Issue9 STL Feb Mar08

8/6/2019 Issue9 STL Feb Mar08

1/61

Small Town

A Simpler Life in Small Town America

February / March 200

Theme Gardens

Six CommonSmall Business Mistakes

Secrets oSalvaging Barn Lumbe

Catsh Farming

The art of Lov

Vintage Valentines

eeds of Inspiration: How Living in the Country Inspired one Womans Artistic


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Small TownLiving nFeb. - Mar. 20081

Small Town

Living

Cover Photo Credit:Nate Hebenstreit

Published by:Wilson Graphics1408 S Gay Ave.Panama City, FL 32404

(850)[email protected]

Editors & PublishersPaul & ina Wilson

Contributing WritersBlu WebsterRichard MusgraveCynthia PinsonnaultJanet Gresham

Susanne MyersAngelina WilliamsonSue NeitzelSue SteinerPamela Anthonyom Henry

I got a taste o Spring today. Weve had about three weeks odrizzling rain and gray overcast days. oday the sun broke through,the clouds all disappeared and I went outside in a short sleeve shirt.

Our selection o stories this include a nice piece on Crate Label Art.Tese beautiul labels once were common but now turn up in antiqueshops. Tey are denitely worth raming and hanging on the wall

when you nd them. We were also contacted by Mimi Moore, theowner and renovator o Te Green River House. Her project looks

wonderul and while shes got alot to do, you can see its potential.Mimi has promised to keep us posted as the work progresses, maybe

well learn enough to tackle are own project one day.Related to that article is a nice story on salvaging lumber rom

barns and other old structures. As the author points out it soundsmuch more elegant to say Antique Wood Salvage than barn lumbersalvage.

Other stories this issue include Catsh Farming, Te $45

Emergency Menu, Homestead Spring Gardens or Urban Dwellersand more. We had so many contributions this month our publicationgrew to 60 pages. Teres certainly something or everyone in thisissue.

In other Small own Living news, we completed the CDcompilation o the rst seven issues. With over 250 pages o pastissues its a gold mine o great inormation on gardening, livestock,crating and more. One nice eature o the CD is the ability to Searchor inormation on it quickly. You can purchase the CD on our

website or by calling us. Also weve worked with Amazon.com to add

a small shop with books and materials relating to topics weve coveredTeres alot o exciting developments on the horizon or Small ownLiving.

Wed like to say thanks to all our readers who have taken the timeto write us and who have purchased products rom us. 2008 Shouldbe an exciting year or all o us as we bring you more Small ownLiving.

Paul and ina Wilson

From the Publisher


3/61

Small TownLiving nFeb. - Mar. 2008 2

Table o Contents

The Artistry oFruit Crate Labels

Restoration

o theGreen River House

Page5

Page

8

Antique Wood Salvage

Giving New Life to Old Lumber

Catfsh Farming Savesthe Day

Cooking with Catfsh

Page

13

Page

17

Page

23


4/61

3

Tableof ContentsThe $45 Emergency MenuA great dollar stretching plan or a amily o 4-6.

Planning the UrbanHomestead Spring Garden

Some Basic Tips For the New Urban Homesteader

Theme GardensPlan your Garden around one o these great Themes

Seeds o InspirationAn Artist fnds Small Town Living an

Inspiration or her Art

Six Mistakes o Small BusinessLearn to Avoid these and Youve Got a Better

Chance to Succeed

Beehind the ThymeA Craters Hobby Grows into A Home Business


Page25

Page

29

Page

33

Page

35

Page

39

Page

41


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Simple Health

Eat Right or Better HealthHow Small Changes Can Lead to Big Changes in

Your Health

Book Review: Pig and a Sacko Stray Cats

From Pigs to Publishing

The Allure oVintage Valentines

Remember When...

Farms or Sale

Page

45

Page

47

Page50

Page

51

Page

52

Page

55Page

57


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From the late 1800s to the mid 1950s, ruits

and other produce were packed in wooden crates

o various sizes and transported to markets wherethey were displayed or consumers. Crate labels

were printed on paper and glued to the ends

o the wooden crates. Attractive or inormative

crate labels were an important part o enticing

consumers to choose one brand over another.

Labels could be unny, elaborately decorative,

serious or simply beautiul. Tey pictured

everything rom the produce being sold, to where

it came rom, to plays on words or puns involvingthe brand name. Competition kept packers

working to improve their displays.

By the 1950s, as more government regulations

dictated the inormation that must be included

on labels, preprinted boxes began to replace the

wooden crates and their beautiul labels. With the

loss o the crate and its label, an art orm was lost.

oday, this cratsmanship and artistry are ndingnew appreciation among collectors and anyone

looking or unique vintage prints.

I theyre lost, where are they coming rom?

Large produce companies that packed up to one

million crates needed to keep lots o labels on

hand. As the changeover rom wooden crates to

preprinted cardboard took place, letover labelswere oten simply discarded. But many were let

in packing houses or printing warehouses. In some

cases, there were thousands o labels let. It is rom

these sometimes orgotten stores o labels that

collectors are now rescuing these printed treasures.

The ARTISTRYof

Fruit Crate Labels

By: Cynthia Pinsonnault


7/61


Wooden crate labels had to be strong to survive

the hazards o getting rom the packer to the

marketplace. First they are glued to a wooden

crate. Ten they had to be able to survive rough

handling and damp or even wet transportation

by railroad or truck to the market. Tereore

crate labels were printed on high quality,

relatively acid-ree paper. Ten the very act that

they were orgotten and stored in quantity in dry

packing and storage houses helped to keep them

rom deteriorating. Tis is why original, vintage

labels are available or collecting today.

So many dierent labels ...

Te labels come in a variety o sizes, colors anddesigns. Te size and rmness o the produce

determined the size o the wooden crate and,

thereore, the size o the label. For instance,

tomatoes and grapes were packed in shallow

crates, called lugs. So these labels are wide

and not very tall, perhaps 3 to 6 inches tall by

as much as 14 inches wide. Apple and citrus

labels were about the largest, measuring up to 12

inches tall or wide. Pears are a little more delicate

and were packed in slightly smaller crates. Pear

labels may be about 8 by 10 inches. Vegetable

labels were usually even a little smaller, usually 5

x 7 inches or 7 x 9 inches.

Original can labels, printed to be used around

tin ood cans are also becoming popular

collectibles. Tese can labels are wide and notas tall. Tey would wrap around a can and be

glued. Te glue margin on the end o the label

oten carries date and other inormation. Many

older can labels are beautiul works o art.

Te colors and variations in label designs

usually signied the various grades o quality o


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the produce. Many label designs are nearly alike

except the color o the background or an item

pictured is dierent. Also, many brands were sold

or a long time and a label design might have

been used or up to 50 years. During that time,

the label would be modied to keep up with

current regulations or to update an image.

Some labels include a print date. Others

have no indication o when they were printed.

Precisely dating some labels can be dicult.

Among the hints to dates are: the inormation

included on the label, such as legal inormation

like zip codes; what people pictured look like;

typography; and other style changes.

Expensive or not so ...

Te pricing o labels is very subjective. Price

is primarily determined by quantity available,

quality, age and aesthetic appeal. Like most

collectibles, price is an outcome o supply and

demand. Many very old labels sell or just a ew

dollars. Some very rare and desirable labels sell

or hundreds o dollars. However, there are plentyo reasonably priced labels available or anyone

who wants to begin collecting crate labels with a

minimum investment.

Reproductions

Oobydooby.com sells only original, vintage

crate labels and no reproductions.

Old, original labels have a distinct look, eel and

even smell. Oten you will see some aging o the

paper. I you look at the printing with a lupe or

magniying glass, you will see that the printing

on very old labels is actually very dierent

rom todays printing techniques. Old stone

lithography, or instance, is completely dierent

rom todays our-color process printing. Stone

lithography used as many colors o ink as were in

an image. Four-color printing uses just our colors

to create all the colors on a print.

As the labels get newer, into the 1950s, it

becomes more dicult to tell original prints.

However, close inspection will oten showmany o the same details as or older labels.

Unauthorized reproduction also carries the

threat o legal action, since many labels

include copyright, trademark, patent or license

inormation.

Most o the labels available today are original. Te

best way to avoid purchasing a reproduction is to

purchase rom reputable dealers.

Label art ...

Tis is just the basic story o crate labels but we

hope we have instilled an appreciation or this

all-but-lost art orm. Browse our label pages at

Oobydooy.com and you will indeed see that this

is cratsmanship. It is history. It is Americana. It is

art. Enjoy!

Read more vintage crate label articles by writer,

designer and consultant, Cynthia Pinsonnault at:

OobyNews: http://ooby.blogspot.com/

Cynthia also writes or Pinsonnault Creatives

marketing, advertising & graphic design blog:

Ballyhoo Blogat http://pinscreative.blogspot.com/

and or:

Wordspill at http://cyntheta.blogspot.com/


9/61


I remember that phone call clearly. Te rumor was that the owner o what

used to be the-old-hotel-on-the-Square in town was going to tear down the

two historic buildings behind the hotel so that he could park garbage trucks

there! Now frst o all, the Green River House or Hotel (called so - dependingon the year and the owner) was built circa 1820, and the two old buildings

behind it, a large brick kitchen and a limestone house, were built beore that!

By: Mimi Moore

Restorationof the Green River House


10/61

9

o introduce mysel, I am Mimi Moore,

married to Sam Moore, attorney by trade,

but collector and savior o old historic and

endangered buildings by heart! Well, it didnt

take ve minutes or Sam to get on the phone

and call Willie Milby and ask him or an option

to purchase the entire hotel, outbuildings and

all.

Our rst thought and oremost in our mind

was simply to save the historic buildings. Te

longer we paid on our note, the more we

pondered: What in the world are we going to

do with these uninhabited, leaky old buildings?

Sam had a ull time job - private practice and

was also attorney or the City o Greensburg.

I was a part owner o Te Plaid Peacock, a git

shop in town...we were on several community

committees, we were grandparents, we wereactive in our church, we certainly did not

have time to open a hotel! At one point Sam

was contemplating donating it to our local

Renaissance/Main Street Committee (he was

president at the time) and allowing it to be

a Renaissance project to help redevelop our

quaint town square. However, Bob Polsgove

o Kentucky rust told Sam about the ax

Incentives Program that oers ederal and

Kentucky state tax credit to investors in

rehabilitation projects, such as ours could be.

Tus a couple o years ater we bought the


When paneling was removed, this arch wasdiscovered. It connected The Elizabeth Hotel tothe Green River Hotel in 1915. To date, morethan 7 arches have been uncovered throughoutthe hotel.

A view o one o the anlights ater thedropped ceiling has been removed, but beorethe paneling was removed.


11/61


properties, we really began to dream about what

we had and what it could be.

It was then that we realized that Te Elizabeth

Hotel which shares a common wall with us

would need to be purchased also. Tis was built

in 1915 as an annex to Green River Hotel,

bringing the number o her guest rooms up to

35.

Tat was about seven years ago, and now we

are ull swing into the demolition part and a

little swing into the restoration part!

We really are very lucky that the previous owners

had renovated primarily with paneling! So

ar, I believe that we have lled 5 industrial

dumpsters with paneling, plus we have given

stacks away to do-it-yourselers.

It is so exciting to always be on a treasure

hunt --discovering little gems o history, little

tidbits o what used to be. Behind the paneling

we have ound layers o wall paper, each one

telling us stories about the period o time in

which they were put up. Ater stripping the

wall paper around one doorway, we ound a

rounded crack above the door. We chipped away

plaster to see a brick arch, laid rom over the

top o the door, down along the sides to about

three eet rom the oor! its just beautiul. In

a ew rooms, paneling was removed to reveal

The stone house and brick kitchen that startedthe whole project! The dormer windows o

the hotel are in attic rooms that will somedayaccommodate guests.

This is how the Green River House looks rightnow. The picture also shows the green brickbuilding o the attached Elizabeth Hotel

which will contain 4 o the 6 dining rooms eachwith original freplace. Once the PermaStoneis removed, the plate glass windows will bereplaced with old brick to restore the ront o

the building as it was in 1820


12/61


chair railing! We have pulled down the dropped

ceilings to nd crown molding. Every time we

remove a newly added eature, we hold our

breath, hoping to discover an old treasure.

So, what started out as an attempt to save

an old brick house with 500 square eet has

turned into a project involving the purchase

and rehabilitation o 17,000 square eet. What

started out as an attempt to save a little old

building has turned into the development o a

dream to restore a historic hotel, restaurant, and

tavern that once was the hub o a bustling little

town at the gateway to the west.

And speaking o dreams, that certainly is one

thing you can say about both o us, we know

how to dream! We know that when you step

through the threshold o Green River House,

we want you to step back into time. You willbe a living part o an 1830s dream.... rom

the historically accurate decor o antiques and

employees clothing to games in the lobby,

musicians, and weekend entertainment.

Now come with me as we progress rom cheap

brown paneling to French woodland scenes on

wallpaper, rom 1915 oak oors to the wide ash

planks o 1820, and rom 1950s perma-stone

acade to 1820s brick made in the back yard.

o be continued in our next issue...

Historic Property

WANTED?Check these great sites or more inormation

on historic properties around the nation.

http://www.historicproperties.com/Tis is a great site ounded by two women

who are historic home lovers. Te Find aHome section o the site includes listings orhundreds o properties around the nation...some with prices as low as a $1. Also ound onthis site in the Resources section is a hugelist o web links relating to topics rom how

to restore old homes to where to buy clawoottubs and other vintage adornments to put thenishing touches on your project.

http://www.oldhouses.com/Another great site with a searchable sectiono properties and resource listings includingorganizations involved with the preservationo historic properties and supplies or anything

you can think o. In the Stories section othe site owners share their personal experience

with restoring their homes.


13/61

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Mention seeing this ad in Small Town Living to

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This 4-mechanism system helps destroy not only pollutionfrom the air, but also helps destroy pollution embedded in

walls, ceilings, oors, carpets, furniture, clothing, and oncountertops and other surfaces. It sanitizes everything in

the house and reduces all odors, including cigarette smoke,mildew, cooking odors, and any other odors in your

home.

The super advanced fan of the PurATron runs soquiet that you would have to put your ear up nextto it to know that its even running. And the Pure-

ATron is virtually maintenance free and requires no

lter replacement. There is a small 4 inch by 8 inchpre-lter made of highly durable mesh that yousimply clean periodically by running water over it. The

PurATron is ideal for any room in your home whereairborne and surface pollution may be present.

Greatly reduces odors, smoke, pollen, dust, bacteria, mold, carbon monoxide,

pet dander,viruses, and much more.Greatly reduces noticeable pollution in

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most dicult pollution in as few as 24 hours.


14/61

Small TownLiving nDec. 2007 - Jan. 200813

Te easiest thing to do when youre considering putting

a hardwood oor in your home or perhaps adding

some wood accents to beautiy your dcor is to headdown to Home Depot or Lowes. Tese superstores

oer a myriad o options ranging rom natural wood

to synthetics to bamboo ooring. But another option

exists which many times isnt considered; salvaged

lumber.

Maybe the term salvaged lumber isnt right, it

doesnt sound very glamorous and it certainly doesnt

sound like a way to upgrade appearances, how aboutcalling it antique wood. Wood aged in the sun, the

wind and the rain or ty years or more. Wood used

to provide shelter or armers crops or generations.

Tat sounds a lot better doesnt it? Teres something

romantic about antique wood. Te patina that orms

over generations gives color and character without

chemicals. Its unique too, unlike simulated wood

grain in some o the composite materials on the

market; each wavy grain is the genuine article withsalvaged wood.

So where does it come rom? Old barns, homes,

warehouses, are all donors to the cause. When youre

driving through the country and you see a hal

collapsed structure at the back o a eld you probably

think about the past and wonder how the building

was used or who lived there. Tose decaying structures

can have a uture, contributing their timber to a newgeneration o homes and oces; i people would stop

and see the potential.

Old lumber may have been hand milled and likely,

i used in a barn, will be very rough. Weathering

over decades can change the surace a great deal but

i your plans are to use salvaged lumber or ooring

Giving New Lie to Old Lumber

Photo by: Brent Danley

Antique Wood Salvage


15/61


you can expect that some renishing o the material

is in order. I youre using it or paneling or wood

accents in a room then it may not require as much

reworking.

So where do you nd antique lumber? I youre

ortunate, someone in your area is already salvaging

and selling wood rom old structures, i not, then

get out and look around. Drive through nearby rural

communities and look or buildings in disrepair, barns

which show neglect. Note the address and track the

owners down. Many times, especially i the structure

is an eyesore, they are more than willing to part with

the structure at salvage prices. Sometimes, i youre

really lucky, you just might get it or nothing more

than agreeing to haul all o the wood away and cleanup the area.

When you nd someone with a structure willing to

sell it or give it away, dont get too excited yet, its time

or a closer inspection o what youre getting into.

I you dont know wood, and arent sure o how to

judge the quality o the lumber, then its time to nd

a trusted carpenter and ask them to visit the site with

you. Discuss how you would like to use the lumberwith your carpenter and ask him to evaluate whether

it can be used or the purpose you want. I everything

checks out, then you are ready to get started.

At this point I would recommend two things beore

going any urther. First, be sure you know what

youre getting into. Old beams in high structures

can weigh a considerable amount, and oten times

salvage requires more equipment and know how thanthe average person has. Tis means you should either

do a tremendous amount o research or yoursel or

try and locate a salvage company. Plan B, the salvage

company, can be more appealing or a couple o

reasons. I they are in the business o salvage, and

youve negotiated a deal or the structure with the

Photo By: Kyle May

Photo By: Brian Hathcock


16/61


landowner, then perhaps the salvage company would

be willing to do the labor or a portion o the wood.

Many large structures will yield ar more lumber

than what you will require and in this way you wil

avoid the added expense o hiring the salvage done

Negotiate and be exible. I that option doesnt

work then try and nd others who have an interes

in antique wood themselves. Several amilies may be

able to either combine labor or combine unds to hire

the labor done.

Milling is the last part o the puzzle to solve beore

you get started. Old wood oten will need some

processing done to make it useable or your project

Youll need to ask your carpenter or a local contractor

about what needs to be done to make the wooduseable. I possible take a board, typical o what you

will be salvaging rom the site, to the person who

will be milling the lumber. Again, i you have excess

wood, try bartering or the work, giving a portion to

the miller.

One gentleman who milled lumber was oered a barn

or ree i he would remove it rom a mans property.

Te miller discovered that in act the majority o thewood was chestnut, an expensive hardwood, which

made it very worthwhile to take up the mans oer.

More than just wood can be salvaged. As you look

around at buildings youre considering or lumber

take note o brick, tin, old door knobs, bathroom

xtures etc. Even i you dont have immediate need

or these items they can have considerable value to the

right person and can help oset the cost o obtainingthe parts you want. One barn salvager was reclaiming

the tin roos as well or a client in New York, who

was only interested in the tin i it was rusted, proving

the old adage that one mans trash is another mans

treasure.

Te simplest way to obtain salvaged wood is to nd

Photo By: Steve Newcomb

Photo By: Teri Tith


17/61


someone who deals in it, but i you have the time

and interest, nding your own can be part o the un

as well. I you just want wood and no other hassle,

numerous websites deal in antique lumber and even

Ebay on occasion has listings with barn wood. I you

are going to work the entire process o salvage then

the key is to do your research. Make sure you have all

aspects o the job covered.

1. Locate structures which are salvage candidates.

2. Contact the owner expressing interest. Let them

know youd like to take a closer look.

3. I you dont know wood, nd someone who does

to take along when you inspect the building.

3. Inspect the building with the owner. ake notesand photos. I possible try and obtain a plank or two

o lumber to take to a miller to discuss what needs to

be done and how much it will cost.

4. Contact someone with salvage experience and

discuss what you would like to do. Tey may ask to

see the building as well.

Stay exible throughout the process. Dont allin love with a single project to the expense o your

budget. I unds and labor are limited, nd others

with a similar love o old wood and work together to

solve how youll accomplish the job.

Reusing lumber is a great way to save new trees

rom being cut, and the wood rom old structures

will have a character that cant be ound in resh cutlumber. Youll also be sure that no chemicals have

been added to the lumber as is the case with pressure

treated wood and synthetic composites. Besides all

that, youll have wood with a story to tell, having

served or generations as a barn or a home.

Photo By: Jim Crotty

Photo By: Lydiat


18/61


By Janet Gresham

Back in my hometown o Greensboro, Alabama,

catsh was in beore catsh was king.

Tose were the days when Mustangs were cooler

than pickup trucks, when teenage girls swooned

over singer om Jones, and beore Barbara Mandrell

sang about being country beore country was cool!

Most everybody in our town ate catsh. Catsh

was the in meal, the in undraiser and eventually

the in industry. We ate catsh at home, at school,

and at church. Tere were catsh ries or the sake o

having catsh ries.

Meals and undraisers were great. New jobs and

businesses were created. Te Alabama Fish Farming

Center was established to assist producers. A catsh

estival drew visitors, and the town made a name

or itsel: Catsh Capital o Alabama. Instead o

picking cotton, Greensboro processed pond-raised

sh rom area arms, and the town owed a lot o its

good ortune to the boll weevil, the soybean bust

and entrepreneurs who just wouldnt quit.

When the boll weevil routed King Cotton back in

the 20th Century, armers searched or the perect

crop to grow on the Blackland Prairie clay. Some

tried bee cattle, and that worked well, but the

cattlemen needed to diversiy. A bunch went into

the dairy business; and at one time, Hale County,

Alabama, had a large number o dairies and becameheadquarters o Dairy Fresh Corporation. Other

armers tried raising chickens, and or years the

town had a poultry plant.

Ten came soybeans. During the 1970s, the

government encouraged the crop, noting an

Jean and Byron WatsonOwners o Prairie View Farm

Prairie View Farm

Catfsh FarmingSaves the Day

in Greensboro Alabama


19/61


unlimited market. So armers planted rom

encerow to encerow. imes were good until the

1979 grain embargo on the Soviet Union. Prices

declined, and the market broke. A ew years o

back-to-back poor crops and low prices took care o

most o the soybeans and sent a sizeable number o

armers looking or another line o workor crop!

But, they had it already.

Tanks to some olks who were willing to work

day and night and take big risks, the heavy, mineral-

rich earth around Greensboro was holding water

that some armers had stocked with catsh. As more

and more ponds were built, catsh became theproduct that some might say turned the Black Belt

to gold.

Te rural, economically depressed regionnamed

or the color o its soilstretched in a narrow

band across Central Alabama into West Central

Mississippi. Formed by an ancient sea, this band

o dirt was perect or pond construction and its

mineral content conducive or raising sh.

Te progress toward a catsh economy began

back in 1960, when a Greensboro eed salesman

and Newbern dairy armer decided to try growing

catsh ngerlings. Tey agreed there was a demand

or catsh as well as a decline in the numbers caught

rom the river.

But, where would they nd ngerlings? Well, they

would have to hatch them!

So, C.O. Check Stephens, Richard rue and

another armer, Bryant Allen, invested $3,000

and ormed the SRAL (Stephens, rue, Allen)

Company. Tey created a spawning shed rom one

o rues dairy barns, drained his bass ponds and

built a brood pond. Tere were other expenses

such as hatching troughs, a water pump and

water agitators. Tey obtained brood sh rom aarm in Arkansas, the Auburn University sheries

department, and rom men who shed the Black

Warrior River near town. Tey also started shing

the Alabama and ombigbee rivers.

Tere were other challenges ar removed rom

todays catsh operations. What would they eed the

brood sh? How would they work the seine, sort thebest sh, determine the sexes, get the sh to spawn?

What began as a part-time business turned into a

24-7 operation during spawning season. Later, it

meant leaving their previous livelihoods behind.

Alabama Black Belt catfsh ponds


20/61


We didnt know what we were doing, Stephens

and rue told author Karni R. Perez in her book,

Fishing or Gold, Te Story o Alabamas Catsh

Industry. But through trial and error, the SRAL

partners learned the psychology and biology,

ortunes and misortunes o arm-raised catsh

production. While their rst hatching nearly slipped

through the cracksno thanks to the wooden

troughs they had builtthey managed to save

enough ry to deposit them via washtubs into the

ngerling pond. Next, they ground up hog chow

and trout chow or the tiny sh to eat. As the young

sh grew, the trio began to work on marketing their

product.

Stephens was the natural salesman, and he

talked about catsh and let SRAL business cards

everywhere he went. Te company also ran its

rst ad: Channel Catsh Fingerlings. Write or

prices. We deliver. Teir rst order was or 5,000

ngerlings, an order that could have died beore

Fingerling production doubled by 1962, and

armers bought them to stock arm ponds or

shing. Eventually, the State Cattle Ranch, a prison

arm near Greensboro, stocked them too, and

delivery when they tried to harvest the sh in hot

weather without enough water. Tey turned the

water pumps on, seined the ngerlings and made

their rst delivery to a arm pond some 100 miles

away.

SRAL sold its rst ngerling crop o around

50,000 in 1961, got a loan or the second crop, and

by then, not only did the catsh grow but so did

the curiosity o Greensboro. Residents drove out to

the hatchery to see what was going on. People rom

nearby towns came, and so did businessmen rom

out o state. As word spread, they began giving tours

and talks, even slide shows to interested groups.

The seine is lowered into the pond to begin theharvest. (Photo by Jean Watson)

During harvest, the catfsh are raised in a boom basketor transer to a rerigerated truck.(Photo by Jean Watson)


21/61


began raising its own ngerlings and selling them

or prot. Ten in 1965, Joe Kyser o Greensboro

started Alabamas rst big commercial catsh arm.

Instead o just shing the ponds, Kyser sent the

catsh to the Chicago Fish Market. Local grocer

Joe Glover built a pond, bought SRAL ngerlings

and decided to sell resh catsh at his store. Catsh

became so popular that it wasnt long beore SRAL

realized the need or a processing acility. Glover

became a partner in the company, and the potential

or catsh began to catch on.

Meanwhile, the SRAL entrepreneurs improved

a skinning machine to deal with the scaleless catsh

and revolutionize the industry or mass production.Ten, a local armer invented the paddlewheel

aerator to stir oxygen in large ponds. It was quite

an industrial revolution or a little town o 2,500

people!

Years later, ater SRAL sold its processing acility

to a larger company with bigger markets, Glover

started Farm Fresh right across the street. He tookcatsh samples to chain grocery stores, restaurants

and the World Food Show in New York. Other

processing plants opened, and the Southern Pride

Processing Plant was later ounded by Glovers son,

Joey, who later sold it to American Pride Seaoods.

Southern Pride still operates a Greensboro plant,

the towns largest employer and the industrys largest

processor.

oday, catsh dominates Alabamas aquaculture

industry, accounting or almost 96 percent o all

ood sh sales, according to the 2005 Census o

Aquaculture. Just seven counties produce nearly 98

percent o the states catsh on some 23,000 acres,

Not only do the water tanks declare Greensboro

the Catfsh Capital o Alabama, so does this sign onTuscaloosa Street.

Downtown Greensboro - A beautiul example o small

town America.

City Water tanks declare Greensboro the CatfshCapital o Alabama.


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and 2006 was a dry year as well. Te drought has

lowered water levels in some ponds to nonexistent

and a ew eet below in others. Fish prices are down,

too, with prices now at or below what the Watsons

received when they rst went into the business in

1976. Meanwhile, uel and eed costs have risen

dramatically.

I used to buy diesel uel or 25 cents a gallon.

Now, its $2.25 a gallon, Byron said. Electricity

that once cost two and hal cents a kilowatt hour

today costs 10 cents. Labor costs are up, too,

so todays catsh armer cant aord to make a

mistake.

With a 200-acre arm, the Watsons say they

have at least $1 million in expenses every year

not counting depreciation or replacement o old

equipment. Te prot line is just not there now,

he added. Used to, we could make enough to add

to the arm.

Watson got his start in catsh in 1968 with a jobat the Southeastern Fish Lab in nearby Marion. As

a hatchery assistant, he worked on the hybridization

o catsh, catsh genetics and nutrition. Later, he

and Hale County ranks rst with almost hal. Its

statewide economic impact has been estimated at

between $400 million and $500 million, most o

which is elt in those West Alabama counties. Te

product has been responsible or as many as 3,000

jobs in its best years, which were 2004 and 2005

when sales were around $100 million.

In recent years, new challenges have risen or the

catsh industry, especially with competition rom

oreign imports. Te imports have led to country-

o-origin labeling laws in the U.S. seaood industry

as well as stop-sale orders when some tests o

overseas catsh showed they contained substances

that are banned in U.S.-raised sh. Te U.S.industry has worked to reassure consumers that our

home-grown catsh is sae to eat. Te sustainable

product is raised in reshwater ponds according to

strict environmental standards and dont contain

banned antibiotics, carcinogens, mercury, iodine or

hormones.

Te long drought is another concern or catsharmers. Byron and Jean Watson, owners o Prairie

View Farm in Hale County, say their ponds received

less than hal the normal amount o rainall in 2007,

Catfsh ponds dot the landscape nearGreensboro, Alabama


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was plant manager o the Country Fresh Catsh

processing plant in Greensboro until it was sold.

Ten, he worked or Joe Glover Sr. managing

his catsh arm operation beore partnering with

another Greensboro resident to raise catsh on his

own. Several years later, he became sole owner o a

arm that produces about 1.6 million pounds o sh

a year.

Watson says that despite the current catsh

economy, he believes there is still a better uture. He

considers true catsh to be a specialty, regionally

raised sh, not an international one. While there are

catsh camps and restaurants all around, he noted,

Ive never seen a Joes alapia House or a JoesSalmon House or a Joes Chinese Catsh House.

Te mild, sweet avor that gives U.S. arm-raised

catsh its distinction is hard to cultivate outside

Southeastern U.S. soils and dicult to nd in river

catsh that sometimes has a muddy taste.

Still, despite todays markets and droughts and

imports, the Watsons are glad they were able toraise their two now-grown sons on the arm. Tey

learned a good work ethic, Watson said, and Jean

added that they got to see and be part o what their

amily did or a living. Oten, that meant the whole

amily stayed up some nights to maintain oxygen

levels in ponds. Ten, Jean, who taught high school

biology, and the boys had to go to school the next

day. Now retired rom teaching, Jean recalls the dayswhen three-ourths o her students had at least one

parent who worked in the catsh industry.

Although their choice o livelihood meant many

sleepless nights and ewer vacations or years, their

hard work paid o when Jean was able to retire rom

teaching and help on the arm ull-time keeping

books, running arm-related errands and checking

ponds on her long morning walks. Shes also been

able to start a nature photography business and will

present a program on her wildlie photography saari

to Kenya in February as part o the University o

Alabamas Explorations program.

Catsh has been good or allied businesses as well.

Tere are catsh eed mills in nearby Uniontown

and Demopolis, custom seining businesses,

tractor and aerator sales, pond construction work,

restaurants that specialize in catsh and deep well

drillers to name just a ew. Without catsh, some

wonder what would become o the Black Belttowns where the product is their major i not only

industry.

Many years ago, beore catsh became royalty in the

region, Te Birmingham News published an article

titled Hale County: Low in Population, Rich in

Resources. Tose were my scrapbooking days, and

I cut the article out and pasted it right in. Now, as Ilook back, that headline remains true. Te countys

population remains low, but the resourcesand

especially the resourceulnessremain rich, as rich

as the black gold that covers those rolling prairies.

(Janet Gresham is a reelance writer who is a native

o Greensboro, Alabama, and now lives near Selma.)


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Broiled Lemon-Herbed Catfsh

A ried catfsh meal including hushpuppies andFrench ries.

Cooking with

CatfishTried and True RecipesToasted Sesame Catfsh Fillets(or Broiled Lemon-Herb Catfsh Fillets)

4 catsh llets (3 ounce to 5 ounce)

oasted Sesame dressingLemon-herb seasoning

Salt and pepper

Taw llets i rozen. Rinse in cool water and patdry with a paper towel or drain well.Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then coat with atoasted sesame dressing. For the best avor, letmarinate a ew hours in the rerigerator. Sprinklellets with lemon-herb seasoning.Place llets on a pan and broil several minutes untiltender and aky.(Recipe by Janet Gresham, Selma, Alabama)

Fried Catfsh Fillets2 pounds catsh llets

pound yellow cornmeal

pound all-purpose our

2 ablespoons lemon pepper1 ablespoon salt

Yellow Mustard or coating

Preheat cooking oil to 300-325 degrees in a deepskillet or sh cooker. Coat catsh llets withmustard. Mix the cornmeal and our and coatllets. Add sh to the hot oil, and ry until golden


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brown and the sh is aky. For a spicier taste, sprinkle garlic powder and cayenne pepper on llets aterremoving rom oil.Recipe by Roland Perry, Greensboro, Alabama)

Fish Sauce Piquante2 pounds catsh llets

1 large onion, chopped bell pepper, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 stick margarine

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 15-ounce can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon red cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

In a cast iron pot or its equivalent, add margarine, onions, bell pepper and garlic. Saute on medium highuntil the onions are tender. Reduce heat to medium, and add tomato sauce. Stir mixture or ve minutes,then cover and simmer or 15 minutes. Stir oten to prevent sticking. Add catsh, and cover tightly. Do notstir. Cook or 30 minutes. Serve over hot rice. Serves 4.(Recipe by Roland Perry, Greensboro, Alabama)

Kyser Grilled Catfsh

8 catsh llets

Vegetable cooking spray

Oil

Spray sh basket grill with vegetable spray. Dip catsh in oil, and place on one side o grill. Close grill

basket. Cook over grill, turning and basting until golden brown.

Sauce2 sticks margarine

cup lemon juice

1 ounces Durkees Sauce1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon horseradish

1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

abasco to taste

Mix sauce ingredients together in a pan and simmer. Baste on sh while grilling.(Recipe by Beverly Kyser, Greensboro, Alabama)


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or yoursel at LivingOnADime.com.

Daily ProcessTe milk may seem overpriced to some, but it

is vital or growing children and moms who are

pregnant, nursing, or who may become pregnant.

It is also very high in protein especially when

combined with grains or beans.

Orange Juice is served every morning but Saturday.

Te plan assumes 4 servings o 1/2-cup each or

every morning its served. Orange Juice supplies

Vitamin C and Folic Acid, once again, necessary or

pregnant mothers and growing children.

In the recipes that call or buttermilk, use regular

reconstituted milk soured with a tiny bit o vinegar.

Tis works just as good as buttermilk in cooking.

For the recipes that call or dried onion, substitute a

small amount o nely chopped resh onion.

The $45 a WeekEmergency Menu(For A Family o 4-6 People)

By Susanne Myers

Ive seen various places around the web claim

that in an emergency you can eed your amily or

only $10 or $20 a week. While I appreciate their

intentions, I have noticed that they all assume

you have certain supplies already on hand. In

my experience this isnt always the case. Forty-ve

dollars will seem outrageously abundant to some,

while it will seem miniscule to others. It is the

smallest amount I was able to come up with that

will provide enough supplies to an empty kitchen

to eed an entire amily or a week. Te servings are

ample and a ew adjustments allow you to increase

the quantities rom 4 servings to 6. Newly added

nutritional inormation makes it clear that except

or sodium, these recipes are nutritious and healthy.

Tey are low in at and cholesterol, high in protein

and rich in ber. o reduce the sodium you can use

hal as much salt and bouillon as called or in the

recipes, and purchase store-brand reduced sodium

canned vegetables instead o the regular variety.

You may also want to take a look at the ebooks

and resources provided by Living On A Dime - their

ebooks are well worth the small ee they charge or

all the money saving tips and ideas that you will get

out o them. I usually make up the money I pay

on the ebook within less than a week (oten in one

shopping trip) rom purchase. ake a look and see


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uesday: Ater breakast prepare enough tortillas

or dinner tonight and or 2 snacks during the week;

16 to 20 tortillas should be enough. Store them

in a plastic bag in the rerigerator. Prepare a dozen

Muns or snacks later in the day. Check the milk

& iced tea supply, prepare more as necessary.

Wednesday: When preparing the rice, make

enough or dinner tonight and breakast in the

morning. 2-cups dry rice, cooked in 4-cups o water

should be enough. Prepare the dough or Overnight

bread beore going to bed. Check the milk & iced

tea supply, prepare more as necessary.

Tursday: Soak the beans in boiling water to cover

or about an hour or two. Simmer until tender.

Prepare the soup as directed and chill until supper

time. Divide the bread dough into 4 loaves and set

aside to rise until doubled in bulk. Bake as directed.

Check the milk & iced tea supply, prepare more as

necessary.

Friday: Make enough rice or supper tonight and

letovers or breakast in the morning. 2-cups dry

rice cooked in 4-cups o water should be enough.


necessary.

Saturday: Soak the lima beans in boiling water to

cover or about an hour or 2. Simmer until tenderand season as directed. Chill until supper time.


necessary.

Sunday: Put the lentil chili on to cook and prepare

the custard and cornbread to bake at the same time.

For the recipes calling or resh garlic, substitute a

small amount o garlic powder instead.

o serve a hungry amily o 6 youll need to make

the ollowing changes:

n Increase the our to three 5 pound bags & bake 6

loaves o bread at a time instead o 4.n Buy 3 cans Orange Juice Concentrate instead o 2

n Double the Macaroni and Cheese served or lunches

making 2 boxes at a time instead o 1.

n Double the cans o una, Peas, Corn, Greens &

Spinach.

n Double the recipe or Creamed una & Peas.

n Double the recipe or Corn Fritters

n Double the recipe or Lentil Chili, adding 1 more can

o tomatoes to the shopping list.

nTis will increase the total spent to approximately

$51.

Daily WorkSunday Night: Mix up the dough or Overnight

Bread. Set it aside to rise. Mix up a gallon o milk

and a gallon o ea. Put both into the ridge to chill.

Clean the kitchen. Go to bed.

Monday: Begin the week with a hearty breakast.

Ater the breakast dishes are done, prepare the

vegetables or Lentil Soup, and put the Lentils on to

cook. Soak 2lbs o pinto beans in boiling water to

cover or 1 or 2 hours. Hal o them are or supper

tonight, and the other hal or supper tomorrow.

Punch down your bread dough which should be

nicely risen by now. Divide it into 4 loaves. Allow

it to rise or 1 or 2 hours, and then bake. Ater

soaking the pinto beans, boil them until tender and

rerigerate. Reheat hal o them or dinner and use

the other hal or tomorrow. Check the milk & iced

tea supply, prepare more as necessary.


28/61


Check the milk & iced tea supply, prepare more

as necessary.

I you enjoyed this article check out my blog

at: www.hillbillyhousewie.com . Ive got tons o

recipes and money saving ideas which actually

work. ake a moment while youre there to sign

up or my newsletter.

Shopping List


29/61


Menu


30/61


Beans: ry growing a couple o dierent kinds obeans. For the urban homesteader, space is oten anissue, so i you have space restraints, stick with thepole bean varieties. A couple that I have had good

luck with are: Kentucky Wonder (OP) and BlueLake Pole (OP)

Broad Beans (Fava): Fava beans are very easy togrow and are an incredible treat to eat resh shelled.Fava beans should be planted in early spring (assoon as your ground can be worked). I have mostlygrown one variety and it is not being oered in

By Angelina Williamson

When planning your garden or the upcoming

spring season you have to make a lot o decisions

about what youre going to plant, whether or

not you will be starting seeds yoursel, or buying

transplants, and on top o all that you must gure

out where you are going to get your seeds rom. For

a beginning urban homesteader it can be challenging

to gure all this stu out (though usually its pretty

un too.) Here is a good selection o vegetables to

start with:

Planning the Urban

Homestead Spring Gardenor the new urban homesteader


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Lettuce: All you need to think about with lettuce isthat i you live in a very hot region you will want tolook or slow bolting varieties. All lettuce should beplanted in spring, earlier than your tomatoes. I havehad good luck growing Simpson Black-seeded (OP),om Tumb (OP), Red Sails (OP) and lettuce mixesrom a couple o dierent catalogs.

Hot Peppers: Everyone who loves peppers wants togrow bell peppers but getting good results is tricky.Hot peppers are easier to grow in my experience.Plus I hate bell peppers. Growing your own cayenneis easy and jalapenoes are also pretty easy or mostgardeners to get good results. I have not done theserom seed and have bought organic seedlings that

were the Long Tin Cayenne variety.

Squash: Summer squash is one o the easiestvegetables to grow. Some Ive really enjoyed growingare Black Beauty zucchini (OP), Yellow Crookneck(OP), Eight Ball (F1), Cocozelle Bush Zucchini(OP). Tere are so many other kinds out there andyou can do so much with them so dont be araid totry out a lot o dierent kinds!

any catalogs right now, so I cant give a personalrecommendation or this year, but I can tell you thatin England the standard is Broad Windsor (OP) andthere is one variety that looks a lot like the one Ivebeen growing called Negreta (OP) which I will betrying in the all.

Cucumbers: Cucumbers are easy to grow andsatisying to pick resh out o your garden or asalad. What to choose: slicing cucumbers. A coupleo kinds that I have grown mysel that were reallytasty are: Straight Eight (OP), Fountain (F1), and

Armenian (OP)

Kale: Kale is a very easy dark leay green to grow.Tere is no better source o vitamin C or calcium in

the vegetable kingdom. You can plant it airly earlyin the spring as it is a cool weather vegetable, it maybolt in the hottest part o summer. You can do asecond planting o it at the end o summer or alland winter eating. I have (strangely) never plantedkale beore. I am going to be planting Red Russian(OP) and White Russian (OP)


32/61


the beginner is to not to try to grow absolutelyeverything the rst season.

A couple o things I dont recommend anyone

trying to grow as a beginner is: celery, melons, or

ennel. Ive been growing a garden or eight years

now and I still cant get any o these to grow well in

my garden.

What should you start rom seed yoursel and

what should you buy as transplants? I would start o

only starting vegetables rom seeds that can be direct

sown (put directly in the ground) which includes:

lettuce, cucumbers, kale, beans, and squash. In the

beginning I would peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants

as transplants because they are harder to start rom

omatoes: Most nurseries now have a huge varietyo both hybrid and heirloom varieties to chooserom. Te hybrids tend to produce more ruit but inmany cases have less avor than the heirlooms. Hereare some o my absolute avorites: Sungold (F1)(an orange cherry tomato), Black Plum (OP), AuntRubys German Green (OP), Siletz (OP), Marzano(OP).

Tere are so many other things you can plant,

such as the root vegetables. My list above is simply a

guideline to the easiest vegetables to start with i you

are doing a vegetable garden or the rst time. It will

give you a taste or the possibilities and your chance

o success with all o the vegetables Ive mentioned

above are extremely good. My only caution to


33/61


pollinated seeds and have a very good reputation

amongst consumers.

Seeds O Change: Tis was my avorite seed

company when I lived in Caliornia. Teir seeds are

very good quality and I love their catalog. I dont

use them as much now because they carry a lot o

varieties that do better in warmer climates than the

one I live in now.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds: Ive bought seeds

rom these guys occasionally and was very happy

with the results. Tey carry a lot o weird varieties

and the only danger with this company is assuming

that novelty translates into tasty. Sometimes

there is actually a reason why heirlooms have aded

rom use. However, or the sake o bio-diversity

the work they do to provide unusual and heirloom

vegetables is important.

Seed Savers Exchange: seeds arent just plants we

grow, seeds are little capsules o the earths history.

Whats magical about heirloom seeds is that in

each heirloom seed is the history o someones

amily, a history o origin, and a history o human

survival and ingenuity. A history o lie that can

be germinated again and again. Seed Savers started

as a group o people saving and exchanging amily

heirlooms and has grown into an organization

dedicated to protecting biodiversity and our

heritage in seeds. When you buy rom them you are

supporting their endeavors.

seed indoors and take a long time to get big enough

to put outside. Without the right conditions (proper

heat and light) the results can be very disappointing.

Ive labeled each variety Ive listed with

inormation about whether it is open pollinated

(OP) or is a hybrid (F1). Does it really matter?Hybrids are not necessarily a bad thing but they

are more limiting because until a hybrid has been

stabilized over a long period o time, you cannot

save their seeds to plant the next year and be sure o

what youre getting. Oten hybrids dont grow true

rom seed. When you plant open pollinated seeds

you can be sure that i prevented rom randomly

crossing with other varieties in the same amilyo plants, you will get the same results again and

again. As a general rule I preer to plant mostly open

pollinated varieties. Hybrids are not the same thing

as genetically engineered seeds.

Genetically engineered seeds are dangerous and evil.

Yeah, I know, you expected me to say that. How

do you avoid growing them? You buy seeds only

rom seed companies that have taken the sae seed

pledge. Is this important? It is i you want to keep

the environment sae or pollinating insects, or

humans, and or other animals.

Tere are a ton o great seed companies out there

but I am going to provide links only to ones that I

have had some personal experience with. All o the

companies I buy my seed rom have taken the sae

seed pledge.

erritorial Seed Co.: they are local to me and so

carry a lot o varieties o seeds that do well in the

Pacic Northwest. Tey carry predominantly open


34/61


theme. For instance, my avorite is an English

garden, a little research will prove many owers

having roots to the land across the sea, and

once arranged properly will show o or any tea

party you may want to give. Below I will share

some popular ideas and even some very serious

choices or ches to herbalists! Te possibilities

are endless, like the choices o owers and

seeds, but dont be shy, any theme can work.

So dont be cooped with cabin ever, plan out

a theme garden or two. It will add charm to

any landscape and you will be the talk o the

neighborhood!

In the garden, anyone can be an artist

By Sue Neitzel

Winter is the most perect time to plan or

the new growing season and expanding your

spring wish list. Seed catalogs are ooding our

mailboxes right now, teasing us with those

picture perect owers that they promise will

grow and ourish in our gardens. But any level

headed gardener knows that is not always the

case, they tempt us knowing we cant resist. One

way to battle the temptations is to play around

with your space a little and think outside the

box, or in this case, inside the box. I have a lot

o un with theme gardens, it allows me the

reedom to try new plants and produce an eye

catching ower bed that has related species to a

Theme Gardens


35/61


wort, and calendula just to name a ew dependingon your ailment. (Research is needed)

ouch GardenIn this garden, you want little hands to touch andeel the whole experience, these choices just begto be touched: uzzy lambs ear, the shy sensitive

plant, bronze ennel, scented geraniums, mints o allscents, and the lovely lavender.

Friendship GardenTis one is the easiest and most memorable. Justcollect seeds, cuttings or plants rom riends andamily, sharing the love o gardening and passing onthe all bounty o seeds to another. You can add aname plate with the donors name and relation too.

I hope I have encouraged you to think themes inyour gardens this year, they are un to plan and plantand there is not a better way to express yoursel andlikes, plus give Mother Nature a smile, or a laugh ora hug!

Check out my blog:www.countrypleasures.blogspot.comAnd Etsy Store:www.heart2home.etsy.com

English GardenTe Lords and Ladies o this British invasion mightinclude some English bluebells, oxgloves, heather,hollyhocks, sweet peas and columbines.

Fragrance GardenLet the winds embrace your senses with the sweet

smells o catnip, anise hyssop, lemon verbena,lavender, hops and pineapple sage.

Everlasting GardenI only they did last orever, but here in this bed theycan be cut and dried to near perection: bachelorsbuttons, yarrow, babies breath, static, cornowerand blue salvia.

Culinary GardenA must have or any che that cares about home

grown spices. Garlic chives, sweet basil, parsley,winter savory, oregano, and rosemary all can beplanted to be used resh or dried.

Butterfy GardenLure these winged beauties into your garden orhours o pleasure: zinnias, black eyed Susan, cleome,purple coneower, sweet William, and the butterybush.

Salsa GardenPlant this hot and spicy garden close to the kitchenor easy picking. omatoes o all kinds, onions oSpanish decent, jalapeos, habaneras and Hungarianpeppers to heat things up! And dont orget thecilantro and garlic too!

ea GardenBrew up your own blends o tea rom their owngarden spot. Valerian and chamomile or a sleepytime tea, catnip or colds and the u, nettle orallergies, sage or sore throats, and everew orheadaches.

Salve gardenHeal yoursel right at home with homemade salvesrom your garden. Just add the herbs to a carrieroil blend in beeswax and allow to set up. Comrey,mullein, yarrow, chickweed, plantain, St. Johns www.shesewsbytheseashore.etsy.com

Oering a variety o

Quality

Handmade

Sewn Goods

Custom Orders aken

She Sews By the Seashore


36/61


Seeds of InspirationBy Sue Steiner


37/61


Prior to living in Kidron, Ohio I was an

organic market gardener and armer. I lived

with my husband and 4 children on an 80 acre

certied organic arm on which we raised and

grew a wide variety o ood or ourselves and or

market. I believe the seeds o learning how tosee the world through artists eyes was nurtured

and encouraged on

the arm. In the

atmosphere o open

spaces, nature, and the

rhythm o the seasons,

I learned how to see.

I suered culture

shock during the early

days on the arm. My

idea o arm lie and

the reality o that lie

clashed but I adjusted.

I was exposed to the

elements and nature

to a much greater

extent than I had ever

been beore. What I had aspired to or our

arm was going to take great leaps o aith and

sheer determination. We had bought a century

armhouse in need o major repairs on neglected

overgrown elds. I was a mother o a teen, a

toddler and a baby and in way over my head!

It was in this environment o hard work, harsh

weather, nature and the wonder o children that

I propose that many people seek out small

town living and rural communities because

the slower pace provides the time and space in

which to delve deep into their own thoughts,

inspirations and motivations in lie. Te small

town atmosphere provides some breathing roomin which ideas can take root and grow. People

can thrive, grow

and create in many

dierent environments

but I believe there

is something in the

rhythm o rural liethat helps this process

along.

I am an artist so the

mysteries o inspiration

and the creative

process are what bringrichness into my lie.

I live in a small rural

community on an 8

acre hobby arm with

my husband, kids and animals. Te subjects I

paint are mainly rural themes, animals, owers

and scenes rom the Amish who live in my area.

I incorporate these themes into my art because I

see the beauty in which I live. Tats what artists

do. But I have not always been an artist.


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among the weeds and hard work began the habit

in me to look or the inspiration and treasures in

simple things and ordinary places.

On the arm we would experience the

miracle o birth and the struggle or lie. Weexperienced the thrill o new discoveries and the

drudgery o endless chores. We elt satisaction

rom working with our hands and the misery

o back breaking work. We heard squeals

o delighted children while eeling utterly

exhausted. We experienced the joys interwoven

with the heartaches, the hard work mixed withthe delight, with tired bodies and open minds.

In this setting an almost magical thing happens.

Te beauty and inspiration appear like the sun

shining through the clouds ater a rainstorm and

most oten just when you think you have had

enough!

Now my eyes are trained as an artists eyes to

see the beauty beore me. Instead o seeing a

ditch o over grown weeds and a broken down

ence I see a multitude o intricate cobwebs

daintily outlined with drops o dew and a

wire ence sparkling as i adorned with the

nest crystals. Instead o seeing junk in my

neighbors collection o old barn siding I see

that the rusty metal oxidized into beautiul

contrasting colors o mossy greens and cool

blues against warm reds, russet and orange. I

see how the peeling paint on an old barn adds

I believe inspiration grew. In the resh air, the

sunshine, the open spaces, the bird songs, the

hard work, the whining, the crying, the driving

rain, the snow drits, the mud, slop and dirt

a person encounters lie on a very basic level!

Te juxtaposition o the good and the bad, thebeautiul and the ugly, the easy and the dicult

create a dichotomy in which the ordinary

becomes beautiul because you can see it with a

new perspective.

Our rst evening on the arm my husband

and I were looking out over the expanse othe overgrown elds, eeling more than a little

overwhelmed by the amount o work beore us.

My worries were interrupted when I noticed a

beautiul sunset as we watched the sun go down

over the weeds and the old dilapidated bank

barn. I thought the spectacular show o color

was a git to encourage us on our way. Tenext night the show o colors happened again

and again and I realized I had missed seeing

sunsets like that or most o my lie, not because

they didnt happen, but because I was not in

the position to see them! Up until then I had

not lived where I could see so much sky! Tat

was my rst arm experience in which I looked

beyond the ordinary to see the spectacular!

Te seeds o inspiration were urther cultivated

in dramatic ways such as the showy sunsets but

also in subtle, visceral ways too. Finding beauty


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texture, color and character to the landscape and

shows the guts behind the scenic rolling hills.

I see the sunower against a clear, blue sky as

it victoriously towers over the weeds. I see the

spark in the eye o my horse and the graceul

curve o his neck rather than mud on his coator the burrs in his mane. I know the ordinary

is there. I am not choosing to ignore it but I

am choosing to let it enhance and make the

ordinary beautiul!

Tis time o year many peoples thoughts

turn to gardening as the seed catalogs comein the mail. Te warm sun and the bountiul

harvest are un to anticipate while we wait or

the right time to plant. What I would like to do

is share with you a collage page rom my Seeds

o Inspiration art journal which I will add to

through out the year. My hope is to plant ideas

as it encourages you to keep your eyes looking

beyond the ordinary to what is beautiul in your

lie.

o see more o Sues wonderul, inspired

work check out her website at:

www.suesteiner.com

Blog: http://amulti-coloredlie.blogspot.com

Seeds o Inspiration CollageSue Steiner 2008

Mixed Media using ound and recycled materials


40/61


Beore pricing products, calculate xed and variable

costs. Research markets and competitive price

points. Develop your unique selling proposition:

the qualities that dierentiate you or your products

rom competitors. Determine the margin you need

in order to walk away with dollars in your pocket.

Mistake #3: Generic Marketing and Advertising

You must develop eective strategies to market yourbusiness. But is your marketing plan working, or is

it just a waste o resources? Many business owners,

in an attempt to manage costs, develop their own

marketing campaigns only to ail to boost sales.

Teir campaigns become ineective and commonly

suer rom an irrelevant message or improper

niche marketing. o achieve your marketing and

advertising goals, you must have an eective

message, market position, and adequate unding. An

advertising message that is believable and relevant is

vital to success.

Mistake #4: Blowing through your capital

New business owners grossly underestimate their

nancial needs. ypically, inexperienced owners

Know how to avoid common pitalls in yourearly years o business, no matter how careul orknowledgeable you are, mistakes happen. Still, iyou heed voices o experience, you can dodge manycommon missteps. Here are six mistakes that newbusiness owners make requently and some advice

about how to avoid these problems.

Mistake #1: Passion without a plan

We always hear that entrepreneurs need passionto succeed. Well, enthusiasm can be overrated. o

grow your business and success in the long run, you

need more than energy and a re in your gut. You

need a plan. ake the time to thoroughly investigate

your market and target customers, the competition,

and other basics. Focus on answering simple

questions: How will I make money? How will I

grow the business?

Mistake #2: Selling too cheaply

New business owners oten emphasize quantity

over quality and gure rock bottom prices will

uel sales. More oten than not, it doesnt work

that way. Even i sales boom, the business doesnt

make enough prot to make ends meet or grow.

Six Mistakes oSmall BusinessBy Richard Musgrave


41/61


problems. You can review your customer invoicing

policies, possibly shiting to a strategy where each

invoice carries a pay by date as well as the pre-

determined payment terms instead o invoicing in a

set pattern.

Mistake #6: Lack o know-howMany small businesses perish because the

entrepreneur simply lacks the know-how in a

particular aspect o business. Tis is particularly

true or sole proprietors who wear many hats. You

may be good at marketing, or example, but you

may need help in setting up your accounting system

or distributing products. Or you may have an idea

where to nd additional nancing, but lack the skills

to network and nd sources o capital.

You can complement your skills with the expertise

o a board o advisors, a mentor, or a business

advisor. You may not need a ormal board o

directors, but your business will benet rom the

advice o even two or three experienced people who

can give an honest assessment o your work or where

the business is heading.

Worry about being better; bigger will take care

o itsel. Tink one customer at a time and take

care o each one the best way you can.

- Gary Comer

overspend at the outset, buying more urniture,

technology, and supplies than they really need. New

owners also dont realize that ew customers pay

promptly. Ater developing personal and business

budgets that can sustain the company or the time it

will take to break even, add at least 50% to manage

your risk. o speed collections and boost cash ow,consider oering a discount or prompt payment.

Next, review how you perormed against your

business plan. Did you spend beyond your budget?

Your problem may lie in misguided or unrealistic

expectations o revenues. ry to explore other

nancing options, even open yoursel to accept

equity nancing. Your choices may be to build the

business yoursel and push it to success, then later

sell your interests or a air prot or be repeatedly

rustrated in attempts at nancing a business that

cannot achieve its potential because o insucient

capital.

Mistake #5: Poor management

Poor management ranks high among the reasons

many small businesses ail. It may cover anything

rom the inability to manage people, security,nancial aspects, marketing or customer relation

aspects o a business. One o the most neglected

and poorly managed aspects o small business

operation is security and loss prevention, particularly

or businesses with employees. According to U.S.

Department o Commerce statistics, employee

dishonesty alone causes 30 percent o all business

ailures. Consider implementing measures to

protect your business assets, such as inventory,

equipment, supplies, cash, and yes, your people.

Physical protection o employees and customers is

crucial, but oten overlooked. Poor credit

management is another common source o the

downall o many businesses. Te ailure to handle

credit well is oten the precursor o many cash ow


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Beehind the ThymeBy Pamela Anthony



43/61


Growing up in my elementary years I

remember waking up in the wee morning hours

on Saturdays. My mother, sister, and I would

head down to a local Junk Store to wait or it

to open. It would still be dark, reezing cold,

and crowded. Te doors opened at 8 a.m., the

regulars would start lining up at 5 a.m. to be therst in line because as soon as the doors opened

there would be a stampede. reasures would

be grabbed, tugged and ought over. Tese were

old treasures and collectibles. I thought growing

up, I cant believe anyone would want this old

stu, much less go through this to get it. I was

dragged to ea markets, auctions, and peoples

homes to buy what they assumed was trash, butto my mother and sister were treasure. Tis is

the reason I am where I am today. So lets ast

orward a ew years

My name is Pamela Anthony; I live on 4

acres that my home and shop rest on. I am

married to a wonderul, supportive man and I

have a 17 yr. old son. My mother is a big help to

my business and is an expert quilter as well.Mom enjoys helping me out with whatever I

need done helping to turn my patterns into

nished treasures. At the gatherings we have

on the arm, she cooks up all the soups and

cornbread that is served.

A big part o how my business came to be

resulted rom my desire to be a stay at home

mom. Even though I had always creating crats,I never thought o making it my career. Slowly

my sales to riends and amily began to grow.

During that time I grew, dried, and harvested

herbs and owers to make sachets, potpourri

and dried arrangements. In additional to sales

to riends I did the occasional show and estival.

Pamela Anthony, Owner o Beehind Thyme Standing beside a

wreath she created.

This is the sign that greets you as your approach the lane lead-

ing to Beehind Thyme.


44/61


I decided to take a leap o aith and run an

advertisement in Country Sampler. Te positive

results rom that helped spur me on.

I have met a lot o people during my journey,

not one has ever discouraged me rom doing

what I am doing today. Te belie that my

customers have in me has been unbelievable. Ihave had the opportunity o speaking or the

University o Kentucky as a motivational mentor

in dierent counties. I also speak to small groups

here in my town and surrounding communities.

I oer classes here at the arm on a variety o

subjects including hand-painting, stitching,

oral arranging, and gardening. During these

classes, we visit with old riends and have theopportunity to make new, lasting riendships.

It seems to me thats what its all about. Te

Gatherings we hold here on the arm throughout

the year have drawn women rom as ar away as

ennessee. Tey seem to enjoy what we teach

as well as the chance to get together with others

who have similar interests.

I count mysel ortunate to be doing whatI enjoy. As a designer and creator o original

handmade objects, it thrills my soul to oer

them to customers. I enjoy seeing their eyes

light up when the spot that perect something.

Weve also started oering a unique candle line

that consists o Kitchen Aromas hand-whipped

and poured here at the arm. We package them

in old cheese crocks, enamel mugs and coveredcans. Customers who purchase them are able to

return them or rells at a discount when theyve

used them up.

Tere are several seasons during the year that

keep us hopping, Autumn or example. We raise

and sell mums, pumpkins and gourds. EachTin Pocket on Screen door... Olde Barn Roofng that has been gatheredaround the countryside has been transormed into hanging pockets. We fll

them with Drieds grown here along with Hand-painted items.

This is one o many Originals that you will fnd at Beehind Thyme, this Large

Heart Make-do comes in a fnished item or or you do-it-yourselers, patterns

are available also. All are handmade by Pamela or her Sweet Mother.


45/61


mum is planted, eed and watered by hand.

Each pumpkin and gourd seed is patted into the

soil by hand. What a hectic season, but oh so

rewarding when you catch the aroma o a mum

as you brush past or watch pumpkin eld turn

a golden orange. I certainly enjoy lie in the

country!For anyone that is ever in this part o the

country rambling about please stop by and

say hello. Te garden benches, swings and the

sweet smell o wisteria are waiting or you. We

usually have a pot o coee brewed and a batch

o old ashion, brown sugar cookies to ll your

tummy and warm your spirit. Youre welcome to

wander about the cutting garden as well. Please,visit with us on any given day, whether it be in

person, by phone or online. In the meantime I

will be on the other side o the ence tending the

lilies.

o see more o Pamelas wonderul creations

check out her blog and Esty shop.

Blog: http://beehindthymeprimitives.blogspot.com

Etsy: www.BeehindTyme.etsy.com

Ebay id: thymeinthecountry

Blackeyed Susans... A Small portion o what awaits you as you stroll down

the lane to Beehind Thyme, Blackeyed Susans & the American Flags.

Catch a glimpse o our Mum Crop, all the most popular colors are grown

every year long with pumpkins, gourds & cornstalks or all your Autumn

Gatherings.


46/61


In 2006 I had changed jobs and about a month

into the new one got sick. Initially I thought it was

the u. But when the situation lingered beyond howlong it seemed it should, I consulted with a couple

o physicians. Neither one knew exactly what was

going on. I had u like symptoms, weakness, chills,

and hand shaking. On top o that, I was nervous

and anxious which is not typical or either me or the

u. Fortunately a day or so ater seeing the second

doctor I thought about the hand tremors and

how they resembled drug withdrawal eects. On

a hunch, I Googled Caeine Withdrawal. I had

decided to eliminate caeine when I started my newjob and thought perhaps there was a connection. I

was aware that I would have headaches, which I did,

but discovered that all the things I was experiencing

were other side eects. In the past I have never gone

past a ew days and a couple o bad headaches, this

time I made it into a whole new series o symptoms

that I was unacquainted with.

My point or relating this episode is that in bothcases neither doctor asked simple questions relating

to diet, liestyle and such. ests were run, X-Rays

taken, and medications prescribed without any

regard to some o the simplest things relating to my

health.

Once I ound that caeine withdrawal was the

Part o the appeal or living in a small town is

how things seem simpler. Fewer choices mean

less analysis. I get overloaded pretty easy i I start

looking at my options or toothpaste alone ratherthan just get the cheapest or what I normally get.

How many dierent kinds do we really need? Mass

merchandising oers us a lot o solutions in various

packages and sizes. Got a cold? Well, then there

are over the counter meds that will dry up your

nose, open up your chest, help your ever, soothe

your throat and let you sleep better at night, in a

variety o combos. No longer do we need to worry

about combining dierent meds or a plethora

o symptoms. Which indeed are all most o thesemedications will do or you, ease symptoms. We all

know the root cause o our cold is either a virus or

an inection but were not so much concerned with

the root cause, as what that cause does to us.

I stopped and thought a bit about that; treating

symptoms, and or the most part that seems to be

what we do. We take antacid or our reux. Aspirin

or our headaches, other over the counter remediesto tackle symptoms. Most times we dont stop to dig

deep and nd the root cause. Its so much easier to

quickly pop the pill and chalk it up to stress or a bad

burrito. I things get requent enough we may go see

a doctor who oten times will prescribe another pill

to pop, one thats likely quite a bit more expensive

than the over the counter choice.

SimpleHealthBy Paul David Wilson


47/61


or years. My nasal allergies were something which

I had been dealing with or about 7 or 8 years. One

doctor recommended surgery, another had suggested

weekly allergy shots. In act depending on what

they specialized in they oered their specialty as the

solution. I opted to hold o on the surgery and now

Im glad I did.

Another interesting actor to note was that all o

the medications I took or the allergies produced

side eects including headache, atigue, and

increased heart rate. But when you cant hardly

breathe through your nose and youre miserable,

those things dont mean as much to you as eeling

better. I didnt dream there was a simpler solution

that had no side eects.

And so I thought perhaps it was time to add

this column to our publication. Pharmaceutical

companies employ representatives to daily peddle

their wares to doctors oces. Billions are spent

in the marketing o prescription drugs directly to

the public as well. Little time or money is spent

encouraging people to eat right, drink plenty

o water, get your rest, take your vitamins and

supplements. Why is that? No money to be made.

No slick glossy commercial o happy people

walking, getting exercise, unless its to promote a

gym or tness program. Te simple things relating

to good health dont have the spokesmen that the

big companies have. Unortunately sometimes

our choices are limited by what we see and what is

constantly oered as a solution.

So my interest is stirred in simple things that

can contribute to good health. In this space eachissue Ill spend time sharing some o the great

things Ive ound that have been overlooked, under

promoted and generally buried under an avalanche

o commercial advertising. Im making this journey

o discovery or mysel and my amily and I hope

the inormation I share will help others as its helped

me.

problem I looked around or a source o more

inormation to help. I ound a wonderul book,

several hundred pages long with many medical

studies cited to back up the authors suggestions.

I read it, twice, well nearly three times. I learned

that I had no clue o all the eects caeine has on

the body. Another time Ill ollow this thought and

share some amazing i not alarming inormation Ilearned.

Tat experience was a turning point or me and

my health. I realized how ignorant I was o what

I ate, what ingredients I put in my mouth and

their eects on my health. I had downed gallons

o Mountain Dew and snack oods or years,

seemingly with no side-eects, but now I realized

I was just surng rom one sugar high to the nextto keep going. Now based on what Ive learned

my estimated sugar consumption rom soda alone

exceeded 500 teaspoons a month. Ive eliminated

that soda entirely and thus reduced not only the

caeine burden on my system, but also the sugar

overload. It took a while but within a couple o

months o doing this I began to eel better. At rst,

I missed the sugar highs but I kept going, carried on

by the stories o people who had done it beore me,

and said it was one o the best things they had done.

What I ound was that as my body began to adjust

to the absence o these things my energy evened

out throughout

Issue9 STL Feb Mar08

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Transcript of Issue9 STL Feb Mar08