Thompson, Fowler are new TFC directors - Our CO-OP

January 2015
Also inside
Co-op joins statewide partnership to
boost Tennessee’s beef industry - p. 8
Lawrence Farmers Cooperative opens
state-of-the-art fertilizer facility - p. 10
High school students groom dogs as
part of their agriculture class - p. 30
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Thompson, Fowler
are new TFC directors
2014 Annual Meeting
Special Issue
contents
January 2015
Cover Story
19
Special
annual meeting coverage
Tennessee Farmers Cooperative has two newly elected directors — newcomer Keith Fowler
of Martin and veteran Mark Thompson of Cumberland Gap. Their elections are among highlights
of TFC’s 2014 annual meeting Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention
Center in Nashville. Special coverage on pages 19-27 includes financial reports, selection of new
board chairman and vice chairman, tribute to outgoing board members, presentation of 4-H and FFA
donations, and recognition of the 2014 Cooperative Spirit Award winner. — Photo by Chris Villines
ON THE COVER: New directors Mark Thompson and Keith Fowler visit TFC headquarters for their first board meeting on Dec. 8.
— Photo by Allison Morgan
News and features
5
8
10
30
36
TFC adds, adjusts staff to focus, streamline operations
Realignments and new positions will help TFC meet the demands of an ever-changing agricultural marketplace.
Co-op joins in statewide partnership to boost beef industry
Collaboration with University of Tennessee and Tennessee Department of Agriculture will help rebuild the state’s cattle herd.
The right blend
New fertilizer facility helps Lawrence Farmers Cooperative improve speed and efficiency.
Groom to grow
Stewarts Creek’s small-animal class promotes practical skills and passion for agriculture.
New Stockdale’s store opens in Bolivar
30
Rural lifestyle retailer moves from temporary site to a permanent location.
TenneScene
In every issue
4 As I Was Saying
Jerry Kirk and family enjoy a magical
mountain getaway in Gatlinburg.
4 Our Country Churches
St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in
Marion County.
16 New at Co-op
Learn about six new products available at
your hometown store.
Simply put, Pat Summitt is the winningest, most iconic college basketball coach of all time.
For 38 seasons (1974-2012), the University of Tennessee legend groomed players who
became champions — both on the court and in life. After retiring with an astounding 1,098
wins and eight national championships, Coach Summitt’s presence can now be felt on the UT
campus through a life-size bronze statue that welcomes visitors to “Pat Summitt Plaza,” near
Thompson-Boling Arena where the Lady Vols play basketball.
— Photo by Chris Villines
17 Neighborly Advice
Purple martins, winter supplementation.
34 What’s cookin’?
Make life sweeter with candy recipes.
38 Every Farmer Has A Story
Meet Gary Ellis, who is preserving a farming
heritage in the shelter of Sweeten’s Cove.
January 2015
3
As I Was Saying
Mountain getaway is still magical
’
T
was the night before Thanksgiving in Gatlinburg, and folks flocked to the
beautifully decorated “downtown stretch” of the resort town’s parkway to
enjoy the brilliant display of lights that helps attract literally thousands of
visitors to the Smokies during this special time of year.
Wife Jane and I were right there amongst them. Somehow, we felt at home.
For many years in the late 1980s and well into the ’90s, we took our young son,
Chris, to spend Thanksgiving and the weekend that followed in Gatlinburg.
While still in elementary school, Chris dubbed our annual excursion to the
Smokies as “our own Thanksgiving tradition.”
Jerry Kirk
“I’ve gotta have some fudge,” I warned Jane as we walked from our hotel to
Contributing Editor
join the 2014 Thanksgiving eve crowd that was visiting the shops, restaurants,
and other attractions of the bustling parkway area (so-called “moonshine” establishments that offered free samples were extra popular). My taste was for
fudge, though, and after a few tests, I settled on a sizeable
slab of peanut butter goodness from a sidewalk stand that’s
been a parkway fixture for years.
Once we had covered several blocks of novelty, t-shirt,
toy, and other kinds of stores, we crossed the street and
headed back toward our hotel. In the distance — and on
the opposite side of the street — I spied the Space Needle,
a popular landmark that towers 407 feet above downtown
Gatlinburg and provides 360-degree views of perhaps Tennessee’s most beautiful landscape.
The Space Needle tower is always beautifully bedecked
in lights as a beacon for the annual Smoky Mountain
Winterfest celebration that attracts thousands of visitors
to the area — Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, Wears
Valley, and, of course, the mountains. For the first time
since 1990, a lighted Christmas tree was placed on the top
of the Space Needle this year.
As Jane and I began to slowly walk back toward our
A crescent moon appears to be near a lighted
Christmas tree atop the Space Needle tower in
hotel, I took a closer look at the lighted landmark and
downtown Gatlinburg. — Photo by Jane Kirk
spotted the tower-top tree that literally sparkled against
the night sky. Jane whipped out her cell phone and began snapping pictures. As we resumed our
walk and got a different view of the tower, I yelled, “Look at that!!” A clearly visible crescent moon
that we had not noticed before appeared to be near the top of the tree. “God added His own decoration,” I whispered to Jane.
That sighting set the tone for the remainder of our Thanksgiving return to Gatlinburg. Son Chris,
wife Anna, and their two beautiful little girls — Caroline, who turns 2 on Jan. 13, and Sloan, who’ll
be 5 on St. Patrick’s Day March 17 — rolled into Gatlinburg that evening, and we had a wonderful
couple of days together. Our granddaughters loved all the lights and were especially impressed by
some that were embedded in the pavement in front of two shops on the parkway.
In keeping with our Chris-proclaimed family tradition, we ate Thanksgiving dinner at the wonderful Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant & Grill in Pigeon Forge. The food, atmosphere, and fellowship
made our family gathering special — and we thank God for all His blessings.
Happy 2015 to you and yours!
Our Country Churches
St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Marion County
St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Battle Creek was built
in 1934 by local laborers who used stones from farmers’ fields in
the vicinity surrounding the church property. In 2003, a new fellowship hall built of similar stone was dedicated and named after
the longtime rector, the Rev. Canon Dr. J. Howard Rhys. A plaque
in the hall reads: “Rhys Hall: With loving gratitude and appreciation, we the members of St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church
do dedicate this fellowship hall to the Rev. Canon J. Howard Rhys
for 50 years of spiritual leadership, inspiration and commitment as
priest in charge.” The Rev. Joe Porter currently serves the congregation of the church, located on Ladd’s Cove Road at the foot of
Monteagle Mountain.
— Photo by Allison Morgan
235th in a series to show where our rural
Co-op friends worship
January 2015
Volume 56, Number 1
Published by Tennessee Farmers
Cooperative in the interest of better
farming through cooperation and improved
technology, and to connect the Co-op
community through shared experiences,
common values, and rural heritage.
Editor: Allison Morgan
amorgan@ourcoop.com
Assistant Editor: Chris Villines
cvillines@ourcoop.com
Communications Specialist: Sarah Geyer
sgeyer@ourcoop.com
Contributing Editor: Jerry Kirk
jkirk@ourcoop.com
Senior Graphic Designer: Shane Read
sread@ourcoop.com
Graphic Designer: Jason Barns
jbarns@ourcoop.com
Layout & Production Coordinator:
Travis Merriman
tmerriman@ourcoop.com
Editorial Assistant: Polly Campbell
pcampbell@ourcoop.com
Advertising Information: Keith Harrison
615-793-8585, kharrison@ourcoop.com
The Tennessee Cooperator is distributed
free to patrons of member Co-ops. Since
each Co-op maintains its own mailing list,
requests for subscriptions must be made
through the local Co-op. When
reporting an address change, please
include the mailing label from a past
issue and send to the following address:
Tennessee Cooperator
P.O. Box 3003
LaVergne, TN 37086
Phone: (615) 793-8339
E-mail: tlewter@ourcoop.com
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Guest subscriptions are available for
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or money order to Tennessee Farmers
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TnFarmersCooperative
TFC Board of Directors:
Chairman — Larry Paul Harris,
Wildersville, Zone 1
Vice Chairman — Johnny Brady,
Riceville, Zone 3
Keith Fowler, Martin, Zone 1
Richard Jameson, Brownsville, Zone 1
Clint Callicott, Only, Zone 2
Kenneth Nixon, Carthage, Zone 2
Stephen Philpott, Shelbyville, Zone 2
David Sarten, Sevierville, Zone 3
Mark Thompson, Cumberland Gap, Zone 3
Chief Executive Officer —
­­ Bart Krisle
NOTICE: This publication is for
informational purposes only. Tennessee
Farmers Cooperative, its affiliates,
subsidiaries, and member Co-ops are not
responsible for any damages or claims
that may result from a reader’s use of this
information, including but not limited to
actual, punitive, consequential, or economic
damages. Tennessee Farmers Cooperative
makes no warranties or representations, either
express or implied, including warranties of
merchantability or fitness of any product/
material for a particular purpose. Each
article, document, advertisement, or other
information is provided “AS IS” and without
warranty of any kind. Tennessee Farmers
Cooperative reserves the right to alter,
correct, or otherwise change any part or
portion of this publication, including articles
and advertisements, without detriment to
Tennessee Farmers Cooperative, its affiliates,
subsidiaries, or member cooperatives.
®
4
January 2015
TFC adds, adjusts staff to
focus, streamline operations
By Chris Villines
Entering the new year, some
familiar Tennessee Farmers Cooperative faces have new roles
as the Co-op system strives to
meet the demands of an everchanging agricultural marketplace.
The staff moves, announced
by Chief Executive Officer
Bart Krisle at last month’s TFC
annual meeting in Nashville,
are intended to better position the cooperative for the
future and meet needs identified by management. They will
also help implement strategies
recommended by a 12-member
System Study Team that spent
most of 2014 exploring ways to
improve efficiencies and effectiveness of the Co-op system.
“TFC continues to recognize
that it takes different approaches to serve the production ag
and rural lifestyle markets, and
our employees are working hard
to provide the products, services, and expertise that will help
us capture as much of that business as possible,” says Krisle.
“These staffing adjustments will
streamline operations while putting more focus in areas where
extra attention is needed.”
Personnel changes announced by Krisle are:
Terry Kelley, formerly chief
executive officer of Mid-South
Farmers Cooperative, is now
TFC’s customer relations officer. A 30-year veteran of the
Co-op system, Kelley had been
Mid-South’s CEO since 2004
when Haywood, Crockett, Madison, and Hardeman Fayette
Farmers Cooperatives merged
and later added McNairy Farmers. Mid-South’s Alamo location
manager, Terry Sellers, has been
named as new CEO.
In his new role, Kelley has
TFC’s four regional managers
reporting to him, and together
they will work with member
Co-ops to rationalize facilities
and equipment to minimize
duplicative costs and maximize
service efficiencies.
“The fresh challenge of this
job is exciting to me,” says
Kelley, a Mississippi State
University graduate who started
his Co-op career at Dyer-Lauderdale Farmers Cooperative.
“These are very meaningful,
important times for the Co-op
system, and to be involved in
this process is an honor.”
Paul Binkley, who also has
three decades of Co-op experience, is TFC’s new director of
training and education. He,
too, reports to Kelley.
Binkley, most recently a TFC
regional manager, is not only
responsible for TFC’s manage-
ment trainees and interns, but
his job also involves professional development for employees, training for directors,
and coordinating educational
efforts systemwide.
“The need to strengthen
training and education programs is something we had
identified for our system, and it
was confirmed through the System Study Team,” says Krisle.
“Co-op has a long history of
success with our training and
intern programs, but we think
we can improve these initiatives and expand our employee
development efforts through
Paul and this new position.”
Jim McWherter, who formerly headed TFC’s Production
Agriculture Division and prior
to that was customer relations
officer, is now chief operations
officer.
(See TFC, page 6)
News briefs
Mid-South Stocker Conference
slated for Feb. 18 in Kentucky
Stocker cattle producers wishing to expand or improve their
operations are encouraged to attend the 10th annual Mid-South
Stocker Conference on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at the Conference
Center in Cave City, Ky.
Presentations include selecting, managing, developing, and
marketing replacement heifers; managing forages for stocker
production; use of technology in cattle production; and health
practices for the stocker operator. Attendees will also be taken
on “virtual tours” of three Tennessee and Kentucky operations,
with the farm operators fielding questions from the audience.
Registration is $50 per individual and $80 per couple until
Feb. 6. After that date, the fee is $65 per individual and $100 per
couple. A trade show begins at 8 a.m., and sessions start at 9.
The event is jointly sponsored by University of Tennessee Extension and University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension. Bayer
Animal Health and BEEF magazine are conference partners.
For more information, visit www.midsouthstocker.org.
FACCT to hold annual meeting Jan. 16
The Farm Animal Care Coalition of Tennessee (FACCT) will
hold its 2015 annual meeting on Friday, Jan. 16, at Embassy
Suites in Murfreesboro. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. and
includes an overview of the past year’s activities. All FACCT
members and member organizations are invited to attend.
FACCT, founded in 2010, serves as a unified voice for
humane animal care, well-being issues, and best management
practices in Tennessee. For more informtion, call 615-970-8065
or email info@tnfacct.org.
January 2015
5
TFC
(continued from page 5)
In his new role, McWherter
oversees all of TFC’s product
departments. He’s also in charge
of implementing the System
Study Team’s strategies related
to inventory management and
programs that will more effectively market and price certain
products across the system.
McWherter’s changing role
resulted in part from the retirement of Bruce Baird, who had
been TFC’s rural lifestyle operations officer.
“This gave us the opportunity
to re-evaluate our department
structure, and it made good
business sense to have one
person over all these areas to
create consistency and unify our
efforts,” says Krisle.
As part of this process, TFC’s
Tires, Batteries, Accessories/
Fuel and Home, Lawn, Specialty departments now fall under
Joe Huffine, who is also responsible for Feed, Animal Health,
Hardware, and Retail Develop-
ment in the renamed Farm,
Home, and Fleet Division.
Bill Epps continues to oversee
the Agronomy Division’s Crop
Protection, Plant Nutrients, and
Farm Seed departments.
“The same department
structure had essentially been in
place since 1992, and the marketplace has drastically changed
since then,” Krisle adds.
With Baird’s retirement,
Vickey Stewart has been
named chief operations officer
for Stockdale’s, TFC’s retail
subsidiary. Stewart comes to
Stockdale’s from Bedford Moore
Farmers Cooperative, where she
spent 32 years and had served as
general manager since 1988.
Stewart, as well as Kelley and
McWherter, report directly to
Krisle.
“Vickey brings a wealth of
experience to Stockdale’s and
has proven success in managing
a store that balances production
ag with rural lifestyle products,”
says Krisle. “With her excitement and leadership, I believe
Stockdale’s will really move
forward and continue to grow.”
Plenty planned for
pork meeting Jan. 20
Pork producers from across
Tennessee will make their annual pilgrimage to Murfreesboro
for the Tennessee Pork Producers Association (TPPA) Annual
Meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at
the Doubletree Hotel.
The meeting begins at 2 p.m.
with a review of the 2014 TPPA
Pork Checkoff financial statement and programs, discussion
of Pork Checkoff activities for
2015, and election of the TPPA
Executive Committee.
At 3 p.m., former University
of Tennessee football standout
Inky Johnson will deliver an
inspirational, motivational program on overcoming obstacles
to achieve excellence. Seating
is limited for his address.
Wrapping up the day’s activities will be the always popular
Taste of Elegance Chefs’
Competition, which begins with
a reception at 5 p.m. During
the competition, area chefs will
present new pork entrees to a
panel of judges, and the winner is invited to participate in
a national Taste of Elegance
experience in California.
In conjunction with the
TPPA annual meeting, the State
Junior Market Hog Show will
make its yearly run Jan. 20-21
at the Tennessee Livestock
Center at Middle Tennessee
State University. This year, 671
hogs are entered in the show
with more than 250 youth from
across the state scheduled to
participate. A pork industry
trade show will also take place
on the second day of the event.
For more information, contact the TPPA office at 615274-6533 or email porkpromotn@tds.net.
6
January 2015
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TFC to celebrate 70-year milestone in 2015
The new year brings a new
milestone for Tennessee Farmers Cooperative — 70 years of
operation.
Organized by visionary
farmers who wanted a steady,
dependable source of quality
supplies, TFC was chartered on
Sept. 27, 1945, after a year of
study by a committee of Tennessee Farm Bureau members
and University of Tennessee
Extension agents under the
leadership of the late Al Jerdan, a UT marketing specialist.
This committee recommended
the formation of a federated
cooperative system, which
they felt would best serve
the interests of farmers
in Tennessee. Representatives from 45 counties
met in Nashville to organize TFC, which had 33
charter member Co-ops.
Today, TFC is recognized
as one of the strongest federated systems in the nation and
provides products and services
to 54 member Co-ops. Those
Co-ops, in turn, serve more
than half a million customers
through more than 150 retail
outlets located in 84 of Tennessee’s 95 counties as well as
several locations in neighboring
states of Kentucky, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina,
Arkansas, and
Mississippi.
TFC headquarters were
originally established in Columbia and later moved to Nashville
and then LaVergne, where they
remain today. TFC now has a
network of three production/distribution centers located at Tenco
near
Maryville in East Tennessee,
LaVergne in Middle Tennessee,
and Jackson in West Tennessee.
Through the years, TFC’s
enduring values of self-help and
cooperation have remained the
same even as the Co-op system
has evolved to meet the needs of
three and even four generations
of farmers.
Along with TFC, 22 member
Co-ops are also celebrating the
70-year mark in 2015, even
though many have merged with
other cooperatives and even
changed names since their original incorporation.
Milestones like this are occasions for reflecting on the
past and looking to the lessons
learned to guide the future.
Beginning in February, the
Tennessee Cooperator will
publish a monthly feature
spotlighting great moments
in TFC history. This feature
will continue throughout
2015 to help the cooperative
system celebrate seven decades
of growth, innovation, and
progress.
January 2015
7
Co-op joins in statewide partnership
with UTIA, TDA to boost beef industry
New heifer program at Lewisburg AgResearch Center will help increase Tennessee cattle numbers
I
n a joint effort to rebuild a
declining Tennessee beef
herd, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture,
the Tennessee Department of
Agriculture, and Tennessee
Farmers Cooperative have announced a unique public-private
partnership.
UTIA will make room at its
Dairy AgResearch and Education Center in Lewisburg for
100 beef heifers consigned by
farmers from across Tennessee for a development program
with the goal of increasing
cattle numbers in the state.
Nationally, Tennessee has
dropped from ninth in beef
cattle production to 13th in
the past two years due in part
to a decrease in the state’s
herd caused by economic and
weather-related factors. Currently, the state hosts about
864,000 beef cows. The goal of
the new Tennessee Beef Heifer
Development Program is to
increase that number, which is
consistent with the recommendations of the Governor’s Rural
Challenge.
Issued in December 2012,
the challenge sets a goal of
making Tennessee No. 1 in the
Southeast in the development
of agriculture and forestry,
emphasizing efforts to increase
farm income and agribusiness
investment. With beef producers located in every county in
the state, enhancing beef cattle
production is a natural priority
for the state’s agricultural community, said Agriculture Commissioner Julius Johnson, who
offered the department’s full
support of the initiative.
“Tennessee has the land
capacity to support beef herd
expansion and to recapture our
share of the U.S. market,” said
Johnson. “This project ties in
with the recommendations of
the Governor’s Rural Challenge
to grow our industry and gives
producers another tool with
which to improve their operation and to maximize profits.”
The most economically straining aspect of beef management
8
January 2015
This is the future site of the Tennessee Beef Heifer Development Program at the University of Tennessee’s Dairy AgResearch and
Education Center in Lewisburg. UT, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, and Tennessee Farmers Cooperative are partnering
in this project to help rebuild the state’s cattle numbers.
— Photo by H. Moorehead, courtesy of UT Institute of Agriculture
is the development of replacement heifers, said UT cattle
expert Kevin Thompson, who
serves as director of the Middle
Tennessee and Dairy AgResearch
and Education Centers.
“Replacement heifer development is expensive because of
the time and resources it takes
to bring a heifer to the point
of production — that is, until
she produces a marketable calf
of her own,” Thompson said,
adding that research has shown
a positive correlation between
proper heifer development and
longevity of the animal within
the herd. “This program will
provide producers with the best
management protocols intended
to optimize development and increase the heifer’s lifetime productivity. We will be helping to
rebuild Tennessee’s cattle herd,
improve its quality and increase
farm profits over time.”
The UT Dairy AgResearch
Center in Lewisburg is perfectly located for the statewide
program, said Thompson. With
support through a $243,000
Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program grant from
TDA and an in-kind contribution from TFC totaling more
than $125,000 in supplies,
equipment and other services
over a five-year period, UTIA
will construct or upgrade certain facilities to accommodate
100 privately owned beef heifers
consigned for intensive management. Improved protocols for
animal production — including
nutrition, health, handling and
reproductive management —
will be developed so they can be
replicated by individual producers across the state.
After 11 months of intensive
management and care at the UT
AgResearch center, the heifers
will be returned to consigners or offered in a bred heifer
replacement sale. UT Extension
has also been involved in the
program development and will
continue to have a leadership
role as the program progresses.
UT is working to identify select producers willing to consign
heifers to the pilot project. Construction of required facilities
is expected to begin by the end
of the year, and the first heifers
should arrive in October 2015.
TDA has agreed to offer TAEP
scholarships to producers who
participate in the pilot project
to help defray a portion of their
management costs.
With the importance of beef
production to Tennessee’s agricultural economy and the Co-op
system, this new project makes
“perfect sense for the cattlemen
of our state,” said Bart Krisle,
TFC’s chief executive officer.
“This program fits one of our
core objectives of helping our
farmer owners increase profitability,” said Krisle. “Helping
beef producers find improved
methods and compare management practices and results
will strengthen their desire to
increase herd size. The opportunity to replicate the program
in their own operations is
the most valuable part of this
initiative, and all the equipment, herd health items, feeds
and minerals can be sourced
from their local Co-ops. This
program will have far-reaching
benefits, and we are proud to
be a part of it.”
UTIA Chancellor Larry
Arrington reiterated the importance of research and Extension to the process of economic
development.
“Providing real-life solutions
to production problems is the
mission of the UT Institute
of Agriculture,” he said. “This
new program has the potential
to truly grow the state’s beef
cattle industry and to have a
substantial and lasting impact
on the state’s rural economy.”
January 2015
9
Story and photos by Chris Villines
At the Nov. 20 grand opening of Lawrence Farmers Cooperative’s new bulk fertilizer facility, the Co-op’s manager, Damon Deese, far left, is joined by, front row from left, Doyle Perry
and Donnie Perry, directors; Sam Smith, Lawrence Farmers; Ronnie Parker, Co-op Feed sales; and Robbie Tice, Gary Brazier, Brandon Prince, and David Ray, Lawrence Farmers.
Back row, from left, are Calvin Bryant, Lawrence Co. Extension; Paul Binkley, TFC Director of Training and Education; Wayne Jackson, Kenny Springer, Wayne Busby, Heath White,
and Doug Malone, Lawrence Farmers; John Duke, TFC Crop Nutrients manager; Bill Epps, TFC Agronomy Division manager; and Rob Marks and Sean Belew, Lawrence Farmers.
W
ith a fertilizer facility that was rapidly
showing its 40-yearold age, the time had come for
Lawrence Farmers Cooperative
to make a decision: maintain the
status quo or make an investment to keep up with customer
needs and changing trends in
agricultural technology.
The Co-op’s board chose
the latter, and the result is a
new, full-service bulk fertilizer
facility, that increases the speed
and efficiency with which local
farmers receive their crop nutrients. A grand opening celebration on Nov. 20 attracted area
farmers, local business leaders,
member Co-op employees, and
representatives from Tennessee
Farmers Cooperative for lunch
and tours of the 18,000-squarefoot building, just across Highway 43 from the Co-op’s main
store in Lawrenceburg.
Lawrenceburg
l
“Two years ago, we started
talking about the possibility of
doing this and ultimately made
the decision that we needed to
upgrade our fertilizer facilities,” said Lawrence Farmers
10
January 2015
Cooperative Manager Damon
Deese. “We were getting to the
point where we felt that our
farmers would go elsewhere if
they couldn’t get faster service.
Time is money on the farm.”
Built by Dyer County’s Newbern Fabricating, the 4,500-toncapacity facility is equipped to
put this concern to rest and
curtail the amount of shrinkage,
or loss, that was occurring at
the old fertilizer building.
“We were experiencing more
than 2 percent shrinkage at the
old facility,” Damon said. “And
it was taking 45 minutes to load
a 24-ton tender truck. With
our new blending system, the
shrinkage should decrease to 0.5
percent and a 24-ton tender can
be loaded in about 12 minutes
— that’s quite a difference. The
system pays for itself in time savings and shrinkage reduction.”
Damon is referring to the
Ranco Declining Weigh Blender,
which weighs the output of each
product as it’s blending and
continually adjusts for any variability caused by density or flow
changes. The system constantly
checks the amount of product
being dispensed throughout the
entire blend time. If the output varies by more than half a
pound, an adjustment is made to
the speed of the auger to compensate for this variance.
“It’s a precise blend, and it’s
very fast,” said Damon. “We have
eight bins, and all the person
who’s loading has to do is keep
them full. You don’t have to
weigh each product, so you can
just dump and go. The computer
does all of the work for you.”
Longtime Lawrence Farmers fertilizer manager Doug
Malone admits that there’s
been “a lot to learn” during the
transition to the new facility
but says he believes the efforts
will reap immediate dividends.
LEFT: Damon Deese, center, shows local farmers Bill Smithson, left, and Mark
Niedergeeses the facility’s potash bin. RIGHT: The building also houses treated
urea, pelleted lime, K-Mag, ammonium sulfate, and diammonium phosphate.
TFC Crop Nutrients Manager John Duke, left, and Sharon Williams, assistant manager
and bulk fertilizer manager at Lincoln Farmers Cooperative, observe the faster
unloading process. It took less than 10 minutes to offload fertilizer from this truck.
“People around here are growing more acres than they used
to, and more young people are
coming into farming,” explained
Doug, who’s in his 37th year at
the Co-op. “We’ve got to keep up
with the times.”
Producers attending the grand
opening event, such as Lawrence
Farmers director Donnie Perry,
were enthused about what the
new facility offers.
“I think it’s going to be a
really good deal,” said Donnie,
who raises row crops and beef
cattle just outside Lawrenceburg. “It will speed things up,
and in this day and time, that’s
what you’ve got to do. I believe
it will make a big difference.”
Fellow director Doyle Perry,
who grows corn, wheat, and
soybeans on his farm near Summertown, was also encouraged
by the new facility’s capabilities.
“It’s important to have something like this because in the
rush of the busy season, you
don’t have a lot of time to wait
around,” Doyle said. “You’ve got
to get your fertilizer quick and
get it applied in a timely manner. It used to be that if we got
100 acres spread a day, that
would be plenty. But now, with
the planters and technology that
we have, it takes a lot of acreage
to keep them working, and they
need to stay moving.”
With the Co-op offering
custom fertilizer application
on the farm, the faster system
will increase productivity for
this service, said TFC Crop
Nutrients Manager John Duke.
“You can get more done in a
day because there will be less
time involved with loading out
the trucks,” John explained.
“And with the unloading system
being markedly faster, that truck
driver will be able to haul a few
more loads.”
John added that the longer scale in place at the new
facility will also help increase
efficiencies. This scale can
accommodate the entire length
of an 18-wheel truck, whereas
the shorter scale in place at
the old facility necessitated
“split weighing.”
“Before, they were having to
weigh part of a truck, then come
back and weigh the other part,”
said John. “The new scale allows the Co-op to better control
shrinkage. They shouldn’t lose
as much product because the
scale is going to provide them
with an accurate weight. It’s
saving the Co-op money, which,
in turn, saves farmers money.”
The new fertilizer facility
should assure these farmers
that the Co-op is committed to
keeping its services in line with
continuing advancements in
agriculture, stressed Damon.
“We’re proud of what we’ve
got here,” he said. “This is one
of the many ways we’re showing
our farmers that we’re on top of
new technologies and serious
about helping them succeed in
their operations.”
The new 18,000-square-foot metal structure was built over a five-month period last
year and is located less than a mile from the Co-op’s Lawrenceburg showroom.
EVERY CROP
NEEDS A SUPERHERO.
Someone who fights for higher yields, giving crops the
nutrients they need when they’re needed most. Someone
who trusts field-proven technologies to more effectively feed
crops, save time and boost the bottom line. Be a superhero.
Ask your retailer for Wolf Trax Innovative Nutrients.
Better nutrition. Better crops. Better farming.
wolftrax.com 1-855-237-9653
©2015 Wolf Trax™ is a trademark of Compass Minerals Manitoba Inc. Compass Minerals
is the proud supplier of Wolf Trax Innovative Nutrients. Not all products are registered in
all areas. Contact infomaster@wolftrax.com for more information. 22716R TNC
January 2015
11
12
January 2015
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Pate Acres Dairy utilizes several Croplan varieties to grow
high-yielding silage corn for their milking herd’s mixed ration
I
t takes a team to make the farming
operation at Maryville’s Pate Acres Dairy
successful. Four members of the Blair
family — brothers Scott, Randy, Gary, and
Steve — share a common goal of ensuring
that their crops and 200-head milking herd
get proper care.
The Blairs firmly believe that there’s
strength in numbers, a philosophy that also
applies to their silage corn crop.
The brothers planted five different
Croplan corn hybrids in 2014 on some 300
acres. They’ve grown the WinField brand
for several years and are sold on its solid
performance.
Last season, the Blairs selected Croplan’s
8750RH, 8621VT2P/RIB, 3699VT3P/RIB,
and DS93RR2, each a dual-purpose variety
suitable for chopping or shelling, along with
8221VT3, which is discontinued for 2015.
“We’ve never been the type to put all of
our eggs in one basket,” Scott Blair stresses.
“We’re pretty loyal to the Croplan brand,
but we like to stagger our corn crop with
different Croplan hybrids because some
have maturity dates that are longer than
others. You can start chopping on one variety while another is completing its growth
cycle.”
To Scott’s point, the breakdown of the
days to maturity of each hybrid ranges from
93 to 118 days.
“All of them did very well this year,” Scott
says of the 2014 crop. “Everything hit just
right, weather-wise, and that produced a
bumper crop. We averaged around 30 tons
per acre when we chopped, and we had so
much that it filled our silos. There were 80
acres we didn’t get to chop, so we shelled it
and averaged around 175 bushels per acre
here at the farm and 230 bushels per acre on
our river bottomland. It’s just been hard to
get it harvested because it hasn’t stayed dry
long enough. This is the first time I’ve ever
shelled corn in December.”
The Blairs get a firsthand look at the latest
Croplan hybrids each year as their farm
serves as a host site for test plots. This,
Scott explains, helps them determine what
adjustments and additions to make with
their annual corn seed selections. Whether
chopped or shelled, all of the corn the
Rolling East Tennessee terrain provides a
setting conducive for the Blairs to thrive with
their Croplan hybrids.
At Pate Acres Dairy in Maryville, Steve Blair, far left, and, back row from left, brothers
Scott, Gary, and Randy, grew five Croplan silage corn hybrids in 2014. Also helping in the
family operation are Steve’s daughters, from left, Bethany and Jessica, and wife Janet.
Blairs harvest goes into the total mixed ration for their dairy cattle.
“If we see something in the last year’s test
plot that we like, we’ll most likely plant
some of it,” Scott says. “Of course, we
have the Croplan hybrids that we’re partial
to and don’t want to let go because they’ve
always done good, but we’re open to trying
new things, too. That’s how you learn.”
And with all of the knowledge the brothers
have gained concerning Croplan products,
coupled with the excellent yields they’ve
seen year after year, Scott says there’s a
clear direction for their silage corn program.
“Croplan has always been dependable and
consistent for us,” he says. “It always grows
well no matter what type of soil you put it
in, and the disease package is top-notch. In
the past, we’ve put out some other brands,
and they didn’t perform like we thought they
would. But Croplan will make a corn crop
just about anywhere you want to put it.
“We stick with Croplan because it’s been a
good product for us.”
To learn more about Croplan corn, visit
the professionals at your local Co-op or
online at www.winfield.com.
A perfect combination of sun and rainfall
helped the Blairs’ corn produce high-quality
ears like these of Croplan 8750.
January 2015
13
14
January 2015
Co-op-fed animals
mean more money
for top exhibitors
Raising prize animals on Co-op
feeds can put serious extra money
into the pockets of Tennessee
youth livestock exhibitors whose
market steers, lambs, hogs, or
goats capture championship titles
in their respective shows.
Beginning Jan. 1, Tennessee
Farmers Cooperative’s Animal
Nutrition Division has earmarked
special financial rewards for those
who win top awards at any of the
four scheduled events. Additionally, a statewide youth goat show
will benefit from a significant
Co-op contribution.
“I’m a product of youth
livestock programs, and I was
always aware that Co-op was
supporting us,” says Dr. Paul
Davis, TFC’s director of feed
and animal health who was
raised in Cumberland County’s
Crab Orchard community.
“We want that to continue in a
meaningful and impactful way.”
Awards in the revamped
Co-op Feeds recognition program include $500 for exhibitors
of grand champion animals in
several events along with custom jackets and trophy buckles.
Here’s what exhibitors who use
Co-op feeds will receive:
Tennessee Junior Market Hog
Show, Murfreesboro — Grand
champion, $500, jacket, and
buckle; reserve, $250, jacket,
and buckle.
Tennessee Junior Livestock
Expo Market Steer Show,
Murfreesboro — Grand champion, $500 plus exclusive Co-op
livestock showman jacket and
trophy buckle; reserve champion,
$250, jacket, and buckle.
Tennessee Junior Livestock
Expo Market Lamb Show,
Cooke-ville — Grand champion,
$500, jacket, and buckle; reserve, $250, jacket, and buckle.
Tennessee Junior Market
Goat Show, Lebanon — Grand
champion, $500, jacket, and
Just like 2014 Junior Livestock Expo market steer winners Collin Howd, right, and
Katie Plowman, youth exhibitors who feed Co-op products and win top titles will
benefit from a revamped rewards program from Tennessee Farmers Cooperative.
Collin and Katie received checks honoring their accomplishment from TFC feed
specialist Jason Moore, second from left, and David Keel, manager of Henry Farmers
Cooperative, where they purchased Co-op’s Show Time Beef Ration (#94224).
buckle; reserve, $250, jacket,
and buckle.
For the Heart of Tennessee
Meat Goat Classic in Murfreesboro, Co-op will contribute
$2,000 as sponsor of the Wether
Show and present jackets to
champion and reserve wether
exhibitors. No cash awards will
be presented to exhibitors.
“The bonus monies given by
TFC to exhibitors are what we
consider to be substantial and
hopefully meaningful rewards
for jobs well done and their
faith in Co-op products,” Paul
says. “Perhaps these monetary
bonuses can and will be used for
next year’s animals or to buy a
business suit for college or a job
interview.”
“I will never forget winning
the W. Clyde Hyder animal science award [at Tennessee Tech
in Cookeville] and Mr. Hyder
suggesting that I buy a suit [to
interview in] with the money,”
he adds. “That’s exactly what I
did! Co-op Feeds wants to be a
part of providing the spark that
may help our youth to fulfill
their aspirations.”
January 2015
15
New at Co-op
®
Products from Electric Fence
Light Co. LLC.
Electric Fence Light
Electric Fence Light (#219210) lets you know that your electric fence is working properly without any worries. It flashes
on and off with every pulse of the electric fence box, and
there's very little draw-down of voltage. Light flashes can be
seen up to one mile.
Buckwild Innovations
Universal Hay Ring Cover
Buckwild Innovations Universal Hay Ring Cover (#24305) is a
safe, cost-effective means of protecting hay in a Co-op horse or
cattle hay ring feeder without hindering the original function of the
hay ring. The ring cover has six heavy-duty galvanized tubing roof
support bars that are mounted in evenly spaced positions and rise
to a level slightly higher than the top tube of the hay ring. This is
to allow the flat circular roof to droop in between the support
bars and take on the shape of a conical/tapered roof on hay rings
of varying diameters. The roof, made of heavy-duty, high-tearresistance 3/16" thick UV stabilized extruded rubber, is mounted
in the center and bolted on every roof support bar, about midway
down the length of the bar. This is done for three reasons: During
extreme winds, the rubber will fold back to the point that the
ring will not be lifted; when using for horses, if a horse spooks
and jerks his head up, the soft rubber will flop up and fall back
down without damaging the horse or the rubber; when using our
“Hay Spear/Ring Mover” to move the hay ring, while placing the
ring over the hay bale and the spear pivots upwards, the roof will
simply rise up without the spear tearing the rubber. This product
is designed to fit a Co-op horse or cattle ring (not included).
24-inch Fencer Lightning Fuse
24-inch Fencer Lightning Fuse (#219211) is designed
to blow and keep lightning from getting into your
fence box. The fuses are sold in packs of two so that
lightning cannot get your box from the hot or the
ground side.
T-Post Mounting Bracket
T-Post mounting bracket (#219212) allows
you to mount your electric fencing light
directly onto your existing metal
t-post, which also becomes the
ground for the electric fence light.
#1414108
Organic Oscar products were formulated by people who love their dogs and consider them part
of their family. Every day, our faithful companions
give us their unconditional love, requiring only
our care in return. It’s from this devotion that our
dogs share with us that the inspiration for Organic
Oscar was forged. Our grooming products are
just one of the many ways we can show our loyal
friends that we value their health and well-being
just as they value our friendship.
16
January 2015
#1414103
Holistic Bite & Itch
Relief Shampoo
Lavender Puppy
Shampoo
It's caring comfort to calm irritation.
Comfort your dog’s bitten, itchy, irritated
skin with pure botanical oils that soothe
and heal. Formulated with all the goodness of cooling peppermint, soothing
neem, and citronella and tea tree oils.
Extra-delicate luxury for extra special pups.
Lather your dog’s delicate skin with this
extra-mild organic lavender formula. Natural
goodness with a limited ingredient list that
will relax even the most anxious puppies. Also
recommended for dogs with skin allergies.
Wild Birds Neighborly Advice
Prepare for ‘no vacancy’ season
at the purple martin house
S
oon,
many
bird
enthusiasts in our
area will be
scurrying
out to the
backyard
Chris Bowman
to clean
Home, Lawn, Specialty out purple
product specialist
martin
houses. More than a million
people in the U.S. and Canada
are purple martin “landlords”
who put up nest boxes or gourds
for the birds on their property.
These handsome swallows have
adapted well to living close to
humans and will be scanning for
nesting homes in the upcoming
weeks, so it’s important to make
the real estate look as attractive
as possible for them.
Purple martins are the only
bird species in the eastern half
of North America entirely dependent upon human-supplied
nesting. It can be a challenge to
establish a colony, so be patient.
And educate yourself as much
as possible to learn more about
these fascinating flyers. Creating
a bird-friendly habitat for purple
martins can make attracting
them much easier.
Because purple martins eat
thousands of insects each day, do
not require bird feeders and can
nest in compact colonies, birders
only have to take a few steps to
make a suitable backyard habitat:
Avoid spraying insecticides
or pesticides on lawns, trees or
shrubs, since doing so will eliminate the single food source these
birds require. Instead, by attracting purple martins you can take
advantage of their natural insect
control and voracious appetites.
On rare occasions, purple
martins will eat fine gravel to
use as grit to aid their digestion.
Having a secluded source of this
gravel nearby can help attract
the birds. Furthermore, they will
also eat crushed eggshells as a
calcium supplement during the
nesting season, and providing
the eggshells (dried and briefly
toasted to be sterile and brittle)
can encourage nesting purple
martins to linger nearby.
Location of the nest box is
very important. The house
should be at least 50 feet from
trees and between 12 and 20
feet off the ground. Be sure to
remove vines and shrubs from
the area directly underneath the
nest box and keep sparrows and
starlings from nesting in martin
houses. Sparrows destroy martin
eggs, and starlings will kill the
young.
It’s also critical to protect
martins from predators such
as squirrels, snakes, cats, and
It’s nesting season for purple martins,
North American swallows that rely on
bird enthusiasts for their homes.
raccoons. Keep some type of
predator guard on the ground
or on the pole leading up to the
martin house and remove any
vines, shrubs, or bushes around
the base of the pole. Unoccupied
martin houses that are unkempt
at ground level will rarely, if ever,
attract these birds.
If you have the proper habitat
to attract purple martins and
are willing to commit to being
a faithful manager, you’ll certainly be rewarded by the winged
wonders that take up residency
and return year after year. These
won’t just be birds to you; they’ll
be like extended family members.
January 2015
17
Cattle
Neighborly Advice
Winter supplements and spring calving
I
s your
herd prepared for
the upcoming calving
season?
Intelligent
decisions
made now
Royce Towns
can have a
TFC Nutritionist
significant
impact on the health of newborn
calves, the amount of milk produced by their mother, and how
soon the cow breeds back after
calving.
Cow-calf operations in the
Southeast are based on forages,
and this time of year producers generally rely on harvested
hay for the majority of the
herd’s diet. This hay must be of
adequate quantity and quality
to meet the nutrient requirements of brood cows at various
stages of production. For springcalving herds, winter feeding
coincides with the last third of
gestation and early lactation.
18
January 2015
Cows at these stages of production require a considerably
higher level of nutrition than
dry cows in early gestation. If
these nutrient needs are not met,
cows tend to calve in poor body
condition, give birth to smaller,
weaker calves, and take longer
to breed back than those in good
condition.
While beef cattle are uniquely
designed to process large quantities of roughage, there are
limitations to this ability. Forage
that is overmature at cutting,
combined with poor harvest and
storage conditions, can result in
a winter hay supply that provides
less-than-desirable amounts
of protein and energy. Such
deficiencies also decrease the digestibility of the forage, limiting
the amount of hay a cow can eat.
Since both consumption and
nutrient content of such forages
are low, supplementation may
be necessary to meet the cow’s
nutrient requirements. The
challenge then becomes knowing
which supplement to use and
how to use it.
The first step is determining
the nutritive value of the hay.
Forage-testing is available from
various sources and can serve as
a basis for making logical decisions about supplementation. A
basic forage analysis will offer
information about the protein
and energy levels and allow the
producer to rank hay from various fields and cuttings according to their feeding value. For
example, highest-quality hay can
be reserved for lactating cows,
heifers, and thin cows.
Energy will likely be the most
deficient nutrient and can be
most effectively provided by pellets or cubes formulated specifically as forage supplements.
Such products are designed to be
high in energy yet low in starch
so that they enhance rather than
impair forage digestion. Feeding rates will be determined by
the hay quality, and the supplement should be hand-fed daily to
reduce variations in the rumen
environment.
If labor and time constraints
make daily hand-feeding impractical, self-fed tubs and liquid
feeds are other options. Though
not intended to directly supply
energy to the animal, they do
stimulate rumen microbes so
that more pounds of forage can
be digested, resulting in increased nutrient intake. Due to
their relatively low consumption
rates, tubs and liquid feeds are
not designed to compensate for
large nutrient deficiencies.
With winter feeding costs typically making up a sizeable portion of the expense of maintaining a beef cow, cattlemen should
look for nutritional programs that
provide the greatest return on
investment. Correcting nutrient
deficiencies with proper supplementation can significantly impact the bottom line. Visit with
the cattle experts at your Co-op
to design a feeding program to
meet your specific needs.
January 2015
19
2014 Annual Meeting
Only the beginning
TFC leaders announce the start of new strategies, staffing structure
On Nov. 30 at Nashville’s Opryland Hotel, attendees of Co-op’s 2014 Annual Meeting visit with each other and make their way
around the “TFC Business Showcase,” which included several informational displays and the debut of a new video, “Where It
Begins.” The video, named in conjunction with the annual meeting’s theme, followed Co-op products from start to end use.
By Allison Morgan, photos by
Sarah Geyer and Chris Villines
W
hile the “end” of
fiscal year 2014
was the official
purpose of Tennessee Farmers
Cooperative’s annual meeting
on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, leaders
of the organization focused on
20
January 2015
“beginnings” during their presentations to nearly 800 member Co-op directors, managers,
and special guests at Gaylord
Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville.
The meeting’s “Where It Begins” theme proved appropriate
as both Board Chairman Kenneth Nixon of Carthage and
Chief Executive Officer Bart
Krisle discussed the launch of
new strategies to “better position our cooperative system to
serve the changing needs of
farmers.”
“Simply put, it begins with
you,” Krisle said. “This is your
business. Our Co-op system
would have no reason to exist
without our farmers, members, and customers. From the
products we sell to the services
we provide to the expertise we
offer, Co-op is a trusted partner
for your farm, home, family,
and community.”
Nixon’s message to the
membership centered around
the recommendations of the
12-member System Study Team
that worked together from
January through October 2014
to explore ways to “enhance
the value to the farmer-owner
by focusing on efficiencies that
will maximize the effectiveness
of our cooperative system,” as
directed by the TFC board’s
strategic plan.
The result was a comprehensive report outlining five strategies that address the system’s
current structure while increasing financial strength, promoting continued growth, improving service to members, and
preserving farmer input. The
TFC board approved these strategies at its October meeting:
1. TFC will develop and
support the concept of allowing
local cooperatives to become
an operational division of TFC.
This additional organizational
structure option will enhance
the system’s financial strength,
promote continued growth, and
still preserve farmer input.
2. TFC, working with local
cooperatives, will rationalize
facilities and equipment to
minimize duplication costs and
maximize service effectiveness
within the system.
3. TFC, working with local
cooperatives, will enhance inventory management across the
system. Included within this is
a plan to reduce the number
of like items as well as other
options.
4. TFC, working with local
cooperatives, will implement
programs to more effectively
market and price strategically
identified inventories across the
system.
5. Improve recruiting, training, placement, and retention
of employees, managers, and
directors.
“I truly believe that in the
history of this great organization,
the formation of this team is
the most important thing we’ve
ever done,” said Nixon, who led
the team along with two other
TFC directors, three member
Co-op directors, and three
member Co-op managers — one
from each zone — and three of
TFC’s senior management staff.
“Throughout all of our discussions, we always focused on
what we thought was in the best
interests of our farmer-owners.
These are just recommendations.
None of these will go into effect
without the support of local
Co-op boards and their membership and TFC’s board. It begins
there.”
In his annual meeting address, Krisle emphasized that
the study team’s report is only
the beginning of the process.
TFC is now tasked with implementing those recommendations. He said the first strategy
— giving local cooperatives the
option of becoming an operational division of TFC — is
perhaps the most difficult but
also has the most potential to
enhance the system’s financial
strength and promote continued growth.
“This has generated the most
discussion and feedback, and
there are two important points
that I want to make,” said
Krisle. “First, it is an option
Taking a quick refreshment break during the TFC Business Showcase are, from left, Jeremy Davis, Bertlee Davis, Josie Lee,
Brittany Davis, and Jude Lee. Brittany is the daughter of Putnam Farmers Cooperative Manager Jere Cumby.
for a member cooperative to
consider. This strategy leaves
the decision about each
Co-op’s future in the hands of
the farmers, where it belongs,
and gives them another choice
to protect and grow their business. Second, each opportunity
will involve a business evaluation to determine if the member becoming a division of TFC
has the potential for a return
on the investment made.”
Krisle also announced that
TFC has made adjustments
to its management team,
including the hiring of a new
customer relations officer and
The Plain Jane Wisdom Girls — Devon O’Day, left, a popular Nashville radio host,
and Kim McLean, a successful singer/songwriter — entertain the crowd at the
Ladies Brunch with amusing stories and original songs, like “Gravy” and “Sweet
Tea,” based on their memories of their Southern upbringings.
director of training.
(See related story on
page 5). Along with
other responsibilities, these new positions will help define
the process and
establish guidelines
to carry out this
strategy and the rest
of the study team
recommendations.
“As the market
and agricultural environment change,
if we are not willing to seek ways to
be more effective
and efficient, then
Artist Ralph McDonald personalizes a copy of his
we will become irTennessee FFA Alumni painting “Rising Sun” for
relevant and won’t
Cumberland Farmers Cooperative director Al Wilson.
survive,” said Krisle.
July 31. That’s a decrease of
“Average goes out of business.”
$12 million from 2013, due
There was nothing average
primarily to the effects of Uniabout TFC’s financial perforversal Cooperatives’ bankruptcy
mance in 2014, as reported by
earlier this year, explained
Chief Financial Officer ShanHuff, but still the third-highest
non Huff during the business
sales number on record in
breakfast, which was added to
the agenda this year as part of a TFC’s nearly 70-year history.
new streamlined format for the Margin before income taxes
annual meeting. These changes was $26.9 million, and TFC
returned $17 million in patronallowed the meeting to end on
age refunds to its member
Monday afternoon instead of
concluding with a banquet that Co-ops — $8.5 million in cash.
With a record 668,000 tons
night.
sold, fertilizer accounted for
TFC reached consolidated
gross sales of $763 million for
(See Begins, page 22)
fiscal year 2014, which ended
January 2015
21
2014 Annual Meeting
In the keynote address, retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Michael Durant
shares his gripping story of being shot down and imprisoned in Somalia in 1993. The
experience became a best-selling book and acclaimed movie, “Black Hawk Down.”
Begins
(continued from page 21)
more than $268 million of
TFC’s sales, said Chief Operations Officer Jim McWherter in
his report during the breakfast.
He also covered other highlights of the 2014 fiscal year,
including unprecedented seed
sales at $70 million and the
third-highest fuel sales volume
in TFC’s recent history at 37.7
million gallons.
In the livestock area, McWherter pointed out highlights
such as the launch of the new
Pinnacle horse feed lineup and
the formation of Alliance Animal Care, a joint venture between TFC and MFA that has
already “vastly improved” the
service level and timely delivery
of animal health products to
members. He also mentioned
that sales of garden seed-packaged at TFC’s Halls Seed Plant
showed another year of growth
due to continued interest in
home gardening.
“At TFC, our task is to work
with our member Co-ops to
help position them to benefit
22
January 2015
their members and owners,”
said McWherter. “Where it begins for our cooperative system
today is determining the needs
that our farmers have and then
providing products and services
that will generate success for
you.”
TFC’s operational departments were in the spotlight at
the TFC Business Showcase,
which kicked off the meeting on Sunday afternoon with
informative and eye-catching
displays and interaction with
TFC employees from all areas
of the business. The showcase
also featured the debut of the
new “Where It Begins” video
that follows many of Co-op’s
products and services from
TFC to the member Co-op to
the customer. That video can
be seen on TFC’s YouTube
channel at this link: bit.ly/
WhereItBeginsVideo.
On Monday, the annual
business luncheon focused on
Co-op’s commitment to youth
in Tennessee, with the donation of $25,000 to 4-H and
FFA from the sales of Co-op’s
2014 commemorative Case
knife and the presentation of
the original Ralph McDonald
painting created for the Tennessee FFA Alumni Association
print series that raises funds
for scholarships and ag education. Co-op is sponsoring
the 2015 edition of the print,
which was unveiled during
the annual meeting. Attendees
had a chance to purchase the
prints on site and have them
personalized by the artist. The
original will now hang in TFC’s
LaVergne offices.
Also during lunch, retired
TFC Metal Fabrication Plant
manager David Lancaster of
Gordonsville was announced as
the 2014 recipient of Co-op’s
highest honor — the James
B. Walker Cooperative Spirit
Award. (See related story on
page 26).
While Co-op leaders were
involved in the business sessions, their spouses and guests
were treated to the annual
ladies’ brunch with entertainment by The Plain Jane Wisdom Girls — veteran broadcaster Devon O’Day and songwriter/speaker Kim McLean.
Both proud Co-op customers,
the duo blended humor, heart,
and music through their “Farm
to Table: How America Says I
Love You” program. After the
brunch, many of the ladies visited adjacent Opry Mills mall to
do some Christmas shopping.
All attendees were invited to
hear the afternoon’s keynote address by Michael Durant, retired
U.S. Army chief warrant officer
and inspiration for the best-selling book and acclaimed movie,
“Black Hawk Down.” Durant
was the pilot of a Black Hawk
helicopter that was fired upon
and brought down Oct. 3, 1993,
during a fierce combat operation in Mogadishu, Somalia. He
was overrun by a crazed mob,
captured, and held prisoner for
11 days, suffering from gunshot
wounds and a broken back, leg,
and face in the process.
Durant, now president
and chief executive officer of
Huntsville, Ala.-based Pinnacle Solutions, has turned his
harrowing experiences into a
powerful story of survival and
motivation.
In relating his military experience to other areas of life,
Durant shared this list as “keys
to mission success:” people,
State 4-H Council President Alexis Stokes of Madison County, in green jacket, and state
FFA President Kevin Robertson of Wilson County, at podium, post the colors and lead
the Pledge of Allegiance to kick off the 2014 Co-op Annual Meeting as TFC directors,
from left, Amos Huey, Kenneth Nixon, Johnny Brady, and David Sarten look on.
LEFT: TFC Board Chairman Kenneth Nixon of Carthage addresses meeting attendees
and shares the recommendations made by a 12-member System Study Team. RIGHT:
Dickson Farmers Cooperative director Beth Dawson listens intently to Nixon’s speech.
leadership, resources, tactics,
training, and planning.
“The theme for this conference, ‘Where It Begins,’ wasn’t
the phrase I used to come up
with this list, but still it ties
to it very well,” said Durant.
“What does it take for organizations to be successful? These
are the building blocks for a
powerful organization, whether
it’s what you do or a military
unit, football team, family.”
After Durant’s serious message, the meeting ended on
a much lighter note with the
grand prize drawing for a John
Deere Gator, which went to
Stanley Yates of Grainger County. His name was drawn from
all the member Co-op directors
who turned in completed entry
forms at the TFC Business
Showcase. Other major door
prizes went to Dusty Matlock of
Franklin County, Mike Lynn of
White County, Richard Choate
of Fentress County, Larry Cadle
of Claiborne County, and William Butch Campbell of Fentress County.
“I was in disbelief when they
called my name,” said Yates, a
Rutledge dairyman, as he sat
in his new Gator for the first
time. “I never win anything, so
I sure didn’t think I’d be the
one taking this home. But I’m
thrilled, and I sure can put it to
good use.”
Grainger Farmers Cooperative director Stanley Yates is thrilled to sit in the grand
prize John Deere Gator he won when his name was drawn at the end of the meeting.
Thank you, gentlemen
Every beginning has an ending. Seasons change. A planted
crop is harvested. Daylight turns to dusk.
And in a year where the Co-op annual meeting theme was
“Where It Begins,” it ironically marked the end of TFC board
tenure for two bright, energetic, and talented individuals, Amos
Huey and George Smartt.
Mr. Huey, who grows cotton, corn, soybeans, and wheat on
5,000 acres with his brother, Daniel, in Obion County, served
Zone 1 with distinction since 2007. Mr. Smartt, whose 400-acre
Warren County operation includes poultry, nursery stock, and
beef cattle, ably represented Zone 3 beginning in 2006.
In recognizing the two directors for their service, fellow TFC
board member Clint Callicott of Only gave a fitting tribute during Co-op’s 2014 annual meeting on Dec. 1:
“With these two men, their first priority is God, second is family,
and third is Co-op. They served this board because they believe
in the Co-op system. I can honestly say that both Amos Huey and
George Smartt have enriched my life, and I am proud to call both
of them my friends.”
In their subsequent remarks, both outgoing directors appeared
genuinely humbled and appreciative of the kind words and the
plaques they received to commemorate their time on the board.
“I would like to thank Zone 1 for electing me to represent you
and Obion Farmers Co-op for their support,” Mr. Huey said. “It’s
an honor to have served on this board. I’ve gotten to know a whole
lot of people from across the state. I always kept one thing at the
top of my mind the whole time I was on the board: the Co-op was
made by the farmer for the farmer. I’ll never forget that. Thank
you very much.”
Mr. Smartt was filled with emotion as he reminisced about his
board service:
“To my loving wife, Tammy, thank you for the 29 years you’ve
put up with me. I’m thankful to my family and to Warren Farmers
Co-op, who believed in me and backed me all these years. And to
everyone in Zone 3, the staff at TFC, and my fellow directors who
feel like brothers to me, thank you from the bottom of my heart for
a great opportunity.”
During their time on the board, Mr. Huey and Mr. Smartt
helped spearhead new ventures and growth initiatives that have
further strengthened the Co-op
system for now
and the future.
And both men
assure that they’ll
stay active in
championing the
cooperative cause
through their local Co-ops.
For your determined efforts
throughout the
years, Mr. Huey
and Mr. Smartt,
the Co-op family
says thank you.
Those thanks
also extend to
2014 TFC board
chairman KenOutgoing TFC directors Amos Huey, left, of Kenton and
neth Nixon
George Smartt of McMinnville show the plaques they
received for distinguished service as TFC board members.
of Carthage,
Smartt began his board tenure in 2006 and Huey in 2007.
who so capably
guided the Co-op’s governing body over the past year as it worked in
concert with a 12-member System Study Team to explore ways to
“enhance the value to the farmer-owner by focusing on efficiencies
that will maximize the effectiveness of our cooperative system.”
Mr. Nixon’s poise and professionalism have been evident
throughout 30 years of combined board service — the most by any
TFC director in the 69-year history of the organization. And this
vibrant tobacco and beef cattle farmer was again elected by his constituents in Zone 2 to represent them on the TFC board.
“I want our cooperative system to be here for my children and
grandchildren,” Mr. Nixon said during his chairman’s speech on
Dec. 1. “We can make that happen if we work together to achieve
this goal. Let’s move our system to the top of the mountain.”
— Chris Villines
January 2015
23
2014 Annual Meeting
Fowler, Thompson are new TFC directors
T
ennessee Farmers
Cooperative’s board of
directors welcomed both
a familiar face and a newcomer
to their ranks after zone caucus
elections at the 2014 annual
meeting Dec. 1 in Nashville.
Mark Thompson of Cumberland Gap, who previously served
on the TFC board from 1998 to
2005, was chosen by his peers
in Zone 3 to serve a three-year
term, while first-time TFC director Keith Fowler of Martin was
elected to represent Zone 1.
Returning to the board after
a nine-year hiatus, Thompson
replaces George Smartt of McMinnville, who was not eligible
for re-election.
“It’s a privilege to serve on the
TFC board again,” says Thompson, who was chairman in 2003
and 2005. “It is my goal to work
with directors and management
to help place this Co-op strategically for profitability and greater
service to the farmer owners.”
Thompson, a member of
Claiborne Farmers Cooperative
since 1977, has served 18 years
on its board of directors, holding
offices of vice chairman, chairman, and secretary.
On his 1,100-acre property, the full-time farmer raises
stocker cattle and runs a beef
cow/calf operation as well as
growing alfalfa, corn, tobacco,
and pumpkins. He is also active
in his community, serving on the
Claiborne Livestock Association
and Claiborne County Agricultural Committee.
Mark and wife Mary, technology supervisor for Claiborne
County Schools, have two sons
who farm with him: Cody, 22,
a recent graduate of Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State
University, and Lee, 24. The
Thompsons attend Arthur
United Methodist Church in
Cumberland Gap.
Fowler, who is serving his second seven-year term on Weakley
Farmers Cooperative’s board of
directors, replaces Amos Huey of
Kenton on the TFC board.
“I consider it a great honor to
be elected by the farmers of West
Tennessee to serve on the state
Keith Fowler, left, of Martin and Mark Thompson of Cumberland Gap are the newest
members of Tennessee Farmers Cooperative’s board of directors. They were
elected to represent Zones 1 and 3, respectively, at TFC’s annual meeting Dec. 1.
board,” says Fowler. “I believe
I have a great responsibility to
make sure TFC will be positioned to meet the needs of our
members now and in the future.”
The first-time TFC board
member raises corn, wheat, and
soybeans on 5,200 acres and is
co-owner and manager of Robinson & Belew, Inc., in Sharon, a
grain elevator business with 4.5
million bushels of storage.
Fowler is also a director of
First State Bank in Union City,
Weakley County Farm Bureau,
and Tennessee FFA Foundation. He formerly served on the
Tennessee Soybean Promotion
Board and Farm Credit Advisory
Committee. He’s a member of
Pleasant Hill Baptist Church.
He and wife Linda, an employee of the Weakley County
school system, have three children: Chris, 25, a University of
Tennessee Martin graduate who
farms with his dad; Rachel, 21,
a senior at UTM; and Emily, 16,
a sophomore at Westview High
School in Martin.
Harris elected chairman, Brady vice chair
T
o lead Tennessee Farmers Cooperative’s board
of directors in 2014-15,
Larry Paul Harris of Wildersville is reprising his role as
chairman while Johnny Brady
of Riceville has been chosen
to serve a second term as vice
chairman.
Harris, who represents Zone
1, and Brady, Zone 3, were
elected by fellow directors at
a reorganizational session on
Dec. 1 as part of TFC’s annual
meeting in Nashville.
Harris previously served as
board chairman in 2004 and
succeeds Kenneth Nixon of
Carthage, who was re-elected
for a three-year term to represent Zone 2.
“I’m looking forward to continuing the progress made in
the past by this organization,”
said Harris. “It is my privilege
to be a part of this prominent
and viable system’s future.”
A member of First Farmers
Cooperative for 45 years, Harris
24
January 2015
has served on the local board
for 23 years and been elected as
president three times. He farms
5,000 acres in partnership
with his family, growing corn,
soybeans, and wheat as well as
maintaining a herd of 100 brood
cows. A former swine producer,
he was named Pork All-American in 1982.
Harris is also a member of
the Henderson County Farm
Bureau, an elder at Christian
Chapel Church of Christ, and
chairman of the Tennessee
Soybean Promotion Board. He
and wife Judy have three daughters — Dana Cameron, Paula
Hughes, and Jenny Gibson —
who, along with their husbands,
are actively involved in the family farm operation. Their seven
grandchildren, ranging in age
from 4 to 13, “love helping out
on the farm, too,” says the new
TFC chairman.
Re-elected to serve as TFC’s
vice chairman, Brady operates
a 100-head Jersey dairy farm on
500 acres in McMinn County,
where he also raises registered
Angus cattle and Bermudagrass hay and corn for silage.
Brady joined the TFC board in
2011 after serving three years
on the board of Valley Farmers
Cooperative.
In his leadership position,
Brady says he looks forward
to helping the board continue
to make important decisions
about the system’s future.
“As the landscape of farming
changes, the landscape of the
member Co-ops will change
as well,” says Brady. “I hope
everyone will stop and look at
their own unique situation to
determine their positions for
the future success of their Coop. The strength of the member Co-ops ultimately leads to
the strength of TFC. My goal
would be that each individual
farmer gains value from a successful Co-op system.”
He and his wife, Cathy,
have three children — Steven,
Larry Paul Harris
Johnny Brady
33, and wife Brandy; Scott,
30; and Shelby, 23; and three
grandchildren — Cade, 9;
Noah, 8; and Nate, 5.
Tennessee Farmers Cooperative congratulates member directors and boards
who completed the Certified Director Program in 2014.
Certified Directors
Fred Adams
Russell Adkins
Jeff Aiken
Bill Allen
Jim Alley
John Alsup
Steve Alsup
Wayne Anderson
Ed Anderson
Robin Anderton
Jere Andrews
Randy Ashby
James Bacon
Stephen Bailey
Steve Baltz
Gene Barker
Regina Barnhill
Robert Baskin
Jeff Batey
Virgil Beasley
David Beasley
Tim Bishop
Chester Black
Albert Blackburn
Joe Darren Boaz
Paul Bond
Johnnie Bond
Jim Bratton
Damon Brown
Larry Brown
John W. Brown
Earl Bryan
Malcolm Buchanan
Timothy Dale Burke
Gerald Caldwell
Frank Campbell
Frank Capps
Andy Carlton
Larry Cato
Jason Cherry
Rusty Chilcutt
Richard Choate
Larry Chunn
Eddie Clanton
David Clark
Ben Clark
George R. Cline ll
Irwin Cooper
Dwight Corlew
Scott Cothran
Tommy Cowell
Tim Criswell
Benjie Daniel
Charles Darty
Chris Davis
Greg Davis
Mark Davis
Beth Dawson
Charlie Denton
Hugh Dickey
Kaleb Dinwiddie
Jeff Douglas
Phil Dunivan
Howard Eades
Tony Eldridge
Bryan Finley
Jimmy Fishburn
Bill Floyd
Melinda Forbes
Keith Fowler
Jerry Gardner
Larry Garrett
Tim George
Derek Gernt
Jake Gibson
Clinton Gilbreath
Dale Gleghorn
Wade Goff
Danny L. Good Jr.
Jeff Gossett
Randal Graff
Bryan Gray
Geary Greer
David Gregory
Steven Gribble
Wayne Grimmett
Floyd Grisham
Gary Hall
Isabel Hall
David Hannah
Rodney Hardin
Larry Paul Harris
Andy Harris
James Hartman
Kevin Harvey
Herman Henry
Ray Henshaw
Jerry Hicks
Michael Hix
James Horner
Charlie Housley
John Huff
Warren Hurst
Andrew Huskey
Brad Irwin
Chris James
Phillip Jenkins
Charlie Jobe
Jay Johnson
Nathan Johnson
James Steve Joiner
Donald Jordan
Joe Keele
Clay Kelley
Rickey Kelley
C. A. Kelly
Tony Kennedy
Ronald J. Kimbro
Jerry King
John Kinnie
Scott Knox
Tony Krantz
Roy Ladd Jr
Richard Lafever
Gary Lamb
Eric Law
Donald Lockhart
Randy Lowe
Bill Loy
Hal Luckey
Tim Luckey
Mike Lynn
Richard Lyon
Kenny Martin
Adam Martin
Brandon Masiongale
Tant Mason
David Matlock
John McConnell
Morgan McHenry
David McNabb
Andy Miller
Tim Miller
Willie Miller
Gem Mitchell
Kenneth Moore
Howard Moore
Andy Morgan
Tim Morris
Wayne Morris
John Moser
Mack Moss
Perry Nash
Richard “Bubba” Neisler
Benny S. Noland
Kevin C. Norris
Kyle Owen
Allan Pack
Tim Patt
John L. Pearson
James Pemberton
Jim Pewitt
Gary Phillips
Harold Pickett
Gary Pope
Terry Poston
Danny Powell
Jonathan Procter
Roger Radel
Jeff Ragsdale
David Rainey
Chris Ramey
Barry Redmon
David Reid
Chris Renfro
Larry Rice
Bobby Riley
Dale Robbins
Ralph Robbins
Tommy Roberson
Lee Rushton
David Sarten
John Satterwhite Jr
Dusty Sauter
David Saylor
Lawton Saylor
Billy Scarbrough
Joel Shell
Gary Shelton
Allen Sherril
Joe Shrader
Al Slate
Kerry Smith
Roger Smith
Buddy Sneed
Jeff Spann
Jimmy Spears
Rodney Stanfield
Steve Stanley
Kevin Steelman
Wayne Stewart
Patrick Stout
Ed Strasser
Bill Sumrow
Channing Swindle
Dewey Swindle
Ken Taylor
Coy Taylor
Kent Taylor
James E. Terry
Robbie Terry
Delmar Thomas
Chris Thompson
Robert Tinker
Brad Tinsley
Don Todd
Keith Toth
Michael Turner
Russ Uselton
Kevin Vanhooser
Danny Waits
David Wall
Charles Wattenbarger
Bryan Wells
John L. Whitaker
Keith Wilder
Guy Williams
John H. Willis
Joe Willis
Robert A. Wiser
Maury Wood
Clyde C. Woods
James Yarbro
Certified Boards
Anderson Farmers
Bedford Moore Farmers
Coffee Farmers
Davidson Farmers
Dickson Farmers
Fentress Farmers
First Farmers
Gibson Farmers
Humphreys Farmers
Jefferson Farmers
Lincoln Farmers
Macon-Trousdale Farmers
Marshall Farmers
Maury Farmers
Mid-South Farmers
Montgomery Farmers
Overton Pickett Farmers
Putnam Farmers
Robertson Cheatham Farmers
Rutherford Farmers
Scott Morgan Farmers
Sequatchie Farmers
Sevier Farmers
Smith Farmers
Southeastern Farmers
Tipton Farmers
Washington Farmers
Weakley Farmers
White County Farmers
Williamson Farmers
Wilson Farmers
January 2015
25
2014 Annual Meeting
Fate’s gate opens wide
David Lancaster responds with a top award-winning Co-op career
By Jerry Kirk
T
hroughout his life,
David Lancaster has
seen dreams come true
and pieces fall in place for him
to achieve important individual
goals: a closely knit, loving
family; the chance to farm;
and a career that embraced his
innate ability to do really well
some things that highly trained
engineers and designers pay big
bucks to learn.
Elaborating a bit on that
last item, a modest David,
who has lived all his life in the
Lancaster-New Middleton area
of Smith County, says simply,
“I was just gifted to do those
kinds of things.”
As it turned out, all the
aforementioned attributes and
achievements served David well
as he became the first manager
of Tennessee Farmers Cooperative’s gate plant a few months
after it was built in 1971 at the
LaVergne complex. The facility
was later renamed the Metal
Fabrication Plant as more products were added to its line.
From the start, the exemplary
job David did as manager of
the busy plant drew high praise
from people who matter: local
Co-op managers and staff who
proudly added quality Co-op
metal items to their inventories
and farmers across the state
who came to rely on those topof-the-line products.
For these and other reasons,
David was chosen to receive
TFC’s highest individual honor
— the James B. Walker Cooperative Spirit Award — for 2014.
He is the 16th person to receive
the annual honor that goes “to
an individual whose contributions have had a positive and
enduring impact on Tennessee’s
farmers, our state’s agriculture,
and our cooperative system.”
The award is named for
James Bedford Walker of Donelson, a longtime leader on
TFC’s staff who held a number
of high-profile positions, including several in management.
26
January 2015
Known in many circles as “Mr.
Co-op,” he was winner of the
first Cooperative Spirit Award
in 1999. Since then, it has
borne his name.
David received the award at
TFC’s 2014 annual meeting
business luncheon Dec. 1 at
Opryland Hotel in Nashville. In
announcing David as the 2014
Walker Award winner and presenting him with an engraved
plaque, TFC Board Chairman
Kenneth Nixon said, “Our
cooperative system has truly
benefited from your talents,
your commitment to excellence, and your dedication to
agriculture. What’s more, the
positive effects of your years at
TFC will continue to be felt for
years to come.”
In acceptance remarks that
were at times emotional, David
said, “Mr. James Walker is a
great friend of mine, someone
I admire very much. I met him
[in 1969] when I was working
at Smith Farmers Co-op [in
Carthage].”
However, it was through
TFC’s Hardware Department,
which was responsible for
getting the gate plant up and
running, that David was hired
as manager of the new manufacturing facility.
“I had some great employees
through the years at the gate
plant,” David said at the luncheon, “and I’m pleased that
several of them are here today.
I’m very proud of what we accomplished at the gate plant.”
Among that number of former gate plant employees were
two who eventually followed
in David’s footsteps to become
manager — Buford Byers, who
had just returned from Vietnam
when he was hired, and the
current manager, Randy Duke.
“I never tried to hold anybody back if they showed they
wanted to work and could get
the job done,” David said. “I
wanted everyone to take pride
in the work we all did.”
From day 1 at the gate plant,
David knew his work was cut
David Lancaster, in front, is the 2014 recipient of Tennessee Farmers Cooperative’s
highest honor, the James B. Walker Cooperative Spirit Award. Lancaster, who spent
21 years as manager of TFC’s Metal Fabrication Plant in LaVergne, is surrounded
by former and current Hardware Department employees, from left, Jimmy Ogilvie,
David Wrather, Randy Duke, Jeff Wilkerson, and Buford Byers.
out for him, but it was another
opportunity to put his natural
mechanical and design skills to
work.
“When I started in LaVergne,
Co-op had just completed the
gate plant building,” he says.
“They had a couple of welding
machines and had built a table
for welding, but there weren’t
any tables to work on or do anything else. I worked by myself
for a couple of months before I
hired anybody, and in that time
I built some tables so we could
have a production line.”
David adds that when he
started, the plant was primarily
making panel gates from precut
materials purchased from Universal Cooperatives, an interregional co-op of which TFC was
a member-owner.
“When I was hired, I was told
that the gate plant wasn’t expected to make a profit for the first
three years,” David says. “But we
made a profit the first year!”
Every day of his 21-year TFC
career, David drove 45 miles
each way to get from his Gordonsville home to LaVergne and
back. He was a determined and
dedicated farmer during those
days, too, raising beef cattle,
tobacco, corn, and hay.
David’s desire to stay in
Smith County and commute
to LaVergne five days a week is
tied to his having been born and
raised there. He came within a
day of being a Christmas baby
when he was born Dec. 26,
1933, in Lancaster as the first
child and only boy among the
late Carl and Almeda Pascall
Lancaster’s three children. David says he feels blessed to have
always lived on the family farm
that stretches over some 260
acres of beautiful Smith County
landscape in the communities
of Lancaster and New Middleton. Today, one sister, Susan
Richardson, lives nearby, and
the other, Anita Apple, is not far
away in Carthage.
The first two and a half years
of David’s elementary school
education came at Lancaster.
At Christmas of his third-grade
year, however, the family moved
to New Middleton where he
finished his elementary studies.
Then it was off to nearby
Gordonsville High School where
David found, among other
things, that he was a “natural engineer” and good at woodworking. Following graduation from
Gordonsville in 1951, he enrolled at Tennessee Polytechnic
Institute (now Tennessee Tech)
in Cookeville to study engineering drawing. After a year, though,
David decided it was time to
return home for some serious
farming — and he never left.
Explaining that his father
worked for the Production
Credit Association and became
the first agent for Tennessee
Farmers Mutual Insurance
(Farm Bureau) when it was
organized, David says, “Dad was
working like the dickens in his
job, so most of the farming fell
to me.”
Eagerly accepting the challenge, David knew right off
the bat that Co-op would be a
major player in the hallowed
farming venture.
“While I was in high school,
I started working at Smith
Farmers Co-op and knew what
it had to offer in terms of products and services,” David says.
He had no way of knowing, of
course, just how powerfully
Co-op would impact his life in
the not-too-distant future.
But first, fate had another
job to do. One evening at a high
school basketball game in Watertown, David spied a striking,
smiling brunette in the stands.
“She was with a girlfriend,
and when they got up to leave,
June stepped on my toe,” David
laughingly teases his wife. Still
smiling, David quickly reports
that he and June were married
Nov. 25, 1953, in Rossville, Ga.
Today David and June live
in their comfortable, ranch-
style brick home
for which he
drew the plans.
It’s perched on
an embankment created by
excavation in the
early 1960s when
Interstate 40 was
built from west
to east through
Tennessee.
here in their cozy Gordonsville home, David and wife
Athough allergies Pictured
June celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary Nov. 25.
forced him to give
up farming on his own, David
ents. Besides their daughters
leases out the land for other
and sons-in-law, David and June
people to raise cattle on.
have seven grandchildren and
All three of their daughters
12 great-grandchildren.
— Danice Whittemore, Yvonne
As for the distinguished
Gibbs (who accompanied her
career that earned for David
father to the luncheon at which Co-op’s highest honor, he says
he was presented the Cooperasimply, “It’s all about serving
tive Spirit Award), and Theresa
the farmers. I was always proud
Sircy — and their families live
to work for Tennessee Farmers
on the Lancaster farm, across
Cooperative … my job was one
the interstate from their parthat just fit me fine.”
A sharp investment
TFC continues tradition of donating Case
knife proceeds to state 4-H, FFA foundations
By Sarah Geyer
F
or the 14th year, state
4-H and FFA organizations have been given
equal shares of $25,000 — proceeds from Tennessee Farmers
Cooperative’s highly popular
commemorative 4-H/FFA Case
pocketknife collection split
equally between these two
state youth foundations. With
this year’s donation, TFC has
contributed a total of $275,000
through this program.
“Donation of these proceeds
is a sound and sensible investment in the future of our state’s
agriculture and helps prepare
cream-of-the-crop young people
to lead the way for our industry,” said Board Chairman Kenneth Nixon during the official
presentation of the checks at
TFC’s annual meeting luncheon
on Dec. 1 in Nashville.
In remarks to the attendees,
Maury Ford, vice president
of sales operations with W.R.
Case & Sons Cutlery Company,
thanked the Co-op system for
its continued support.
“Since this program has been
so popular for well over a decade, we are now seeing knives
being passed down to the next
generation,” said Ford. “Both
FFA and 4-H work to build
character and work ethic in our
youth, and we are pleased to be
able to join with Co-op to help
them build a brighter future.”
Alexis Stokes of Madison
County, state 4-H Council
president, and Kevin Robertson
of Wilson County, state FFA
president, accepted the checks
on behalf of their respective
organizations.
Stokes credited her 4-H involvement with helping her to
develop life skills, citizenship,
and deeply rooted friendships.
“Being a part of 4-H has
taught me that it doesn’t matter
where you come from,” she said.
“You can blossom into whatever
you want to be, no matter what.”
Robertson told the audience
that even though he doesn’t have
as much farm experience as his
peers he “found a home in FFA
and a passion for service in this
blue jacket. And without the sup-
Representatives of Co-op’s regional manager associations and Case Cutlery present
state 4-H and FFA with $25,000 from the sale of Co-op’s 2014 4-H/FFA knife. From
left are Tennessee FFA Foundation Executive Director Chelsea Rose; Joey Caldwell,
manager of Tipton Farmers Cooperative; Alexis Stokes, state 4-H Council president;
Maury Ford, Case Cutlery; Kevin Robertson, state FFA president; Paul Sullivan,
manager of Dickson Farmers Cooperative; and Will Phillips, manager of Union Farmers
Cooperative. Not pictured is Brian Gilliam, manager of Overton Farmers Cooperative.
port of Co-op and Case knives,
that wouldn’t have happened.”
This year’s knife —with TruSharp Surgical steel blades and
peach-seed jigged crimson bone
handles — is a perfect complement to the collection. The distinctive FFA and 4-H logos are
deeply engraved on the nickel
silver bolsters and the historic
Case “Bomb Shield.” The logos
are also printed on the knife’s
pen blade and the banner “Sup-
port 4-H and FFA 2014” on the
clip blade. The knife comes in an
exclusive, full-color box designed
by TFC. Check with your local
Co-op for availability.
“We really enjoy working with
Case and our Co-ops on this
program,” says Mark Morton,
TFC Home, Lawn, and Specialty
Department manager and custodian for the program. “It’s always
exciting to help create the new
knife, knowing its popularity.”
January 2015
27
middle tennessee state university
Tennessee Farmers Cooperative
proudly salutes recipients of the
2014-15 Co-op Scholarships.
These young people represent
the best and the brightest
in the future of Tennessee
agriculture, and many of the
recipients are already making
valuable contributions to our
cooperative system as employees of local Co-ops and even as
full-time farmers.
Not pictured:
Boston Ray
Waynesboro
Logan Hickerson
Murfreesboro
Kara Lane
Manchester
Leah Piper
Carthage
Daniel Stewart
Lebanon
tennessee technological university
Since 1995, TFC has offered
32 scholarships — each
worth $1,500 — to qualified
agriculture students at four
state universities: UT Knoxville, UT Martin, Tennessee
Tech, and Middle Tennessee
State University.
Katie Clark
Cookeville
Kayla (Cole)
Greiner
Sparta
Lacey Pippin
Baxter
Kathryn Trebing
Buffalo Valley
university of tennessee at martin
Britt Dunn
Covington
Will Dunnavant
Jackson
Trevor Wayne Jones
Reagan
Gina Locke
Franklin
Kayla Pattat
Somerville
Marshall Pearson
Medina
Joshua Shoulders
Pleasant Shade
university of tennessee at knoxville
Sarah Beaty
Lexington
Hayley Brantley
Sharps Chapel
In keeping with our valued
heritage of supporting the
youth of Tennessee agriculture,
Co-op encourages high school
seniors to visit with their guidance counselors and college
students to ask their advisers
about our yearly scholarships.
Applicants must be from
families of Co-op members
and satisfy the requirements
established by TFC’s scholarship committee. For more
information, call Paul Binkley
at 1-800-366-2667 or email
him at pbinkley@ourcoop.com.
28
January 2015
Jennie Kate Clark
Elizabethton
Hayden Jordan
Palmyra
Tracy Taylor
Mercer
Susan Cowley
Fayetteville
Samuel Thomas
Long IV
McEwen
Kristen Walker
Maryville
Johnna Davis
Walland
Andrew Lawson
Sanford
New Market
R.A. Warden
Fayetteville
Matthew Harlan
Jackson
James Sims
Whitwell
Michael S. Harr
Blountville
Dustie Strasser
Chapel Hill
For more information, see us
online at www.ourcoop.com.
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January 2015
29
Beth Binkley and sons Will, kneeling,
and Max pick up their dog, Scout, from
his grooming session at the school.
Stewarts Creek High School junior Emily Boone clips the fur of a cockapoo named Hershey as part of the agriculture
department’s small-animal class in which students gain practical skills while running a dog-grooming service for the public.
Students in Stewarts Creek High School’s small-animal class
gain practical skills, passion for agriculture
M
ost high school teachers
likely have days when it
feels like their classrooms
have gone to the dogs.
Amy Olt can say that every
day.
The agriculture teacher and
her students offer dog-grooming
services to the public as part
of their small-animal class at
Stewarts Creek High School in
Smyrna. Students have primped
and pampered some 450 dogs
since the venture started in December 2013 during the brandnew school’s inaugural year.
l
Smyrna
As far as Amy knows, the program is the only one of its kind,
providing a unique classroom
environment that benefits the
students through practical, realworld experience while giving
local pet owners an affordable
dog-grooming alternative. Customers pay a nominal $15 for
basic services with all proceeds
going back to the school.
“People may pay as much as
$75 or more somewhere else
for grooming, and we’re always
getting asked why we don’t
charge more,” says Amy. “First
of all, if a customer wants to
30
January 2015
give more, they can, and they
often do. Second, it’s a community service project. We have so
many dogs that would otherwise never get groomed if they
didn’t come here.”
A dairy producer from central Kentucky, Amy taught high
school agriculture there for 16
years before marrying Unionville dairyman Terry Smith and
moving to Middle Tennessee in
July 2013. The couple, who met
through cattle shows, and his
parents, Richard and Priscilla,
milk some 150 cows, including
some of Amy’s own red-andwhite Holstein herd that relocated with her.
Hired last year as Stewarts
Creek’s first agriculture teacher
and FFA adviser, Amy was tasked
with building the program from
scratch. In her previous teaching
job in Kentucky, she explains,
most of the students had agricultural backgrounds. She found
that’s not the case in the Smyrna
suburbs.
“I came from an area that was
big in beef and dairy, so I did a
lot of hands-on classes with large
animals,” says Amy. “That’s impractical here, other than giving
the students a true perspective
as a farmer. At first, I thought
I’d feel out of place, but now I’m
grateful for the chance to share
agriculture’s story with people
who are so far removed from the
farm.”
Dog-grooming wasn’t exactly
in her initial plans, Amy says,
but the school’s small-animal lab
had been built with features that
made such a venture possible.
“The school was new, and I
was new, so I had no idea what
they expected,” says Amy. “At
first, I thought they’d just put in
a clean-up station. When I asked
about it, I was told that it was
built to wash dogs. I think they
had in mind that the kids would
bring in their dogs, and we’d do
a unit on it or something. They
didn’t tell me to groom, necessarily, but the next thing I knew,
teachers were asking about it,
friends were asking about it, and
it just kind of snowballed from
there.”
As interest in these services
grew, Amy began developing the
dog-grooming concept into a
full-blown business for the ag
department. She purchased kennels and equipment and spent
time with professional groomers
to learn the proper techniques.
“I also found out you don’t
have to be licensed to groom
dogs,” she says. “That was one of
my first concerns.”
After just a year, word-ofmouth advertising about the
school’s dog-grooming business
has attracted more customers
than Amy ever imagined. The
60 students in her three smallanimal classes can groom about
seven dogs a day. They stay
booked year-round and even plan
to offer grooming in the summer.
“I had no idea when we started this that we’d end up with
Agriculture teacher and FFA adviser Amy Olt, right, and Rutherford Farmers
Cooperative’s Andriana Lamb laugh at the antics of this pygmy goat that’s part of the
school’s menagerie. The Co-op is a staunch supporter of the program and source for
many of its supplies, like this calf hutch used as shelter for the outdoor animals.
the business we have,” says Amy.
“If somebody would’ve asked
me five years ago if I’d be doggrooming, I would’ve laughed
at them. Cows, yes. I’ve shown
cows all my life, but not dogs.”
Though most customers just
want their dogs bathed and
clipped, the students offer a full
menu of services that include
trimming nails, brushing teeth,
and even expressing the anal
glands. They will inspect the animals for abnormalities such as
dry skin, cysts, wounds, or fleas
and consult with the owners
about anything they find. They
also board several dogs for teachers during the day.
“Responsible pet ownership
is a big thing,” Amy says. “This
class shows the kids that they
can do services for themselves
that they would otherwise pay
for. They also learn business
management and people skills in
dealing with customers. I teach
them to be very compassionate
for the animals because that’s
what their owners want to see.
They want to know that when
their dogs are here, they’re being
taken care of and loved.”
That’s exactly the kind of
treatment Beth Binkley says
Scout, her golden retriever mix,
receives when he is groomed at
the school.
“They do such a wonderful
job here,” says Beth, who learned
about the service from a parent
of one of the Stewarts Creek
students. “I’ve had him groomed
elsewhere before, and it’s $80
sometimes. This is such a great
service to have. When I bring
him in, the kids are all over him,
and he loves it. They brush his
teeth, clip his nails, give him
a bath, and cut his hair in the
summer. It’s all good — good
for Scout, good for the students,
good for us, and good for the
community.”
While dogs like Scout are
only there during school hours,
the small-animal classroom is a
full-time home to a menagerie of
other animals — a chameleon,
iguana, hamster, and prairie dog;
an African grey parrot; gerbils,
hedgehogs, guinea pigs, chinchillas, sugar gliders, ferrets, and
cats. The students care for these
animals as a year-long project.
“Each student takes responsibility for a particular animal
and has to feed it, take care of its
bedding, make sure it’s healthy,
LEFT: Natalie Tompkins, left, and Mercia Dodson give Scout a bath as one of the classroom cats watches with curiosity. RIGHT:
Amy begins each small-animal class by giving the students a rundown of what tasks need to be done that day. In addition to the
hands-on lab work, she also gives them classroom instruction on topics such as animal welfare, anatomy, nutrition, and health.
and provide social interaction,”
says Amy. “They research the
animals and learn all about
them. They find out by the end
of the year whether it’s still cute
and whether it’s something they
would want to have as a pet.”
Senior Kyle Moore says he
enrolled in the class because he’s
an “animal-lover,” although he
has no aspirations of an agriculture-related career. As his class
project, he’s in charge of the two
ferrets, Stanley and Rascal.
“I take care of them and make
sure everything is going good,”
says Kyle. “I clean their cages,
make sure their water bottles are
full, and feed them. I’ll also take
them out and give them some
playtime. I’ve really enjoyed it.”
While a handful of students
take the class as an elective,
most are following the school’s
agricultural pathway curriculum, explains Amy. Becoming a
veterinarian is the most common
career goal, she adds, although
some students like 11th-grader
Emily Boone have discovered
a talent for dog-grooming that
could translate to a job someday.
“I wanted to do this class
because I like animals, especially
dogs,” says Emily as she clips
the hair of a chocolate brown
cockapoo named Hershey.
“Once we started doing the doggrooming, I really got interested
in it because it’s fun, and I think
I’m pretty good at it. When I get
older, I want to have my own
dog-grooming business.”
Along with hands-on grooming and pet care experience
in the lab, the students study
such subjects as animal welfare, safety, anatomy, nutrition,
habitat, characteristics, diseases
and other health concerns in the
classroom. Amy also emphasizes
a work ethic that
she says can translate to any facet
of their lives and
careers.
“I tell my kids
all the time that
there’s always
a counter to be
wiped, a floor to
be swept, a cage
that needs to be
cleaned,” says
Amy. “We take
out our own trash Throughout the school year, senior Kyle Moore is
here. We mop our responsible for the care of ferrets Stanley and Rascal. Each
own floors. If you student is assigned to animals as their class project.
had this business, that’s what
why agriculture is important and
you would do.”
getting that word out there.”
Amy, who also teaches a vetWith evident pride in her
erinary science class, was joined
profession as a teacher and
this year by another agriculture
farmer, Amy gushes about the
instructor and FFA adviser,
interest she sees in her students
Phillip Morgan. He teaches
and eagerly discusses plans to
agriscience and greenhouse and
expand the small-animal prolandscape management classes.
gram by offering more boarding
The program, which has about
services and possibly behavioral
250 students enrolled, will add a training for the dogs. See, she
large-animal class next year.
knows these classes are groomAs part of these other classes,
ing more than just animals.
the agriculture department also
They’re grooming young people
has rabbits, chickens, a Boer
to be responsible, productive
goat, a pygmy goat, and a micro
adults with a true understanding
pig that live in an outdoor pen.
of agriculture.
Many of the pet products and
“I teach ag because I love
farm supplies, like a calf hutch
to spread the story of the great
used as an all-purpose shelter,
things that we do,” says Amy. “I
are purchased from Rutherford
want everyone to know what it
Farmers Cooperative, a staunch
takes to produce their food, and
supporter of the program.
I want them to know the mindset
“This is what the Co-op is
of a farmer. Often, all they get
based on — being part of the
are the inaccuracies of the news
community — and we want to
media or the activists. My kids
show our support for programs
know that I’m telling them like it
like this that are essentially
is when I talk about farming.”
teaching people to be passionate
For more information about
about agriculture,” says Andriana Stewarts Creek High School’s
Lamb, the Co-op’s retail develop- dog-grooming services or agriculment manager. “It has to start
ture program, contact Amy Olt at
here, with the kids and with
615-904-6771, extension 31569,
teachers who are showing them
or olta@rcschools.net.
January 2015
31
32
January 2015
January 2015
33
What’s Cookin’?
Confection
perfection
Put those New Year’s resolutions aside
for these tempting candy recipes
Y
es, the new year has just begun, and so
have many resolutions to lose weight
and eat healthier. In seemingly direct
conflict with this trend is the fact that January
is “National Candy Month,” and who are we to
argue with that? It just might make life sweeter.
According to U.S. Census data, Americans average 25
pounds of candy consumption a year. Nationwide, more
than 1,000 facilities produce some form of candy with some
70,000 jobs related to the confectionary industry.
Co-op cooks may also be inspired to concoct candy in their
own kitchens after seeing the variety of tempting recipes in
this month’s “What’s cookin’?” column. Wanda Powers of
Lexington shares her recipe for “Chewy Nut Clusters” that
she says is “so simple” yet oh-so delicious with its layers of
chocolate, nuts, marshmallow cream, and caramel. Wanda is
our Cook-of-the-Month for January.
Other featured recipes are Pecan Cracker Bar Candy,
White Chocolate Walnut Squares, Mounds Candy Bars, Orange Sherbet Fudge, Tiger Butter, Chocolate-Covered Cherries, Crock-Pot Candy, Caramel Pretzel Bites, and Peanut
Butter Cups.
Enjoy!
Clip, save, and serve
Chewy Nut Clusters
What you will need:
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips,
melted
• 1 cup nuts (pecan pieces or salted
peanuts)
• 1 jar marshmallow creme
• 1 cup caramel ice cream topping
• Mini muffin cups
Simple layers stack up serious sweetness in “Chewy Nut Clusters,” a recipe submitted
by our Cook-of-the-Month, Wanda Powers. Peel away the wrapper to reveal a mixture of
chocolate, pecans, caramel, and marshmallow cream.
— Food styling and photo by Allison Morgan
January 2015 winning recipe
Directions:
Place mini muffin cups in a muffin tin.
Place a teaspoon of chocolate in the bottom
of each; add 1 teaspoon nuts, then 1 teaspoon
caramel, and then 1 teaspoon marshmallow
creme. Top with 1 teaspoon chocolate.
Refrigerate at least two hours or overnight.
Note: For the sticky ingredients, I spray my
spoons with a little nonstick spray.
Wanda Powers, Lexington, First Farmers Cooperative
34
January 2015
Pecan Cracker Bar
Candy
35 saltine crackers
2 sticks of butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350º. Line
a 15-x-10-inch pan with foil
coated with nonstick spray. Arrange a single layer of crackers
on the foil. In a heavy saucepan,
combine butter and brown sugar
and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 to
4 minutes, stirring constantly.
When the sugar is dissolved,
spread mixture over crackers.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until
bubbly.
Remove from oven and immediately pour chocolate chips
over the crackers. When melted,
spread chocolate over crackers.
Sprinkle pecans on top. Chill
in refrigerator, uncovered, for
one hour. Remove and break
into pieces. Store in an airtight
container.
Peggy Bryan
Manchester
Coffee Farmers Cooperative
T
White Chocolate
Walnut Squares
1 package white almond bark
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup broken walnuts
In a 9-x-13-inch glass dish,
microwave white almond bark,
peanut butter, and honey for 3
minutes on high. Stir the first
three ingredients together. Stir in
walnuts and microwave 3 more
minutes. Cool until firm. Cut
into 40 squares.
Mary Elizabeth Bell
Martin
Weakley Farmers Cooperative
T
Mounds Candy Bars
1 cup water
2 cups white sugar
1
⁄2 cup butter
2 cups light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
11⁄2 pounds coconut
Combine water, sugar, butter,
and corn syrup. Boil to soft ball
stage. Cool a little; stir until
creamy. Add vanilla and coconut;
mix well. Form balls and dip
into melted chocolate. Drop on
waxed paper.
Note: It works best to chill the
coconut balls before dipping in
chocolate.
Kathleen Yoder
Guthrie, Ky.
Montgomery Farmers Cooperative
T
Orange Sherbet
Fudge
1 (12-ounce) package vanilla chocolate chips
1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow creme
3 teaspoons orange flavoring
3 cups sugar
3
⁄4 cup butter
3
⁄4 cup whipping cream
12 drops yellow food coloring
5 drops red food coloring
Put chips, marshmallow creme,
and flavoring in a bowl; set aside.
Mix sugar, butter, and whipping
cream. Boil 4 minutes. Pour over
vanilla chips mixture; mix well.
Remove 1 cup and set aside;
Add food coloring to remaining fudge; stir. Pour orange fudge
into buttered pan; spoon reserved
white fudge on top and swirl
with a knife. Refrigerate; cut into
squares.
Brenda Conatser
Jamestown
Fentress Farmers Cooperative
T
Tiger Butter
16 ounces white chocolate
chips
3
⁄4 cup smooth or crunchy
peanut butter
1 cup milk chocolate chips
Melt white chocolate with
peanut butter in a double boiler,
stirring until smooth. Melt milk
chocolate in microwave until
smooth. Spread white chocolate
mixture onto a waxed-paper-lined
cookie sheet. Pour milk chocolate in strips down white chocolate mixture. Swirl with a butter
knife to make stripes. Cool and
cut into approximately 72 pieces.
Peggy Gray
Savannah
First Farmers Cooperative
T
Chocolate-Covered
Cherries
1 stick butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1(14-ounce) can sweetened
condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 (10-ounce) jars maraschino cherries
1 (21⁄2-pound) package Ghiradeli chocolate candymaking and dipping bars
In a large glass container,
combine butter, powdered sugar,
milk, and vanilla. Refrigerate
overnight (do not cover).
Roll out nougat and flatten
into small circles 2 inches in diameter. Drain cherries and place
one in the center of each circle.
Roll nougat into a ball with the
cherry in the middle (keep hands
dry to prevent sticking).
Melt chocolate in a double
boiler. Use toothpicks to dip cherries into chocolate. Cover two
large baking sheets with waxed
paper. Place cherries on paper
and drizzle remaining chocolate
on top. Refrigerate 24 hours.
Yield: Approximately 60 cherries.
Brenda A. Winstead
Dresden
Weakley Farmers Cooperative
Crock-Pot Candy
2 pounds peanuts
1 package semisweet chocolate chips
1 (4-ounce) German sweet
chocolate bar
21⁄2 pounds almond bark
Add all ingredients to CrockPot in order listed. Do not stir.
Cook on low for 3 hours; stir
well. Dip candy into small cupcake liners.
Yield: 80 to 90 small pieces.
Villa Maxwell
Hilham
Overton Pickett
Farmers Cooperative
T
Caramel Pretzel
Bites
2 teaspoons butter, softened
4 cups pretzel sticks
21⁄2 cups pecan halves,
toasted
21⁄4 cups packed brown
sugar
1 cup butter, cubed
1 cup corn syrup
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened
condensed milk
1
⁄8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (111⁄2-ounce) package milk
chocolate chips
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon shortening, divided
1
⁄3 cup white baking chips
Line a 9-x-13-inch pan with
foil; grease with butter. Spread
pretzels and pecans on bottom of
prepared pan.
In a large heavy saucepan,
combine brown sugar, cubed
butter, corn syrup, milk, and salt;
cook and stir over medium heat
until a candy thermometer reads
240° (soft-ball stage). Remove
from heat. Stir in vanilla. Pour
over pretzel mixture.
In a microwave, melt chocolate
chips and 1 tablespoon shortening; stir until smooth. Spread
over caramel. In microwave, melt
baking chips and remaining shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle
over top. Let stand until set.
Using foil, lift candy from pan;
remove foil. With a buttered
knife, cut into 72 bite-size pieces.
Mildred H. Edwards
Lebanon
Wilson Farmers Cooperative
T
Peanut Butter Cups
1 (1-pound) bar Hershey’s
milk chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups peanut butter
Heat chocolate and butter until
melted, stirring often to prevent
scorching. Remove from heat.
Mix in 1 cup peanut butter. Pour
a layer in a cupcake holder. Place
a small amount of peanut butter
in center. Cover with chocolate.
Repeat in each cup until mixture
is used. Let stand until firm.
Linda Bain
Bethel Springs
Mid-South Farmers Cooperative
Is everything better with bacon?
Let’s find out in March
Seems like bacon is everywhere these
days, often used in unexpected ways like
mixed in milkshakes, baked in brownies,
placed atop cupcakes, or covered in chocolate.
Whether you prefer the traditional or unusual,
we’re featuring your favorite bacon recipes in our March
“What’s cookin’?” column. The person submitting the recipe
judged best will be named Cook-of-the-Month and receive $10.
Others sending recipes chosen for publication will receive $5. Each winner
will also receive a special “What’s cookin’?” certificate.
Monday, Feb. 2, is the deadline for your bacon recipes.
Don’t forget: Only recipes with complete, easy-to-follow instructions
will be considered for publication. Several recipes are disqualified each
month because they do not contain all the information needed to prepare
the dishes successfully. Recipes featured in “What’s cookin’?” are not independently tested, so we must depend on the accuracy of the cooks sending
them. Always use safe food-handling, preparation, and cooking procedures.
Send entries to: Recipes, Tennessee Cooperator, P.O. Box 3003,
LaVergne, TN 37086. You can submit more than one recipe in the same
envelope. You can also e-mail them to: amorgan@ourcoop.com. Be
sure to include your name, address, telephone number, and the Co-op
with which you do business. Recipes that appear in the “What’s cookin’?”
column will also be published on our website at www.ourcoop.com.
January 2015
35
By Sarah Geyer
Among those attending the Oct. 31 reopening of Stockdale’s at its new Bolivar location are, from left, Joe Cole, first vice president of CB&S bank; Bart Krisle, chief executive
officer of Tennessee Farmers Cooperative; Keith Foote, vice president and branch manager of Merchants & Planters Bank; Mayor Barrett Stevens; Larry Crawford, community
bank president of First South Bank; Bruce Baird, chief operations officer of Stockdale’s; Johnny Shaw, Melanie Malone, and Sharron Murden of Stockdale’s; Nickie Vincent,
retail operations manager for Stockdale’s; Kenny Adkins, vice president of Merchants & Planters Bank; and Codi Kee of Stockdale’s; and Sheila Dotson, Stockdale’s manager.
New
store opens in Bolivar
Rural lifestyle retailer moves from temporary site to a permanent location
F
ulfilling a pledge made
nearly two years ago when
Stockdale’s opened temporarily in shared space with MidSouth Farmers Cooperative in
Bolivar, the rural lifestyle store
now has a more spacious and
convenient location all its own.
Stockdale’s, a retail subsidiary of Tennessee Farmers
Cooperative, has been operat-
ing out of the Co-op facility on
Highway 18 since early spring
of 2013 when Mid-South
Farmers shifted its business to
focus exclusively on row-crop
producers. The Bolivar Stockdale’s, along with locations in
Oakland and Selmer, opened
to serve the needs of other
customers in the Co-op’s trade
territory.
In addition to products for
livestock producers and equine
owners, Stockdale’s carries a
diverse product mix of clothing,
footwear, pet foods and supplies, tools, outdoor furniture,
lawn and garden items, toys,
gifts, accessories, home décor,
and much more.
“This store is so convenient
for me now,” said Joel Weber
LEFT: Members of the White family from Friendship, from left, Libby, 5, Leah, 8, and mom Christy, browse the extended toy
section at the new Bolivar location. RIGHT: Women’s blouses and scarves are two of the clothing department’s biggest-sellers.
36
January 2015
of Whitesville, who stopped by
the Bolivar Stockdale’s recently
to pick up feed for his rabbits.
“The other location was off the
beaten path and on the other
side of town.”
l
Bolivar
Located in a heavily traveled
area near Walmart on West
Market Street, Stockdale’s is
now housed in a former automotive center purchased
by TFC in August 2013. The
building was extensively renovated, and a 4,200-square-foot
warehouse was added before
the store’s grand reopening
Oct. 31. Since then, local residents and customers from surrounding counties have flocked
to the attractively merchandised store.
“We are pleased to have
Stockdale’s in our community,”
said Bolivar Mayor Barrett Stevens, “and we know this new
location will make the store
even more of an asset to our
residents.”
By spring, Bolivar’s new
Stockdale’s will grow even
more with the addition of two
outdoor areas, said manager
Sheila Dotson. The farm area
will display gates, hardware,
and livestock equipment, and
plants, flowers, and trees will
be available in the greenhouse
area.
Moving into the nearly
12,000-square-foot facility
instantly allowed the staff to
significantly expand already
popular departments like pets,
boots, women’s clothing, and
toys.
“At the other store, we had
one corner of boots, and now
we have four aisles,” said Dotson. “We’ve also increased our
clothing department, adding
even more name-brand items.”
Among name brands carried
by Stockdale’s are Carhartt,
Under Armour, Miss Me,
Drake, Wrangler, Columbia,
Ariat, and Stetson.
“I can find a nice selection of clothing here that isn’t
available anywhere else in this
area,” said Christy White of
Friendship, who was shopping
with her two daughters and her
husband, Gregg, a row-crop
farmer. “We enjoy coming here
as a family and just browsing
through all of their merchandise — and we never leave
empty-handed.”
Stockdale’s also has locations in Covington and Hixson,
Tenn., and Bowling Green, Ky.,
in addition to the other West
Tennessee operations. The
Bolivar store is the smallest
of the six, but Nickie Vincent,
LEFT: Sheila Dotson, left, Stockdale’s store manager, rings up Bolivar resident Kristy Wilson, who was buying pants for her
teen-aged daughter. RIGHT: A Woodwick candle display, along with rocking chairs, wind chimes, cookbooks, and decorative
flags and garden stepping stones cheerfully welcome customers into the new store with many items for the rural lifestyle.
Stockdale’s retail operations
manager, says it’s the “perfect
size” for the market.
“We’re still small enough
that we feel like a neighborhood
store,” says Vincent, “yet we are
able to offer customers a wide
variety of products, too.”
With half the showroom
space of the others, however,
both Vincent and Dotson acknowledge the importance of
choosing items from Stockdale’s
inventory that cater to their
customers’ needs and wants.
“We’re using this opportunity
to let our customers decide
what they want us to carry,
mainly through sales records
and customer feedback,” said
Dotson. “We’ve already had
requests for more children’s
clothing, especially Carhartt,
so we’re working on expanding
that area very soon.”
Dotson points out that
although women’s and kid’s
clothing are definitely focus
areas for the store, there’s “lots
of cool stuff for every member
of the family.”
This variety of products,
along with the more visible
location, has proven to be a
compelling combination for
Bolivar residents, she added.
“I had a customer come in
the other day and say, ‘I’m so
glad you’re here now. I just
needed to get a quick birthday
present,’” said Dotson. “Once
our customers visit us at our
new location, we expect they’ll
be back for more.”
Stockdale’s in Bolivar is open
Monday through Saturday from
7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. For more
information, call the store at
731-403-0040 or visit online at
www.stockdales.com.
Jerry Woods of Bolivar appreciates the new location’s extended hours as he stops
in for a bag of sweet feed to complete his nightly farm rounds.
January 2015
37
Every Farmer Has A Story Gary Ellis
Story and photos by Allison Morgan
Sheltered in the cove
Gary Ellis preserves his family’s centuries-old farming heritage in Marion County
F
or his entire life, Gary
Ellis has farmed with his
family in the shelter of
Sweeten’s Cove, a sliver of cultivated land surrounded on three
sides by rugged mountain terrain near South Pittsburg. Here
in the cove, there’s only one way
in, one way out, and it’s the only
way of life he wants.
“I take pride in the heritage
of this farm, taking care of
something that belongs to me
and maintaining it so I can pass
it on to my kids,” says Gary. “My
family has always done this, and
I’m not going to be the one to
mess up the tradition!”
With roots in Marion County
that trace back to 1828, Gary
is the fourth generation to farm
this particular parcel of land
purchased in 1913 by his greatgrandfather, Nathaniel Ellis,
after the family was displaced by
the construction of Hales Bar
Dam on the Tennessee River.
Sweeten’s Cove
l
“The only reason we’re living
and farming where we do now
is because the original farm was
flooded when they built the dam
and all the good farmland there
was inundated,” says Gary. “Of
course, everyone was paid for
their land, so my great-grandfather used that money to buy our
current farm.”
Gary grew up helping his
grandfather, Oscar, and father,
Luther, as they continued to
farm in Sweeten’s Cove, which is
well suited for a beef cattle operation with its patchwork of small,
odd-shaped fields and pastures.
After his father’s death in 2006,
Gary assumed responsibility for
the 200-acre farm in addition to
his full-time job as an electrical
engineer. He commutes to Chattanooga through the week and
cares for his cattle and hay crops
at night and on weekends.
“All of our neighbors used to
own and operate small to midsize
farms, just like we do,” says Gary.
“Nowadays, it’s difficult to support a family from a small farm
38
January 2015
due to changes in economics of
our society. Consequently, most
neighbors have quit tending their
own land, either turning their
farms over to big row-crop guys,
selling their land for residential
development, or not using it for
anything. I support my operation
from my day job but still maintain all the farm activities, just
like my family has for the past
100-plus years.”
Enhancement Program, he’s
added hay barns to protect the
500 bales he harvests each year
and purchased various pieces of
livestock equipment, including
gates and hay rings. He’s also
collaborated with the Natural
Resources Conservation Service
on projects like cross-fencing his
pastures and putting in a well.
And, of course, the electrical
engineer has made sure there’s
Gary Ellis carries a bucket of feed for the 45 head of cattle on his Century Farm in
picturesque Sweeten’s Cove near South Pittsburg. As another sign on the door
indicates, Gary has also completed the Master Beef Producer program.
Gary describes his duly
designated Tennessee Century
Farm as “functionally historic,”
proudly pointing out features like
natural chestnut or cedar wood
posts in the fencerows and the
spring-fed watering system piped
off the mountainside for his 45
head of cattle.
“You don’t see many fences
without metal or treated posts
these days,” Gary says. “That’s
one thing you’ll notice about my
property, and it tells you something about its character. I’ve
maintained what my predecessors started. No new fences are
being made out of chestnut since
they nearly went extinct due
to blight in the 1930s. When I
replace an old post, I use only
cedar, which is the next most
historic thing I can find.”
“That’s the whole thing about
this farm — continuing tradition,” he adds. “I like to keep the
old look of how things were.”
Even as he’s kept the character of the original farm, Gary has
made strategic improvements
to help keep the operation viable. With cost-share assistance
from the Tennessee Agricultural
plenty of lights in his facilities so
he can do his chores after dark
— a sheer necessity with his offthe-farm daytime job.
“Before my dad passed away, I
just helped him do whatever he
wanted to do,” says Gary. “When
the farm became my responsibility, I started thinking about ways
I could improve things. Being
an engineer, I tend to research
things quite a bit, so I’m always
looking for new and better ways.”
In his research, Gary usually
focuses on his forage and feeding programs. With limited time
to spend on the farm, he takes
measures like using medicated
feeds and minerals to prevent
sickness in his cattle, planting
sorghum-sudan in the summer
and ryegrass in the winter for
additional forage options, and
utilizing rotational grazing to
keep his fescue-based pastures
as healthy and productive as
possible. He relies on Marion
Farmers Cooperative in nearby
Jasper for crop inputs and animal nutrition products.
“The Co-op is such an excellent source of cattle minerals
because you can easily fine-tune
your supplements to the season
or the need,” says Gary. “For
example, I’ll use the IGR fly control in fly season and high-mag
early in the spring. This time of
year, I’m feeding the Foundation
mineral and Supreme mineral.
I’ve also used minerals with Bovatec and Rumensin. That’s the
great thing about the Co-op. You
can get exactly what you want,
when you want it.”
Farming as efficiently as
possible is the key to survival
in the modern-day agricultural
economy, says Gary, who recognizes that small and midsize
operations like his are dwindling
in number. But, he insists, they
are not diminishing in importance, especially in an area like
Sweeten’s Cove.
“Sometimes farmland like
ours is simply not suited for rowcrop operations,” he says. “There
are a lot of places in the cove
that are small, hard to get in to,
or rugged. It’s not profitable
for row-croppers to fiddle with
them. Unless the little guy farms
these smaller plots, the opportunity is lost and the land will go
into forest or residential development. That is where farmers
like me have an opportunity to
benefit Tennessee agriculture.”
With a firm conviction to
preserve the past, Gary’s goal
is to sustain and strengthen his
farming operation so he and his
wife, Melissa, a Vermont native
who works as a mammographer
in Chattanooga, can pass it on to
daughters Autumn and Taylor. As
steward of his family’s heritage,
Gary says he believes that’s his
obligation in life.
“I was raised with the mentality that with the inheritance of
your land comes responsibility
to maintain it and pass it on in
at least as good a state as when
you got it,” he says. “I’m doing
what I’m supposed to do. Just
like my dad, I’ll do this till I die,
and then it’ll be handed over to
the next generation. It’ll be up
to them at that point. I’ve played
my role and hopefully provided
them with enough incentive and
knowhow to carry on.”
Gary Ellis, wife Melissa, and daughters Autumn
and Taylor (not pictured) enjoy the peace, quiet,
and beauty of their remote Sequatchie Valley
property, which is surrounded on three sides
by mountains. Gary takes pride in the historic
features of the farm, like this rock wall that once
was part of some pioneer homesteads but was
gifted by his great-grandfather, Nathaniel Ellis,
to the Bean-Roulston Cemetery Association.
The wall was moved and rebuilt to border
the cemetery, which is located at the edge of
the Ellis Farm. It’s the final resting place of
Revolutionary War hero Capt. Robert Bean,
credited with “significant action” at the Battle
of King’s Mountain on Oct. 7, 1780, in South
Carolina. Nathaniel and his second wife, Mary
Etta, are also buried here.
January 2015
39