McAlpin Entertainment l Sparkman’s Dairy l The Forgotten Initiative
Dustmade Christian and Anna Edwards, owners of Dustmade Studio, are Moultrie natives who never planned on opening a store in Moultrie. After graduating from Colquitt County High School in 2010, the pair left their hometown to attend the University of Georgia, where Anna’s understanding of the art world broadened.
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The Show Must Go On
A Moultrie native has taken his love for music and made it into a career where he can help support and promote artists. Page: 8 6
The Forgotten Initiative The Forgotten Initiative (TFI) resources, supports and networks Advocates across the nation, helping them grow sustainable foster care ministries in their communities. Page 14
Sparksman Dairy: 50 years As it celebrates 50 years in operation, Sparkman’s Cream Valley has shown it is not afraid to try something new.
Page: 36 Summer 2017
Letter from the Publisher
Heath Dorminey
When I was growing up, I was shy. Painfully shy, in fact. Even today I am not a fan of standing in front of big crowds or things like that. Most people who meet me would say I am quiet and laid back, and they would be correct. But, once I get to know someone, then they see that I am not as quiet as they first think. As a kid, from around the age of nine, up until high school, I knew what I wanted to be. A meteorologist. I loved everything about the weather. When most kids my age might be tuning into the Disney Channel, I was more interested in The Weather Channel. My parents got me a dry erase board and I would draw weather maps and post my forecast for the week. They even allowed me to prop this board up in the living room so everyone could see my forecast. When hurricane Andrew barreled into South Florida in 1992, I was right there, watching the news coverage and drawing out my own predictions and forecast for the storm. When I was about 12, I got to meet one of my local favorites: WALB-TV icon and Chief Meteorologist, the late Gil Patrick. I was attending the Sunbelt Expo and went to his taping of Today in Georgia. Afterwards, a friend of mine, who was an aspiring journalist, organized a meeting with Gil. He was super nice to me, and encouraged me to follow my dreams. He even gave me a signed WALB hat. As, time went on, and graduation
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came, I didn’t pursue my dream of being a meteorologist, but I never lost my love and interest for the weather. But aside from my love of weather, I had another love: my hometown of Moultrie. I discovered earlier on that I had an interest in seeing Moultrie grow and even used to keep a scrapbook of newspaper clippings that announced when new things were coming to Moultrie. As I grew older, this turned in to an interest in real estate. In 2004, having just moved back to Moultrie from Atlanta, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do. I knew aside for my love of weather, I loved my hometown of Moultrie, and always knew that I wanted to do something to help promote it or help it grow. So the fact that I came to publish a local magazine whose goal is to promote and showcase our great community, and that I also became a realtor, in 2013, with a focus on commercial real estate, all makes perfect sense to me now. I have the opportunity to promote this town that I love so much, and as a realtor, I have a chance to help it grow. It’s funny how life unfolds and those things you love as a kid can sometimes transform into something you love doing as an adult. I can honestly say I love what I do. My point to this story is to follow your dreams, even if you don’t know where they will end up taking you. Try to do something you love. If you can do this, they say you’ll never have to work a day in your life. And when you get the opportunity, always think outside of the box. When I first pitched the idea of a local magazine, most people looked at me like I was crazy. Nothing like it had ever been done in our little town. But I believed in it, and stuck to my idea, and here we are 11 years later. I thank all of our great advertisers, readers and contributors. Without you, there would be no Moultrie Magazine and we appreciate your continued support as we work to promote Moultrie/Colquitt County!
Published locally by:
Davenport Publications Moultrie, Georgia
Owned and operated by Heath Dorminey
Volume 11
Summer 2017
Publisher/Art Director Heath Dorminey Editor Jana Eatman
Contributors John Oxford Allen Edwards Tommie Beth Willis Alyse Futch Chad Smith Rachael Hall
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229-798-2245 moultriemagazine@gmail.com
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Send check to: Moultrie Magazine Attn: Subscriptions P.O. Box 2962 Moultrie, Georgia 31776
Correspondence
We welcome your comments/suggestions: P.O. Box 2962 Moultrie, Georgia 31776 Email: moultriemagazine@gmail.com Web: www.moultriemagazineonline.com Disclaimer: Any ideas or opinions expressed in the content of Moultrie Magazine are not necessarily the views of the publisher. All claims, materials and photos furnished or advertisments used are, to the publisher’s knowledge, true and correct. Hence, liability for errors or omissions cannot and will not be assumed by the publisher or owner. © 2017 Davenport Publications. All rights reserved.
7
A
Moultrie native has taken
ing where I produce my own shows.”
made it into a career
been held in Tifton, he said he has
his love for music and
where he can help support and promote artists.
Austin McAlpin said he started
McAlpin Entertainment, a concert
talent agency and booking agency, in
2011. With the company, he books
and produces concerts and serves as a
booking agent for 12 national touring
country artists, but he considers concerts his forte.
“I’m more of a concert promoter
than a booking agent,” McAlpin said.
“I do a little bit of everything, includ-
8
Article by: John Oxford
Although most of his concerts have
lamy Brothers, Edwin McCain and Sammy Kershaw.
The desire to start his own business
had some concerts held throughout
began for McAlpin early in life and
certs at the North Dakota State Fair,
owns McAlpin Signs, which he
the country. He has produced confor the Sturgis motorcycle rally in
Sturgis, S.D., and concerts in Denver.
McAlpin said he manages artists in-
cluding Buddy Jewell, who he has
here in Moultrie, he said. His father started after serving in the military at Fort Benning in Columbus for nine years.
The family moved back to Moultrie
worked with for about three years,
from Fort Benning when McAlpin
Singletary. He has also brought na-
spent a lot of time working at his fa-
along with John Berry and Daryle
tionally-known artists to the area,
such as Willie Nelson, Merle Hag-
gard, Vince Gill, Travis Tritt, the Bel-
was one year old, and he said he
ther’s business. He saw his father
manage his own business and real-
ized that he wanted to own a business
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9
Willie Nelson at the UGA Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. One of the many big name shows Moultrie native, Austin McAlpin has promoted with McAlpin Entertainment.
of his own.
he runs his business.
able work ethic,” McAlpin said. “It taught me to make
have the corporate persona unlike other larger produc-
it.”
rather than a large staff. He would like to see his business
“Seeing my dad run his own business taught me valu-
sure I knew the value of a dollar and what it took to earn After graduating from Colquitt County High School in
2008, McAlpin said he held a few odd jobs along with
working in his dad’s business. He was able to produce his
first concert with the help of some friends, and that led
him to begin McAlpin Entertainment in 2011.
McAlpin said he strives for McAlpin Entertainment to
tion businesses, including haveing a handful of employees continue to grow, but he does not want to lose the small
town feel and wants to treat his clients on a personal level. “We all gravitate toward a small town feel,” McAlpin
said. “I firmly believe slow growth is steady growth.”
Keeping with the small town feel, McAlpin said he is
Once McAlpin Entertainment got started, McAlpin
pleased that he is based in Tifton, providing a good geo-
his life. He lives in Tifton, but the influence of Moultrie
provides two main venues, a smaller 600-seat theater and
said he saw it as an opportunity for a career for the rest of
and small towns in South Georgia still are evident in how
10
graphic location and various venues for artists. The city a large, 2000-seat theater at the University of Georgia
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11
campus. It also provides him access to a major highway, giving easier access for artists.
McAlpin said he would like to bring a
major concert to his hometown of Moultrie, but an opportunity for one has not
yet presented itself to him. He prefers to
produce indoor concerts due to increased costs for outdoor concerts, but he hopes he can bring a show to Moultrie in the near future.
McAlpin Entertainment has also pro-
vided the opportunity to help those less
fortunate in the area, McAlpin said. He always donates a percentage of his
show’s ticket sales to individuals in need, particularly underprivileged children. In the six years since he started
McAlpin Entertainment, McAlpin said
he has donated about $100,000 to those in need. The donations have been used to buy Christmas gifts, back-to-school
supplies, books for college students and to help cover expenses for children’s sports equipment.
“It’s about doing the right thing,”
McAlpin said. “If you’re given a stage to help, you need to do that, and I’ve been
given a literal stage to help those in need.
I want to help people out, not just to have a good time.”
For more information on McAlpin En-
tertainment, visit its website at
www.mcalpinentertainment.com.
12
Top: The late Merle Haggard at the UGA Tifton Conference Center, middle: line waiting to see Shenandoah at the Tift Theatre, bottom: Travis Tritt concert held at Darton State College’s Cavalier Arena.
Summer 2017 9
I
Article by: Allen Edwards
magine for a moment you are a child again.
headed to that afternoon.
drug addict who wakes up each morning won-
backseat of the car, your stomach churning as your
your bedroom and walk through the house on your
knot in your throat too tight to respond to the case-
Maybe you are the eight-year-old daughter of a
dering who or what you will find when you leave
way to meet the school bus. Maybe you’re the nineyear-old victim of abuse who wears a windbreaker,
regardless of the heat of a South Georgia summer,
to cover the bruises on your arm. Or maybe you are
a child of neglect who must ensure your little sister’s hair is brushed before preschool, even though you are barely out of preschool yourself.
You arrive at school and struggle to focus on math
facts and reading strategies because your mind constantly drifts back to the life that awaits you when
the dismissal bell rings at 2:30. Right after lunch, the phone rings in your classroom, and you are sent to the office where you meet a friendly caseworker
from the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) who tells you about the new home you are 14
Imagine your fear as you grip your book bag in the
eyes stare out at houses you’ve never seen before, the worker’s attempts at conversations.
You pull up at the strange house full of strange
faces, and slowly step out of the car into your new reality as a child in the foster care system.
While that scene is all too familiar to a number of
children in Colquitt County, for many residents it
may seem like a world away, which is why the Na-
tional Foster Care Coalition (NFCC) sponsors Na-
tional Foster Care Awareness Month each May. The
goals of the month, according to NFCC website, are
to raise awareness of foster care issues, motivate others to help foster care and foster children succeed,
and create a positive framework that maintains the
progress made during the month of May throughout the rest of the year.
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Meredith Willis, the Colquitt County director for
advocate when Pierce and her family moved out of
dren is the lack of available foster families. “Not hav-
a clothes closet for foster children, many of whom
DFCS, says the greatest issue facing local foster chiling a local home has such a big impact on a child’s
life,” says Willis, noting the county only has 11 full-
time foster families for the 118 children currently in its care. “It makes it difficult to schedule visits [with family] and forces them to change schools.”
town, says the group’s original intent was to organize come without clothes or basic personal hygiene
products. “Sometimes, they come to you in the middle of the night or early in the morning, and you can’t run to the store to buy the necessities for them,” says Jones.
“I really felt like the Lord was working on me about it,” Jones says. “We prayed and just felt like it was God’s will.” Finding open homes locally is only the first battle.
Amber Schwalls, the group’s current advocate,
Most often, children transitioning into foster care
agrees. “So many kids come into care with nothing,”
they are wearing. To meet that need, two local or-
workers were spending money out of their own
come with few belongings, sometimes just the clothes ganizations, The Forgotten Initiative and Care Portal, hope to harness the power of local churches.
Georgia’s first chapter of The Forgotten Initiative
was founded here in Colquitt County by Christy
Pierce, a local foster mom who saw the problems in transition firsthand. Kayla Jones, who took over as Summer 2017
Schwalls says. “When kids needed something, case pockets.”
That immediate need had an immediate solution,
says Schwalls: “We wanted to create a place where
the local church body could continually stock items.” Jones says the chapter began asking local churches
to donate the most needed items: clothes, diapers,
15
and school supplies, and they held fundraisers to
purchase larger items for foster homes, including
beds and car seats. “It created a lot of awareness just having those events,” said Jones.
The closet eventually evolved into “journey bags”
caseworkers grab as needed, and the group has become a go-to resource for Colquitt County DFCS.
“So much for the foster children is donated through
the forgotten Initiative,” says Willis. Jones says there
is no set cost for a church to join Care Portal, though she hopes participants will donate to the service. “It
is funded completely by the churches involved,” said Jones. “There is no state funding.”
“Transition is hard enough, but it shouldn’t be that
hard,” Schwalls says of the work her group does.
Jones, for her part, now serves as a regional man-
ager for Care Portal, an online organization that
connects churches to their local DFCS. Churches enroll through the website, CarePortal.org, and view
16
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requests from caseworkers in their county, which can
children and multiple others for shorter transition
meet the need, they respond, and it goes right back
Christmas until their youngest child is older and can
then be forwarded to congregants. “If someone can to the case worker,” said Jones.
For Schwalls, the decision to foster children was
spiritual. “I felt God moving us towards it for years
periods. They closed their home to foster children at understand why children transition in and out of her life.
Likewise, Jones’s foster care journey began with a
prior to deciding to wade into the waters of being
spiritual heart tug after she met Pierce at a home-
when an expert on human trafficking spoke at Her-
Rev. Allen Pierce, had recently adopted children
approved,” says Schwalls. The breaking point was
itage Church. “He told us sex trafficking wasn’t as
much of an issue in our community, but that there was a real need for respite homes,” says Schwalls.
After the service, both Schwalls and her husband Jon were in agreement. “We knew we could provide that
school group meeting. Christy and her husband, the from foster care, and Jones says conversations with
Christy stirred something inside of her. “I really felt like the Lord was working on me about it,” Jones
says. “We prayed and just felt like it was God’s will.” According to Willis, the process for becoming a
temporary place for children,” she says. “When you
foster parent takes time. Prospective parents undergo
The Schwallses were active foster parents for four
pact. After they complete the course, parents submit
see the need is there, you wind up saying yes.”
years. During that time, they fostered four fulltime Summer 2017
a six-week course led by Michael Spencer called Imto a home study, criminal background check, and
17
drug test, all of which should ensure children are housed in safe locations.
Approval took about six months for Kayla and her
husband, Dr. Adam Jones. In May of 2015, just before the end of the school year, the family received
two children, Sadie and Lily. Kayla says fostering a
child was not unlike bringing a baby home from the hospital. “You don’t know them, and they don’t
know you,” she says. “You learn each other and make it work.”
The Joneses soon began the formal adoption
process, and they officially became the girls’ parents this past July.
Willis says she understands the hesitancy many
have about becoming foster parents. “It’s kind of
scary not knowing what kind of situation you might deal with,” says Willis.
However, DFCS has resources available to help.
18
Willis says foster parents receive a per diem, as well as an initial clothing allowance for the children in
their care. DFCS also offers ongoing counseling to help children come to terms with their circum-
stances, as well as parent aids who can assist foster
caregivers in a variety of ways. Jones agrees. “You’re not going to be left high and dry,” she notes. “They
[DFCS] make sure cost is never a road block to getting kids what they need.”
Many people shy away from foster care because
they know it would be hard to have the children
leave after a bond has formed. Jones says that can be avoided with clear communication. “I had good advice from friends who were foster parents as well,
and they said to let DFCS know what your goal is,” says Jones. “Is the goal to send them back to their parents or is the goal to adopt them eventually?” Schwalls says her experience as a foster mom
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705 South Main Street Moultrie, Georgia 31768-5432
Phone: 229-985-4137 Fax: 229-890-5968 Scotty Jarvis, Pharm.D.
SAFETY & SERVICE SINCE 1923
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19
changed how she saw Colquitt County, and provided
Medical Alliance will sponsor a coffee kiosk at
Initiative. “Being a foster parent and seeing the com-
DFCS employees each week throughout the next
a real-life impetus to volunteer with The Forgotten
munity from all aspects, the thorn in my side is seeing the children in transition and the trauma they
endure,” says Schwalls. “Through advocacy we can soften the blow of transition.”
Advocacy can take many forms, says Schwalls.
“We’re just encouraging people to get involved wher-
DFCS, and has committed to providing goodies for year. DFCS hosted a banquet for foster parents on May 23 at Calvary Baptist Church.
For more information on becoming a foster parent,
please call (877) 210-KIDS.
Readers interested in donating to or volunteering with the
ever their talent fits.” Jones agrees. “If you ever have
Forgotten Initiative can contact Amber Schwalls at
ing informed and aware of what is going on in this
Colquitt County’s Forgotten Initiative chapter online at
any interest, don’t let fear get in the way of becomcommunity,” she says.
During National Foster Care Awareness Month,
that involvement will take many forms. The Forgotten Initiative’s Project Sunshine, headed up by An-
gela Henry, has redesigned and decorated visitation
rooms at DFCS to help ease the fears of children in
colquittcounty.ga@forgotteninitiative.com. They can also find www.theforgotteninitiative.org/blog/category/find-aneed/colquitt-county-ga/ or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tfi.colquittco/
Churches interested in joining CarePortal can contact Kayla Jones at kayla@goproject.org for more information.
foster care. Starting this month, the Colquitt County 20
Summer 2017
l l l l l l l l
“Where they are serious about your stuff!”
On-site Manager High Security Fence Key-Pad Gated Access Secure Lighting Climate-controlled & Standard Units Many Sizes Free Moving Truck Full-coverage Video Surveillance
Hours: Monday-Saturday: 8:30 p.m. - 6:pm Sunday: Closed
Fallin & McIntosh, PC Attorneys at Law 39 North Main Street P.O. Box 250 Moultrie, Georgia 31776
Phone: 229-985-5881 Fax: 229-985-0659 Email: falmac@moultriega.net William G. Fallin William M. McIntosh
“The Real Estate Lawyers”
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21
Article by: Allen Edwards Photography by: Alyse Futch Photography and Rachael Hall
Photo by Alyse Futch Photography
22
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Photo by Alyse Futch Photography
Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. -Terry Prachett, A Hat Full of Sky
T
For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return. –Genesis 3:19 (NLT)
he story of our world is one of endless beginnings and endings, and each generation enters the world only to give way to the next. We stand on the shoulders of our predecessors, layering their dreams with our own and learning to see the old in new ways. That is the story of Dustmade, as well, one of a young couple finding their place in that cycle, one of family and hometown kids done good, and of finding a simple beauty in nature that inspires creation and sparks artistic ambition. Christian and Anna Edwards, owners of Dustmade Studio, are Moultrie natives who never planned on opening a store in Moultrie. Anna, the daughter of Keith and Emily Hall, says she never
24
saw herself as an artist. “I’ve always been creative,” says Anna. “But I wasn’t exposed to art as anything more than painting and drawing.” Christian agrees. “Anna’s skills would relate more to the welding class than the art classes in high school,” he says. After graduating from Colquitt County High School in 2010, the pair left their hometown to attend the University of Georgia, where Anna’s understanding of the art world broadened. Anna says she wanted to take courses in the art school that were reserved primarily for students majoring in art, so two years into her undergraduate program she decided to change her major. “I actually picked jewelry and metalwork on a whim,” she says with a laugh. “I loved the idea of Summer 2017
Photo by Rachael Hall
working with primitive tools and wanted something I could do if we ever decided to move overseas somewhere.” While in Athens, Anna honed both her craft and signature style. The artist says she takes inspiration for her jewelry from the outdoors. “I need time to
new day presents opportunities for beauty, for toil, and for a mingling of the two. My work interprets life, nature, and creation as I perceive and experience it. The details – the majesty and the movement of creation –take my breath in each moment that I pause to realize the vastness of a world in which I
experience and walk in nature,” she says. “I love taking those little things, like growing flowers, and thinking about what makes them special.” On her website (www.dustmade.com), Anna describes her encounters with nature as follows: “Each
am so small.” Dustmade opened first as an online store in October 2014, while the couple still lived in Athens. “I wanted to build an online community,” says Anna, who has shipped jewelry to customers across the
“One of the most humbling things about redoing the building was pulling up the worn-out tiles my parents laid 20 years before that were beautiful when they laid them down.”
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25
Photo by Alyse Futch Photography
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27
United States. Christian says they didn’t expect to open a store in their hometown when they began Dustmade. “We didn’t even know we’d be back in Moultrie at that point,” says Christian. In fact, moving home wasn’t necessarily in the plan at all. “Christian was trying to decide what his next step was,” Anna says, “We weren’t planning to be back in the short term because we were looking into either seminary for Christian or overseas options.” That changed when Christian was offered the youth minister job at Heritage Church, their hometown house of worship, and they moved back to Moultrie in July of 2015. Shortly after, the pair began discussing the possibility of a store. Though Christian says Anna was hesitant at first, two months of conversation provided her with a vision for what the store could be. “It felt like a bunch of opened doors,” said Anna of the decision to open the shop. The store’s location at 302 First Avenue Southeast is special to both Christian and Anna and evokes an almost existential air from the couple when they discuss it. Owned by Christian’s parents, Wayne and Denise Edwards, the building served as Denise’s beauty salon for years. Christian remembers his parents renovating the space two decades ago. “He helped his dad roll out the carpet when they first purchased the lo28
Photo by Alyse Futch Photography
cation,” Anna says. “And he and his father rolled the carpet back up together when we first began our renovation.” Wayne and Denise kept a photo album of their original renovation, which Christian says helps him gain life perspective by serving as the realest example of the depredations of time. “One of the most humbling things about redoing the building was pulling up the worn-out tiles my parents laid 20 years before that were beautiful when they laid them down,” he says, the metaphor too rich for a minister to pass up. “The Lord made us from dust and at some level it all fades away over time.” The building’s connection to past generations also holds special
meaning for Anna. Her grandmother, Ruth Hall, sold the building to Christian’s father in 1996, and it is located across the street from the BarBQue Pit, the restaurant Ruth owned and operated for decades. “I like to think I won it back for the Halls,” Anna says, laughing. “I know Nana Ruth would be proud.” The general aesthetics of the shop alone are worth a visit. While Anna and Christian designed much it themselves, they leaned on local contractor Mike Walden for the renovation. “Anna has some unconventional ideas that are sometimes difficult to communicate to a contractor, but Mike was great to work with,” says Christian. Summer 2017
Photo by Alyse Futch Photography
Most notable on the store’s exterior are large, raw wooden beams that work as support columns and joists for the roof. Christians says the beams, roughly six inches wide, were purchased from a flea market in Madison, GA. “They were originally 23 feet long,” he says. “There’s a lot of sweat in those things.” Moving inside the store, the customer’s eye is immediately drawn to the concrete floor, Anna’s favorite feature. Christian says they originally planned to lay hardwood floors, in essence following the same path as his parents 20 years before. However, they decided to leave the floors a bare concrete. “There’s a natural beauty where the old flooring was,” says Anna, noting the carpet and tile left distinct designs throughout the store. “People ask how we got the floors to look like that, and I tell them it wasn’t anything we did.” Dustmade’s interior is divided into three sections. A rich, rustic front door opens to the store’s showroom, which is filled with Anna’s jewelry and unique
30
home items from a number of different small artisans, including many of Anna and Christian’s friends, a few of whom are Moultrie natives by birth or marriage themselves. “I hope through the shop people can pick items that they can take home to make their houses unique and welcoming,” Anna says. Near the front of the showroom is a flower station where Anna prepares fresh-cut flowers and arrangements for her customers. The space is marked by a chest sink Christian repurposed himself. According to Christian, Anna only had one nonnegotiable request when planning the shop. “She said, ‘I’ll only have a store if we can have fresh flowers in it,’” says Christian. “Flowers tie in to the vision and heart of Dustmade,” Anna says. “Flowers have always been metaphors for my life and how we wanted to build our brand.” To the far right of the showroom is a fireplace and sitting area, reminiscent of a turn-of-the-century Summer 2017
Photo by Alyse Futch Photography
farmhouse. “I love to curate a space that has a sense of hospitality,” says Anna. To the left is a glass wall that separates the main room from a workshop space, notable for the large wooden table in its center and an antique wardrobe in the corner, which Anna uses for storage. To the far left of the store, delineated by another glass wall, is Anna’s studio where she actually creates most of the jewelry she sells in the store. Dustmade opened its doors on Election Day, November 8, 2016, only a few months after they began their renovation. “We laughed when it opened because we asked ourselves how we did that in four months,” says Anna. From the beginning, Anna and Christian say they have felt supported by their community. “You wake up on the morning it opens and wonder if anyone is going to come,” says Anna. “But even our first day of business was crazy.” The timing allowed Dustmade to catch the holiday shopping season, which Anna says made the first two
Summer 2017
months extraordinary. “The whole process [of Christmas shopping] is really special,” she says. “My dream is to send people home with something they are excited about giving.” Opening so close to the holiday season didn’t give the couple much time to absorb the experience. “I don’t feel like we got to settle in,” she says. “It was January before I was able to get back to creating new things.” One of the ideas Anna brought to the store in January is her Word of the Year promotion. “The Word of the Year is something you focus on all year long,” says Anna, whose word for 2016 is depth. On Dustmade’s Instagram page (@dustmadejewelry), Anna explains why she chose her word: “In the year ahead, I want to live out of a place deeper than my surface thoughts, emotions, motivations, and actions. When I move, I want it to be because of a stirring in the depth of me. 31
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When I work to create, I want my motivation to come from the deep, deep desire to express something much bigger than myself. I want every thought that I think and word that I speak to filter through the depth of what I'm studying in the word and hearing in my conver sations with the Lord.”
Photo by Rachael Hall
33
For the promotion, Anna encouraged her customers online and in the store to adopt their own word of the year and offered heavy discounts on a line of jewelry that featured the words stamped on hearts. The items began leaving the store as quickly as she could produce them. “I hoped to sell 25 and ended up
selling 400,” says Anna, who shipped her Word of the Year creations as far away as New York, Texas, and California. Settling in for Anna also included learning the business side of owning a shop, something she happily turned over to Christian. “Even in a dream job, there’s that one aspect you don’t like,” says Christian. “I enjoy the financial side and like that I am able to relieve her of that duty.” January also brought time for the couple to absorb another major life change. Dustmade opened just two days after the couple found out they were pregnant with their first child, a boy, who will be born this July. Christian and Anna will name their son Aslan after the lion from C.S. Lewis’s series The Chronicles of Narnia. Anna calls Christian more than just the financial mind behind Dustmade. While Christian claims he is just the handyman and furniture-mover around the shop, Anna says he doesn’t give himself enough credit for his creative eye. “I listen to his opinion, even from a design standpoint,” she says about their teamwork. “He is the one I pick to give me his opinion at the end of a project.” On Christian’s part, he says he is grateful Anna has the chance to work in a creative space. “I’ve always hated to see people who have so much skill for something Summer 2017
Photo by Rachael Hall
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sit behind a desk all day and just have this passion as a hobby,” he says. “I feel created to serve in the ministry, and I get to do that as an occupation. Anna is the same with her art.” In that vein, the pair hopes the store will eventually provide a workspace for local artisans. “I’d love for this to become an outlet for other artists,” says Christian. As such, Anna hopes Dustmade becomes more than a jewelry and home goods store. “We really want to insert ourselves into the community,” she says, an example of which is the workshop series Dustmade hopes to begin this August. “I would love to teach people how to cut their own flowers or create something new – just help them push their own boundaries,” she says. For Christian, the future of Dustmade is wide open. “Anna’s skill set and passions have taken us in lots of directions,” he says. “We’re going to try some things that fizzle out and other things that will just work.” Regardless of the future, Anna says she has felt so much love from their hometown. “There really is something special about being from here and how people just choose to support and encourage us.” It’s a hometown they will soon share with their son, as well. Perhaps one day young Aslan will find himself standing on the same concrete floor as his parents, grandparents, and great-grandmother. Perhaps he will stare at photos of what once was and dream new ideas for an old building. And perhaps he’ll realize how quickly one generation fades into the next and in that moment hear the words from Genesis that so inspired his parents: “For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.” Summer 2017
Photo by Rachael Hall
Photo by Rachael Hall
To learn more about Dustmade, visit the shop online at www.dustmade.com, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/dustmadejewelry/), and on Instagram (@dustmadejewelry)
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A
Article by: John Oxford
s it celebrates 50 years in operation, Sparkman’s Cream Valley has shown it is not afraid to try something new.
Ricky Sparkman, owner of Sparkman’s Cream Valley,
said the story of the dairy farm starts with his father, Ross Sparkman Jr. His dad was stationed in Albany while serving in the military during the Korean War. He met
Berma Jean McMullen at a soda shop in Albany, and the
two were married and moved to Missouri.
The couple moved to Moultrie in 1967, and Sparkman
said his father, a small-scale dairy farmer, purchased
Murph Dairy from Tom Murph in 1967. The dairy had
about 90 acres of farmland and about 50 head of Jersey
cows, and he continued to expand when he purchased
Rossman Dairy in the 1970’s, making modifications to
the dairy’s milking area.
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Photography by: Chad Smith
“He saw the need to continue to grow in the industry,”
Sparkman said. “There is not enough income for small farms (40-50 head) to exist.”
Sparkman said his father passed away in 1990, and he
took over running the dairy, and he became partners with his brother and brother-in-law in running the day-to-day operations. They wanted to continue running the dairy
farm, and it grew to have 500 heads of milking cows and
600 acres of farmland. For him, dairy farming is what he was meant to do.
“Dairy farming is my passion,” Sparkman said. “I’ve
been on a dairy farm all my life.”
After taking over as owner of the dairy farm,
Sparkman said he became more involved in the corporate side of dairy farming. He joined the Dairy Farmers of
America cooperative, which allowed him the opportunity to learn the operations of the business, and the farm
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began to grow.
The possibility of vertical integra-
tion resolution to expand the dairy
farm became a way to meet the need for the growth, Sparkman said. The
vertical integration was needed for expansion because the dairy’s land was
maxed out for farmland and for taking proper care of the dairy cows.
Sparkman said his dad’s philosophy
was to keep the dairy farm and cows
very clean and well cared for in every
way. As he began to consider processing and selling his own milk, he took
another part of his dad’s philosophy to ensure he had the best milk available.
“If (my dad) couldn’t draw a glass of
raw milk and drink it,” Sparkman
said, “he wouldn’t expect anyone else to do it.”
The taste and quality of the milk
were the essential components to making the best milk, and Sparkman said
the desire to make better quality milk birthed Sparkman’s Cream Valley. It was an 18-year process to get every-
thing in place for the dairy to be fully
functional, but it began operating in 2006.
“You don’t just get high-quality
milk,” Sparkman said, “You have to work at it.”
At the same time, he began looking
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into the possibility of expanding, Sparkman said his three
“Dairy farming is a cinch compared to marketing and
sons began to show an interest in dairy farming. He saw
selling your own milk,” Sparkman said.
business, and he hired a consultant and traveled across
Cream Valley has been able to provide a vital role as peo-
the vertical integration as a way for his sons to stay in the
That marketing plan has been a blessing, as Sparkman’s
“Dairy farming is my passion,” Sparkman said. “I’ve been on a dairy farm all my life.” the country to see how other farms handled processing
ple heal, Sparkman said. Sparkman’s milk is available at
Sparkman said he saw the possibility of a market that
patients, some even close to death, saying they tasted his
and selling their own milk.
had a high demand for his milk, but he was told that mar-
ket was not here in Moultrie. He developed a business
plan to market his milk in larger cities, and he found that
marketing products can be very difficult.
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Emory University Hospital, and he has heard stories of milk for the first time and said it was the best they have ever tasted.
“To have the product offered where people are sick is
beyond an honor,” Sparkman said.
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Sparkman’s milk has also been recently added to a
group of stores in Texas, and Sparkman said how it became possible was an incredible blessing. A group from
Central Markets in Texas had gone to Florida in search of
“What are the chances of an internet buyer coming in
and buying our milk?” Sparkman asked. “I am honored to be a part of the company’s theme.”
The company also saw a shift in its marketing place-
items to include in its “Tastes of the South” theme cam-
ment, as Sparkman said the company hired a new sales-
the internet buyer’s group tried Sparkman’s milk and said
to include local markets in its plans, and he did a test
paign. The group stopped in Georgia, and the head of
it was the best milk he had ever tasted.
Central Markets contacted Sparkman about being a
part of the campaign, and he said he agreed to let Spark-
man’s Cream Valley be a part of it. The dairy sent its first
shipment to the company in May for distribution to its
stores in Texas and Mexico. Sparkman was also invited to
be a part of a store’s grand opening in Houston.
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person in 2016. The salesperson challenged the company market to demonstrate local demand for the milk. After
taking coolers of milk to two stores, he couldn’t meet the initial demand for the milk after just two weeks at the stores.
Sparkman’s Cream Valley milk has also proven to be a
truly unique milk in the market, Sparkman said. He has
heard from drinkers who are lactose intolerant that were
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not able to drink Sparkman’s milk
without having any stomach issues.
After hearing from several people
about the phenomenon, Sparkman
said he had milk samples sent out for
across the country to take part in a
ple value his products and appreciate
the A2 gene in milk rather than tail
said. In addition to being served at
University of Kentucky study to find hair.
With so much that has been accom-
testing. The samples were found to be
plished in 50 years, Sparkman said
answer came after talking with a
with continued progress coming.
no different than other milk, but the friend in Iowa.
Sparkman said the friend in Iowa
told him he had A2 cows on his farm, and a sample of tail hair sent to Pepperdine University confirmed the
dairy had A2 cows. The dairy was also chosen as one of 12 dairies
the present and future look bright
the quality of all of them, Sparkman Emory Hospital, Sparkman’s Cream Valley milk has been served in the
Georgia governor’s mansion and at St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
“I am just a dairy farmer,” Spark-
Sparkman’s Cream Valley products
man said. “The food we supply is im-
consin to Florida and into the Mid-
value in it is awesome.”
are available in 17 states, from Wis-
west. Its butter is highly sought after
by chefs for its high fat content, and it is considered high-end butter.
It is a blessing to see so many peo-
portant to us, and to see people see
For more information about Spark-
man’s Cream Valley, visit its website at www.sparkmanscreamvalley.com and on Facebook and Instagram.
Ted Glover, Judy Burnham, Margaret O’ Neal, Terrie Alderman, Debbie Mock & Heath Dorminey
Summer 2017
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Our Community: Ribbon Cuttings
Adams Exterminators
BrainStorm Marketing
Central Monitoring
Chancy Drugs
Colson Business Systems
Dustmade Studio
Friendship Alliance Church
Grants Painting
Hidden Pond
Hoot Wireless
Jenny’s Hair Salon
Labor Finders
Life Under the Son
Lovely Nails
Merle Norman
Ms. Brandi’s Childcare
Affinity Physicians for Women
Amanda Lynn Photography
Breathe Playground
Hoes Bros Shaved Ice
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& Childrens Boutique
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Publix Supermarket
Quality Employment
Alyse Futch Photography
Armando’s Tacos & Grill
Regency Southern Care
Warner Recovery
Breath for Bonnie
CASA Kids
Country Financial
Fastrac Travel Center
The Hen House
Jazzy Jamberry
Mary Mack
Nails by Chris
Simiente de Abraham II
Sho Boats Seafood and Buffet
Southwind Pest & Termite
Vintage Celler
Wags to Whiskers
Winsome Grove
Southern Treasure
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The Sterling Center
Southern Valley
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A Word From the Chamber
A
nd we’re off….. to a great year at the MoultrieColquitt County Chamber of Commerce. We are excited about our great community and the growth we are seeing of local businesses. Downtown Moultrie along with Veterans Parkway and areas in the County continue to add new businesses plus some expansions. As our community grows so does your Chamber of Commerce. We are pleased to announce the Chamber is currently over 580 members strong with a 97% retention rate for the first quarter. The Chamber has held over 25 Ribbon Cuttings this year. We are thankful for all of our members as our staff looks forward to working with and for them each and every day. January kicked off with our 107th Annual Meeting and Community Awards Presentation at the Colquitt County Arts Center. This meeting included installation of our 2017 Chairman Ross Dekle and Board of Directors. The following community awards were presented: Man of the Year – Mayor Bill McIntosh; Woman of the Year – Mary Trescott; and Agri-Business Person of the Year – Patrick Mobley.
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In January we also welcomed our 2017 Chamber Champions: Ameris Bank, Broadleaf Trucking, Colquitt Regional Medical Center, Southwest Georgia Bank, National Beef, Quality Employment Service, Alderman Classic Realty, Ashburn Hill Plantation, Brent Chitty State Farm Insurance, Chick-Fil-A, Clements Printing, Commercial Banking Company, Destiny Industries, Edward Jones, Edwards Motors, Georgia Power, Larry Franklin Properties, Mattco Realtors, Mobley Gin, Robert Hutson’s, Sanderson Farms, South Georgia Tommie Beth Willis Banking Company, Southern RePresident Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber gional Technical College, Southern for making this event a huge success. Valley, Sunbelt Ag Expo, Teramore The coming months will be just as Development, Tucker-Plymel-Davis jammed packed with excitement. PC, Turning Point, Universal Forest Stay tuned as we will be adding more Products, and Moultrie YMCA. membership benefits and opportuniAt the end of April, we held our 20th Annual Chamber of Commerce ties for our members this summer. If Golf Tournament at Sunset Country you are a current member and are interested in joining one of our comClub. This was our spring fundraismittees: Ambassadors, Marketing & ing event as we had 25 teams and 90 hole sponsors. The top 4 teams were: Tourism, Work Force Development, or Agriculture and Rural Services, 1st Place – Quality Employment please stop by the Chamber for more Service 2nd Place – Ashburn Hill information. Also, if your business is Plantation/ Edward Jones 3rd Place interested in becoming a member, – My-T-Fine BBQ and 4th Place – please contact Karen Thompson Colquitt EMC. Thank you to all of at 229-985-2131. #TeamChamber our players, sponsors and volunteers
Summer 2017