November 2011 Neighbors

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Their legacy? Financial strength and fast, effective claims service for you. For 65 years we’ve been right there with you.

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N E I G H B O R S • O C T O B E R 2 0 1 1 3 w w w . A l f a F a r m e r s . o r g

Neighbors

Alabama-Grown ApplesBob Deutscher’s apple orchard found sweet success in an unlikely place – high atop a

mountain in north Alabama. • 16

Shining At Sunbelt Alabama’s Farm of Distinction Winner Andy

Wendland will represent the state in the Swisher Sweets Southeastern Farmer of the Year

competition later this month in Moultrie, Ga. • 5

Outstanding Young FarmersMeet two young farm families competing as

finalists in the annual Outstanding Young Farm Family contest sponsored by the Alabama Farmers

Federation. • 10

Canola Is ComingA new canola buying point in north Alabama is

expected to provide opportunities for farmers who traditionally have turned to wheat as a winter

cover crop. • 18

A Publication of the Alabama Farmers Federation

VOLUME 36, NUMBER 10

Bob Deutscher picks apples from his Crow Mountain Orchard in Jackson County.

Photo by Debra Davis

4 President’s Message

26 Alabama Gardener

27 Country Kitchen

30 Classifieds

ON THE COVER DEPARTMENTS

OCTOBER 2011

w w w . A l f a F a r m e r s . o r g 4 N E I G H B O R S • O C T O B E R 2 0 1 1

While the United States econ-omy labors under the weight of 9 percent unemployment,

trade agreements that could boost exports and create jobs continue to languish in Washington.

For more than four years, congressional Democrats and the Obama administration have sat on agreements with South Korea, Columbia and Pan-ama while other countries negoti-ated bi-lateral trade deals that cut into the market for U.S. goods.

Now is the time to act. If law-makers don’t pass the trade agree-ments this fall, U.S. businesses — especially farmers — will be at a competitive disadvantage with other nations.

The American Farm Bureau Federation, of which the Alabama Farmers Federation is a member, estimates the three trade agree-ments represent almost $2.5 billion in new agriculture exports. And since every $1 billion in farm exports supports almost 9,000 U.S. jobs, the pending deals with South Korea, Columbia and Panama could create nearly 22,500 new ag-related jobs. When exports of other goods are added to the mix, some esti-mate as many as 300,000 American jobs hang in the balance.

Just as important as job creation, however, is the fact that these trade agreements level the playing field for American farmers. Currently, U.S. agricultural products face tariffs of up to 500 percent in South Korea. Columbia and Panama have duty-free access to U.S. markets while American exporters pay an average tariff of 30 percent to access the Columbian market and up to 160 percent in Panama.

According to the U.S. Meat Export Federation, the U.S.-South Korea agreement alone would boost

U.S. beef exports to more than $1 billion per year over the 15-year implementation period. For pork, U.S. exports would more than double by 2016. The Colombia and Panama agreements would add another $35 million in beef exports and about $25 million in pork exports by 2016.

While not as dramatic as the potential meat exports, farm lead-ers also expect trade to increase for other agricultural products, includ-ing grains, vegetables and processed foods.

But if the Obama administra-tion and Congress fail to reach agreement on the trade deals, U.S. agricultural exports — the lone bright spot in America’s trade balance — could dry up. Already, competitors like Australia, Chile, Canada and the European Union are doing business in South Korea, the world’s fifth-largest trade market. Meanwhile, U.S. exports to Colum-bia have dropped 50 percent since the trade agreement was signed in 2007 due to increased competition from other countries.

This is a trend we must reverse. Exports account for 24 percent of all U.S. agricultural production, and total almost $900 million a year in Alabama alone. Nationally, we export about $115 billion in farm products, compared to ag imports of about $79 billion.

This positive trade balance cre-ates jobs, keeps farm families on the land and helps feed the world.

Please join me in urging the Obama administration and Con-gress to pass these three trade agreements as an important part of their efforts to create jobs and grow the economy. n

V O L U M E 3 6 , N U M B E R 1 0_________________________________________

Debra Davis, EditorMike Moody, Graphic Designer

ALABAMA FARMERS FEDERATIONPaul Pinyan, Executive DirectorJeff Helms, Director of Communications

FEDERATION OFFICERSJerry Newby, President, AthensHal Lee, Vice President/North, HartselleDean Wysner, Vice President/Central, WoodlandRicky Wiggins, Vice President/Southeast, AndalusiaJake Harper, Vice President/Southwest, CamdenSteve Dunn, Secretary-Treasurer, Evergreen

DIRECTORSJoe Dickerson, LexingtonTed Grantland, SomervilleDonnie Garrett, CentreDarrel Haynes, CullmanJohn E. Walker III, BerryMarshall Prickett, WellingtonRichard Edgar, DeatsvilleDickie Odom, BoligeeGarry Henry, Hope HullCarl Sanders, BrundidgeDavid Bitto, ElbertaSammy Williams, ColumbiaDebbie Freeland, Grand BayBen Haynes, Cullman

Neighbors (ISSN 0162-3974) is published monthly by the Alabama Farmers Federation, 2108 East South Boulevard, Montgomery, Alabama 36116 or (334) 288-3900. For information about member benefits of the Alabama Farmers Federation, visit the Web site www.AlfaFarmers.org. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Alabama, and additional mailing offices. Printed in the U.S.A.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Neighbors, P.O. Box 11000, Montgomery, Alabama 36191-0001.

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE: Wendy McFarland, McFarland AdVantage, 133 Bridlewood Lane, Hope Hull, AL 36043. Phone: (334) 652-9080. Email: [email protected]. Classified ad and editorial inquiries should be directed to the editor at (334) 613-4410.

ADVERTISING DISCLAIMER: Ad vertise -ments contained in Neighbors do not represent an endorsement by the magazine or the Alabama Farmers Federation.

EDITORIAL MATTER from sources outside of the Alabama Farmers Federation is sometimes presented for the information and interest of our members. Such material may, or may not, coincide with official Alabama Farmers Federation policies. Publication of material does not necessarily imply its endorsement by the Alabama Farmers Federation.

ADDRESS editorial, advertising and change of address correspondence to Neighbors, P.O. Box 11000, Montgomery, Alabama 36191-0001.

www.AlfaFarmers.org

A member ofAmerican FarmBureau Federation

Jerry Newby


By Jeff Helms

An Autauga County cattle and row crop

farm known for its pioneering work in marketing is among nine state winners compet-ing for the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeast-ern Farmer of the Year award, to be presented Oct. 18 at the Sunbelt Ag Expo farm show in Moultrie, Ga.

Third-gen-eration farmer Andy Wendland of Autauga Farming Co. was nominated to represent his family in the com-petition. Wend-land, who farms in partnership with his father Milton “Buzz” Wendland and other family members, said he is honored to continue the farming legacy of his father and grandfather.

“I’m fortunate that I grew up farming,” Wendland said. “I love what I do. No two years are the same. There’s a constant challenge to remain frugal and profitable, and to keep up with management and technology. My goal is to improve our production, refine our practices and be successful. We have a great team here helping us work toward that end.”

The Wendlands qualified to rep-resent Alabama in the competition by winning the Alabama Farm-City Committee’s Farm of Distinction contest in April.

As the state winner, the Wend-lands received a John Deere Gator donated by SunSouth, Snead Ag and TriGreen Equipment dealers in

Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee as well as a $1,250 gift certificate from Alabama Farmers Cooperative and an engraved farm sign from the Alabama Farmers Federation and Alfa Health.

The Sunbelt Ag Expo sponsors will present each state winner a $2,500 cash award, a jacket and a $200 gift certificate from the Wil-liamson-Dickie Co., and a $500 gift certificate from Southern States. The overall winner will receive $15,000 and several other prizes.

Autauga Farming Co. has about 2,500 acres of cotton, corn, soybeans and wheat, as well as about 750 commercial brood cows. Perhaps the most impressive thing about the 5,000-acre farm, however, is the family’s pioneering work to cooperatively market its cotton and feeder calves.

The Wendlands are founding

members of Autauga Quality Cot-ton Association, which has grown to one of the nation’s leading cotton marketing cooperatives — serv-ing 2,000 producers in nine states. They also joined forces with neigh-bors to form the Producers Feeder Cattle Sale, which markets calves in uniform truckload lots.

“Because of the herd health program and the reputation of the sale, we hope we sell for premium prices,” Wendland said. “Our sale is a model that other Alabama groups have followed.”

Wendland is an alumnus of the Executive Program for Agricul-tural Producers sponsored by Texas A&M University and serves as pres-ident of the Autauga County Farm-ers Federation. He and wife, Dawn, have five children, Katie, Drew, Will Howard, Dan and Emma. n

Alabama’s Farmer Of The Year Competes For Southeastern Title

Members of the Wendland family are, from left, Dan, Katie, Dawn, Drew, Andy, Emma and Will Howard.


American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture games make learning about agriculture a fun, high-tech experience.



By Jillian Clair

Many children have never visited a farm, but thanks to the American Farm Bureau

Foundation for Agriculture and Pioneer Hi-Bred, kids throughout the country can have a virtual farm experience by playing a series of “My American Farm” games.

In addition to teaching students about the importance of agricul-ture, the games provide lessons in geography, mathematics, reading comprehension, geometry, science and health.

“Sixty years ago, many children either grew up around production agriculture or at least visited their grandparents’ farms,” said Jeff

Helms, director of the Alabama Farmers Federa-tion’s Communi-cations and Public Relations Depart-ment. “Today, however, some kids are three genera-tions removed from farming. To them, food comes from the grocery store or fast-food chain. Few make the connection that somewhere a farmer had to gather the crops, milk the

cows or raise the animals so that we have food to eat. These game help educate children and adults about our food and fiber system. They also compliments other Farm-ers Federation programs like Ag in the Classroom and Farm-City.”

The games are aimed at stu-dents in third through sixth grades,

with varying degrees of difficulty. A third-grade class at Catoma Elementary School in Montgomery recently combined SMARTBoard technology with the “My American Farm” gaming platform. Students experienced the games as a class rather than on individual comput-ers.

Chyanne Frizzell, a student in Brandi Walker’s class at Catoma said before she played the games, she never knew farmers used math, science, reading and geography—all subjects she’s learning in school.

“I learned that farmers are very smart, and they can do almost any-thing,” Chyanne said.

For almost an hour, the stu-dents gathered at the board and played the games together, taking turns and helping each other find answers.

For each correct answer while playing the games, players receive facts like, “A farmer gets about 23 cents from each dollar you spend to buy food that came from their farm” as well as celebratory cheers from the computer.

The overall favorite game of the class was “Let’s Make Something Tasty,” which requires players to find missing recipe ingredients in a word search.

The children also played “That’s Life,” which explores life and production cycles of crops, animals and products, including soy, cotton, pumpkin, horses and paper.

“Where in the World” took the class to places like England, Mexico and Spain to learn about the origins of animals and crops.

In addition to learning about farmers while playing the games, the students learned that even though farming is a large part of agriculture, it isn’t the only occu-pation encompassed within the industry.

By playing “My Little Ag Me,” the class learned about the respon-sibilities of food chemists, large animal veterinarians, loggers, plant scientists, diesel mechanics, produce buyers and environmental engineers.

In January, all 13 “My American Farm” games were tied together to make one longer game, “The Ultimate Challenge.” To play that game, students select a “farmer” avatar and take on the challenge of building a virtual farm as they play each of the games on “My Ameri-can Farm.”

“‘The Ultimate Challenge’ gives students an opportunity to see and experience the story of agriculture from gate to plate,” said Curtis Miller, director of education for the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. “Further, it does so while sharing accurate and up-to-date messages about agriculture.”

To find the “My American Farm” games, visit www.AlfaFarmers.org. n

Left: Chyanne Frizzell and her classmates in Brandi Walker’s third-grade class at Catoma Elementary School in Montgomery use SMARTBoard technology to play the ‘My American Farm’ games. Right: Students learned about geography, mathematics, reading comprehension, geometry, science and health through agricultural games.


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By Melissa Martin

An Alabama farm family is filling a special niche in the growing organic dairy market

and recently was nominated as the Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year.

Working Cows Dairy, owned and operated by Jan and Rinske de Jong alongside sons Jonny, Mendy and Ike, is Alabama’s first certified organic dairy. The certification pro-cess, completed November 2009, took an exhaustive three years to complete, but the de Jongs haven’t looked back.

“The transition time is the toughest,” said Jonny, “but it’s also the time when you learn the most – what works, what doesn’t.”

For their efforts to bring a new product to the state, the de Jongs have been nominated as the 2011 contender in the International Dairy Foods Association’s (IDFA) awards program.

“We appreciate the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries nominating the de Jong family’s farm as the Alabama candi-date for the IDFA Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year,” said Alabama Farmers Federation Dairy Direc-tor Guy Hall. “If being an organic milk producer wasn’t hard enough, the de Jongs decided to package and market their milk directly on the farm.”

Since bottling their first batch of “Alabama’s Organic Milk” on May 15, 2010, the de Jongs have expand-ed their product line to include

whole, 2 percent, 1 percent, skim and chocolate milk. Covering all aspects of product development and distribution, they also deliver milk to specialty food stores and markets in parts of Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

Running a dairy is hard work, but utilizing high-tech machinery like a the 48-stall rotary carousel has certainly helped simplify a few things for the family.

“The carousel is pretty unique,” said Jonny. “It makes milking a quicker, more efficient process. Bet-ter yet, it allows the milking to be a one-person job instead of requir-ing help from two or three people. We’re able to process our own milk on the farm and have it in the stores about 24 hours after being milked, so you get a fresh product.”

While their process may appear seamless today, Jonny noted that arriving at this point hasn’t been without its difficulties. Transition-ing from a traditional dairy farm to

an organic farm is a decision they’re glad they made, but it did bring financial struggles.

“The way things were going, we knew we couldn’t keep operating and make a profit with fuel prices going up, feed prices going up and the cost of milk staying the same,” said Jonny. “It’s been a tough couple of years, but financially, we know it’ll be a good idea in the long-run.”

In the future, the family hopes to slowly increase their market and maybe add a few more cows. They also hope to add more items to their product line including cheeses and ice cream, said Jonny.

To purchase “Alabama’s Organic Milk,” visit Working Cows Dairy at 5539 N. State Highway in Slocomb, Ala.

For more on their product or to find additional locations where their products are sold, visit WorkingCowsDairy.com. n

Moo-ve Aside Tradition, Organic Dairy’s Popularity On The Rise

Extension Specialist Boyd Brady and Tom McCaskey, microbiology and food safety professor at Auburn University, evaluate the Working Cows Dairy for the Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year Award sponsored by the International Dairy Foods Association. From left are: Ike, Mendy, Jonny, Rinske and Jan de Jong; Brady; McCaskey; and Alabama Farmers Federation Dairy Director Guy Hall.

w w w . A l f a F a r m e r s . o r g 1 0 N E I G H B O R S • O C T O B E R 2 0 1 1

Sponsored each year by the Alabama Farmers Federation, the Outstanding Young Farm Family Awards Program recognizes young farmers between the ages of 17 and 35 who do an outstanding job in

farm, home and community activities. Division winners representing 12 commodities were selected in February. Of those, six finalists will compete for the title of overall Outstanding Young Farm Family for 2011. The winner, who will be named at the Federation’s 90th Annual Meeting in December, will

receive a John Deere Gator, courtesy of Alabama Ag Credit and Alabama Farm Credit; the use of a John Deere tractor, courtesy of SunSouth, Tri-Green and Snead Ag; a personal computer package courtesy of

ValCom/CCS Wireless; the use of a new vehicle and other prizes. The winner will represent Alabama at the American Farm Bureau Federation contest. This month, Neighbors profiles finalists in the Poultry and

Wheat and Feed Grains Divisions. Look for features on other finalists in next month’s issue..

By Jillian Clair

The Browns Poultry

The sign at the end of Jeremy and Lindsey Brown’s driveway says it all.

The sign is 20 feet wide, 14 feet tall and emblazoned with the words “Farming Feeds Alabama: Ala-bama’s No. 1 Industry.”

The Browns joke that no one will ever miss their driveway again, but that’s not the reason the sign marks the entrance to their poultry farm.

“We’re actively trying to pro-mote farming and get the message out in our county,” Jeremy said.

“We don’t think it’s enough just to farm—we want to promote agricul-ture as well.”

In addition to raising their daughter Ansley, 2, and maintain-ing a six-house, 132,000-bird poul-

Jeremy and Lindsey Brown of Montgomery County and their daughter, Ansley, have six broiler houses. They are involved in the Federation’s Young Farmers Division and Jeremy serves as county Young Farmers chairman and is on the state Poultry Committee.

N E I G H B O R S • O C T O B E R 2 0 1 1 1 1 w w w . A l f a F a r m e r s . o r g

try farm, Jeremy and Lindsey see it as their duty to serve on several committees within the Alabama Farmers Federation on a local and state level.

This kind of passion and enthu-siasm for agriculture is what made the Brown family the Poultry Division winner in the Alabama Farmers Federation’s Outstand-ing Young Farm Family contest.

“Farming is a seven-day-a-week job, but it’s not a set time everyday,” Jeremy said. “That allows us to give back on a local level, a county level and state level, but I still feel like I haven’t contrib-uted as much to it as I’ve received from it—I’ve obtained so many contacts and so much guidance through being involved with Alfa.”

Jeremy serves as the youngest member of the Alabama Farm-ers Federation’s State Poultry Committee, has been the county Poultry Commodity chairman, served on the county Farm-City Committee and is the county Young Farmers chairman.

Lindsey serves on the Montgomery Coun-ty Farmers Federation Women’s Leadership Committee, the county Poultry Commod-ity Committee and is involved with the county Young Farmers.

“Before we joined Alfa, we didn’t know the significance of our role within agriculture,” Lindsey said. “We knew we wanted to farm, but we didn’t know how significant our part was until we got behind an organization and were pushed to be

better by the Farmers Federation.”Jeremy is a third-generation

poultry farmer. “I’ve been in chicken houses

since I was in diapers,” Jeremy said. “I was driving a tractor by the time

I was 4 or 5 years old. I’ve never shied away from work—I always wanted to be in the middle of what was going on.”

Jeremy said he has always had great respect for his father and his

grandfather. When he visited his grandfather as a child, he remem-bers thinking he was the richest man in the world.

“Now that I’m an adult, I see that his wealth was not in his

money, but it was in the opportunity he had to raise his family on the farm,” Jeremy said.

The Browns look forward to raising Ans-ley and a new baby girl who is due to arrive this month on the farm as well.

“I’m looking for-ward to them growing up on the farm and learning about the ben-efits of hard work,” Jer-emy said. “With farm-ing, just like anything else, there’s going to be some disappointments. You’re gonna have to learn that things don’t always go your way. I think the earlier you can learn that, the bet-ter off you’re going to be.”

Lindsey, who has a bachelor’s degree in education from Troy University, said she wants to expand the poultry farm into an agritourism center for the community.

“I think we have a nice farm and a nice area that we could somehow incorporate into Brown Farms, and the Montgom-ery County Farmers Federation could be affiliated with that – whether it’s just a corn maze, a pumpkin patch or a hayride – it’s just

important to get them out here and see what we do,” Lindsey said. “I think that would be a great way for us to promote agriculture in anoth-er way.” n

Lindsey and Jeremy Brown say their involvement with the Alabama Farmers Federation has opened their eyes to the importance of telling others about their farm, including leaders in Washington, D.C. During a Federation trip to the nation’s capital, the couple met with congressional staffers to discuss environmental issues and rising input costs.


The Looneys Wheat and Feed Grains

By Jillian Clair

Ben Looney said he was in fourth grade before he real-ized not everyone’s dad was a

farmer. “I thought that

was just what every-body did,” said Loo-ney, who grew up on a dairy farm. “I never knew anything different.”

The Looneys’ family dairy was outside Athens, Ala., where Ben lives and farms today with his wife, Miranda and their two sons, Colby, 11, and Clay, 5.

Now, however, the couple uses the land Ben rents from his father to grow row crops, and their success and dedica-tion to farming has made the Looney family the Wheat and Feed Grains Division winner in the Alabama Farm-ers Federation’s Outstanding Young Farm Family con-test.

The Looneys have been involved with Young Farmers and the Limestone County Farmers Federation for 14 years—since they were 17.

Ben served as Limestone Coun-ty’s Young Farm-ers chairman for two years, and Miranda served as Limestone County’s Young Farmers secretary for four years.

Ben said he’s had experience doing almost every type of farming

since he was a child, preparing him to work on the farm as an adult.

“If there’s anything we’ve known in farming, its change,” Ben said. “I’ve seen just about everything – from chicken houses

to cattle to dairy to cotton. We’ve always changed and adapted, and I think that’s probably why we’re still here.”

Although Ben grew up on a

farm, he and Miranda still had to start small with their own farm.

“When we got married, I had 200 acres that I rented, and I worked a second job and sometimes a third job,” Ben said.

While he spent his days inside working at a machine shop, Ben said all he could think about was farming.

“I had the prettiest garden there because I just had to grow something,” he said. “After sitting in that machine shop watch-ing the sun shine outside the window, I finally said, ‘I gotta go.’ So I put in my two-weeks’ notice, and I’ve been farming ever since.”

Ben currently grows row crops, and he said he’s content with the size and scope of his farm. His future goals are to create a five-crop, three-year rotation, to use more precision agriculture techniques and to begin replacing old equipment.

As their sons get older, Ben and Miran-da said they hope the boys develop an appre-ciation for agriculture.

“I have a sneaking suspicion they will,” Ben said. “Colby helped me this year, and he did great and really enjoyed it.”

Being able to work together is something Ben and Miranda

value about their lives. “I don’t look at it as work,”

Ben said. “I enjoy what I do, and my family enjoys it. We get to do a lot of stuff together because we’re

Ben and Miranda Looney with their sons, Colby, 11, and Clay, 5, grow corn, wheat and other crops on their farm in Limestone County.


working together.” In April, the Looneys said they

became even more thankful for each other after Athens was dev-

astated by tornadoes that ravaged much of the state.

“When the tornado came through, I was worried to death

about my wheat,” Ben said. “We were really depending on it. But we realized how lucky we were when we saw what so many other people went through. We still had a house. We still had each other. Some others lost everything, includ-ing their loved ones.”

Ben and Miranda spent the next few weeks after the storm cooking for members of their community, clearing trees from people’s driveways and praying for those who had lost every-thing.

“My wheat turned out okay, and we only had one small field that we had to burn because there was so much debris in it, but it didn’t really matter as much anymore when I thought about my neighbor getting killed or the grandpar-ents down the road who died

protecting their grandkids,” Ben said. “It just put a whole new per-spective on things.” n

The Looneys accept their Outstanding Young Farm Family Wheat and Feed Grains Division Award at the Alabama Farmers Federation’s Young Farmers Conference earlier this year. From left are Federation President Jerry Newby, Clay, Miranda, Colby and Ben Looney and Young Farmers State Committee Chairman Ben Haynes.


By Jamie Creamer

A four-acre cotton fertility exper-iment that Alabama Polytech-nic Institute (API) scientists

established in a Lee County farm-er’s field a century ago is still going strong and generating data that documents the impact fertilization and soil nutrient deficiencies have on non-irrigated cotton and other crop yields over the long haul.

Known as the Cullars Rotation, the project is the South’s oldest continuous soil-fertility experi-ment, the second-oldest cotton research project in the world and a 100-year-old laboratory for sustain-able agriculture.

“The research at this site shows how, with good management practices, the fertility of soil that has been farmed for decades and decades can be preserved and con-tinue to supply plant nutrients to non-irrigated crops year after year,” said Auburn University agronomy and soils professor Charles Mitch-ell.

The Cullars Rotation is on Woodfield Drive at South College Street in Auburn, directly behind the Jule Collins Smith Museum. The long-term field-crop experi-ment is named in honor of the late J.A. Cullars, who, with brother-in-law John P. Alvis, owned and farmed cotton on the land in the late 1880s and early 1900s. In 1911, they allowed Alabama Agricultural

Experiment Station researchers from API to plant research plots there to determine the effects of new synthetic phosphorous, potas-sium and nitrogen fertilizers on cot-ton production.

Design-wise, the project consists of 14 soil treatments replicated three times on 42 separate plots in a three-year rotation of cotton, winter clover, corn, winter wheat and soybeans. Included in those plots are some that Mitchell calls the “no-nothings,” because they haven’t been fertilized at all during the 100 years of the study.

“And I don’t think anybody would have any trouble picking those plots out,” said Mitchell, who is in his 27th year as curator of both the Cullars Rotation and Auburn’s Old Rotation, located on Lem Mor-rison Drive, less than half a mile as the crow flies from the Cullars site.

Mitchell, an admitted history buff who long recognized that the two ongoing experiments were of major significance not only agri-culturally but historically as well, was successful in getting the Old Rotation placed on the National

Register of Historic Places in 1988 and the Cullars Rotation, likewise, in 2003.

When the open pasture known as Alvis Field in which the Cullars Rotation is located, was selected as the site for the art museum a decade ago, a 40-foot border was left around the Cullars Rotation to preserve it for ongoing research and demonstration of sustainable crop production on soils of the southern U.S.

Granted, it isn’t every day that you’ll find a fine arts museum with row crops next door. Mitchell says the arrangement makes sense, when you think about it.

“The two have been surprisingly complementary,” he says. “Here you have the museum, with all the glitz and glamour associated with it, and, right across the street from it, have crops growing, showing, in effect, the history of Alabama agriculture,” he says. n

____________________________________To learn more about the Cullars Rotation and the Old Rotation, visit www.ag.auburn.edu/agrn/longterm.

Cullars Rotation Marks 100 Years of Crop Research

A 40-foot border was left around the Cullars Rotation when the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art opened in 2003. The rotation is a 100-year old sustainable agriculture laboratory located near the Auburn University campus.


By Debra Davis

Pickens County farmer Annie Dee has been appointed to the United Soybean Board by U.S.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Pat Buck of Sumter County was elected as an alternate board member.

“These appointees represent a cross sec-tion of the soybean industry, and I am confident that they will serve the soybean producers well,” said Vilsack.

Dee is a member of the Pickens County Farmers Federation board of directors and serves as chairman of the county’s Equine Committee. She previously served on the Federation’s State

Wheat and Feed Grains Committee. She operates a 10,000-acre farm and ranch alongside her family where, in addition to soybeans, they raise corn, wheat, rye, sunflowers, cattle and

timber.“I have a passion

for agriculture produc-tion,” Dee said. “I love raising crops, especially harvesting. I run the combine, and I realize that is the only part of the farming process that actually brings the money in.”

Dee said she likes to focus on improve-ments in soil fertility and quality, adding that her farm has used cover crops and no-till

planting to build organic matter in the soil.

Dee often combines her love of

horseback riding with work on the farm.

Dee holds a degree in animal industries from Clemson University. She has three children: Rachel, 27, an activities director at an assisted living facility in West Palm Beach, Fla.; Seth, 25, who lives and works on the farm alongside his wife, Jodie, and their son, Mason; and Jesse, 25, who also works on the farm. Jesse is married to Leslie, and they have two children, Clay (6) and Carly (4). The family attends the Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Macon, Miss. Dee’s husband, Ed Sikora, is a plant pathologist at Auburn University.

United Soybean Board appoin-tees will serve 3-year terms begin-ning December 2011. The board’s goal is to strengthen the position of soybeans in the marketplace and to maintain and expand domestic and foreign markets and uses for soy-beans and soybean products. n

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Annie Dee


By Debra Davis

When Bob Deutscher moved to Jackson County nearly 40 years

ago, there were rumors that a crazy man was going to plant an orchard on top of Crow Mountain. Now, some of those same folks are just crazy about his apples.

And there’s a lot to be crazy about. Deutscher and his wife, Carol, oper-ate what is believed to be the state’s largest fruit orchard with nearly 50 acres of apple trees and 25 more acres of peaches, pears and seedless grapes.

“I guess you could classify us as a large, small farmer,” Deutscher said. “During our peak season, we employ about 15 people. My wife and I work here year round and our daughter and son-in-law (Barbara and Chuck Endson) help us during the busy season.”

Deutscher moved to Fackler, a community in north Jackson County, in 1974 from northern Indi-ana. He planted his first trees the next year. It was HOW and WHERE he planted the apple trees that made many of his neighbors skeptical.

Normally, apple trees are planted 35 feet apart,

or about 75 trees per acre, he said. Deutscher planted his trees on trellises, spacing them 7 feet apart on 15-foot rows, packing in about 400 trees per acre.

“The trellises are made from three coated wires that run along the trees and keep the limbs closer to the ground,” Deutscher said. “We can pick about 90 percent of the fruit from the ground or by using a 6-foot picking ladder. That’s saves us quite a bit of time and labor when we pick apples.”

The elevation on Crow Mountain is 1,720 feet. The warm days and cool nights at that height pro-vide an ideal growing season for the fruit, Deutscher said.

“During the hot part of the summer, we’re usu-ally 6-10 degrees cooler up here than in the valley,” he said. “We also chose this elevation because the mountain is a mile wide and has excellent air drain-age that keeps frost off us most of the time.”

Deutscher’s farm was a tour stop during the Ala-bama Farmers Federation’s Commodity Producers Conference in August. Members on the tour were eager to hear how Deutscher started his farm and were equally eager to sample some of his delicious apples and peaches.

Federation Horticulture Director Mac Higgin-botham said Deutscher’s farm is an inspiration to all farmers who are willing to explore a new way of doing things.

“Bob Deutscher holds a pat-ent on a type of Red Deli-cious apple called Cumber-land Spur,” Higginbotham said. “It has outstanding flavor and a deep red col-or. He gave it that name because it’s grown on the Cumberland Plateau (where Crow Moun-tain is located) and the trees’ buds are formed from several spurs on the limb. Securing your own patented variety is a rare opportu-nity.”

In Indiana,



Deutscher owned an orchard that focused on the early-season apple varieties. He moved south to get a head start on that same market. Eventually, that market faded, but he had the foresight to plant so many varieties of apples that he has apples ripening five months out of the year. His best sellers are Red Delicious, followed closely by Golden Delicious. He also grows Jonathan, McIntosh, Winesap, Granny Smith, Rome Beauty, Mutsu and his personal favor-ite, Pink Lady.

“Pink Lady apples ripen in late October and just seem sweeter to me,” he said. “I like the flavor, and they have a beautiful, rich pink color. But truthfully, I like all types of apples.”

What’s his favorite way to eat an apple? “Right off the tree,” he said. “They never taste any better than that.”

That fresh, delicious taste is what brings cus-tomers to Crow Mountain Orchards from hundreds of miles away.

“We have lots of people who drive as far as 200 miles from here in any direction just to buy our apples,” Deutscher said. “Our best advertising is word of mouth, and we have lots of customers who have been coming here for years.”

Most of the apples and other fruits raised by the Deutschers are sold directly to customers from a retail market store on the farm. It’s open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The orchard also provides apples for the state’s school lunch program on occasion.

The orchard’s website, CrowMtn.com, lists what fruits are available and directions to the farm.

For a man who began his career as a brick mason, Deutscher said he finds growing apples to be a much more rewarding job.

“I like planting something and watching it grow into something that’s delicious and people enjoy,” he said. “It’s very satisfying to grow something that tastes so good. When we plant a tree, it becomes like a part of the family.” n

Shoppers select from a variety of fresh apples, peaches and other fruits at the Crow Mountain Orchard store near Fackler.

At left, Jackson Hornady enjoys a juicy apple. Right, members of the Alabama Farmers Federation toured Crow Mountain Orchard earlier this year during the

organization’s annual Commodity Producers

Conference.

For directions and availability of fruit, visitwww.CrowMtn.com___________________________________Crow Mountain Orchards6236 County Road 39Fackler, Alabama 35746(256) 437-9254



By Melissa Martin

Alabama farmers are venturing into a bud-ding crop industry that

until recently was thought of primarily as a staple in their kitchen pantries.

“Canola, a food-grade oil, is primarily used as a cook-ing oil and a base for salad dressings,” explained Robert Davis, president and CEO of AgStrong LLC in Georgia, a firm that designs, builds and operates oilseed process-ing plants in the southern United States. “What many are starting to learn, how-ever, is that the byproduct of canola, canola meal, makes a good protein source for poul-try and dairy cattle rations. It’s also a profitable crop that farmers in the South can grow as a winter alterna-tive.”

AgStrong is breaking ground on a new processing facility in Lawrence County this fall. Additional facilities are scheduled to open next spring.

This year marks the fifth season canola has been grown in north Alabama. Fifteen farmers from Col-bert, Lauderdale, Lawrence and Limestone counties are growing it on about 4,000 acres. Though 4,000 acres



isn’t substantial when compared to wheat, cotton or soybean acreage in the state, Alabama canola farmers are discovering just how profitable the crop can be.

“In addition to its rotational benefits, studies show there can be more profit from canola, even though production costs may be slightly higher,” said Alabama Farmers Federation Wheat and Feed Grains Division Director Buddy Adamson. “I think it’s a crop that more farmers should take a look at as an alternative in their farming operations.”

Though canola yields are less than that of wheat, canola prices usually are based on soybean prices. As soybeans increase in value, so does canola, making it more profitable.

“Right now, its value as an oilseed crop is 80 percent more valuable than that of wheat,” said Davis. “Given that canola has been profit-able to area farmers, we’re fully expectant that acreage will expand here.”

Canola can increase yields of companion winter wheat or summer crops like soybeans, cotton, peanuts or sunflowers when included in a 3-year rotation, said Davis. Some of its land-enhancement benefits include reducing disease and insect pressure and improving soil fertility and structure.

Lawrence County Farmers Federation President Brian Glenn is among the state’s farmers who took a chance on canola a few years back. Fortunately for Glenn, it’s proven to be a profitable, land-improving venture.

“Unlike a lot of farmers in my area, I don’t grow cotton,” said Glenn. “By double-cropping soybeans,

we are able to grow five crops in three years. We plant corn, followed by canola that’s double-cropped with soybeans, then wheat double cropped with soybeans. Canola allows us excellent rotational capabilities and the ability to have growing crops on the ground two of three winters.”

Glenn planted 500 acres of canola in September, an increase from the 125 acres he had originally planned. Though he already enjoys the benefits reaped from the new crop, Glenn is looking forward to having an in-state processing facility.

“We need a local processor,” said Glenn. “Not only would it provide the convenience of processing canola, but it would also give a boost to the area economy. It also costs us a little extra to take it over to Georgia, and it’d be nice to get that back.”

According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Americans used just over 3 billion pounds of canola oil in 2010, with about 2.5 billion pounds

of that imported from Canada. Canola offers the highest lev-els of unsaturated fat, the most omega-3 anti-inflammatory fatty acids and is trans-fat and choles-terol-free.

The national average yield for canola is 27 bushels an acre, but Alabama farmers are averaging 50 to 70 bushels per acre, said Davis. Canada is the largest grower in North America with more than

20 million acres each year. However, Assistant Direc-tor of the U.S. Canola Association Dale Thorenson said there’s no reason that 4 to 5 million acres couldn’t be planted from the Carolinas to the Great Plains. Currently, about 90 percent of the 1.5 million acres of American canola is grown in North Dakota. n________________________________________________________To learn more about Alabama-grown canola, contact Robert Davis at [email protected] or visit AgStrong.com.

Robert Davis expects canola

acreage to expand in north Alabama.



By Jillian Clair

The Alabama Farmers Fed-eration awarded 20 scholar-ships to Auburn Univer-

sity agriculture and forestry students from across the state during the College of Agricul-ture’s Scholarship Recognition Program, Aug. 20.

For almost 30 years, the Federation has awarded schol-arships to students at Auburn University who are studying agriculture, forestry, fisheries, agricultural engineering, bio-logical sciences or agricultural education.

This years’ recipients were Anna Adcock of Woodland, James Bailey of Cedar Bluff, Erika Becker of Wadley, Caleb Bright of Cullman, Kendall Bur-nett of Lawley, Hunter Duncan of Moundville, Ashley Durrett of Northport, Jessica Farrow of Ashland, Morgan Harper of Camden, Benjamin Johnson of Wedowee, Zachary Jones of Piedmont, Anna Peek of Elkmont, David Reeves of Hartselle, Curry Sanders of Dothan, Jonathan Tharpe of Skipperville, Trey Tidmore of Scottsboro, Carla Weis-send of Montgomery, Kevin Wells of Jasper, Solora Wright of Rogersville and Zachary Lee of Prattville.

The scholarships, valued up to $1,750 per student, may be renewed annually to students who maintain a 2.5 grade point average and exhibit good moral charac-ter and citizenship.

“Getting scholarships makes you feel confident,” said Anna Adcock, a senior in agricultural econom-ics from Woodland. “It makes you feel like someone believes in you, and it makes you want to do better in school and set goals for yourself.”

Adcock, who wants to attend law school and prac-tice environmental law after graduating from Auburn, said she wouldn’t have been able to come to Auburn without scholarship money.

“I want to be a voice for rural farmers like my dad,” Adcock said. “I grew up on a really small farm, and I just think farmers need a voice.”

In addition to the 20 students who received the Ala-bama Farmers Federation scholarship, several county Farmers Federation scholarships were also awarded at the ceremony.

Jacob Williams of Morgan County received $2,476; John Higgins, William Green, Carla Weissand, Paul

Bartley and Martha Funderburk of Montgomery County received a total of $13,000; Andrew Golden of Mon-roe County received $1,000; Meghan Sparkman, Sarah Larosche, Sonja Cox and Jeremy Comer of Madison County received a total of $9,000; Kira Chaloupka, Savannah Warren, Jeekin Lau and Frank Reeves of Lee County received a total of $4,000; Jonathan Cross of Lawrence County received $3,128; Hunter Duncan of Hale County received $3,500; Kammie Bowman and Katelyn Waters of Etowah County received $1,000 each; Wesley Snell of Dale County received $2,472; and Codie Yelverton of Covington County received $1,500.

Other county Farmers Federations offer scholarships that are not administered through Auburn University.

Federation Executive Director Paul Pinyan was on hand at Auburn when the scholarship recipients were recognized. He said it was an honor to meet so many outstanding young people and to work for an organiza-tion that helps them work towards a career in agricul-ture or forestry.

“This scholarship program is an excellent resource not only for students, but for everyone involved in Alabama agriculture. It ensures that the highest cali-ber of young men and women will pursue agricultural careers,” Pinyan said. “As the state’s largest farm organization, we’re proud to support this program. Our investment in Alabama’s students will pay dividends for many years to come.” n

Federation Awards Scholarships To AU Ag/Forestry Students

Alabama Farmers Federation Executive Director Paul Pinyan talks with Anna Marie Adcock, an Auburn University senior majoring in agricultural economics who has received the Alabama Farmers Federation Scholarship since her freshman year.


By Jillian Clair

More landowners may choose to lease their land for outdoor recreational purposes as a

result of a new law passed by the Alabama Legislature earlier this year.

The “Landowner Protection Act,” sponsored by State Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Tuscaloosa, and supported by the Alabama Farmers Federation, protects landowners who lease property for hunting or fishing. The law says landowners are not liable for damages to a les-see.

Allen said he believes the law could boost the amount of outdoor recreation land available for lease in the state, providing a boost to local economies. Alabama Farmers Fed-eration Wildlife Division Director Steve Guy agrees.

“In the past, many landowners have been reluctant to lease their

property for hunting and fishing because of the high risk of frivolous lawsuits,” said Guy. “This legisla-tion will help protect landowners from such lawsuits.”

Allen said he was motivated to sponsor the bill after he learned about a Tuscaloosa constituent who was sued after a lessee injured him-self on the landowner’s property.

“Alabama has some of the best hunting and fishing land in the country, and we need to give landowners the opportunity to lease their land without fear of an accident on their land that is out of their control landing them in court,” Allen said.

While the Landowner Protec-tion Act lessens the likelihood of a lawsuit against landowners, it also protects lessees from negligence or malicious intentions of a land-owner.

Under the law, landowners are still responsible for informing les-

sees of hidden dangerous conditions on the land, and it does not protect landowners who intentionally or willfully cause injury to a lessee who is rightfully using the land.

Guy said the Landowner Protec-tion Act is a good first step toward protecting landowners, but more work still needs to be done.

Landowners are still liable for damages to trespassers on their land, and other forms of agritour-ism have not specifically been addressed.

“We’ve still got a way to go to protect the private property rights of our forest landowners and farm-ers,” Guy said. “Hopefully during this next session, we can address the unwarranted lawsuits brought by people who trespass on private property as well as those who are invited in certain situations, such as a pick-your-own fruit and veg-etable farm.” n

Landowner Protection Act Could Increase

Hunting, Fishing

Opportunities


By Melissa Martin

Cleverly hidden in the most convincing camouflage, hunters have one main goal during deer season – bagging the biggest buck. What many fail to real-

ize, however, is the impact soybeans may have on their antlered trophies.

“Of the soybeans produced in the United States, nearly 98 percent are used in animal feed. Animal agri-culture is essentially the No. 1 customer of soybeans, and it really shows in their overall health,” said Steve Guy, director of the Alabama Farmers Federation’s Forestry, Soybean, and Wildlife Resources Divisions. “Animals that eat soybeans are larger, healthier, better able to ward off diseases and more successful at han-dling stress from the heat and humidity in the South.”

One animal that’s seen significant growth and health benefits from soybeans can be found in Ala-

bama’s Black Belt, just 45 miles southwest

of Tuscaloosa in Greene County.

White-tailed deer roam 1,000 well-wooded acres inside a high fenced

enclosure at Leavellwood, a hunting and

fishing preserve owned by Pam

and Trey Montgomery. To ensure they remain as

healthy as possible and are prime breeding material, the Montgomerys closely monitor every buck and

doe at Leavellwood. “While genetics play

a role in their overall well-being,” said Trey, “nutritional

supplements provided on a con-sistent basis are critical in deter-

mining each deer’s growth potential,

spread size and success rate capabilities of producing quality fawns.”

Deer with up to 16 points and a 21-inch spread have been taken from the family property.

To raise the healthiest, largest deer, good nutrition may seem obvious. However, people who are inexperi-enced with hunting or animal welfare don’t often real-ize how beneficial proper amounts of protein and fat are or how less-than-adequate nutrition can critically impact the size of the herd, said Guy. Unfortunately, the Montgomerys experienced that impact first-hand.

“We had a very serious situation happen when we weren’t monitoring what our deer were eating,” recalled Pam. “It was a very hard lesson to learn, but out of it, I spent seven months learning about deer nutrition – what they needed, what they didn’t.”

It was from this research and extensive work with nutritionists and deer scientists that the Montgomerys developed a successful soybean-based feed recipe.

“You really have to develop a complete nutrition for the deer in a supplemental form,” explained Trey. “Some people feed deer textured feed, which the deer like. But what happens then is the deer, like humans, pick through what they want and don’t eat the other stuff – which is generally the healthiest ingredients for them.”

To combat that tendency, the Montgomerys devel-oped a complete pelleted feed. Now, when the deer walk up to a supplemental feeding station on Leavell-wood’s property, every bite taken is fully nutritious.

“It provides our deer with more than adequate protein, fat . . . [and] the best nutrition they can pos-sibly get in a short amount of time, which allows them to still be healthy when they’re not actively pursuing a food source,” said Pam. “If it’s too hot, like it is now, they’ll get up and get water but have little appetite. This solves that problem.”

Folks often question why they Montgomerys don’t just throw out corn or other types of feed for the deer rather than going through so much trouble to develop a special feed and monitor their herd. Trey and Pam are quick to point out that it’s not that simple.

“A lot of people think deer would be fine by just eating corn, but it’s like ice cream – it works as an energy source, but it doesn’t really provide a whole lot of nutritional value,” said Pam. “They need a com-


plete diet, and they need more than one item, just like people do.”

In addition to their hunting ser-vice, the Montgom-erys also maintain 100 acres of lakes stocked with large-mouth bass and bream. As with the deer, Pam and Trey provide the fish with a supple-mental food source made from soybeans. Feeders are staged throughout the lake and periodically disperse a high protein food source, providing optimum growth potential for the fish.

“It’s not a cheap business to be in. If you do it, you want to do it right, and the Montgomerys are doing just that,” said Guy. “They want everyone to come visit, have a good time and a good experience, but they also want to produce the best possible deer, bass and other fish they can. It really makes all the difference.”

Operating Leavellwood is a lot of hard work for the Montgomerys, but according to Pam, producing the largest, healthiest animals possible, either finned and four-legged, makes the stress of constantly monitoring, budgeting and improving their operation worthwhile.

“We have found a way to take care of the land and let the land take care of us,” Pam said. “Our whole goal is to be good stewards over what we have so we can return it better than it was originally to the next generation.” n

Pam and Trey Montgomery own Leavellwood, a hunting and fishing preserve in Greene County. They provide nutritional supplements made from soybeans to their white-tailed deer for maximum antler growth.

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Annual Meeting NoticeGreene County Farmers FederationOct. 18 • 6:30 p.m. at the Eutaw Alfa Office


By Jillian Clair

Bringing home the bacon has been a little less stressful for Alabama pork producers with

record demand generating record-high prices for hogs.

“A little more than a decade ago, hog prices dropped to less than 10-cents a pound, but prices this year have jumped to more than 70 cents per pound,” said Alabama Farmers Federation Pork Division Director Guy Hall. “As with any market, supply and demand dictate prices. We are hopeful that China’s growing middle class will continue to increase the demand for U.S. pork products.”

Good prices may provide relief to state pork producers who have struggled to stay in the industry since the Bryan Foods plant in West Point, Miss., closed in 2007.

“Since that plant closed, many of the hogs produced in Alabama are now shipped to the Midwest as weaned pigs (12-to 15-pound pigs) or feeder pigs (50 to 70-pound pigs) and are finished there to a weight

of 240 to 280 pounds,” Hall said. “This means that some Alabama contract hog producers’ barns are empty for extended times because pigs are shipped ahead of schedule to save on feed and trucking costs. The Midwest also provides more access to competitive markets.”

Hall is quick to point out that while hog prices have increased, input costs for producers have sky-rocketed. “Feed, energy and labor all have increased significantly,” Hall said, adding that those costs, plus low prices just a few years ago, contributed to a drop in production. Since 2006, market hog numbers in the state have dropped 63 percent from 256,076 then to 93,898 in 2010.

The hope of higher profits and the likelihood of more exports to China is good news for farmers still raising hogs in Alabama. Alabama Pork Producers Chairman Mark Pennington of Calhoun County said even if the number of hogs he raises doesn’t increase, he thinks good prices could provide opportunities for long-needed improvements on

his farm. “Good prices will help my

integrator and hopefully trickle down to me,” Pennington said. “We’ve got some maintenance and building issues I’d like to work on. No one has been able to put much into facilities in the past few years, so maybe this will help us update facilities and equipment.”

China accounts for 47 percent of world pork consumption, Hall said. Consumption of pork there in 2008 was 46.3 million metric tons, com-pared to 8.8 million metric tons eaten by Americans that year.

Hall said the U.S. could be China’s main pork supplier if cer-tain import tariffs and trade restric-tions are adjusted. That could mean an increase in the number of pigs raised on Alabama farms, he said.

“Pork can be produced at a much lower cost in the U.S. than in China,” Hall said. “In 2008, it cost about 55 cents per pound for U.S. farmers to produce a hog. In China, it cost producers about 84 cents per pound.” n

High Pork Prices May Benefit Alabama Producers


It’s the beginning of a new gar-dening season. In some ways, fall is better than spring. The

warm ground encourages roots to grow while cooler air isn’t stress-ful on plant tops. All this adds up to a great time to plant perennials, giving them a head start for better roots, bigger tops, and more flowers next year. Swamp sunflower, asters, ornamental grasses, Joe Pye weed, chrysanthemum, and salvias are just a few of the perennials peaking in fall. Their beauty is a signal to get busy planting them and others to enjoy for years because with a little care, perennials just get bigger and better each year. Visit a local garden center to see many of these for sale in bloom.

The worst enemy of most perennials is a poor drainage. A few perennials such as cannas don’t mind soggy soil, but most need good drainage to avoid root rot. If a perennial that is known to be cold hardy disappeared over the winter, wet soil is probably the reason. If a site doesn’t drain well, build a raised bed for the plants.

Plant each plant in groups of threes so they knit together into a

single, large show. Exceptions to this are large spreading perennials such as some of the salvias – where one is okay – and most bulbs, which need a dozen or more close together.

Choose plants that are adapted to their locations; sunny, shady, moist or dry. Learn about each plant. The Internet makes this easy, but look for southern informa-tion. Perennials in the North often behave differently because of the cold.

Plant the tallest plants to the back bed, the shortest to the front. Leave spots for annuals so there is always something in bloom. Peren-nials are great because they come back year after year, but their show generally lasts from 4 to 8 weeks, whereas annuals last for months.

Here’s a list of some perennials and a few bulbs organized by season of bloom. There are many others, but this provides a few things to look up to get started.____________________________________Lois Chaplin is an accomplished gardener and author. Her work appears here courtesy of Alabama Farmers Cooperative.

By Lois Chaplin

GET GROWING AT THE CO-OP. WWW.ALAFARM.COM

Mexican Sage adds fall color to any landscape.

Give Perennials A Head Start

This Fall

FOR WINTER AND EARLY SPRING COLORCandytuft (Iberis sempervirens)Daffodils and narcissus (Narcissus varieties)Grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum)Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis)Siberian squill (Scilla siberica)Snowdrop (Galanthus species)Spring snowflake (Leucojum vernum)Thrift (Phlox subulata)

FOR SPRING COLORAstilbe (Astilbe species)Clump verbena (Verbena canadensis)Columbine (Aquilegia species)Coreopsis (Coreopsis species)Heuchera (many hybrids)Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis)Irises (Iris species)Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis)Peony (Paeonia varieties)Pinks (Dianthus species)Shasta daisies (Chrysathemun x superbum)Sundrops (Oenothera fruticosa)

FOR COLOR IN SUMMERCanna (Canna varieties)Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)Crinum lily (Crinum species)Coneflowers (Rudbeckia species)Daylilies (Hemerocallis species)Firebush (Hamelia patens)Gaura (Gaura lindheimeri)Ginger lily (Hedychium coronarium)Heliopsis (Heliopsis scabra)Hosta, types with showy flowersLilies (Lilium species)Ornamental grasses, many speciesPhlox (Phlox paniculata)Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)Salvias (Salvia species)

FOR FALL COLORAzure sage (Salvia azurea)Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum species)Cigar plant (Cuphea micropetala)Confederate rose (Hibiscus mutabilis)Goldenrod (Solidago species)Hardy ageratum (Eupatorium coelestinum)Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium fistulosum)Mexican sage (Salvia leucantha)New England aster (Aster novae-angliae)Ornamental grasses, many speciesShowy sedum (Sedum spectabile)Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)Swamp sunflower (Helianthus simulans)


By Debra Davis

Two of Alabama’s tastiest crops — peanuts and pecans— were ingredients in the winning

recipes of the Alabama Farmers Fed-eration’s Annual Heritage Cooking Contest in Montgomery Sept. 1.

Dawn East of Cherokee County won first place and $150 with her Butter Pecan Bars. Shirley Ezzell of Franklin County won second place and $100 for her Apricot Sour Cream Tea Cookies, and Felicia Dewberry of Clay County won third place and $50 for her Salted Peanut Chews.

East said this marks the third time she’s competed in the statewide cooking contest. She formerly com-peted in the pie and soup categories after winning her county contest in previous years.

“I was shocked when they called out my name,” said East, who is vice chairman of the Cherokee County Federation Women’s Leadership Committee. “I found the recipe on my computer several years ago, and I like to make it for my family. I take it to church, and I’ve actually taken

it to some of our county Federation meetings. It’s pretty popular.”

East said the ingredients include some of her favorite things to eat: buttered pecans, cream cheese and

butter.The annual contest is sponsored

by the Federation’s Women’s Leader-ship Division as a way to showcase the flavor, versatility and nutritional value of Alabama agricultural prod-ucts. Dishes were judged on taste, appearance and ease of preparation.

During the judging, contestants heard from Patricia Barnes, founder of Sister Schubert’s. She told her life’s story of growing up in Troy and using her grandmother’s Parker House roll recipe to start her own business, which later became a multi-million-dollar industry in Luverne.

Barnes and her husband, George, founded the Barnes Family Foun-dation, a charitable organization, which has donated more than $2.3 million to charities, scholarships, historical preservation and the cre-ation of a home for abandoned chil-dren in the Ukraine. The Federation made a contribution to the founda-tion following her presentation at the contest. n

Cherokee County Chef Wins Heritage Cooking Contest

Winners in the 2011 Heritage Cooking Contest were, from left, first place, Dawn East of Cherokee County; second place, Shirley Ezzell of Franklin County, and third place, Felicia Dewberry of Clay County. The annual contest is sponsored by the Alabama Farmers Federation Women’s Leadership Division as a way to showcase the flavor, versatility and nutritional value of Alabama agricultural products.

Sister Schubert Barnes signs a cookbook for Baldwin County Farmers Federation Women’s Leadership Committee member Jean Fontaine at the Heritage Cooking Contest. Barnes told her life’s story of growing up in Troy and using her grandmother’s recipe to start her own business, which later became a multi-million-dollar industry. N E I G H B O R S • O C T O B E R 2 0 1 1 2 7 w w w . A l f a F a r m e r s . o r g


FIRST PLACEBUTTER PECAN BARS

Dawn East, Cherokee County1 (18-ounce) box butter pecan cake mix1 stick butter, melted1 stick butter, softened3 eggs1 (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened1 (1-pound) box powdered sugar1 ½ cups chopped pecans

Mix together cake mix, 1 stick of melted butter and one slightly beaten egg. Press into a greased and floured 9-X13-inch baking dish. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add softened butter, two eggs and powdered sugar; mix well. Pour over cake mix layer. Top with pecans. Bake in a preheated 300 F oven for 1 hour. Cool and cut into squares.

SECOND PLACEAPRICOT-SOUR CREAM TEA COOkIES

Shirley Ezzell, Franklin County1 roll (16.5 ounce) refrigerated sugar cookies1 cup pecans, chopped¾ cup dried apricots¼ cup apricot preserves¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon¼ cup sour cream¼ cup all-purpose flourGlaze:2 cups powdered sugar1/3 cup milk

Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. In food processor, place pecans, apricots, preserves and cinnamon. Cover, process with on/off pulses 20-30 seconds or until pecans and apricots are finely chopped. In a large bowl, mix pecan mixture and sour cream. Add flour. Crumble cookie dough into pecan mixture and stir until well blended. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray cookie sheets with non-stick coating. Drop 24 heaping, individual tablespoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto cookies sheets. Bake 12-15 min-utes or until light golden brown. Cool completely. Place waxed paper under cooling racks. In medium bowl, stir powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Dip tops of cookies into glaze; place on racks and let stand 5 minutes. Dip cookies again; let stand 5 minutes or until glaze is set.

THIRD PLACESALTED PEANUT CHEWSFelicia Dewberry, Clay County

1 yellow cake mix1/3 cup margarine (softened)1 egg3 cups mini-marshmallowsTopping:2/3 cup karo syrup¼ cup margarine2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring2 cups peanut butter chips2 cups Rice krispies2 cups salted peanuts

Mix first three ingredients at low speed until crumbly. Press into bottom of ungreased 9-X12-inch pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350 F until light brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with marshmallows. Return to oven for 1-2 minutes until marshmallows are puffy. Cool. In a large pot, heat Karo syrup, margarine, vanilla and peanut butter chips until chips are melted and smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from stove and stir in cereal and peanuts. Spoon over marshmallows and spread to cover all. Makes 36 bars. Store in cov-ered container.



DAISy CHOCO-SCUTTERBOTCH COOkIES

Dixie Black, Butler County2/3 butter flavor shortening stick½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar2 eggs1 (18 ¼-ounce) yellow cake mix1 cup rice cereal1 cup milk chocolate chips½ cup butterscotch chips½ cup coarsely chopped pecans

Heat oven to 375 F. Combine shortening and brown sugar in a large bowl. Beat until well blended. Beat in eggs. Gradually add cake mix and mix until well blended. Stir in cereal, chips and pecans until well blended. Shape dough into balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 7-9 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Remove from oven before cooked completely. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Yield: 3 dozen.

SUGAR COOkIESGlenda Cardwell, Coosa County

Cream together:1 cup Wesson oil2 sticks butter2 eggs 1 cup sugar2 teaspoons vanilla flavoringSift together:4 ½ cups White Lily plain flour1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Combine wet and dry ingre-dients. Drop by teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 F for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

OATMEAL DREAM COOkIESLisa Terry, Lawrence County

1 stick oleo½ cup brown sugar½ cup granulated sugar1 egg1 teaspoon vanilla1 cup plain flour½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon soda¼ teaspoon baking powder1 ¼ cups oatmeal¼ cup coconut¼ cup chopped pecans½ cup chocolate chips

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together oleo, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add egg, vanilla, plain flour, salt, soda and baking powder. Mix together. Add oatmeal, coconut, chopped pecans and chocolate chips. Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes or until done.

SWEET POTATO COOkIESTerri Gilley, Cullman County

1 cup brown sugar1 cup granulated sugar1 teaspoon soda2 ½ cups flour1 cup cooked sweet potatoes, mashed2 eggs½ cup melted butter1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring1 cup chopped nuts

Mix sugars, soda and flour together. Add sweet potatoes, eggs, butter, flavoring and nuts. Spoon onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes. Yield: 4 dozen.

CHOCOLATE CHIP TURTLE COOkIES

DiAnn Townley, Randolph County½ cup butter¼ cup sugar1/3 cup brown sugar1 cup all-purpose flour½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon baking soda1 large egg, beaten1 teaspoon vanilla½ cup milk8 caramels1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix butter, both sugars, flour, salt, baking soda, egg, vanilla and milk. Melt caramels in microwave for 1 minute. Mix in chocolate chips and pecans. Mix in melted caramel. Roll into balls. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Yield: 10-12.

TOFFEE GRAHAM COOkIESCarole Clements, Lee County

1 box graham crackers1 cup chopped pecans1 stick margarine – no substitution1 stick butter – no substitution½ cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. On a 9-X13-inch jellyroll pan lay out the crackers with as many as you can fit. Sprinkle with pecans. Melt margarine and butter on stovetop. Add sugar to margarine and butter mixture. Boil 2 minutes. Pour over crackers. Bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool completely, then break into pieces.



V A C AT I O N R E N TA L S

AFFORDABLE BEACHSIDE VACATION CONDOS Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, AL. Rent Direct from Christian Family Owners-Lowest Prices on the Beach- Fall Special 4 Nights Efficiency Unit (2 adults & children) $365-Includes Everything (1, 2, & 3 bedroom units also available.) (205) 556-0368 or (205) 752-1231 www.gulfshorescondos.com

ALWAYS $65 – Beautiful, furnished mountain cabin near Dollywood. Free brochure, call (865) 453-7715.

GATLINBURG – Elegant 4 bedroom/3 bath, back porch over creek, 10-minute walk to aquarium. (800) 435-3972.

www.hideawayprop.com Cabins in peaceful, convenient setting. Pigeon Forge, TN (251) 649-3344 or (251) 649-4049.

m I S C E L L A N E O U S

HISTORIC EUTAW, ALABAMA – 47TH ANNUAL FALL PILGRImAGE TOUR- Tour Beautiful Homes and Churches October 1, 2011-9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and October 2, 2011-1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sponsored by the Greene County Historical Society. www.eutawchamber.com/historicalsociety

CHRISTIAN WRITERS CONFERENCE 10/22/11 – in Hueytown, Alabama, $35 – sonshinewriters.com – (205) 491-6448.

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November 2011 Neighbors