Magnolia and Moonshine | Spring 2025

EST. 1967 — MAGNOLIA GREENE EST. 1967 - MAGNOLIA GREENE

MAGNOLIA MOONSHINE

Spring 2025

DISPLAY UNTIL MAY 31, 2025

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TO THE POWER OF THE SEASON (706) 327-7489 www.schomburgs.com 1640 Rollins Way, Columbus, GA 31904

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Elevate occasions big and small with our stunning collection of monograms for print, embroidery, and more. www.ShulerStudio.com www.MagnoliaandMoonshine.com

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1208 13th Avenue, Columbus, GA 706-327-3671 www.HinsonGalleries.com 4 | Spring 2025

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PUBLISHER ’S NOTE

Publishers: Katie Waldrep & Leslie Anne Jones Executive Editor: Cara D. Clark Content Editors: Leslie Anne Jones & Joan McLendon Budd Layout & Ad Design: Haylie Rivera Advertising Sales: Taylor White, Suzy Brown, Betsy Illges, Kay Oswalt Social Media: Ivey Evans Web Design: Lacey Skinner Contributing Writers, Photographers, & Stylists Cara Clark Betsy Illges Sheryl Nance Nash Mary Dansak Su-Jit Lin Jennifer Kornegay Alan Clemons Lee Hurley Tristan Cairns Allison Ramirez Ronny Maye

Spring is one of our favorite seasons on the farm. New life blooms and fills the air with a sense of joy and boundless potential. The birds sing more sweetly, reveling in the gentle breezes and warming weather, while the animals at Magnolia Greene bask in the sun’s embrace.

In this issue, we celebrate the miracle of growth and the beauty that springs from the earth. We share the inspiring story of Nicole Burke, a Tennessean who discovered her passion for gardening and transformed it into an art form, creating stunning vegetable landscapes. We also speak with Dria Hallman and Halima Salizar, whose shared love for farming and fresh ingredients led to a sisterhood and inspired their ventures, Justevia teas and the pop-up restaurant Gimbia’s Kitchen.

Our staff looks at two Southern traditions—one long respected and the other gaining momentum by the day. First, we stop in Augusta, Georgia, where entertaining experts share how elegant gatherings unfold during the tournament. We then dive into the appeal of an old game of skill and beauty, Mahjong, which is rapidly expanding its reach across the South and beyond.

We illuminate the importance of new beginnings and honoring the past by exploring Old Friends Equine Farm, a racehorse retirement sanctuary in Georgetown, Kentucky, and learning more about the bicentennial celebration of Lafayette, the French soldier and nobleman whose return tour to America marks 200 years since he left an indelible mark on a fledgling nation.

As warmer weather beckons, we focus on the outdoors and ask legendary fly rod craftsman Bill Oyster to share his expertise. While on the water, we focus on The Mayfly Project, a heartwarming initiative that teaches foster children the art of fly fishing as a therapeutic way to connect with nature.

With Spring Break around the corner, we take you to the Nicewonder Resort in Virginia. Here, families can enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience in luxury yurts surrounded by vineyards and the great outdoors.

Finally, as Easter approaches, we celebrate the season’s blessings through Jordan Holland’s gospel music. Join us on this journey through the South, where the stories are endless; sharing them is its own reward.

Rebecca Casto Christy Beckham Morgan Duke Brit Huckabay Taylor Martin Sally Ann Sessitte Marion Carache Anthony Popolo Anne M. Eberhardt Katrice Edwards Eric Kelly Nicole Johnsey Burke Victoria Quirk Spring 2025 • Volume 4 Number 1 Magnolia and Moonshine is a product of Magnolia Greene, Inc. in Seale, Alabama.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @magnoliaandmoonshine Email story ideas to: Contactus@MagnoliaAndMoonshine.com Join the mailing list by scanning the QR code.

On the Cover: Gardenary owner Nicole Burke began her Texasbased business to teach others how to create a beautiful and bounteous garden. Photo by Eric Kelly www.MagnoliaandMoonshine.com

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I N S TA N T H E I R L O O M Tennessee artist Ben Caldwell transforms silver and copper into keepsake pieces that are informed by his family heritage and a consuming sense of creativity.

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Nicole Burke, owner of Texas-based Gardenary, is often asked a question from an old nursery rhyme: “How DOES your garden grow?”

Landscape designer Christopher Harman transforms an overgrown Lake Harding island into an Eden-like entertaining retreat.

Old Friends Equine in Georgetown, Kentucky, was founded to provide Thoroughbreds, both acclaimed and unheralded, a post-track sanctuary.

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When Halima Salizer and Dria Price met on an Oxford, Mississippi, farm, an immediate sisterhood formed and led to a celebration of flavorful teas and Southern cuisine seen through a West African lens.

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A TRIUMPHANT RETURN

Famed French military officer Marquis de Lafayette is being celebrated with a 200th-anniversary redux of his farewell tour of America.

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FA R E A S T M E E T S S O U T H A Far East tradition has taken root in the Deep South, bringing together groups of women in an age-old game served with a side of fun and fellowship

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Creating ties that bind, Jess Westbrook combined a love of fly fishing with a mission to mentor foster children through the Mayfly Project.

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Chef Hector Santiago looks to his Latino roots to bring fresh ingredients and a festive flair to the table.

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The Blue Ridge Mountains in Bristol, Virginia, are a spectacular backdrop for Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards, a namesake of the family that nurtured the land for generations.

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THE CRAFTSMAN Bill Oyster crafts his namesake prized bamboo fly rods with passion and precision and teaches others the skill of bringing together form and function.

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Gospel singer Jordan Holland found his voice singing in church at an early age and now lends his faith and talent to the arts in his home of Nashville, Tennessee, and beyond.

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Noel Distillery had its share of pauses, but the good times roll now in this father-daughter distillery that focuses on the freshest ingredients — even those not native to Louisiana.

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Southern Sass: Southerners have dedicated celebrations and traditions for every season, but there is just something about Easter.

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Under the Muscadine Vine: Matriarchal Memories Southern Essentials

M A S T E R O F E N T E R TA I N I N G The historic town of Augusta, Georgia, comes alive each spring with a cadre of club-wielding golfers chasing a Masters green jacket.

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EARTHLY DELIGHTS Nicole Burke, owner of Texas-based Gardenary, is often asked a question from an old nursery rhyme: “How DOES your garden grow?”

Story by Jennifer Kornegay

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There are those who can begin with a tiny seed and bring beautiful blooms and delicious produce to life in their home gardens. Perhaps they’re blessed with rich, fertile soil and perfect weather. Maybe they were born with not one, but two, green thumbs. But on the flipside, for those who can’t keep a single houseplant alive, the success of those in the first group is mysterious, almost magical, and can be maddening.

But, according to Nicole Burke, founder of Houston, Texas-based Gardenary, reaping a bountiful harvest at your home is not magic. She claims it’s a dream anyone can achieve with the right information and instruction. Nicole’s confidence in her ability to transform failed and frustrated growers into happy and fulfilled gardeners underpins her company and inspired its name.

“Gardenary stands for ‘gardening is ordinary,’” she says.

“And what makes it stand out is the focus on people. Most gardening businesses sell services or products. We provide education.”

Since its inception in 2017, Gardenary has helped countless people get their hands dirty and reap rewards in the form of food, offering online resources and courses with hands-on assistance from trained gardening consultants throughout the country. But when Nicole was a child, joyfully digging around in her yard was the last place she imagined she’d be as an adult.

“My dad had me doing yard work every weekend, and I hated

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it,” she says. “I swore I’d have a gravel yard when I grew up.”

She escaped outside chores when she went to college, where she studied accounting. After graduation, work took her to Southern China. Back in the States, she ended up in Nashville, Tennessee, got married, and had four kids in four and a half years. At that time, she started a garden with little success.

“It was a mess.” Yet, the experience had positives that put down roots in her heart.

“That garden didn’t work, but those moments working on it, outside in the air with my kids, were so meaningful,” she says. I rediscovered myself in new ways.”

This awakening, combined with Burke’s exposure to local, seasonal fruits and veggies for the first time while in China, brought on a subtle but significant shift.

“I fell in love with backyard gardening,” she says, “and I just kept learning and learning.”

By 2015, she and her family were living in Houston, and when her kids went off to school, she was ready to head back to work and decided to sell the now promising results of her gardening efforts. But a friend turned her initial idea upside down.

“She told me, ‘I don’t want to buy your lettuce; I want you to teach me how to grow my own lettuce.’”

With that seed of wisdom, the Gardenary vision began to grow.

“That was the ‘aha!’ moment, and I realized so many edu-

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L E S S O N S F R O M N AT U R E “Watching a plant fight the heat and pests and still reach up and grow says to me, ‘Hey, Nicole. You can do it, too.’ Gardening is a good teacher in that way.”

PHOTO BY VICTORIA QUIRK

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PHOTO BY NICOLE JOHNSEY BURKE

“I’m self-taught; I learned by doing, so my mistakes built what I teach now.” cated people still had little understanding of where food comes from or how to grow it,” Nicole says.

To change this fact, she founded her gardening consulting business with the goal of planting 100 new gardens in Houston in a year. It took off like a well-watered weed.

“I found what I was doing locally worked and was needed — and wanted — everywhere,” she says. In 2017, Gardenary burst forth and spread Nicole’s work around the globe.

Almost a decade later, The Gardenary Way fertilizes minds all over, sharing Nicole’s gardening philosophy and style, which is grounded in her own errors and experiential learning.

“I’m self-taught; I learned by doing, so my mistakes built what I now teach,” she says.

The basics of “the Way” include often using trellises and raised beds to better control soil quality, which is key.

“I created a three-part soil blend made of compost, topsoil, and sand to mimic sandy-loam soil,” she says.

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Her gardening aesthetic draws on some of the South’s prettiest public places.

“I spent a lot of time exploring national and state parks with my kids, and those areas influenced my style.”

A trip to Big Bend National Park pushed her to go against conventional gardening wisdom.

“It was covered with plants; they were all growing close together, and that’s not what many gardening books teach about spacing, but I decided to follow nature,” Nicole says.

She advises mixing a diverse array of large, medium, and small plants and arranging them tightly in raised beds.

“Within six weeks of planting, you should not be able to see the soil, and instead of a cabbage bed, a potato bed, and a carrot bed, we put them all in the same bed; they fit together like a puzzle,” she says.

The final piece of The Gardenary Way again emphasizes working in harmony with the natural world.

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“We steer away from pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers and look instead to nature to maintain our gardens,” Nicole says. “We try to mimic the way animals prune by eating and the way plants are nourished by animal waste.”

And foundational to everything Gardenary preaches is Nicole’s belief that anyone can garden.

“With gardening, people expect instant perfection, so they get intimidated,” she says, “but if I wanted to learn tennis, I wouldn’t expect to walk onto the court and hit the ball over the net and return all volleys the first time or even in my first year. Gardening is the same. It’s a skill that anyone can learn and hone.”

While Nicole has polished her personal gardening skills, she won’t say she’s mastered the craft.

But she will proclaim her love of it, and the memory of a favorite garden project sums up her sentiments.

“I started with a new client on a garden at his home, and he was really excited, but a month or so in, he told me he had just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer,” she says. “The reason he was so eager to get his garden going was to help him heal, but it was also his gift to his wife and three daughters.”

As Nicole watched him go through chemo, she also watched him eat from his garden daily and simply sit among the green things as a kind of therapy. He died a year later, but his garden is still growing.

“Now, it’s a place for his family to remember him,” Nicole says.

“And what he got is what I get from gardening, too.”

She notes the physical and mental escape she finds with turned

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PHOTO BY VICTORIA QUIRK

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earth below and sky overhead; both are balms for her busy life running a company and mothering four teenagers.

“I need the movement and activity it involves, the bending down, standing up and stretching,” she says.

She admits gardening won’t make stresses disappear, yet she often sees a problem in life mirrored in her garden.

“Watching a plant fight the heat and pests and still reach up and grow says to me, ‘Hey, Nicole.

You can do it, too.’ Gardening is a good teacher in that way.”

And you don’t need acres or even a large backyard to attain the solace Nicole describes.

“A simple little herb garden can provide these things,” she says.

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G E T G R O W I N G! Nicole Burke of Gardenary stresses that timing is the secret to super spring gardening. Here, she shares her top tips.

Plant as early as possible, as soon as the soil is workable. And workable soil is when you can get your finger four to six inches down.

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Start planting cool-season plants such as spinach, lettuce, and kale and roots like carrots and beets. These will grow in very early spring and can all be started from seed.

Then, right after the last frost, plant summer plants, such as tomatoes, peppers, and beans. You want to be right behind the last frost because in the South, it will warm up quickly. They need time to get established before the intense heat comes.

When those early plants, like lettuces, are done, the next round of plants should be planted in their place to keep the growing going.

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PHOTO BY VICTORIA QUIRK

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Halcyon Hideaway Landscape designer Christopher Harman transforms an overgrown Lake Harding island into an Eden-like entertaining retreat.

Story by Cara Clark, Photos by Tristan Cairns www.MagnoliaandMoonshine.com

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Photo courtesy Auburn University 18 | Spring 2025

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Rippling surges of moss-green water gently brush the shores of a verdant island in Lake Harding as if inviting themselves to the serene setting. Known as Bootleg Island, the once dense and brush-covered terrain has been transformed into a showplace of landscaping and legacy.

When landscape designer Chris Harman discovered the property, he was on a quest for a lake house lease. At the time, it was owned by Mike Coolick, a former Winston cigarette cowboy model, who had turned the island into his private sanctuary.

“When we pulled up to the dock, you literally couldn’t see the house,” Chris says. “I had grown up on Lake Harding at my parents’ house on the Georgia side, but I wasn’t familiar with the island. There were plantation shutters, screens, metal security bars. I think there were 17 padlocks on the property, all with different keys.”

The house, dimly lit and chock-full of Country Western accents, wasn’t exactly inviting, but Chris could see the potential in the seclusion and history it offered. Instead of the lease he sought, the owner offered to sell the property outright — an opportunity Chris couldn’t resist. The deal was sealed quickly, and he and his partner, Noah Fussell, began to explore their new getaway. Inside, the house was filled with keepsakes from the previous owner’s colorful past in soap operas and Westerns.

“He had movie props everywhere — guns, saddles, and blankets,” Chris says. “The front door was solid (a barn door), and the house was dark. We wanted light in here, so we had a new front door made with big windows. We wanted to enjoy the view.”

Chris and Noah set out on a transformation, keeping bits of Western memorabilia in a nod to the cottage’s roots, while brightening and bringing in both modern and classic elements for timeless appeal. Saltillo tiles and plank ceilings remained, retaining their Southwestern warmth. An ornately carved antique sideboard adorned with wizened faces is paired with hanging shelves. The anchor furnishings are home to an eclectic vignette, including a cocktail bar combined with a collection of majolica, china, and Western memorabilia — a prop pistol in a gun holster slung over one shelf and a Bowie knife in the center.

The setting is warmed with a modern leather chair set under a reading light, bringing a sense of cozy elegance to the setting.

Adjacent is the master suite with views of the boat house and starboard side of the island’s charms.

Keeping elements of the heart and home of the past and bringing in modern architectural influences created a showplace with a feeling of living among the trees. While the results are idyllic, the work that went into it was hardscrabble.

“I would pick up a crew every Saturday and bring them over on the pontoon boat (nicknamed Bertha), and we would work on this dense wall of brush,” Chris says. “We brought in boatloads of soil and pavers and supplies. It was a tremendous effort.”

Those labors came with rich rewards. Chris’s late mother, who was ill and had mobility issues, was able to travel via pontoon boot and over carefully installed pathways to enjoy the picturesque property. It became a gathering place to share memories and a mother-son relationship each had cherished.

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In March 2023, just as work on the home was finished, a storm tore through, ripping off the roof.

“I’d just said, ‘We’re finished. The grass is coming this week, and we’re done,’” Chris recalls. “We were planning a birthday party for my mother, and most of the plants were in the ground. My neighbor sent a picture, and literally, the entire roof was gone. I got up here, and there was nothing I could do.”

Insurance did its part, and the work was restored. Plans went forward, but life and death have a way of making more significant decisions. When his mother passed away four days before the scheduled birthday celebration — the Saturday before Memorial Day — Chris knew she would want the island’s introduction to friends and family to go forward.

“We went ahead with the party, and it had been 200 degrees all week,” Chris says. “And that day of the party, my mother had a word with Mother Nature. She gave us 82-degree temperatures.

Everybody said, ‘Your mom’s in charge of the weather today.’

“It was a beautiful memory of a place she loved so much.”

The retreat offers the best of both worlds — reflective solitude or lively entertaining. Both tend to prefer the latter, enjoying throwing open the door and dock for packed parties or casual get-togethers.

A guestroom near the front of the cottage is guarded by a cigarstore style Indian chief, one of the original pieces from the previous owner. And inside, the room has been brightened with light linens that turn the focus on a wall of art — a sort of decoupage of eclectic pieces.

“It’s been a journey,” Chris says. “I love art, and Noah has begun to love art. We’ve collected from all over. It’s fun to bring home a

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memory from our travels.”

The Lake Harding setting near Salem, Alabama, is convenient, too, for Chris, who owns Wildwood Gardens and lives in Columbus, Georgia, and Noah, who works in property management and lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

The landscape itself tells a story of careful planning and thoughtful design. Slate pavers were paired with Tennessee bluestone stair treads, softening the slope from the water’s edge.

Swings and chairs on the front porch invite relaxation, while a careful blend of manicured and natural landscaping fills the space with vibrant color. Magnolia trees, coneflowers, hydrangeas, spring bulbs, begonias, geraniums, and hostas flourish, nurtured by Chris’s expert touch.

The island’s beauty extends to its wildlife — whitetail deer often swim across the lake to feast on the island’s flora, adding watercress to their diet much to Chris’s chagrin. It’s a testament to the island’s allure, drawing both humans and animals alike.

“I’ve always loved gardening,” he says. “My grandmother loved gardening. My mother loved gardening. My mom and dad lived on 10 acres, and my mother would get out there with me with axes and do what I did here. They had a lake that she couldn’t see, but she wanted to see it from her dining room, so we made that happen.”

That same determined endeavor wrought transformation on the island and brought new life to the boathouse adjacent to the home, overlooking the lake, which is as much a center for entertaining as the main house. Guests arrive via Bertha, the flat-bottom boat, or their own watercraft to the once-forbidden island, which now welcomes both human and four-legged visitors to its Edenic environs.

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Promised Land Old Friends Equine in Georgetown, Kentucky, was founded to provide Thoroughbreds, both acclaimed and unheralded, a post-track sanctuary.

Story by Cara Clark

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WAG E R I N G O N A W I N Old Friends Founder Michael Blowen races Kentucky Derby winner Silver Charm, his coat lightened from dark dapple to pale gray with maturity, through the rich pastures of his retirement home. At right, Derby winner Big Brown wins the Preakness Stakes in the second leg of the Triple Crown of horse racing. Below right: Blowen and current Old Friends Executive Director John Nicholson celebrate the retirement of one of the sport’s superstars.

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Spring breezes frolic through a row of ornamental fruit trees, scattering petals like confetti across lush green paddocks. The gentle wind ruffles the manes and tails of grazing horses, who savor the rich grass and the blessed quiet, meandering where the day takes them.

As serene as the setting may be, life was not always so placid for these retired athletes. With blue blood galloping through their veins, Thoroughbreds, known for their power and majesty, are the epitome of strength. That harnessed power draws thousands of visitors to The Kentucky Derby each spring, where spectators watch these magnificent creatures parade to post in what is hailed as “the most exciting two minutes in sports.” Their hooves lightly touch the earth, following a controlled, sometimes volatile path to the starting gate, where they burst forth in a flurry of colored silks and silken coats to battle for position—and for one, to claim a place among legends.

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As they fly past furlong poles and cheering crowds, they stretch their strides, sometimes lifting all four feet from the churned earth, at other times balancing over one fragile fetlock and hoof with more than a thousand pounds of weight. When the wire is crossed, the thunder of hooves and the roars from the crowd echo through time.

After the winner is paraded and festooned with floral blankets, the athletes retreat behind the scenes for a cool-down, preparing for the next contest in the grand pageant of horse racing. But it’s the next chapter in their turbulent lives that was on the mind of Old Friends founder Michael Blowen, who began his mission with one retired Thoroughbred and a leased paddock in 2003.

Old Friends, a Thoroughbred retirement farm in Georgetown, Kentucky, focuses on helping these hot-blooded equines transition from rigorous training and racing routines to a carefree lifestyle. They

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PHOTO BY ANNE M . EBERHARDT

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F E E L I N G H I S OAT S I’ll Have Another feels frisky and celebrates the majesty of his breed. It’s a reminder that awe of the horse was documented in The Bible: Job 39: 19-22: Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible. He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.

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trade in their lightweight aluminum racing plates (horseshoes) to enjoy the peaceful pastoral life earned after a strenuous career.

Michael’s mission took off quickly, expanding to a 236-acre farm with three satellite locations. More than 255 retired racehorses and breeding stallions are now part of the Old Friends retirement program, where plenty of leisure time outdoors is key to ensuring happy post-racing careers. Gone are the early morning workouts — here, the horses enjoy an assiduously scheduled routine and a carefully monitored diet, but no labors.

Last year, Michael retired, tapping former Kentucky Horse Park Executive Director John Nicholson to guide the organization, not just with his head, but with his heart. John shares that some visitors — particularly owners and trainers who support the cause—understand that these once-celebrated steeds, even those who never made it to the winner’s circle, are unique beings, each with their own personalities and quirks.

“Coming to the farm is something magical —it’s better experienced than explained,” says John. “Sometimes we let people who come to see them feed the horses a carrot or an apple, and they get it. All the horses have to do is breathe on you, and you love them. You’re amazed by them and fascinated by them. It’s special.”

John credits Michael’s vision for the cushy lives the Thoroughbreds enjoy as glory days have given way to golden years of retirement.

“It was fortuitous that Michael had this idea that a light needed to be shown on what happens to Thoroughbred horses when they are no

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longer producing money,” John explains. “The vast majority of Thoroughbred owners are responsible and good and always did the right thing. But occasionally, there were others with less noble intentions.

With increased international activity, with stallions being sent to stand at stud in other countries, there was growing concern about the future well-being of these horses in their later years.”

The fate of some horses, whose victories once commanded cheers from masses, draped in roses in the winner’s circle, is unfathomable.

But Michael’s drive for change has taken root.

“Old Friends took off in a huge way, and it really became the vanguard of the Thoroughbred aftercare movement. Now, Thoroughbred aftercare is a pillar in the sport of Thoroughbred racing and in the industry as a whole. It’s now expected that when you own a horse, you are responsible for that horse—even if you sell it. All of that is a direct result of Michael’s vision in creating Old Friends.”

As they care for recently retired and geriatric horses fortunate enough to be brought to an Old Friends farm, those who care for them, and the visitors who come, all gain a deep appreciation for the beauty of this ancient sport and a breed with roots dating back to 17th-century England. These horses’ bloodlines trace back to three foundation stallions imported from the Middle East—the Darley Arabian, the Godolphin Arabian, and the Byerly Turk. This powerful mix of blood and bone gave rise to an equine breed defined by speed, stamina, and a storied past.

“Old Friends is an unabashed, enthusiastic promoter of Thorough-

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D E R I VAT I O N O F A N O L D C H E S T N U T: The phrase “get your goat” is a well-known expression, though its origin is less familiar. It refers to an old practice where racehorse trainers kept a companion goat with high-strung horses to calm them. A rival intent on sabotage would steal the goat, causing the horse to become agitated and likely lose the race. The saying highlights the sensitive nature of Thoroughbreds.

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bred racing, and we love to celebrate these athletes and their accomplishments,” says John. “We still love the sport, the industry, and the breed. Thousands of people come to see these horses, and their owners, trainers, and jockeys come to visit them, too. The vast majority of people have their hearts in the right place. We love celebrating the heritage of the sport and reminding people of the sacrifices these horses made.

They were cheered, they were toasted, and in some cases, they were the toast of the nation. Now it’s their turn to be pampered and spoiled. They don’t do what we tell them to do. They tell us what to do.”

“These horses deserve a comfortable sanctuary, a dignified retirement, and they deserve to be celebrated for their accomplishments, regardless of whether those accomplishments are as grand as others.

That’s our philosophy.”

Stallions, known to be high-strung even among this excitable breed,

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are a priority at Old Friends. They’re presumed to be more difficult to care for when, in fact, they settle into a more restful lifestyle when they retire from breeding.

“It doesn’t take long for the stallions to adjust to civilian life, and they are wonderful ambassadors for Old Friends, the sport, and the breed. Many great horses that once had breeding careers are happy and content now, looking forward to greeting visitors each day.”

The farm is home to such famous names as Silver Charm, winner of the 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes; I’ll Have Another, winner of the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes; Big Brown, victor of the 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness; Hall of Fame member Lava Man, and three Belmont Stakes winners — Touch Gold, Birdstone, and Ruler On Ice. Old Friends has a long waiting list for horses leaving the track—the

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demand is great, and resources are costly. In equestrian speak, the horse world has “easy keepers” and “hard keepers,” and Thoroughbreds fall squarely in the latter category, meaning they’re high maintenance animals — from the kind and quantity of food they consume to vet care and farrier work. .The farm pays about $10,000 per year to care for each retiree, and the organization relies on donations to run its operations and satellite locations. Thoroughbred care is intensive—they are as fragile as they are powerful.

“We customize the dietary regimen for every horse on the farm,” John explains. “These horses performed at the very highest level and gave so much to all of us. Now it’s our turn to give back.

It takes a lot of resources to do that, and we make sure they get the best.”

The main facility in Georgetown, Kentucky, is home to more than 140 former racehorses and breeding stallions. Additional locations include Old Friends at Ashton Grove, also in Georgetown, Kentucky; and Old Friends at Cabin Creek, the Bobby Frankel Division, in Greenfield Center, New York. The farm’s newest

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location, Old Friends at Hillcrest Farm, is exploring a concept of enlightened development, allowing people to share spaces with horses in a comfortable and respectful way. Many aren’t in a position to have horses on their own properties but would enjoy time spent with them.

“We would like to create communities where horses and people coexist,” John says. “In Kentucky, there’s a retirement community called Ashton Grove, surrounded by an Old Friends farm. There’s something special and magical about retired humans and retired horses being together, enhancing the quality of life for both the horse and the person. We’re looking for creative ideas and partners, not just in Kentucky and New York, but across the country wherever there are retired Thoroughbreds. We’re excited about the possibilities for the future.”

To learn more or make donations, visit oldfriendsequine.org or call 502.863.1775 to schedule a visit. The Kentucky Derby is scheduled this year for May 3.

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Wizard of the Water Bill Oyster crafts namesake prized bamboo fly rods with passion and precision and teaches others the skill of bringing together form and function.

Story by Alan Clemons

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The thing about fishing with split-cane bamboo fly rods isn’t so much the nostalgia, the mystery of something commonly used decades ago, the myriad learning curves, or even how someone can painstakingly transform hexagonal slices of incredibly dense grass into a tool that will catch a 5-inch brook trout or 6-foot tarpon. All those things are true. All of them matter to anglers who string up a bamboo fly rod.

Bill Oyster could talk for hours about such matters. He occasionally does, depending on who he’s with, usually in his Oyster Fly Rods shop in Blue Ridge, Georgia. Oyster often finds himself immersed in the history, details, and minutiae of bamboo fly rods, whether at his workbench or ankle-deep in a Georgia stream.

When you go all-in and bet on yourself, as he and his wife, Shannen, have done multiple times in 30 years, you become comfortable with all of it.

Ask Bill, in his mid-50s, what his favorite thing about bamboo fly rods is, and he’ll cut to the core. He made his first split bamboo fly rod when he was 27 years old. It was difficult — a laborious effort spurred by Bill’s curiosity and determination. He watched hours upon hours of scrounged-up VHS tapes, read old books,

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and was spurned, ignored, and treated with indifference by older rod-makers. Bill vowed to teach others the craft if he ever mastered it. In mastering and teaching, he discovered what he loves most about bamboo fly rods.

“My favorite thing is the beauty of it. It’s a handmade wooden thing versus a machine-made plastic thing,” he says. “Modern rods are amazing tools, but they’re just tools. When you handmake something out of a natural material, it has something more to it. It has tradition, romance, and beauty that modern synthetics can’t match while still being incredibly functional.

“These days, the market for bamboo rods is so small, which means the advertising budget is small, and people assume that modern synthetic rods are the only ones that actually work. Bamboo works tremendously well. It’s all I use. If it didn’t work, I’d be making graphite rods. Bamboo is not as powerful as graphite — it’s not as light, and it’s not as inexpensive. All those things make graphite rods wonderful tools. But the bamboo fly rod is a thing of beauty and still is tremendously effective, as we’ve proven time and time again.”

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H I S TO R Y I S S T I L L A L I V E Bamboo is lightweight yet strong and flexible when dried or fire-cured for use with fly rods or furniture. The best variety for fly rods is known as Tonkin cane, which comes from a 30-squareacre area along the Sui River in southern China, north and west of Hong Kong. Tonkin cane’s fibers have more tensile strength than those of other species.

Bill learned all this and more during his trial-and-error days three decades ago after a career path as a professional cyclist was ended by injury, and he needed something to do. He majored in English before his cycling career and considered writing. He already loved fly fishing and was into that. He also loved to read and remembered many older writers who fished with bamboo fly rods. Bill was a man of many creative interests. The romance, the grace, and the old-school vibe of bamboo rods intrigued him. He started searching for books and information, found them and the VHS tapes, and the spark was lit.

The master angler learned about using fire on Tonkin cane to further harden the internal fibers from the old books and VHS tapes, talking with other rod-builders, and his laborious first effort at making a bamboo rod. He learned how to sand the nodes, split the cane, plane the pieces into six equal triangles, and how to put them together. He learned which and how much glue to use and why every sliver must fit precisely. He also learned about resins, drying, guides, spine, handles, wraps — and every other detail for perfecting a bamboo rod. He even learned engraving — the beautiful art that is a signature of his work. It wasn’t easy, but the sense of satisfaction was immense.

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“Maybe you start fly fishing and eventually you catch a fish on a fly, and maybe you start tying flies and catch fish on flies that you created, which is pretty awesome,” Bill says. “It feels extra good, and it’s another component or layer to what you’re doing, the path you’re on.

And then you maybe start thinking about going old school, similar to a guy who goes from hunting with a rifle to a bow or a compound bow to a recurve or long bow, right? It just adds one more layer of challenge and romance.”

Not everyone embraces or cares about that nostalgia. They’re good with today’s modern fly rods, which is fine. They may, as Bill says, “scratch the surface and are happy with that.” But Bill is a devoted advocate for bamboo fly rods and fly fishing in general. After an Atlanta outdoor writer wrote a newspaper story on Bill’s bamboo rods, the phone calls rolled in, and he sold his first rods. Even Former President Jimmy Carter had an Oyster rod.

But Bill isn’t going to browbeat you about using a bamboo rod, or harsh your fly vibe, or try to romance you. It either clicks or doesn’t, usually, and that’s why each year, hundreds of people come to his shop in touristy Blue Ridge to build their own fly rods.

“When people ask me, ‘You know, why should I fish bamboo?’ I’m probably not going to convince you about it,” he says. “I’ve never successfully talked anybody into it. It’s the sort of thing that either captures your imagination or doesn’t, you know? After reading the first

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book I found about them, I thought the only thing cooler than buying a rod would be if I built one myself. If you could start from scratch, from something that grew out of the ground, and you turned it into a final product, that’d be the coolest thing ever. And it turns out that it was, to me, and it is to a lot of our clients, as well, especially in these classes.”

Students in Bill’s classes make their fly rods from start to finish in less than a week. They have come from around the world and every state except South Dakota. A couple of dozen have attended 10 or 20 classes; many give their rods to family or friends as gifts. The time they spend together building rods and strengthening friendships is more important than what they make. Bill’s rods have been shipped to “pretty much anywhere anyone speaks English or has the internet.” If you want to take a class, the waiting list is complete for 2025, and, possibly, perhaps, he might have a “squeeze-in” class here or there.

In the end, a bamboo fly rod is just a stick. It is a gorgeous, maddening, satisfying, curious stick, but a tough and dependable stick. Bill says, “You could run over a bamboo rod in the street with your truck, and it’ll still fish.” He admits they’re maybe not the most productive way to go fishing. A bamboo rod requires that you learn to cast and load it correctly for the best outcomes. The learning curve may be significant, especially if you’ve ever cast a graphite rod. But to Bill, “You do it for some other reason, you know, because it’s just more beautiful, more rewarding.”

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“Modern rods are amazing tools, but they’re just tools. When you hand-make something out of a natural material, it has something more to it. It has tradition, romance, and beauty that modern synthetics can’t match while still being incredibly functional.” Bill Oyster

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SILK ROAD SENSATION A Far East tradition has taken root in the Deep South, bringing together groups of women in an age-old game served with a side of fun and fellowship.

Story by Jennifer Kornegay, Photos by Morgan Duke

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If you think mahjong is your grandmother’s game, you’re wrong. And even if you’ve given the game a whirl, if you’ve only played mahjong solitaire, staring at the glowing screen of your phone or tablet, you’re missing the authentic mahjong experience. Now, the game first developed in China in the 1800s is sweeping the South and taking on our region’s renowned hospitable nature with the addition of a social component: the mahjong party.

From Austin to Atlanta and everywhere in between, mahjong is replacing bridge and bunco as the game bringing ladies of all ages together. The renewed popularity of the pastime thrills Jane Hill Scott, an Auburn University alum who, after decades in Los Angeles, now lives in Albany, Georgia. First discovering mahjong on the West Coast, she’s played for almost a quarter century and now teaches it to others.

“I have such a passion for mahjong and am so happy to see its resurgence,” she says, “and we’re seeing all these parties now, and they’re so much fun.”

While Jane enjoys the festive gatherings popping up in homes around the South, her students and her game group also take mahjong seriously.

“We do a mahjong lunch once a year with all the decor and bells and whistles,” she says, “but when we play, we sit down and play.”

Liz Liu is also a mahjong evangelist, passing along how — and why — to get into the game with her partner, Luci Holbert, via the Buckhead Mahjong Club they founded in 2023. Liu is a relative mahjong newbie who had a tough time finding a teacher in Atlanta when she wanted to learn. Holbert is a veteran, playing most of her life after learning from her grandparents. When she moved to Atlanta, at first, she couldn’t find a group to play with.

“But then, the movie ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ came out, and that made the game cool, so it began to grow,” Luci says.

When Liz and Luci met, the duo realized there was a niche in the party world.

“So, we met it,” Liz says.

Today, the pair oversees and teaches at private mahjong events and parties, where a hostess invites guests to their homes for a lesson, to play, and often to

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have brunch or lunch, too. They also partner with wine shops, art galleries, and boutiques to put on ticketed mahjong events that are open to the public.

Liz points to the game’s approachability as part of its appeal. “It takes about three lessons to feel confident in the rules and playing, but the key to really having fun is to keep learning by continuing to play,” she says.

Luci echoes Liz. “It is a game everyone can learn,” she says, “but what you get out of it is what you put in.”

Some really want to win, while others show up for wine and laughs with girlfriends. Jane agrees that mahjong isn’t difficult but notes that it’s not easy either.

“I teach all ages and play with all ages, but there is a lot of information to absorb,” she says. “And this game will humble you. It’s a real critical thinking game with many sliding doors.”

“I first learned to play mahjong with my college friends on a spring break trip,” says Megan Trottier, CEO of Oh My Mahjong. “We spent hours around the table, laughing, strategizing, and ultimately falling in love with the game.

I was instantly hooked — not just by the game-play itself but by how it brought us together.

“My grandmother always loved games, and I grew up deeply appreciating how they create connections and lasting memories. As I was reintroduced to mahjong during Covid, I wanted a set that reflected my personal style — something vibrant, modern, and fun while still honoring the tradition of the game.

That idea turned into Oh My Mahjong, which started in my garage and has since grown beyond anything I could have imagined.”

Megan’s sets combine patterns and color to elevate the game to elegance — a treat for the eyes as competitors move the artistic pieces into strategic play.

“Color has always been a huge source of inspiration for me — whether in fashion, art, or de-sign,” says Megan. “When creating Oh My Mahjong’s tile sets and accessories, I think about what feels joyful, fresh, and timeless. Some palettes are inspired by travel, others by nature, and sometimes, I’ll see a color combination in

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a fabric or painting that sparks an idea.

“I love mixing classic and unexpected hues to make each collection feel unique. Mahjong is such a special game, and I want every set to be just as beautiful as the memories made around it.”

Mahjong’s mental calisthenics attract many.

“You are working your mind in new and different ways,” Jane says, “because in your head, you’re keeping a tally of what has gone down, what is still available, so it’s great for your brain.” And even those with mad mahjong skills can be beat, according to Luci.

“The game is as much luck as strategy, so it’s a great equalizer,” she says. “You don’t have to be the sharpest cookie in town to win.”

But winning brings the real wow, and the rush of victory can be a bit addictive; Luci compares it to hitting blackjack in Vegas.

“You randomly draw the tile you need, and there is a dopamine hit,” she says. “If you are competitive, it is exciting and fun in that way,” Liz says.

“People do get hooked on it,” Jane says, “and I love seeing my students getting that into it,” she says.

Add the “party” part of the South’s mahjong get-togethers, and it’s no surprise the game is growing. “Players create or strengthen bonds with their friends,” Liz says, “like a tennis team, but unlike tennis, there are opportunities to chat and enjoy a drink.”

As mahjong groups and events increase, a diverse array of stylish mahjong sets has entered the market. Jane still plays with two sets she’s had for years but appreciates the couture tiles and mats out now.

“They are really beautiful,” she says, “but I like to stress that you

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don’t have to spend a lot of money.”

But you can. A “Southeastern” themed mahjong set featuring BBQ pigs, rocking chairs, and camellias embellishing tiles sells for $300.

Another set with crystal tiles costs more than $1,500. “Some sets are truly art, and their owners leave them out on the game table as a display,” Liz says.

At the fanciest mahjong parties, much thought (and, sometimes, money) goes into the décor and refreshments, too.

“Many hostesses go all out, with massive flower arrangements, mahjong napkins, mahjong-themed wine glasses, and elaborate bites and cocktails,” Liz says. “That’s part of it for some women, the pretty of it all.”

Learning and mastering mahjong etiquette — a code of manners separate from the game’s rules — also holds appeal. “It’s kind of like learning another language,” Liz says. “I teach American mahjong, and I teach both the rules and culture of it all,” Jane says. “The game’s symbolic aspects make it special.”

When the wine bottles are empty, the scores are tallied, and the tiles are back neatly in their boxes, most leave a mahjong party with a reward beyond catching up, competing, and even, for those who prevailed, winning. Creating connections keeps Jane engaged decades after she first found Mahjong.

“I love that it brings all ages together; it is an all-inclusive game,” she says. “If you are sitting playing with four people and someone walks up interested, if they know how to play, you welcome her into the game. To me, that is the beauty and magic of mahjong.”

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LET THE GAMES BEGIN Megan Trottier, CEO of Oh My Mahjong, creates stunning mats, tiles, tablecloths, and more for the perfect gameplay. She also offers tips and lessons for mahjong players: “I love winds.

They are a great go-to for beginners. They are very straightforward, and people tend to get rid of them in Charleston.”

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When Halima Salizer and Dria Price met on an Oxford, Mississippi, farm, an immediate sisterhood formed and led to a celebration of flavorful teas and Southern cuisine seen through a West African lens.

Story by Cara Clark

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What begins as a tender plant, slowly pushing through rich soil for light and nourishment, has evolved into a timeless staple cherished across cultures worldwide. The final product — colorful, fragrant tea — blends heritage, artistry, flavor, and nature, resulting from months of care, patience, and devotion. That’s especially true of Justevia’s hand-crafted blends, which are made with the conscientiousness of how everything we consume makes up who we are.

In 2018, a serendipitous meeting at a local farm near Oxford, Mississippi, brought Dria Price and Halima Salazar together, marking the start of an instant and enduring sisterhood. Their bond is vibrant, with ideas and stories flowing liberally between them like a bubbling fountain of creativity. Halima credits Dria with channeling her boundless creativity into eloquent, actionable plans for their many projects, including the tea company, Justevia, a pop-up restaurant, Gimbia’s Kitchen, and the most recent addition, a food truck.

For Dria and Halima, the rewards of a successful harvest are not just about a product —they are about honoring a rich tradition and celebrating the essence of nature’s flavors.

“As farmers, we want to sell everything we grow,” Halima says.

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“Dria always says, ‘We go from seed to sale, from plant to product.’

One of our advantages is that most tea companies use dehydrators that change the color and the essence. If you ever open a tea bag and spill it, it’s brown. Since we’ve dried our teas on our dry racks naturally, they still have a pretty green color. Our main ingredient is hibiscus, which is very important to African Americans and Africans.”

The hibiscus is used in a traditional drink called Zobo, and its deep red color symbolizes joy and rebirth, especially during celebrations like weddings.

“That’s one of the main ingredients in most of our teas, and that gives us a real connection. It’s joy in a cup,” Halima says.

From that shared joy, a “tea tribe” has blossomed — a community of followers drawn to their efforts to create hand-crafted, sugar-free tea blends prepared using a unique technique aimed at “making the world healthier, one sip at a time.”

“We went from strangers to inseparable in just a few months,” Dria recalls.

The story of their partnership began on a particularly toasty July day when Dria met a farmer at the local market, who invited

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her to visit his farm when a mushroom specialist was scheduled to be on site. As Dria prepared to leave the farm, Halima arrived with her family interested in learning about goats.

Halima, who was homeschooling her children, hoped to incorporate farming into their curriculum. What started as a casual visit became a weekly commitment, and the two women worked together on the farm for two years.

Dria, originally from Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Oxford, Mississippi, developed a deep passion for food and nutrition. She earned her master’s degree in nutrition from the University of Mississippi and grew up in a family that understood the importance of nutritious, delicious meals.

Halima, born in Jos, Nigeria, relocated to Mississippi with her family, where she embraced the Southern lifestyle while preserving the culinary traditions of her Nigerian heritage.

In Nigeria, herbs played an essential role in daily life, and Halima’s grandfather, a respected herbalist and farmer, used them to heal and nurture those around him. Before moving to the U.S., Halima attended culinary school and began exploring the fusion of African and Southern cuisines.

R O OT E D I N T R A D I T I O N Farming quickly became a shared passion for both women — a commitment to the earth and health. For Dria, the relationship with the earth marked a return to a tradition her grandfather had embraced, though she had no formal farming experience. She had always been drawn to food and nutrition, seeing a gap between what ends up on our plates and the process that gets it there.

Working side by side, growing herbs on the Mississippi farm, the two women realized that many harvested herbs went to waste before reaching the market. They decided to dry and blend them into teas — an idea sparked by Halima’s insight and Dria’s immediate enthusiasm.

In an impromptu moment of entrepreneurship, they took their quickly packaged herb teas to a local market — and sold out. The success was proof that their venture had potential.

“Our bucket of ideas is always overflowing,” Halima says. “Watching Justevia unfold has been a dream. Dria is like a powerhouse for me. I get all these ideas — I’m constantly imagining new things — and I call her. She says, ‘OK. Let’s do it.’ And when she’s done, everything makes perfect sense.”

The perfect recipe for success is the balance between Halima’s creativity and Dria’s enthusiasm, practicality, and marketing expertise. “I describe Halima like a helium-filled balloon, and I’m the string that keeps her grounded,” Dria laughs.

Laughter, in fact, is an essential ingredient in Justevia’s growing success. It’s driven by their shared passion for food and flavor, which blossomed into Gimbia’s Kitchen, a pop-up restaurant experience bringing West African dishes and flavors to the South and exploring the similarities between the two regions.

Dria and Halima cultivate their teas and herbs on two

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and a half acres of land and in a greenhouse, nurturing them with care and respect for the environment. They practice organic and sustainable farming and constantly strive to incorporate regenerative agriculture methods that give back to the soil.

“Being outside and connecting with nature gives us life,” Dria says. “I tell people my blood is tropical — I need the heat, the soil, and the trees to feel human.”

“I feel all the energy we put in the soil,” Halima concurs.

“One of the things that Dria and I are very specific about is growing food naturally. We grow organically. We care so much about the environment that we’re constantly trying to figure out how to farm using regenerative agriculture methods. We’re always trying to grow by putting plants in the ground that give nutrition back to the soil.”

S U S TA I N A B L E D R E A M S The connectivity of giving back to the soil and the community and sharing traditions from Nigeria sparked Gimbia’s Kitchen, through which they combine food education with cultural exploration.

“We want to be ambassadors, showing our community how to grow and cook fresh food,” Halima says. “Dria’s mother is an incredible chef and baker, so we have a lot of culinary knowledge between us.”

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Their pop-up dinners perfectly blend planning and spontaneity, with Dria’s methodical approach to the menu balancing Halima’s spontaneous creativity.

“I’ll do a menu, but as I go through the day, I could be walking past a Roma tomato on the farm,” Halima says. “I think, ‘Hmm, that looks really pretty.’

“And I’ll change the menu because something else looks great.

I like to have a theme. We’ve done one dinner with palm oil, and Dria made this incredible palm oil cake. We had one menu with offal, and she made this amazing ice cream from bone marrow.

It’s just unbelievable what she does with it.

Gimbia’s Kitchen is more than just food — it’s an opportunity to explore the deep connection between West African and Southern cuisine, which share many familiar flavors and techniques.

“We want people to taste the flavors of their ancestors,” Halima explains. “When we cook traditional West African dishes with a twist, it sparks conversations about how food connects us to our past. There is almost no taste that you eat in West African food that will not take you down the Southern alley.”

Their farm is a vibrant space where they grow a variety of herbs and vegetables, including hibiscus, white velvet okra, Mississippi butter beans, and African honey beans with a rich,

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creamy texture. They also work with Truelove Seeds, providing seeds for resale to other farmers and enthusiastic growers.

The two women recently collaborated with physician and author Jonathan Reisman on a special pop-up event featuring a seven-course meal focused on organ meats. Dria and Halima’s creativity and dedication to pushing culinary boundaries led to an unforgettable experience. At the same time, Reisman, true to his book, “The Unseen Body,” discussed how different organ systems affect people’s daily lives.

While Gimbia’s Kitchen is about exploration, Justevia remains rooted in mindfulness and health.

“When people brew our tea, we like to tell them to let it steep for three to five minutes, and in that time, practice mindfulness,” Dria says. “You breathe in, out, and empty your mind like a baby meditation for just a few minutes. When you’re done, you have this steaming, beautiful cup of red tea in front of you. We’re accustomed to not taking a few minutes out of our day to be in the present. We’re always on the go. We’re always thinking about what we must do next, what we should have done. Sometimes, it’s nice to sit in the moment. And even if you do have problems, five minutes of pretending they don’t exist will not hurt. They’ll still be there when you’re done. You can take a little break.”

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Their commitment to mindfulness extends to their ongoing projects, including the Journey from Home series, which explores the connection between food and memory.

“This is my favorite, ‘I think everyone’s palette has a memory,’” Halima says. “I truly believe our palette remembers when we eat food from other generations. I think that’s why Black people like mostly spicy food, and Southerners also like spicy food. Our main focus is to cook traditional West African dishes with a little twist so people can enjoy them. And it comes up in conversation about, ‘Oh, this reminds me of this or that.’ Most of the time, it’s so spot on. We have fried rice called Nigerian fried rice, made with kidney. Whenever we make that dish, I’ve noticed that most people think it’s dirty rice, but it’s not. Then we have the honey beans that remind you of red beans and rice. Our goal is to educate people on bringing this connectivity through food.”

In 2024, they hosted a pop-up in Selma, Alabama, at AC Reeve’s 5 & Dime studio, where she brings the community together over a shared meal. Halima and Dria served a nine-course West African-style meal. They also took time to reflect on the historical significance of the Selma-to-Montgomery march and the Point of No Return in Nigeria. This blend of history, culture, and flavor created a unique and impactful event.

“One incredible thing is that a few weeks before, we were there to meet AC, and Dria got to visit the Selma bridge for the first time,” Halima says. “Just a few days after, we were in Nigeria at “Point of No Return” (Badagry in the Lagos State of Nigeria and the last point enslaved people were transported from) crisscrossed itself so well.

When they returned to Selma to present the pop-up, they brought most of the food directly from Nigeria.

“We were able to talk about every course and share pictures of us on the coastline in Nigeria right next to a picture of us on the bridge in Selma,” Halima says. “We were able to make all of those connections. It was incredible.”

As Justevia and Gimbia’s Kitchen prosper, Dria and Halima remain as committed as ever to their mission — honoring the land, their heritage, and the people they serve while deepening the bonds of friendship that brought them together. Their story is not just about tea and food — it’s a celebration of the connections that nourish those around them, body and soul.

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The Mettle of a Man Tennessee artist Ben Caldwell transforms silver and copper into keepsake pieces that are informed by his family heritage and a consuming sense of creativity.

Story by Cara Clark, Photos by Taylor Martin

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On creating his one-of-a-kind pieces, Ben Caldwell says, “It’s about composition. It’s about balance. It’s about light and dark — shadow and texture, all of these things I learned in training in modern abstract painting and classical Renaissance style.”

Sparks are flying in the Ben & Lael studio, but they’re not from metal metamorphosizing into art — the metalwork here is without forge or flame. Instead, these are flickering lights of passion and genius in the eyes of Ben Caldwell, who brings together a balance of form and function into heirloom pieces. Ben combines classic and contemporary in his body of works, crafting timeless implements with the extraordinary luster of silver or the warm glow of copper. A sheet of precious metal is an artwork just waiting to take shape in Caldwell’s hands, whose works are owned by celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Martha Stewart, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

With a 2,000-square-foot studio in Kingston Springs, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville, Ben and his wife, Lael, namesakes for Ben & Lael Studios, have become known for fine handworked silver and copper — from practical cutlery crafted into exquisite form to hammered bowls, artwork, jewelry, and serving pieces accented with antlers. Each piece is one-of-a-kind, formed with Ben’s handmade tools and limitless imagination.

As a metalsmith, Ben is a keeper of heritage and tradition. His appreciation for fine Sterling dates back to his childhood, when his father, Benjamin Hubbard Caldwell Jr., a collector of antique silver, taught him to love timeless metal. Sterling pieces were used throughout the home’s decorations, surrounding the family with a burnished glow of pieces with history. The elder Caldwell’s collectibles included antique copper, furniture, and art.

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“He specifically collected American and English silver and furniture from the 18th and 19th century,” Ben says. “And he loved Southern pieces. Back in the 1960s, when he was collecting, if it wasn’t from Philadelphia, New York, or Boston (via Europe), it just didn’t exist. My father realized there were craftsmen in the South — in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Mississippi — with a distinctive style.

“There’s a Southern style to their furniture, antiques, and architecture. It wasn’t European, and my father was interested in that style.”

Ben’s father, an authority on Tennessee silver made in the 19th century, honed his focus on collecting pieces from his home state and wrote a book, Tennessee Silversmiths.

With a deeply instilled appreciation of fine collectibles but no thought of becoming a silversmith, Ben followed a lifelong love of art to study at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, affiliated with Tufts College. He also enrolled in many classes at nearby Harvard, which, surprisingly, were more economical than those at Tufts.

Following an appreciation of all art forms, he began apprenticing under a musical instrument builder who made West African drums, learning about musical instruments, an interest that led to a side hustle while in school.

“Being from Nashville, I was a musician growing up. I wrote songs, played in a rock band, played guitar,” Ben says. “I decided I would like to pursue a niche career in building musical instruments.”

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He then learned guitar building at a school in Phoenix, Arizona, moved back to Nashville, and launched what he thought would be a lifetime career.

“I’d tried to start my own company, and it was a total disaster,” he says. “Then I started working at Gibson Guitars for the Slingerland Drum Company.”

For a time, the artist was building custom drum sets for legendary musicians such as the Rolling Stones, Leonard Skynyrd, and KISS. “It was an unbelievable experience — just out-of-body to realize what you were doing for these musicians who the whole world is watching,” he says. “It was exciting.”

He was rubbing shoulders with celebrated musicians, but Ben wanted to do something more creative, and his wife encouraged him to strike out on his own.

“That was very brave for a wife to do,” he says. “I had a steady paycheck, a 401K, health benefits, and all that goes along with a factory job. But she said, ‘No. You need to do something on your own.’”

His life was coming full circle when his parents introduced him to Terry Talley, a renowned metalsmith living near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Ben’s father had been collecting Terry’s work from early in the young artist’s career.

When Terry was diagnosed with lymphoma at 50, he talked to Ben’s father about training the young artist in the craft he had mastered. Terry’s children were too young to learn in

those days. And the timing was ideal for Ben to make a move.

“He mentored me in making a living as an artist,” Ben says of his daily training with Terry. “Once I started doing the work, all that silverware I grew up around came into my mind. I suddenly knew exactly what a ladle should look like, what a spoon should look like, or a tray or this or that. I grew up around this beautiful, handmade, classical silverware and took to it like a fish to water. I had a feel for the materials.”

It was a commitment on every level. Ben delivered pizza by night and trained daily as he perfected his vision of what beaten silver and copper pieces could become with finely wrought vine or antler handles. He combines antler bases with bowls and trays or as accents on utensils, and he looks to nature for inspiration in leaves, vines, and flowers.

By 1999, after a near-sell-out first show, he ended his pizza delivery nights and focused on his craft, which admirers quickly embraced. He’s been commissioned to make pieces for Tennessee governors, one of which was sent to Benjamin Netanyahu. Other pieces, from flags to sculptures, remain in the governor’s residence in Tennessee.

“I’ve been incredibly blessed in my career,” he says. “I’ve had the support of my wife and my parents, and their help has allowed me to make it as an artist.”

Ben has deep roots in Tennessee. His late father was from Humboldt in West Tennessee, and his late mother was a Nashville native. The two met while in college at Vanderbilt

HEWN FROM THE HEART Ben Caldwell combines copper and silver with the raw beauty of antlers, creating showstopping bowls, serving pieces, candelabras, and more. With finely honed skill, the metal bends to the shape of the antler. At right, Ben’s wife, Lael, is integral to his success in the art world.

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and settled in Nashville, where Ben was born and raised.

His parents took young Ben to museums and galleries, such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York and many more.

“My parents were so involved with the arts that it was an art education itself, and it helped me understand not only how to be an artist and a craftsman but what it was like on the patron side,” Ben says. “I know they have relationships with the artists they collect like my father did.”

Ben has passed on that love, training Terry’s son in the craft his mentor shared with him and telling him stories about his late father.

“I like teaching about my work,” he says. “I like talking about it and meeting clients. There are very few silversmiths who do this hand work. Overall, silverware is machine-made now. It’s all just stamped out with big machines, and it’s all industrialized. It’s like having some people make handmade quilts, but very few people know how to do that versus the manufacturers with giant machine blankets. But at the same time, you know, the quality of a handmade quilt is 100 times what a machine makes. It’s the same way with what I do.”

He’s passing his passion down in his own family. His daughter, Izzy, studied metalwork at Rochester Institute of Technology in an art program at the School of American Crafts and has become a jeweler. She works with her parents in the business.

Son Beck is a musician like Lael, a former piano and cello teacher who has worked for the National Philharmonic.

Beck studies tuba and trombone at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.

Ben also teaches classes and brings apprentices to his studio to learn the finer points of working with the metals, including a method of enameling copper with color to make artwork of all sizes and shapes. Firing colored powdered glass over a flame to 1,500 degrees, he melts it into sculpted copper, which rejects ordinary paint. He was commissioned to create a Tennessee flag for Dolly Parton. While normally enameling is performed in a kiln, Ben didn’t want to be limited by space with the size of his projects, leading him to devise a

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way to use torches on an open grill for abstract designs or flags representing the nation and its states.

The designs take shape in his mind and heart, often with natural influences. However, his art training significantly contributes to crafting the copper and silver pieces.

“I’m still using my art background because the same principles in a good painting are what I use in making a beautiful bowl or sculpture spoon,” he explains. “It’s about composition. It’s about balance. It’s about light and dark — shadow and texture, all of these things I learned in training in modern abstract painting and classical Renaissance style.

“It’s also the craftsmanship, which I learned in making guitars. To build a guitar, you’ve got to have a very high level of craftsmanship because if you don’t make it properly, it won’t play, or it’ll play out of tune. I learned to be very precise and measure things down to a 1,000th of an inch.”

He looks to the past to shape his modern but timeless works.

“I’ll study how a piece of silver was made 150, 200 years ago. How did they make those back then? What were their shapes? What was the length, the size, the classical proportion?. But then I may bring in

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a botanical theme, a flower or a leaf shape, and combine that with it.

I have books and books of flowers and of trees and leaves and shrubs.

I’ll find a leaf shape that makes a really cool tray. I can expand it into a large tray and add antlers. Each antler is different, which is really cool.

I love working with antlers because I have to respond to the shape of the antler and make the metal to the antler. I love responding to that shape, that natural, biological form.”

Working with copper is similar enough to silver that Ben can use the same tools to create the beaten texture on the patterns.

“Silver tends to be a little springier, and copper is a little softer,” he explains. “They each have their own qualities. You have to learn through experience, make your mistakes, and figure out how far you can go with each of them. I’ve had a $2,000 sheet of silver crack on me because I did something wrong, and that’s an expensive lesson. You have to learn how to work the silver and how not to work it. I love working with copper because I feel a little freer. I’m not afraid to crack it, so I can push it a little harder. But, to me, there’s nothing like a handmade piece of silver after growing up with an appreciation of it.”

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A MASTER OF ENTERTAINING

The historic town of Augusta, Georgia, comes alive each spring with a cadre of club-wielding golfers chasing a Masters green jacket.

Story by Jennifer Kornegay, Photos by Rebecca Casto

Every April with spring in full swing, approximately 250,000 people descend on Augusta, Georgia. Celebrities, CEOs, and everyday Joes come for a taste of one of professional sports’ most iconic events (and its pimento cheese) when golf’s greats tee up for the annual Masters tournament on the famed Augusta National Golf Course.

This year marks the 89th playing of the tournament, and while the word “Masters” now conjures images of world-class golf to millions, the event premiered in 1934 as Augusta National Invitation Tournament. The name “Masters” had been proposed before the first event, but co-founder and builder of Augusta National, the legendary Bobby Jones, thought the name was too much. In 1939, he gave in, and the master of all golf tournaments donned the name it deserves.

To say it’s special is an understatement.

But pinpointing what makes it so is trickier.

Golf’s top professional contenders occupy a leading role. Some believe the course’s natural but carefully manicured beauty, its bountiful blooming azaleas, and dogwoods at their peak during tournament time, is the star. Perhaps the Masters’ enduring traditions and exciting moments — the green jacket, the swings that boost or break scores at Amen Corner, the rough-lie nightmares and perfect-putt dreams — truly steal the show.

But its host city shouldn’t be overlooked; Augusta and its residents roll out a warm welcome every year, and today, the Garden City greets Masters visitors with hole-in-onelevel hospitality. Christy Beckham and her historic house play a key part. She’s rented her seven-bedroom, seven-and-a-half-bath home to visitors during Masters week for the last 14 years.

Built in 1899 and listed on the National

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Register of Historic Places, the house was also once a bed and breakfast and sits downtown.

When Christy and her husband bought it out of foreclosure 15 years ago, their parents and friends thought they were nuts.

“Everyone freaked out,” she says. “Nobody was living downtown then, and the house had been really neglected yet had tons of potential.”

The couple first saw it when Christy was six months pregnant but walked away because they didn’t want to get into a bidding war with another buyer. Then, not long after the baby was born, they noticed the house back on the market with a lower price.

“We went for it, and it was pretty much like that movie, ‘The Money Pit,’” Christy says. They

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renovated and refreshed and restored. And while the house has changed for the better, so has the neighborhood; downtown is now the place to be, and the Beckhams recently bought two more houses on the same street.

“We were pioneers down here, but it has all been worth it,” Christy says. “The house is now such a great place to entertain. We love having parties and sharing the house with our Masters’ guests.”

The family renting her house this year has also rented it for the last five tournaments, and they’ve become good friends with the Beckhams.

“They call our home their Augusta house,” Christy says. “They love Masters tradition, and our house is now part of the tradition for them.”

When they arrive and unpack, they often invite the Beckhams over to hang out — in their own house. “It’s fun, and that happens a lot; many renters have repeat guests.”

The friends who rent the Beckham home have access to everything needed to make their time comfortable and enjoyable, including elements for a table setting packed with Masters meaning and completely “on theme.”

“We have green glass goblets and Augusta National rocks glasses with the Masters’ logo,” she says.

Gold and green ribbons tie up Masters green napkins. Beckham recently received her mother’s gold-accented china, which blends beautifully. And the dining room credenza makes a handy and handsome bar, under the watchful eye of a vintage Bobby Jones print Beck-

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ham scored from a local estate sale.

With or without all the style and spectacle, the overall Masters culture appeals to people across the globe, whether they care about golf or not. As an Augusta native, Christy gets it, even as she’s watched the event evolve.

“When I was a kid, it was a big deal, but not what it is now,” she says. “People just handed out tickets to practice round, and everything about it, while amazing, was on a smaller scale.”

Today, she notes the multiple private jets lined up at Augusta’s tiny airport.

“For a week or two, we become the corporation capital of the world with all these CEOs here, and lots of business deals get made during the Masters.”

But when the businessmen are on the course, any wheeling and dealing is done sans electronic devices; Christy points to the club’s enduring “no cell phone policy” as one of her favorite aspects.

“It’s like going back in time to a happier, simpler place,” she says.

Pimento cheese and egg salad sandwiches for $1.50 (plus cold beers for two bucks to wash them down) and peach ice cream sandwiches complete the illusion.

“You are fully immersed and present where you are, in the moment,” Christy says. “There are not many opportunities like that anymore.”

There’s much to love about Masters week, yet Christy’s attention always turns back to her hometown.

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G O I N G G R E E N I N AU G U S TA With or without all the style and spectacle, the overall Masters culture appeals to people across the globe, whether they care about golf or not. As an Augusta native, Christy gets it, even as she’s watched the event evolve: “When I was a kid, it was a big deal, but not what it is now,” she says. “People just handed out tickets to practice round, and everything about it, while amazing, was on a smaller scale.”

“It’s such a great time to show

off our city, all our beautiful old houses, our restaurants, and our friendly people,” she says. “I’m so proud of our community, and we shine during the Masters.”

- Christy Beckham

“It’s such a great time to show off our city, all our beautiful old houses, our restaurants, and our friendly people,” she says. “I’m so proud of our community, and we shine during the Masters.”

Many of the Masters’ most enduring — and endearing — traditions revolve around food. But eventgoers have to eat off the course too, and chef Sean Wight is the go-to guy to feed that need.

Founder and owner of Frog Hollow Hospitality Group, which includes centerpiece Frog Hollow Tavern and six other restaurants, Wight caters many private events during the tournament (including the treats on Christy’s Masters table), making the week a busy time for his team. But he relishes it.

“It’s a welcome economic boom for a lot of businesses here,” Sean says, “but I really love all the visitors who come here from all over the world. We have many repeat guests, so it’s like a reunion; it’s just fun to share our city with them.”

When it opened in 2010, Frog Hollow Tavern was Augusta’s first farm-to-table eatery, and Sean’s continuing commitment to fresh, seasonal ingredients shows in some of his favorite Masters-themed dishes, which include his take on the tournament’s classic pimento cheese sandwiches: mini pimento cheese toasts.

In a nod to Augusta National’s beloved egg salad sandwiches, he skipped the bread and made egg-salad deviled eggs. A “green jacket” salad drizzled with tangy tomato-oregano vinaigrette accompanies pulled pork sliders. And for a sweet finish, little strawberry tarts take delicious advantage of spring’s berry bounty.

“Masters week is one of golf’s greatest traditions, and being a golf enthusiast and a restauranteur, I love to incorporate the two traditions together in our restaurants when we can,” Sean says.

“The two most iconic foods for are egg salad and pimento cheese sandwiches. At Craft & Vine during Masters week, you will often see our play on both these iconic foods with different and playful variations, such as our deviled “egg salad” apps and “tee” time pimento cheese toasts to pay homage to such a great and fun tournament week.”

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Chef Sean Wight shares his take on traditional Master’s fare.

D E V I L ED EG G S • 12 hardboiled eggs • 1/4 cup fine diced celery • 2 Tbsp mayonnaise (Dukes) • 1 Tbsp Apple Cider vinegar • ¼ cup Fine diced onion • ½ tsp kosher salt, or to taste • ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce • ⅛ tsp fresh ground pepper • ½ Tbsp of sugar (optional) • 1 bag of butter croutons

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Start by slicing the eggs top to bottom perfectly in half. Then separate the egg whites from the yolks. Place the egg white cut side up on a plate of sheet pan lightly salt with a pinch of kosher salt. Then take the egg yolks and put in blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth, taste mixture for seasoning. Put the mixture into a piping bag (or a Ziploc bag, cut a tip off bag) and fill each egg white with the mixture. Finally place a crouton on egg deviled egg, place on a platter, serve and enjoy.

TO U R N A M EN T W EEK PI M EN TO C H EE S E TOA S T S • ¼ cup cream cheese, room temperature • ½ cup Dukes mayonnaise • ½ cup sour cream • ¼ tsp garlic salt • 2 cups shredded aged cheddar cheese • ½ cup diced pimentos • One Loaf wonder white bread To make: • Whip cream cheese until smooth.

• Add in mayonnaise, sour cream, and garlic salt.

Whip until smooth.

• Stir in remaining ingredients.

• Cut Slices of bread to desired shape (rounds or triangles) Then lightly toast.

• Spread Pimento Cheese evenly on toasts then serve.

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Chattahoochee River in Phenix City, AL and Columbus, GA

The Longest Urban Whitewater Course in the World - The Only Dual State Zip Lines - 10 Obstacle Multi-level Aerial Adventure - Treetop Zip Course - 18-hole Riverfront Disc Golf Course - 20 Miles of Scenic Riverwalk - Guided Fly Fishing www.MagnoliaandMoonshine.com

Feel the Rush

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Tour de Force Famed French military officer Marquis de Lafayette is being celebrated with a 200th-anniversary redux of his farewell tour of America, reminding many of the lasting influence of his deeds and presence.

Story by Lee Hurley and Cara Clark

With a sense of déjà vu following his aristocratic figure through a bicentennial tour and remembrance of his impact on the nation, a heroic figure returns to retrace his long-ago travels. Two hundred years ago, Major General Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, made a grand return to the United States after a 30-year absence. The country he found vastly differed from the one he left as a Revolutionary War hero. Yet, his status as a national hero had only grown over time.

In 1825, at the age of 67, Lafayette was the last surviving general from that conflict to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the nation’s

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independence. His planned three-month return visit stretched into more than a year as invitations poured in nationwide. Lafayette traveled to all 24 states in the Union, covering more than 6,000 miles by dirt roads and waterways. He marveled at his adopted country’s progress, and his journey helped lift the spirits of Americans grappling with political turmoil.

To celebrate Lafayette’s impact on a country he held so close to his heart, the American Friends of Lafayette creatively planned and carefully executed Lafayette 200, a bicentennial revisitation of the French hero’s first tour de force. With cries of Viva Lafayette ringing in the

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cities where actors portraying Lafayette appear, it’s a clear testament to his enduring legacy.

“Lafayette wasn’t just a military hero; he was a champion of human rights, an abolitionist, a feminist, and a friend of Native Americans,” explains Chuck Schwan, executive director of the American Friends of Lafayette. These ideals are worth remembering and celebrating.”

The bicentennial of Lafayette’s monumental tour began last August, with events in cities retracing the path he took during his visit in 1824. The celebration continues into 2025. His southern travels included stops in Virginia, Kentucky, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana.

“I think of the heroic way he left his homeland and came here as a very young man to assist General Washington and the Americans in fighting for freedom,” says Dell McClendon, director at Fort Mitchell Historic site where the first Alabama celebration is being held on March 31. That location marks Lafayette’s entrance into Indian Territory within Alabama. “One of the purposes of his farewell tour of the U.S. was to bring back the patriotism from the revolution 50 years prior and unite all the new states with the pride of being one nation. I’m inspired by his sacrifice for this country and its people, no matter the race or station in life.”

A HERO BECOMES A LEGEND: On the morning of October 17, 1781, in Yorktown, Virginia, a young drummer emerged from a British-held fort, accompanied by an English officer waving a white handkerchief. The officer, blindfolded, was escorted behind American and French lines to negotiate the British surrender. The British had requested the traditional war honors, which would allow them to march out with flags flying and bayonets fixed.

Still, General George Washington refused, remembering how the British had denied such honors to American forces after the fall of Charleston. As British soldiers dropped their muskets, some cried, while others appeared drunk. The surrender of 8,000 soldiers marked the effective end of

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the Revolutionary War. Major General Lafayette was there, standing alongside Washington and other leaders, to accept the surrender. Lafayette played a crucial role in the victory, having helped besiege the British at Yorktown just days earlier. With his troops surrounding the British on the heights of Malvern Hill, he held them until reinforcements arrived, and together, they initiated the siege that forced the British to capitulate.

Lafayette was a savvy (albeit extremely young) American general,” Chuck says. “His tactics were under-appreciated. He chased British General Cornwallis to Yorktown, where he was trapped and eventually surrendered (ending the Revolutionary War).”

Chuck says the impact of the young general on the nation and the South is often underestimated.

“Americans do not understand the influence the French had on our language, architecture, food, military, and fashion,” he explains. “Unbeknownst to Americans, we are the world’s most ‘francophiled’ country.”

T H E YO U N G R E VO LU T I O N A R Y Four years earlier, a 19-year-old French aristocrat defied the orders of his king and foreign minister, leaving behind his wife, who was pregnant with their child, to join the American fight for independence. Lafayette was captivated by reports of the American Revolution, and using his own money, he purchased a ship, assem-

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bled a crew, and sailed for America despite not speaking English and having no connections in the fledgling nation. Upon arrival, his charm and persistence won the support of Silas Deane and Benjamin Franklin, who spoke highly of him to Washington. When the two finally met in Philadelphia, they bonded immediately. Lafayette’s passion struck Washington, and Lafayette, in turn, was in awe of Washington’s leadership. Lafayette famously responded to Washington’s apology about the state of his camp: “I am here to learn, not to teach.”

Before playing a pivotal role at Yorktown, Lafayette distinguished himself in several key battles, including Brandywine, Valley Forge, and Albany.

A H E R O I N T WO C O U N T R I E S At the war’s end, Lafayette was a hero in America and France.

He and his heirs were granted “natural born” citizenship in Maryland, a rare honor. Harvard bestowed upon him an honorary degree. Life was good, and Lafayette, having completed his mission in America, was finally ready to return to France.

“Without Lafayette, who was the genesis of the Franco-American friendship, what would our relationship with France look like today,” Chuck asks. “Lafayette represents this 240-plus year friendship. Since Lafayette was the genesis of the Franco-American friendship, and since the Revolutionary War would have never been won without French money, supplies, ships, and soldiers, then with-

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out Lafayette, we would have lost that war.”

In 1824, President James Monroe invited an aging Lafayette to visit the United States and participate in the 50th anniversary celebrations of the nation’s independence. The country was mired in political strife, and Monroe saw Lafayette’s return as a way to unite the people. It did so in a lasting way.

Lafayette’s homecoming was nothing short of spectacular. He was greeted with universal affection and gratitude, and his visit rekindled a national pride. His private secretary, Auguste Levasseur, chronicled the tour in a journal full of parades, balls, and banquets. Lafayette visited many Southern cities, including Monticello, Charleston, Nashville, Savannah, Mobile, and New Orleans, as well as smaller towns and forts, where countless citizens eagerly gathered to celebrate their hero.

“The tremendous effort he made as an older man to make this difficult journey shows the dedication and love he had for this country,” Dell says.

L A FAY E T T E ’ S S O U T H E R N TO U R Lafayette’s 13-day journey in Georgia took him from Savannah to the Chattahoochee River through the Creek Nation, along the Federal Road—the first interstate highway. His entourage, including his son George Washington Lafayette and Levasseur, arrived at Fort Mitchell on March 31, 1825. The next day, a military escort and dignitaries welcomed him to Montgomery, where a crowd of 3,000 greeted him at Goat Hill, now the site of Alabama’s state capital.

Lafayette’s visit continued through Cahawba, Selma, and Demopolis before reaching Mobile on April 7 via steamboat.

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Despite the cost of the trip—$20,000, which nearly bankrupted the young state — the visit was hailed as a monumental success.

Lafayette’s visit to Louisiana helped solidify the state’s place in the Union, a politically sensitive issue at the time. Upon his arrival aboard the steamboat Natchez on April 10, 1825, he was greeted by men in French uniforms shouting, “Vive la liberté! Vive l’ami de l’Amérique! Vive Lafayette!” He was taken to the Chalmette battlefield, site of the Battle of New Orleans, where he played a key role in securing a decisive victory over the British. During his five-day stay, streets, squares, and a cemetery were named in his honor. Lafayette’s speeches reinforced Louisiana’s integral role in the United States, and his words resonated deeply with the people.

“There are 80 counties, towns, and cities named after Lafayette in our country today,” Chuck says. “There are only two portraits in the House of Representatives: George Washington and Lafayette.

There are over 20 statues of Lafayette in the United States. There are hundreds of schools and streets named after Lafayette. Many Americans harken back to Lafayette as a human rights champion and use his name as a symbol of civil liberties.”

As the journey continues, Chuck says cities are rolling out red carpets to welcome the festivities and memory of a visionary.

“People greet him like he’s a rock star — just as it was 200 years before,” Chuck says. “They want to talk to him, shake his hand, take photos with him and ask him questions — even ask him to kiss their babies.”

He journeys through North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama in March. For more information on events and locations marking the Bicentennial of Lafayette’s return, visit lafayette200.org.

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MIRACLES & MAYFLIES Creating ties that bind, Jess Westbrook combined a love of fly fishing with a mission to mentor foster children through the Mayfly Project.

Story by Sheryl Nance-Nash When Jess Westbrook’s dad taught him to fly fish at age six, he had no idea what the sport would mean to him.

“It was something I did with my dad on the weekends, and it was a good outlet as a teenager, as I was getting up early and heading into the woods and the river instead of getting into trouble,” says Jess.

While he fly fished all his life, 10 years ago Jess discovered its healing power when he suddenly started experiencing anxiety attacks for six months. Fly fishing with a friend worked wonders. Being on the water and focused on fishing helped calm him. Fly fishing was medicine for his soul. It was perhaps destiny that he had this revelation around the time, at church, he was hearing about the plight of foster care children. In 2015, he and his wife, Laura, found a way to help. They created the nonprofit organization the Mayfly Project in Benton, Arkansas, to use fly fishing to support foster children. Their initial plan was

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to take local children from a group home out to experience fly fishing, but it became much more than that.

“It’s all about fly fishing and nothing about fly fishing. It’s about mentorship,” says Jess.

Children, typically ages 8-18, participate in a six-month program, taking part in five outings that average two to four hours, and learn new fly-fishing skills, get time to fish, earn participation buttons (much like the boy and girl scout badges), receive mentoring and gear to continue to fly fish on their own. They learn casting, setting the hook, and knot tying under the belts.

They are educated about catch and release, conservation, and more. Even more important are the intangible benefits.

“Fly fishing has a history of healing, from veterans to cancer patients and beyond. Being in nature, on the water calms anxiety. It can help PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), which many foster children have,” says Jess, who points to supporting

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they do plenty of good simply by being present: “We aren’t there to solve their problems, but we can take their minds off the chaos and have fun with them.”

He explains that many of the children have dealt with adults who break promises.

“We connect with them, show up for them - we’re consistent and don’t cancel outings. Bonds form,” says Jess.

He says many of the kids come from group homes.

Initially some may be hesitant about participating in the program, even a bit defiant with arms crossed, but by the end of the program, they are all smiles. Some do the program more than once.

L I F E C H A N G I N G R E S U LT S

research like marine biologist Wallace Nichols’ book Blue Mind, which shows how proximity to water can improve performance, increase calm, diminish anxiety, and increase professional success.

T H E F O R G OT T E N P O P U L AT I O N Westbrook says foster children are “the forgotten population.” Yet there are more than 437,000 children and youth in foster care, according to the American Society for the Positive Care of Children, a nonprofit focused on preventing child maltreatment and raising awareness about the impact of adverse childhood experiences.

“Their numbers are huge, but it’s something that’s not talked about, that people don’t want to think about.

They’ve been dealt a rougher hand,” says Jess.

Sixty-one percent of foster children are removed from their homes due to abusive neglect, 34% because of parental drug abuse, 14% for the inability of the caregiver to cope, and 12% due to physical abuse, according to the American Society for the Positive Care of Children.

While Jess says mentors don’t counsel the children,

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Dawn Bailey says participating in the program was “life-changing” for her son Braedyn, a mentee at 15 in 2017. She adopted him a year later.

“He had a lot of trauma and had seen a lot of chaos.

He found being on the water peaceful. The repetitive motion of throwing the pole calmed him. He discovered a new coping mechanism,” says Dawn, who explains that research says repetitive motions can heal the brain.

Through the Mayfly Project, Braedyn heard about an opportunity that resulted in a scholarship to a fly-fishing camp for a week in Virginia, all expenses paid. “This was a big deal; he had never been on a plane. He learned so much,” says Dawn. Today the 22-year-old still fly fishes.

“I could sit along the bank and see he was in his happy place,” says Dawn.

Her son, Chase, also took part in the program, loved it, and is still fishing. She can’t say enough about the Mayfly Project and Jess. Years later, she remembers the program’s impact and remains connected. “I recently went to their fundraiser.”

Billy Hubbard, director of the Second Chance Ranch, a private placement agency for children in foster care in Bryant, Arkansas, has worked with the Mayfly Project for nearly 10 years.

“On the surface, our kids are learning how to fly fish. It’s a great skill and something they can feel proud of. But it’s more than that. The one-on-one mentorship makes our kids feel special, seen, and supported. It builds their confidence, they learn social skills, and they love their time with the mentors,” says Billy.

Billy says that before the Mayfly Project started, Jess and Laura came to his ranch to brainstorm ideas, learn about foster care, and discuss plans for a fly-fishing mentorship program. “He was young and idealistic. We had no idea if his plan would come to fruition, but we could tell there was something special about Jess. He’s doing what he was meant to do. The Mayfly Project has been a blessing to dozens of our kids over the years,” says Billy.

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A FINE FORECAST The Mayfly Project continues to grow. In 2016, the Westbrooks joined with Kaitlin Barnhart, a mental health professional in North Idaho, who had been taking foster care children fly fishing for a decade, to create the National TMP Program. Nationwide, the Mayfly Project has 65 projects and 2,300 mentors and serves about 450 children (45-50 in Arkansas) a year in 32 states.

The organization expanded to include two projects in the United Kingdom in the last two years.

Jess says they want to expand into Canada and other cities in the United States.

“We are growing organically and continue to perfect our program and make improvements like the new website we have coming out.”

Jess says the challenge isn’t getting mentors and donors but children who want to participate.

He is motivated, though, by the children they serve.

“Not every kid will continue to fly fish once they finish the program, but some do, and some may do so later, and they’ll have the knowledge and the equipment,” says Jess.

He gets psyched on occasions, like when he runs into a young lady working at the drive-thru at a Chick-fil-A who had done the program a couple of years ago.

She tells him she has taught her family how to fly fish.

Jess smiles, too, about the mentor-mentee relationship that he calls a win-win. Mentors do the work, but they are rewarded, “If you’re a mentor, you are 100% about to change a child’s life, you’re breaking a chain,” he says He is confident in Mayfly’s mission. “Sharing fly fishing is super important. These children find a place, a home on the river.”

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Appetite for the Authentic Chef Hector Santiago looks to his Latino roots to bring fresh ingredients and a festive flair to the table.

Story by Su-Jit Lin, Photos by Britt Huckabay It’s a hyper-bustling day at El Super Pan located at the Ponce City Market in Midtown Atlanta. The reggaeton is pumping overhead, the swinging bassline sending a beat unconsciously echoed in the hips of those waiting for their to-go orders. Pans are clanking in the kitchen behind the bar, laughter and shouts punctuating the sounds of sizzling, and regulars posted up at the counter seamlessly switch from chatting with friends, fellow diners, and bartenders serving them.

It’s quite a different scene than one would expect of the flagship of a Top Chef alum, three-time James Beard Foundation semifinalist, a Star Chefs Rising Star, and a Culinary Institute of America graduate. But for Hector Santiago, it’s a tribute to all Latin culture, and a way to recognize the many ways the food, heritage, and historical challenges shared by those with Spanish Caribbean and native Amerindian Taino ancestry con-

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tinue to impact the world today.

However, the story of El Super Pan begins with Pura Vida, the now-closed restaurant only a mile away that launched his acclaim.

“I started Pura Vida with an emphasis on Spanish food — tapas. I love the concept, love the format, because I like to eat, right?” Hector asks rhetorically, his devilish grin a flash of white through his beard. “If I go to a restaurant, I want to eat many things. So then I started to mix it up, introduce elements of Dola Rodriguez’s concept of Nuevo Latina, a mix of 27 countries, where you start building with regional focus, find the common ground, then break it down and make your own version.”

Not surprisingly, he found himself gravitating toward flavors and ingredients adjacent to his upbringing in Puerto Rico.

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This experimentation turned into the weekend pop-up El Super Pan, which is arguably the most beloved and personal institution in his portfolio, honoring the culinary ties that bind Spain, Africa, and the Caribbean Islands with dishes he considers illustrative of that melting pot.

“Like mofongo, you see,” he says. “African trade gave us plantains, breadfruit, a different use for achiote. The Spanish gave us pork, all the animals we didn’t have here, sofrito. Then there’s cilantro, local herbs. In the winter, we make pasteles, our version of a tamale and what I just call a wrap, and guanime, that’s a coconut and corn tamale that’s more salty than sweet.

“The natives used to grow corn, squash, and beans; those are very American things. Africans missing palm oil started using annatto to create oil that was rich and red like palm, and people used local yucca when they couldn’t get green plantains. Raisins from Spain, garbanzos … Pastelos are another of the biggest mixtures of the Afro-Taino-Spanish culture.”

But it’s not just in his cooking that he unites related cultures and communities. Even as he prepares to launch El Metro — a tapas restaurant focusing on pixtos from Basque country and bites from Barcelona and Seville also destined for Ponce City Market — his philanthropic work has yet to slow.

“I’ve been involved in The Giving Kitchen basically since the beginning” a dozen years ago, he shares. An Atlanta-founded organization, The Giving Kitchen is dedicated to providing emergency assistance to food service workers in memory of chef Ryan Hidinger, a legend in the city’s restaurant industry, who fought

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valiantly against a stage-four cancer diagnosis. Hector was friends with his sister, and Ryan himself used to frequent Hector’s restaurants. Naturally, he answered the call to join Team Hidi, the organization’s signature fundraising event. He became a part of a movement that brought together the entire restaurant industry in an unprecedented wave of generosity that flooded the greater community.

Since then, thousands of food service workers in crisis have found aid and resources in Ryan’s legacy, the work carried on by his widow, Jen, the Hidinger family … and passionate, influential figures like Hector.

“There was a period of five years or so that I couldn’t be that active,” he confesses, but he’s glad to be back in the weeds of it.

Or, more accurately, the swampgrass.

For several years, one of the Team Hidi prizes has been a foraging, fishing, cooking, and camping swamp trip for 4-18 guests with some of Atlanta’s most famous chefs and a wilderness expert. The most recent one to Okefenokee raised a whopping $50,000 for three nights and two full days as winners, guided by a naturalist who “explains all the stuff” on a very guided canoe tour through the swamps, “watched three chefs get down,” he laughs.

Invaluable to all is that quality time to “hang together — something not part of today’s culture in America anymore, something I had in my neighborhood in Puerto Rico, something we miss,” he laments.

Through that, some guests have become friends, and these

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connections, these trips, have become one of his favorite things — so much so that this former Boy Scout says that when someone drops out, the default is, “Invite Hector!”

However, this isn’t the only give-back Hector is proud to be involved with Smyrna, Georgia-based Ser Familia is a cause that’s even more personal and closer to his heart — it’s one that takes care of his own ethnic community.

Dedicated to offering family services and crisis resources for Latinos specifically, “it’s about keeping families together, helping migrants, providing social workers and mental health professionals that can really communicate with them,” Hector explains.

His near decade-long participation began with a random phone call from a fellow chef he’d never even met before.

“Julio Delgado (of Fogon & Lions in Alpharetta, Georgia) invited me to do an event …

He wanted to get Puerto Rican chefs together and do a heritage day in Atlanta. We met and, since then, have been like brothers,” he says. “There were six of us for the first one; there were Miami chefs as well. Then the second one came around, more people wanted to be there.

And by then, we realized we were collecting funds!

“We didn’t want them for us, though,” Hector says. “We wanted to pay it forward.

So Julio reached out to Ser Familia, and it became the nonprofit for the heritage event. By the fourth year, it got so big, we just gave it to them,” he laughs.

“Now they have the gala that we all participate in to collect funds, we all have our Puerto Rican Heritage Day, and I can give to my people in the best way I can … through my cooking.”

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PA EL L A VA L EN C I A N A Ingredients • 1 Rabbit, chunked • 12 Snails with shells • 12 Snails without shells • 1 onion, small diced • ½ garlic bulb, peeled, sliced • 1 lg tomato, peeled, seeded & diced • 1 ea artichokes, peeled, cleaned, slices • ½ cup lima or fava beans • ½ cup Manzanilla olives • ¼ cups olive oil, guy or Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil • 4 rosemary sprigs • 1 teaspoon Saffron treads, lightly toasted • 2 cups Calasparra, Bomba or Valencia rice (Spanish short grain) • 3-4 cups chicken stock

Instructions 1. Season your paella (the pan is called a paella), by covering with oil and heating the pan.

2. Make a quick fortified stock with the rabbit, chicken stock, 2 sprigs rosemary, ½ the saffron. Cook until legs are cook trough and pull out legs to dry, pull rosemary and blend the remaining stock.

3. Heat paella pan add Olive Oil and garlic, cook until lightly toasted, pull garlic and ½ the oil, add onions, cook until soft, add tomato, season with salt and pepper and cook for a few more minutes, this is called the sofrito.

4. Heat paella with garlic oil, brown rabbit on it, add the rice and saffron stir, add the sofrito and stir, and then cover with the stock.

5. Season with salt, pull out a little rice with sofrito and stuff it into the snails, add the snail facing down, add rosemary sprigs on top and cook at low temperature covered for 15 min.

6. Stir carefully adds stock or water if necessary or salt.

7. Cook for another 5 min and rest another 5-10.

F o r c h e f ’s c h u r r o r e c i p e , v i s i t M a g n o l i a & M o o n s h i n e ’s w e b s i t e : w w w. m a g n o l i a a n d m o o n shine.com

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A Wondrous Retreat

The Blue Ridge Mountains in Bristol, Virginia, are a spectacular backdrop for Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards, a namesake of the family that nurtured the land for generations.

Story By Cara Clark

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“Yurts are tucked beneath a canopy of trees to create a secluded setting for wildlife watching and reconnecting with nature.”

As spring breathes new life into nature with tender shoots emerging from trees and land, birds assemble their nests, and wildlife dances through the landscape. It’s a season that heralds the long-awaited Spring Break escape from school for students of all ages — a time when families embark on unforgettable getaways, whether to luxurious city escapes or simple,

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rustic retreats, creating memories that will be cherished for years.

Settled like native stone in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards—a family-owned gem—has curated experiences that promise to leave an imprint on the soul. In an age when sprawling properties are increasingly rare, this 450-acre retreat passed down through generations, offers an escape like no other. With meticulously cared-for vineyards stretching across rolling hills and woodland, the wonders of Virginia’s highlands unfold, inviting exploration. This scenic Bristol, Virginia, haven is home to a luxury boutique hotel and, for a truly unique twist, a collection of luxurious yurts that blend nature with comfort, offering a glamping experience unlike any other.

“The yurts were introduced in 2021 and have remained our most sought-after accommodations,” says Chuck James, general manager. “They are tucked beneath a canopy of trees to create a secluded setting for wildlife watching and reconnecting with nature. We like to say our yurts are more of a luxury mini-home than a traditional yurt. Each of our yurts features custom handmade furniture and dome skylights for a camplike experience in the trees.”

Every yurt is standalone, offering a private experience with all the amenities of a traditional guest room in an upscale and comforting environment. With metal roofs and cedar construction, the yurts each have an inviting front porch with rocking chairs where visitors can savor the first cup of java in the morning or late evening lingering among the stars. Set among the native trees as they are, it was fitting for the cottages to take on names such as Birch, Dogwood, or Oak. For kids, it’s an irresistible draw to vacation in a circular space with a view of the sky through the roof and nature only steps away from the bed.

Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards has grown into a mountain destination with refined accommodations, farm-to-table dining, a destination-inspired spa, an infinity pool with vineyard views, and a slate of activities to appeal to all tastes and to keep cell phones and iPads packed away for a time.

“As a family-founded property, Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards has family values weaved throughout its DNA, from the accommodation types to the programming available,” Chuck says. “The vision behind the property was to craft unforgettable experiences blending luxury and fun for all guests to enjoy. From catch-and-release fishing and hatchet throwing to archery, disc golf, paddleboard yoga, and mountain biking, we offer something for every member of the family. They are guided by our trained team to safely learn the target sport of their choice, surrounded by wooded acreage. It’s a safe and confidence-building experience that provides our visitors a sense of place in Appalachia.”

Nicewonder offers an opportunity to reconnect with the

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land and learn about how food is grown at the property’s Farmstand. Families can opt to tour the greenhouse and garden with farmers Dan and Heather Huard, an experience that makes a lasting impression.

“Visiting our farm is an opportunity for families to create unforgettable memories and learn something new together,” says Heather. “Kids love our farm tours, where they can ask questions and learn firsthand about the crops we grow right here — they also get to taste some of it.”

For adults on the journey, a visit to the winery is a must. It pays tribute to a family of former coalfield owners in southern Virginia, Kentucky, and West Virginia, that lovingly kept the farm intact for generations. The late Kenneth “Don” Nicewonder broke ground on Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards. With interests in wine and golf, the now lauded vineyard began with six acres.

“The full team is immensely proud of the efforts of our vineyard and winery, which has produced award-winning blends with the Viognier, Chardonnay, and Merlot varietals,” says Kevin Sutherland, winemaker and vineyard manager. “Our vineyard’s prime

location in the hills offers a unique terroir that is not typical of Southern vineyards. I would like to say that the vines aligned when we founded the vineyard in 2013, as the family-owned land here has been protected and honored for hundreds of years, enhancing the flavor of grapes that guests can taste for themselves.”

While the first lodging phase began with nine luxury yurts, the team at Nicewonder expanded accommodations to meet demand, introducing the boutique-style inn shortly after. The family’s sister property, The Virginian, also in Bristol, was begun in the early 1990s and boasts a golf course designed by expert Tom Fazio, a complement to Nicewonder Farm and Vineyards.

“In 2022, we expanded and officially introduced The Inn, which houses 28 farmhouse chic style rooms and the signature restaurant, Hickory,” Chuck explains. “Most recently, we launched The Spa at Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards, which rounded out the property’s resort-style amenities. The property maintains its boutique feel, even with these exciting additions, so guests can authentically experience the calmness of the natural surroundings.”

BARTON-CLAY Fine Jewelers Mountain Brook, Alabama www.bartonclay.com 205.871.7060 330 Rele Street in Lane Park www.MagnoliaandMoonshine.com

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PHOTO BY ANTHON Y POPOLO FOR NASHVILLE OPER A

THE GOSPEL TRUTH Gospel singer Jordan Holland found his voice singing in church at an early age and now lends his faith and talent to the arts in his home of Nashville, Tennessee, and beyond.

Story by Ronny Maye There are a few things that are unanimous for Southerners, no matter where we live. We love family. We love football. And although we give a strong, honorable mention to an ice-cold glass of sweet tea, we love our faith. From new relationships and career changes to rough patches and moments of triumph, our faith anchors and guides us through life’s challenges and journeys.

Just as nature comes back to life in Spring, Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which represents hope, new life, and fresh beginnings. One of the most powerful ways the message of Easter and all that it brings is conveyed is through Gospel music. The songs remind us that Jesus lives through themes of faithfulness, redemption, and renewal. They remind us that we can find comfort and strength in our faith despite our challenges.

Jordan Holland, a gospel singer and recording artist from

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Nashville, Tennessee, embodies the Easter message of hope and renewal. For him, Easter is a time to honor and revere God’s sacrifice and power. While his Easter Sunday can look different from year to year, he typically attends a church service (or performs at one) and enjoys fellowship with loved ones.

R O OT S O F FA I T H Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Holland cherishes memories of spending time at home and summers in Savannah, Georgia, with his extended family, balancing school and church activities.

“There wasn’t much in between. If I wasn’t involved in music at school, I was engaged in the arts at church,” he says.

During these formative years, Jordan realized his life’s calling: being on stage.

“I’ve always been passionate about performing or creating

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characters, but singing felt natural,” Jordan says. “My mother’s side of the family is very musical. We used to put on singing shows on my grandmother’s porch. I realized my gift when I was in kindergarten. I knew something was different about my voice, and I received encouragement to sing more.”

Like many raised in a specific denomination or faith, exploring different facets of our religion is natural. This exploration period also holds a chapter in Jordan’s Book of Life. Although he grew up Baptist, his matriculation in college and newly planted roots in the South led him more toward progressive Christianity.

“I grew up in the church,” Jordan says. “From the womb to human form, the church has been a pillar in my life in some aspects. While I only knew what I was taught as it related to our denomination, I had tons of questions. However, we were also encouraged to believe in something for ourselves, so I began to look for answers. When I moved to North Carolina for college, I became aware of a lot more, opening my spiritual and religious mind. Those revelations have been instrumental in my beliefs now.”

F O L LO W I N G T H E D R E A M From an early age, Jordan realized he had a talent for singing and entertainment, leading him to pursue a music career. He is formally trained in classical music, holding a Bachelor of Music from Fisk University (where he also sang with their award-winning Gospel choir) and a Master of Music— Performance Voice from Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts. Inspired by a diverse range of talented artists like Lena Horne, Al Green, Whitney Houston, Donald Lawrence, and Fred Hammond, he characterizes his musical style as soulful, featuring a classical and performance-oriented flair.

Jordan’s talent and style have created numerous career opportunities, thanks to auditions, industry contacts, and simply being in the right place at the right time. He has performed at award shows and collaborated with renowned artists, including Carrie Underwood, Jelly Roll, Kirk Franklin, Wynonna Judd, India Arie, Chris Stapleton, and Tamela Mann. He’s even credited on the soundtrack to the recent Elvis movie. Moreover, Holland travels nationwide with the Bobby Jones Nashville Super Choir, a distinguished opportunity.

“Reflecting on Bobby Jones’ legacy and influence, this is a significant privilege,” Jordan says. “Watching his show was a staple of our Sunday morning routine before church.

I discovered numerous new songs and artists whose music resonated with me. I am fortunate to be part of his choir, completing a full circle moment.”

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T H E E VO LU T I O N O F G O S P E L M U S I C Gospel music has taken on many forms recently, particularly among younger generations. Artists like Kirk Franklin, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, and Travis Greene are pushing the boundaries of the genre and creating new, innovative sounds that are inspiring and uplifting. It’s an inevitable change, says Jordan.

“I think it’s a great thing. Gospel music has evolved from being pretty traditional to reaching different genres,” he says. “Ultimately, it’s about the message. It would be a blessing if that could be done in a way relatable to those who may not have such an informed past about God, religion, or the church.”

Despite its expansion and various sub-genres, Gospel music remains a cherished element of Easter celebrations.

While the sermon plays a vital role in recounting the story of Jesus Christ and His Resurrection, the music — shaped by its melodies, lyrics, and the emotions they evoke — profoundly expresses this pivotal occasion of Christ’s return from the dead. As such, many cherish the nostalgic connection to traditional spiritual hymns. You can sense the restoration. You can experience the joy. And you can feel the divine power at work. Jordan’s favorite Easter hymn is “Because He Lives.”

“The words of “Because He Lives” resonate deeply with me,” he explains. “It’s through His life that I can confront tomorrow without fear. His existence gives my life both meaning and purpose. Everything stems from His actions and the life He led. These lyrics hold personal significance for me, as my journey is intertwined with my purpose, and I find joy in living a purposeful life. This is reflected in the way I live.”

Easter Gospel music profoundly reminds us of hope and renewal. Whether a longtime enthusiast or new to its beauty, the influence of these songs is undeniable. The message of Easter is a reminder of the beauty of starting anew.

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‘Pass a Good Time’ Noel Distillery had its share of pauses, but the good times roll now in this father-daughter distillery that focuses on the freshest ingredients — even those not native to Louisiana.

Story by Allison Ramirez On the west bank of the Mississippi River in the small Louisiana town of Donaldsonville, Noel Distillery stands as a 4,000-square-foot testament to craft, community, and Southern heritage. Founded by father-daughter duo Chip and Natalie Noel, the distillery is rooted in their family’s sugarcane farming legacy and Chip’s global travels as a corporate jet pilot, including time spent in the Caribbean. What began as a pre-pandemic backyard experiment with an at-home still has evolved into a full-fledged distillery offering a portfolio of rums, vodkas, tequilas, and canned cocktails.

Despite countless roadblocks — including the challenges of launching a business during Covid — Chip and Noel officially opened Noel Distillery in May 2023 after years of experimentation. They both attended Moonshine University, one of the

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smartest things they could have done to hone their craft.

“We hit every bump in the road imaginable,” Natalie recalls, but their dedication to building something uniquely Louisiana kept them motivated.

THE SPIRITS Noel’s rum, made from freshly harvested local sugarcane juice, showcases their dedication to the terroir of the state, while also evoking the traditions of agricole rums (sugarcane juice rums) found in places like Martinique and Brazil. This style requires immediate fermentation of the juice to preserve its raw, wild flavor — no easy feat but a rewarding one for rum enthusiasts. And the Noels’ connection to sugarcane runs deep. For gen-

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erations, their family farmed the crop, and it remains a cornerstone of their spirits today. Natalie’s cousin supplies the sugarcane for Noel’s products, while Chip personally transports freshly processed juice to the distillery from a refinery just 10 miles away. The result is a labor-intensive, hands-on approach that honors their agricultural roots.

The family is in the process of releasing an agricole-style rum from the 2023 grinding season.

For the vodka portfolio, Natalie’s creative spark led to the development of a unique dill pickle flavor. Born from playful experimentation, it has become a standout for bold palates. First, she toyed with the concept of sugarcane vodka. But “have you ever had a martini made from sugarcane vodka?,” Natalie laughed, “Scratch that idea.”

She didn’t really love olives either, but has always had an affinity for pickles, so what began as an experiment is now a fan favorite, perfect for adventurous drinkers and a fun, creative twist that works incredibly well in a classic dirty martini.

Tequila might not be the first spirit that comes to mind in Louisiana, but Noel Distillery is forging a new path as the state’s first family to produce an authentic one. Both blanco and reposado are crafted in collaboration with Mexico’s woman-owned agave farm and distillery Casa Maestri. And in a major milestone, Noel’s tequila (which is 100 percent agave) recently became the official tequila of LSU Athletics — a testament to its quality and appeal.

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Both blend the best of highland and lowland agave flavors and while the Blanco tequila boasts a clean, peppery finish with baked agave notes, the reposado, aged in bourbon barrels for three to four months, offers subtle vanilla and sweetness without being overly oaky. The reposado achieves smoothness through an oxygenation process, making it a versatile sipper or cocktail base. When asked about her favorite, Natalie said, “The reposado is what I drink the most of.”

Meanwhile, their canned cocktails — like the Strawberry and Satsuma Margarita — are a nod to local flavors and festivities like the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival, which takes place in the spring (April 11-13 this year).

Ready-to-drink offerings capture the festive spirit of Louisiana, perfect for tailgates, crawfish boils, or lazy afternoons on the bayou.

A FA M I LY A F FA I R Noel Distillery is as much about family as it is about spirits. Natalie works alongside her sister, who has been her right hand in the business since 2015. Her aunt helps with labeling, and her mom supports the company by watching the kids.

“It truly takes a village to make this dream work,” Natalie says.

And this family-centric ethos extends to the local community. Noel regularly partners with area restaurants and bars to host events and tastings. Natalie’s passion for mixology and bartending shines through in every interaction, and she loves introducing locals to new flavor profiles.

Visitors to Noel Distillery can immerse themselves in the brand’s story through guided tours led by Chip. The tours offer a behind-the-scenes look at their meticulous production process, from sugarcane juice fermentation to bottling. Afterward, guests can enjoy tastings in the community-focused tasting room or book the private event space for special occasions. For the Noels, building a business that reflects their values and culture is as important as the spirits they produce.

“If we never get out of Louisiana, I’ll still be happy,” Natalie says. “I just want this to be a functioning entity within our state — something that’s profitable and brings people joy.”

As Noel Distillery continues to grow, the Noels remain committed to their mission of crafting premium spirits with a strong sense of place. At its core, Noel Distillery is about more than just drinks — it’s about celebrating Louisiana’s flavors, traditions, and resilience. “If you’re going to do something like this in the South,” Natalie shared, “do it in Louisiana where everyone is drinking all the time.”

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S out h e r n s a ss

Basketsful of Easter Joy

By Sally Anne Sessitte Southerners have dedicated celebrations and traditions for every season, but there is just something about Easter. This is a holiday that checks all the boxes: handmade lace and smocked clothing, monogrammed linen napkins, outdoor dining, tricky recipes, pastel-colored clothing, knee socks on all kids under the age of 10, mandatory flower arrangements, church with the family, socially acceptable day drinking, new sandals.

Easter is the Southern mom’s Super Bowl.

As Southerners, we do truly believe we invented Easter. Here’s a list to get you thinking about Southern Easter traditions, both new and old. Write me and tell me about yours — I want to know any good ones I may have missed!

1. Church Egg Hunt. Is it at a convenient time or location?

Absolutely not. Is it held in a muddy field that will ruin the kids’ white knee socks and smocked bubbles? Absolutely. Are the candies fully melted? Also yes. Will the church pull out a matted 10-year-old bunny suit that looks like a horror movie discard and give all the kids PTSD? Yup. Would you ever dream of missing this pinnacle event?

Absolutely not.

The church egg hunt is a must-attend event of the year. In some places, this is a fashion event, with moms in head-to-toe Chanel, Manolo heels sinking deep into the sod as they smile for pictures and try to keep humidity from ruining their blowouts and little chocolatey hands from ruining their outfits. We see you Buckhead/ Brookhaven.

In some places, the attire may be more casual, with the church grandmothers in capri pants and sensible sandals running the show. Don’t be fooled. Those grandmothers are anything but casual about the heirloom recipes they’ve dusted off for deviled eggs, blonde brownies, and pineapple casseroles.

Whether casual or fashion-forward, this event is a Southern mandate because it is about the things we value the most.

Community, family, and kids. We will be glad that you came, even if you had a hard week, forgot your potluck dish at home, and the kids are wearing the same outfits from last year. Honey, that’s why we call them heirloom dresses, they are supposed to get a lot of use.

If you are lucky enough to be Southern, get yourself to the church egg hunt — whether you have a new outfit or not — you will be glad you did.

2. Offering Egg. It can be hard to explain complicated concepts to kids. The resurrection of our Savior, the rules of monograms for

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double names, what “dressy casual” really means … The offering egg is a way to help kids see what Easter is really about. With this tradition, money is put into a plastic egg in the child’s Easter basket, and the child then brings that money to church to put in the offering. This sounds like a good way to start a discussion about balancing life’s celebrations and life’s duties. If your child has a little fit in church when it’s time to hand over the cash, please don’t worry about it. Church will be so crowded with exhausted kids and frazzled parents, no one will even blink an eye. Also, let’s remember that church behavior is like vacation drinking: never discussed after the fact.

3. Bunny Cake. The bunny cake is like any other tradition in the South. It’s consistently required, but you are encouraged to make it your own. You can absolutely get the pastry chef at the club to make it. If you have the patience to handle the clean-up of the shredded coconut, you can also let your 7-year-old make it. It can look like a work of art or a lumpy mess — the point is that the kids and husbands will be delighted, and dessert is handled.

4. The Easter Nap. Southerners may spend the whole afternoon in their finest. Southerners may also skip the brunch and rip off the church clothes for camo and four-wheeler gear.

Southerners do not, however, skip the Easter nap. This is a — forgive the expression — sacred tradition. After you’ve dyed the eggs, hosted the things, blessed the food, loved the people, held the babies, it is time to find a quiet corner and hunker down. The clean-up can wait, and you know you don’t have to make dinner because there are tons of leftovers.

Knowing the importance of slowing down is part of the Southern wisdom that’s just baked in. It is chaotic, but when you slow down, you see that it is also a whole lot of community, which is kind of the point.

Sally Anne welcomes comments and ideas by email at SallyAnne@ magnoliaandmoonshine.com

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Under the Muscadine Vine: Matriarchal Memories

By Marian Carache

As we approach another Mother’s Day, my third without my mother, I go through old photographs searching for a certain picture I want to hold in my hands again. It is dated “1959” on the back.

The photo is of five generations of women in my mother’s family, starting with my great-greatgrandmother, whom we all called “Mother.” Next to her stands Mama Brown, my great-grandmother; next is “Mymama,” my grandmother; followed by my 30-yearold mother, “Mama,” wearing the blue suit she had worn earlier that year to her grandfather’s funeral; and I, at five years old, am the little girl in the photo, wearing a dress Mama Brown made for me and holding both of Mama’s hands while looking up shyly at the camera.

We are in Florida at Mother’s house. There are Chevrolets and Plymouths in the background, and just outside the frame there are orange and kumquat and satsuma trees. Not in the photo, but in my sensory memory, there is pipe and cigar smoke wafting from where the men are gathered to talk southern politics.

An earlier photo of a similar arrangement exists, another “five generations” picture of family women, this

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one dated “1930s.” In it, Mama is the little girl, and the oldest is “Big Mama,” my great-great-great-grandmother.

One of my friends used to beg me to repeat the names of my relatives in each photo, and then roll in laughter as I chanted the alliterative incantation to motherhood: “Big Mama, Mother, Mama Brown, Mymama and Mama” — followed by “Mother, Mama Brown, Mymama, Mama, and me.”

They are all gone now. Only “me” is left. But I sleep in their gowns, keep warm in their robes, wear their rings. I repeat their stories and cook their recipes.

Every time I read the poem “Grace,” written by my late friend, Alabama poet Jake York, tears well in my eyes: when I crack the eggs, pat the butter on the toast … my great-grandmother moves my hands to whisk, to spatula, to biscuit ring, and I move her hands too, making her mess, so the syllable of batter I’ll find tomorrow beneath the fridge and the strew of salt and oil are all memorials.

His words ring so true that they take my breath away.

I gaze at the two photos, and I memorialize the mothers whose DNA I carry.

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G E T TO T H E G A R D E N WITH A GORILL A CART If it’s time to up your gardening game to a full-scale spring and summer celebration, Gorilla Carts for gardening alleviate the stress of lifting and hauling soil and weeds. The patented quick-release dumping system allows you to unload easily, while the tight-turning steering makes it easy to maneuver over different terrains. Sizes vary from 4 cubic feet to 10 cubic feet—$ 177 to $334.

PORCEL AIN PERFECTION E XQ U I S I T E F O R E A S T E R It’s a longstanding tradition to honor the holy holiday of Easter with a dress to remember. Little girls will never forget their Easter dresses and how special they feel when they wear them. The Elle A. Dress by Lullaby Set in blessings pink and ecru brings a sweet breath of spring to a special day. Lullaby Set was founded in 1956

by Frances Barnes in her Arlington, Texas, home, and the company continues to create classics for children. $125

Viexutemps Porcelain has the piece your décor needs to bring the beauties of nature indoors. The collection of hand-sculpted botanical arrangements created by Pamela Tidwell is known for its life-like details, such as bug-bitten leaves and paper-thin blooms. The collection includes a variety of flowers and spring delights. Email info@vieuxtempsporcelain.net for pricing and details.

SPRING SHOWERS C OAT Lulu Lemon’s Rebel Rain Coat might change your outlook on the weather forecast. With the mercurial climes of Spring, you’ll look forward to wearing this stylish thigh-length, hooded jacket with a vented back for airflow and cuffs that run up to reveal reflective detail. $228

DEVILED EGG CARRIER With Easter on the way, you’ll be coloring boiled eggs and deviling them for a delightful Southern favorite at picnics, parties, and even for snacks. Snapware Snap ‘N Stack two-layer carriers make your homemade specialty easy to transport and hold up to multiple journeys. $11.

Our team shares their Spring finds. Scan our QR code to shop.

Southern Essentials

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H A N DWOV E N G A R D E N DAY T H R O W When Mother’s Day arrives, it’s essential to find a gift that recalls the unmatched relationship we share with Mom and the remembered love of soft touches and warm hugs. A ChappyWrap Garden Day blanket in timeless blue and white is a handwoven throw that works for cozying up at home or wrapping up on a chilly Spring afternoon. $150

L A K E L A DY TO I L E SHIRTDRESS Spring brings cheery colors and pastels and timeless patterns to wardrobes throughout the South. Kim Lolley of Lake Lady Designs created this blue Dutch toile shirt dress with versatility in mind. Blue piping trim adds an elegant accent, and the reversible patterned belt adds a polished look.

The mid-calf length makes the style easy to dress up or down by choosing espadrilles or heels. www.kimlolley.com. $179.

D R E S S I N G T H E TA B L E Setting an Easter table is as important as finding the right dress and coloring eggs to the perfect hue. Pomegranate has designed a classic modern retro tablecloth, the 70s Flower Tablecloth, in assorted square, rectangle, and round sizes. Pink tulips, yellow daffodils, and lime green leaves adorn the classic collection of table linens and kitchen accessories. The green and white scalloped border on the tablecloth adds an extra touch of fun and whimsy to the design. $188.

WA D E I N O N A FISHING TRIP We hope our Spring stories have inspired you to go fly fishing, and you’ll want to be equipped with Men’s Clearwater Waders from Orvis. The waterproof, breathable nylon fabric is light yet durable, with a 30K Waterproofness/8K Breathability rating.

Opposing side-release buckles allow for waisthigh conversion on warm days. $249

A W E I G H T Y WO R KO U T Whether you’re looking to improve stamina or increase the difficulty of your training, a weighted vest provides an efficient way to enhance performance without needing additional equipment. The Zelus vest comes in a range from 6 lbs. to 30 lbs. and in an array of colors to suit your workout vibe. $34 to $80

www.MagnoliaandMoonshine.com

EMERGENCY RADIO When weather patterns shift, and dangerous storms are possible, early notification can mean the difference in preparedness and disaster. And the more prepared you are, the better. An emergency radio with NOAA Weather Alert, portable solar hand crank, AM/FM radio, rechargeable battery, flashlight, and reading lamp will equip you with the essentials in times of need. $36

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TM

Children’s Boutique

Classic baby, children’s & tween clothing & gifts!

shopfox_and_pheasant www.shopfoxandpheasant.com 98 | Spring 2025

211 13th St., Suite 108 Columbus, GA 31091 www.MagnoliaandMoonshine.com

Create your Ambiance Most of us know the kind of living space we like by how it makes us feel the moment we enter a room.

When it comes to bath and kitchen design, we may have in mind the restorative, uplifting and refreshing atmospheres we desire to create, but bringing all the pieces together to make our dream a reality can prove a daunting challenge.

Our 3,500 sq. ft. gallery offers a welcoming and refreshing environment with a a comfortable meeting space for builders, designers and homeowners.

We take pride in bringing the most unique products in the kitchen and bath industry to Columbus and our trained staff has the eye and knowledge to help our clients pull together the design they are looking for.

Our Gallery showcases a variety of kitchen and bathroom displays to help inspire your vision.

We carry a full spectrum of products including ceramic, cement, porcelain, marble, granite, quartz, quartzite, hardwood, engineered wood, luxury vinyl plank flooring, cabinets, lighting, fans, and bathroom fixtures. We can also provide 3D renderings for your kitchen and bath cabinetry layouts so you can experiment with design and envision how it will look once installed.

8451 Fortson Rd. Columbus, GA 31909 sales@musekitchenandbath.com

(706) 221-3066 www.musekitchenandbath.com www.MagnoliaandMoonshine.com

"Muse" - a personal source of inspiration

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Your trusted destination for indoor and outdoor living.

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brooksandcollier.com • 256-534-2781 www.MagnoliaandMoonshine.com