Country August/September 2019

TOMATOES. THAT’S WHAT AUGUST LOOKS, smells and tastes like to me. On these midsummer days, you’ll find my husband and me in the garden, tending to our small crop. Though we’ve harvested several seasons’ worth of vegetables (some going into the canner and others straight to a dinner plate), the experience always makes me appreciate America’s farmers. In this issue, you’ll meet two who not only love working the land, but also help others do the same. Ethan Eunice, a 9-year-old who manages the family farm’s produce stand, wrote a book about growing food (page 12). On her farm in New York, Leah Penniman teaches workshops that reconnect people with their agricultural roots (page 46). The results of Leah’s efforts are an inspiring lesson to all of us. And, beginning…

Country is written by readers for readers. It’s easy to share your stories and photos. Simply visit country-magazine.com and click Share Your Story. Give us your take on the topics below, and you might get published in a future issue: Christmas Our Christmas issue could be your family’s keepsake! Share memories, holiday traditions, stories and photos with us. You might see them in print in the Dec/Jan issue. Label your submission “Christmas.” Fresh Air Send us your short stories about life in the country for this joyful roundup featured in every issue. Label your submission “Fresh Air.” Backyard Blessings Sometimes the wonders of nature can be found at home in the country. Tell us about your experiences with nature and the beauty outside. Label your submission “Backyard Blessings.” Photo Tips…

Dear Country… I love the photo of the mare with her foal on the cover of the April/May issue. The image reminded me of my mom’s mare, Miss Goldie Locke. She was part bay and part palomino. We haven’t had her for 23 years but we miss her every day. Here’s a photo of our Goldie. Oh, how we long for those days! ASHLEY CORBIN Boiling Springs, South Carolina JEFF WALKER’S story about his Papaw (April/May, page 68) certainly struck up welcome memories for me. Born about the same time in southern Indiana, my father taught all three of his children the same values in just about the same ways. Honesty, fairness to a fault, prayer, and a strong belief in God and the Bible governed his life, too. Thank…

Greener Pastures Living in rural America is a lifestyle I love. Just a drive around our county affords many beautiful scenes for this photographer. Sheep ranching is prevelant in the northwestern area of Colorado where I live. While on a quiet drive one afternoon near Black Mountain, with the fall colors just starting to show, I captured this moment of peace in the mountains. Finding a herd of sheep nestled in this valley may be common to some, but to me it speaks volumes about the freedom we enjoy out West. We have lived in rural Colorado for most of our married life, and the landscapes here never bore me.…

JUST OFF THE BEATEN PATH in South Georgia’s Brantley County, you’ll find the Produce Shack at the Home Grown Barn. Here, our family sells a variety of seasonal produce, cane syrup, farm-fresh eggs, handcrafted signs and other knickknacks. We think it’s a local treasure, but the real gem at this place is my son, Ethan Eunice. Though he’s just 9 years old, Ethan manages the shack, which is open every other Saturday through the growing season. It’s his job to water, pick the veggies, and feed the chickens, cows and goats. When we aren’t open, the fruits and veggies are out on a table with a mailbox for payment (it’s all on the honor system). Ethan collects and counts the money. This hands-on experience is good for him. He’s learning…

In theory, every backyard needs a proper place where the gardener can relax and admire a job well done. But in practice, we gardeners take infinitely more pleasure in digging, planting, pruning and clipping ping than we do in sitting still. My favorite spot to sit is in a rustic gazebo here on our century farm. It’s filled with wildflowers and plants grown from slips that friends and neighbors have given me. I enjoy the morning melody of birds visiting the feeders scattered about. I listen for the song of the red-winged blackbirds in the trees and nearby meadows, and the call of the cheerful robins. Wrens, brown thrashers, song sparrows, cardinals, finches and many other native birds entertain me as they approach my garden. And when I spot the…