOW Historic Celebration Grounds, Shelbyville Mules and donkeys converge for competition in halter, driving, and saddle classes.

Includes a mule pulling contest, watermelon feast, barbecue dinner and more. CONTACT: (931) 684-5915, www.twhnc.com JULY 9-11

33rd ANNUAL UNCLE DAVE MACON DAYS FESTIVAL Murfreesboro Honors the memory of Uncle Dave Macon, one of the first Grand Ole Opry superstars.

Features music, dance, heritage activities, juried arts and crafts, food, a historic photo exhibit and storytelling. CONTACT: (800) 716-7560, www.uncledavemacondays.com JULY 10

WAYNE COUNTY FAMILY HISTORY AND CRAFTS FAIR

www.lassiterlaw.com | 615.259.9344 | 1850 One Nashville Pl., Nashville, TN 37219

Serving All of Middle Tennessee

Waynesboro Events include booths with family histories for research or purchase, genealogy seminars, a class on how to read “unreadable” headstones, and local craftsmen and women displaying their goods. CONTACT: (931) 722-5621 JULY 11

HALF MOON MUSIC FESTIVAL Watts Bar Lake, Ten Mile Come by water or land to enjoy live entertainment on Watts Bar Lake. The festival is located in Cane Creek (also known as Blue Springs Cove) across from mile marker 547.

CONTACT: info@roanealliance.org JULY 16-17

Storm Damage Restoration Toll-free: (877) 288-9977 www.willowworkstn.com 44 Home&Farm |Summer 2010

WHITE OAK MOUNTAIN BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL Tri-State Exhibition Center, Cleveland Highly acclaimed bluegrass bands delight crowds during the afternoon and evening.

CONTACT: (423) 476-9310, www.tsec.org tnfarmbureau.org

JULY 16-17

41st ANNUAL THRESHERMEN’S SHOW Adams Old-time threshing equipment, blacksmith, and mule pulls and tractor pulls are just part of the fun. Craft fair, flea market, children’s games, pony rides, food and family fun. CONTACT: (615) 696-2593, www.adamstennessee.com JULY 16-18

SCOPES TRIAL FESTIVAL Dayton Dramatic reenactment of the 1925 Scopes Evolution Trial held in the original courthouse. Crafts, food, car show, children’s area, music, and more. CONTACT: (423) 775-0361, www.rheacountyetc.com JULY 16-18

QUILTFEST Johnson City & Jonesborough The region’s largest quilting event, drawing quilters from across the United States. Quilt exhibits, classes and lectures. CONTACT: (423) 753-6644, www.tennesseequilts.com JULY 16-24

KINGSPORT FUN FEST Kingsport Features the world’s fastest 8-K race, concerts from nationally known artists, Splash Dance for kids, hot-air balloons.

Over 100 activities in nine days. CONTACT: (800) 743-5282, www.funfest.net

Where’s the Hose?

JULY 16-24

GATLINBURG CRAFTSMEN’S FAIR Gatlinburg Over 200 of the finest woodcarvers, potters, broom makers, stained glass makers, metal workers, basket weavers, calligraphers and jewelers. CONTACT: (865) 436-7479, www.craftsmenfair.com JULY 17

40TH ANNUAL SINGING ECHOES BLUE SPRINGS VALLEY SING Cleveland One of the best Southern Gospel festivals the Southeast has to offer! Lineup includes all-stars such as Karen Peck and New River, The Perrys, The Diplomats, Archie Watkins, The Inspirations and of course The Singing Echoes. CONTACT: (800) 472-6588, www.singingechoes.com JULY 17

BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL Livingston Down-home bluegrass festival with music, crafts, food and fun for the whole family!

CONTACT: (931) 823-6421 Events are subject to date change or cancellation. Please call ahead.

The hand-crafted Reel Barrel storage accessory will transform your garden hose area. No other product gives you the ease, convenience and beauty of an authentic Reel Barrel.

Reel Barrels LLC PO Box 457 Kodak, TN 37764 (865) 243-5175

www.reelbarrels.com Home&Farm 45

JULY 22

MILAN NO-TILL CROP PRODUCTION FIELD DAY Milan The nation’s largest field day devoted to no-tillage crop production techniques for increasing production, reducing expenses, improving marketing skills or increasing the efficiency of crop production operations.

Numerous community events and activities coincide with the field day. CONTACT: (731) 686-7362, http://milan.tennessee.edu JULY 23-25

GRAINGER COUNTY TOMATO FESTIVAL Rutledge Events include Civil War encampment, Arts & Cultural Exposition, tomato wars, 5K fun run, antique car show, artisan and more.

CONTACT: (865) 828-4222, www. graingercountytomatofestival.com JULY 24

CHATTANOOGA DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL Chattanooga The festival features over 50 sponsored teams, all racing and having fun raising

money for T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital Foundation. CONTACT: (877) 580-7223, penny@dynamiceventsllc.com

AUGUST

JULY 24-30

PICKIN’ AND GRINNIN’ WITH MIKE SNIDER Studio A at the Opry House, Nashville Grand Ole Opry member and former Hee Haw cast member Mike Snider takes the lead, delivering jokes and impeccable musicianship like no one else in town.

CONTACT: (800) SEE-OPRY, www.opry.com JULY 31

FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL Warriors’ Path State Park, Kingsport Celebrate the good old days with traditional entertainment from the East Tennessee hills!

Enjoy a day full of old-timey music, games and tales. CONTACT: (423) 239-5786 JULY 31

DOWNTOWN PARIS ICE CREAM SOCIAL Paris An all-you-can-eat ice cream extravaganza along the streets of beautiful and historic downtown Paris. CONTACT: (731) 642-9271, www.VisitDowntownParis.com

AUGUST 5-6

LOWES CELEBRATION OF LIFE TBCC AUCTION PAR-TEE AND GOLF CLASSIC Hermitage Golf Course, Old Hickory Auction Par-Tee takes place on Aug. 5, followed by the Golf Classic the next day.

Both events are fundraisers for Tennessee Breast Cancer Coalition (TBCC). CONTACT: Jami Eller (615) 377-8777, www.tbcc.org AUGUST 5-8

HIGHWAY 127 CORRIDOR SALE – WORLD’S LONGEST YARD SALE Hwy. 127 Headquartered in Jamestown, the world’s longest yard sale stretches for 654 miles along Hwy. 127. CONTACT: (800) 327-3945, www.127sale.com AUGUST 6-7

CHEROKEE DAYS OF RECOGNITION Red Clay State Historic Park, Cleveland Held at the last eastern council grounds for the Cherokee Nation, this annual event celebrates Cherokee customs with food, storytelling, music, dance, crafts and more.

CONTACT: (800) 472-6588, www.visitclevelandtn.com AUGUST 6-8

ROCK-A-BILLY FESTIVAL Jackson The world’s largest gathering of Rock-A-Billy artists and musicians, featuring the pioneers of Rock-A-Billy music as well as new artists. CONTACT: (731) 427-6262, www.rockabillyhall.org AUGUST 8

TOMATO ART FEST East Nashville This costume-friendly event boasts a day of art, food, music, and fun. Festivities include live music, tomato toss, tomato art show, children’s art show, tomato tasting, recipe contest, parade and more. CONTACT: (615) 226-2070, www.tomatoartfest.com AUGUST 10-16

ELVIS WEEK Memphis Elvis Week is a celebration of the music, movies and life of Elvis Presley and always includes the annual candlelight vigil on the night of August 15. CONTACT: (800) 238-2000, www.elvis.com

46 Home&Farm |Summer 2010

tnfarmbureau.org

AUGUST 13-14

SMOKIN’ IN MCMINNVILLE McMinnville Barbeque cook-off at the McMinnville Civic Center. CONTACT: (931) 473-1212, www.mcminnvilletenn.com AUGUST 13-21

WILSON COUNTY FAIR Lebanon Tennessee’s largest county fair includes crafts, rides, contests, livestock, entertainment, and food. CONTACT: (800) 789-1327, www.wilsoncountycvb.com AUGUST 14

DENNIS FERGUSON FISHING RODEO Harriman Kids only free fishing tournament for ages 5-14: prizes, trophies awarded and lunch included. CONTACT: (800) FUN-IN-TN, www.roanealliance.org AUGUST 14-15

DAVID CROCKETT DAYS Lawrenceburg Celebrates the birth of David Crockett, pioneer, political leader and one of Tennessee and

Greene County’s most famous sons. Explore living history demonstrations of frontier life, workshops, games, crafts, period food and music. CONTACT: (423) 257-2167, coleman@tn.gov AUGUST 20

29th ANNUAL BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL Blue Ridge State Park, Maynardville Bluegrass, gospel bands, and old-time country music bands perform. CONTACT: (800) 471-5305 AUGUST 20-28

CUMBERLAND COUNTY FAIR Crossville Award-winning fair and midway with pageants, contests, live music, food and livestock/best in show judging contests. CONTACT: (931) 484-9454, www.cumberlandcountyfair.com AUGUST 22-28

FENTRESS COUNTY AGRICULTURAL FAIR Jamestown State Champion Fair has an array of demonstrations and competitions for any spectator. Livestock shows, flat track racing, a huge demolition derby, live entertainment throughout the week and a large carnival.

CONTACT: www.fentresscountyfair.com

Events are subject to date change or cancellation. Please call ahead.

AUGUST 24-25

FRANKLIN MAIN STREET FESTIVAL Franklin Free street festival with 220 arts/crafts booths, four stages, two carnivals and three food courts. CONTACT: (615) 591-8500, nwilliams@historicfranklin.com AUGUST 25- SEPTEMBER 4

72nd ANNUAL TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE NATIONAL CELEBRATION Celebration Grounds, Shelbyville The world championship show of Tennessee’s native breed of show horse.

Champions in 34 divisions will be crowned with the World Grand Champion Tennessee Walking Horse being named. CONTACT: (931) 684-5915, www.twhnc.com AUGUST 28

CREPE MYRTLE FESTIVAL Ardmore Crafts, live entertainment, children’s games, specialty foods and more. CONTACT: (256) 423-7588, www.gilescountytourism.com

Home&Farm 47

View From the Back Porch

Suburbatopia Backyard gardening satisfies taste buds and hearts About the Author Carol Cowan is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to Tennessee Home & Farm. Her suburban idyll is located in Spring Hill, where she lives and gardens with her husband and the youngest three of her seven children.

48 Home&Farm |Summer 2010

D

espite living smack-dab in the middle of a city subdivision, with yards on the small side to boot, I am enjoying what was once the exclusive province of the rural population: vegetable gardening. And, I might add, the distinctly fresh, sun-kissed produce that makes its way to my family’s dinner table as a result.

Motivated by magazine articles touting trendy catchphrases like “green living” and “slow food,” I decided early in the spring of 2009 to hop aboard the urban-gardening bandwagon and ride it into my own 60-by-40-foot backyard.

I wasn’t new to this gardening thing. In the 1980s, I lived a back-to-the-land lifestyle on 20 riverside acres in the remote reaches of Northeast Washington. There, my garden stretched out in long, spacious rows, while the perfect southern exposure and rich soil yielded bushels upon bushels of corn, potatoes, carrots and tomatoes. In those days, spring and summer were a blur of planting, weeding, harvesting and putting up enough food to see my family

through to the next year. How well I recalled the satisfaction of having my freezer full and my pantry stocked from the bounty of my garden.

Since moving to Tennessee in 1999, however, neither time nor space had allowed me to take advantage of my new home’s long, hot growing season and plentiful sunshine and rain. But 2009 marked the year of change for me; if other working city-dwellers could grow a garden, I thought, so could I. Luckily, a good friend who is an avid urban gardener was happy to lend a hand. She nurtured pots of tender tomato plants through the chilly early spring and hauled in supplies for building raised beds and soil and compost to fill them. We built three beds in a couple of evenings after work.

We started planting the early crops – lettuce, spinach, radishes, green onions – the following Saturday morning. Within minutes, my 11-yearold daughter and her neighborhood friends appeared, begging to poke the tiny seeds into the dark soil. I stood back and watched, marveling that right here in my yard, the thing all those inspiring articles had said was coming true – these “city kids” were making a connection with where food comes from. As the weeks went on, the kids monitored the progress of “their” plants and eventually sampled the fruits of their labor, some even daring to taste foods they wouldn’t have touched otherwise.

Meanwhile, the rest of the garden came along nicely too. Colorful bunches of Swiss chard popped up, to my delight and that of two little brown bunnies who became frequent visitors in spite of our dog. Peas climbed a lattice of string and plumped in the sun; English cucumbers stretched and swelled almost before our eyes.

And the tomatoes, oh, the tomatoes – tiny ones as sweet as candy, and big, fat, juicy ones sliced for sandwiches and diced for salsa.

Needless to say, 2010 has us gardening again, in spite of the limitations posed by our suburban lifestyle. Stepping out the back door to survey my verdant domain, I feel as rich as any land baron, and as well fed. tnfarmbureau.org