SOUTH GEORGIA AG
Featuring agricultural highlights from Cook, Irwin, and Turner Counties
Nashville, Georgia is home of the finest boat builders in the marine industry and the largest, single site, boat manufacturing plant in the world producing industry leading powerboats from 19-30 feet and sport fishing boats from 18-36 feet.
BUDS AND BLOOMS Bailey's
Young business owner sows her field of dreams
By Charles Shiver
The Adel-Cook County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new agritourism destination, Bailey’s Buds & Blooms, 400 Henry Folsom Road, Adel, on Saturday morning, June 22, 2024.
The greenhouse and fresh-cut flower farm, locally owned and operated by Bailey Rayfield, specializes in growing a variety of flowers and seasonal veggies.
The farm also offers a picturesque setting for such special events as field trips, birthday parties, weddings, and more.
The business has expanded to vegetable crops and hanging baskets. Bailey hopes to grow in the near future to a corn maze and hay ride.
Bailey’s Buds & Blooms recently hosted the 2nd Annual Pick-N-Shop. The vendors were The Mercantile on Hutchinson, 4th Street Sweets, Coneheads Adel, The Canary’s Nest Candle Company, and Bloomin’ Brims Hat Bar. The event drew visitors from as far away as Moultrie, Lakeland, Warner Robins, and Valdosta. The farm next hosted the Garden Party Brunch.
Bailey would like to see the farm included as an official stop on the Georgia Grown Trail.
Bailey says she started the farm four years ago when she was 19 years old as a big leap of faith.
The farm is on five acres of her family’s land. Her grandparents Russell and Mary Ann McCranie allowed her to use the property for her business.
Georgia Neighbors magazine recently featured Bailey’s success story. Georgia Farm Bureau’s newsletter and social media campaign highlighted the first Pick-N-Shop in 2023.
Bailey is also a partner in 4R Cattle, a small SimAngus cattle operation.
Bailey has set up displays at The Mercantile in Adel and at farmer’s markets in Tifton, Valdosta, Bainbridge, Adel, Moultrie, and Thomasville.
The farm offers a subscription service of five weeks for $125. The business provides five floral arrangements with delivery included. Bailey’s Buds & Blooms grows its plants directly from seed and
doesn’t accept plugs.
Bailey, 23, is the daughter of Dr. Fred and Tresa Rayfield. Growing up, Bailey was an active 4-H and FFA member. She showed livestock and worked on her family’s sheep and cattle farm.
Bailey was a 2019 graduate of Union County High School in Blairsville, Ga. She attended the University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences (CAES) Tifton Campus, and was selected to receive a scholarship from the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture (GFA). She was one of eight rising college juniors and seniors statewide selected to receive the $2,000 scholarship.
She graduated from the University of Georgia in May 2023 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriscience and Environmental Systems. She served as a UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and as a
at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus, studying Pecan Horticulture under the direction of Dr. Lenny Wells. She will earn the Master’s Degree in May 2025. She has also volunteered with FFA, 4-H, and Special Olympics.
Bailey thanked all her friends and family members who have helped her with the business. Her fiancé Blake Segars helps operate the farm. This past summer, Molly Wells, Dr. Wells’ daughter, worked with Bailey.
“BUT THIS I SAY, HE WHICH SOWETH SPARINGLY SHALL REAP ALSO SPARINGLY; AND HE WHICH SOWETH BOUNTIFULLY SHALL REAP ALSO BOUNTIFULLY.”
2 CORINTHIANS 9:6
Bailey attends Cecil Baptist Church. She is a member of Leadership in Neighboring Communities (LINC), a joint leadership development program of the Adel-Cook Chamber and the Berrien County Chamber of Commerce. She has joined the Adel-Cook Chamber and the Cook County Farm Bureau.
“I have always wanted to own a business,” Bailey said. She plans to continue to operate the farm while pursuing a career in an agriculture-related field.
Georgia Farm Bureau Federation Ambassador throughout her undergraduate years. She is currently obtaining her Master’s Degree
Bailey follows 2 Corinthians 9:6: “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”
For more information about Bailey’s Buds & Blooms, please follow the Facebook page. For more information, please call (229) 886-6696.
HAS A NEW OWNER Landmark Business
By Ben Baker
A Southwest Georgia landmark business has changed hands.
Turner County Stockyards is now owned by Robby Stephens, an Athens man with deep roots in Turner County. His mother is a Youngblood and his grandparents are Bobby and Lillian Youngblood. He has plenty of relatives still in Turner County.
Georgia has about 18 auction houses that sell cattle. A few others sell smaller livestock like goats and the occasional hog, with hog sales being rare in Georgia these days.
The Stockyard started in November 1948. Some years later, the owners asked the late H.R. Wiggins to buy the auction. Speaking once to the Rotary Club years ago, the senior Mr. Wiggins said he told the owner he was thinking about it while the owner went ahead and acted like the sale was a done deal.
A similar situation happened when the business changed hands when Allen Wiggins made the decision to sell the business.
"I picked him," Allen said.
"My dad is in the stockyard business," Mr. Stephens said. His father owns a stockyard in Athens so this is not something new for him.
For Mr. Stephens, the Stockyard feels like home not only because his father has one in Athens.
"I love South Georgia. I always felt like Turner County was my home. I'd come down to visit and I never wanted to leave. I say everything is better in South Georgia. I'd tell Grandma even the candy is better in South Georgia. They had a candy drawer in their home. Even the candy is better."
Mr. Stephens came down, as it turned out, permanently in the spring of 2018. He intended to work about a week while other people enjoyed a spring break holiday. He stayed.
"He came in here ready to go to work and he has," Mr. Wiggins said. "He's even got some new customers."
"I appreciate all the friendships and the support," Mr. Stephens said.
WELL KNOWN
The Stockyard and the Wiggins family are well known. Mr. Wiggins said he can go 150 miles in any direction and he will know someone close by. When going out of town, he often sees people who do business with the auction house.
"People come from 200 miles away to sell their cattle here," Mr. Stephens said.
That is a sense of security because he knows he can call for help, if needed, and some one will be nearby, Mr. Wiggins said.
That kind of relationship is something H.R. instilled in his children and grandkids.
"Granddaddy's motto was get to know somebody and make him your friend. Let him know you care and he'll be your customer for life. The customer thing is secondary, " Mr. Wiggins said. "That is my treasure, getting to know so many good people and their families. Some of them, I knew their greatgrandparents."
CHANGES
Mr. Stephens said the Stockyard was a well-run operation when he took over so the few changes he made were to modernize some aspects of the operation.
"He's made some improvements. He brought stuff up to scale and modernized," Mr. Wiggins said.
"We built some pens. Modernized the technology. The business was not broken, so there was nothing I had to fix," Mr. Stephens said.
THE SALE
"I am the last one of the Wiggins (interested in the business). I couldn't get my brother to come back and help me," Allen said. He has 2 sons, one of whom is in college to be a surgeon and the other is a drummer in several bands while at UGA.
"It was just one of them things," he said. "I did not want something to happen to me and my wife and boys have to come run it or sell it." His wife Sonya, a nurse practitioner, is now a traveling provider and currently in Alaska. Allen plans to visit soon. "I tried to think about the future. I've still got plenty to do. I have 2 cattle farms and I keep some horses to show."
MILLER FAMILY FARMS IRWIN COUNTYAgriculture Spotlight
By Luke Roberts
Some may be surprised to learn that one of Georgia’s agritourism gems is right here in eastern Irwin County’s Wray, Georgia. A spot that offers homegrown, steroid free cattle, homegrown grains, a large collection of IH tractors and equipment, 2 cabins for vacation rental, Cherokee Lake, and a wide variety of livestock that can be enjoyed by all. Miller Family Farms, owned and operated by Rodney and Kendra Miller, is that gem and the farm is growing in popularity and attracting visitors from across the globe.
Miller Family Farms was established by Rodney and Kendra in 1978 and over the years it has grown significantly to the agritourism hot spot it is today.
“At Miller Family Farms we strive to share and educate people on agriculture and welcome them to enjoy our farm with us,” said Rodney. “And it’s a lot of fun.”
Miller Family Farms offer agritourism tours and activities for schools, scout troops, churches and any group that wants to experience the farm life.
“We are the perfect location for all things agriculture,” Rodney said. “We are a living, working farm and guests are welcome to check out our operations any time.”
And the “operations” Miller referenced are aplenty: a retail cattle operation, a wide array of livestock, including goats, horse, donkey, baby calves, chickens, a collection of beautifully preserved and restored tractors, an antique operational sawmill, and much, much more.
There are two cabins on the property that families can rent through Airbnb, and visitors from countries across the world have come for stays on the farm. While there, visitors of the farm enjoy relaxing days on the farm, hanging out in and by Cherokee Lake, fishing, boating and canoeing, zip-lining, and walking the trails.
According to Rodney, Miller Family Farms also has an extensive collection of IH tractors and equipment, as well as old signs and memorabilia.
“We have some rare items, like a firetruck/ladder truck that was at ground zero on 9/11, a working 1939 Frick sawmill powered by a 1941 Detroit Diesel, and restored IH construction equipment.
To take a tour of the farm visitors can call or email Rodney – and the best part is, there is no charge for the tour.
Along with the wide variety of fun activities that can be had at the farm, Miller Family Farms raises hormone-free, steroid-free cattle that is processed locally, just three miles from the family farm. Rodney said he has raised cattle for over 40 years, and the family prides themselves on how
they take care of their animals. Grass, corn and oats are also grown on the farm, and the Millers grind their own feed, which includes a high percentage of ground oats (about 1/3 oats and 2/3 corn) to make the meat more flavorful.
They sell quality, all-natural beef including hamburger, ribeye, sirloin, chuck roast and a variety of grains, all of which can be viewed on their website: .https:// millerfamilyfarmsga.com/.
Miller Family Farms also offers custom excavating services, including: dirt work of all kinds including ponds, levees, waterways, canals, drainage, and most other excavation work; demolition of buildings, grain bins, etc.; hauling debris; land clearing; and site prep for buildings and houses.
“We love opening our doors and welcoming visitors to show off our wonderful community. Irwin County is a fantastic place with so much to offer, and we’re blessed to be a part of it,” said Rodney. For more information, to schedule a tour, or purchase some of their homegrown beef, contact Miller Family Farms at 678-451-9889 or visit their website, https://millerfamilyfarmsga.com/.
"We strive to share and educate people on agriculture and welcome them to enjoy our farm with us."
FOR THE LOVE OF HORSES Thomas Ranch
By Tarayana Greene
When people think of agriculture, they think of farming. But agriculture is much more than that. It is the combination of many different industries that work together to put food on our tables, clothes on our backs, build our homes, and so much more.
Cattle is a big part of the agricultural process, and in the cattle industry lies the horse industry. With roughly 75,000 horses in Georgia and an economic impact reaching over $750 million annually, it’s time we give this industry some recognition.
20 years. That’s how long Mr. Myron Thomas has been working with horses at the Thomas Ranch in Cook County. Starting in 2004, Mr. Thomas was only breaking and training horses, but it seemed they were breaking him more. “It was a lot of trial and error.” He starts. “I remember when I purchased my first horse, it was a 2-year-old stallion. I had no idea what I was doing, or what I was getting into. And when I tell you that horse broke my spirit, I was ready to give up. I'm like ‘Whoa, I didn't know horses were this crazy.’ But I persevered.”
It wasn’t until a decade later, in 2014, that Thomas Ranch expanded into a boarding facility, offering lessons and rides through 800 acres of riding trails.
From then on, he has been waking up at 6 every morning to tend to, what is now, 51 horses. Every day he feeds, grooms, transports, and maintains the health of every horse under his care. This includes administering medicine to horses when needed and regularly deworming them. Feeding them alone takes him two hours as he moves between his two locations, one housing 25 horses, and the other, 26.
It is difficult work for one man to do but believe it or not, feeding the horses is his favorite chore of the day. “They have their own personality,” Mr. Thomas says. “They communicate in their own special way”. He explains the need to be sensitive to their language to understand their needs. He claims that is what makes him such a great horse trainer. “Some people can’t hear a horse when he’s screaming,” he says. “I can hear him when he’s whispering.”
It’s this kind of personal relationship and communication with the horses that has given Mr. Thomas the level of experience and know-how he has. “Anything to do with horses is just a small job for a giant.”
Although most of the horses that are not used for lessons, trail rides, and rodeos are retired, that doesn’t prevent major challenges from arising. Even with over 20 years of experience with horses, Mr. Thomas still goes to his network of trusted advisors. These are the men who showed him the ropes when he was starting his business, and they are the ones whose wisdom he looks for when he encounters a problem he does not quite know how to handle.
Mr. Thomas emphasizes the importance of
having people older than him guide him in the right direction when faced with difficult situations. Starting in the horse industry, Mr. Thomas didn’t have a father or older brother to show him how to care for horses because “they didn’t care about horses.” So, he was left to figure his business out alone. But now that he has built his network of advisors, he hopes to do the same for the youth of today.
His love for horses, which he describes as being a God-given gift, is something he uses as a tool to reach the young. Being the youngest of 14, there was a full house but still, he was the only one in his big family with a true love for horses. And even after leaving years ago, he came back to small town living for the safety and homeliness of it. That being said, he can understand the background of underprivileged youth who may have never gotten to experience new walks of life. He wants to reach out to the youth of minorities to show them they can live a life of success just like him. For city kids in particular, he wants to “let them see a different side of the world.” One in which they can be self-reliant and start, what he takes pride in, a “debt-free”
“Reach the lost, at any cost” is a motto he lives by and has at heart when he organizes interactive animal exhibits, free of charge at social agricultural events like the Sunbelt Expo. He also invites kids to experience life on his ranch where they can take care of horses, chickens, and even goats. It is important to note that Mr. Thomas also contributes financially to agricultural organizations that provide him with fresh hay, wood, vitamins, and other materials or equipment he needs to run his business. In these ways, he hopes not only to support the
horse industry and agricultural community but also the youth who aspire to take charge in the world and make a way for themselves.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Myron Thomas thanks his assistant, youngest son Caleb Thomas, for handling things at the ranch while juggling a fulltime job. “He takes care of everything just as if I was here,” he says.
When ending the interview, he finishes with this statement about horses, “I don’t have to be on the back of them, I just love watching them.”
"Reach
the lost, at any cost."
Where Innovation Meets Tradition
Towering Flower
get much bigger.
Ed Cane with one of his Russian Mammoth sunflowers. He said under the right conditions they can
ASHBURN
Irwin Youth 2024 LIVESTOCK SHOW
By Luke Roberts
The 2024 Irwin County Livestock Show was held Thursday, February 15, at the Gary Tankersley Pavilion on the campus of Irwin County High School. Irwin FFA and 4-H clubs organize and promote the local youth hog and cattle show.
The nights biggest winners were: Sadie Ross, Grand Champion; Gunner Douglas, Reserve Champion; Chloe Hood, Senior Showmanship Champion; Kaselyn Ross, Jr. Showmanship Champion; Grace Tucker, Pre-Club Showmanship Champion; and Shelby Branch, Cattle Champion.
Individual class results are below.
Purebred Barrow Class 1: 1st - Ada Kate Johnson and 2nd - Gene Reeves.
The annual show is a preliminary show to better prepare the exhibitors and livestock for the State Livestock Show held in Perry. The local show was judged by Ricky Wheeler of Dublin, GA.
Market Barrow Class 2: 1st - Clayton Harper, 2nd - John Lawton Murphy, 3rd - Weston Tucker, and 4th - Caroline Harper.
Market Gilt Class 3: 1st - Branson Wright, 2nd -
Sadie Ross (right), Irwin County Grand Champion, and sister Kaselyn Ross, Jr. Showmanship Champion
Photos by Sandy McClurd
February 15,
Branson Wright, and 3rd - Madison Scarbary.
Purebred Gilt Class 4: 1st - Kaselyn Ross, and 2ndCaroline Harper.
Market Gilt Class 5: 1st - Gunner Douglas, 2nd - Chloe Hood, 3rd - Ada Kate Johnson, 4th - Clayton Harper, and 5th - Gene Reeves.
Market Gilt Class 6: 1st - Sadie Ross, 2nd - Kaselyn Ross, 3rd - Weston Tucker, 4th - Sadie Ross, and 5thChloe Hood.
Market Gilt Class 7; 1st - Ada Kate Johnson, 2ndClayton Harper, 3rd - Branson Wright, 4th - Kaselum Ross, 5th - Gunner Douglas, and 6th - Sadie Ross.
Gunner Douglas, Irwin County Reserve Champion
Chloe Hood, Senior Showmanship Champion
Grace Tucker, Pre-Club Showmanship Champion
Shelby Branch, Cattle Champion
The 2024 Irwin County Livestock Show was held Thursday,
at the Gary Tankersley Pavilion on the campus of Irwin County High School. Exhibitors at the show were: (Front, L-R) Stockton Spell, Chandler Harper, and RJ Ross, (Middle, L-R) Grace Tucker, Sadie Ross, Kaselyn Ross, Caroline Harper, John Lawton Murphy, and Weston Tucker, (Back, L-R) Chloe Hood, Gunner Douglas, Clayton Harper, Ada Kate Johnson, Branson Wright, Gene Reeves, and Madison Scarbary (Not pictured: Shelby Branch).
REACHES FIVE DECADES AS A FARM OWNER Simmie King
By Charles Shiver
In 2024, Mr. Simmie King marks 50 years as a farm owner in Cook County.
Mr. King will turn 81 on Sept. 24, 2024, but he still operates his farm on his own except for help from some day laborers. His son Steven also pitches in at the farm during peak harvest times, but not on a daily basis. You have most likely seen Steven working around town as a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service in Adel.
When interviewed at his shop on Hutchinson Pond Road, Mr. Simmie smiled and humbly said he has one of the smallest farming operations in Cook County. He owns 300 acres. He has just picked 35 acres of corn. He will next harvest 45 acres of soybeans. He also has 30 acres of hay and 15 acres of pecans.
He rents out land to neighbors who grow cotton. “I am slowing down a little bit,” he said, laughing. He
has grown cotton in past years.
The remainder of his land is in pasture and woods. He raises 60 head of cattle.
Mr. King is a fourth-generation farmer. His greatgrandfather John Hardy King started farming in the Cecil area in the 1800s. The current Mr. King is the namesake of his grandfather, Simmie King (Nov. 12, 1880-Aug. 4, 1957), son of pioneer settlers in Cecil. The home of the elder Simmie King still stands in the Flat Creek community of Berrien County. The Folk Victorian farmhouse was built circa 1900.
The younger Simmie King is the son of Curtis King and Ruby Rhoden King. Mr. Simmie helped his dad farm until he (Curtis) passed away in 1973. Mr. King started solo ownership and operation of the family farm in 1974. He said he would love to eventually have the property officially named a Centennial Farm: Land that has been owned by the same family for a century and is still used for farming.
Mr. King has bittersweet memories dating back
to the years when he was a boy. As a child, he lived in a log house that has long since vanished. His granddaddy owned a saw mill, and his daddy took lumber and boards cut at the mill and built the family home that still stands. It took Mr. Curtis two years to complete the house. The Kings moved into their new dwelling in 1949.
Mr. Simmie took a reporter for a tour inside the home, which has been updated over the years with a modern kitchen and appliances, stucco ceiling, hot water heater, heating and cooling system, and wall panels over the original wooden walls.
Mr. King recently sold the house, and it will be moved soon by the new owner to the other side of Cecil.
Mr. King remembers the family all listening to the Grand Ole Opry shows broadcast on a batteryoperated radio in the late 1940s. He also recalls the family getting electricity for the first time and their first refrigerator in 1949. As a boy, he attended Twin Oaks School, which was torn down years ago. There is now a cotton field at the former building site.
Over Mr. King’s years in farming, he has seen many changes in crops and equipment. He works by the old farming methods, driving the tractors and combines, but not using such costly upgrades as GPS because he has a small farm. “I have to keep crooked rows instead of straight rows,” he said with a smile.
Farm bills come and go, so you can’t depend on government payments to help support your business, he added.
Mr. King has been honored to serve on the Colquitt EMC Board of Directors for 40 years. He has served as the board chairman at various times as the office rotates among the board members. “I’ve enjoyed it,” he said, “helping people if they need help.” He also served on the Alapaha District Soil and Water Conservation Board for several years.
The Adel-Cook County Chamber of Commerce formally honored the 2023 Community Award winners during the annual meeting held on Tuesday evening, Feb. 27, 2024, at The Farm. Ren Hester, Cook High School Young Farmer Advisor, presented the 2023 Agri-Business Person of the Year Award to Mr. King. This was the second time that the Chamber has honored Mr. King as Farmer of the Year. Among many other awards, the Young Farmers named Mr. King as 2006 Friend of the Farmer and presented him with the 2017 Honorary Member Award; he also has been named Alapaha District Soil and Water Conservationist of the Year.
Mr. King says he may have cut back a little on his activities, but he plans to keep on farming as long as he can. “I thank the Lord I keep going,” he said.
Mr. King and his wife Charlotte have five grandchildren.
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Agriculture
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Creating and Inspiring Lifelong Learners
Mission
COOKCOUNTY SCHOOLS
To empower and inspire all learners
Vision
Superintendent Joy Joiner Folsom, Ed.S
All students will succeed through enrollment in higher education, enlistment in the military, or employment in the workforce.
Board Members
Corkey Taylor, Chairman
Chad Sumner, Vice-Chairman
Sharon Locklear
Brenda Moore
Jeff Taylor
Cook County Schools
Ph: 229-896-2294
Fax: 229-896-3443
C O O K ultivate a safe and positive environment. Beliefs ptimize creativity and learning.
ffer support through family and community partnerships.
indle challenging opportunities.
CONTINUE WITH COOK COUNTY LIVESTOCK SHOW 59 Years OF Tradition
2024 Livestock Sale raises more than $170,000
By Charles Shiver
The community turned out to support local youth during the 59th Annual Cook County Livestock Show and Sale, held on Saturday, March 16, Monday, March 18, and Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at the Livestock Arena in Sparks.
Each year, the Cook County Livestock Association, host of the event, selects one founding member for recognition of their service to preserve history. Pictures of the founding member grace the cover of the livestock show premium book, and the Supreme Grand Champion trophies for each species are named in that person’s honor. This year, Mr. Harry Futch’s service to the Cook County Livestock Association was honored.
The founding members are: Dr. T.B. Cobb, Duffie Daughtrey, Mr. Futch, Dan Gray (named director at the first official meeting), LeRoy Howell (who passed away last year after many years of service to the Livestock Association), Hall Lasseter, Charles Mathis, Walt Smith, Bruce Taylor (named director at the first official meeting), Burris Whitehurst, and James Whitehurst.
The 2024 Livestock Show started with Steer and Heifer Judging on Saturday morning, March 16. Congratulations to all of the Cattle Show
Winners:
Cattle Showmanship Winners
Cloverleaf - Branch Daughtrey; Intermediate - Fletcher Daughtrey; Junior - Nora Taylor White; Senior I - Morgan Weeks; and Senior II -Bryce Baldree.
Heifer Class Winners
1 - Reid White; 2 -Fletcher Daughtrey; 3 -Caden Alley; 4 - Cailan Alley.
Grand Heifer - Fletcher Daughtrey.
Reserve Heifer - Caden Alley.
County Born Grand Heifer - Morgan Weeks. County Born Reserve Heifer - Morgan Weeks
Fletcher Daughtrey, who raised the Harry Futch Memorial Supreme Champion Calf, is shown with his proud family and the Cattle Show judge.
Ethan Wyatt, Pre-K winner of the Harry Futch Supreme Champion Market Hog
Steers Class Winners
1 - Morgan Weeks; 2 - Bryce Baldree; Grand Steer - Morgan Weeks.
Reserve Steer - Preston Sinclair.
The Harry Futch Memorial Supreme Champion Calf - Fletcher Daughtrey.
All of Harry Futch’s children and their family members were at the Cattle Show on Saturday to present the Supreme Champion Calf Trophy to Fletcher Daughtrey. They were all former exhibitors in the show.
The Livestock Association also offered congratulations to the Hog Show winners on Monday night, March 18 (there were approximately 94 entries):
Reserve - Kaden Raulerson; 3rd - Reid White; 4thTrae Surrency; 5th - Andi Bullard.
Gilt Class Winners
6 - Fletcher Daughtrey; 7 - Thompson Sumner; 8 - Malone Allen; 9 - Colten Bullard; and 10 - Caden Alley.
Top Five Gilts
Grand - Sumner Thompson; Reserve - Malone Allen; 3rd - Nora Taylor White; 4th - Caden Alley; and 5th - Fletcher Daughtrey.
Consolation Class Winner - Levi Rountree.
County Grown Class
Grand - Trae Surrency; Reserve
- Andi Bullard; Third - Hailey
Hog Showmanship Winners
Pre-K - Ethan Wyatt; K - Jae Fiveash; 1stKaden Raulerson; 2nd - Keaton Daughtrey; 3rd - Malone Allen; 4th - Fletcher Daughtrey; 5thBrody Tomlinson; 6th - Andi Bullard; 7th - Caden Alley; 8th - Lucy Cone; 9th - Reid White; 10thColson Smith; 11th - Hailey Bullard; and 12th - Landon Williams.
Barrow Class Winners
1 - Trae Surrency; 2Cole Mackie; 3 - Reid White; 4Kaden Raulerson; and 5 - Ethan Wyatt.
GrandEthan Wyatt;
Top 5 Barrows
Bullard; Fourth - Colten Bullard; and Fifth - Chloe Green.
The Harry Futch Supreme Champion Market Hog - Ethan Wyatt.
Kudos also go to all the sponsors and buyers at the Livestock Sale on Tuesday night, March 19, 2024.
Cook County Farm Bureau sponsored jackets for the Showmanship Winners (listed above).
More Livestock Show recognition:
• High Ticket Seller - Malone Allen.
• Sheep Exhibitor - Branch Daughtrey.
On Honors Day 2024 at Cook High School, Chad Sumner presented scholarships of $500 each to Sarah Betts, Carley Cone, Hannah Folsom, Cole Mackie, Maci Padgett, Gracie Reed, Ava Register, Bailey Sexton, and Landon Williams.
The $500 LeRoy Howell Memorial Scholarship, sponsored by Cook County Farm Bureau and presented by the Howell Family, went to Ava Register.
The $500 Senior Supreme Showman Scholarship, sponsored by Cook High FFA, went to Landon Williams.
Add-ons to every exhibitor:
Sweet T’s - $5/exhibitor; Cook Community Bank
HARRY T. FUTCH Remembering
Harry grew up in the Futch Settlement in Cook County, working on the family farm.
After graduation from Cook High School, he married the love of his life, Billie Sue Dampier, and moved his city girl to the country.
Together they had four children, Lyn (Buddy) Rogers, Lucy Bozeman, Joe Futch, and Leigh (Alan) Dukes. They continued the family lifestyle working their land as farmers and ranchers.
Harry was a successful farmer, but loved his cattle operation. He was always looking for ways to improve and expand his herd. In the early 1960s, he traveled to Fort Pierce, Fla., and purchased his first Brahma bull to start his Brangus herd. It was then that Harry got interested in showing livestock. Along with many other interested farmers and livestock producers, Harry helped create the Cook County Livestock Association.
Harry was instrumental in producing rodeos
- $25/exhibitor; Moore Crop Consulting - $5 to each exhibitor (check From Ryan Moore); $10 per exhibitor - Jaclyn Ford Georgia; $25 per exhibitor - Hornet Steel; $5 per exhibitor - Comfort Keepers (Scott and Lisa Register); $5 per exhibitor - Lin Parrish, County Commissioner; $5 per exhibitor - Parrish Land Clearing; and $5 per exhibitor - D & D Irrigation.
Sale Breakdown (not including add-ons)
Cattle: Five steers weighed 6775 pounds. Average Bid Price, $4.00/Lbs. Average Sale Price, $4.02/Lbs. Total Money Spent on Steers, $27,247.50.
Hogs: 94 hogs weighed 22,288 pounds. Average Bid Price, $6.36. Average Sale Price, $6.41.Total Money Spent on Hogs, $142,770.
Total Money from Sale, $170,017.50.
“Thanks again to all the buyers and other help that made our show and sale a success,” according to the Cook County Livestock Association.
The Cook Livestock Show raises funds for scholarships presented to Cook High School graduating seniors. The Cook County Livestock Association was created in 1965 for the purpose of promoting the livestock industry in the Cook County, Ga., area.
and the pig and calf scrambles to help fund the association and the livestock shows. Lyn, Lucy, Joe, and Leigh all participated in those early shows, whether it was with one of their own steers, or helping others show their steers. Billie Sue was one of the original “CowBelles” and was always there supporting her husband, children, and the Livestock Association.
Harry passed away in 1971 at the age of 37, but his influence and enthusiasm still resonate throughout the shows today.
COOKING IT UP WITH THE Sauce Boss
and the
By Ben Baker
With a hairnet on his head, Wesley Fiveash is pouring gallon cans of ketchup in a steam boiler. He already dumped a bunch of other stuff in the 40 gallon pot, which is a small one by commercial standards.
grandchildren and sauce customers crank out by hand. One of the sauces he makes was created many years ago by the owner's great-grandmother. That one took some doing because the owner and the owner's dad had a disagreement over the first batch of sauce.
"Kim will be here in a few minutes," he said. "She'll add the other stuff." Kim Fiveash arrives in a bit with Tucker Wright, his grandson's fiance. Kim is Fiveash's wife.
"Daddy said 'that's it.' The son said, 'No, that's not it,'" Fiveash said. "He (the son) added more ketchup and sugar. So I went to Perry to meet with both of them." With the meeting out of the way, another order was placed.
That batch sold out. An order was placed for more. And another order. And so on.
IN THE BEGINNING
Depending on who you talk to, Fiveash is either an insurance salesman, an expert wild hog hunter or a man who knows how to make artisanal barbeque sauce or any combination of the three. Today, he is a small-batch, hand-crafted BBQ sauce maker and he is turning out another order for a buyer in Perry, just up the road.
When done, each bottle will sell for $10 each. The store there is selling hundreds of bottles. Fiveash is the only place the store owner trusts to make the BBQ sauce.
This small and growing BBQ sauce operation came as a surprise to the Turner County native. "If you had told me 10 years ago, I'd be doing this, I'da said you were crazy," he says, literally stirring the pot more.
"We can't get that for it down here," he says, grabbing a giant metal spoon he calls a boat paddle to stir the mixture.
This batch of sauce is just one of a bunch
He got started in the sauce-making business as an offshoot of his passion for hunting wild hogs. He started out processing the porkers at home and making sausage. People raved about his sausage, which he made at home with a commercial spice mix. Sometimes, the hog was turned into BBQ and he brought his own sauce. That, too, drew massive
Fiveash, Kim, Connie Jones
Fiveash
compliments and people suggested he start bottling it to sell. It took a bit to get that fired up and his 5-Ash BBQ sauce first hit local shelves.
He plans to expand into rubs, wing sauces and pickles. But that is some time down the road. Right now, his hands stay pretty full.
MAKING THE SAUCE
Ingredients going into the big pot are weighed out to the ounce. Sugar, lemon juice, ketchup, mustard, pepper, it all is carefully weighed and then poured into the pot. Each client has a specific recipe which Fiveash keeps in a spiral bound notebook. Of course, the specific recipe for each batch is a secret.
Once the heat comes on, the sauce is stirred almost constantly. "Have to keep stirring it. If you don't, the sugar will settle to the bottom and burn." A bit later, he draws about a half gallon of sauce from the spigot at the bottom of the cooker and pours it back into the top. That pulled some of the bottom items to keep them from burning.
Fiveash switches between the boat paddle and what may be the world's biggest whisk. Which one he uses depends on what he is doing at the moment.
Kim comes over with sugar in a gallon-sized measuring cup. It takes more than the gallon, but that is what she uses to pour it in. "Slow. Spread it out. If you pour it out all at once, it clumps and sinks," Fiveash tells her. As she slowly adds, he stirs it in. This is repeated with more sugar and then more spices.
The lid is closed and the pot sealed. The lid has a pole running down from the center with what looks like a set of boat propellers, one at the end and one halfway along the pole. "This breaks up the pepper and stuff," he explains. This provides a more consistent texture to the sauce and lets the spices do a better job of penetrating the sauce.
While all this is going on, cleanup and washing is also happening. Food manufacturing has strict hygiene standards. Everything has to be completely cleaned between each batch. "That one right there," he says, pointing to the pump that fills each bottle, "has to be completely taken apart and cleaned. The cooking pot has to be cleaned. The hose running from the pot to the pump has to be cleaned. More than cleaned, actually. Fiveash says it has to be
sterilized. Even so, cleanup still takes a while because some stuff can't be cleaned until the sauce is bottled.
"It takes an hour to clean up. So if you spend 4 to, 4 and half hours making it, then you have 5 to 5 and half hours of making it and cleanup. Everything has to be cleaned and sterilized," he said.
He keeps an eye on the temperature. Food safety rules require it reach a certain temp for a certain amount of time to sterilize the batch. The customer ordering today's batch has requested an even higher temperature. As serious cooks know, temperature will definitely affect the taste of the final product. "This thermometer is $100," he says, checking the temp and then wiping the probe clean on a towel.
GETTING TECHNICAL
Each bottle is then laid on its side. Kim explains this is necessary. The air space at the top has to be sterilized and the hot sauce does this. The bottle stays on its side for at least 6 seconds. After it sits a few minutes, she takes the bottle and puts it on a label machine.
Label in place, she takes a device that looks like a gun from a science fiction movie. She holds a metal plate over the label. The plate has a slot in it. She holds the gun over the slot and pulls the trigger. The batch number and expiration date, 2 years in this case, get emblazoned on the label.
In addition to the precision cooking and hygiene standards, the process requires precision in other areas. Each measure item used must be calibrated for each batch. Yes, each thermometer has to be calibrated. Kim loads a container with ice and water and lets it sit for a few minutes. She dips a thermometer in the water. "32 degrees," she says.
Next, the water has to boil. "Did you know water boils in Ashburn at 210 degrees?" Fiveash says. True. The idea that water boils at 212 Fahrenheit means water at sea level. As the height above sea level rises, the boiling point drops. In the vacuum of space, water at room temperature boils until whatever is left freezes. Ashburn is 427 feet above sea level, so the boiling point is a little less. Most cooks never notice the difference, but when making food commercially, that is important.
BOTTLING
Once the sauce is done, it gets bottled. A drain on the big pot is connected to a huge tube that funnels it to the pump. Kim pumps a few gallons through the machine into a container to get the line primed and ready. The sauce in the container goes back in the top.
The machine shoots sauce in a uniform flow into the bottle. With the sauce running, as best it will, he takes over filling bottles from Kim.
The bottle is slid over to Tucker, who caps each one with a short sleeve. A quick zap with a heat gun shrink wraps the plastic tamper-proof seal to the bottle and the cap. She puts it into a cardboard case. The filled case is taped shut and set aside for the customer.
AN INVESTMENT
Fiveash has a significant investment in time, money and equipment in his new shop behind the insurance office on E. Washington in Ashburn. Of these, the time is the hardest to quantify and explain to an outsider.
With each new recipe, he has to send samples to a chemist for testing and to get the nutritional content label the federal government requires for all commercially made food.
Even before he sends a sample off, it has to be made, tested and tried in the kitchen. Sometimes it takes a few batches to get things right. Then, that batch has to be scaled up for a production run. This is for his own brands and those he makes for other people.
The small steam cooker runs about 40 gallons. Looking down the road, Fiveash says he may get another, larger cooker. That way, while one batch is running and being bottled, a second batch can start in the second cooker.
If he does that, he will have to hire additional crews to work in the plant.
"You know if it takes away from my hog hunting, it is something important. I never knew a hobby could turn into so much work," he said, still stirring the big pot.
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FARM GATE RANKS 46TH IN GA AT MORE THAN $135 M Irwin County
By Luke Roberts
The most recent University of Georgia Farm Gate Value Report (FGVR) ranked Irwin County as the state’s 46th most valuable agriculture producer, contributing a total of $134,545,172 to the state’s economy. Irwin County ranked in the top-10 overall producers of peanuts, blackberries, grapes, pine straw, flight quail, and ranks in the top-20 in several other quantifiable categories.
The FGVR relies exclusively on Cooperative
Extension personnel to provide production information and analyzes county-level production values for Georgia commodities, which directly represent a value of $18.3 billion to the statewide economy.
While Irwin County was ranked as the state’s 46th highest overall farm gate value, the top-10 Georgia counties in total farm gate value are in order: Colquitt, Hart, Franklin, Tattnall, Madison, Mitchell, Coffee, Gordon, Oglethorpe, and Macon.
The top-10 commodities in Georgia in order are: broilers, cotton, eggs, peanuts, timber, beef,
greenhouse, corn, blueberries, and pecans, while the top-10 vegetables are: sweet corn, onions, bell peppers, watermelon, tomato, cucumbers, yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, and cabbage.
Southwest Georgia District made up 34.98% of the state’s farm gate value, followed by the Northeast District (28.96%), the Southeast District (22.21%), and the Northwest District (13.85%).
Irwin County’s individual rankings are: flight quail – 4th; blackberries - 5th; peanuts – 7th;grapes - 8th; pine straw – 8th; corn – 14th; cotton – 13th; hay – 29th; oats – 38th; rye – 21st; silage – 23rd; sorghum – 43rd; soybeans – 62nd; straw – 21st; tobacco – 15th; wheat – 47th; miscellaneous row and forage crops – 65th; total row and forage crops – 11th; blueberries – 19th; citrus – 22nd; pecans – 20th; strawberries – 17th; total fruit and nuts – 25th; greens – 15th; watermelon – 17th; total vegetables – 43rd; field nursery – 58th; turfgrass –24th; total ornamental horticulture – 99th; timber – 69th; miscellaneous forestry products – 63rd; total forestry products – 45th; beef cattle – 29th; beef cows – 37th; goats – 31st; honeybees – 18th; pork feeder – 14th; total livestock and aquaculture – 78th; broiler – 72nd; hatching layers – 62nd; table layers – 62nd; total poultry and egg – 77th; ag and
GROW WITH US
nature-based tourism – 58th; crop insurance – 15th; government payments – 10th; hunting leases / deer farm – 37th; and total other income and agritourism – 12th.
When you sign a contract for Nuseed Carinata, you’re signing up for local support throughout the entire season, from seed delivery to harvest and beyond.
CONTACT YOUR NUSEED REPRESENTATIVE TODAY TO LEARN ABOUT CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE 2024/25 GROWING SEASON.
STONE FAMILY FARM HONORED AS 2023 Centennial Farm
By Charles Shiver
The Stone Family Farm, Cook County, was among 13 family farms honored as Georgia’s newest Centennial Farms during the annual Georgia Centennial Farm Awards Ceremony in Perry on October 11, 2023.
Qualified farm owners and their historic properties from the 2023 application year were recognized during this ceremony at the Georgia National Fair. The event was hosted by the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia Department of Agriculture, Georgia EMC, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, and Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter.
Centennial Farms hold a central role in the heritage of our state, having formed the economic, cultural, and family foundation for generations of Georgians. All farms earning this recognition have continuously operated for 100 years or more.
History of the Stone Family Farm
William Daniel Whitehurst (born 12/21/1845, died 9/12/1918) and Rebecca Whitehurst (born 3/25/1852, died 7/25/1925) had 11 children and resided on property located between what is now Antioch Road and Greggs Road (Antioch-Greggs Road).
One of their daughters, Argent Whitehurst (born 4/08/1874, died 3/06/1947) married Leonard Stone (born 5/10/1874, died 7/02/1951) on 1/07/1897. Argent’s father, William Daniel Whitehurst, deeded 100 acres of land (Lot #426 in the 9th District of Berrien County – later becoming Cook County) to Leonard and Argent Stone on 12/05/1898. They built a home in 1908 and had six children. The crops that were grown then were peanuts, corn, cotton, and hay for the cows.
One of Leonard and Argent’s sons, Purdom E. Stone (born 10/11/1909, died 10/18/1993) married Evie Blanche Rooks (born 7/14/1912, died 12/29/1992) on 4/13/1934. They built a home on the land in the mid-1930’s and had three children, Fritz, Freddie, and Faye. The crops that were grown were peanuts, pecans, corn, cotton, tobacco and hay. Livestock was cows and primarily hogs.
A deed was recorded on 8/11/1950, putting the 97.8 acres in Purdom Stone’s and William Stone’s names. William lived in his parent’s home (Leonard and Argent) until his death in 1964. The property was deeded to Freddie Stone and Faye Atkinson on 4/17/1985. Purdom lived in his and Evie B’s home until his death in 1993.
On 1/21/1994, the 97.6 acres was deeded solely to Freddie Stone. Freddie and his wife Victoria moved onto the property in 1996 and are still living there.
There are no original structures on the land. Leonard’s and Argent’s home was demolished in 1992, and Purdom’s and Evie B’s home was relocated to another location in Brooks County. A barn, a tobacco barn, a corn silo, and several sheds are currently on the farm. Current crops produced are corn, cotton, soy beans, peanuts, and pecans.
“I became aware of the Georgia Centennial Farm program while I was visiting from Florida last winter,” said Phyllis Stone Wager, Freddie Stone’s niece.
At the young age of 84 (at the time of this writing), Freddie Stone starts his day, after reading the news, by taking a five-mile bike ride around his farm and neighboring farms. “I was riding along with him and he said that he would love to receive the award, but wasn't computer savvy so he didn't know how to approach it,” Phyllis Stone Wager said. “I could tell how important this was to him, so I knew right then that it was important for me to make it happen.
“The application required tracing the farm back through deeds, land plots, historical photos, farm
Vickie & Freddie Stone
history, and family owners of the land.
“Freddie and I visited three courthouses in the spring and were able to obtain the deed dated December 1898 from William Daniel Whitehurst (Freddie's great-grandfather) to Leonard Stone (his grandfather).”
There are six generations of Stone males that have lived on the 100-acre farm, Leonard Stone, Purdom Stone, Freddie Stone, Mike Stone, Matt Stone, and Maddox Stone (the last four are currently living there).
“My father was Fritz Stone, son to Purdom Stone and brother to Freddie,” Phyllis Stone Wager said. “He was tragically killed in an accident in 1968 at the age of 31 while searching for a lost girl in the mountains of Highlands, N.C. He is buried at Antioch Methodist Church in Adel, just a couple of miles from the farm where he grew up.”
The Stone Family is thankful for the honor of being a Georgia Centennial Farm Program recipient.
More than 620 farms have been recognized through the Georgia Centennial Farm Program since its inception in 1993.
Recognition is given to farm owners through one of three distinguished awards:
1. The Centennial Heritage Farm Award honors farms owned by members of the same family for a century or more, and that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
2. The Centennial Farm Award only requires the farm candidate be at least 100 years old and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
3. The Centennial Family Farm Award recognizes farms owned by members of the same family for a century or more that are not listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The other 2023 Centennial Farm award recipients are: Boggy Branch Farm, Bulloch County; L & M Farms, Bulloch County; Teloga Springs Farm, Chatooga County; Ash Farms, Effingham County; The Threatte Farm at Bunton Place, Evans County; Price Family Farm, Franklin County; J.B. Gay & Son, Jenkins County; R. E. Roberts Farm, Jones County; Ganas Farm, Lanier County; White Family Barn Farm, Lumpkin County; Rolling D Farms, LLC, Murray County; and Fulghum-Beusse Farms, Wilcox County.
Anyone interested in nominating a farm for recognition should visit www.dca.ga.gov/georgia- historic-preservation-division/historic-resources/centennial-farms to download an application or contact outreach@dca.ga.gov. The postmark deadline for applications is May 1 of each year.
Leonard and Argent Stone
Purdom and Evie B. Stone
Irwin Co. EXTENSION AGENT RECEIVES Achievement Award
Irwin County’s UGA Extension Agriculture and Natural Resource Agent Holly Anderson was recently Awarded the Achievement Award by the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) for her work in Agriculture and Extension. She received this award at the NACAA annual AM/PIC meeting held in Dallas, Texas.
The recipients of the NACAA Achievement Award have less than ten years of service in the Cooperative Extension Service. They have been selected by their peers and are being recognized for excellence in their field of professionalism. Each state can select up to two percent of their association’s membership for this award. The year’s sixty-one recipients join 2,557 Achievement Award winners who have been recognized since this program began. Please share the pride of the Recognition and
Awards Committee by noting the accomplishments of each honoree as indicated by her or his citation. NACAA is exceptionally pleased to recognize their achievements. Mrs. Anderson has been the Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent for over 8 years. Serving in Ben Hill for the first 7 years and coming to Irwin over a year ago.
Through innovative planning and needs assessment methods, Mrs. Anderson has developed a broad range of educational programs that produced results for the county, regional, state, and national clientele. She has many programs and professional accomplishments in Agricultural profitability and Sustainability including peanut variety selection and management, cotton management, forage production management, beef cattle production, and small ruminant production.
THE FARM GOES TO KIDS AT Cook Primary School
increasing their translocation into the plant both through the root and the leaf surfaces.
Photos by Charles Shiver
Earlier in 2024, Cook County Young Farmers presented Ag Day at Cook Primary School with help from the Cook High School FFA Chapter. The younger students learned more about cows, ducks, goats, horses, pigs, sheep, and chickens, as well as corn production and cotton ginning. The children also enjoyed playing ag-related games. Ag Day is intended to spark kids’ interest in agriculture. Some of them have never been on a farm.
WE'RE PROUD TO BE PART OF SOUTH GEORGIA.
From a small town feed-and-seed store to one of the largest poultry producers in the country, Wayne-Sanderson Farms is proud to operate in Georgia and support the economy by bringing jobs to the community. We’re glad to call the people of Georgia some of the greatest neighbors around. Georgia
