Front Porch - Spring 2015

Porch Front

SPRING 2015

Arkansas’ Murals Wall Stories

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SPRING 2015

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In This Issue

Farm Bureau Matters

Randy Veach | Page 3

Thinking Out Loud

Rodney Baker | Page 5

Walls More Beautiful Keith Sutton | Page 8

Taste Arkansas

Stephanie Buckley | Page 22

Land & People

Gregg Patterson | Page 24

Do It Yourself

Stephanie Buckley | Page 26

In the Kitchen

Jerusalem Greer | Page 28

Health & Safety

Jennifer Victory | Page 32

Delta Child

Talya Tate Boerner | Page 36

On the Cover

Internationally acclaimed mural artist Robert Dafford of Lafayette, Louisiana painted this mural of Quapaw Chief Saracen at Barraque and Main in Pine Bluff. Saracen lived and died in Pine Bluff and became a local hero after rescuing two children kidnapped by the Chickasaws. The mural is one of 13 that can be seen in the “City of Murals.”

Photo by Keith Sutton

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Farm Bureau Matters

by Randy Veach | President, Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation

A country blessed with choices

Scientific advances in food production a win, win

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e’re lucky to live in a country where we have the choice of food products, everything from conventional to organic foods, vitamin-enhanced to traditional, free-range to barn-raised animals and just about everything in between. As Arkansas’ voice of agriculture, Farm Bureau represents every spectrum of food production, from someone with a small plot raising fruits and vegetables for sale at the farmers market to a poultry grower with several chicken houses or the row-crop farmer in the Delta.

Whenever I tell someone I’m a farmer, their respect for our work and our profession is evident. People know farmers work hard every day to feed, clothe and provide shelter for them and their families.

Having been fortunate to travel beyond our borders on several occasions, it’s clear our food production systems, and the choices that result from them, are the envy of the world.

Still, debate — sometimes heated — goes on about the benefits of one production system versus another.

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to the food decisions you make — just personal choices. We should all celebrate the safety of the food choices available to us.

While some believe organic foods are best, the truth is the nutritional benefits of organic and traditionally grown products are the same.

Others make food choices based on how the animals are raised. While some might debate animal production methods — such as the specific size of the structure where animals are raised — the thing we cannot lose sight of is the safety and security measures deployed by our farmers and ranchers. Standards and methods that help ensure safe food from our livestock are the hallmark of the U.S. production systems. Without a doubt, the best caretakers of our animals and the environment are those who make their living with those resources.

Then there is the topic of genetically enhanced foods, which some view as totally taboo. Truth is the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that genetically enhanced

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foods have no negative effects on human health. We’ve all been eating enhanced products for decades, yet there seems to be some sudden spike in concern about them.

Some countries — and even one county in the U.S. — have restricted the raising of or consumption of genetic crops, not because of scientific evidence but because of fear and confusion about the science behind those food products. We accept scientific advances in medicine, aerospace, computing technology, etc. We shouldn’t restrict science from delivering more efficient food, especially when it limits your choices.

“ … I’m just happy we live in a country with the safest, most affordable and abundant supply of food, fiber and shelter in the world. For that, we can thank God and our farmers and ranchers … ” The benefits of genetically enhanced foods have the potential to provide more food for a growing world population.

The future may not hold just more yields on less land with fewer environmental impacts, but it may also include crop varieties with increased vitamins and improved protein quality.

I often speak about our need to feed the people of this world, and believe wholeheartedly the only way for us to meet those needs is to employ the best science, developed by the best minds of the world. No one has ever gotten sick or died from eating genetically enhanced foods, though millions have from starvation.

While the debate about food production continues, I’m just happy we live in a country with the safest, most affordable and abundant supply of food, fiber and shelter in the world.

For that, we can thank God and our farmers and ranchers, who feed their families from the same bounty we all enjoy.

God bless you and your families. God bless the farmers and ranchers. And God bless America.

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Download your MOBILE Agent today!

• Visit app store on iPhoneTM or AndroidTM • Search for Farm Bureau Mobile Agent • Download Free App • Register for online account by selecting Register in the upper left corner of page (If you have already registered on afbic.com, you do not need to re-register)

• Login using either your member number and password or your registered e-mail address and password

Official membership publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation mailed to more than 190,000 member-families.

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Included in membership dues Arkansas Farm Bureau Officers:

President • Randy Veach, Manila Vice President • Rich Hillman, Carlisle Secretary/Treasurer • Joe Christian, Jonesboro Executive Vice President • Rodney Baker, Little Rock Directors:

Troy Buck, Alpine Jon Carroll, Moro Terry Dabbs, Stuttgart Sherry Felts, Joiner Mike Freeze, England Bruce Jackson, Lockesburg Tom Jones, Pottsville Gene Pharr, Lincoln Caleb Plyler, Hope Rusty Smith, Des Arc Leo Sutterfield, Mountain View Joe Thrash, Toad Suck Dan Wright, Waldron Ex Officio

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Contact David Brown at Publishing Concepts for advertising rates dbrown@pcipublishing.com (501) 221-9986 Fax (501) 225-3735 Front Porch (USPS 019-879) is published quarterly by the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation 10720 Kanis Rd., Little Rock, AR 72211 Periodicals Postage paid at Little Rock, AR POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Rhonda Whitley at rhonda.whitley@arfb.com Front Porch • P.O. Box 31 • Little Rock, AR 72203 Please provide membership number

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Thinking Out Loud

by Rodney Baker | Executive Vice President, Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation

A session of success

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arm Bureau has had many successful years at the capitol through the efforts of our county leaders, staff and many friends in the legislature. This session was no different, and our members can be excited about the work of their organization. Here’s a brief update on our session priority issues.

Additional funding for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and retention of the existing structure of the Division of Agriculture within the University of Arkansas System.

The Division of Agriculture will receive some one-time funds to address its budgetary needs. Most agencies and all of higher education are facing possible budget cuts in this cycle, so any additional funding is a victory. While this outcome wasn’t the best possible result, many in leadership are committed to working to increase the division’s base funding in the future.

Grain dealing and warehousing safeguards.

Act 601 is the result of much hard work by legislators and stakeholders. It creates many new safeguards for farmers including a slow-pay hotline where farmers can report payment problems. This bipartisan effort updating our grain dealer laws received broad legislative support.

Protection of the current structure of commodity research and promotion programs.

The commodity research and promotion programs are an integral part of Arkansas agriculture. Their current structure works well. Two bills were filed this session that would have changed their structure. We were successful in defeating one bill and amending the other bill.

Adequate and accessible rural Internet connectivity.

Much like the delivery of other utilities to rural Arkansas, the issue will be addressed during the next several years. Access is improving. Most recently, the state has opened a bid to improve access for K-12 schools, and the USDA has awarded a grant to a company in southwest Arkansas to increase its capacity.

Maintain Career and Technical Education under the Department of Career Education.

Farm Bureau is excited to see a renewed interest in workforce education by the General Assembly. We think

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it means great things are ahead for career and technical education. Although it was discussed as a possibility prior to the session, no legislation was filed to move Career and Technical Education under the Department of Education.

Additional measures to prevent metal theft.

After much work by legislators and the Attorney General’s office, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge agreed to implement a compliance program for scrap metal recyclers from her office. This effort should result in some assurance that scrap metal recyclers will operate within the law or face closure of their operations.

Continued funding for Discovery Farms program and Big Creek Research Project.

Despite limited extra resources, some legislators worked with us and the Division of Agriculture to get partial funding. No special appropriation dollars were allocated for Discovery Farms or Big Creek water quality research but the work will continue with state and private dollars.

Protection of agriculture’s interest in the State Water Plan update.

The State Water Plan will be implemented as a regulatory rule in the interim. The plan and rules of implementation will go through another round of public meetings this year. We see many opportunities here to implement legislation that aids farmers in using water resources. Tax credits for irrigation projects, matching dollars for nutrient management improvements and conservation efforts are among our future goals.

If space allowed, I could mention several other successes: Unpaved roads program, feral hogs legislation, income tax exemptions and reform of the brucellosis program. These are Farm Bureau’s successes, but we weren’t alone. The Division of Agriculture made an allout campaign about its value in communities across the state. Other agriculture groups and organizations stood with us on these issues. Our farmers reinforced our goals at county legislative breakfasts and Farmers’ Day at the Capitol. Finally, our friends in the legislature and Gov. Asa Hutchinson listened and worked with us to champion the cause of agriculture.

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SPRING 2015

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Bald Knob

The city of Bald Knob has a mural honoring its veterans. It started as a campaign promise from mayoral candidate and Korean War veteran Doyle Wallace, and became a reality in 2013 after hard work and donations of money and time from many people in the community. The mural, painted by Gene Reagan, took a little more than a year to complete and features the American flag, a bald eagle and military vehicles, as well as pictures representing all branches of the military. A memorial wall adjacent the mural shows the names of those from the town who have served in the military, and a local committee has plans to create the Bald Knob Veteran’s Museum in the building on which the mural is painted at Main Street and Highway 367.

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The Murals of Arkansas words and photos Keith Sutton

T

here’s something about a big blank wall that drives people crazy.

Perhaps something in our DNA

makes this so, or some innate thought process inherited from our primitive ancestors. But for some strange reason, we humans cannot gaze upon a monotone expanse of brick, mortar or rock very long before our mind tells us we must change it.

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Alma

Folks often leave Interstate 40 in Crawford County to drive into downtown Alma, “The Spinach Capital of the World.” There on Fayetteville Avenue is a giant bronze statue of Popeye the Sailor Man, the mascot of Allen’s Canning Company, which once canned more than half the spinach in the U.S. The statue is the centerpiece of Popeye Park, but there’s also a beautiful mural painted on an adjoining wall — a composite of Fayetteville Avenue businesses from 1871 to 2009. Longtime Alma residents will recognize Murphy’s Café, Starbird’s Variety Store, Bowlin’s Grocery, Gayles Electric, E.L. McGehee’s and the Alma Cash Store in the painting. An online source says another large mural with hidden Popeyes will be added to the exterior wall of a nearby building.

I know of no scientific explanation for this peculiarity of human nature, but there’s no doubt it exists. As far back as 30,000 years ago, men used chewed sticks and charcoal to paint cave walls with magnificent animals and hunters.

Ancient Egyptians, Minoans, Greeks, Romans and Mayans decorated the walls of their palaces, tombs, homes and public buildings with brightly colored paintings thousands of years ago. Some of the most magnificent examples of Christian art, many hundreds of years old, survive on the walls and ceilings of European churches and cathedrals—walls and ceilings someone once looked up at and said, “That really needs something to jazz it up.”

Many of the old wall paintings were indoors, including those by renowned masters like Thomas Hart Benton and John Singer Sargent that adorn the interiors of U.S. museums,

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libraries, post offices and other public spaces. But in contemporary times, most of the artwork has been done on exterior surfaces, and we have come to call the paintings “murals,” from the Old Latin word “murus,” meaning “wall.” A mural is, quite simply, a painting on a wall.

While traveling around Arkansas, you can see many murals. Dozens adorn buildings from Blytheville to Texarkana and Eureka Springs to Dermott. They are primarily a downtown phenomenon, painted on the sides of senior citizen centers, barber shops, groceries, banks, restaurants, government offices and, in many cases, buildings long abandoned.

Some are huge, some very small. Some are beautifully artistic, with bright colors and dramatic subjects, while others appear to be (and sometimes are) painted by children. A few

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murals are so rich in realistic detail, it appears you could walk right into the scenes they depict.

Arkansas murals feature many subjects: historical vignettes, patriotic celebrations, military memorials, famous people, wildlife, local industries, street scenes, festivals, beautiful women, agriculture, hunters, monsters, abstract interpretations and much more. The artists who created them come from all walks of life. Some are professional muralists hired to paint works others first envisioned. Some are local residents who take up brushes because of some inner urge to create, or citizens called to action by groups asking for assistance in a mural’s creation.

Most Arkansas murals have been painted in recent years or were recently renovated. Few have existed more than a decade, and those that have often are faded and chipped, in

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danger of disappearing altogether. Several new murals are in the planning stages, like a colorful mural of koi fish set to adorn the side of Bennett’s Military Supplies in downtown Little Rock. It is hoped that a “Festival of Murals” in Fort Smith this September will draw artists from around the world to paint five to 10 new murals on downtown buildings there.

We are not all artists, or even lovers of art. But to stand before the murals of Arkansas is to be awe-struck at their size, power and beauty. Their grand scale and marvelous individuality touch us the way great art should. We are fortunate to have them here in the Natural State, for a reason the great Mexican muralist José Orozco said quite well: “… mural painting … cannot be converted into an object of personal gain, nor can it be concealed for the benefit of a few privileged people. It is for the people. It is for everybody.”

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Pine Bluff

With 13 murals painted since 1992 by internationally renowned artists, Pine Bluff has become known as the “City of Murals.” Subjects include movie greats Bronco Billy Anderson, the first cowboy star, and Freeman Owens, who developed sound-on-film technology still being used today (2nd & Main); Davis Hospital and Jefferson Regional Medical Center (2nd & Main); the history of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (2nd & Main); life in Jefferson County between the 1920s and 1940s (2nd & Main); a 1905 auto club meet (3rd & Main); the Old Fire Station, circa 1892 (7th & Main); Cottonbelt Railroad steam engine 819 (9th & Main); Quapaw chief Saracen (Barraque & Main); cadets who trained at Grider Field during World War II (2nd & Pine); the Arkansas River and agriculture (5th & Pine); timber men (5th & Georgia); and Willie Hocker, designer of the Arkansas state flag (Chestnut & U.S. 65B). A favorite of many who see it is the “Main Street, 1888” mural (3rd & Main), a painting so large, so detailed and so realistic in its execution, it appears to be a side street the traveler can walk to another place in time.

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Benton

The state’s newest mural adorns the Bell Building near Benton’s courthouse square. Artist Mark Davey (far left) painted much of the 31-foot-by-141-foot fresco (one of Arkansas’ largest) from a cherry picker. Local artist Dianne Roberts designed it. “It’s a story of the Saline River and how it affected the early people who lived here from about 1500 to 1900,” she said. The mural includes historical scenes of Spanish explorers, Native American culture, farming and Benton’s pottery industry. The project was conceived in the mind of 97-year-old Arlene Rainey who told former county clerk Freddy Burton, “Every time I leave the bank, that wall speaks to me. It’s saying, Put something on me.”

Dermott

In downtown Dermott, there is a mural painted on the side of the Senior Citizen’s Center. The artwork is crude (some might say “folksy”) but the depiction of the town’s history includes fascinating tidbits. Part of the painting shows Dr. Charles McDermott, a scientist, planter, physician and minister who founded the city in 1832, at the ripe old age of 24. “Dr. McDermott built and attempted to fly one of the first airplanes, Patent No. 133,046, on Nov. 12, 1872,” the mural says. “They called him Flying Machine Charlie.” No less an authority than Scientific American magazine compared Charlie’s published work to the Wright brothers’ machine and declared that his plans led to the Wrights’ success.

Texarkana

A large mural at 311 Main Street in Texarkana depicts the life and accomplishments of native son and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Scott Joplin, “The Father of Ragtime Music.” While attending the Orr School in Texarkana, Joplin formulated many of his most successful ideas and compositions.

He became famous for “The Entertainer,” written in 1902, which was introduced to a whole new generation when used in the 1973 movie “The Sting.”

His sophisticated piano compositions have only recently begun to be fully appreciated, and as a result, many revivals of his works have been staged and recorded.

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Conway

In some cities, murals are created by artists without community input. That’s not so in Conway. Local citizens were deeply involved in creating two large murals there. After gathering ideas from residents, the city’s first community mural, Aurora Rising, was painted in 2007 on the south side of City Hall by University of Central Arkansas artist in residence Morton Brown and his students as part of the university’s centennial celebration. The modernistic design references different periods of Conway’s history while speaking to the idea that the future and past are linked—new generations standing on the shoulders of their forefathers.

The second mural, designed by UCA graduate Jordan Carpe, was painted on the Old Grand Theater at Oak and Chestnut in 2013. Conway residents suggested ideas for the mural, and hundreds of all ages and skill levels picked up paintbrushes to help create the colorful painting. Two other murals are on downtown buildings, including one at 915 Oak St., which is a collaboration of Hendrix College and The Art School students. It depicts Conway landmarks, including churches, colleges and a dogtrot cabin. A building on Front Street has a mural painted by Conway resident Tanner Cangelosi that depicts Toad Suck Daze events.

Camden

In his book, “Roads to Quoz: An American Mosey,” best-selling travel author William Least Heat-Moon describes meeting artist Terry Mashaw, aka Indigo Rocket, while moseying through downtown Camden with his wife Q. Mr. Rocket, who was painting a mural of a “languorous, 50-foot seductress,” came down to chat with the couple who had called up their admiration of his work. He said he had been paid to paint one mural per year until he covered up all the unseemly exterior walls of the downtown buildings. “It’s a way to paint the town and earn a little money from the fun,” he told them, mentioning how communities across the country were answering the supercenters rising on their fringes by giving new reasons to come downtown. Murals were part of the rebirth. Rocket completed two murals, both of which can be seen along Highway 7 in downtown Camden. They are beautiful masterpieces, with colorful depictions of the city’s history and people.

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Fouke

In 1972, the community of Fouke in Miller County received national attention when Charles B. Pierce produced a movie called “The Legend of Boggy Creek.” The film chronicled the alleged existence of a large, hairy, red-eyed creature called the Fouke Monster, which visitors can see on a mural at the local Monster Mart on Highway 71.

Fouke artists Joe Davis and his son Joey wanted to be sure the town is remembered for more than its monsters, however, so in 2010 they painted two larger murals on the walls of the old Fouke bank building. One is a huge bald eagle along with the stars and stripes and the words “A Tribute to Veterans.” On the opposite side of the building, a mural and adjacent exhibits depict the history of Fouke, which was incorporated in 1911.

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Magnolia

For the mural lover, Magnolia is a city of dreams. A walk around the historic downtown square provides views of five exquisite frescoes: a colorful wildlife mural celebrating nearby Logoly State Park; the gorgeous Blossom Festival mural at East Main and Pine Street; the Oil Boomtown mural depicting the discovery and importance of oil in Columbia County; “Cotton Wagons on the Square, 1904,” an incredibly detailed painting of an era when cotton sold for 15 cents a pound; and “The Magic of Movies” mural where visitors often stand for hours looking for characters who starred on the silver screen from the 1930s to the 1990s.

Look closely and maybe you can find the signature Charlton Heston painted on the wall!

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3/23/15 3:38 PM

Ta s t e A r k a n s a s

The incredible egg It’s a nutritional powerhouse words and photo Stephanie Buckley

M

ay is National Egg Month, and we have a lot of poultry eggcellence to celebrate. The egg industry in Arkansas has been a large segment of the agricultural economy for many years. In 2014, Arkansas produced more than 3 billion eggs with a farm value of more than $440 million and ranks 10th nationally in egg production. The Arkansas poultry industry accounts for one out of every four agricultural jobs in the state.

For generations, Arkansas’ egg farmers have been committed to delivering high quality eggs and following the highest standards for caring for their birds and the land they farm.

Here are some fun egg facts: • The chef ’s hat, called a toque, is said to have a pleat for each of the many ways you can cook eggs. You can scramble, fry, poach and bake eggs and cook them in their shells. You can turn eggs into omelets, frittatas, quiches, strata casseroles and top-of-range bakes, too.

• Eggs provide high quality protein, containing all the essential amino acids our bodies need in a near-perfect pattern.

In fact, the quality of egg protein is so high scientists frequently use eggs as the standard for measuring the protein quality of other foods.

• A hen requires 24 to 26 hours to produce one egg. Thirty minutes later, she starts all over again.

• There is no difference in the nutritional value of eggs produced by free-range hens versus cage-confined laying hens.

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•

•

•

• •

•

The confined hens are better protected from predators.

Eggs age more in one day at room temperature than in one week in the refrigerator.

White shelled eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and ear lobes. Brown shelled eggs are produced by hens with red feathers and red ear lobes. There is no difference in the nutritional value of the different-colored eggs.

To tell if an egg is raw or hard-cooked, spin it. If the egg spins easily, it’s hardcooked but if it wobbles, it’s raw.

Egg yolks are one of the few foods that naturally contain vitamin D. Occasionally, a hen will produce doubleyoked eggs throughout her egg-laying career. It is rare, but not unusual, for a young hen to produce an egg with no yolk at all.

A standard egg truck carries 800 cases of eggs, which equals 24,000 dozen or 288,000 eggs.

Now, that’s all pretty egg-straordinary.

Devine deviled eggs If there’s one dish you’ll find doubled or tripled at any Southern picnic, family reunion, funeral meal, church gathering or holiday, it’s deviled eggs. And even then, the folks who brought them aren’t likely to go home with leftovers.

Deviled eggs are such a part of our culture we give plates designed to hold them as wedding gifts. Every self-respecting

Southerner has a deviled-egg plate, usually two. We have one for “fancy” company and a travel version which has a handy little lid (In the interest of full disclosure, I might have three fancy ones.).

“There are 3,050 family farms in Arkansas with some type of laying hen,” said Marvin Childers, Poultry Federation president. These family farms have contracts with companies such as Cal-Maine Foods, the largest tableegg distributor in the U.S. The average American consumes 20 dozen eggs a year — that’s 240 eggs in 365 days. This nutrient-dense food provides 13 essential nutrients to the human diet and $438 million to the Arkansas economy.

Deviled eggs are simple to prepare. The basic recipe is egg yolks mixed with pantry staples such as mayonnaise and mustard to make them creamy. The only possible issue comes to boiling the eggs. It can be easy to over or undercook them if you’re not careful.

My mother’s “go to” mix-in ingredient is sweet pickle relish, while my grandmother preferred a bit of bacon. I really like to add avocado, but my current “go to” is pimento cheese.

Yes, pimento cheese is more than a spread. It’s a food with a rich history and a delicious taste we Southerners adore.

Growing up, we’d eat pimento cheese on sandwiches, on crackers, and it was always present when gathered with family and friends. Have mercy, it’s only natural we put it in our deviled eggs, too. Now that’s a whole lot of Southern history and joy in one bite. Try these Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs for your next gathering.

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Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs Ingredients • Lemon, 1/2 • Eggs, 1 dozen • Mayonnaise, 1/2 cup (Duke’s, of course) • Cream cheese, 8 ounces • Hot sauce, 1 teaspoon • Cheddar cheese (white, sharp), 8 ounces • Salt, ½ teaspoon • Sweet onion (Vidalia), 1/8 • Chives, 1 bunch • Roasted red bell peppers, 8-ounce jar Directions 1. Place eggs in a deep pot and cover with cold water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer.

Once you see small bubbles form, set the timer for 12 minutes. Maintain temperature so the water stays at a low simmer (not a boil).

2. Bring cream cheese to room temperature. Cut into smaller pieces.

3. Grate cheddar cheese on the big holes side of a grater.

4. Take the piece of the onion (⅛ of a whole onion) and grate it over the small holes of the cheese grater.

5. Dice roasted red peppers. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the juice from the jar and mix it in when ready to assemble the dip.

6. Juice ½ lemon.

7. Chop chives and set aside as a garnish for the deviled eggs.

8. After the egg timer goes off, remove eggs and place in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Let cool. Peel eggs, cut into halves and scoop out yellow yolks into a large bowl. Mash yolks with a fork.

Assembly In a food processor or Kitchen Aid mixer, combine the pimento cheese dip ingredients: roasted bell peppers, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, lemon juice, mayonnaise, grated onion, hot sauce and a tablespoon of juice from the roasted red pepper jar. Mix until smooth.

Mix 1½ cups of the pimento cheese with the egg yolks. Place in a pastry bag or zipclose bag and push the mixture all the way down to one corner and twist the top of the bag closed.

Snip off the tip with a pair of scissors. Squeeze out the pimento cheese filling into each half of the eggs. Garnish with chopped chives.

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SPRING 2015

23

La n d & P e o p l e

Jimmy Pat Blackburn comes from family farmer stock that reaches back at least to the 1790s. The inset black-and-white photo shows a young Jimmy Pat (far left) picking cotton with his father, grandfather and great grandfather.

Color photo by Keith Sutton

A most interesting farmer Jimmy Pat Blackburn

J

immy Pat Blackburn who farms with his two sons in rural Greene County had no interest in being interviewed for this profile. It wasn’t that he was being cantankerous — though sons Justin, 31, and Britt, 28, say their dad can be that way, well … sometimes. In his return phone call following the interview request, Blackburn recited from a list he’d created. One printed list was “Reasons why JP interview might be interesting.” The other printed list he read from was “REASONS NOT TO INTERVIEW JIMMY PAT BLACKBURN.” First on the latter list was: “Not a very interesting person.”

Blackburn, 74, is a thoughtful and interesting man. He was born on and farms what’s known as the old Alexander Plantation. He still

24

words Gregg Patterson maintains the ground of his great grandparent’s old home place where he says he goes for “… solitude and reflection.” He has a mathematics degree from Arkansas State University, was a college and high school math teacher, worked in the early development of computers and is the seventh generation of the family on his side to farm (“… probably more, haven’t researched further back than 1790.”) his sons the eighth.

Blackburn claims to “… have most of the junk I have accumulated in 50 years of farming.” He prefers to refer to it “… as an unlimited supply of spare parts and repair material. I am the only one who knows where most parts are.”

He’s never farmed more than 1,200 acres in his 50 years of farming, only once had a new

piece of equipment, has predominantly been a dry-land farmer, farms mostly rented land, owned only two new pickup trucks ever, has everything paid off and doesn’t have to borrow any money for any part of his farming operation (something he worked hard to finally accomplish).

It didn’t come without a price. Blackburn says at 55 he “… had no wife, no cash money and two sons ages 8 and 11 who were completely dependent on me. I had nothing God needed,” Blackburn continued, “so I wasn’t in any position to bargain with Him. But I made a covenant with God that I wanted to see them grown and that as long as He allowed me to live, I would make it my first priority to raise

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SPRING 2015

them to be responsible men and to take them to church every Sunday.” He wanted to keep his boys busy and believed the farming life and its strong work ethic gave him the best chance to teach them good values and, hopefully, stay out of trouble.

“That worried me, so I wanted to make sure they had the same opportunities I had.”

Throughout his career, Blackburn has served Farm Bureau for more than 25 years as a county board member, including as secretary and vice president. When he bought his first

car in 1962, he insured it with Farm Bureau.

Blackburn says he’s raised nearly every crop suitable for Greene County except rice and fish. He’s been an innovative farmer, instituting skip-row cotton farming in 1982 and modifying a four-row cotton picker to pick three rows of the skip-row pattern. He was Greene County no-till farmer of the year in 1985. He got into hog farming when he retired from teaching when his students gifted him with a pig. Even now he and his sons were willing to try something new, growing sesame the past two years. They also lease duck hunting ground.

Regarding that covenant with the Almighty, Blackburn said “I kept my promise, and I am very happy to say that I couldn’t be any more proud of each of my sons. They still attend church with me even though they are now 28 and 31 years old. I don’t have any complaints.

It’s been a pretty good life.”

That’s not a bad story from a guy who doesn’t consider himself very interesting.

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SPRING 2015

25

Laon Idt & D Y oP ue r ospellef

Cleaning your wood cutting board

Maintaining the beauty of wooden cutting boards is easy with this simple cleaning process.

Photo by Stephanie Buckley

Easy peezy

words Stephanie Buckley

I

have a gorgeous cutting board, monogrammed of course, from my friends at Paul Michael Company of Lake Village. It’s so beautiful and special I was hesitant to use it at first. I was afraid to add dangerous bacteria and ruin the beautiful finish. I decided I should probably just keep it for “looks” and displayed it proudly above the sink in my kitchen. The poor cutting board looked lovingly on as I washed beautiful veggies every night and then passed it by for the cheap, ugly plastic cutting board I knew how to care for.

Then, I went out of town for a weekend alone. I came back to find my husband had used my beautiful cutting board. Not only that, he’d sliced a brisket on it. Things might have come out of my mouth like “What were you thinking? Did the juices soak deeply into my beautiful board?” Oh and my favorite, “I hope you didn’t ruin my monogram.”

After my Southern gal frenzied drama spell subsided, I thought, well, it’s a cutting board, maybe I should use it as one. So, I called some of the older ladies on the mountain where I live.

(See, I don’t need to Google this info.)

I just call on the wise women who have cooked for their families for more than 50 years and are my neighbors.

Yes, they know a thing or two.

Here are some simple tips on cleaning, deodorizing and conditioning wood cutting boards.

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Materials • Vinegar • Water • Hydrogen peroxide • Coarse sea salt • One lemon • Mineral oil

Clean • Use a damp cloth or paper towel to wipe the board with a small amount of vinegar and water to loosen any leftover food residue and disinfect the board.

• Disinfect using 3 percent hydrogen peroxide. Pour it over the board and spread it around using a clean sponge. Let it stand for a few minutes as it fizzes and kills germs. Wipe off with the clean sponge and repeat as needed

Deodorize • Sprinkle coarse sea salt all across the board. I sometimes let the salt sit overnight, so it can draw out any lingering bacteria.

• Cut a lemon in half and use each piece to work the salt around the board. Be sure to juice the lemon as you are scrubbing. Let the lemon juice/salt mixture sit on your board for 5-10 minutes before wiping away with a damp cloth.

I also keep a spray bottle filled with white vinegar and use it to regularly spray the cutting board. The vinegar will neutralize odors while working as an all-natural disinfectant.

Condition The amount of usage of your board and the climate where you live will determine how often it needs conditioning. Here in Arkansas, you probably need to condition it only three or four times a year. This conditioning method is simple, inexpensive and will keep your boards looking gorgeous.

• Apply mineral oil to your board with a soft cloth (Stay away from olive or vegetable oils, as they turn rancid quickly). Wipe the board, going with the grain, making sure to condition all areas including the sides and the back of the board.

• Buff the oil into the board with a dry cloth. The old white T-shirt my husband was wearing when I came in and found him using my cutting board the first time worked great, though I’m not sure he approved.

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SPRING 2015

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SPRING 2015

Buffalo National River

27

in the kitchen

Picnic trick Time to eat outside words Jerusalem Greer

T

he weather is turning lovely. The days are longer, and we all want to get outside. We all need a bit of a getaway after a long winter. But spring means planting and cleaning, leaving little time for excursions. We may not be able to head to the park or the lake just yet, so I have a little trick for staging your own little getaway. I call it the picnic trick.

Before you change your mind, go ahead and prepare a picnic basket right now to keep by the door for that first perfect spring afternoon or midweek evening when you need an instant-getaway. By having it ready, there’s no excuse when the picnic mood strikes. You’ll be ready at a moment’s notice to call a few friends, throw some blankets in the car, visit your local grocer then head to your favorite park for a simple picnic meal that will transport everyone to a much slower rhythm of life.

Don’t want to leave home? Have a picnic in your backyard or on the front stoop. The location isn’t important. It’s the simple act of doing something different, something out of your routine that helps you break free from spring’s other demands.

Jerusalem Jackson Greer is a writer, speaker, nest-fluffer, urban farm-gal and author of A Homemade Year: The Blessings of Cooking, Crafting and Coming Together. Jerusalem lives with her husband and two sons in a 1940s cottage in Arkansas at the crossroads of beauty and mess with an ever-changing rotation of pets, including a hen house full of chickens. As a family, they are attempting to live a slower version of modern life. She blogs about all of this and more at http://jerusalemgreer.com

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Picnic basket kit • 1 large basket, vintage suitcase or favorite backpack • selection of mismatched cloth napkins (perhaps ones that have seen better days but are too lovely to toss) • jelly jar glasses • A tin can filled with inexpensive flatware (My favorites come from flea markets and dollar stores.)

• Melamine dishes for everyone, a few extra for serving • salt and pepper shakers

• roll of paper towels • kitchen knife • a comfy quilt or a large rectangle flannel-backed tablecloth • bug spray • sunscreen • kite, sidewalk chalk, bottle of bubbles • matches • citronella jar candles • hand sanitizer • small cutting board • straws

d picnic meal e decide on e ir sp n -i n a e p ro u w Easy E ore on the way if at the grocery st ite meal to grab in the rolling This is our favor imagine a picnic t I ha w by d ire sp ic. It’s in a last-minute picn ike. rance would be l f F s o ill provincial h Ingredients French bread • 1 loaf of crusty ing lemonade • bottled sparkl • bottled water • fresh fruit

s • grape tomatoe mozzarella sh re • package of f hummus sic las • package of c en ick • rotisserie ch

rve. Use the tting board to se cu ur yo Directions n s o oe and hummus e, fruit and tomat eave the chicken L d. de Spread the chees ee n if ies d on ceremony. nse fruit and vegg No need to stan d. de ee bottled water to ri n as en ck unks. s, carving the chi eryone tear off ch in their container e bread, just let ev th g in lic f s o ad ste This is a picnic. In y!

Enjo

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SPRING 2015

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www.arfb.com

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H e a l t h & Sa f e t y

Medical education for high school students Opportunities increase in south Arkansas words Jennifer Victory

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ach summer, more than 400 high school juniors and seniors participate in the Medical Application of Science for Health (M*A*S*H) program. M*A*S*H is a two-week summer enrichment program designed to allow students who are interested in a medical career an opportunity for an intensive hands-on experience in the medical field.

When Dennis Cooper joined the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences (UAMS) South Regional Center in Magnolia as a pre-health recruiter in 2013, one of his goals was to have a M*A*S*H camp in every hospital within his seven-county region. With six medical facilities in that region, participation by all was an ambitious goal. However, Cooper came to UAMS South from Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould, a hospital that has participated in the M*A*S*H program for many years, so he has had a great deal of experience with it.

“I want to afford students in my region, no matter how rural of a community they come from, “Cooper said, “the same opportunities of students in larger cities.”

Historically, only two programs in that region had been available, one at Ashley County Medical Center and the other at UAMS South in its former location in El Dorado. In order to get the other hospitals on board, Cooper visited each one with a proposal for a M*A*S*H camp.

He was immediately successful with Bradley County Medical Center (Warren), Magnolia Regional Medical Center, Ouachita County Medical Center (Camden) and South Arkansas Community College (El Dorado) which all hosted camps in 2014. Now, Dallas County

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High school juniors and seniors in south Arkansas communities are taking advantage of increased opportunities to learn about a career in the medical field. The students pictured above attended the 2014 M*A*S*H camp at the UAMS South Regional Center in Magnolia. Front row (left to right) Madison Taylor, Anna Whitehead, Yadira Smith, Kaisi Baker and Shatina Hunter. Back row (left to right) Jerad Goodson, Sydney Sanders, Abby Buchanan, Sam Whitehead and Erica Barnett.

Photo by Keith Sutton

Medical Center (Fordyce) will join the group with a camp in 2015.

The added camps have allowed the opportunity for approximately 40 additional students to take part in the M*A*S*H experience. It’s the first step for many on a path to a medical career. Erica Barnett, a student at Magnolia High School, attended the 2014 M*A*S*H camp at UAMS South Regional Center in Magnolia.

“M*A*S*H gave me a hands on experience in the medical field, and opportunities to participate in ways that are unparalleled,” Barnett, who plans to become a physician said. “The program gave me a clear indication of whether or not I was cut out for the world of medicine.”

It’s an exciting learning experience for the students but also a chance for hospital staff to see the future of medicine. According to Cooper, the staff at each of the facilities loves the opportunity to interact with the students.

“Hospital staff typically deal with sick people all of the time and when we bring the M*A*S*H students, who are eager to learn, it’s a breath of fresh air,” Cooper said. “They feel like the students absorb information like a sponge.”

Located at mostly rural medical facilities, the goal of M*A*S*H is to encourage students to pursue a career in the medical field and return to those rural areas to practice. For more information, contact Jennifer Victory at jennifer.victory@arfb.com or go to www.arfb. com/education-youth/mash.

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SPRING 2015

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SPRING 2015

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Wayne Crumpton's Fishing Guide Service

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SPRING 2015

continued from page 36 I took teeny baby steps. The woman behind me inhaled low and long, and then exhaled, expelling her annoyance onto the back of my neck.

“Honey, the line is moving,” she said again.

I took another quarter step.

She huffed, but I didn’t care. I would never see that woman again.

What was taking Momma and my sister so long? I counted only six people in front of me.

I thought about stepping out of line, which I’m sure would have thrilled Miss-Honey-theline-is-moving, but I didn’t want to mess up the order and upset Mr. Bossy.

Since Memorial Day was only a few days away, the pageant music included patriotic songs like “Dixie” and “America the Beautiful.”

The man on the piano played with gusto, but I overheard the tall lady in front of me whisper, “This music isn’t appropriate for modeling.”

She must have had prior experience, I thought. I stared at the back of her stiff hair and her long, thin, tanned legs, and decided

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she was most definitely Miss America material. I would follow her lead.

When she walked onto the stage, I stepped exactly where she stepped, stretching my legs and matching her long stride. I almost stepped on her shoe but didn’t. In the audience, people sat shoulder-to-shoulder, filling every folding chair from the back wall to the edge of the stage — one big smiling, nodding, whispering crowd of strangers. My sweaty feet slid around inside my white sandals. “Oh I wish I was in the land of cotton, old times there are not forgotten…”

The dark-haired lady paused at the end of the stage, removed the white shawl tied around her shoulders and took a spin to show her backside to the audience. When she walked back toward the exit, she dragged the shawl on the floor. It took her a while to do the whole fancy turn, shifting on her feet, this way and that. While she hogged the stage, I stood politely behind her. As she passed by me in a cloud of perfume, she gave

Arkansas Farm Bureau • SPRING 2015

me a surprised look, like she had forgotten she was sharing the spotlight with other farmers. I gave her two thumbs up, then walked to the red dot taped to the edge of the stage, turned around and walked back, taking giant steps.

The pudgy woman stood way back at the curtain. She hadn’t stepped onto the stage yet.

What was she waiting for?

I made it. I gulped down air and thought maybe I had forgotten to breathe the entire time I was on stage. My sister waved at me from the end of the line where she and Momma had been reassigned. They walked on stage without me.

“We aren’t doing that next year,” Momma said as we drove home. “It was very disorganized.”

“I told you it would be horrible,” I said.

(Read other work by Talya on her blog “Grace and Gardening” found at www.gracegritsgarden.com.)

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Delta Child

The cotton pageant words Talya Tate Boerner

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he best thing about Belk’s in Osceola was playing on the wide stairs leading to the fabric department. I skipped and hopped and jumped two stairs at a time, then slid all the way down the handrail while Momma considered bolts of fabric and poured over Butterick patterns. She was planning to sew sundresses for my little sister and me, and it was taking her forever to make up her mind. I ran over to help.

“What about this one?” I asked. The shimmery yellow material felt smooth and looked sophisticated, like something Cher might wear on television.

“That’s not appropriate. Let’s stick to the cotton fabric. We are cotton farmers, you know.”

Yes, I knew. There was no chance of forgetting that. And I did love cotton, playing and tromping and smelling it. But once it was dyed in red polka dots and wrapped on the big bolts at Belk’s, it didn’t seem quite so fascinating. I gave up trying to have a say in the decision and went to mess around on the stairs again.

Later at supper, Momma dropped the news on us. We were to model these matching

36

sundresses in the cotton pageant in Blytheville.

“Oh, no, I’m not going to be in any fashion show, no way!”

“Sure you are. All the farmer’s wives and kids will be,” Momma said.

“Is Craig going to be in it?” Craig’s daddy was a farmer, too. Momma told me I was being ridiculous and that boys weren’t models.

I knew that wasn’t true, because there were boys in the Sear’s catalog all the time.

Two weeks later, we were in the cotton pageant all right, and the whole experience was rotten. The man in charge of the program lined everyone up behind the stage. The area was messy, and there were giant pieces of equipment draped in black cloth.

“Don’t touch anything,” Momma said. She always thought we would mess with things, but we never did. Not really. Waiting our turn to go on stage, I had giant butterflies in my stomach. A gazillion people showed up to see how well the farmers’ wives could sew.

Immediately, my little sister had to use the bathroom. She pulled on Momma’s arm and danced around like she might have an accident down her leg.

“Now?” Momma asked. My sister had this bizarre interest in bathrooms, especially those she’d never been inside. And even though these emergencies were usually her way of checking out the restroom tile color or what type of soap dispenser hung on the wall, Momma couldn’t risk calling her bluff.

“I’ll take her,” I said.

“Oh no, I’ll take her. You stay right here and don’t move.” Momma probably thought if I got out of the line, I’d never return. And she would have been right.

I saved our spaces in line between a really tall lady with dark teased hair that flipped up on the ends, and a short pudgy blonde woman who had no business modeling. The bossy man in charge gave last-minute instructions. The lights dimmed. The darkhaired lady moved forward, leaving two empty floor tiles between us.

I stayed in exactly the same spot, as Momma instructed. But when the pudgy woman poked me on the shoulder and said, “Honey, the line is moving,” I was forced to move too.

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SPRING 2015

We knew. Did you?

Farm and Ranch Families Provide...

Amber Bynum Miss Arkansas 2006

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growingarkansas.org

Arkansas Farm Bureau • SPRING 2015

1

Let the

Existing Farm Bureau Bank vehicle loans are excluded from this offer. * Rates disclosed as Annual Percentage Rate (APR) and are based on acquiring one of the following collateral protection products: Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP) or Major Mechanical Protection (MMP). Additional discounts do apply for purchasing more than one collateral protection product. The advertised APR of 2.99% is effective as of March. 20, 2015. Final APR may differ from the loan interest rate due to additional fees (such as a loan documentation fee, which may be applicable). For a $25,050 vehicle loan with a term of 36 months, a 45 day first payment date and a 2.99% APR, the monthly payment will be $727.72. To qualify for the disclosed rate, customer must be a Farm Bureau member. Rates may vary based on the amount financed, term, and first payment date. Finance charges accrue from origination date of the loan. Rates and financing are limited to vehicle models 2005 and newer. All loans are subject to credit approval, verification and collateral evaluation. Other rates and financing options are available. Non-member rates may be 1-3% higher than posted rates. Rates for sport vehicles and commercial vehicles may be higher. This offer is not available in all states and rates and terms are subject to change without notice. Farm Bureau Bank does not finance totaled, rebuilt, or salvaged vehicles. Banking services provided by Farm Bureau Bank, FSB. Farm Bureau, FB, and the FB National Logo are registered service marks owned by, and used by Farm Bureau Bank FSB under license from, the American Farm Bureau Federation.