okra. Issue 9, 2019 Preview

o k r a.

R E A L

S O U T H E R N

Display Until April 30, 2019

Display until February 11, 2020

GILLIARD FARMS Matthew Raiford finds new life lessons in Georgia STORYTELLER Documenting a vanishing way of life

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C U L T U R E

PO’ MONKEY’S Portrait of a juke joint in the Mississippi Delta MOUNTAIN MUSIC Along the traditional music trail of West Virginia

ISSUE NO. 9T

2019

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52: JUPITER UNBOUND

To tame the land his ancestors farmed an ambitous chef returns to his roots

64: STORYTELLER

A Florida photographer documents the stories of our Southern people

STORIES

72: MOUNTAIN MUSIC Follow traditional music?

West Virginia makes it easy

82: FUTURE FARMERS Planting for the future by teaching the deaf and blind

This Alabama couple doesn’t mind the hard work of restoration

Photograph by Brent Cline

92: HAPPY PLACE

CHAPTERS EDITORIAL

TO DINE SOUTHERN

PG 8: EDITOR’S LETTER

PG 36: THE SOUTHERN TABLE

In praise of those with Southern Spirit

Texas blogger, Kay Little, shares her favorite banana birthday cake

PG 16: MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Coffee house in Richmond, Virginia is a shining light for those in need of a beacon

PG 39: GATHERINGS

PG 128: MAGEE’S SOUTHERN ACCENT

PG 46: ON OUR PL ATE

Celebrating Good Friday with a feast of pies Chef Wes Fulmer gets back to the basics

Matthew Magee reminds us to use the talents we possess and make a joyful noise!

PG 48: IN OUR GL ASS

There’s a spirited revival of gin with the Chemist

48 Photograph by Brian C. Miller

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SOUTHERN COMFORTS

A ROAD LESS TRAVELED

PG 20: PAINTING A PICTURE

PG 118: WANDERING

PG 24: BY SOUTHERN HANDS

PG 124: FIND YOURSELF

An artist’s love letter to the Appalachians You’ll want these finds made by locals

PG 26: PAGES

Will Jacks delivers a beautiful portrait of the famed juke joint, Po’ Monkeys

PG 30: LISTEN UP

Celebrating Italy in Valdese, North Carloina

102

Louisiana’s native step-son premier slide guitarist, Sonny Landreth

SOUTHERN SNAPSHOTS

PG 32: LOOK FOR

PG 102: ALONG THE ROAD

Alabama’s Otha Allen, Jr. is on to bigger and better things

What to do in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Roanoke, Virginia

PG 130: WHERE WE WENT

Visit the highest point above sea level at Alabama’s Cheaha Mountain State Park

FRONT COVER

Matthew Raiford embodies Southern spirit. Photography by Brent Cline

Travel the Red Hills drive between Thomasville, GA and Tallahassee, FL

PG 108: SOUTHERN C HARACTER Mississippi tug boat captain, Mike Scott

PG 110: L AY OF THE L AND

Our readers submit photos of their special Southern places and people

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STAFF Scott Speakes Publisher Genie Gaither Jones Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Cashwell Design Director Steve Ransom Digital Imaging Specialist Tom Ramsey - Food Matthew Magee - Editorial J. M. McSpadden - Music Liesel Schmidt - By Southern Hands Contributing Editors Richard L. Jones Copy Editor

Advertising Sales Specialists Kris Schultz North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia kschultz@cherokeemediagroup.com Carolyn Terry Georgia, South Carolina carolynterry@mindspring.com Brittany Sanders Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas brmcdonald45@gmail.com All other Inquiries Scott Speakes scott@okramagazine.com

CONNECT WITH US facebook.com/okramagazine @okramag

Published by Southbound Publishing, Inc. Located in the Mississippi Delta

okramagazine.com

Photography by Aimee M. Lee

contact@okramagazine.com

SE C O N D

HEL PIN G

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THANKS FOR YOUR KIND WORDS

I have to hunt your magazine down in my area of Williamsburg, VA. Occasionally, I will find a copy tucked away at my local Barnes & Noble. When I find it, I’m so happy. Then I savor it on my veranda while sipping pink lemonade. Tiffeni G. I just wanted, once again, to tell you all what a marvelous job you do with this magazine. I received my latest copy and started looking at it last night and it was like being on a fabulous trip. Thank you so much. Deborah W I have been a subscriber to okra. since its beginning and treasure each magazine and wait for each issue eagerly.

Keep up the good work. Pamela W I bought my first okra. magazine in July and loved it. Amy V I have a gift subscription from my daughter and family. I subscribe to ten magazines and I place okra. at number one. Charlie B.

You make us feel loved.

I was on a cross country move to California with a friend 20 years ago and we took the Southern route from MA; as we were going through Mississippi we ended up on a long stretch of backwoods road looking for a Walmart, we happened upon a roadside general store, nothing fancy, run by some old school country black folks and they were shocked that I was traveling with, now, one of my dearest friends who happened to be white. Now, the fact we were Yankees was funny enough but they marveled at the fact we were friends. These folks chatted us up, hooked us up with snacks and directions to Walmart and travel tips.

To this day I remember all of the unsolicited kindness from the folks we encountered in the Southern states we traveled through and the great food and wisdom and honesty. My attitude on the South was forever changed on that trip, and although my original roots were of Virginian origin, I am a born and bred New Englander; I also fell in love with those roots and realized the simplicity of a slow paced lifestyle. I love following okra. because you capture the very best and diversity of Southern culture. You have a great magazine. Kim P..

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Ran into Barnes and Noble today, was so excited to find the latest copy of okra. The issue looks amazing! Can’t wait to sit down with a cup of tea. Bren I subscribe to several magazines, but yours is the only one that I read from cover to cover. I absolutely love it! Dorette K. I want to say how much I love your magazine. I first found it about a year ago while in the grocery store. As I flipped through, I instantly felt a connection with the magazine and the stories inside. I recently subscribed and read it cover to cover. I have learned so much more about the South that I love. Because of your stories, on a recent family trip to Nashville, TN, I heard again the story of the Nelson brothers and how they resurrected their great-grandfather’s whiskey distillery. I also made sure to eat at Peg Leg Porker BBQ (absolutely delicious), and said that I had read about their restaurant in okra. magazine. Thank you so much for the stories about our beautiful South. I look forward to every issue! Linda B.

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H S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! F O U R I S S U E S F O R $ 2 2 . 9 5 H In every issue, you’ll discover Real Southern Culture. Along the way, you’ll meet our wonderful people, enjoy Southern foods and visit unique and interesting places. Subscribe and receive 1 year (4 issues) for $22.95. www.okramagazine.com/subscribe 7

EDITOR’S LETTER

We don’t try to preserve our past to live in it.

We preserve it to feel a connection to our ancestors, to learn from the lessons left behind, thereby creating a better future.

In this issue we celebrate that Southern Spirit and for us, CheFarmer Matthew Raiford, is the perfect embodiment of it. His connection to the past is especially dear.

This celebrated chef is renewing the farm in South Georgia that has been passed down through generations from his ancestor, Jupiter, who was unbound from the chains of slavery, owned and farmed this land and created a legacy for his family.

Make no mistake, farm life is a hard life, and when you have are deaf or blind, those challenges seem insurmountable. The Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind, has created a new program to teach these students how to farm and all the things associated with it. At AIDB, they are planting for the future.

“ T H E PA S T T H A T S O U T H E R N E R S A R E F O R E V E R

Working to preserve the tales of our peo-

T A L K I N G A B O U T I S N O T A D E A D PA S T – I T I S A

ple for future generations, storyteller and

CHAPTER

photographer, Eric Dusenberry, travels the

FOLKS

FROM

H AV E

THE

TOLD

LEGEND US, IT IS

THAT

OUR

A LIVING

KIN-

PA S T ,

L I V I N G F O R A R E A S O N . T H E PA S T I S A PA R T O F THE

P R E S E N T,

A LESSON.”

IT

IS

A

C O M F O R T,

A

GUIDE,

South documenting its people and recording their stories. The portraits he captures, both photographically and on paper, are a beautiful testament to the Southern spirit.

When tragedy strikes, our spirit and tenaci-

Ben Robertson, Red Hills and Cotton

ty is never more evident. After losing their home to a tornado, Lauren Ashworth and her husband, yearned for a historic home they could make their own, and they found it in a small Alabama community. Desiring a simpler way of life, this couple is using their own hands to do all of the work, thereby having a greater appreciation for the families who lived there before them.

Simpler times meant simpler music. Brought by our ancestors from the Old World, the traditional music of the South continues to play a huge part in our daily lives as Southerners. In the state of West Virginia you can travel the Mountain Music Trail, which showcases not just the traditional music of the region, but also the musicians, dance and small towns of the region who work to keep this music alive.

So many of us are drawn to the past, so as we planned this issue of By Southern Hands, we felt a strong pull to explore those of us who look to the future by taking such pride in that past. Using our special talents, we can hold on to those things that are dear, preserving them for future generations to continue the journey–all of this, with our unique Southern spirit.

Scott Speakes // Publisher

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ISSUE NO. 9

Genie Gaither Jones // Editor-in-Chief

“making culinary memories with those you love! ”

Currently in its 8th Season in 20 metropolitan markets, The VeryVera Show combines Vera Stewart’s natural teaching ability with reminders to use our manners and with modern suggestions to add a new twist to your grandmother’s favorite recipes.

M A R K E T S GA : Albany • Augusta • Columbus • Cordele • Macon • Savannah • SC : Myrtle Beach • Charleston • Greenville FL : Tampa • Pensacola • AL : Mobile • Huntsville • Dothan • IN : Indianapolis • MD : Hagerstown NY : Watertown • LA : Lake Charles • MS : Jackson • Hattiesburg • TX : Victoria

veryvera.com

CONTRIBUTORS

JENNIFER STEWART KORNEGAY is a freelance writer and editor based in Montgomery, AL. Her work has appeared in Garden & Gun, Southern Living, The Bitter Southerner, The Local Palate, thekitchn.com, Bake From Scratch, Paste, Travel&Leisure. com, Nashville Lifestyles, Birmingham magazine, Alabama magazine, Georgia Magazine, Alabama Living magazine and more. She’s interested in everything, will write about almost anything but most often reports on Southern culture, food and travel. jenniferkornegay.com

JENNIFER KENT is a native of the South, growing up from Florida to Virginia. She’s still fussing around in the kitchen and cooking with her momma’s cast iron skillet. Now living in Georgia with her husband, she’s a mama to two and grandma to three. Inspired to follow in the footsteps of her father and husband, both photographers, grew her passion and photographic appetite. “As life catches my eye, I use my camera to capture a moment that will live forever.”

A real people lover, she’s never met a stranger and is always ready for conversation and a latte.

MATTHEW WOOD was born and raised in the Mississippi Delta and has always had a passion for the arts. In the fall of 2012, he moved to Tuscaloosa to work as a photographer for the University of Alabama. Although Matthew now lives in Tuscaloosa, the Delta will always be home and has forever shaped his perspective of the world. matthewgwood.com

TOM RAMSEY cooks, eats, drinks, writes and does other good and noble works in New Orleans. He and his wife reside in the 300-year-old neighborhood of Algiers Point in a great old house filled with art (never enough) and cats (perhaps too many). info@tomramsey.com

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ISSUE NO. 9

BRENT CLINE travels to support his photography habit. A lifelong resident of the South, Brent now lives in the charming town of Aiken, SC with his wife and three kids. For over 20 years Brent has produced commercial and editorial images from places like Italy, Norway, Pakistan, India and across the US. Although a serious car enthusiast, his favorite subjects are people who create because the passion and joy of their work often comes through in the images. brentcline.com

DEBORAH BURST is a New Orleans native, author, and award winning writer/photographer with a portfolio of more than a thousand published articles and photos, including national covers. She has written five travel/photo books featuring the South, its people, critters, landscapes, mystical legends and historic architecture. From hidden graveyards and sacred temples to the shrouded bayous and forests, Deb gives a voice to all the spirits. deborahburst.com

LYNNE HANNER is a native of Talladega, Alabama and a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

She enjoys history, travel, quilting, needlework, genealogy and storytelling.

Lynne retired from a 39-year career in public relations and fundraising at the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind and is co-author of The Ties That Bind, A Collection of Historical Remembrances of AIDB.

TYLER DARDEN is a photographer and cinematographer based in Richmond, Virginia. After spending the first part of his career as a magazine art director, he pursued photography full time. In his free time, he experiments with large format and ultra large format film photography, documentary and filmmaking. His photos have been published in Wall Street Journal, Garden & Gun and more. tylerdarden.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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The Alabama School for the Blind offers traditional and innovative educational experiences, technology and opportunities to students who are blind or have low vision. Comprehensive academic programs from pre-K to 12th grade, arts and athletics programs and adaptive technology prepare students for college, careers and fulfilling lives.

Alabama School for the DEAF

The Alabama School for the Deaf offers innovative educational opportunities, technology and career prep to students who are deaf or have hearing loss. Students receive a full pre-K to 12th grade education, active art and athletics programs along with resources for independent living so they’re able to dream freely and pursue those dreams.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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“Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind is the most comprehensive program serving individuals who are deaf and blind in the country.” DR. JOHN MASCIA, PRESIDENT

Helen Keller School

Named after one of Alabama’s most famous citizens, the Helen Keller School of Alabama has been serving students with multiple disabilities since 1955. HKS focuses on the needs, abilities and potential of each individual student, building individualized programs to give them the greatest opportunity for success.

E. H. Gentry

The E. H. Gentry Facility helps adults and families pursue independence and personal success. Residential programs on AIDB’s campus and outreach programs throughout the state offer academic services, employment training, assistive technology and independent living skills built around each individual’s needs and personal and professional goals.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Limitless Opportunities

Alabama Industries for the Blind Alabama Industries for the Blind employs individuals who are deaf, blind and deafblind to produce high-quality goods for the U.S. military and other private, state and federal entities. AIB employees in Talladega and Birmingham manufacture products ranging from office supplies and screen printing to all neckties worn by a U.S. service member and operate supply stores on four military bases in Alabama and Georgia. But our most important product is the sense of pride our employees feel as gainfully employed members of society.

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AIDB believes in giving families options in their education and service choices – through its campus programs, regional centers or in a local public school classroom. Many public school students with hearing and vision loss across Alabama are served by AIDB Outreach Professionals who take resources to local school and home environments, partnering with families and teachers to help all students who are deaf and blind thrive and discover their limitless potential.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

eight regional centers extend the services and care AIDB provides across Alabama From early-intervention services for infants with disabilities to assistive technology for seniors living with age-related hearing or vision loss to interpreter services for businesses embracing a diverse workforce, AIDB works within our communities to offer support when and where it’s needed.

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1. SHOALS (TUSCUMBIA) serving Colbert, Cullman, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Marion, Morgan and Winston counties

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2. HUNTSVILLE serving DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, Madison and Marshall counties

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3. BIRMINGHAM serving Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, Shelby and Walker counties

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4. TALLADEGA serving Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Etowah, Randolph, St. Clair and Talladega counties

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5. TUSCALOOSA serving Bibb, Choctaw, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Marengo Perry, Pickens, Sumter and Tuscaloosa counties

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6. MONTGOMERY serving Autauga, Bullock, Butler, Chambers, Crenshaw, Dallas, Elmore, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery, Pike, Russell, Tallapoosa and Wilcox counties 7. DOTHAN serving Barbour, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Henry and Houston counties

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8. MOBILE serving Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe and Washington counties

AIDB IS AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY INSTITUTION.

WWW.AIDB.ORG

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

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IT’S OKAY TO GRIEVE, WE’RE HERE TO HELP.

Learning to Grieve

H E L P I N G TO P RO C E S S LO S S , C R E AT E H E A L I N G CO N N E C T I O N S A N D D E V E LO P N E W M E M O R I E S Written by Alicia Porter / Photography Courtesy of Kate’s Club Think back to a time when you lost someone close to you from an illness or a tragic event. How did you deal with your grief from the moment you found out about the loss through the days, months or even years following? Now imagine you are a young child in elementary school or an adolescent getting ready for your senior year of high school and are experiencing that grief. The loss of someone close, be it a parent, caregiver or a sibling, at any age can be devastating, but when that person is a child, still growing and trying to figure out who they are in this world, losing someone so important in their life can potentially change how they view the world as they grow to adulthood.

Society too often expects adolescents and teens to work through their loss like an adult. But they aren’t adults, and during adolescence, their brains are still developing and the ability to process emotions is still being worked out. Research has shown that these close losses, at an age younger than 18 years, can create a greater risk for potential struggles with emotional and behavioral issues in the years after loss. Add into that the trauma or guilt, many may experience unnecessarily, surrounding their loved one’s death, and issues can become amplified. This is where Kate’s Club steps in to help.

Kate’s Club was founded in 2003 by Kate Atwood, who was devastated at age 12 by the loss her own mother. She wished to create a safe place–a club– for children and teens to grieve their loss. Having felt alone during her childhood loss, and with no one she felt she could turn to, Kate instilled these kids with the knowledge that it’s okay to be sad sometimes. The first “meeting” of Kate’s Club consisted of six children attended by three volunteers at a bowling alley for a day of fun activity as a way to connect those grieving kids with each other and their feelings. Today Kate’s Club has blossomed into a community of more than 400 volunteers and over 1,500 donors around the Greater Metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. Since that initial outing, the Club has offered support to over 1,708 members in need of an outlet to process their grief.

The mission of Kate’s Club is to “create healing communities through several recreational and therapeutic group programs, education, and advocacy.”

Resources available to these kids consist of Camp Good Mourning, a sleep away camp, the establishment of support groups in schools, over 23 Club House events, Family Nights that focus on healing with all family members, special outings for therapeutic fun, and Holiday H.U.G.S. (Healing, Understanding, Giving Support) created to offer added support around emotional

holidays like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Sibling’s Day. These activities are designed specifically to help children and adolescents redefine their relationship with their departed loved one by creating meaningful memories of those lost. In addition, an annual Memory Walk is held each year on the Sunday prior to Children’s Grief Awareness Day, held on the third Thursday of November, to honor and advocate for grieving children, teens and their families. The event allows these families to come together and enjoy the company of others in an uplifting atmosphere and create new memories surrounding their grief.

Tireless volunteers at Kate’s Club work diligently to insure kids feel safe in an environment that allows them to exhibit the multitude of emotions surrounding their grief, including how to process those feelings and understand they are not alone in their journey. Members of Kate’s Club learn to heal through a series of tasks.

They explore the why (create an understanding), how to experience the pain of loss and commemorate that loss as a way to honor their loved one, and finally, how to move on in life and make new connections and memories. Children and adolescents enrolled in the program are paired with a buddy to help guide them through the process. These buddies are mostly young adults who lost a loved one as a child and offer positive and supportive role models.

Many have journeyed through the program at Kate’s Club to heal themselves and have returned to volunteer and give back to this much needed organization hoping to help grieving children just as it helped when they were dealing with their own grief.

Kate’s Club Direct is a community outreach branch of Kate’s club, designed to bring bereavement support services and school outreach programs to the Greater Atlanta area. This support includes education and training for school counselors, educators, social workers, and other professionals who work with children and families dealing with grief.

Providing children a safe place to express their grief and learning how to deal with it is Kate’s Club’s priority. Offering top quality social and therapeutic programming, the Club is open to any school-age child from the ages of 5-18 who has lost a parent, sibling or primary caregiver. Children with an open and supportive network of peers and mentors who can share the experience of loss have a great opportunity to heal. Membership is free and the non-profit is supported by generous donations from the community.

Learn more at katesclub.org or call 404-347-7619

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create farmhouse charm

with Dixie Belle Paint Company

CHAPTER 1

SOUTHERN COMFORTS

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SOUTHERN COMFORTS