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February,!as!I’m!sure!you’ve!heard!upteen!times!and!are! sick!of!hearing,!is!the!month!of!love.!Or,!at!least,!the!month!in! which!love!is!commemorated!with!oversized!stuffed!teddy!bears,! dozens!of!bright!red!and!pink!roses!and!glittery!Hallmark!cards.!It! is!also!commemorated!with!lots!of!chocolate.!! Now,!the!aforementioned!three!I’m!not!so!fond!of!giving! on!Valentine’s!Day.!But!chocolate?!Oh,!yes.!Hershey’s!is!in!my!top! five!food!groups!(the!other!four!of!which!include!bacon,!beef,! whiskey!and!hearty!vegetables).!But!as!good!as!decadent,!melty! milk!chocolate!can!taste,!nothing!beats!the!artisanal!chocolate!our! Georgia!can!make!!One!of!my!personal!favorites!is!Cacao,!pictured! here,!in!Atlanta.!Several!of!our!agriCULTURE/Magazine! contributors!frequent!Condor!Chocolates!in!Athens,!and!names! such!as!Chamberlain’s!in!Norcross!are!wellLknown!throughout!the! state.!In!this!issue!you’ll!meet!Bébette,!the!spunky!chocolatier!who!brings!a!little!bit!of!south!Belgium!to!the! South!with!her!shop!in!Augusta.!If!chocolate’s!not!quite!your!treat!of!choice,!writer!Katie!Thigpen!Chapman!also! introduces!us!to!some!of!the!Peach!State’s!bakeries,!discussing!the!importance!of!“Small!Town!Sugar”!to!our! state’s!economy.!! I!will!be!the!first!one!to!tell!you!that!after!reading!that!story,!my!immediate!thought!was,!“I!want!a! cookie.”! The!other!thing!that!says!“love”!and!“romance”!to!me!is!art.!Aside!from!being!involved!in!art!from!a! young!age,!one!of!my!first!dates!with!my!boyfriend!was!at!the!Georgia!Museum!of!Art.!Art!speaks!to!us!each!in!a! different!way,!and!it’s!wonderful!to!know!that!there!are!so!many!art!museums!across!Georgia!that!aim!to!share! these!perspectives!with!visitors!of!all!ages!!You!can!see!what!exhibits!are!coming! up!at!the!art!museum!near!you!in!“ARTifacts”!on!page!26,!and!meet!a!young! artist!from!Colquitt!who’s!turning!heads!with!her!selfLtaught!talent!on!page!19.! After!strolling!through!the!museum,!the!best!place!to!go!for!reflection!(in! my!humble!opinion)!is!the!beach.!Writer!Carolyn!Crist!found!a!way!to!combine! the!serenity!of!the!coast!with!unexpected!art.!Treasure!hunters!flock!to!Jekyll! Island!each!year!in!search!of!handmade!blownLglass!floats!hidden!on!the!beach,! each!created!by!an!American!artist!who!delights!in!learning!about!who!found! their!pieces!and!the!profound!impact!their!art!had!on!these!peoples’!lives.!You’ll! find!their!stories!on!page!28.! I!encourage!you,!this!month,!to!show!agriCULTURE/Magazine!some!love!! Share!us!with!a!friend,!shop!on!our!market!at!www.agriCULTUREmagazine.net,! enter!our!photo!contests!(see!page!25;!we’re!giving!away!prizes!now!)!and!ask! our!grow,!bloom!and!chew!experts!all!of!your!burning!questions!about!farming,! farm!practices,!gardening,!food!safety,!cocktails!and!cooking!!! Thank!y’all!for!the!immense!love!you’ve!shown!us!so!far!in!our!first!two! months!of!publication!!We!wouldn’t!be!here!without!you.! ! Yours,! Dallas Anne Duncan !
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! Llama&Liability&Laws!by/Carolyn/Crist!………..……..!5! &
Georgia&Java!by/Lauren/Purcell!……………..………….!6! !
! ! BLOOM! ! A&Fondness&for&Flora!!
FOUNDER&&&EDITOR&IN&CHIEF& Dallas!Duncan! ! CONTRIBUTING&WRITERS& Katie!Thigpen!Chapman! Carolyn!Crist! Lauren!Purcell! ! FOR&ADDITIONAL&ART,&THE&STAFF& WOULD&LIKE&TO&THANK& Emily!Cloninger;!Loretta!Eby,!Happy!Valley!Pottery;! Anne!Gibson,!The!Micro!Gardener;!The!Jekyll!Island! Authority;!Tracy!Pearson,!Pearson!Pond!Ranch!&! Llama!Co.;!Andrew!Schmitz,!Schmitz!Art!Glass;!and! the!Bernard!A.!Zuckerman,!Albany,!Quinlan,!Georgia,! Morris!and!High!museums!of!art! ! DESIGN& Dallas!Duncan! ! SUBSCRIPTIONS& Please!visit!www.agriCULTUREmagazine.net!to! subscribe.!Subscription!rate,!$30!per!year.! ! QUESTIONS& contact.agriCULTUREmagazine@gmail.com! ! Y’ALL&STOP&ON&BY&
by/Katie/Thigpen/Chapman!……………………..!10! !
Out&of&the&Box&by/Lauren/Purcell!…….………………!12& ! ! CHEW! ! Small&Town&Sugar!! by/Katie/Thigpen/Chapman!……………………..!16! !
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MAKE! ! ! Self?Taught&Success!by/Dallas/Duncan!…….………!19! !
Hands&on&the&Wheel!! by/Katie/Thigpen/Chapman!……………………..!20!
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The&Art&of&Chocolate!by/Dallas/Duncan!.………….!22! ! ! LIVE! ! ! Monthly&Calendar!…..………………………………….!24! !
ARTifacts!by/Dallas/Duncan!…………………….……..!26! !
Jekyll&Island&Treasures!by/Carolyn/Crist!………...!28!! !
! www.facebook.com/agriCULTUREmagazineUS! ! @agriCULTUREzine! ! @agriCULTUREzine! ! Published!by!Dallas!Anne!Duncan!LLC,!Atlanta! PRINTED!IN!THE!USA!by!ModernLitho! 6009!Stetzer!Road! Jefferson!City,!Missouri!65101! & Cover:&Dark!Belgian!chocolates!adorned!with! pistachios,!almonds!and!dried!fruit!are!passed!out!to! hungry!shoppers!at!La!Bonbonnière!in!Augusta.!! Photo/|/Dallas/Duncan!
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! ! ! ! Going&in&the&Ground& SecondLyear!asparagus! • Plant!between!Jan.!15!and!March!15,!six!inches!down! • Spacing:!36!inches!by!18!to!24!inches! Beets!(55!to!65!days!‘til!maturity)! • Plant!between!Feb.!15!and!April!1,!halfLinch!down! • Spacing:!18!to!36!inches!by!two!inches! Broccoli!(60!to!80!days!‘til!maturity)! • Plant!between!Feb.!15!and!March!15! • Spacing:!36!by!12!inches! Cabbage!(65!to!80!days!‘til!maturity)! • Plant!between!Jan.!15!and!March!15! • Spacing:!36!by!12!inches! Carrots!(70!to!80!days!‘til!maturity)! • Plant!between!Jan.!20!and!March!15,!quarterLinch! down! • Spacing:!18!to!26!inches!by!two!to!three!inches! Collards!(55!to!70!days!‘til!maturity)! • Plant!between!Feb.!1!and!March!15,!halfLinch!down! • Spacing:!36!inches!by!eight!to!16!inches! Kale!(50!to!70!days!‘til!maturity)! • Plant!between!Feb.!1!and!March!10,!halfLinch!down! • Spacing:!36!inches!by!eight!to!16!inches! Mustard!(40!to!50!days!‘til!maturity)! • Plant!between!Jan.!15!and!April!1,!halfLinch!down! • Spacing:!18!to!36!inches!by!two!inches! !
DryLbulb!onion!(100!to!120!days!‘til!maturity)! • Plant!between!Jan.!1!and!March!15! • Spacing:!18!to!36!inches!by!three!to!four!inches! Irish!potatoes!(70!to!90!days!‘til!maturity)! • Plant!between!Jan.!15!and!March!1,!four!to!five!inches! down! • Spacing:!36!by!12!inches! Radishes!(25!to!30!days!‘til!maturity)! • Plant!between!Jan.!15!and!April!1,!halfLinch!down! • Spacing:!24!by!one!inch! Spinach!(40!to!45!days!‘til!maturity)! • Plant!between!Jan.!15!and!March!15,!halfL!to!threeL quarter!inches!down! • Spacing:!18!to!36!inches!by!two!inches! Turnips!(40!to!60!days!‘til!maturity)! • Plant!between!Jan.!15!and!April!1,!halfLinch!down! • Spacing:!18!to!36!inches!by!two!inches! Source:/University/of/Georgia/Cooperative/Extension/ /
Ripe&for&the&Pickin’& Cabbage!! ! Carrots! ! ! Citrus!fruits! ! Collards! ! ! Kale! ! ! Turnip!greens! Mustard!greens!
Lettuce! Sweet!potatoes! Green!onions! English!peas! Bunched!turnips!
Sources:/Georgia/Grown/and/PickYourOwn.org/
Got!a!question!for!our!grow!experts,!who!represent! farmers!and!Extension?!Submit!your!question!online!at! www.agriCULTUREmagazine.net,!or!email!it!to!us! directly!at!contact.agriculturemagazine@gmail.com! with!the!subject!line!“Ask!the!Experts:!grow.”!
Q:&"Do&you&have&any&tips&for&growing&brussels&sprouts?"! —!Gabrielle!Inglett,!Grovetown! !!
Gregory Philip Curtis Fulton County Extension
Brussels!sprouts!are!classified!as!crucifers!or!cole!crops,!putting!them!in!the!same!family!as! broccoli,!cabbage,!turnips!and!several!others.!Choosing!a!variety!is!most!important,!but!will!vary!with! local!availability.!Varieties!such!as!Jade!Cross!E,!Long!Island!Improved,!Prince!Marvel!and!Valiant!have!a! 90Lday!maturity!rate.!Jade!Cross!E!has!large!sprouts!and!is!easy!to!harvest.!Long!Island!Improved!is! openLpollinated!and!is!an!oldLtime!variety.!Royal!Marvel!has!85!days!to!maturity,!is!very!productive,! and!has!tight!sprouts.! Find!a!sunny!place.!Plants!require!a!minimum!of!six!hours!of!sunlight!daily.!Spacing!should!be! 15!to!20!inches!between!plants.!You’ll!want!moist,!wellLdrained!soil,!and!since!brussels!sprouts!are!
heavy!feeders,!be!sure!to!fertilize!regularly!(every!three!to!four!weeks).!Look!for!a!highLquality!fertilizer!with!micronutrients,! particularly!boron.!Irrigate!to!maintain!adequate!soil!moisture,!but!try!to!keep!foliage!dry!(to!prevent!disease).! ! If!cabbage!loop!worms!or!other!caterpillar!pests!become!problems,!use!Bt!(Bacillus/thuringiensis)!as!a!nontoxic!pesticide.! Harvest!as!soon!as!sprouts!reach!1.5!to!two!inches!in!diameter.!Regular!harvesting!throughout!the!growing!season!will!promote! production.!Good!luck!and!I!hope!you!enjoy!the!sprouts.!
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Llama and equine farms have been covered by liability insurance since the 1990s. In 2016, Georgia cattle, goat, sheep and swine growers may be able to obtain the same coverage. Photo | Tracy Pearson, Pearson Pond Ranch & Llama Co.
Tracy! and! Jack! Pearson! began! breeding! and! raising! llamas! 30! years! ago! in! Ellijay.! On! nearly! 100! acres! in! the! north! Georgia! mountains,! the! couple! built! Pearson!Pond!Ranch!&!Llama!Co.!to! hold! between! 100! and! 200! llamas! each! year,! along! with! pastures,! ponds,!springs!and!five!large!barns,! including! one! with! a! birthing! room! and! a! medical! room.! Over! the! years,! they’ve! learned! about! patience,! communication! and! natural!instinct!from!their!llamas.! “As! humans,! we! speak! and! think! we! know! everything! because! we! have! thumbs,! but! that’s! not! necessarily! so,”! Tracy! says.! “The! llamas! learn! to! understand! our! words,! but! I! find! that! people! don’t! understand!their!words.”! Pearson! hopes! others! can! learn! the! same! body! language! and!
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communication! skills! she’s! learned! by!caring!for!her!herds.!The!couple! used!to!give!tours!of!their!property! to! students! and! nursing! home! groups,! but! stopped! after! a! storm! caused!liability!concerns.!! During!a!visit!in!the!1990s,!a! tornado! watch! hit! the! area! while! students! were! on! the! farm.! Tracy! led! the! children! into! a! barn! while! the!storm!passed.! “That! taught! me! that! there! could! be! great! liability! for! things! that! you! never! consider,”! she! says.! “This!is!a!breeding!ranch!and!not!a! petting! zoo,! but! if! anyone! got! hurt! on! my! watch,! that! would! be! unacceptable!to!me.”! Tracy! is! one! of! many! llama! and!equine!owners!across!the!state! who! have! been! covered! by! Georgia’s! liability! code! since! the! early! 1990s.! Under! the! law,! the! General! Assembly! recognizes! that!
participants! of! equine! and! llama! activities! may! become! injured! as! a! result! of! riding,! training! and! providing! medical! treatment! to! animals.!Created!to!boost!economic! development! through! farm! tours! and! trade! shows! in! the! state,! the! code! states! that! llama! and! equine! sponsors!are!immune!to!liability!for! death!or!injury!of!a!participant.! During! the! 2015! legislative! session,! several! lawmakers! introduced! bills! in! the! state! House! and! Senate! to! protect! livestock! owners!under!the!same!clause.!! This! would! cover! cattle,! goat,!sheep!and!swine!owners!who! allow! people! to! use! their! animals! and! facilities! for! educational! and! recreational! activities.! The! changes! passed! the! Senate! on! March! 11,! and! moved! to! the! House! Judiciary!
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When! Georgians! envision! where! coffee!plants!might!grow,!the!setting!is!likely! a! tropical! paradise! with! macaws! floating! in! the! breeze! and! jungles! filled! with! scenic! ocean! views.! Yet! this! crop! is! making! headway!in!the!foothills!of!north!Georgia!—! despite! the! lack! of! tropical! vista! from! the! Smoky! Mountains.! College! professor! Dick! Stafford! and! his! former! student,! Kevin! Candalario! Aritas,! brought! this! burgeoning! enterprise!to!a!new!portion!of!the!world.!! “They!didn’t!think!we!could!produce! wine!here,!but!now!we’ve!got!19!wineries!in! the!state.!Coffee!is!next,”!Stafford!says.! The!story!behind!how!an!orchard!of! coffee! plants! came! to! grow! outside! of! Cornelia! is! extraordinary.! The! business! started! about! a! decade! ago! as! a! benevolent! teacher! went! above! and! beyond! the! call! of! duty!to!help!a!child.!! Aritas’! mother! came! to! America! from! Mar! Azul,! Honduras,! to! escape! the! devastating! effects! of! Hurricane! Mitch.! She! left! Aritas! behind! with! his! grandfather,! who! decided!the!best!place!for!him!was!America.! Stafford,! then! a! middle! school! teacher,! was! touched! by! Aritas’! tale! of! making!his!way!across!the!border!at!10!years! old,!and!decided!to!help!him!become!a!legal! Top: It takes about 9.5 months for coffee beans, or cherries, to reach peak color. Bottom: Yonah Coffee resident.! The! process! included! a! trip! to! Mar! cuttings grow in cups before being potted. Azul!as!Stafford!searched!for!Aritas’!father.! Stafford!brought!back!10!pounds!of! transitioning! to! selling! coffee! beans! unprocessed! coffee! beans! from! the! trip! and! that!are!solely!from!this!state.! planted! them! in! his! yard! as! a! gardening! These! coffee! plants! are! experiment.!! about! 5! years! old! and! expected! to! Initially,! his! north! Georgia! plants! bear! their! second! crop! in! May.! produced! 100! pounds! of! beans,! but! the! Stafford! hopes! to! get! 10! to! 12! second! harvest! is! predicted! to! triple! that! pounds! of! beans! per! plant! in! the! amount.!The!plants!produce!around!24!cups! future,! though! the! mature! plants! of! coffee! each.! This! fact! led! Stafford! to! now! average! about! two! to! three! import! coffee! beans! from! Honduras,! and! pounds!per!growing!season.!!! Yonah! Coffee! began.! At! the! moment,! their! The!majority!of!these!plants! coffee! is! about! 20! percent! GeorgiaLgrown,! are! small! shrubs! that! are! rapidly! but!Stafford!and!Aritas!are!in!the!process!of! turning!into!trees,!but!a!few!of!them!
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behave!something!like!groundcovers.!! If! left! to! their! own! devices,! coffee! trees!can!reach!heights!of!up!to!20!feet!but,! in! most! regions! where! they! are! grown,! Stafford!says!the!plants!are!kept!pruned!to!a! height! of! around! five! feet! so! the! fruits! are! easy!to!harvest.!He!plans!to!allow!his!trees!to! reach!their!full!height!in!hopes!of!maximizing! the!harvest.!! Although! Stafford! is! not! sure! what! cultivars!they!are,!he!knows!the!plants!are!a! form! of! Arabica! coffee,! which! is! widely! known!for!its!superior!flavor.! “Research! [has]! demonstrated! that! Arabica!has!greater!flavor!and!aroma!appeal! than! Robusta,”! says! Andrea! M.! Kawabata,! a! University!of!Hawaii!Extension!agent.! Skip! Bittenbender,! an! Extension! specialist!from!the!University!of!Hawaii,!says! the! coffee! farms! in! his! state! grow! only! varieties! of! the! Arabica! species,! Coffea/ arabica.! C./ canephor,! commonly! known! as! Robusta,!is!not!grown!in!Hawaii.!He!says!the! climate!there!is!too!cool!to!successfully!grow! Robusta!types.!! Many!individuals,!including!Stafford,! believe! that! flavor! of! the! beans! is! improved! by! growing! them! at! high! altitudes,! which! allow!the!beans!to!develop!more!slowly.!This! is!said!to!result!in!a!better!flavored!product.!! “Coffee! flavor! is! affected! by! temperature,! which! cools! as! the! elevation! increases,”! Bittenbender! says.! “Because! we! [in!Hawaii]!are!north!of!the!main!coffee!areas! we!can!grow!from!sea!level!to!2,500!feet.”!! For! example,! Ethiopian! beans! are! grown! at! higher! altitudes! and! it! is! more! difficult! for! them! to! stay! alive,! much! less! produce!fruit,!says!Taylor!Wyrosdick!of!PERC! Coffee! Roasters! in! Savannah.! The! resultant! stress! ends! up! producing! coffee! beans! that! have!a!wide!range!of!light!berry!flavors!such! as!apricot,!strawberry!and!blueberry.!! Stafford! found! these! specimens! do!
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Dick Stafford, owner of Yonah Coffee in Cornelia, waters some of the Arabica coffee cultivars on his farm. Stafford began his coffee company after visiting Honduras while on a trip to help a former student — and now company partner — obtain US citizenship. best! with! fresh! air,! slightly! acidic! soil! and! conditions! that! aren’t!too!windy.!Bittenbender!says!coffee!plants!need!plenty! of!nitrogen!and!potassium!in!order!to!produce!a!good!crop.!! GeorgiaLgrown! coffee! plants! also! seem! to! benefit! from! dappled! sunlight! similar! to! the! kind! that! is! found! under! oak!trees,!Stafford!says.!! The!plants!in!Stafford’s!orchard!are!grown!in!fiveL!to! 12Lgallon!containers!to!allow!for!transportation!ease.!They!are! repotted! annually.! Stafford! recommends! a! mixture! of! oneL fourth!sand,!oneLfourth!cow!manure!and!oneLhalf!potting!soil! for!a!good!growing!medium.!!! “Coffee! requires! warm! conditions:! daytime! highs! in! 80s;!winter!nights!in!high!50s!to!midL60s,”!Bittenbender!says.!! These! tropical! plants! have! to! remain! above! freezing,! but!north!Georgia!only!has!a!few!days!where!this!requirement! comes!into!play.!Stafford!and!his!team!keep!the!greenhouses! functioning! more! like! conservatories,! with! the! air! heated! by! propane!tanks!when!the!temperatures!plummet.!! They! use! fans! in! the! greenhouses! to! protect! the! plants! from! the! winter! sun.! The! coffee! trees! go! through! a! period! of! stimulated! winter! from! December! until! February,! when!they!receive!less!water!than!they!would!at!other!periods! of!the!year.!Yonah!Coffee!also!mimics!a!rainy!spring!season!by! showering!the!plants!with!lots!of!liquid.! Unlike!their!HawaiianLgrown!counterparts,!which!are! vulnerable! to! pests! such! as! the! coffee! berry! borers! and! the! Kona! rootLknot! nematode,! coffee! trees! in! Georgia! have! an! advantage! when! it! comes! to! herbivorous! animals:! deer! and! rabbits! leave! the! plants! alone.! Stafford! says! the! only! noticeable!pest!so!far!is!scale!insects,!which!have!only!been!a! minor!nuisance.!!
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Stafford! experienced! many! learning! curves! in! becoming! a! coffee! farmer.! Only! 20! percent! of! the! seeds! that! are! planted! actually! germinate;! then! it! takes! several! years! before! they! produce! the! jasmineLlike! flowers! that! turn! into! coffee! beans,! known! as! cherries.! Stafford! somewhat! sped! up! the! process! of! growing! coffee! plants! by! taking! cuttings,! dipping!them!in!a!rooting!hormone!and!allowing!them!to!grow! roots! in! a! cup! of! water! before! being! potted.! It! takes! an! average! of! 9.5! months! to! turn! the! coffee! cherries! from! light! green!to!dull!orange!and!finally!a!bright!red,!Stafford!says.! Once! the! coffee! beans! are! ready,! they’re! handL harvested!on!Yonah!Coffee’s!farms.!This!is!a!laborious!process,! as! the! trees! may! be! picked! several! times! during! the! season,! Bittenbender!says.! After! the! crops! have! been! harvested,! the! work! of! turning!them!into!coffee!is!not!complete.!The!beans!must!be! processed!before!they!can!be!brewed!into!the!popular!drink.!! Although! Stafford! occasionally! demonstrates! how! to! roast!coffee!beans,!the!procedure!is!complicated!and!he!says! it’s! best! left! to! professionals! until! he! and! Aritas! first! reach! their!production!goals!for!their!orchard.!! Growing! coffee! doesn’t! have! to! be! done! on! a! commercial! level! in! order! to! be! an! enjoyable! pastime.! Homeowners! in! warmer! regions! can! grow! these! plants! outdoors! for! much! of! the! year! and! others! can! add! coffee! to! their!collection!as!a!houseplant.!These!tolerant!specimens!will! even!produce!fruit!at!lower!elevations!than!are!recommended! for! commercial! enterprises.! Bittenbender! says! from! personal! experience,!it!is!possible!for!hobby!growers!to!get!enough!fruit! from!a!few!small!plants!to!brew!their!own!cup!of!coffee.!
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! From page 5 | Llama Liability Laws about!lawsuits.”! ! The! Georgia! bill! is! modeled! after! Tennessee’s! Committee!a!week!later.!The!bill!is!still!being!reviewed! ! Bovine! Liability! Law,! passed! in! 2011,! which! states! that! by! the! committee,! but! is! expected! to! reappear! for! the! ! 2016!legislative!session.!! beef! cattle! producers! aren’t! liable! for! injury! or! damage! “We! feel! pretty! positive! that! we! have! good! momentum! going! for! this! year,”! says! Will! Bentley,! executive! vice! president! of! Georgia! Cattlemen’s! Association.!! The! association! worked! with! Georgia! Farm! Bureau! and! Georgia! Agribusiness! Council! in! offLsession! meetings! with! legislators! to! address! remaining! concerns.! Early! qualms! included!liability!at!rodeos!and!other! highLrisk! events.! This! bill! only! covers! livestock! activities! such! as! sales,! BENTLEY trade! shows! and! educational! sessions.!! “Equine!and!llama!activities!have!been!protected! for! decades,! so! this! will! provide! equal! rights! for! all! livestock,”!Bentley!says.! The! issue! is! particularly! relevant! in! recent! years! as! consumers! become! more! interested! in! where! their! food! originates! and! seek! farm! tours! to! attend.! As! more! Georgia! residents! become! further! removed! from! family! or!personal!connections!to!farms,!they!want!to!reconnect! with!production!and!development!of!food,!Bentley!says.!! “People! are! not! as! deeply! involved! in! producing! their!own!food!as!generations!of!the!past!have!been,”!he! adds.!“They!want!to!feel!that!connection!to!what!they’re! eating.”!! In! addition,! students! in! 4LH! and! FFA! groups! request! more! access! to! farm! facilities! and! equipment! as! they!have!fewer!personal!connections!as!well.!! “Kids! used! to! go! to! their! neighbors! and! borrow! equipment,!but!more!students!are!becoming!involved!in! those! groups! who! haven’t! been! on! a! farm,! which! is! great,”! Bentley! says.! “For! farmers,! that! means! choosing! between!helping!a!kid!or!taking!on!liability.”! As! written! now,! the! code! protects! the! inherent! risks! associated! with! equine! and! llama! activities.! However,!owners!are!held!liable!for!injuries!if!intentional! disregard!for!safety!or!willful!negligence!is!involved.!! “Any! time! you! talk! about! passing! any! kind! of! legislation! that! reduces! the! ability! of! people! to! sue! you,! there’s! always! some! question! about! that,”! says! Chris! Taylor,! former! chairman! of! GCA’s! legislative! committee! and! a! member! of! the! Pineywoods! Cattlemen’s! Association!in!Baxley.!“This!doesn’t!cover!negligence,!but! gives! a! farmer! a! bit! of! protection! and! a! bit! of! assurance!
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related! to! bovine! activities! such! as! shows,! teaching! activities,!grazing,!herding,!branding!and!milking.!Like!the! proposed! Georgia! changes,! Tennessee’s! law! doesn’t! cover! negligence.! Mississippi! law! covers! equine! and! livestock!activities,!and!South!Carolina!law!broadly!covers! “agritourism! activity”! carried! out! on! a! farm! or! ranch! for! recreational,!entertainment!or!educational!purposes.!! “Most! farmers! I! know! are! going! to! let! people! come! to! farms! anyway! because! they! trust! people! and!
TAYLOR
believe!nobody!will!sue,”!Taylor!says.! “But! we! know! that’s! not! the! world! we!live!in!now.”! Taylor! cited! the! positive! outcomes! of! the! annual! farm! tour! held! in! Baxley! and! Appling! County! each! year! for! residents! to! see! livestock! and! operations.! The! tour! is! particularly! useful! for! business!
executives,! banks! and! other! financial! institutions! to! understand!operations!on!farms.! “It!gives!them!a!firsthand!look!at!what’s!going!on,! which! helps! when! you! need! to! borrow! money! and! explain!your!operations,”!Taylor!says.! In! 2015,! a! couple! from! Baxley! that! Taylor! has! known!for!years!visited!his!farm.!The!45LyearLold!woman! watched!a!calf!birth!for!the!first!in!her!life!and!was!blown! away!by!the!process.!! “She!said!it!was!the!most!amazing!thing!she!had! ever! seen,! and! she! had! lived! near! us! her! whole! life,”! Taylor! says.! “When! I! was! a! boy,! almost! everybody! was! connected! to! a! farm! in! some! way,! but! that’s! not! true! now.”! As!the!legislation!moves!through!the!session!this! spring,! llama! and! equine! owners! will! be! watching! the! process! as! well.! Pam! Fink! created! and! opened! Windy! Valley!Llamas!in!Blue!Ridge!more!than!a!decade!ago!and! has! had! few! liability! issues! as! she! attends! shows! and! cares!for!llamas!on!her!farm.!She!hopes!livestock!owners! in!the!state!can!feel!the!same!way.! “I!have!never!felt!the!need!for!liability!insurance,! and! the! fact! that! I! am! not! a! petting! zoo! or! open! to! the! public! might! have! something! to! do! with! that,”! she! says.! “We! have! farm! insurance,! but! like! the! majority! of! farms! in! north! Georgia,! we’re! not! open! to! the! public! and! only! host!small!farm!tours.”! ! !
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FEBRUARY GARDEN CHECKLIST
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Source:/Walter/Reeves,/The/Georgia/Gardener/
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Look!for!blooms!on!your!Lenten!rose! Water!poinsettias,!Christmas!cacti!and! amaryllises! Consider!soil!testing!your!lawn!with!a!test!kit! from!your!county!Extension!office! Prune!apple!and!pear!trees,!as!well!as!oneL fourth!of!the!branches!from!fig!trees! Bring!spirea,!forsythia!and!flowering!quince! inside!and!place!in!a!vase!to!bloom! Remove!wires,!stakes!and!trunk!wraps!from! trees!planted!in!the!fall!
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Prune!brown!leaves!on!Burford!holly,! pampas!and!maiden!grasses,!leaving!brown! stems!about!12!inches!tall! Plant!a!patio!container!with!a!small! boxwood,!variegated!ivy!and!blooming! pansies,!and!plant!a!winter!daphne!near!the! front!stoop! Clean!out!bird!boxes!to!prep!for!spring! Build!raised!beds!for!roses,!herbs!and! vegetable!gardens! Reduce!the!size!of!butterfly!bushes!by!twoL thirds!to!oneLhalf! Fertilize!fescue!with!a!turf!fertilizer! Cut!off!any!torn!leaves!of!monkeygrass!
Got!a!question!for!our!bloom!experts,!who!are!passionate! about!their!plants?!Submit!your!question!online!at! www.agriCULTUREmagazine.net,!or!email!it!to!us!directly!at! contact.agriculturemagazine@gmail.com!with!the!subject! line!“Ask!the!Experts:!bloom.”!
Q:&"Will&ferns&recover&in&the&spring&if&they&are&left&outside&through& the&winter?"& —!Andria!Ashley,!Evans! !
Tim Lewis Lewis Farms Nursery, LLC
First!of!all,!this!response!is!directed!toward!containerized!Boston!ferns.!The!short! answer!to!this!question!is!no!—!ferns!do!not!fare!well!if!left!outside!to!brave!the!winter.! Your!fern!will!need!some!protection!during!this!rest!period.!!!!! The!idea!is!to!allow!your!fern!to!go!dormant!without!allowing!it!to!freeze.! Temperatures!between!40!and!55!degrees!accomplish!this.!!! The!first!sign!that!your!fern!is!entering!dormancy!is!that!its!fronds!will!turn!brown! and!wither!and!begin!to!shed.!This!shedding!is!normal,!but!can!be!somewhat!messy.!The!
solution!is!to!trim!off!all!unsightly!dead!and!dying!fronds!and!runners!down!to!a!couple!of!inches!above!the!soil!line.! Leave!any!newly!sprouted!fronds!intact.!! Keep!your!fern!in!a!garage!or!other!area!protected!from!the!severe!cold!and!rain.!A!low!light!level!is! acceptable,!for!the!plant!will!be!putting!on!very!little!new!growth.!As!for!watering,!it!will!need!only!a!very!limited! amount!of!moisture.!Water!either!a!little!each!week!or!a!little!along!as!you!see!a!fresh!frond!sprout!arise.!! Withhold!fertilizer!when!overwintering!Boston!ferns.!A!plant!that!is!not!actively!growing!needs!no!additional! nutrition.!! When!temperatures!rise!in!the!spring!and!when!all!danger!of!frost!is!past,!it!is!time!to!return!your!fern!to!its! normal!springtime!growing!conditions.!Morning!sun!and!afternoon!shade!are!ideal!for!Boston!ferns.!Be!sure!to!give!it! a!good!dose!of!fertilizer!and!water,!and!it!will!be!well!on!the!way!to!providing!you!with!much!pleasure!for!yet!another! season.!! !! ! ! 9!
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As!winter!comes!to!a!close!and! Georgians! prepare! for! the! arrival! of! spring,! seasoned! gardeners! and! green! thumb! newbies! welcome! the! arrival! of! orchid! season.! These! beautiful! tropical! flowers!thrive!in!humidity!and!are!wildly! popular! among! Georgians.! As! the! orchid! flowering! season! begins,! the! State! Botanical! Garden! of! Georgia! in! Athens! and!the!Atlanta!Botanical!Garden!plan!to! host!celebrations!for!orchid!enthusiasts.! Fuqua! Orchid! Center! Manager! Becky! Brinkman! is! busy! preparing! for! Atlanta’s!Orchid!Daze.!!! “Spring! is! sort! of! the! crescendo! for! orchid! flowering! in! nature! and! in! cultivation.! It's! the! right! combination! of! day! length! and! temperature! so! that! probably!more!than!half!of!the!orchid!of! our! collection! flower! at! that! time,”! Brinkman!says.! The! center! displays! a! variety! of! orchids! yearLround! but! amps! up! its! exhibit! during! Orchid! Daze! for! 10! weeks! each! spring! to! educate,! entertain! and! amaze.! Visitors! will! tour! an! atrium,! greenhouse! and! lobby! area! that! showcase! numerous! varieties! of! orchids! in! vibrant! colors! in! a! naturalLlooking! habitat.!Brinkman!says!that!in!the!nature! it!is!rare!to!find!orchids!on!the!ground.!! “Most!orchids!in!the!tropics!occur! on!trees.!They're!not!living!in!the!ground.! If! you! ever! go! to! the! tropics,! take! binoculars! because! they’re! up! in! the! air.! One! of! the! things! we! want! to! do! is! get! From Top: This tiny orchid bloomed for the first time just them! up! on! eye! level! so! our! visitors! can! before Christmas. Orchids grow see!them,”!Brinkman!says.!!! on trees, with the air moving Additional! exhibits! at! the! Atlanta! about their roots. Dracula gardens! include! huge! spheres! full! of! vampira, or the Dracula orchid, is native to South America.
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orchids! and! a! spiral! display! showcasing! the! flowers.! Both! Atlanta! and! Athens! have! calendars! chockLfull! of! orchidLthemed! events! beginning! this! month,! including! a! wine! and! cheese!exhibit!and!“Vanilla!Sunday.”!That!day,! visitors! can! sip! vanilla! martinis! and! enjoy! ice! cream! commemorating! a! popular! flower! that! many!don’t!know!is,!in!fact,!an!orchid.! “What! they! call! a! [vanilla]! bean! is! the! fruit!of!an!orchid,”!Brinkman!says.!“All!orchids,! if!they’re!pollinated!and!fertilized,!will!produce! a! capsule.! In! vanilla,! that! capsule,! once! it’s! matured,!looks!long!and!skinny!like!a!bean.”! That! “bean”! is! then! harvested,! fermented!and!dried!in!a!complex!process.! “Over! the! course! of! however! many! months,! it! develops! that! characteristic! vanilla! flavor.! It! turns! brown! and! all! shrively! and! is! marketed! that! way,”! Brinkman! says.! “The! vanilla!you!see!in!ice!cream,!those!little!brown! flecks,!is!just!the!choppedLup!capsule.”! Driving! home! the! message! of! conservation!and!orchid!protection!is!a!goal!of! orchid!events.!Even!with!over!35,000!species!of! orchids!in!the!world,!deforestation!leads!to!the! rapid! decline! of! orchid! populations.! Though! habitat!loss!accounts!for!the!majority!of!orchid! destruction,!particularly!rare!and!exotic!species! are! being! dug,! potted! and! sold! on! the! black! market,!Brinkman!says.!Because!the!conditions! that! make! these! exotic! orchids! flourish! in! nature! are! difficult! to! simulate,! many! of! the! plants!sold!on!the!black!market!do!not!survive.!! Though!Orchid!Daze!will!include!dozens! of! hybrid! —! orchids! that! are! bred! and! do! not! occur!in!the!wild!—!laboratories!at!the!Atlanta! Botanical! Garden! focus! yearLround! on! conserving! species! orchids! that! are! found! in! nature.! These! center! primarily! on! five! groups:! the! Asiatic! slipper! orchid,! orchids! of! Madagascar,! Darwin's! Orchid,! South! American!
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Becky Brinkman, manager of the Fuqua Orchid Center at Atlanta Botanical Garden, checks on pansy orchids in preparation for the Orchid Daze events.
orchids!and!high!elevation!orchids.! “They’re! important! poster! children! for! plant!conservation,”!Brinkman!says.!“There’s!some! important! messages! to! get! across! about! orchids! beyond,!‘Oh,!they’re!pretty.’”! Orchid! experts! caution! growers! about! the! risks! of! purchasing! orchids! at! big! box! stores.! Mail! order! or! purchasing! orchids! from! a! nursery! helps! ensure! that! the! plants! were! taken! care! of! prior! to! sale.! Brinkman! says! that! consumers! commonly! mistake!a!flowering!orchid!for!a!healthy!orchid.!! “A! dying! orchid! can! flower.! It! can! have! a! completely!dead!root!system!and!still!have!a!flower! on! it.! But! the! most! important! thing! when! you’re! looking! to! buy! an! orchid! is! the! health! of! the! root! system,”!Brinkman!says.! A! quick! wiggle! of! the! pot! can! give! consumers!an!idea!of!the!health!of!the!root!system! of! the! plant.! A! firmly! rooted! plant! that! does! not! shift! or! wobble! when! shaken! indicates! a! healthy! plant,!she!says.! Orchids! have! had! the! reputation! of! being! difficult! to! care! for,! but! can! be! easy! to! grow! and! maintain!when!the!grower!learns!the!basics!of!care! and! understands! how! they! differ! from! other! houseplants.! Brinkman! does! not! recommend! Georgians!try!growing!them!outdoors.! “In! nature! they! require! this! perfect! little!
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ecosystem;! they! don't! grow! just! anywhere.! For! example! some! of! the! slipper! orchids! typically! grow! in! oak! pine! forests,!where!the!fallen!leaves!create!a!certain!pH!in!the! soil! and! there's! certain! soil! fungi! present! and! there's! a! certain!amount!of!rainfall!that!they!need!to!get!and!when! they!get!this!perfect!combination!then!that's!where!they! grow.! Not! in! my! backyard! or! your! backyard,”! Brinkman! says.! Orchids! require! several! hours! of! controlled! light! daily.! On! his! website,! Master! Gardener! Walter! Reeves! suggests!placing!orchids!behind!window!blinds!or!curtains! to! provide! adequate! light! without! scorching! the! plant.! Yellow! leaves! indicate! a! plant! that! is! receiving! too! much! sun! while! dark! leaves! indicate! insufficient! lighting! conditions.! Healthy! orchid! leaves! should! be! bright! green! and! be! the! same! temperature! as! the! surrounding! environment!and!not!warm!to!the!touch.!! OverLwatering! is! a! common! problem! orchid! owners! have.! Watering! orchids! in! the! morning! early! and! lightly! enough! for! the! plant! to! be! dry! by! evening! is! recommended.! Plants! should! be! moist! but! not! soggy.! Reeves! recommends! watering! weekly! in! the! winter! months!and!twice!weekly!during!the!warmer!months.! Properly! repotting! orchids! every! two! years! is! another! important! step! in! the! orchid! growing! process,! Brinkman! says.! Orchids! that! are! being! grown! indoors! especially! need! the! nutrients! from! an! orchid! mix! when! repotted.!Orchid!mixes!have!an!array!of!organic!material! in! them! that! allow! the! root! system! to! grow! and! develop! with!plenty!of!space!for!air!to!move.!! Toward!the!end!of!a!twoLyear!period!the!rock!and! soil!in!the!mixes!break!down!allowing!the!roots!to!become! more!saturated!with!water.!! “That!is!the!kiss!of!death!for!a!plant!that’s!used!to! being! up! in! the! air! with! a! lot! of! air! moving! around! its! roots,”!Brinkman!says.! Georgians! can! learn! the! perfect! potting! methods! for!orchids,!and!even!take!some!home!themselves,!during! Orchid!Daze!and!Orchid!Madness.!! “At!the!end!of!our!Orchid!Daze!show,!we!have!our! Gently! Used! Plant! Sale,! which! is! enormously! popular,”! Brinkman!says.!! ! For/a/full/list/of/orchid/events/this/month/in/Athens/and/ Atlanta,/turn/to/our/calendar/on/page/24./Visit/ www.facebook.com/agriCULTUREmagazineUS/this/month/ to/see/our/entire/album/of/orchid/sneak/peeks./ !
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Wheelbarrows, kitchen sinks, woven baskets, retired tires and more can be repurposed into planters to add a touch of whimsy to Georgia gardens. Photo | Anne Gibson, The Micro Gardener
Strict! budgets! or! urban! homesites!
shouldn’t! mean! that! Georgians! give! up! on! the!idea!of!having!gardens!of!their!own.!With! a! little! bit! of! creativity,! there’s! no! need! for! them! to! miss! out! on! growing! edibles! or! brightly! colored! flowers! outside! the! traditional!garden!environment.!! !
A!wide!variety!of!both!edible!and!ornamental! plants! can! be! successfully! grown! in! repurposed! containers.! According! to! gardening! experts,! edible! choices! for! container! gardens! include! strawberries,! blueberries,!beets,!Swiss!chard,!salad!mixes,!pansies,! bronze! fennel,! spring! onions,! cherry! tomatoes! and! herbs.! “Herbs! are! perfect! for! containers,”! says! Marjorie! Stansel,! former! president! of! the! Georgia! Master!Gardener!Association.!! People! choose! to! grow! their! plants! in! repurposed! containers! for! a! variety! of! reasons.! In! the! South,! one! of! those! is! to! reduce! the! threats! of! bolls!and!bermudagrass,!she!says.! Repurposed! planters! can! take! a! number! of! different! forms:! wheelbarrows,! woven! baskets,! pallets,!wooden!boxes,!cans,!buckets,!overLtheLdoor! shoe! hangers! and! even! old! chairs! and! bathtubs.! In! one! of! Stansel’s! children’s! gardens,! milk! crates! are! 12! !
used!to!grow!a!succession!of!potatoes.!! “As!long!as!you!can!put!holes!in!the!bottom,! you!can!plant!in!it,”!Stansel!says.!“Some!people!have! a!theme!to!their!garden!and!may!want![containers]! to!go!along!with!their!home.!…!There!are!a!lot!of!us! that! go! along! with! the! rural! or! folk! art! motif! that! opens! you! up! to! a! lot! of! containers! that! you! can! use.”!!! The! use! of! creative! planters! can! create! a! touch! of! whimsy.! These! objects! provide! more! traditional! gardens! with! a! focal! point! and! a! conversation! starter,! says! Australian! gardener! Anne! Gibson,!who!runs!the!website!The!Micro!Gardener.! The! main! requirements! for! repurposed! containers! are! that! they! can! hold! potting! soil! and! that! they! won’t! fall! apart! when! the! plants! in! them! are! watered.! There! are! a! few! caveats,! however:! Stansel!says!woven!baskets!can!be!great!planters,!so! long! as! they’re! lined! —! plus,! they! can! be! tossed! in! the! compost! pile! if! they! do! start! to! disintegrate! —! and! Gibson! recommends! metal! containers! be! reserved!for!succulents!such!as!cacti.!! “Whilst! not! wanting! to! dampen! your! enthusiasm! for! gardening! in! repurposed! planters,! I! encourage! you! to! do! your! due! diligence! when! choosing!that!perfect!container,”!she!says.! That! due! diligence! includes! considering! size,! shape,!material!and!color!of!containers.!
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Metal containers are best reserved for cacti and other succulents, which are able to stand up to the heat transferred by this material. Gardeners who want to us a decorative or repurposed container for edible plants may want to consider the cachepot method, where the plants are potted in a practical container and then placed in the one that fits their aesthetic. Photos | Anne Gibson, The Micro Gardener
For! gardeners! who! plan! to! grow! edible! plants,! plastic! containers,! such! as! repurposed! soda! bottles!and!tires,!should!be!avoided.!These!types!of! containers! may! leach! chemicals! into! the! soil! over! time!and!affect!the!plant,!Gibson!says.!! But! if! the! temptation! to! plant! carrots! in! a! tire! is! too! strong,! gardeners! can! use! the! cachepot,! or!double!potting!method.!This!means!they!plant!in! a! functional! pot,! which! is! then! put! inside! a! decorative! one.! This! protects! the! plant,! but! keeps! the!garden’s!aesthetic,!Gibson!says.! She! says! paleLcolored! containers! are! good! choices!for!areas!that!have!warm!summers,!because! their! color! might! help! keep! the! high! temperatures! from!cooking!the!plants.! Stansel! says! gardeners! should! avoid! yellow! planters,!which!attract!the!pest!whiteflies.!! When! it! comes! to! shape,! Gibson! says! some! containers! are! designed! in! a! way! that! makes! it! difficult! to! extract! plants! for! repotting,! and! others! may!not!leave!room!for!plants!to!continue!growing.! She! says! deep,! old! kitchen! sinks! or! bathtubs! made! of!porcelain!or!ceramic!materials!are!good!choices,! especially! for! moistureLloving! plants! that! can! be! more!difficult!to!grow.! Not!all!species!will!be!productive!in!a!space! where! their! roots! are! confined.! Trees! and! other! large! plants,! as! well! as! those! that! like! a! moist! growing! environment,! can! be! a! challenge! to! successfully!establish!in!containers,!Gibson!says.! !
“The! containers! just! get! too! hot! for! some! things.! The! sun! beats! down! on! the! container! and! heats!up!the!soil,!so!you!have!to!water!your!plants! more,”!Stansel!says.!! She!advises!gardeners!to!move!these!plants! around! so! they! get! a! bit! of! shade! and! the! evening! sun!isn’t!beating!upon!them.! When!deciding!what!place!in!their!newfound! containers,! gardeners! may! have! purely! utilitarian! goals.!However,!those!who!seek!to!add!eyeLcatching! plants! to! already! intriguing! creations! should! remember! one! design! principle! for! a! dazzling! display.!! “Containers!should!follow!the!rule!of!a!filler,! a!thriller!and!a!spiller,”!Stansel!says.! This! means! one! plant! should! stand! upright,! another! should! take! up! the! unfilled! space! and! the! third!should!hang!down!the!container’s!side.! No!matter!what!the!container!is,!or!what!the! arrangement!of!flora!inside!looks!like,!it’s!important! to! remember! that! container! gardens! require! different!care!than!an!inLground!one.! “Plants! grown! in! garden! soil! can! seek! out! moisture! and! nutrients.! However,! containerLbound! plants!rely!on!you!to!feed!and!water!them,”!Gibson! says.! “The! soil! mix! is! also! very! different.! Container! gardens! need! a! good! quality! potting! mix! to! hold! plant! food! and! moisture.! Unless! added,! they! are! less!likely!to!have!any!worms!or!microorganisms!to! help!feed!the!plants.”!! ! 13!
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From&the&AUS&to&the&ATL:&Georgia&Grown&Chef&Matthew&Basford& “Before!my!move!to!the!US,!I! was!a!qualified!chef!in!Australia.!I! wanted!to!experience!and!gain! knowledge!of!a!different!style!of!cuisine,! and!I!found!that!in!New!Orleans.!I!loved! the!heritage!and!grandeur!of!the!food.! Matthew Basford They!have!made!their!own!cuisine!by! Executive Chef, mixing!so!many!different!cultures!and! Canoe readily!available!ingredients.! Atlanta True!Southern!cooking!styles!are!somewhat!new! to!me,!although!they!do!take!a!lot!of!influences!from! cuisines!that!I!am!familiar!with!in!growing!up!in!Australia.! The!prep!and!cooking!style!of!certain!cuts!of!meat!and!the! use!of!rouxs!to!thicken!sauces!is!very!familiar.!However,!I! will!say!—!grits!are!one!thing!that!has!taken!some!time!for! me!to!learn!how!to!cook!correctly,!but!I!feel!I!have!almost! got!it.! I!have!been!able!to!blend!Australian!ingredients! with!Southern!style!dishes.!The!addition!of!kangaroo![on! the!menu]!has!been!a!positive!one!that!people!are!really! responding!to.!The!South!embodies!many!different! cooking!styles!and!cultures,!so!it!is!very!easy!to!blend!and! adapt!Australian!techniques!to!US!palates!and! ingredients.”!
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AFRICAN SQUASH & APPLE SALAD
Ingredients:& 2!African!squash! ! ! 1!cup!loose!packed!baby!kale! QuarterLcup!walnuts,!toasted! 2!cups!apple!cider!vinegar!! 1!clove!garlic,!crushed!! ! 1!cup!olive!oil!! ! !
1!cup!bacon!lardons! 2!apples!! Half!onion,!diced! 2!cups!apple!cider! Half!jalapeño,!finely!diced! QuarterLcup!walnut!oil!
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Directions:& 1.!Sauté!onion,!garlic!and!jalapeño!in!a!small!amount!of!olive! oil!until!translucent.! 2.!Add!apple!cider!and!cider!vinegar!and!reduce!by!half.!Cool,! then!add!olive!and!walnut!oils.!Season!to!taste;!set!aside.! 3.!Cook!the!bacon!lardons!over!low!heat.!Set!aside!to!cool.! 4.!Peel!and!julienne!the!African!squash!and!apples.! 5.!Mix!the!squash,!apple,!toasted!walnuts,!baby!kale!and!warm! bacon!in!a!mixing!bowl.! 6.!Add!enough!vinaigrette!(made!in!steps!one!and!two)!to!coat! the!greens!and!squash.!Season!with!salt!and!pepper.!! ! For/a/warm/salad,/add/squash,/apples/and/kale/to/bacon/pan/to/ cook,/then/top/with/nuts/and/vinaigrette./
Basford/is/part/of/the/2015/to/2016/Georgia/Grown/Executive/Chef/ Program.//
RECIPES FROM OUR READERS: Pasta with Asparagus Amanda!Reinke!of!Richmond,!Virginia,!shared!with!us!her!mom’s!recipe.!She!says,!“My!mom!likes!to!add! chicken!to!this!dish.!If!you!want!to!cook!it!with!chicken,!add!the!chicken!with!the!sautéed!garlic!and!red! pepper.!After!it!has!cooked!a!bit,!add!the!asparagus!and!follow!the!recipe’s!remaining!steps!”! Ingredients:& & & & 5!cloves!minced!garlic! ! ! 1!tablespoon!dried!red!pepper!flakes! QuarterLteaspoon!pepper! ! ! QuarterLcup!parmesan!cheese! ! QuarterLcup!olive!oil! ! ! HalfLpound!mostaccioli!pasta! ! 1!tablespoon!butter!or!margarine! ! 1!pound!fresh!asparagus! ! !
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! Directions:! 1.!Cook!mostaccioli!according!to!package!directions!and!drain.! 2.!Cut!asparagus!into!1.5Linch!pieces.! 3.!StirLfry!garlic!and!red!pepper!in!the!olive!oil!and!butter!for!two!to! !!!!three!minutes.! 4.!Add!asparagus!and!pepper,!and!salt!to!taste.! 5.!StirLfry!until!the!asparagus!is!crisp!tender,!eight!to!10!minutes.! 6.!Add!parmesan!and!mix!well.!Pour!over!mostaccioli!and!toss.! ! Send/us/your/recipe/through/our/contact/form/online!/
DON’T FORGET TO … Got!a!question!for!our!chew!experts,!who!represent!Georgia’s! food!and!beverage!industry?!Submit!your!question!online!at! www.agriCULTUREmagazine.net,!or!email!it!to!us!directly!at! contact.agriculturemagazine@gmail.com!with!the!subject!line! “Ask!the!Experts:!chew.”!
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sandwich! special! during! lunch! or! pick! up! some! cake! Georgians! love! small! businesses,! friendly! faces! and! pops! and! cookies! to! enjoy! with! a! family! dinner.! Fendley!
and! delicious! sugary! treats,! so! hometown! bakeries,! says! that! the! charm! of! the! shop,! warmth! of! her! confectionaries! and! dessert! shops! have! become! a! employees!and!of!course!the!delicious!baked!goods!keep! Southern! community! staple.! Getting! to! know! the! face! the!locals!coming!back!for!more.!Fresh!hot!doughnuts!and! behind!the!counter!is!as!important!to!many!customers!as! cinnamon! buns! are! community! favorites,! as! are! more! novel! items! like! chocolate! covered! cherries! and! cookie! the!sweet!treats!they!purchase!at!the!shops.!! “We! want! people! to! feel! like! they’ve! just! come! dough!bites.! “A! kind! of! unique! item! that! is! probably! my! home,”! says! Monica! Fendley,! owner! of! the! Kingsland! favorite! product! is! the! cream! cheese! Danish! that! my! bakery!Sugar!&!Slice!And!Everything!Nice.! That’s! the! common! thread! in! small! business! daughter! Katie! makes.! They! are! really! delicious.! ownership:! the! people! Sometimes! she! breaks! it! that! work! to! make! the! up! by! filling! them! with! vision! of! the! shop! a! different!things,”!Fendley! success! while! serving! says.!“She!fills!them!with! the! community! in! a! job! different! types! of! they! are! passionate! chocolates! and! about.!!! sometimes!fruit.”! According!to!the! A! quick! whiff! of! Georgia! Small! Business! the! shop! on! Saturday! Profile,! businesses! like! mornings! makes! it! clear! hometown! bakeries! why! this! sweet! ranks! such! as! Fendley’s! are! among! the! topLbaked! critical! to! the! economic! items! in! Fendley’s! health! of! the! state.! Of! favorites!list.! the! 865,649! registered! This! familyLrun! businesses! in! Georgia,! shop! has! always! 99.8! percent! are! Decadent pastries and sweet desserts fill the cases at Kingsland bakery Sugar & Slice And operated!with!the!goal!of! Everything Nice. The sugary scents wafting from the shop help draw in customers. categorized! as! small! making!the!shop!feel!like! businesses! that! employ! home.! ! Its! homeLstyle! fewer! than! 500! employees.! Like! Sugar! &! Slice,! over! 80! feel! of! cooking! has! been! passed! down! for! generations.! percent!of!small!businesses!in!Georgia!employ!no!more! Though!Fendley!did!spend!a!short!time!apprenticing!as!a! than!five!people.!This!means!consistency!in!highLquality! cake!decorator!with!a!veteran!decorator!in!Colorado!City,! products!and!the!care!and!attention!of!merchants!that! Colorado,!many!years!ago,!none!of!the!owners!have!been! stand!by!the!quality!of!their!product!and!the!mission!of! to!culinary!school!or!received!any!formal!training.! In! addition! to! local! traffic,! the! shop! fills! their!shop.!! Fendley!started!her!business!over!a!decade!ago! numerous! cookie! and! cake! orders! for! parties! and! in! a! home! studio! kitchen! with! a! Cottage! Food! License! weddings.!Fendley!says!that!fall!is!a!particularly!busy!time! before! opening! her! first! storefront.! Though! the! retail! as!they!amp!up!the!fall!baking!with!seasonal!favorites!like! shop! has! not! yet! been! open! for! a! year,! it! has! been! pecan! pie! and! pumpkin! rolls.! Customers! are! busy! wildly! successful! in! the! community! and! repeatedly! ordering! cupcakes! and! cookies! for! Halloween! parties,! draws! the! locals! in! to! snag! a! freshLfromLtheLoven! school!events!and!fall!weddings.!!! “The!climate!here!really!dictates!when!weddings! cinnamon!roll!on!a!Saturday!morning,!chat!over!a!soup!
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happen.! October! is! a! huge! wedding! month! for! us! because! the! weather! is! cooling! down! in! south! Georgia,”! Fendley! says.! Fendley’s! store! employs! five! people! and! serves! as! the! “creative! outlet”! for! employees.! The! constant! variation!on!the!menu!keeps!the!team!on! its!toes.!! “From! one! day! to! the! next,! you! never!know!what!you’ll!find!in!here,”!she! says.! The! team! enjoys! finding! creative! methods! to! put! new! spins! on! old! favorites,! repurpose! older! products! and! donate! unsold! products! to! community! members.! The! Sugar! &! Slice! team! can! been! seen! around! Kingsland! and! St.! Marys! frequently! donating! cupcakes,! cookies! and! other! products! to! area! nursing! homes,! hospitals,! public! safety! and!civic!groups.!!! A! few! hours! north! in! Augusta,! community! bakeshop! The! Cotton! Bug! remains! famous! for! its! incredible! cakes.! Originally! a! part! of! The! Boll! Weevil! Café! in! Augusta,! The! Cotton! Bug! opened! a! retail! shop! several! years! ago! to! better! serve! the! community.! Though! its! delicious!cakes!are!still!served!at!The!Boll! Weevil! Café,! customers! can! now! order! special! occasion! desserts! directly! from! the!downtown!shop.! Store! manager! Casey! Thompson! explained! that! the! store’s! bestLselling! items! were! the! peanut! butter! pie,! 7th! Heaven! Cake! and! red! velvet! cake.! Thompson’s! personal! favorite! is! the! red! velvet! cake! that! boasts! layers! of! white! chocolate! cheesecake! sandwiched! between! red! velvet! layers! and! melted! white! chocolate.! The! 7th! Heaven! Cake! that! contains! seven! different! types! of! chocolate! keeps! customers! coming! back! for! more! with! its! decedent! layers! of! chocolate! cake,! white! chocolate! cheesecake,! chocolate! ganache,! chocolate! drizzle,! chocolate! buttercream! frosting!and!white!chocolate!chips.! “Our! cakes! are! known! for! being! very!tall,”!Thompson!says.!!!
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The! company! has! been! featured! in! several! Southern! magazines! adding! to! it! popularity! and! customer! base.! Though! local!business!is!the!driving!force!behind! this! shop,! it! is! a! popular! tourist! destination,!too.!!! “We! do! have! people! buy! the! cakes!frozen!and!travel!with!them!a!lot,”! Thompson! says.! “Regular! customers! passing!through!town!say,!‘Every!time!we! come!to!town!we!visit!here!to!take!a!cake! home.’”!!! The! red! velvet! cake! is! a! huge! seller,!as!many!customers!comment!that! it! is! the! best! red! velvet! cake! they! have! ever! eaten,! she! says.! Thanksgiving! is! the! busiest! time! of! the! year! —! the! Cotton! Bug! takes! orders! for! cakes! leading! up! to! Thanksgiving!week!and!works!to!have!as! many! cakes! available! for! walk! up! orders! as!possible.! Honeymoon! Bakery! in! Rome! attracts!tourists!from!a!triLstate!area!with! brownies,! cakes! and! cookies! all! made! completely!from!scratch.!Local!customers! are!the!lifeblood!of!the!business,!keeping! the!store!staff!excited!at!the!possibilities! and! challenges! of! custom! cake! designs! for! special! events,! while! also! providing! the!sense!of!community!that!comes!from! dropping! by! frequently! in! the! afternoon! for! dessert! and! conversation! after! a! day! at!work.! Bakery! Manager! Monique! Watson!says!that!the!raspberry!Victorian! cake! is! her! favorite! dessert.!Moist! layers! of! white! cake,! fresh! raspberry! pastry! cream! filling,! raspberry! buttercream! frosting! with! a! chocolate! drizzle! makes! for!an!especially!delectable!dessert.!! Honeymoon! Bakery! attributes! the!success!of!the!shop!to!the!incredible,! bakers,! decorators! and! retail! staff! that! works!on!the!team,!as!well!as!the!people! that!work!to!make!the!vision!of!the!shop! a!success!while!serving!the!community!in! a!job!they!are!passionate!about.! “We! are! very! grateful! for! our! loyal!customers!that!have!found!tradition! in! coming! back! for! every! birthday! or! celebration,”!Watson!says.!
The offerings at Sugar & Spice And Everything Nice bakery in Kingsland include cookies, icing-drizzled sweets and a customer favorite, the cream cheese Danish. 17!
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GET CRAFTY: Faux&Stained&Glass&Containers& Valentine!cards!for!each!member!of!Janie’s!class?!Check!!AllergenLfree!individually!wrapped!cookies?!Check!!But!wait! —!Janie!needs!a!place!to!put!all!her!cards!!Don’t!worry,!y’all!!AtlantaLbased!craft!expert!Amy!Anderson,!who!runs!the! Mod!Podge!Rocks!blog!and!website,!has!an!easy!and!fun!way!to!make!a!pretty!card!container!in!a!pinch.!She!used! circles!in!blues!and!violets,!but!you!can!use!any!shapes!and!colors!you!want!to!make!yours.! What&You’ll&Need:& • Glass!containers!of!desired!size!and!shape,!preferably!with!a!fitted!lid! • Tissue!paper! • Hole!punch,!Sizzix!machine!or!stencil!in!desired!shape! • Mod!Podge!Gloss! • Clean!paintbrush!! ! Steps&to&Success:& 1.!Clean!the!glass!containers!and!allow!to!dry.! 2.!Using!stencils,!punches!or!the!Sizzix,!cut!a!number!of!your!shapes!out!of!tissue!! paper.!Try!cutting!different!sizes!of!the!shape!and!using!coordinating!colors!of! paper!to!give!the!boxes!a!cool!effect!! 3.!Once!you!have!enough!shapes!cut,!carefully!lay!them!down!on!the!containers!one!at!a!time!and!Mod!Podge!over!! them.!Layering!the!edges!of!the!shapes!adds!to!the!stained!glass!look.! 4.!When!you’re!done!layering,!apply!a!final!coat!of!Mod!Podge!and!let!the!container!dry.!It!takes!about!an!hour!to!dry,!! but!it!is!recommended!to!allow!the!containers!to!sit!for!about!24!hours!before!use.! Tutorial/courtesy/Amy/Anderson,/Mod/Podge/Rocks/
2016 CRAFT & HOBBY ASSOCIATION HOT PRODUCT WINNERS ANNOUNCED
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! Each!year,!the!Craft!&!Hobby!Association! names!its!top!picks!for!hot!products!in!eight! Knitting:&Lazy!Hiker!Wrap!by!Laura! categories.!This!year’s!winners!are:!! Dobratz! • Bead&&&Jewelry:!Bangle!Bracelet!Weaver! Available!for!$5!! Tool!by!Kleshna!by!Beadalon! Techniques:!slip!stitches,!knit!front!back,! • Cake&&&Food&Decorating:!PenBlade!Craft! yarn!over,!knit!two!together! and!Hobby!Knife!by!PenBlade,!Inc.! Uses!US!6!circular!needles!(preferably! • Fabric&&&Needle&Crafts:!EightLinch! with!a!24!or!32Linch!cable);!two! Tabletop!Offset!Scissors!by!Fiskars! contrasting!colors!of!!fingering!weight! • Floral&Crafts:!PenBlade!Craft!and!Hobby! yarn,!400!yards!each! Knife!by!PenBlade,!Inc.! ! • General&Crafts:!Bow!Genius!by!Berwick! Crochet:!BBL8,!Inspired!by!Star/Wars:/The/ Offray!LLC! Force/Awakens!by!Casey!Barnes! • Kids&Crafts:!kat!&!duke!stickers!by! Available!for!free!! Happenchance!LLC! Techniques:!Magic!circle,!single!crochet,! • Paint&&&Art:!CrayLPen!wax!painting! chain,!increase,!decrease,!even,!color! product!by!FPC!Corporation! change! • Paper&Crafts:!Mini!MISTI!and!Mega!MISTI! Uses!US!H!and!G!hooks,!four!colors! stampers!by!My!Sweet!Petunia,!Inc.! worsted!weight!yarn,!fiberfill!and!poly! Source:/Craft/&/Hobby/Association/ pellets!for!stuffing,!upholstery!needle!
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Emily! Cloninger! of! Colquitt! has! been! drawing! her!
but! it’s! a! watercolor,”! she! says.! “I! would! like! to! do! more! churches.! …! Those! are! really! fun! to! me,! and! they’re!really!fun!with!watercolor.”! whole!life.! Cloninger!recently!finished!college!at!The!Art! “My!mom!will!tell!me!that!everywhere!we!went,!as!a! Institute! in! Nashville,! Tennessee,! where! she! studied! kid! I! always! had! to! have! paper! and! pen,”! she! says.! “When! I! graphic! design.! Going! to! school! for! art! isn’t! always! started!taking!it!seriously!was!in!high!school.”! Cloninger! was! bored! one! day! and! thought! she’d! try! what!parents!have!in!mind,!a!perspective!Cloninger!is! her! hand! at! drawing! a! catalog! model.! She! started! focusing! familiar!with.! drawing! people,! and! the! rest! “People! ask! me! is!history.! when! I’m! going! to! get! a! “Everything! I’ve! real!job,”!she!says.!“I’m!a! learned! is! selfLtaught.! I! look! firm! believer! that! hard! up! YouTube! tutorials! or! read! work! pays! off.! Just! keep! about! techniques,”! Cloninger! going! at! it,! keep! working! says.! “It! wasn’t! until! a! few! hard! and! eventually! years! ago! that! I! started! you’re! going! to! get! painting!for!the!first!time!and! noticed.”! I’ve! really! fallen! in! love! with! She! advises! watercolor!lately.”! burgeoning! artists! to! Most! of! her! work! is! continue! learning,! commissionLbased.! progressing! and! to! be! “I! started! out! doing! confident! about! their! commissions! for! anybody! work.! who!asked!me!to.!That’s!kind! “My! mom! and! of! why! I! don’t! have! a! series! Artist Emily Cloninger, second from right, and her sister hold up Cloninger’s works some! family! members! quite!yet,!and!I’m!working!on! that will be displayed at the Georgia Capitol this year. The two were welcomed in late have! been! really! 2015 by Gov. Nathan Deal and First Lady Sandra Deal before the exhibit began. trying! to! develop! my! own! supportive!of!me.!I!don’t! Photo | Emily Cloninger style! and! what! makes! my! art! know! if! I! would! have! mine,”! she! says.! “Right! now! I’m! working! on! watercolor! gone! for! it! if! I! had! parents! who! were! criticizing! me,”! portraits!of!dogs.”! Cloninger!says.!“The!community!of!being!in!a!small!town! Cloninger!has!two!pieces!hanging!at!the!Georgia! and!people!are!really!supportive!of!me,!and!have!bought! Capitol!this!year!for!its!Art!of!Georgia!exhibit.! my! art,! are! really! encouraging.! That! keeps! me! going! on! “That! just! made! my! year,”! she! says.! “Getting! to! days!that!I!feel!like!I’m!not!good!enough.”! meet! Gov.! [Nathan]! Deal! was! pretty! cool,! and! drop! off! Right! now,! Cloninger! relies! on! word! of! mouth! my!art!to!be!at!an!exhibit!at!the!Capitol!was!probably!the! and!social!media!to!market!her!work.!! highlight!of!all!time!involving!my!art.”! “It! really! helps! living! in! a! small! town,! so! people! The! two! pieces! are! of! Cooks! Union! Methodist! know! you,! and! that! has! really! helped! my! business! and! Church!and!Notchaway!Baptist!Church.! being!able!to!sell!my!art!and!do!commissions,”!she!says.! “One! of! them! is! a! pencil! drawing! and! the! other! “I!would!like!to!have!my!own!business!and!have!my!work! looks! like! a! pencil! drawing! because! it’s! black! and! white,! in!a!gallery.!That’s!my!ultimate!goal.”! !
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Madison potter Diane Davies opened her Maid of Clay studio in 2001, turning a “challenging hobby” into an artistic career. Her stoneware pieces are featured in galleries across the state and were even taken overseas by University of Georgia representatives as gifts to foreign dignitaries.
Living!with!the!land!has!always!been!a!way!of!life! for!Diane!Davies.!Davies!worked!as!the!founder!and!director! of! Environmental! Education! for! the! University! of! Georgia! Cooperative! Extension! Service,! retiring! in! 2003! after! 32! years! of! service.! As! she! approached! retirement,! Davies! knew! she! wanted! to! continue! learning! and! decided! to! pursue!pottery!as!a!second!career!in!retirement.!!! “All! my! life! I! taught! children! about! the! earth! and! now!I’m!using!materials!from!that!earth!to!create!functional! pieces.!It’s!like!the!circle!is!completed,”!she!says.!!! Davies! started! her! journey! as! a! potter! with! her! induction!as!a!W.K.!Kellogg!Foundation!National!Fellow.!This! fellowship! selected! only! 12! individuals! to! explore! their! interests! and! travel! around! the! world.! Fellows! were! encouraged! to! develop! a! skill! they! had! an! interest! in! that! didn’t! relate! to! their! careers,! so! Davies! decided! to! pursue! pottery.!She!says!she!loves!taking!on!challenging!hobbies.! “To!enter!into!something!like!this!you!have!to!have!
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confidence! that! you! can! do! it,”! she! says.! “You! have! to! be! willing! to! take! a! chance! and! put! in! the! time! to! be! successful.”!!! During! her! last! year! of! the! fellowship! in! 1994! she! apprenticed!in!Asheville,!North!Carolina,!and!thus!began!her! journey! as! a! potter.! Davies! officially! established! her! Madison! studio! and! business,! Maid! of! Clay,! in! 2001.! She! says! she! knew! she! would! excel! at! the! marketing! aspect! of! the! business,! and! thought! this! play! on! words! perfectly! captured!the!fun!of!turning!earth!into!art.! Davies’! art! includes! commissioned! pieces! of! dignitaries!and!heads!of!state.!The!former!dean!of!the!UGA! College!of!Agricultural!and!Environmental!Sciences!regularly! presented! Maid! of! Clay! pieces! to! donors! and! dignitaries! as! he!traveled!around!the!world!to!represent!the!college.!! Georgia! clays,! minerals,! native! grasses! and! materials! are! favorites! for! Davies.! She! says! her! favorite! pieces!are!casserole!dishes,!because!she!likes!to!think!about! all!the!wonderful!foods!her!customers!will!fill!them!with.!!! “Most! [of! my! inspiration]! comes! from! observing!
! nature,!being!a!part!of!nature,!using!materials!from!nature.! ! It!is!extremely!challenging;!it!is!extremely!compelling.!Why!I! ! say! ‘compelling’! is! there! is! something! that! is! magic! about! taking! a! lump! of! clay! and! being! able! to! form! that! lump! of! clay! into! something! functional! that! people! can! use! in! their! everyday! life.! For! me! I! derive! great! joy! from! that! connection,”!Davies!says.!“It!is!a!vehicle!to!connect!me!with! people.”!! To! make! the! jump! from! clay! to! functional! piece,! Davies! uses! a! pottery! wheel! rather! than! freeLforming! her! work.! “The!pottery!process!begins!by!throwing!the!clay!on! the!wheel!to!center!the!piece!and!begin!forming!the!shape! of! the! vessel! being! created,”! Davies! says.! “Both! form! and! function!have!to!be!considered!when!the!process!begins.”! After! the! piece! is! completely! formed! and! ready! to! be!removed!from!the!wheel!it!is!cut!from!the!wheel!with!a! wire!to!avoid!distorting!the!piece!by!touching!it.!!Pieces!then! enter! a! plasticLcovered! drying! rack,! Davies! says.! After! the! piece! dries! a! few! days! it! is! considered! “leatherLhard”! and! can!be!trimmed.!! Adding! a! stem! or! a! handle! as! well! as! adding! textures! to! the! piece! occur! in! this! stage,! Davies! says.! Attachments!dry!out!quick,!so!it!is!important!to!ensure!that! both!pieces!dry!at!the!same!rate!so!the!handles!do!not!pop! off! of! the! main! vessel.! Davies! says! she! uses! a! lot! of! tools! from!nature!to!texture!her!pottery:!nutshells!and!pieces!of! weatherLworn!wood,!for!example.!! “Using! natural! tools! make! each! piece! unique! and! interesting,”!she!says.! Next!in!the!process!is!the!boneLdry!step.!!! When! pieces! are! boneLdry,! they! are! incredibly! fragile,!Davies!says.!She!loads!an!electric!kiln!with!totally!dry! pottery!to!fire!for!more!than!eight!hours!at!1,800!degrees!to! bisque!the!pieces.!When!the!firing!is!finished!the!kiln!cools! for!a!day!until!the!temperature!reaches!200!degrees.!!! She! uses! a! firing! process! that! creates! durable! stoneware! pieces.! Sanding! and! waxing! the! bottom! of! each! piece! is! the! next! step:! paraffin! wax! prevents! pieces! from! scratching! furniture.! Glazing! pieces! happens! in! an! aqueous! form! after! precise! amounts! of! chemicals! and! minerals! are! mixed.!! “A!lot!of!pottery!is!chemistry,!particularly!when!you! get! into! the! glazes,”! Davies! says.! “It’s! art,! but! with! a! lot! of! chemistry.”!!! The! minerals! used! in! glazes! are! mined! all! over! the! world,!Davies!says.!Volcanic!ash,!Georgia!kaolin,!magnesium! oxide! and! lithium! carbonate! are! just! a! few! of! the! many! labeled!glaze!containers!that!line!the!top!of!her!studio.!The! potter! combines! minerals! while! wearing! a! respirator! for! protection.! Because! the! electric! firing! destroys! all! chemical! water!in!the!pieces,!the!pottery!is!now!dry!enough!to!accept! the!glaze!and!soaks!it!up!“like!a!dry!sponge.!“!!
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Diane Davies, owner of Maid of Clay in Madison, draws inspiration from nature to create her stoneware pieces.
Davies! then! fires! in! a! gas! kiln,! which! provides! a! reduction! atmosphere! that! makes! colors! more! vibrant! and! helps!amplify!the!beauty!and!individuality!of!each!piece.!!! The!gas!kiln!is!fired!three!times!a!year!when!the!kiln! is! completely! loaded! with! pieces.! It’s! lit! at! 5! a.m.! and! the! temperature!is!slowly!raised!to!over!2,500!degrees!for!eight! to!10!hours.!! Davies!closely!monitors!the!fire!throughout!the!day! to!ensure!the!firing!occurs!in!a!reduction!atmosphere.!To!do! this,!she!has!to!adjust!the!flame!about!six!times!during!the! day,! and! the! temperature! and! weather! outdoors! must! be! carefully!tracked!to!ensure!a!proper!firing!environment.! “OldLtime! potters! say! when! you! open! the! door! after! your! firing! it’s! either! going! to! be! Christmas! or! Halloween,”! Davies! says.! “So! far! I! haven’t! had! any! Halloweens.”! No! matter! what! time! of! the! year! it! is,! Davies! delights!in!how!her!pieces!connect!her!with!those!who!put! them!in!their!homes.! “When!people!have!a!piece!of!my!pottery!so!often! they!say!to!me,!‘I!have!it!in!my!kitchen’!or!‘I!have!it!in!front! of!my!window!and!when!I!look!at!it!I!think!of!you,’”!Davies! says.! “Everything! that! I! value! seems! to! be! involved! with! working!with!clay,!and!that’s!why!I!say!it’s!compelling.”!! ! ! 21!
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The!first!word!that!comes!to! mind!when!most!Americans!think!of! chocolate!is!“Hershey.”! But!for!many!in!the!Augusta!area,! that!word!is!just!as!likely!to!be! “Bébette.”! ! That’s! the! name! that! chocolatier! MarieLHélène! VandenBruggeLSmith!goes!by.!She!owns!La!Bonbonnière,! a!Belgian!chocolate!shop!in!Augusta.!Her!art!of!preserving! the!traditional!Belgian!way!of!chocolate!making!has!been! astonishing!the!Garden!City!since!2005.! “The! first! time! I! opened! up! 10! years! ago! people! would!walk!in!and!buy!one!chocolate.!They!did!not!know! what! to! think,”! VandenBruggeLSmith! says.! “Then! they! bought!two!or!three!and!now!it’s!by!the!pound.”! VandenBruggeLSmith! focuses! on! “oldLfashioned”! recipes!that!combine!milk,!dark!and!white!chocolate!with! fillings! based! on! fondant,! ganache,! marzipan,! caramel! and!hazelnut.! “I’m! not! into! the! trendy! stuff! like! you! would! probably!find!in!Atlanta!or!in!New!York,!where!they!come! up! with! all! kinds! of! recipes! that! are! out! of! this! world,”! she!says.! Unlike! other! chocolate! shops! that! bend! toward! the! trendier! flavors! —! lavender! fillings,! for! example! —! VandenBruggeLSmith!keeps!the!treats!at!La!Bonbonnière! reminiscent! of! her! childhood,! both! in! flavor! and! in! shapes.! “That’s!what!I!have!eaten!all!my!life.!Every!time!I! went! back! to! Belgium! I! had! to! go! back! and! buy! my! chocolates! …! just! like! you! with! your! grits! or! your! pecan! pie,”!she!says.!! The! actual! beans! that! make! La! Bonbonnière’s! Belgian!chocolate!are!sourced!throughout!Ghana,!making! it!different!from!chocolatiers!that!call!themselves!“singleL origin,”! meaning! they! only! use! beans! from! one! area! to! produce!their!chocolate.! VandenBruggeLSmith! orders! in! chocolate! by! the!
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Marie-Hélène VandenBrugge-Smith, known as “Bébette,” empties out a tray of filled chocolates at her Augusta shop. La Bonbonnière specializes in Belgian chocolate shapes and flavors reminiscent of VandenBrugge-Smith’s childhood.
ton:! it! comes! in! fiveLkilogram! blocks! of! milk,! white! and! dark!chocolate,!straight!from!Belgium.! “I! order! Belgian! chocolate;! I! order! the! caramel! from! Belgium;! the! hazelnut! paste! from! Belgium.! I! order! orange!peels!—!that’s!French!—!and!the!marzipan,!which! is!the!almond!paste,!is!French,”!she!says.!“The!only!things! American! I! use! is! the! heavy! cream,! the! butter! and! the! peanut!butter.”! She!combines!these!ingredients!to!give!each!type! of! her! chocolates! a! distinct! look! and! flavor! that! pays! homage!to!her!heritage:!adding!rum!or!cherry!cordial!to!a!
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From left: Bébette VandenBrugge-Smith cashes out a customer at her Augusta chocolate shop, La Bonbonnière. VandenBrugge-Smith’s chocolates pay homage to her native Belgium in their ingredients, flavors and shapes, such as these hazelnut marbles, which are filled chocolates in the shape of seahorses and shells. Her red velvet chocolates, however, are inspired by her love for the Southern cake of the same name.
sugarLbased!fondant;!clapping!two!seahorseLshaped! molds! together! to! produce! a! hazelnutLfilled! decadence;! mixing! fruit! inside! a! pure! chocolate! ganache.! Despite! her! shop’s! popularity! in! the! Garden! City,! VandenBruggeLSmith! is! quick! to! say! that!she!hasn’t!been!long!in!the!chocolate!business.! In!a!previous!life,!she!was!a!teacher,!but!a!stroke!of! inspiration! called! her! back! to! her! home! country! to! train!to!be!a!chocolatier.! “Being! from! Belgium,! that’s! almost! like! a! natural! thing! to! do:! you! either! make! beer,! lace! or! you!do!chocolate,”!she!says.! Though!La!Bonbonnière!has!only!been!open! 10! years,! VandenBruggeLSmith! and! her! husband! have!lived!in!Augusta!since!1978.!They!met!when!her! fatherLinLlaw! was! stationed! in! Belgium,! and! her! husband! followed! his! dad’s! military! career,! which! brought!them!to!Augusta.! Like!her!inclusion!of!a!few!American!ingredients,!she! does! introduce! new! chocolates! inspired! by! her! 40! years!in!the!South.! “I!came!up!with!a!recipe!and!it’s!red!velvet,”! she! says.! “This! is! not! Belgian.! Red! velvet! is! a! Southern! thing! and! I! love! it.! And! I! thought,! ‘Man,! maybe!I!can!come!up!with!a!recipe!for!red!velvet.’”! Four! years! ago! this! Valentine’s! Day,! VandenBruggeLSmith! introduced! her! rich! red! velvet! chocolate:!a!filling!that!imparts!every!depth!of!flavor! that! could! possibly! be! included! in! an! armadilloL shaped!groom’s!cake.!The!filling!is!coated!in!a!heartL shaped!shell!of!creamy!white!chocolate!and!drizzled! with!a!tad!of!red.!It!was!so!popular!that!it’s!been!in! her!case!ever!since.! She! won’t! divulge! the! recipe,! but! does! say! there! is! no! cake! whatsoever! in! the! red! velvet! chocolate.! The! other! two! treats! that! sell! well! to! the!
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Augusta! crowd! are! sea! salt! caramel,! which! VandenBruggeL Smith! admits! is! a! bit! of! a! trend! flavor,! but! a! good! combination! regardless;! and! the! “purest! filling”! of! dark! chocolate!and!heavy!cream.!She!also!plans!to!reintroduce!a! passion!fruit!chocolate!this!month!for!Valentine’s!Day.! Outside! of! her! filled! chocolates,! the! topLseller! is! holiday! delights,! another! sweet! that! was! introduced! as! a! seasonal!product!that!shoppers!can!now!pick!up!yearLround.! “They!are!a!dark!chocolate!disc!and!on!it!we!put!an! almond,!an!orange!peel,!a!cranberry!and!a!pistachio.!It’s!just! chocolate,!fruit!and!nuts,”!VandenBruggeLSmith!says.!“Can’t! be!any!healthier!than!that.”! Depending!on!the!time!of!the!year,!La!Bonbonnière! churns! out! hundreds! to! thousands! of! chocolate! treats.! Christmas!and!Valentine’s!weeks,!for!example,!the!shop!has! three!to!four!thousand!chocolates!in!production!—!per!day.! She! also! offers! chocolateLdipped! strawberries! and! even! chocolateLdipped! bottles! of! liquor.! For! those,! customers! bring!in!bottles;!she!wraps!them!in!cellophane,!dips!them!in! tempered! chocolate! and! adorns! them! with! seasonal,! edible! decorations.! “[Tempering]!is!a!process!that!all!chocolatiers!know,! in! order! for! the! chocolate! to! be! nice! and! shiny! and! have! a! nice!snap!and!set!right!away,”!VandenBruggeLSmith!says.!“It! should!set!within!minutes.”! Tempering!is!no!easy!feat,!so!La!Bonbonnière!offers! classes!periodically!to!help!Augustans!get!the!hang!of!it.! “I!teach!them!how!to!handle!the!chocolate!at!home! with! their! microwave! oven,! because! they! don’t! have! 60L pound! melters,”! she! says.! “They! get! two! pounds! of! chocolate!chips,!a!bowl,!a!spatula,!an!apron!and!we!work!for! three! hours! and! they! learn! the! principles! of! tempering! the! chocolate,!so!when!they!go!home!they!can!practice.!They!get! frustrated![at!home];!they!come!back!and!say,!‘I’d!rather!buy! them!here.!It’s!too!much!work.’”! And!she’s!happy!to!keep!them!stocked!up.!! !
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National!Fairgrounds,!Perry;/770L787L 7887/ ! Feb.&6& Natural/Science/Illustration/Series/ State!Botanical!Garden!of!Georgia,! Athens;!706L542L6138! Natural/History/of/Georgia/Plants/ State!Botanical!Garden!of!Georgia,! Athens;!706L542L6138! Orchid/Madness/Ongoing/Reception;/ State!Botanical!Garden!of!Georgia,! Athens;/706L542L6138/ UGA/Equestrian/Meet/vs./South/ Carolina;/Blythewood,!South!Carolina;/ 706L542L1621/ ! Feb.&7& Orchid/Care/Clinic;/Atlanta!Botanical! Garden,!Atlanta;/404L876L5859/ ! Feb.&7&–&8& Orchid/Market/Weekend;/Atlanta! Botanical!Garden,!Atlanta404L876L5859/ ! Feb.&8& Southern/Region/Women’s/Agricultural/ Leadership/Summit;/Georgia!Center!for! Continuing!Education,!Athens;!706L542L 7786/ 2016/Cotton/Production/Meeting/ Cloverleaf!Restaurant,!East!Dublin! 478L272L2277! TelfairbWheeler/Counties/Cotton/ Production/Meeting;/Southern!Star! Grille,!McRae;/912L568L7138/ ! Feb.&9& Cooking/in/the/Garden;/State!Botanical! Garden,!Athens;/706L542L6138/ ! Feb.&11& Tobacco/Production/Meeting;/Bevricks! Char!House!Grille,!Metter912L685L2408/ Master/Goat/Class/3;/North!Georgia! Fairgrounds,!Dalton;/706L278L8207/ ! Feb.&12& Houston/County/Young/Farmers/Beef/ Cattle/Show;/Georgia!National! Fairgrounds,!Perry;/478L988L6312/ ! Feb.&13& Orchid/Repotting;/State!Botanical! Garden,!Athens;!706L542L6138/ Valentines/in/the/Garden;/Atlanta! Botanical!Garden;/404L876L5859/ Houston/County/Young/Farmers/Market/ Swine/Show;/Georgia!National! Fairgrounds,!Perry;/478L988L6312/ UGA/Equestrian/Meet/vs./Auburn/ Bishop;!706L542L1621! ! Feb.&13&through&April&10! Orchid/Daze;/Atlanta!Botanical! Gardens,!Atlanta;/404L876L5859/
Feb.&15& Effingham/County/Corn/Production/ Meeting/284!Georgia!Highway!119!S,! Springfield;/912L754L8040/ / Feb.&16& Bleckley/County/Disease/Production/ Meeting;/165!E.!Peacock!Street,! Cochran;/478L934L3220/ Northeast/Georgia/Corn/Production/ Meeting;/Mountain!Research!Center,! Blairsville;!706L439L6030/ Commercial/Vegetable/Production:/ Sweet/Potato/and/Watermelon;/Varner! 4LH!Center,!Swainsboro;/478L237L1226/ Georgia/Pork/Congress;/Georgia!Farm! Bureau,!Macon;/229L246L8297/ Boll/Weevil/Eradication/Foundation/ Annual/Meeting;/Holiday!Inn!Express,! Perry;/229L469L4038/ ! Feb.&17& Flower/Arranging/Unit/3:/Design/for/ Dining/Table;/State!Botanical!Garden!of! Georgia,!Athens;!706L542L6138/ ! Feb.&17&–&21& Georgia/National/Junior/Livestock/ Show;/GA!National!Fairgrounds;!Perry;/ 478L987L3247/ ! Feb.&18! Starting/from/Seed:/Seed/Propagation/ Workshop;/Coal!Mountain!Park,! Cumming;/770L887L2418/ Randolph/County/Cotton/Production/ Meeting;/AgEd!Building,!Cuthbert;!229L 732L2311/ Master/Goat/Class/4;/North!Georgia! Fairgrounds,!Dalton;/706L278L8207/ ! Feb.&18&–&20& Georgia/National/Rodeo;/Georgia! National!Fairgrounds,!Perry;/478L987L 3247/ ! Feb.&19& Arbor/Day/Celebration:/Tree/Trail/ Ramble;/State!Botanical!Garden!of! Georgia,!Athens;/706L542L6138/ High/Tunnel/Vegetable/Production/Field/ Day;/Spreaing!Oaks!Farm,!Dallas;!770L 443L7616/ Child/Passenger/Safety/Class/ Burke!County!Extension!office,! Waynesboro;!706L554L2119! Pierce/County/Marketing/Meeting;/ Pierce!County!Ag!Center;!Blackshear;/ 912L449L2034/ & Feb.&20& Orchid/Madness:/Orchid/Class/ State!Botanical!Garden!of!Georgia,! Athens;!706L542L6138! ! Feb.&21&–&March&6&
“Georgia’s/Diverse/Flora”;/State! Botanical!Garden!of!Georgia,! Athens;/706L542L6014/ ! Feb.&21& Beekeeping/for/Beginners:/ABCs/of/ Assembling/a/Beehive;/State! Botanical!Garden,!Athens/ 706L542L6138! ! Feb.&23& Garden/Travels:/Coast/to/Coast/ Walk;/State!Botanical!Garden!of! Georgia,!Athens;/706L542L6138/ Randolph/County/Peanut/ Production/Meeting;/AgEd! Building,!Cuthbert;/229L732L2311/ Prenatal/and/Infant/Nutrition;/ Augusta!Care!Pregnancy!Center,! Waynesboro;/706L554L2119/ ! Feb.&23&–&24& 2016/Georgia/Agritourism/Annual/ Conference;/Berry!College,!Rome/ GeorgiaLagritourism.org! ! Feb.&25& 2016/North/Georgia/Gardening/ Symposium;/Chattahoochee! Technical!College,!Acworth/ 770L528L4550! & Feb.&26& UGA/Equestrian/Meet/vs./Kansas/ State;/Bishop;/706L542L1621/ Toombs,/Treutlen,/Montgomery/ Row/Crop/Disease/Management/ Update;/Captains!Corner,!Vidalia/ 912L526L3101! 2016/Peanut/Production/Meeting/ Cloverleaf!Restaurant,!East!Dublin! 478L272L2277! Child/Passenger/Safety/Course/ Burke!County!Early!Head!Start,! Waynesboro;!706L554L2119! ! Feb.&26&–&27& th Grits/and/Vigor:/19 /Annual/ Georgia/Organics/Conference/&/ Expo;/Columbus!Convention!&! Trade!Center,!Columbus/ 404L481L5000! ! Feb.&27& Winter/Interest/Class;/Atlanta! Botanical!Garden,!Gainesville/ 404L591L1543! ! Feb.&28! Orchid/Madness:/Vanilla/Sunday/ State!Botanical!Garden!of! Georgia,!Athens;!706L542L6138! ! Feb.&29& Sustainable/Food/Systems/ Seminar;/Lumpkin!House,!Athens/ 706L542L8084! !
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! Announcing&the&APRIL&aCm&photo&contest!—&April&Showers!!Send!us!your!photos!via!social!media! using!the!hashtag!#aCmPhotoContest.!Full!rules!are!on!back!porch!blog!on!our!website.! Deadline!for!entries!is!Feb.!28;!voting!on!our!Facebook!and!Instagram!to!be!held!March!1!through!5!!!
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Georgia!has!a!number!of!art!
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museums!—!some!traditional,!with! permanent!collections;!others!with! more!of!a!gallery!setup!—!that! provide!community!outlets,! workshops!and!opportunities!for! economic!growth,!not!to!mention! different!perspectives!into!the! human!experience.! Albany&Museum&of&Art,&Albany& & The! Albany! Museum! of! Art! was! founded! in! the! ‘60s! by! the! Southwest! Georgia! Art! Association.! The! museum! has! six! changing! galleries! to! host! contemporary! shows,! emerging! Georgia! artists! and! traveling! exhibits.!! “It’s! pretty! amazing! in! a! city! this! size,! with! our! economic! situation,! to! have! a! facility! like! this! and! a! thriving! cultural! scene! as! we! do,”! says! executive! director! Paula! Williams.! “This! museum! began! because! of! the! love! of! the! arts! that! a! handful! of! people! had! and! they! felt! very! passionately! that! this! community!have!access.”! Two! exhibits! open! this! month:! International/ Works/from/the/Guild/of/Realism!and!A/True/Likeness:/The/ Black/ South/ of/ Richard/ Samuel/ Roberts.! The! realism! exhibit! features! 70! works! by! 65! artists,! and! the! Roberts! show! includes! photographs! of! wellLtoLdo! AfricanL American! citizens! in! Columbia,! South! Carolina,! between! 1920!and!1936.! International/Works/from/the/Guild/of/Realism!Opens!Feb.!4! A/True/Likeness/Opens!Feb.!4!
! Bernard& A.& Zuckerman& Museum&of&Art,&Kennesaw& & Though! the! Zuckerman! Museum! of! Art! is! only! a! few! years! old,! its! history! goes! back! to! the! Kennesaw! State! University! art! collection! in! 1972.! A! Marietta! lawyer,! Fred! Bentley,! began! the! collection!with!four!pieces.!A!few!years!later,!a!professor! in! the! university’s! art! school! started! a! gallery! program,!
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bringing!in!exhibitions!from!around!the!world.! “Those! two! kind! of! founding! entities! culminated! in! what! is! now! the! Zuckerman! Museum,”! says! Executive! Director!Justin!Rabideau.! Funding!for!the!museum!came!from!the!family!of! artist!Ruth!and!her!husband!Bernard!Zuckerman.!! This! month,! the! Zuckerman! opens! Art/ AIDS/ America,! a! show! that! focuses! on! how! HIVLAIDS! affects! and!shapes!artmaking!practices!and!culture.! “We! are! the! only! Southern! venue! for! this! exhibition,”! Rabideau! says.! “It’s! touching,! and! it’s! hard! and! it’s! honest! and! it’s! very! real! about! how! this! disease! affected!so!many!lives!and!how!it!shaped,!in!a!large!way,! the!conversation!about!contemporary!art.”! The!Zuckerman’s!summer!show,!A/View/Through/ the/Trees,!will!feature!early!American!landscapes!from!its! permanent! collection,! and! interactive! digital! landscapes.! It!will!be!followed!by!two!fall!shows,!Transitions:/States/of/ Being! —! which! looks! at! how! interpretation! of! art! depends! on! the! culture! that! interacts! with! it! —!and! Sleight/ of/ Hand,! a! show! that! includes! both! traditional! African! ivory! used! for! ceremonial! purposes! and! reproduction!ivory!sold!to!tourists.! Art/AIDS/America&Feb.!20!to!May!22! A/View/Through/the/Trees&Opens!summer!2016! Transitions/&!Sleight/of/Hand&Open!fall!2016!
! Georgia& Museum& of& Art,& Athens& & The!Georgia!Museum! of! Art! was! founded! in! 1945! by!a!retired!lawyer!from!New! York,! who! collected! art! with! his!wife.! “He!met!Lamar!Dodd,! who! the! UGA! art! school! is! named! after,! and! convinced! him! that! UGA! was! the! place! for! it.! He! gave! 100!
! American! paintings,”! says! Hillary! Brown,! director! of! photographer,! and! Basquiat:/ The/ Unknown/ Notebooks! ! communications.!! feature! sketches,! handwritten! notes! and! other! works! ! The! museum! originally! was! housed! in! the! art! from! contemporary! artist! JeanLMichel! Basquiat,! who! school!basement,!but!in!1996!moved!to!the!East!Campus! Performing! and! Visual! Arts! Complex,! where! it! continues! to!grow.! There! are! three! shows! that! will! be! up! in! February:!Georgia’s/Girlhood/Embroidery:/“Crowned/with/ Glory/and/Immortality,”/Tools/of/the/Trade!and!Cherokee/ Basketry:/Woven/Culture.! “[Georgia’s/ Girlhood/ Embroidery]! is! the! first! comprehensive! show! that! has! ever! been! done! of! these! works,”!Brown!says.!“Some!of!those!date!back!to!the!18th! century.”! Much! of! the! Cherokee! basketry! exhibit! comes! from! north! Georgia,! and! Tools/ of/ the/ Trade! aims! to! give! visitors! a! behindLtheLscenes! look! at! how! art! museums! run,! answering! questions! such! as! “How! do! you! pack! a! work!of!art?”!and!“Why!can’t!I!touch!anything?”!! GMOA!two!!shows!coming!up!in!September.! “We!have!an!exhibition!of!works!of!the!Brooklyn! Bridge.! …! It’s! really! about! the! bridge! as! an! icon! of! modernism,”! Brown! says.! “The! third! show! we’re! doing! focuses! on! works! of! decorative! art,! metals,! books,! jewelry,! silver,! that! belonged! to! the! Romanov! family! of! Russia.!They’re!just!unbelievably!beautiful!works!of!art.”!!
died! at! the! age! of! 27.! In! addition! to! printed! works,! the! High!will!be!bringing!fashion!to!visitors!in!2016.! “Iris/ van/ Herpen:/ Transforming/ Fashion! features! oneLofLaLkind!haute!couture!…!and!some!of! the! world’s! first! examples! of! 3D! printed! fashion! by! visionary! Dutch! fashion!designer!Iris!van!Herpen,”!Forbes!says.!“The!High! is!please!to!present!Out/of/the/Box:/The/Rise/of/Sneaker/ Culture,!an!exhibition! that!will!showcase!more!than!150! sneakers! and! will! follow! the! evolution! of! the! sneaker! from!its!origins!in!the!midLnineteenth!century!to!its!role! in! the! present! day! as! a! status! symbol! of! urban! culture! and!marker!of!masculine!identity.”! In!addition!to!shoes,!the!High!is!the!“sole”!venue! for! a! nearly! yearLlong! exhibit! of! the! work! of! children’s! book!author!and!illustrator!Eric!Carle.! Iris/van/Herpen:/Transforming/Fashion!Through!May!15! Vik/Muniz/Feb.!28!to!May!29! Basquiat:/The/Unknown/Notebooks!Feb.!28!to!May!29! I/See/a/Story:/The/Art/of/Eric/Carle!April!2!to!Jan.!8,!2017! Out/of/the/Box/June!12!to!Aug.!14!
Georgia’s/Girlhood/Embroidery/Through!Feb.!28! Tools/of/the/Trade!Through!March!13! Cherokee/Basketry:/Woven/Culture&Through!April!17! The/Romanovs/and/Their/Subjects!Sept.!3!to!Dec.!31! Icon/of/Modernism!Sept.!17!to!Dec.!11!
High&Museum&of&Art,&Atlanta& & The! High! Museum! of! Art! was! founded! in! 1905! as! the! Atlanta! Art! Association! and! moved! to! Peachtree! Street! in! 1926! after! Mrs.! Joseph! M.! High! donated! her! home!to!the!cause.!Now!it!is! part!of!the!Woodruff!Arts!Center,!says!Julia!Forbes,!head! of!museum!interpretation!and!digital!engagement.! “The! collections! owned! by! the! High! are! terrific,! with! particular! strengths! in! Civil! Rights! photography,! early! American! decorative! arts! and! works! of! art! by! AfricanLAmerican!artists,”!she!says.! February!is!a!busy!month!for!the!High,!which!has! three!different!exhibits!up.! Vik/ Muniz! is! “a! major! retrospective”! of! this!
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& Morris&Museum&of&Art,&Augusta& & William!S.!Morris!III!founded!the!Morris!Museum! of!Art!in!1984,!and!the!building!opened!its!doors!several! years!later.! “The! Morris! is! actually! the! first! museum! in! the! country!whose!permanent!collection!is!dedicated!to!the! arts! and! artists! of! the! American! South,”! says! Nicole! McLeod,!director!of!marketing!and!public!relations.!“It’s! a!loose!definition,!but!a!very!specific!niche.!The!south!for! us! is! South! Carolina! to! Texas! and! as! far! as! Virginia! and! Florida.”! Visitors! this! month! can! view! Social/ Impressions:/ Southern/ Interpretations/ from/ the/ Johnson/ Collection,! which! includes! dozens! of! works! representing! the! urban! South,!as!well!as!a!collection!of!folk!art!metal!sculptures!
… Continued on page 30 27!
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Hundreds!of!glassLblown!balls!float!around!Jekyll!Island!each!January!and!February,!ringing!in!the!new!year!in!a!colorful! and!magical!way.!Residents!and!visitors!search!the!island!on!a!beach!treasure!hunt,!scaling!the!coastline!and!scouring!public!areas! for!a!handcrafted!piece!to!take!home.!! Based!a!similar!coastal!event!that!started!in!Lincoln!City,!Oregon,!in!2000,!Island!Treasures!started!on!Jekyll!Island!in!2003! as!a!way!to!draw!families!to!the!island!during!the!winter!months.!The!Island!Treasure!glass!mimics!the!floats!used!in!fishermen's! nets! in! the! early! 1900s.! Floats! sometimes! broke! loose! from! nets! and! washed! ashore! for! beach! visitors! to! find.! When! the! commercial!fishing!industry!began!using!plastic!and!foam!floats!in!the!1950s,!collecting!glass!floats!became!a!hobby,!according!to! The!Jekyll!Island!Authority.! “In!2013,!a!Brunswick!resident!found!the!first!Island!Treasure!of!the!season.!She!had!searched!for!10!years!and!had!never! found! one! until! that! day,”! says! Jerod! Myers,! Jekyll! Island! Guest! Information! manager,! who! leads! the! program! each! year.! “The! smile!and!excitement!on!her!face!was!priceless.”!! Several!artists!around!the!country!produce!the!glass!balls!that!are!distributed!across!the!island,!and!a!few!have!been!part! of!the!event!for!more!than!a!decade.!! ! Happy&Valley&Pottery& Schmitz&Art&Glass&
Photo | Loretta Eby, Happy Valley Pottery
Loretta! Eby,! a! Watkinsville! resident! who! has! produced! glass! products! for! nearly! 40! years,! began! creating! glass! floats! for! Island! Treasures! in!2005.!Each!year,!she!produces!batches! with! new! color! combinations! and! patterns! that! are! unique! for! the! event.! Since!she!lives!in!Georgia,!she!sometimes! handLdelivers!the!floats!to!the!island.!! “It’s!exciting!every!year!to!figure! Photo | Andrew Schmitz, out! new! color! combinations! and! how! to! Schmitz Art Glass make! each! one! different,”! she! says.! “I!
can’t!touch!the!material!with!my!hands,!so!it’s!fun!to!get!into!the! rhythm!of!making!the!balls.”! At! the! beginning! of! January! alone,! Eby! delivered! more! than! 100! floats! and! anticipates! she’ll! create! more! than! 400! in! total! for! the! twoLmonth! event.! She! enjoys! hearing! from! island! combers! each! year! who! find! her! floats! and! then! go! to! the! Jekyll! Island! guest! information! office! to! learn! more! about! the! float! and! the! artist.! She’s! met! several! people! who! found! her! pieces! and! plenty! more! who!searched!for!them.!! In! 2014,! a! couple! contacted! her! after! finding! a! float! together.!In!2015,!the!man!emailed!Eby!again!to!ask!for!a!favor!—!a! special! float! with! the! couple’s! names! written! on! it! so! he! could! propose!to!his!girlfriend!on!the!beach.!! “It! was! very! cool! to! be! able! to! do! that,”! Eby! says.! “They! sent!me!a!picture,!and!it!almost!gave!me!chills!when!I!saw!it.”! !
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Based! in! Lincoln! City,! Oregon,! Andrew! Schmitz! began! creating! glass! floats! for! the! coastal! program! that! started!on!the!West!Coast.!When!Jekyll! Island! decided! to! start! a! program! on! the! East! Coast,! Schmitz! knew! he! wanted!to!be!involved.!Taking!after!his! parents!who!own!a!glassblowing!studio! in! Oregon,! Schmitz! says! he! enjoys! the! progression!of!changing!his!techniques! and!styles!over!the!past!23!years.!! “It’s! cool! to! create! an! object!
that!brings!joy!to!people,”!he!says.!“It’s!even!better!when! they’re!excited!to!search!for!it!or!are!completely!surprised! to!find!one!on!the!beach.”! Although! Schmitz! hasn’t! visited! Georgia! for! the! event,!he!looks!forward!to!traveling!to!Jekyll!Island!in!the! future.! He’s! received! emails! from! beach! hunters! who! found!his!floats!and!particularly!enjoyed!an!exchange!with! a! Valdosta! woman! who! messaged! him! about! scrap! glass! that! he! sells! online! to! artists.! She! recognized! his! name! from! Island! Treasures,! and! the! two! bonded! over! the! movie!Fried/Green/Tomatoes,!which!was!filmed!in!Georgia.!! “I’m!somebody!who’s!made!to!make!things!with! my! hands,! and! I’ve! enjoyed! making! a! small! difference! in! people’s!lives!with!my!art,”!Schmitz!says.!“There’s!beauty! everywhere! in! the! world,! and! I! want! to! share! it! through! art.”! !
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Glass&Quest&Fine&Art&Studio& ! Also! based! on! the! West! Coast,! Mark! Ellinger! created! glass! floats! for! the! Lincoln! City! event! when! he! was! approached! about! joining! the! Jekyll! Island! tradition.! He! and! his! wife,! who! also! works! in! the! glassblowing!studio,!flew!to! the! island! for! the! first! year! to! attend! the! kickoff! event! and!auction.!! ! “We’d! never! been! Ezra Shaver locates an Island Treasure hidden among driftwood. The orbs are hidden each year past! Montana! before,! so! on Jekyll Island for residents and visitors to find. that! was! a! real! adventure,”! Photo | The Jekyll Island Authority says! Ellinger,! who! is! based! in! Sandwood,! Washington.! “It!was!a!lot!of!fun!to!see!the!East!Coast.”! ! Throughout! his! decade! of! involvement! with! the! event,! Ellinger! has! heard! from! several! searchers! who! locate! his! floats.! A! few!requested!and!purchased!custom!floats!with!specific!colors.!! ! “I!love!listening!to!people’s!stories!about!how!they!found! the! floats,”! he! says.! “One! year,! a! neighbor! who! lives! half! a! mile! away!from!me!here!in!Washington!found!one!in!the!Oregon!event.”!! ! ! Leaning&Glass&Studios& Based! in! Sunset! Beach,! North! Carolina,! Paul! Steinke! was! first!approached!by!a!Jekyll!Island!shop!owner!to!make!glass!balls! to!sell!in!her!shop!before!the!official!event!began.!! Several! years! later,! the! Jekyll! Island! event! organizers! asked! Steinke! to! join! the! tradition,! and! he! has! created! floats! for! more!than!10!years.!His!parents!live!in!Jacksonville,!Florida,!and!he! had! an! art! show! in! Cocoa! Beach,! Florida,! in! early! January,! so! Steinke!dropped!off!his!first!batch!of!50!floats!in!his!car.!! “It’s! a! fun! idea,! and! people! email! me! every! year! when!
they!find!my!floats,”!he!says.!“It’s!great!to!hear!about!the! search.”! As! part! of! his! studio! work,! Steinke! sells! through! thirdLparty!vendors!and!showcases!his!pieces!at!art!shows! around! the! country.! In! the! first! few! months! of! the! year,! however,!the!art!world!can!be!slow.!! “I’m! appreciative! to! have! this! to! do! at! this! time! of! the! year,”! he! said.! “The! Jekyll! orders! keep! me! going! from!the!Christmas!rush!into!the!spring!art!shows.”!! !
Y’ALL COME ON Through&Feb.&29:&Island!Treasures!on! Jekyll!Island! For!float!registration!and!event!details,! call!the!Jekyll!island!Guest!Information! Center:!1L877L4LJEKYLL!or!912L635L3636! ! Best/places/to/treasure/hunt:!Glory! Beach,!St.!Andrews!Picnic!Area!&!Beach,! Great!Dunes!Park,!Jekyll!Island!Miniature! Golf!and!Jekyll!Island!Landmark!Historic! District! ! Please/note/that/treasures/are/not/hidden/ in/the/dunes/or/anywhere/they/are/unsafe/ to/reach./Treasure/hunters/are/asked/not/ to/climb/in/the/dunes/or/on/any/property/ while/searching/for/their/floats./
During the annual Island Treasures event, beachcombers search for glass floats that are stamped with the year, an identifying number and sometimes the artist's name or logo. Treasure hunters can register their float at the visitor’s center to receive a biography of the artist and a certificate of authenticity. Photo | The Jekyll Island Authority
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!! ! From page 27 | ARTifacts !
things! in! their! process,”! McClure! says.! “She! is! a! twoL by! artist! Willy! Carver.! Coming! up! on! Feb.! 20! is! Wild/ dimensional! artist! that! works! primarily! in! what! I! would! Treasury/ of/ Nature:/ A/ Portrait/ of/ Little/ St./ Simons/ call!collage.”! re:constructed/Through!Feb.!20! Island.! UNG/Faculty/Exhibition&Through!Feb.!20! “It’s! all! landscapes! and! seascapes! by! artist! ! Philip! Juras,”! McLeod! says.! “We! have! a! great! Tifton&Museum&of&Arts&&&Heritage,&Tifton& exhibition! opening! in! the! fall,! American/ Ballads:/ & Photographs/ of/ Marty/ Stuart.! He’s! performed! a! few! “Museum”! is! a! bit! of! a! misnomer! for! the! Tifton! times![at!the!Morris].!Last!time,!he!was!talking!about! Museum!of!Arts!&!Heritage,!says!artist!Syd!Blackmarr,!as! his! photographs,! and! we! decided! to! book! his! there’s!no!permanent!collection!in!the!restored!church!it! exhibition.”! calls!home.!The!church!was!built!in!1900!by!Capt.!Henry! Social/Impressions/Through!April!10! Harding! Tift,! the! founder! of! Tifton.! At! the! time,! wood! Creatures/Great/and/Small/Through!Feb.!28! churches!were!burnt!down!by!saloon!owners,!so!Tift!built! The/Wild/Treasury/of/Nature/Feb.!20!to!May!22! the!Methodist!Episcopal!Church!out!of!brick.! American/Ballads!Opens!in!September! “Tifton! in! its! very! early! years! was! a! prosperous! little! town.! It! was! a! railroad! town,! a! timber! town,”! Quinlan& Visual& Arts& Center,& Blackmarr!says.!“It!was!the!first!brick!church!built!in!the! Gainesville& city! of! Tifton.! It! is! a! beautiful,! beautiful! architectural! ! treasure.! The! exterior! is! a! little! Romanesque,! so! it’s! The! Quinlan! Visual! rather!plain!on!the!outside,!but!the!inside!is!beautiful.”! Arts!Center!was!founded!by!a! Between!the!exquisite!stained!glass!windows!and! group!of!artists!in!the!1940s,! its! solid! heart! pine! interior,! Blackmarr! says! the! building! though! the! building! wasn’t! itself!is!worth!a!visit,!even!when!there’s!not!an!art!show! built!for!another!20!years.!Its! —! as! is! the! case! this! spring.! But! that! will! change! come! 20! exhibitions! each! year! are! September.! focused!on!regional!and!local! “We! have! on! loan! Second/ Time/ Around:/ The/ Art/ artists,! says! executive! of/ the/ Hubcap,”! Blackmarr! says.! “This! is! a! collection! of! director!Amanda!McClure.! “The! Quinlan! functions! a! lot! like! a! museum.! hubcaps!that!have!been!redeveloped,!reused!by!creative! We!also!function!a!little!bit!like!a!gallery!as!well.!A!lot! artists.!…!Some!of!the!hubcaps!look!like!jewels,!they’re!all! incredibly!created.”! of!the!artwork!presented!is!for!sale,”!she!says.! The! museum! plans! to! host! a! car! show! alongside! Unlike! many! museums,! it! highlights! living! this!exhibit.! artists!instead!of!retrospectives.! Blackmarr!says!having!a!place!like!the!museum!in! “In! February,! the! show! that! is! currently! on! view! is! going! to! still! be! on! view,! the! University! of! rural!areas!is!an!economic!tool.! “Businesses!look!to!settle!in!smaller!towns.!They! North! Georgia! faculty! show,”! she! says.! “A! couple! of! come! to! places! where! they! have! opportunities! to! years!ago,!North!Georgia!College!and!State!University! and! Gainesville! State! became! one! big! school.! This! experience! the! arts,! both! visual! and! performing,”! was! one! of! the! first! shows! that! the! faculty! that’s! Blackmarr! says.! “It! should! be! an! essential! part! of! any! been!in!both!locations!has!put!together!and!done.!Art! community! development! to! have! a! solid! arts! program! teachers! are! very! cuttingLedge,! so! it’s! a! really! neat! and!good!facilities!where!they!can!be!presented.”! show.”! Also! on! display! is! Ranchland,! a! dual! exhibition! from! artists! Amanda! Lovett! and! Anne! Goble! that! showcases! work! inspired! by! a! trip! they! took!out!West.!Diane!Speight!also!has!a!mixed!media! show!on!view!called!re:constructed.! “Mixed! media! is! one! of! those! things! where! an! artist! will! use! if! they! have! four! or! five! different!
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Second/Time/Around:/Opens!midLSeptember!
/ Photos/for/this/story,/from/page/27:/Photo/from/A/True/Likeness:/The/ Black/ South/ of/ Richard/ Samuel/ Roberts,/ courtesy/ Albany/ Museum/ of/ Art;/ “Eternal/ Lovers”/ by/ Tino/ Rodriguez,/ courtesy/ Bernard/ A./ Zuckerman/ Museum/ of/ Art;/ 1815/ sampler/ by/ Frances/ Roe,/ courtesy/ Georgia/ Museum/ of/ Art;/ “Jean/ Michel/ Basquiat/ in/ his/ Great/ Jones/ Street/studio,/New/York”/by/Tseng/Kwong/Chi,/courtesy/High/Museum/ of/Art;/“South/End/Clouds”/by/Philip/Juras,/courtesy/Morris/Museum/of/ Art;/“Rev./Frank”/by/Paul/Dunlap,/courtesy/Quinlan/Visual/Arts/Center/
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