Mississippi Farm Country May/June 2015 Vol. 91 No. 3

MAY/JUNE 2015

VOLUME 91 NO. 3

A PUBLICATION OF MISSISSIPPI FARM BUREAU FEDERATION • MSFB.ORG

TELLING AGRICULTURE’S

2 MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY MAY/JUNE 2015

8

Volume 91 Number 3May/June 2015

Mississippi Farm Country(ISSN 1529-9600) magazine is

published bimonthly by theMississippi Farm Bureau® Federation.

Farm Bureau members receive this publication as part of their membership benefit. Periodicals postage is paid at

Jackson, MS and at additional mailing offices.

Postmaster: Send address changes toP.O. Box 1972, Jackson, MS 39215

EDITORIAL AND BUSINESS OFFICES6311 Ridgewood Road, Jackson, MS 39211

601-977-4153

EDITOR — Glynda Phillips

ADVERTISINGAngela Thompson

1-800-227-8244 ext. 4242

FARM BUREAU OFFICERSPresident — Mike McCormickVice President — Donald Gant

Vice President — Ted Kendall IVVice President — Reggie Magee

Treasurer — Billy DavisCorporate Secretary — Ilene Sumrall

FARM BUREAU DIRECTORSDr. Jim Perkins, Iuka

Kevin Simpson, AshlandTommy Swindoll, Hernando

Bob Workman, SledgeTripp Thomas, Batesville

Dan Bishop, BaldwynHerbert Word, Okolona Craig Canull, CaledoniaPepper Beard, McCarley

Dott Arthur, CarthageKenneth Thompson, Philadelphia

Paul Myrick, StringerQuinton Mills, Forest

James Newman, Rolling ForkRobert Earl McGehee Jr., Brookhaven

Earl Gay Edwards, SmithdaleBobby Selman, Monticello

Dorothy Cole, RichtonJ. B. Brown, PerkinstonTom Daniels, GulfportBetty Mills, Winona

Kelly Davidson, Ruleville

HONORARY VICE PRESIDENTLouis J. Breaux III

DEPARTMENTS2 Member Benefits 4 President’s Message6 Commodity Update: Equine7 Commodity Update: Dairy 16 Recipes 18 Strolling: Sam Scott26 Farm Facts

Material in this publication is based on what the editor believes to be reliable information. Neither Mississippi Farm

Bureau Federation nor those individuals or organizations contributing to the MFBF publication assume any liability

for errors that might go undetected in the publication — this includes statements in articles or advertisements that could

lead to erroneous personal or business management decisions.

FARM BUREAU®, FB® and all Farm Bureau logos used in this magazine are registered service marks owned by the

American Farm Bureau Federation. They may not be used in any commercial manner without the prior written consent

of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

FEATURES

T A B L E of C O N T E N T S

may/june 2015

Farm Bureau Ambassador Farm Bureau Ambassador Emma Kathryn

Jumper of Starkville is eager to tell agriculture’s story at events and meetings across the state.

Read more about Emma and the Farm Bureau Ambassador program inside.

About The CoverFarm Bureau Ambassador Emma Kathryn Jumper is pictured at the Bost Extension Center building on the campus of Mississippi State University.

4 Progress Milk Barn A growing number of Mississippi dairies have on-farm processing facilities. Progress Milk Barn, located between Osyka and Tylertown, bottles its own milk and makes dairy products. Come with us as we learn more.

19 Farm Bureau Activities A number of important Farm Bureau events and activities were held this win-ter and spring. Coverage can be found throughout this issue.

MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY 3

Our Mississippi Dairy IndustryAt last count, Mississippi was home to 95 Grade A dairies, many of them located in the southwestern corner of the state where I live and farm. Compared to the hundreds of dairies that once dotted our state’s landscape, today’s dairy industry is small, but it continues to make an important contribution to the economy. The value of production of milk for 2014 was $45 million.

As a reflection of changing times within the industry, a growing num-ber of Mississippi dairies now have on-farm processing facilities, where farmers bottle milk and make products that are marketed through farmers markets, local stores and restaurants. One of our state’s oldest on-farm processing operations is Progress Milk Barn near Osyka and Tylertown.

I have known Kenny Mauthe and his family for many years, and I never cease to be amazed at all they have accom-plished. In order to succeed at any type of farming endeavor, you must be open to new ideas and you must be willing to work hard. The Mauthes are definitely out-of-the-box thinkers, and they are often up at all hours of the day or night, milking, caring for their cows, making dairy products or taking their products to market.

Progress Milk Barn is an inspiring, award-winning dairy, and we are proud to feature it in this issue of our member-ship magazine.

SALE OF JUNIOR CHAMPIONSAnd speaking of excellence, for one

week in February each year, Mississippi youths take the show entries from their 4-H and FFA livestock proj-ects to Jackson to par-ticipate in the Dixie National Junior Round-Up Livestock Shows. The Dixie National is a showcase for 4-H and FFA livestock programs and the livestock industry, but it is also the site of the Sale of Junior Cham-pions livestock auction.

Each year, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation supports our state’s future agri-culturalists by participating in this event. The meat from the animals we purchase is used as a fundraiser for the Farm Families of Mississippi Agriculture Promotion Campaign.

Photos of the animals we purchased this year can be found inside this issue.

FARM BUREAU ACTIVITIESOne of the first things I did this year as

your president was serve on the American Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors. At our first meeting, we charted a strategic action plan that focuses the organization’s attention on the following goals: advancing legislation that addresses agriculture’s long- and short-term labor needs; protecting farmers’ abilities to use biotech plant varieties and other inno-vative technologies; opposing expansion of federal jurisdiction under the Clean

Water Act; and advancing legislation that reforms the Endangered Species Act. It was an interesting and rewarding pro-cess, and I look forward to representing Southern farmers on this board in the months ahead.

I am writing my column in February as we continue our work in the Mississippi Legislature. I will give you a full report when the session ends in early April. We have also held a number of special events and meetings that have enjoyed exceptional programs and excellent attendance. I was pleased to be a part of these events, but I give full credit for their success to our hardworking volunteer leaders and staff.

As we head into the busy summer months, followed by the fall harvest sea-son, I want to urge you to continue to

make time for Farm Bureau. I know it can be difficult at times to slip in a meet-ing or event around your farm and family activities, but how better to make a lasting impact on Mississippi agriculture than by lending your voice to the voices of other farmers with similar interests and concerns?

You’ve heard me say this before, but it bears repeating. The key to Farm Bureau’s continued success is teamwork. Working together we can accomplish so much more than one person could ever hope to accomplish alone. FB

Mike McCormick, President, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation

P R E S I D E N T’S M E S S AG E

AS WE HEAD INTO THE BUSY SUMMER

MONTHS FOLLOWED BY THE FALL HARVEST

SEASON, I WANT TO URGE YOU TO CONTINUE

TO MAKE TIME FOR FARM BUREAU.


Betty Mills MFBF Equine Commodity Advisory Committee Chair

Matt BaylesMFBF Commodity Coordinator

for Equine

Have you ever enjoyed a warm, sunny day in a horse-drawn carriage riding around Natchez, Mississippi? Or have you and your family ever enjoyed the family bonding expe-rience of the Dixie National Trail Ride in a horse-drawn covered wagon? Whether you have or have not, the time could be drawing near when all of this could be banned.

There is an attempt in New York City to try and ban horse-drawn carriage rides all over the city. The mayor of New York introduced this ordinance in October 2014, and it states that, as of June 1, 2016, “it shall be unlawful to operate a horse-drawn vehicle in the city of New York or offer rides to the public on a

vehicle drawn or pulled by a carriage horse.”At this point, you might be asking your-

self why an ordinance in New York would affect someone in Mississippi. I challenge you to imagine Mississippi as a state where horses could not be used for family recre-ation or where families could not teach their children the care and dedication it takes to raise these animals. Once an idea or mind-set takes hold, it tends to ripple through all state capitols, leaving nothing off limits.

I would rather imagine a Mississippi with agritourism operations that offer school-children a ride around the farm in a horse-drawn buggy so they can learn where their

food comes from. I would rather see a Mis-sissippi where an attraction such as the Dixie National Trail Ride gives families a place to enjoy their horse-drawn wagon while spend-ing family time with their kids and teaching them to love and respect animals.

Even though the trail ride may not be offering a ride to the public, what is to stop the animal rights activists behind this ordi-nance from taking away all of our rights with our animals? This ordinance in New York may seem miles and miles from home, but if this language does pass, it could have a very serious effect on our lovely state and the whole country.

COMMODITY UPDATE: Equine

Horse-Drawn Carriage Ban

In January, Chris Shivers began serving as the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) Regional Manager for Region 8. He is also the MFBF Horticul-ture and Forestry Commodity Coordinator.

Chris began his MFBF career 17 years ago as a safety specialist. He has served on the board of directors of the International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health (ISASH) since 2011 and served

as ISASH president in 2013-14. Chris grew up on a small cattle and timber farm in

Columbia. He attended Pearl River Community Col-lege and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in health and physical education from Delta State University.

Chris and Marlene, his wife of 15 years, live in Hattiesburg. They have two children, Beasley, age 7, and August, age 4.

Shivers is Region 8 Regional Manager FB

Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation now offers a member discount with Polaris. Through this program, eligible Farm Bureau members receive a $300 per-unit discount on all Polaris utility and sport vehicles, a $200 per-unit discount on all all-terrain vehicles

and a $300 per-unit discount on all GEM electric vehicles. Your membership must be valid for 30 days before using the discounts.

To take advantage of the Polaris discount, please visit www.fbverify.com/polaris. Eligi-bility will be confirmed once your member-

ship number and zip code are entered. A certificate will be made available online that must be printed and taken to the dealership of choice for presentation to the salesperson.

Certificates expire after 60 days.

Polaris Member Discount FB

MAY/JUNE 20156 MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY

Mike Ferguson MFBF Dairy Commodity Advisory

Committee Chair

Doug ErvingMFBF Commodity Coordinator

for Dairy

Dairy producers want to continue producing a very healthy product for their family and yours. They also want to be good stewards of the land and pass their farms on to the next generations. Hopefully, this will be the case so that consumers will con-tinue to have healthy, wholesome, locally produced milk, and Mississippi’s economy will benefit.

The annual value of dairy production is $45 million for 2014, according to a report issued by the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veter-inary Medicine. The report also notes that Mississippi had 95 Grade A dairy herds and 13,000 milk cows in 2014.

The year 2014 will be remembered as record milk prices, but 2015 isn’t looking

as good this first quarter of the year with prices in a decline. Increased milk produc-tion and lower dairy exports is the answer to the question of what is causing milk prices to decline. Dairy exports for the year will likely be lower than 2014, according to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In February, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, Mississippi State University and state producers met to discuss issues affecting the dairy industry, with the main issue being summer forages as well as the management of our forages. Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation appreciates the work and research done by Mississippi State University on behalf of our dairy industry to help keep us a productive and viable industry in Mississippi.

June is National Dairy Month, so make a point of telling Mis-sissippi dairy farmers how much you appreciate the work they do for all of us.

COMMODITY UPDATE: Dairy

Mississippi’s Dairy Industry

Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) is mourn-ing the loss of longtime volunteer leader Kevin Simpson of Benton County.

Kevin, 49, an Ashland farmer, was the current president of Benton County Farm Bureau and a member of the MFBF Board of Directors. He was a former chair of the Young Farmers & Ranchers State Committee, MFBF Northern Region Vice President (2004 to 2006), and a past member

of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company Board of Directors. Please remember this family in your prayers.

In Memoriam

MISSISSIPPI DAIRY FACTSHere are some interesting Mississippi dairy facts from the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association (SUDIA):• Each dairy cow in Mississippi produced an average of 1,537 gallons of milk in 2013.• In Mississippi, about 98 percent of all the milk produced in 2013 was used and con-sumed in the form of fluid milk.• The total amount of milk produced in the state during 2013 amounted to 21.5 million gallons (or 185 million pounds of milk). That’s with the 14,000 milk cows and 100 dairy farms reported in 2013.• Mississippi had two commercial dairy processing plants operating in 2013, one in Kosciusko and one in Hattiesburg.• In 2013, Mississippi ranked 41st in milk production in the nation, 38th in number of milk cows, 47th in milk output per cow and 38th in the number of licensed dairy operations in the United States. • The top six milk-producing counties in 2013 — from one to six — are Marion, Tate, Lincoln, Walthall, Pike and Amite. FB

FB

MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY 7MAY/JUNE 2015

Farm Bureau Ambassador Emma Kathryn Jumper of Starkville greets me with a warm smile on a beautiful February afternoon on the campus of Mississippi State University (MSU). Emma says she is proud to serve as an ambassador for the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, and she is eager to tell agriculture’s story at events and meetings across the state.

“My sophomore year at MSU, a friend of mine from South Mississippi competed in the Farm Bureau Ambassador contest, and he practiced his speech in front of our friend group,” she said. “I remem-ber asking him where he would be pre-senting, and he told me about the Farm Bureau Ambassador program. I thought the opportunities to impact agriculture in Mississippi through this program were incredible, accompanied, of course, by a generous scholarship — an investment in future agriculturalists.

“So now I say, ‘Thanks, William Sanford.’”

AMBASSADOR DUTIESEmma’s first event following the ambas-

sador competition was the Women’s Break-fast at state convention. She says she enjoyed meeting and getting to know the many vol-unteer leaders from across the state who attended. She also appreciated the invita-tion to celebrate the holiday season with Lee County Farm Bureau at their annual Christmas Party.

As we talked in February, she was antici-pating that spring would be a particularly busy time for her.

“In April, I will represent Farm Bureau at Super Bulldog Weekend, followed by a presentation at the Women’s Leadership Conference,” she said. “The late spring will be spent in classrooms, educating our youngest consumers about food and fiber

commodities in the state and igniting an appreciation and passion for agriculture.”

SCHOOL ACTIVITIES/FARM LIFE Emma is a junior earning a degree in

Business Administration with a concentra-tion in Corporate Finance. She plans to fur-ther her education by seeking a Masters of Economic Development degree.

“I am currently building my personal skills, resume and scholastic record to com-petitively apply for admittance into the mas-ter's programs at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and at Har-vard University,” she said. “My intent is to further my studies in financial management and investments and in global economic development. In the coming semesters, I will be applying for the Rhodes Scholarship, which would provide a scholastic experience at Oxford University.”

Emma is a member of the Shackouls Honors College, National Society of Colle-giate Scholars and the Sigma Alpha Lambda and Alpha Lambda Delta honors organiza-tions. In addition, she was chosen to serve as the Special Events Coordinator for the Bap-tist Student Union at MSU and is a proud member of the Collegiate Cattlemen’s Asso-ciation and College Republicans. She has served on several Student Association com-mittees and was elected to the Scholarship Committee as an academic student advisor in Chi Omega.

In high school, she was an Arkansas Girls State Governor. She spent a summer as the scheduling assistant to Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe through a competitive internship program. She is a past and present beauty pageant winner. She is a classically trained concert pianist and vocalist.

Emma is an active member of Adaton Baptist Church in Starkville.

Emma grew up on her family’s regis-tered Angus cow-calf ranch in Paragould, Arkansas, but she now considers Starkville her home. She and her brother, Isaac, own houses and have lived in Starkville for a number of years.

“Isaac chose Mississippi State two years before I did,” she said. “After traveling down for ballgames and experiencing the culture of the Deep South, I knew this was the uni-versity for me.

I fell in love with the beauty of the cam-pus and the atmosphere only created by ringing cowbells.

“Isaac is now a first-year vet student at Mississippi State, so we’ve kept him in town and living across the street from my house for four more years.”

SPECIAL THANKSEmma says she would like to say a

special “Thank you!” to the State Wom-en’s Committee.

“I can’t say enough about Mrs. Clara Bilbo, Mrs. Betty Mills and the rest of these wonderful ladies,” she said. “They have made a lasting impression with their warm encouragement and support. They have also taken an interest in finding ways to incorporate my position into their many activities so I can meet the volunteer leaders who make these opportunities possible. The scholarship is great, too.”

As you can see, the Farm Bureau Ambas-sador program, which offers a $4,000 schol-arship, attracts the cream of the crop among our state and nation’s future agriculturists. It is a program administered by our Women’s Program. For more information, contact Women’s Program Specialist Pam Jones at (601) 977-4854.

The deadline for applying for this con-test is August 1.

B Y G LY N DA P H I L L I P S

FB

Telling Ag iculture’s Sto y

Photo taken at the H. H. Leveck Animal Research Center (the South Farm) at MSU.MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY 9MAY/JUNE 2015

Moe from Emma…1. YOU GREW UP ON A FARM. WHAT KIND OF FARM, AND WHAT WERE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES?I grew up on our family-owned-and-oper-ated registered Angus cattle operation. I’ve been involved in all segments of the busi-ness, from hauling hay and fixing fences to feeding and breeding and every cattle show, data record, hoof trimming and calf ear tag in between. Though we are four hours away now, Isaac, my older brother, and I still help out on the weekends when we deworm, test, vaccinate and synchronize breed, recognizing not only is it near impossible for the ranch hands (our par-ents and hardworking Pawpaw) to work through the entire herd alone, but we are also thankful for the opportunity it pro-vides to spend quality time doing something we love with those we love.

2. WHAT DID FARM LIFE TEACH YOU, AND HOW HAVE THOSE LESSONS BENEFITED YOU?There are few experiences as humbling as operating at the mercy of the weather, seasons and the temperament of a cou-ple hundred females (at least they can’t talk back!). I’m thankful for the lessons I learned growing up in that creek bot-tom we initially called a farm. I was given a front-row seat to see the Creator of all things paint His sunset and deliver healthy calves to first-time mommies that need

not have experience but rather instinct to clean and nurse a new life within hours of motherhood. I stand amazed, con-stantly, at the Lord’s provision and timing of rain, patience and wisdom as Isaac and I grow and learn the family business. In trying times and in times of plenty, I have learned that a bucket doesn’t just carry feed,

it can also rest your feet when you need a seat; a ziptie can hold it together better than I can when I’ve tripped over the same extension cord for the third time, finally taking a moment to coil up and take care of that insignificant task which, had it been done in the first place, would have saved so much time and trouble throughout the day; and a brother isn’t just for fussing with and aggravating, he’s actually a confidant who teaches, loves and is the first to lend a helping hand when a job gets too big for one little sister to handle. Ingenuity; innovation — probably as a result of an unfortunate accidental mistake on the front end; stewardship — environmental

and financial; self-discipline — putting the needs of others before self (even when you have to set the alarm clock for anything but a decent hour to get up and take care of the cows); and working tirelessly until the job at hand is completed. Just growing up on a farm isn’t enough to teach those les-sons, you reap what you sow. As a college

student, I am now thank-ful for those lessons about time management, cour-tesy for peers, respect for professors and relaxing only after crossing the finish line.

3. WHAT DO YOU INTEND TO DO IN LIFE AND WHY?I intend to live my life in such a way that I will never question if I could have done more to further the institu-tions, people and causes I hold dear. In my career, I see that as developing

a global platform to take the innovation of American agriculture to a hungry world. In my personal life, I see that as being an example in my, Lord willing, future family. And in my every endeavor, shining a light that makes its home in my heart to all people with whom I interact. (Joshua 1:9)

4. WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE OTHER COLLEGE STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FARM BUREAU AMBASSADOR PROGRAM AND WHY? Absolutely. The program introduces col-lege students to opportunities to share a personal message about agriculture with


audiences across the state. Mrs. Clara Bilbo, Mrs. Betty Mills and the other ladies of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Women’s Committee are invested in helping develop the personal skills and networking ability of their ambassador. What an experience this is!

5. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT FARM BUREAU AND WHAT IT DOES FOR OUR FARMERS AND RURAL COMMUNITIES?Pride wells within when I consider the job of Farm Bureau. As a farmer and a rancher, I am thankful for the united voice this organization provides, speaking on behalf of the best interests of agriculturalists in a number of arenas. If it can be grown and

harvested, the Farm Bureau has an inter-est in making it profitable and sustainable for present and future generations of those who have taken on the inspiring task of feeding the world.

6. DO YOU WANT TO EXPRESS YOUR THANKS TO ANYONE?A special “Thank you!” to the State Women’s Committee for embracing me with open and welcoming arms. They have made a lasting impression with their warm encouragement and support. A learning experience in many ways, these women have financially invested in my educa-tion and taken interest in finding ways to incorporate my position into their many

activities so I can meet the members who make these opportunities possible.

7. ANY CLOSING REMARKS?Emma is “all in” for Mississippi. When I moved my membership to Adaton Baptist Church in Starkville, I knew I had been captivated by Mississippi and her people. I believe the Lord gave us two hands so we could work twice as hard, and that’s just what I intend to do. I know I wear my Farm Bureau Ambassador pin as well as several hats (a work-ing ball cap, a cowboy hat and a crown), but these titles don’t compete with one another; they all complement each other so that I can have the greatest impact on the biggest audi-ence, all to tell the story of agriculture. FB



The folks at Progress Milk Barn were milking 80 to 100 cows and marketing their milk through a large dairy cooperative, when fluid milk prices fell, input costs rose and two disasters caused them to reconsider what they were doing on their farm.

“After 9/11, some people cut back for a while on what they were purchasing in the grocery store. That hurt,” said Kenny Mauthe, owner of Progress Milk Barn.

“Another tragedy, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, demolished our buildings and equipment. We were forced to close down and take jobs off the farm until we could get back on our feet again, a process that took about five years.”

Kenny’s grandfather and father were dairy farm-ers in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans and in the Folsom/Covington area of Louisiana. His mother was raised on a dairy in the Gentilly area of New Orleans. Kenny and his wife, Jamie, had been dairying in the Prog-ress Community, near Osyka and Tylertown, since the early 1980s. Since the Mauthes wanted to continue the family tradition, they began thinking outside of the box.

Kenny had read about a dairy in Vermont with on-farm processing, so he visited the facility and other similar facilities in New York and Virginia. The Virginia operation, in business for 40 years, was delivering bottled milk door to door.

“I called a lot of people and talked to them about what they were doing,” he said.

“We considered our options and began to work out a plan for what we would like to do with our own dairy. We were able to find the type of equipment we needed as well as

dairy experts who were willing to help us learn what we needed to know.

“We received our processing permit, and we were in business.”

WHAT THEY DO

Today, the Mauthes own 40 cows and milk 32 of them twice a day. The herd includes five Holsteins, two Brown Swiss Jerseys, four Holstein Crosses and the rest Jerseys. The Mauthes like Jerseys because the solids are higher, and they say this is excel-lent for making cheese. The Holsteins and

Holstein crosses are better for the fluid milk part of the operation.

Progress Milk Barn offers whole, reduced and skim milk in pint and half-gallon glass (refund-able) and plastic bottles as well as farmstead cheeses, cheesecakes in four sizes and cream cheese prod-ucts, including the wildly popular Creole Cream

Cheese, which the Mauthes are widely credited with resurrecting when Borden quit making the product years ago. The dairy also offers yogurt, buttermilk, heavy cream and butter.

The Mauthes sell their products at a number of farmers markets within a 100-mile radius of their dairy; at the Missis-sippi Farmers Market and to Sneaky Beans coffee shop in Jackson; at a farmers market in Covington, Louisiana; and to 40 stores and restaurants in New Orleans.

“Our products are natural. They aren’t over-processed,” Kenny said. “We pasteur-ize, but we don’t homogenize. Our cows are primarily grass-fed, but we do feed a small amount of grain.”

THE FUTUREThe Mauthes are considering expanding

their operation.“We are thinking about adding a build-

ing, and we are always open to new markets,” Kenny said. “We are currently considering coffee milk. We will see how that goes.”

The Mauthes say they will always be a grass-fed, family-owned operation. Their daughters, Katie Mauthe Cutrer and Sarah Mauthe Tullos, work with them. Their sons, Travis and Daniel, want to eventually return to the farm to help out. Travis is a civil engi-neer and Daniel is an electrician. In fact, Travis helped design and build their com-mercial kitchen when he was 19 years old. They have two additional employees who work with them part-time.”

Kenny milks twice a day, Katie is in charge of on-farm processing and Sarah makes the cheesecakes. The girls deliver the products and help out with milking as necessary. Jamie does the books and helps out with whatever else needs to be done around the farm.

In addition to the cows, Progress Milk Barn has 100 golden comet laying hens. The eggs are mainly for use in their products, but the Mauthes do sell some of the extra eggs. They are considering buying 100 more hens.

Progress Milk Barn has received national recognition, including the 2014 Green Amer-ica People & Planet Award for their commit-ment to environmental responsibility. They have been featured in state and national pub-lications and in local television programs.

The Mauthes are longtime Walthall County Farm Bureau members. Katie and Sarah serve as the county Farm Bureau women’s chair on a rotating basis.

For more information about Progress Milk Barn, visit the Facebook page. You may also call (601) 542-3471.


FB

KENNY’S GRANDFATHER AND FATHER HAD BEEN DAIRY FARMERS IN THE NINTH WARD OF NEW ORLEANS AND IN THE FOLSOM/

COVINGTON AREA OF LOUISIANA. HIS MOTHER WAS RAISED ON A DAIRY IN THE GENTILLY AREA OF NEW ORLEANS. KENNY AND HIS WIFE, JAMIE, HAD BEEN DAIRY-

ING IN THE PROGRESS COMMUNITY, NEAR OSYKA AND TYLERTOWN, SINCE THE EARLY 1980S. SINCE THE MAUTHES WANTED TO CONTINUE THE FAMILY TRADITION, THEY BEGAN THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX.

Progress Milk Barn


Squash Eudora

2 lbs. yellow squash, unpeeled, thinly sliced3 T. butter½ tsp. pepper¼ tsp. celery seed4 tsp. Worcestershire sauceParmesan cheese6 green onions, thinly sliced, including tops½ tsp. salt½ tsp. paprika⅛ tsp. curry powder1 lg. egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter on low heat in skillet. Add squash, onions and all seasonings. Simmer slowly until vegetables are tender. Add Worcestershire sauce and egg. Mix lightly. Place in a greased 2-quart casserole. Cover top with Parmesan cheese, and bake for 25 minutes. Serves 6-8.

Peggy McKeyHinds County

Chocolate Macaroon Bars

1 (19-oz) pkg. fudge brownie mix2 lg. egg whites1 (14-oz.) pkg. sweetened flaked coconut1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk1 sm. pkg. sliced almonds2 T. milk chocolate morsels, melted1 T. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare brownie mix according to package direc-tions. Pour batter in cookie sheet or pan. Spread evenly to cover bottom of pan. Bake 15-18 minutes until set. Do not over bake. Remove from oven. In a mixing bowl, combine egg whites, coconut and sweetened condensed milk. Spread coco-nut mixture over brownies. Sprinkle with almonds. Return to oven and bake 20-25 minutes or until coconut is golden brown. Place chocolate morsels and oil in micro-wave-safe dish and heat 45 seconds, stirring occasionally. Drizzle melted chocolate over brownies. Cut into bars.

Kay PerkinsTishomingo County

COUNTRY COOKING, VOLUME V: These recipes are from “Country Cooking, Volume V,” now available at most county offices. The cost is $20. If you order a cookbook from the state office, you will pay $20 plus postage. • For more information, contact Pam Jones at (601) 977-4854.

RecipeseHoneyed Fruit Salad

1 lg. Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped1 med. red apple, cored and chopped½ c. seedless red grapes, halves¼ c. cranberries, diced½ c. blueberries1 c. mandarin oranges, drained2 c. pecans, toasted and chopped¼ c. honey½ tsp. apple pie spice

Combine first seven ingredients in serving bowl. Mix the honey and apple pie spice in a small bowl and drizzle over fruit and pecans. Serve immediately.

Betty MillsMontgomery County



I will never forget my farming roots, and I will never stop promoting local farmers.

What they do for all of us is so important. I believe that

eating what our local farmers grow is the only way our state and nation can move forward into a healthier lifestyle and

a more positive future.

CHEF NICK WALLACE


As a child, Chef Nick Wallace fell in love with farm life and with fresh, locally grown foods.

“I grew up on a farm in Edwards,” he said. “My grandparents had a huge garden. There were cows and goats to milk, chickens for eggs and chickens for meat. We lived close to the earth. It was a nice, simple time for me.

“My grandfather, John Donald, instilled in me a good work ethic that has carried me through my many years of building a career in the food industry,” he added. “We had chores on the farm, and we were expected to get them done. It was hard work, but it was satisfying work.”

Nick credits his grandmothers, Lennell Donald and Queen Morris, with teaching him how to cook. His mother, Susie, is also a good Southern cook.

At age 16, Nick began working at a local restaurant as a dishwasher. He noticed how fast the people in the kitchen moved and what they did. He remembered. Six months later, he began cutting vegetables and meats for dishes. Soon, he began cook-ing. He discovered he was a good cook; it came naturally to him.

From those humble beginnings, Nick moved on to other area restaurants, worked with excellent chefs and was given more responsibilities. In the meantime, he enrolled at Hinds Community College and received a degree in food science and nutrition.

When Nick was hired as executive chef at the Hilton Garden Inn (formerly the his-toric King Edward Hotel) in downtown Jackson, he began to talk about an idea close to his heart. He wanted to begin a farm-to-table program. He wanted to use locally grown products in his dishes and have a gar-den at the hotel.

“I asked them, ‘How about a wrap-around garden?’ and ‘How about classes, where I can

teach people how to use fresh, locally grown foods sourced from Mississippi farmers?’”

When the hotel said “yes,” Nick began visiting farms and building relationships with area farmers.

“My concept has always been to use French cooking techniques with locally grown Southern food in a Southern environment,” he said.

Word began to get out about Chef Nick Wallace.

In 2013, the James Beard Foundation invited him to participate in a boot camp for chefs held in New York. He was also invited to cook at the James Beard House in Manhattan. The eight-course Southern dinner he prepared with five other chefs sold out. Nick says he took Mississippi food and had two Mississippi farmers talk to the guests about it. He was invited back to the house to cook again.

“On that day, I saw sunlight,” he said.The Food Network asked Nick to appear

on one of its television programs, “Cutthroat Kitchen,” in September 2014. He has been featured in state and national publications and on many television programs.

Nick is currently working as execu-tive chef and consultant at the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson, another dream.

“I thought, ‘How cool would it be for a chef to cook at an art facility?’” he said.

“I remembered this place from when I was a kid, and I knew that John Besh, a renowned New Orleans chef, had cooked at a museum. I wanted to do that, too, and I am so glad that I did. These are great peo-ple. I get to cook what I love, I am around art exhibits and I get to meet artists.

“I have gardens on the grounds of the museum,” he said. “I have a vision of teach-ing workshops for kids who visit the museum and changing the way they view food. If I could get them away from fast food and inter-

ested in stopping at the local farmers market, that would be great. I practice what I talk about. I am a fit chef. I eat better now, and I work out.”

Nick says he hopes he will always be connected with the museum. He also does cater-ing work and dreams of one day opening a restaurant that will support farmers.

“I will never forget my farming roots, and I will never stop promoting local farmers. What they do for all of us is so important,” he said.

“I believe that eating what our local farmers grow is the only way our state and nation can move forward into a healthier lifestyle and a more positive future.”

For more information, visit Nick’s web-site at www.chefnickwallace.com. To see his current menu at The Palette Café by Viking at the Mississippi Museum of Art, visit www.msmuseumart.org.

Nick presented a popular farm-to-table cooking demonstration at our Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation annual membership meeting in Jackson. He has received many honors, includ-ing Summit Award/Chef of the Year from the Jackson Convention Visitor’s Bureau. In addi-tion to his degree from Hinds Community College, he received Food Handling Certifica-tion and Culinary Arts Certification from the Alaska Vocational Technical Center’s (AVTEC) Culinary Arts Academy in Anchorage, AK. He was listed on Best Chefs of America 2013.

A FARM-TO-TABLE CHEF

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CHEF WALLACE WORKS WITH MISSISSIPPI KIDS THROUGH

APRON STRINGS, A PARTNERSHIP WITH OPERATION SHOESTRING, AT THE MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF ART.


They are ancient; they are modern. They constantly change, yet continue to contain most of the essential elements. Moreover, they are legion. Animals communicate by sounds, warnings, actions and inactions. The earliest-known people also expressed

themselves in the same or similar ways. In this, we can equate

“means” with “ways” to answer the question of how we express or explain ourselves to one another.

At first, there were only basic human

signs and sounds, which led to the develop-ment of oral language — still sounds but bet-ter-organized and more widely understood. Then came forms of written expression, marks made on surfaces of clay, wood, stone or on cave walls to develop into permanent or semi-permanent records in spoken languages. Many of the great epics, stories, dramas and songs, which originally were in the oral tradi-tion, worked their way into permanence and the efforts of long-suffering and hardworking scriveners — often monks in religious orders

— long in effort and short in circulation.Then came the printing press in the 15th

century and everything changed, or began to change, because not many people could read, yet still, the printed word superseded the handwritten word for literary, popular and commercial purposes. Still later, there developed means of distributing the writ-ten and printed words, long known as the mail, and constantly improved by continual improvements in methods of transportation.

In rather rapid order, appeared the tele-graph, using one or more codes by a trans-atlantic cable, radio, telephone, television and other means of wireless communica-tion. Each changed what had gone before and made us wonder how those before us had managed. Then came computers, the Internet and, what defies my imagination, the ability to communicate to other planets and the edges of the known universe just as though my hometown got its first dial telephones in 1950. We were on a party line with six others, each with a different sequence of long and short rings so the nosy or curious knew who was being called or could even pick up and listen. Nine years later, when I went to law school, Oxford had the operator system, and when you picked up, you were asked, “Number please?”

Today, traditional ways are still the most valuable. Nothing beats a handwrit-ten, heartfelt expression by note or letter. Mother and her sister wrote to each other at least every two weeks for 50 years, and Mother was a stickler for thank you notes, which she called “bread and butter” notes.

Not everyone agrees, and Governor Earl Long reportedly said, “Never write anything down if you can talk; if you can’t talk, whis-per; if you can’t whisper then nod; otherwise just wink. I wink a lot”.

What are the best ways of expressing love? In the song, “Three Little Words,” they were

“I Love You!” A child falls and skins his knee. Crying, he runs to his mother, who says, “Let me kiss it and make it well” and takes him in her lap. Is there a magic to that kiss? Prob-ably not, though Dad would strongly agree otherwise. The child says, “Mother, why are

you crying?” and she says, “When you hurt, I hurt.” The words, the kiss, the lap — they are magic if there ever was. Don’t you remember?

Without love, we are a sounding brass, a tinkling cymbal, as St. Paul said. Also, a Native American chief put it thusly1:

Love is something you and I must have. We must have it because our spirit feeds upon it. We must have it because without it we become weak and faint... Without it, our courage fails. Without love, we can no lon-ger look confidently at the world. We turn inward, and little by little, we destroy our-selves. With it, we are creative. With it, we march tirelessly. With it, and with it alone, we are able to sacrifice for others.

Nothing speaks to the timelessness of beautiful words better than Norman MacLean’s conclusion to his great novel,

“A River Runs Through It:”

Now nearly all those I loved and did not understand when I was young are dead, but I still reach out to them. --- Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.

The means of communicating are won-derful, but not better than the words, which are timeless and sometimes magical.

Retired attorney Sam Scott worked with Farm Bureau for many years and continues writing for Mississippi Farm Country. You may contact him by emailing [email protected].

by Sam Scott

Means of Communication

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STROLLING

1Walking on the Wind, Michael Garret, 1998


The State Women’s Committee took a cash donation to Ronald McDonald House of Jackson as part of the Our Food Link program, which seeks to reach out to consumers of all ages and backgrounds with information about today’s agriculture. Committee members are pictured with Ruth Ann Allen, executive director of Ronald McDonald House of Jackson. The donation was the result of efforts by volunteer leaders across the state.

Calendar of Events

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MAY 7 Aquaculture Commodity Meeting

MAY 15 Deadline for Teacher/ Volunteer AITC Workshops

MAY 21 Forestry Commodity Meeting

JUNE 1 Application Deadline for Scholarships

JUNE 9,10,11 Teacher/Volunteer AITC Workshops — Hernando, Jackson, Hattiesburg

JULY 8 Cotton Commodity Meeting — Grenada

JULY 27-30 Youth Safety Seminar — Gray Center, Canton

MAY/JUNE 2015 MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY 19

Photo by Miriam Jabour, The Vicksburg Post



Peggy McKey of Edwards composts food waste from her kitchen using red wiggler worms. She says the resulting dark nutri-ent-rich material, known as vermicompost, makes a fantastic soil amendment.

“I began composting with worms after some worm growers gave me a tub to use for growing tomatoes,” she said. “In a bit of dirt at the bottom of the tub were six red wigglers. I thought they were cute, so I put them in a Rubbermaid box with some shredded newspapers and dirt. I fed them, and the worms began to multiply. I have given away literally millions of worms since I started.”

Peggy, who is a Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation District 3 Women’s Chair and a Hinds County Master Gardener, has pre-sented dozens of programs on composting with worms to schools, meetings and festi-vals in her area and across the state. She takes along containers of food and asks kids to identify which types of food the worms eat.

“Kids love to look at the worms, and hopefully, my presentations will increase their interest in conservation and garden-ing,” she said.

Peggy has made presentations at the Ag Museum, the Children’s Museum and the Natural Science Museum. The Ag Museum now has a worm farm of its own.

“The worms are cute, but I love their pro-ductiveness,” Peggy said. “What they do in a composting bin is fascinating.”

WHAT THEY DOA horse owner, Peggy uses an old watering

trough as a compost bin. She also composts in a discarded bathtub she got from a neigh-bor. The bins are covered with boards and sit in a barn behind her house. Compost bins

must be opaque because worms don’t like light. They must be well ventilated and well drained. Compost bins must be protected from too much heat in the summer and from frost in the winter. Red wigglers are more productive in warm weather, but the cold doesn’t stop them either.

The bedding material in a compost bin consists of shredded black and white newspapers (no colored ink allowed), hay and leaves. The worms, which eat about half their weight in food each day, are fed fruit and vegetable cores, hulls and peels; tea bags; coffee filters with grounds; cereal; bread products; and paper plates and nap-kins. Sand and crushed egg shells are added to assist the worms with their digestive process. The shells also add calcium and help control the acidity of the com-post, although red wigglers are the most tolerant of all worms of soil acidity.

The worms eat the food waste and bedding material and excrete worm castings. These castings, along with well-decomposed bedding material, become the dark soil-like vermicompost.

“Red wigglers enjoy almost anything but meat and fat,” Peggy said. “They are primar-ily vegetarians. They don’t even eat peanut butter because it has too much fat. My son-in-law grew pumpkins this fall, so we have some pumpkin shells in here.

“You bury the food under the bedding material so there is no smell and no prob-lem with insects. If the bin smells sour, it is too wet. If the worms migrate to the top, the bin is too hot and needs more ventila-tion. You must also keep the bins covered

to keep out insects. If you do have a prob-lem with insects, cover the ventilation holes with a bit of screen.

“Vermin are not much of a problem since they are more attracted to dairy and meat products than fruits and vegetables,” she said. “You must keep the bedding material moist but not wet. We have plenty of well water. If you have tap water that contains chlorine, let it sit outside until the chlorine evaporates.”

COME SPRINGPeggy says come spring the containers

are filled to the top with vermicompost. When she is ready to use it, she takes the

lids off the bins. Since the worms don’t like light, they head deeper into the soil. She begins feeding the worms on one side of the bins so they will migrate there before she harvests the other side. If some worms remain in the vermi-compost she shovels out to use, she simply takes them along.

“I take out shovelfuls of this for my vegetable garden every year because it is a good fertilizer,” she said. “I held my own trial with two pots of tomato plants. The plants were the same variety and size. The only difference was that I used a well-known liquid plant fertilizer on one pot and some of my vermicompost on the other. Guess which pot produced over double the number of tomatoes as the other pot. You’re right if you guessed the pot with the fertilizer made by the worms.”

For more information about vermicom-posting, contact Peggy at (601) 624-8888 or [email protected].

COMPOSTING with RED WIGGLERS

PEGGY, WHO IS A MISSISSIPPI FARM BUREAU FEDERATION DISTRICT 3 WOMEN’S CHAIR

AND A HINDS COUNTY MASTER GARDENER, HAS PRESENTED DOZENS OF PROGRAMS ON COMPOSTING WITH WORMS TO SCHOOLS, MEETINGS AND FESTIVALS IN HER AREA AND

ACROSS THE STATE.

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udley Pleasants is known as The Bottle Tree Man. For well over a decade, the Greenwood farm man-ager and musician has handcrafted

beautiful one-of-a-kind bottle trees, which he sells to customers around the state, the nation and the world.

“About twelve years ago, my wife and I attended a party where our hosts filled an old milk churn with con-crete rebar rods holding empty bottles,” he said. “The woman joked that the bottles were to ward off evil spirits.”

The party decoration reminded Dudley’s wife of a bottle tree, and she asked if he would make her one. He did, and she loved it.

“After that, our friends wanted bottle trees and my wife’s mama and her friends wanted bottle trees until someone suggested that maybe I needed to start a business,” he said. “My son-in-law designed a website for me, and I had a reporter from the Greenwood Common-wealth, who had done stories on my music, write an article about bottle trees and put me in it. The Associated Press picked up the article, and I started getting calls from everywhere.”

Dudley and his bottle trees have been fea-tured in local and national magazines and in television programs across the state. At one point, Dudley was making so many bottle

trees in his spare time, things got a little crazy. “I am a farm manager, but I’m also a

musician who is passionate about his music,” he said. “I was working on the farm dur-ing the day, performing at night and mak-ing bottle trees in my spare time. I finally decided I had to slow down, so I combined my love of music with my love of art. I call it the Delta Blues Blessing, and it has

worked out great.”

DELTA BLUES BLESSINGDudley no longer sup-

plies bottles for his bottle trees. When you receive your bottle tree frame, he suggests you hold a Delta Blues Bless-ing party and invite folks to bring empty bottles as well as beverage-filled bottles. Once the beverage bottles are empty, you can use them on your tree, too.

“Along with the tree, I will provide you with a T-shirt and some dirt from the Delta Blues Trail,” he said. “I will play an appropri-ate song on my harmonica for your ceremony. If I can be there, I will perform in person. If I can’t be there, you can call me, and I will play the song for you over the phone.

“Being a Christian, I like to bless each tree by performing “Amazing Grace.” God has been good to me,” Dudley said. “He has blessed me in so many ways, and my bottle tree business is just one of them.”

In recent years, a famous Hollywood

actor held a Delta Blues Blessing ceremony at his birthday party.

“I got a phone call from Steven Seagal’s personal secretary in California wanting to purchase a bottle tree for Steven’s birthday. At the time, Steven had homes in Califor-nia and Germantown, Tennessee,” Dudley said. “They decided to hold the birthday party at his Germantown home, and they invited me to attend and bring the bottle tree, T-shirt and dirt. I played my harmon-ica, and Steven loved it. It was a whole lot of fun.”

BOTTLE TREES/MUSICDudley makes all kinds of bottle trees,

from small- and medium-size to super-size. He makes a “wicked” bottle tree that is five feet tall with wild-looking limbs. He makes hummingbird feeder trees and bottle tree chandeliers. He welds together rolled steel rods then bends the limbs for a more real-istic and graceful appearance.

Dudley considers his bottle trees to be works of art. He puts a lot of heart and soul into each one and says the trees might look similar, but no two are alike since they are all handmade.

For more information, visit The Bottle Tree Man website at www.thebottletreeman.com, or call Dudley at (662) 458-1960.

In addition to his bottle trees, Dudley has a CD coming out. He says you can get a taste of his music by listening to “Smooth Talking Woman” on iTunes. Dudley enjoys playing country, gospel and blues music.

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“I WAS WORKING ON THE FARM DURING THE DAY, PERFORMING AT NIGHT AND MAKING BOTTLE TREES

IN MY SPARE TIME. I FINALLY DECIDED I HAD TO SLOW DOWN, SO

I COMBINED MY LOVE OF MUSIC WITH MY LOVE OF ART. I CALL IT THE DELTA BLUES BLESSING, AND IT HAS

WORKED OUT GREAT.” DUDLEY PLEASANTS


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THE BOTTLE TREE MAN blessings

& beautiful bottle trees


“Brandi and I are honored and blessed that God chose us to be the parents of seven healthy, normal, smart and beautiful

children. First and foremost, we try to teach them to put God first in their lives and pray about everything. We encourage

them to be honest and keep your word.”— Doug Ervin

Maureen Wilson PhotographyGrace Ann, Jacqueline, Laura Leigh, Taylor, Amber, Brandon and Braswell (or “B”)


Every so often, we travel to Magnolia to catch up with the Ervin Quints and their siblings. This time around, we discovered that the quints will be 14 years old in May. Their little brother, Brandon, will be 12 years old in September, and their little sister, Laura Leigh, will be 10 years old in July.

“Grace Ann is the oldest of the quints by one minute,” said their father Doug. “She is very loving and affectionate. She always has a smile on her face and is happy. Amber is the sec-ond-born. When she was little, she was kind of shy and bashful, and she still is a little. She is a perfectionist and the worrier.

“Jacqueline is the third-born. She is very responsible and tries to keep everybody straight. She loves animals of all kinds. She is funny and likes to make you laugh. Tay-lor is the fourth-born. She is very outgoing and full of personality. She is very girly, a free spirit and independent. She just enjoys life. Braswell is the baby and the only boy in the quints. He plays football, basketball and baseball. He loves the outdoors, hunt-ing and fishing. He enjoys riding 4-wheelers.

“Brandon enjoys any type of electronics and computers. He likes to read,” Doug said.

“He is very smart and likes to do his own thing. Last but not least is Laura Leigh. She is all girl. She likes to sing and do gymnastics. She loves to talk to everybody.

“All of our children do well in school, and all are kind, sweet, compassionate kids.”

Next year, the quints will be in the ninth grade, Brandon will be in the sixth grade and Laura Leigh will be in the fourth grade

at Parklane Academy in McComb. All of the girls are cheerleaders, and Braswell was the quarterback for his junior high football team. Brandon is not into sports. Taylor was voted seventh grade class favorite. Grace Ann was selected as a member of the Honor Society at school.

The children attend First Baptist Church of Summit.

Grace Ann, Amber and Jacqueline are in 4-H and ride horses competitively. Amber won the Stake Race on an old one-eyed res-cue horse on the district and state levels then competed in 4-H regionals in North Caro-lina. A local newspaper did a full-page article on Amber and the “Wonder Horse,” whose name is General. The family says he is one awesome horse, but he has been retired.

Jacqueline and Grace Ann won in dis-trict competition and competed in the state show. They all won trophies in each event.

The three girls participate in National Barrel Horse Association (NBHA) Youth

Barrel Racing and local horse shows. Grace Ann, with the NBHA Youth State Show, was featured in the Barrel Horse News magazine in February. All three girls have qualified to go to the NBHA Youth World Cham-pionships in Perry, Georgia, the last week of July. Taylor rode for a season and did really well but got bored riding.

When they grow up, Grace Ann wants to be a nurse. Amber wants to be a doctor, a veteri-narian or a missionary. Jacque-line wants to be a veterinarian or something in the medical field. Taylor is interested in criminal justice. Braswell thinks he may

follow in his dad’s footsteps or work with his papaw in the family-owned oil company.

“Brandi and I are honored and blessed that God chose us to be the parents of seven healthy, normal, smart and beautiful children,” said Doug. “First and foremost, we try to teach them to put God first in their lives and pray about everything. We encourage them to be honest and keep your word.”

Doug is the Land Program Director and Region 7 Regional Manager for Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation. Brandi works with her dad in their family-owned oil company, when not taking kids to their activities.

Doug’s parents are the late Hershel and Dot Ervin of Dexter in Walthall County. Brandi’s parents are Randy and Jackie Bras-well of Magnolia in Pike County. They are the owners of Worldwide Companies in Magnolia and are very involved in the kids’ lives, going to ballgames, cheerleading and, most of all, horse events.

Catching Up with the Ervins

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Image Maker Photography


FarmFacts: S T R A I G H T F R O M A M I S S I S S I P P I FA R M E R

Farm-Fresh Rice – Ruleville, MS by Rebekkah Arant

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I grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast eating rice with seafood gumbo, crawfish etouffee and jambalaya, but rice was always the side dish. It was nondescript and taste-less without the main course. My husband grew up five hours northwest in the Mis-sissippi Delta, where rice had an entirely different role at the dinner table. Instead of meat and potatoes, Arant men grew up rice-fed. Forget the gumbo and jambalaya. My husband liked plain rice with butter. It was when we married in 2006 that my educa-tion on rice began.

I’ll never forget my first taste of Arant rice. It was rich and savory and, amazingly, had flavor apart from the salt and pepper. I now understood my husband’s love of rice and began to wonder why the rice I had been eating for the first 24 years of my life was so different. For the first six years of our marriage, David and I lived in our state’s capital, where he worked as a civil engineer. While there, we began to support the local food movement. Farmers markets were abundant, and farm-to-table restaurants were beginning to grow. It was this part of city life that we really enjoyed, but this life was not for us.

David grew up on a wide-open farm in the Mississippi Delta and began working for

the family operation when he was 9 years old. Although we loved our life in the city, David had different dreams. He longed to be in the fields rather than behind a desk. His desire was to return to the Delta and continue the legacy of the family farm—one that has been operating continuously for more than 90 years.

It was when we moved to the farm that we began to seriously contemplate becom-ing part of the farm-to-table movement that we had enjoyed so much in Jackson. The Arants had been milling rice for friends and family for years, and people loved it. It was this encouragement that inspired Delta Blues Rice. We wanted to share our rice with others so that they could enjoy what I had been missing out on for 24 years. Our fam-

ily wanted to give the con-sumer artisan-milled rice

that was full of flavor. We are involved in every

step of the rice operation. We plant our rice in the spring,

tend it in the growing season, harvest it in the fall and mill and package it year round. We are invested in bringing the best product to our customers. Delta Blues Rice only uses the highest-quality rice for both planting and milling. While many rice companies mix multiple varieties, we

only use one, and that is one of the reasons that our rice has a distinct flavor.

I never would have imagined that I would be the wife of a farmer and part of a family rice business, but it is truly a won-derful opportunity. We get to help feed the people of our state and nation, and it is a job that has to be done well. I am proud to say that we are raising two boys who love plain rice with butter. It is our hope that they will one day take part in the family farm and will join us in the legacy of sharing quality food with our communities.

David and Rebekkah Arant live in the Mississippi Delta and are a part of Delta Blues Rice. Please visit their website at www.deltabluesrice.com for recipes and to learn more about their products.

The Farm Families of Mississippi Agri-culture Promotion Campaign was created to educate the public about the agriculture industry. This successful state-wide program is in its sixth season. For more information, contact Greg Gibson at (601) 977-4154.


State Women’s Committee members, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation President Mike McCormick and others met with Mississippi Senate and House Ag Committee chairs, Sen. Billy Hudson and Rep. Preston Sullivan, and vice chairs, Sen. Russell Jolly and Rep. Bill Pigott, during the annual Women’s Day at the Capitol. The State Women’s Committee presented Senate and House members boxes of food products related to state agricultural commodities.

Ag Mag Issues Available – See Page 35.


Sale of Junior Champions

Reserve Champion Brahman Steer/MS Bred Champion Brahman — Exhibited by Casey and Sean Middleton, Smith County 4-H. Buyers are Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company, Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company, Tico’s Steakhouse, Mississippi Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company, Matthews, Cutrer & Lindsay PA; Southern Cross Underwriters Inc., Jackson-Hilton, TeleSouth Communications, Attala Frozen Foods, Farm Bureau Bank and Ogletree Deakins.

Champion Hampshire Hog — Exhibited by Alexandra Pittman and Carson Keene, Forrest County 4-H. Buyers are Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company, Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company, Southern Cross Underwriters Inc., Tico’s Steakhouse, Ogletree Deakins, TeleSouth Communications, Attala Frozen Foods, Hilton-Jackson, Farm Bureau Bank and Mississippi Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company.

Reserve Champion Division 5 Lamb — Exhibited by John Thomas Caldwell, Leflore County 4-H. Buyers are Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, Farm Bureau Bank, Tico’s Steakhouse, Ogletree Deakins, Attala Frozen Foods, Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company, Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company, Mississippi Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company, Southern Cross Underwriters Inc., Hilton-Jackson and TeleSouth Communications.

Reserve Champion Spotted Hog — Exhibited by Amelia Buckley, Covington County 4-H/FFA. Buyers are Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company, Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company, Southern Cross Underwriters Inc., Tico’s Steakhouse, Ogletree Deakins, Telesouth Communications, Attala Frozen Foods, Hilton-Jackson, Farm Bureau Bank and Mississippi Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company.


Farm Bureau Events

Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Safety Program staff, in conjunction with Dan Neenan, director of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety at Northeast Iowa Community College, hosted Grain Bin Safety Workshops in Marshall and Tunica counties. The workshops, which targeted farmers, farm labor and emergency responders, enjoyed excellent participation.

AG DAY AT THE CAPITOL was a great success this year. Since the State Capitol is undergoing renovations, the event was held as a lunch at First Baptist Church of Jackson. Farm Bureau volunteer leaders met with their legislators, including Senate and House Ag Committee chairs, Sen. Billy Hudson (pictured with his wife Barbara) and Rep. Preston Sullivan, and vice chairs, Sen. Russell Jolly and Rep. Bill Pigott (not pictured). Also visiting with leaders were Governor Phil Bryant and Mike Sullivan, state executive director of the USDA Farm Service Agency.


AFBF Convention Highlights

Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) participated in American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention activities in January. State Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) Achievement and Excellence in Agriculture award winners, Jeremy and Beth Graham of Thaxton and Marie Rogers of Guntown, respectively, represented Mississippi well in national competition as did State Discussion Meet winner, Dr. Gaea Hock of Starkville, who advanced into the Sweet Sixteen Discussion Meet semifinals. Also pictured are the Women Voting Delegates and MFBF President Mike McCormick, who is shown in the Parade of Flags. YF&R contest application deadlines will run in the July/August issue of this magazine.


Winter Commodity Conference

Great speakers and an excellent attendance marked the 2015 Mis-sissippi Farm Bureau Federation Winter Commodity Conference held in Jackson in January. The two-day event featured programs for land and forestry, livestock and aquaculture, and row crops and apiculture. Pictured at left is Informa Economics Senior Vice President Jim Wiesemeyer, who presented a talk on “Washington D.C. Political Climate & Ag Policy Review.”

A “Farm Bill Decisions 2014 Panel” featured University of Missouri Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute Director Dr. Pat Westhoff; National Cotton Council Member Services Assistant Director Michael Rochelle; and Trevor White, Combest, Sell and Associates, Washington, D.C. Dr. Keith Coble with the Department of Agricultural Economics at Mississippi State University was also on hand to answer questions.


Teaching Kids About AgricultureChildren can’t believe their eyes when they step inside the Mississippi Children’s Museum in Jackson. Filled with all kinds of colorful interactive learning exhibits designed to keep kids happily occupied for hours, the museum truly is a destination for learning, creativity and fun. With a donation from the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF), the museum funds the efforts of a staff person to teach agriculture during the Farm Bureau Spotlight held in a different museum gallery every Friday. Materials from our Ag in the Classroom program are used with this effort. Pictured are Missis-sippi Children’s Museum President Susan Garrard and MFBF President Mike McCormick. FB


Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Youth Safety Camp is scheduled for July 27-30 at the Gray Center in Madison County. The camp offers students entering seventh through twelfth grades an opportunity to receive safety training, enjoy recreational activities and develop friend-ships that will last a lifetime. Training sessions include Certified CPR, ATV Safety, Fatal Vision, Texting & Driving, Tractor Safety and more.

The application and $100 registration fee are due by July 10. Contact your county Farm Bureau office for more infor-mation and about sponsoring a student. Additional informa-tion can be found on our web-site at www.msfb.org or by calling Angela Thompson at (601) 977-4242.

Farm Bureau Youth Safety Camp


Ag Mags Available You can order copies of the Ag Mag newsletter for children from our Ag in the Classroom program. To order, contact Pam Jones at: [email protected] or (601) 977-4854.


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Mississippi Farm Country May/June 2015 Vol. 91 No. 3

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