East Texas Farm and Ranch Living April 2016

Local flowers ready Spring is in full bloom at the Palestine Garden Center

By Jennifer Sheridan Reporter@palestineherald.com

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ocal blooms are ready for spring planting at the Palestine Garden Garden Center. The local nursery is owned by Larry Baker, who started as a delivery driver transporting plants in East Texas and over years learned about bedding plants and growing shrubs.Then the Bakers, Larry and his wife Barbara, opened the store in 1997 with just bedded plants. Now the business has grown to selling shrubs, trees and plants native to East Texas.

A variety of ferns and perennials are available along with the city’s staple, the dogwood tree.

Baker also has bedding plants and hanging baskets. The company offers to meet customers’ requests of finding plants that are not native to the area as well, Baker said.

The store is the only one in the area. With a small staff dedicated to quality service and care of the plants, it’s a full-time job meeting the requests of customers, Baker said.

Baker’s product doesn’t stop with just trees and plants for landscaping. He also sells vegetables and tomatoes and fruit trees to local farmers.

The store’s specialty is knockout roses.

Baker says the flower is in high demand every year.

Although he does not do any landscaping outside of his own home, he offers tips to help improve buyers’ green thumb and ensure the plant’s stability in its new garden. Baker said he has been asked to teach classes, but does not have the time especially during growing season.

If he doesn’t know the answer, he refers the customers to experts at the Anderson County Extension Agency.

Baker said heavy rain from last year made many plants died early causing customers to already come in for replacement perennial plants. He expects business to continue to pick up through April as customers come in to buy new foliage to add to their gardens.

Customers are loyal to the garden center.

Gina and Bob Gingerich have been buying from the store for years because of the selection offered and the life span of the plants. Gina’s knockout roses from the center are the statement pieces of her garden, she said.

The garden center is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. The store is located at 1919 Crockett Road.

For more information, call 903-7235200.

Published March 31, 2016

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March-April 2016

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Big Bass Bash Returns to Lake Palestine Resort Special to the Herald-Press

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he Big Bass Bash is ready for another big year on Lake Palestine!

We’re back and geared up for another great year for the Big Bass Bash, and we hope you’ll join us.

The 2016 KNUE + Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers Big Bass Bash is April 9 and April 10 at Lake Palestine Resort in Frankston. We’re back with huge hourly payouts, and we still have that top prize of $10,000 for the biggest bass caught of the weekend.

This year’s winner will follow 2015 winner Eric Thompson (8.45 pounds) of Flint, 2014 champion Bobby Curnutt (8.46 pounds) of Kilgore, and 2013 winner Dave Triplett (8.62 pounds) of Chandler.

We are looking for anglers to take

part in the fourth edition of the Big Bass Bash, and we’re going to hand out more than $40,000 in prize money throughout the weekend.

The cost to compete is $125 to fish for one day and $175 to fish both.

Junior anglers age 16 and under can fish one day for $75 or both for $90. We’ll hand out prize money to hourly weigh-in winners, exact weight fish and the big money to the anglers who catch the top five biggest fish of the weekend.

Here are the overall payouts: First place: $10,000; second place: $2,000; third place: $1,500; fourth place: $1,250; and fifth place: $1,000.

In addition, $1,700 is paid out each hour of the tournament for hourly weigh-ins. Here are the payouts for the top five fish weighed in on each hour: First place: $700; second place:

$400; third place: $300; fourth place: $200; and fifth place: $100.

To make things even better, our friends at McClarty Toyota in Palestine are giving two anglers the chance to win $25,000 cash, simply by weighing a fish!

Ready to fish with us? Just go to our registration page, where you can register online or download a registration form and mail/drop off your payment.

Have more questions? Feel free to contact us our Facebook page.

Read More: The KNUE + Raising Cane’s Big Bass Bash Returns to Lake Palestine Resort in 2016 | Big Bass Bash Texas | http:// bigbassbashtexas.com/the-knueraising-canes-big-bass-bash-returnsto-lake-palestine-resort-in-2016

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March-April 2016

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The Road Less Traveled...

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ur major highways across Texas are efficient in moving travelers from place to place.

But if you really want to see what Texas is—and has to offer—get off the high-speed thoroughfares. Those back roads can take travelers to places well worth a visit. From the 60’s through the 90’s, the “Eyes of Texas” was a top rated television show. Ray Miller with KPRC-TV in Houston was the producer and narrator for the shows. Ray took viewers into small town Texas and we saw and heard from Texans in their work clothes. Closer to home, Joan Hallmark has been a

mainstay at KLTV in Tyler with her “Proud of East Texas.” For over 40 years Joan has featured folks and events that other journalists passed over. Joan uses her talents to bring those untold stories into thousands of East Texas homes.

A few days ago I met another East Texan who is now traveling those back roads and giving us insight into what our area is all about. And no, he is not on television—he uses the internet for his reporting. Jason Barnett, who has a ranch near Mt. Vernon in Franklin County, produces “East Texas Shade Tree Report” on Facebook. It’s an internet must for a growing

number of readers. Jason puts lots of miles on his pickup to bring his audience stories about East Texas that you can’t find anywhere else. His Facebook page blogs are living history lessons about this place we call home! Jason has a bakery products delivery service— raises cattle and still finds time to offer commentaries about the places he visits and the people he sees.

Jason told me about a new business located in the blackland soils of Delta County in northeast Texas.

The county, like many other rural counties across the state, has lost population and lacks

jobs to keep young folks in the county. Pat Pilgrim, son of

former chicken magnate Bo Pilgrim, has built a state-of-the art cotton gin north of Cooper in Delta County. Pat ginned some cotton last fall in the $5 million dollar facility—and thousands of cotton acres will be planted this spring to supply the gin. Local farmers and other landowners see a bright future for the new business. It offers employment for a number of local citizens and has renewed interest in a return to profitable farming operations in Delta and surrounding counties. That’s the good kind of story we need more often! That’s –30—Horace @valornet.com

Diamonds and Dirt Montgomery wins big at Barrel Horse Classic

By Jennifer Miller Corsicana Daily Sun

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iamonds and Dirt. The two don’t necessarily go together unless you’re talking about the Diamonds and Dirt Barrel Horse Classic, at which Dawson’s Jolene Montgomery just won big. Riding stallion “JL Jamaican Me Rich,” a 2012 Sorrel AQHA gelding owned by Dave and Lori Zabel, Montgomery took top honors as the Dufur Quarter Horses Futurity Champion.

But she didn’t start out on the top.

Growing up in the rural, farm community of DeGraff, Ohio, the idea of rodeos was somewhat foreign to her as a little girl. Futurities, which are events featuring four and fiveyear-old horses in their first year of competition, were more commonplace in the region of her hometown.

“I barely knew what a rodeo was when I was little,” said Montgomery. “Futurities were what I was familiar with,” she continued. “Back then, you couldn’t hardly make a living training horses so my parents were against me wanting to do this.”

Although Montgomery grew up riding horses, her parents had high hopes of her pursuing a college education and supported her aspirations to attend Ohio State to become a veterinarian.

But as is true of most cowgirls, their first love is horses, and college couldn’t hold her.

“When I started going to Ohio State for vet school,” she said,

“I realized quickly that I wasn’t as smart as I thought I was and wasn’t happy there.

“I figured a degree in animal science would net someone between $25,000 and $30,000 a year and was already making that training horses, so I began to think something isn’t right with this picture.”

From there, Montgomery took every ranch job she could get to gain experience and moved around. A lot.

From Weatherford, Texas to Ardmore, Oklahoma and

everywhere in between, the college years were replaced with hands-on experience and hard work, learning everything she could along the way. It’s been a long road for Montgomery, a journey many would have given up on, but for her, failure was never an option.

“I never allowed myself to think that way,” she said. “I was determined to succeed, which is a good thing I have that attitude because I am actually not that talented.”

Now she is considered one of

the top futurity trainers in the country and has won numerous awards including the Barrel Futurities of America World Championship Futurity in 2010, and has graced the cover of Barrel Horse News. Add to that her recent win at the DDBHC, which is the third largest barrel competition in the United States, with over 1,300 horse and riders attending, and is considered to be a premier barrel futurity in Texas.

The most difficult aspect to futurity races are the time

constraints that apply to the age of the horse.

“Futurity races are only open to four and five year old horses who are in their first year of competition,” said Tracy Swan, of the Barrel Racing Report based out of Hubbard. Swan and wife Dusti publish the weekly e-newspaper, which provides up-to-date news on everything pertaining to barrel racing and is delivered every Tuesday to subscribers via email. The horses are registered on Dec. 1 for the following year’s competitions, they get the one year to compete and after that, as far as futurities, they are done. In the rodeo world, there are no age limits or restrictions on the horses used. Also, rodeos feature the competitors more than they do the horses that are being used.

Futurities focus more on the horse, even though the riders and trainers are acknowledged.

“To put it simply, futurities are more horse and breeder based, while rodeos are more people based,” said Swan.

Although Montgomery has trained and worked with many horses throughout her career, JL Dash Ta Heaven, a 2005 Sorrel Quarter horse stallion is her favorite.

“He’s the most talented horse I have ever ridden,” said Montgomery.

Montgomery’s advice for all the young cowgirls out there hoping to make it big and follow in her footsteps; “Don’t be afraid to work hard, you have to be tough mentally and physically,” she said. “Be flexible. Take every opportunity that comes your way and don’t be afraid to test the waters. You have to really love this in order to do it because it is not a cake walk.”

Montgomery is as settled as a cowgirl can ever get now in Dawson where she and husband Kerby Montgomery reside, and she runs her futurity training operation. She is still training, still competing, and still chasing her first love —horses.

————— Jennifer Miller is a Daily Sun staff writer. She may be reached by email at jmiller@ corsicanadailysun.com ————— Want to “Soundoff ” on this story? Email: soundoff@

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March-April 2016

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Ag Day: Stewards of a Healthy Planet Weeklong celebration promotes importance of agriculture Staff Report Jacksonville Progress

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griculture Commissioner Sid Miller encouraged all Texans to help celebrate Texas agriculture, our farmers and ranchers, and the daily impact agriculture has on our lives during National Ag Week. National Ag Day, which coincides with the weeklong celebration was on March 15. Both events are geared towards recognizing agriculture and its contribution to feeding the world, conserving our natural resources, and supporting job creation and economic growth. “Farmers and ranchers play a direct role in the health and wellbeing of our families and in the stewardship of our land and resources every single day of the year,�

Miller said. “Not only does agriculture provide us with the food and fiber that sustains our lives, it is a major driver of our state’s economy and employs one in seven Texans. I hope you’ll join me this week in recognizing the contributions Texas agriculture makes both right here at home and around the globe.�

The second-largest resource-based industry in the state, agriculture is a powerhouse in Texas, with an economic impact of more than $100 billion to the Lone Star State’s economy. Farmers and ranchers across

Texas play a critical role in supplying the world with food, fiber and fuel every day.

This year’s Ag Day theme was Agriculture: Stewards of a Healthy Planet. Farmers and ranchers are the

Progress photo by April Barbe

A patch of Bluebonnets came to life this month next to the railroad tracks in Jacksonville along US Hwy. 79 East. The Texas blooms are often spotted throughout the state this time of year.

Family Owned and Operated Since 1956

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original conservationists and stewards of the land.

More so than many, agricultural producers understand the importance of preserving our natural resources. To ensure future generations can continue to enjoy our bountiful and beautiful land, Texas farmers and ranchers are taking innovative approaches to conserving water, growing more food with fewer resources and keeping pests from harming food.

From the Pineywoods to the Panhandle, through Central Texas and south to the Rio Grande, Texas is one of the most agriculturally diverse states in the nation.

The Lone Star State leads the nation in the production of cattle, cotton, sheep, wool, goats, mohair and hay, as well as the total number of farms and ranches. Roughly 130 million of Texasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; nearly 170 million acres are utilized for agriculture.

National Ag Day and National Ag Week are organized by the Agriculture Council of America (ACA). A nonprofit organization composed of leaders in the agricultural, food and fiber community, ACA dedicates its efforts to increasing the publicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awareness of agricultureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role in society. For more information about National Ag Week and Ag Day, visit www.agday. org.

Be sure to visit the Texas Department of Agriculture on Facebook all week long for ag facts and more.Â

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March-April 2016

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Secret Seasoning S

ometimes it is embarrassing when your friends catch that entrepreneurial spirit. How many times have you gently tried to tell them that, sure, Amway’s great, but what are ya gonna do with all that soap in the closet? That you don’t really need a water filter, or that networking chain letters is not your bag.

I used to have a weakness for get-richquick schemes, but now I run cows and dabble in Iraqi real estate. Years ago, one of my friends was exploring the marketing possibilities of his latest venture which followed his unsuccessful Starling Sanctuary and the pencils made of duck feet. He planned to supplant Mutant Ninja Pizza as the greatest thing since sliced cheese! Jim’s Secret Seasoning! To enhance your BBQ

experience! He closed his eyes as visions of Secret Seasoning blanketed the earth like volcanic ash. You could almost smell the belch of Mt. St. Helens. “But we gotta have a gimmick,” he said.

We ordered another round of Cactus Perrier and explored alternative uses. It should be, we figgered, the only Secret Seasoning that could be bought by the

yard, in bulk, like concrete or barley. Delivered in a 20-ton end dump direct to the spice rack or the driveway! It could be applied to icy sidewalks or intersections. One could market it as a spray or cologne to be dabbed gently on the upper lip or around the sweat band, wherever perspiration would bring out its true essence. Powder it in your shoes to prevent offensive odors.

Or market it as an air freshener in the shape of a Sage Grouse to be dangled from the rear view mirror!

Jim’s Secret Seasoning could be used to disguise the real flavor of fruitcake, Metamusil or airline food. It could be served at cocktail parties next to the punch bowl, in the fifty-pound block! The list of potential uses was endless; tanning hides, pickling

fatback, wart removal, dumpster disinfectant, insecticide flavoring, cellulite peel… we planned on and on, calculating fertilizer spreaders, railroad cars and supertankers scattering Secret Seasoning to the ends of the earth!

Exhausted and pink with excitement, he presented me a 4 oz. bottle of his miraculous concoction. It was Grandpa’s recipe, he said reverently. He said he used it to flush his mules.

I wished him luck and bought half interest in the company for twelve dollars. Jim’s Secret Seasoning…If you’ve got a secret, we’ve got the seasoning! www.baxterblack.com

More than just a show

By Rich Flowers Athens Daily Review

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hen the calendar flips over to March, hundreds of students in Henderson County are readying projects for the Henderson County Livestock Show.

That’s certainly true of the Athens FFA, but Instructor Ken Wilbanks knows the Ag department teaches more than breeding and feeding. It’s as much about helping the student grow as raising animals.

“Three of the guiding principals for FFA are leadership, personal growth and career success, Wilbanks said.” “We really take a holistic view of education. We not only teach the principals of the classroom, but also try to make a more rounded student. I like to focus a little more on the leadership side.”

Wilbanks has been at Athens for three years teach-

ing animal science. He’s one of three AG instructors at the school. The others are Jeff Jones, who teaches Ag mechanics and Kristin Robinson, who teaches horticulture and floral sciences. In all, they teach about 330 students, making it one of the largest programs on the Athens campus.

Wilbanks said the program is going well in the realms of livestock and Ag mechanics.

“We’re going to try to build up some of those programs, like leadership contests and speaking contests,” Wilbanks said.

With so many taking Ag classes, not everyone comes from a farm or a ranch. That changes the area of interest for many of the students.

“We’re actually seeing kind of a downshift in the numbers of animal projects, simply because of the kinds of students we see in the classes,” Wilbanks.

“We seeing a shift more into Ag mechanics, stuff that we build in the shop.”

Wilbanks said even the students who may not afford to raise an animal as a show project can learn career skills in the Agriculture classes.

“It will help them out in the future, whether it’s through leadership, speaking skills or actual marketable career skills out in the shop, through welding, cutting, fabrication and things like that,” Wilbanks said.

Today, more of the careers in agriculture are technology based.

“You’ve got GPS systems that guide our tractors now, for better efficiency and better use of our resources,” Wilbanks said. “I think if they’re technology minded, that only helps them more if they’re looking for a job in the Ag field.”

When spring rolls around, the focus does shift to the livestock shows. The Henderson County Livestock Show is set for the first full week in April and will bring out hundreds of students with thousands of entries. The instructors are lending their expertise to get the entries ready.

“One of the things we do is, like this week, have the Ag teachers to go out and visit projects,” Wilbanks said. “They’ll be weighing goats, trimming hooves and getting to see what needs to be done in order to make sure they’re ready for show day, come April.”

The shows take many hours out the day, sometimes from dawn to bedtime. That doesn’t mean the students can neglect their other subjects.

“We always try to students to get as much of their work up front from their teachers,” Wilbanks said.

“The policy here at Athens High School has always been, it’s due on the day you get back. We try to keep students in class as much as possible. We see what days they are actually scheduled to be there and make sure they’re in school the other days.”

The Henderson County Livestock Show returns for its 56th run on April 4 and concludes with the premium auction on April 9.

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March-April 2016

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Equine masseuse shares her trade

By HALEY HOAR news@palestineherald.com

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hen Robyn Wheeler isn’t spending her day chasing down the news in Cedar Creek Lake, she fills her time giving massages to her four legged clients.

Wheeler began working as a Equine Masseuse after earning her certificate at Equissage Texas in San Antonio a few months ago.

“I’ve worked with animals for most of my career, and for the last five years, I’ve been a newspaper reporter,” Wheeler said. “I wanted to get back to working with animals and I also wanted to bring something unique to the area. I was just cruising on the internet and saw a video of a lady who was massaging her horse. I just thought, ‘Well that’s kind of cool.’ I’d never heard of someone doing that before.”

Wheeler, who worked at Disney Land for 11 years taking care of the draft horses and livestock, came to Texas in 2001.

Following after her love of animals, she began her own business The Creature Teacher, where she brought many exotic species to schools and events teaching children about the different animals.

“I was into wildlife education,” Wheeler said. “I had a lot of creatures that I would show, including five different kinds of snakes, five different kinds of lizards a line of insects... a parrot and some fluffy critters like a bunny, prairie dog, some sugar gliders and a hairless guinea pig called a skinny pig.”

Using her extensive knowledge of animals, Wheeler has continued her education learning the intricacies of equine massage.

Horses, which are working animals, feel strain on their bodies after extensive exercise, much like humans, Wheeler said. An equine masseuse works 25 different muscles on the animal from head to tail, giving them a full body massage.

“There’s various muscles that we can massage depending on what that animal is performing and what they’re going through,” Wheeler said. “Massage is great because it eases muscle spasms, it increases their range of motion it improves their muscle tone and their general disposition, so it’s actually something they can benefit from.”

Some of the benefits in regular massaging include swelling reduction, increased circulation, stress reduction, the release of endorphins, advanceed healing through increased flow of nutrients to injured muscles, reducing the danger of fibrosis and much more.

“When horses are getting really into the massage, they will wiggle their lips, yawn... there are certain signs you can see that shows how much they enjoy it,” Wheeler said. “Sometimes they’ll lower their head like they’re falling asleep, and then sometimes just like in humans, I can find a point that’s really sensitive.”

As a equine masseuse, Wheeler is capable of giving full body massages most large animals on four legs. Currently she has been volunteering at Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison.

“I would love to do a camel or a zebra or a buffalo, but sometimes those animals have different temperaments,” Wheeler said. “Sometimes they can have bad temperaments so it would have to be a really gentle animal.”

Eventually, Wheeler said she would like to work exclusively as a masseuse and has continued her education with hopes of adding acupressure to her certifications soon.

Wheeler currently offers two massage plan options, one massage every two to four weeks or one massage every two weeks to six weeks, then every week to any livestock animals for $125 per one hour full-body massage or $75 for large dog species. She will also groom animals for $30 as well.

She suggests working with show horses a day or two before the show and gives the following guidelines: Walk the horse for 10 minutes after the massage, give the horse plenty of access to water, rest for 24 hours when possible, the animal should be cleaned and stalled prior to Wheeler’s arrival, owners, trainer or staff member should be present and payment is due prior to or on the day of massage.

Equine massages should not replace regular veterinarian care and Wheeler said she is not certified in chiropractic services. Contraindications-massage is not recommended for animals with, fever, shock, skin disease, apoplexy, abscesses or tumors or Lasix use unless massage is done 1 hour prior to Lasix administration.

More information can be found by calling Wheeler at 972345-8544, by e-mail to robyn@robynwheeler.com or online at www.headtotailequinemassage.com/massage.html

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March-April 2016

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Cowboys treated as top-notch athletes Special to the Athens Review

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ro rodeo needs high attendance shows that are cash cows for high-profile competitors to raise its profile and RodeoHouston sets a great example of how to do it.

For starters, when a fan arrives on the rodeo grounds and enters a large complex called the NRG Center, there’s a large colorful display of competitors’ facial shots. They represent credentialed athletes who competed for $1,748,000 in a main competition called the Super Series, which used a tournament format to determine champions. Each event winner received $50,000, plus earnings from the preliminaries.

“It’s a great rodeo and it gives guys a lot of chances to win,” said 23-time world champion Trevor Brazile, a Decatur roper who reached the semifinal. “The Super Series keeps fans engaged. It’s an exciting format.”

RodeoHouston thrives on using a name entertainer such as country star Keith Urban to draw an abundance of fans to the event. A single performance can draw more than 75,000. In addition to giving competitors great exposure, rodeo organizers also are very sensitive to their personal needs. For example, competitors are insured. Play areas are provided for their children and the athletes dine in a well-stocked hospitality area.

“RodeoHouston treats you with

hospitality and provides whatever you need,” said four-time world champion Kaycee Field, who won the Super Series bareback riding title with a finals score of 90 and earned $56,750. “They have great food and do lots of little things for you that add up. When you go sign autographs for fans, they give you $100. They appreciate us being here and they understand what we bring to the rodeo.”

Joe Bruce Hancock, the Houston Rodeo’s general manager, said organizers highly respect competitors.

“We treat the cowboys as top-notch athletes,” Hancock said. “We don’t charge them entry fees (to help swell the purse) and we want to treat them like any other sport would when they arrive.”

Chief operating officer Dan Cheney said: “We look at rodeo athletes as entertainers. We’re putting on a sporting event that’s entertaining. We treat all of our entertainers, whether they’re rodeo athletes or musical artists, in the best way. We want them to have the best environment to showcase their talents.”

Tyson Durfey of Weatherford clinched the Super Series tie-down roping title on Saturday (March 19) and earned $55,750.

Clay Tryan of Lipan and his partner Jade Corkill won the team roping title and each pocketed $55,000. Other champions were saddle bronc rider Clay Elliott ($55,500), steer wrestler Dakota Eldridge ($56,750), barrel racer Mary Burger ($54,750) and bull rider Sage Kimzey ($56,000).

Organizers also conducted a singleperformance rodeo on Sunday (March 20) called a Super Shootout. The purse was $250,000 and each event winner earned $25,000. Kaufman cowboy Aaron Pass won the bull riding title. Other winners were bareback rider Austin Foss, saddle bronc rider Cort Scheer, steer wrestler Nick Guy and barrel racer Lisa Lockhart.

NCHA update The National Cutting Horse Association Super Stakes begins its 23-day run Friday (March 25) at Fort Worth’s Will Rogers

Memorial Coliseum. The show concludes on April 16 with the 4-year-old open division finals, which is the second jewel of the sport’s Triple Crown Series.

PBR update On the Professional Bull Riders’ circuit, Mason Lowe won the March 1820 Built Ford Tough Series tour stop in Albuquerque. Defending world champion J.B. Mauney finished fourth and took the lead in the 2016 world standings.

ERA update The Elite Rodeo Athletes, a pro tour that features high profile riders such as Trevor Brazile and Kaycee Field, will began its inaugural season this weekend (March 25-26) in Redmond, Ore. The tour will conclude with a $3 million finals show on Nov. 9-13 at Dallas’ American Airlines Center.

Huntsville rodeo update The Walker County Fair & Rodeo, which is approved by the PRCA, is scheduled for March 31-April 2 in Huntsville. Stace Smith, an 11-time PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year who is from Athens, will provide the livestock. For information, visit walkercountyfair.com.

Brett Hoffman, a Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame member, has written a rodeo column for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram over the past quarter-century. Email him at HYPERLINK “mailto:bchoffman777@ earthlink.net”bchoffman777@earthlink.net.

Jacksonville Chamber’s Agri-Business gives $7K scholarships

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acksonville Chamber of Commerce AgriBusiness Committee presented seven $1,000 scholarships during the Annual Jr. Livestock Show in March. The scholarships were awarded to Layne Hawkins, Colton Allen, Justin Hathorn, Jordan Hall, Jamie Henderson, Anne Hamilton and Abby Traylor.

In 2016, the Agri-Business Committee will award a total of $15,000 in scholarships due to the Annual Hay Show & Sale in October 2015. The committee raised over $23,000 in just 1 hour benefiting the youth of Cherokee County. The Cherokee County Soil & Water District event will present the other 8 $1000 scholarships in April. This is a group effort between the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, Cherokee County Soil & Water and Cherokee County Extension Service.

The Agri-Business Committee members secure Cherokee County hay producers to entry their hay to be analyzed and the top 30 hay samples are auctioned during the sale in October. Over $157,000 has been given in scholarships to the youths of Cherokee County involved in agriculture. Plans are underway for the 2016 Annual Hay Show & Sale which will be Tuesday, October 18th.

Serving on the Agri-Business Committee are CoChairmen Roland Adams and Charles Dickerson,

Debbie Kerzee-Community Development Division Chair, Byron Underwood-Chairman of the Board, Andy Calcote-Chairman Elect and committee members Aaron Low, Wayne Berry, Bruce Mehlenbacher, Randy Gorham and David Butler.

For more information, contact: Aaron Low, 903-683-5416 (County Extension Service) Charles Dickerson, 903-586-3393 (Co-Chairman) Peggy Renfro, 903-586-2217 (Chamber)

Area specialist holding workshop Progress staff reports

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rea specialist from the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension office will be holding a Tri-County Beef and Forage Workshop on April 25.

The event will take place at the Tri-County Lifestock Market on US Hwy. 79 in New Summerfield.

Kelly Cross of Boehringer Ingelheim will present “Understanding and Preparing for the Animal Health Implications of Re-stocking.” While Dr. Tiffany Dowell, an assistant professor and extension specialist, presents “Issues Affecting Landowners - Oil and Gas Leasing, Livestock Leasing Options.”

Another presentation about spraying verses mowing and herbicides will be given by Darren

Rozzell of Rozzell Sprayer Manufacturing.

Other topics set for the workshop include restocking, a beef referendum update and house and horn fly control.

The workshop is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, East Texas Seed Company, Heritage Land Bank, Texas Farm Bureau, Texas Farm Bureau Insurance and Cherokee, Rusk and Smith County Farm Bureaus.

Organizers ask that anyone wishing to participate RSVP by Monday, April 21 at (903) 6835416. A $10 registration fee is payable to Cherokee Beef and Forage.

Anyone needing special assistance should contact the Texas A&M Agrilife Office of Cherokee County at (903) 683-5416.

Photo by Jo Anne Embleton

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Local country singer creating his own sounds Kathi Nailling Athens Review Staff Writer

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ountry Singer Jake Penrod grew up in Henderson County. The 31 year old who got his influence for country music from greats such as Hank Williams Sr. graduated from Brownsboro High School.

After spending 5-years as a police officer Jake knew it wasn’t for him. “I have nothing but respect for those police officers,” said Penrod. “Just not for me.”

Penrod has been singing professionally for 12 years. “Everyone wants to make it big,” said Jake. “This year things are snowballing.” He is getting request from states such as California, as well as other countries to perform.

A stark traditionalist, Penrod is as close to country as country gets. At one time he described his singing style as sounding like “Hank Williams and Kitty Wells” love child.

Hank Williams Sr. is known as the man who transformed country music. Williams was twenty-nine when he died in 1953, yet his songs and influence have endured.

Wells who became famous with her

recording of It Was God Who Make Honky Tonk Angles. Sung in a gospel-inflected moan and backed by a steel guitar.

Wells’s record spent six weeks at the top of the country charts and crossed over to the pop Top 40. She died at the age of 92-years old.

“I have kind of come into my own,” said Jake. “Hank Williams Sr. was a big influence on my singing, but now I do things my own way.”

Aside from his ability to recreate a Hank Williams performance, Penrod is also a prolific songwriter and composer who has written more than 150 country songs, three instrumentals for steel guitar, and two marches for wind band. He plays a total of thirteen instruments.

Penrod is proficient on piano, organ, trumpet, guitar, harmonica, fiddle, mandolin, lap steel, pedal steel, ukulele, accordion, banjo, bass guitar/upright.

Jake said his music has become a little more progressive. Still country, but his own brand of country.

Jake credits his parents for his music. Jake says it was his dad, Jack Penrod who “put the music in me” and a TV ad for a Hank Williams gospel album that “started the whole thing.”

Jake praises his parents for their support of his musical efforts. “Mom hauled me all over creation to gigs and Dad bought and taught me to play my first guitar.”

He grew up hearing his parents’ records of Hank Williams, Ray Price, Webb Pierce and many other legendary country singers.

Penrod joined the Gladewater, Texas, Opry cast in 2005 and played in various other opry venues in Texas.

Penrod’s name being heard more and more in the Texas music scene. A relative newcomer, the singer has quickly earned a reputation as a master of Honky-Tonk music.

Penrod was named the 2015 Pure Country Artist of the Year at the 20th Annual Academy of Western Artist Awards in Fort Worth.

Jake attracted national attention as a featured guest on RFDTV’s TruCountry, and was a regular cast member on RuralTV’s Texas Pickin’ Party where he not only sang, but was also the program’s pedal steel guitarist.

For several months, he played the lead in the Off-Broadway musical, Lost Highway, based upon the life of Hank Williams, Sr. He also toured nationally for several years performing in his self-penned Hank Williams Remembered Concert. Jake’s

latest project, The History of Country Music from Jimmie Rodgers to George Strait, a oneman show, is a musical journey spanning more than 80--years.

He is a country music traditionalist who believes moving forward doesn’t necessarily mean leaving the past behind. “There were a lot of great ones before me,” he says. “There’s still a lot you can do with what they started.”

“These new guys, they’re creating something new and different, and that’s great, but we can’t forget where we came from. If country music is going to carry on, you have to keep the roots alive.”

Jake identifies with fellow Texas Honky-Tonker, Dale Watson, and has embraced the Ameripolitan genre as his own. Jake has been nominated for the 2016 “Honky Tonk Male Artist of the Year” for the second annual Ameripolitan Music Awards.

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9

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Cooking Wisely

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Oh Mylanta is that a good cake!

Those were the words that came out of my mouth as I tasted the first bite of Hummingbird Cake I made for Easter. I had heard over the years that is was good but, I was very skeptical of actually trying it. I knew the recipe called for pineapples so it did not appeal to me. I thought I would give it a whirl and test it out. This cake is so moist you won’t believe it until you try it! I was very impressed. This is a definite keeper for me. I sure hope you enjoy it as much as my family did.

I found this recipe off the internet. It comes from Southern Living.

Instructions

Ingredients For Cake 3 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 large eggs, beaten 1 cup vegetable oil 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 1 8 oz can crushed pineapple, undrained (the recipe called for 8 oz. I used 20oz instead) 1 cup chopped pecans 2 cups chopped bananas

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.

2. In a bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, sugar and cinnamon. Add the oil eggs and vanilla. Stir with a wooden spoon.

3. Add the pineapple, pecans, and bananas. Stir to combine.

4. Spray 3- 9” round cake pans with non stick cooking spray and flour pans. Empty excess flour. Divide the batter evenly between the 3 pans.

5. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely on baking racks.

For Cream Cheese Frosting 1. Using a mixer beat the cream cheese and butter until creamy and fluffy. Around 3-4 minutes.

2. Slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix until smooth creamy texture.

Cake Assembly 1. Add a dollop of icing to the center of a cake plate. This will help hold you cake in place.

2. Place one layer of cake onto center of cake plate and frost the first layer. Repeat until you have used all 3 layers.

3. Cover the sides and top with frosting. Sprinkle with extra chopped pecans(optional) 4. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.

For Icing 2-8 oz packages of Cream Cheese, Softened 1 cup Butter, softened (2 sticks) 2 (16 oz.) bags of Powdered Sugar 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Slocum Freshman cashes in on scramble victories

By PennyLynn Webb Community@palestineherald.com

C

ourtney January, a freshman at Slocum ISD, not only caught a calf at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this month but also won big at Fort Worth and San Antonio.

On March 16, January was one of only 18 students to catch a calf during Rodeo Houston’s calf-scramble.

January took the tag off the calf donated by the Rotary Club of Houston Heights.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Calf Scramble is a favorite amongst rodeo visitors for its wild moments thrills and spills as FFA and 4-H students try to catch calves as they scramble around the arena.

There are several additional caveats to the calf-scramble. A Mystery Calf is selected by the Calf Scramble Committee prior to the event, which remains a secrete from the participants. The student who catches the Mystery Calf receives an additional prize along with the calf scramble certificate. The person to catch the first calf, known as the “Glazier Catch,” receives a belt buckle and $150 addition to the certificate. A “Hard Luck” award is given by the Calf Scramble Committee to a participant who did not catch a calf, but showed an exceptional effort. The Hard Luck sinner also receives a certificate to purchase a heifer.

Each student who catches a calf receives a $1,750 certificate to purchase a registered beef heifer or market steer to show at the Houston Livestock Show the following year. These students compete in a special competition with other calf scramble winners. The student receives a $250 bonus if program requirements are fulfilled throughout the year.

To participate, January filled out paperwork at with the school and was one of 160 to qualify for the calfscramble. She was then on of 30 to be chosen for the March 16 calf-scramble.

“I caught mine right from the start,” said January. “I’ve participated in the calf-scrambles in the past, too. Strategies to catch a calf depends on the arena, but one general rule of thumb is not to follow behind them.”

This was her third calf-scramble to participate in this year and capture a calf. In Fort Worth she received $500 for her efforts, in San Antonio she was given $1,000 and in Houston she earned $2000.

She will combine the monies to buy her a good heifer, said January.

While January has showed steers in the past, this year she will be showing lambs at the Anderson County Livestock Show. “I really enjoyed showing steers and I look forward to showing one again next year. When working with steers, everyday is a little different with them. You hear stories about temperamental steers, but I’ve been fortunate enough to have some gentle steers as projects in the past,” said January.

Although January is only a freshman at Slocum, she already has her sites set on attending either A&M or LSU

to pursue a career in veterinary science.

“Courtney is a freshmen student in the Slocum Agriculture Science program and member of the FFA. She is a bundle of energy who is always ready to take on any task. She has a strong interest in animal science and plans to become a veterinarian in the future, said Lance Thomas, her Ag Science teacher at Slocum ISD. “Courtney works hard at whatever she is assigned and is always one of the first to volunteer. It is truly a pleasure to have

her in class, and there is never a dull moment with her around.”

January is a not only an active FFA participant, she also a hard working students and plays softball.

“Courtney January is a great student. She’s a hard worker and has a great outlook on life. We are proud to have her as an ambassador for Slocum schools,” said Slocum Superintendent Clift Lasiter.

10 March-April 2016

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Local Feed Store strong supporter of community

By Jo Anne Embleton jembleton@ jacksonvilleprogress.com

I

t began as a business venture nearly 30 years ago, something to support Troup natives Doug and Cindy Steele and their toddler son, Bo. Through the years, though, Steele’s Feed & Seed has grown into a strong supporter of the local community, which came to their aid years ago when disaster hit.

The couple purchased the feed store from Rodney Murphy and opened for business on New Year’s Day, 1987.

feed was getting wet. The guy who owned the other feed store, Mr. Wilson, came to us and said, ‘Here’s the key to my warehouse.

You need to put your feed in there,’ ” she recalled. “Here it was, Christmas Eve day, and people were helping us! Everything we owned was tied up in our store, but people were backing their trucks up (to the collapsed building) and getting that feed out of there.”

From that moment on, the couple knew they would return that generosity however they were able, “because people didn’t have to take their Christmas Eve to help. How many people interrupt their holiday to

Photo by Jo Anne Embleton Customers drive in from as far as Nacogdoches and Canton for garden seeds at Steele’s Feed & Seed in Troup, which sells them by the pound. “Selling seeds is my favorite thing,” said business owner Cindy Steele, pictured.

“The original store was in an old tomato shed on the railroad tracks, and it was strictly lawn and garden, seed and animal health,” Cindy recalled. “We had a lot of rain that fall, and the shed – which was up on pier and beam – fell to the ground that first Christmas Eve we were there.”

The front end of the building remained standing, “but the whole back end had collapsed, and we had all that seed and stuff in it,” she said.

The skies that day were threatening rain and “our

do that?” Cindy asked.

The family has grown to include a second son, Chance, and both men help out regularly at the 115 S. Georgia St. store, which Cindy describes as a general mercantile operation.

Off to one side of the store sits seed counters from their original store, with fresh seed sold by the ounce tucked inside drawers. Nearby, a candy counter and a three-legged stool created from an old cultivator seat – something Cindy remembers sitting on when she visited her

grandparents’ home – take up space.

Throughout the years, the inventory began to include gift items, “mostly bird and outside things, but when the drought came in 2011, our business went to pot.

We had no rain, nothing was growing, people were selling their cattle. It was horrible,” she recalled.

“We had to come up with something to diversify us some. I don’t know if this was the answer, but slowly and surely we began adding items until we became a general merchandise store.”

The store draws folks from surrounding counties, and the bulk seeds are popular items.

“This store is known for garden seeds, because we still weigh them by hand, and we have customers from as far as Nacogdoches and Canton who come here to get their seeds because they know they’re fresh,” she said. “That’s always been a huge draw for our store.”

Along with customary feed and seed store offerings, Steele’s also sells decorative items for inside and outside the home, candles, lotions, plants, sweets and clothing. And not just the items needed for gardening or farming, but merchandise that brings in a devoted women’s clientele who come to see what colorful fashions are on display.

Laughing, Cindy recalled a customer who came inside the store to get an item her husband needed.

“She came in the door, began telling us what she needed then stopped –” Cindy mimicked the customer’s double-take.

“She told us she would be looking around the store while we would get her husband’s order,” she laughed. “He never told her what we had inside the store!”

In addition to free gardening advice, Steele’s has offered classes on canning and container gardening, and even arranged a style show for a ladies’ group in the past.

And several years ago, Cindy – who is a member of the Troup Community Development Corporation – helped launch a Saturday summer farmers market in town, where local gardeners offer fresh vegetables and other items for sale.

Photo by Jo Anne Embleton Steele’s Feed & Seed of Troup is a family-owned general mercantile owned by local residents Doug and Cindy Steele for nearly three decades.

“It usually starts in May, though we may be starting earlier this year because it’s been getting warmer earlier,” she said.

Cindy has also been instrumental in helping launch Troup’s annual Holiday in the Country event, which she said draws a “tremendous turnout.”

“It gives people who live in this area, but are not able to shop here, a chance to come downtown and see what we have to offer,” she said. “It leads back to those old days when you walked along the sidewalks to see what the stores had to offer.”

And the store’s annual customer appreciation, held the third Saturday in March, is like a mini-festival.

“We feed them, we have a live band, antique tractors, dutch oven cookers,” she said. “It’s that fellowship (they try to encourage).”

Pausing, Cindy admitted that never in her wildest dreams did she imagine the feed store would grow into a general mercantile operation that also was

Photo by Jo Anne Embleton Cindy Steele, who with her husband Doug operates Steele’s Feed & Seed in Troup, checks the soil of bluebonnet plants offered for sale this spring at the 115 S. Georgia St. store. highly active in the community.

“This business has had its ups and downs, but it raised my husband and me, and in turn, it raised our two children,” she said. “I think

Photo by Jo Anne Embleton Steele’s carries an array of goods, but the women’s clothing line, enhanced five years ago, is among the most popular with customers. From casual to dressy, fashion is always in style at Steele’s!

it’s made them more aware of the community, and how important it is.”

It’s only natural that the family gives back, she added.

“We have very much, and over the years, a lot of our money has gone back into the community. It’s hard to say no,” Cindy said, describing the various local projects to which they’ve contributed. “We try to be a good, friendly, hometown store.”

Steele’s Feed & Seed is located at 115 S. Georgia St. in Troup, and is open from 6:30 a.m to 5:30 p.m. weekdays, and from 6:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

During the spring, however, Saturday hours run until 2 p.m.

Visit www. steelesfeedandseed.com, or “Steeles Feed and Seed” on Facebook.

Doug and Cindy Steel may be reached at 903-842-3411.

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March-April 2016 11

Age proves to be no barrier in fishing

By Matt Williams Outdoors Writer

I

n what is arguably the most refreshing outdoor story to come down the pike a very long time, one of professional bass fishing’s living legends - arguably the greatest ever to cast for cash - recently proved that age is no barrier when it comes to closing the deal in a highly competitive arena largely comprised of a much younger crowd.

Rick Clunn - a four-time Bassmaster Classic champion with way more tournament victories on his resume than the most of his colleagues will ever have - grabbed the winner’s trophy in the 2016 Bassmaster Elite Series season opener held March 17-20 on the St. John’s River in Palatka, Fla. It was Clunn’s 15th Bassmaster win in a storied career dating all the way back to 1974, when he competed in his first pro event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir. More noteworthy, it was the Montgomery, Tx. native’s first Bassmaster tour victory since 2002.

All bass fishing studs experience those dreaded slumps when they just can’t seem to catch the big ones, even if they were finning around in a washtub. But Clunn’s 14-year absence from the champion’s chair was way out of character.

The Zen Master came close to breaking out of the slump with a second-place finish in the March 2013 Elite Series Lake Falcon Slam in Zapata. There, he joined the Bassmaster Century Club with a four-day catch of 105-6, but it wasn’t enough to overtake Keith Combs of Huntington, who won it with 111-5.

Clunn, who now lives in Ava, MO., enjoyed a little more success in 2014 with one Elite Series Top 20 finish and couple of Top 20s in the Central Opens. Then came 2015, which was disaster-of-a-season that saw Clunn make the Top 50 cut only one time all year long.

Almost immediately, Internet bloggers and sports writers around the country began to hint that the consummate pro with more than $3 million career earnings and 32 Bassmaster Classic appearances under is belt may have well seen his better days on the front deck. Sources close to Clunn say that the dry spell was beginning to eat a hole in the heart of his confidence and that he was beginning to question his own abilities.

“I’ve talked to him about it quite a bit,” Hemphill bass pro Tommy Martin, one of Clunn’s long-time Bass Pro Shops teammates.

“Rick has always been a real positive guy, but this past year his mind was starting to go in the opposite direction. He was talking pretty negative - saying he just couldn’t get things to line up anymore and that he wasn’t catching those seven pounders in the last 30 minutes and coming in with those 20-pound sacks like he used to. He told me that he didn’t know if he would ever win another tournament.”

But he did it last week. And what is so cool about the deal is he pulled it off just four months shy of his 70th birthday in such a decisive fashion that those who had begun to doubt the old guy with grey beard will likely

Photo Courtesy of BASS Rick Clunn, 69, hoists a couple of largemouths that helped him earn his 15th career Bassmaster victory and to become the oldest angler to ever with an Elite Series event. never write him off again, no matter how far down the standings he sits.

When it comes to tournament bass bass fishing, it just ain’t over until it’s over. Magic can happen when you least expect it. And what happened to Rick Clunn on the St. John’s River sounds like something straight out of a fairy tale book.

Sitting in 31st place after two days with 31-8 pounds, Clunn roared to the top of the leaderboard on the heels of of a monstrous Day 3 catch weighing 31-7, almost doubling the weight he brought to the scales during the tournament’s two opening rounds.

I wasn’t present for the freak show. But according to the all the recounts, word of Clunn’s enormous catch spread quickly through the tournament field and ultimately to the weigh-in stage where Bassmaster emcee Dave Mercer hinted to fishing fans that something truly legendary was brewing.

Adding to the drama was the long line of heavy hitters who gathered around Clunn’s boat, some shooting pics and videos, as the Elite Series elder statesman and fishing idol of millions awaited the arrival of his wife, Melissa, and their son, River, before he bagged

the fish for weigh-in.

River, 12, had never seen his dad in the lead before. But he was about to.

Once weighed, Clunn’s gargantuan limit of bass propelled him to 62.15 pounds and provided him a thick, six-pound cushion over Louisiana’s Greg Hackney going into the tournament’s final round.

Not surprisingly, word of Clunn’s massive Day 3 catch sent shockwaves throughout the bass fishing world and lit a fire beneath a loyal “Over 60” fan base as message boards and Internet fishing forums fired up up with threads like “Look what the old man just did!”

“We were all pulling for him, there’s no doubt about it,” said Martin, who at 75 ranks as the second oldest angler still competing full-time in big league fishing derbies. Only Guy Eaker of Cherryville, N.C. is older. He’s 77.

With one day remaining, however, the tournament was far from over, and Clunn knew it. The bass grow thick and heavy on the St. Johns river system and a six-pound lead can easily vanish in the shadows of a single bite.

Clunn needed a solid limit to seal the

deal, and he found them zinging a homemade bladed jig around pods of eel grass in Lake George, a shallow, brackish lake that lies halfway between the headwaters of the St. Johns and the Atlantic Ocean. Together the five bass weighed 19 pounds, giving Clunn a four-day total of 81.15 pounds and more than enough to close out a win that goes down as one of most legendary the sport has ever seen.

In doing so, 69-year-old Clunn became the oldest angler in B.A.S.S. history to win an event and he surpasses Denny Brauer, who won at 62, as the oldest angler to grab an Elite Series crown.

Well known for his philosophical approach to fishing in the moment, Clunn shared some thoughts following his win that are sure to strike home with seniors and middle-aged folks from all walks of life.

“Never accept that all your best moments are in your past,” Clunn told Bassmaster.com.

“I’m not in my peak, everybody knows that, but that doesn’t mean you’re still not going to have great moments.”

Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches. He can be reached by e-mail, mattwillwrite4u@yahoo.com.

12 March-April 2016

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Do I Want “Native Plants” in my Garden?

Of course you do! To help gardeners with adding native plants to your garden, the Henderson County Master Gardeners are presenting “The Natives Are Restless” on March 31, 2016. This is their 16th annual Spring Conference, which will feature Dr. David Creech. He is the Director of the Stephen F. Austin State University Gardens and Pineywoods Native Plant Center located in Nacogdoches, TX.

By Yvonne Sparks here are 2,300 plants that call the pineywoods home. Currently, only four are listed as federally endangered, while at least 50 in East Texas deserve immediate conservation attention due to the small number of plants or colonies that exist. Dr. Creech will share his expertise about native plants in his presentation titled.

He will explain what is a native and who determines that designation. In addition, Dr. Creech will share how to plant and use na-

T

tive plants in your garden. He will show photos of the Southern natives---trees, shrubs, vines, herbaceous perennials, ground covers and grasses during his presentation. And Dr. Creech will discuss the problem of “invasives” in the ecosystem. Dr. Creech is bringing actual examples of the native plants to show during his presentation.

The Spring Conference is one of two fundraisers sponsored by Master Gardeners to fund the free programs offered throughout the year. These programs include Summer Series, Fall Intern Workshop, KAB booth and workshop presentations, Fall Festival at the East Texas Arboretum, Children’s Garden

at South Elementary and the Dream Garden located at the Arboretum. Each of these programs is offered free to the public and students.

A Silent Auction will take place during the conference to give participants an opportunity to bid on many items donated by county businesses and individuals. The proceeds from the conference, Silent Auction and sponsorships provide the funding that allows HCMG to meet the goals of the organization to provide advanced training and continuing education to members and the public; assist the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, recruit potential MG candidates and assist

MG Interns in fulfilling the volunteer commitment for certification. To date, there are 39 certified MG, 16 associate members and 12 interns in Henderson County.

It is not too late to purchase tickets for the conference. The conference will be at the First United Methodist Church of Athens beginning at 5:30 pm in the Activities Building. FUMC is located on 225 Lovers Lane at East College. Tickets are $25 and include a plated meal by Traditions Restaurant of Tyler. Anyone interested in purchasing tickets may call the Texas AgriLife Extension Service Office at 903-675-6130.

Stock show activity important to Murchison family

By Jeff Riggs Associate Editor

M

any people who have participated in stock shows have decribed the importance of what they are doing in their lives as something monumental.

One of these is Emma Lawson, who throughout her life, has helped her two brothers in their stock show efforts, and now conducts her own stock show activities.

“I love animals, and I get so attached to them,” Lawson said.

“I’ve been around the stock shows since the second grade, helping my brothers. I’ve been showing my own pigs since third grade, and steers since last year.”

At the age of 16, she attends classes at Brownsboro High School, and also in that town, Emma works for Sonic.

“I work there at least 18 hours per week,” she said. “I work more sometimes. It just depends.”

Lawson said that upon graduation, she plans to attend her first two years of college at Trinity Valley Community College.

“I plan, hopefully to be on the Show Team there,” she said. “Then I plan to go to Tarleton State University in Stephenville. I plan to be an ag teacher. I want to continue working with kids that love animals as much as I do.”

Lawson is a member of the National Honor Society, and will take a vet class this year through the Ag Department.

She is currently taking a class to tackle the 300 hours of credit needed to achieve certification as a Certified Vet Assistant.

Currently, Lawson spends about five hours per day washing a cow, walking them around, giving them hay, and doing a number of other duties for her heifer and steer that live at her home.

Those duties and more, including setting the livestock up with a show stick, are what she did on Sunday, March 13 at the Houston Livestock Show. It was there that she gained another livestock honor, placing 12th out of 38 cows in the ORB or Other Registered Breeds, class. In the Athens Livestock Show, she placed second last year at that class.

Emma’s mother, Sheri Lawson, said Emma plans to place in Athens again this year in the ORB. Emma’s mother also credits her daughter’s character in great part to her participation in livestock shows.

“Our whole family participates,” Sheri said. “It’s a lot of work, and takes a lot of money, but it teaches responsibility, while feeding animals in the morning and night. It will teacher her responsibility in life. It keeps her out of trouble.”

The family lives in Murchison. Emma’s father works for Delek Refinery in Tyler. She has two brothers, Andrew Dyer, 25 and Kelby Lawson, who will turn 19 in April. When in school Andrew showed his own animals, including pigs, cows, chickens and goats, while Kelby has shown animals recently.

In fact, in the recent Houston Livestock Show, Kelby showed cows, pigs and a goat. He is currently on the Show Team of TVCC Athens.

“I never showed,” Sheri said. “But when I was growing up, my brothers showed, and my husband showed pigs.”

Today, Sheri, who is a stay-at-home mom, can sit back and enjoy the moments, watching as all her children succeed in life.

“I’m very proud of all my kids,” she said.

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March-April 2016 13

Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society Celebrates ASPCA Community support needed to give the rescue a chance to win up to $25,000 from the ASPCA to help save more horses Special to the Herald-Press

B

luebonnet Equine Humane Society (BEHS) will be celebrating the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) national Help A Horse Day and competing with rescues across the country for a chance to win up to $25,000 in prizes to assist with their efforts to protect horses. Founded in 2005, Bluebonnet has rescued 804 abandoned, abused, and neglected equines.

BEHS’ Bluebonnet in Bloom celebrates the organization’s horses and volunteers with an event in Denton and one in Gainesville in April. The first event will be an informational booth at the D&L Farm and Home store in Gainesville, TX on April 9 from 10am-2pm.

Bluebonnet volunteers and adopters will be at the store to answer questions about the rescue, raise awareness about what BEHS does, discussion adoptable horses, and let horse enthusiasts know how they can get involved.

The second event takes place on April 24 from 9am-2pm at the Susar Farm horse show in Denton, TX. Bluebonnet volunteers will have an informational booth and display to educate horse enthusiasts about the need for horse rescue and how to get involved. Rescue horses who are available for adoption will be on hand to meet the public, and adopted horses will be competing in the show ring.

The goal of the nationwide Help a Horse

Day’s competition is for local rescues to raise awareness about the lifesaving work they do year-round to care for at-risk horses in their community who have often been abused or neglected. Horses have been central to the ASPCA’s work since its founding 150 years ago, when Henry Bergh stopped a cart driver from beating his horse, resulting in the first successful arrest for the mistreatment of a horse on April 26, 1866.

Funds raised by Bluebonnet in Bloom will be used locally to help law enforcement agencies in Texas investigate reports of neglect or abuse, remove abused, neglected, and abandoned horses and other equines, and to provide food, medical care, and foster homes to rehabilitate those equines. None of the funds raised at Bluebonnet in Bloom events go to the ASPCA® or other organizations.

“This will be our first year competing in

the Help a Horse event. I hope the community comes out to support our horses, volunteers, and organization. The more people who attend our events during April and greater the number of new volunteers and funds we raise, the better the chance we have of winning one of the prizes from the ASPCA®. Those funds will allow us to help even more horses this year,” said Dr. Jennifer Williams, Executive Director of Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society.

Other Bluebonnet in Bloom events include: • Informational booths in College Station, Houston, La Grange, Navasota, New Braunfels, Temple, and Waco throughout April • An online photo event featuring a photo competition and featuring individual rescue horse’s stories (April 23-24) • Silent auction and horses to meet the public at the Navasota Tractor Supply (April 23) • Benefit trail ride, silent auction, and Bluebonnet horses available to meet the public in Sisterdale (Boerne area) (April 23) • Low cost equine vaccination clinic in La Grange (April 23) • 25% off of adoption fees for any horse adopted in the month of April.

For a complete list of Bluebonnet in Bloom events, visit our website http://www. bluebonnetequine.org/index.php/news/ future-events. Bluebonnet is still looking for other venues for events in April. If you are an event organizer and would like to include

Bluebonnet in your event, please contact the rescue.

When you attend a Bluebonnet in Bloom event, donate, or volunteer, you help horses like Moriah. Moriah is a ten year old, pony mare who came from a neglect case.

Moriah’s owners tried to give her away before Bluebonnet rescued her, but she was so leery of humans that she ran through a fence trying to escape and suffered serious injuries. It took Bluebonnet volunteers over an hour to catch her and get her into a trailer, and when she got to her foster home she was leery of anyone who came near her. Volunteers worked to gain her trust – and it has paid off. Today, fear is a thing of the past. She was adopted and is now ridden by both adults and children and has won many ribbons in trail competitions and horse shows. Moriah is proof of the dedication of Bluebonnet volunteers; their goal is to show horses that humans can be kind and trustworthy. Their patience helps traumatized horses recover and become great family horses.

Moriah will be one of the adopted horses competing at the Susar Farms horse show.

For more information about Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society and Bluebonnet in Bloom, please visit http://www.bluebonnetequine. org or http://www.facebook.com/ BluebonnetEquineHumaneSociety or call (888) 542 5163.

TPWD adopts new hunting, fishing regs for ET counties

T

by Matt Williams Outdoors Writer

he Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopted a number of hunting and fishing regulation changes during its annual regulatory hearing held March 24 at the department’s Austin headquarters.

According to wildlife biologist Billy Lambert of Hearne, several of the deer hunting changes will apply to East Texas counties.

Lambert said the commissioners voted to adopt a proposal for Brazos, Grimes, Leon, Madison and Robertson counties creating 16 doe days starting at the beginning of the Fall 2016 general season. Additionally, Lambert says the the Commission voted in proposals for four doe days over Thanksgiving in Burleson, Falls, Limestone, Milam and Freestone counties. Also, youth hunters with valid license tags may take up to two does during the youth only hunting seasons with no special permit required, Lambert said.

On the fishing side, the Commission approved the

following changes that become effective Sept. 1: • Modifying harvest regulations for largemouth bass on Lake Naconiche from an 18-inch minimum length limit to a 16-inch maximum.

• Modifying harvest regulations for smallmouth bass on Lake Meredith from a 12- to 15-inch slot and 3 per day bag to a 14-inch minimum length limit and 5 per day bag.

• Modifying harvest regulations for channel and blue catfish bass on Lake Tawakoni, removing the current 12-inch minimum length limit, but with a modified 25 fish daily bag (blues and channels combined). Within the 25 bag, only seven fish can exceed 20 inches in length and of those seven fish, only two could exceed 30 inches.

• Reducing the minimum length limit on largemouth bass to 12 inches on the Sabine River in Newton and Orange counties, and in Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, and Orange counties. The daily bag limit will remain at five fish in the four counties and at eight fish for the Sabine River (same as limit for waters shared with Louisiana).

• Modifying saugeye harvest regulations to remove the current 18-inch minimum length limit and change the daily bag limit from three to five, only two of which may be greater than 16 inches (same as walleye harvest regulations).

• Clarifying the recreational maximum size limit for black drum is 30 inches, and the recreational minimum total length limit on greater amberjack is 38 inches to align with new federal regulations that utilize a different measurement guideline.

• Clarifying that snagging or foul hooking any fish using pole-and-line in fresh and salt water is prohibited.

14 March-April 2016

East Texas Farm & Ranch Living

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Mistaken Identity

H

i Y’all, Can you believe we’re already into the 3rd month of 2016! And remember this is the month to ‘beware the Ides of March’.

I still don’t know what an ‘ide’ is and why we’re supposed to be wary of it. And another question, just who is this St.Patrick dude and why are we supposed to wear green on his day or risk gettin’ pinched? I’d Google to get those questions answered, but my paws are just not made for the computer. Oh well, maybe someone will tell me one day.

And speaking of March, I’ve decided that super windy days are not on my list of favorite things.

There have been some lately that have made it hard to walk a straight line and I’m pretty low to the ground, so I shouldn’t get much wind resistance. One morning Mama and I were out back; she was getting something off the clothes line and I was close by keeping the young bulls away from the fence. All of a sudden some tree limbs came flying through the air hitting us on our heads. I yelped and Mama said maybe we’d better head indoors for a bit. “Good idea”, I thought.

Now a nice cool breeze blowing my fur on a sunny day comes close to perfection, but wind that tries to blow my fur off, not so much.

Do you ever get mistaken for someone else?

Seems like some folks think I’m a Border Collie for some reason. Maybe it’s my color or the kind of hair I have, I don’t know. I’ll be walking along with my folks and someone will stop us and comment on what a pretty Border Collie I am. I think ,”Uh no, I’m a little Aussie. Look, no tail. That’s why my kind is referred to as wiggle butts”. And on occasion they’ve even rubbed my behind looking for the tail I don’t have. I then look at them kind of sideways as if to say,”Hello, private area.OK” Now BC’s are super smart dogs, but I’m not one.

I was wondering if you have a special spot you get in when you’re winding down from the day and watching some tv? We sure do in this household. Daddy stretches out in his recliner while Mama gets on the couch with her blankie. Now said couch is my chosen spot as well, so I try to leave her enough room to stretch out her legs a bit. Sometimes she pushes me with her feet and says,” Kodi, can you share just a wee bit more room since there’s plenty”. Sometimes I move down a little and sometimes I just look at her with my big, brown eyes and she quits pushing. Now about 9 something goes off in my brain and I jump down and get in Daddy’s lap and stay there till it’s time to go outside one last time before we head off to bed. It’s our routine, what’s yours?

The other night I got down from Daddy’s lap at just the correct time, but my folks were still listening to some music and just stood there. We’d

been watching a movie about one of their favorite bands, The Eagles, and they were still listening to the final song. I decided to join in and Daddy laughed and said,” Girl, you’re a little off key there”. Now what did he mean by that? He and Mama seemed to think it was funny the way I joined in the song. Now he and Mama joke about her not being able to ‘carry a tune in a bucket’, but I thought I sounded just fine.

I do know that Mama just mouths the words to songs when we’re all together riding along, but when it’s just me with her she sings out loud.

Even my ears can tell that she is not usually in tune. Wonder if everyone thinks they sound ok according to their own ears?

I was out back the other day watching ‘my girls’ who are getting ready for their 1st babies when I got to thinking about my ol fat, uh fluffy, friend Mr.P. You may remember that he crossed over The Rainbow Bridge about this time last year.

Sometimes I really miss the ol guy.

He was already a senior citizen by the time I came here to live, but he still took the time to play with me and show me the ropes. And I was a real rambunctious puppy too, but we played and played. And you know he never tried to swat at me with his claws like the other cat, Little Bit, did. Thanks goodness too, cause he was one BIG feline. It wasn’t long though before the new wore off and then when I found him sleeping and pounced on him it was always the same,”Go away little wiggle butt, you’re bothering me”. I guess he’d already had lots of wild and crazy times before I came here to live. Every once in a while he would surprise me though like the time he came flying around the house and climbed to the top of a tree. I looked up kind of stunned and he looked down and said,”What, haven’t you ever seen a cat climb a tree before?” Those incidents were few and far between though. Now if napping were an Olympic sport he would have had a gold medal.

When it was cold out, he stayed in the house a lot and always reminded me that he was here first by worming his way in between me and Mama on the couch or sitting on me when I was in Daddy’s lap. So old friend if you can hear me I’ll see you someday on the other side of that bridge and I’ll expect you to be there waiting for me. If not, I’m gonna find you so I can pounce and wake you up just to hear,” Go away little dog, you’re bothering me”one more time.

You know all this sleeping talk had me thinking a nap is in order. The sun’s out and a soft breeze is blowing and nothing needs barking at, uh checking on, right now. Who knows maybe I’ll dream of all the fun that ol cat and I had during our 6 years as best buds.

Your friend, Kodi

EAST TEXAS ANDERSON CO. LIVESTOCK Updated: 3/23/2016 Head Count: 234 Buyers: 29 Sellers: 35

FARM & RANCH

CLASSIFIEDS

EAST TEXAS LIVESTOCK INC. Updated: 3/22/2016 Cows: 112 Bulls: 20 Buyers: 44 Sellers: 147

STEERS 300 lbs - DOWN: $262-$365 305 lbs - 400 lbs: $205-$271 405 lbs - 500 lbs: $175-$224 505 lbs - 600 lbs: $155-$205 605 lbs - 800 lbs: $145-$181

HEIFERS 300 lbs - DOWN: $1.75-$2.80 lb 300 lbs - 400 lbs: $1.60-$2.45 lb 400 lbs - 500 lbs: $1.50-$1.92 lb 500 lbs - 600 lbs: $1.38-$1.75 lb 600 lbs - 700 lbs: $1.20-$1.55 lb 700 lbs - 800 lbs: $0.95-$1.30 lb

HEIFERS 300 lbs - DOWN: $227-$315 305 lbs - 400 lbs: $200-$228 405 lbs - 500 lbs: $168-$210 505 lbs - 600 lbs: $152-$190 605 lbs - 800 lbs: $138-$171 SLAUGHTER Cows: $61-$84 Bulls: $82-$97

SLAUGHTER Cows: $0.60 - $0.85 lb Bulls: $0.80 - $1.05 lb

PAIRS No Test

PAIRS $1125 - $2000

BRED COWS $1450 - $2000/hd

Stocker Cows: $875 - $1900 hd Goats: $45 - $250

HEIFERS 300 lbs - DOWN: $1.60-$2.40 lb 300 lbs - 400 lbs: $1.50-$1.85 lb 400 lbs - 500 lbs: $1.40-$1.80 lb 500 lbs - 600 lbs: $1.30-$1.60 lb 600 lbs - 700 lbs: $1.20-$1.50 lb 700 lbs - 800 lbs: $1.10-$1.50 lb SLAUGHTER Cows: $0.65 - $0.81 Heavy Bulls: $0.95 - $1.06 Pairs: $1800 - $2000 Stocker Cows: $1100 - $1800 Baby Calves: $225 - $490

To advertise here, contact Lezlie Hoover at 903-729-0281 or email lhoover@ palestineherald.com

STOCK PRICES

STEERS 300 lbs - DOWN: $1.85-$3.15 lb 300 lbs - 400 lbs: $1.67-$2.65 lb 400 lbs - 500 lbs: $1.58-$2.23 lb 500 lbs - 600 lbs: $1.45-$1.90 lb 600 lbs - 700 lbs: $1.35-$1.75 lb 700 lbs - 800 lbs: $1.05-$1.45 lb

TRI-COUNTY LIVESTOCK MARKET Updated: 3/26/2016 Head Count: 447 STEERS 300 lbs - DOWN: $1.80-$2.90 lb 300 lbs - 400 lbs: $1.70-$2.70 lb 400 lbs - 500 lbs: $1.60-$2.05 lb 500 lbs - 600 lbs: $1.50-$1.75 lb 600 lbs - 700 lbs: $1.40-$1.65 lb 700 lbs - 800 lbs: $1.25-$1.40 lb

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NACOGDOCHES LIVESTOCK EX. Updated: 3/24/2016 Head Count: 404 Buyers: 57 Sellers: 78 STEERS 300 lbs - DOWN: $2.00-$3.25 lb 300 lbs - 400 lbs: $1.75-$2.40 lb 400 lbs - 500 lbs: $1.50-$2.17 lb 500 lbs - UP: $1.25-$2.01 lb HEIFERS 300 lbs - DOWN: $1.85-$3.20 lb 300 lbs - 400 lbs: $1.60-$2.00 lb 400 lbs - 500 lbs: $1.45-$1.95 lb 500 lbs - UP: $1.15-$1.65 lb SLAUGHTER Cows: $0.60 - $0.90 lb Bulls: $0.85 - $1.05 lb PAIRS $1175 - $2400 Stocker Cows: $875 - $2400 hd Baby Calves: $50 - $400 hd Horses: $0.10 - $0.30 Goats: $50 - $200 hd

HUNTS LIVESTOCK EXCHANGE Updated: 3/28/2016 Head Count: 566 huntlivestockexchange.com STEERS 200 lbs - 299 lbs $1.50-$3.10 lb 300 lbs - 399 lbs: $1.80-$2.70 lb 400 lbs - 499 lbs: $1.70-$2.00 lb 500 lbs - 599 lbs: $1.60-$1.91 lb 600 lbs - 699 lbs: $1.40-$1.70 lb 700 lbs - 799 lbs: $1.30-$1.40 lb HEIFERS 200 lbs - 299 lbs $1.45-$3.25 lb 300 lbs - 399 lbs: $1.50-$1.99 lb 400 lbs - 499 lbs: $1.45-$1.91 lb 500 lbs - 599 lbs: $1.40-$1.75 lb 600 lbs - 699 lbs: $1.30-$1.45 lb SLAUGHTER Cows: $0.41 - $0.88 lb Bulls: $0.87 - $1.02 lb PAIRS Pairs: $1400-$3350 Stocker Cows: $250-$1750 Baby Calves: $310-$405

ATHENS COMMISSION CO. Updated: 3/4/2016 Head Count: 712 Sellers: 165 Sale EVERY Friday At 11am STEERS 300 lbs - DOWN: $1.60-$3.20 lb 300 lbs - 400 lbs: $1.50-$3.00 lb 400 lbs - 500 lbs: $1.40-$2.65 lb 500 lbs - UP: $1.30-$2.15 lb HEIFERS 300 lbs - DOWN: $1.50-$3.00 lb 300 lbs - 400 lbs: $1.40-$2.75 lb 400 lbs - 500 lbs: $1.30-$2.30 lb 500 lbs - UP: $1.20-$1.95 lb SLAUGHTER Cows: $0.40 - $0.89 lb Heavy Bulls: $0.80-$1.08 lb PAIRS Top: $1750 - $2250 Low Middle: $1000 - $1750 Stocker Cows: $0.80 - $1.90 lb Baby calves: $100 - $550 hd Horses: $35 - $400 hd Goats: $40 - $200 hd

This report is a GUIDE only. It is provided to show market trends and is NOT INFLATED to deceive producers or the general public.

Gone Fishing with Jerry Miller

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March-April 2016 15

Gear Up for Spring Bass Fishing S

igns of spring are everywhere. Outside temperatures are soaring into the 80â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m finding surface temperatures on our lakes in the low to mid-60s and in the back end of Lake Murvall I found 70°F temperatures.

The recent rains caused turbid conditions on our lakes, but most lakes including Lake Jacksonville are beginning to clear.

This week John Long and I tested the waters on Lake Murvall early on. Most of the lake was very dingy. We started mid-lake in a very small narrow cove which always has held some spawning bass.

I like to start in small secluded areas to test out several lures quickly so I can determine what mood the fish were in. The first two hours we really struggled to get bit.

Finally I decided to make a move to the very shallow north end to look for bass. We really had to search hard to locate bass. We finally located the bass in the far north end fishing islands and reed banks.

The best area we found was where a small creek wound through the shallow reeds. Since the bass fishing was very slow we settled on fishing Baby Brush Hogs in the watermelon red with the tail dipped in chartreuse dye.

Most of the bass we caught were near reed points and near the mouth of a small creek. The water was much clearer further up the creek.

Last Wednesday, Long and I fished Lake Jacksonville.

Most of the bass we caught were also on the far north end. We started fishing on a small point above the road bed. Our first three casts with a spinner bait and a shad crank bait produced these bass up to two pounds. We were off to a real good start. We also found bass biting on

another point nearby.

We found a lot of bass on the edge of the grass line that rims the entire north end. When the early morning bite slowed down we switched to watermelon Baby Brush Hogs.

Most fishermen fish the Baby Brush Hog too fast. This is a mistake in the spring. I like to cast the Baby Brush Hog to little points and pockets in the grass and let it soak for about 10 seconds before moving the lure. Spawning bass are slow to react to lures a lot of times in the spring, but if you leave the bait motionless for a while the odds of getting a reaction from the bass is greatly increased.

We also caught a lot of bass later on at the rocky ridge that runs to the water intake. We used a Strike King square bill river minnow crank bait to catch those fish.

We also used this crank bait to fish the old road bed and caught another half dozen bass.

Another full moon this month will bring in more spawning bass. Right now bass fishing is excellent. It should continue to be good next month.

------------------------------------LAKE FORK REPORT: On Wednesday of this week I called Frank Lusk at Lake Fork for a fishing report. Lusk said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am catching some really big ones but not many yet. Today I caught five bass. An 8-pounder that was 24-1/2 inches long, a 7, two 6â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and a 4. Yesterday I had five bass ranging from 3-1/2 to 5 pounds. I came in and ate and then walked down to my dock. I made three pitches with a black and blue Sienko to the grass and caught a 10.2 pound bass!â&#x20AC;?

Lusk is catching some of his big bass on a new, big swim bait called a Three Sixteenth. He said that the bait is about 7 inches long and big around. Lusk said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

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the most realistic thing youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever seen in your life. It takes a 10/0 hook.

When I first started I made four casts into shallow water that had alligator grass. I was watching the bait when a 6.80 pound bass struck.â&#x20AC;?

Lusk told me that every fish he caught was in a small shallow pocket with this alligator grass. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t catch any on wood,â&#x20AC;? he exclaimed.

Lusk also said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I fished some of the best looking willow bushes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; probably two miles of it â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get a single bite. I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t found the first fish on beds. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 70° in Big Mustang and pretty dingy. It would be hard to see beds in the back end of Mustang. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s starting to clear on the main lake. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a full moon coming up soon, and the bass fishing should bust wide open.â&#x20AC;?

Needless to say, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m making plans to go fish Lake Fork next week. I will report back later.

------------------------------Jerry Miller may be contacted at: gonefishing2@ suddenlink.net

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7

Raspberry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast Prep 20 minutes • Cook 10 minutes • Ready In 30 minutes Recipe By: LADYHEN76 “I came up with this recipe one morning while preparing breakfast for guests at my bed and breakfast. It became one of our most requested dishes and I later included it in our inn’s cookbook!”

Ingredients 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons vanilla extract 1 cup white sugar 2 tablespoons cinnamon 4 eggs, beaten 1 cup raspberry puree 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 loaf French bread, cut into 1 inch slices butter confectioners’ sugar for dusting nutmeg, for topping

Directions 1. In a bowl, whisk milk, vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon into the beaten eggs until well blended. Set aside. In a separate bowl, cream together raspberry puree and cream cheese until smooth. Make ‘sandwiches’ by cutting each slice of bread in half and spreading raspberry-cheese mixture in the center, then top with the other half.

2. Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet or griddle. Dip bread into egg mixture, coating thoroughly. Cook until well-browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and nutmeg. Serve immediately.

Berry Chicken Salad Prep 20 minutes • Cook 15 minutes • Ready In 35 minutes Recipe By: KATIE MINES “This recipe uses three kinds of fresh berries and your choice of mixed salad greens, all tossed together with grilled chicken and a special honey mustard dressing. This is my favorite summer salad - I make it for company all the time! And it is very pretty!”

Ingredients 1 (.75 ounce) packet honey mustard salad dressing mix 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons orange juice 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 8 cups mixed salad greens 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries 1/2 cup fresh blueberries 1/2 cup fresh raspberries 8 ounces sugar snap peas 1/2 cup toasted pecans

Directions 1. In a medium bowl, prepare the dressing according to package directions, using vinegar and oil, and substituting orange juice for the water; set aside 2. Preheat the grill for high heat.

3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill the chicken 6 to 8 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear.

Remove from heat, cool, and slice into strips.

4. In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, salad greens, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peas, and pecans.

5. Pour in the prepared dressing, and toss to coat.

Quick Sweet Pickles

Cornmeal Fried Okra with Eggplant Dip

Ingredients

Prep: 35 minutes • Total Time: 1 Hour

.6 c. white-wine vinegar or apple-cider vinegar .3 c. sugar .13 tsp. salt 2 c. thinly sliced ‘Beit Alpha’ cucumbers (about 2 cucumbers) 2 red onions 2 tbsp. torn dill sprigs 1 tsp. whole peppercorns 3 tbsp. olive oil

Directions 1. In a medium bowl, mix vinegar, sugar, and salt, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Set aside.

2. In a nonreactive bowl, combine cucumbers, onions, dill, and peppercorns. Add olive oil to reserved vinegar mixture and stir well.

3. Pour over vegetables and toss to combine.

4. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving. Store pickles, refrigerated, for up to 5 days.

Ingredients 2 lb. ‘Emerald’ okra 1 qt. Buttermilk ¾ c. extra-virgin olive oil 2 Small Eggplants Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 c. pine nuts Juice and zest of 1 large lemon (about 4 tablespoons juice; 1 tablespoon zest) 6 c. canola oil 4 c. cornmeal 2 tbsp. cayenne pepper

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Place okra in a large bowl. Pour buttermilk over okra, covering completely. Set aside for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, drizzle ¼ cup olive oil over eggplant and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Place eggplant, cut side down, on an aluminum foil–lined baking pan. Bake until very soft, about 20 minutes.

Reduce heat to 200°F. Scoop meat of eggplant into a blender or the bowl of a food processor, discarding skin. Add nuts, 1 cup water, remaining olive oil, and lemon juice and zest; puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.

3. Fit a baking pan with a wire rack; set aside. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot fitted with a deep-fry thermometer, heat canola oil over medium-high heat to 375°F. In a shallow dish, combine cornmeal, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, and cayenne. In batches, dredge okra in cornmeal, then carefully deep-fry until golden brown, about 4 minutes. With tongs, transfer to a paper-towel-lined pan and season with salt. Transfer to prepared baking pan and keep warm in oven.

4. Serve with reserved eggplant puree for dipping.

8

Thursday, March 31, 2016

East Texas Farm & Ranch Living Farm to Table

Apple Butter Beef Brisket

www.heraldpress.com

Peach-Blackberry Shortcakes Prep Time 25 minutes • Cook Time 13-15 minutes • Total Time: 40 minutes

Prep Time: 5 minutes • Cook Time: 3-4 hours Recipe Created By: Mary Carter

Recipe Created By: Kristen Winston Catering Made-from-scratch shortcakes, fresh peaches, blackberries and homemade whipped cream combine for a perfect dessert.

Ingredients 2-3 pounds beef brisket 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) onion soup mix 1/2 cup apple butter 1/8 cup Dijon mustard

Ingredients

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Place brisket in a roasting pan, fat side up. In a medium bowl, combine soup mix, apple butter and mustard. Spread evenly over top of meat.

Cover with pan lid or secure top with foil.

3. Cook 3-4 hours, until fork tender. Slice thinly and serve with pan juices.

Tomato Cucumber Salad with Mint Ingredients 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon white sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch slices

3 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint 2 tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 1. In a large bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, and salt. Mix in cucumbers, and marinate 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

2. Gently toss tomatoes, onion, mint, and olive oil with the marinated cucumbers. Season with salt and pepper.

Shortcakes: 2 cups all-purpose flour 4 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1 large egg, beaten ½ cup half-and-half 1 ½ teaspoons almond flavoring 1 egg white, beaten Fruit: 6 peaches, peeled, cored and sliced 1 teaspoon Fruit Fresh (fruit preservative)* splash of warm water 1 pint fresh blackberries 1 ½ cups granulated sugar Whipped Cream: 2 cups heavy whipping cream ½ cup granulated sugar *You can also use lemon juice to prevent the peaches from browning.

Instructions 1. With oven rack in lower middle position, preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. In food processor, pulse the flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Put into large bowl.

3. Mix the beaten egg with half and half and almond flavoring in a small bowl. Pour into bowl with flour mixture and stir until just combined. Turn the mixture onto floured surface (mixture will be sticky) and knead until just combined. Pat dough into large rectangle, about ¾ inch thick. With a 2 ½-inch fluted biscuit cutter, cut out 6 dough rounds. Place on a baking sheet and brush the tops with egg white.

4. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake until the biscuits are golden brown, about 13-15 minutes.

5. While the shortcakes are baking, prepare the fruit in a large bowl with a cover. First, sprinkle sliced peaches with Fruit Fresh to prevent them from turning dark. Add a splash of warm water to peaches to moisten, then add the blackberries and stir in the sugar. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

6. In a large mixing bowl, whip the cream and sugar until peaks start to form.

After removing the golden brown biscuits from the oven and allowing them to cool, slice them in half. Assemble the shortcakes by adding a spoonful of peaches and blackberries and a dollop of whipped cream to one half of the biscuit, and then top each shortcake with the other biscuit half.

Sauteed Pork and Tomato Stew Ingredients 12 ‘Principe Borghese’ tomatoes salt 1½ lb. boneless pork shoulder 15 clove garlic Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 lb. roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish 2 tbsp. roughly chopped flat-leaf parsely 3 tbsp. olive oil 1½ medium onions 1½ leeks ¾ c. red wine 6 sprig fresh oregano 2½ lb. pounds fresh shell beans (such as fava or cranberry) ¾ lb. green beans (such as ‘Roma’) ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper, plus more to taste 8 slice country bread

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread tomatoes on 2 parchment-lined baking pans and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Roast for 40 minutes. Let cool; transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine pork, minced garlic, and 6 tablespoons parsley; let stand for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot over low heat, heat 1½ tablespoons olive oil. Add onions, leeks, and sliced garlic and cook until onions are soft, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes.

4. Add red wine, increase heat to high, and reduce liquid by half, about 8 minutes. Add remaining parsley, oregano, shell beans, and enough water to cover by a quarter of an inch.

5. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add green beans, cayenne, and 1½ teaspoons salt and continue to simmer until beans are tender, about 15 minutes more. Add more salt and cayenne, if desired. Set aside and keep warm.

6. In a large skillet over high heat, heat remaining olive oil just until it begins to smoke, 2 to 3 minutes. Add pork mixture all at once (use caution—it will spatter) and sauté, stirring, until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Add reserved tomatoes and season with salt. Transfer pork-tomato mixture to reserved bean mixture and stir until combined.

7. Ladle into shallow bowls and garnish with parsley. Serve with bread.

Roast Chicken with Leeks Ingredients 6 baby ‘King Richard’ leeks 1 Whole Chicken Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 c. white wine

¼ c. sherry vinegar 3 tbsp. Dijon mustard 2 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Roughly chop leek tops and root bases to yield 1½ cups; set aside. Cut remaining trimmed leeks into 3-inch-long sections, then cut sections in half lengthwise and slice into ¼-inch-thick strips to yield about 3 cups; set aside.

2. Season cavity of chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stuff with reserved chopped leek tops and roots.

Pat bird dry and truss with kitchen twine. Place in a roasting pan and season skin with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Roast chicken until skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer reaches 167°F when inserted into thickest part of thigh, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate to rest.

3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon rendered fat. Place roasting pan over low heat on stovetop and add wine, vinegar, and mustard. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring to deglaze pan, until liquid is reduced by half, 5 to 7 minutes. Add reserved leek strips, season with salt and pepper, and cook until leeks are al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish leeks with thyme and serve with chicken.