VOLUME 92 NO. 1
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
Farm Woman of the Year
A PUBLICATION OF MISSISSIPPI FARM BUREAU FEDERATION • MSFB.ORG
C O N T E N T S
january /february 2016 Volume 92 Number 1 January/February 2016
FEATURES
Mississippi Farm Country (ISSN 1529-9600) magazine is published bimonthly by the Mississippi Farm Bureau® Federation.
6
Farm Bureau members receive this publication as part of their membership benefit. Periodicals postage is paid at Jackson, MS and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to P.O. Box 1972, Jackson, MS 39215 EDITORIAL AND BUSINESS OFFICES 6311 Ridgewood Road, Jackson, MS 39211 601-977-4153 EDITOR — Glynda Phillips ADVERTISING Angela Ellis 1-800-227-8244 ext. 4242 aellis@msfb.org FARM BUREAU OFFICERS President — Mike McCormick Vice President — Donald Gant Vice President — Ted Kendall IV Vice President — Reggie Magee Treasurer — Billy Davis Corporate Secretary — Kent Bloodworth FARM BUREAU DIRECTORS Dr. Jim Perkins, Iuka Matt Orman, Hickory Flat Tommy Swindoll, Hernando Bob Workman, Sledge Tripp Thomas, Batesville Dan Bishop, Baldwyn Herbert Word, Okolona Craig Canull, Caledonia Pepper Beard, McCarley Dott Arthur, Carthage Kenneth Thompson, Philadelphia Paul Myrick, Stringer Quinton Mills, Forest James Newman, Rolling Fork Robert Earl McGehee Jr., Brookhaven Earl Gay Edwards, Smithdale Bobby Selman, Monticello Dorothy Cole, Richton J. B. Brown, Perkinston Tom Daniels, Gulfport Betty Mills, Winona Kelly Davidson, Ruleville HONORARY VICE PRESIDENT Louis J. Breaux III Material in this publication is based on what the editor believes to be reliable information. Neither Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation nor those individuals or organizations contributing to the MFBF publication assume any liability for errors that might go undetected in the publication — this includes statements in articles or advertisements that could lead to erroneous personal or business management decisions. FARM BUREAU,® FB® and all Farm Bureau logos used in this magazine are registered service marks owned by the American Farm Bureau Federation. They may not be used in any commercial manner without the prior written consent of the American Farm Bureau Federation.
FARM WOMAN OF THE YEAR
Christine Fielder of Yalobusha County was named Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Farm Woman of the Year. She was recognized for her contributions to Farm Bureau, Mississippi agriculture and her local community. Come with us as we learn more about this outstanding individual.
21
AG BOOK OF THE YEAR
The 2016 Ag Book of the Year is “Millie’s Chickens” by Brenda Williams, illustrated by Valeria Cis. One of Millie’s hens, Silkie, gets lost but is quickly found with a clutch of eggs. Millie is kept contentedly busy looking after the chickens and the new baby chicks.
24 SUNBELT AG EXPO
Mississippi was the Spotlight State at this year’s Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia. Sweeter in Mississippi was the theme of the state’s presentation. We look back at this event through photo coverage.
PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS
Enjoy the first-place winners of the first-ever photo contest sponsored by the MFBF Women’s Programs. A special thanks to all who participated.
28
DEPARTMENTS
ABOUT THE COVER
4 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 10 FARM FACTS 13 MEMBER BENEFITS
Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Farm Woman of the Year Christine Fielder is pictured on her farm near Coffeeville in Yalobusha County.
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
3
P R E S I D E N T’S M E S S A G E Mike McCormick –President, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation
A New Year As one year ends and another begins, I find myself wondering what the coming months will bring. Farmers are eternal optimists, but we also know that life can be challenging at times. Some years we do everything right — and everything looks promising — only to learn, yet again, just how vulnerable we are to the markets and Mother Nature. Still, I wouldn’t do anything else, and my fellow farmers agree. One of the most gratifying experiences of my life — and one that is a constant reminder of how much I love farm life — has been opening my land to lease hunting. I enjoy my association with the people who hunt on my land, but I am delighted that most of them simply want to spend some time in the country. These men often bring their children along, and I let them ride with me on the 4-wheeler to look at newborn calves and watch me put out hay. One man’s daughter told him it was the first time she had heard silence. She and her family live on a busy street in Baton Rouge. Can you imagine never hearing silence? On the other hand, can you imagine never hearing chickens cackle, frogs sing, cows low and honey bees buzz? Some of these kids ask me what farmers do and why. There are a lot of misconceptions about farming, and I try to set the record straight. I also try to encourage my visitors to appreciate what farmers do for 4
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
them every single day. Our population has grown so many generations removed from farm life there exists a real danger that our citizens will forget how important a strong domestic agriculture is to the security and wellbeing of our state and nation. Here at Farm Bureau, we work hard each year to make sure consumers never forget who is responsible for their abundant, safe and affordable supply of food and fiber. STATE CONVENTION
Farm Bureau enjoyed a very successful state convention in December. Our annual membership meeting is one of my favorite times of the year. Not only do we have an opportunity to take care of business, we also get to visit with friends. The same holds true for the national convention in January. These meetings are where we finalize the policies that will guide our work in the coming year, and it is an awesome and effective process that involves hundreds of voting delegates from across the state and nation. Speaking of our policy development and implementation process, the 2016 Session of the Mississippi Legislature is set to convene January 5 at noon. Farm Bureau will face some very important and difficult issues this year, but we have an excellent Public Policy Program and a group of dedicated staff members and volunteer leaders who will work together to resolve them.
Camille Scales Young and her team at Cornerstone Government Affairs will join Environmental Programs Coordinator Andy Whittington and Public Policy Coordinator Justin Brooks in helping Farm Bureau navigate this session. Camille, who began her career at Farm Bureau, has an extensive understanding of our organization, our policies and our goals to improve Mississippi agriculture. She also brings almost two decades of experience in the practice of state and federal governmental affairs. Her team members, Chris Champion, Hunt Shipman and Joe Sims, are similarly well versed. I’m excited about the upcoming legislative session. I hope to see you at the Capitol. ANOTHER YEAR OF SERVICE
Established by a handful of visionary farmers almost a century ago, Farm Bureau has grown to be one of the largest and most influential voluntary agricultural organizations in the state and nation. We accomplished all of this while upholding the high moral principles and conservative tradition of our founding fathers. What was true almost 100 years ago remains true today, and I think that’s pretty impressive. As we begin yet another year of service to our members, I ask that you continue to remember me in your thoughts and prayers. Your confidence in my ability to lead this great organization is a trust I will never take for granted. Thanks for being there when Farm Bureau and I needed you this past year, and I wish for you and your family a happy and blessed 2016. FB JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
The Farm Families of Mississippi (FFM) Ag Promotion Campaign held its annual fundraising dinner in October at Table 100 in Flowood. The event also serves to spotlight local foods and the farmers who grow them. Table 100 staff, pictured with Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Communications Coordinator Greg Gibson, are (from left) Jessica Furches, Sous Chef; Nate Delaware, General Manager; Stephen Kruger, Sous Chef; Chris Sullivan, Assistant Manager; Gibson; Mary Allen Bennett, Sales Manager; Jamie Patrick, Sous Chef; and Mike Roemhild, Executive Chef.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
5
“IT IS SUCH AN HONOR TO RECEIVE THIS AWARD, AND IT IS A JOY TO WORK WITH AGRICULTURE. IN ADDITION TO MY RESPONSIBILITIES AS A WIFE, A MOTHER AND A GRANDMOTHER, I CAN’T THINK OF ANYTHING I WOULD LIKE TO DO MORE.” — Christine Fielder
Farm Woman of the Year B Y G LY N D A P H I L L I P S
Yalobusha County cow/calf farmer Christine Fielder has been named the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) Farm Woman of the Year. The announcement was made prior to state convention activities in December. Christine was selected from among entries from around the state. A longtime Farm Bureau volunteer leader, Christine says she appreciates the many ways the organization supports our nation’s farmers, especially its efforts to carry the farmer’s story to the general public. “I have lived on a farm my whole life,” she said. “I know how important it is to support our farmers and what they do for all of us. With the world as it is today, we are only one generation removed from being without a domestic food supply because of a lack of knowledge about agriculture. We must make an effort to teach people to appreciate agriculture and how it sustains us.” TEACHING KIDS
Christine especially enjoys working with kids. Despite health issues that caused her to retire after working as a 4-H program assistant with the Yalobusha County Extension Office for almost 20 years, Christine makes a point of taking agriculture into area schools and other venues. As vice chair of the Yalobusha County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee, she uses materials from Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom
program. She also uses materials from the Mississippi Beef Council. “I have made butter in the classroom. I have taken plants into the classroom to talk about the different parts of the plant that can be eaten,” she said. “I have read books to the students. I have passed out materials and games. I like to see the lightbulb come on in a kid’s eyes when they get it. They really relate to this visual way of learning, and that is neat.” Christine says in her volunteer work with Farm Bureau, she uses many of the skills she learned while working with the Yalobusha County Extension Office. She also volunteered with the county 4-H program for 10 years before she began her career with Extension. “I think the Extension Service blends well with Farm Bureau,” she said. “We have the same purpose of making more educated farmers and taking the farmer’s message out to the public.” FARM LIFE
Christine and her husband, Billy Dean, are both retired from off-the-farm jobs. They have a small commercial Angus cow/ calf operation near Coffeeville. “Before my health kept me out of the fields, I would drive a combine, rake hay and drive a truck full of soybeans,” she said. “I would take the pickup out into the fields to check on the cows and to count calves.” Today, she helps with office work and is
fascinated with the important role computers are playing in farming. “One of the more modern-day aspects of farming is the computer,” she said. “My husband uses a computer and an Excel spreadsheet to keep up with what goes into the operation and how much money our farm makes. That is very interesting to me.” Christine says she is humbled by the Farm Woman of the Year honor. “I think there are so many other women farmers across the state who are far more deserving of this award,” she said. “It is such an honor to receive it, and it is a joy to work with agriculture. In addition to my responsibilities as a wife, a mother and a grandmother, I can’t think of anything I would like to do more.” The Fielders have two sons and five grandchildren, Brooke, Breanna, Arthur, Lance and Leah. Christine also served as an Emergency Medical Technician for her community before health issues made this too difficult. The MFBF Farm Woman of the Year Award was established to recognize, encourage and reward the achievements of women farmers. The recipient personifies the highest level of professional excellence in agriculture. For more information about the award, contact MFBF Women’s Programs and Ag in the Classroom Coordinator Clara Bilbo at (601) 977-4245. Or visit the Farm Bureau website at www.msfb.org. FB
“I have lived on a farm my whole life,” she said. “I know how important it is to support our farmers and what they do for all of us. With the world as it is today, we are only one generation removed from being without a domestic food supply because of a lack of knowledge about agriculture. We must make an effort to teach people to appreciate agriculture and how it sustains us.” — Christine Fielder
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
7
C
N
OPERAT E L T IO T A
IS SOURCE OF PRIDE AND JOY B Y G LY N D A P H I L L I P S
Cattleman Willie Clay’s farming operation near West Point is a source of pride and joy to him. Even so, he worked at other jobs for many years before deciding to return to the old homeplace to raise cattle. “After receiving a degree in business administration from Rust College, I managed three department stores for seven years,” he said. “But as the retail industry began to change, I found myself looking for something else.” Willie’s brother hauled livestock on a part-time basis, so Willie decided to work with him for a year. He liked it so much he never looked back. “I was in trucking for 18 years when my dad’s health began to fail,” he said. “He was a lifelong farmer who had cotton, cattle and hogs as well as a truck patch of vegetables. When a portion of his land fell to me, I started running steers on it. “As time went on, I purchased more land and began to get more serious about the cattle business,” he said. “I am still a contract truck driver with Willie Clay Trucking LLC. I haul livestock to stockyards and feedlots in many states across the nation. But farming is something I love and something I want to be able to do in my retirement.” BUILDING A CATTLE OPERATION
When he decided to purchase the additional land, Willie visited his local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to see about taking it out of the Conservation Reserve Program. The land was grown up in weeds and fescue, so the FSA referred him to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for help in transforming it into quality land JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
for grazing cattle. He applied to many cost“I do rotational grazing every five to 10 share programs through the Environmen- days, and I can graze more cattle that way,” he tal Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) and said. “I have also placed my gates in strategic initially received help in building fences and locations. This is a process I designed myself three ponds. Through the years, he has also for more efficient movement of my cattle to received help in renovating those ponds as different fields. It cuts down on time and well as putting in heavy labor. I let my cattle use pads, spraying for graze, but I feed them weeds and controlling WILLIE BELIEVES FORAGES SHOULD range cubes twice a erosion in critical areas. PROVIDE THE NEEDED NUTRIENTS TO week to make it easier In addition, Willie PRODUCE QUALITY ANIMALS. HE HAS to move them from says he has received DEVELOPED A GRAZING SYSTEM WHICH pasture to pasture.” help from the county HE SAYS EXTENDS HIS GRAZING SEASON, Willie and his Extension office, whose HELPS REDUCE FEEDING COSTS AND farm were recently experts have helped ENHANCES PROFITABILITY FROM THE featured in a Grazing SALE OF CATTLE. him with a variety of Lands and Beef Catpractices, including tle Field Day sponrotational grazing and planting forage sored by the USDA-NRCS, Mississippi grasses. Dr. Gordan Hazard, a retired West Minority Farmers Alliance and Winston Point veterinarian, trained him in back- County Self Help Cooperative. He hopes grounding his cattle. those farmers who toured his operation “I was running up to 210 head of steer were inspired by what they saw. at the time,” he said. “I would get the cattle at 500 pounds and feed them up to 800 to ACTIVITIES & FAMILY 900 pounds. I would retain ownership of Willie is a member of the Clay County them when they went to the feedlots, where Cattlemen’s Association, an advisor with the they would feed them up to 1,000 pounds Clay County FSA Committee and a memthen sell them. ber of Kappa Alpha Psi. He is a member of “I did that until last year when prices Mt. Union M.B. Church, where he serves were getting higher,” he said. “In Novem- as a deacon. He was president of the nowber 2014, I changed to a cow/calf operation.” defunct Northside Community Club of West Point, which worked with area youth. A GRAZING SYSTEM He is a longtime member of Monroe Willie believes forages should provide County Farm Bureau. the needed nutrients to produce quality Willie’s wife, Ocenia, served in the childanimals. He has developed a grazing sys- care industry for 25 years. Their five chiltem which he says extends his grazing sea- dren are Willie Jr., Timothy T., Bridgett, son, helps reduce feeding costs and enhances Carla and Chemitra. They have three grandprofitability from the sale of cattle. children, Colin, Caleb and Ajja. FB
m n
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
9
FarmFacts: S T R A I G H T F R O M A M I S S I S S I P P I FA R M E R
Blessed to be a Farmer by Coley Bailey Jr. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a farmer. While growing up, I remember begging my mother every day after school to drop me off at the farm on our way home. I would spend every afternoon, every Saturday and all summer on the farm with my father and grandfather. I knew then that there would never be anything else I would ever want to do. My grandfather started farming in 1935. My father and I are still farming the same land today that he started with back then. I often think about all the changes that have come about in farming in the 80 years my family has been farming. My grandfather, Joe Bailey, used to tell me that mainly what
10
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
he managed was people when he began farming. Of course, when he started, he had several families of sharecroppers living on the farm. I have heard my dad say that when he was born in 1950, there were 400 families making a living in agriculture between Coffeeville and Grenada. Now, there are only two. My grandfather loved that era of farming, and he was well suited for it. He knew the importance of agriculture having a strong voice. He was a strong supporter of Mississippi Farm Bureau and also served four terms in the Mississippi House of Representatives, where he was chairman of the House Ag Committee for 12 of those 16 years.
My father, Coley Bailey Sr., graduated from Mississippi State in 1972 and came home to farm with my grandfather. By this time, he and my grandfather were farming 1,500 acres of row crops and also had 1,000 head of cattle. My father has told me that when he came home to the farm, the number of families making a living in agriculture in our area had dropped to less than 15. By this time, farming had changed to a more mechanical type of farming. Tractors with larger equipment and chemicals had replaced mules and plows. When I was a kid, I remember us farming this acreage with
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
Pictured with Coley and Jody are son, Cole, 11, and daughter, Mackenzie, 15.
nine tractors and 10 employees. My father has also been a strong advocate for agriculture by being involved in Mississippi Chemical, the National Cotton Council, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Staplcotn. I graduated from Mississippi State in 1994 and couldn’t wait to come home to the farm. By this time, there were only three families making a living in agriculture in our area. I started working for my father and grandfather in May 1994. When my grandfather passed away in 1997, my grandmother sold me my grandfather’s share of the farm, and I officially became a partner with my father. A lot has changed in just my 21 years of farming. We are now farming 3,500 acres
of row crops, consisting of 3,000 acres of cotton with a few hundred acres of grain, and we also have 750 acres of timber. With advancements in seed, technology and
equipment, we are farming 3,500 acres with just my father, two full-time employees, a college student who works after school and summers, a part-time employee during planting and harvest and me. We are 100 percent no-till and are farming with three tractors, a sprayer and two cotton pickers. We have our grain harvested by a neighbor. My grandfather and father have always encouraged me to be an advocate for agriculture. I am involved with our local school board, Cotton Incorporated, county and state Farm Bureau activities, the NRCS and the Mississippi Boll Weevil Association. I would not be able to do what I love to do every day without the love and support of my family. My wife, Jody, was raised on a cattle farm so she knew and understood the
I would not be able to do what I love to do every day without the love and support of my family. My wife, Jody, was raised on a cattle farm so she knew and understood the hardships associated with farming before we got married. She plays a very important role on this farm by keeping all the books and chemical records and running the office part of the business while I get to stay in the field every day. — Coley Bailey Jr. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
11
Photo by Danielle Cox Ginn
hardships associated with farming before we got married. She plays a very important role on this farm by keeping all the books and chemical records and running the office part of the business while I get to stay in the field every day. She does all this while being heavily involved in our church, our children’s
12
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
school, our county Farm Bureau and the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Women’s Committee. I definitely believe that all farmers in our nation share my thoughts when I say that we are truly grateful to our spouses for making the sacrifices they do to allow us to be farmers.
Jody and I are blessed with two children. Mackenzie is 15 and Cole is 11. Nothing makes me happier than waking up and walking into the kitchen between 5 and 5:30 in the morning and seeing my son already awake and dressed and ready to go to the farm and spend the day with me and his grandfather. I am so grateful that he has the opportunity to grow up on a family farm like I did, and if he loves it as much as I did and still do, I look forward to the day that he comes home to farm with me and his grandfather. As you can see, not only do I get up every morning and go do what I love to do, but I get to do it with the ones I love. And for that I am truly blessed. The Farm Families of Mississippi (FFM) Agriculture Promotion Campaign was created to educate the public about the agriculture industry. For more information, contact Greg Gibson at (601) 977-4154.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
13
This view of the inside of the store is from upstairs.
Janice Pickett uses the original 100-year-old cheese slicer.
Leslie Pickett is shown in the pumpkin patch at Pickett Farms.
The old antique wood-burning stove is an interesting piece of memorabilia.
THE SIMMONS-WRIGHT COMPANY
O
ne of the best ways to experience a slice of Mississippi history is to visit an old country store. Quite a few of them are still around, and a number of them are open to the public. A fine example is The SimmonsWright Company located in Kewanee east of Meridian in Lauderdale County. In recent years, the 1884 Café has been added to the store and serves lunch six days a week. SOME HISTORY
Built in 1884 by William Simmons and Tom Wright, who moved to the area from North Carolina, The Simmons-Wright Company has been run by family members ever since. The original building burned to the ground when the store next to it burned in 1926. A bigger building, to incorporate both stores, was built and still stands today. The store has been owned and operated by C. H. Ryan and Rowena, Bo and Jean Simmons as partners in the mid-20th century then Bernice Simmons from the mid-1970s until her death in 1998 at the
age of 96. Bernice, a good businesswoman and beloved member of her community, bequeathed the store to Gary and Manning Pickett. She made them promise to never open the store on Sundays and to never sell beer — two promises they kept. The Simmons-Wright Company is currently run by Gary and Janice Pickett with help from their son, Robby, and daughter, Leslie. The Picketts strive to keep alive the memory of all of their forebears but especially Aunt Bernice. “This store was once the center of activity for our community, especially during the Great Depression,” Leslie said. “The owners would keep a running tab for customers who sometimes couldn’t afford to purchase
groceries or supplies. Some of their customers would bring cotton to pay for their purchases, and some would ask if the owners would include a little cash in with their supplies. In this way, the store carried the community through the Great Depression.” “Back in those days, cotton was an important crop. This store tried to support area farm families by selling everything from food and a .22 rifle to antibiotics, hardware, clothing, shoes and John Deere equipment,” said Gary. “Our town had a depot where passenger and freight trains regularly stopped. Fischer Hardware in Selma, Alabama, would send orders for hardware by train so our store would receive them the next day. That was considered a very important service to customers at the time.” THE STORE TODAY
“Today, The Simmons-Wright Company sells antiques, seed and feed, small gardening and farm equipment and grocery items. We also display interesting memorabilia, like an antique wood-burning stove, antique signs and the original antique cash register,”
B Y G LY N D A P H I L L I P S JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
15
said Leslie. “We have hoop cheese, which we cut using the original 100-year-old slicer. We have even added a café to our store.” The 1884 Café serves lunch every day except Sunday. The Picketts say they have customers from the community and nearby towns as well as tourists from around the state, the nation and the world. Located near the store are a cotton gin built in 1934 as well as an old grist mill, blacksmith shop, warehouse and barn. The store and surrounding buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. “We have had church groups, tourists and school kids tour our facilities,” Gary said. “We also had a pumpkin patch on Pickett Farms this year.” PICKETT FARMS
Pumpkins aren’t new to Pickett Farms. They were grown by H.A. Pickett, Gary’s father, who before he left the farm to serve in World War II, taught farming and agriculture at nearby Preston, Mississippi. “When he returned from the war, he
16
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
wanted to teach agriculture to veterans,” Gary said. “He started his own seed company, where he grew, cleaned and sold Mississippi certified seed. He was one of the first in the area to develop and use irrigation. He An old cotton gin and barn are located on the property. was also one of the first to use a The Simmons-Wright Company is open round hay baler and to clean, dry and store large amounts of grain. He farmed corn, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to cotton, vegetables, hay, soybeans, wheat, 5 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is closed on Sunday. Private parties and hogs and cattle. He grew pumpkins until tours of the cotton gin are welcome. For more his death in 1989.” information, you may visit the Facebook page Gary worked in the logging business and or call the store at (601) 632-1884. FB farmed a bit before his retirement. Janice had an antique business and taught school before she retired. You will find Gary and Gary Pickett served for a time on the LauderJanice at the store most days now. dale County Farm Bureau Board of Directors.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
hack S d l s O A SMALL PIECE OF THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA B Y G LY N D A P H I L L I P S
When Billy Jones was a boy, his father would often take Billy says he knew the original houses were fairly small — him fishing in the Mississippi Delta. He says he noticed the most of them about 12-foot by 12-foot in size — where an old tenant houses scattered about, and those images stayed entire family lived. So that’s the image he kept in his head as with him through the years. he began to work with the wood. “When I was old enough to work with my hands, I thought “I made some of the houses wrong in the beginning because about those houses,” he said. “They are a part of our history, that’s the way I learn,” he said. “But I kept trying until I finally and they are the kind of houses some of our famous blues got them in proportion, and they looked pretty good. musicians and others were raised in. I wanted to hold onto the “I sat there and thought about what those houses had and memory of them, so I began to make small replicas.” didn’t have,” he said. “Some of them had wells. Some of them
had a stump with an ax buried in it and a pile of wood nearby “Those were the toughest,” he said. “You have the frets for heating the house and cooking food. and the bridge and the strings. The strings have to be placed “The houses didn’t have electricity or televisions back then, parallel and run over the neck just so, or it doesn’t look right. so I guessed the people who lived there must have music for One of my tiny shacks was presented to Loretta Lynn, and entertainment. Mississippi is known for its musicians, and the first thing she noticed was the little guitar. She said, ‘Oh, maybe that’s one reason why. The blues really did start in it even has strings.’” the Mississippi Delta.” Billy’s tiny houses are made of barn and fence wood, usually Billy began making tiny guitars and banjos to go with pine, that is covered with a veneer to make it strong. The roofs the houses. are made of tin, which he rusts just so then treats with oil to
keep them from rusting more. He says it
takes him five to six weeks to make one house. Billy took his first offerings to a flea market in another state. His customers wanted to know if his stuff was really handmade. He scratched his head and asked other vendors what that meant. They told him that some of the sellers would purchase their products and resale them at the flea market. “That just didn’t seem fair to me,” he said. Billy’s meticulously rendered houses start at $375 and go up from there, depending on how detailed they are. He also makes churches and has made a facsimile of a small, turn-of-the-century town. “I spend a great deal of time making the shacks in my workshop here at my home in Clinton,” he said. “I also have a small workshop at my home in Waynesville, North Carolina. Sometimes, I will work on one of the houses until I just get burned out, and I will leave it alone for a while then come back to it later.’”
Alcorn20County Courthouse MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
He says he also makes gun pins to stick on your cap like “a true redneck.” He crafts guitar and banjo earrings. The earrings sell for $35 a pair. Billy doesn’t advertise, but he does have a website: www.oldshacks.com. He is also
a member of the Mississippi Craftsmen’s Guild and sells his tiny houses at the Mississippi Crafts Center in Ridgeland. Billy was commissioned to render a replica of the Old Red Barn (circa 1918) in Rolling Fork. The barn, which collapsed in recent years, at various times housed mules, a dairy and even an office for a World War II flying ace. “Oh everyone in the Delta knew about the Old Red Barn,” he said. “When you were going to meet someone, that’s where you met them.” Visit the Mississippi Crafts Center or Billy’s website for a look at his work. He sells under the name Old Shacks. For more information, Billy says you may call him at (601) 260-7205. His email address is billy@OldShacks.com. FB Billy Jones is a member of First Baptist Church of Clinton, a 1957 graduate of Clinton High School and a longtime Hinds County Farm Bureau member.
Historic Corinth Depot and Crossroads Museum
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
Millie’s Chickens The 2016 Ag Book of the Year is “Millie’s Chickens” by Brenda Williams, illustrated by Valeria Cis. The book has a rhyming text. Millie’s backyard is filled with plants, a slide, a clothesline and happily pecking chickens. One of Millie’s hens, Silkie, gets lost but is quickly found with a clutch of eggs. Millie is kept contentedly busy looking after the chickens and the new baby chicks. Endpapers display an assortment of heritage breed chickens. The book has an informative text on keeping chickens, chicken anatomy, the parts of an egg and the life cycle of chickens as well as suggestions of different cooking methods for eggs. “Millie’s Chickens” will sell for $6 and can be ordered by calling Pam Jones at (601) 977-4854.
Fillmore Street Church
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
Borroum’s Drug Store
Verandah-Curlee House
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
21
Hummers WATC H I N G T H E
B Y G LY N D A P H I L L I P S
Folks who enjoy feeding the rubythroated hummingbirds that migrate through our state each year on their way to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean islands will probably agree about one thing. They are fascinating to watch. Suzanne Johnson says she has been watching them for 25 years, and the tiny “hummers” never cease to amaze her. “I don’t ever get tired of them. I started with just a few feeders then added more,” she said on an early September morning as we sat on the back porch of the farmhouse she shares with her husband near Holcomb. “Now we have 18 feeders. Hear their wings?” Hummingbird wings beat about 60 to 80 times per second and produce a humming noise, hence the name. You watch in amazement as they seem to hover in mid-air. The birds also squeak. Some birdwatchers theorize they squeak or chirp if a feeder needs sugar water or if they simply want to be noticed. Most hummers make noises when protecting their territory. You notice that the birds aggressively guard their territory from other birds — even sometimes from insects. Suzanne explains how she has rescued more than one bird, which for one reason or another, couldn’t fly because of an injury or because it was stunned from falling from a nest or flying into a glass window. “Hummingbirds will enter a hibernationlike state called torpor when they sleep,” she said. “So if you think they are injured, you should watch them for a moment to see if
22
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
they wake up and are okay. Once, I saw a hummingbird hanging upside down on the feeder. Finally, it woke up and flew away.” FEEDING HUMMERS
Suzanne says she has used about 297 pounds of sugar this year in the sugar water she has fed her hummingbird visitors. She fills the feeders twice a day with about three cups of sugar water each. “It has been a strange year,” she said. “A friend of mine noticed there were intense numbers of hummingbirds this past spring. Maybe the storms in Texas and Louisiana caused them to gather in greater numbers here. I do know 10 years ago, after Hurricane Katrina, I had more hummingbirds than usual in September. I fed them 160 pounds of sugar in just that one month alone.” The hummers usually begin arriving near the end of March and the beginning of April. Their numbers swell in early to mid-September. Then near the end of September, like the snap of two fingers, they are gone. But some birds do remain in the Gulf States and the outer banks of North Carolina. “When they go, it’s quiet,” Suzanne said. “I miss them.” Suzanne says hummingbirds are the only birds that don’t need the parent birds to tell them where to go when migrating. “They know instinctively how to get to where they need to be,” she said. “They are just fantastic creatures.” Suzanne has visited the Hummingbird
Migration & Nature Celebration held each September at the Strawberry Plains Audubon Center near Holly Springs. “I’ve gone mainly just to watch them band the birds in their research efforts,” she said. “But I have never seen a bird here with a band on its leg.” Suzanne enjoys photographing birds. In the past, she used her photographs on notecards and magnets, which she sold at craft fairs. She doesn’t do that anymore, but she is proud to say that a past Mississippi Outdoors magazine used one of her photos on a calendar and in an advertisement promoting the calendar. OLD HOMEPLACE
Suzanne and her husband are retired and live on his stepmother’s old homeplace in Grenada County. Their house is built around the original log cabin, which dates back to the early 1840s. The bricks in the fireplaces were fired on the homeplace, and an old cistern can be found beneath one of the rooms. Suzanne says now that she is retired and has set aside her notecard hobby, she has more time for projects like making lace shawls. Her shawls are sold on Etsy under the name Needles and Nature and are made with silk thread and tiny shiny beads. For more information, visit the Needles and Nature Facebook page or visit the website: www.needlesandnature.etsy.com. The Johnsons are Grenada County Farm Bureau members. FB
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
23
Photo Contest Winners The 2015 Photo Contest, sponsored by the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Women’s Programs, enjoyed a great response from amateur Mississippi photographers from around the state. Prizes were awarded to the top-three photos in each of three categories, including Scenic Farm, At Work on the Farm and At Home on the Farm. Pictured here are the first-place winners. A special thanks to all who participated. The contest was held in order to obtain usable and appropriate photos which accurately portray today’s agriculture. They may be used in future promotions and publications.
Scenic Farm Category First: Sandy Warren, Yazoo County — “Glory Morning” Second: Kendra Whitlock, Tishomingo County — “Orange Crush” Third: Sandy Warren, Yazoo County — “Southern Snow”
24
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
At Work on the Farm Category First: LaTrell Stokes, Clay County — “Just A Little Bonding” Second: Sandy Warren, Yazoo County — “The Working Horse” Third: Christine Fielder,Yalobusha County — “I Broke It”
At Home on the Farm Category First: Debbie Hackler, Jackson County — “Watching Baby Chick Hatch” Second: LaTrell Stokes, Clay County — “Break Time” Third: Nell Branch, Attala County — “Pop’s Barn Door” JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
25
Cold or Hot Squash Soup
Recipese
¼ c. butter 2 med. onions, finely chopped ¼ tsp. sugar Salt and pepper to taste Nutmeg, freshly grated 4 c. yellow squash 2 c. chicken stock 1 pt. heavy cream 1 T. sour cream Sauté onions in butter. Add squash, stock and sugar, and cook until vegetables are very tender. Puree mixture well. Add cream, salt and pepper. Peggy McKey Hinds County Chunky Potato Soup
3 med. red potatoes 1 sm. onion 3 T. all-purpose flour ½ tsp. sugar 1 c. ham, cooked and cubed Ground black pepper 2 c. water 3 T. butter 3 c. milk
1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded Crushed red pepper flakes
Peel potatoes and cut into one-inch cubes. Bring water to a boil in large saucepan. Add potatoes and cook until tender. Drain, reserving liquid. Set aside potatoes. Measure one cup cooking liquid, adding water if necessary. Set aside. Peel and finely chop onion. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent and tender but not brown. Add flour to saucepan and season with pepper to taste. Cook 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually add potatoes, reserved one cup cooking liquid, milk and sugar to onion mixture in saucepan. Stir well. Add cheese and ham. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator. Shelby Williams Covington County Chunky Chili
2 T. vegetable oil 1 onion, finely chopped 3 lbs. ground chuck 1 bell pepper, chopped COUNTRY COOKING, VOLUME V: These recipes are from “Country Cooking, Volume V,” now available at most county offices. The cost is $20. If you order a cookbook from the state office, you will pay $20 plus postage. • For more information, contact Pam Jones at (601) 977-4854.
26
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
3 stalks celery, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 4 T. chili powder 2 tsp. ground cumin 3 T. flour 1 T. oregano 2 (13-oz.) cans beef broth 1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper 1 (15-oz.) can pinto beans Heat oil and add beef, onion, pepper and celery. Cook until beef is brown and vegetables are tender. Drain off extra fat. Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin, flour, oregano, broth, salt and pepper. Simmer for 2 hours. Drain beans and add to mixture. Serve over rice. Garnish with sour cream or shredded cheese. Serves 8. Peggy McKey Hinds County Wild Rice Soup
1 lb. hot sausage 1 lb. sage sausage 1 onion, chopped 1 ½ c. wild rice, cooked 3 cans cream of potato soup 2 pts. half and half 8 oz. Mexican Velveeta Cook sausage and onion together. Drain. Combine all ingredients and heat gently until cheese melts. Pam Jones Hinds County JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
IN MEMORIAM Samuel Elgin Scott, age 78, died on Nov. 21, 2015, at Canon Hospice in New Orleans. Mr. Scott served for many years, until his retirement in 2013, as general counsel for Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation. He also wrote for our membership publication, Mississippi Farm Country. His column, “Strolling,” had a devoted readership. More will run on this outstanding individual in a later publication. Please keep his family in your prayers.
CALENDAR of EVENTS JAN. 5 Mississippi Legislature Convenes at Noon JAN. 10-13 AFBF Annual Meeting Orlando, Florida JAN. 25-26 Winter Commodity Conference MFBF Building, Jackson
JAN. 25 Legislative Reception
JAN. 31 – FEB. 2 Washington D.C. Farm Bureau Member Fly-In FEB. 23 Ronald McDonald House Jackson MARCH 1 Ag Day at the Capitol Jackson MARCH 4-6 YF&R Leadership Conference Memphis MARCH 17 Women’s Day at the Capitol Jackson
!
See Page 13 for a list of our Farm Bureau Member Benefits.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
27
Mississippi is Spotlight State Mississippi was the Spotlight State at this year’s Sunbelt Ag Expo held at Spence Field in Moultrie, Georgia. With a theme of Sweeter in Mississippi, the event showcased Mississippi agricultural commodities through colorful, informative booths, fried farm-raised catfish and a monitor displaying video clips from the “Voices of Agriculture” (Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation) and “Farmweek” (Mississippi State University) television programs. The Farm Families of Mississippi Ag Promotion Campaign also had a booth and showed videos of its TV spots and a promo of the entire campaign. Missis-
sippi Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year Allen Eubanks, a Lucedale produce farmer, was also on hand. The Mississippi display was a cooperative effort between Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, Mississippi State University, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce and Alcorn State University. Mississippi agriculture is an $8 billion industry which plays an important role in the lives of all Mississippians. The Sunbelt Ag Expo is an agricultural-based trade show known as North America’s Premier Farm Show® with more than 1,200 exhibitors showcasing the latest in farming technology. Photos by Greg Gibson
28
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
Mississippi Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year Allen Eubanks is pictured on the right.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
29
AITC T-Shirts for Sale If you have not purchased your Ag in the Classroom T-shirt, contact Pam Jones at pjones@msfb.org or (601) 977-4854. The shirts are available in maroon or red, sizes Youth, small through large, and Adult, small through 3XL. The cost is $15 for short sleeves and $20 for long sleeves. Flo Blue Comfort Color shirts are also available. These shirts cost more but are still more affordable than if purchased somewhere else. Shortsleeve shirts are $18 and long-sleeve shirts are $23 in the same sizes as the T-shirts. FB
BACK
FRONT
Ag Mags Available Farm Bureau offers a children’s agricultural newsletter called Ag Mag, which features one Mississippi commodity or a related topic each issue through facts, activities, games and more. You can order copies of this newsletter for your local classroom or ag promotion events from our Ag in the Classroom program. Dairy, corn, poultry, horticulture, cotton, soil, honey bee and peanut editions are now available. For more information, call Pam Jones at (601) 977-4854. FB 30
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
Bed and Breakfast Winner Our Solve the Mystery Bed and Breakfast winner for 2015 is Robert Loving of Winston County.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
31