Lexington Life Magazine - July 2023

The Nation’s Highest Ratings in Heart Surgery

At Lexington Medical Heart and Vascular Center, we’re proud to receive three-star ratings for heart surgery once again — the highest measure of quality awarded by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

We’re honored to be recognized for our patient care and outcomes in three types of heart surgery: aortic valve replacement, coronary artery bypass grafting and mitral valve replacement and repair. Fewer than 10% of hospitals in the country earn this elite distinction, and we’re proud to be the only South Carolina hospital included among them.

At Lexington Medical Heart and Vascular Center, we renew lives every day. And our quality ratings mean you can get the best heart care in the nation — right here at home.

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Summer is here and July is the month of summer. The 4th of July kicks it off with a celebration of our nation’s independence. Summer vacations abound as families travel to relax and enjoy some time away from the workplace. The temperature surges to a swelter and A/C units purr to keep us comfortable despite the extreme heat. What better way to stay cool than to curl up in your favorite chair reading Lexington Life Magazine?

Don’t forget to nominate your favorite businesses for the Best of Lexington contest this month at lexingtonlife.com. We are taking nominations through the month of July and what better way to recognize the fantastic small businesses in Lexington County for all their hard work. As a local business owner, I understand firsthand the challenges that come with owning and running a small business. In a nutshell, it’s always something. I’m not sure how many hours a week I work, however, even if I’m not actively working at the office I am still working. It could be trying to find a cool unique story idea for you to read or developing a new way to market our sponsors that helps them grow their businesses. It never ends.

I express my condolences to the family of firefighter James Muller. This man gave his life to save others. Selfless to the end, Mr. Muller gave it all. God bless his family, fellow firefighters and first responders who place their lives on the line, each and every day. They truly are the best!

Thanks for reading, Todd

Shevchik

JULY•AUGUST

Friday, July 14

Murders and Mysteries Lexington Walking Tour

Icehouse Amphitheater, 107 West Main Street

Lexington, SC, 8:00pm - 9:30pm, Free

Offered by The Lexington County Museum, this tour is a great way to learn about the town’s history and hear some interesting stories along the way. Attendees will learn about some of the murders, duels, and other crimes that occurred on Main Street in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Because of the mature subject matter, attendees must be 18 or over or have parental permission. For more information or questions, please call 803-359-8369 or email museum@lexco.com.

Friday, July 21

Sunset on the Shoals – Paddle and Wine Tasting

Saluda Shoals Park, 5605 Bush River Rd., Columbia, 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Enjoy an interpretive paddle tour on the Saluda River followed by a wine tasting. The trip is dependent on weather and river levels. Boats and all necessary equipment are provided. Ages 21 and up, $47 per person. Visit ircr.net for more information and to register.

Friday, July 21

Movie Frozen II (PG)

Icehouse Amphitheater, 107 West Main Street

Lexington, SC, 8:30pm, Free

Join the Icehouse Amphitheater for the showing of Frozen II.

Saturday, July 22

Annual Saxe Gotha Garage Sale

Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church, 5503 Sunset Blvd, Lexington. 7:00am - 1:00pm

Join us in the Atrium of the Light House at the rear campus for shopping. Donation drop Monday, July 17 – Thursday, July 20. All proceeds benefit local organizations and missions. Contact Meredith Cully for more information at mcully@saxegotha.org.

Saturday, July 22

Midlands Women’s Day

Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, 1109 Lincoln St., Columbia, 10:00am - 4:00pm

Get pampered, shop, and learn about local businesses and resources focused on educat ing and empowering women. Admission and activities listed are free. For more information email info@touchofmagicevents.com.

Friday, July 28

Movie Top Gun Maverick (PG-13)

Icehouse Amphitheater, 107 West Main Street Lexington, SC, 8:30pm, Free

Join the Icehouse Amphitheater for the showing of Top Gun Maverick.

Friday, August 4

Brew at the Zoo

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, 500 Wildlife Parkway, Columbia, 7:00pm – 9:30pm

Tap into this sell-out event that supports wildlife and wild places with samples of cold, frothy beer. From domestics to imports to specialty micros, guests can choose their brew and meander through the Zoo or

tory, natural history and, science/technology, including the Boeing Observatory and the Robert B. Arial Collection of Historical Astronomy. For an additional price, guests can enjoy a planetarium show and/or a 4D theater movie. For more information visit scmuseum.org/.

Saturdays through September 30 (except July 1)

The Market at Icehouse Icehouse Amphitheater, 107 West Main Street Lexington, SC, 9:00am1:00pm Local vendors, fresh produce, unique gifts, and live music.

by Mary Ann Hutcheson

Ryan Myers

On January 1, 2023, EMT Sergeant Ryan Myers of Lexington County EMS officially retired after serving Lexington County for 24 years. His EMT colleagues affectionately called him Oscar, evoking a familiar commercial jingle from the past. “My first supervisor in EMS always called me Oscar and it just kind of stuck,” he says.

Myers grew up in Asheville, North Carolina. Following high school graduation, he joined the Army where he served as a member of the air defense branch in combat tours of both Operation Just Cause, and Operation Desert Storm. After his return to the States, Myers eventually settled in Irmo.

He worked for several companies before meeting an EMT whose descrip tion of the job sounded exciting. Myers knew his need for challenge and more meaningful experiences would not be met by a 9-5 desk job, so he took the required EMT education training. Lexington County called, and he began what he thought would be his “temporary” job, one that lasted 24 years until his retirement in January.

Myers explains why he loved the job. “It’s never the same thing; every day is completely different. Every call is different. You have no idea if your next call is going to be a stomachache or a gunshot wound. I enjoyed that, as well as the adrenaline rush,” he said. It makes perfect sense, coming from someone who had served in two major military operations.

Myers remembers a call to a home with no electricity and a mother-to-be who seemingly did not know she was pregnant. It turned out that she was, with twins.

He has performed CPR multiple times on patients who have overdosed and administered its reversal drug Narcan at least 100 times. Myers made a practice of treating each patient, no matter what the situation, by putting himself in a parent’s position. “It can be a tough job, but that person is still somebody’s child,” he says.

When asked for advice about the job, he says, “Try to keep an open mind. As hard as it is, don’t judge people. Some people are in a situation they have no control over. They may not have as good an upbringing as you did. An old paramedic taught me, ‘Be smart enough to know how dumb you really are.’ Those were words for me to live by.”

A man with a big heart who met difficult challenges head-on, Ryan Myers not only found his niche, but he provided unwavering dedication and excellent care for those who needed it most.

For Myers, retirement means spending time with his five grandchildren from his two children, and it means fishing for crappie and bass on the lake. And as soon as his wife retires, it means traveling. n

Pastor Rocky Purvis Northside Baptist Church

In their “State of the Bible Report” for 2022, the American Bible Society found that roughly 22 million had either mostly or completely quit reading the Bible. In 2021, about 50 percent of Americans said they read the Bible on their own at least three or four times per year and that percentage had stayed pretty much the same since 2011. But in 2022, it dropped 11 points. Now only 39 percent say they read the Bible multiple times per year or more. It is the steepest, sharpest decline on record.

And yet listen to what the Bible says in James 1:25. “The one who looks steadily at God’s perfect law…and makes that his habit – not listening and then forgetting, but actively putting it into practice will be happy in all that he does.” Now notice what James says. First, we must look steadily at God’s law. That means on a regular basis. It needs to be a habit in our life. Then he says we must put into practice what we read, and when we do, we will discover true happiness.John said something very similar in Revelation 1:3 when he said, “Happy is the one who reads this book.”

Have you ever stopped to consider that reading and applying the Bible to your life will not only make you a better person, but it will also make you a happier person? I believe that with all my heart. Reading the Bible is one of the best things you can do to not only change your behavior but your attitude and your outlook as well.

John Quincy Adams, the 6th President of the US said, “I speak as a man of the world to men of the world; and I say to you, Search the Scriptures! The Bible is the book of all others, to be read at all ages, and in all conditions of human life; not to be read once or twice or thrice through, and then laid aside, but to be read in small portions of one or two chapters every day, and never to be intermitted, unless by some overruling necessity.”

Here’s what I want to challenge you to do. Read the Bible! Read it prayerfully, consistently, thoroughly, and obediently for one year and see what happens. If nothing changes, what did you lose? n

Sunday: 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 am Life Groups: 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 am 4347 Sunset Blvd, Lexington, SC 29072

SCUBA: SCUBA: A NewWholeWorld

by David Kohen

photos by R. Stuart Vernon Photography

Exploring the hidden world beneath the surface of a body of water is an ancient dream that has modern fulfillment. Breathing air underwater has existed for several millennia, but until the last century, it required equipment connected to the surface like hoses and diving bells. The late Jacques Cousteau is credited with co-inventing the Aqua-Lung in 1943, a “self-contained underwater breathing apparatus” abbreviated as SCUBA.

Over the past 100 years, man’s desire to fly spawned air and space travel, skydiving, and the latest death-defying wingsuit. Likewise, the desire to explore inner space under the surface of oceans and lakes has birthed great advances in the equipment and training for this exploration. Scuba diving is now safer than ever, and people around the Midlands are taking up the sport. Just how dangerous is scuba diving? The answer is: “Not very.” In 2018 the worldwide number of deaths among recreational divers was just 100 people out of an estimated 6 million active divers in the world. Diving is considered an extreme sport, but it can be as relaxed or extreme as you would like it to be.

Scuba diving is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world and Lexington has its fin in the door. There are no government regulations regarding who may scuba dive, but it is unthinkable for anyone to dive without proper training. And you can acquire all the skills needed right here in Lexington. One such place is Scuba John’s Dive Shop at 1630 West Main Street in Lexington, opened by John and Amanda Baker in 2011. The scuba industry is self-regulated and has established certifications for depth levels, types of equipment, and special certifications for solo diving. For safety reasons, diving with the “buddy system” is rule #1, but many adventurous divers enjoy the freedom of diving alone and put forth the extra effort to get this certification. The age restriction for diving instructions is generally 10 years old and up. Adults with heart conditions or certain other medical issues may need a doctor’s permit to take lessons.

Unlike taking to the sky where you can still breathe about 4 miles above the earth, the world record for a scuba diver is just over 1,000 feet down. Most recreational scuba divers do not go much below 3060 feet. Many deep divers can easily descend twice that far, up to 130 feet. But the deeper the dive, the more dangerous it becomes, and more advanced equipment and training are needed. The deeper one dives, the longer it takes to ascend back to the surface due to stops along the way. The stops avoid decompression sickness due to gas bubbles forming in the blood and tissues causing many ill effects with the most common being a painful inability to bend joints—hence, the name “the bends.”

Many of us learned about scuba diving back in the 60s by watching Lloyd Bridges on the TV drama Seahunt. The air bubbles you would see coming from Bridges’ scuba gear indicated the use of “open circuit” scuba equipment. The development of what is called “rebreather” scuba gear does not leave bubbles because the exhaled carbon dioxide is scrubbed clean enabling the diver to re-breathe his own oxygen. Rebreather scuba gear generally does not allow divers to go as deep as open-circuit divers--only down to 20 feet, but they can stay underwater much longer. However, the rebreathers that Scuba John’s uses and teaches use a mixture of gases (oxygen, helium, and nitrogen) which can allow the rebreather diver to go as deep as open-circuit divers.

The cost involved with the sport of scuba diving depends upon whether you own your equipment or rent, the level of certification you desire, the type of scuba gear you use, and the dive destinations you choose. At Scuba John’s, students must own their mask, fins, dive boots, and a snorkel for their class. They offer student gear packages starting at $249. But the normal cost for their basic certification is $498 which includes e-learning, classroom time, and pool time which is taught in the heated pool at Top Spin Plaza in Lexington. After successful completion of the pool session, students must complete at least 4 open water dives to receive certification. Checkout dives are normally held at Lake Jocassee, Lake Keowee, and Lake Murray as needed.

The newest organized dive club in the Lexington area is the SC Midlands Scuba Dive Club organized by Tony Counts of Lexington. Look for them on Facebook if you would like to join the club. They meet monthly at a local restaurant to share pictures and stories of their diving expeditions and get acquainted with other divers in the area. Individuals can learn about diving excursions to places like Florida’s Pompano Beach and islands in the Caribbean. One intriguing venture is to explore shipwrecks off the coast of North Carolina.

Scuba divers are using their sport for good causes. Over the past five years, the Wateree Dive Center (4350 St. Andrews Road) in Columbia has worked with Keep the Midlands Beautiful and organized cleanup days in Lake Murray. Last September thirty divers participated in the effort pulling up almost 1,000 pounds of trash from off Putnam’s Landing. Scuba John’s has also worked with Keep the Midlands Beautiful for years. In 2021, over 1,100 pounds of trash was pulled up from around Spence Islands. This year they have included the Riverbanks Zoo dive team as volunteers for a cleanup dive at Sandy Beach on Bundrick Island. These annual events, open to all certified divers, are both fun and serve a great purpose in helping to keep Lake Murray clean. It is sad, but true that thousands of pounds of garbage are dumped or tossed overboard by boaters and shore-liners every year. Other than soda cans, bottles, lost fishing equipment, and a lot of junk, one such dive last year brought up a TV and a bowling ball!

Asking a diver why they love scuba diving so much will always invoke a smile and

a struggle to try and put into words the truly indescribable. Eighty percent of the earth’s oceans have never been mapped, explored, or seen by humans. A diver can tell you that they have seen things that no one has ever seen before because no two dives are exactly alike. The ocean is a mix of fixed objects, colorful terrain, and living creatures—some other-worldly to us, but we are more like the aliens invading their world. A woman from the SC Midlands Dive Club recalled diving in Aruba with her husband. He thought something must have been wrong when he saw her just drifting with her arms outstretched under the water during their dive. She was simply enthralled with the sensation of floating along weightlessly about 20 feet below the surface.

Perhaps you have considered learning how to scuba dive. If you are in good health and have a sense of adventure, this could be on your bucket list. The opportunity to learn this the right way is right here in Lexington. n

JAMES MICHAEL MULLER

November 18, 1997 - May 26, 2023

James Muller, a 25-year-old firefighter with the Irmo Fire District died fighting a 3-alarm fire at an apartment complex after the structure partially collapsed.

Muller worked for the district for seven years and had a “love and passion for the job,” said Chief Mike Sonefeld of the Irmo Fire District. Sonfield continued, “Firefighter Muller will be greatly missed amongst his firefighting family,” and remembers James as, “The epitome of what a firefighter should be, should look like, just wrapped in one human being.”

At his funeral service held on May 31 at Riverland Hills Baptist Church, Muller’s family was joined by representatives from more than 75 different fire departments from all over the country. The family of James Michael Muller requested that all non-fire personnel in attendance wear colorful attire as a tribute to Muller.

Irmo’s fire chief spoke at the service and the funeral message was given by Muller’s grandfather, Reverend Kermit Morris. Affectionately referred to as J. Michael, he was described as a funny, passionate guy whose devotion to fire service could always be seen. The theme repeated throughout the funeral “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13” was a testament to his personal and professional dedication.

On the day of his funeral, Gov. Henry McMaster ordered all flags on state buildings to be lowered at half-staff from sunrise until sunset in honor of Muller’s “selfless service, remarkable bravery, and supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.”

While in high school, the Columbia native transferred to the Lexington Technology Center and enrolled in the firefighting program. He completed the program in one year instead of the usual two. He interned at the Irmo Fire District during high school and joined once he was certified. In a video shared by Passion for the Craft, a training organization, Mueller called being a firefighter “the best job in the world,” and “if you’re not having fun, you’re not doing it right.”

“James left everything better than he found it and that’s the best way I have to sum up who he was,” Irmo Assistant Fire Chief Sloane Valentino.

This is the first time the Irmo Fire District, which opened in 1963, has dealt with the loss of a firefighter in the line of duty.

Muller is survived by his wife, son, parents, and sister. Memorials in Muller’s honor can be made to the Irmo Fire Foundation.

Metal

Detectorists on the Hunt

by Warren Hughes

Among the treasures they’ve found, well-known Palmetto detectorists Joe Denton of Little River and Clyde and Kandi Cochran Chilson of Saluda say they equally value the friendships and adventures they’ve gained while out looking for artifacts like buckles, bullets, and badges.

Even outings that end with empty pouches can be as memorable as the trip that results in a valuable item. Denton is the founder of Palmetto Metal Detecting Club and the Chilsons are leaders in SC Dirt Diggers, among many such groups active in the state and region.

Both Palmetto and SC Dirt Diggers provide excursions regularly. Colonial, military, and Native American remnants

are among the objects detectorists display on their active social media sites to generate discussion and build knowledge. The growth of social media has been a great boon to the hobby since people can display items and get feedback.

Since his youth in Ohio, Joe has been searching the countryside for artifacts from another time. He used his wages from the part-time gigs of his boyhood to buy his first metal detector. The purchase inspired a lifetime hobby along with the metal detector business he owns in Little River on the South Carolina Coast.

His proudest discovery is a belt buckle from the Civil War area that belonged to a Union marine officer, now pictured on his company’s website, Denton’s Detectors.

He doesn’t specify exactly where he found the buckle. That’s because he is a strong advocate of the ethics code for detectorists. Getting permission to search property is the mainstay of that code, which can be found on the website metaldetectinglife.com.

Joe is widely respected in metal-detecting circles for his expertise and integrity. He opened his business after he and his wife, Marsha, left hectic careers behind in Ohio and chose the coast as home for the second chapter of their lives. As soon as they spotted the Little River site, they knew they had found the ideal location.

Establishing a business focused on his boyhood hobby was the fulfillment of a dream - getting to spend the day focusing on what you most enjoy doing, treasure

With its rich history dating back eons, South Carolina is fertile ground for a special group of hobbyists called metal detectorists, who look for buried valuables.

hunting on a grown-up scale, both personally and professionally.

South Carolina coast is an ideal location for metal detectorists because of its rich history, he says, from the Revolutionary and Civil War and from Indigenous tribes and European explorers.

Saluda’s Kandi, who has been detecting for about ten years, says of her avocation, “I’ve always been interested in history, so detecting was a way I could help preserve artifacts.” Her interest is in the Civil War. “I like finding old buttons, bullets, and coins and wondering about the person who lost them, thinking I’m the first person in 150plus years to see them again.”

She especially values items that display links to individuals like a Civil War badge

with a soldier’s name engraved on it or old monogrammed spoons. “I like to be able to trace a person back, if possible,” she says.

Kandi and her husband, Clyde, enjoy going on frequent trips for detecting adventures. “You never know what you will find. In different parts of the country, you will find stuff you wouldn’t in another part. It’s all about the adventure.”

Back in 2015, she and others developed the South Carolina Dirt Diggers page on Facebook. It began as a way for a few local diggers to share their finds, but today there are over 5,400 members both statewide and across the country. Before the pandemic, the group met monthly at the Flight Deck Restaurant in Lexington. Now their sessions are announced when scheduled on their Facebook page

Unlike many hobbies, metal detecting is not just an individual pursuit, but one that can be enjoyed by the entire family and for all ages. As a woman in groups traditionally consisting of men, Kandi is pleased to see that the number of women has more than tripled recently. Beginners can also learn a lot about the hobby from online research and other reading before ever venturing out.

Many other groups also have their own Facebook pages or websites and there are numerous resources available online. The SC Dirt Diggers provides free presentations at schools and other events, including his-

tools and respect any restrictions in your area; fill in any holes dug due to danger to people and livestock; leave the area as undisturbed as you found it; report any significant historical artifacts to local authorities and do not damage them if found.

State, federal, and local governments have rules and regulations for metal detectorists to protect sensitive archaeological sites and public lands.

The National Historic Preservation Act protects historical and archaeological sites. It also covers rural areas with historical significance. The 1997 Archaeological Resources Protection Act further governs any excavation on federal and Native American lands and controls the removal of archaeological artifacts from those sites.

In South Carolina, metal detecting in South Carolina is regulated by the Archeological Resources Protection Act to preserve items of historical and cultural significance, thus prohibiting the removal of man-made objects more than 100 years of age from public ground. It does not apply to metal detecting done on private property. However, anyone planning to use a metal detector on private property should obtain the written permission of the landowner beforehand.

Metal detecting is not permitted at any of South Carolina State Park’s State Historic Sites. For all other park properties, individuals must contact park managers directly to request approval. If approved, the manager will specify exactly where on park property metal detection is allowed and will provide site-specific information and rules.

toric programs and technical demonstrations. Different discoveries are displayed for discussion and direct experience.

Metal Detecting Hobby Talk (mdhtalk. org) is a comprehensive doorway into the metal-detecting internet community, providing a depository of information from national and state resources, local clubs and requirements, events, and reference material. The Palmetto, Metal Detecting SC, and SC Dirt Diggers are just a few of the regional groups you will see listed.

Conscientious metal detectorists embrace a code of ethics with the following guidelines: learn which legal jurisdiction an area falls under and what permissions you will need to discover and recover items; research the rules regarding digging

The individual must carry a signed permit from the manager while they are metal detecting in approved areas on park property. The state’s full metal detecting policy is linked on the “Frequently Asked Questions” page of the South Carolina State Parks website southcarolinaparks.com/faqs.

The internet is a fertile landscape for metal detectorists from across the country for all levels of skill. For beginners, a great place to start on the web is Metal Detecting Life (metaldetectinglife.com).

You will get your questions answered, learn to enjoy the hobby, find out about a wide variety of equipment, different research methods, and ways to find success. Most of all, savor the hunt in the search for hidden treasure. Even if you do come home empty-handed, the outing itself will be satisfying. There is always a new unexplored field over the horizon. n

“I like finding old buttons, bullets, and coins and wondering about the person who lost them, thinking I’m the first person in 150-plus years to see them again.”

The Pros of Local Produce

by Marilyn Thomas

The key agricultural players of the Lex ington County farming community have decades of expertise in planting, cultivat ing, and providing the favorite fruits and vegetables of the Midlands region. These products are fresh, flavorful, and founda tional to healthy eating habits, so wheth er seeking an ingredient for a go-to recipe or just stocking up on nourishing snacks, WP Rawl, Senn Brothers Produce, and the South Carolina State Farmers Market are a trifecta of resources for these gar den-fresh grocery staples.

WP Rawl

Walter P. Rawl and Sons, Inc. (known locally and in the industry by the “WP Rawl”), is a Lexington County agricultural industry established almost a century ago. “Starting the farm on their wedding day in 1925, co-founders Walter and Ernestine Rawl set into motion a family farm that is still owned and operated by second- and third-generation family members,” says Ashley Rawl, vice president of sales, mar keting, and product development within the company.

Today, the company employs as many as 700 team members at a time, depending on the demands of the season, and offers a variety of more than 10 fresh vegetables that are enjoyed by millions of consum

This year, “Sustainability is one of our focuses,” says Rawl. “As a company, we have always focused on becoming more sustainable as we understand the actions, we take today affect our children and the world tomorrow.” To that end, they recently launched a recyclable film solution for their bagged leafy greens making them the first to market with recyclable packaging in the leafy greens category. They are also working on other sustainable packaging solutions and projects in and around their facilities to help them achieve sustainability as a whole. This year they also began a project that collects, measures, and calculates data that helps them make decisions around their farm and facilities to help reduce their carbon footprint.

For those interested in their products or finding out more about the behindthe-scenes activities at WP Rawl, Rawl suggests following the company on Facebook (@WPRawl) or Instagram (@naturesgreens). “We also have a website,” he adds, “with hundreds of recipes using our products. We invite you to check them out at www.rawl.net!”

Senn Brothers Produce

Nearly 80 years ago, a band of 6 brothers set up their produce booth at the local farmers’ market, which was then situated on Assembly Street in downtown Columbia. From the beginning, “Senn Brothers was a wholesaler, where people could come and pick produce up,” says Zach Senn, the current general manager of the company.

While working for Senn Brothers Produce during the 1980s, Gregg Senn innovatively began making produce deliveries from his pick-up truck throughout the greater Columbia area. Since then, the company’s staff has grown to 80 employees, with 40 to 50 delivery trucks operating every day.

Family members continue to oversee this agricultural enterprise with Gregg Senn and Gary Prince manning the helm, while Gregg’s two sons, Jake and Zach Senn, work alongside them. Their delivery region has since expanded to all of South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; and the Augusta/Savannah area of Georgia. They carry their commodities, which include fresh fruit and juices, vegetables, peanuts, herbs and spices, dairy products, and eggs, to hundreds of clients such as “schools, retirement communities, military bases, restaurants, grocery stores, and other wholesalers,” says general manager Senn.

To support local farmers, they believe it is very important to source as much South Carolina grown produce as possible. How ever, the company also imports goods from other states, and even interna tionally, to ensure their customers are offered a comprehensive array of quality food products.

Occasionally, Senn Brothers’ representatives have been invited to showcase their operations at schools across the state so they can educate children about the importance of de veloping healthy eating habits. Their

“There is no customer too small for Senn Brothers to sell to, and there is no farmer too small for Senn Brothers to buy from.”

contact information and additional details about the company can be found on their website at sennbrothers.com or on their Facebook page.

“There is no customer too small for Senn Brothers to sell to,” says Senn, “and there is no farmer too small for Senn Brothers to buy from.” Even the general public can glean from the Senn Brothers’ harvest by visiting their warehouse at the South Carolina State Farmers Market.

South Carolina State Farmers Market

“The State Farmers Market provides opportunities for South Carolina farmers to market their products and for the public to buy from them,” says Eva Moore, the communications director of the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. Located at 3483 Charleston Highway in West Columbia, the market is open to the public every day (except state holidays) throughout the year. Their Facebook page provides daily hours and up-to-date information about special events and produce that is currently in season.

The South Carolina Department of Agriculture has operated the State Farmers Market in the Midlands since 1974, though the market existed in various forms much earlier. There are two other state farmers markets: one in Florence and one in Greenville.

At the West Columbia location, consumers can shop year-round for fresh produce, specialty products, and artisan items, and seasonally for items such as Christmas

trees and pumpkins. In addition, the market hosts a Plant and Flower Festival each spring and fall, as well as various other events throughout the year.

“The number of vendors at the South Carolina State Farmers Market varies dramatically by season,” explains Moore. “The peak season for locally grown produce runs from April through early October, during which time many local vendors can be found selling produce. During the off-season, shoppers can expect fewer options, but still an assortment of seasonal produce. Wholesalers located at the market operate year-round.”

As mentioned earlier, Senn Brothers is one of many vendors housed at the Farmers Market, and a comprehensive list of all vendors can be found on the Department of Agriculture’s website at agriculture.sc.gov/ divisions/agency-operations/state-farmers-markets/sc-state-farmers-market.

Although primarily known for selling edible commodities, the market has even more to offer. The State Farmers Market campus in Columbia houses the Phillips Market Center (an event venue), the South Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Consumer Protection Division (including the Metrology Lab and programs like Feed Safety and Food Safety), privately owned wholesale businesses, a plant nursery, farmers’ sheds, The Market Restaurant, and additional state-managed wholesale facilities and sheds.

Inside the Market Pavilion building, the family-friendly Market Restaurant

features affordable, made-from-scratch, “casual fare” on Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Only the freshest ingredients available are served with preference given to local South Carolina products. Also, this same building houses a branch of the Department of Natural Resources where fishing and hunting licenses can be purchased, and watercraft can be registered.

The South Carolina Department of Agriculture provides many services to the public. For example, the agency is responsible for certifying scales, inspecting food and feed manufacturers, and promoting South Carolina farmers and farm products through the Certified South Carolina branding program. (Learn more at certifiedsc.com.)

This season, “South Carolina is shaping up to have a strong year for farm-fresh produce,” Moore says. “The strawberry harvest is underway, and blueberries are up next. The state’s famous peach crop saw some frost damage in March, particularly to early-season varieties, but we are still expecting a good crop as we get into summer. As the year develops, we’ll see the muscadines, okra, watermelons, sweet corn, and other produce the state is famous for.”

With professional agricultural resources such as these, local foodies have almost limitless options to stock up on South Carolina’s natural bounty and build a nutritional menu that features a variety of favorite, flavorful, and fresh foods. n

A Favorite Place

Each spring I write of three places, three beautiful places where colonies of rocky shoals spider lilies bloom. One is quite accessible; one is perhaps the world’s largest colony, and the other, though difficult to access, holds childhood memories.

Easy to access and as lovely as can be is the colony at Stevens Creek in McCormick, South Carolina. Here, you can lean over and inhale a bloom’s subtle lemony-sweet fragrance and see the bloom’s mint green core. The sound of whitewater adds serenity to the setting. Steal up to the creek quietly and you may catch a glimpse of great blue herons and a hawk or two. An old gristmill and an old tin chalet perched on a hillside provide additional interest. I think of this as the easy colony to visit.

Depending on where you set out from, the colony at Chester County’s Landsford Canal State Park is a bit of a haul. Not far from the Queen City translates into a lot of visitors. When you get there, the crowds that descend from Charlotte make parking a bit of a task. Then you have a scenic but long walk to the viewing platform where you behold never-ending shoals lilies. The ruins of an old canal add to the overall experience.

Over in Georgia, the Broad River’s Anthony Shoals hosts a large colony of lilies that bloom in one of the region’s wilder settings. My mother grew up just minutes from the shoals. Childhood memories live here. Each May-June I, pilgrimage to Anthony Shoals where Mom’s family “laid by” when the crops were done.

On Georgia Highway 79 I turn left at Thankful Baptist Church and make my way to Anthony Shoals Road. I negotiate the long, near third-world dirt road at whose end I park and descend a steep bluff to where the rocky shoals spider lilies stage a May-June spectacle.

These shoals have long lived within me. Mom took me to the shoals as a boy where her brothers caught and fried fish. I remember rock-studded waters and Uncle Carroll scouring a cast iron frying pan with sand until it shone like silver. Then life happened, and for many a year, I assumed Clarks Hill Lake had drowned Anthony Shoals. That confused me. Clarks Hill Dam was completed in 1954, but the reservoir was filled in 195152. How can this be? I should have been too young to remember the place. Still, I had this memory. I couldn’t square things. Surely water had covered Anthony Shoals after that fish fry, but, no, I was mistaken.

The Broad River’s Anthony Shoals and its billowing river garden of rocky shoals spider lilies lived still. Several times each spring I descend that steep bluff and listen. Faint and from afar, I hear Earth’s finest white noise. Down closer I go. The Broad River, a waterfall turned sideways, froths and foams over and around rocks. Milky-white filigrees murmur and beget inner peace as no other sound can. Peering through trees I see lustrous green stalks topped by snow-white blooms bobbing and weaving. Ballerinas in white waltz to a wild river song as ospreys cry and dive for fish. Many great blue herons stalk the rocky shallows for fish.

Shoals lilies, you should know, prefer rocky rivers, plummeting elevation, and clean, free-flowing water. That translates to no dams. To see Anthony Shoals and its lilies is to see the Piedmont as it was before the big dams rose. When I’m there I have no sadness. I don’t think of traffic jams, crime, and scandals. I watch the osprey and shoals lilies and let out a long sigh that such wilderness remains and, in fact, is tied to my mother’s people. So, as you can easily guess my favorite of the three colonies is Anthony Shoals. If you’ve not seen a colony then plan to; it’s a majestic spectacle. n

by Tom Poland

Summertime NO-COOK DINNERS

Loaded Avocado BLT

1/2 small ripe avocado, peeled

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

4 slices Italian bread, toasted

1-1/2 cups fresh baby spinach

4 tomato slices

4 thick-sliced applewood smoked bacon strips, cooked

Mash avocado with a fork; stir in mayonnaise and lemon juice. Gently stir in cheese. Spread over all toast slices. Top 2 slices of toast with spinach, tomato, bacon, and remaining pieces of toast, avocado spread side down.

Refreshing Shrimp Salad

1 package (5 ounces) spring mix salad greens

1 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 large navel orange, peeled and sectioned

1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and chopped

1 cup fresh strawberries, quartered

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

Salad dressing of your choice

On each of the 4 serving plates, arrange salad greens, shrimp, orange, avocado, strawberries, and onions. Drizzle with dressing.

Crunchy Tuna Salad with Tomatoes

2/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

1 celery rib, chopped

1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley or 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

3/4 teaspoon pepper

1 can (12 ounces) albacore white tuna in water, drained and flaked

4 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, onion, celery, parsley, and pepper. Stir in tuna. Serve with tomato wedges.

Classic Cobb Salad

6 cups torn iceberg lettuce

2 medium tomatoes, chopped\

1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and chopped

3/4 cup diced fully cooked ham

2 hard-boiled large eggs, chopped

3/4 cup diced cooked turkey

1-1/4 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Salad dressing of choice

Optional: Sliced ripe olives and lemon wedges

Place lettuce on a platter or in a large serving bowl. Arrange remaining ingredients in rows or sections as desired. Serve with dressing of choice; if desired, serve with sliced ripe olives and lemon wedges.

Focaccia Sandwiches

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 can (4-1/4 ounces) chopped ripe olives, drained

1 focaccia bread (about 12 ounces), split 4 romaine leaves

1/4 pound shaved deli ham

1 medium sweet red pepper, thinly sliced into rings

1/4 pound shaved deli turkey

1 large tomato, thinly sliced

1/4 pound thinly sliced hard salami

1 jar (7 ounces) roasted sweet red peppers, drained

4 to 6 slices provolone cheese

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and olives; spread over the bottom half of bread. Layer with remaining ingredients; replace bread top. Cut into 24 pieces; secure with toothpicks.

Fruity Chicken Salad

Mini Sandwiches

6 cups chopped cooked chicken

3/4 cup sliced fresh strawberries

1/2 cup halved seedless red grapes

2 celery ribs, finely chopped

1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

24 potato dinner rolls or Hawaiian sweet rolls, split

Place the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix sour cream, mayonnaise, basil, lemon juice and seasonings; stir into chicken mixture. Refrigerate, covered, until serving. To serve, fill each roll with 1/3 cup chicken mixture. n

We planted some Popcorn. I’ve had fair luck with it in the past. If you’ve ever grown Sweet Corn, then you know the difference between an ear you just picked and what you get in the store. Popcorn is no different.

The seeds sprouted well. I weeded the Popcorn immediately so it could put down good roots.

The new sprouts got two good rains within 10 days of each other, and the stalks took off.

But all gardeners know a good rain makes weeds grow, too. All gardeners know you’ve got to get those young weeds out of there because the young plants struggle from the competition. Every gardener has experienced not taking enough time to get the weeds when they are small and easy to pull.

I knew better, but I let those weeds get going. I’d walk by the patch and scold myself: “I’ve got to pull those weeds.” And the day would end without me having done it.

A garden is a whole world of lessons for anyone who’s paying attention. And like all lessons, they get more meaningful as

Are the Roots Established?

a man gets older. Consider the relevance of keeping weeds away from young plants. Consider the simplicity of eliminating weeds when they are just starting, pulling them before they have a chance to get established.

Some small crops, like carrots and spinach, don’t stand a chance against the slightest bit of weed pressure early on. Both crops take a while to germinate, and the weeds germinate quicker. Some weeds create what’s called an allelopathic effect, which is a fancy way of saying they put out a chemical that keeps other seeds from germinating. In other words, the weeds prevent the desired crop from even coming up.

Then other weeds -- Pigweed being the most notorious -- will put out an enormous root system very quickly and suck out every bit of moisture that is anywhere near the actual plant. If your desired plant needs water to grow -- and they all do -the Pigweed gets that water first. If you pull a Pigweed up by the roots, it will be reduced to almost tissue-paper consistency within about 30 hours because it’s almost nothing but water.

Last Saturday my helper and I went to

the Popcorn which was approaching kneehigh. “We’ve got to get this patch cleaned out right now.” Pigweed was dwarfing the Popcorn. Morning Glory was beginning to grow up the stalks. Quackgrass was spreading between the stalks.

We worked most of the day on the eight rows, but we got it cleared up. Quite a few of the Popcorn stalks were laying over, their roots having been disturbed by us pulling out the weeds just inches away. My helper was curious and asked if the stalks would stand back up.

“If the corn’s roots were established well enough, they will stand back upright. With our help, they will overcome the negative effects of the weeds.”

All the corn was straight after a good watering. n