JULY/AUGUST 2020

ConnectedBROADBAND:

HELPING YOU FARM

Business unusual

Learn more about changes for the

ANNUAL MEETING

2020Aubriella Hairston excels

in competitions

SHE’S A WARRIORShaping the future with stories of the past

TALES THROUGH TIME

2 | July/August 2020

INDUSTRY NEWS

Rural ConnectionsBy SHIRLEY BLOOMFIELD, CEO

NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association

Taking the rural broadband story to the Senate

In mid-May, I appeared before the Senate Commerce Committee to discuss the status of broadband during this time of crisis that has so many Americans working, learning and socializing from home.

I have never been more proud of the broadband providers we represent, watching them move quickly and think outside the box to get the job done for their customers. It was a privilege to share with senators that NTCA’s community-based broadband providers were well prepared to keep Amer-icans connected during a crisis — thanks to their community commitment, their entrepreneurial spirit and the support of Congress, the FCC and RUS.

NTCA members have led the charge in building future-proof broadband net-works for years and are doing all they can to keep everyone’s internet lights on. But I reminded the committee that to do that, these providers need to keep their own lights on as well.

First, I reminded senators how important it will be to pass the “Keeping Critical Con-nections Act” to create a temporary emer-gency fund to keep Americans connected during the pandemic.

Moving forward, Congress should adopt a “Forever Connected” perspective when it comes to promoting broadband. No Amer-ican should get second-class broadband service, or worse yet, no service at all.

I appreciated the opportunity to share with senators the story of NTCA members, the Smart Rural Communities they are help-ing to build, and what support they need to write the next chapter.

Keeping you connected in

a changing world

AMERICA’S RURAL BROADBAND PROVIDERS

Broadband Enabled.Locally Driven.Globally Connected.®

A Program of:

Visit ntca.org/smart

July/August 2020 | 3

Stay focused with the Pomodoro Technique

According to a 2017 Gallup poll, 43% of employed Americans have spent at least some time working remotely. U.S. census data released in 2018 revealed that 5.2% of American workers are based entirely at home. Many employers, however, are reluctant to get on board with remote work. They worry that distractions at home and a lack of oversight could decrease produc-tivity. But are those worries unfounded? One Stanford professor decided to find out.

In 2015, Nicholas Bloom conducted research as a Chinese travel agency tested a new work-from-home policy with half of its call center employees. Bloom found that productivity actually increased by an aver-age of 13% thanks to fewer interruptions, shorter breaks and fewer sick days. With just a six-second commute to their laptop, employ-ees were also less likely to start work late or leave early.

Little bits of time saved here and there added up to a big difference. Each employee completed roughly one extra shift’s worth of work. And they were happier, too. Employee attrition, formerly a big problem at the com-pany, decreased by an astounding 50%. The company in Bloom’s study cut back on its office space in an expensive city and saved $2,000 per employee.

Working from home is great for employers and employees alike, but there are challenges to keep in mind. At the end of the study,

over half of the work-from-home employees decided they wouldn’t want to work from home 100% of the time, citing isolation as a challenge. Fortunately, there are several ways remote companies can help employees overcome isolation and reap the benefits of working from home: b Use technology to stay connected. Video meetings allow for face-to-face time and are more engaging than audio-only conference calls. Platforms like Slack encourage steady communication, even between meetings.

b Consider flexible policies. Working from home doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Some companies opt for a mix of in-office and at-home days or start new employees in the office for smoother onboarding. The key is to consider the unique needs of the team and experiment with creative options as needed.

b Encourage team bonding. A sense of community can combat feelings of isolation and encourage team cohesion. Non-work-related, group bonding activities — whether virtual or in person — can help teams feel connected and united even as they work from home.Working from home can save companies

time and money, improve employee satisfac-tion and improve retention rates — as long as they find ways to keep employees con-nected and engaged from wherever they call home.

The six-second commute

Story by KALEIGH COX

Named after the creator’s tomato-shaped kitchen timer, the Pomodoro Tech-nique is a simple time-man-agement strategy widely used by work-from-home employees who need help staying focused. Here’s how it works:

» Select a task to focus on.

» Set your timer for 25 minutes and work until you hear the “ding.”

» Take a short five-minute break to stretch or grab a coffee.

» Repeat three more times, then take a longer break of 15-30 minutes.

Even large tasks feel man-ageable when you only have to focus for 25 minutes at a time. Set a kitchen timer, use your phone’s timer or down-load a Pomodoro app to try this “time-tested” technique for yourself.

Work from home policies boost productivity

On the Cover:

FTC’s annual meeting will significantly change this year to better serve you during the COVID-19 pandemic.See story Page 5.

Farmers TelecommunicationsCooperative, Inc.P.O. Box 217 • 144 McCurdy Ave. N.Rainsville, AL 35986Telephone: 256-638-2144www.farmerstel.com

Connected is a bimonthly magazinepublished by Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative, © 2020. It is distributed without charge to all customers of FTC.

JULY/AUGUST 2020 VOL. 24, NO. 4

Produced for FTC by:

FTC is the state’s largest member-owned provider of telecommunications services. It serves Northeast Alabama with a robust broadband network using world-class optical fiber technology.

Connected

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Randy Wright, PresidentFlat Rock Exchange

Garry Smith, Vice PresidentFyffe Exchange

Danny R. Richey, SecretaryGeraldine Exchange

Lynn Welden, TreasurerBryant Exchange

Kenneth GilbertPisgah Exchange

Gregg GriffithHenagar Exchange

Randy TumlinRainsville Exchange

4 | July/August 2020

FRED JOHNSONChief Executive Officer

FROM THE CEO

Coping with COVID-19

A blizzard, a hurricane, a mild earthquake, enough torna-dos for a lifetime, and now a global pandemic. These are all things I could have gone without but nevertheless experienced during my career here in North Alabama. Infrastruc-ture providers such as FTC must keep going during these events. There is no letting up, and I am never more proud of those with whom I work than during these trying times. I appreciate the leadership of our board of directors and the dedication of our employees as they never forget their responsibility to you, even at the cost of personal sacrifice.

As much as we would all like to put everything related to the present COVID-19 crisis behind us, FTC faces a number of challenges. Though we have been able to maintain all critical services, including new installations of service for those with work-related or other critical needs, we must still employ significant caution in our daily routines as required by various state and federal rules. But we also do this because it is the right thing. Our employees use masks and gloves when entering all customer loca-tions, not only for their own protection but for yours as well. We often enter more than 100 homes per week, and we must always be on our guard to avoid inadvertently becoming a source of transmission. We also go through screening procedures with the goal of protect-ing both you and us. This is often not as easy as I wish. It saddens me that on the same day some of our personnel encounter folks, who are truly terrified of catching the disease and dying, they also suffer ridicule for walking into a restaurant with a mask on out of consider-ation for others. As a people, we should do better than that. Still, when faced with chal-lenges we revert to our mantra of keeping your best interest at heart.

That brings me to the subject of our annual meeting, which has presented us with a unique challenge. Decisions about our meeting, normally held on the first Saturday of August, must be made months in advance, and once made they are very difficult to change. Most of our industry gatherings have been canceled through October, and we received clear guidance from the Alabama Department of Public Health that we should avoid this gather-ing if a realistic alternative was possible. Indeed it is.

Our board has decided to conduct this year’s annual meeting in an alternate format. Additional details appear in the following pages, but, essentially, you will be able to visit our office anytime Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. from Monday, Aug. 17, until 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 28. During your visit, you may register and vote by secret ballot on the normal business to come before our annual meeting and on the election of trustees.

Prize drawings will occur daily. You do not have to be present to win, and all registered members will also qualify for the drawing of a grand prize. Quite frankly, we believe giving you two full weeks to participate during extended hours in the governance of your cooper-ative is more convenient than a single gathering. We understand that the time of fellowship and entertainment by which our meetings have come to be known will be missed by many of you. Yet once again, we choose to do that which minimizes risk as we ask you to partic-ipate. In doing so, we are listening to the best advice we can get and putting you first. We trust you will understand our decision.

Your safety comes first

20 for 2020 at this year’s — different —

ANNUAL MEETING!Safely register and vote by secret ballot on the annual business of the Cooperative over a two-week period — receive a $20 BILL CREDIT and

become eligible in a drawing for 20 DOOR PRIZES!

WHAT: Registration and voting by secret ballot on all

business and the election of Trustees from Henagar

and Flat Rock

WHERE: the FTC office at

144 McCurdy Ave. N., Rainsville

DATES: Monday, Aug. 17, through Friday,

Aug. 28.

TIMES: Each weekday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Friday, Aug. 28, when

registration and voting ends at 4 p.m.

?

Each FTC member will receive a detailed packet in the mail, including the 2019 minutes for review, financial report, sample ballot, order of business schedule, prize tickets and instructions.

Don’t miss an opportunity for a unique experience at FTC’s annual meeting and a chance for great door prizes!

July/August 2020 | 5Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative

FTC receives financial support to provide optical fiber to EVERY memberWhen our board made the final commitment in December of last year to extend optical fiber facilities to every member of the cooperative, we did so in hopes of achieving funding assistance from both state and federal sources to help offset the extremely high costs of reaching the last 5% of our membership. I am pleased to share that in this regard we were successful. To date, FTC has received commitments from the Alabama Broadband Accessibility Fund in excess of $1.6 million. Senators Clay Scofield and Steve Livingston and House Majority Leader Nathaniel Ledbetter have, in particular, been the leaders in securing funds for this program in recognition of how important it is for all Alabamians to have access

to high-quality broadband internet. I cannot adequately express my appreciation to them for their vision and commitment. Additionally, FTC was also awarded a $2 million low-interest, long-term loan from the USDA Rural Utilities Service in support of this objective. This loan came from the ReConnect Program. Rep. Robert Aderholt was primarily responsible for shepherding this program through Congress. Rep. Aderholt has emerged as one of the leading champions of rural broadband in the U.S. Congress, and for that we are deeply grateful. We expect to complete these projects within 24 months and look forward to having every cooperative member served by this world-class technology.

A message from CEO Fred Johnson

They start out so colorful and add such a happy touch to your outdoor setting, but with the heat of summer, gerbera daisies begin to lose their appeal. Their healthy, green leaves brown as the heat rises.

But all is not lost — your daisies can come back to life with a little love and flower power on your part.

Gerbera daisies are a popular flower for both the home and garden. You can cut them and make a stun-ning, multicolored bouquet. They put on quite a show with their rainbow of colors, which is one of the most distinctive qualities of gerberas. They range from beau-tiful reds, cheery yellows, bright pinks and vivid whites to perfect purples, soft peach and more. And while you may see blue and green gerberas, those are most likely victims of artificial coloring.

“They really are a customer favorite,” says Cole Webster, general manager of The Barn Nursery in Chat-tanooga, Tennessee. “They’re bright, fun and an iconic bloom. When I think of summer and warm weather, I think of gerbera daisies.”

With proper care, though, these blooms can last well past spring and through the heat of summer — and possibly through the cold of winter.

Gerbera daisies are a colorful burst of sunshine

Sweet & Simple

6 | July/August 2020

July/August 2020 | 7

A few things you might not know about gerbera daisiesNot only are gerbera daisies among the most popular flowers, but they also have an interesting history. They enjoy longevity, have medicinal uses and are made up of a surprisingly complex structure.

\ Dutchman Jan Frederic Gronovius wished to honor a German botanist and physician, Traugott Gerber, when naming the genus Gerbera in the 1700s.

\ Gerberas can last in a water-filled vase for two weeks, making them among the longest-lasting cut flowers.

\ The plant is also believed by many to have health benefits, pulling carbon dioxide and other toxins found in the air and discharging oxygen. Some people even place gerberas by their bedsides.

\ The structure of the gerbera is complex. At first, the flower seems to be a single flower head with many small petals. However, the gerbera flower actually consists of a huge cluster of hundreds of tinier flowers.

\ Scientific researchers have examined the daisies as they study the formation of flowers. And the flower is resistant to fungal diseases.

\ Similar to sunflowers, gerber daisies track the sun. The flower turns as the light moves from east to west.

\ About 40 documented species of gerberas exist.

Source: flowerweb.com

HERE ARE SOME TIPS WEBSTER OFFERS TO ENSURE THEIR SURVIVAL:

\ Gerbera daisies should be watered every couple of days. It’s easy to tell if they’re desperate for a drink. The leaves sag, and the blooms wilt. “I like telling peo-ple to water them whenever you think about it,” Webster says.

\ The best time to water is in the morning. But if you forget, water in the afternoon. Don’t wait until the next day. If you’re thirsty, you don’t tell yourself you’ll wait until tomorrow to get something to drink.

\ Fertilize every three weeks. For con-tainer plants, Webster recommends a product like Scotts Super Bloom or some other plant food that has a high phospho-rus level to help promote big blooms. If you plant your daisies in the ground, a slow-release fertilizer is your best bet.

\ Gerberas are sun-loving plants, but sun is too much of a good thing when tem-peratures climb to 90 degrees and higher. This is the time of year you should limit

their sunning to mornings, moving them into the shade in the heat of the after-noon.

\ Gerbera daisies can come back next year if you winterize them. In the South, particularly those areas where mild win-ters prevail, mulch the daisies well, and they’ll reappear next spring. In areas that suffer through freezing winter tempera-tures, bring the daisies inside and place them in a bright window or greenhouse, watering and fertilizing as needed. Note, however, gerberas are more likely to come back and rebloom if they are planted outdoors. They can last for two to three years.

\ Use gerberas in an arrangement for a stunning, colorful showpiece. Their stems are hollow, allowing a wire to be inserted into them if needed for stability.

\ If you plan ahead, you can start gerberas from seed, but it will take about six months for them to reach maturity. Plant seeds around Thanksgiving for spring blooms.

Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative8 | July/August 2020

Growing up, Kathie Wiegert heard the story of how her great-great-grandparents met, but she always wanted to know more. Her great-great-grandmother worked as a housekeeper at a hotel in Indiana in the mid-1870s when she met Wiegert’s great-great-grandfather. He was staying at the hotel while passing through for his work as a concrete mason.

“My mom had always told me the sto-ries of how they met, and I loved hearing about it,” says Wiegert. Years later, while she was doing genealogy research online, she finally found records that brought their story to life.

Much of Wiegert’s time is devoted to genealogy research, and she has managed to trace her family tree back hundreds of years.

THE LOVE OF FAMILYWiegert was born in Albertville, but

her Navy family moved a lot — even living for a time in Morocco in Africa. At least once a year they visited relatives in Alabama, and she got to know her grand-parents, aunts and cousins. Her mother’s mother died before Wiegert was born, but she felt a strong connection to that side of her family. Her grandfather, Oscar Pope, remarried after her grandmother’s death and always had a big family reunion every year at his home in Fyffe.

“In the instability of moving around, they were my stability,” Wiegert says.

“It was a big deal to get to come home to visit each year.” After meeting so many of her family members, she asked her mom lots of questions, trying to figure out how everyone fit together.

Her mother shared stories of their rela-tives — the Dollars, Noleses, Lamunyons — and she wanted to know more. “I prob-ably was in my early teens when it started to make sense to me,” she says. “I think that initiated my interest in genealogy, and I wanted to know who those people were.”

Wiegert lived several years in the Gadsden area, but after her junior year of

high school her family moved to seek jobs in Michigan’s automotive industry. She graduated from high school in Michigan, then studied computer processing and data entry in college and eventually became a certified paralegal.

Her knowledge of research helped her obtain copies of birth and death certificates and other legal documents from court-houses to find out more about her family. But when the internet paved the way for genealogy research with companies like Ancestry, a whole new world opened for Wiegert.

Family tree’s roots run deepInternet transforms genealogy research

Story by LISA SAVAGE

Marcus and Sarah Sexton Lamunyon

Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative July/August 2020 | 9

“I always had my nose in the computer, doing research and learning everything I could,” she says.

TRACING HER ROOTSDuring her online research she learned

her great-great-grandparents had two marriage certificates, one from March 13, 1875, in St. Joseph, Michigan, and another from two weeks later in Elkhart, Indiana. They presumably had a wedding cere-mony for both sides of their families.

She followed the births of their chil-dren through the years and then their grandchildren. The family moved a little farther south with each addition. In 1897, a granddaughter — Wiegert’s grandmother — was born in Haralson County, Georgia.

“I always wanted to know how we ended up in Alabama,” Wiegert says. She followed their travels to Sand Mountain in the early 1900s, digging up bits and pieces about what they were doing during the journey. “It took them years to get from Michigan to Alabama,” she says, as the family traveled for her great-great-grand-father’s masonry work, a trade he passed down to his sons. Porches across the area still have some of the stone columns, and several cemeteries contain headstones made from their molds.

Wiegert continued to research and learn as much as she could, creating an exten-sive family tree on the popular genealogy website Ancestry.

After retiring from the Social Security Administration in Chicago, she and her husband, Pete, moved to Rainsville in 2010 to be near her mother, Sarah Mirl Murphy, who died in 2013. She loved having access to fast internet through FTC to aid in her research.

By the time she moved to Alabama, she was excited to reconnect. “I was expecting our family to be close like we had been when I was a child, but I found that a lot of people had gone their separate ways,” she says. “There were no reunions and no gatherings. I was more than devastated, because we had a huge family that had adored each other.”

Wiegert organized a family reunion in 2011. She and more cousins have contin-ued to meet each July, and it’s grown each year. She established online Facebook groups, posting information and photos about her ancestors and inviting family members to join.

Now, she loves helping others learn about their families and answers questions for anyone interested in tracing their roots. “When someone asks me a question, I end up learning something new,” Wiegert says.

Tips for researching

Most serious genealogy researchers like to obtain birth, death and marriage certifi-cates for their ancestors. “True researchers like to have the actual record to eliminate any doubts,” Kathie Wiegert says.

To get records as detailed as the ones she has, it is usually necessary to pay for access to some sites and information. Wie-gert has invested several thousand dollars in her research, programs, subscriptions and documentation.

It doesn’t have to cost a fortune, though. Ancestry offers a free membership for those who don’t research often enough to justify buying a subscription. Some older records can be found online, but for others, it might be necessary to go directly to the source, which is generally a county clerk’s office, health department or state vital statistics department. Most states and counties have websites, which make the research and ordering of vital records much simpler than in the past.

Most libraries now have a genealogy section, someone to assist with research and a subscription to Ancestry. Wiegert recommends online genealogy sites in addition to using ancestry.com.

FamilySearch.org has a lot of informa-tion, and it’s free.

Findagrave.com also provides informa-tion about locations of deaths and graves.

To learn more about in-depth research, Wiegert suggests Family Tree Magazine, familytreemagazine.com, for online courses to assist in tracing family roots.

Earl and Mallie Lamunyon

Kathie Wiegert loves genealogy research and how online tools make the hobby much easier.

Cousins from across the country gather for a family reunion in Rainsville each year. This year’s event is canceled because of COVID-19, but they hope to continue next year.

10 | July/August 2020

Technology in the growing fieldInnovations in automation help farmers work more efficiently

BROADBAND:HELPING YOU FARM

Story by LAZ DENES

Never has technology been more important to the agriculture industry than it is today. As farmers and ranchers face challenges such as dimin-ishing sustainable farmland, rising costs of supplies and equipment, workforce short-ages, and ever-changing con-sumer preferences, they must find ways to produce more without breaking the bank.

Fortunately, technology enables farm-ers to shave hours, days and even weeks off some of the most time-consuming tasks to make their operations more efficient than ever.

Corey Poss, an agronomist with the Rutherford Farmers Cooperative in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, oversees an operation that offers satellite and drone technology to help map, monitor and analyze crop fields. Another solution is a forecasting tool that can predict the yield of a particular crop to within 10% — before seeds are even planted.

“Crop ground is getting swallowed up every day, and we’ve got more people to feed, so we have to apply technology everywhere we can to be as efficient

as possible and not waste time and money,” says Poss, who is in his sixth year with the Rutherford co-op after graduating with an agribusiness degree from Tennessee Tech University.

“A lot of our larger growers are participating with us free of charge,” he says. “The technology originated in the Midwest — the Corn Belt. I don’t ever have to step in the field. We can get a much more accurate look from above. We can identify problems with water, nutrient deficiency and disease on a wide scale, and we can advise the farmer so he can apply his fertilizer accordingly. With our satellite and drone technology, we can cover as much as 1,000 acres a day.”

July/August 2020 | 11

PRESCRIPTION FOR SUCCESSPoss and his crew of four agronomists

use the fast fiber optic network at their Woodbury and Smithville locations to process analytics that farmers then load into their automated equipment to enable a precise distribution of fertilizer, pesti-cides and nutrients on every square inch of a growing field.

It’s a practice called “writing pre-scriptions,” something with which Texas farmer Spence Pennington has become all too familiar. Five years ago, he returned to his family farm in Raymondville after serving as an Air Force aircraft mainte-nance officer. He and his family grow cotton, grain sorghum, corn, sugarcane and sesame seed. They also raise Brangus cattle in Willacy, Cameron and Hidalgo counties in the Rio Grande Valley. Pen-nington appreciates the ability to pinpoint the varying requirements of his family’s farmland through technology.

“I have 10 to 12 systems — my tractors and all my equipment — and I can link them all together to make them all sync, thanks to the broadband at my house,” he says. “I can run my agriculture systems, security systems, monitor my equipment. I can literally see the water temp in the radiator of one of my tractors, all from home. When I’m at home, I’m still con-nected to my farm.”

Pennington and his wife, Emily, an Iowa native he met while on active duty in Ramstein, Germany, also rely on broadband technology to help them stay

on top of their continuing duties as Air Force reservists. Pennington is a lieu-tenant colonel and commander of the 433rd Maintenance Squadron at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. His wife, a nurse practitioner at a local regional hospital, still serves as an Air Force major. Stationed at Scott Air Force Base near St. Louis, she is the chief nurse of the 932nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron.

“We live multiple lives, and we have to cover a lot of ground,” Pennington says. “After working 12 to 13 hours a day on the farm, I come home and have to take care of business as commander of my unit. I’m responsible for 250 people remotely, and I’m logging into a very encrypted system.

“Having fast internet has literally changed our lives, and we’ve gotten so much family time back,” he says. “No more headaches, and everything is so much quicker. We’ve been married just over three years, and we have two kids now, so we can really appreciate being able to take care of our military duties that much more quickly and efficiently.”

MAKING THE GRADEReliable broadband service also is a

valuable tool for the Bonanza Bean farm-ing operation headquartered in Morris, Minnesota. The company processes black beans and three varieties of kidney beans and sells to national and international companies from its state-of-the-art facili-ties in Minnesota and Arizona.

The company touts its magnetic dirt separator, which uses magnets to remove dirt with high concentrations of iron from the beans. It also sells a state-of-the-art, infrared-camera technology for sorting that can differentiate a black bean from a dirtball.

“That machine has really changed our industry,” says Andy Hacker, Bonanza Bean operations manager. “The needle machine picks out anything that has a sprout or a skin defect or anything that we can catch with a needle. At Bonanza Bean, we never let anything leave our facility that doesn’t make USDA Grade No. 1. With our cleaning facility, we’re able to accomplish that.”

About 60 million pounds of beans roll through its processing plants each year, with particular emphasis on international sales. Broadband service allows its sales staff to monitor up-to-the-minute market data and communicate with its vast array of customers.

Drone technology allows Corey Poss, of the Rutherford Farmers Cooperative, to monitor fields.

Bonanza Bean, which processes millions of pounds of product, relies on broadband to aid in sales and marketing.

Andy Hacker serves as operations manager for Bonanza Bean in Morris, Minnesota.

There seems to be no obstacle Rainsville’s Aubriella Hairston cannot overcome.And there are many of them for the

13-year-old whose passion for Ninja Warrior competitions has taken her from the television lights of “American Ninja Warrior Junior” to national com-petitions in places like California and Minnesota to a visit with Gov. Kay Ivey in the Alabama Capitol.

“I really didn’t think I’d go this far in it,” says Aubriella, who began her com-petitive training at Huntsville’s Ninja Obstacle Academy. She calls competing on “American Ninja Warrior Junior,” where she made it to the Knockout Round, “a dream come true.”

After her introduction to the sport, curiosity quickly grew to successes. Aubriella worked her way up the national rankings in Ninja competitions as she traveled back and forth across the country with her father, Chris Hairston.

This past year alone, Aubriella, who is also the daughter of Rhea Krueger, was chosen as the Alabama State

Games Youth Female Athlete of the Year after winning gold in the state Ninja Challenge 13U competition. She then was named the National Congress of State Games of America’s National Youth Female Athlete of the Year after winning the Ninja category at the 2019 national finals in Lynchburg, Virginia.

She received medals for both accom-plishments and a November trip to Ana-heim, California, to accept the NCSG award. She is also to walk in the Parade of Athletes and anchor the torch relay at the next Alabama State Games opening ceremony.

The awards keep piling up, and she keeps working hard. Daily training starts with a round on the obstacle course her father built in their cab-in-style home. Working out on the obstacles in the house has become a morning routine for Aubriella, just like brushing her teeth. With the closest training facilities located 90 minutes away in Huntsville, the obstacles at home help her stay in top shape.

It’s really been fun,” she says.

Rainsville native finds niche, success as ‘Tie-dye Ninja’Story by JOHN CLAYTON | Photos contributed by CHRIS HAIRSTON

Golden girl

Golden girlGolden

girl

Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative12 | July/August 2020

“I’m glad my dad supports me. He’s really done a lot for me. He’s basically destroyed our house with putting the obstacles in it and putting a lot of money into it with the gas and the long travels.”

TEAMWORK

While the obstacle course-style com-petitions are decidedly individual, the Hairstons have been a team since watch-ing “American Ninja Warrior” on TV several years ago sparked Aubriella’s interest in the sport. Her dream of Ninja Warrior glory began after she saw Kacy Catanzaro, a former Towson University gymnast, conquer the American Ninja Warrior course on TV.

“As soon as she saw Kacy go up that warped wall, she was hooked,” Hair-ston recalls. Catanzaro became the first female to scale the 14-foot warped wall obstacle to win the 2016 competition.

It was up to Hairston to help Aubri-ella make her new dream come true. He found the facility in Huntsville and rou-tinely made the drive with his daughter for training. Beyond Alabama, the pair has seen large sections of the country, traveling to and from competitions in his “hippie van,” a 1968 VW Bus. “It’s been fun,” Hairston says. “We’ve seen a lot of fun stuff.”

The VW bus and Aubriella’s affec-tion for tie-dye have also inspired her moniker, the “Tie-dye Ninja.” Family snapshots include a pose from Aubriella on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles, her one-armed handstands in the mountains and her wearing a tie-dye T-shirt in front of the hippie van in Hendersonville, Tennessee.

The Hairstons continue to bond over the sport, staying dedicated as Aubriella has earned increased notoriety, routinely competing in higher age groups as she advances through the ranks. “When I first started with Ninja, I said, ‘All this is pretty easy,’ because I started in the

lower ranks, and I was a level-seven gymnast,” she said. “So, all of the obsta-cles at first were really easy.”

The past four years in the sport have been a whirlwind for the duo. Even so, Hairston is planning to build a dedicated workout space/hippie van garage combo on his property. “It’s been amazing how far and how fast she’s gone with all of this,” he says. “We weren’t expecting it to go quite that fast.”

BLAZING HER TRAIL

While idolizing Catanzaro, who stands 5 feet tall, Aubriella is making her own path to and through Ninja War-rior competitions. She began competing in gymnastics at the age of 7 but literally outgrew the sport. She is already 5 feet, 3 inches tall, and her former coaches told the Hairstons that taller athletes often struggle in gymnastics.

But a negative for gymnastics is a positive in Ninja Warrior competition. Aubriella’s added length and reach give her an advantage. “Gymnastics really helped me get in shape,” she says. “It helped me train all my muscles for Ninja.”

While athleticism and training is a must to compete at the highest levels of the sport, Aubriella is also competitive by nature. “With my sister, Savanna, and I, a lot of things are competing against each other in anything, and I’m trying to win,” she says. “I’m always making a game out of it.”

Hairston says that competitive streak has given Aubriella an advantage in the sport since the start. “She’s very deter-mined,” he says. “When she sets her mind to something, she works hard at it. We have all these obstacles here at the house, and that’s how she plays. That’s how she spends her time — doing things that would be a huge workout for most people.”

“She’s very determined. When she sets her mind to something, she works hard at it.”

— Chris Hairston on daughter and Ninja Warrior competitor Aubriella

From left, Gov. Kay Ivey, Aubriella Hairston and Dean Kelly of the Alabama Sports Foundation.

July/August 2020 | 13Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative

SOUTHERN KITCHENS

There was a time when ice cream came in just a few flavors — pri-marily chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. But step inside It’s All So Yummy Cafe in Knoxville and you’ll find that the quintessential summer treat we all know and love has gone rogue. Water-melon Chip, Roasted Golden Beet and the popcorn-flavored Movie Night certainly don’t sound like ice cream flavors, but they’re among the many Kim and Wade Wilcox have created since buying the cafe eight years ago.

The menu features sandwiches, salads and other foods typical of most cafes. However, with the purchase of the eatery came an ice cream machine, and the couple decided to use it. But there was a learning curve.

After they had been making ice cream for several years on a smaller scale than they do now, Wade Wilcox decided to learn more — so he went back to school. He didn’t enroll in just one of many online courses, though. He took part in Penn State’s prestigious ice cream course, an intense, weeklong program that draws people from around the world, teach-ing them all about the manufacturing of commercially sold ice cream. “It gave me a more rounded, in-depth knowledge of the chemistry that goes into making ice cream,” he says. “And it gave me a good chance to make contact with other people in the industry and share ideas.”

The Wilcoxes, originally from Iowa, have lived in Knoxville for 23 years. They started out selling about 30 flavors of ice cream. Now, that number has risen to well over 50, but not every flavor is available every day.

“Many of them are seasonal that we only do at certain times of the year,” Kim Wilcox says, adding that making these

types available once in a while “keeps people wanting them more.” For example, during Girl Scout Cook-ies season, they’ll make ice cream with the treats right after the cookies are delivered. When it’s gone, it’s gone.

Popular year-round varieties are Death by Godiva Chocolate and Butterfinger. “My personal favorite?” she says. “I don’t know that I have one. My favorites change all the time, but I do like all of our cof-fee-based ice creams.”

Ice cream sold at It’s All So Yummy Cafe goes by the name Hilton Head Ice Cream, and there’s a story behind it. Years ago, the man who first opened the cafe went to Hilton Head and fell in love with the ice cream at the shop Hilton Head Ice Cream. He liked it so much, he convinced the owner to let him open a store in Knoxville. “Part of the deal was that he needed to call it Hilton Head Ice Cream, and that’s how Knoxville has always known it,” Wilcox says. “We use the same process that the original Hilton Head Ice Cream shop uses.”

Now an expert in the field of frozen delights, she offers one important tip for those less skilled in the making of ice cream: “Don’t be afraid to experiment with flavors. Ice cream should be fun.”

FOOD EDITOR ANNE P. BRALYIS A NATIVE OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

Chillingly deliciousNo one can resist ice cream

Kim Wilcox and her husband, Wade, created the It’s All So Yummy Cafe in Knoxville, Tennessee.

14 | July/August 2020

LET’S GO TO THE FAIR

Sundae Cotton candy (available in many stores — or at the fair!)Vanilla ice creamM&M’sChocolate syrupSugar wafer cookieRainbow sprinklesWhipped creamMaraschino cherry with stem

Make a bowl out of the cotton candy. Put the ice cream in the bowl. Work-ing quickly, add M&M’s, chocolate syrup and sugar wafer cookie. Top with whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry on top. Serve immediately. Makes one sundae.

PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

3 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 tablespoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cloves 2 cups packed dark brown sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 3 cups pure pumpkin puree 2 large eggs 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla

Suggested ice cream flavors: pumpkin, French vanilla, butter pecan, cinnamon or dark chocolate.

Heat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking pow-der, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk the brown sugar and oil until well com-bined. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine. Add eggs and vanilla until well mixed. Add the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time, and stir until combined. In 1/3-cup scoops, put the cookie dough

on the baking sheets. They will spread a little, so leave some space between them. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let cool before removing from the pan. Once cooled, wrap them individually and freeze.

When ready to serve, take one cookie and place a big scoop of your favorite ice cream on it. Then, top with another cookie and enjoy.

SALTED SESAME CARAMEL A mouthwatering topping for most any ice cream.

1 cup sugar Pinch of cream of tartar 3 tablespoons water 1/4 cup tahini

2 tablespoons butter 2/3 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Bring sugar, cream of tartar and water to a boil in a medium pan over medi-um-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil until the sugar begins to caramelize in spots. Stir with a heat-proof spatula and cook until the color of honey, 5-7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring occa-sionally, until caramel is a deep amber color, about 5 minutes.

Remove caramel from heat and whisk in the tahini and butter. Then add cream, sesame seeds and salt.

Cool before serving. This sauce may be made ahead of time and refrigerated.

G

July/August 2020 | 15

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