‘what better way?’ - tennessee farmers...

Tennessee Cooperator October-November 2008 1

Strategies for a successful wheat crop — p. 6

Find fall fun at Tennessee corn mazes – p. 26

‘What better way?’ A passion for dogs and hunting leads Jody Ware to a dream career training retrievers

2 October-November 2008 Tennessee Cooperator

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T e n n e S c e n e

Larry Dickey, Giles Farmers Cooperative outside salesman and Lynnville branch manager, snapped this photo of a lone quail on his Campbellsville-area farm. Larry is an avid outdoorsman and member of the Milky Way chapter of Quail Forever, a national organization devoted to the re-establishment of the game bird in areas where populations have been depleted due to habitat loss. The chapter will host a Nov. 13 banquet at Giles County High School to raise money and awreness about the club’s mission. For more information, call Larry at 931-309-9466 or e-mail [email protected].

The Tennessee Cooperator is distributed free to patrons of member Co-ops. Since each Co-op maintains its own mailing list, requests for subscriptions must be made through the local Co-op. When reporting an address change, please include the mailing label from a past issue. Guest subscriptions are available for $12.95 per year by contacting Tennessee Farmers Cooperative at the address below. Mailing address: Tennessee Cooperator, Tennessee Farmers Cooperative, P.O. Box 3003, LaVergne, TN 37086 Phone: (615) 793-8339; E-mail: [email protected]

Editor Allison Morgan

Assistant Editor Mark E. Johnson

Communications Specialist Chris Villines

Contributing Editor Jerry Kirk

Advertising Manager Mack Barrett

Art Director Bob Gillespie

Graphic Designer Shane Read

Editorial Assistant Polly Campbell

Circulation Beth Phillips

NOTICE: This publication is for informational purposes only. Tennessee Farmers Cooperative, its affiliates, subsidiaries, and member Co-ops are not responsible for any damages or claims that may result from a reader’s use of this information, including but not limited to actual, punitive, consequential, or economic damages. Tennessee Farmers Cooperative makes no warranties or representations, either express or implied, including warranties of merchantability or fitness of any product/material for a particular purpose. Each article, document, advertisement, or other information is provided “AS IS” and without warranty of any kind. Tennessee Farmers Cooperative reserves the right to alter, correct, or otherwise change any part or portion of this publication, including articles and advertisements, without detriment to Tennessee Farmers Cooperative, its affiliates, subsidiaries, or member cooperatives.

Board of Directors: Stephen Philpott, Shelbyville, Zone 2, Chairman Bill Mayo, Tennessee Ridge, Zone 2, Vice Chairman Larry Paul Harris, Wildersville, Zone 1 Amos Huey, Kenton, Zone 1 Larry Rice, Covington, Zone 1 Donald Jernigan, Christiana, Zone 2 Wayne Brown, Chuckey, Zone 3 Lowry “Whitey” Dougherty, Madisonville, Zone 3 George Smartt, McMinnville, Zone 3Chief Executive Officer — Bart Krisle

Published by Tennessee Farmers Cooperative in the interest of better farming through cooperation and improved

technology, and to connect the Co-op community through shared experiences, common values, and rural heritage.

Departments4 As I Was Saying 15 Neighborly Advice 23 Tack Room Talk

29 Our Country Churches28 What’s Cookin’? 33 New at Co-op

Dickson County’s Jody Ware likes nothing better than to be surrounded by dogs. Since 1999, he has carved out a successful career for his Razor Sharp Retriev-ers kennel by training dozens of high-caliber dogs for hunting and competition. The Dickson Farmers Coop-erative customer feeds Pro-Pet Performance dog food.

Cover story18 ‘What better way?’

6 Turning green into gold Intensive early-season management strategies can lead to higher wheat yields and better profits.

10 Reasons to celebrate Sequatchie Co-op’s 75th anniversary and Knox’s open house stir interest and memories.

16 Big decisions TFC’s newest director, Amos Huey, says farmers and their Co-ops could be at a crossroads.

20 Ringing the dinner bell Montgomery County’s Wendell Kirkland says deer even forgo acorns for his clover and milo.

24 Positive steps The 2008 Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration wraps up a successful run.

30 Digging into ancient history Gray Fossil Site museum offers discovery, education, and interaction.

35 Every farmer has a story Minnesota native Roger Radel finds Southern hospitality in Sevierville.

COVER SHOT: As one of his golden retrievers shakes off the water from his last splash in the pond, Jody prepares to throw him the training “bumper” again. — Photos by Mark E. Johnson

Also in this issue

Visit TFC’s Web site: www.ourcoop.com®�


By Jerry Kirk, contributing editorS I Wa S Sa y I n gaJerry Kirk has been on the Tennessee Cooperator staff for more than 35 years, serving as editor from November 1972 until his retirement in April 2001. He continues as a contributing editor today.

Some folks in Brentwood, where I live, are trying to get some sort of “quiet zone” established in which trains wouldn’t be allowed to sound their whistles as they pass through town.

Backers of this nonsensical tootless travel by trains are looking to a 1994 federal statute that says such quiet passings are permissible if the local government has proper safety measures in place at critical crossings to warn motorists that a locomotive is, indeed, coming through.

Not that anyone in town is apt to ask me, but as far as I’m concerned, the trains can rumble through at any time of day or night and toot their whistles whenever they need to. Having been raised a mere 50 or so yards from the main line of Southern Railway in East Tennessee, I love the sounds of the railroad: the rhythmic clickety-clack as heavy steel wheels roll over the rails, the drone of the engine, and yes, the blatant blaring of the whistle as the train approaches crossings.

Our house in Brentwood is a few blocks from the railroad, but we’re close enough to hear those trains when we’re out in the yard, walking in the neighborhood, sitting on our back porch, or have our windows raised. The distinct and endearing sounds I hear are virtually the same as the ones I came to get excited about as a youngster raised in a “house down on the railroad” in Whitesburg.

I was about 4 when Mom and Dad moved from a rented house “up on the highway [11-E]” to the one they were finally able to buy alongside the railroad. Ours was one of four houses that sat, facing the railroad, on a gravel lane — a wonderful place to grow up. Beyond the western end of the lane stood a quaint little depot, a landmark in my small hometown.

From our front yard or porch, I never tired of watching a long, some-times sluggish freight train rumble by or a sleek, shiny passenger train zip past so fast that you could hardly see the people looking out the windows.

The noise never bothered any of us who lived down on the railroad. It was a way of life. Even though the windows in our clapboard houses

A biased salute to the toots of a passing trainrattled and it was sometimes hard to talk to one another when a train went by, it was what we had become accustomed to.

Life along the railroad was simple but ex-citing for the few of us youngsters who lived beside the tracks. We “knew” every freight train engineer by the way he waved from the open window of his engine. We’d usually see a hobo or two in empty boxcars and would wave to the man in the caboose at the end of the train.

As we got older, we explored the empty depot, the waiting room of which, for some reason, was always unlocked. Inside was an ornate ticket window, classic wooden benches, and a pot-bellied stove.

And then there was the daily mail drop. Some of the passenger trains had mail cars to collect and dispense bags of mail for various small-town post offices along the rail route. Near the railroad tracks outside our depot was a tall pole to which Whitesburg Postmaster Harrison Horner attached a heavy canvas sack of outgoing mail at least once a day. As the train passed the pole, a horizontal rod extending from the mail car would, in the blink of an eye, snatch the bag and pull it onto the train. Simultane-ously, a bag of incoming mail would be thrown from the mail car. In a cloud of dust, it would roll and tumble and skip and skid until it came to a stop alongside the depot. Mr. Horner would pick up the bag, throw it over his shoulder, and trudge back toward the post office.

Today, when it’s quiet and I can hear a train rolling down the tracks through Brentwood, I find myself some 250 miles away, in a little town where trains were allowed to be noisy — and to make memories.

Just like a train passing in the night, I want to be heard: Let the tooting continue!


news briefs

The Mid-South Santa Gertrudis Association will host its annual sale on Saturday, Oct. 25, beginning at 11 a.m. at the Cross Plains Livestock Barn. The sale will include bred heifers, cow/calf pairs, and show heifer and herd sire prospects.

A chili supper will be held on Friday, Oct. 24, at 6:30 p.m. with an op-portunity to view the cattle before the sale.

For more information, contact Michael Smith at 731-549-5095, Mike Sherrell at 931-270-9730, Richard King at 615-794-9482, or Angie Lane at 931-728-7357.

Santa Gertrudis Association sets sale for Oct. 25 in Cross Plains

By Allison Morgan, photo by Mark E. Johnson

The tobacco industry in Ten-nessee is still awaiting word on how the recent acquisi-

tion of smokeless tobacco manu-facturer UST by Altria Group, the parent company of cigarette giant Philip Morris USA, will affect farmers who grow dark-fired and dark air-cured types of tobacco.

UST, formerly the United States Tobacco Company, is the nation’s largest smokeless tobacco maker and commands nearly 58 percent of the market share with its popu-lar Copenhagen and Skoal brands among other products. In early September, Altria, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, bought UST for $11.7 billion in an attempt to coun-teract declining U.S. cigarette sales by entering the smokeless tobacco business. Since the end of last year, Altria had been test-marketing its own smokeless products under the Marlboro name with little success.

The tobacco for UST’s products has been produced by growers in Tennessee and Kentucky for more than 70 years through contracts with the company’s subsidiary, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company,

which employs nearly 900 people in the two states on a full-time or seasonal basis.

“I think it is too early in the game to say how much impact this will have, but I understand why farmers may be concerned,” says Paul Den-ton, University of Tennessee Exten-sion tobacco specialist. “In general, farmers who raise dark tobacco have had a close relationship with their buying companies for a long time. Direct contracting started in dark tobacco well before it did in burley, and the dark companies, particularly UST, have maintained close contact with their grower base.”

After the tobacco buyout, which began in 2004 as a way to help to-bacco quota-holders and producers transition to a free market system, differences in dark and burley to-bacco production have become even more pronounced, adds Denton. Dark tobacco companies like UST chose to keep their production do-mestic and their prices high enough to be profitable for growers, while burley buyers like Philip Morris lowered prices and outsourced some production to South America.

“The fear of dark tobacco producers is that the acquisition of UST by Philip Morris will result in

the same sort of pricing philosophy that has existed in burley and flue-cured — in other words, try to buy tobacco at the lowest price,” says Denton. “But the dark situation is fundamentally different from burley in several ways, and I don’t think the marketing situation will change for producers, at least in the short- and intermediate-term.”

An increase in foreign burley and flue-cured tobacco production, particularly in Brazil, has allowed cigarette companies to greatly reduce their use of U.S. tobacco,

Denton explains. By contrast, there is no good foreign source of dark-fired tobacco.

“Plus, I think Philip Morris may realize pretty quickly that they actually have a pretty good situa-tion here,” he continues. “They are getting a good, consistent supply of high-quality product from a grower base that is skilled and attuned to meeting industry demands. I think this is a big advantage to them, and I hope they won’t risk losing it to try to save 30 to 50 cents a pound on the price of their raw material.”

Cigarette giant goes smokeless with acquisition of UST

Dark-fired tobacco producers in Tennessee who contract with UST, the nation’s largest smokeless tobacco manufacturer, may be up in the air over the company’s recent acquisition by the parent corporation of cigarette-maker Philip Morris.

August rains arrived too late for the Tennessee’s corn crop, but cot-ton, pastures, and double-crop soybeans benefited from the precipitation brought by the remnants of Tropical Storm Fay, according to the latest reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

With yields varying widely across the state, the latest forecast shows that all crops are outperforming last year but are still below average in many cases. Here are the estimated final yields, based on farmers’ projec-tions as of the first of September:

l Corn will average 115 bushels per acre, up 9 bushels from 2007 but 11 bushels less than the five-year average.

l Cotton will average 806 pounds per acre, up 241 pounds from 2007.l Soybeans will average 30 bushels per acre, 12 bushels above 2007.l Burley tobacco will average 1,900 pounds per acre, up 300 pounds

from last year. Dark-fired tobacco is expected to make 3,200 pounds while dark air-cured is forecast at 2,700 pounds, both well above 2007.

Crop forecast updated after storms bring late-summer rains


Story and photos by Allison Morgan

From carefree to careful, ho-hum to gung-ho, many Ten-nessee growers are changing

their ways when it comes to wheat production.

Instead of an afterthought, wheat is making its way to the forefront as growers take advan-tage of higher market prices and follow more intensive management practices to achieve higher yields. In 2008, those efforts paid off with a state average yield of 65 bushels per acre, the highest since records began in 1866.

But when input costs are also at their highest levels in history, increasing yields beyond that aver-age is going to be critical for the upcoming season. The University of Tennessee estimates that a yield of around 55 bushels per acre will be the break-even point for wheat in 2009 when estimated production expenses are factored with market prices of around $5.50 per bushel.

The good news is that pushing wheat yields to the next level is possible with careful management, says Phil Needham, an independent crop consultant based in Calhoun, Ky., and a recognized authority on wheat production.

“Today, the top third of produc-ers are probably making 80 to 100 bushels, and the bottom third are making 30 to 50 bushels,” says Needham. “I’m going to suggest that you need to be in the top third to be sustainable and profitable long-term. With a little attention to detail and a little management, I think a lot of producers can take their 50-to-60-bushel wheat yields to 80 to 100.”

A native of England, Needham says when he relocated to Kentucky in 1990 he was surprised to discover how low wheat yields were in this area compared to Europe.

“When I moved to this coun-try, the Kentucky state yield was around 35 to 40 bushels per acre,” says Needham. “The average English wheat yield is about 135 bushels per acre. There are a few climatic differences, but a lot of it is just management.”

Since then, through a coopera-tive effort of crops consultants and agronomists in Kentucky working with farmers and dealers, the state’s average wheat yields have risen into the high 60s and low 70s, says Needham, who recently conducted a training session with Tennessee Farmers Cooperative and member Co-op agronomy specialists to help

them encourage wheat growers in this state to implement more inten-sive management practices.

“As a whole, we’re doing better with our wheat management in Tennessee, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement,” says Bob-by Hooper, TFC agronomy special-ist. “It still doesn’t get treated as good as a corn or soybean crop.”

Tennessee producer Lane Green, who grows some 250 acres of wheat in Puryear in Henry County near the Kentucky state line, is among those who has realized the benefits of a solid management strategy. He achieved impressive yields for his wheat in 2008, with his best fields making 88 bushels per acre and his worst 81.

Although he admits favorable weather conditions played a big role, he also attributes this perfor-mance to the careful attention his crop gets through Henry Farm-ers Cooperative’s wheat-scouting program, a season-long service that helps growers manage the timing and application of fertilizer and crop protection inputs.

“We never sprayed or did any of these other things until we started getting the recommendations from the Co-op,” says Green. “We just put it out there, and whatever hap-

pened, happened. But if you’re going to grow wheat, you have to get more serious about it, especial-ly this year. You’re going to have to make some really good wheat, or you aren’t going to make any money.”

Fellow Henry County grower Joe Bill Fridy also recognizes the need for more careful management practices in wheat, though he read-ily admits that hasn’t always been the case on his Puryear farm. He grew around 250 acres of wheat last year — the first he’d planted in three or four years — and averaged around 65 bushels per acre.

“When wheat was cheap, you really weighed the cost of some of the treatments,” says Fridy. “When you’re getting the prices like we have seen the last couple of years, a few extra bushels per acre can pay for the cost of those applications pretty quick.”

Fridy, who also grows soybeans, corn, and tobacco, says yield potential and market prices have now made wheat an economically significant part of his crop mix. He’s planning another 250 acres for this fall.

“Used to, we just considered wheat as a good rotation for ev-erything — it brought in money in the summer to pay our bills and have some cash flow,” says Fridy. “Now, I think wheat is really important because it keeps us from having all our eggs in one basket; we’re more diversified.”

While input costs are certainly a consideration, Needham agrees that wheat, combined with double-crop soybeans, is a wise choice for minimizing risk, adding income, and spreading out the workload.

“I hear from a lot of growers that fertilizer is expensive, and it is. And they say chemicals are expen-sive, and they are,” says Needham. “But with 80-bushel wheat times $6 plus 40-bushel beans times $10, a grower can make pretty good money from a wheat-beans combi-nation if managed properly.”

Farmers must start now, at the beginning of the season, to posi-tion their wheat crop for maximum yields, says Hooper.

“At producer meetings, I always begin by saying that 65 percent of a wheat crop’s yield is determined when you pull the drill out of the field,” he says. “Variety selection, seed treatments, plant-ing date, fertility, seeding rate, weed control — all that has to be done in advance of planting. If

Turning greeninTo gold

Intensive early-season management strategies can lead to higher wheat yields

Although agronomists expect wheat acreage planted this fall to be down from last year, favorable market prices still make it an attractive addition to a grower’s crop mix. Steps taken early in the season can help get wheat on the right road for success.

lPuryear


you mess those things up, you’ve cut your yield before the crop even comes up.”

Needham echoes that advice, urging farmers to have high expec-tations for their wheat.

“You need to plant the crop like it’s going to make 100 bushels,” says Needham. “A lot of people limit the potential of their wheat right from the start, and then they are disappointed when they only make 50 bushels at harvest.”

Needham, Hooper, and UT ex-perts have outlined these manage-ment tips that can help put wheat on a profitable path and turn those little green seedlings into harvest gold:

Make careful variety selections.

Start with quality, certified seed instead of bin-run seed. This pro-tects against poor germination and introduction of weed seeds.

Select high-yielding, disease-resistant, winterhardy varieties such as Co-op’s Croplan 554 (for-merly FFR 556), which was the top yielder in UT Extension’s standard wheat variety tests in 2008 with an average of 82.3 bushels per acre. It was followed closely at No. 3 by Croplan 8302 (FFR 8302), which boasted an average yield of 79.6 bushels per acre.

Both of these are proven variet-ies that have been in the top-per-forming group for the past several years, says Hooper, who also points out that it is always a good idea to plant more than one variety to spread risk.

use seed treatments.Treating seed with a good fun-

gicide or a combination of fungi-cide and insecticide is also a smart move, says Dr. Melvin Newman, UT professor of entomology and plant pathology. He says growers can expect about a three-bushel increase in yield just from the fun-gicide seed treatment, which will increase germination and protect the crop against loose smut and powdery mildew, seedling diseases, and later-season scab.

Seed can also be treated with a combination of fungicide and in-secticide, which will give advance protection against aphids and other damaging pests. In most Tennessee fields, Newman says, an insecticide seed treatment will at least pay for itself by controlling early-season aphid populations. Many certified seed varieties can be ordered pre-treated, and most Co-ops in wheat-producing areas have the capability to treat seed on site.

observe recommended planting dates.

Wheat should be planted be-tween Oct. 15 and Nov. 10, which is after the Hessian fly-free date and before cold weather becomes a limiting factor. Tennessee typically doesn’t have significant problems with Hessian flies, which can be responsible for tremendous wheat losses, but the pest did make an unwelcome appearance in several West Tennessee wheat fields last year. In these cases, however, it was volunteer wheat — not a disre-gard for the recommended planting dates — that was the culprit.

“We had quite a few fields that showed up with Hessian flies in the stands about the time of stem elongation,” says Scott Stewart, UT professor of entomology and plant pathology. “In all cases, it was either planted into soybeans that had a ton of volunteer wheat or was right across the road from a volunteer wheat field. When wheat is growing in September like it did last year and gets very big, those first-generation Hessian flies are building very high populations. Even a late burndown didn’t help in some cases because there were already mature Hessian flies in that wheat and allowed a second gen-eration to appear in the spring.”

To help avoid these problems, Stewart says growers should be sure to destroy any volunteer wheat prior to seeding and to plant after Oct. 15. Flies emerge in late August and September, but once it freezes, they’re no longer active. Wheat does, however, need to be planted early enough to become well rooted and develop three to four inches of top growth before going into winter.

no-till instead of broadcast.

No-till drilling wheat seed is preferred over disking and spread-ing for a more uniform stand and a yield advantage, says Needham. Plus, no-till requires less fuel by eliminating tillage. Growers should apply herbicides for a com-plete burndown one to two weeks before planting to get rid of any volunteer wheat or vegetation that can host insects or diseases.

No-till drills should be properly calibrated to plant seeds at a depth of 1 to 1.5 inches. Seeding rates are 90 to 150 pounds per acre, depending on seed size, which can range from 10,000 to 16,000 seed per pound, depending on the variety. The desired population should be 1.5 to 1.7 million plants per acre.

“There are still quite a few

people who want to broadcast their wheat, but if you look at the extra fuel costs involved with work-ing the ground two or three times, they would be well advised to rent, borrow, or buy a drill to plant their wheat,” says Needham. “It’s much more cost-effective to no-till, and I think you will achieve equal or bet-ter yields with lower expenses.”

Fertilize efficiently and effectively.

Growers should always start with a soil test to determine the

fertility of the field and then apply phosphate, potash, and lime ac-cording to the recommendations, says Hooper. Lime should be applied before planting; phosphate and potash can be applied immedi-ately before or at planting.

“Fertilizer is essential,” says Hooper. “If growers aren’t going to fertilize their crop, they don’t need to be growing wheat. It takes some dedication and financial com-mitments, but that’s the only way to have a successful wheat crop.”

LEFT: Lane Green, who farms near the Kentucky state line in Puryear, believes in carefully managing his wheat and relies on Henry Farmers Co-op’s scouting service. RIGHT: His neighbor, Joe Bill Fridy, left, has also begun to manage his wheat better with advice from Brooks Underwood, the Co-op’s Murray, Ky., store manager.

(See Wheat, page 8)


Even though nitrogen is the most expensive variable cost in wheat production, it is a key factor in high-yield wheat management. The trick is to provide the essential amounts of nitrogen at critical growth stages for the most efficient use.

“I know fertilizer is expensive, but for high yields farmers need a robust fertility plan,” says Need-ham. “That includes nitrogen, which must be applied evenly, ac-curately, and at the right rate.”

He recommends applying 20 to 30 units of nitrogen in the fall to stimulate plant growth followed by one to two top-dressed applica-tions in the spring, depending on plant health, planting date, and the variety. Spring rates should be an additional 90 units for a single application and up to 120 units for split applications, usually from Feb. 15 to March 30. To encourage more tillering, use the earlier date if the wheat stand is thin. Need-ham says he prefers liquid nitrogen for a more uniform application.

Control insects and weeds.One of the most damaging

wheat diseases is barley yellow dwarf, which is actually caused by the aphids that transmit a yield-limiting virus as they feed on the plants. Symptoms of the disease don’t appear until early spring when the plant starts growing, and by that point, it’s too late to prevent the disease, says Hooper.

Insecticide seed treatments will usually control aphids until spring, he adds, but if seed is not treated, a foliar application somewhere around a month after planting is effective as well. A second spray may be justified in early spring, usually in February, if the threshold is there.

Weed control in wheat should be successfully accomplished before the onset of winter to maximize yield potential and prevent less-than-acceptable control when tem-peratures are cold or weeds become too large. Annual ryegrass is the most significant problem in the fall and can be controlled with herbi-cides sprayed between the middle of November and late December. Waiting until the spring to control ryegrass isn’t very effective, says Hooper, who adds that a good se-lection of ryegrass-control products is available on the market this year.

With wheat planted behind corn, Hooper says, there’s also a growing problem with volunteer Roundup Ready corn plants ap-

pearing. Because of their tolerance to glyphosate, controlling these “weeds” is difficult with traditional burndown methods, but leaving the problem unchecked can hurt yields.

“In University of Kentucky trials last year, volunteer Roundup Ready corn that went untreated cut wheat yields by 11 percent,” says Hooper. “UT found that the most effective control is a high rate of Gramox-one.”

After getting the crop off to the right start in the fall, growers should remain vigilant into the spring, keeping a close watch for signs of weeds, diseases, and in-

sects. Foliar fungicides may need to be applied to protect wheat from disease, but their use and timing should be based on such factors as type of disease, yield potential, moisture conditions, and tempera-ture. Generally, the most effective time to apply fungicides is from flagleaf emergence to early head-ing. Spring weeds that may need control include wild onion, cheat, and henbit.

Admittedly, there is extra effort and cost associated with most of these practices, but Needham em-phasizes that growers must focus on the potential payoff that comes

with added yield and treat wheat as the primary crop it’s become.

“The ironic thing is that it doesn’t cost much more money to make 100-bushel wheat than 60-bushel wheat,” he says. “If you look at the incremental costs to take you from 40 to 60 and then 60 to 80 or 80 to 100, the additional bushels you get from proper management really don’t cost very much money. It costs an insecticide or a fungicide or a little bit more nitrogen.

“There is a huge opportunity to make more money with wheat if you are willing to manage your crop properly.”

Wheat(continued from page 7)

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Reasons to celebrateSequatchie Co-op’s 75th anniversary, Knox’s open house stir interest, memories

Story and photos by Chris Villines

Two East Tennessee Co-ops, one commemorating its longevity in the community

and another showcasing its new home, had plenty of reasons to cel-ebrate as they hosted events at their respective locations recently.

Sequatchie Farmers Cooperative in Dunlap marked its 75th anni-versary with a two-day celebration on Sept. 5 and 6. Knox Farmers Cooperative treated customers to a “BBQ, Bluegrass, and Ice Cream” open house on Aug. 23, an event

LEFT: Raymond Blevins, left, and his father, Glenn, take a look at one of the antique tractors on display during the 75th anniversary celebration at Sequatchie Farmers Cooperative on Sept. 5. RIGHT: Harold Blevins, a former Sequatchie Farmers Cooperative director, reminisces as he looks at a photograph of him and his fellow directors taken at a Tennessee Farmers Cooperative annual meeting in the early 1970s. The Whitwell resident, now retired, served on the board for some 20 years and farmed 800 acres.

that doubled as a belated grand opening for the branch’s move in October 2006 from Willow Street in downtown Knoxville to Asheville Highway near I-40.

Entertainment, food, vendor displays, door prizes, and in-store discounts were among activities that drew regular customers and newcomers alike to both Co-ops.

Sequatchie turns 75Before it officially became

known as Sequatchie Farmers Co-op in 1947, folks in these parts knew their local farm supply store

as Sequatchie Farm Bureau Supply Association, which was formed on Sept. 27, 1932.

The first board meeting of what would eventually become the Co-op was on Oct. 1, 1932 at the Sequatchie County Courthouse in Dunlap. Among those attending were directors D.L. Griffith, W.L. Kelly, J.J. Lasater, C.W. Condra, I.V. Kelly, L.C. Gray, and J.W.

Stephenson. Lasater was elected the board’s first chairman and Stephenson its president, and Grif-fith was named the first manager as the store set up shop in downtown Dunlap, where it would remain for the next 35 years.

“I remember going to the old location with my dad and granddad when I was a little boy,” recalled Gene Barker, current president of the Co-op’s board. “Back then, everyone knew each other, so not only would you go there to buy the things you needed, but it would be a kind of social gathering, too.

lDunlap

ABOVE: Mae Land, whose husband, Arcie, and son, Thomas, previously served on the Sequatchie Co-op board, is in charge of handing out free hot dogs. RIGHT: This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Co-op’s move to a new building on Heard Street. FAR RIGHT: Manager Stanley Moore, far left, is joined by current and former directors at the event. In front from left are Harold Blevins, current board president Gene Barker, and W.L. Johnson; back row, Randall Harvey, Thomas Land, Ben Condra, and Glenn Barker.


Guys would sit on the front steps to talk, whittle, and chew.”

The business joined Tennessee Farmers Cooperative in October 1945 and in January 1947 changed its name to Sequatchie Farmers Cooperative. In May 1968, the growing Co-op moved about a mile away to its present location on Heard Street. The complex included a new store that boasted a 2,360-square-foot showroom, car care center, and warehouse space. There was also a separate 3,858-square-foot fertilizer building.

As times and farming prac-tices in the Sequatchie Valley area changed, so did the Co-op, said Stanley Moore, current manager of Sequatchie Farmers.

“Farming is not as prominent as it once was in Sequatchie County, said Moore, who began working at the Co-op as a 15-year-old in 1972. “Just about all of the dairies are gone. There are probably more beef cattle farmers than anything, but horse-owners and homeowners who have hobby farms are start-ing to do a larger percentage of the store’s business. It’s a struggle to find the right product mix.”

During the 75 th anniversary

LEFT: Seth Sutton, 10, son of Knox Farmers Cooperative employee Christy Sutton, greets attendees at the Co-op’s “BBQ, Bluegrass, and Ice Cream” open house on Aug. 23. Seth and his sister, 8-year-old Alisha, and Jordan Campbell, the 12-year-old son of general manager Philip Campbell, were just some of the youngsters who helped out during the day’s activities. ABOVE: Vehicles line the Co-op’s parking lot the afternoon of the event. Golf carts were used to shuttle people back and forth from an adjacent overflow lot.

celebration, Harold Blevins, one of the oldest living former directors of the Co-op, perused the aisles of the store and obviously liked what he saw.

“They’ve diversified a whole lot and added some products they didn’t have while I was still farm-ing,” said Blevins, who served some 20 years on Sequatchie’s board and raised soybeans, corn, wheat, cattle, and hogs on the nearly 800 acres he farmed near Whitwell. “It’s a good place for farmers to come. I know I couldn’t have gotten by without the Co-op.”

Knox event ‘a great thing’Although they moved into their

new location at 6616 Asheville Highway two years ago, Knox Farmers Cooperative’s employees weren’t able to hold a grand open-ing because work was still being done on part of the 5,300-square-foot showroom and 10,000-square-foot warehouse. The wait was worth it.

More than 350 people turned out for Knox’s open house, or “de-layed” grand opening, on Aug. 23. Dubbed “BBQ, Bluegrass, and Ice Cream,” the big event was held to

lKnoxville

express appreciation to customers for their continued support and to show visitors the wide variety of products and services available to them. As they entered the store, guests registered for a chance at one of the numerous door prizes given away throughout the day.

As the event’s name connotes, free barbecue and entertainment — which included not just bluegrass music but free camel rides courtesy of nearby Circle G Ranch — re-ceived top billing. But, said Knox Farmers director Glyn Underwood, the residual positive impact the open house will have for the Co-op is the real headline.

“It’s a great thing for our store,” said Underwood. “We wanted to make people more aware of what the Co-op is all about because a lot think it’s a feed-and-seed store only. I’ve seen a lot of new faces here today, and that’s encourag-ing.”

Co-op leaders said the move from an urban setting to a more

centralized part of Knox County is another plus.

“In this new location, we’ve had a lot more walk-in traffic and a lot more visibility,” said General Man-ager Philip Campbell. “We’re now able to offer our member owners a better place to shop, more products, and better service. We’re excited about the direction we’re headed, and our directors have been very supportive.”

Marianne Satterfield, whose family owns a horse farm in Knoxville, said she has been a Knox Farmers customer for 38 years. As she browsed the Co-op’s showroom, she commented on how the new store benefits a diverse audience.

“There’s more selection for dif-ferent types of animals,” she noted. “It’s not just for cattle or horses anymore.”

In the week after the event, those associated with the Co-op were still abuzz over its success.

“It went really well,” says Campbell. “We had no idea what to expect, but lots of customers have already called back to thank us and tell us how much they en-joyed themselves.”

ABOVE: Directors of Knox Farmers Cooperative are, seated from left, Glyn Underwood, Jerry Price, Don Reagan, and Jim Jarnagan. In back are Kim Holden, Doug Dawkins, Tommy Everette, and D.J. Krahwinkel. LEFT: Reagan, right, serves Ed Butler a scoops of homemade strawberry ice cream as a bluegrass band plays in the background.


Introducing Co-op’s New Cattle Mineral Line.

The Bull Market

Based on Tennessee forages.

Is Coming

Available by mid-October.

The board of directors of the Tennessee Egg & Poultry Associa-tion (TEPA) has selected Donna Abernathy of Murfreesboro as the organization’s new executive direc-tor, effective Sept. 1. She succeeds Ann Cox Eastes, who retired from the position she held since 1997.

Abernathy provided communi-cations services to TEPA through-out Eastes’ tenure.

“Ann leaves big shoes to fill, but I am confident that my years of working with her on many TEPA projects and events have prepared me to take the lead,” said Abernathy.

At TEPA, Abernathy, a for-mer Tennessee Cooperator staff member, will develop and maintain industry-building partnerships with poultry growers and processors, agri-business companies, and edu-cators and researchers as well as the University of Tennessee and the Tennessee Department of Agricul-ture. She will also provide mem-bership services such as frequent updates on trends and legislation relevant to Tennessee’s poultry industry.

Poultry is a major contributor to Tennessee’s economy and the fastest-growing sector of animal agriculture. TEPA members are

Abernathy named TEPA executive directorbreeders, growers, processors, edu-cators, researchers, and allied busi-nesses involved in the production of chicken for retail consumption.

The new executive director has a long history of working with commodity groups and rural organizations. After earning a degree from UT Knoxville in com-munications with an emphasis in agriculture in 1984, she joined the communications staff of Tennessee Farmers Cooperative. In 1990, she founded her own company, DLF Communications Services, special-

izing in communications, market-ing, and event management ser-vices for commodity associations, agricultural agencies, and coopera-tives throughout the nation.

She is an award-winning writer and the 2007 recipient of the H.E. Klinefelter Award, the highest career achievement honor given by the Cooperative Communicators Association.

To learn more about member-ship in TEPA, call the new office phone at 615-896-2372 or e-mail [email protected]. Donna Abernathy

Three Tennessee farmers are among the nine candidates nomi-nated to fill four director posi-tions at Farm Credit Services of Mid-America (FCS), one of the largest ag lending cooperatives in the nation and serving farmers and agribusinesses in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Tennessee.

Donald Blankenship of Murfreesboro, John Collins of Greeneville, and Bob Willis of Hillsboro are listed on the ballots that were mailed in mid-September to more than 58,000 voting stock-holders of FCS for the coopera-tive’s annual elections. Election results will be announced Oct. 10.

The board is composed of 16 elected directors — four from each state the association serves — along with two independent direc-tors. Board members meet month-ly to set policy and provide overall direction for the association. Board terms are generally four years.

For more information about Farm Credit or the nearest FCS office, call 1-800-444-FARM (3276). More information about the candidates is online at www.e-farmcredit.com.

Three Tennesseans up for Farm Credit director positions


e I g h b o r l y ad v I c en By Dr. Paul Davis

New Co-op mineral line benefits cattle producersIn an era of rising costs for fuel and other farm inputs, increasing effi-

ciency should become a cornerstone practice for cattle producers. Often, a very small input can have a great effect on efficiency. Supplementing with the right minerals, in the proper amounts, can greatly enhance feed efficien-cy and the opportunity for increased profitability.

For a nominal daily cost, cattle mineral supplements offer numerous pos-itive economic benefits, including improved rate of weight gain; decreased calving intervals; increased milk production; slicker, shinier hair coats; and better overall health. Mineral supplements not only help fulfill the nutrient requirements of an individual cow but also benefit the rumen “bugs” in her digestive tract that begin the complex process of turning grass and hay into meat and milk. On the other hand, cattle without supplementation are at risk of deficiencies and subject to decreased performance.

Recognizing the importance of this type of supplementation to the profit-ability of our cattle producers, Co-op is introducing a new line of minerals designed to complement Tennessee forages, which make up the nutritional foundation of beef operations in the state. A multi-year study was con-ducted in collaboration with the University of Tennessee to characterize the state’s naturally occurring mineral content in grasses and other forage species. The results allowed us to include the right minerals at the right concentrations to best help cattle glean more nutrition from pasture and hay.

This study indicated that focusing on copper, zinc, and selenium could greatly improve the mineral status of grazing cattle. Copper is important, according to Dr. Warren Gill, director of Middle Tennessee State Univer-sity’s School of Agribusiness and Agriscience, because “much of the graz-ing land in Tennessee and surrounding states is affected by sulfur produced from the burning of fossil fuels, particularly coal. Increased sulfur levels can interfere with copper absorption and utilization.” Additionally, seleni-um-deficient feedstuffs are common in Tennessee and most of the eastern U.S. Selenium is known to be very important for reproductive health and

immunity. While the zinc content of our for-ages is considerable, most cannot meet the zinc requirements of cattle without supplementation.

The new Co-op cattle mineral line offers products that include Zinpro’s Availa-4®, which provides copper, zinc, manganese, and cobalt in a highly absorbable organic form. Minerals in that form are less subject to interference from antago-nists, meaning more of the mineral that you paid for benefits the animal. Likewise, using selenium yeast, a more available form of selenium, allows this nutrient to be better utilized by cattle. All products in the new Co-op mineral line contain at least 33 percent of the selenium content as selenium yeast, and our Supreme and Ultimate miner-als contain 66 percent and 100 percent as selenium yeast, respectively.

Because no two cattle operations are identical and producers’ goals also vary, Co-op offers mineral supplements with a variety of feed additives to help meet individual needs. Our new mineral line includes options with Rumensin®, Aureomycin®, Bovatec®, and Altosid® IGR. These additives can help with feed efficiency, disease prevention, and control of horn flies. In addition to these special-use and fly-control minerals, Co-op offers nonmedicated pasture minerals and hi-mag formulations to use during the threat of grass tetany.

The new Co-op cattle minerals are packaged in recyclable poly bags that are proudly made in the U.S. These poly bags are more durable and less subject to unwanted tears and subsequent spills, again adding to on-farm ef-ficiency by delivering more of the purchased product to the mineral feeder.

We are confident that a selection from the new Co-op mineral line will help meet the needs of your operation. For more information on this excit-ing new offering or for help designing a mineral program, visit your Co-op feed specialist.

Paul Davis holds a doctorate in ruminant nutrition and is a nutritionist in Tennes-see Farmers Cooperative’s Animal Nutrition Division.


Story and photos by Allison Morgan

Harvest is often one of the most stressful times for farmers as they race

against the elements to reap the re-wards of the crops they’ve nurtured all season long.

But for Amos Huey, Tennes-see Farmers Cooperative’s newest director, harvest is simply “happy time.” From early September until the end of November, he, brother Daniel, and brother-in-law Jimmy Dunagan, will “run wide open” until the last of their 5,000 acres of corn, soybeans, and cotton is har-vested and their wheat is planted.

And that’s just the way Amos likes it.

“This is what West Tennessee is all about,” says Amos, grinning widely as he maneuvers his trac-tor and grain wagon alongside the combine in one of his Obion County cornfields. “It isn’t work when you love what you’re doing. Everyone gets worried and stressed out, but I love this time of year. There’s just something about fall.”

Amos is TFC’s youngest direc-tor, elected last November to a four-year term representing Zone 1 on the nine-member board. At the time, he was serving as Obion Farmers Cooperative’s board presi-dent, a role he says prepared him

well for a leadership position at the state level.

“After being on Obion’s board for six years and two years as president, it’s not really been that big a difference to serve on the TFC board,” says Amos. “Instead of representing the county people, now I get to represent farmers all across the state. I hope I’ve been able to bring some fresh ideas to the board. I think that’s what we’ve got to have for the future.”

Raised in the largely row-crop area of northwestern Tennessee, Amos says his narrow view of ag-riculture has been widened tremen-dously as he joins the other direc-tors in making decisions to meet the needs of the diverse customer base served by Co-ops across the state.

“It’s been enlightening,” says Amos. “East, Middle, and West Tennessee are so different. Farm-ing here in Obion County, where just about everything revolves around agronomy, I didn’t realize how much urbanization was affect-ing farms in other areas. We have a lot of 20-acre farms out there, and that’s going to have an impact on Co-op.”

As such changes continue, Amos says he believes farmers and their Co-ops may be coming to a cross-roads.

“Co-ops have to grow to what their clientele is going to be, and that varies so much from county to county,” he says. “That’s something I’ve learned over the past year. Each Co-op has to find its little niche and be diversified enough to handle each segment.”

While recognizing the diversity of the Co-op system, Amos main-tains that the agronomy business must continue to be a strong focus for TFC, especially as farmers face crop production expenses that have increased exponentially over the last few years. He says he relishes the chance to represent the interests of today’s row-crop farmers on the TFC board.

“Farming is big business out here in West Tennessee, and the Co-op has to cater to our larger farmers,” says Amos. “If they were to go somewhere else, what would that do to a member Co-op’s bottom line? Growers have gotten so big, a Co-op can’t afford to lose even one of these major accounts.”

For Amos and his family, crops have always been the cornerstone of their operation. He and Daniel grew up farming with their father, McKinley, on about 1,500 acres

near Kenton, where they grew the same diversified mix of crops as the brothers raise now — just on a smaller scale. McKinley, now 92, still likes to be involved in the farm, but these days he’s usually a passenger on the equipment rather than a driver.

“Seems like we’ve been farming forever, and we are getting bigger all the time,” says Amos. “Even though we’re doing pretty much the same things as we were when I was a kid, we’ve had to grow and change with the times. Now ev-erything’s GPS [global positioning systems]-controlled, variable-rate, and Roundup Ready. You’ve got to make these changes; otherwise, you’d just get in a rut.”

Amos began farming full time right out of high school and then was joined by Daniel, his younger brother by 19 months.

“Everything’s been in partner-ship with my brother since we started farming together,” says Amos, who lives in Mason Hall with his wife, Vicki, and their children, Crystal, Samantha, Felicia, and Dylan. “We get along really well and can get so much more done together with both of us combined and the other family members, like my brother-in-law and my nephews, who help out. That’s what you’ve got to do these

Mason Halll

BiGWith his 800-bushel grain wagon brimming with shelled corn, Obion County row-crop farmer Amos Huey says he is happiest during harvest season. As the newest — and youngest — director on Tennessee Farmers Cooperative’s board, Amos is poised to help make tough decisions about Co-op’s future.

TFC’s newest director, Amos Huey, says farmers and their Co-ops could

be coming to a crossroads

deCisions


days — you can’t really depend on anyone else.”

Even with a lifelong experience in agriculture, Amos says he could never have predicted the unprec-edented challenges that he and other farmers are facing right now. Factors such as record-high input costs, fluctuating markets, resistant weeds, and ever-changing tech-nology are making efficiency and smart decision-making more im-portant than ever before, he adds.

“2009 is going to be our hardest year yet,” says Amos. “Costs are getting so high, and farmers are going to have to be able to become more efficient and control their expenses. And if you don’t do a good job at growing and marketing your crop, you’re not going to be here. Simply put, you can’t forget how to farm. There is no room for mistakes. You have to do a good job at everything you do.”

For Amos, doing a “good job” includes strategically marketing his crops, using best practices such as soil-testing and variable-rate fertil-izing, running high-tech equip-ment, staying diversified, managing his financial risk, and relying on the Co-op for products and advice.

“To me, your banker, your crop insurance guy, and your Co-op are the three most important things you’d better consider,” says Amos. “If your financials aren’t in order, if you aren’t protecting your crop with insurance, and if you’re not buying your inputs from a place you can trust, you’re in trouble.”

A staunch Co-op supporter, Amos says he can’t understand why any producer would choose not to purchase farm supplies through one of TFC’s 58 member cooperatives.

“To me, it’s the only way to buy,” says Amos. “A farmer has every-thing to gain when he buys from Co-op. Plus, I don’t trust my opera-tion to anyone else. I trust Co-op.”

As he completes his first year on the TFC board, Amos says he’s enjoyed the chance to interact with Co-op representatives from across the state — especially his fellow di-rectors, who he describes as “a good bunch of farmers and people.” He also says he takes his job as a TFC leader just as seriously as he does his own farming operation.

“We’ve got some big decisions about what to do — as farmers and TFC directors,” says Amos. “Across the board, 2009 is going to be the most challenging year we’ve had in agriculture. I want to help make decisions that are best for the whole Co-op system and for the farmers out there like me who are relying on their Co-ops to help them get through the coming year.”

LEFT: Amos, right, and his younger brother, Daniel, center, grew up farming with their father, McKinley, who, at 92, still likes to be involved in the operation. The family farm has expanded considerably since the brothers started farming in partnership and now totals some 5,000 acres of owned and rented ground. ABOVE: Amos keeps the grain wagon positioned for one of the Hueys’ combines to unload corn as their other combine waits its turn.


ody Ware has arguably one of the best jobs in the world, and he knows it. Looking over some of

the rolling 400 acres of his Dickson County property, he gestures in awe.

“This is my office,” he says. “I’m blessed to have this life.”

While many other farmers in Ten-nessee can say the same, Jody’s got something extra: the energy, humor, and unconditional love of nearly two dozen dogs.

Owners from across the southeast-ern U.S. send their dogs — mostly retrievers and setters — to Jody for

expert training in hunting, hunt tests, and general obedience. After less than 10 years in business, his Razor Sharp Retrievers kennel has become one of the most respected names in the hunting-dog industry.

“I work really hard at this because I enjoy it so much,” he says. “I think that shows in the results.”

Since 1999, Jody has success-fully trained dozens of high-caliber hunting and competition dogs. Since 2003, 17 have completed the Ameri-can Kennel Club (AKC) regional testing necessary to qualify for the organization’s Master Nationals, con-sidered the “Super Bowl of hunting dog competitions.”

As opposed to traditional dog

shows or livestock competitions, dogs “running” in an AKC hunt test don’t earn first, second, or third placements. Instead, they either pass or fail and compete against AKC standards rather than other dogs. The tests simulate hunting conditions, and the dogs must prove their ability to find and retrieve birds. At the Master Nationals, six of Jody’s dogs have passed. At this year’s upcom-ing event in Hibbing, Minn., he will enter six qualifying dogs.

“I’m very proud of these ac-complishments, both for myself and the people who have helped me along the way,” says the soft-spoken trainer, a customer of Dickson Farm-ers Cooperative.

Training dogs professionally, while an unusual occupation, wasn’t exactly a stretch for Jody. Raised in Marion County, the 41-year-old grew up around hunting dogs, mainly beagles and bluetick and black-and-tan hounds.

“We did a whole lot of rabbit- and coon-hunting,” Jody recalls. “As a kid, I couldn’t wait till the weekends when I could take the beagles out.”

In the early ’90s, one of Jody’s friends took him duck-hunting, something he’d never done. It was a trip that would change the direction of his life.

“I just fell in love with it,” Jody says. “The funny thing is, my friend didn’t have a dog with him. We were in a ‘honey-hole’ — there were ducks everywhere — and as we shot them, he’d have to wade out to get them. Well, I wasn’t going to do that. I was always real partial to dogs, so I thought, ‘I’ve got to have a dog if I’m going to duck-hunt.’”

Jody returned home and pur-chased a yellow Labrador retriever puppy and a well-known dog-training book titled “Water Dog” by Richard Wolters.

“I would read a little bit and then run out and try it out,” he laughs. “I actually did a pretty nice job with the puppy. She turned out to be a good hunting dog.”

After that first dog — named Dusty — was properly trained, he bred her to a proven stud animal and sold all the puppies but one. He kept it to train, and again, was happy with the results. Soon, hunting buddies began to take notice.

“Friends of mine and people in the community began asking me to train their hunting dogs,” he says. “That’s how it all got started.”

By 1998, Jody was working full time for a cookware manufac-turer in South Pittsburg and training hunting dogs as a hobby.

“I knew just enough to be danger-

Story and photos by Mark E. Johnson

?way‘ ‘?betterWhat

A passion for dogs and hunting leads

Jody Ware to a dream career

training retrievers

Dickson Countian Jody Ware sends one of his “client” dogs to retrieve a bumper — a device used to simulate a downed bird — during a training session. Jody’s Razor Sharp Retrievers kennel has a 22-dog capacity and is usually full year-round.

J

Charlottel


ous,” he says. “I was real interested in training and wanted to learn a lot more.”

At a regional hunt test competi-tion, Jody met Phyllis Garner, a veteran trainer from Georgia who would become his greatest influence and teacher.

“She basically took me under her wing,” he says. “Together, we took a dog I had previously trained and redid everything. We took him all the way through the basics. I drove an hour every day to her house so she could show me how to do everything. She told me, ‘You are going to be very good at this if you will stick with it.’ She inspired me to consider training as a career.”

After nearly a year of training with Phyllis, Jody decided it was time to strike out on his own. But he knew he couldn’t do it without the support of his wife, Leigh, who was working as a computer teacher at a Marion County elementary school.

“We didn’t have kids at that time, and I told her I was ready to pursue [training dogs] full time,” he says. “She said, ‘If that is what you want to do, I’m behind you all the way.’ I can’t tell you how much that meant to me.”

Jody admits it was a risk to quit his steady job to enter the uncharted waters of professional dog-training.

“I kind of dove into it headfirst,” he says. “I bought us an eight-hole dog trailer, and we had only one dog in training. I told Leigh, ‘We’ve got to fill this trailer up. This is how we’re going to make a living.’”

As a new trainer who needed some experience under his belt, Jody was forced to take on many dogs that had already been through training — unsuccessfully.

“In many ways, this is what helped me get started and build a good reputation,” he says. “I’d take a dog, and [the previous trainer]

would say, ‘You might as well make this a family pet; it’ll never be a hunting dog.’ But I was patient, changed my program a little to fit the animal, and made some of them into great hunting dogs.”

As time went on, word began to spread throughout the industry that Jody was turning these “washouts” into premium hunting dogs, and his clientele base expanded accord-ingly. In addition to Tennessee, he’s trained dogs from Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Texas, and as far away as Colorado, where Major League Baseball player and hunting enthusiast Todd Helton, a former University of Tennessee baseball and football star, was referred to Jody.

“He called me out of the blue one day,” Jody recalls. “We talked for about 45 minutes, and the next day, he put his dog, Abby, on a plane to Nashville. At the time, I’d only been training for about two years, so it was a nice boost.”

In the years since, the once-empty stalls of Jody’s trailer have become filled to capacity with quality retriev-ers, and now there is a waiting list for his services. Successful hunt tests and word-of-mouth advertising have solidified Jody’s reputation as a thorough and honest trainer.

“The simple fact is, not every dog is going to be good,” he says. “If they were, they’d be a dime a dozen. Sometimes, you have to be straight with an owner and say, ‘We’ve done all we can, but it’s just not going to work out.’”

Luckily, Jody says, the vast majority of his “client dogs” become successful hunting dogs and “good citizens.” And, he adds, while most owners are looking for a highly skilled hunting animal, some people just want their dogs to fulfill their potential.

“Sending your dog to me is like sending your child to college,” Jody

explains. “You want the best for them. You want them to be as smart as they can and learn as much as pos-sible. Most people work five or six days a week and simply don’t have time to give the dog what it needs to achieve a high level of discipline and training.”

Jody says his favorite part of train-ing is teaching the fundamentals to young dogs.

“It usually takes about six months to get these basics completed,” he says, adding that training doesn’t usually begin until a puppy is 6 months old. “If you don’t focus on the basics, it will come back to haunt you forever. I like the teaching part of it, going out and showing them how to get a bird, bring it back, sit, or hit the water. I think you can learn so much about a dog when you’re doing the basics. I really enjoy it.”

In addition to the proper social-ization of puppies, regular land and water training sessions, and plenty of positive reinforcement, Jody stresses the need for good nutrition. He says Co-op’s Pro-Pet Performance For-mula dog food (#99853) fits the bill for his kennel.

“These animals don’t spend a lot of time just laying around,” he says. “They are extremely active, working dogs that are running and swimming every day. We’ve been feeding Pro-Pet for close to two years now and are very happy with the results.”

He says the formula — containing 30 percent protein, 20 percent fat — provides ample fuel for activity and growth and results in a shiny coat.

“These dogs look like somebody poured oil on them,” he says. “They love to eat this feed, too. Believe me, there is nothing left in the bowl when they’re done.”

To burn those calories, Jody’s dogs now have more room than ever to run. In 2006, after a year of prep-aration, he and Leigh, along with

their children, Nicholas, 4, and Em-ily, 2, moved from Marion County to the Dickson County home farm of Leigh’s parents. Although his first kennel was destroyed by a tor-nado soon after it was constructed — luckily, it was empty at the time — he rebuilt immediately. He says the former beef cattle farm is perfect for training hunting dogs.

“Just the way the land is set up is great,” he says. “There is plenty of room for the dogs to train for land work, and we’ve installed several ponds for water work.”

Although the kennel and training are predominantly a one-man opera-tion, Jody gets plenty of eager help from Nicholas and Emily.

“They absolutely love it,” he says. “They come into the field with me every day and help me feed every night. Nicholas is even learning how to train his own dog.”

“I feel privileged to be able to be this close to my family and do some-thing that I enjoy so much,” he adds. “I feel like I have the best of both worlds. It’s a lot of hard work and long hours, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I mean, what better way is there to spend your days?”

For more information about Razor Sharp Retrievers, call Jody Ware at 423-718-5042. To learn more about American Kennel Club hunt tests, visit the organization’s Web site at www.akc.org.

LEFT: At his kennel, Jody visits with his enthusiastic students. RIGHT: A yellow Lab chases a bumper into one of Jody’s eight ponds. He estimates that roughly half of his trainees are competition dogs and the rest are working hunters.

Jody pauses from training to visit with his wife, Leigh, and their children, Nicholas, 4, and Emily, 2. The children “absolutely love” being around the dogs, he says, and help him feed and water the animals twice a day.

Jody discusses his kennel’s dog food — Co-op’s Pro-Pet Performance Formula — with Dickson Farmers Cooperative equine/pet specialist Amanda Tidwell.


Woodlawnl

By Mark E. Johnson

Wendell Kirkland is vis-ibly proud of the long, eight-acre field of milo

tucked away in a remote bottom of his neighbor’s property.

“Isn’t that pretty?” he comments as his trusty old GMC pickup squeaks to a halt alongside the lush field situated on the back side of a Woodlawn farm. “One end stays wet —good for ducks — and the other end stays dry — good for deer. Milo will attract deer even when there’s a good acorn crop, like this year.”

With six two-acre fields of white clover, milo, and winter wheat, Kirkland, a devoted member of Montgomery Farmers Coopera-tive, is one of an increasing number of Tennessee hunting enthusiasts and landowners who are planting wildlife food plots. Popular crops include grains like milo grain sor-ghum and seed corn; cool-season grasses like annual oats, rye, and wheat; and native warm-season grasses like German millet, big and little bluestem, and orchardgrass.

Craig Harper, University of Ten-nessee Extension wildlife special-ist, says food plots can provide an important nutritional resource for white-tailed deer, ducks, wild turkeys, mourning doves, and other wildlife.

“When incorporated into a well-designed habitat management plan, quality food plots can help wildlife grow and develop to previously unattainable levels,” says Harper. “However, food plots are a small component of habitat manage-ment and should be used only to augment the quantity and quality of food occurring naturally in an area.”

Although he is not a hunter, Kirkland began installing food plots as a hobby after he was forced to retire from tobacco farm-ing in 2001 due to health problems.

“I just wanted something to piddle with and really enjoyed it,” he says. “After a few years, I put together a small hunting club to help offset the input expenses. Some of the largest deer and turkey in the area have been taken on my plots.”

In addition to Kirkland’s milo (FFR 318 grain sorghum, #81849), white clover is his crop of choice. He prefers Pennington’s Rack Master Durana (#80144), Reso-

lute (#84887), and Will Ladino (#80291) white clovers.

“About four years ago, as an experiment, I took four of my clover plots and split them — clo-ver on one side and corn on the other,” says Kirkland. “Later in the year, I’d go check them regularly. There’d be nothing in the corn, but the clover would be covered up with deer. I even knocked the corn over with my tractor to make it easier to reach, and they still stayed in the clover. That sold me.”

To prepare a clover plot, Kirk-

land starts with a soil test to deter-mine pH, fertilizes accordingly, and then works up his ground “as you would to plant tobacco.”

“I try to sow between the first and 20th of February,” he says. “For me, 10 to 12 pounds of seed per acre works best. The better stand of clover you get, the more it will choke out other vegetation.”

When possible, Kirkland says, the best way to sow clover is the old-fashioned way: sow on snow.

“I learned that trick from the old-timers,” he notes. “I get my ground

the dinner bellMontgomery County landowner and wildlife enthusiast Wendell Kirkland, a retired tobacco grower, planted this field of Pennington’s Rack Master Durana white clover in February. Since 2001, Kirkland has planted wildlife food plots for a local hunting club. — Photo by Keith Earhart

Montgomery Farmers Cooperative salesman Keith Earhart, left, and Wendell Kirkland examine a field of milo grain sorghum. Kirkland, a longtime member of Montgomery Farmers Co-op, planted the eight-acre field for a neighbor.


prepared and wait on a snow, then I sow the clover seed right on top. When the snow melts, it sucks that seed right into the ground at the per-fect depth, and it seems like every plant germinates. Of course, if it doesn’t snow, you just proceed any-way. If the ground is well-prepared, you’ll still get a good stand.”

Kirkland plants his winter wheat early in September so it will be available for deer during archery season, which opens the fourth Sat-urday of that month.

“I just rip the ground, sow the seed, and disk it in lightly,” he says. “Wheat doesn’t need a real deep seed bed — just a couple of inches.”

Timing is key to the success of milo, Kirkland adds. He never sows before July 15 and then staggers his planting.

“Plant half an acre, wait a week or 10 days, and then plant that much more,” he advises. “That way, you can make it last a lot longer in the fall when the acorns are falling.”

Dan Hicks, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency information officer for Region 3, says natural conditions such as rainfall and the nut, or “hard mast” crop, can affect the usefulness of food plots.

“If there are plenty of acorns and hickory nuts, you might not see as much activity on a food plot,” he says. “If the mast crop is light, a plot can make a big difference for wildlife.”

Kirkland says he’s found the deer in his area to be interested in a variety of plant species.

“I see deer in my plots even when the acorn crop is heavy,” he says. “After the acorns have been on the ground for several days and maybe rained on, they begin to deteriorate and, I believe, become less palatable to deer, which drives them into the

clover, milo, and winter wheat. I also think they simply get to where they want some variety.”

“You know, if all we ate was chocolate pie, we’d get tired of it eventually,” he adds with a grin. “I think a lot of wildlife is that way, too. Why not change up the menu?”

For more information on install-ing wildlife food plots, visit these Web sites: www.plantbiologic.com, www.whitetailinstitute.com, or www.buckforage.com.

UT Extension’s comprehensive publication “A Guide to Success-ful Wildlife Food Plots” can be downloaded at www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/wildlife.

Popular wildlife plot speciesSpecies Planting date

Ladino white clover (perennial) 8 9/1 - 10/1; 2/15 - 4/1Alfalfa (perennial) 20 8/15 - 9/15; 3/1 - 3/1Oats (annual) 100 9/1 - 10/15; 2/15 - 3/15Rye (annual) 100 9/1 - 10/15Wheat (annual) 100 8/15 - 10/15Iron-clay cowpeas (annual) 75 5/1 - 6/15Lablab (annual) 20 5/1 - 6/15Soybeans (annual) 85 5/1 - 6/15Corn (annual) 13 4/1 - 5/15Grain sorghum 10 4/15 - 6/15German millet (annual) 25 4/15 - 6/15Chicory (perennial) 10 4/1 - 5/15Chufa (annual) 50 4/15 - 6/15Sunflower (annual) 25 4/15 - 5/15

Source: University of Tennessee Extension publication #PB1769

Seeding rate (lbs./acre)

Kirkland displays a milo grain sorghum seed head. He says that in a season of good growing conditions, milo will attract deer even when acorn production is heavy.

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Just as its name has been lengthened to better reflect what it offers, the vastly popular Music & Molasses Arts & Crafts Festival in Nashville is adding numerous new attractions this year.

“We’re adding ‘Arts & Crafts’ to our name to let people know that, indeed, we offer much more than music and molasses,” says Anne Dale, director of the Tennessee Agricultural Museum, which stages the annual event.

This year’s festival is Saturday, Oct. 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the spacious grounds at Ellington Agricultural Center. Ad-mission is $5; children 4 and under are admitted free.

At this 16th edition of the popular festival, of which Co-op is a spon-sor, Dale promises that visitors “will find added attractions everywhere.”

“It really is a country celebra-tion for the entire family,” she says. “This year, there’s simply more to see and do.”

For instance, Smokey Bear makes his first appearance at the festival. He’ll be hanging out at a special exhibit of the American Chestnut Foundation, which is promoting the re-establishment of chestnut trees in Tennessee forests.

Franklin author Lisa Wysocky will be on hand, too, from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday to sign copies of her new book, “My Horse, My Partner: Teamwork on the Ground.”

Although new activities are planned, reliable standbys — many of them favorites year after year — will also be there to entertain and educate visitors of all ages.

Just as they have since the inaugural festival back in 1993, Mark Guenther and his family from Mossy Pond in Overton County will set up their molasses-making operation in their usual place — a shady spot in the main activity area. A horse will plod methodi-cally in a circle to turn the mill that squeezes the juice from sorghum stalks. Workers will continuously cook the liquid into molasses. The Guenthers will have their molasses and other sweet treats for sale.

As for music, visitors will have their choice of numerous attrac-tions — from the Front Porch Pick-ers to entertainers on the Country Hollow stage. Square dancers and cloggers will also perform through-out the festival, and the New Wine Gospel Singers will be featured Sunday afternoon.

Longer name, more family funMusic, molasses, arts, crafts featured at annual ag museum festival

Literally dozens of demonstra-tors will be on hand to show how a wide array of home and farm chores were handled in times past — from butter-churning and broom-making to beekeeping and blacksmithing.

Likewise, hundreds of items made by area artists and craftsmen will be sold by a record number of vendors at the festival.

Children can once again take

part in the hands-on “Farmer for a Day” program, see and touch farm animals, and pick a pumpkin from a patch to decorate.

Food choices will include fixin’s from an authentic chuck wagon and such offerings as pulled barbecue, grilled turkey legs, and fried pies.

For additional information on the festival, including directions to the museum, call 615-837-5197 or visit tnagmuseum.org.

Fay Heathco of Burns will demonstrate candle-making again this year at the Music & Molasses Arts & Crafts Festival Oct. 18 and 19 in Nashville.


By Kim Smith, equine specialista c k ro o m Ta l k

A lifelong equine enthusiast, Kim Smith has a master’s degree in animal science from West Texas A&M, where her academic research focused on horse nutrition. In 1999, she joined Tennessee Farmers Cooperative as a statewide equine specialist.

TA new reason to ‘celebrate’ Co-op feeds

Glowing spotlights, fancy gowns and tuxedos, roaring cheers from the crowds. No, this wasn’t the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of a new Matthew McConaughey movie — it was center ring of the Tennes-see Walking Horse National Celebration. For the first time, Tennessee Farmers Cooperative was a premier sponsor of the “Celebration” during its 10-day run in August. In addition, Co-op horse feeds were named the “official feed of the Celebration.” Before this announcement, we did some research about what some owners and trainers want in a feed. We found that several farms feed oats (or other grain-based diets) and provide some type of supplement. As a result, we are introducing a new equine feed product to help fill this need — Hall of Fame 2800 (#336).

Years ago when families used real horsepow-er to plow fields, those horses were fed simple grains and forage. Today, many farms still base their feeding practices on grains such as oats, corn, and barley. It is important to remember that horses now live and work for many more years than they did back in the old days. This longevity can largely be attributed to owners and trainers learning more about nutrition and the role of proper minerals and vitamins in the health and performance of horses.

Feeding a performance horse a diet of oats and fescue hay, the most common forage in this state, will not meet many of the horse’s nutrient requirements. However, if a nutritionally balanced pellet like Co-op’s Hall of Fame 2800 (#336) is used, then the horse’s

amino acid, energy, mineral, and vitamin requirements are met.

Hall of Fame 2800 (#336) is manufactured in a 1⁄8-inch mini pellet form. This balancer pellet contains complete vitamin and min-eral supplementation, including added yeast culture, organic trace minerals, selenium

yeast, biotin, lysine and methionine, vita-min C, and added fat from rice bran. These additions to the diet will help improve dry matter digestibility, immune response, hoof quality, and protein quality and pro-vide the extra energy the horse needs to perform.

Feeding recommendations will vary depending on what type of work the horse is doing. For an average working horse being fed between six and eight pounds of oats each day, we would recom-mend adding Hall of Fame 2800 (#336) at the rate of one to two pounds daily. However, if you have broodmares, we recommend two to three pounds of Hall of Fame 2800 (#336) balancer pellets with up to 10 pounds of oats daily.

If you are feeding grain-based diets, why don’t you give our Hall of Fame 2800 (#336) balancer pellets a try? We bet you will like it! If you have any questions, contact me at 615-714-3202 or e-mail me at [email protected].

Kim Smith, Tennessee Farmers Cooperative equine specialist, was on hand to present awards during “Co-op night” Aug. 22 at this year’s Celebration.

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Though normally not associ-ated with glitz and glamour, the Co-op name seemed right

at home as Tennessee Farmers Cooperative assumed its new role as a premier sponsor at the ex-travagant Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration (TWHNC).

This was the 70th anniversary of Tennessee’s longest continually running event, which takes over its hometown of Shelbyville every Au-gust. The 2008 Celebration, which ran from Aug. 20-30, featured 2,188 different horses — 36 more than last year — and paid attendance of 216,253 for the 11-day show.

With its new sponsorship, Co-op had a strong presence at this year’s Celebration, from a prominent lighted sign inside Calsonic Arena to a booth at the trade fair to ban-ners proclaiming Co-op as “the official feed of the Celebration.” TFC Chief Executive Officer Bart Krisle, Board Chairman Stephen Philpott, equine specialist Kim Smith, and Bedford Moore Farmers Cooperative Manager Vickey Stew-art were also featured as award presenters during “Co-op Night” on Friday, Aug. 22.

For Stewart, who has a front-row view of just how much the event impacts Bedford County each year, TFC’s sponsorship was a welcome and logical move. She said the Celebration is historically and economically significant to the community and its residents, not just those directly involved in the walking horse industry.

“It’s not only horse people who enjoy and benefit from the Celebra-

tion,” said Stewart. “Many of our local farmers and customers will attend the show, and most of our civic organizations use this as their main fundraiser. I think this is a good opportunity for us and good publicity for the Co-op.”

Held annually during the 11 days and nights prior to Labor Day, the Celebration is the signature show for the Tennessee walking horse during which the breed’s coveted World Grand Champion is named along with some 20 World Champions. This year, more than $650,000 in prizes and awards was given out in 167 classes.

Lewisburg trainer Link Webb took home the top honors on San-

tana’s El Nino as the 2008 World Grand Champion, crowned the last night of the event before a crowd of more than 22,000. Among those fans was John Houston, TFC retail feed and animal health specialist and Bedford County resident who is a walking horse enthusiast. He at-tends the Celebration every year and said seeing Co-op become part of it just reinforces his connection to this community tradition.

“I’ve owned and ridden walking horses, and I’ve been coming to the Celebration for the past 25 years,” said Houston. “I’m thrilled that Co-op is now officially involved, too. These trainers and riders feed all different kinds of feeds, and we have some that will suit their needs for sure. I’m excited about the exposure that the Celebration will give us.”

Houston joined Kim Smith, TFC staff veterinarian Kevin Cox, and other TFC personnel in staffing the Co-op booth at the huge Celebration trade fair inside Calsonic Arena. TFC took the opportunity to intro-duce Co-op’s new Hall of Fame 2800 (#336) supplement, which is designed specifically for perfor-mance horses (see related article on page 23).

“Whether it’s presenting ribbons on Co-op night or talking to people at our booth in the trade fair, being part of the Celebration is a wonder-ful opportunity for us to reach the riders and trainers who are decision-makers about their horses’ feeding program,” said Smith. “This will be the first time anyone has gotten a look at our new Hall of Fame sup-plement, which is a good fit for a lot of the walking horse farms that are feeding oats along with some sort of balancer pellet or concentrate.”

Securing TFC’s involvement with the Celebration was one of the first actions of the TWHNC’s new chief executive officer, Dr. Doyle Meadows, who was a staunch Co-op supporter throughout his previous 20-year role as a Univer-sity of Tennessee Extension equine specialist and leader of the state-wide 4-H Horse Program.

“Having had a lot of experience with Co-op in the past, I’m really proud for them to be a corporate partner with us here at the Cel-ebration,” said Meadows, who was named to his new position in April. “I feel like there are plenty of opportunities to strengthen that rela-tionship even more for next year.”

Even though Meadows was no stranger to the Celebration — he’s attended for more than 20 years and even watched his daughter, Caro-line, show in 2006 and 2007 — he said his inaugural Celebration as the head of the TWHNC was certainly one to be remembered.

l

Shelbyville

The 2008 Celebration deemed a ‘success’ as Co-op becomes a premier sponsor

Positive stepsBy Allison Morgan

LEFT: TFC and member Co-op leaders were featured as award presenters on “Co-op Night” Aug. 22 at the Celebration. Waiting for their turn in center ring are, from left, TFC Board Chairman Stephen Philpott, TFC Chief Executive Officer Bart Krisle and wife Kim, and Bedford Moore Farmers Cooperative Manager Vickey Stewart and husband Chris. RIGHT: As a premier sponsor, Co-op is prominently promoted on a lighted sign inside Calsonic Arena, which is used for equine events year-round.

Tennessee Farmers Cooperative debuted as a premier sponsor of the 70th Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, which wrapped up a successful 11-day run on Aug. 30. Co-op was also named the “official feed of the Celebration.”


“I’ve been there for many years, but this was the first time to sit on the other side of the fence, so to speak,” said Meadows. “I definitely had a steep learning curve, but I was very pleased with the total success of the program.”

Total attendance was similar to 2007, which Meadows said was encouraging since two nights of this year’s competition were soaked by remnants of tropical storm Fay.

“With high fuel prices and the overall state of the economy, we are pleased with our attendance this year,” he said. “I can’t thank the fans enough. It tells us that the product we’re presenting is what the public wants to see — beautiful and talented horses, great riders, and a terrific overall atmosphere.”

Meadows said he’s also encour-aged by the compliance among trainers and owners with the Celebration’s stringent inspection measures implemented in 2007 after allegations of “soring” — techniques that inflict pain for the purposes of performance enhance-ment — overshadowed the 2006 event and caused the World Grand Championship to be cancelled. During the 2008 show, the Celebra-tion reinforced its commitment to such measures as drug screening, proper shoeing, random inspections of the barn area, and enforcing the Tennessee Anti-Soring ordinance.

These actions are “a step in the right direction” and continue to restore confidence in the walking horse industry, according to Mead-ows, who says he’s already looking forward to the 2009 event, planned for Aug. 26 through Sept. 5.

“After two years of a success-ful show, little by little, piece by piece, we’re moving forward,” said Meadows. “All of these things help us have a better horse to pres-ent in the ring.”

Photos, show results, and more information about The Celebration can be found at www.twhnc.com.

ABOVE: John Houston, left, TFC retail feed and animal health specialist, and Kim Smith, TFC equine specialist, staff the Co-op booth at the Celebration Trade Fair inside Calsonic Arena. RIGHT: TFC Board Chairman Stephen Philpott, second from right, presents the premier sponsor ribbon for the Owner-Amateur Youth Riders 6-14 on Walking Ponies class. Eagle’s Finesse, ridden by Tyler Baucom, was the winner. Also presenting awards are, from left, Marissa Jones, Nancy Davis, Whitney Davis, Kaitlyn Rippy, Virgil Johnson, and Shelby Beam. — Photo provided by TWHNC

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By Mark E. Johnson and Rachel Boreing

Farmers in Tennessee are mak-ing things as confusing as possible.

At least, that is, farmers who are creating corn mazes.

With much more favorable growing conditions this year than drought-marred 2007, the fall is shaping up to be a good time to get lost in Tennessee. More than 40 operations have listed their corn mazes with the Tennessee Depart-ment of Agriculture (TDA), and agritourism coordinator Pamela Bartholomew says there is a notice-able sense of excitement for this year’s fall harvest season.

“Corn mazes are going full blast this year,” says Pamela. “Last year at this time, most corn patches were only waist-high if they survived at all. Many people gave up on their mazes. I think others had plenty of time to figure out what they wanted to do this year because there are more operations and more activities than ever, from hay rides to scaven-ger hunts. Consumers can expect plenty of bang for their buck.”

One operation that is gearing up for business is Brown’s Farm Corn Maze in Lascassas. Owned by Ernie and Suzanne Brown, mem-

bers of Rutherford Farmers Coop-erative, the operation features an 11-acre maze — four total miles of walking — on the couple’s 70-acre corn, soybean, beef cattle, and quarter horse farm.

“We’re really excited about what we’ve got this year,” says Suzanne. “Our theme is ‘The Headless Horseman.’ Not only will that be the corn maze shape, but we will have an actual headless horseman riding around!”

In addition to the spooky eques-trian, Brown’s Farm will offer pumpkins, individual campfires and cookout “goodies,” a 30-foot-tall round-bale hay mountain for climbing, a hayride, and a tour of a real haunted cemetery. There will also be a square-bale straw maze just for toddlers. Suzanne says the entire operation is geared toward families with children.

“About four years ago, we were involved in a farm day at Lascas-sas Elementary School,” she says. “When I realized that many kids didn’t know the difference between a horse and a cow, I figured we needed to do something. Our op-eration provides a place for people

who might not otherwise have the chance to come visit a real farm.”

“It’s a lot of fun,” she adds. “I hope we can continue this for years to come.”

Brown’s Farm Corn Maze is located at 7125 Cainsville Pike in Lascassas. For more information, call 615-273-4300. It’s just one of many corn mazes and other fall agri-tourism activities across the state. Here are those we are aware of at press time. Most are open through-out October, but we suggest you call ahead to confirm dates and times. More information is available at www.picktnproducts.org by clicking on “Farm Fun & Activities.”

East Tennessee

Ballinger Farm Crazy Maze2738 Renfro RoadJefferson City, TN 37760865-475-7513

Beck Mountain Corn Maze116 Corn Maze LaneElizabethton, TN 37643423-543-1045www.beckmountaincornmaze.com

Brush Creek FarmsWalkertown RoadDayton, TN 37321423-775-4484www.brushcreekfarmstn.com

Cookson Creek Farm andGreenhouse1226 Sand Mountain RoadOcoee, TN 37361423-338-5914

Echo Valley Farm Corn Maze1548 Groseclose RoadNew Market, TN 37820865-591-7343www.echovalleycornmaze.com

Enchanted MAiZE by Rock City271 Old Chattanooga Valley RoadFlintstone, GA 30725706-820-2531www.enchantedmaze.com

Fender’s Farm254 Tennessee Highway 107Jonesborough, TN 37659 423-753-4469www.fendersmaze.com

Kyker Farms Corn Maze938 Alder Branch RoadSevierville, TN 37876865-679-4848www.kykerfarmscornmaze.com

Maple Lane Farms1040 Maple LaneGreenback, TN 37742 865-856-3511www.tncornmaze.com

Mason-Mayfield Corn Maze257 Highway 307Athens, TN 37371423-744-4866www.mayfielddairy.com

Myers Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze3415 Gap Creek RoadBulls Gap, TN 37711423-235-4796www.myerspumpkinpatch.com

Oakes Farm8240 Corryton RoadCorryton, TN 37721865-688-6200www.oakesfarm.com

The River Maze 173 Welcome Valley RoadBenton, TN 37307 423-338-8314www.therivermaze.com

River Ridge Farm220 Mike Miller LaneClinton, TN 37716865-457-6774www.riverridgefarmtn.com

Shull’s Farm and Cornmaze4249 Roan Creek RoadMountain City, TN 37683423-291-1117www.shullsfarm.com

The Stickley Farm531 Timbermill DriveBluff City, TN 37618423-360-4809www.thestickleyfarm.com

Middle Tennessee

Amazin’ Acres of Fun2857 Old Kentucky RoadSparta, TN 38583 931-761-2971www.amazinacres.com

Autumn Acres1096 Baier RoadCrossville, TN 38571931-707-0103www.autumnacres.net

Boyd Farm1425 Highway 76Clarksville, TN 37043931-216-8250www.boydspumpkinpatch.com

Cedar Rock Corn Maze1326 Warner Bridge RoadShelbyville, TN 37160931-684-9814www.cedarrockfallfest.com

Cedarwood Pumpkin Patch6794 Nashville HighwayMcMinnville, TN 37110931-939-3960www.cedarwoodnurserytn.com/

This fall promises to be a good season for corn mazes

Suzanne Brown peeks around a row in the middle of the corn maze she and her husband, Ernie, are hosting at their Lascassas farm this fall. It’s one of many such agritourism activities across the state. — Photo by Mark E. Johnson

lLascassas


The Farm at Hollow Springs9190 Hollow Springs RoadBradyville, TN 37026615-848-2822

Keller’s Corny Country542 Firetower RoadDickson, TN 37055615-441-4872www.kellerscornycountry.com

Gentry’s Farm1974 Highway 96 WestFranklin, TN 37064615-794-4368www.gentryfarm.com

Grandaddy’s Farm1165 Highland Ridge Road

Estill Springs, TN 37330931-967-8628www.grandaddysfarm.com

Holiday Acres Farm346 Campbellsville PikeEthridge, TN 38456931-829-2660www.holidayacresfarm.com

Honeysuckle Hill Farm1765 Martins Chapel Church RoadSpringfield, TN 37172615-382-7593www.honeysucklehillfarm.com

Maize on the Hill2605 Ezell RoadChapel Hill, TN 37034

931-212-3690www.maizeonthehill.com

Owen Farm 825 Crocker RoadChapmansboro, TN 37035615-428-2702www.owenfarm.com

Patterson Place Farm2480 Patterson RoadWoodlawn, TN 37191931-553-0639

Pumpkin Hill431 Benders Ferry RoadMt. Juliet, TN 37122615-758-5364www.pumpkinhill.org

Pumpkin Place6944 Highway 25 EastCross Plains, TN 37049615-654-3625

Ring Farm2628 Greensmill RoadColumbia, TN 38401931-486-2395www.ringfarm.com

Rippavilla Plantation Corn Maze5700 Main StreetSpring Hill, TN 37174931-486-9037www.rippavilla.org

Riverview Mounds Farm1711 Boyd Rinehart RoadClarksville, TN 37043615-495-8185www.riverviewmoundsfarm.com

Shuck-n-Shack Farm7721 Valley View RoadLascassas, TN 37085615-812-8788

Walden Pumpkin Farm8653 Rocky Fork RoadSmyrna, TN 37167615-220-2918www.waldenfarm.biz

West Tennessee

Cotton Museum of the SouthCorn Maze at Green Frog VillageHighway 412 SouthBells, TN 38006731-663-3319

Duncan Christmas Tree Farm186 Hester RoadSelmer, TN 38375731-645-5769

Fletcher Farm8343 Munford Giltedge RoadBurlison, TN 38015901-476-9257

Jones Orchard Corn Maze6880 Singleton ParkwayMillington, TN 38053901-873-3150www.jonesorchard.com

Mid-South Maze atAgricenter InternationalMemphis, TN 38120901-870-6338www.cornfieldmaze.com

Tennessee Safari Park637 Conley RoadAlamo, TN 38001731-696-4423 or 901-734-6005www.tennesseesafaripark.com

Tom’s Farm1665 Murrell RoadRossville, TN 38066901-853-0997www.tomsfarm.net


By Allison Morgan, editorhaT’S cookIn’?

Co-op cooks have a long tradition of sharing recipes in the “What’s cookin’?” column, which has been a regular feature of the Tennessee Cooperator since June 1978.

“Williamsburg Inn Turkey Soup” is a great way to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey and feed a big family. The recipe was submitted by Pat Farley, our Cook-of-the-Month for October/November. — Photo by Mark E. Johnson, food styling by Allison Morgan

WMaking meals for manyA s the holidays approach,

so do the occasions when we find ourselves cooking

large meals for houseguests, family get-togethers, and other seasonal gatherings.

Whether you need to feed an extended family or an entire army, there’s no need to fear those feasts. Just try these super-sized reci-pes from our “What’s cookin’?” readers, like Pat Farley of Pleas-ant Shade. Her submission for “Williamsburg Inn Turkey Soup” not only makes a large quantity of hearty soup, but it also is a great way to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Plus, our Cook-of-the-Month for October/November says the soup can be frozen and easily reheated for future use.

Other recipes featured are Icebox Vegetable Salad, Baked Potato Casserole, Quick Cake and Filling, Chicken Spaghetti, Sloppy Joes for 100, Taco Meatball Ring, The Night-Before Breakfast, and Harvest Ham.

Enjoy!

Williamsburg Inn Turkey Soup

1 turkey carcass4 quarts water3 large onions, chopped fine3 stalks celery, chopped fine2 large carrots, chopped fine1⁄4 cup uncooked long grain

rice1 cup butter or margarine11⁄2 cups all-purpose flour1 pint half-and-half3 cups diced cooked turkey1⁄2 teaspoon poultry seasoning,

if desiredSalt and pepper to tasteIn a large kettle, cook turkey

carcass with water for 45 minutes to 1 hour to make three quarts stock. Remove bones; reserve meat for soup. Strain stock; set aside.

In a saucepan, combine onions, celery, carrots, rice, and one quart of the stock. Cook for 20 minutes; set aside.

In a large soup kettle, melt butter or margarine. Blend in flour, and heat until bubbly. Add half-and-half and remaining two quarts of stock to butter/flour mixture; cook and stir until bubbly. Stir in the reserved vegetable mixture, turkey, and

seasonings to taste. Heat slowly to serving temperature.

Yield: 4 to 41⁄2 quarts.Pat Farley

Pleasant ShadeSmith Farmers Cooperative

v

Icebox Vegetable Salad

1 (16-ounce) can French-style green beans, drained

1 (17-ounce) can tiny green peas, drained

1 (16-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (4-ounce) jar chopped pimentos, drained

1 cup finely chopped celery1 medium onion, finely

chopped1 medium green pepper, finely

chopped

1 cup sugar1⁄2 cup vinegar1⁄2 cup vegetable oil1 teaspoon salt1⁄2 teaspoon black pepperCombine first seven ingredients

in a large bowl. In a saucepan, combine sugar, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; cool slightly and pour over vegetables. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Salad may be stored in refrigerator for up to one week.

Yield: 8-10 servings.Dorothy Jean Beckham

WaynesboroWayne Farmers Cooperative

v

Baked Potato Casserole

5 pounds red potatoes, cooked and cubed

1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 cups (1 pound) cubed Cheddar cheese

4 cups (1 pound) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 cup mayonnaise1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream1 tablespoon minced chives1 teaspoon salt1⁄2 teaspoon pepperIn a large bowl, combine pota-

toes and bacon. In another bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; add potato mixture and toss gently to coat.

Transfer to a greased 41⁄2-quart baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Yield: 20-24 servings.Carolyn Devers

SouthsideMontgomery Farmers Cooperative

v

Quick Cake and Filling

2 boxes white cake mix6 eggs6 tablespoons water1 (8-ounce) package cream

cheese, softened2 (21-ounce) cans cherry pie

filling or fruit of your choiceMix first four ingredients. Swirl

in pie filling. Pour into two 9-x-13-inch pans and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Top with a scoop of ice cream before serving.

Yield: 30 servings. Jerri Miller

AthensValley Farmers Cooperative

v

Chicken Spaghetti

6 to 8 large chicken breastsSalt to taste1 (8-ounce) package spaghetti1 stick butter, melted1⁄2 cup chopped onion3 stalks celery, chopped1 cup mushrooms


Whether your favorite football team is playing or not, Super Bowl Sunday is a good excuse to gather with friends and family, sit around the television set, and enjoy a variety of foods prepared especially for this unofficial American holiday.

To help you with recipe ideas for those game-time goodies, we’re featur-ing Super Bowl snacks for our January “What’s cookin’?” column. The person submitting the best recipe will be named Cook-of-the-Month and receive $10. Others sending recipes chosen for publication will receive $5.

Monday, Dec. 1, is the deadline for submitting your Super Bowl recipes.

Don’t forget: Only recipes that include complete, easy-to-follow in-structions will be considered for publication. Several recipes are disquali-fied each month because they do not contain all the information needed to prepare the dishes successfully. Recipes featured in “What’s cookin’?” are not independently tested, so we must depend on the accuracy of the cooks sending them. Always use safe food-handling, preparation, and cooking procedures.

Send entries to: Recipes, Tennessee Cooperator, P.O. Box 3003, LaVergne, TN 37086. You can submit more than one recipe in the same envelope. You can also e-mail them to: [email protected].

Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, and the Co-op with which you do business. It’s important that your Co-op be included because we want to give it recognition if your recipe is printed. Recipes that appear in the “What’s cookin’?” column will also be pub-lished on our Web site at www.ourcoop.com.

Editor’s note: If there’s a “Country Church” you’d like us to feature, send us a recent, good-quality picture along with pertinent facts and history about the church, to: Country Churches, Tennessee Cooperator, P.O. Box 3003, LaVergne, TN 37086

167th in a series of photographs to show where our rural Co-op friends worship

Neboville United Methodist Church in Gibson County

Established in 1823, Neboville United Methodist Church on Neboville-Yorkville Road four miles south of Yorkville in northern Gibson County was first housed in a log structure built in 1846 to serve as both a church and school. The present church was built in 1880, and classrooms, a kitchen, and restrooms were added in the mid-1950s. Services are at 9 a.m. on Sundays with Pastor Jim Wolfgang officiating. — Photo by Rebecca Scott; information submitted by J.B. Scott

ou r co u n T r y ch u r c h e S

1 cup chopped bell pepper1 cup sliced water chestnuts1 (14-ounce) jar pimentos1 cup salad black olives1 can cream of chicken soup1 can cream of mushroom

soup1⁄2 soup can of milk11⁄2 pounds Velveeta cheesePlace chicken breasts in large

pot, add salt to taste, and cover with water; boil until tender. Remove chicken and reserve the broth.

Cook spaghetti in chicken broth; drain and add all ingredients except the cheese. Pour into a large, greased pan. Top with thick slices of cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Can be frozen.

Yield: 20 servings. Kathye Jackson

CharlotteDickson Farmers Cooperative

v

Sloppy Joes for 100

20 pounds ground beef4 large onions, chopped4 large green peppers,

chopped4 cups chopped celery1 cup packed brown sugar1 cup spicy brown mustard4 cups ketchup2 (12-ounce) cans tomato paste4 (15-ounce) cans tomato

sauce6 to 8 cups water1 cup vinegar2⁄3 cup Worcestershire sauce100 hamburger bunsIn a large Dutch oven, brown the

beef, onions, peppers, and celery in batches. Remove with a slotted spoon to a large roaster.

Add the next eight ingredients. Cover and simmer for three to four hours. Serve on warmed buns.

Yield: 100 servings (12 quarts).Shirley L. Revis

AdamsMontgomery Farmers Cooperative

v

Taco Meatball Ring

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

2 tablespoons water2 to 4 tablespoons taco season-

ing1⁄2 pound ground beef2 (8-ounce) tubes refrigerated

crescent rolls1⁄2 head iceberg lettuce,

shredded1 medium tomato, chopped4 green onions, sliced1⁄2 cup sliced ripe olives2 small jalapeno peppers,

seeded and slicedSour cream and salsa

In a bowl, combine one cup cheese, water, and taco seasoning. Add beef and mix well. Shape into 16 balls. Place 1 inch apart in an ungreased 15-x-10-x-1-inch bak-ing pan. Baked uncovered at 400° for 12 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Drain meatballs on paper towels.

Reduce oven heat to 375°. Ar-range crescent rolls on a greased 15-inch pizza pan. Form a ring with pointed ends facing the outer edge of the pan and wide ends overlapping. Place a meatball on each roll; fold point over meatball and tuck under wide end (meatballs will be visible). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.

Fill the center of ring with lettuce, tomato, onions, olives, remaining cheese, jalapenos, sour cream, and salsa.

Marie DelffsNormandy

Franklin Farmers Cooperativev

The Night-Before Breakfast

8 to 10 slices of breadButter or margarine11⁄2 pounds sausage5 eggs21⁄2 cups milk, divided3⁄4 teaspoon prepared mustard1 teaspoon salt1 pound sharp Cheddar

cheese, shredded1 can cream of mushroom soupCoat a 9-x-13-inch pan with

vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray. Remove crust from bread and butter each slice. Place bread in bottom of pan.

Cook and drain sausage; cool and sprinkle over bread. Beat together eggs, 2 cups milk, mus-tard, and salt. Pour over casserole. Cover with shredded cheese. Re-frigerate overnight.

The next morning, add 1⁄2 cup milk to cream of mushroom soup and spread over top of casserole. Bake for one hour at 325° to 350°.

Mattie C. KellyDunlap

Sequatchie Farmers Cooperativev

Harvest Ham

1 (10-pound or more) spiral-sliced, fully cooked, bone-in ham (with glaze package)

4 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard

1⁄2 cup honey1⁄4 cup molassesDesired garnishesIn a small mixing bowl, stir

together glaze mix, mustard, honey,

and molasses. Mix well and set aside.

Use a baking pan with a bottom rack, and coat both with nonstick cooking spray. Place ham in center of baking pan, which should be large enough for the ham not to touch the sides. Slighty sepa-rate the ham slices. Drizzle the prepared glaze over the ham and between the slices.

Place in center of oven. Bake for two hours at 200°, basting occa-sionally. Increase heat to 400° and

continue baking for approximately 30-45 minutes or until lightly brown.

Cool slightly before remov-ing slices from the bone. Arrange slices on a serving platter, garnish-ing as desired with pineapples and red cherries, orange slices and orange peel twists, or apple slices. Serve hot with the pan drippings as a sauce.

Lucille HarrisonGreeneville

Greene Farmers Cooperative

Super Bowl snacks for January


Joey Brown, left, and Gavin Brown of Mandeville, La., “dig” for fossils inside the permanent exhibit hall at the Natural History Museum at the Gray Fossil Site near Johnson City. The brothers were in Tennessee with their parents, David and Debney Brown, after the family evacuated from Louisiana due to Hurricane Gustav.

ABOVE: The museum rises above the surrounding rural landscape. General Shale Brick donated all of the bricks used in building the facility, which opened Aug. 31, 2007. Since the opening, more than 115,000 people have toured the museum and dig site, far exceeding expectations. RIGHT: Dr. Steven Wallace, director of paleontology at the museum, examines a recent find inside the onsite laboratory.

Year-old Natural History Museum at the Gray Fossil Site is an amazing blend of discovery, education, and interaction

Story and photos by Chris Villines

R oad crew workers from the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT)

were awestruck.Here, in the middle of a May

2000 project near the small Wash-ington County town of Gray be-tween Kingsport and Johnson City, crew members inadvertently uncov-ered fossilized bones in a deposit of soft black clay. TDOT geologists — called in to examine the find and give technical advice — made an epic discovery.

The fossils were of a nearly complete rhinoceros skeleton and part of the largest Miocene-age fos-sil site found east of the Mississippi River, meaning they were formed 4½ million to 7 million years ago — long before dinosaurs and man roamed the earth. The Miocene era is known in historical circles as “the golden age of mammals.”

The dig site is thought to be the location of a sinkhole that expand-ed into a small lake bed, which then served as a watering trough for thirsty animals over the course of many years. This sinkhole now holds the remains of ancient spe-cies of plants and animals.

As a result of this momentus stroke of fortune, then-Gov. Don Sundquist ordered the road-widening project to be realigned to protect the find, and nearby East Tennes-

see State University (ETSU) began a paleontology program that has developed into one of the country’s largest in the quest to unearth more relics. And in August 2007, the 33,000-square-foot Natural History Museum at the Gray Fossil Site, which also doubles as a research fa-cility, opened its doors to the public. In its first year, the museum more than doubled its projection of 50,000 visitors as 115,000 people flocked to get a glimpse of creatures that once inhabited this land, including tapirs, saber-toothed cats, camels, shovel-tusked elephants, and alligators.

“I think the story of how these fossils were found captures people’s imagination,” says Jeanne Zavada, director of the museum. “That and the fact that we have this extraordi-nary facility right here in little bitty Gray, Tennessee, that is on par with some of the bigger, more well-known museums in Washington, D.C., or New York City. As far as

I know, we are the only museum in the world that has the resources we have here with the fossil site just out back on the same property.”

The excitement in Zavada’s voice is palpable. Fresh off the ultra-successful opening year, the museum just unveiled its latest find, a new species of red panda. A full skeletal cast of the animal is cur-rently displayed under glass, and the real skeleton is almost 70 percent complete. The skeleton was found by Gray Fossil Site Director of Pa-leontology Dr. Steven Wallace and his team in the “spoil pile” — the sizeable mound of soil and sediment dug during the construction of the museum itself .

“We have the most complete red panda skeleton in the world,” says Zavada, who was part of an unveil-ing ceremony for the new find that coincided with the museum’s first anniversary on Aug. 31. “The cast is the only one in the world of its kind.

The original habitat of the red panda is the Himalayan Mountains in Asia, so the occurrence of a red panda here means that it had to cross over a land bridge from Asia all the way to North America.”

The red panda is just upstairs from the other animals on display in the permanent exhibit hall, which has no admission charge although a small donation to the museum is suggested. Guided tours are also recommended so visitors can gain the full scope of the experience. The permanent hall is chock-full of infor-mative, hands-on exhibits including push-button kiosks, animal sounds, and a simulated “dig” site that is immensely popular with children as they “discover” hidden treasures. These are features, Zavada explains, that can’t be fully experienced through television or the Internet.

“The visitor is the most important person in this building,” she says. “We want them to walk away feeling

lGray

DIGGINGintoancienthistory


A red panda, with its likeness pictured in the background, is the museum’s newest find. Today, red pandas are on the endangered animal list and found only in southeastern Asia.

a state-of-the art aquarium that has some really fascinating sea life. It’s a great opportunity to bring attention to the talent and expertise we have right here in our region.”

The early part of next year’s traveling exhibit schedule has been solidified as well. In January, an exhibit on extinction will move in, and three months later a rain forest exhibit — complete with the re-cre-ation of an actual rain forest — will make its debut.

In the museum’s downstairs classroom, aspiring paleontologists can view fossils with magnifiers and microscopes, and upstairs, visitors can watch crew members process-ing the latest finds in the on-site lab. Guides explain the activity as the lab worker picks up the fossil to show visitors what is being done.

For those who not only want to see what is unearthed but are also anxious to get their hands dirty, the “Dig for a Day” program offers the opportunity. Participants, who must preregister and be at least 10 years old, will work alongside the paleontologists and crew at the dig site, learning how to “wet-screen”

for fossils and “dry-screen” for micro-fossils. They’ll also practice techniques in the lab for preservation of fossils.

With only one year in the books, the museum offers more exciting times ahead. Expansion plans have already been approved and are in the “design phase.” And ETSU paleon-tologists, who estimate that less than 2 percent of the fossils at the five-acre site have been recovered, say there are many, many more discover-ies to come.

As director of paleontology Wal-lace aptly puts it, “There will be people digging here long after my lifetime.”

The Natural History Museum at the Gray Fossil Site is open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The museum is located at 1212 Suncrest Drive in Gray. From Interstate 81, take I-26 south to Exit 13. Turn left at the light, and the museum is 1.8 miles ahead on the left.

For more information, visit online at www.grayfossilmuseum.com or call toll-free at 866-202-6223.

do that. If you can see it, hear it, touch it, explore it, and use it to create something, then it is a real learning experi-ence you won’t forget.”

After taking in the permanent exhibit, visitors can make their way to the travel-ing exhibit hall. In its debut, this special, limited-engagement exhibit featured Sue, the largest T-Rex skeleton ever found (on loan from its permanent home at the Field Mu-seum in Chicago) and “The Scoop on Poop: The Science of What Animals Leave Behind,” which ended this past month.

“Ocean Gems,” the traveling exhibit currently on display through Oct. 19, showcases the underwater photography and preserved ocean specimens of marine biologist Dr. Diane Nelson.

“Dr. Nelson, a former professor at ETSU, has traveled all over the world and has captured some truly amazing underwater photographs,” Zavada says. “Along with the photographs, we have brought in

Behind the museum is the dig site where the first fossils were found. Scientists say that enough fossils remain unearthed to keep digs going for the next 100-plus years.

their needs have been met. More and more museums have become more centered on visitor activities and being user-friendly institutions.”

“In many natural history mu-seums in the world, when you walk through them there are just shelf after shelf of bones,” Zavada continues. “They’re certainly not hands-on. That was one thing we had an opportunity to change here, and fortunately, we’ve been able to

See the past


Two separate events — a field day for farmers and a fall celebra-tion for younger folks — will be held on the third weekend of October at Tennessee State Univer-sity’s Agricultural, Research, and Extension Farm on River Road in Ashland City.

Farmers from across Tennessee attending the field day on Friday, Oct. 17, will learn about innova-tive ways to market their produce as well as add value to their crops. The event features experts from Extension, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, and the University of Tennessee’s Center for Profitable Agriculture.

The following day — Saturday, Oct. 18 — will find youth and children enjoying a fun “Fall on the Farm” day that features such attractions as a 4½-acre corn maze as well as a petting zoo, pumpkin patch, and inflatables.

“Purpose of the field day on Friday is to provide farmers with the latest information about fall vegetable crop production, innova-tive marketing, and agritourism,” says Chris Robbins, farm agent for the picturesque TSU facility. “We will discuss vegetable variet-ies, how to extend the season later into the fall, and the advantages of beginning production earlier in the spring using techniques like high-tunnel production, plastic culture, drip irrigation, row covers, hot-bed production, and variety selection.”

Field day registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., and lunch will be provided at 11:45. Participants are asked to pre-register no later than Friday, Oct. 10, by calling Elisha Holt at 615-963-5016.

The Saturday fun day for kids begins at 8 a.m. and lasts until noon. Proceeds will go to Cheatham County’s 4-H program. Admission is $5 per family, and organizers say they expect at least 200 people to attend. Each child will receive a free pumpkin while supplies last, a wagon ride, and admission to the corn maze. Ad-ditional fees will be charged for the petting zoo and an inflated bouncer.

For more information on Satur-day’s events, call 615-792-4420 or 615-792-2005.

Here are directions to the farm site: From the Cheatham County Courthouse in Ashland City, take Highway 49 across the Cumberland River Bridge. Make a left onto River Road (immediately past Riv-erview Restaurant). The farm is at 3101 River Road (look for blue TSU signs before the entrance).

TSU farm to hostevents Oct. 17, 18

Latest group of TFC trainees visit LaVergne Tennessee Farmers Cooperative’s current crop of management trainees were recently at TFC’s LaVergne headquarters for educational sessions. Listed with the member Co-ops where they’re training are, in front from left, Adam Pearson, Knox; Matt Crisp, Southeastern; Emily Cathey, Giles; Kim Scott, Gibson; Emily Clark, Henry; and Stephen Jones, Foothills. In back are John Reuschel, Cocke; Ben Bradley, Jefferson; Sidney Jessee, Claiborne; Kurt West, Overton; Kiril Galloway, Southeastern; and Josh Little, Lincoln.


Noromycin 300 LAThe first new

antibiotic available over-the-counter since the 1980s, Noromycin 300 LA is a nonprescrip-tion 300 mg/ml oxytetracycline. It is ideal for treating pneumonia, shipping fever, pinkeye, foot rot, wounds, and infections in beef cat-tle, nonlactating dairy cattle, calves, and swine. It can be administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously.

In an effort to better serve our diverse mix of customers, Co-ops are continually offering new products and informative publications. This special section is designed to keep our readers informed about what’s going on “down at the Co-op.” Here are a few new items that can be found at your participating Co-op. Always check with your Co-op for availability and price. Some products may require a short delivery time.

e W aT co-opn ®�

Bonide Spider KillerLong-lasting, indoor/

outdoor insect control is available in Bonide’s Spider Killer, available in a convenient aerosol format. The combina-tion of S-Bioallerthrin plus Deltamethrin kills on contact and provides residual action. The water-based formula will not stain carpets or floors.

LaCrosse Professional Home Weather Center

The LaCrosse Pro-fessional Home Weath-er Center displays a host of weather-related information, including outdoor temperature and wind chill in both Fahrenheit and Celsius, humidity, and wind speed. Storm alarms also help you stay prepared.

On Time Tomahawk™ Tripod Feeder

For simplicity in a game feeder, the On Time Tomahawk Tripod Feeder offers fast setup, easy load-ing, and simple control. Its conical polyethylene hopper holds 25 gal-lons and is designed to keep feed fresh and flowing.

#710870

Poulan 34-cc Chain SawPoulan’s 34-cc, 2-cycle gas chain

saw features a 16-inch steel bar, automatic chain oiler, super-clean air filter system, and primer bulb for easy starting. Comes fully assem-bled and has a one-year warranty.

Poulan 40-cc Chain SawThe Poulan 40-cc, 2-cycle gas

chain saw features an 18-inch steel bar, automatic chain oiler, super clean air filter system, and primer bulb for easy starting. Comes fully assembled with case, and has a one-year warranty.

Poulan Gas Blower/VacThis combination blower and

vacuum from Poulan features a 16:1 mulch ratio, 200-mph wind velocity, and a 25-cc, 2-cycle gas engine. Vacuum kit is included.

Poulan Hedge TrimmerThe Poulan hedge trimmer has

a 19-inch cutting width, 25-cc, 2-cycle gas engine, and a Comfort Touch® handle. It cuts branches up to 3⁄8 inch in diameter.

#712377

#119114

#119063

#712376

Croplan Genetics 8868 WheatThis medium-early maturity

variety has good winterhardiness, good test weight, and medium height. It is awnless, nonbearded, and has excellent standability.

QuietRide™ Tightening Hitch Pin with Lock

QuietRide’s patented two-axis tightening and locking hitch pin eliminates the clanking sound that occurs while towing. It can be used with any hollow 2-inch ball mount or hitch-mounted accessory.

QuietRide™ Steel Tightening Ball Mount

This QuietRide ball mount offers the same features as the aluminum model above except that it is made of robotically welded, powder-coated steel.

QuietRide™ Solid Aluminum Tightening Ball Mount

The only aluminum three-axis tightening ball mount on the mar-ket, this QuietRide product has a patented corner wedge and tighten-ing hitch pin to eliminate slack and clanking sound. Made from forged and heated treated solid aluminum. Accepts 1¼-inch or 1-inch ball shanks.

Access Racks™ Element Bike Rack

Compact and light-weight, the Access Racks’ Element Bike Rack holds four bikes or 120 pounds. Features include adjustable fold-down arms, a spring-loaded pull pin release handle, and powder-coated steel construction for maximum strength and corrosion resistance. Available for 1¼-inch or 2-inch hitch receivers.

Access Racks™ Dura Bike Rack

The patented parallelogram design of Access Racks’ Dura Bike Rack allows for easy rear vehicle access. It holds four bikes or 160 pounds. Other features include removable arms, a spring-loaded pull pin release handle, powder-coated steel for maximum strength and corro-sion resistance, and reinforced steel top-plate. Available for 1¼-inch or 2-inch hitch receivers.

Can SmasherManufac-

tured by The Designers Edge, Inc., this can smasher is perfect for recycling aluminum cans up to three inches in diameter. It is constructed of heavy-gauge steel with a soft-grip handle and comes complete with screws for easy wall mounting.

#712372

#161904 - 2-inch drop#161905 - 4-inch drop#161906 - 6-inch drop

#161901 - 2-inch drop#161902 - 4-inch drop#161903 - 6-inch drop

#161900

#161909

Winner’s Cup Hall of Fame 2800Co-op’s Hall of Fame 2800

balancer supplement is formu-lated to solidify the nutritional requirements of working horses. The mini pellet is manufactured with high-quality ingredients and fortified with selenium yeast, biotin, yeast culture, amino acids, vitamin C, and organically complexed trace minerals. It’s designed to be mixed with oats and/or other grains. Available by mid-October at your local Co-op.

#336

Co-op Cattle Minerals With updated formulations and

redesigned packaging, Co-op’s new cattle mineral line is specifically designed to complement Tennessee forages. Products in the line are Pasture, Hi-Mag, Fly Control, and Special Use minerals. They’re packaged in new poly bags that are easy to handle and durable. Available by mid-October at your local Co-op.

#712557 - 100 cc#712558 - 250 cc#712559 - 500 cc


After spending the last six months digging, planting, weeding, mowing and trimming, the thrill of gardening is gone. It’s time to sit back and let nature do all the work. For a while.

Truth is, you know that come March, that old yearning will be back—wouldn’t it be nice to have some of the work already done? And get better results? Autumn is actually the best time to plant some of a home environment’s most im-portant assets: perennials, shrubs, and especially trees.

Putting these plants in the ground during the fall serves several purposes. Most important, it gives them a chance to get their roots established in a new site, an adjustment they won’t have to make in the spring and summer when their energies are better spent growing, blooming, and resist-ing insect pests and diseases. Fall planting gives these plants a head start, which leads into the second benefit: They’re much more likely to bloom the first year if planted in the fall instead of the spring.

Fall plantings succeed well from October right up until the ground freezes, which in Tennes-see could easily be December. So which plants are best? A thorough checklist of personal preferences and environmental restrictions can answer that question: How much space will this tree eventually take up? How much sun will it need? Will it drop some unwanted seed or fruit? Will the roots tangle into underground pipes or cause mow-ing problems? Will it grow well in this region? Locally grown plants ensure that purchases have the best chance of surviving in Tennessee, since they haven’t been stressed by being transported for long distances and they are already accustomed to this climate. Choosing plants not appropriate to Tennessee can be an expensive mistake.

Among the trees proven to stand up to Tennessee’s sometimes extreme conditions are redbud, sweet bay magnolia and Milky Way dogwood. Smart choices for shrubs include Annabelle, Tardiva, and oakleaf hydrangea varieties; Conoy, Shasta, and Mohawk vi-burnum varieties; and Winterberry holly.

Other small trees often chosen for their autumn beauty include the Pacific Sunset maple, amelanchier, and sourwood. Small trees with a better chance of flowering in spring if planted in the fall include white fringetree, crabapple, and saucer magnolia.

No matter which trees are cho-sen, some basic guidelines apply. Watering is very important, espe-cially in early autumn before the fall rains begin. Use mulch to help trees retain moisture. Go ahead and fertilize with a root stimulator when planting, especially in the fall, because roots can still develop and grow during the winter even as the rest of the tree rests.

Some traditional lines of think-ing have changed in recent years, so be sure to ask for the latest planting information. For instance, root balls are made so much

broader now that a shallower hole is recommended. The top of the root ball should be at the top of the ground, so be careful not to plant too deep. Also, research shows that staking trees is detrimental. Tree trunks actually become stronger when the trees are allowed to sway and resist winds. If necessary, use stakes through the root ball to help pin the tree in position.

Now, while temperatures are mild and existing plants still have their foliage, look carefully at the effect plants create in your home environment. Decide where re-

placement trees will go and where more texture and color are needed. Then, enjoy a final outdoor planting project before cold weather drives everyone indoors. You’ll be guaran-teeing that springs and falls will be even better for years to come.

For a list of local growers or more information, visit www.pick tnproducts.org and click on Nurs-ery Products or call the Tennessee Department of Agriculture at 615-837-5160. For advice on products you need to fertilize and care for your new plants, check with the experts at your local Co-op.

Don’t ‘fall back’ now; spring forward for beautiful plants next year


Tennesseans have long been known for being hospitable. But when Roger Radel

moved from Michigan to Sevier-ville in 1983, his inexperience with Southern slang had him wondering if his new co-workers were taking things a bit to the extreme.

“At the end of the day someone came up to me and said, ‘Let’s go to the house,’” says Roger, who worked for a hotel management company and relocated to Tennes-see to serve as general manager of the Holiday Inn in Pigeon Forge. “I didn’t know the terminology yet, so I told the person, ‘I’m not going to your house; I’m going to my house.’ It took me a while to figure out sayings like that.”

In the 25 years that have trans-pired since the Minnesota native set foot in the Volunteer State, however, Roger has adjusted just fine. Under his leadership, the ho-tel in Pigeon Forge was chosen one of the top 20 Holiday Inns in all of North and South America on three occasions, and in 1999 he was selected the top general manager in the Americas.

When he speaks, there’s no mistaking where he grew up, but the part-time farmer and Sevier Farmers Cooperative director has become as much a fixture in the area as biscuits and red-eye gravy. And he gained familiarity the old-fashioned way — by earning it.

“Nobody knew who I was when I came here,” says Roger, who “re-tired” from the hotel management company in 2003 but soon went back to work in operations at the Music Road Inn in Pigeon Forge, where he’s still employed. “Farm-ers certainly didn’t know me since I was in the hospitality industry. When my family and I moved to Sevierville and put our roots down here, I made the conscious deci-sion to support the community the best I could. There are people from so many different segments of the community that I’ve had a chance to meet and count as friends.”

He applies this same type of can-do attitude to his farming. He started the farm from scratch —

with no cattle and no equipment — soon after moving to East Tennes-see. Now, whether it’s the crack of dawn or well past dusk, Roger will crank up the tractor and go to work on the more than 200 acres he owns and leases for hay and with his herd of 135 Angus, Hereford, and Charolais-cross cattle.

“When I was managing the Holiday Inn, I would put in 14-hour days plus work on the farm,” explains Roger, who was raised on a dairy and beef cattle farm an hour south of Minneapolis. “I’m prob-ably one of the only farmers around who farms with after dark. One night this summer, I was baling at 11 o’clock.”

It’s during these hours of soli-tude, when it’s just man and ma-chine, that Roger says he finds the most fulfillment and clarity.

“If I have a bad day at work, I can just go home, get on the tractor, and solve all the world’s problems,” he says. “When I’m out there walk-ing around with the cows, there’s

no stress or frustration. Don’t get me wrong; there’s always going to be some challenges in farming. But dealing with the human environ-ment is a heck of a lot worse than dealing with a tractor or cattle.”

True to his nature, Roger has become extremely active in local agricultural organizations. In addi-tion to serving as a director of the Co-op, he’s also on the boards of the Sevier County Farm Bureau and the county’s chapter of the Tennes-see Cattlemen’s Association (TCA). It’s only fitting that TCA’s annual convention and trade show have been held at the Music Road Hotel the past three years and will take place there again in January.

“I started out by joining the cattlemen’s association, and that helped people get to know who I was and led to me getting involved with the Co-op and Farm Bureau,” says Roger, who also serves in an advisory capacity with the Sevier County Fair board. “It’s gratify-ing that people have shown enough faith in me, as someone who’s not originally from here, to put me in these leadership positions.”

That faith has paid off in spades, according to Sevier Farmers Co-op’s general manager, Anthony Hastings.

“With Roger’s successful career in the hospitality industry, he brings a perspective for success to the Co-op that includes being very service-oriented and progressive for the future,” says Anthony. “That is very beneficial in these evolving times in the farm supply business.”

When he decides to call it a day from the Music Road Inn, and then Roger plans to turn his full atten-tion to farming. He’ll also no doubt spend time shining up his collection of antique tractors, which currently numbers eight, and helping with community causes.

“I don’t know if I could ever ful-ly retire,” he says. “It’s not unusual for me to get up at 5 in the morning, mow for a couple of hours, come in and clean up, and go to work. I have to be doing something. I can’t just sit and watch TV.”

One thing the 65-year-old does know for sure is where he and wife Madeline will call home during their golden years — their tranquil farm on Harrisburg Road.

“I go back to Minnesota and visit my brothers every once in a while, but after we got here, we knew this was where we were going to stay,” Roger says. “We’ve made some wonderful friends, I’ve got the farm, and the weather cooperates most of the time. Plus, there aren’t any six-foot snow banks and no snow on the ground in April!”

Just as Sevier County has grown significantly since Minnesota native Roger Radel moved here in 1983, so has his stature within the agricultural community. He currently serves on the boards of Sevier Farmers Cooperative, Sevier County Farm Bureau, and the local Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association chapter. Roger raises cattle on some 200 acres near Sevierville.

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