Issuu

November 2020

The magazine of

The Living History of

Moravian Cookies

page 10

Published by

Equality through land management page 6

How to turn food passions into profits page 22

PERIODICAL

Surry-Yadkin EMC hosts a community food drive this monthâ€”pages 17â€“20 November covers.indd 23

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familiar with the condition. As many as 25% of those over the age of 50 have some degree of macular degeneration. The macula is only one small part of the retina, however it is the most sensitive and gives us sharp central vision. When it degenerates, macular degeneration leaves a blind spot right in the center of to recognize faces, read a book, or pass the driver’s vision test. Nine out of 10 people who have macular degeneration have the dry form. or many patients with macular New research suggests vitamins can degeneration and other visionhelp. The British medical journal BMC related conditions, the loss of Ophthalmology recently reported that central visual detail also signals the end to one of the last bastions of independence - driving. A Wilmington optometrist, Dr. Edward Paul, is using miniaturized telescopes which are mounted in glasses to help people who have lost vision from macular degeneration and other eye conditions. “Some of my patients consider me the last stop for people who have vision loss” said Dr. Paul, one of only a few doctors in

telescopes to help those who have lost vision due to macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and other debilitating eye diseases. Imagine a pair of glasses that can improve your vision enough to change your life. If you’re a low vision patient, you’ve probably not only imagined them, but have been searching for them. Bioptic telescopes may be the breakthrough in optical technology that will give you the independence you’ve been looking for. Patients with vision in the 20/200 range can many times be improved to 20/50. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness and vision loss in people over 50. Despite this, most adults are not

A scene as it might be viewed by a person with age-related macular degeneration

56% of patients treated with a high-dose combination of vitamins experienced improved vision after six months. TOZAL Comprehensive Eye Health Formula is now available by prescription from eye doctors. risk factor for developing the disease, heredity, smoking, cardiovascular disease, and high blood pressure have also degeneration accounts for 90% of new legal blindness in the US. While there is currently no cure, promising research is being done on many fronts. “My job

possible to keep a person functioning” says Dr. Paul. Even if it’s driving. Doreen Jenkins, 72, of Pocahontas, friend. She wanted to keep her Iowa drivers license and was prescribed bioptic tele lights farther away. Dr. Paul also prescribed microscope glasses for reading newspapers and menus in restaurants. As Doreen puts it, “my regular glasses didn’t help too much- it was like look ing through a fog. These new telescopic glasses not only allow me to read signs from a farther distance, but makes driving much easier. I’ve also used them to watch television so I don’t have to sit so close. I don’t know why I waited three years to do this; I should have come sooner.” “Bioptic telescopes can cost over $2,000,” says Dr. Paul, “especially if we build them with an automatic sunglass.” scope is that the lens automatically focuses on whatever you’re looking at,” said Dr. Paul. “It’s like an self-focusing camera, but much more precise.” To learn more about bioptic telescopes or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Paul, give us a call at 1-910-208-9011. You can also visit our website at:

www.DrEdwardPaul.com For more information or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Paul, call us today: (910) 208-9011 and Charlotte

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Volume 52, No. 11

ed rs

Favorites

4 Viewpoints 6 More Power 21 On the House

28 Carolina Gardens 29 Adventures

30 Marketplace

es l, n

32 Carolina Kitchen

34 Where is This? 34 Carolina Music

10 14 22 26

Cookie-Making Masters

For the Hanes family, Moravian baking traditions run deep.

Bringing Smiles to Others

Katie Haynes is remarkable in more ways than one.

Recipes for Success How NC entrepreneurs are making small food brands big business.

Orange Superfood

On the Cover Moravian cookie recipes have been passed down for generations. Read more about one well-known family’s baking heritage (and what that means for cookie lovers) starting on page 10. Photo by Revival Creatives.

Sweet potatoes pack a punch in North Carolina.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:

Carolina Country Scenes It’s not too late to enter our annual photo contest! Send us your favorite photo of people or scenes from around the state by November 15 to be considered for our January issue. See page 30 for details.

November 2020 | 3

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Viewpoints

Are You a Co-op Voter? By Curtis Wynn

Voting is in our DNA as co-op members. It’s how we maintain an electric utility, which is responsive to you, the member. Voting also plays a crucial part in how our government is run. Every election offers us an opportunity to exercise our civic responsibility and select the best leaders for our communities. This year’s election is going to be a big one, with federal, state and local races on the ballot. Co-op members can ensure that elected officials in our communities understand the issues we face. As co-op members, we can practice Concern for Community — one of our seven Cooperative Principles — by ensuring our political system continues to produce a government “of the people, by the people and for the people.” When we take the time to vote, we tell our elected officials what matters to us and our communities. Reliable electricity, rural infrastructure and access to rural broadband are just a few of the issues we all care about. Our elected officials will only recognize these priorities if we make our voices heard. Casting our vote, whether on Election Day, during early voting or by absentee ballot, is the most effective way to send this message. Over the last several weeks, I have seen firsthand how co-op employees and members can effectively encourage our communities to vote. Here at Roanoke Electric, we held a voter drive to increase participation by our members. We have also joined other NC electric co-ops in sharing important voter deadlines on social media. NC electric co-ops along with more than 900 other co-ops across the country participate in the Co-ops Vote campaign to help get out the vote, and to promote issues important to co-ops and our communities. This effort will ensure that our voices are heard loud and clear every day — and especially on Election Day.

We have the opportunity to continue this dialogue with a variety of candidates this year, and now is the perfect time to ask these candidates: “What will you do to ensure we continue to have affordable and reliable electricity in our community?” With Election Day only a few days away on Tuesday, November 3, now is the perfect time to make sure you are ready to vote. You can visit ncsbe.gov to confirm your voter registration, find your polling place, and review your sample ballot. Once you are ready to vote, check with your family, neighbors and friends, and encourage them to do the same. Each of our voices matters, but we’ll only be heard if we make the choice to speak up. You can help us spread the word before November 3 by following NC Co-ops Vote on Facebook and Twitter and sharing important voter information with your friends and family. Add your voice to the 42 million co-op members across the nation to ensure that electric co-ops are a powerful voice on national issues that have a local impact. In addition to following NC Co-ops Vote on social media, check with your local co-op office about other materials like Co-ops Vote buttons or bumper stickers that can help let your community know that you’re a Co-op Voter. I hope to see you at the polls!

“Each of our voices matters, but we’ll only be heard if we make the choice to speak up.”

Curtis Wynn is president and CEO for Roanoke Electric Cooperative in Aulander and serves as president of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Board of Directors.

4 | carolinacountry.com

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THIS MONTH:

The Food Issue If 2020 has been good for anything, for many of us it’s been more time in the kitchen. In our annual Food Issue, we’re celebrating some of the goodness unique to kitchens around the state. And don’t miss a bit of inspiration for your own kitchen —o ur recipe section starts on page 32, and you can find 1,000 more on carolinacountry.com/recipes. —Scott Gates, editor

‘Mayberry’ Local I tremendously enjoyed reading the October 2020 Carolina Country article, “Greetings from The Real Mayberry” (page 10). The communities and businesses mentioned in the show and the article are very familiar and beloved to me, as I grew up in and still live in Mount Airy. In fact, I grew up in the neighborhood very close to Andy’s homeplace and within walking distance to “uptown” Mount Airy. My daddy went to school and church with Andy as a boy; the article provided some dear reminiscences of my childhood. Y’all really do need to visit Mount Airy/ Mayberry, and enjoy some of life as it was, should be, and sometimes still is — at the time of the show’s airing — a real breath of fresh air!

From the Archives Back in April, Blue Ridge Energy member Teresa Miller reached out to see if we could find a back issue in the Carolina Country archives. Her uncle, John Nelson from Piney Flats, Tennessee, had drawn a picture from it and she had planned to frame it with the original. Our archives was inaccessible until recently, but sure enough, her Uncle John certainly did our April 1989 cover justice. The original featured an oil painting, “Rural Memories,” prepared especially for Carolina Country magazine by artist Pamela C. Renfroe.

Helen Pate, Holden Beach A member of Brunswick Electric

3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27616 919-875-3091 carolinacountry.com Warren Kessler Publications Director Scott Gates, CCC Editor Renee C. Gannon, CCC Senior Associate Editor Karen Olson House Contributing Editor Tara Verna Creative Director Erin Binkley Digital Media Keith Alexander Advertising keith@carolinacountry.com Joseph P. Brannan Executive Vice President & CEO Nelle Hotchkiss Senior Vice President & COO North Carolina’s electric cooperatives provide reliable, safe and affordable electric service to 1 million homes and businesses. The 26 electric cooperatives are each member-owned, not-for-profit and overseen by a board of directors elected by the membership. Why Do We Send You Carolina Country Magazine? Your cooperative sends you Carolina Country as a convenient, economical way to share with its members information about services, director elections, meetings and management decisions. The magazine also carries legal notices that otherwise would be published in other media at greater cost. Your co-op’s board of directors authorizes a subscription to Carolina Country on behalf of the membership at a cost of less than $5 per year.

Subscriptions: Individual subscriptions, $12 per year. $20 outside U.S.A. Schools, libraries, $6. Carolina Country is available on digital cartridge as a courtesy of volunteer services at the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Raleigh, N.C. 888-388-2460.

Correction to our October issue Several photos from “Greetings from the Real Mayberry” (page 10) were taken by Marla Milling: shots of the Snappy Lunch sign and owner, as well as Wally’s truck. Thank you, Marla!

Advertising published in Carolina Country is accepted on the premise that the merchandise and services offered are accurately described and willingly sold to customers at the advertised price. The magazine, North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives, Inc., and the member cooperatives do not necessarily endorse the products or services advertised. Advertising that does not conform to these standards or that is deceptive or misleading is never knowingly accepted. Should you encounter advertising that does not comply with these standards, please inform Carolina Country at 3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27616. 919-875-3091. Carolina Country magazine is a member of American MainStreet Publications that collectively reach more than 27 million readers every month.

Published monthly by

Has your address changed? Carolina Country magazine is available monthly to members of North Carolina’s electric cooperatives. If you are a member of one of these cooperatives but do not receive Carolina Country, you may request a subscription by calling Member Services at the office of your cooperative. If your address has changed, please inform your cooperative.

Debbie Benge, Mount Airy An employee of Surry-Yadkin EMC

Avid Reader October was a great issue ... I read it from cover to cover, as I do most issues. Thank you for interesting North Carolina articles.

(ISSN 0008-6746) (USPS 832800)

Read monthly in more than 700,000 homes

Web: carolinacountry.com Email: editor@carolinacountry.com

Change of Address: carolinacountry.com/address Experiencing a power outage? Please contact your electric co-op directly to ensure prompt service. Visit carolinacountry.com/co-ops to find yours online.

Periodicals postage paid at Raleigh, N.C., and additional mailing offices. Editorial offices: 3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, N.C. 27616. Carolina Country® is a registered trademark of the North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives, Inc. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Carolina Country, 3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27616. All content © Carolina Country unless otherwise indicated.

November 2020 | 5

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More Power

L to R: Fourtee Acres Farms owners Tyrone and Edna Williams with Roanoke Electric’s Alton Perry

Alton Perry with Fourtee Acres Farms’ Tyrone Williams, a longtime participant in the project.

Equality Through Land Management Roanoke Electric program empowers Black members By Victoria A. Rocha | Photos courtesy of the North Carolina Forestry Department

As the nation continues to reckon with issues of racial and social justice, a North Carolina electric cooperative’s sustainable forestry program has been quietly working to reverse decades of systemic discrimination against Black landowners. Roanoke Electric Cooperative’s Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Project is one of eight community-based organizations selected in 2013 to administer the national Sustainable Forestry and Black Land Retention program. The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities created the program after decades of declines in Black farm ownership. In 1920, Blacks owned between 16 million and 19 million acres of rural land and accounted for about 14 percent of the nation’s farmers. Today, they comprise less than 2 percent of farmers and own less than 5 million acres, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Census of Agriculture. “In addition to discriminatory practices by agencies, African American landowners were denied access to resources because they weren’t informed of technical resources available to them or informational opportunities to learn the importance of estate planning to reduce the risk of heir property [land owned by two or more people in which there’s no will],” said Alton Perry, project manager at the Aulander-based co-op. Perry and his staff help participants establish legal ownership of their properties to ensure that valuable land stays in their families. Landowners also learn forestry management techniques to transform unprofitable family farms and forests into economic assets. Perry, who forged strong connections with public agencies and conservation advocacy groups during an

“Alton deserves a ton of credit for taking something from scratch and turning it into one of the best forest landowner programs in our area.”

early career in forestry, hosts informational webinars, conferences and workshops attended by about 200 nearby landowners. He’s helped dozens gain access to agencies and other resources for forest management and estate plans. Perry estimates that, through this program, local landowners are implementing sustainable forestry and conservation practices on about 13,000 acres of land. “Alton deserves a ton of credit for taking something from scratch and turning it into one of the best forest landowner programs in our area,” said Chris Brown, community relations manager at Enviva, a wood pellet manufacturer that operates nine plants in the Southeast, including two in Roanoke Electric’s service area. “He has a great ability to bring people together, from the industry to conservation folks to landowners.” Enviva is one of two industry partners supporting the Roanoke Electric program with grants and technical assistance for landowners. Since 2017, it has given $50,000 in financial assistance for forestry and legal services and provided on-staff foresters to consult with participants at workshops or on their properties. As for the landowners seeking assistance from the project, many have turned into skilled foresters; one was appointed to an advisory panel at a national conservation group. Others, like the Kyler family, who own forestland in Enfield, are just beginning. “It has been a positive experience working with Roanoke Electric [REC],” the family said. “We’re now going through the process of finding out how much we own, what’s tillable, what’s farmable and what’s open. REC is really educating us on forestry and conservation. It’s one thing to own property, but something totally different to own property and cultivate it for the next generation.” Victoria A. Rocha is a senior writer-editor for RE Magazine & NRECA News at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

6 | carolinacountry.com

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More Power

Shivalee Patel

Catawba Nuclear Station

What type of U.S. power plants were the most productive in 2019?

Last year, nuclear plants were the most productive of the nation’s generation fleet: Nine of the 10 U.S. power plants that generated the most electricity in 2019 were nuclear plants, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. These top 10 plants accounted for 5.6 percent of all electricity generation in the country. “Nuclear generation has been a reliable, safe and affordable energy resource for North Carolina’s electric cooperatives for 35 years,” said Scott Brame, manager of Compliance and Jointly Owned Resources for North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives. “As an emissions-free resource accounting for more than half of the NC electric co-ops’ power, nuclear energy will also play a vital role in meeting co-ops’ net-zero carbon emissions goal as part of their shared Brighter Future vision.” To learn more, visit: NCElectricCooperatives.com/Brighter

Alex Scruggs

NC Students Receive Youth Leadership Council Scholarships Students representing Randolph EMC and Union Power Cooperative recently awarded two 2020 Youth Leadership Council (YLC) Scholarships to NC students: Shivalee Patel, a student at Piedmont High School in Monroe, representing Union Power Cooperative; and Alex Scruggs, a student at Southwestern Randolph High School in Asheboro, representing Randolph EMC. “I’m thrilled that we were able to recognize these outstanding students for their achievements despite the challenges posed by COVID-19,” said Paul Mott, Youth Tour coordinator for North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives. Both Patel and Scruggs will receive a $2,000 college scholarship. They will also join the ranks of previous delegates selected to represent North Carolina on the Youth Leadership Council, a national electric cooperative program that seeks to develop strong leadership, presentation and advocacy skills in young leaders. While this year’s council activities have been canceled at the national level, Patel and Scruggs will be invited to attend North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives’ annual meeting this spring, pending any COVID-19 cancellations or changes. Earlier this year, both Patel and Scruggs were selected to represent their local electric cooperative on the 2020 NC Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., which was originally scheduled to be held this past June, but was later canceled due to the pandemic. The

annual tour, which brings together close to 1,800 high schoolers from more than 40 states, gives exceptional students the chance to spend a week in our nation’s capital learning about government, U.S. history and the cooperative business model, while building leadership skills and making new friends from across the state and nation. Typically, North Carolina’s YLC representative is selected on the first day of Youth Tour by a peer vote based on a live speech competition; this year, however, the speech competition was held virtually. Patel and Scruggs were both named as representatives after tying for the most votes received from their fellow Youth Tourists, the first YLC tie in recent memory. “Thank you to our Youth Tourists for making this year’s competition a success,” Mott said. “Our Youth Tour delegates have been incredibly supportive and resilient during this time, and we appreciate their flexibility as we’ve worked to transition our tour activities to a virtual environment.” Virtual Youth Tour In lieu of an in-person trip to Washington, D.C., the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association launched “YTO: ShineOnLine” for 2020 Youth Tour participants. The weekly series brings the vast national network of Youth Tour delegates together with engaging speakers, co-op leaders and elected officials.

8 | carolinacountry.com

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month1

Masters

Cookie-Making For the Hanes family, Moravian baking traditions run deep By Pamela A. Keene Photos by Revival Creatives

vva, a 7th generation Moravian, says “My mother allowed me to actually help take the cookies off the pans and stack them when I was 5 or 6, but I was much older before I was allowed to handle and roll the dough.” Her ancestors immigrated to North Carolina in the early 1700s, from an area east of what is now the Czech Republic. “Even before I was born, my mother Bertha Crouch Foltz baked Moravian cookies to sell as a way to help support our family that included her, my father and seven children, so baking just comes naturally for me.” It was a big day when Davidson EMC (now EnergyUnited) electric cooperative brought electricity to Clemmons when Evva was 4 years old. “Until then we had a wood-burning stove, and Mother was very skilled at getting the temperature right so that the cookies wouldn’t burn,” she says. “These days, things are a bit easier, but we still roll, cut and pack all our cookies by hand. Ours are the only Moravian cookies in the area that are still being made by hand.”

A GROWING FAMILY

Evva Hanes

the woman behind Mrs. Hanes’ Moravian Cookies, started baking almost before she could reach the kitchen table. Today, Mrs. Hanes’ Moravian Cookies are shipped around the globe, and they are still hand-rolled and hand-cut in a kitchen on the same farm property where she was born.

In 1952, she married Travis Hanes. In the early days of their marriage, Travis attended college while Evva worked at Hanes Hosiery Mill (no relation) and continued to help her mother bake cookies. “As she got older, Mother couldn’t roll the cookies, so I took on more of the responsibility, helping every day after work and on Saturdays. We were also raising our two children, Mona and Mike, so it was a very busy time.”

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“Ours are the only Moravian cookies in the area that are still being made

by hand.

Ten years later at the birth of her third child, Jonathan, Evva left Hanes Hosiery and turned to cookie making fulltime, shifted her baking kitchen to the family’s remodeled basement. They installed air conditioning and two ovens, making it possible to increase the capacity to bake thousands of Moravian sugar cookies to sell each day. “At that time, I was only making sugar cookies, but I also developed a serious allergy to flour dust, so I had to ask two neighbors to help me,” she says. “Still, I kept baking and soon added molasses cookies to our choices. By the time Caroline, our fourth child, came along in 1968, we decided to hire two fulltime employees to do the work and get me out of the flour dust. Caroline literally saved my life.”

BUILDING A BRAND

It was time for a business decision. In 1970, she and Travis constructed a dedicated building on the family farm. After several additions, it has become the official home of Mrs. Hanes. By 1985, they incorporated and formally named the company Mrs. Hanes’ Moravian Cookies/Moravian Sugar Crisp Co. Inc. The recipe is the exact same one that her great- great-grandmother brought to America more than 200 years ago, when they settled near Winston-Salem with others who founded the Friedberg Moravian Church and one of the two largest Moravian communities in the United States. Baking these special cookies continued on page 12

125,000 pounds of cookies baked annually

pound of dough

when rolled properly, makes 100 cookies

9,000 people tour the Mrs. Hanes’ Kitchens each year*

*prior to the pandemic

November 2020 | 11

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“I’m so proud of our Moravian traditions we can share with others through our

family.

Travis and Evva Hanes

fulltime employees

many of whom are family members, plus an additional 18 seasonal employees

100,000 cookie fans on the company’s mailing list

is part of the tradition still honored today in Moravian communities. Over the years, she expanded the flavors to include Sugar Crisps, Ginger Crisps, Butterscotch Crisps, Black Walnut Crisps, Lemon Crisps and Chocolate Crisps. “Today, my children and grandchildren are running the business,” says Evva, who will celebrate her 88th birthday this November. “But Travis and I are very much involved in many ways. I’m so proud of our Moravian traditions we can share with others through our family.” Their daughter, Mona Hanes Templin, who is president of the company, and her son, Jedidiah Templin, are the most actively involved, but others including cousins, nieces and nephews also work there. Looking back over her memories of growing up on the farm where she and Travis live and where her family’s cookies are still baked, she smiles. “Never in my wildest dreams as a young girl, did I imagine that I would be baking Moravian cookies and have such a wonderful husband, children and grandchildren,” she says. “I have been blessed beyond measure.” Pamela A. Keene is a freelance journalist who writes for magazines and newspapers across the Southeast and nationally.

12 | carolinacountry.com

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Carolina People

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Bringing Smiles to Others

p Picking up toys from owner Sue Lucey at a drive drop-off point at Page 158 Books in Wake Forest.

Katie Haynes is remarkable in more ways than one By Donna Campbell Smith | Photos courtesy of Tara and Jody Haynes

n addition to having Asperger syndrome, 20-year-old Katie Haynes has a long list of medical conditions, some very rare and serious — but that isn’t what is remarkable about Katie. A talented, award-winning photographer, Katie also helps with the family business of rabbitry, raising and showing both pedigreed and pet rabbit varieties. Still not the most remarkable thing about Katie Haynes. What may be most remarkable about Katie, a Wake Electric member in Wake Forest, is her attitude and her desire to lessen the physical and emotional pain of others like her. “I was blessed to be given a condition called Asperger syndrome, which is like a mild form of autism,” she writes on her Facebook page. “It means I don’t interact properly in certain social situations. I may have been bullied a lot, but I see beauty in my Asperger’s.” Five years ago, Katie launched an organization named Smiling While Sending Hope (facebook. com/SmilingWhileSendingHope). Her mission is to bring smiles to others who have Asperger’s or other big health challenges in their lives. Through the program, Katie organizes toy drives, distributes care packages for hospitalized children, and plans holiday parties and back-toschool bashes for them. Katie wants

to provide hope and happiness to those she encounters and share her story, to show these children they are not alone. Katie also uses social media to share articles and stories about scientific breakthroughs, businesses that make accommodations for those with autism and other cognitive disorders, and even articles about dealing with bullying, something Katie has experienced. In addition, she brings awareness to Asperger’s and other chronic children’s illnesses through workshops and presentations. Katie shares her own medical story on her Facebook page, “Katie’s Brave Medical Journey.” She posts about going for tests and treatments for her many chronic illnesses that include postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). The long list is mind-boggling to read. With an upbeat voice, she writes about her experiences as she deals with her medical conditions, shares her triumphs, and frankly educates her readers about her challenges. Katie, through her programs, gives away hundreds of care packets including Vogmasks®, reusable face masks that come in fashionable colors and patterns. She has organized a prom dress donation drive for Joy Prom (a full-scale prom night for

special needs individuals). In addition, Katie visits young patients in hospitals and in their homes to let them know, “there is someone else out there who cares.” A patient ambassador for Duke Children’s Hospital, Katie is featured in its fundraising campaigns. You may have even seen the life-sized cardboard cutouts of Katie in your local Walmart store. There are 15 of the cutouts across the state used in Walmart’s campaign to help raise money for Duke Children’s Hospital. In 2019, Katie was named a “Hero for Life” by the Me Fine Foundation in recognition of her volunteer work. This organization helps families with medical finances whose children are patients at Duke Children’s Medical Center, UNC Children’s Hospital, and WakeMed Children’s Hospital. What does Katie see for her future? She hopes to make Smiling While Sending Hope a nonprofit and continue to grow that organization. While attending college, Katie is studying photography and after graduation, hopes to fulfill a dream of becoming a photographer for Disney or NASCAR. Donna Campbell Smith is a Carolina Country contributing writer who lives in Franklin County.

14 | carolinacountry.com

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BUILDING A BRIGHTER FUTURE

Energizing student learning is one of the many ways North Carolinaâ€™s electric cooperatives are enriching the lives of members and supporting local communities, now and for generations to come. Congratulations to the hundreds of North Carolina teachers receiving Bright Ideas education grants from local electric co-ops this fall to fund exceptional projects!

NCBrightIdeas.com

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Manager's Message | Greg Puckett

Neighbors in need: Food/fund drive kicks off Dear Valued Member,

Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation was named the Small Business of the Year by the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce during its annual Business in Execellence Awards in September. Wendy Wood, center, manager of Communications & Community Relations, accepted the award and later shared it with the SYEMC Board, including Vice President Willard Swift, left, and Toby Speaks, president.

A publication for Surry-Yadkin EMC members

November 2020

Inventory of SYEMC system by DRG begins A full system inventory began by contractor Davey Resource Group (DRG) in mid-October with a pilot inventory on Feeder 1 out of the Fairview Substation. Following completion of the pilot inventory, DRG will begin an inventory of all feeders from the Fairview Substation, followed by the Mount Airy Substation and then the Kelly Hutchens Substation. The inventory is expected to take 12 to 18 months to complete.

This year has been significantly difficult for some people in our service area as businesses shut their doors to help stop the spread of COVID-19. With those closures, whether temporary or permanent, came job losses for many. When the economy takes a hard hit, it is only to be expected that the trickle-down effects will take a toll on laid-off workers and their families. Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation has been stepping up to help those in need during the pandemic. The SYEMC Board of Directors, made up of your fellow members elected by you, kicked off the initiative to donate $1,500 to the Second Harvest Food Bank. The board designated the funding to be used in SYEMC’s five-county service area of Surry, Yadkin, Stokes, Wilkes and Forsyth. Then, SYEMC was able to donate an additional $1,500 to Second Harvest Food Bank to assist food pantries in our service area. The $1,500 donation was secured through a CoBank Sharing Success matching grant. Now I am asking our members and employees to pitch in as Surry-Yadkin will be hosting a non-perishable food and fund drive to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank from Nov. 9-18. With our lobby still being closed due to COVID-19, food donation

boxes will be available outside the front entrance of the SYEMC office at 510 S. Main St., Dobson, for you to park and walk up to or drop food in as you go through the drive-thru. Also, monetary donations will be accepted at the drive-thru window or in the mail at P.O. Box 305, Dobson, NC 27017. Checks should be made out to SYEMC with a note in the memo field, “Second Harvest fund drive.” Then, on Nov. 18, Second Harvest Food Bank will be on site at the office from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to accept donations, both food and monetary, in person as a finale to the drive. The employees and directors kicked off the Second Harvest drive with an in-house fundraiser in late September, so the drive already has a boost to get started. They also will have a chance to donate in November. Looking out for others is part of our way of fulfilling Cooperative Principle #7, Concern for Community. I invite you to help show SYEMC’s Concern for Community by participating in the Second Harvest Food Bank food/fund drive this fall. Let’s help those in need as we begin to rebound from these rough last eight months. Cooperatively yours,

Greg Puckett Executive Vice President & General Manager

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10/9/20 4:35 PM

ConnectWith: Retiring employees who made a difference

Groce, Moore, Seivers retired October 1 Long-time lineman spends 27 years with SYEMC By Wendy Wood

urry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation lost a wealth of experience and knowledge with the retirement of Greg Groce on October 1. Groce left the cooperative in the role of apparatus technician, but had served in several roles since joining the SYEMC staff in 1993. Groce began his lineman career with Pike Electric, working for a couple of years on Pike’s crew that served Crescent Electric Membership Corporation (now part of EnergyUnited). “I wanted something closer to home,” Groce said of why he joined SYEMC in 1993 as a journeyman lineman. One of his first memories with Surry-Yadkin was the big snowstorm of 1993. Other fond memories included traveling to other areas to help restore power to those suffering from hurricane damage. Groce chose a career with the electric utility cooperative because he wanted something outside. He said his favorite things on the job were the guys he worked with and that each day held something different. Six years after starting with SYEMC, Groce was promoted to crew foreman, a position he held for four years. He then took a role as journeyman lineman again with the

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T File photo | SYEMC

Greg Groce, right, seen here in the SYEMC yard prior to COVID-19, retired Oct. 1 after 27 years with Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation.

maintenance crew. In 2010, Groce joined the staking department as an engineering technician, a role he held for two years. Then in May 2012, he became an apparatus technician on the substation crew where he served for the remainder of his 27-year career with SYEMC. As a member of the substation crew, Groce said he enjoyed getting to help build the Lomax substation in Wilkes County. “It’s went by in a hurry,” he said of his years with SYEMC. He noted the

changes that have taken place over the years, especially how the linemen have gone from climbing poles to more often using bucket trucks and the safety measures that have been put in place. Groce said he was looking forward to his retirement, which will give him more time to fish. He also will enjoy spending more time with his family, including his wife, Pam; sons and daughters-in-law, Boone and Katrina, and Jake and Taylor; and grandchildren, Mirra, Neil and Lucy.

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Friendly greeting face retiring after 5 years By Megan Cox

ne of the first faces members see when entering the Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation lobby is that of Deborah Moore. Her smile lights up the entire place and members love seeing her every month. They always ask where she is if she is not there. For her co-workers, “Who ya tellin’” is a phrase they are all going to miss hearing around the office as Moore begins her retirement journey. Moore has been with Surry-Yadkin for eight years. Two and a half of those eight was through a temporary workforce agency. Moore began her career with SYEMC operating the switchboard. She would greet members as they entered the office as well as answer phone calls and transfer them to the person to whom they needed to speak. After operating the switchboard, Moore moved to a position in the mailroom. She would sort trays and trays of mail. Each day she would post payments from the mail onto members’ accounts. This position led her to her final role as cashier. She posted payments on members’ accounts and answered questions or concerns the members might have with their bill. When asked what her favorite memory at SYEMC is, she said the friendships she has made during her career here. “I will miss my friends and the members,” Moore said. Moore’s last day was October 1. She plans to spend more time hanging out with her family, grandchildren, and

File photo | SYEMC

Deborah Moore, right, seen above waiting on a member in the drive-thru recently, retired Oct. 1 after five years greeting members with Surry-Yadkin EMC.

friends, get organized and start sewing again. Moore’s smiling face and stories will definitely be missed at SYEMC by her co-workers and the members.

‘Plant girl’ signs off radio after 31 years on the job By Megan Cox

he “Plant Girl” is retiring after 31-plus years of hard work and dedication to SYEMC. Janet Seivers’ first day on the job was March 13, 1989, Kelly Hutchens, general manager at the time, asked her if she was superstitious about starting a job on the 13th. She told him, “No, I am just so grateful to be able to come to work here.” She has surpassed many milestones and changes in her career. Seivers started her career in the billing department under supervisor, Linda Martin. After two weeks of training, Martin told her she was going to have to start talking on the radio. At that time, to check on delinquent accounts and other matters, the men in the field would communicate with the office staff via radios. The thoughts of this made her nervous. She said her face would get so red and her heart would be pounding when she had to talk. In 1991, when Surry-Yadkin built

File photo | SYEMC

(Facing page) Janet Seivers’ radio call sign is cleared on her last day of work Oct. 1. (Here) Seivers participates as a survivor in Relay for Life.

the new building and everyone was moving in, Seivers was asked to stay behind in the plant department. She wasn’t happy about this change, but the Lord blessed her 10 times over. Seivers acknowledged that Surry-Yadkin is

grateful to have such a great team that works in the operations department. She has been one of the great assets that contribute to that team and will be missed greatly. During her career, she and her co-workers have weathered a lot of storms — whether it be storms, sickness, or loss of loved ones. She remembered during Hugo and the big snowstorm in 1993 when she would make a list of members to call and check on after hours. She is known for her heart full of love and caring nature for everyone. She always talked to and treated members like she would want to be talked to and treated. Janet’s all-time favorite memory was playing on the SYEMC softball team. At the practices, Coach Bowman and Coach McMillian were always saying, “OMG? We looked like the Bad News SYEMC girls.” “At the game, we came out swinging

November 2020

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Plant From page 19

for the fences. Surry-Telephone came in playing, ‘We Are The Champions,’ however they did not leave singing it…. We beat them!” she said. In June of 2010 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, Seivers shared the news with her co-workers in the breakroom. Co-worker Wendy Quesenberry found her that afternoon and said, “Janet I want you to know you have a 95 percent chance of survival.” Seivers said she knew her love and encouragement came from the heart. The ladies in the office threw her a “kickoff chemo night out,” where she was surrounded by family and friends to show their support with love and encouragement to help her through her fight. Two lumpectomies, six chemo treatments and 33 radiation treatments later, she beat cancer and became cancer free in April of 2011. The following fall, SYEMC participated in a Relay for Life event. She said, “Walking the survivor lap and seeing all her family, co-workers and friends at the end waiting on her filled

her heart with so many emotions. They were always my best cheerleaders!” She is very thankful to have her co-op family and work for such a great company that has been so supportive in the community. SYEMC has raised money for many different charities, sponsored children for Christmas and many other outreach projects. October 1 was Seivers’ last day at SYEMC. She plans to spend a lot more time with her husband, Greg; children, Jana, Justin and Kattie; and grandchildren, Ariel, Jesse, Davis, Arden Kate and Ada Jay. Her goal is to be the best Gamma she can be. She plans to spend more time at the lake, attend her grandchildren’s sporting events, support her Golden Eagles and work in her yard. “You might see me riding around with the top down, wind in my hair, cherishing and remembering all my many, many blessings. To my family, co-workers and friends; the love and support you’ve shown me over the years reminds me of the biggest lessons that I have learned. Life is short and precious. Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back. Be Safe,” Love, Janet Seivers.

EV fast charger officially open at I-77 interchange Circle K

Member Connections is a monthly publication intended for the members and friends of Surry-Yadkin EMC.

Board of Directors Lee Von (Toby) Speaks, President Willard Swift, Vice President Karoline Overby, Secretary David Miller, Treasurer Board Members Brenda Hardy Stephen Hutson David Pendry Alvin Reid, Jr. Eddie Campbell Stephen Joyce Greg Puckett, Executive Vice President and General Manager Wendy Wood, Editor

Surry-Yadkin EMC 510 South Main Street Dobson, North Carolina 27017 336.356.8241 | 800.682.5903 www.syemc.com Office Hours Mon-Fri: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. To report an outage, day or night 336.356.8241 | 800.682.5903 An Equal Opportunity Employer Connect with SYEMC syemc

Wendy Wood | SYEMC

Leaders cut the ribbon officially welcoming a new ChargePoint DC fast charger installed by Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation and North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives at the Circle K on Zephyr Road at the I-77 Dobson exit Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020. Cutting the ribbon are, from left: SYEMC Director Alvin Reid; Evan Fitzgerald, innovation and business development analyst for NC’s Electric Cooperatives; Scott Smith with Circle K; Surry County Manager Chris Knopf; Travis Bode, key accounts and energy services coordinator for SYEMC; Todd Tucker, president of the Surry County Economic Development Partnership; and Surry County Commissioner Larry Johnson, chairman of the board of commissioners.

20 Surry-Yadkin-1120.indd 20

@SurryYadkinEMC SurryYadkinEMC

Serving the Yadkin Valley since 1940.

November 2020

10/9/20 4:35 PM

On the House

More Cooking, More Convenience (and Savings) Finding efficiencies in the kitchen By Jonathan Susser

Like many others, I got caught in a bit of a baking binge during the Safer at Home order. And now with the holidays coming up, how can I avoid higher energy bills if I’m using my oven so much?

Cooking and baking have certainly had their moments in the spotlight this year, and that should only continue as the weather gets colder and holidays approach. Fortunately, there is a menu of options to help you save time and money while in the kitchen. Do you have a convection setting on your oven? Unlike a conventional oven, convection ovens/settings use a fan and an exhaust system to move hot air around the interior of the appliance. This feature helps heat food more evenly and evaporate moisture more quickly. Not all foods benefit from convection, but it can be useful for roasting, toasting or dehydrating, baking pies or pastries and making trays of your family’s favorite cookies (yum). Convection ovens are less energy intensive than conventional ovens and can produce energy savings for two reasons: 1) your food will cook faster (about 25 percent faster) and 2) you’ll be able to set the oven to a lower temperature (typically, you’ll want to subtract 25 degrees Fahrenheit from a recipe that calls for a conventional oven; your oven may even do this for you). If you don’t have a convection setting and aren’t in the market for a

new oven, do not fear. There are other steps you can take. One is to cook multiple meals/items in your oven at the same time, which will reduce how much it runs overall. While it may take 10 to 15 percent longer to bake several dishes at once, it will be far less time and hassle than baking them separately. If using this technique with a convection oven, make sure there is enough space for the hot air to circulate and that the fan isn’t blocked. Trays and pans with lower sides are a safer bet for those browned and crispy finishes. Smaller cooking appliances, such as toaster ovens, can also be swapped in to lend support where feasible. Nowadays these can do much more than just make toast; they can roast vegetables or meat, cook pizza, reheat leftovers and more. They also use less energy and may be easier on your

back than your standard oven, and some have convection capabilities. That reminds me: As tempting as it may be to open the oven door to heat your home or kitchen, let your wholehouse heating system do that job and minimize injuries, hazards and possible poor air quality. And here’s one final thing to keep in mind, particularly for the holidays: food waste. We waste a lot of food over Thanksgiving — as a country, on the order of 170 million pounds of turkey, 30 million pounds of stuffing and 40 million pounds of mashed potatoes. All this waste hurts our wallets and the environment. This year, aim to stay on top of your portions by gauging how much food you’ll need based on your guest count. And compost, share or freeze any extras when you can! Jonathan Susser is a writer and editor for Advanced Energy in Raleigh.

November 2020 | 21

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10/8/20 9:38 AM

Success Recipes for

Having the entrepreneur gene is both a blessing and a curse. I hear my sweet Mama’s voice in my head often, when she looked at me once years ago, during the middle of a crazy catered event, elbow deep in soap suds washing chafing pans. She said: “Just what makes you want to do this right here!?” Bless her sweet soul. “Mama,” I said, “I just don’t know, and can’t help myself! I got it from Daddy.” There are scores of food artisans around North Carolina who “just can’t help themselves,” bringing the best of the best into the marketplace. Here’s the story of four, and their recipes for success. 22 | carolinacountry.com

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Little Black Dressing Company High Point littleblackdressing.com

Strolling through your grocery store produce section, if you’ve not found it yet, take a closer look and see if you find some Little Black Dressing Co. salad dressings. Winning both NC and national awards and accolades, LBD is one of North Carolina’s best-kept secrets. These delicious dressings are tucked on the chilled produce shelf since they are made fresh, refrigerated and shipped that way right into the store. You won’t find a lot of “stuff” in them either (no preservatives, additives, and they’re gluten-free).

How NC entrepreneurs are making small food brands big business Story and photos by Wendy Perry

Creator and “head salad dressing maker” Kissie Stroup knows a thing or two about taking a family recipe from home to market from her days growing up with her Grandma Nana’s delicious vinaigrette on fresh-fromthe-garden salads. Nana made her dressing for school and church gatherings, and Kissie wanted to share it with others. She started making the dressing and selling in small batches in 2008. In 2013, her husband said: “Instead of selling dressing to friends from our porch, let’s do this thing.” “I was fortunate my husband was supportive, and I had this opportunity to make dressing, contribute to my family and give back to my community,” Kissie adds. Her first dressing was a tweak of Nana’s, Dreamy Creamy Vinaigrette. From there, she added others and her company was born. Little Black Dressing Co. has grown, is sold across America, and offers private

10/12/20 12:18 PM

labeling too. And the name? “Well, like a good little black dress, it goes with everything!” Kissie’s recipe for

Success

“Tenacity. And willingness to work hard. My business model was slow, calculated and paid as I went along to avoid debt. It has proven to work for me and that’s my best advice!”

Mimi’s Mountain Mixes Hendersonville mimismountainmixes.com

As soon as you meet Lin JohnsonCarlson, you just need to know more about this spunky grandmother of 12!

Years ago, her grandkids started calling her Mimi, so it was only fitting she name her company Mimi’s Mountain Mixes. Here’s how her recipes work: Just open a box, stir in a beer or other carbonated beverage, and after a few short minutes of baking you are enjoying any one of her simply prepared products. Along with her Old Tavern Beer Bread Mix, there are biscuits, soft pretzels, cakes, pancakes and more, including some gluten-free goodies, too. Mimi’s was launched in 2008, when Lin found herself divorced, in big debt and facing foreclosure like so many others during the recession. Bouncing from friends’ homes to homes, and even time in a shelter, Lin didn’t let her spirit and desire to move forward keep her down, finding the blessings in her time of despair.

Taking inspiration from her Grandma Ruth, she was able to borrow church kitchens in Florida and Ohio, where she got busy creating her mixes. With her recipe laced with optimism, she worked tirelessly out and about at flea and farmers’ markets, turning things around, while developing a following of loyal customers — all the while, giving back to help other women who found themselves in similar situations. continued on page 24

Lin’s recipe for

Success

“Keep that chin UP! Take every blessing and multiply it. Mimi’s Mountain Mixes continues to offer a step up for women who are in shoes Lin has worn, and with each purchase of her products, customers are helping her and this mission.“

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10oz Pecan Brittle-F.pdf

CMY

Tips from the Pros 5 take-aways and ingredients of a recipe for success

1. What you think the consumer wants and will buy and what they actually want and will buy are not always the same. 2. Be willing to make changes and adapt product(s) to meet consumer needs, not just yours. 3. This is not easy. This is hard. Do not get discouraged. Stick-to-itiveness required! 4. Favorite thing to do? New product development! Least favorite? Paperwork! Be prepared for lots of necessary paperwork and paper trails to keep track of. 5. Love what you do and give back — to staff in allowing time for family life balance, and to community. Share your success and blessings with others in need or less fortunate. Wendy’s bonus tip: “Having created and managed many of my own companies over the years, a certain amount of sheer craziness is required.”

carolinacountry.com/extras Here’s a pizza with a healthy boost thanks to chicken & four vegetables. White Tango Pizza substitutes a boring red sauce for a dressing from Little Black Dressing Co., “It Takes Three to Tango,” containing ranch, 1000 island and blue cheese. Find it online.

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4:43 PM

1 in 6 Snacks

Elizabeth’s Pecans Turkey elizabethspecans.com

Pe c a n P r o d u c t s

You read that right — Alan Bundy’s pecan shop is in the town of Turkey, in Sampson County. It’s worth your while to get off onto the backroads and see what you come across there. Alan’s little gem of a shop awaits you, just a bit off Interstate 40 on Highway 24. Alan’s father, Navy Captain Bobby F. Bundy, established a pecan grove in 1981 and later started B&B Pecan Processors of NC. Alan has taken the farm and the processor to new places. The pecans, grown there in Turkey, are processed locally and shipped around the world. They can be found in more than 140 major grocery store chains, smaller boutiques and are available for fundraising events. After B&B Pecans launched back in the ’90s, their now famous “Elizabeth’s Exceptional Pecan Brittle” (named after Alan’s daughter) came along in 1998. Different from most, this buttery brittle is a soft-crunchy, making it easy to eat and their biggest seller. Since then, Alan has added more tasty pecan products, for a total of 14 roasty toasty pecan treats for Elizabeth’s fans. Elizabeth’s has a quaint little shop by the railroad tracks in Turkey, where folks from all over the country (and world) drop by to sample most all of their pecan treats. Storekeeper Anita will graciously offer them to you, and wow, does that lady love her job! She can tell you all sorts of things about their pecans, the company and all the many other local products there in the store, including many from veteran owned companies.

Alan’s recipe for

Success

Alan focuses on maximizing ideas and resources that continue to produce the best handmade products his customers love and enjoy.

Raleigh 1in6snacks.com

When you’re raised in a home where your family is in the snack business, what do you do when you grow up? Why, you jump right in with the family. The snack family. While still a fulltime agri-business management student at NC State University, Josh Monahan started working on his first product in 2015, potato chips. It was then he realized 1 in 6 people in the United States don’t even know where their next meal is coming from. He knew right away that would be the flagship name of his product and his brand: 1 in 6 Snacks. Launched in 2016, his first product line (and perhaps most familiar) was Carolina Kettle. These flavorful “outrageously crunchy” chips start with the best potatoes, kettle fried in small batches with sunflower oil, and uniquely seasoned with Carolina herbs and spices. Oh, and they’re preservative- and gluten-free too. With a dozen tasty chip varieties now being made, Carolina Kettle’s most popular are Sea Salt and Down East Carolina BBQ (Josh’s favorite is “Southern Twang” salt and balsamic vinegar). Newcomers to the 1 in 6 Snacks family include: Pine State Popcorn, Rustic Roots tortilla chips and salsas, and Memaw’s Country Kitchen cookies and cheese tiddies. Josh’s recipe for

Success

Giving back. “Our customers appreciate our philosophy and that we set aside donations from every bag of chips we sell towards entities that help feed those 1 in 6 looking for their next meal. When seeing that on our bags, that helps customers make a purchase decision while [the bags] are in their hands.” Wendy Perry, a culinary adventurist and blogger, chats about goodness around NC on her blog at WendysHomeEconomics.com.

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Clogged, Backed—up Septic System…Can anything Restore It? Dear Darryl DEAR DARRYL: My home is about 10 years old, and so is my septic system. I have always taken pride in keeping my home and property in top shape. In fact, my neighbors and I are always kidding each other about who keeps their home and yard nicest. Lately, however, I have had a horrible smell in my yard, and also in one of my bathrooms, coming from the shower drain. My grass is muddy and all the drains in my home are very slow.

My wife is on my back to make the bathroom stop smelling and as you can imagine, my neighbors are having a field day, kidding me about the mud pit and sewage stench in my yard. It’s humiliating. I called a plumber buddy of mine, who recommended pumping (and maybe even replacing) my septic system. But at the potential cost of thousands of dollars, I hate to explore that option. I tried the store bought, so called, Septic treatments out there, and they did Nothing to clear up my problem. Is there anything on the market I can pour or flush into my system that will restore it to normal, and keep it maintained?

Clogged and Smelly – Greensboro , NC

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DEAR CLOGGED AND SMELLY: As a reader of my column, I am sure you are aware that I have a great deal of experience in this particular field. You will be glad to know that there IS a septic solution that will solve your back-up and effectively restore your entire system from interior piping throughout the septic system and even unclog the drain field as well. SeptiCleanse® Shock and Maintenance Programs deliver your system the fast active bacteria and enzymes needed to liquefy solid waste and free the clogs causing your back-up. This fast-acting bacteria multiplies within minutes of application and is specifically designed to withstand many of today’s anti-bacterial cleaners, soaps and detergents. It comes in dissolvable plastic packs, that you just flush down your toilets. It’s so cool. Plus, they actually Guarantee that it restores ANY system, no matter how bad the problem is.

SeptiCleanse® Shock and Maintenance Programs are designed to work on any septic system regardless of design or age. From modern day systems to sand mounds, and systems installed generations ago, I have at personally seen SeptiCleanse unclog and restore these systems in a matter weeks. I highly recommend that you try it before spending any money on repairs. SeptiCleanse products are available online www.septicleanse.com or you can order or learn more bycalling toll free at 1-888-899-8345. If you use the promo code “NCS11”,you can get a free shock treatment, added to your order which normally costs $169. Make sure to use that code when you call or buy online.

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e g n a r O

d o o f r e Sup

Sweet potatoes pack a punch in North Carolina

By Margaret Buranen | Photos courtesy of the NC SweetPotato Commission

orth Carolina grows more sweet potatoes than any other state. Let that sink in. Our state’s total annual crop amounts to half of all of the sweet potatoes grown in the United States. They sweeten the state’s economy, too. The 94,000 North Carolina acres where they are grown yielded a crop worth $324 million in 2019. Some of the largest NC sweet potato growers have offices in the United Kingdom for exports there and Europe. This is a hot time of year for sweet potatoes, our state vegetable, but uses for the flavorful root vegetables are not limited to holiday table side dishes. “Sweet potatoes stand up to all kinds of cuisines and food types, from smoothies to vegetable tacos,” says Michelle Grainger, the North Carolina SweetPotato Commission’s executive director. Working on behalf of the commission’s more than 400 sweet potato growers, Michelle keeps up with national food trends. While she grew up in NC enjoying “my grandma’s sweet potato soufflé,” Michelle has started branching out, eating sweet potatoes in dishes that aren’t desserts. “I love the flavoring sweet potatoes give to ethnic foods — Indian, Mexican, Spanish dishes,” she says. Her current favorite ways to eat sweet potatoes are tater tots and a savory dish that features sweet potatoes and crabmeat with melted cheese on top. “On a fall or winter day, that dish is phenomenal,” she says. Several varieties of sweet potatoes are grown in NC. They vary in color and taste. The most popular variety

by far is Covington, developed at NC State University. Covington is the only sweet potato variety grown at Tull Hill Farms in Kinston in Lenoir County. Co-owners Rob Hill and his dad Kendall Hill are members of Pitt and Greene Electric Cooperative. Rob’s cousin, Michael Hill, is also a partner in the farming operation. For Rob Hill, growing sweet potatoes is a legacy. “My great grandfather grew sweet potatoes. Then my grandfather started growing more of them,” he explains. Sweet potato plants, aka slips, are transplanted into the soil from late May until about July 1. Some slips come from a greenhouse grower, who buys his stock from NC State. These plants are known as G1 (Generation One). Small sweet potatoes saved from last fall’s harvest (then G1) are planted whole, around March 15. The slips they produce (called G2, for Second Generation) are also transplanted into growing fields starting in late May. Harvesting comes about 100 days after the slips were planted. Around Labor Day, the farm workers first verify that the crop is ready to be harvested. They dig up sweet potatoes by hand in two or three separate sections, 10 or 12 feet into the field. The plants, now grown to about two feet high, are shredded. Then a chain digger machine is used to go under each row of plants. It lays the potatoes on the ground. Workers pick them up by hand and load them on trucks for transport to the farm’s warehouse where they will be sorted.

The just-harvested sweet potatoes spend several days in the heated warehouse. This curing process heightens their sweetness. Then they are cooled (by air conditioning or ambient air, if the temperature is low enough). They can be stored in the warehouse for months without losing their flavor. Rob says the biggest changes in sweet potato growing in the last 10 years are the export market and sweet potatoes for French fries. “[For a typical acre’s yield], 45 percent of the sweet potatoes will be sold to supermarkets. Twenty-five percent will go to food processing companies for French fries,” he explains. “Ten percent will [be saved to] make seed potatoes for next year’s crop. The remaining 20 percent we try to get value for somehow or donate to food pantries.” The sweet potato is surprisingly versatile. It’s big business for farmers across the state. But Michelle has learned that, just as people often don’t realize these sweet potato facts, they also aren’t aware of what a healthy food they are. “The level of nutritional value out of sweet potatoes is huge,” she notes. “They are one of the top ‘superfoods.’” Margaret Buranen writes from her home in Kentucky.

Get great sweet potato recipes at ncsweetpotatoes.com/ recipes. Want to learn more? Find K–12 lesson pla ncsweetpotatoes.com/ ns at curriculum.

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Carolina Gardens

Crape Myrtles of Winter Some varieties sport flashy winter bark Story and photos by L.A. Jackson

ate autumn is a good time to add trees and shrubs to the landscape, and one perennial favorite for North Carolina gardeners is the crape myrtle. Once established, it becomes a dependable beauty that blooms like crazy through the long, hot summer months. Crape myrtle’s fall foliage show can be flashy as well, but, after that, it dulls visually through the winter months. But this doesn’t have to be the case. The crape myrtles that originally came to America’s colonies from China and Korea in the mid-1750s were Lagerstroemia indica — flowering floosies, for sure, but, come winter, their bare gray branches blended in with the rest of the bland landscape. However, in the 1950s, selections of crape myrtles such as Lagerstroemia faurei from Japan were introduced that proved more resistant to a common crape problem: powdery mildew. As a bonus, many of these new crape myrtles sported sassy, colorful trunks and limbs that sizzled in intense shades of burnt orange, warm brown or rust red as the bark exfoliated. Based on this, breeders at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., began crossing crape myrtle

species to bring out the best features, and they succeeded in a big way by introducing their popular Indian Tribe Series, with several cultivars (of which many are widely available) showing off stunning bark colors during the shortest days of the year. “Natchez,” considered one of the best in the series for strong winter bark color, simmers in an intense rust red. This white-flowering crape also makes a statuesque statement, growing up to 30 feet in height. “Choctaw” will stretch just as tall and has comparable bark color but flaunts vivid pink blooms. Other crapes similar in size and appealing bark are “Biloxi” (pale pink flowers) and “Muskogee” (light purple). There are cultivars in the series that restrain their heights to around 15 feet tall, such as “Apalachee” with pleasing lavender flowers and handsome chestnut-colored winter bark. The trunk and branches of “Osage” have similar coloration, but this beauty sports warm pink blooms. Need even smaller? Try the 10-foot-tall “Pecos” with its mid-pink flowers and mottled, reddish-brown bark, or “Cheyenne” that shows off light reddish-brown bark and vivid, solid red blooms.

The colorful bark of the Natchez Crape Myrtle

There are more pretties in the Indian Tribe Series — as well as other, similar crape introductions not from this group — capable of bringing botanical fire to the wintry times with their eye-catching bark, so why not warm up to the idea and include one or more in your landscape? L.A. Jackson is the former editor of Carolina Gardener Magazine. Contact L.A. at lajackson1@gmail.com.

Garden To-Do’s for November

Amaryllis F

If you receive an unsprouted amaryllis bulb for a Christmas present this holiday season, to encourage a show of flowers indoors this winter, the key is to crowd it. The space between the bulb and the edges of its pot should be no more than an inch. Also, the heavier the pot, the less likely this tall beauty will tip over easily when it reaches its full height and begins to bloom. Finally, to help the blossoms last longer, keep the plant away from dry air drafts that come from heating vents during the cold winter months.

The nastiness that is black spot on roses is a soil‑borne fungus, so to help break up its life cycle in the ground—and its impact on your plants—rake up all spent flowers and leaves as well as any leftover summer mulch and toss the whole mess away. Do not compost. Then, add a fresh, clean covering of mulch to protect rose roots through the winter months.

To keep a standard crape myrtle in bounds, prune it back every few years in February. Depending on whether you want a multi-stemmed large shrub or a single-trunk tree look, pruning can be complicated. But to prevent the dreaded “crape murder” look, check out online tips from the Florida-based Crape Myrtle Company at bit.ly/prune-crape-myrtle.

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10/9/20 2:55 PM

CAROLINA COUNTRY

adventures

Black Mountain Ciderworks

Honeygirl Meadery

Noble Taproom and Cidery

Good Road Ciderworks

Wehrloom Honey’s hives

Discovering Ancient Libations Sample the drink of Vikings on the NC Mead Trail By Jodi Helmer

eekeeper Aron Wehr gives credit to the busy bees that transform nectar into the thick, sweet honey he uses to make mead at Wehrloom Honey. “We couldn’t do what we do without the bees,” he says. Mead is believed to be the oldest alcoholic libation, the drink of Vikings and medieval knights. It’s often referred to as honey wine, and it does share similarities to grape wine, including multiple sweetness levels from sweet to dry, but it can also be fermented with ingredients like hops and grains that are commonly associated with beer. Regardless of the brewing style, honey is always the base ingredient. There are more than 450 mead producers in the United States, up from just 30 in 2003, according to the American Mead Makers Association. The number of mead makers in North Carolina is increasing, too. The North Carolina Mead Alliance created the NC Mead Trail (www.ncmead.org/mead-trail), a self-guided tour of local meaderies across the state. Visiting the taprooms offers a chance to learn about mead — it can take up to three pounds of honey to produce a single gallon of mead — and sample the ancient beverage. “There is a misconception that mead is thick, syrupy and sweet,” Aron says. “The mead we make is much more like beer or cider.” There are 11 stops on the NC Mead Trail: ■ In Asheville, Wehrloom Honey

uses honey from its 150 beehives (plus honey from local beekeepers) to make mead that ranges from dry to fruity. The Dry County Dry, a traditional mead made with water, yeast, oak cubes and honey, is among the most popular. Order a mead flight to taste multiple varieties.

■ Orange blossom, clover and wildflower are among the

most popular honey varieties used in the meads made by Good Road Ciderworks in Charlotte. The mead makers even import honey from Zambia to make their T’Ej mead — a blend of honey, hops, Earl Grey tea and black pepper.

■ The bourbon barrel-aged wildflower mead at Honeygirl

Meadery in Durham is an off-dry, small batch beverage that is aged in bourbon barrels for months. The meadery also makes Maplewood mead with local wildflower honey and maple syrup aged in oak barrels.

■ The mountain region boasts the biggest concentration

of meaderies on the NC Mead Trail. Spend the day tasting mead at Noble Taproom and Cidery in Asheville, Point Lookout Vineyards in Hendersonville, and Black Mountain Ciderworks in Black Mountain. Keeper’s Cut Meadery in Marion has a Mead hall for hosting special events. And at Fox Hill Meadery in Marshall, mead maker Jason Russ’ spiced mead combines allspice, cinnamon, orange zest, cloves and, of course, honey. The award-winning beverage is meant to be warmed up and sipped like hot cider.

Even North Carolina wineries are making mead. Point Lookout Vineyards in Hendersonville produces traditional meads and cyser, mead made from a blend of honey and apples. Jodi Helmer writes about food and farming in North Carolina and beyond.

■ Honeysuckle Meadery in Carrboro incorporates local

ingredients such as honey, roasted peanuts, raspberries and paw paws to create its farm-to-bottle meads while the herb-infused meads at Starrlight Mead in Pittsboro incorporate fresh lemon balm, lavender and chamomile.

carolinacountry.com/extras

Check out the online version of this article for links to more information about these meaderies

November 2020 | 29

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C A R O L I N A C O U N T R Y S C E N E S

Photo Contest Send us your best photo (Carolina people or scenes) and the story that goes with it. We will pay $50 for each one published in the Carolina Country Scenes section of our January 2021 issue. Judges will select more for our “Photo of the Month” feature throughout 2021, and we’ll pay $50 for each of those. Rules Deadline: November 15, 2020 One entry per household Digital photos should be a minimum of 1200 by 1800 pixels Prints a minimum of 4 x 6 inches Include your name, electric co-op, mailing address and email address or phone number

If you did not take the photo you are submitting, please tell us who did and, to the best of your ability, when it was taken so that we can appropriately recognize the person/organization. We retain reprint and online rights. Visit carolinacountry.com/photocontest for full terms and conditions.

Payment will be limited to those entries If you want your print returned, include a appearing in print only, not entries self-addressed, stamped envelope. (We will featured solely on carolinacountry.com. not return others.) Send to Online: carolinacountry.com/photocontest No emails, please.

Mail: Carolina Country Photo Contest 3400 Sumner Blvd. Raleigh, NC 27616

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Statement of Ownership and Circulation Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685 Title of Publication: Carolina Country Publication Number: ISSN 0008-6746 Filing Date: September 14, 2020 Issued monthly, 12 times annually. Subscription price is $5.00 for members, $12.00 for non-members. Mailing address of office is 3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, N.C. 27616, Wake County. Publisher is North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives, Inc., 3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, N.C. 27616. Editor is Warren Kessler, 3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, N.C. 27616. Owner is North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives, Inc., 3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, N.C. 27616. There are no other owners or bondholders. The purpose, function and non-profit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes have not changed during the preceding 12 months. Circulation: Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months, also actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date. (September 2020). Total copies: Average 727,200 (September 797,670). Paid Circulation: Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales: None. Mail subscription: Average 719,162 (September 790,898). Total Paid Circulation: Average 719,162 (September 790,898) Free Distribution by mail carrier, or other means, samples complimentary and other free copies: Average 8,038 (September 6,772). Total Distribution: Average: 727,200 (September 797,670). Copies Not Distributed: Office use, leftover, unaccounted, spoiled after printing; Average: 0 (September: 0). Returns from news agents: None. Total: Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 727,200 (September 797,670).

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Carolina Kitchen

Bacon-Stuffed Pork Loin

With garlicky apple cider gravy

Ahhh, fall. Time for roasting and slow cooking flavors of the season. Low and slow is just right for lean pork loin … surrounded by bacon and salami for the moist fat needed to make it tender and juicy. 8 4 1 30 1½ ²/₃ 16 ¹/₃ 2 2

slices maple bacon pound pork loin Salt and cracked black pepper Poultry seasoning Oil for searing large sweet onion, peeled and cut in ½-inch rounds cloves garlic cups spiced apple cider cup apple cider vinegar thin slices salami Bacon drippings cup stone ground mustard tablespoons brown sugar tablespoons cornstarch Fresh sage to garnish, optional

Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 400 degrees. Fold bacon in half and bake until almost done. Season loin on all sides with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Coat bottom of heavy skillet with oil. Sear on all sides at medium-high, about 5 minutes each, until browned “crust” forms. Place on cutting board and cut 8 slices, making sure not to cut all the way through. Place sliced onion and half the garlic in bottom of slow cooker with cider and vinegar. Tuck each piece of bacon into 2 slices of salami (“taco style”), then tuck these into loin pockets with remaining garlic cloves. Place on top of onions, pour the bacon drippings over, cover and cook on high for 2 hours.* Combine mustard with sugar and spoon over loin after about one hour. Remove, cover and let stand while making gravy. To make gravy, blend cornstarch into a cup of slightly cooled sauce. Whisk this slurry into remaining sauce in slow cooker and let thicken, about 15 minutes. Purée with blender. Serve with roast garnished with sage. *Use a meat thermometer for best results. Remove at 140 degrees in center. Times will vary with slow cooker. Yield: Serves 6–8

Unless otherwise noted, recipes on these pages are from Wendy Perry, a culinary adventurist and blogger, who chats about goodness around NC on her blog at WendysHomeEconomics.com.

Buttered Wilted Cabbage With pepper and caraway seed

Blanching tender cabbage preserves nutrients and provides a vivid pop of color. Let’s hear it for a super quick, farm-fresh side dish! 8 cups chicken broth 1 large head Savoy cabbage 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper 2 teaspoons caraway seed Crushed black pepper 6 tablespoons butter Bring broth to a boil in a large pot, and cut cabbage into wedges. Set aside core. Tear by hand into 1- to 2-inch pieces. Add to boiling broth. Stir and blanch for 1½–2 minutes; drain and reserve broth for a future soup. Put cabbage back into pot. Toss with seasonings and butter. Add salt as needed. Serve warm. Yield: Serves 6–8

Savor the flavor Save veggie scraps for making stellar soup, sauces and gravies! Goodies to save include broth (like this cabbage broth) along with extra leaves, cores, ends and peels from cabbage, carrots, potatoes and herbs. Store in the freezer until you’re ready to make stock. Freeze the resulting stock in ice cube trays to add flavor to all sorts of dishes!

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Carolina Kitchen

Rustic Herbed Dressing

From Your Kitchen

With apples and cheddar

You know it’s fall when the aroma of baked apples and fresh herbs fills the air! Roasted pork, chicken — this stuffing makes just the right side dish. Or crisp up leftover dressing in the toaster oven for a banner breakfast with bacon, sausage and a drizzle o’ maple syrup!

Tara Verna

carolinacountry.com/extras

Check out one reader’s “No-Fail Pie Crust” recipe if you have the time to go the homemade route.

5 tablespoons butter 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin 1 large sweet onion, chopped 3 stalks celery, chopped 6 slices pumpernickel bread, toasted and torn in pieces 6 ounces herb-seasoned stuffing 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 2 teaspoons salt Freshly ground black pepper 3 cups broth 8 ounces cubed, sharp cheddar cheese 4 ounces grated cheddar, your preference Fresh rosemary and thyme for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter over medium heat. Add apples, onion and celery. Sauté until tender, about 5–6 minutes. Fold in toast, stuffing and seasonings. Stir in broth and cubed cheese until mixture is well combined. Pour into a 2-quart, sprayed baking dish. Scatter with grated cheese. Tent with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Garnish with rosemary and thyme. Best if served immediately. Yield: Serves 6–8

Almond Tarts

½ cup almond paste ¼ cup sugar ½ teaspoon almond extract

1 egg, beaten 1 package Pillsbury pie crusts Slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the almond paste, sugar, extract and egg well. Use a small food processor if you own one. Otherwise use a dough blender or mash with a spoon. Place a mini tart pan on the rolled-out dough and use a sharp knife to cut a slightly larger circle around it. Press the dough into the tart pans. Fill the pans about ²/₃ full with the almond mixture and top with sliced almonds. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: Makes 8, 4-inch tarts

Recipe courtesy of Judy Morton of Wake Forest, a member of Wake Electric

Send Us Your Recipes

Contributors whose recipes are published will receive $25. We retain reprint rights for all submissions. Recipes submitted are not necessarily entirely original. Include your name, address, phone number (for questions), and the name of your electric cooperative. Mail to: Carolina Country Kitchen, 3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, NC, 27616. Or submit your recipe online at: carolinacountry.com/myrecipe.

carolinacountry.com/recipes We take food seriously. Search more than 1,000 recipes by name or ingredient, with a new recipe featured every week!

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where

in Carolina Country is this ?

Send your answer by November 6, with your name, address and the name of your electric cooperative. Online:

carolinacountry.com/where

By mail: Where in Carolina Country? 3400 Sumner Blvd. Raleigh, NC 27616 Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified. The winner, chosen at random and announced in our December issue, will receive $25.

October winner

The October “Where Is This” photo by Carolina Country’s Creative Director, Tara Verna, features an antique Chevy truckbed full of flowers outside the C.E. Barnes Country Store in Archer Lodge, located on the corner of Covered Bridge and Buffalo Roads in Johnston County. Founded by the Barnes brothers Ottis and Weldon, the general store has been serving the community since 1927. Readers call this place a gem, where you can shop for local goods and children enjoy the tire swing behind the store. The winning entry chosen at random from all correct submissions came from Jerome Church of Trinity, an EnergyUnited member. Have a roadside gem you’d like to share? Submit a photo, plus a brief description and general location information, at carolinacountry.com/where.

Carolina

November’S FEATURED TRACK

MUSIC

“Daddy Daughter Day” By Pierce Freelon Pierce raps about a banana float, roller skating and smelling the daisies in this playful, upbeat tune. It’s one of 15 songs on “D.A.D.,” his newfamily album. Inspired by his journey through fatherwood, Pierce blends hip hop, electronic jazz, Afro-Caribbean and soul into an energetic musical quilt about family life. Pierce, who lives in Durham, is joined on the album by other talented NC-based musicians, including vocalist Rissi Palmer and rappers J. Gunn and KronoZ Time. ???

carolinacountry.com/music Learn more about Pierce Freelon and listen to this featured track, as well as others from NC musicians.

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Shoot With Bliss

Pierce co-founded Beat Making Lab, an Emmy Award-winning PBS web series; founded Blackspace, a digital makerspace for youth of African descent; and taught music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

10/9/20 3:02 PM

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