front porch - fall 2015

F A L L 2 0 1 5

A C E L E B R A T I O N O F A R K A N S A S . U N I Q U E P L A C E S A N D P E O P L E .

Arkansasshow caves

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2 Front Porch | ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU • FALL 2015

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Front Porch | ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU • FALL 2015 1

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ON THE COVER

Kaylyn and Logan Loupe of Gonzales, La., enjoy a visit to

Cosmic Cavern near Berryville, one of nine “show caves” in

Arkansas open for public tours.

Photo by Keith Sutton

Farm Bureau MattersRandy Veach | Page 3

Thinking Out LoudRodney Baker | Page 5

Lost Worlds Beneath the OzarksKeith Sutton | Page 8

The Secret GardenLindsey Triplett | Page 16

Taste ArkansasMollie Dykes | Page 24

Land & PeopleRob Anderson | Page 26

In the KitchenMollie Dykes | Page 28

Building WealthAnna Glenn | Page 32

Delta ChildTalya Tate Boerner | Page 36

I N T H I S I S S U E


Arkansas landowners were granted a reprieve, possibly only temporarily, from the overreaching and arbitrary action of the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, which is using the feel-good image of “clean water” to implement restrictive land-use requirements.

While clean water is certainly one of government’s responsibilities, rest assured this eff ort by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) isn’t about clean water. It’s about a radical expansion of jurisdiction by EPA, despite Supreme Court rulings that suggest EPA is beyond its regulatory purview and without a directive from Congress. From our view it seems the EPA is bound and determined to restrict land use in ways that will be overly burdensome, particularly to farmers and ranchers.

Th ankfully, U.S. District Judge Ralph Erickson issued a temporary injunction in late August, blocking EPA from enacting its “Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) rule in 13 states (Arkansas included), bringing a bit of sanity to an otherwise bewildering situation.

Judge Erickson’s injunction will remain in place until a complete hearing is held to determine the merits of the challenges fi led by 13 attorneys general, including Leslie Rutledge, who we off er our gratitude and thanks. In addition to Arkansas, the states included in the injunction are Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. Th is Waters of the U.S. rule simply has to be stopped, not temporarily by injunction, but permanently.

EPA needs to withdraw this rule and start over. Its new rule places farmers in the agency’s crosshairs for using the same safe, scientifi cally sound and federally approved crop protection tools they’ve used for years.

In 1972, the federal government passed landmark legislation in an eff ort to restore and maintain our country’s abundant water resources. Th is legislation, known as the Clean Water Act, became the primary federal law against water pollution, and Congress largely charged EPA to manage

it in partnership with state environmental agencies. For more than 40 years, EPA has occupied that position; sometimes faithfully, but more oft en in an overly aggressive fashion.

Th e WOTUS rule extends EPA’s authority to include small rivers, streams and ponds. To say it would impact landowners in Arkansas is an understatement. We’re blessed with abundant water resources, all of which would be brought under EPA regulation if the WOTUS rule is allowed to stand. Our farmers, ranchers, developers and landowners would be subject to permit requirements for things like fertilizer, crop protection products and pest-control products. EPA would be able to determine what are “normal farming practices” from its perch in Washington, D.C. Farmers could conceivably be forced to get a permit if they changed crops, say from a hayfi eld to a corn fi eld. And because of this EPA mandate, the door is wide open for farmers and ranchers to be attacked with nuisance lawsuits from disjointed third parties.

Judge Erickson’s injunction included some strong language, including evidence that EPA was arbitrary and capricious in its rulemaking. “It appears likely that the EPA has violated its Congressional grant of authority in its promulgation of the rule,” he said as part of the ruling. He also says the rule suff ers from a “fatal defect” of allowing regulation of ditches and streams that weren’t connected to navigable waters.

Even in the face of this injunction order, EPA has asserted it will enforce the new rule in the 37 states not part of the injunction. Th is unlawful rule will continue to create uncertainty and legal risk for commonplace land uses like farming and ranching.

And that’s not the way things should work in the United States of America. Th ank goodness Judge Erickson saw it that way. Arkansas benefi ts from this injunction, but EPA is set to spread its regulatory authority far beyond its intended reach.

God bless you and your families.God bless the farmers and ranchers.And God bless Arkansas Farm Bureau.

Farm Bureau Mattersby Randy Veach | President, Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation


Water torture


Official membership publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation mailed to more than 190,000 member-families.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Included in membership dues

ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU OFFICERS:

President • Randy Veach, ManilaVice President • Rich Hillman, CarlisleSecretary/Treasurer • Joe Christian, JonesboroExecutive Vice President • Rodney Baker, Little Rock

DIRECTORS:

Troy Buck, AlpineJon Carroll, MoroTerry Dabbs, StuttgartSherry Felts, JoinerMike Freeze, EnglandBruce Jackson, LockesburgTom Jones, PottsvilleGene Pharr, LincolnCaleb Plyler, HopeRusty Smith, Des ArcLeo Sutterfield, Mountain ViewJoe Thrash, Toad SuckDan Wright, Waldron

EX OFFICIO

Josh Cureton, JonesboroTrent Dabbs, StuttgartJanice Marsh, McCroryPeggy Miller, Lake Village

Executive Editor • Steve Eddington

Editor • Gregg Patterson

Contributing Writers • Rob Anderson, Mollie Dykes, Ken Moore, Keith Sutton

ADVERTISING

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Front Porch (USPS 019-879) is published quarterly by the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation10720 Kanis Rd., Little Rock, AR 72211

Periodicals Postage paid at Little Rock, AR

POSTMASTER: Send address changes toRhonda Whitley at [email protected] Porch • P.O. Box 31 • Little Rock, AR 72203Please provide membership number

Issue #97

Publisher assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

The Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation reserves the right to accept or reject all advertising requests.

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9


Novelist J.M. Barrie created the beloved character Peter Pan, a boy who never aged while living out his adventures in a place called Never-

Neverland. Th ere was always something enticing and intriguing about that life and never getting older. I’m betting a similar stay on Father Time is something our farmers and ranchers would readily accept if they could.

Th e average age of today’s farmer is 58 years old. Th ink about that. Th e ability to produce food is one of this country’s great strengths. Yet with the average age of today’s farmer/rancher being 58, from where is the next generation of tomorrow’s food producers in this country going to come? Imagine if the average age of medical doctors and nurses in this country was 58 years old; or school teachers? How to solve those problems would be regularly reported on and debated in the national media. Right now, the U.S. exports more of what we grow and raise than we import. Agriculture is Arkansas’ #1 business income producer, and the workforce associated with it makes up one out of every six jobs in the state. Agriculture is critically important to the U.S. and Arkansas. Presently, there are barriers that need to be thoughtfully addressed preventing those wanting to farm from entering the profession.

Your Arkansas Farm Bureau is working with today’s young food producers throughout the state. We are proud of our Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) program. It actively engages young people involved in production agriculture. For almost all of these young farmers, it’s a lifestyle choice. Th ey want to raise their families on the farm, and they’re committed and passionate about what they do. To make ends meet in today’s world, the husband or wife — or both — may even work an off -the-farm job, too.

Our role is not to create new farmers. Rather we seek to engage younger farmers, providing a conduit for

information, involvement and leadership development that allows and encourages them to be actively engaged in ag policy development. Th ose policies will help them and set the table for success for those wanting to enter farming in the future.

Th e development of YF&R leaders at Farm Bureau grew for the 10th straight year, especially within our Collegiate Farm Bureau program that now has eight college chapters and 368 members. A state collegiate meeting held in conjunction with our YF&R conference in February was attended by 90 of our collegiate members, and 332 young farmers attended the conference. Eighteen leadership workshops (six specifi cally for collegiate members) that trained young farmers and ranchers to eff ectively speak on agricultural issues, work with the media, develop policy, learn how to use social media to spread the positive farming message and a chance to discuss the issues aff ecting them as young agriculturists were part of the overall program.

Th ese discussions continued at our Offi cers and Leaders conference in July with the keynote address given by Greg Peterson, one of the Peterson Farm Brothers. Th ey are young farmers who have found a way to spread the positive message of the farming life through their popular song parodies on YouTube. I encourage you to check them out at petersonfarmbros.com.

Th e reality to attract younger people into farming will take more than Peter Pan’s refusal to grow up on a place called Never-Neverland. Th e eff orts in developing benefi cial policy by today’s young farmers and ranchers will lay critical groundwork to make others want to farm and give them a fi ghting chance to be successful once they take the plunge. I’m proud of our young farmers and ranchers and the successes they’ve achieved so far. Th ey are a great strength that this country’s ag policy needs to refl ect.

Th inking Out Loudby Rodney Baker | Executive Vice President, Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation


Farming ain’t Never-Neverland


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Lost Worlds


Article and photos by Keith Sutton

Deep beneath a wooded slope in the Ozarks, water slowly drips from the roof of a cave. Th e drops plummet through darkness to the fl oor of a room no human has

ever seen. Th e songs of birds have never been heard here. Th e scent of wildfl owers has never hung in the air. For millions of years, the only sounds were the repetitive sounds of dripping water.

9

Beneath

Visitors to Arkansas’ show caves see amazing sights, like

the formations within this massive room in Hurricane

River Cave near Pindall.

the OzarksTh e Show Caves of Arkansas


Th en, one day in 1891, voices drift through the air. Bank robbers have squeezed through the cave’s narrow opening to hide their loot. Th eir torches illuminate incredible sights. Stone icicles hang overhead. Rock draperies cascade down the walls. Tall pillars of calcite bond fl oor and ceiling.

For the fi rst time, someone sees what the water drops have made.

Later, when the sheriff fi nds the stolen money, the landowner learns about the cave on his property. What he sees inside is so spectacular, he decides to widen the entrance and charge admission to see it. Two years later, in 1893, Robin’s Cave opens for public tours. Known now as Onyx Cave, it is the fi rst of Arkansas’ show caves.

Th e fact that Onyx Cave remains open 122 years aft er tourists fi rst paid to see it says a lot about our fascination with caves. We love visiting these subterranean realms, because we fi nd them both terrifying and beautiful — like a haunted house and art gallery in one. We fear their eternal cold darkness, crumbling ceilings, narrow passages and bats. Yet millions of us visit caves to see the incredible things contained therein: glittering stalactites, stalagmites, draperies and fl owstones; rocks formed into ships, castles, dragons, popcorn, bacon, coral, soda straws, fl owers, witches and brains; and all this in the colors of the rainbow.

Each formation was created by minuscule mineral deposits left by water drops falling throughout eons of time. Imagine Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel with an eyelash. He would have fi nished his frescoes far quicker than nature completes a single column in a cave.

Unfortunately, vandalism, illegal mining, groundwater pollution and other threats have devastated many caves and cave creatures. Of extreme concern is white-nosed syndrome, a disease recently found in Arkansas that has killed millions of bats elsewhere. To prevent its spread here, scores of caves previously open to the public are now off limits. As a result, opportunities for cave exploring are very limited.

Th e good news is Arkansas still has nine show caves open for public tours. All have been open for decades and contain wonders of nature that make them well worth visiting. Call ahead or visit their websites for current hours, prices and tour information.

Blanchard Springs CavernsLocation: 15 miles northwest of Mountain View off Arkansas Highway 14Information: blanchardsprings.org, 870-757-2211

Th e man for whom Blanchard Springs is named never entered the caverns. John Blanchard built a gristmill at the spring in the 1880s, but then, the only cave entrances were through the gushing spring itself and via a 75-foot vertical sinkhole few people dared challenge. It wasn’t until the 1960s that professional spelunkers thoroughly explored the

underground world described in a 1964 issue of “Life”magazine as “one of the most extraordinary cave fi nds of the century.” Few caves in the world are more beautiful.

Th e U.S. Forest Service opened Blanchard Caverns in 1973. Th e earliest tours followed today’s Dripstone Trail, an easy, half-mile route where visitors see rooms fi lled with stalactites, soda straws and a natural bridge, as well as the 1,100-foot-long Cathedral Room, which includes a column six stories high.

Th e 1.2-mile-long Discovery Trail tour opened in 1977. Th e 1½ hour hike is arduous, including 686 stair steps. But those who tackle it see the natural entrance where spelunkers fi rst descended into the cave, the underground stream that exits the caverns as Blanchard Springs and enormous, beautifully decorated rooms like the Ghost Room with its shimmering white fl owstones.

Th e Wild Cave Tour, by reservation only for groups of three to 12, provides advanced participants a chance to explore undeveloped parts of the cave.

Cool cave fact: In 1965, Grammy-Award-winning folk singer Jimmy Drift wood of Timbo immortalized Blanchard Caverns on his album “I Hear Your People Singing.” A Google search will turn up many places where you can hear his song “Blanchard Cave.”

Bull Shoals CavernsLocation: 1011 C. S. Woods Boulevard, Bull ShoalsInformation: bullshoalscaverns.com, 870-445-7177

Walking through the narrow corridors of Bull Shoals Caverns diff ers greatly from a tour of Blanchard Springs’ large rooms. Here beneath the town of Bull Shoals,

Blanchard Springs Caverns’ Soda Straw Room is a fantasyland full of otherworldly formations.


Th en, one day in 1891, voices drift through the air. Bank robbers have squeezed through the cave’s narrow opening to hide their loot. Th eir torches illuminate incredible sights. Stone icicles hang overhead. Rock draperies cascade down the walls. Tall pillars of calcite bond fl oor and ceiling.

For the fi rst time, someone sees what the water drops have made.

Later, when the sheriff fi nds the stolen money, the landowner learns about the cave on his property. What he sees inside is so spectacular, he decides to widen the entrance and charge admission to see it. Two years later, in 1893, Robin’s Cave opens for public tours. Known now as Onyx Cave, it is the fi rst of Arkansas’ show caves.

Th e fact that Onyx Cave remains open 122 years aft er tourists fi rst paid to see it says a lot about our fascination with caves. We love visiting these subterranean realms, because we fi nd them both terrifying and beautiful — like a haunted house and art gallery in one. We fear their eternal cold darkness, crumbling ceilings, narrow passages and bats. Yet millions of us visit caves to see the incredible things contained therein: glittering stalactites, stalagmites, draperies and fl owstones; rocks formed into ships, castles, dragons, popcorn, bacon, coral, soda straws, fl owers, witches and brains; and all this in the colors of the rainbow.

Each formation was created by minuscule mineral deposits left by water drops falling throughout eons of time. Imagine Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel with an eyelash. He would have fi nished his frescoes far quicker than nature completes a single column in a cave.

Unfortunately, vandalism, illegal mining, groundwater pollution and other threats have devastated many caves and cave creatures. Of extreme concern is white-nosed syndrome, a disease recently found in Arkansas that has killed millions of bats elsewhere. To prevent its spread here, scores of caves previously open to the public are now off limits. As a result, opportunities for cave exploring are very limited.

Th e good news is Arkansas still has nine show caves open for public tours. All have been open for decades and contain wonders of nature that make them well worth visiting. Call ahead or visit their websites for current hours, prices and tour information.

Blanchard Springs CavernsLocation: 15 miles northwest of Mountain View off Arkansas Highway 14Information: blanchardsprings.org, 870-757-2211

Th e man for whom Blanchard Springs is named never entered the caverns. John Blanchard built a gristmill at the spring in the 1880s, but then, the only cave entrances were through the gushing spring itself and via a 75-foot vertical sinkhole few people dared challenge. It wasn’t until the 1960s that professional spelunkers thoroughly explored the

underground world described in a 1964 issue of “Life”magazine as “one of the most extraordinary cave fi nds of the century.” Few caves in the world are more beautiful.

Th e U.S. Forest Service opened Blanchard Caverns in 1973. Th e earliest tours followed today’s Dripstone Trail, an easy, half-mile route where visitors see rooms fi lled with stalactites, soda straws and a natural bridge, as well as the 1,100-foot-long Cathedral Room, which includes a column six stories high.

Th e 1.2-mile-long Discovery Trail tour opened in 1977. Th e 1½ hour hike is arduous, including 686 stair steps. But those who tackle it see the natural entrance where spelunkers fi rst descended into the cave, the underground stream that exits the caverns as Blanchard Springs and enormous, beautifully decorated rooms like the Ghost Room with its shimmering white fl owstones.

Th e Wild Cave Tour, by reservation only for groups of three to 12, provides advanced participants a chance to explore undeveloped parts of the cave.

Cool cave fact: In 1965, Grammy-Award-winning folk singer Jimmy Drift wood of Timbo immortalized Blanchard Caverns on his album “I Hear Your People Singing.” A Google search will turn up many places where you can hear his song “Blanchard Cave.”

Bull Shoals CavernsLocation: 1011 C. S. Woods Boulevard, Bull ShoalsInformation: bullshoalscaverns.com, 870-445-7177

Walking through the narrow corridors of Bull Shoals Caverns diff ers greatly from a tour of Blanchard Springs’ large rooms. Here beneath the town of Bull Shoals,

Blanchard Springs Caverns’ Soda Straw Room is a fantasyland full of otherworldly formations.


everything is mere inches from the viewer, including beautiful columns, stalactites, stalagmites, draperies, cave coral, helictites and cave creatures like salamanders and bats. Th e cave opened for tours in 1959.

In the Cathedral Room, guides strike cave formations with a padded stick, creating eerie chime-like music. Near the back of the cave, the clay walls sparkle with thousands of coins. Guests are told to make a wish and then throw a coin at the wall. If the coin sticks, your wish comes true, or so the story goes.

Cool cave fact: Ever thought you might want to get married in a cave? For a fee, you can arrange to wed in Bull Shoals Cavern’s Diamond Chapel room, which has an altar made of crystal.

Cosmic CavernLocation: 6386 Highway 21 North, BerryvilleInformation: cosmiccavern.com, 870-749-2298

In 1845, three men prospecting for lead and silver discovered this cave. Th eir last name was Moore, so the place was named Moore’s Cavern. Th e title didn’t stick, however. Before it became Cosmic Cavern in 1972, it also was known as Bear Cave, Johnson’s Cave, Majestic Cave, Maple Cave, Maple Springs Cave, Mystery Cave and Mystic Cave. When a

Clay walls glisten with thousands of coins placed there by wish makers visiting Bull

Shoals Caverns. This colorful cave salamander was seen on a tour of the same

cave. Bats, cave crickets and other creatures inhabit many Arkansas show caves.

On a tour of Cosmic Cavern near Berryville, guests gaze into the depths of a large underground lake, the bottom of which has never been found. Trout once were stocked here.


group of men fi rst explored it, they descended 200 feet on a rope to reach the cave fl oor. More than eight decades passed before tours started in 1927.

Today, as visitors venture into Cosmic Cavern, strategic illumination casts lights and shadows onto a wonderland of stalactites, stalagmites, fl owstones, soda straws, helictites, cave bacon, draperies and many other “speleothems.” Th e Silent Splendor room was discovered in 1993 and contains delicate soda straw formations up to 9 feet long. Underground lakes seen on the tour are so deep, their bottoms have yet to be discovered. For many years, the 48-degree waters were stocked with trout that turned ghostly white from living in darkness. Th e trout are gone, but watch closely, and you could spot an unusual Ozark blind salamander.

Cool cave fact: During the 1920s, new Model A Fords had onyx gearshift knobs. Th ese decorative knobs were made of onyx taken from formations inside Cosmic Cavern.

Hurricane River CaveLocation: Off U.S. Highway 65 near Pindall, 16 miles south of HarrisonInformation: hurricanerivercaverns.com, 870-429-6200

Most Arkansas caves have dark, foreboding entrances. Not so Hurricane River Cave. Guests walk through the spider-web motif entrance gate and marvel at the beauty of a tall waterfall coursing down from another cave entrance high above.

Th e cave’s interior is marvelously beautiful, too. Th e level trail follows an ancient underground riverbed into rooms full of colorful stalactites, stalagmites, fl owstone, draperies, soda straws, rimstone dams, cave popcorn, columns and unusual formations like moonmilk and stalactofl ats. Th e Cathedral Room and Th eater Room soar more than four stories high. Bats oft en are seen hanging from the ceiling.

Cool cave fact: Claw marks, tracks and bones show that prehistoric bears once denned in Hurricane River Cave. In 1976, spelunkers also discovered the near-complete skeleton of a saber-toothed cat. Th ese tiger-size animals went extinct 11,000 years ago.

Mystic Caverns and Crystal DomeLocation: 341 Caverns Dr. off Arkansas Scenic 7 Byway, 8 miles south of HarrisonInformation: mysticcaverns.com, 870-743-1739

Mystic Caverns opened for tours in the late 1920s, about 90 years aft er the sinkhole entrance was discovered. Guests climbed down a ladder and viewed the spectacular formations by lantern light. In 1938, however, the cave closed for 11 years, because the state deemed it unsafe. During that time, vandals damaged many cave formations, and fi res under moonshine stills smoked up the walls and ceiling.

Th e cave reopened in 1950, with a spiral-staircase entrance and electric lighting. It was purchased in 1966 by Dogpatch

USA theme park, and in 1967, a bulldozer working on the parking lot uncovered a separate but unknown cave adjacent Mystic Caverns. Th is discovery, full of undisturbed formations, was later named Crystal Dome.

You can tour both caves, but if you have time to see only one, see Crystal Dome. Mystic has interesting formations like the “Pipe Organ,” a 28-foot-tall column. But soot-blackened walls and broken formations distract from the beauty. Crystal Dome, on the other hand, is the epitome of pristine. Delicate soda straws, pools with cave pearls, sawtooth draperies and abundant pure-white fl owstone draw the eyes throughout the tour. Th e 80-foot-high dome glistens from bottom to top.

Cool cave fact: Locals once used the largest room in Mystic Cave for parties and dancing. Many partook of beverages from a moonshiner’s still there.

Visitors first toured the beautiful interior of Onyx Cave in 1893, making it the oldest show cave in Arkansas.


Old Spanish Treasure CaveLocation: 14290 N. Highway 59, Sulphur SpringsInformation: spanish-treasure-cave.com, 479-787-6508

Old Spanish Treasure Cave, opened to the public in the 1930s, doesn’t have many beautiful cave formations. What it does have is an interesting story about a lost treasure.

Legend has it that Spanish conquistadors in the 1500s hid gold and other valuables deep in the cave aft er an Indian attack. A Spanish map showing the gold’s location supposedly surfaced in the late 1800s, prompting treasure hunters to start digging there. Th e treasure, if it existed, hasn’t been found, but the current cave owners continue the quest and show visitors sites where extensive excavations are underway. It’s worth the price of a tour ticket to hear fi rsthand the stories of these modern-day treasure hunters.

Unique here is a Camp in the Cave educational program designed for youth groups. In October, there’s also a Haunted Cavern event for Halloween.

Cool cave fact: In 1967, the Benton County Civil Defense organization signed a lease for use of Old Spanish Treasure Cave as an emergency fallout shelter for up to 340 people.

Onyx CaveLocation: 338 Onyx Cave Lane, Eureka SpringsInformation: onyxcaveeurekasprings.com, 479-253-9321

Th e oldest Arkansas show cave is unique for its lack of tour guides. Instead of waiting to meet guides at an assigned time, guests are given headphones and can immediately begin a self-guided tour. Along the way are transmitter boxes with lighted green buttons on top. When a button is pushed, interesting formations are lighted, and a narrator describes

them. Easy-to-walk paths direct visitors to interesting formations such as the Onyx Elephant, Friendly Dragon and Witch’s Fireplace. Th irty minutes is all it takes, but you can stay as long as you like to shoot photographs.

Cool cave fact: All the cave scenes in the movie “It’s Alive”were fi lmed at Onyx Cave. Th is 1969 horror fi lm features a psychotic farmer who traps people in a cave to feed a hideous monster inside.

War Eagle CavernLocation: 21494 Cavern Drive off Scenic Highway 12 between Eureka Springs and RogersInformation: wareaglecavern.com, 479-789-2909

A walk along the stream fl owing through War Eagle Cavern provides fascinating views of waterfalls, fossils, rimstone dams and cave creatures like bats. But this is not a cave for those hoping to see exquisite cave formations. Instead, history comes alive as friendly, story-telling guides share tales of Indians, soldiers, moonshiners and outlaws like Jesse James who are said to have used War Eagle. Tours began in 1978, making this one of the newest show caves in the country.

War Eagle Cavern’s spectacular natural entrance sits in a boxed canyon on Beaver Lake. Following heavy rainfall, water pours in torrents from cave to lake, creating a remarkable sight. Many visitors arrive in boats for a cave visit. Th ere’s also a fossil dig area for children, including the “Big Dig” where young archaeologists can uncover the bones of a mastodon.

Cool cave fact: Legend has it that Frank and Jesse James used War Eagle Cavern as a hideout. It is appropriate then that Rob Lowe, Randy Travis and Bill Paxton fi lmed scenes for the movie “Frank and Jesse” there in 1994.

On a tour of War Eagle Cavern, visitors hear tales about outlaws,

moonshiners and others who once used the cave for a hideout.

14 Front Porch | ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU • FALL 2015 Front Porch | ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU • FALL 2015 15

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Without you, M*A*S*H would not be possible.


The secret garden

16

Dunbar Garden Program Coordinator Damian Thompson.


Growing communityArticle and photos by Lindsey Triplett

With dirty hands, dusty, tousled hair and a sweat-beaded brow, Damian reaches to pull another

squash off the stem before it’s too hard to eat. In a matter of minutes, he proudly shows off a basket full of yellow and green produce before taking his pickings back to the barn to prepare for sale. Damian Th ompson serves as program coordinator for an urban farm in the heart of inner-city south Little Rock called Dunbar Garden.

Dunbar sits on a 2-acre plot, wedged between a library, elementary school and houses sitting side by side. What started in 1992 as an empty lot has blossomed into a fl ourishing community garden, but also a home to livestock, popular place to volunteer and an exciting outdoor classroom. Th e urban farm serves its local community through partnerships with the Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department, Gibbs and Dunbar schools and local libraries. During the school year, students ranging from preschool to eighth grade gather around Th ompson with wide eyes as he brings to life topics they’ve only seen and heard about in textbooks.

Subjects like plant reproduction, the worm’s digestive system, bee pollination and how food travels from the farm to the store are covered in Dunbar’s gardening and environmental education classes. When he began working at Dunbar Garden, Th ompson’s main interest was the biology and botany side of urban farming. What he didn’t expect was to develop a love for teaching.


“I didn’t have any plans to teach, but it works out really well. I didn’t know I was good at that,” he said, chuckling at the thought. A little more than 50 classes a month are taught at Dunbar while school is in session, and for Th ompson, it’s as much of a learning experience as it is for the children. Th rough giving daily tours, solving problems in the garden, meeting new volunteers and answering off -the-wall questions from hungry young minds, Th ompson enjoys gaining wisdom from those who visit the garden.

“Even getting stumped and having to talk to the class next month to give them the answer that I couldn’t give them last time,” he said. “Th ose types of questions are really fun.” Dunbar off ers a unique educational experience for everyone involved.

From the spectrum of questions asked, Th ompson says a reoccurring one is, “Can we eat this?” He serves as a constant reminder to students entering the garden how food is grown and produced before it reaches their plate.

“It’s interesting to watch kids wrap their head around the fact their food doesn’t have to come from a store,” he said. “Th at it actually does come from a thing which is oft entimes stinky, dirty, sharp, pointy or itchy. It’s hard work. It doesn’t just happen.”

Learning doesn’t stop with elementary students and Th ompson. Teenagers and adults both arrive daily to see all Dunbar has to off er. Some come with eager hearts and working hands to volunteer time and physical labor in the garden. Others, like chef Chris McMillan from Boulevard Bistro in Little Rock, come to purchase the farm’s harvest. McMillan comes to Dunbar garden at least once a week to buy produce he uses to create his dishes.

“I feel like it’s important to buy local,” he said. “Dunbar is specifi cally important, because it’s inner-city. It’s doing something for the community. Th ere are lots of opportunities to buy local, and we have farms right outside of town, but this here is doing something for our community. It’s literally changing lives. It’s very important, and the more support they can get, the better.”

McMillan designs his menu around what is seasonally available and off ered at Dunbar Garden. “Most of the time, I have to take what he’s got or what someone else has got, and I have to build something with it,” he said. “It’s a back and forth. What do I want to do, and what do I have to work with?”

Other restaurants take advantage of using Dunbar goods, too, such as Little Rock’s Damgoode Pies. “Th ey buy all the basil we can grow. We’ve been working with those guys for years,” Th ompson said as he pointed out multiple rows of the bright green, leafy plant. Damgoode Pies even brews a special beer called “Dunbar Wild” using a yeast strain cultivated from a plum grown in Dunbar Garden.

Farmers markets and Dunbar’s annual fundraiser give the public an opportunity to take home some of their products.


Dunbar Garden is mostly sustained by the sale of what is grown and raised there. Wind generates power, and volunteers from the community work the garden plots.


“We’re here mainly for education but also for the produce that comes out and gets to go all over,” Th ompson said. “Even the neighbors walk over and buy things or trade stuff . Th ey will even pick up pecans and bring us pecan pie later. It’s cool stuff .”

What may be the most impressive aspect about Dunbar Garden is its self-sustainability. While donations are a big part of the garden’s success and are greatly appreciated, the majority of the farm’s profi ts come from selling its goods. Th e farm’s energy is powered by a three-blade windmill that sits on the north side of the plot, towering over the garden. Th e windmill provides a visible, renewable energy source while also providing an interesting tool for teaching. Aside from Th ompson and one other paid employee, all of the planting, maintenance and harvesting is graciously done by volunteers who randomly work each day.

Some, like Kyle Hicks, are new to Dunbar’s list of volunteers. Although he’s only been volunteering for a short time, he’s been faithful in his service by coming three days in a row. As a social studies teacher at Camp Robinson, Hicks saw an opportunity to use Dunbar as a tool for teaching his students. “One of our program components is service to the community. I came, because I’m going to bring my students here eventually, so they can volunteer and learn,” Hicks said. “I want to bring them out here, and let them see what hard work can eventually

become and look like.” He even has plans to encourage other teachers at his school to join his idea of using Dunbar for hands-on experience.

Other volunteers have been involved with Dunbar for much longer, but still radiate a passion for the community garden. For Th ompson, seeing individuals willingly volunteer provided him a new outlook on service. “It gives you a diff erent state of mind if you’re seeing them happily volunteering versus being there to toil and trudge,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of community support. Th ey love the place. Th ey’re glad this is here.”

Lorraine Coleman has actively volunteered for three years with no plans of stopping anytime soon. “What hooked me,” Coleman said, “was I saw there was a chance for unity, because I saw people who would work hard and work together. I love unity.”

It didn’t take elaborate sentences to illustrate what the garden means to Coleman and many others. Rather, it shows with one simple word, unity. Th is small plot of land in the middle of an economically challenged neighborhood is much more than an urban farm. It’s a home, a place of solitude and relaxation. Dunbar Garden has created a family. A family unique and full of passion, working to change the way urban citizens view agriculture; a family strengthening the Dunbar community by working together, creating a rare unity.

Dunbar Garden is an urban farm used to teach city youths about how food is produced before it winds up in a grocery store. During the school year, more than 50 classes a month are taught there.


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T A S T E A R K A N S A S

1. What made you want to become Miss Arkansas Rice?

“I was approached by Mrs. Janice Marsh in church one day about trying out for Miss Woodruff County Rice. At fi rst, I was hesitant, because I do not come from a farm family. But I was assured that does not play a factor in the competition. I also wanted to use the experience to learn more about how much the rice industry does for Arkansas. I enjoyed meeting and talking with people and entering the competition gave me this opportunity.”

2. How did it feel when you werecrowned Miss Arkansas Rice?

“Th ere is only one word to describe how I felt when I was crowned Miss Arkansas Rice: shock. To be perfectly honest, I already had it in my head who was going to win. When the announcements for fi rst and second runner-up were announced, I thought to myself, ‘Wow! Both of those girls were great. Who beat them?’ While I was thinking that, my name was called as Miss Arkansas Rice, and I did not even hear it. My mom patted me on the back and said, ‘Th at’s you!’ I was so shocked and as I walked up front to be crowned, tears began to form in my eyes. I did not even know what to think. It is a huge honor, because Woodruff County has not had a Miss Rice in over 30 years and has never had one to be crowned Miss Arkansas Rice. I was defi nitely on cloud nine!”

3. Why do you believe it’simportant to educate people about rice, rice production andthe rice industry in Arkansas?

“I think that it is very, very important to educate people about rice, rice production and the rice industry in Arkansas, because it provides so much — not only for Arkansas — but for the entire nation. It’s a big deal that 50 percent of the rice grown in America is grown here in Arkansas. Th e rice industry also provides over 25,000 jobs in Arkansas, which are all important to rural communities.”

4. Tell us about the rice industry in your own county, Woodruff County.

“Woodruff County is in the top 10 rice-producing counties in the state of Arkansas. Th ere are nearly 300 functioning farms in the county, as well. Nineteen percent of the population in Woodruff County is employed in the rice industry. For such a small county, Woodruff County greatly contributes to the rice industry.”

5. What do you plan to do to continue promoting rice and Arkansas agriculture during your time as Miss Arkansas Rice?

“To continue promoting rice and Arkansas agriculture, I plan to continue making public appearances where I will help educate people on the rice industry. I will defi nitely continue to promote rice and healthy eating habits to children. Hopefully, I can encourage kids to make healthier eating choices and to add more rice to their diets. I also plan to continue promoting rice on my Facebook page, Miss Arkansas Rice 2015-2016. Social

media has such a huge impact on peoples’ daily lives. And if I can catch peoples’ eyes by posting healthy recipes and important facts about the rice industry, then I have done my job. Th e world of social media is huge and by the single click of a button, someone can share something interesting about rice from my page with their friends, which is so incredibly awesome.”

6. What are your future plans?“Since I will be graduating in the spring of

2016, making future plans is a big deal right now. In the fall of 2016, I will attend Arkansas State University in Jonesboro where I plan to major in physical therapy with a specialization in pediatrics.”

Six questions for the new 2015-2016 Miss Arkansas RiceLynnsey Bowling of Woodruff County

Compiled by Mollie Dykes

New Miss Arkansas Rice Lynnsey Bowling receives her crown from 2013-14 winner Jenna Martin.

photo by Keith Sutton


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Damon Helton is a veteran farmer. Correction: Damon Helton is a veteran and a farmer. Helton is a

decorated veteran of the U.S. armed forces with fi ve deployments between Iraq and Afghanistan, but he’s a relative newcomer to agriculture.

Still, watching Helton zoom urgently around his 165-acre property in Saline County on his four-wheeler, you notice nothing that gives him away as a neophyte farmer. In fact, he looks quite at home as he

checks in on his grazing cattle or prepares to move his broiler bird “schooner” to fresh pasture. Th is all makes sense when you talk to him and learn that the farming lifestyle is exactly what he wanted and needed for himself and his family.

“Farming really brought me back home. It got me back to my roots — no pun intended,” Helton said. “I’m around my kids every day. I’m teaching them how to get their hands dirty and all those things that I learned in the

military — hard work, discipline, structure. When I was out working, I wasn’t able to teach them that stuff . Now that I’m on the farm and doing that, I can’t tell you how blessed I am and how great it feels.”

He explained that, around 2011, he and his wife, Jana, were out for a drive in the country when they saw a “For Sale” sign on the property that is now their farm. Th e couple fell in love with the land and came to the decision that farming would be their future.

L A N D & P E O P L EL A N D & P E O P L E

From battlefi elds to farm fi eldsVeteran signs up for farm duty

by Rob Anderson

Damon Helton and wife Jana with their four children: Luke, 9; Olivia, 6; Violet, 2; and Elena, 1.

photo by Rob Anderson


Damon Helton is a veteran farmer. Correction: Damon Helton is a veteran and a farmer. Helton is a

decorated veteran of the U.S. armed forces with fi ve deployments between Iraq and Afghanistan, but he’s a relative newcomer to agriculture.

Still, watching Helton zoom urgently around his 165-acre property in Saline County on his four-wheeler, you notice nothing that gives him away as a neophyte farmer. In fact, he looks quite at home as he

checks in on his grazing cattle or prepares to move his broiler bird “schooner” to fresh pasture. Th is all makes sense when you talk to him and learn that the farming lifestyle is exactly what he wanted and needed for himself and his family.

“Farming really brought me back home. It got me back to my roots — no pun intended,” Helton said. “I’m around my kids every day. I’m teaching them how to get their hands dirty and all those things that I learned in the

military — hard work, discipline, structure. When I was out working, I wasn’t able to teach them that stuff . Now that I’m on the farm and doing that, I can’t tell you how blessed I am and how great it feels.”

He explained that, around 2011, he and his wife, Jana, were out for a drive in the country when they saw a “For Sale” sign on the property that is now their farm. Th e couple fell in love with the land and came to the decision that farming would be their future.

L A N D & P E O P L EL A N D & P E O P L E

From battlefi elds to farm fi eldsVeteran signs up for farm duty

by Rob Anderson

Damon Helton and wife Jana with their four children: Luke, 9; Olivia, 6; Violet, 2; and Elena, 1.

photo by Rob Anderson


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Helton didn’t come from a farming family and had no background in the business, but he credits his military experience with giving him the drive and determination to take on the challenge of starting a farming operation from scratch. In addition to Jana’s support and hard work, Helton has received assistance through the Farmer Veteran Coalition initiative, the Arkansas Agriculture Department and Arkansas Department of Veterans Aff airs and the “Homegrown by Heroes” program.

“Th e Farmer-Veteran coalition really served as a mentorship avenue for me. I’m able to reach out and fi nd guys who’ve built successful farming operations,” Helton said. “Th ey provide tremendous marketing support and (advice on) how we can bring our product to market. And there’s the label — the ‘Homegrown by Heroes’ label. It’s such a great feeling to know that not only did I produce this product, but it warrants this label. It signifi es to us as veterans that we’re still out there serving. We protected our country on the battlefi eld overseas, and we feel that we’re protecting our country now by providing a quality product and feeding people. It’s a badge of honor for us.”

Th e Heltons and their four children live on the farm in a house they refurbished, and they focus on sustainable agriculture. “We do pastured poultry, grass-fed beef, and we’re going to be getting into forested pork. And we’re going to take on turkeys next year. It’s an intensive process but very rewarding,” Helton said.

For more on the Heltons, listen to a podcast interview with Damon at (http://www.arfb .com/media-communications/press-releases/2015/podcast_homegrown_by_heroes/). To learn more about the “Homegrown by Heroes” program in Arkansas and other veteran-farmer initiatives, watch this video http://www.arfb .com/media-communications/press-releases/2015/video_homegrown_heroes/.


Compiled by Mollie Dykes

Sandwich-inspired rice dipReuben’s fl avor recreated

I N T H E K I T C H E N

The Reuben Rice Dip is the personal creation of newly crowned Miss Arkansas Rice, Lynnsey Bowling of

Woodruff County. Th e Reuben sandwich is one of her favorite things to eat, so she combined the ingredients with brown rice to create this easy-to-make dish. When Bowling decided to make a dish with Reuben sandwich ingredients, she and her mom tried many diff erent measurement sizes until they got the perfect amount of everything. When Bowling fi rst envisioned the dish, she wanted an appetizer, so she called it a dip. If one chooses to eat the dish as a dip, it goes great with tortilla chips or Melba toast. However, Bowling says it also works well as a casserole. It’s fi lling and is great either way.

Ingredients• 1 cup mayonnaise• 6 tablespoons ketchup• 2-3 dashes Tabasco sauce• ½ teaspoon black pepper• 1 lb. corned beef (chopped)• One 8 oz. block of cream cheese (soft ened)• One 16 oz. jar of sauerkraut (drained)• 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese (divided)• 2 cups brown rice (cooked according to

package directions)

Directions1. Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease an 8”x8”

baking dish.2. To make Th ousand Island dressing, mix fi rst four ingredients

in a small bowl. Reserve ¼ cup of dressing for aft er baking. 3. Mix soft ened cream cheese and ¾ cup of Th ousand Island

dressing in a large bowl.4. Add cooked brown rice, sauerkraut and 1 cup of shredded

Swiss cheese. Mix well. 5. Place in a greased baking dish and top with remaining 1 cup

of shredded Swiss cheese.6. Bake 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve warm with tortilla

chips or Melba rounds. 7. Have extra Th ousand Island dressing out for guests to drizzle

on top of their serving.

Reuben Rice DipPrep time: 45 minutesCook time: 30 minutesServes 16-20 people

Reuben Rice Dip is the unique creation of 2015-16 Miss Arkansas Rice, Lynnsey Bowling. The dip is inspired by the flavors of her favorite sandwich.photo by Keith Sutton


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by Anna Glenn

B U I L D I N G W E A L T H

Don’t let identity theft threatenyour fi nancial health

Identity theft can derail even the most careful fi nancial plans. It’s a scourge that’s becoming far too prevalent in our

increasingly connected world, but there are steps consumers can take to protect themselves.

What is identity theft ?Identity theft may take several forms, most

of which focus on generating revenue for criminals. Th ieves use stolen credit cards to make fraudulent purchases, for example, or they apply for health-care benefi ts with poached identifi cation. By obtaining the right personal data, criminals can open the door to nearly any existing fi nancial account.

Identity theft also occurs when a criminal uses a victim’s personal information to open new accounts or to acquire credit. It isn’t uncommon for thieves to use stolen consumer data to activate utilities, to set up cellphone service or even to try to throw the police off their trail when arrested for a crime.

No matter how identity theft occurs, it can cause signifi cant harm. Victims may discover fraudulent debts lingering on their credit reports, or their reputation might be tarnished by criminal acts that were committed in their name. Lowered credit scores and other long-term impacts could also arise. Identity theft may aff ect a victim’s ability to secure employment or housing. Th ey might encounter diffi culty in obtaining credit. Th eir assets could even be in jeopardy if the phony accounts go into default before everything is resolved.

How does identity theft happen?Unfortunately, the avenues open to

criminals who seek to steal someone’s identity appear to be widening. One simple but profi table scheme is the use of stolen credit cards or other payment credentials. Th ieves

get their hands on these by stealing wallets and purses, sneaking them out of mailboxes or snatching them during home and auto break-ins. Th e criminals then make as many fraudulent purchases as possible before the victim or a card issuer spots the suspicious charges and shuts down the account.

Th anks to scores of recent data breaches — at retailers, insurers, universities and nearly every other type of organization — cyber thieves don’t even need to spend time stealing paperwork or plastic cards. Instead, they now enjoy unprecedented access to consumers’ personal information online. With a few clicks of a mouse and perhaps a few dollars paid on an underground website, criminals can use stolen data to apply for loans through online lenders, fi le phony tax returns, reroute retirement disbursements and open new charge accounts, all from the comfort of home.

How to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft

Just as in other aspects of fi nancial planning, risk mitigation is key to ensuring that identity theft doesn’t wreak havoc with your bottom line. First, it’s crucial that consumers take steps to protect their personal data.

Paperwork left in fi le cabinets and on

desks should be kept to a

minimum, with important

documents locked up to

protect against theft . Shred anything

that includes personal data before placing it in the

recycle bin.Protecting personal information

online is just as important. Data should be shared as little as possible, and then only with trusted entities. Be wary of any email links or websites that looks suspicious. Before going online, confi rm that a robust anti-virus platform is in place to protect against malware and other attacks.

Resources to safeguard your fi nancial health

Additional tools can help protect against identity theft . If you fear your personal data may have been compromised, experts are available to guide you through the process of resolving suspicious account activity and repairing credit fi les. Th ey also can show you how to safeguard your data in the future, so a past exposure doesn’t hinder your ability to move forward.

If you would like additional information on how to safeguard your identity, please go to www.afb ic-idtheft .com. To learn more about Arkansas Farm Bureau Insurance’s identity theft services, please go to www.afb ic.com/products/id_theft .aspx.


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Owned and operated by Farmers working to help the American Farmer

U. S. Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685). 1. Publication title: Front Porch. 2. Publication number: 01-9879. 3. Filing date: 9/28/15. 4. Issue frequency: Quarterly. 5. No. of issues published annually: Four. 6. Annual Subscription Price: 0. 7. Complete mailing address of known offi ce of publication: Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation, 10720 Kanis Road, Little Rock, AR 72211-3825. 8. Complete mailing address of headquarters of General Business offi ce of Publisher: Same as #7. 9. Full names and complete mailing address of Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor: Publisher, Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation; Executive Editor, Steve Eddington; Editor, Gregg Patterson. All addresses same as #7. 10. Owner: Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation. 11. Know Bondholders, Mortgages and other Security Holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None. 12. Tax Status: unchanged. 13. Publication title: Front Porch. 14. Issue date for Circulation date: Summer 2015. 15. Extent and nature of circulation: Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months: Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to fi ling date. 15a. Total no. of copies net press run average each issue 187,072 (issued published nearest to fi ling date 182,849). 15b. Paid/Requested outside-county mail subscription: 179,859 (most recent 182,199). 15c. Total paid and/or requested circulation: 179,859 (most recent 182,199). 15d., e. Not Applicable. 15f. Total Distribution: 179,859 (most recent 182,199). 15g. Copies not distributed: 1,212 (most recent 650). 15h. Total: 187,298 (most recent 189,656). 15i. Percent paid and/or requested circulation: 100%. 16. This statement of ownership will be printed in the Fall 2015 issue of the publication. 17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager or Owner:

Gregg Patterson Date: 9/25/15


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“I read about Steuart’s Pain Formula in a farm magazine,” says Rickey D. Snow, Hood, California. “I hurt my shoulder January 18th 2013, and had constant pain until the middle of March. My doctors could do nothing, within 10 minutes of applying pain formula, the pain was completely gone.”

Jack Zimmerman from Elysian, Minnesota is a disabled Afghanistan war veteran. He stepped on an IED in 2011 & lost both of his legs. “Aft er I spend a day in my wheel chair I end up with a lot of back, neck, & shoulder pain. Within a half hour of applying Steuart’s Pain Formula I am pain free. Now, I can tolerate a whole day in my wheel chair.”

Th omas Lindberg, Two Har-bors, Minn: “I have arthritis pain in my shoulders and back and was having trou-ble sleeping through the night because of the pain. I read about Steuart’s in a farm magazine and was a bit skeptical at fi rst, but thought I’d give it a try. I was absolutely amazed athow well it worked and now

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use it every day. It works better than anything on the market.”

Warren Ward of Pemberton, Minnesota says his knees ached so terrible at night that he couldn’t get to sleep without taking pain killers. “An orthopedic surgeon told me both my knees were shot, I had bone rubbing on bone, and I needed knee replacement surgery. Th en someone told me about Steuart’s Pain Formula. I started using it and in 3 days I had no pain in my knees. I went right to sleep at night and I haven’t taken a pain killer since.”

Mike Marsden, Mabel, Minn: “I keep a jar of Steuart’s Pain Formula by my bed and reach for it at night when my knee pain fl ares up. It knocks the pain right out.”

Th e cream contains extracts of the herbs comfrey and arnica in a liposome base that penetrates the skin rapidly, says Gary Steuart, who founded the company in 1982. “People use the product to relieve joint and muscle pain associated with arthritis and injuries,” Steuart says.

®

Notice ofannual meetingOf the members of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation

Notice is hereby given that the annual meeting of the Arkansas Farm Bureau

Federation will be at 8 a.m., Friday, Dec. 4, 2015, in the Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel, Little Rock, Arkansas.

Th e purpose of the meeting will be to elect a Board of Directors for the ensuing year and to transact such other business as may properly come before the members.

Rodney Baker, Executive Vice President

Of the members of Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Arkansas, Inc.

Notice is hereby given that the annual meeting of the members of Farm Bureau

Mutual Insurance Company of Arkansas, Inc. will be held at 1 p.m., Friday, Dec. 4, 2015, in the Governor Fulton Room at the Statehouse Convention Center, Little Rock, Arkansas.

Th e purpose of this meeting is to elect a Board of Directors for the ensuing year and for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting.

Joe Christian, Secretary

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D E L T A C H I L DD E L T A C H I L D

We lived in a plain, white farmhouse. Momma agreed there was nothing remarkable about it.

“I’m thinking about painting the house,” she casually mentioned at the breakfast table. “Th e girls can help aft er school.”

“Cool!” I cheered. “White is boring. Let’s paint it bright yellow, like that house in Keiser next to the post offi ce.”

Daddy looked up from his bowl of Grape-Nuts. “Over my dead body. You’ll quit halfway through, and it’ll be my problem. I’m about to start picking cotton, and I sure don’t have time to mess with a half-painted house.” I watched Daddy’s mouth and the way he spoke in a low growl almost without moving his lips. I could tell he hated the idea as much as the time Momma suggested converting the extra bedroom into a sewing room. She refi lled Daddy’s coff ee cup without another word about it. She was patient that way.

Five days later aft er a particularly dull day at school, my little sister and I stepped off the bus to see Momma standing high on a wooden ladder near the rock chimney. When she saw us, she grinned and waved to us with her paintbrush.

“Daddy’s gonna be mad,” my sister whispered to me. He had just started picking cotton, so I reckoned he would be too busy to notice.

Momma had selected beige paint, boring in my opinion and not that diff erent from

white, but it was fresh and clean nonetheless. For the next several days, our new aft er-school job included washing paint brushes with turpentine, carrying the ladder back to the pump house and hiding all of Momma’s tools in the shed before supper. Daddy lugged himself home well aft er dark covered in dust and smelling of cotton. During cotton harvest, his nightly routine was always the same — he grunted in our direction on his way to a hot shower and barely ate anything before collapsing into bed. He had no idea he snored in a two-toned house.

One Saturday morning aft er a trip to the hardware store for more paint, Momma laughed as she pulled the car into the driveway. “If your Daddy knew how crazy our house looked right now, we would all be in trouble.” Instead of starting on one corner and painting left to right in even, organized sections, she moved around with the shade. Our house was a patchwork of beige and white, and I saw nothing funny about it.

“What if he already knows and is waiting for the right time to kill us?” I asked. “I bet his gossipy farmer friends at the gas station already told him!”

“Farmers don’t have time to gossip while they’re picking cotton,” she said, sounding confi dent and not at all worried.

While Momma made good progress on the house, Daddy labored to get the cotton out of the fi elds before Th anksgiving. Aft er heavy spring rains, harvest was unusually late that year.

Finally, on the Saturday Daddy picked his last fi eld of cotton, Momma painted the last section of the house. It would have been perfect timing on Momma’s part except that was the day — the only day during weeks of picking cotton — Daddy decided to come home for lunch.

Sitting high in my treehouse, I saw his dirty truck slowly making its way down the highway in front of our house. Momma, who had become quite a pro at balancing the paint can on the highest ladder rung, painted the topmost eave. With the exception of that one fi nal area, the outside of our entire house was now a diff erent color, and the shutters were chocolate brown.

“Momma, Daddy’s coming!” I swung down from the tree yelling and waving my arms.

Momma stepped down from the ladder, went inside, washed her hands and made Daddy a bologna sandwich. Daddy never said a word about our painted house.

(Read other work by Talya on her blog “Grace and Gardening” found at www.gracegritsgarden.com.)

paintedhouseOur

painting by Stephen W. Wilcox

by Talya Tate Boerner


D E L T A C H I L DD E L T A C H I L D

We lived in a plain, white farmhouse. Momma agreed there was nothing remarkable about it.

“I’m thinking about painting the house,” she casually mentioned at the breakfast table. “Th e girls can help aft er school.”

“Cool!” I cheered. “White is boring. Let’s paint it bright yellow, like that house in Keiser next to the post offi ce.”

Daddy looked up from his bowl of Grape-Nuts. “Over my dead body. You’ll quit halfway through, and it’ll be my problem. I’m about to start picking cotton, and I sure don’t have time to mess with a half-painted house.” I watched Daddy’s mouth and the way he spoke in a low growl almost without moving his lips. I could tell he hated the idea as much as the time Momma suggested converting the extra bedroom into a sewing room. She refi lled Daddy’s coff ee cup without another word about it. She was patient that way.

Five days later aft er a particularly dull day at school, my little sister and I stepped off the bus to see Momma standing high on a wooden ladder near the rock chimney. When she saw us, she grinned and waved to us with her paintbrush.

“Daddy’s gonna be mad,” my sister whispered to me. He had just started picking cotton, so I reckoned he would be too busy to notice.

Momma had selected beige paint, boring in my opinion and not that diff erent from

white, but it was fresh and clean nonetheless. For the next several days, our new aft er-school job included washing paint brushes with turpentine, carrying the ladder back to the pump house and hiding all of Momma’s tools in the shed before supper. Daddy lugged himself home well aft er dark covered in dust and smelling of cotton. During cotton harvest, his nightly routine was always the same — he grunted in our direction on his way to a hot shower and barely ate anything before collapsing into bed. He had no idea he snored in a two-toned house.

One Saturday morning aft er a trip to the hardware store for more paint, Momma laughed as she pulled the car into the driveway. “If your Daddy knew how crazy our house looked right now, we would all be in trouble.” Instead of starting on one corner and painting left to right in even, organized sections, she moved around with the shade. Our house was a patchwork of beige and white, and I saw nothing funny about it.

“What if he already knows and is waiting for the right time to kill us?” I asked. “I bet his gossipy farmer friends at the gas station already told him!”

“Farmers don’t have time to gossip while they’re picking cotton,” she said, sounding confi dent and not at all worried.

While Momma made good progress on the house, Daddy labored to get the cotton out of the fi elds before Th anksgiving. Aft er heavy spring rains, harvest was unusually late that year.

Finally, on the Saturday Daddy picked his last fi eld of cotton, Momma painted the last section of the house. It would have been perfect timing on Momma’s part except that was the day — the only day during weeks of picking cotton — Daddy decided to come home for lunch.

Sitting high in my treehouse, I saw his dirty truck slowly making its way down the highway in front of our house. Momma, who had become quite a pro at balancing the paint can on the highest ladder rung, painted the topmost eave. With the exception of that one fi nal area, the outside of our entire house was now a diff erent color, and the shutters were chocolate brown.

“Momma, Daddy’s coming!” I swung down from the tree yelling and waving my arms.

Momma stepped down from the ladder, went inside, washed her hands and made Daddy a bologna sandwich. Daddy never said a word about our painted house.

(Read other work by Talya on her blog “Grace and Gardening” found at www.gracegritsgarden.com.)

paintedhouseOur

painting by Stephen W. Wilcox

by Talya Tate Boerner


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front porch - fall 2015

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